Alice woke up in the rowboat the next morning. She couldn't feel the boat rock when she sat up. The craft was no longer gliding along the water. It was on a peaceful beach with wet sand underneath it. It was certainly not the same island where Icarus had found the Golden Fleece . . . it was better. Palm trees dotted the beach, but became less dense as the sand transitioned into grass. Hibiscus flowers were abundant, as was a pleasant feeling that hung around the air.
She climbed over the edge of the boat and stretched out her legs and arms.
Something was missing. Alice looked back at the rowboat. Icarus was still asleep in the boat, but Sparky was gone.
She could hear a dog barking in the distance. She knew it was Sparky, but it was the strange, metal-toned woof that had scared the dragon away. Something must be wrong, she thought.
Alice ran as fast as her feet would take her. She sprinted across the diameter of the island. She followed the sound of the barks until she found Sparky. He was howling at something in a palm tree. She looked up to see a girl cowering at the top.
Sparky quieted when he sensed Alice.
"You can come down now," she told the girl in the tree.
The girl hesitated, but then she climbed down. Alice got a good look at her face. She looked like she was in her late teens. Her body was tanned from years in the sun. Her blue eyes had a tinge of green in them, and they sparkled like gems when she looked at Alice. She had soft, flowing hair that was like dripping caramel. She wore a white, almost toga-like dress. The girl was beautiful.
"You'll have to excuse Sparky. He can be a little over protective sometimes."
The girl nodded. "I was going to take Icarus into my hut to heal him, but the dog came after me."
"You know Icarus?"
"Of course!" the girl laughed. "He stayed on this island with me for thousands of years. I'm Calypso."
"Oh! Icarus told me a lot about you and your island. I had honestly expected you to be older."
"Looks can be deceiving."
The girls walked back to the rowboat together with Sparky trailing behind them. Icarus was still not awake yet. He did not have the peacefulness on his face like a normal sleeper would. He was still unconscious.
Calypso reached out and gently touched his cheek. "He's close to death," she said, "but I think I can still heal him."
With Alice's help, she lifted Icarus's limp body from the boat and carried him to her hut. They set him down on a small bed with a wooden frame and white sheets. Alice sat down in a rattan chair and watched Calypso work. Neither of them said anything. Alice didn't want to break the silence in fear that she might also break Calypso's concentration.
Time inched by. It was tough for Alice to look at Icarus. She wanted his blue eyes to gaze back at her. She wanted to know that he was ok.
"I've done all I can now," Calypso sighed. "He needs some rest. Let's go outside."
Alice followed Calypso back outside. Neither of them did or said anything. It was like there was a brick wall between the two of them. Calypso wandered off to her garden for a while. Alice sat down and petted Sparky. Time continued to move slowly. That was the one thing Alice didn't like about the island.
Calypso came back to check on Icarus after a bit. "He's going to be fine," she told Alice with a smile.
It was a lot easier to be around Calypso when she was happy. It was like the brick wall between Alice and Calypso had been smashed with a wrecking ball.
With the new comfort between her and Calypso, she decided to ask about her mom. She explained everything to her.
Calypso merely answered, "If you can get her to the island, I'll heal her."
Alice's heart leapt with joy. "Thank you!"
Alice rubbed the ruby ring that her father gave her. It suddenly glowed more, but nothing else seemed to happen. She waited a while, and then a voice came from the ring.
"Did you find the island, Alice?" the voice asked. It was Hephaestus.
"Yes. I talked to Calypso and she said that she'd help!"
"That's great! I can see where you are now, so I'll be on my way. I'll see you soon."
"Ok. Bye Dad!"
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aphrodite smirked and asked Hermes, "Are you ready to go?"
"Of course."
She walked past him and out of the temple. Hermes followed behind her. His chariot was waiting outside. He offered his hand to Aphrodite to help her get in, and she ignored it. Hermes climbed in behind her.
She pulled the diamond ring from her finger and handed it to him. A map was displayed on the jewel. A little red X was displayed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
"That's it?" he inquired.
"Yes."
"Ok then."
Hermes grabbed the reigns and the chariot took off.
