The Ultimate Quest: Olympic Gold

By Robert Henning

"Olympic Gold" unfolds in the majestic lands of ancient Greece. The 16th Olympic Games are about to start and a brilliant young sportsman has been denied entry to the competition following the theft of his registration scroll. Two children refuse to stand by and watch this man’s talent go to waste: the first is his bashful cousin, Alexis, and the second is a bossy sports fanatic named Clio. United in their love for the Olympic ideal they set off to the top of Mount Olympus to ask Zeus for help. But will they survive their quest? And will the Olympic Games be tarnished by the act of a sinister cheat?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Henning
• Release date: Jun 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458089991

Robert Henning

Rob Henning was born in South Africa and educated in New Zealand and Australia. He has degrees in commerce, politics and film, and currently lives in Los Angeles.The Ultimate Quest – Olympic Gold is part of a trilogy that celebrates young heroes. The other two books are The Ultimate Fantasy – Chinese Hero and The Ultimate Adventure – Journey to the Spirit Kingdom. You can find out more about these books at www.olympusbooks.com.

Book preview

The Ultimate Quest ~ Olympic Gold

By Rob Henning

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Smashwords Edition

Text - Robert Henning - copyright 2008

Cover art - Bonnie Van De Ven - copyright 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, photographic including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author.

The author can be contacted at [e-mail]

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Dedicated to young heroes everywhere…

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Cast of Characters

Alexis ~ A Greek boy

Clio ~ A Greek girl

Adonis ~ Olympic representative for the city of Corinth

Damian ~ Olympic representative for the city of Athens

Zeus ~ The god of gods

Hades ~ Zeus’ brother and god of the Underworld

Hera ~ Zeus’ wife and queen of Heaven

Theo ~ A centaur and servant to the Olympian gods

Celina ~ Damian’s younger sister

Phillip ~ Chief Olympic Referee and uncle to Clio

Prometheus ~ Speaker for the council of Corinth

Thomas ~ Speaker for the senate of Athens

Rastus ~ A Corinthian runner

Apollo ~ A Corinthian boxer

Steven ~ A Corinthian horse jockey

Cosima ~ Adonis’ mother

Achilles ~ Olympic representative for Olympia

Cora ~ A Greek singer and performer

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In the Beginning…

Zeus looked down at the world over which he ruled and realized a simple truth: competition brings out the best in people. This revelation prompted the god of gods to create a grand sporting event in which athletes could undertake a quest for gold. The spectacle came to be known as the Olympic Games, and people from around Greece took the sporting ceremony to heart.

As time passed by however Zeus came to appreciate a second truth: competition can also bring out the worst in people. The ruler of the world could see that many Greeks respected the Olympic ideal, but there were also others willing to cheat in their efforts to win. These people were a hidden threat that could destroy the goodwill created by the Games.

For more than a year Zeus considered canceling the world’s most prestigious competition: then he realized that he could never do such a thing. The Olympics were a god-like event, so it actually made sense for Good and Evil to clash against one another in the sporting arena (the contest also added to the drama and excitement, and Zeus was extremely fond of those things).

What follows is an epic story about the courage in one athlete’s heart, and the darkness in another’s. And this sporting tale only forms part of the universe you are about to enter, for inside this book you will also meet two extraordinary children who carry the Olympic flame deep within their chests. They have a special mission to fulfill in their lives, and they’re waiting for you to join them…

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Chapter 1

Alexis of Corinth was a dreamer, and like all dreamers he led two lives. During the day he was a nine year old Greek boy, and during the night he was the greatest Olympic champion Greece would ever know. Alexis’ dreams were almost always the same. They started with him flying through a sparkling aquamarine sky. Beneath him he would see villages perched on top of steep cliffs that fell into the brilliant blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. He would spot sea gulls hovering above the surf, and fishing boats bobbing up and down along the coast. The yellow sun would always shine brightly, and the breeze would carry up salt from the sea for him to smell. Alexis would then gently land in the official Olympic stadium that stood proudly at the foot of Mount Olympus. There he would be surrounded by the Greek gods, and he would take part in the mightiest and toughest race ever devised. It was the pentathlon, and only the finest athletes ever dared to make it their specialty.

The pentathlon was created by Zeus himself, and it was designed for sportsmen who were gifted with many talents. The five disciplines that made up the contest were sacred in Greek mythology, and each was a challenge in its own special way. First up was the discus throw: to win this discipline a man needed to have a fine sense of balance and shoulder muscles bursting with strength. The second event in the grand competition was the long jump: to emerge victorious here an athlete needed to possess an accurate sense of timing (and an inner desire to fly). The javelin throw saw sportsmen hurling spears towards the heavens. This third event was as much about strength as it was about picking the right angle to throw at. Fourth in line was the track sprint, and adding to the difficulty of this race was the requirement that all competitors run in heavy body armor. Without speed and fitness a sportsman could never hope to win this challenge. Finally, there was the discipline that Zeus held closest to his heart: one on one wrestling. Brute strength was not enough to secure victory here, and history showed that athletes with flexibility were often the best equipped to throw their competitors out of the combat zone.

To the overall winner of the pentathlon went a wreath crafted from pure gold. It was always placed on the champion’s head and it served as a reminder that the owner was closer to the gods than ordinary mortals. In Alexis’ dreams he always won this cherished prize, and each victory felt as joyful as the first.

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Corinth was nestled around a deep harbor and overlooked the shimmering Sea of Crete. It was normally a sleepy village, except for those days where athletes met in the stadium to race against one another. Corinthians were like all Greeks: they loved sport passionately. Sport to them was a celebration of human existence and human excellence. It brought people together from all walks of life, and it made everyone feel part of something glorious. On this particular morning Corinth’s stadium was full to capacity, and the air in the arena was alive with energy. Today was special, for today a member of the city’s council would name a team of athletes to represent Corinth in the Olympic Games. Those men who made the cut would be showered with honor, so the competitive spirit in the stadium was fierce.

Alexis sat by the side of the race track and soaked in the atmosphere. He was so excited. His cousin, Adonis, was one of the most promising athletes Corinth had ever produced, and any minute now he would race around the track in an effort to secure a place on the Olympic team. Adonis was nine years older than Alexis, but despite this age gap the two cousins were the best of friends. When they weren’t doing chores or studying the classics in school they would be together at the city stadium, chipping away at their dreams. Destiny called out to both of them, and her message was loud and clear: You will become a champion of Olympus.

The sound of a horn echoed through the stadium and sent a shiver down Alexis’ spine.

It was time!

Six young Corinthian men stepped out onto the race track: they were barefoot and bedecked in heavy armor. Young women in the crowd swooned at the sight of the handsome competitors, and people started to cheer enthusiastically. Adonis, who rarely let his nerves get the better of him, looked at Alexis with a giant grin on his face and gave the young boy a thumbs up signal. Alexis chuckled and waved back at his hero.

Councilor Prometheus stepped onto the stadium track and inspected the six athletes before him. The elderly man was the most important official in the city, and he certainly looked the part in his pristine white robe. A long time ago Prometheus had stood on this very track as an athlete, and he had run the race of his life to secure a position on the city’s Olympic team. He knew what the six athletes before him were going through, and just looking at them brought back many fond memories. The politician wished the competitors all the best as they stretched or inhaled deep gulps of air into their lungs. Once he was satisfied that everything was in order the Councilor stepped off the track and took hold of a conch shell from a race supervisor. The noise in the stadium immediately died down so that all people could hear was the sound of their own hearts beating.

Prometheus yelled out:

Athletes, take your marks!

Get set!

The politician then lifted the conch shell to his lips and blew a fierce gust of air into it.

A deep, hollow sound erupted into the stadium, and the race began…

Adonis propelled himself forward into action with the grace and hunger of a lion engaged in a hunt. At the same time his five other competitors launched into motion. The track before these men was covered in grit and small stones, but each athlete had tough soles to his feet. The only pain they felt was inside their lungs, which constantly called out for fresh air. The world became a blur for the competitors as they pushed and shoved against one another for prime position.

In the stadium stands people screamed and whistled as loudly as they could. The noise was thunderous and shook the foundations of the arena. Alexis locked his gaze onto Adonis and cheered him on with every ounce of energy in his body:

Go cuz, go! Go, go, go!

The racers entered the first turn in the track. Adonis was in third place, but this was part of the plan. He never pushed himself too hard on the first straight and forced himself to conserve energy for when it would count the most. The second straight opened up before the six athletes, and every man knew instinctively that this was where the race might be won or lost. Adonis was virtually imprisoned by men to his front, side and back. His mind screamed at him to break free, even if it meant squandering energy reserves. It was now or never…

Like a bolt of lightning Adonis darted sideways to his right and slipped outside of the race pack. The move lost him a foot on the leaders. Then, with an almighty force, he pushed himself forwards at a dangerously high speed. The armor on Adonis’ body squeezed down and tried to restrain his pumping muscles. The pressure grew and grew and grew until suddenly it evaporated: in that moment Adonis lost all sense of where he was or what he was feeling.

Alexis watched his cousin spur into the lead. He knew, deep down, that the 18 year old had moved into a state of physical grace. Adonis’ mind was free, and his body was capable of anything. It was beautiful to watch.

The athletes entered the second turn with Adonis in the lead. Muscles flexed, hearts pumped, lungs expanded and contracted: over and over and over again in a rhythm that was perfectly arranged and ordered. It was the miracle of the human body being pushed to the limit and somehow surviving.

The final straight now and Alexis could barely force himself to watch. Another athlete called Rastus had just found that special place that Adonis was in. The bulky 19 year old surged up behind the race leader with the power of an invisible angel behind him: it was frightening and awe inspiring at the same time. Alexis’ heart stopped, and in that instant time slowed down to a crawl. Rastus closed the gap on Adonis with every stride, and the finish line magically moved further away from the pair as each second passed by. Alexis turned away, for it was all too much to bear.

Adonis dived across the finish line a head’s length ahead of Rastus. It was the closest race he had ever run, and he almost wept with relief as his soul reconnected with his body. The stadium around the 18 year old was a wall of noise and movement, and amidst the cheering crowd was his cousin, jumping up and down. The athlete could read Alexis’ lips: he was shouting out Hooray!!!

Rastus wrapped a heavy arm around Adonis’ neck and whispered congratulations in his ear. The two were mates, and they jogged around the stadium track to celebrate their brilliant performances.

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Prometheus stood on a stage in the very center of Corinth’s stadium and looked over a crowd of citizens that had gathered on the race track. Behind the Councilor stood four very dapper young men. The first was Rastus: his blond hair, blue eyes and bulging muscles made him a favorite with the city’s women folk. Next to him stood Apollo, who unfortunately was missing half his teeth. He nonetheless possessed a roguish charm which many people found attractive. Steven was next in line, and though he was the slimmest of the four he carried a very dignified air about him. Steven was pretty in a feminine kind of way, but his body