It was the chill, the kind that seeped all the way into the bones and made one’s soul shiver that really caught Sam’s notice.

The New York skyline was sprawled out in front of him. It was a grand sight of historical landmarks that had survived throughout the centuries, even against rampaging evil gods once upon a time. New York, the greatest city in the world — and yet tonight something was definitely amiss.

The city of lights had gone dark.

Sam couldn’t see a single speck of light from the city below him. Below him — that was the other thing.

What Sam had first thought was the rooftop of a skyscraper like the Empire State Building was in fact not what he was actually standing on. Indeed, the Empire State Building was rising over the dark horizon before him. So where was Sam, and how did he get wherever here was?

It was too dark for him to tell, but the dirt clinging to his feet told him he might be on the edge of a cliff, although there were no mountains close enough to the city for this kind of up-close breathtaking view.

Sam opened his mouth to speak but found his voice would not come, and as he wondered what in Hades was going on the ground beneath him began to shake. What started out as a low rumble grew in strength until the skyscrapers veiled in shadows shook violently. They toppled over each other, their dark silhouettes falling down into the streets.

Out of the center of all this chaos, deep in the heart of New York, something was rising. It was a massive thing with a silhouette so black that it might have caused the darkness.

Sam watched, wordless and powerless, as this massive shadow continued to rise from the broken bones of his city.

Broad-shouldered and unimaginably tall, the shadow turned its head, and although Sam couldn’t see the face framed by an outline of wild, unkempt hair, he did glimpse the eyes. Twin pools of fire trained their fiery gaze on the young hero that caused his whole body to shudder.

The shadow raised an arm. Its giant fingers stretched toward Sam and blocked his view of the city.

His tiny fists could never dent this thing racing toward him, and so Sam thought he had to run. But then Sam felt heat against his back much like the warmth of the sunlight on a hot summer day on the beach. Then golden light flared out from behind him and drove the shadow away.

“You can’t have him today, fool,” said a voice that Sam thought was distinctly familiar although he’d ever only heard it once before.

Sam glanced to his right and saw that there was a god beside him. This was pretty obvious as a golden aura radiated out of this extremely fit, toga-wearing blonde guy who was grinning at the giant shadow in a very taunting manner.

“Go away now, loser,” the god said. “You’re not welcome in my progeny’s dreams.”

He snapped his fingers, and the view of New York and the giant shadow towering over it was obliterated in a wave of brilliant golden light.

“Man, that was exciting.” The god winked at Sam. “Not every day you get to meet your worst nightmare and the god of your dreams in the same dreamscape.”

Sam wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react here. So he attempted a bow, but the god stopped him mid-bend.

“There’s no need for that.” The god chuckled. Then he snapped his fingers. “You can speak now, but you really should learn how to navigate dreamscapes, Sam. I won’t always be around to shield you from these kinds of psychic attacks.”

“Um,” Sam cleared his throat, “you’re Apollo, aren’t you?”

The god was a head taller than Sam, more muscular too, like a Greek sculpture of Adonis that had come to life. He wore a loose white toga, sleeveless and ending just above knee height.

“What gave me away — nope, don’t tell me. It’s the rays, right?” Apollo asked wryly. “It’s always the rays... this is why I have such a hard time sneaking into comic-con.” Then he changed the pitch of his voice. “Look, that dude’s got golden rays... He must be Apollo!”

The ‘rays’ Apollo spoke of were the tendrils of brilliant golden light flowing out of his back much like the wings of an angel or the tentacles of an old eldritch god might have.

Apollo had an easy smile plastered on a face framed by wavy blonde locks. His skin was an otherworldly metallic bronze. His eyes were yellow and glowing like minuscule twin suns.

“You’ve got my nose. It’s proof that you descend from me.” Apollo tapped the bridge of his long, straight nose. “And no, I wasn’t reading your mind just now. You’re just easy to read, Sam.”

Sam already knew that his family was descended from Apollo, although the generations that separated the god from him were leagues apart.

Without warning, Apollo smacked Sam in the shoulder. Although the punch seemed as light as a tap, it still felt like Sam’s right shoulder had suddenly caught fire.

“Yow!” Sam rubbed his shoulder. “What in Hades was that for?”

“That was for not listening to me the first time we spoke,” Apollo chided him. “And watch whose name you invoke in the dreamscape, man... there’s always someone listening.”

Apollo glanced left, right, up, and down before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Of all the gods, I could do with old dead-eyes not finding out about this pirate broadcast... I’m not supposed to be talking to you,” he admitted.

“Why not?” Sam asked.

“Gods aren’t supposed to interfere directly with mortals... it’s the whole point of heroes. You’re our representatives on Earth, man,” he explained.

Sam thought there was way more to heroes than just being agents of the gods, but he didn’t say that out loud.

“Personally, I think that the return of old foes is the kind of thing we should interfere in, but the big boss overruled me...” Apollo rolled his eyes at the sky. Then he spoke in a voice that mimed an older man, “How will mortals learn to walk for themselves if we keep holding their hands?”

A jagged and angry sort of lightning bolt flashed across the empty sky of Sam’s dreamscape.

“Uh, yeah, so, as I was saying,” Apollo glanced warily up at the sky, “I’m not supposed to be here... so let’s not tell anyone this meeting ever happened.”

Deciding to humor the god, Sam asked, “What meeting?”

Apollo grinned. “Exactly...”

“So... why are we meeting?”

“I’m here to give you your next mission.”

“Um, Chiron’s the only one who can give me a mission... isn’t he?”

For an answer, Apollo snapped his fingers — and a new notification appeared between them, the golden kind.

NEW MISSION: STOP THE PHANTOM MENACE

“Isn’t that plagiarism?” Sam asked.

“I put ‘stop’ at the beginning of the title so it doesn’t count,” Apollo replied dismissively.

CONDITION: Save the last of Fate’s mortal avatars from the servant of the great enemy and be forewarned of the great battle to come.

“Farsight,” Sam breathed, his mind flashing on Maeve’s last request. “You want me to rescue Farsight... the last seer...”

“Technically, I still have other alternatives like my Oracles of Delphi and Dodona, but I am super fond of the Weird Sisters,” Apollo reasoned. “And it’s their prophecy so...”

Sam spared Apollo a glance. “Oracles don’t share prophecies?”

“Sure, there’s a shared cloud up in the ether, but only one person at a time can download the visions,” Apollo explained. “It’s a quirk among the three sisters that they each possess pieces of a single grand prophecy.”

REWARDS ONE: Earn great favor with Apollo, the shining star, brightest among gods, beloved of men and women alike, the poet Laureate of poet Laureates, lord of singers, king of archers—

“—Seriously?” Sam cut off Apollo’s own voice-over of his titles and then raised his eyebrow at the god who avoided his eyes.

REWARDS TWO: 500 Golden Drachma, 1x supplementary gift to Healing Hand, ultra-rare OTC collectible: 18 inch Apollo and Sun Chariot statue (comes with a certificate of authenticity).

“I’m super generous, right?” Apollo winked at Sam. “That statue’s a Mrs. Venusday exclusive, man.”

Holy Zeus... he’s offering me a new gift plus a ‘Venusday’ statue that’s worth thousands of drachma? Yes, Sam thought his patron was being generous, although he wasn’t about to thank Apollo. The god could toot his own horn well enough.

“But wait... there’s more!” Apollo raised both hands in a flourish before revealing the third reward of his special mission. “Let’s see what’s behind curtain number three!”

REWARDS THREE: Learn of a far easier way to save Thunder from the Blight than becoming an alpha-level healer.

“Seriously?” This time, both of Sam’s eyebrows rose. “Is this for real?”

“Caught your eye, huh, lover-boy?” Apollo chuckled.

Sam blushed, frowned, and then said, “I need to know you’re not jerking my chain, Apollo.”

“It’s true, Sam,” Apollo answered. “You save Farsight and she can lead you to a legendary relic that’ll heal Thunder of the blight... It’s the ultimate prize for doing me this solid.”

He was going to find Farsight even if Apollo hadn’t given him this mission — he had a promise to keep — but now, well, if there was anything that would stoke the fire in Sam’s chest, then this was it.

“Consider it done,” Sam said, in a voice that regained some of his newfound confidence. “Tell me where she is.”