Chapter: 10 Among Gods

Blackened smoke filled the air. The residue of a burning kingdom blotted out the sun itself, allowing darkness to descend upon the land. Cinderella, Charming, and several refugees had just barely made it out of the battle alive. Cinderella turned with broken eyes, watching her castle burn as the Horned King's forces razed it to oblivion. "There's nothing more we can do," Charming wrapped his arm around her. "We must keep moving, and warn the other kingdoms of this threat."

Hercules examined the medallion, "Where did you find this again?"

"It was on our parents' ship," explained Elsa. "They were searching for you."

"We were hoping you could give us any information behind it," worried Anna.

Hercules sighed, "I'm sorry but, I've never come into contact with your parents. In fact, you're probably the only Arendellians I've ever met." Elsa and Anna began to dread that they'd ever find their parents again. "Let me consult with my father, Zeus. After all, this is his symbol."

"Wait wait wait..." trembled Ben. "Did you say Zeus? As in-"

"The god of thunder," nodded Phil. "Oh he ain't bluffing. Trust me. I learned the hard way."

Hercules mounted his pegasus, "I'll send for some chariots."

"Where are we going?" wondered Zi.

Hercules smirked, "Mount Olympus."

Hades had returned to his original chamber in the Underworld. "Alright, Durag. We have one chance to make this right. You know what to do. Leave Tomas to me." Durag shifted into the darkness with an unseen ally as Hades descended to his lower dwellings. An strike team of minotaurs and harpies remained dormant beside Cerberus, his mighty, three-headed dog. "Listen up," sneered Hades. "We need to kill the Arendellians and any who stand in our way. Most of you won't be returning. In fact, you're all probably going to die. But it is of the utmost priority to destroy Tomas before that happens! Cerberus will clear the way to Olympus while the rest of you take this guy down. Oh...and watch out for Hercules. Go! Go! Go!" Hades grit his jagged teeth, "This is it. Hades, you screw up now...and you'll have Zeusy and the Horned Chump. Pressures on...let's play ball."

As the group awaited Hercules' return, Zi placed a hand on her companions. "Honey...Benjamin, can I talk to you?...Alone?"

"Of course, dear." Tomas and Ben followed Zi to Hercules' expansive garden.

"What's going on, lass?" asked Ben.

Zi stared at the ground for a moment. "Guys, I think we're chasing a lost cause. I know how far we've come, but don't you ever get tired of it all?"

"What do you mean?" asked Tomas.

For once in her life, Zi was struggling to speak her mind. "From the day we met, we've fought a long and grueling war against the forces of evil. One ruler falls so another can take his place. So we end up getting whisked away to some unknown land to repeat the process. We've fought the good fight. Why don't we let someone else carry on our legacy?"

"Zi, we've come too far." said Tomas. "We can't give up now."

"I'm not giving up, my love. Look, I used to think I was born to do this. Vanquish evil and become a servant of the people for my entire life."

"What happened?" asked Tomas.

"I met you two. You became the true family I never had. I fell in love with you, Tomas. I'm ready to leave this all behind so I can start a family."

Tomas sighed, "You'd raise a family in this rising turmoil."

"There will always be turmoil, lad." agreed Benjamin. "Your wife has a point. We've done our part, Tomas. We've had far too many close calls...one just might be our last." Tomas hung his head. "Lad, we mean this in the best of ways. You were born a warrior. That's what the Maelstrom crafted you into, but you've become so much more since then. You are more than a warrior. You're a friend, a husband, a father someday. Maybe it's time to let go of this life." He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Tomas thought deeply on the words of his companions. He looked into their tired, worried eyes. After rubbing Ben's shoulder, he caressed his wife's face. "Please, Tomas." she whispered.

"Alright," he replied. "We finish this quest, and then we go home...for good."

Zi hugged him tight, "Thank you, Tomas. I love you."

"I love you too, Zi. Thank you guys." He brought Ben in for the group hug just as thunder clapped above. A wave of pegasus-drawn chariots descended form the heavens as Hercules welcomed the Trailblazers aboard.

"Think we can trust these things?" worried Zi as she tested her chariot's sturdiness.

Tomas chuckled, "If we can launch ourselves across the entire Imperial city in a deranged, firework contraption designed by a snowgie...this will work fine. Just, hold on tight." Tomas placed an assuring arm around his wife's waist before taking off into the skies. Anna cheered with excitement as the wind blasted against her face. Elsa, on the other hand, was too busy clinging to the handles for dear life. Everyone grew lightheaded as their chariots ascended beyond the clouds and over to a towering mountain.

"Mount Olympus," awed Benjamin. "It's incredible."

"You can say that again," sighed Tomas. He looked on passed his wife's shoulders. "In all of my years of adventuring, I've seen countless wonders. Yet none, are as beautiful as the sight I look upon now."

Zi nodded, "Agreed."

Tomas then smirked, "Oh look, and there's a mountain too."

Zi smirked right back at him, "You're sweet."

The chariots stuck a precise landing at the apex of Mount Olympus. There, all stood before a gleaming staircase leading even higher than the mountain itself. Tomas watched as the golden gates swung opened and a celestial being descended. He was phenomenally muscular and had a glistening white beard. Each step made clouds shake and produced a sound that seemingly pulsed through everyone's body. "Well well well!" boomed his voice. "I presume these are the eager mortals that wanted to see me."

"I can't believe it!" Ben ran up and hugged Zeus' mighty thigh.

Zeus cringed, "Ummmm."

"I'm touching Zeus...the god of thunder. ZEUS!" Ben squeezed even tighter.

"Well I hope you didn't come all this way just to hug me," Zeus said as he peeled Ben off of him with ease.

"No, your...thunderness," bowed Anna. "We came to ask about this medallion." She placed it in the god's gigantic palm and awaited his reaction. "Our parents had it."

Zeus flashed a grievous glower, "Why...I haven't seen these since..."

"Since what?" asked Elsa.

Zeus scratched his beard, "Since the council's of old met long ago. There was once a great prophecy of an impending war. One that would bring all of the known kingdoms to ruin at the hands of an undead overlord. Determined to help those affected by this apocalyptic event, I had Hermes dispatch these medallions to the leaders of several kingdoms. It was my way of calling them to action. Seeing my son as the last hope for all heroes, I believed he would be the great solution. If I could unite all of the kingdoms under Hercules, they could rally together and defeat this predicted evil. Where is it you said you hailed from."

"Arendelle," replied Anna.

"Arendelle..." pondered Zeus. "I had figured the king and queen had declined my message to them."

"No," explained Tomas. "Their ship capsized during a voyage to Greece."

Zeus frowned, "I see. I'm sorry for your losses."

"Well we don't believe our parents to be dead," blurted Anna. She held up the glowing memory stone. "This enchanted stone only works if all living members of the royal family are touching it." She demonstrated as both she and Elsa placed a hand on it. "We've only unlocked a part of its secrets. The rest can only be unlocked by the hands."

"In all honesty," sighed Elsa. "We were hoping a trace of our parents would be here." As Zeus shook her head, Elsa felt a wave of hopelessness take her and she stormed off. This time, Tomas dashed after her.

"Your majesty!" he called.

"Please, leave me alone, Tomas."

"Everything's going to be alright," Tomas placed a hand on the back of her shoulder and she shuddered away. "Just talk to me!"

"I don't want to. In fact, the less we speak to each other...the better."

"What is all of this about? We'll find your parents. I know we will."

Elsa shook her head, "You truly are blind. The loss of my parents is a pain I've suffered for many years, the pain I endure because of you...is entirely different."

"What have I done to you?"

"I-" Elsa stopped herself with a shake of her own head. "You just-"

"Elsa, if you don't tell me what's happening I can't-"

"I thought we had something!" she exclaimed. "Something..." Tomas grew silent. "I...I don't know. Whether it was the way you looked at me, or how you held my hand. I felt like we had something...special. And then-" Elsa stopped herself again with an aggressive bite of her lip. "Then you met Zi, and everything changed."

Tomas could see the pain in his queen's eyes. "Elsa I-"

"Please. Just go." she silenced him.

Tomas clenched his fist, "Alright. But-"

"Quiet."

"No Elsa, let me-"

"Quiet!" Elsa placed her pale palm over his bearded mouth. "Do you hear that?"

Tomas slowly nodded to the sounds of a grappling, crumbling sound. It was in that instant, that Cerberus launched through the clouds with an army of minotaurs clustering behind. "Look out!" exclaimed Tomas as he deflected an javelin with his shield. "We've got to regroup with the others...fast!"