Bill managed to get us out of the cavern after a few moments prodding me. I couldn't believe myself. The world looked unreal. I was lightheaded, and I felt like I was floating in the middle of the room. My mom was gone. I had her in front of me and I lost her. It was now Gaea's body, and she left to do whatever she wanted. My mom was just a helpless slave to her own form.

The others took off down the corridor and I reluctantly followed them. I could hear Butch and Big Jim behind us, yelling at us not to leave them there. I wasn't even tempted to look back at them. There was no way I was going to help them. I was secretly hoping they would get eaten. They deserved worse.

We burst out of the tunnel. I didn't see anything in front of us except overgrown trees and tall, twisted shadows from the full moon. No signs of a mouse, let alone an army. A sharp, cold wind darted in between the tress, chilling me to the bone. It was way too cold to be a summer night. Something unnatural was making the wind blow. I could feel that much.

Bill didn't wait to smell the roses. He took off the way we first came in. Brady and Gabi followed them and were lost in the trees. I followed. We dashed through the woods, never slowing down for a second. Every now and then once of us would get caught be a tree root and go down, but would spring up just as fast, still at full speed. It wasn't the army that scared me. It was the wind. I had felt this cold once before. And I was sure I knew the source.

Bill paused suddenly. I didn't even have time to turn on the brakes before I slammed into him, sending us both to the ground. I rolled off of him, lying on my back, staring at the stars trying to catch my breath. Both Gabi and Brady were wheezing and coughing, clutching their chests. Bill looked like he had just taken a stroll through his front yard. But he was as still as a statue, staring out into the night ahead of him.

Brady was on his knees, trying to recover, but Gabi seemed to be doing better. She looked at her father, who was staring at the darkness intently, like he was trying to extract information out of it by sheer will power.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I thought… I heard…" he stuttered. "It's not possible."

Brady was standing now, his breathing almost normal. He took a step back. "Um, what?"

I felt a tremor pass through the ground, like a landslide had started. Or a boulder had tumbled out of the sky. Or…

I jumped straight up. "Their right in front of us. You lead us straight to them!"

I heard the distinct sound of trees snapping, and the whistle of something hurtling through the air. I flattened myself straight to the ground as the boulder sailed overhead, pummeling the ground behind us. Way behind us. I got the feeling that it wasn't aimed for us.

"What is going on?" Brady yelled. "What in the Hades was that?"

"The army is straight in front of us," I told him. "Her father," I snapped towards Gabi, hovering the point of my sword an inch from her throat, "lead us straight into a trap."

"What? No! He wouldn't have. I don't believe it!" She looked to Bill, who was still frozen to the spot, his eyes wide in fear. I didn't know what he saw, but it certainly scared me. I could almost feel the source of the wind now. Whoever was controlling it was close. Real close.

If you talk to anybody who has been in an artillery strike they will tell you it is terrifying when you hear the whistles of the shells passing overhead. But if you can hear the whistle, you're at least safe. It is when everything is silent that you begin to know true fear. The one that kills is the one you don't know is coming. But that's what I heard. No whistle, only the snapping of branches and trees.

Bill slammed into us a split second before the ground we were standing on exploded. Brady flew back into a tree while the three of us tumbled down a good ten feet into a bed of roots and leaves and grass. It would have been comfy if I was just taking a nap. But everything hurt. My ears were ringing. My eyesight was blurry. My brain felt foggy. My head felt like an over inflated water balloon. I could taste the metallic tint of my blood on my tongue. I tried to stand up, but my whole body felt like it was spinning. I tried to cover my ears from the ringing and pulled them away covered in blood. I couldn't even crawl.

I could just make out someone shouting and something slapped me in the face. The hot taste of Chinese tea coated my throat, though I had no idea why I was drinking it. My brain cleared some. My eyesight returned almost too normal. My ears still rung, but it seemed distant and quiet, not the loud, searing sound it had been. I tried to think back. The boulder. Trees snapping. It hit me like another explosion. I had almost been vaporized. Bill saved my life.

He was standing over me, yelling something. I tried to focus and could barely register what he was trying to ask. Can I walk? Am I alright?

"Yes," I choked, spitting out blood and dirt. I stood up and took a couple of wobbly steps before getting my bearings again. My entire body felt feverish. I knew that the square of Ambrosia in my pocket would be just as deadly as the boulder.

Brady let out a groan from the base of his tree, letting us know that he was at least alive. He cracked opened his eyes and stared at all of us like it was the first time he had seen anything. Not good. But Gabi was worse. She was unconscious, with bits of shrapnel still lodged in her face. She was unnaturally pale and her breathing was shallow and ragged. Bill dribbled as much nectar into her mouth as he dared, and some color returned to her cheeks, but I could still tell she was on the tittering brink of life and death. That godly drink only bought her a few hours. Half a day at most. I thought about the amount of time it took me to get here from camp. She would never make it.

Brady sprung up, and I could tell that he had remembered what just happened. He looked around to get his bearings, but when he saw Gabi I could see the life drain out of him again.

I looked back at her. I felt something strange. A surge of protectiveness. I wasn't going to let some rock-throwing monster kill this infuriating daughter of Athena. That was a specialty reserved only for me.

"Carry her," I ordered Bill. "We need to get out of here now." While I was dead sure Bill couldn't have cared either way if I died, I knew he wanted to protect his daughter. I could see that much. Brady was still in shock, and I had to smack him a couple times to get him moving again.

I lead the way this time. We ran perpendicular to the army, straight up an ever-increasing slope of a mountain. I was hoping we could get high enough to discourage any pursuers. That's when I heard the war horn. A sharp, high, piercing call off to my left. Not more than 50 feet away, I could make out the silhouettes of large things. At least ten to fifteen feet tall, with massive arms and a giant torso, with tree trunks for legs. A couple of them launched boulders, which sailed harmlessly over our heads and into the gloom beyond. They exploded into shrapnel. I heard strange cries. A wail. A bark. A scream. And none of them were remotely human.

Bill looked at where the boulders had just smashed the ground. "That's what we were running from. One of Gaea's armies."

Another war horn cut through the night, to our right this time. But this one was different. It was a much deeper sound, like rumbling earth.

We didn't need any more encouragement. We scrambled up the side of the mountain, climbing over razor sharp rocks, tripping over loose stones, stubbing our toes on boulders here and there. I don't know how long we climbed. By the time we stopped, I couldn't lift my arms above my shoulders. Brady was nearly dead from exhaustion, and Bill was doing his best not to heave. We propped Gabi up against the edge of the cliff. Her father tried to get more godly stuff into her, but I told him to stop. I could feel the heat radiating off of her from here.

Down below us, in the thick of the trees, I could hear the sounds of battle. Trees smashing. A wail of pain. The piercing call or rumbling sound of the war horns. I had no idea what was going on, and if Bill did, he seemed keen on keeping it to himself. He was bent over his daughter, stroking her face and murmuring to her, even though she couldn't hear any of it. Brady was sprawled out on the ground fast asleep. I didn't know how. My nerves were too overloaded to sleep. I remember that not more than a couple of hours ago I would have sliced him to pieces and not even bat an eye. Now, I just mildly disliked him. He earned a little respect in that cave next to me, defiant to his last breath.

The light of the explosion lit up our little camp. The rattling boom came a second later, setting my ears on fire. They started ringing again. I peered down at the landscape. A fifty foot wide swath of forest has been vaporized, leaving a smoking crater almost twenty feet deep. The battle had distracted my thoughts, which I was glad for. I couldn't stop thinking about my mom. Ever since I left that cave, I couldn't tear myself away from the way her eyes had molded into packed earth. Her voice, heavy and ancient, filled with hate and loathing of everything. The way she stalked out, not even acknowledging I was worthy of existence.

I knew one thing. I would fight in this war. I would help the Gods defeat Mother Earth and her sons. There was no end I wouldn't pass, no challenge to great, or pain too hard to bear that would ever stop me from destroying every last remnant of Gaea. If it was the last thing on earth I would do, her end would be it. I would destroy her utterly and without remorse. This was personal.

Down below, I felt the tide of battle shift. Someone had finally gained the upper hand. The losing army started to break apart like an iceberg in summer waters, before the entire line collapsed and it turned into a full retreat.

I laid my head down, wondering if I should just kill Bill now, or let him try to explain himself first, then kill him. It would almost make up for the part he had to play in my mother's… possession. Almost. I watched the stars, thinking about how beautiful they were tonight, and that she would never get the chance to see them ever again. Because of him. Smoky/Sisyphus, whoever, was dead, and the twins were monster snacks. He was the only one left to pay.

I don't remember falling asleep, only the fact I was disappointed. I had come up with my plan. I tried pinching myself to wake up, but nothing happened. I just floated on top of the hill like last time.

Last time. Hill. I spun around, hoping that I wasn't where I knew I was. I was instantly disappointed. Below me, the red fortress from my last dream dominated the landscaped. It positively glowed, as if someone had lit a very large candle somewhere inside. The double walled black castle surrounding it was almost completed. The only things left under construction were the towers that sprung up from the outer walls at certain intervals. Half-finished ballista and catapults sat on top of the completed towers. The moat was filled with flames. It was built to be impenetrable. Like anyone in their right mind would try to assault it.

I pinched myself one last time, desperately hoping that I would wake up. Whatever brought me here though, was determined to make me stay for as long as possible. I drifted towards the palace again, drifting over the buildings of the castle. Every type of monster I could think of roamed around, polishing their weapons, which ranged from a double-bladed axe, to some sort of flamethrower type thing, to their own claws, talons, and fingernails. Some of them looked around sniffing the air as I drifted over, although how they could smell me in dream form, I had no idea.

I finally arrived in the throne room again. It was just as I remember it, with Greek columns soaring up to the ceiling, and carvings decorating the wall, all washed in blood red. Exactly in the middle of the room though, was something new. A statue of a tall, proud, warrior rose almost 15 feet up, made of beautifully polished diamonds. It was half finished, ending at about the waist. Teams of Cyclops hauled in new slabs of diamonds. As I looked closer, I could see inscriptions carved into the blocks. I couldn't read it, but I recognized it. The language of Magic.

Groups of dark, fuzzy creatures hammered at the blocks, carving them very, very carefully into the shape they needed to be for their respective positions. More operated lifts and pulleys, placing the blocks into place. Sea Demons, Will called them. At the end of the room sat a figure I recognize from my last unannounced trip. Kronos, the Lord of Time. He fingered something across his lap, a crescent shaped piece of metal, which glinted two different colors. Bronze and gray.

He watched the work progressing with a cold interest, seeming only to care when the project would be finished. Another person approached him. Prometheus. The scars on his face seemed to have been re-opened. They were red and visibly throbbing.

He didn't bow this time, just stood to the right of the throne. The wind deposited me just in front of them.

"How much longer until it is completed?" Kronos asked.

"Three months milord," Prometheus responded.

"Bah," Kronos spat. "I want it done in a month. Or I will feed them to the drakon myself."

"It is slow work," Prometheus said. "If their chisel even scrapes the block in the way it has not been prepared, it will-" Suddenly there was a loud POOF! I turned around. Where the monsters had been working now sprouted a twelve foot tall Christmas trees, at least three dozen of them, complete with snow. "-do that," he sighed. 'That's the third accident this week."

Kronos turned red with rage. "Stop. Wasting. My. TIME!" He yelled, slamming his fist against his throne, cracking it. "I cannot leave this infernal place until it is completed! If one more thing goes wrong, I will feed YOU to the drakon!"

Prometheus bowed so low I thought he was going to start moping the floor with his face. "I understand my lord. However, do you deem it so wise to rebuild your immortal spirit," he gestured to the half-finished statue, "in this type of monument? Perhaps we could find you another host, one more willing…"

"ENOUGH!" Kronos bellowed. "If you dare to as speak his name, and I will tear you limb from limb!" Kronos stood, leaving inches between him and Prometheus. "The drakon would enjoy being fed early…" He threatened.

Prometheus gave one final bow and scrambled for the exit. Kronos turned straight towards me and swung his sword. I only had enough time to yell before his blade passed through my heart.

I woke up screaming, clutching at my chest. I could literally feel my soul being sliced into two as my dream faded. I force myself to take deep, steady breaths. Calm my heartbeat. I repeated to myself over and over, it was only a dream. A very scary, real dream, but still just a dream.

I looked around after I got myself under control. A faint glow came from the east, indicating it was almost dawn. Brady was stilled passed out in the same position he was last night. Bill hovered over Gabi, giving me a startled look before he decided I was alright and went back to nurturing his daughter. Now would be the best time, I thought. I stood up, walked over, and put my sword against his throat. "Any last words before I kill you?"

"I save your life three times, and this is how you pay it back, eh?" He replied calmly.

Eh? Who says eh anymore? "Twice," I corrected. "And you only did it because your daughter would've died too."

"I believe the back yard makes three."

Disbelief shot across me. The back yard? There was no way. Unless… No it couldn't be. Could it? It wasn't possible. "What do you mean the back yard? You took my mother. She's dead now because of you!"

"We could have easily taken you too. I knew where you were. Sisyphus knew too. Hiding in a bed of white roses. Nothing says perfection like white." He chuckled at his comment before continuing. "Butch, lucky us, was a little slow, so we didn't have to explain to him why we weren't taking you alive just yet. Big Jim, well, he was just a waste of food. A good fighter too, maybe."

Confusion replaced my disbelief, freezing me to the spot. Bill pushed the sword away easily. He stood up, facing me.

"Why didn't you want me?" I finally stuttered.

"Gabi told me they were looking for you, so I convinced Sisyphus that you were more useful to him as a bargaining chip. A way to get Gaea to fulfill his deepest wishes."

"A bargaining chip? What do you mean?"

"You were his way of getting his kingdom rebuilt, his wealth restored, and his power returned. He wanted Hades on his knees before him. Begging like a child to be released, like he did so long ago. Sisyphus wanted to lay waste to the Underworld before Hades finally succumbed to Gaea's power. You were his way of getting that wish."

"That's ridiculous. I'm not that important."

Bill rolled his eyes before he went back to caring for his daughter. "You are more important than you realize," he said quietly, half to me, and half to his daughter.

I was about to demand that he tell me what he meant when Gabi gasped, her eyes fluttering open for a second before she slipped back into darkness. The moment of consciousness seemed to have cost her a lot. Her breathing became raspy and shallow, peppered with gasps of pain. Her skin turned clammy and sweaty. I started to reach for some Ambrosia to feed to her when Bill slapped my hand away.

"She's already had too much. You'll kill her!"

"She'll die if I don't. At least we can try." And I shoved the cracker in her mouth.

Her breathing steadied, but not by enough. She started glowing, the way the fortress did in my dreams. I put my hand on her forehead, taking it back almost immediately. She was almost on fire.

"We need to pour water over her. Now!" Bill yelled. I scrambled over, ripping Brady's water bottle out of his pack, who didn't even notice. I was beginning to wonder about him too. Bill draped a cool cloth over her head and helped me pour water over her skin, trying to cool her down. The patches of skin we doused first were almost dry by the time we had finish with the rest of her body. A couple minutes later the towel began to steam.

I was beginning to worry that I killed her when I heard the THUMP of a giant bird. I turned around and nearly had a heart attack. Above us in the sky, hurtling towards our little ledge, were five horses. And everyone one of them had a twenty foot wingspan.