As Julia approached her two gigantic opponents she could feel the hot blood of rage coursing through her veins. Revenge was the only thought on her mind. It was as if here thirst for justice was doubled due to the fact that it felt as if another entity was residing in her. This spirit heightened her senses and strengthened her will. It was almost like another person was controlling her. At first she thought this new found sensation was her own hunger for vengeance but the feeling she felt, the presence, she was sure there was someone else in her, watching over her, commanding. It was as if something was living through her, as if her own consciences, and another's both craved the blood of their enemies and sought to punish those that wronged them.
As Julia walked toward the two children of Gaea a battle broke out around her. The Argonauts and the ILH resumed fighting with the monsters, Carthaginians, corrupt Spartans, and Immortals. That was of no concern to her. She didn't stop when enemies came to intercept her and she didn't stop when friends died in front of her. The world seemed to fade around her and there was only her Pallas, Leon, and the second consciences within her. Her veins pumped acid, her lungs breathed hate, and her eyes burned flames. She was no longer Julia. The red mist escaped her nostrils and mouth as she breathed; the red aura pulsed from her with every step she took.
As Julia marched she thought back on the last two years of her life. It was the time when her memory was stolen by Hera and everything she knew about Olympus, gods, and monsters was nonexistent. She was only a shell of bitter nothingness. In order to cope with the lack of knowledge she turned to Catholicism to fill the vacuum. At that moment, even after her memory was reclaimed, she found herself returning to The Holy Bible, and murmuring a particular verse that she took kindly too in times of darkness:
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger upon those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you!"
(Ezekiel 25:17)
Her march broke into a brisk jog till she found her self full on sprinting towards the giants. When she achieved maximum speed she raised her weapons. Tyler's trench knife in one hand and her maikhra in the other. She let out a wild howl that was more Tyler than Julia. She was no longer the obedient servant of the gods. Leon and Pallas welcomed her with smiles. Julia returned the favor with a grin of her own.
Pallas let out a laugh before she swung her humungous sword. Julia rolled out of the way. Leon came bounding in with his club over head and then brought it down when he was in range. Julia jumped back just before the club could squash her. There was a deep crater left in the ground where the club struck. Julia lost control of her body as she went in for the attack. Her mind was on auto-pilot as her instincts took over and the commands of another being directed her movements. She dodge more swings from Pallas and stomps from Leon. Using her sword and Tyler's knife in unison she slashed out at the two giants' reptilian legs. The razor sharp blades opened gashes in their scaled skin causing the golden blood of immortals, Ichor, to flow freely. The two giants hopped about in pain.
"You're only prolonging the inevitable child!" bellowed Pallas as she swung her sword blindly.
Julia ignored her and continued to bounce between the two giants; dodging and hacking away. The Argonauts and the ILH had no time to watch the bizarre duel that was happening between the trio. They were too occupied with what was left of the Immortals, Carthaginians, evil Spartans, and monsters who were back on the attack. Not only that, there appeared to be more reinforcements emerging from Death's Doors. These evil reinforcements were made up of old Roman and Greek enemies. Although the ILH and Argonauts had greater numbers, they would have been overwhelmed if Death's Doors weren't closed soon. All they needed to do was give Julia enough time to take the two giants out of the equation.
Leon let out a bellow of rage as Julia lodged her sword hilt deep into his knee. In blind furry, Leon raised his club skyward and brought it down with all his might. Julia darted out of the way just in time. Leon struck the ground so hard that it caused his club to be lodged within the crust of the Earth. Julia took the opportunity to perform a maneuver that she once saw Tyler do when he was fighting a cyclops long ago. While Leon was trying to pull his weapon out of the ground, Julia dodged a couple more swings from Pallas, and then charged Leon. She ran up the length of his club and then up his arms. When it became too steep for her to climb she leapt upward and stabbed her sword and knife into Leon's skin. She used the two weapons similarly to grappling hooks as she climbed u the giant's arm length. Leon screamed in pain and tried swatting her away with his free hand. Just before she was squashed by the giant's jumbo palm she withdrew her blades from his flesh and leapt to the giant's shoulder. From there she took hold of his lion like mane and used the strands of his hair like rope to haul to the peak of his skull. When she reached the top of his head she stabbed down with her sword and knife. Leon threw his head back in pain. To prevent herself from falling she dashed from the top of his scalp to his forehead.
There the two locked eyes. Julia gave him the best kill-face she had ever given anyone. It was a look Tyler had taught her; one that would make any opponent cower in fear. Julia could have sworn that she saw a glimmer of fear in the giant's pupils. She gave him a wicked smile before planting her blades into the sockets of his eyes. Leon's shrieks of pain caused her ears to go deaf leaving a ringing noise reverberating through her skull. Julia withdrew her blades and jumped across Leon's gapping mouth and climbed down his chin. She stood in front of his unprotected neck. Leisurely, she slid the edges of her maikhra and trench knife across his throat creating a large laceration. Leon didn't scream this time. What came out instead was an unpleasant gurgling sound. Slowly, Leon feel backwards and Julia rode the dying giant the whole way down. Leon hit the dirt with a thud causing the ground to shake and dust to pick up. The body of Leon dissolved and what remained was the pelt of a lion and the victorious Julia Myers. If the pelt hadn't come from something so evil it might have been considered majestic.
Pallas spoke bringing Julia back to attention. "IMPOSSIBLE!" Pallas screamed. "How could a puny demigod destroy a brother of mine without the aid of a god...unless...no!" Pallas noticed the dark red aura pulsing in ripples from Julia's skin. The girl's eyes were dark red and red mist billowed from the orifices of her face. Pallas narrowed her eyes in fearful understanding.
"Eris..."
Julia felt a shift in her mood and she lost control of her lips. A voice that was not hears began to speak.
Yes, Gaea Spawn, it is I, the Lady of Discord, the bringer of havoc, the Goddess of Chaos, ERIS!
YOU HAVE KILLED MY SON AND YOU SHALL PAY WITH YOUR LIFE! I WILL BE YOUR DOOM, FOR I AM THE BANE OF GIANTS!
Julia shook her head as her senses returned and she partly regained control over her body. She shuddered shaking off the bone-chilling experience of having a goddess speaking through her. Eris was not gone completely. Julia still felt the presence of the goddess inside her. When she breathed red mist evaporated from her mouth and nostrils up into the air.
"I wouldn't think you would stoop so low as to possess a demigod," Pallas responded, "but know this Goddess of Chaos, it is not I who shall fall today, but in fact it will be this little girl you now control, FOR I AM THE BANE OF ATHENA!"
"I thought that was your brother, Enceladus? Oh, I forgot, you're just a lowly imitation," Julia/Eris replied.
Pallas had had enough and let out an enraged bellow before she charged. Every stride she took caused the earth to rumble. She didn't care if she crushed Heroes or monsters in the process, she only wanted Julia's head on a stick. Julia prepared herself for impact, but at the last possible moment, before Pallas was on her, she charged forward and rolled under the giantess's legs. Julia got back to her feet only to be smacked with the flat of a sword blade. She was flung a good twenty feet backwards. Before she could recover, Pallas was coming at her again, this time she was breathing fire. Julia barley had enough time to dodge the flames almost having her eyebrows singed off. The fire breath was a huge distraction that left Julia open for attack and once again she was whacked backward by the flat of a sword blade. She was lucky that she wasn't cleaved in two by the humungous blade. Julia landed hard on a patch of boulders that couldn't be considered Tempurpedic material. Julia rose to her feet slowly and cracked her back relieving some of the pain and loosening stiff muscles and joints. She tried to step forward but she sunk to her knees due to the sensation of a thousand needles stabbing her ankle. Julia looked down at her foot and became dizzy at the sight of her injury. She was convinced her foot should not have been physically able to point in that direction.
Don't worry child. I won't let you die when there is still work to be done, at least not yet. Let me worry about the ankle.
"Make it fast," Julia responded through gritted teeth.
Pallas was still advancing on her but was no longer charging. She was marching, taking her time, and she wore the most arrogant grin on her goat face. Apparently, she had already determined the winner of the contest.
"You may have killed Leon, child," said Pallas, "but that is only one of many of my Giant brothers. Soon, the rest of my siblings shall rise from this Earth and they will create a storm so vast that they will shudder you!"
"Hurry up please!" Julia hissed to Eris. In return she got another sharp pain from her ankle that shot up her spine. "All right, I get it, but you need fix my foot a little faster! Goat-bitch is getting dangerously close."
I'm going as quickly as I can! I am the chaos goddess, not the goddess of magical healing.
Pallas was only a few yards away now. She was a mountain, the way she loomed over Julia, casting a great shadow that blotted out the sun. Godly healing may be fast but it wasn't fast enough. Inwardly Julia summed up the situation she was in, I'm screwed.
The giantess raised her massive sword. "I fare thee well daughter of Athena!"
However, like lightning bolt of nowhere, a dark streak exploded into Pallas's chest. The force of the impact was so great it knocked her off her footing and sent her colliding into a mountain. The dark streak bounced off Pallas's chest and landed next to Julia. All this had happened in a blink of an eye. When the dust cleared Julia looked to the dark streak, her savior, her shield.
It was the biggest wolf she had ever seen in her life. Nay, it was not a wolf but a lycanthrope. It had dark red eyes of hate, viscously sharp fangs, and a thick coat of dark fur. If it stood fully on it's hind quarters it would have been at least seven feet tall. The monstrous animal looked as if it weighed close to two-hundred pounds of pure muscle. It was growling belligerently while showing it's wicked pearly white fangs. However, it's aggressive attitude was not directed to Julia but to Pallas. Julia was mystified by the wolf's reasons. Wasn't Lycaon and his wolves serving Gaea? Why did this one save Julia? Didn't Tyler kill all of the werewolves? There was something different about that lycanthrope compared to rest of it's kin. It had shaggy fur unlike any werewolf Julia had ever seen and the way it stood defensively in front of Julia, looking to Pallas, and snarling protectively.
Julia recalled the wounds that killed Tyler. A werewolf bite to his neck. When a person gets bitten by a lycanthrope, and if they survive, they change. They turn into one of them. Realization struck Julia just like the wolf had struck Pallas a few moments before.
"Tyler?"
The wolf answered her with a bark. This was not a warning bark or an angry bark but one of determination and confidence.
"Oh my gods..." Julia gasped studying her old friend with a new light.
Julia's mind raced with the current events. What was going to happen to Tyler? How would this affect their future? There was no more time to ponder on it for Pallas had withdrawn herself from the mountain and was once again facing them. Pallas face was covered in dirt and blood and she wore a look of fury.
"What are you doing you filthy mutt? We're on the same side!" Pallas interrogated with fury.
Tyler responded by barking at her and then charge forward. Julia no longer felt the pain in her ankle and magically her foot was set back to it's normal position. She hopped to her feet, picked up her weapons, and followed her friend into battle. Tyler, Julia, and Eris were one as they rushed Pallas who came to meet them; but she was no match for the ferocity and rage of all three spirits combined. Tyler who had always fought with the cunning and speed of wolf, even as a human, appeased to his primordial calling. He snapped with his teeth, slashed with his fangs, and crushed with his jaws. Tyler multiplied himself as he darted from position to position and attacked from various angles. Julia, drawing on the knowledge of Eris, was able to remember the first Giant War and used it to her advantage. She dodge the giant's sword swings and counter with her own. Pallas desperately breathed columns of fire and swung wildly hoping to make contact with her aggressors.
Between pants Pallas droned. "You-huff-can't-huff-defeat-huff-ME!"
Pallas was pushed back to where the fig first began; in front of Death's Doors. She was bleeding from wounds all over and she was exhausted from trying to keep up with the two wild demons chopping at her legs. As a last ditch effort, she dropped her weapons and grabbed a hold of Tyler's tail and prepared to throw him into portal behind Death's Doors. Julia and Eris, as one, screamed in protest. Julia threw her maikhra like a throwing knife and it struck Pallas in the eye. Pallas's free hand shot to her face and she screamed in pain and fell to her knees, releasing her grip on Tyler.
Julia ran forward with trench knife in hand and attacked Pallas in a blind fury. She mimicked all of Tyler's techniques. She stabbed and slashed with the blade, she punched with he brass knuckles, and pounded with the skullcrusher. Julia was no longer fighting Pallas but everything; the gods, the world, corruption, evil, depression, fear, poverty, disease, the Giants, and all the contents that had escaped Pandora's Box. She projected every emotion she felt into the blade of that WWII trench knife; fear, anger, hate.
When stopping to catch her breath Julia realized she had managed to push Pallas underneath frame of Death's Doors. The giant was only inches away from falling back in to the swirling black portal that lead to the Underworld. To prevent herself from being sucked in; she frantically gripped the frame of the doors with an iron grip. Anguish was struck on Pallas's goat face and it showed clear as day. She was obviously not going back to Tartarus without a fight and it would take a freight train to push her into the portal.
"Need a hand," Percy Jackson suggested from her side.
"How about several?" Jason Grace added.
They were accompanied by Frank, Hazel, Piper, and Leo, the complete fellowship of the Prophecy of Seven, all together at last. Something within the seven half-bloods took over all of them and they began to act out of instinct. Frank turned into an elephant and rammed Pallas in the chest. The giantess let out a moan but still she held her grip. Percy used the power of the ocean to summon hurricane winds that pushed on Pallas. Jason followed suit and called on the power of his father's domain to summon winds of his own. The combined winds of Poseidon and Zeus were so powerful and self-aware that they started to pluck up Carthaginians, Immortals, evil men, and monsters throughout the valley; even the corpses were taken. The Axis of Evil held on to anything they could wrap their fingers around for dear life, but it was to no avail. The winds lifted the evil forces into the air and flung them through the entrance of Death's Doors and into the portal which sucked them back into the depths of the Underworld. Pallas continued to cling on for all she was worth.
"My sword!" Julia called.
Hazel used her control over metal to dislodge Julia's sword telepathically from Pallas's eye and gently returned it to Julia.
"LET GO!" Piper commanded Pallas using Charm Speak. Slowly, the giant's grip began to loosen.
Pallas was only hanging on by her fingertips. One more push and back to the underworld she would go. Julia charged forward with her sword and trench knife. Leo engulfed himself in flames and flew after the daughter of Athena. As Julia bounded forward she felt a warm feeling within in her. It was the exact feeling she had felt when she first saw her mother smile.
At the same time Julia stabbed Pallas; Leo let loose a burst of fire from his palms. The flames intertwined with Julia's weapons. The blades sunk deep within Pallas's gut. Ichor spewed everywhere, Pallas screamed, and her body was engulfed with a fire that spread across her skin and etched up her face. Pallas threw her head to the sky and breathed a column of her own fire skyward to relieve the pressure collecting with in her. Her screams echoed throughout the Valley of Death's Doors. The flames shot to the heavens like fireworks and left an imprint in the sky.
"ATHENA!" Pallas screamed over and over again cursing in anger in her inability to exact vengeance on her past life's killer.
The fire created an image of a great and wise owl with an olive wreath in it's talons.
The Mark of Athena burns through Rome.
Pallas let out one final gasp before exploding into a million bits that was sucked into the portal. The wind in the entire valley picked up and the screams of Pallas echoed. Hazel raised both hands, felt the presence of metal in death's doors, and slammed them shut telepathically. The screams of the dead died down when Death's Doors closed shut with a loud bang.
"KEY!" Jason yelled to Perseus without wasting anytime.
Perseus nodded and threw Jason the plain old Schlage key that they had retrieved from Vatican City. Jason caught it and ran to lock the doors. When the key was inches away from the lock it magically transformed into an old fashioned skeleton key made of bones. Jason inserted it into the lock and twisted it to the right. There was a loud click followed by banging noises which Jason hoped signified that the doors were sealed shut.
A silence washed over the Atlas Mountains. Everyone stood mystified. The Argonauts, demigods, Hunters, animals, satyrs, mortals, centaurs, and warriors all stood silently with their mouths gapping. They dropped their weapons and pulled off their helmets and sunk to their knees in exhaustion. Some even started to cry. They had done it. The Argonauts managed to complete their suicide mission. It was over. The Heroes of Olympus had won the battle. Death's Doors were shut.
Review please and if you haven't already hit that favorite button, you can do so bellow, and it's much appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcomed and questions and comments will be answered. If you add the story or review you also get a high-five. Note that I just gave you one for incentive.