Chapter Fifteen: Revelations Part III
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Reyna, 3 Days 2 Hours After Eripus
Reyna stood beside Nico di Angelo, The Greek Oracle, Rachel was on his other side as the three warmed their hands in the guttering flame of Olympus. Which was something that greatly worried Reyna, it was supposed to be a roaring bonfire tended by Hestia but instead it was weak, almost sick looking, and the Goddess in question knelt by the fire her face stricken with worry as she glanced around at the other Olympians.
The whole mood of the Olympian council was grim. When Reyna and the others had entered the Throne room, they had seen the members of the seven, Piper, Jason, Frank and Hazel in the middle of the room, hands on their weapons as they looked at the Gods warily. They stood protectively around the limp and unconscious form of Annabeth Chase, and the Gods had been in the midst of a heated discussion when Reyna and Nico had interrupted the meeting, acting on the orders of Rachel had led to what had felt like hours of interrogation, from Zeus in particular about Nico and Reyna's journey and the Prophecy which Rachel had been forced to repeat once again in front of the Gods.
Almost immediately after their arrival the seven had moved and taken seats near the edge of the throne room, no doubt waiting for the conversation to move on past more questions. Outside the throne room, a storm was devastating Olympus, brought on by the grief of Poseidon over the loss of his son.
When it had come up in conversation Nico had gone pale, and his face had contorted if only briefly into a mask of pure agony, for a moment it had looked like he would collapse and cry right there. Then a fire appeared in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve before resuming a stony expression and staring at a spot in the distance behind the Gods.
Reyna had to note with a grin, that he was standing taller, his head held high as she could see his hands clenched in fists so tightly his palms had been cut by his nails. Reyna had to admit that Nico was surprising her, she had seen a moody young boy, a son of Pluto and not a particularly trustworthy one at that. Yet in the last two days alone he had completely changed her opinion of him, she saw the fire in his eyes and the steel in his stance, and she had to admit she was reminded of another Greek.
Percy Jackson, a Greek in mind and body, but a Roman at heart. It was clear that Nico admired him, perhaps even emulated him in a way. Nico had run off into the wilds in search of a clue, on the off chance it might lead him to his friend. Risking life and limb on nothing more than hope and determination to see a task done. Something that was oddly reminiscent of Jackson himself, nothing could get in his way when he wanted something badly enough.
Unfortunately a fresh round of bickering from the Gods snapped her from her thoughts.
"You act as if we aren't facing War sister….." Ares said with a sick smile as he looked at Athena, "These prophecies both claim that we will be fighting and I for one dont really care which one is more important. It's been ages since we've had a good war. Not some simple mortal affair, but a Godly conflict." He roared as the flames on the back of his throne blazed and the faces imbued into his armor wailed in terror.
"You forget we don't have an army of demigods to call on, they're about to tear each other to pieces… not that I mind really. Most of them are ungrateful brats…. But there are a few worth saving even I will admit that" Dionysus said casually. "Perhaps a list?" he said as he stroked his beard with a wide grin on his face.
Suddenly several arrows appeared, buried deep in his throne inches from his head, as he sat perfectly still in wide eyed shock. "Enough Dionysus you are even more useless than my brother, so why don't you sit back and let the adults talk…." Artemis said with a glare at the God of Madness.
This started an entirely new round of arguments as Reyna did her best to block it out. Instead staring into the fire as she desperately tried to think of a way to avert this entire situation. She needed a fellow Praetor she could call on desperately. Otherwise Octavian would win support for the seat and then Jason as well as any of Octavian's political rivals were doomed, as was the alliance with the Greeks.
The prophecy still echoed in Reyna's mind as she waited for the Gods to end their most recent round of shouting and accusation throwing. Mostly to do with Styx's condition and many of the gods being concerned that various Oaths sworn on her would be undone if she faded.
An ancient pact shall be unwoven, the fate of shadows shall be broken, her herald found at long last, his sacrifice shall be his past."
"Nine Demigods shall march in the face of Doom, the answer lies in wisdom's tomb. A foe from times long past, risen from the shadows cast"
"The blood of a king betrayed, the price in lives he paid, his people lost to one man's greed, the gods desires and foolish need"
"The Time of the Sword and Horse is Nigh, when Kings shall bleed and mortal men shall die beneath a crimson sky, Soon the hunting horn shall ring, with it our doom shall they sing."
"The nemesis of Apollo is risen, no sword or spear, shall pierce his hide. So powerful is the Great Chthoniosis. Pythia must strike the blow, her weapon, a legacy of Zeus lost in Scythia.
It frustrated Reyna beyond measure that she couldn't make heads or tails of the prophecy beyond the obvious parts. As much as she hated to admit it this would require the greatest minds of their generation and perhaps more, she thought with a quick glance at Athena who was standing and arguing with her father. However the part about Nine demigods marching in the face of doom was right. The chances the nine of them had of defeating Gaea and averting a civil war before an even more powerful threat crushed them were slim to say the least.
It felt like Reyna was staring down the barrel of a loaded cannon that could go off at any second, but she was Praetor of New Rome, and daughter of Bellona she wasn't going to let it frighten her for a minute she thought to herself. That's when Lady Athena slammed the butt of her spears off the flagstone floor with a resounding boom as she shouted at Zeus, jolting Reyna back to reality and out of her head.
"This conversation is pointless father, We have the prophecy the rest of these minor details matter not! We have to make a plan for Gaea now that we no longer have the Hero of Olympus at our disposal." Athena said with a slight glance of sympathy at Poseidon, who stiffened in his throne as his features darkened." Beyond that, you still have yet to tell us anything about these Tartarii beings or what is going on behind the scenes that has you and my uncles so terrified." Athena finished flatly, looking at Zeus with defiance.
Zeus's face flushed gold as he looked at his daughter, "Watch your tongue daughter, you speak from a place of ignorance on this subject." The air crackled with energy as the smell of ozone permeated the whole room. "Gaea is a threat to our very existence, she will no doubt cast us into Tartarus should we lose. But what the Tartarii will do to us if they rise again will be many times worse." Zeus said darkly.
Everyone in the room went quiet at that, including the smirking Ares who once again sat in his throne avoiding the looks cast his way by Poseidon. However, the prospect of several wars had cheered him up immensely.
"How? We are the Gods of Olympus. What possible threat could some minor river goddesses pose?" Athena asked in shock.
"Look at Hades! Are you blind daughter?" Zeus snorted indignantly, gesturing to Hades whose armor looked like it had been put through a blender and then dipped in acid.
At the mention of his condition Hades sighed as the shadows in the room pulsed, almost anxiously he glanced at Zeus. The God of the underworld shrugged slightly as the two locked gazes for a moment, a clear mental conversation going on between them, then Zeus nodded once firmly and returned to looking around the room in anger.
"They are no minor river Goddesses, perhaps once, but that was long ago." Hades said, a hint of sadness in his voice as he looked at his brothers for a moment. Zeus sat still on his throne in tight lipped fury, and Poseidon still struggled to control his emotions as the grief at the loss of his son and the seriousness of the situation battled with each other, Hades sighed and began to talk once more.
"The Tartarii were the original Goddesses of the five rivers of the underworld, as well as the first daughters of Oceanus, this made them incredibly powerful. The reason being that they have domains both within the river Okeanos, which is in the mortal world, as well as the Five Rivers of The Underworld. Then at some point they also became the holders of the domain of the Tartarean in Tartarus itself." Hades said seriously, his gaze sweeping the room as he looked around the assembled Gods. "It makes them part of a small group of immortals who have domains scattered throughout the realms, and it makes them incredibly dangerous should you be foolish enough to make them your enemy." he finished with a pointed look at Zeus.
"If they were so powerful, why aren't they in any of the old stories? The legends? Why do we know nothing about them?" Apollo asked as he stood up from his throne gesturing wildly. "You blame me for losing control of my domain, but it turns out you've had five psychopathic vengeful goddesses as strong as Poseidon locked up in Tartarus and now they're out. And none of us were at all the wiser before it happened." Apollo finished with a sneer on his face.
That sneer lasted about two point five seconds before he was blasted into his seat by Zeus, whose entire body was glow gold. "DO NOT THINK TO QUESTION ME APOLLO, I HAVE YET TO DECIDE THE PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR INEPTITUDE. SO DO NOT TEST ME." Zeus spoke as his voice echoed around the whole throne room with deadly certainty.
Apollo made a muted groaning sound as he laid on his throne, his body still smoking from the blast of lightning directed at him by Zeus.
"They were stricken from the histories, all records and traces destroyed at the behest of Zeus." Hera said flatly. "Then we were forbidden, in a pact of sorts, from speaking on the subject regarding the events in Anatolia so long ago. So if you want to blame anyone for your lack of knowledge on the subject Zeus would be the one…" She finished with a glint in her eye.
"Hera…. You stray close to breaking our vow." Zeus growled out from his throne. Hera simply smirked and gestured for Hades to continue. "Fear not husband, unlike you I wouldn't dare to break a vow so casually…." Hera added, her voice laden with venom.
Zeus seemed taken aback and actually looked speechless for a moment.
Hades winched before continuing, "The Tartarii stayed out of the Titanomachy, claiming that they cared not who ruled the Gods or Titans, or anyone else for that matter. Yet all sides desired their help, for they were the strongest and eldest Spawn of Oceanus and they represented the most terrifying and dangerous aspects of the sea." Hades finished.
Reyna could feel the heat of the flame of Olympus slowly drying her rain soaked clothes as she felt some feeling return to her fingertips. She had been focusing on the Gods' speech and their questions, not noticing the group of demigods approaching the center of the room once more.
Hazel had broken away from the group, walked right up to Nico and firmly, yet still gently slapped him upside the back of the head with a huff. "That's for leaving without saying anything Nico….." Hazel said angrily, her eyes softening at the end as she finished by saying "I'm glad you're back though."
Nico blushed slightly and rubbed his head gently as he looked at Hazel and quietly whispered "sorry" before looking at Annabeth with a mixture of relief and terror Reyna noted.
"Yet they consistently interfered during the Titanomachy, halting entire battles midway. Calling up hurricanes and storms to rival Poseidon himself." Zeus said with a sneer on his face. "Not to mention what they did to Tharros…." Zeus hesitated for a moment as he spoke, glancing at Hestia, whose face had gone pale at the mention of the name Reyna noticed.
"Why is this the first we are hearing about this?" Artemis asked, anger in her voice quite clearly articulated as she looked around the room at the first generation Olympians; Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. "Yet none of you seem at all surprised or shocked by what you are hearing?" Artemis said loudly.
"Because we know, Artemis. We were there when your Father started this." Hestia said in a half whisper. The normally bubbly Goddess went silent after she spoke, staring into the fire with a blank expression on her face.
"I started nothing, they struck the first blow!" Zeus growled out from his throne, slamming his fist into the arm rest.
"Zeus, do not fill their head with half truths, if you are going to tell them at least do us the honor of being honest with them" Poseidon said without emotion as he looked into the distance outside the throne room. "You failed to explain the whole truth once before, and thousands of years later you attempt to do the same…"
Zeus looked at his brother in fury, his mouth set in a tightlipped line as his hand twitched for his master bolt. "You call me a liar?" he asked with deadly calm.
"No brother, he quite clearly stated you failed to explain why they interfered." Hades said with equal venom staring at Zeus. "You instigated this series of events, I'm not going to let you hide from it this time." Hades declared with anger.
The two brothers stared at each other in anger, both prepared to reach for their weapons as the air grew heavy with the pressure the two gods were exerting on eachother. Lighting flashed outside as the shadows inside the throne room lengthened.
"Oh for the love of… The Tartarii chose to interfere when our battles with the Titans endangered the humans… Zeus, brother, enough of this. We have enough to worry about without fighting over a re-telling of our past mistakes." Demeter said with a hint of impatience in her voice as she looked between the two kings.
"I still don't understand how the Tartarii preventing pointless death was a bad thing? Did the Titans not respect the treaty?" Hermes asked.
"No, it wasn't the Titans." Hades said clearly as the shadows in the room darkened and he continued to look at Zeus.
As the two glared at each other without pause, Hera actually snorted in disgust as she looked at her husband. Turning to face the rest of the Gods, "Just as Styx now holds the domain of Oaths it was once held by the Tartarii who took it a fair bit more seriously than Lady Styx does." Hera said in a matter of fact voice. "So if you can imagine, Zeus was actually afraid to cross them, unlike this pathetic excuse for a goddess" Hera finished with a smile as cold as ice, gesturing towards Styx who was surrounded by her sisters, barely conscious.
Silence filled the throne room following Hera's remark, "How could they possibly take an Oath more seriously than Lady Styx?!" A weak voice called out as Annabeth, one arm slung around Piper's shoulder as she leaned on the other girl asked.
Hera looked down on Annabeth and smiled slightly, "Power, my little demigod. That's how, because trust me it's not that Styx wants to let certain Gods flaunt her oaths. She's simply powerless to actually stop them unless they are 'Willing' to be punished for their actions." Hera replied with a slight chuckle, "The Tartarii possess another set of domains shared amongst the five of them. The Tartarean itself, and their portions of the Okeanos river. They never seemed to find themselves lacking in the power department." Hera finished with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"...How much power are we talking about Lady Hera?" Jason asked from the center of the room, his eyes bright with curiosity.
Hades looked at Poseidon warily before adding in "Imagine if there were five Goddesses equally as powerful as my brother, who actively sought out those who broke oaths to deal out a punishment any God would seek to avoid." Hades said flatly. "That much power, in the hands of women with the temperament of a very fickle sea."
"Oh…" Jason practically squeaked out as he glanced around at several Goddesses who had leveled fierce glares at Hades.
"None of us ever learned how they came to possess the power, it was not even thought to be possible, until we saw it put on display. The Tartarii and their champions can strip domains from a God, literally tearing their essence apart and feeding that energy into the Tartarean itself." Hades said darkly.
Absolute pandemonium broke out across the throne room as every God beyond the six in the know seemed to erupt from their seats, screaming out questions and demanding answers from the others. However as Reyna looked around she noticed one of the Gods had grown even more withdrawn, her a single tear rolling down her cheek as Hestia gazed into the guttering flames of Olympus.
"When did you see this? What happened? Are you sure it was the Tartarii?" Athena cried out, a book and pen appearing in her hand as she looked at Hades expectantly.
"Has anyone ever fought one of them?" Ares asked from his throne, a huge grin on his face as he held a large sword in his hand.
More and more of the second generation Olympians began to throw out questions and shout accusations as they had just been informed that an old enemy who could strip them of Godhood might be making a comeback.
They were not taking it gracefully Reyna noted, with no small amount of disbelief. They seemed scared….
All the while the group of demigods huddled togther in the middle of the room, waiting to see what would come. The only sound beyond the arguing was the occasional cry of distress from Styx and the other river goddesses as they tended to their sister at the far side of the throne room.
Nico had walked up to Annabeth and exchanged a hug and several teary eyed words with the daughter of Athena, whose facial expression had softened as she talked to Nico. Before she had laughed softly and ruffled his hair before saying something in return which sent a red faced Nico walking back towards Reyna, albeit with the ghost of a smile on his face. Reyna made a note to talk to him again later, the boy was clearly hurting and needed someone to listen, Reyna owed him that much at least, Roman to Roman, Well Greek. Not that it really mattered, she thought with a small grin, the Romans and Greeks were going to have to unite or die at this point anyway.
Meanwhile the remaining Gods continued to bicker, accusations of treachery and betrayal were thrown about almost at random. With the various Olympians, specifically the second generation ones in a full blown state of panic.
Something Reyna could almost sympathize with, as if it hadn't been bad enough when it was just Gaea, now they had some new prophecy and a bunch of angry super powered versions of Styx gunning for them. It was enough to make anyone nervous, even when you weren't the council of Gods with a target painted on your backs.
But Reyna had still expected them to act the part of Gods, not bickering children. There were larger concerns than just their own, The greatest hero Olympus had was gone, A civil war was basically in full swing, a new prophecy had been issued and the Festival of Spes was a little over two days away. Unless some sort of miracle happened Reyna didn't see their chances as being very good.
"ENOUGH!" Roared Zeus as he slammed his fist into this throne's armrest, a thunderous boom echoing across the throne room as he did so. "If you wish to hear this you will stay silent until we are finished, at which point you may ask questions. However anyone of you that dares to breathe a word of this outside this council meeting shall face eternity in Tartarus. I will throw you there myself." Zeus said as he looked at each of the Gods in attendance.
When no one dared respond to his threat, he turned to Hades and motioned for him to continue.
"After the Titanomachy we came into conflict with them in regards to a particular group of mortals that were under their care. It was believed by some…" Hades cast a long glare at Zeus, "That these mortals were a danger to our existence as Gods, and that they should be eliminated…" Hades finished quietly.
"No mortals should rival a god in strength, you all agreed with me when we decided what must be done." Zeus said as he looked at Hades and Poseidon.
"Percy Jackson was a mortal and he fought Ares at twelve years old, hell most of the Demigods are mortal so what in hades name are you talking about dad?" Thalia shouted out angrily from somewhere to Reyna's left, over near Annabeth and the Daughter of Venus. Reyna's teeth were practically grinding themselves to dust at the thought of the little bitch holding hands with Jason on Argo's arrival. But she was a Praetor of Rome, as such, no emotion showed on her face as she looked at her most hated rival, Piper Mclean, her eyes sparkling as she gazed around the room.
Reyna wanted to be sick, just looking at her lovesick face was enough to ruin the Praetors day. But Piper also stole Jason from her, loss of memories or not, that wasn't something Reyna was keen to forgive.
"He saved your ass from Kronos, he's damned powerful and you have him to thank for the fact that your throne still exists.!" Thalia finished with a shout.
A stern look from Zeus actually seemed to silence Thalia, he reached for his master bolt threateningly for a moment before someone answered and his attention was diverted.
"A Demigod possesses Godly blood. Within reason it is to be expected that they will be powerful. However the mortals which so 'concerned' my brother were not children of ours, they were a clan of mortals known as the Ardwyr." Demeter added cautiously with a glance at Hestia.
Reyna followed her gaze and gasped, watching as the Goddess of the hearth was hugging her knees to her chest, starting into the weak flames, her eyes were dull and listless. The blank stare of someone a million miles and years away, Tears trailing down her cheeks as she stared into the guttering flames.
"The Ardwyr were capable of feats beyond the ability of any other mortal, they were faster, stronger, more beautiful and often more intellectually capable. However the greatest gift they possessed was an innate control over the Aetherium." Demeter added quickly as she resumed watching the rest of the room's occupants with a disinterested gaze.
"Aetherium?" Asked Jason from the front of the group of demigods. Zeus glared at Jason, that is until Hera cast a single glance at him, filled with fury, as if daring him to attempt something on her champion. Zeus very quickly found something else to glare at. In fact most of the looks being directed towards Zeus were unkind to say the least, Reyna noted.
"Hecate be a dear." Hera said as she looked at the Goddess of Magic, waving her hand as if summoning a servant.
With a nod of her head Hecate stepped forwards, "Aetherium is a building block of everything, we don't know if it's a creation of Lady Chaos herself or a fundamental part of the universe. However what we do know is that Aetherium exists in all things." Hecate gestured and summoned a bright red and crisp looking apple from thin air.
"All Gods can to some extent manipulate the Aetherium present in the domains they hold. But it is dependent on the God themselves how powerful those manipulations are." Hecate continued. "No two Gods are alike in the way that they use Aetherium, the strength of their power depending on their domains and own ability" Hecate snapped her fingers and the apple exploded into a murder of crows which flew off and disappeared into the darkness in the corners of the room.
"So what is it exactly?" Piper asked with a curious look on her face.
Athena was the one to reply this time "Aetherium like Hecate said is a fundamental part of our universe and it exists in everything. It exists everywhere and it's what Demigods and Gods alike draw on when we use our powers. However, Gods are slightly more refined in their ability to work with Aetherium, most demigods are only able to manipulate the domains of their Godly parent. This is in addition to the restrictions that demigods and mortals face, their bodies cannot contain the vast amount of power required to freely manipulate Atherium."
"What do you mean? If you manipulate this Aetherium stuff to use your powers, don't we do the same when we use our powers?" Thalia asked in confusion.
"Yes and no" Hecate responded with a slight grimace on her face. "Its a complicated subject but ultimately when you use your powers, you channel Aetherium yes, but only that within the domains that your father possesses." Hecate stepped into the middle of the room and held her hands out to each side of her. "Imagine if you will that you could manipulate water like a son of Poseidon" Hecate's face contorted in concentration for a moment before she summoned water from thin air, swirling it about her like a miniature maelstrom. Controlling it entirely with her left hand. "Or perhaps that you could wield the power over fire like Hestia" , her other hand closing briefly before she opened it to reveal a ball of fire which began to swirl and mix into the Maelstrom until Hecate was nothing more than a swirling ball of fire and steam.
Then with a bang it all vanished as Hecate took a step back from where she had been standing. "That is what it is to freely manipulate Aetherium, a God can do so easily. But it is not a feat that Demigods possess, which is okay because the raw power from channeling Aetherium freely would likely burn away a mortal's body." She finished with a nod at Hera before stepping back.
"But you're the Goddess of Magic, doesn't it sorta make sense that you can use magic to summon that stuff" Frank called out sheepishly.
In response Athena lifted her hand and summoned a sudden surge of water that poured from her hand to the floor. "Any God worth their weight can manipulate the Aetherium to do things outside their domains, but it is mentally and physically taxing and it leaves us drained. Which is why you don't see Gods randomly controlling things outside their domain for the fun of it" She finished matter of factly.
"So how is that any different from the Ardwyr? If Gods channel Aetherium to use their powers what difference does it make if some mortals could use it?" Jason asked curiously. "Specifically if it's so dangerous for mortals?"
"Some Gods are capable of much more, likewise so were some Ardwyr. However the most powerful among them were easily able to match, and outclass a God in their ability to wield Aetherium. They even developed an entire language that allowed them to more finely control their powers." Hera replied.
"What would that matter? They're still mortals? There's only so much they could have done against a God surely." Hermes added with a concerned glance at the six first generation gods.
"You wouldn't understand, it is like breathing air for them, we Gods, while capable of manipulating Aetherium, find ourselves exhausted after extensive use. Whereas the Ardwyr are not only more capable users, they had a far more direct connection with Aetherium than we do." Demeter added. "Their greatest warriors were terrifying to face, masters of both traditional combat and what may as well be magic. Reality bent to their will on a whim, they were not to be taken lightly." she finished.
"How is that even possible? Shouldn't their bodies collapse under the pressure that the power exerts? That's why mortals can't watch us assume our godly forms. The power we put off can simply burn away a mortal…. Right?" Apollo asked with an air of uncertainty, nervously eyeing Zeus and the master bolt with some hesitation.
"The Ardwyr were given gifts, greater than that of any mortal. If the Demigods are products of the Gods meddling with mortals. Then the Ardwyr are the result of Primordial's meddling with Mortals, however unlike demigods these mortals possessed the power of creation at their fingertips." Demeter added.
"It is this, divine blood shall we say, that allows them to manipulate the Aetherium with such skill, though we never did understand how they avoided the risks. Regardless the Ardwyr were never the problem, and our conflict with them was born of misguided fear and jealousy." Hera added her voice tight with anger.
"Shortly after the Titanomachy there was a potential conflict brewing." Hades paused as he looked at Zeus, who wore a fierce glare as he looked at his elder brother. "... we were involved, The Tartarii would have been on the opposing side, however Zeus came up with a plan. One in which the Tartarii would be imprisoned and we would replace them with their younger siblings."
With an almost shameful look in his eyes Hades looked at the demigods and other Gods before him "Zeus convinced one of their champions to betray them, how, he never told us. So we set a trap; Zeus, Poseidon and I Traveled to meet the Tartarii under the guise of peace. Hades took a breath before continuing, the entire hall was silent as everyone in attendance found their attention seized by the story the God was telling. "When we arrived, the Tartarii were preparing to cast a grand spell, a pact of sorts to bind us to an oath. This was done with the aid of their champions. At a signal, our traitor struck, single handedly turning the spell and changing it as he did so. Imprisoning the Goddesses within their own Ocean." Hades finished clearly.
"He struck down his companions in cold blood, and destroyed their bodies as near as we could tell. Then he promised us that our time would come, and that he would live to see us regret the course of events we had set into motion." Poseidon said from his throne, not even bothering to lift his head from his hands. "We hoped perhaps that he was just mad, driven insane by power or greed. But I fear now that we were not only mistaken but have played the part of fools in a much larger plot." He added miserably.
Silence filled the throne room, as the second generation Olympians gaped at the first, and the demigods struggled to process the information.
"But why was it necessary to get rid of the Goddesses? They could strip you of your domains yes but only if you broke an oath you swore…" Athena's eyes went wide as she looked at the three brothers first in shock then in suspicion.
Hades looked ashamed, while Poseidon still grieved over his son and no other emotions showed on his face beyond that. Zeus however looked angry, casting a withering glare back at Athena in response to her question. 'Remember your place daughter, I am your King and you will respect that position."
"What was the oath you swore?" Hermes asked, barely keeping the curiosity out of his tone.
"In order for them to stand aside and not aid their father, Oceanus. We agreed to certain terms regarding a group of mortals, who came to be known as the Ardwyr." Poseidon added, "They were given autonomy as well as free reign over their lands in Anatolia, and we were to respect the pantheon that the Ardwyr wished to pray to."
Reyna had to admit that was strange, after all what other pantheon was there? Maybe Poseidon was referring to Titans she thought to herself.
"At the time when they were imprisoned, we had not broken the oath we swore to them.. And we were not the ones to betray them." Zeus declared with fervor, "It's not our fault if one of their own decided to end them, so I don't see why the oath we swore matters."
There was silence around the whole room, everyone knew what should be asked next, but no one seemed to have the balls to. At least not while Zeus was glaring at anyone who so much as opened their mouth. Even Ares the god of war was looking at his father with disappointment recognizable on his face.
"Father the Dishono-." Ares started to say before Zeus turned to him and said in a deadly quiet voice. "Sit down and shut up Ares, or I will make you regret thinking you could question me. We have told you far too much of the Tartarii as it is. You were not there and do not get to question our decisions." Zeus said angrily.
"Your decision's brother, not mine." Poseidon said, "I still believe that we would have been better off to just leave them as they were" Poseidon sighed loudly and looked up at Zeus, his eyes rimmed red and his cheeks flushed. "My son is dead, I don't care about your petty grievances Zeus. You are not our father, continue to act like him and you will soon find yourself in his position. I have not the time to indulge your foolishness little brother. There is vengeance I want, and I will have it before my time is up." He finished angrily, glaring at Zeus for a moment until his younger brother looked away.
Then Poseidon resumed his dejected stare into the raging storm outside, as the anger seemed to seep from his body and was replaced by a bone-numbing weariness.
"So what happened after they were imprisoned?" Athena asked Gesturing to Hades as she did so "This is more than a little spat over some betrayal father, look what they did to Hades and Lady Styx…we need to know if there are five goddesses out for vengeance plotting against us!" She finished with a slight hint of hysteria in her voice as Reyna could almost see the gears spinning in her head and smoke coming out of the goddesses ears.
Almost as soon as Athena opened her mouth Hestia stood up and walked out of the throne room into the storm raging outside. The looks on the faces of the six oldest Olympians ranged from pity to shame, with the exception of Zeus who had gone a deep shade of gold across his flushed face.
"It was not the Tartarii, just one of them, Εκδίκηση to be specific…." Hades finished grimly, "And she's not alone, they have a champion already…" He added quickly.
"... what….?" Zeus asked with deadly quiet.
"I had not intended to travel to Tartarus, however when I heard Styx call for aid I immediately flashed down into the pit. On arrival I found Lady Styx battling Εκδίκηση. However before I could move in and engage her, I was attacked. By the self proclaimed Herald of Nyx... and Champion of the Tartarean." Hades finished quickly.
Zeus turned to look at Styx, "Why were you in Tartarus Lady Styx?" Zeus asked, his voice and eyes filled with pity, strangely enough Reyna noticed as she watched him.
For a moment Styx didn't even react and then she said something so quietly Reyna saw her lips move but nothing else. However her Sisters around her seemed to understand as each of them stiffened slightly.
Then up stood Acheron the lady of the river of pain, "Our sister sensed a surge of power flowing through the river, tracing its origin to Tartarus she came across the Tartarean, Resurfaced after nearly two millennia. However she was just in time to witness the Herald battling something in the waters of the Tartarean."
"What was it? That the Herald was fighting?" Apollo asked curiously.
Lady Styx replied in a shaky voice from beside her other sisters "I don't know what or rather who it was he fought, beyond that it was a God." Styx's voice was laced with pain as she looked about the Olympians. "I felt him fade, even felt some of the power flowing through the Tartarean as it happened. I reached out to try and control the water, to see what was happening. Then Εκδίκηση arrived and had it not been for Hades I'm sure I would have shared the same fate as the other God." she finished shakily.
A low groan escaped Poseidon as he sat still in his chair, obviously upset by the news. Followed shortly by the loud bang as the doors to the great hall slammed shut, signaling the exit of Lady Hestia. Reyna could swear she heard a half sob, cut off by the door booming closed.
"She dares to leave a council meeting of this importance!?" Zeus started to say, standing from his chair as he reached for his master bolt. Fury etched across his face as he glared at the doors.
"Zeus enough, you know full well why she's choosing to leave, and to be honest, you don't need another enemy right now, so let her. She never forgave you for it, Hestia blames herself everyday for not being wise enough to see past your schemes." Demeter said angrily. "So I doubt she wants to listen to any of this. Get over it brother, or you will have made more than one enemy today." Demeter finished as her eyes flashed green, her aura so intense Reyna actually gasped at the sudden pressure the goddess was exerting.
Zeus looked back at her, first in anger, then uncertainty. Reyna watched in slack jawed awe as Demeter cowed Zeus with a glare, and nothing more.
Zeus sat back in his throne as many of the second generation gods looked at Demeter in awe, completely shocked by the development. That is before a voice called out from the side.
"What did Hestia never forgive?" asked Apollo curiously from his throne.
The first generation Olympians looked at each other hesitantly before it was Hera who answered.
"Long ago Hestia was one of the strongest combatants Olympus possessed, she is the Goddess of Hearth and Home and who will not fight viciously to defend that? In addition to that she possesses a domain of fire and it made her a force to be reckoned with on the field of battle" Hera said with a ghost of a smile on her face.
"However, After the fall of the Tartarii, tensions with the Ardwyr grew immensely, they knew we were in some way involved and as such they became far more hostile, while still avoiding open conflict. However, there were some on Olympus who claimed that, since the Ardywr now lacked the Tartarii as their patrons, it was the perfect time for them to fully renounce their false pantheon, by choice or force. Zeus and several other Gods wanted to bring the Ardwyr to heel, claiming that mortals should not rival the strength of Gods." Hera added wistfully.
"Several of us spoke out against it, most notably myself, Poseidon and Hestia." Demeter said casually, "We had believed that with an even vote, the matter would remain unresolved. However we underestimated the willingness with which Zeus would operate behind our backs, we trusted him to listen to us, we didn't know better yet." She finished with a slight look of shame on her face.
Hera began to talk again, however this is the point in her story where her face grew dark and fierce.
"The battle was much shorter than had been expected, as none of us had ever truly fought the Ardwyr before. What they could do was unheard of, and we were not prepared for the devastation a trained Ardwyr channeler could unleash. The earth of Anatolia was quickly soaked in the Ichor and mortal blood of our friends and family." Hera proclaimed her eyes sharp as daggers as they glared at her husband. "We had launched the attack, but the Ardwyr were winning, Zeus had been isolated from the rest of our forces, and was battling the King and Queen of the Ardwyr alone." She finished.
"At some point Zeus was wounded, and lay on the ground on the verge of death. The King of the Ardwyr, Aerion and his Queen, Illyania held him at sword point, prepared to take his life in vengeance for the Tartarii and their champions." Demeter added, "Fortunately for Zeus, one of our own came to his rescue. The bravest among our warriors, Taking the blow meant for my husband as Zeus fled. Against all odds, the warrior fought the King and Queen, injuring both but eventually succumbing to the pair and the injury from the blow he had taken for Zeus. Once he had fallen, gravely injured but not dead, flames devastated the warriors of both sides as Hestia arrived on the battlefield. She was fully adorned in armor and began to lay waste to everything around her, the Hearth of Olympus burned so hot it melted the flagstones of the floor that day …" Demeter finished slowly, her voice fading out as the pain was on clear display in her eyes.
"Hestia took center stage, protecting her family and the remaining Gods from the Ardwyr at great cost to herself, she risked a Domain Conflict. The act of killing so many who only wanted to protect their home and families, she could feel each light as it was extinguished. The way their hope died as the Ardwyr realized they had lost too many to stop her, and no help would come from the Tartarii. Hestia could feel it all, and if that wasn't bad enough it got worse" Hera said with growing anger as she rose from her throne.
"What followed was a slaughter as the King's attendants and warriors attempted to stop Hestia, doing anything to keep her away from the dying king and his wounded queen. However, seeing that the tables had been turned on them, and that Zeus had already fled, the remaining Gods lost hope and desire to fight, routing en-masse" Hera said with a mocking half bow in Zeus's direction. "They left Hestia and some other Gods behind in their hurry and unfortunately our sister was taken hostage." She finished. "The others save one had their domains ripped from them by one of our greatest enemies…."
"Zeus arrived back on Olympus with the shattered remains of his forces, half dead. Telling us that the Ardywr had broken the treaty, attacking him and several of the other Gods. Unfortunately In our naivety we believed him, enraged that the Ardwyr would have dared to strike against us, we assembled the combined armies of Olympus and returned to Anatolia…" Hades added.
The throne room was silent as the demigods looked up at Hera, looks of sickening understanding starting to play across their faces.
"Do not think to blame me for Tharros, I did not sentence him to that fate, No instead it was the Tartarii and their devil spawn who took him and the others from us." Zeus shouted.
Silence rang out clearly across the throne room, as all the first generation Olympians winced at the mention of the name. Hestia, Reyna noted. Was nowhere to be seen, having left the hall a few minutes prior. "Brother your actions are directly responsible for his death and every death that followed" Poseidon said with his head still in his hands.
"Who is Tharros?" Artemis asked, her eyes narrowed to slits as she stared at Zeus.
"Tharros was, at one time, the God of Courage and Bravery. He was also the one and only being that Hestia loved beyond as something more than family..." Hera replied.
"But she's a maiden Goddess?" Artemis and Athena said at almost the same time in shock.
"And to this day she remains one, but there was a time when Hestia would have been unrecognizable to you, an unrivaled warrior goddess with a male companion." Hera said with a smirk.
"So we lost?" Thalia asked from the middle of the room in shock.
"No, but perhaps that might have been the lesser of two evils, what we did still haunts me to this day" Poseidon said sadly.
"Sounds like a good war, fought for bad reasons" Ares said, leaning forwards on his throne, "A war against worthy opponents is something to celebrate, War means nothing if there aren't deaths. It takes the sacrifice and bravery from the whole affair, because war is just that. Sacrifice, for those you care about." He said clearly as he looked around the room. "But to break a treaty, to flee battle in such a cowardly manner…. I… " For the first time in history possibly, Ares was questioning the honor behind such a conflict. Stopping mid sentence he simply shook his head and closed his mouth, looking at his father with a questioning gaze.
For a moment there was silence and Zeus was beginning to look rather uncomfortable, this story certainly didn't paint him in a good light Reyna had to admit.
"Zeus and the rest of us arrived in Anatolia, Zeus having told us that he and the other Gods had been ambushed and Hestia captured. However he failed to explain the events that led to the situation they were in." Demeter added, "When we arrived on the battlefield once more it had been weeks, and by that time the old King had succumbed to his wounds. As a form of vengeance Tharros was bound and chained, kneeling on the ground between the two armies, and the son of King Aerion, King Calabann II stood over his body. Then he began laughing as he stripped Tharros of his domains, right in front of us." She finished with a note of sadness.
"Hestia felt him fade, and lost herself in a Rage, she burned the city to the ground. Thousands died as they choked on ashes or burned alive in the flames. Yet still she desired more vengeance, for those that had taken her lover from her." Hera said quietly. "Yet we paid a heavy price, you wonder why so few knew of these events? Most of the Gods of that time died in Anatolia… For every ten Ardwyr we killed, it seemed as if one of our own was killed or faded.
"We all did things we would grow to regret that day, Genocide of the highest order…" Poseidon said quietly. "At first we had merely come to rescue Hestia and Tharros, but by the time the day was done, it had become a fight for survival and we won, if only barely. Scattering the Ardwyrians and burning their city to ash."
"To think that Hestia has been holding back on me, I knew she had it in her, she burned a whole city to the ground out of love stricken grief!" Aphrodite said with a girlish giggle. Reyna looked at her in horror as she realized that all Aphrodite cared about from this series of events was that Hestia had a lover. Not that her king had tricked his fellow Olympians into comiting Genocide.
"Quiet Aphrodite, Hestia swore an oath of non-violence after these events because it became clear that Zeus had manipulated all of us. In addition to that oath, she swore herself to be a maiden. Refusing the company of other males on Olympus, instead spending her time tending to the hearth." Hades said. "I will not let you make a mockery of her and her oath" Hades declared as his eyes lit up like miniature infernos.
"None of you considered a sudden one hundred and eighty degree reversal in her personality strange?" Athena asked curiously.
"Hestia experienced what you might call a domain breakdown. Gods can feel everything within our domains. So Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home, could feel all those who had emotions or thoughts regarding protecting their home. Needless to say Hestia was able to feel the desperation inside Tharros as he tried to rescue Zeus, and was then captured and killed in front of her. Then the similar desperation among thousands of Ardwyr when we arrived with the army of Olympus to retrieve our sister" Hera explained. "So no, it wasn't strange, if anything it could have been worse."
"Was it really that bad? I mean she made it through the World wars didn't she? Millions of mortals died then. Why was this so much worse?"
"It was a bloodbath, the likes of which I have never seen before. Once their army broke they were defenseless, the Tartarii were already imprisoned, the Riders long gone." Poseidon said wearily, "Yet still they killed dozens of gods, before we were able to reach Hestia. Dozens more before we rescued her. We were lost in the rage of battle, and righteous fury over what had happened to Hestia." He looked almost pained as he talked about it.
"When we finally rescued her from the torture chambers King Calabann had locked her in she was nearly catatonic, having spent several weeks feeling all the hate and anger we directed at each other in addition to suffering what could have been endless torture, she's never once talked about it. Knowing that it was pointless and the entire series of events had been orchestrated by one immortal.." Poseidon said with a glance at his brother.
"Without their Gods they were a match for you all?" Hephaestus asked, not seeming concerned, just interested.
"The Ardwyr tended to exceed expectations." Hera replied in a flat tone.
"Tend, present tense…." Hades said quietly.
You could have heard a pin drop at Hades proclamation.
"Pardon me brother, but I do believe you intended to correct my wife. However it would seem that you are implying that Ardwyr are still exceeding expectations? Care to clarify that statement." Zeus said as lighting sparked off his skin.
"Of course Zeus, That's because they are." Hades replied clearly. "Styx and myself can attest to that. Nyx found herself a champion and it just so happens to be an Ardwyr. Don't ask me how, I have no idea but it gets worse, because even luckier for us, he doesn't appear to be just any Ardwyr, His command of the Aetherium was strong enough to disrupt my hold on my own domains." Hades finished calmly.
"It's why i fled, instead of attempting to kill him and capture Εκδίκηση, the pressure his aura alone exerted was terrifying and i could smell the Ardwyrian blood in his veins. He even spoke in their tongue before he almost killed us with Dragonfire." Hades rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "I had intended to at least deal with him, but he bested me in combat, then I tried to surprise him and kill him with my sword from a distance. But Εκδίκηση took the blow for him, that's when he unleashed the Dragonfire."
No one spoke a word as Zeus processed this information, his face slowly growing more and more gold colored as his anger mounted. "Is there anything else you have forgotten to share with us brother?" Zeus asked of Hades, a twisted smile on his face as his eyes glowed with power.
"No Zeus, I do believe that just about covers it, Now what are we going to do?" Hades asked of Poseidon and Zeus.
For a moment there was silence as each God took the time to process the information. However Zeus as usual was the first to react.
"How is that even possible!? They should all be dead!" Zeus' eyes were wide with panic as he practically jumped from his throne and began to pace at the front of the room. "We killed them all and they were hunted as outcasts for a millennia, YOU ASSURED ME THEY WERE ALL DEAD!" He roared as he looked at Hades.
"I had not felt an Ardwyrian soul enter the afterlife in several hundred years so yes I assumed they were all gone brother! What do you want me to do, track them down? You know as well as I do the futility of that task." Hades responded.
"What do you mean they were hunted?" Artemis asked, her eyes wide in shock.
"How have mortals ever reacted to magic, in fact most of the myths of a mortal magician or wizard can be attributed to Ardwyrian heritage. We had thought that the Christian Witch hunts of the 1500's had finally driven them to extinction. We were certain that a few had escaped from Anatolia and the destruction of their city, we just never knew how many." Demeter replied.
"... so that means there could be more like this Herald that defeated Hades waiting out there? Not to mention they likely have a pretty good reason to hate all of us thanks to Zeus?" Athena asked in a deadpan voice as she processed the gravity of the situation.
"This is far more serious than I had expected, or what we prepared for. We need to rally the Demigods, have them prepared for this coming war, because make no mistake. When those goddesses reclaim their rivers. The first place they are coming is Olympus." Zeus said fiercely.
"We have a slight Civil war to deal with on our hands father" Athena began quickly, however she was cut off almost immediately by Zeus.
"Fix it, I don't care what we have to do, The Olympian army won't be enough, we need the Demigods and possibly others as well. If the Ardwyr have resurfaced again, after nearly a thousand years, this isn't a coincidence. Εκδίκηση didn't happen to rise and find a champion of Ardwryian dynasty who also happens to be the Herald of Nyx." Zeus said.
"If he truly is the champion of Nyx, are we to assume the Primordial's are uniting against us in this as well? She is Gaea's sister after all." Athena asked the council of Gods.
"If they are, we will show them the strength of Olympus, we are the Gods! And the rightful rulers of this world, I will not let them take everything we have worked for from us." Zeus raged as he looked about the throne room.
"... How can we fight Nyx and Gaea and these Tartarii?" Artemis asked, "I have faith in my Hunters but this seems absurd. '' Artemis finished with worry painted across her face.
"First we need more information Father, we have no idea of their troop numbers, movements or alliances." Artemis said, the huntress's instincts already kicking in as she quickly identified the important goals.
"We also need the Roman and Greek camps to be pacified, the return of the Parthenos fixed our aspect issues for now. But if the camps go to war we will be worse than useless. Powerless would be a better description" Athena added.
"Very well, I believe-" Zeus started to say but was cut off by Hera.
"No, this will be OUR decision husband, your foolishness has gotten us into this mess. We will decide as a group how to fix this. So that at the very least if the Tartarii come for us it will be because we failed, not because you did." Hera said her voice was heavily laden with scorn.
"... What do you suggest then wife…" Zeus said through gritted teeth, the air around him arcing with electrical discharge as the God of Thunder's features morphed into one of anger and resentment.
"Perhaps one of your many children has an idea as to what we should do. Or perhaps you might take the guidance of your fellow Olympians this time…" Hera finished with a glare to match Zeus' own. "I for one believe the exchange of leaders worked, regardless of your thoughts on the matter. We managed to rouse both camps under one leader, Perseus Jackson." Hera said with a pitying glance at Poseidon.
"They would have followed him without question, however now we are faced with a tough decision. Who will take the mantle of leadership of the Demigods now that Perseus is gone. That should be the first matter we look into" Hera said as she cast her gaze down onto the Demigods present. "All of you are mentioned within the Prophecy, and each of you are skilled and experienced. As such it is clear that one of you would be the leader of the Demigods…"
"Well then clearly it should be Jason Grace," Zeus said, his chest puffing out with pride. "Praetor of New Rome and Son of the King of the Gods. It's only fitting". He declared.
"Why exactly should it be your son Zeus? Beyond that he is yours of course." Demeter said sarcastically. Raising an eyebrow and looking down as Reyna cut her off.
"Unfortunately my lords, and ladies, Jason Grace is no longer a Praetor of New Rome. Had it not been for the urgency of the Quest he would have been stripped of his title and ranks associated with it when he returned to New Rome several weeks back." Reyna said in a deadpan voice
She hated to be the one to say it, but if the Gods sent Jason back to New Rome or her armies before Reyna could get in and calm them down, he would face the cross or worse.
A quick glance around her, showed some rather mixed emotions, Hazel, Piper and Thalia were all glaring daggers at her. Whereas Frank and Annabeth looked at her questioningly. The worst however was Jason, who looked crushed, a wistful smile on his face as he looked at Reyna knowingly, and just nodded his head slightly before looking away.
"Perhaps it would be best left to the Demigods to decide amongst themselves who is to take the place of Perseus Jackson." Aphrodite added casually from the side, "after all if one of the others wins the trust of both camps, who are we to decide differently?"
"We are their Gods Aphrodite" Zeus said with venom in his voice.
"Yes, the gods who brought the wrath of Primordial's and ancient river goddesses down upon their heads, so perhaps you might understand my thought process Zeus. When word of this gets out your popularity will last until the bodies start to pile up, Then who do you think the Demigods will blame?" Aphrodite said, flashing a small smile in Zeus' direction.
"She has a point father, they will look for a scapegoat… Perhaps what Aphrodite says has merit…" Athena said, although it looked like it caused her physical pain to agree with the Goddess of Love.
"Annabeth Chase is the oldest, and most experienced Demigod in the group. Perhaps she would be the best fit?" Athena added cautiously.
"Of course you would suggest your daughter, who lets not forget is directly responsible for our current situation, If she and Perseus had never met then Perseus would be with us now and this would be a moot point" Aphrodite replied with a sarcasm laden voice.
"No Mother." came the simple reply from Annabeth. "No Aphrodite is right. I wouldn't be a good choice, not right now, and definitely not to replace Percy, because you're right, it is my fault… I was so confident I had won. So proud I had done what no other child of wisdom had, I didn't even consider that Arachane might find a way to beat me, just like I had with her…" she said with her eyes cast to the ground.
"Frank, Leo, Hazel and Piper are all too inexperienced, with most of them having only just begun adventuring as Demigods. They have survived the great prophecy so far, but that does not mean they will be capable leaders." The voice of Ares called out, however he looked serious, his gaze fixed sternly with the demigods.
"Gaea's army closes from one side, The Herald of Nyx and the Tartarii are rallying forces in the Shadows and we may possibly come into conflict with Nyx herself." A grin broke out on Ares face, "We will need heroes like Leonidas and Octavian, we need a leader and those are born in the fire of battle, not by the decision of a council" He finished.
"I agree with Ares and Aphrodite, perhaps we simply guide the demigods here, we need them to ally and forcing it on them wont speed the process up, it will simply cause resentment." Athena said. "We need to convince the two groups to come to the table themselves, and then once that is done perhaps we can help mediate the situation. But if we force this it will look like we are favoring one side or the other, no matter how we approach the conflict." she finished.
"Yes Lady Athena, the citizens of New Rome and the Legions have been whipped into a frenzy by our Argur, Octavian. Somehow he has convinced the Romans that Percy was captured and taken against his will by the Greeks. That is why they have marched halfway across the United States, they are going to burn Camp-Halfblood to the ground, and if they don't get Percy back I'm sure it will only get worse." Reyna added, as several of the Demigods turned to look at her in shock.
"Then I suggest we send two parties, one to each camp." Apollo said cautiously, his face dark and brooding after it had been revealed that his legacy was the one whipping New Rome into a blood frenzy.
Several dirty looks were thrown his way by the other Gods, but none took the time to berate him over his Legacy, however, Reyna had a hard time telling if it was because Octavian was a 'Legacy' and not a child of a God directly which meant they didn't care or because they had more important matters to deal with.
"What about the Prophecy?" Piper called out from the center of the room, "We need to know what we are supposed to do next?"
"Well the first line is simple enough to decode and for now that's where we can start." Athena replied quickly. Reciting the prophecies first line:
"An ancient pact shall be unwoven, the fate of shadows shall be broken, her herald found at long last, his sacrifice shall be his past."
"It is quite clear that the ancient pact being unwoven has something to do with whatever Zeus, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Hestia and Demeter swore not to talk about." Athena said "Likewise the part about the Fate of shadows references 'her herald' which means that Nyx's fate shall be broken? Perhaps I'm unsure, but the Herald will sacrifice his past to help her?" Athena almost asked as she finished talking.
"Perhaps father, if my daughter and I were given a few days with which to study the new Prophecy…." Athena's eyes sparkled at the thought. "I am confident the two of us could unravel the Prophecy given enough time"
"I need a day regardless." Came the clear voice of Annabeth, "P-Percy is gone… and someone needs to tell his family. It's my fault that he fell into Tartarus in the first place, and I'm only here because of him. If anyone is going to tell her, it should be me" Annabeth finished, her voice shaky as her eyes glistened with tears.
"You are one of the members of the Prophecy, we can't just let you wander New York alone in times like this." Zeus said angrily.
"I'll go with her!" came the Reply from Jason and Piper almost simultaneously.
The Gods looked at each other in confusion, as Reyna couldn't help but notice the smirk on Aphrodite's face as she looked at the two blonde haired demigods.
"It's not like Jason can go to New Rome after this, and he's not a leader at camp half blood. So perhaps protecting Annabeth Chase is a good task for him as it is now." Hera said as she pondered the idea.
"What will the rest of the Demigods do while you are gone?" Athena asked her daughter.
"We can send three to Camp Halfblood and three to New Rome's camp, and then three can come with me to help me get to Sally's apartment. Once that's done we can return here and have a war council before we deal with whatever it is Gaea is going to throw at us. We only have two days left until the Feast of Spes, well one day and eighteen hours or so. But you get the point." Annabeth finished.
"Yea, it's not like worrying over this new Prophecy is going to save us, or help us fight Gaea, instead of worrying about what we will do, let's just focus on getting the camps fighting on the same side again! If we combine the Greek and Roman armies with the Hunters and Amazons there won't be anything Gaea can throw at us that we won't be ready to handle." Thalia said with confidence.
"This is foolish, we have just under two days before Gaea's promised rise, why are we wasting time on this nonsense!?" Zeus cried out angrily
"Because if I'm going to die, I want to be able to apologize to my boyfriend's mother for killing her son…." Annabeth said, her eyes full of tears. "He died to save me, how can I live with myself knowing that Sally doesn't know… She deserves too, and I need to be the one to tell her" Annabeth declared with fervor to match Zeus' angry tone.
Zeus as well as many of the other Gods looked taken aback by her statement, however Poseidon had locked eyes with the daughter of Athena. He stood from his throne and walked across the room, shrinking in size as he did so before he enveloped Annabeth in a bone crushing hug. Pulling the demigod to his chest he spoke "Thank you, for how much you care for my son, and everything you did for him. He truly did love you." Poseidon said quietly as he released Annabeth and turned towards the assembly of Gods.
"I stand behind their plan, if they are going to be the ones to save us, to fight this war for us. Then we should at least allow them these last few requests while we have time." Poseidon said clearly to all those present. "I call for a vote, those in favor of following the Demigods plan?"
"So the members of the Prophecy are going to split up? This seems like a questionable Idea, we are weak enough as is. To risk losing several of our greatest heroes over this plan seems foolish at best. However, I can't deny the logic that Poseidon has presented as much as it pains me to say so." Athena replied with a grimace on her face and raised her hand.
Slowly all around the Throne room the gods raised their hands until only Zeus sat on his throne shaking with rage, his hands clenched in fists by his sides. The lone Olympian to vote against the plan.
"Very well…. I see how this is going to go… When this ends badly remember i was against this plan" Zeus said in a low voice as a crack of thunder gave Reyna the briefest of warnings before a bolt of lighting slammed into Zeus' throne. When Reyna's vision finally returned Zeus was gone and the rest of the Gods were muttering angrily to themselves.
"Well then, I guess we need to decide on who shall go where?" Athena asked in a tired voice as she glanced at Zeus' empty throne.
"I'll take Piper and Jason with me." Annabeth replied, "We can go from the Empire States building straight to Percy's mothers apartment. Once we talk with her we can return to Camp Half Blood." she finished, standing tall as she looked at her mother.
"Well guess that leaves me to take the Greek camp huh? Cause i'm sure as hell not going into the Roman camp, not unless you want a serious body count racking up" Thalia said as she looked around at the remaining demigods with a grin. "Who do you want, Reyna? The Greek campers are terrified of me so whoever I take will be fine. You need to be more careful in who you pick, I'm assuming?" Thalia said with a knowing look.
Reyna nodded her head once, making a mental note to thank the Lieutenant of the Hunt at some point.
"Very well, who will be going to the Roman camp?" Ares asked with interest, a wide grin splitting his face as his eyes glowed.
"I will be taking Frank Zhang and Nico di Angelo with me to see the Romans, as well as the Oracle Rachel Dare." Reyna spoke up loudly as the Gods looked at her in confusion.
"No, She's the Oracle, she's too valuable for us to risk in following the members of the Prophecy around. Especially with the actual Oracle of Delphi lost to us for now." Apollo said frantically.
"You all know as well as I do that the Prophecy mentions her directly, she is tied to our fate just as much as we are tied to the Prophecy." Athena said as she looked at Apollo, who went visibly pale.
"Wait, hold on a second… What do you mean?" Rachel asked in confusion.
"She's talking about the final verse of the Prophecy Rachel," Annabeth said with a knowing look at the red haired oracle. That's when Annabeth started speaking and repeated the last Verse of the Prophecy:
"The nemesis of Apollo is risen, no sword or spear, shall pierce his hide. So powerful is the Great Chthoniosis. Pythia must strike the blow, her weapon, a legacy of Zeus lost in Scythia."
"Okay what about it?" Rachel said with a haughty glare at Annabeth, "I don't see my name anywhere in there, nor any mention of an Oracle at all"
With a sad look in her eyes Annabeth replied "That's because they used the Greek term, 'Pythia'... you are in the Prophecy Rachel, and it's your destiny to strike down Apollo's nemesis with some sort of weapon." she finished as she stepped up and laid a hand on Rachels shoulder. 'You wanted to be a part of our world? Well now you are."
Reyna felt a sort of pity as she looked at Rachel, who went several shades of red before going very pale and locking eyes with Annabeth. Rachel then nodded frantically a few times but kept silent, looking like she was about to jump off a bridge without a parachute.
With a resounding laugh Ares nodded his head "This should be interesting to watch eh Apollo?" the God of War chuckled as he stood from his throne. "Then that just leaves the Greek Camp…"
"Yep and it looks like Hazel and that little garden gnome are coming with me to go speak with Chiron and the Campers" Thalia said with a grin, to which Hazel looked at her in horror. Reyna however realized that Leo wasn't with the rest of the Demigods in the throne room and did have to wonder where he had gotten off to.
"Don't worry, Thalia wont hurt either of you… Right, Thalia?" Annabeth called out with a friendly glare cast at the huntress.
"No promises princess, not unless you promise not to die in New York while I'm at Camp" Thalia replied with a grin and a raised eyebrow as she looked at Annabeth.
"Deal" Annabeth replied with a slight grin.
Author Notes:
Well this one took a long ass time to write and edit, so I really hope you guys like it. Not gonna lie it was probably one of the hardest chapters I've had to write yet as there was so much I wanted to convey but I also didn't want the chapter to be boring or read like a giant info dump, so I hope it ended up coming out okay.
Lots revealed this chapter, and I promise the next few chapters are even better! Plenty more to learn about the History of our favorite Olympains, not to mention the upcoming Feast of Spes which is only 2 days away!
Anyhow I hope you all really enjoyed this chapter, I really do enjoy writing this story, and for anyone who reviews or comments. Thank you, it really does make my day to see a new review and I'm always open to criticism or ideas as well!
As always, until next time folks!