Chapter 13: Nico

Nimn talked for ages.Don't get me wrong, it was real interesting and all, but it just took a while. A lot of it I had already heard from Kenzie, but there was still some stuff that was new to me. There was a bit about what Tartarus was like for Nimn; and, if you think I'm going to repeat it, you've got another thing coming. That stuff is not for idle conversation, believe you me. There wasn't a god present that didn't look uncomfortable as she tried to explain what it was like. They paid close attention to the bit about Kronos, but didn't seem overly surprised by it. On the whole, it wasn't a bad telling, though the contents made my heart clench in pity. However, I was a little too preoccupied with worrying about what would become of Kenzie when it came her turn to tell of the death of Zeus. At last, Nimn was finished. She bowed to Hestia.

"Kenzie," Hestia called. "Come forth."

Kenzie rose. She took a step forward and knelt at the goddess' feet. "Ask and I shall answer."

"Rise child," she replied. When Kenzie had done so, she said, "I don't know if we owe you thanks or eternal punishment."

She laughed humorlessly and tossed her hair back defiantly. "With all due respects to my own life, I think that the latter is far more deserving."

I shook my head. That was my Kenzie, through and through. I was kinda disappointed that she wasn't going to ask for life, but that wasn't her style. I knew from the second that Hestia had called her, that she would take exactly what she deserved and nothing more.

Hestia looked at her kindly. "I am impressed. Most demigods would welcome a chance to escape eternal suffering. I sense however, that you are not the usual demigod. Tell us why then, that you would chose that path."

"Because I don't deserve to live," she replied evenly. "I killed Zeus. I do not regret it in the slightest. I cannot go unpunished. Do what you see fit to me for I will have earned every bit of it."

Oh Kenzie,I thought. Do you always have to take the harder of the two paths?

Hestia closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again and peered at Kenzie with interest. "And what makes you think that killing Zeus will bring our wrath down upon you?"

Kenzie looked like she was fighting very hard not to roll her eyes. "He's your brother for starters. Plus he's the king of the gods, or was anyway."

She nodded. "Personally, I would like to spare you. However, I see that your reasons cannot be ignored, for you make a good point."

"If you let me go," Kenzie snapped, "you'll have to let every other petty criminal slide by. You can't just make exceptions."

"The lass is right," Hades spoke up from his throne. "We have to kill her at the very least."

Kill her. Kill. Kenzie. No. Oh my gods. No. Not from my father. Not from Hades. Please. "If you kill her, then you kill me too." All the other gods turned to stare at me. To my horror, I realized that I was on my feet giving them my most determined look of my life. Great. Just great.

Hades spoke up. "You're my son Nico, and that counts for quite a lot."

"And I supposed being born from a goddess of daemons makes you below everybody else!" I didn't mean to get angry, but I was starting to really get an idea of why Nimn was so upset at the gods. "You can't just judge people based on who their parents were. It isn't right. It isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair," Apollo said tiredly.

"That's not the point." Athena sounded weary.

"What do you mean?" Demeter called.

Athena sighed. "We need to put our prejudices behind us and judge them by their own acts. It is easy to pity Nimn and Kenzie, but Kenzie's crime is near unforgivable." There was reluctant nodding around the throne room. This was not going well. "I think that the only choice open to us at this point is to kill her. However," she paused and looked around. "I propose we simply say that we sent her soul straight down to Hades' Fields of Punishment."

Hestia frowned at her. "That isn't a very honest thing to do. But continue. What would we do with her if she didn't go to Punishment?"

Athena shrugged. "I certainly can't say honestly that I held much love for Zeus, even if he was my father. I'd like to send her to Elysium."

"Woa," Apollo said. "That is the best punishment I've ever heard of."

Kenzie really did roll her eyes this time. But she didn't protest.

Athena sighed. "We could place special restrictions on the matter. She wouldn't be able to apply for rebirth for example."

"I like it," Aphrodite said unexpectedly.

Athena looked surprised.

"I think we ought to take a vote," Hestia said. "All in favor for restricted Elysium."

There wasn't a god that wasn't in favor. I let out my breath as Kenzie bowed her head. At least it wasn't anything horrible. Still, I hated that she had to die. If that was the case, I wasn't going to let her go. We go together, or not at all. As she came back to my side, I put my arms protectively around her. I could feel her fear as if it was my own. She may act brave, but she feared death just like any other mortal being.

"Nimn, I'd like to offer you a place on the council," Hestia said. "The place that Zeus has left vacant, perhaps?"

"No," the daemon goddess said flatly. "I could never accept that role of leadership. I think that you would be more deserving of that character and a far wiser decision. I will not turn down a place in the council however. We have an unfortunate number of vacancies for the present. It won't be long before the other gods escape I reckon."

Several gods laughed, but nobody raised any objections. "Okay, that's settled then. We can store the other gods' thrones in the Underworld for the time being. Hades, you'll see that they aren't destroyed." It wasn't a question.

"Of course Hestia," Hades replied through tightly gritted teeth. I honestly couldn't blame the guy either. I knew what it was like not to be trusted.

"Right. Nico di Angelo come forward please."