CHAPTER FIVE

Council and a Prophecy

"It's snowing."

"Yeah, I think I noticed." I answered, making my way across my messy room to sit on my bed.

He closed the door behind him and sat down on the floor, leaning on my cast-iron bed.

"Your mom's gone out, she had an inquiry at work, and the police have left. I think she might have convinced them. She's good like that."

"Yeah… good." I said, repeating what he said. I was tired. I wanted to sleep again.

"Ok, so the real reason I'm here," He said, looking up at me. "Is because the Gods have called a council. They are going to figure out what to do in the temple of God."

I yelped and jumped up.

"WHAT?" I yelled. "You couldn't have told me before?"

Lucas was looking at me with his big dark-blue eyes, waiting to see what I would do.

"Wha-it-no-it-I-oh-see-I-oh-crap-it-I-is-no-why?" I asked weakly, practically hyperventilating.

I fell over backwards onto the weathered rug on the floor, hitting my head, but barely noticing; I was too busy being terrified and upset over this new dilemma.

"Because of the prophecy." Lucas answered simply.

I let out a little moan of despair.

"You do realize that half the demi-gods that go to the full council never come back?" I half-sat up and watched Lucas reproachfully.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yes…well… I'm sure that won't happen…" But even as he said it his expression was worried.

I sat up and leaned on the bottom of my couch and picked up my guitar and began playing 'Stay Beautiful' by Taylor Swift. Singing and playing guitar always calmed me down when I was upset.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! Stop now! This is no time for singing!" yelled Lucas.

I smirked. For some reason, music annoyed him unless it was hard rock.

"So when is the hearing?" I asked, setting my guitar aside.

"In one hour." He said with apparent ease.

"WHAT?" I screeched, getting up and running frantically for the door.

"Oi! Rhia! Stay here!" called Lucas angrily.

The lock on my door clicked. I tried to open it; he had locked it from the outside.

I whipped around.

"Let me out." I snarled.

"No."

Lucas was glaring at me, his finger pointing at the door.

His black ruffled hair was sparkling with electricity, but I didn't care; I needed to get to that hearing. Didn't he realize that Gods temple hovered over the empire state building and that we were a mile away from it?

And I would have to walk to get there. All the Pegasus's were in the stables at Zeus's temple (a hill outside of Manhattan).

"And why not?" I asked, fuming.

"Because I need to talk to you."

"There's no TIME to talk!" I yelled, pounding the door with my fists.

"I will talk and you WILL listen!" He answered angrily.

"Gaaa!" I yelled, completely pissed. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I HAVE TO GET TO THE MEETING-NOW! OR, I'LL PROBABLY BE SMASHED TO PIECES BY YOUR DAD! DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT TO HAPPEN?"

Lucas hadn't flinched through this whole ordeal, although I think that a wounded expression might've crossed over his face when I mentioned being 'smashed to pieces' but it was immediately gone whether I imagined it or not.

"You have plenty of time, so just sit down." He said coldly, pointing his finger at me.

He made me float into the air and float slowly over to the couch. Being the son of the Lord Of The Sky, (Zeus) he was able to do that sort of thing. I folded my arms, thoroughly annoyed.

Unfortunately, Lucas wasn't a minor godling- he was the real thing. (I liked to call him this) Big Headed Minor League Godling.

Another thing I liked to call him; my personal favorite: Zeus's Mini-me.

Yes.

Mini-me.

I glared at him but didn't make a move as he sat me down on the couch.

"So, spider-munchies, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, regarding him coldly.

He tried not to grin at the nickname he usually called me being used on him. (Don't ask me why he calls me that. It's not one of my fondest memories. Let's just say, it involved 12 acromantulas (giant spiders), a certain winged horse named Spazzwing, a spinnermonkey, and a pile of dragon dung.)

He didn't succeed.

He burst out laughing, while my face split into a grin.

For some reason Lucas always seemed to find me funny.

I wonder why…

Still chortling slightly, he stood up and came to sit next to me.

But then all humor left like a wisp of smoke.

"Kronos is rising, he is awakening the dead and causing the weather to go awry," he gestured to the icicle infested window.

"He will destroy anyone that comes in his way, and he will be looking for monsters to trail Half-bloods and to fight them. You, unfortunately, are his main target because you are the only child of the big three-that is, half-blood child of the big three, and Kronos knows that I will not leave my father's side. So, he is aiming for you. It is likely that half-bloods will be moved to Zeus's temple for safety."

I stared at him.

"I'm his main target?"

"Yes." Said Lucas, staring straight back.

I sat there for a moment, and then I asked:

"So what are you all going to do?"

"That's the gods decision. Either way, we should get going." He said, glancing at his watch.

I jumped up and ripped off my jersey, running to my closet, and grabbing red slim hoodie jacket. I ran over to my shoes and stuffed them over my cold feet.

Lucas had unlocked the door and was waiting for me. I was about to follow when I realized that I should take the Bandolier. I grabbed my yellow mini-sports bag and carefully put the bandolier, my baseball cap, my hockey stick-that when pressed in a certain spot it would turn into a bronze sword-And my bow and arrow in it. I slung the bag over my shoulder, ran out my door, down the hallway into the kitchen, through the den, and down the fire escape stairs, right on Lucas's heels.

Outside was a winter wonderland; the icicles glowed in the sun, and snowflakes danced on the wind.

I marveled at how something so beautiful could mean something so evil was approaching.

Lucas grabbed my arm and dragged me off down the sidewalk.

"Bloody hell, someone's urgent." I muttered under my breath.

"Well, it's not as if we have much time, the hearing's about to start in 20 minutes."

"WHAT?" I yelled, my eyes going wack.

I began running like hell in the direction of the empire state building.

Then I realized something.

"Lucas, we need to get onto a roof." I said, without waiting for his answer, I looked around furiously for a stepladder. Then I saw one on the side of a brick building. I ran over to it, and began climbing.

When I reached the top I pulled my silver whistle out of my pocket. It felt like waves under my fingers. I blew it and it echoed across NY city, spreading across the city to Zeus's Temple where the Pegasus, Domenear who would hear it and fly to us with Torpedo.

It only took two and a half minutes for them to arrive, where I promptly mounted Domenear and Lucas, Torpedo.

'Hey Rhia, do you have any carrots or sugar lumps for me?' asked Domenear hopefully.

"Sorry girl, I don't have any today, but Lucas and I are in a rush; how fast can you get to Olympus?

'Oh well, that depends on how fast do you want to get there.'

"Quickly."

'I can do that.'

She took off and zoomed towards Olympus. I turned and looked behind me to see Lucas and Torpedo tailing us with ease.

We kept going until could see the storm clouds. But, instead of going to the Gods Pavilion, we changed course and zoomed upwards where the clouds were darkest.

The electricity made my hair stand on end, and I was sure it would be staticy and puffy when we touched down. We flew through the powerful clouds, the heavy air weighing us down. I could smell rust, salt, and earth. I could even hear the water running through the air.

The power was almost overwhelming.

Finally we saw The Temple Of God.

We touched down and slid off our horses smoothly onto the marble floor

I looked up at the gods absolutely terrified.

They loomed over us, casting shadows across the stone cobbled ground. Suddenly, facing 20 deadly Hydras seemed like a picnic.

God Almighty was regarding me coolly, his gaze untrustworthy. He was even taller than the other gods. He was said to look different to everyone, his appearance to me must've been an 'I don't know' because his appearance was changing sickeningly fast, making me want to vomit. The only thing that didn't change was his golden eyes, boring into mine. I had a creepy feeling that he was reading my mind. I tore my gaze away, desperate to look anywhere except those penetrating eyes. Unfortunately, I turned and looked at Ares who was leering at me, looking at me very much like I was a tasty piece of meat.

I looked away and my gaze met my fathers. His sparkling green eyes told me not to worry and told me that it was OK.

I wasn't convinced.

The first one to speak was a woman. Her voice leapt out of the silence, surprising me so much that I flinched. I looked at the source of the voice and stared at her just like everyone else.

She sat on a throne of weaving silvery essence. It was a bright, whitish silver, and it was moving ceaselessly; the surface of it became ruffled like water beneath wind, and then, like clouds, separated and swirled smoothly. It looked like light made liquid-or like wind made solid- I couldn't make up my mind, but it reminded me horribly of thoughts. The woman was beautiful. Her pale olive skin shone as if from starlight, her hair was a deep, rich mahogany and was done in soft curls to her shoulders. Her dress was a dark red, and her storm gray eyes met my bright green ones, that were in such contrast with my light golden-brown hair. The Goddess Athena was whom I was facing.

"So this is the Half-blooded girl which has caused us so much trouble." She said, although she sounded more amused than angry. I shuffled my feet unnoticeably.

I looked at my shoes.

I wanted to look up at the congregation, but found that it was really much, much easier to keep examining my shoelaces.

God suddenly spoke in a booming voice that shook the whole Temple. I looked up so fast that my neck received bitter treatment. Rubbing my neck I looked up at the Lord Of All Things.

"I do not believe that she is harmless; nor do I believe that she is dangerous. But do we really need to blast her to oblivion?

I was suddenly aware of Lucas standing next to me. His shoulder brushed mine lightly as he shifted to his right foot. Suddenly, my straight well cared for hair poofed up like Einstein.

I glared at the space in front of me, my mouth stuck in a slight pout. I heard Hermes and Apollo chuckle quietly from my right side. I turned slowly to Lucas and raised an eyebrow. He was trying to stifle his lopsided grin. I gave him a hard glare.

"Lightning head," I said quietly under my breath, while turning back to the congress, "if I get the chance one day I will murder you."

Lucas let out a snort of derision.

Zeus regarded me through slited eyes.

"Well, she is known to be reckless, and she has a bad temper, so I suppose she could be used as a tool against us as the prophecy said…" He said imploringly.

My stomach turned over.

The prophecy said that? Maybe it was better if I was disintegrated?

"This little pipsqueak should definitely be disintegrated. She's too much trouble!" Ares said sportingly, and I could definitely tell he wanted to 'do me in' as much as he wanted to fight and make war.

Poseidon, who I knew could sense that this was not going well spoke up at last.

"We will not disintegrate my daughter." He gripped the armrests of his seashell-made throne.

"In case you all have forgotten," said Artemis, "there was another part of the prophecy;

(Full prophecy)

In the darkness you must wait,

Till the dice read five or eight,

The tallest building-it shall fall,

Evil shrouds that darkened stall,

Death by two,

And one shall die,

The Dark Lords rising alibi,

The dead shall rise,

And more will fall,

The tolling bells must one rely,

Controlling sea,

Controlling sky,

Daughter of the sand and shells,

Only she is the one to repel,

That dark and ancient wishing fear,

The enemy calls her,

His greatest weapon,

Rising slowly from his evil sphere,

But stone and sword,

Must one unite,

But only one shall leave that night."

There was a stunned silence that rung across the hallway. Everyone was staring at Artemis, their mouths half open.

"Well, that just sounded like a load of waffle to me." Said Apollo sitting back in his golden throne, unperturbed, waiting for his sister's answer.

"There was hidden meaning in that 'load of waffle'. Just because you're so thickheaded, that you need me to tell you to go do things when necessary doesn't mean we all are. " Answered Artemis acidly, glaring at her brother angrily, obviously annoyed that he had not grasped the situation at hand.

Artemis's silver throne was suddenly glowing, and I could tell it was responding from her annoyance.

Apollo was obviously about to retort back but Zeus interrupted their little fight.

"Let us see what the Wizengamot believes."

What? Who the hell were they?

To be honest, I was becoming very confused with all the different branches of Godisim.

A clad of golden and red robed old men appeared with an enormous crack, just feet away from me on my left side. I let out a loud squeak of surprise and terror.

"You called, Lord of the Sky?" asked a wafer like man. His small blue eyes were watery and suspicious.

"Yes Reamer, what does the Wizengamot think of the prophecy?" asked Zeus dismissively, waving his hand at 'Reamer' not even looking at him.

For some reason, Reamer glared at me as if it was my fault Zeus didn't pay him much attention before turning back to the Wizengamot.

I frowned, suddenly defiant.

I didn't even know this piece of grub, and yet he was glaring at me as if I was something nasty and unclean.

I began examining my shoelaces again as hurried whispers erupted in the Wizengamot clan for a long time. Until-

"We have reached our decision."

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Yes, I am QUITE aware that the prophecy sucked. No flames. Or I will shoot you DOWN like a DOG!!!! (no offence to the doggies of course)