Wow. It's quiet. Too quiet. I swear, you can hear a pin drop. The suspence is killing me! Somebody say something!
Chapter 12:
The Olympian Counsel
Some Abba song that Jaden didn't recognise accompanied the three of them on the otherwise silent ride. Travis and Connor had grown eerily serious ever since they had entered the elevator. The two of them stood like statues. Jaden fidgeted with his sword while he waited. Finally, with a ding of the bell, the trio had arrived at their destination.
" Welcome to Olympus." Travis said as the doors opened.
All Jaden could do was stare as he was forced out of the elevator. Right in front of him, down the path, was a mountain in the sky… well the top of one, anyway. Even from this distance, he was being blinded by the fierce glow of a million fires bouncing off the white and silver buildings. At the very peak of the mountain top stood a grand palace with golden carvings etched into it.
Travis and Connor led Jaden down the path towards the grand palace. As they neared the main part of the city, neither of them failed to notice that all of the gods and goddesses, as well as the other inhabitants, stopped to watch the three moved up to the throne room. Jaden also couldn't help but notice that they were whispering about him to each other. It was clear that they could sense who his father was.
As they neared the palace, Jaden found himself looking up into the marble and gold faces of fourteen gods and goddesses. The first of the statues was of a dark looking man that gave off a powerful sense of doom and a welcoming lady that reminded Jaden of the girl by the fires back at camp. After that came two more statues on either side of the path (one of which looked suspiciously like Mr D), and two more after that. Jaden quickly realised that the fourteen statues were the Olympian gods themselves plus Hades and Hestia. Finally they reached the top of the stairs that they had been climbing, Zeus and Hera glaring down at them.
" Annabeth really did a good job up here." Connor mused, looking back down the path.
" I agree." Travis replied. " Now back to business."
Jaden, however, was staring at the golden doors that led to the throne room beyond. " Do I really have to go in there?"
" Yeah. Come on."
With that, the three of them entered the massive building.
The instant Jaden walked into the throne room he felt like he wanted to bury himself alive in the deepest volcano on the planet. Before him, in a perfect U shape, sat twelve enormous thrones - all of which were occupied. At the end of the thrones burned a massive fire in its hearth, attended by none other than Hestia and guarded by a dark man sitting in an obsidian chair.
Travis and Connor both laid a hand on Jaden's shoulders – silently but effectively telling him to stay where he was – and moved to the front of the assembly where they bowed low to the man sitting at the head of the Counsel. After almost a minute, they straightened themselves only to kneel in front of a man wearing a postal uniform. Connor then presented the man with Chiron's scroll just as Jaden remembered where he had seen that same man before.
" Hermes, what have they brought?" A woman with storm grey eyes asked.
" A report from Chiron about the boy." Hermes replied, quickly reading the scroll.
" Then with the reading of Chiron's report, this counsel shall commence." The king of the gods ordered.
Hermes stood from his throne and dictated in ancient Greek what Chiron had written. Out of the few words he could understand, Jaden figured that Chiron thought of him as 'a helpful student… full of goodwill… unless provoked…'. He also noticed the glance that the Stoll brothers were giving each other and that was when he started to feel sick.
" Jaden Castellan!" Zeus' booming voice echoed around the room so unexpectedly that the boy cringed slightly. " Step forward."
Swallowing hard, Jaden did what he was told. Every pair of eyes watched his every move as he stepped into the middle of the silent room. His footsteps echoed loudly against the sparkling white marble floor. Underneath all the hard stares and against the shining brilliance of the room, Jaden felt like an insignificant and extremely dirty cockroach.
" So you are the… offspring of the Titan Kronos." The King of the gods mused, lacing his fingers together. " Are you aware of the amount of power that you possess, child?"
" I… No. Not really." Jaden admitted.
" I say we destroy him now, while he's still ignorant." The red-eyed bikie growled, sharpening a knife while sneering evilly at Jaden.
Jaden took a step to his right, trying to get away from the god.
" I say he lives." Hermes objected.
" Why ever so, Hermes? Don't you understand that the boy is a danger to us all?" the grey eyed woman asked.
" He isn't only the son of Kronos. For some reason only the Fates understand, he is also the son of the hero Luke Castellan."
" Your point?" Ares growled.
" He is my grandson. And I will not have him destroyed."
" I don't care if he's your grandson or not!" the god of war stood up and was about to attack Hermes when he was stilled by Zeus.
" Ares, sit down!"
Reluctantly, Ares returned to his seat.
After that, Jaden lost track of time. Growls and insults were thrown every which way. But they all discussed one thing; whether or not to disintegrate Jaden. Travis and Connor had opted to move behind their father's throne and out of the arguing that was going around, but one look from Hermes told them that they were not to go anywhere else. Jaden, having hated arguments since he was a baby, did the rational thing and blocked his ears from the noise.
Finally all went quiet. Slowly Jaden took his hands from his ears when he realised that every one of the gods were once more seated and looking in his direction. Most of them had expressionless faces. Only Hermes did not – looking over Jaden's head with an expression that the boy could not decipher planted on his face.
" Jaden Luke Castellan, son of Kronos, as you are a danger to us all, you are hereby exiled from Camp Half-Blood." Zeus decreed. " By law of the Olympian Counsel, no god or demigod shall henceforth come to your aid. The mark you bear will henceforth be known as the symbol of your banishment."
Without notice, a bolt of lightning streaked over Zeus' shoulder and struck Jaden's face. His scream echoed around the room, making both Travis and Connor cringe. Even Hermes had to bite his lip as Jaden's pain bounced around the marble room. Without a care as Jaden fell to his knees and clutched his face, Zeus stood from his throne.
" This assembly is now adjourned. Get him out of my sight." He ordered as soon as the echoes had died down.
" Zeus, Father, please. Allow him to return to Camp Half-Blood to retrieve his belongings." Hermes pleaded, also standing.
" He can go to Half-Blood Hill with the two that brought him here, but he is not allowed past the boarder. They can retrieve his belongings."