I'm not gonna lie, this is one of the best chapters I have written in a long time. If I keep this up, I may get close to finishing before winter break ends. :O

Jay:

The days were getting shorter. Each sunset was a few minutes earlier than the previous day. The longer nights brought a chilling cold from the west. Unnatural for this time of year. It was no mystery that darkness was edging towards the mountain of the gods. The past few days had brought many beasts and creatures to the great city, which was becoming more like a castle day by day. Satyrs, centaurs, cyclops, minotaurs, and countless beasts that have been lost in the pages of time. The gods themselves, were rarely seen. Hephaestus was working around the clock at his forge, forging weapons and armor for the new additions to the armies. Hermes and many of the other gods were fetching recruits while Athena and ares trained them to the best of their strength. Zeus had remained in his house since the commotion started. Rumours was that he was becoming weaker, only Hera was allowed see him.

You would find more cheer in a graveyard. Walking in the streets of Olympus, you could smell the fear. Nobody smiled, nobody stopped to talk to you. People just went about their business. We were weak, unprepared, and demoralized. If Darkness were to attack us at that day, we would not last a minute.

And then there was us. The five companions. It seemed like we were the only ones with our heads screwed on straight. It seemed so, in reality, we kept our heads high with the false sense of hope that maybe Herry would make it to the the chamber many thousands of feet beneath us; the Heart of the World. But hope seemed dim. It had been a long time since I had seen him and the odds were stacked against him. Hope, was all we really could do.

As the sun set beneath the west once again,I returned to my manor where I faced my four friends, each had a tired look on their face. Their eyes told stories of pain and endurance. They were stories that I had witnessed as their companion and leader. I closed the door silently behind me as they faced me.

"Jay," began Atlanta "we need to talk."

I gave an insecure nod and we all sat down. Odie began to talk.

"If this keeps going the way it is, there is no chance of victory. We need to see Zeus."

"That is beyond my power to allow." I said. "He has forbidden any to enter his chamber."

Atlanta smiled "We know, that's why we're not asking. We have organised it for you to get inside his chamber tonight."

I gave them a confused look. "Me? Why me?"

"Because you're the one he trusts the most. If something is up, he'll tell you. At lest he's more likely to. Besides, he can't do anything to you. The time is too near for him to banish. He needs you. But you need him. We all do. Without Zeus, we're doomed."

I stared out the window for a moment. "Alright," I said, "I'll do it."

We were atop the roof of the High God's chamber. A window had been delicately opened with thanks to Odie. I slid down the rope silently into the corridor below. The place was as empty as an abandoned warehouse. The air was cold and the only form of light was the bright moon above. I walked carefully and cautiously to the main hall. The hall had retained it's spherical shape with an enchanted floor which illustrated the world as it was at that moment. You could see The entire of North America was shrouded in a pitch black cloud, which was moving across the atlantic ocean. The entire Americas. What was beneath the dark cloud, was too late to undo. It was gone. All of it. This, I knew in my heart. My friends, my family, their families and friends. The underworld would be full tonight.

My eyes looked to the Pacific ocean. The cloud was spreading there too, towards Asia. The war was coming, and it come to us on both fronts. This was grim news. At long last, I laid eyes on Zeus. He looked extremely frail. Like an old man on the verge of his destiny. He lay slouched on his throne. You could have thought he was dead. As i approached him however, he muttered.

"It is a grim sight, isn't it Jay?" He moved his head to look me in the eye. He looked a complete mess. His head had become sparse with hair and his eyes had a sore look, but his grin was still warm.

"Lord Zeus," I stuttered, falling to my knee, "You look unwell."

The old man sighed. "My power is failing, Jay. The power of men, is failing. As Darkness spreads across the planet, the once great civilizations fall apart. You see Jay, my life force is not a specific object. It is the unision and strength of the mortal kind. As mankind dies, so do I. It will not be long before my life force is consumed, and I will fade from this world."

I looked into the poor man's eyes. I searched for the lie that I so desired to see. I didn't want it to be true. I placed my hand on his cold cheek.

"Please Zeus, no. We need you right now." Tears were welling up in my eyes as I despaired the thought of losing the one man who was like a father to me when I was parted from my real one. It was this Zeus who was the one who gave mankind greatness, who gave us power and voice, and now he was dying, like the rest of mankind. As I fell into tears upon his shoulder, he comforted me.

"Do not grieve for me Jay. I cannot lead this war. I entrust this to you. Once again, the fate of the world rests in the palm of your hands."

"What should I do?" I asked as the tears on my cheeks went stale.

"Each day, your son brings the scythe of Cronus closer to the Heart of the World. Victory will only be achieved if he succeeds. You need to give him time." Zeus started to look a little more tired and took a breather. I turned to the floor. The black cloud over the pacific had just touched down in Japan. Looking back to Zeus, he looked to me.

"Within a few minutes, I will lose the life force to speak, Jay. Give me your hand." I willing laid out my hand to him. He gently lifted the amulet from his neck and placed it in my hand. It was a small, circular amulet made from gold with a lightning bolt made purely from diamond.

"With this amulet, I pass to you the power to lead the army of Olympus. Wear this, and the strongest of the gods will fight for you. With this, I pass to you the burden of the world. I trust this to you Jay. I always knew, since the first time I laid eyes on your ancestor Jason, that your bloodline would change the fate of the world."

I held the amulet in my hands. "I promise you this Zeus, as long as I have any air in my lungs, as long as I have blood in my veins, I will never let the City of the Gods fall. Nor shall I let the world fall into darkness." The old man smiled and looked to the east. I saw his eyes fade out of thought and time. His grip relaxed. Despite the time of despair, he seemed to be at peace. He was not gone completely, but I knew that his concious had passed away into a far away land, far from the horrors of this world.

At last, I arose from the motionless body of the once mighty god Zeus. I walked from the throne with the amulet of Zeus upon my breast. The doors opened up before me, and stood in front of me was Hera. Her expression was full of surprise and anger.

"Jay, what is the meaning of this?"

"Hera, I am afraid that Zeus, has..." My words faded from my mouth for a moment.

Hera looked at me impatiently, "Has what?"

I looked down,avoiding her eye contact, "Moved on." I replied humbly.

Her expression faded from the anger to despair as she rushed to the body of her husband. She pressed her fair hand against his cheek. At that, she burst into tears, mourning the loss of of her husband. It was the first true family she had ever lost. Gods were meant to live forever. I knew that she was expecting him to be there forever with her forever, but she now knew that sometimes, fate chooses another path. She looked to me, then the amulet.

"Zeus gave you that, didn't he?" she said struggling through her sobs. I simply nodded.

She took a deep breath, "If he trusted you to lead us to war, then so will I. The gods of Olympus are at your command. But please, I would like some privacy for the time being."

I nodded and took my leave from the throne room to leave the old woman to mourn in peace.

I walked solemly outside. The sun was slowly rising and a chill was still settled in the air. I approached the others who were anxious for information.

"So what is the story?" asked Atlanta.

I took a deep sigh. "Zeus, is not with us anymore."

"What?" barked Neil. I explained to them about my experience with Zeus in his dying moments. And how he gave me the amulet. The room went quiet once I had finished telling the story. Atlanta and Odie had a tear in her eye. Archie had an expressionless face looking out the window, and Neil head was toward the ground.

"Now what?" Archie spoke up. "Zeus is gone. Hope seems to be all but gone now."

I walked up to Archie and clasped his shoulder. "Not if we maintain our bonds of fellowship." He looked up to me and smiled. He clasped my arm as a mutual understanding. The others joined in.

"It is up to us now," I said, "We will overcome this enemy. If not for Zeus, then we will do it for one another, and our friends who await us in Elysium fields. There is still hope."