Chapter 143:
A Plague of Prophecies
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Wklv zdv qrwklqj pruh wkdq d vpdoo vnluplvk rq wkh judqg wdshvwub ri Idwh.
Vkh frxog qrw doorz vxfk d wklqj.
D vplun furvvhg khu idfh.
"Zkb vkrxog L eh wkh rqob rqh wr kdyh ixq?"
"My brother," She said. "He told me something. I don't claim to understand it, but."
Her gleaming silver eyes peered at the starlit sky. "Something big is coming."
She turned her eyes back to her most trusted associate.
"I trust you can deal with him?"
A silver arrow was notched onto a bow.
Under the light of the moon a pack of wolves began to howl.
Sitting on a deformed rock was the mad man himself. His appearance was marked by the world he was cursed to wander.
But after wandering for thousands of years his heart finally began to pump with a sensation he had long forgotten.
Something new and exciting was going on. A new wind began to blow through the old and dusty gears of this world's broken clock.
A couple of lines were etched onto the surface of the rock he sat on. Each word shining with power, releasing green energy into his mind.
He had long lost the ability to read. Something an animal like himself didn't need.
Despite this he could understand the words clear as day.
The Wolf king began to howl.
"So, you got the message as well?"
"Indeed, and I confirmed its authenticity as well. It's the real deal." He stopped to think. "Seems like we can stop sending troops to reclaim that Oracle Commodus lost."
"Still giving you trouble?"
Caligula shrugged. "A minor nuisance. But that aside. What do you think of the message?"
"What everyone must see," The Emperor shrugged. "An opportunity."
"Still, we got that annoying prophecy child to deal with." His companion complained. "Why can't he just stay dead? Is that too much to ask?"
"At least Commodus' brave sacrifice taught us something valuable." Caligula sighed, pretending the loss of Commodus meant anything to him. "The Demigod erased all the evidence of Commodus' little trick after dying. Revealing he has a weakness."
A maddening expression passed over Caligula's face.
To explain, a simple coin was put onto the table. A denarius. "Divide and conquer, you say?"
"Cheese burgers, really?" Mega asked.
"Shut it." Nico blushed. He tried to ignore the looks the daughter of Demeter was giving him.
Despite the constant mockery he managed to fill the grave with cheeseburgers, diet coke, fries and plastic toys.
A thick toxic green smoke began to pour out of the grave. Clouding the burry ground with a vomit colored fog.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
A voice came through the fog. No, it originated from it.
Nico's eyes widened. He had heard the voice before. Last time it originated from a rotting corpse found in the Great House's attic.
"Speak!" Meg pointed her blade at the smoke.
The Queen and King had not shared anything in a long time. The distance between them had been growing in every conceivable way.
The only similarity they shared was a deep seeded hatred for the other. However, both lacked the power to take the other's life.
But despite their broken marriage, and broken afterlife. Both began to smile simultaneously.
As they put down their letters each one let out a heartfelt sigh.
It was time to end this.
"A quest has been issued." Octavius shouted. His shrill voice carried through the room. "I myself received a message. A prophecy from the Gods!"
The legacy paused, trying to build up dramatic tension as he did. Trying to make sure everyone in this room knew that without him, they would be blind.
"Victory is in our grasp, a way to bring back the greatness of Old Rome." He continued. "Now, who here is willing to volunteer?"
Luke opened the letter.
There was no return address, no name attached and not a single trace of magic surrounding it.
Luke heard the Titan laugh inside his head as his eyes scanned the letter.
"Are you sure about this?" Luke tried. Hoping to coerce Kronos into taking a wise decision.
"We can not trust anyone. The jailer turned on you, the Emperors are planning on betraying us. And Olympus is not blind anymore."
"Mmmm, you see this all wrong." Kronos' voice echoed through Luke's head. "You see this from a mortal perspective. Try expanding it."
Luke tried. It didn't change anything.
"W-what am I supposed to see?"
"This is not a quest, or a call to action. This is a rat race. Someone's clearly enjoying this petty game."
"And that doesn't bother you, because?"
"Read the last line," Kronos said.
Luke paled.
"Nothing that happens in this silly game matters anymore. I am destined to win."
…Fkdoohqjhuv wr wkh Wkurqh, ylfwrub dzdlwv,
Iru wkh Odebulqwk'v Pdvwhu vkdoo ghwhuplqh wkh Zruog'v idwh…
A/N The plot of the story was becoming pretty conveluted. Because of this I thought I'd make a chapter to clearify what was going on.
Hope this chapter cleared things up!
-Moonhorse96-