Percy Jackson: Shadows Rise

by SkyRunn3r

An ancient civilization revived, plots amongst the Gods and a new prophecy all amidst the second gigantomachy could herald the end of the Era of Gods and Olympus as a whole. With Percy sacrificing himself to Nyx, the remainder of The Seven struggle to save their friends and family without him. Sacrificed, but not dead… How far is Percy willing to go in order to save his family?

29. Chapter 28: What The Future Holds

Chapter 28: What The Future Holds

Comment Responses:

Nerds4506: I'm really glad you enjoyed the Extended Authors note, I knew it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. But hearing that a few people enjoyed it really cheers me up. Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!

Red-Streaker: It was a fun little project that me and the editors worked on, and to be honest it's something we may do again in the future, so perhaps you will get to see another one. Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!

Darkanaklusmos70: Glad you enjoyed the Extended AN, and I hope the story lives up to the hype! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!

HellraiderS: Yes, between my editors and you guys enough people have asked or made a case for a Harem relationship in this story. So I'm going to do my best to give you guys what you asked for! Thanks for the review and enjoy the Chapter!

Kifo: Thanks for the praise! I put a lot of effort into trying to write an interesting story, and I'm really glad that you're enjoying it so much! I'd love to say it'll be done soon, but this may be a longer project given the size and scope of what i've written so far. Anyway thanks for the review! Enjoy the chapter!

Cainsdownfall: The short answer is yes, yes the thirteen riders depicted were based on the myth of the Wyld Hunt. However the Wyld hunt crops up in lots of myths from different religions around the globe. There is a Greek version that involves Hecate leading a pack of black dogs. A Welsh version led by the 'Lord of the Dead', a slavic version and the Norse version that many more people know about.

I didn't want to spoil much of the stuff that will be coming in arc 2 but I did want to answer your question and provide a little tidbit of information as well. Hopefully that answers the question you had without spoiling anything haha. Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!

As always guys feel free to join the discord and ask any questions you have. There is also OC artwork and teasers for new chapters and other things I'm working on.

Discord link: 5VWBsymDYG

IMPORTANT: The long awaited relationship Poll is live on my discord. If you want to vote on who to see Percy with. Well here it is!

Link:

https strawpoll com polls QrgeVB5WYZp

Add the missing: :/ . / / or join the discord for a direct link.

Enjoy the Chapter!

Leo 4 Days 6 Hours after Eripus

Leo thought he understood what pain meant.

He had taken his fair share of beatings when he lived in foster care and when he was on the run. Leo also knew what it felt like to be so cold and hungry that he thought he would die. Living on the streets had taught him lessons no kid should have to learn. But he had always managed to pull through, to find a way to survive.

However, as he lay there on his back, the ferocious booms and explosions ringing out all around him were almost loud enough to drown out the screams. The throne room was collapsing around his head as chunks of marble rained from the ceilings, explosions of energy and light shone through the clouds of dust and debris. He couldn't see a way out of this, not that it mattered, he couldn't move even if he had wanted to.

The pain he was experiencing was all consuming. He couldn't think, he couldn't speak, he couldn't do anything. It was like a living thing burrowing away in his mind, slowly chipping away his ability to fight back. That was when he finally understood the difference, between an inconvenience, and real pain.

He understood it when the shrapnel from Gaea's explosion tore into his chest and blasted him off his feet. In those few precious seconds, he had reached a sort of understanding. Broken bones, cuts and concussions were not even on the same level.

But he had seen Percy and Jason shrug off wounds like these and keep moving, why couldn't he?

As he lay there on the cracked marble floor, all he could think about was, for a moment, that he had done the right thing.

It is what Percy or Jason would have done had they been there, what a good leader would have done. Just watching Gaea toy with the Olympians like she had with his life had brought forth a rage unlike anything he had felt before.

He wasn't Percy though, and when Gaea shrugged off his attack and countered, Leo hadn't considered the possibility of what would happen. The Seven had been in tough situations before, but there had always been a light of hope at the end of the tunnel. They had always come through safely in the end, and it was only now that Leo realized as he thought about it, how often Percy saved the day.

But not this time, Percy wouldn't be swooping in to save him from this mess, and neither would Jason. He was on his own here, everyone else was tied up in the battle against Gaea. No one even seemed to notice that he was down and on the ground.

Leo could feel himself dying, everything hurt, and slowly he was starting to lose feelings in his hands and feet.

He was struggling to breathe, it was futile and he could feel the dampness spreading across his torso. Accompanied by a feeling similar to a giant weight pressing down on his chest, crushing the air from his lungs.

He could only watch as Hera stumbled out of the cloud of debris, ichor trailing from her mouth and a wound on her side as she stumbled past him. Not even noticing him as she lifted her hand and a large golden spear appeared in her closed fist.

Hera barely had time to turn around, spinning the spear as she did so, and shattering a large marble pillar that was falling towards her before she let out a scream of anger and charged back into the dust.

Almost like someone had turned the sound back on, it all came rushing back. Suddenly he overheard battle cries of demigods and Olympians as well as Gaea's taunting laughter. What was more ominous however was the rumbling and cracking going on beneath him as the ground seemed to ripple.

He was in such a daze from the pain, he couldn't make out what anyone was saying, but he saw his father and the other Gods battling, almost like it was in slow motion, he could only see bits and pieces.

A blow stuck here, a splatter of golden ichor there, Leo wasn't even sure what was real. He just wanted it all to end, the pain, the noise, everything.

He had failed, Gaea was going to kill them all. He wasn't some powerful demigod like Percy who had fought and beaten Tartarus in his own domain. What hope did he have against a Primordial? His attack, as powerful as he thought it was, had done little more than annoy Gaea.

How could he fight against her? She was exponentially stronger, older, even faster than he was.

It was a hopeless fight, but he knew deep down in his gut that if it were Percy in his place, Percy would have found a way. If only he had been the one trapped in Tartarus. If only he hadn't been stupid enough to trust Nemesis and her fortune cookies.

Suddenly Leo felt a pressure unlike anything he had felt before, he felt for a second as the presence seemed to pause, studying him for a moment before Gaea screamed in rage and fired a blast of green energy up into the sky.

For a moment there was nothing and then a voice called out in response.

"Do not test me sister… Begone." Then Leo felt the presence pass over him and the next thing he heard was Gaea scream in agony as the entire mountain shook under the intense force.

Leo forced his left eye open as his right eye burned terribly and he couldn't get it open. But he didn't need both eyes to know the scene he saw before him was something out of a nightmare.

The once grand throne room of Olympus lay in ruins, the marble floor shattered beyond recognition, and clumps of earth and mud were scattered about everywhere, remnants of the dozens of earthborn the Primordial Goddess summoned.

Several of the Gods stood, their weapons drawn, golden ichor trailing down their bodies as they stood in a semi circle around Gaea. The Primordial herself was looking in rough shape, her chiton torn and ragged and large lacerations still oozing silver ichor covered her upper body.

"You dare strike at me!?" Gaea screamed out to the skies, her voice loud enough to shake the very ground Leo laid upon.

Leo looked at Gaea, and he saw it all happen almost in slow motion.

First everything went deadly quiet, and then something slammed into Gaea, sending a veritable fountain of silver ichor flying into the air as the Primordial Goddess slammed into the earth, smashing through the floor and into the mountain itself with a series of increasingly faint booms.

Leo just started at where Gaea had been standing in shock, they had won. They had won!

Those thoughts rang in his head as he lay there, and for a moment everything was so peaceful, the noise was fading away and his chest wasn't hurting as badly. He was just so tired, and if Gaea was beaten then maybe no one would be mad if he took a nap just for a few moments.

But it was getting harder and harder to breathe as he laid there, and it was only when an explosion sent him rolling to the side and crashing against a broken pillar that he snapped from his stupor.

He didn't want to die yet, but with each passing second, he grew more and more frantic, he couldn't move. And he could hear the wet gurgling in his breathing. He wasn't stupid. He knew what that meant.

He had blood in his lungs.

Tears of frustration burst forth, and Leo tried his best to summon the powers of healing that Hestia had talked about. He couldn't die yet!

But try as he might, he couldn't focus long enough to summon flames at all, let alone these new powers Hestia previously described.

So that was it.

He was going to die, doomed to bleed out, drowning in his own blood while a battle raged on around him.

No one was coming to save him.

He could feel his grip on consciousness failing him, and he wasn't sure exactly how long he laid there before the air was once again filled with the sound of crumbling masonry and cracking marble. The sound of the throne room collapsing all but drowned everything else out.

He had almost passed out when a surge of heat rushed over him and he turned to look to his left, he saw her, walking towards him. Wreathed in fire, a pair of wings extended out to the sides, flames licking the air around her.

Rubble and debris flew through the air, most of it melting to slag long before it got in range of her. Gaea, the Olympians and the other members of the nine were obscured by the dust cloud and Kolasi's flames, but Leo could have sworn he saw several bursts of golden light. Olympians flashing away, and he had to hope some of his friends had made it out with them. But he couldn't know for sure, and he didn't have much time to think, the air was growing hotter and hotter by the second until finally the cold stone underneath him began to grow hot.

"Why are you fighting?" Came the almost disdainful voice from the woman standing beside him, Hestia's daughter, Kolasi. "You could just lay back and let go, drift off to sleep. After all, you're only a mortal, what chance do you have?" Kolasi added almost as an afterthought, looking down on him.

"F-fuck off…" Leo barely managed to get out, his voice no louder than a whisper and just those two words left him coughing up more blood and wheezing for air.

"So you still have some fight left in you…" Kolasi said as she crouched down, staring at him intently. "But you mistake me, I'm not here to mock you. I saw what you did and who you did it for." Kolasi added slowly, lifting her hand and turning a marble pillar collapsing on them into molten rock and slag as she blasted it with fire. Sending the liquid rock and flames flying away from them in an arc.

"I may hate them, but she is my mother… She is all I have left. And you at least tried to save her." Kolasi finished. "So I can't very well sit here and watch you bleed out, certainly not when you have so much power at your fingertips, so much potential." Kolasi said with finality.

Leo stared at her, trying to focus on her. She was brighter than the sun, with the flames rolling off her body in waves. It was only when he felt himself almost floating off the ground that he realised she had bent down to pick him up. Holding him against her chest as her wings furled in, surrounding the two in a pillar of flames.

Leo watched as the entire world dissolved away into a haze of flames and smoke as he felt his body slowly begin to relax, the pain fading away as he groaned in relief. Leo tried to keep his sense about him as he felt the exhaustion start to set in, his eyelids felt like lead weights and he could even muster the strength to move his fingers let alone turn his head.

Not that it stopped him from trying to look around and figure out where he was.

He felt a change in the air, he could smell smoke, oil and chemicals. Hear the whizz and grind of machinery alongside the clank of gears.

"What did you do to him!?' a gruff voice called out as Leo felt himself lowered onto a cold flat surface.

"What I could, he didn't deserve to die like that… but he is mortal so there is only so much I can do"

"And why the hell shouldn't I just kill you here and now? First you show up and attack us and then Gaea does!" the male voice replied as Leo realized it was his father speaking.

"I'd welcome you to try, but like you, I just did what I was told. Hestia brought me to Olympus, not the other way around. So if you have issues, take them up with her. In the meantime, I advise you to look after the boy." Kolasi's voice rang out clearly as Leo felt nauseous.

For a moment there was silence before his father replied, "You saved him, and brought him to me, thank you. Now leave, you are not welcome in my temple."

"When I am sure he is not going to die, I'll gladly leave." Kolasi replied back calmly.

For a moment there was silence before he heard Hephaestus sigh, "You are as stubborn as your mother… Fine, if you're going to help, then help me heal him, don't just stand there and watch." his father finished, his voice so low Leo barely heard it over the sounds of his fathers workshop.

He didn't hear Kolasi reply, simply felt the wave of heat wash over him and heard the crackle of flames. He wanted one last look at her before he died as he was pretty sure that he wasn't far off from that point, But try as he might, the dark silence of unconsciousness took him. The last thing he heard as he passed out was his father, half whispering to himself as various machines clanked and whizzed in the distance. The sounds reminded him of his mothers shop, the smells and the melody of machines was so peaceful it almost seemed to lull him to sleep.

Ares 4 Days 6 hours & 50 minutes after Eripus

Ares sat on a large stone bench in one of the ruined gardens on Olympus. The Gods had been summoned back to Olympus, shortly after they rescued the few demigods who had been present during Gaea's rampage.

The city however had not fared well. Many of the buildings had collapsed or been damaged, dozens of immortals had been injured, some more seriously than others.

Hestia and Hera had been quick to take control, with the disappearance of Hades and Poseidon. Setting up a new council room in the ruins of one of the grand arenas on the lower levels, and imprisoning Zeus in the cells beneath the old throne room.

Ares suspected that this was done because Hestia and Hera wanted to see him punished but also in the hope that it would appease Poseidon, should he reappear. After all, Poseidon had demanded Zeus's life for his latest transgression against his family, and Ares himself couldn't deny that his father had made a grave miscalculation in regards to Lord Poseidon's reaction.

Times were dire, enemies were on all sides and the leadership of Olympus was fractured and split. Yet what made matters worse was that Ares couldn't help but feel somewhat excited about the entire situation. Specifically the potential war that was brewing. One which was built on the lies told by his father and the other Olympians, lies that undermined the honor of everyone involved.

He was a warrior, and he was proud of it. He lived for conflict and battle. War cries and the clash of blades were like music to his ears.. Unlike Athena, he didn't care for the strategy behind battle specifically. Athena could practice her form, hone her skills and study strategy all she wanted; it didn't make her a better warrior in Ares' eyes.

Her fight against Perseus had proven that. She was arrogant, elitist and incapable of giving her opponents the credit they were due. None of those qualities worked in her favor, but the worst had been her blatant disregard for her opponents skill based solely on their mortality.

Ares had watched her fight the Ardwyrian, and unlike when she had fought the Giants during the first war or any other number of immortal foes, she tried to play with her food. And she choked on it.

Battle and war were like a living breathing animal, it couldn't be controlled, and more importantly those who sought control in the madness often fell prey to it.

The only warriors who could rise in the eyes of the God of War were those who thrive in the madness and the insanity of battle. The chosen few, who in the midst of the mud and blood, forged a path forwards for themselves and their troops through the strength of will and a strong sword arm.

Ares had seen the rise and fall of generations of warriors, yet never before had he experienced this. He was faced with the prospect of a war of epic proportions, one that would make the humans' puny World wars seem meaningless by comparison, and for the first time in his memory, he was destined to fight those worthy of his skill with a blade.

His foes would be great and powerful, worthy adversaries to the God of War. None more so than the Ardwyr they just fought. Percy Jackson.

He had realized the identity of his opponent part way through their fight, and Ares had to admit he was slightly in awe of what the demigod was capable of. Then he had to remind himself that Percy Jackson was no ordinary demigod.

He was part Ardwyr and that seemed to be the part that mattered more.

Ares however couldn't help but grin at the thought, before his mirth was stolen by the thought of why Percy was fighting them.

"What is on your mind son?" His mother's voice called out from his left, as he turned to see her picking her way through the ruins of one of the Olympus' gardens, which hours before had been immaculate and beautiful.

And now, there laid a wrecked wasteland of shattered marble, broken mosaic and trampled plants.

But Ares liked it better this way, Olympus had always been too perfect, too organized for his tastes.

"Considering our position in regard to Perseus." Ares added quickly, looking at Hera with a hint of a smile on his face. "He is skilled, well beyond his years, a worthy opponent."

Hera paused in her approach, looking at him quizzically, "Can you beat him?" She asked pointedly. "He won't forgive Zeus for this and I doubt our lack of knowledge of the events will do much to sway him to forgive and forget."

Ares however found his response caught in his throat.

Could he beat him?

Ares had run their fight back in his head for dozens, if not hundreds of times already. The fight had been all but perfect, each of their moves had been precise and full of deadly intent. Yet as the battle progressed he began to have an inkling of who it was under that helmet. So when the boy had saved one of his children from the crossfire of their battle, at great risk to himself, Ares knew that it was Jackson under that helmet. So Ares stood by his decision to end the fight. He owed Percy too much to kill him without knowing more, and clearly there was more to this than what appeared at first glance.

After all, he had fought Perseus albeit in a less serious manner some years before. Only to have the son of Poseidon stab him in the leg, taking both first blood and victory. Yet the warrior he fought today was a different animal entirely. Stronger and faster than any mortal had the right to be.

Ares was not one to forget a warrior, and after crossing blades it had been a strange case of deja vu as he slowly came to recognize the fighting style of his opponent. It wasn't long after that Ares put together an idea of who was under that black helmet.

"I…I don't know. He is stronger than I would have thought possible, stronger than any mortal has a right to be. I have never doubted my own ability before, but the strength he displayed lends credibility to Zeus's fear of the Ardwyrian's." Ares added as he stood up from the bench, brushing imaginary dust from one of his bracers. "But the situation with Perseus troubles me," Ares finished, letting the sentence hang in the air as he looked at Hera.

"Zeus only did what he felt was right, for our family and for Olympus." Hera said softly, looking at Ares with sympathy. "That does not mean it was the right thing to do." Hera added with a sigh as she sat down beside him. "If what happened earlier tonight is anything to go by, Gaea's treaty is with Zeus, and Zeus alone. She won't negotiate with us, and Zeus spent the only bargaining chip we had." Hera finished as she stared up at the stars above them.

"Zeus was never a master statesman, his diplomatic and negotiation skills have always been less than stellar. This truce he forged with Gaea is a perfect example of that. It clearly does not include the mortals, and I doubt the demigods were included either. However we don't know what bargain it is that Zeus struck, what the specifics of their deal are. After all Zeus didn't even seem to know that Apollo was involved, but now we can't reach him and magic can't find him." Hera added in frustration as she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Without the aid of Lord Poseidon and Hades I don't see how we stop Gaea, and we still have no idea where they are." Ares replied, removing his helmet and resting it upon his knee, taking a moment as he looked down at the black metal polished to a mirror finish. "I am a God of War mother, I was born for war. However, Zeus' actions are going to come back to haunt us. As if his actions against the Ardwyr of old haven't already done that.'' Ares said in a firm tone.

Hera for her part nodded in agreement as she stared off into the distance. "What else would you have us do Ares? I cannot change what Zeus has done. I refuse to surrender to Gaea. Regardless of the death the humans have suffered at our hands, what Gaea will do to them will be much worse."

"Even still, the demigods deserve to know, and it won't be long before they find out one way or another." Ares added.

"The demigods don't know anything yet." Hera continued on as if he hadn't even spoken. " It will stay that way and it has to stay that way, Ares. We need them as much as they need us to survive what is to come." She finished as she gestured at the damage around them. "This is what we fight against Ares, the destruction of everything. If Gaea could do this to Olympus, she can do it anywhere. Would you see the mortals and their creations destroyed like Gaea destroyed Olympus?" She asked.

"You act like Gaea hasn't already done that?" Ares snapped back angrily. "There isn't much left standing." He finished as he gestured out towards the horizon. In the distance, New York was still a burning pyre, and several other cities could be seen engulfed in flames and smoke.

"All of that can be rebuilt in time, we must first fight this war and when we win humanity will again experience a golden age." Hera proclaimed as she looked about the ruined garden sadly, her gaze only once travelled down to the hellscape that the mortal world had become.

"But first they must live through a war between immortals. A war few mortals could even understand let alone prepare for." Ares added. "A war so old that the only people alive who remember it are the ones who wiped it from history…" Ares added pointedly.

"What else would you have had us do? Tell the demigods that there was a power beyond their wildest imagination, that there were ancient Gods born before even the Olympians, and it just so happened that Zeus betrayed them? The history of Olympus is written with the blood of mortals and our own ichor. We wanted to forget the horrors of what happened in Anatolia and what followed. So no, none of us stopped Zeus from hiding what we did, and none of us broke our oath of silence."

"So instead you disgraced everyone who died in that unnecessary conflict by wiping any trace of them from history, mortal and immortal." Ares replied. "What's to stop you from rewriting history once again when this is over?"

"Careful Ares, that sounds less like a question and more like an accusation…We cannot change what happened. All we can do is move forwards, and that means the demigods must fight alongside us. Even though they are no match for Gaea or the Tartarii and their forces." Hera added in a subdued tone.

"So why send them?" Ares said, standing up from the bench. "We are Gods, we don't need to rely on them and we shouldn't." Ares all but shouted in frustration as he tossed his helmet to the side. "My own daughter, I almost killed her. Perseus beat us, and none of us tried to assume divine forms due to our proximity to the camp, even Artemis isn't that foolish. If Perseus possesses even a portion of Gaea's power, every Olympian would need to assume their divine forms just for us to stand a chance at fighting her. You know what that much amount of Godly energy will do to any mortal or demigod within a few miles of that fight."

"What else would you have me do Ares? Zeus has done more damage than you can possibly imagine. Perhaps if we had refused to let Zeus do as he wished all those years things would have been different now. But the past is the past, Ares. Olympus must stand unified against Gaea." Hera finished mutedly. "Gaea will need time to gather a new army, and we must gather one of our own."

"So we march forwards over a field of our children's' bodies? Mother this is foolish, Zeus and his lies are a separate matter. If we do this we are sending them to war against foes they have no chance of beating. And even if they somehow manage to defeat Gaea and her minions, if we fulfil this new prophecy what then? Do we continue to hide the truth, let the sacrifice of hundreds of demigods be for a lie?" Ares all but snarled. "Or we can admit the truth to them, and that their deaths were for our own gain not theirs. They already fought the Titans for us, it is disgraceful that you put so little faith in them."

"You forget not all the demigods or their parents fought alongside us in the last war." Hera added as her eyes narrowed, "You forget that traitors hide in the most unexpected of places my son"

"Then let those who doubt change sides, it will only serve to enrage and embolden those who remain. If it is discovered that we lied about Perseus and the reasons for this war, I have little doubt that the demigods left alive will turn on us. They have proven themselves time and time again, we cannot just use them like this."

"Since when have you had an issue with casualties of war?" Hera asked, a look of confusion flashing across her face. "As you yourself said, you were born to fight wars, they are the children of the Gods, blessed with powers but it comes at a price, they were born to fight these wars as well."

Ares simply glared at Hera in response, as he took several deep breaths, trying his best to remain calm while his domain raged against him. He could feel the resentment and anger in the campers. The mortals had already managed to begin several small-scale conflicts around the globe, as they struggled to take advantage of each other and place blame for the destruction they were facing.

"There is no honor in what Zeus did, what's worse, is that the rest of you went along with the plot, and you've done nothing but lie to keep it a secret." Ares said, finally breaking the silence as he regained his composure and looked back at Hera.

"I don't have a problem with casualties but I have a problem with the lies you have told. Lies which have driven the demigods to participate in an unnecessary war. You forget that war and death are tied together, it is impossible to have one without the other, casualties are the result of battles."

"But this wasn't a battle. The mortals weren't even given a chance to fight back. Gaea just murdered them by the thousands if not millions. They had no chance of fighting back, and now they likely still have no idea what is coming for them, and we both know it will only get worse from here. As for the demigods, if not for Perseus, I doubt any of our children in that camp would be alive." Ares finished.

"There are many dead demigods, and a fair few who are still breathing who might disagree with you." Hera replied.

"So we ignore what Artemis did? I saw the demigods at camp. There is far more blood on our hands than his. We weren't the ones to save them from the Titans and their army, no we sat by and watched while our children died." Ares replied angrily.

"Why does it matter Ares? You aren't a mortal, you will fight back, and you will win like you always have." Hera said in matter of fact tone. "Once the threat Olympus faces is dealt with, we will deal with your father. He can't hide from this, and we won't let him." Hera said as her eyes locked onto Ares. "Your uncles will eventually come in line and this whole issue can be addressed, but we can only do that if we survive."

"This isn't something that is just going to go away! I can't just ignore that father engineered the massacre of an entire people, and we can't hide that Perseus is alive forever. The demigods will find out. Blood doesn't wash off, ever, and when they find out how much blood we are soaked in, well…" Ares said with a helpless chuckle as he looked at the flames in the distance.

"You of all Gods are going to take a stand on the moral issues behind this war? Mortals, demigods and Gods will die, but that is the way of war and you know this Ares." Hera all but snapped back at him. "You've never been afraid of anything, why now?" Hera finished as she looked at Ares expectantly.

"Watch your words mother. A war on women and children isn't a war and no true warrior would take part in it. It's a slaughter and you know it as well as I do. It's not fear that stays in my hand but honor, something Zeus lacks in abundance." Ares said in a deadly calm as his aura flickered in the air around him.

"He is your King and your father but Zeus is not you, his honor may be stained but your hands are clean." Hera replied.

"My father," Ares said in a mocking tone, "I don't know what to think about him any more." Ares snapped back, trying to suppress the mounting anger he felt in regard to the whole situation. "This war will be bloody and I have little doubt the winners won't think themselves as winners when this is over. This war won't just target the warriors who want to fight."

"It's the kind of war mortals wage." Hera replied, "They kill each other without regard for those who have nothing to do with the conflict. They kill out of fear, hate, or simply a lack of understanding. Yet you raise no concern over the part mortals play in their own wars. How is this any different?" She finished.

"Wars fought by mortals are against mortals. We are the Gods of Olympus. We should be better than them. We are better than them, yet we let Gaea kill them in droves while we hide away on Olympus." Ares responded. His armour let out an unearthly howl, and flames sprang to life on the ground around him as he did his best to contain his temper.

"We should take the fight to her, and if it weren't for fathers' decision, it's entirely possible that Percy Jackson would have fought alongside us." Ares added, "But now we face not only the disappearance of both my uncles, our greatest warrior turning against us but also enemies from before I was born, rising up to trouble us."

"Gaea is the least of our worries mother, this war, I'm not even sure we can win." He finished with a scowl as he looked down from their vantage point on the world below. "And it's not just against our enemies, we are divided… in more ways than one."

"That is why you need to show solidarity with Olympus, Ares. And concerning that, Hestia is waiting for everyone in the throne room, so we decided to call another meeting of the council." Hera added.

Ares couldn't help but laugh, a short and harsh one as he turned around to look at Hera. "What council? Lord Poseidon and Hades are nowhere to be found, Apollo is missing and Dionysus is still recovering from what Perseus did to him, and likely will be stuck like that possibly for weeks." Ares snapped back. "What would be the point of calling a meeting? We know what we need to do. Instead of this political bickering, we should be focused on the demigods right now. They need us, mother." Ares replied as he looked down on the world below them.

"The meeting is to plan how we will fight, the demigods can't hope to defeat Gaea or the Tartarii alone when they come after us. So we must find a way to do so with them. As for the demigods, they will survive a while longer without our aid, and be stronger for it. They are resourceful, always managing to survive, no matter the circumstances. They need combat experience, and they need to experience loss. It's more important than ever that the demigods are combat ready. This coming war will not be kind to the weak." She added as she looked down onto the ruins of the world below them briefly.

"They aren't weak, mother. Continue to underestimate them and I fear we will face more threats than just Gaea and these Tartarii's," Ares added in a serious tone as he looked up towards the top of Olympus, and the ruined council room.

"Ares, enough of this, the meeting should begin any moment now." Hera said in a commanding voice as Ares turned around to look at her. "We can attend to the matters with the demigods once this has been dealt with. We need to decide what we are going to do going forward."

"Eighteen of my children died in one single day, Roman and Greek combined. Yet, all you and Hestia care about is having another pointless meeting! I can understand Artemis as she has no children, but Athena herself has children who died in the camp. We should be seeing to their funeral pyres and honoring the fallen as the heroes they are." Ares said as he turned around, his red aura flickering to life around him.

"Instead we take part in this disgraceful charade at leadership," he snarled as he looked at Hera. "I'll have none of it, not while we continue this lie"

"It's no charade Ares, we are the Gods of Olympus. We need to decide how we are going to lead them in this war," Hera added as she looked at Ares briefly before she turned around and started walking back towards the entrance of the garden.

"A word of caution Ares. You sit on the Olympian council because you are a child of myself and Zeus, perhaps it would be wise to consider that before you make a rash decision which you may regret." She called out over her shoulder as she reached the edge of the garden and vanished in a flash of golden light. "Your family comes first, Ares. The demigods at the end of the day, are replaceable," and those were the last words he heard from her, echoing about in his head as he stared at the spot she had vanished from.

Ares stood still for a moment, before he snapped. Unsheathing his sword and slicing the ornate fountain statue beside him in half before kicking part of it clean off of Olympus. Watching it tumble through the air down towards Earth.

He stood still for a few more seconds watching the pillars of smoke in the distance rise, and tried his best to calm down.

He could feel the seething mass of anger and hate boiling away on the surface so far below. He was the God of War, and the powers that came alongside his title bore a heavy cost. He could feel the bloodlust amongst the humans, demigods and immortals alike, they were confused and angry. Already he could feel the subtle changes in his domain, ones he had felt before. Like a charge in the air, or a bloodhound, Ares could sense the incoming bloodshed.

What had happened at the camps below and even the slaughter of the humans was just the beginning. Ares had little doubt of that, However, he didn't have long to think on the subject before he was disturbed again. He sensed the presence of another Olympian, they simply appeared suddenly.

Which meant it was Hermes. Only the God of Thievery could be so stealthy as to mask their aura from another God so completely, and at such a close distance. Ares sighed, closing his eyes and bending down to pick up his helmet, he wasn't really in the mood for Hermes at the moment, he wasn't really in the mood to talk to any of the Olympians if he was honest with himself.

"These are dark times indeed Ares. It's not often I see you question Hera, and even rarer that you appear to be the voice of reason before a conflict." Hermes called out light heartedly as he seemed to appear from thin air. Walking across the garden to stand beside Ares, looking out over the ruined landscape far below them.

"What do you want Hermes, I am not in the mood for your games today." Ares growled.

Hermes visibly seemed to wince before he sighed, "I meant no offence Ares, it's an honest truth. You and your mother rarely disagree on anything."

"This is different." Ares replied quickly, sheathing his sword once more. "This isn't something we can ignore Hermes…It's wrong, everything about this is wrong." Ares finished darkly as he turned to look at Hermes.

"Hera will march them to their deaths, she has little love for demigods I know, but they are not all Zeus's bastards, they are our children! How many of them have to die before something other than posturing is done? Gaea for all her promises of truce, attacked the Olympian council in their own throne room, and because of my idiocy I wasn't there." Ares added in frustration, the stone bannister shattering under the strength of his grip.

"You were never one to have qualms like this before Ares? Why now?" Hermes asked, leaning backwards and brushing dust off his chiton as he sighed. "As for Gaea, that was a show of force, she could have crushed us but instead she toyed with us, just to show that she could."

"Not that I was there to see it, we acted like fools Hermes, beaten by a demigod… No, beaten by an Ardwyr who may not even fully realize his own strength yet. He is backed by Gods that scared Hades, which says something. And what's worse, is he's quite possibly one of the most skilled demigods to ever have fought for Olympus, and that was before he started using magic…." Ares added almost offhandedly.

Hermes just stared off into the distance, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Does it not bother you, Hermes, the secrets? The lies? Our father erased an entire people from the history books. All the elder Olympians knew and none of them spoke a word about it." Ares finished

"Oh trust me Ares, you haven't begun to learn the half of it. Remember that daughter Hestia talked about? She's very much alive, and very angry. Hestia brought her to the council room alongside Poseidon and Hades. Once Zeus's treachery had been revealed it didn't take long for Poseidon and Hades to attack him, It wasn't pretty. It's been a long time since I've seen Poseidon that angry, and Hades barely kept him from killing Zeus right in the throne room." Hermes said quickly.

Ares looked at Hermes in shock, after all it had been mentioned but he had yet to see this daughter of Hestia.

"Before you ask, I don't know much about her. I tried to stop the infighting between our uncles. It didn't end well. The second Hephaestus and I tried to stop what was happening, she attacked us, Hestia barely kept her under control, and honestly she would have gone farther than just attacking us if Hestia hadn't been there." Hermes added with a wince.

Ares chuckled, but then looked back at Hermes… "She beat you?"

"Handedly, whatever power it is that she uses, it's not magic. I couldn't sense anything. Hard to protect yourself against something you can't sense. Whatever the Will of Fire is, Hestia and the others have some explaining to do." Hermes said in a frustrated tone of voice. "Our father made some interesting enemies, an entire race of magicians and their patrons, Hestia's secret daughter, and now Percy Jackson." Hermes finished as he pulled out a small dagger and began to toy with it in his hands, spinning the blade over and over as he looked at Ares.

Ares' mood darkened immediately at the mention of Percy, "Instead of fighting alongside someone like that, it's very likely we need to fight against him on the battlefield, he won't forgive what Zeus did to his mother, or what we tried to do to him." Ares added darkly.

"Are you sure? There has to be a way. He was always willing to put aside his pride to work alongside Olympus. I understand his anger with Zeus, it is not misplaced. But perhaps his father could get through to him?" Hermes asked in a quiet voice.

"Do you truly believe that Poseidon could get through to him? Perseus may even suspect his involvement. After everything that has happened, how will we reconcile our family and him? Artemis wants his head on a pike and Zeus is likely thinking the same thing. So no, I don't think Lord Poseidon will fix this for us. You heard what his demands are; Zeus needs to die for Poseidon to stand with us."

"You don't think he was serious, abandoning Olympus at a time like this?" Hermes asked quickly.

"We may have overstepped. Hestia and Hades preached caution and we should have listened. I should have known better, but I convinced the younger Olympians, I wanted to fight an Ardwyr so badly." Ares added as he grit his teeth in frustration. "I was interested, even before I knew it was him"

"What do you mean?" Hermes added with a laugh, "Something other than women, wine and war actually captured your interest?"

Ares responded by grabbing Hermes by the front of his chiton and dragging the God in close, trying his best not to throttle him. "Imagine for a moment that you were created to fight wars. It was all you were good at, all you were ever made to be good at." Ares said slowly, trying his best to ignore the anger he felt.

"Every warrior I've faced, or battle I've fought has ended in my victory. Athena is the only true combatant who can face me and even then, she couldn't beat me and I couldn't beat her." Ares added despondently. "She is perhaps my equal, but she isn't my better, and that makes all the difference in the world," he finished by releasing his grip on Hermes and shoving him backwards.

"So when the sudden emergence of some new powerful foe arose, for the first time in thousands of years, would you not be interested? Would you not risk something just to see if the rumours were true? I regret my actions. I shouldn't have convinced Artemis and Athena to attack him. But neither did I ask for the domains I was gifted with, they are a part of me, and it is not something I can change." Ares added with a snort as he looked at the messenger God.

"What use is a blade to a warrior who doesn't have a foe to fight? What use is a God of War without wars in which to fight and warriors to do battle. When the opportunity arose for me to fight someone that is potentially my equal, if not more, I threw caution to the wind and didn't think about the consequences." Ares replied in a flat tone.

"I…never thought about it like that," Hermes added.

"You all have your roles to play, so forgive me if, 'women, wine and war,' are my only interests, it's not as if I had much choice in the matter." Ares snapped back before he turned back to look towards the fires in the distance.

"My apologies, I didn't know." Hermes replied quietly as Ares was lost in thought.

For a few moments it was quiet, save for the sound of the wind whistling through the ruins of Olympus.

"Who else have you told?" Hermes asked, finally breaking the silence.

"You'll have to be more specific Hermes. After all I'm not the smart one." Ares added with a low chuckle as he cast his gaze towards the other Olympian before he sighed, "Truth be told Hermes, I think this is the longest and most in depth conversation I've had with any Olympian, you know what they think of me. The Rabid dog, the murderer. I don't often converse like this."

Hermes just chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair as he looked away from the God of War.

"I was always jealous of the relationship Poseidon had with him. I wish sometimes that I had kept as close to my children as he did to some of his, Percy in particular." Hermes added with a slight shrug, "I was more scared of Zeus than I was of losing Luke, and I'll regret that till I die, maybe if I had done more for my children, I would still be able to see him," Hermes added quietly.

Ares looked at Hermes quizzically, a mocking retort ready on his lips but Hermes cut him off.

"Secrets should be traded Ares, not given away. If you trust me enough for me to know yours then I trust you enough to know one of mine." Hermes added with a grin before his face grew serious.

"Why did you let him go when you fought him Ares?" Hermes asked in a no nonsense tone of voice. "Percy, I mean."

"Honor. He has it, and I've sadly come to realize our father does not. The demigods got so close I almost cut one of them down, the only reason they are alive is that Perseus took a blow he could have avoided." Ares replied, his gaze never leaving the horizon. "I kill because I embody war, not because I condone the deaths of innocents." Ares said as he paused.

"The boy took a blade to the gut, to save MY daughter, an innocent in the conflict. She doesn't even know why he was fighting us, let alone who he is. But he stopped me from killing her, that's how lost to my own bloodlust I was. I can't repay that debt, I may be a killer, I may condone slaughter and bloodshed. But I care for my children like any other parent." Ares added in a bitter voice.

"I couldn't stand by and let that be in vain, I couldn't bring myself to strike down someone who so righteously protected one of our own, against us of all things." Ares finished as he just lost all desire to continue speaking. The fact that his own daughter would have been slain by his own blade directly was something he didn't want to consider.

He had killed thousands in his tenure as the God of War, if not millions. But he had never struck down one of his own children.

"You did the right thing Ares. I stood by and left demigods to their fate. I did what Zeus demanded of me and I left my own sons to their fate. I'll regret that until I fade, but no more. We owe it to our children if not Percy himself. I won't sit here and let everything he and my son sacrificed for nothing, and I won't let Zeus or Hera erase him from history like they did to his people." Hermes added his expression fierce.

Asbjorn 4 days 7 Hours after Eripus

Asbjorn stood beside the Sedir, the hair on his neck and arms standing on end, arcane energy crackling in the air around them as the witch chanted in old Norse.

It was deep and guttural and brought back memories of the small cabin he had shared with his mother as a child, tucked away in the hills of far northern Norway.

In the distance behind him, Asbjorn could hear Nina, Kojkran and Halsinger arguing all the while the two huskarls frantically dug at the snow covering the front of the cave entrance. He knew they were panicked, scared and tired. But that could wait, he could deal with them once he knew why in Hel the Asgardians had needed him to trek halfway across Norway and break a dozen or so different laws.

The Sedir stopped chanting once the runestone began to glow a faint blue colour, shimmering faintly in the dim light of the cave.

"What is this thing?" Asjborn asked hesitantly, as he looked up at the massive runestone. Reaching out to lay his hand on it, only for the Sedir to slap him away.

"I have no idea, I can only make out some of the runes, these glyphs and the writing … I don't know where they are from." The Sedir replied quickly through gritted teeth as the runestone glowed blue for a few moments before it faded.

"And how exactly did you know it was here?" Asbjorn asked hesitantly, this was sacred ground for the Gods, not a chance any mortal just happened to know that this cave was here, and coincidentally what lay inside the cave. Anyone who had ever set foot upon the top of the mountain risked being killed or struck down by the Gods.

So there was no logical way the Sedir could have known this was here. Which left one option.

"The Asgardians showed me." She replied calmly. Before she went to resume her chanting.

"Which Asgardian…?" Asbjorn added in a more threatening tone as he rested his hand on the haft of his axe. A motion the Sedir noticed, and as her eyes narrowed to a glare she turned around fully to face him, bringing the ritualistic chanting to a close.

Asbjorn just stood still and waited, staring the Sedir down, he wasn't about to be intimidated by anyone, let alone a little girl. Regardless of the position she held. After a minute or so the Sedir sighed. "Loki showed it to me, nothing more than this cave and that you needed to be here. '' She finished.

"And you listened to him? Why in Hel would you do that?" Asbjorn added as he groaned, Loki had always been a pain in his side, ever since he had been a child. Of course Loki held no love for his father and his father felt similarly about Loki.

As Loki had not been able to harm his father in any way, Loki had decided to take his wrath out upon Asbjorn. As the most, 'Beloved' of Aegir's demigod children he thought to himself bitterly.

"Loki has always sought to cause chaos, and if that means he lured us here in order to anger the Asgardians, you may as well have killed us yourself. You knew the Ting Meet would send a company after you!" Asbjorn added in frustration.

"And I knew they would send you. Which is why I came, Loki showed me little, but what I do know is that for us to understand this, you needed to be here," the Sedir replied in an equally frustrated voice.

"If Loki is the only Asgardian willing to communicate with me, then he's the only one I can listen to. I would gladly take the worldly advice of Odin or the battle wisdom of Thor over Loki and his manipulations. But he is all we have." The Sedir added, the anger in her voice spilling over as she practically spat the words at Asbjorn.

Asbjorn didn't appreciate the Sedir's tone of voice, but he stepped back, he knew the implications of striking one of the Sedir or disobeying the Asgardians in general.

"The Sedir's are expected to guide you, but I cannot be a guide if I am blind. If this gives us any insight at all into what the Asgardians need from us, then the sacrifices of your companions will have been worth it." She finished as she went to turn back to the runestone.

"I buried nine companions to get here, so I assure you, if this isn't worth it, you'll very quickly learn to regret your words.." Asbjorn added, doing his best to keep a straight face and not strangle the Sedir on the spot.

The Sedir visibly shivered for a second before a look of resolute determination came across her face. "Loki showed me what it is we need to do, He said it was important that you of all people see it Asbjorn," she said as she looked directly at him.

"Wonderful, see what exactly?" Asbjorn muttered out.

"Whatever it is God's desire to show us, don't act like you don't know how this works." She added with more than a little hostility. "Ignorance doesn't suit you, Vikingr."

"And you would do well to remember that you live because I'm here Sedir, be wise with your words. You yourself said the Gods demanded this meeting. My companions are cold and this cave lacks both beer and food, so my patience grows thin as does theirs. Either get on with it or I swear I will drag you back to Uppsala in irons, rules be damned." Asbjorn said calmly while he looked her dead in the eyes.

"Then let us find out what it was the Gods so desired for you to know." The Sedir finished as she walked away from the runestone and began unpacking various bowls and jars from her pack. Setting them on the ground as she began to mix various ingredients.

"Halsinger!" Asbjorn shouted quickly, not bothering to look away from the stone until he heard the familiar heavy footsteps and chink of ring mail armor.

Halsinger stood at the ready, a look of hesitation and dislike clear on his face, and Asbjorn knew why. If anyone hated the Sedir and their entire coven of witches it was Halsinger.

"Just keep an eye on us Hal, She says we need to speak with the Gods." Asbjorn added with a half shrug and an apologetic smile.

"How long?" Halsinger asked quickly, his hands clenched into fists as he looked at the cave entrance. "The Huskarls are starting to lose it, they're exhausted and hungry." He added in a quiet voice.

"The Sedir is convinced this is some sort of destiny type deal, she's not going to leave until she's certain I've seen what she is supposed to show me. I'll get it over with and I swear to you, we will be drinking by the fire in Uppsala within a few days, and be back home in Norway within the week." Asbjorn replied as he looked at his brother in all but blood.

"... Make it quick Asbjorn, That avalanche disturbed anything else hiding away in the caves of Galdhøpiggen. The mountain will be crawling with monsters within a few hours." Hal said as he turned around to look back at the other four companions. "I'll get this lot sorted as well."

"You do that Hal, and see if Kojkran has any alcohol, I'm gonna need a drink after this is over and done with." Asbjorn added with a wince, remembering the temple in Oslo and how he had received the vision of himself travelling to Niflheim to battle against frost giants who had ventured to the realm of the dead in order to unleash a magical artefact known as the Frost Fell in accordance with the prophecy calling for the end of Midgard.

His head had ached for days, but a few drinks had sorted him out rather quickly. Actual advice from one of the Saelinger Clansmen, something Asbjorn normally didn't receive.

"Can't promise much," Halsinger went to say before Asbjorn cut him off.

"He's got some, trust me." Asbjorn said loudly as he walked forwards and gently punched Hal in the chest. "Sharpen the weapons while you're at it and pack everything up. It's gonna be a quick ride down once we're out of here." Asbjorn added in a serious voice. "Get all the supplies we are taking to the entrance and ditch anything non-essential."

"So I take it you have a plan?" Halsinger asked quickly.

"Oh it's a plan alright, maybe not a great one. But it'll get us out of this cave and down the mountain safe enough." Asbjorn added with a grin as he started walking towards the Sedir, who appeared to have finished her work combining ingredients in a small bowl. Which now resembled a black tar like substance.

The woman was also filling a heated iron pan with Herbs and barks of various kinds, and Asbjorn could see the steady billow of smoke rising from the pan. Which meant it was about time.

"So glad it's you and not me doing this, Asbjorn." Halsinger said with a grin as he looked at the black paste and the smoke before turning away and walking back towards the rest of their companions, talking to them animatedly and pointing back at Asbjorn a few times before he turned and sat down, locking his eyes onto the figure of the Sedir and nodding once in Asbjorn's direction.

Asbjorn sighed as he looked back before he too turned around and walked over to the Sedir, drooping to the ground opposite her as he sat cross legged on the cold stone floor. "Let's get this over with," he added with a grimace as he looked at the foul looking concoction she handed him, slopping about in the wooden bowl.

He stared at it in disgust for a moment before he opened his mouth, tilted his head back and downed the whole bowl in one gulp. Trying not to gag on the acrid burnt taste the mixture had, or its slightly lumpy texture.

It took a few seconds, but slowly Asbjorn could feel his senses dulling, all the while the Sedir took up her chant again, this time accompanied by the strange swirling purple smoke from the iron pan. Smelling heavily of cedar and the fresh green scents of spring.

Asbjorn breathed in the fumes heavily, knowing the smoke would only hasten the effects of the other drugs in his system. The Vikingr had a long history with hallucinogens and the use of them were widespread in their rituals.

That didn't mean anyone truly enjoyed using them, save for the few insane Berserkers that loved to abuse the concoction, for those who abused it. It could grant incredible bouts of strength and vigour, but it also brought with it a madness, which is why so many avoided it. See in small doses for most it simply brought them closer to the spirits and energy around them.

Allowing them to enter an almost dreamlike trance while still being awake. And it is within this trance that the gods often imparted wisdom in the form of visions. Asbjorn knew this for a fact as it wasn't the first time the Gods had wanted to show him something, and he doubted it would be the last.

He closed his eyes, and continued to breathe in the smoke deeply, all the while listening to the chanting of the Sedir slowly fading away. Leaving nothing but darkness, and the sweet smell of the smoke, thick in his nostrils.

It was slow, but eventually a new sound reached his ears, he could feel wind on his face and smell salt in the air. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a view of the ocean, and to either side of him, cliffs plunged downwards into a churning surf.

In one hand he gripped the hilt of a large heavy sword, its blade covered in blood and its tip sunk into the ground at his feet. The pommel was shaped like a snarling wolf's head, with smaller runes engraved in the large pommel which glowed with a strange silvery light. In his other hand he gripped an old wooden horn, covered with two bands of silver and marked with runes.

Compared to the sword which looked magical, the horn might have very well been a mundane piece. Asbjorn knew different, he wasn't sure why but he knew this was no ordinary horn. But no use in fighting the visions, they would just get more painful and confusing the longer this took. So he did his best to let go, allow the vision to take hold fully so to speak, and just follow where it leads.

He took a breath in and looked upwards, seeing the sky was filled with thousands of stars, shining against the darkness. Then he lifted the Horn to his lips and blew a deep brassy note that rang out, seeming to reverberate across the stars.

Then the water out at the sea began to boil and froth, and something was rising from the depths.

But as Asbjorn looked down, the vision changed. He stumbled to the side, still clutching his sword, and the horn. But now struggling to find his balance as the wooden boards under his feet tilted at an absurd angle, the roar of the sea and the crash of thunder drowning out everything else.

A flash of lightning illuminated the darkness as he saw the massive dragon head prow of the long ship he was in reach for the skies, then the ship came crashing back down on the other side of the wave, sending a spray of saltwater in all directions as Vikingir all around him, pumped the oars in tune with the beat of a massive drum.

Asbjorn looked ahead, as another flash of lightning illuminated a massive island ahead, almost completely shrouded in fog save for the beach and peaks of a mountain range somewhere inland. Yet before he could get a clear glimpse, the vision shifted once more.

It was snowing fiercely, the wind howling all around him. He was running, racing ahead of his companions who were calling for him to wait. The sound of two savage beasts doing battle rang out through the air. The sound of flesh ripping, and growls louder than thunder.

It was only when he crested at the top of the hill ahead of him, that he saw a glimpse of the battle. A massive wolf, the chain around its neck broken and at his feet lay a mangled body, already freezing in the frigid weather.

He knew the wolf, which could only mean one thing as he looked down at the mangled body, noticing the faint glimmer of a golden spear laying on the ground nearby.

The wolf looked at him, its eyes cold and cunning as it tilted its head back and howled, the sound so loud it drove Asbjorn to his knees, clutching his ears in pain as he looked on in horror. The power behind his howl was so immense, that the snowstorm was blasted apart, revealing the full moon hanging low in the sky.

Then as the howl grew louder and louder, it cracked, And Asbjorn watched as the moon scattered across the sky. Sending chunks of flaming rocks streaking across the heavens.

But Asbjorn was already moving, running towards the golden spear, and by the thudding booms, the wolf was rushing towards him.

His fingers were inches from the spear, but he could feel the beast's breath on his face as he let loose a valiant war cry.

Then it was gone.

Everything was quiet, and Asbjorn stood in a small meadow between a larger set of hills dotted with strange trees, nothing like ancient towering trees of the northern forests. The air was warm, and the scent of the sea was powerful, the winds carrying the song of birds and the crashing surf.. He stood slowly, looking around him and taking in the scenery.

That was when he noticed the man dressed in fine robes sitting on a rock between two trees, watching him. The man wore an elegant black and green robe, trimmed with Asgardian gold. He was handsome, with striking green eyes and raven black hair, but Asbjorn knew looks could be deceiving.

Even more so when you were referring to the god of tricksters himself; Loki.

"Why?" Loki asked, his voice coming through distorted like he was underwater.

"You called me here Loki, '' Asbjorn added as he gave an incline to his head. "As always I am loyal to Asgard, but I don't understand what it is that you and the Norns have shown me." Dropping to one knee as he did his best not to look at Loki.

"You are no fool, you know what it is you saw." Loki added, his form flickering for a moment as a look of irritation flashed across his face.

"It's not possible…" Asbjorn said, his hands shaking as he thought back to the hellish trip across Niflheim. "We stopped it! That was what we sacrificed everything for!" Asbjorn said as calmly as he could, while the vision around him rippled.

Loki laughed, harsh and angry as he looked at Asbjorn, "You're a fool if you thought that Ragnarok could be stopped by the two of you and the death of some girl. It has always been destined to happen, and it draws closer and closer as we speak." Loki finished, flashing a grin his way.

Asbjorn didn't say anything, he knew Asgardians well enough to know they preferred the sound of their own voice to that of any other living being, Vikingr or not. Regardless of the fame or renown they had acquired, in the eyes of the Gods all were insignificant. But he could barely control the rage he felt as Loki mocked one of the greatest heroines he had ever known.

Loki waited a moment for him to speak, before some of the anger left his face and he nodded. "Some of the Gods believe now is the time to hide away in Asgard and prepare for the worst. However there are other options." Loki added with a smirk.

"A way to push it off again, like we did with the Frost fell?" Asbjorn asked.

"Possibly, and perhaps more" Loki replied. "But Odin as well as some of the other Asgardians believe this too be a 'risky endeavor'. I disagree."

"So what do you want from me Loki?" Asbjorn replied quickly with mounting frustration. If everything the trickster said was true, then his friends were in grave danger but unfortunately, Loki wasn't the trickster god for nothing, and everything that came out of his mouth needed to be evaluated.

"I didn't come here to ask anything of you, merely to offer an opportunity." Loki said with a smile as he stood up and walked closer to Asbjorn. "Heimdall gave something to a descendant of his long ago, something that was never supposed to have left Asgard." Loki finished with a smirk.

Asbjorn looked at him for a moment quizzically, trying to understand what the god was getting at. Then remembering the horn he had seen in his dream. Like a light switch being flicked it all made sense, the Horn of Heimdall, a sacred Relic and important according to prophecy concerning the end of days.

"It was given to the sons of Lothbrok generations ago, and it remained in England after the last Vikingr was driven from those distant shores. The few surviving faithful, knowing the Horn was needed for the end of days and knowing they would never see it returned to Norway, hid it away."

Asbjorn looked at Loki in shock "Why is Heimdall's Horn in England!? If Ragnarok is upon us, he needs it!" Asbjorn all but shouted as he looked at Loki.

"Yes he will indeed, but think of it now son of Aegir. If you were to return with the Horn, and present it to Odin and Heimdall, what glory would that bring you? Surely enough for you to walk the halls of Valhalla alongside your ancestors?" Loki finished with a sly smile.

Asbjorn thought for a moment, Loki wasn't wrong. If he brought the lost horn back in time for the Gods to use it, it might turn the tide of the final battle. But they were destined to lose that final battle, and the vision of Fenrir had been enough to tell him exactly that.

It only took one look at Loki's face for Asbjorn to know that there was more to the Trickster God's plan than just fetching the horn. "What else do you want, just getting this horn is far too simple." he added, crossing his arms and looking at the god impatiently.

Loki smirked, "Ever the intelligent child your father describes you to be. You are correct, No matter if we blow the horn or not, the Norn's have decreed that we lose. The warriors of Valhalla and all the Valkyries combined will not stop fate, it won't stop my son Fenrir from devouring Odin and casting the world into darkness and death."

"The end of Asgard…" Asbjorn added solemnly, thinking back to the mauled body at the feet of the wolf.

"The end of everything. But there is another way, but it is perhaps, a path only a mortal can take" Loki added with a grin. "If you play your cards right, you may find what we need to survive this war. But it will be done without the aid of Odin, or your father. In fact most of the Asgardians save for Thor, Heimdall and I believe Midgard and her people to be a lost cause."

While Asbjorn had suspected that to be the case the moment the Sedir had claimed they lost contact with the Asgardians, hearing that his father and most of the Gods had given up on Midgard and their children stung more than he wanted to admit.

"Why tell me all of this Loki?" Asbjorn asked, his suspicion growing by the minute as the god looked at him and grinned. "Odin could have you cast out for this treason."

"The end times are upon us, and regardless of what you think of me, I don't desire the destruction of everything. So I'm choosing my side in this war." Loki added with determination. "Go to England and find Halsinger's Horn. Earn your place amongst the Heroes of Valhalla''

"And how exactly do you expect me to do that?" Asbjorn asked, "England is an ocean away and no Vikingr is to set foot there on pain of death, a law put in place by the Asgardians in case you don't remember.."

Loki grinned, "You don't exactly have the best reputation for following the rules, do you son of Aegir? You have yet to fail the Gods, and so you were clearly the best choice for a dangerous mission such as this" Loki added with a grin.

Asbjorn couldn't help but grimace at the mention of his past, but he had other more important concerns before Loki inevitably decided he had given Asbjorn enough of his time. "I can't just set sail for England, I would need troops, ships, and a guide! This isn't a simple request you make Loki."

"This isn't a simple problem you are solving, there are forces beyond your reckoning at work here." Loki replied with candor.

"Loki, I'm not your lapdog, I've already buried enough companions just getting here. Why here of all places, why did I have to follow the Sedir halfway across Norway just to speak with you?" Asbjorn finished with a bit of iron in his voice as he narrowed his gaze and looked at the god.

Loki's features immediately twisted into a sneer as he looked at Asbjorn, if only for a moment before he controlled himself. "The history of Asgard is longer than you might think, boy. But this place is older than you would know." Loki said with a sigh, standing up to walk towards Asbjorn.

"This world is full of old magic, and that stone or should I say seal, well it's a magic of sorts and it's certainly old." Loki added, flashing a grin again before he crouched down and looked Asbjorn level in the eye. "Long ago there was a war, the details aren't important, but in order to put an end to it a great truce was forged."

"That's how wars end, what's so special about this rock and this truce Loki…?" Asbjorn added with suspicion in his voice.

"It's a war that paints all of us in a terrible light, and it hides an ancient secret my young Vikingr. One that perhaps, has stayed hidden and forgotten for too long. As we speak the magic that binds these seals weakens. I believe it is time to break these seals and be done with the farce, but due to the cunning magic woven, we gods can do no such thing." Loki finished with a wistful grin.

"Let me guess, instead of you. I have to go fix this?" Asbjorn added in a dead tone of voice.

"Astute as ever, if only every one of Thor's children was half as bright as you are." Loki added mockingly.

"So to clarify, I'm sailing across the forbidden sea, to a land where the Gods don't tread. Once there I need to find an ancient relic of our people, all based on a vision which is hazy at best. Even if I could do this, how do I break these seals?"

"Well that's quite simple Asbjorn. I don't know. I didn't make them" Loki replied matter of factly.

Asbjorn just laughed helplessly, "So that's all, figure out how to destroy some ancient Rune stones you didn't even make." Asbjorn said as he stood up, his gaze never once leaving Loki.

"You saw more in your vision than just Ragnarok, I know you did so trust in that. The Norn's have taken an interest in you, and if anyone can do this it will be you." Loki added as the vision around the began to flicker almost.

Asbjorn just glared at the God as the scenery around them wavered and Loki vanished from sight, dissolving into mist as his voice echoed out around him.

"You are resourceful Asbjorn, and I'm sure my daughter can assist you." Loki chuckled as the God faded away to nothingness. "After all she brought you here to the runestone just as I asked of her" Loki called out before everything faded to white.

Leaving Asbjorn standing there alone, surrounded by swirling white clouds cursing himself inwardly for not recognizing the Sedir for what she was. He wasn't even sure how long he was in there, time was hard to tell when you walked in the waking dream.

What was worse was waking up, it was a slow process, almost like he was having double vision. On one side he saw the Sedir and Halsinger as well as his other companions looking at him in concern. Yet he still wasn't fully awake, and the swirling clouds of white mist continued to wind their way around him.

He struggled, focusing on Halsinger, anything but the mind numbing embrace of the Sedir's concoction, and what was worse was yet to come.

He knew from experience.

It took him a few moments, but eventually the double vision faded and his senses returned, only for the most foul taste imaginable to appear in his mouth as he retched instantly.

The Sedir's concoction felt like tar inside his mouth as he gagged and almost immediately vomited, his entire body shaking as it tried to expel all of the mixture. Sending a stream of black liquid out of his mouth onto the floor while he knelt there and groaned.

His senses went wild as he struggled, caught somewhere between reality and the vision from the Gods. His throat burned like fire as he wiped the spit and bile from his mouth. He could feel the effects of the drug wearing off, like he was slowly emerging from underwater.

His senses returned one by one as the icy cold air of the cave seemed to rejuvenate him, he felt energized and after a short while his blurry vision returned to normal. By the time it was over his whole body was trembling and soaked with sweat as he forced himself to his feet.

He took in great gulps of air as his body demanded clean air from all the smoke he had inhaled. Forcing himself to his feet as he stumbled backwards into a wall, just managing to keep himself upright as the whole room tilted dangerously. Leaving him thoroughly nauseated, It was only when someone pressed a flask into his hand did he dare open his mouth, and even then it was only to drink from it.

He regretted it almost instantly as the fiery burn of the alcohol made him gag, mixing with the oily taste of the concoction of his tongue. All around him, the air began to crackle with frost as he struggled to focus, and it was only when he had taken several more gulps from the flask and washed the foul taste from his mouth that he was finally able to relax.

He immediately waved off his companions, their voices dull and distant to him as he focused on breathing in the cold air.

He could faintly hear Halsinger shouting and Nina raising her voice as well, but it was taking all the control Asbjorn had to stay seated. He felt like someone had removed his insides.

Ragnarok.

The actual Ragnarok, and he was expected to play a not so small part in it. Just the thought alone terrified and excited him, this was his chance. Call it destiny, luck or hard work, but he had been given a chance to earn a place in Valhalla.

All he had to do was cross a monster filled ocean, to a land forbidden by the Gods and find a long lost artifact, the Horn of Heimdall itself.

He knew that any sane person would have turned down what was certainly a suicide mission, but Asbjorn didn't fear death. He feared a life where he accomplished nothing of note.

So he wasn't sure when it was that he snapped back to reality, but Nina and Halsinger had stopped arguing, and the group were instead sitting around the brazier in the center of the room. Save for the Sedir who was seated next to him, patiently rolling a series of rune stones on the ground and recording the results.

He wasn't sure if it was the change in his breathing or posture, but he barely had time to take a breath in, before she began to ask questions. "What did my father show you?"

"Well… you get right to the point." Asbjorn added as he stretched slightly and stood up from where he had been sitting. "He issued a Quest, did he tell you what the runestone was?"

The Sedir looked at him and grinned before letting out a short laugh, "You've likely spent more time talking to him than I have, he desired my mother. Not me."

"Then why not speak to me directly?" Asbjorn asked as he looked down on the still seated girl.

"Because he clearly wanted you to see this place, and before you ask, No he didn't tell me what this place was. What he did tell me was that Asbjorn Vargrsson, the famous Son of Aegir, the Hero of Norway who had garnered the interest of the Norn's themselves." she added as she looked at him intently.

In one quick movement the Sedir stood up, matching his glare with one of her own, her bright green eyes locked onto him. "I don't desire to rot away in some cave outside Uppsala forever. If you have drawn the interest of the Norn's themselves then it is my duty as the Sedir to accompany you."

Asbjorn looked at her before he grinned and let out a short laugh. "If you had any idea where we are going, and what it is your father wants me to do, you'd take that back and beg me to take you back to that little cave outside Uppsala." Asbjorn finished as he watched the look of anger flash across the Sedir's face.

The girl pulled a knife from a sheathe on her waist, swinging it upwards in the blink of an eye as Asbjorn caught her wrist with one hand, barley stopping the dagger from cutting his cheek, only for her other hand to pull a second shorter knife from within her robe and swing that towards his side.

He caught her second wrist just as the blade touched his side, and he heard the shouts coming from Halsinger and the others who had clearly seen the attack.

The Sedir grinned and dropped the knives, Asbjorn watched her from a moment before he released his grip on her wrists and stepped backwards. "Maybe you aren't as soft as I thought you were." he added, "you might have actually got me there"

"Only trying to prove a point, I'm capable and a Sedir, I can see things which you cannot. I know things which you cannot. You need companions, you said you buried too many on the way here, so take me with you." she added almost desperately.

Halsinger and the others rushed up behind him, Hal already holding his hammer at the ready as he glared at the Sedir, who to her credit stood her ground.

"Leave it. I asked her to prove herself, she did. Forget about it." Asbjorn added as he looked at the Sedir calmly. Before he turned around to look at his remaining companions. He took a slight breath in and let his voice boom out around the cavern.

"I led you here to find the Sedir, and I promised I would see you all safely home." Asbjorn added as he looked at them. "I have already failed enough of our company, I don't want to see the rest of you join them." he finished as he paused for a moment, taking another breath as he watched all of them.

"The gods have issued a quest." Asbjorn said loudly and clearly.

Watching the looks of dismay across the faces of his companions. "The Gods spoke of many things. But most importantly the end of days, the Great Ragnarok, is upon us. This quest may be a chance to stop it, it will be dangerous, nearly impossible to complete and even if we do there is no guarantee the plan will work." Asbjorn said as he scanned the room.

"You have all done your duty faithfully. For now we will continue with the plan and return to Trondeheim. Once we contact the outpost there, we can requisition supplies and figure out our next step, but I will be following the Gods quest, with or without you." he finished as he turned around, walking towards the runestone. "Be ready within the hour. Once I've rested, we leave."

A short while later

Asbjorn was at home in the cold.

He had known it his entire life, having been born in Oslo, Norway. And at a young age his mother had moved them farther north, claiming it was to bring Asbjorn closer to his roots.

What she had meant was that she needed to keep Asbjorn away from the various Clans, as right around his birth the clans had been thrown into chaos. Murder, wars and prophecies had plagued the years following.

So instead of the life of a city boy, Asbjorn grew up in the far northern countryside of Norway, far from the ancestral halls of his mother's people. So even sitting here in this cave, with its subzero temperatures. The cold didn't bother him in the slightest, not that he had to suffer it in any way. He could tap into his fathers powers whenever he wanted, and then he could have lounged around in his underwear.

But his companions did not have the same option, so if they had to suffer sitting in the cold, Asbjorn would as well.

So he sat there, cross legged in the middle of the cave, running a whetstone across the blade of his axe with practised precision. Taking pleasure in the simplicity of the task, and the freedom it gave his mind.

Asbjorn knew that being trapped in a cave after an avalanche was no laughing matter, and the morale of the few remaining companions he had with him would likely break if their leader showed any sign of doubt. So he would get them out of this cave no matter what it took.

However that still left the problem of the Jarls and their prickly sense of pride he would have to deal with. None of them would enjoy the fact that he had returned from yet another suicide mission in success. And more would call for his head when he didn't bring the Sedir back to Uppsala.

His glory was beginning to outshine theirs and he knew the Jarls feared what might happen if Asbjorn suddenly desired to take a more assertive role in the leadership of the Vikingr, his birth certainly gave a reasonable claim. Asbjorn knew of these rumor's. But he paid them little mind.

Small men were concerned with the governing of land and other men. Asbjorn only desired one thing, a place of glory in Valhalla.

"A sip for your thoughts." came the deep voice of Halsinger as a flask landed in his lap and Halsinger crashed to the cold floor beside him. Sounding like an avalanche of metal as his Chainmail hauberk shifted. Bringing with it the smell of blood and rust.

"That's not how that saying goes," Asbjorn said with a ghost of a grin on his lips as he set aside the axe and his fingers quickly undid the cap, he took a quick sniff, and was instantly rewarded with the harsh smell of vodka.

Immediately his grin widened as he gave Halsinger a gentle shove and took a quick swig from the flask.

"Sue me, I'm drunk…. Seeing as it's the end of the world and all. By the way, you were right, Kojkran had two wineskins in his travel pack and this flask. Now what's on your mind?" Halsinger said casually as he leaned back on his arms, cracking his neck on either side as he did so. "Any idea on what we do when we get out? You said before you had a plan"

Asbjorn took another sip, enjoying the pleasant burn down his throat and the way the vodka spread a faint warmth through his chest and stomach.

"Well the way I see it, we have two options." Asbjorn started as he pointed towards the snow covered exit. "Option one is we get out and head back to Uppsala immediately. Call the Ting Meet and summon the Jarls." Asjborn said as Halsinger nodded slowly.

"And you don't want to do that one." Halsinger added in a deadpan voice.

"And what makes you say that?" Asjborn asked in a fake hurt tone of voice.

"I know you, you always go with option two. Fine, let's hear it." Halsinger added with a sigh as he snatched the flask back from Asbjorn and took a long drink.

"Option two is glory, Halsinger, we know that there's a threat and we know why, but who remains a mystery. So our mission isn't really done is it, and clearly the Gods want me to move onwards eh?" Asbjorn asked with a grin.

However Halsinger looked at him with a frown, "How on earth are we going to find out who caused an earthquake? And then somehow tie that into the monsters roaming the countryside?" Halsinger asked curiously. "You said yourself Ragnarok is upon us."

"The Gods showed me where we need to go." Asbjorn added half heartedly as he tried to gauge Halsinger's Response.

"And where might that be oh fearless brother of mine" Halsinger replied in irritation, taking another long swig from the flask.

"England," Asbjorn said seriously as he stopped sharpening his axe and looked directly at Halsinger.

Halsinger choked on his drink, his eyes went wide in shock as he all but froze looking at Asbjorn. "... The isles have been off limits for centuries.. Why in Hel would we travel there? That's just as bad if not worse than going up Galdhøpiggen''

"The Asgardians want me in England. The vision was strange, and not all of it made sense, but clearly that's where my path leads." Asbjorn added with a sigh as he leaned back, resting his hands on the cold floor beneath him. "They also wanted me to come here and find the Sedir. So we can add a few more friends who died to pave the path to the veritable field of corpses we've left behind us." Asbjorn paused for a moment, his gaze locked onto the runestone across the room. It took a few moments before he snapped back to reality, drawn in by the sound of Halsingers voice.

"Asbjorn? Are you okay?" Halsinger asked cautiously, his face set in stone, emotionless. But Asbjorn knew it was Hal's way of grieving. Neither of them had wanted to bring anyone with them when they went in search of the Sedir. That had been clan politics, and glory seeking from those in charge.

They had wanted to bury their lifeless bodies in cairns and shallow graves across the northern mountains of Norway even less. But knowing that this whole thing had been some sort of plan on the asgardians part added salt to the wound.

"I desire to see Valhalla more than anyone Hal, yet even I'm getting tired of being their little errand boy." Asbjorn added, trying to keep his voice neutral. "The death toll keeps climbing, and I have to wonder if Valhalla will be worth the price we have paid."

Halsinger just looked at him and nodded.

Asbjorn knew that they both thought the same thing of the Gods, but their Gods were cruel and powerful. They were respected and feared for good reason, the scars on his back were proof of it.

A gift, from father to son.

However, Asbjorn knew that in the end both he and Hal would find no peace, not until they could stand tall amongst the heroes of old in Valhalla. They had nothing else left in the mortal world but their common goal. Everything else had been taken from them and Asbjorn would be damned if this slipped through his fingers as well.

"So is this what you want? To set sail for England?" Halsinger asked quietly. To which Asbjorn paused for a moment, then nodded once.

"Then you know what my answer is, I'll follow you anywhere." Halsinger said as he stood up from the floor in a smooth motion, even at his size Halsinger was graceful to say the least.

Asbjorn grinned, mentally berating himself for ever having a moment of doubt. For thinking that Hal would let him make this journey alone. He looked up to see Halsinger holding out his hand, and in a quick movement Asbjorn reached and grabbed on, while Halsinger hauled him to his feet like he weighed nothing.

"So oh great and fearless leader, have you figured out how we get out of the cave yet?" Halsinger said as he turned to look at the still blocked cave entrance.

Asbjorn just grinned and walked towards the door, his mind already focusing on snow howling outside the entrance.

He could hear Halsinger shouting at them all to get up but Asbjorn wasn't really paying attention. Halsinger knew to follow his lead. All Asbjorn had to do was get the blockage in the door clear and get them down the mountain safely.

That meant he had to move nearly a ton of snow and ice, and for a brief moment he was grateful to be a son of Aegir. He stretched out with his senses, feeling the snow and ice all around them.

His father was the personification of the winter sea, and while he had less control over the water than some of his father's godly children, snow and ice and the northern wind were his playthings. His father's mastery of the northern tempests and the subzero temperatures were the gifts he had passed to Asbjorn.

He lifted his hand almost lazily and concentrated on the blockage, until he was confident in how much force would be needed.

Then he pushed outwards with his powers.

With a roar like a cannon the snow and ice blocking the doorway exploded outwards, sending debris raining down the mountain side. The sound of crashing and the thunder of several smaller avalanches starting further down the mountain filled the air.

Alongside them came the death cries and screams of dozens of monsters, and the roars of anger from dozens more. Giants, Dire bears, Draugr and Rock Trolls.

He could sense them charging up the cliff, more than enough to overwhelm them as they tried to get out the door.

They wouldn't lay so much as a finger on his companions, Asbjorn thought darkly as his hands snapped out to the sides, his fingers curled in like claws as he reached out with his powers, grabbing ahold of the ice and snow piled above them.

Then in a quick motion he dragged his hands forwards sending forth a tidal wave of snow and ice, while at the same time he kept the ice and snow clear of the entrance. For a second the sound was nearly unbearable, like a roaring beast before it crashed down into the ranks of monsters charging up the hill. Sweeping them off the mountainside as Asbjorn broke out into a cold sweat.

His legs felt like jelly as he struggled to keep the tons of snow crashing down the mountain clear of the entrance to the cave.

Absjorn was still focusing on the snow, as he began to walk towards the entrance, drawing his axe in one hand as he felt his companions rush past him, and heard their war cries as they charged out the door with weapons drawn.

Asbjorn couldn't help but smile, his walk turning into a sprint as he reached the doors, spotting several large ogre-like creatures charging uphill towards them. He barely had to think, instead calling upon the powers of his father, whipping the snow into a frenzy as the temperatures around him continued to plummet.

He was a Vikingr, he was born for battle and if today was his day to die, he would do so gladly in the hopes he would see Valhalla. A war cry leapt from his lips as he joined his companions in their charge down the hill.

But deep down he knew that his destiny was waiting for him, across the ocean. In England. He didn't have more time to think however, instead he plunged his axe into the chest of one of the creatures, ripping it free with a savage jerk before he leapt towards his next foe.

It was time for the enemies of Asgard to feel the Wrath of the Northern Storm.

Kolasi 4 days and 8 hours after Eripus

Kolasi sat on the steps with the thrones of Olympus on the dais behind her, absentmindedly humming to herself while she waited for Hestia to arrive. Her eyes looked around the room, still splashed with streaks of golden ichor, courtesy of the Olympians' battle with Gaea.

Almost without thinking she reached up and touched her face, her fingers tracing over the skin which had been swollen and bleeding a few hours prior .

Gaea had been so much more than she had expected. Faster and far stronger than any being had a right to be. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to stop Gaea from shattering her body with every blow. Just the effort of maintaining her grip on the flames she was summoning had been exhausting, but it was all that had kept her safe.

Her eyes followed the trail of broken marble and pillars until she saw a collapsed wall, the one Gaea had all but thrown her at. Wincing as she remembered the intense pain following Gaea's attack.

She stared around the room

"I'm glad you came." Hestia called out softly from the side as Kolasi was snapped from her thoughts and turned to look at her Hestia. The mother she hadn't seen in several thousand years. The same one who helped locked her away.

"... I don't really know why I did…" Kolasi muttered back in reply as she looked at Hestia intently. Studying the lines in her face, the folds of her chiton, and the way her hair fell in gentle curls, the way her eyes seemed to be a dozen colors of amber, orange and yellow all at once. Trying to find something to match to the mother she knew from so long ago. The one who had taken her dancing with dryads, flying with dragons. The one who had meant the entire world to her.

She saw the resemblance, but she didn't see her mother, not really. The woman in front of her was a stranger just as much as she had been when she had come to free her.

"Because you know fighting against Gaea is the right thing to do…" Hestia added as she sat down beside Kolasi and looked out across the room.

"Like locking me away was the right thing to do?" Kolasi asked, a small smile gracing her lips as Hestia visibly winced. Kolasi couldn't deny that it felt good to inflict even this small bit of discomfort after everything Hestia and the Olympians had put her through.

"That isn't a decision I'm proud of…" Hestia began to say as Kolasi cut her off.

"I'm glad your pride took a hit after you locked your only daughter away for what felt like an eternity" Kolasi replied almost without emotion. "Long enough for me to sit there and really think about why I was locked away, and why you weren't," Kolasi said as she stood up from the marble steps.

"I was half mad with grief, and I made a decision I regretted, but I did what I could to save you." Hestia added as Kolasi took a breath, doing her best to control her anger.

"I wasn't grieving? I lost my father and my entire family. All of you turned on me." Kolasi said bitterly as she casually trailed her hand along one of the pillars that was still standing, the marble cracking and popping under the intense heat.

"You were dangerous Kolasi…" Hestia said, "After Anatolia, you weren't the same. Zeus wanted-"

"I was a child." Kolasi replied equally as fast, cutting her mother off as she whirled about in a rage and walked right towards her. "The last time I saw you I had barely seen twelve summers, and you let Zeus and the others take me away and lock me up." Kolasi snarled as flames leapt to life across her body.

"What do you want from me, Kolasi?" Hestia replied. "It was that or death, I just did what I thought was best."

"Well mother, your judgement sucks, and I don't want anything from you, not anymore," Kolasi said back, once again doing her best to put on an emotionless mask.

"Then why are you here? You could have run, abandoned us when Gaea attacked or even before. Why didn't you?" Hestia said with a sigh as she looked at Kolasi.

"Because you got me involved in this mess, and I promised to help you once you let me out. Unlike some of you, I don't break my word. Even if I hadn't attacked Gaea, she despises me. She made that clear enough. So what other side am I supposed to take?." Kolasi added bitterly. "Go run around with Poseidon's little Ardwyr son or perhaps the Titans?"

"You know which side you should fight with, you saw what Gaea did to the mortals. Help me save them, Kolasi." Hestia all but pleaded with her.

"Last time I tried to help you and the Olympians, you threw me in a cell, and called me a monster." Kolasi scoffed, leaving the pair in silence for several moments, save for the faint crackle of the hearth and the wind howling about the broken buildings.

Hestia just sat there on the steps in silence, her hands clenched into fists by her side.

"You left me in that cell for what may as well have been an eternity, alone." Kolasi said as she looked around the ruined throne room. "Not that I'm surprised, why would the Goddess of Hearth and Home want to have to see a living memory, to always be forced to remember what we did? What I had to do to try and save you!" Kolasi snarled as the air around the two of them began to distort due to the heat.

"So you locked me away in a cell, out of sight and out of mind. Where I couldn't bother anyone, except myself." Kolasi added with a mirthless laugh, thinking back on the centuries she spent hovering between maddening sanity and blissful insanity.

"Kolasi what we did was wrong, and I could have stopped you, I should have stopped you in Anatolia. But I was weak and I let my emotions cloud my judgement" Hestia added remorsefully.

"No, no, don't lie to me, and don't lie to yourself. You can tell your brothers and sisters whatever you want, But I know exactly what you felt that day. Just like you can sense my emotions I can sense yours. You were fine burning the Ardwyrians to ash, you were fine punishing the man who murdered Father." Kolasi added spitefully.

"So what is this then?" Hestia said as she stood up from her seat on the steps and looked at Kolasi sadly. "Vengeance? You want to take revenge for me letting them lock you away? Revenge for what happened?" Hestia asked as she stepped closer to Kolasi.

Immediately the air around them distorted with flames as Kolasi lost control of her emotions if only for a second, bathing the entire room in a wave of heat and light. As the flames swirled around the pair dangerously. Hestia seemingly made no effort to protect herself and that infuriated Kolasi even more.

"NO! I wanted my mother!" Kolasi shouted as she cut the flames away in an instant, leaving the marble around her glowing red and cracking under her feet as Hestia just looked at her sadly. "And I thought when you came to let me out, maybe you wanted me, your daughter. But no, instead you came to let me out because you needed a weapon again…"

The room was silent and the only light was cast by the hearth which still burned, if only just. The flames barely provided warmth of any kind, as they flickered and faltered in the wind. Leaving Kolasi and Hestia just standing there, neither one willing to speak.

However after several moments Kolasi broke the silence, all traces of emotion gone from her voice as she looked at the hearth. "That boy you blessed, is he another weapon as well. Do you have a cell fitted just for him? If so he probably wasn't the best choice. Then again, you won't need such a big cell"

"Enough Kolasi, you act as if I haven-" Hestia sighed as she stopped speaking, before she started over. "...No, the boy has potential. He can access the Will of Fire, just like you." Hestia replied. "He doesn't see it but he inspires those around him, and he has this way of lightening even the darkest situation. It's a skill not many have, but your father had it, and Leo reminds me so much of him it almost hurts."

"So why haven't you taught him to use the only skill he can wield that really matters?" Kolasi replied in a flat tone of voice. "He could have done more if he had any kind of understanding of the power he has at his fingertips."

"That's a dangerous road Kolasi-" Hestia began to say as Kolasi cut her off.

"You act like you can't use the Will anymore mother, but I can feel your connection to it. Why?" Kolasi asked as she walked towards the middle of the room.

"It reminds me of your father, and of you, and what I put you through." Hestia said quietly. "I swore an oath not to use it again because the memories were too painful."

"You know what else is painful? Shards of rock ripping your chest apart, or losing an eye." Kolasi said sarcastically as she spun around to look back at Hestia. "He almost died. He might still die, but I'm glad you kept your moral high ground mother, much better than teaching him to defend himself" Kolasi said in a venomous tone.

"Whatever you may think of me, I do love you Kolasi, I only wanted what was best for you." Hestia added softly. "I thought that maybe it would be best to let the boy explore the power on his own, I worried that if I taught him how I taught you…" Hestia finished falteringly.

"That he would turn out like me?" Kolasi said as a manic grin spread across her face. "So you don't have a cell for him because you're going to do better this time? This time you won't raise a dangerous monster"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Hestia said as flames sprung to life around her, feeding off her emotions. "If all you have is hate for me then just say it and let's get this over with!"

Kolasi froze, it was true there was some part of her that hated Hestia and the Olympians just as much as there was a part of her that despised Ardwyrians. Both of them represented a life she couldn't have anymore, but Hestia was wrong. Kolasi didn't want to hate her, she wanted to look at her and feel the same love she felt when she thought about the mother who had raised her.

Almost as if sensing her hesitation, Hestia moved closer and started talking again, her eyes almost fanatic as she looked at Kolasi.

"Kolasi you are my daughter, I can't make what I did vanish, but I can make up for it." Hestia added as she reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. However, Kolasi pulled back, spinning away from her mother as she stood up and walked up the stairs towards the dais.

"Really? Because it honestly would have been better if you killed me… a few millennia of isolation is a horror I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Let alone my own child." Kolasi said as she casually walked over and inspected Zeus' throne. Marveling at the electricity that crackled in the air around the throne as she heard Hestia move. Anything to keep her memories of that room off her mind.

"Kolasi, I will make this right…" Hestia said as she walked over to stand beside her, "Whatever it is you want, whatever you need from me, just ask."

"It's like you think I'll suddenly forgive you, what could you possibly offer me that's going to fix this? What's going to make me forget what my own family did" Kolasi said angrily "Even if you could fix it, what if all I want is Zeus' head separated from his shoulders?" Kolasi all but growled as she turned around to look at her mother. "What then?"

Hestia froze for a moment, then simply closed her eyes and sighed. "Kolasi, I picked Olympus over you once before… I won't do it again. No one will put you back in that cell, I swear to you. Not Zeus, not anyone. Not while I live and breathe."

"That doesn't change the fact that I was in that cell. And you being apologetic doesn't get me back the time I lost in there" Kolasi added angrily. "I barely recognize any of you, let alone the world I've come back to."

"Then leave Kolasi, you're free to go, I'm not holding you here." Hestia replied as she stepped right in front of Kolasi, a determined look on her face. "But I want to make this right. I was a terrible mother to you, but I'm still your mother."

"I am happy to be free again, but we both know what happens if I just leave. Olympus will send someone else to fight and die, like you did with me, except; This time it'll be the demigods, won't it? What's worse though is that you're giving me the choice to run. They aren't free to make that choice, are they? After all, you want to lie to them about all the dirty little secrets you and the rest of the olympians have kept hidden for so long. You aren't even telling them why you're going to war in the first place" Kolasi replied, the flames licking her skin growing more intense with each second.

"Olympus will send them to fight, and the Olympians will fight alongside them, but yes some of them will die, just us as Gods will." Hestia replied, not backing down an inch. "As for the truth of the matter, what should we tell them, Kolasi? That yet another group of ancient immortal Gods are preparing to wage war on us? We kept the history of the Ardwyr a secret because anyone who dug too deep would find more than just the genocide of an entire people and you know this as well as I do."

"What would happen if the knowledge of the Old Ones was revealed? We have kept it hidden from everyone, the newer Olympians included. Only those who were in Anatolia even know what you're talking about" Hestia added in a fierce tone

"So a few of you fight alongside them and that makes this okay? What happened to the warrior who taught me to fight to protect others. You used to care about all families, not just her own" Kolasi said with a laugh.

"She lost her husband and was forced to choose between war against her family or her daughter. I made a mistake, Kolasi, I chose the wrong side and I know that. However, Anatolia was stained with enough ichor to fill an entire sea, more Gods died during that massacre than I care to remember. What do you think if knowledge of that monsters fell into the wrong hands, Chaos forbid someone found out how to control it." Hestia added in a grim tone.

"So you do what exactly? Hide the truth forever?" Kolasi asked in a tone of mock surprise.

"There is no truth left to hide Kolasi, there are no writings, no stories, the Ardwyr may as well have never existed. Zeus saw to that over the millennia, he hunted down any trace of them he could find." Hestia replied. "The history of those events exists only in the minds of those who were there."

"That's wonderful except they aren't gone, there's currently one roaming about. And from what I've heard in the last day, he has a reason to hate all of you." Kolasi added with a grin. "If he comes for you, there will be hundreds dead, these children of Zeus were beaten easily." Kolasi scoffed.

"Olympus must stand united, demigods, Olympians and immortals." Hestia declared. "It's the only way we stand a chance, against Gaea and whatever else is to come."

"You mean you'll all stand and die together?" Kolasi added as she gestured to the damage around the room. "I'm sure that's a sacrifice you and the Olympians are willing to make. You Olympians are always willing to let others sacrifice on your behalf… as long as you retain your power, it's all that matters to you" Kolasi added with an empty laugh, enjoying the way Hestia winced.

"What would you have me do, Kolasi. Zeus has placed me in an impossible position, the demigods won't stand for what happened to Perseus should they find out, there would be a mass revolt. He is their hero, what they aspire to be. He led them in the last war and is an essential leader in both the Greek and Roman camps. If news of Zeus' despicable action gets out that will be the beginning of the end. And if we fail to present a unified front, Gaea will destroy us." Hestia added. "So call it what you will, but our family needs us Kolasi." Hestia added pleadingly. "I need you"

"No, your family needs me. There's a difference. You and father were the only family I had." Kolasi replied. "And you didn't have to force me to fight for you or lie to me, I fought and killed because you meant the world to me. I never thought I'd have to explain that to the Goddess of Family."

"You don't know how much I wanted to free you, I never wanted to see you rot in that cell!" Hestia snapped, finally losing her patience. "They are your family as well Kolasi, even if you don't see it that way"

"So am I just not good enough then? Why is it that the son of Poseidon was treated better than I ever was. My uncle is ready to go to war for his son, the entirety of Olympus is on a knife's edge. And if the tables had been turned, would Poseidon have stood by while his son was thrown into a cell and locked away for eternity!?" Kolasi replied as she glared at Hestia. She wanted her words to hurt, she wanted to see Hestia in pain, just like Kolasi herself had been in for so long.

Hestia froze up, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Kolasi.

"Well?" Kolasi demanded angrily

"I couldn't stand losing you as well as Tharros! I felt when he faded, his presence in the Will of Fire vanished… I-I couldn't go through that again, not with you" Hestia all but pleaded as she looked at her with a guilt ridden expression.

Kolasi just stood in silence and watched as Hestia trembled for a moment, her hands clenched into fists at her side as she stared at Kolasi. "So that's it then? You won't help us?" Hestia said, a look of despair flashing across her features.

"No," Kolasi said clearly, "I won't sit by and watch as Gaea destroys what's left of this world, and I won't let the demigods be used and thrown away once Olympus is done with them.. But don't think I'm doing this for you, or the Olympians."

Hestia seemed stunned by the answer before she managed to stammer out a "Thank you," as a look of relief washed across her features.

"Don't thank me, thank that boy. He tried to save you, and nearly died in the attempt. He clearly sees something in you Olympians that I don't, but maybe, I wouldn't mind being able to see that side of you again." Kolasi said quietly.

Hestia flashed a smile at Kolasi before her features hardened once more, and it was clear their personal conversation was at an end. Almost at the same moment Kolasi's head snapped towards the centre of the throne room sensing the presence of the immortals before she saw them.

With a sound not unlike the wind whispering in the trees, three robed and hooded figures appeared in the middle of the throne room from nowhere. All of them offered a short bow in their direction before they removed their hoods.

"Why now? Hera has been trying to summon you for hours? Where have you been!?" Hestia all but shouted as she looked at the three women. "Apollo is missing, Gaea has risen and Olympus is in chaos!" Hestia finished as the air around her shimmered with heat haze.

"While you and the Olympians were busy, we tried to discern the source of the problem," one of the women replied.

"So what is it exactly that you discovered?" Hestia asked quickly, a slightly hopeful expression on her face.

"Nothing good" one of the women replied as she gestured to the throne room, "If what we learned is anything to go by, this is just the beginning Hestia, there is more at play here than we can even begin to try and explain."

The effect on Hestia was all but instantaneous, it was like she aged a hundred years in an instant as whatever hope she had been holding onto seemed to melt away as Kolasi watched.

"So that's it then? You're the Fates! There has to be something you can do!" Hestia shouted as she looked between the three of them.

"Summon the Olympians. It would be best if you were all in attendance for what we have to say, Hestia." The third woman called out. "It's not just Olympus that is in chaos… the very weave of Fate itself is in shambles. And we don't know how to fix it, but we suspect that some greater power is at work here, something beyond even our knowledge."

"Of course it is…" Hestia said with a sigh as she raised her hand and launched a massive blast of fire into the sky. "We had a council meeting set for later this afternoon anyway."

"We know" the fates answered in unison.

Almost instantly the room was filled with flashes of light as the Olympians appeared in bursts of multicolored light, voices raised in shouts of confusion as they began yelling and demanding to know why Hestia had summoned them. Kolasi turned to see all three of the fates staring at her intently, their eyes calculating.

Not once did they take their eyes off of her, and as Kolasi turned and began to walk towards the grand entrance of the throne room. She didn't want to stick around, this was an Olympian problem and she wasn't interested in getting dragged into their mess any more than she already was.

"You as well Lady of Dragons, What we have to say concerns all of us…" The women finished in unison as Kolasi stopped dead in her tracks. "It seems the weave of fate has a purpose for you as well."

'Wonderful' she thought to herself, as she turned around and walked back towards Hestia and the other Olympians who had already begun to bicker.

Kolasi had little doubt that this bickering would go on for hours before anything was done, so she settled in on the steps once more, she might as well be comfortable while she waited.

Authors Note:

Terms:

Lady of Dragons: (an alternate name for Kolasi)

Galdhøpiggen: Mountain in Norway

Niflheim: Norse Realm of the dead ruled by Hel

Hel: Daughter of Loki

Sedir: Norse version of an Oracle, but more shamanistic in their practices.

Frost Fell: A living ice that can be controlled, freezing anything living that it touches.

Old Ones: Godlike beings that predate the Olympians and the Titans themselves.

Well Merry Christmas and Happy New Years guys! 2022 wasn't my favourite year, but writing this story for you guys definitely helped get me through some of the less stellar parts of this past year.

So I wanted to thank each and everyone of you for the kind words and support you showed both me and this story! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it, I wish you all the best and success in whatever it is you attempt this year!

I also wanted to bring up that the end of the first Arc of this story "Shadows Rise" will be ending soon! We are getting into the final chapters now and I don't have too much left to tell before I move into arc 2. The Age of Sword and Horse, however there will be a break between the end of arc 1 and the start of arc 2. During which I will release a secondary story "Coliseum of Dreams" A PJO Mortal Au story.

Now onto story stuff. This chapter was pretty packed with character development. Ares, and Kolasi in particular got a lot of focus in that regard. So let's talk about those first:

I don't dislike the way Ares is represented in Rick's Books, but I also feel like there should be more to the character than just an angry biker guy. Ares is a god of war and conflict, He's aggressive and warlike, but that's his domains affecting him just like Hades, Poseidon and Zeus's personalities are affected by their domains.

The main difference being that Ares' entire existence is built around war and carnage. But no matter if that's all he excels at, Ares is still a God of Olympus and older than many of the 2nd generation Olympians. I wanted to slowly flesh out his character and show that again, he's not just an idiot with a big sword. Hopefully I managed to do that in this chapter.

Kolasi, I know she's hit or miss for some people, and I wasn't super happy with how she was first introduced (That chapter plagued my nightmares lol, so many edits until I was more or less happy with it) However she will be with the story going forwards, and I wanted to give people a chance to see a different side of the character. She's hostile and angry, but she's also been alone for the majority of her life. A punishment for something that she wasn't solely responsible for. I hope the character grows on some people but I'm always open to criticism and feedback on my OC's.

Asbjorn and the Vikingr make a return in this chapter, and you get to see more of the mythos behind the Norse Demigods, as well as how differently they interact with their Gods and their own prophecies. I know some people really liked the chemistry that Asbjorn and Halsinger had so I hope that I kept it up throughout this chapter!

And saving the best/worst for last. Poor Leo.

Leo had it rough in Rick's books, but he's got it way worse in shadows rise. The poor guy just can't catch a break, between his self worth issues and getting blasted by a primordial he's probably had better weeks. But I guess the big questions you should be asking about Leo are: Is his confidence ever going to recover? And How badly is he hurt?

There's only a little bit more story for me to tell before I wrap this Arc up, no more than 3 Chapters to the Finale. So we are almost there folks! Again I apologize for the shitty rate of uploads of the last few months, between some real life issues and the holidays my update schedule has been all over the place.

Chapter 29 should be out soon and with it you'll get to see more from the perspectives of some of your favorite characters: Percy, Thalia and Annabeth to name a few.

I hope you guys all enjoyed the chapter and I want to thank all of you who take the time to Follow/Favorite or leave a review. They mean a lot and really help keep me motivated, Plus I love to hear from you guys! If you want to chat or ask questions just jump in the discord and me. I'll reply as soon as I can!

Until next time folks!