I'm back guys. Sorry about the wait. I know it was only like two weeks or so, but I got caught up with work, and I had to read The Sun and The Star, the new PJO story following Nico and Will. Normally, when I read a book, it takes me only a day to breeze through it, especially if it's by Rick, but with work being overwhelming and having to sleep nonstop, It took me three to get through it!

But oh man, it was really good! I enjoyed it a lot. Seeing Nico's character development peak and sort of come to a close was very satisfying. Progressing Nico and Will's relationship, which definitely needed to happen, was also very nice to see. And that Percabeth Cameo was very unexpected. One of my favorite scenes.

For those of you out there wondering if you should give it a read, I say go for it. Recommend that a hundred percent. It's the first one Rick has co-written with, but Oshiro does a great job writing Percy Jackson! I could barely differentiate their writing with Rick's!

And with the Disney Plus TV show on the way, and an addition to the original series in the form of Chalice of the Gods, following the OG trio, the PJO world is really coming alive again!

Anyway, enough of my little review, let's get on with the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

7. We Confront Fate Itself

Matt

I feel like Forrest Gump. The normal guy that happens to find himself in the craziest of situations.

So yeah, here I am, in maybe the craziest situation of all, at least the most that I've ever been in. And I know, I know, I say that a lot. But this time, it really takes the cake. That just goes to show how insane my life is. I think the Universe just tries it's best to one up itself all the time, thinking of what it can throw at me next.

Zeus was doing his best to stand against the powerful wind Ananke produced, white hair flowing wildly, shoulders tense, and fists clenched. It looked like he was itching to draw his Master Bolt, but I think he wanted to talk to her first. Though I'm not sure that's going to work. A minute in, and I can already tell Ananke doesn't negotiate.

"Ananke!" Zeus shouted, "Please, delay my punishment! I have my grandson with me! He has nothing to do with this!"

Fate turned her head, and for the first time, looked at me. I could've sworn I was melting on the spot. The temperature that exuded from her gaze alone was unlike anything I'd felt before, an experience probably few have ever had, and if I hadn't progressed the way that I had, I would probably have been killed.

I winced in pain at the pressure. It felt like being pushed with the energy of the sun, a thousand invisible punches laced with aura hitting me, chipping away at my posture.

"He has everything to do with this." She said, "You abandoned your duties for him. Now, he gets to witness the consequences firsthand."

Kyros couldn't even look at her. I glanced behind me to find the eagle tucking his head in between his legs, cawing loudly. When I reached out to gauge his emotion, it was what I guessed. Panic.

I placed my hand on his back, "It's okay, buddy! Just fly away! We'll take care of it!"

No! He urged. Kyros doesn't have a voice or anything, but that's what his emotions were describing. Must stay and protect!

I knew why he did it. It was his job to look after me, because that's what Dad wanted. I'm his son, which means Kyros feels a natural affinity to me. A natural urge to stay by my side.

But he must not get that I feel the same thing too. Kyros was by my dad's side always, and when I'm with him, it's almost like I'm with Dad too. Besides that, I had formed an actual bond with the eagle, separate of all that. He was more than a pet. He was a friend. As much as Malachi or Talon or anyone else.

I pushed him now, "Fly away from here! I'll be okay!"

Kyros cawed loudly, his head coming out from his legs.

I gave him a big push, "Now, Kyros! Go, now! Please!"

Hesitantly, he flew off, looking back at me several times to make sure I was okay. It hurt me to see that, but it was for the best. Him being out of danger would give me a clearer mind.

But Zeus clearly thought the same thing about me. I was the one in the way for him, the one that he had to worry about. But unlike Kyros, who Ananke just ignored, I don't think I can exactly walk or fly away from this situation.

Ananke, without warning, raised her fist and brought it down towards Zeus, aiming to squash him. Something within me, pushed the stupid idea of stopping it.

I knew I had no chance, but I wasn't about to stand and watch him get hurt by Fate. I had to do something. It wasn't right. Why should he be punished for trying to help the world? For making a backup plan in case things go wrong?

I activated the Master Bolt and felt it's incredible power flow around me. Meshing it together with the red aura, I gained a perfect outline of red and blue. "Stop!"

Zeus noticed, "Matt, no!"

I jumped in the way of the blow, probably the dumbest, most impulsive decision I've ever made, but my natural instinct is always to protect my friends and allies. That was no different here. No matter the opponent. I didn't care if it was Fate itself, and that's probably a bad thing, but sue me. I'm idiotically brave, I guess.

Ananke could probably be faster than both Zeus and I combined if she wanted, but she let her giant fist come down like a falling tower, slow and easy, with tons of momentum built up behind it. I knew there would be a lot of strength to deal with. Probably more than enough to kill me. I just hoped the Master Bolt, and my new progress was enough to shield me from death.

Just as I crossed the strike zone, Zeus grabbed me by the waist and pushed me, mid-air, launching me back like a missile. I soared until my heels hit the ground, skidding and grinding. I somehow managed to keep myself balanced and standing.

I panicked for him. Now he had to take the blow. "Grandfather!"

With the fist now thirty feet away, Zeus acted quickly. He used the same portal technique earlier, only he did much faster this time. Before was just a demonstration, but this was real combat speed. In an instant, Zeus created fifty holes in reality to draw energy from, which was way more than last time. I couldn't imagine creating fifty of those things, let alone holding them open to gather aura from.

Zeus sucked energy in at a speed I wished possible for myself. A second passed, and he had created a blue, disk-shaped shield made of aura, holding it above his head like an umbrella with both forearms pressed under it. The portals remained open, sucking all the energy it could, growing the shield in size until it equaled Ananke's fist. Then, at the point of collision, they closed. Likely so her blow wouldn't shockwave and destroy the other realities at once, which was very likely.

Luckily, and to my relief, Zeus didn't die. Her fist hit the shield and shattered it into a million pieces, causing it to fade in the air. The force sent Zeus crumpling on his knees, and then his chest, a cry came out from his throat, like the wind had been knocked out of him. Ananke's fist recoiled with the deflect, sending it upwards towards her waist. At the lack of ichor, she looked at the ground, confused.

"Resistance is futile." She said, "You only make it worse by doing so. Accept punishment, and I won't kill you."

I couldn't believe he actually managed to block such an attack. The entire training room quaked from her punch, and was still doing so in the distance. This place was made entirely out of aura Zeus stored over the years, and it was being shook from one blow. I suddenly felt even crazier at the fact I thought of jumping in the way. I had absolutely no chance of surviving that.

Zeus wasn't bleeding, and he didn't have any limbs out of place, but his forearms were bruised. A sight I never thought I'd see.

He got to one knee and glared up at Ananke. "I accept punishment, but he will not look upon it!" He stood up fully now, eyes glowing white, electricity dancing off of him. His aura rose to a level previously unheard of. I'd never felt such an energy come off him, even that time that he got angry with me, on the first quest. There, he was a prideful king yelling at a naive demigod, here, he was a cornered animal, trying to protect said naive demigod from an infinite being.

"He's been through too much already!" Zeus shouted, "Leave him out of this!"

Ananke glanced at me, the feeling came back again, of overwhelming heat and pressure. It made me wince again, like needles pricking me all over my body in waves, getting worse with each one. "He has defied me as well, more than once. But I am not allowed to punish him directly." She turned her gaze back to him, "You however, I may. And he will watch, to understand the price of defiance."

"Defiance?!" I screamed, again, impulsive decision. I couldn't help but feel anger on Zeus's behalf though. For the life of me, I can't understand why doing what he's doing is wrong. "He's trying to assure the world's safety! What about that screams defiance to you?!"

She regarded me, and maybe it was due to my anger numbing me, but this time, I didn't feel as much pressure when she locked eyes with me. "You are brave, and full of potential. But you're still naive to the bigger picture, demigod. A leader can never step away from his duties, not for a moment. Balance, is depended on by the entire multiverse. Like a tower. When one pillar falls, the entire structure goes with it."

Zeus shouted again, sounding desperate. "You're a neutral being, Ananke! Not a monster! You're not supposed to punish others by collateral! Matt will be killed from the force!"

"I assure you; he will not feel any of your pain." She said. "Besides, you wish to train him, do you not? Let this be a lesson."

His face fell, and he looked to the ground, not saying a word.

"Matt, stay there, and...watch."

"No! No, you can't just let her-"

"I have no choice." He interrupted firmly. "And she's right. This is a lesson for you. Sometimes...the answer is to endure. Sometimes you can't do anything about the situation, and you have to take it. Accept responsibility, and deal with the consequences."

"But these consequences are stupid!" I argued, wanting to move toward him, but my body wouldn't budge. Guess it finally gained some sense and put it's foot down. "You shouldn't be punished for this!"

He smiled, "I'm a god, Matt. I'll heal. It is brutal, but only temporarily so."

Brutal? I didn't like the sound of that. Just what was she going to do?

My mouth opened to speak again, but all that came out was dry air. I had no idea what to say. He was going to take it, and I would be stupid to step in between. As long as she didn't kill him...but still, this wasn't right. And despite our history, I didn't want to see him get hurt.

"Ananke...I'm ready." He announced.

Ananke nodded, "Prepare yourself. This will be worse than the others, considering your number of offenses."

Zeus winced, and closed his eyes, standing straight and stiff, with his fists clenched. "Very well."

Worse than the others? Oh crap...

I watched on in horror as Ananke closed her fist. Faster than I could read, her fist reappeared on top of Zeus, and he disappeared from view. The shockwave that followed began to come towards me, like the aftermath of an atom bomb, but Ananke quickly dispelled it, for my safety.

She lifted her hand and Zeus was there, crumpled on his back, groaning in pain. He had ichor leaking from the corner of his lips.

"G-Grandfather!" I called, hating the sight already. That was just one. I had a horrible feeling that it was only going to get worse.

Ananke grabbed Zeus's head with her index finger and thumb, peeled him off the ground, and lifted him high in the air, level to her eyes.

Like an industrial press, she began to squeeze his head with her fingers, crushing it like a fruit.

Zeus's cry of pain was something I never thought I'd hear, and didn't know until now that I never wanted to hear it. It was loud and guttural, becoming muffled by blood coming up from his throat. She wasn't just crushing his head, she was crushing his lungs too, it seemed.

As much as I wanted to step in, yell, or do something, I knew it would be pointless. There was no getting out of this, so I had to keep put. Zeus has done this before, so I trust that he can survive.

But it really didn't look good.

With a movement of her arm, she flung Zeus across the horizon. Like a comet, he plummeted into the ground with a huge burst of air. Without wasting any time, she immediately followed up by opening her mouth. Inside, it looked like the entrance to a black hole, a black hole that had just sucked in all the stars from a solar system.

Ananke shot a beam at Zeus. Black, swirling darkness, like my Cannon, only infinitely stronger.

It hit Zeus, and I didn't hear him make a noise, because the sound of her attack drowned it out. It nearly destroyed my eardrums, not sounding like an explosion, but rather like those things from War of the Worlds. A grinding, metallic, unearthly noise.

When the cosmic dust settled, Zeus lay there with burn marks all over him. I gasped at his red, scorching skin, sizzling like it was being cooked. His hair had been singed off, leaving him bald. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This was unfiltered punishment, torturous punishment to the Olympian King, that I could do nothing about. When I looked at him, it reminded me of Atlas laying in that crater, all burnt up from my cannon.

Smoke came out of Ananke's form and grabbed Zeus, like an arm, peeling his fried skin off the ground and holding him in the air. More arms came from her body and began pelting my grandfather with blow after blow. I winced every time, unable to imagine what he was feeling. I couldn't tell if he was taking it by the hundreds, the thousands, or the millions. It seemed to be only one at a time, but guessing how fast Ananke is, I'm assuming I only saw afterimages, enough for my mind to wrap around.

Ichor flew from his mouth in every recoiled direction, causing clumps of it to fly and hit the ground. It got to the point where I was worried he would lose too much and die.

Finally, after an agonizing few minutes, Ananke decided it was enough. She stopped striking Zeus, and looked at him.

"Defy me again, and the next time we meet will be even more painful." Swiftly, she reached out with her finger, and made a quick, slicing motion. Zeus screamed, and it wasn't until I squinted that I saw what had happened.

She'd sliced off his hand, right at the wrist. It flew next to him in the air, and Ananke burned a hole through it just by staring at it, disintegrating the body part before it could hit the ground.

She released Zeus, and he fell limp in a fetal position. Finally, my body moved, and I sped over to him in a flash, reappearing instantly by his side.

"G-Grandfather!" I scrambled, gently pushing him on the shoulders, to find that his skin burned my hands, it was so hot. I backed away, hissing.

Looking at Ananke again, I glared at her.

She noticed. "He will live, young one. Learn from this, and know to never defy the laws of reality."

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring peace." I said, shouting up at her. "I don't care what or who it defies!"

She scoffed, and disappeared in a plume of darkness, her infinite aura leaving the chamber.

Relief flooded me. She was finally gone.

I paid full attention to Zeus, who was now on his back, ichor covering his burn marks. He looked close to death.

"Matt..." He said, weakly.

"Yes? What is it?" I was ready to use Viribus and return some of his aura, find some ambrosia, nectar, or even get the other gods. Anything it took.

But he surprised me by saying, "Continue...your...training."

"What?! But what about you?! You need help!"

"I'll heal, boy. Practice the rift technique." He coughed, "Don't stop until you...make it...perfect..."

"N-No! I'm helping you!"

"Damn it, boy!" He croaked, "Do as your told! I'll be fine!"

I trembled, unsure if he was just being stubborn, or if he knew he would be okay. Ananke said this would be the worst punishment yet, and while it didn't last very long, it sure looked bad. I knew Heavenly Diamond was his only real weakness, but still...what Ananke did couldn't feel pleasant.

But if I argued, he would only argue back. He needs to save his strength for other things.

So I sighed, and stood straight, continuing my training.

BOOM!

After practicing the technique for a few hours, I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Kyros flew back after the Ananke incident, but kept his distance still, since I kept blasting Cannon after Cannon. And even though they would get condensed further and further as I got better, they held more power, which meant a stronger shockwave. Kyros wasn't really interested in becoming fried eagle, or looking like Zeus did earlier.

I guessed it had been a while, because Zeus never moved from his position, and just let his healing factor do all of the work. It took longer than I expected, considering his position and power. But the wounds he received were from Fate itself, so a few hours to fully heal is honestly impressive, if anything.

Every now and then I would look over to see his condition, and thankfully, it only got better with time. He'd exited his prime form, regained his suit, grew his hair and beard back, the cuts on his body close up, and the burns went away.

Just as my Red Beam Cannon faded away, Zeus finally stood up, signaling his healing was done. He was back to full strength.

It was like a one-eighty. Earlier, he looked like fried butter on a stick, and now he was just Zeus. Like nothing had ever happened.

"Good, Matt. Very good. That Cannon was more powerful than all the others, which means your stamina has yet to give out."

"I can open and hold three portals now." I said, proudly. "For about...a minute straight. Pretty good if you ask me."

"That's very good, considering you could barely hold one open for a few seconds when we started."

I let my hands fall to my sides, and looked up at him with confusion. "Are you...alright?"

"Yes, Matt. I'm fine."

"Why did Ananke do that?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "I mean, I know why, but why go through that trouble? How does you training me defy Fate?"

Zeus sighed, "It goes back to the ancient laws, made far before either of us were born. Powerful beings like myself can rarely step out of their roles, lest the entire universe fall apart. We have a certain weight to our presence, and quite literally, a part of the very world you know is tethered to us. So when I leave altogether to train you...well, it's like if your boss took a week off of work without giving any notice. It would throw things off."

"But you said you already told the other gods to work harder!" I argued, "You made sure everything would be okay before you did this!"

"I did. But beings like that...they don't exactly leave room for rule bending. They embody absolute justice. No excuses."

I shook my head, not fully understanding. If beings like Ananke were so old and wise, how come they didn't see the gray areas of life? Is it just that old way of thinking that they still follow? Never adapting to modernity?

"There are more beings like Ananke out there, right?"

Zeus nodded, "Oh yes. There are a few infinite beings. She is the multiversal embodiment of Fate. There may be gods of fate from many different pantheons, but think of it this way, she is their god. Their boss."

I thought back to the second quest, when we journeyed to Scandinavia. My recurring visions of the man in the suit. He had a mustache and a top hat, like a businessman from the nineteenth century, but in reality, he was Death. That was proven when I saw the final, full meaning of the vision, when he transformed into the Grim Reaper and guided my father away to the afterlife.

"And Death is one of those beings too, right?"

"Yes. Fate, Death, Time, Nature, Light, Darkness, and more. All of them exist."

It really put things into perspective. The hierarchies of power at play here. Those were unreachable beings, beings that I could never in my wildest dreams even think about confronting. Even Zeus, who wields insane power, can't fight them. It almost makes my head hurt just to think about it.

But with this training, I'm getting stronger. Even though I haven't been able to truly test it, I know I've progressed incredibly. I carried that cube up the mountain, I've gotten used to the idea of facing Ouranos, pushing down my fear of him, and now I can draw energy from other dimensions, making my Cannon far stronger than ever.

It made me wonder...what if there are weapons, or some other types of techniques I can attain to reach that level of power? Infinite power...

But as quickly as the thought came, it vanished. I pushed it away and replaced it with my true feelings. I don't need that kind of power. That's the kind of power a greedy person chases for their entire life, wasting what truly matters.

Family, and friendship. Why get more powerful than you need to be? You should enjoy the normal things. And if the time comes to defend yourself...do so.

That's why I don't want to become a god. I don't want that responsibility, or the drama. I just want to be me, and be with the people that make me, me.

And if I could do that forever...then maybe I wouldn't mind being immortal.

"Are you ready to proceed, Matt?" Zeus asked, fully aware of my thoughts, but he didn't mention it.

I smiled, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Telepathy." Zeus said, "The ability to read minds, and communicate nonverbally."

I beamed, "You're gonna teach me that?!"

"Calm down. Telepathy is a gift you're born with. But, someone with a knack for aura control can learn how to do it. You've already gone a step further than most by being able to sense emotions. That is how you talk to Kyros, is it not?"

I looked at the eagle, who perked up, wondering why he'd gotten so much attention suddenly.

Huh? He seemed to say.

"Well yeah, I can tell if he's angry or sad or happy. But I can't actually talk to him. He doesn't have a voice. Instead it's like...a rush of energy that he's pushed onto my aura."

Zeus lifted a knowing finger, "Yes, exactly. But we're going to take it a step further. With a focused meshing of auras, you'll be able to speak with Kyros, through your minds. You'll be able to speak to all of your friends, and us gods, if you want."

My eyes widened, "Whoa...you mean, I'll be able to talk to Kyros?"

I looked at the bird again, who just cocked his head. Huh?

"But isn't he technically an animal? Can animals think like we do?"

"Well, Kyros is different. He is a monster, like the Nemean Lion or the Minotaur, more than he is an animal. He's just modeled after an Eagle, because that is my symbol." Zeus wagged his finger, "You forget that I am the one who created him."

"Oh I didn't forget." I said, "You made him from a beard hair, right?"

Zeus slumped, which looked funny, considering how big he is. "Your father told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

Kyros cawed in protest, like he wasn't aware of being molded from Zeus hair.

Zeus straightened himself, "Either way, you will learn telepathy next. This can be useful, because telepathy cannot be detected. An opponent can break through and hear your conversation, if they are powerful enough, but they won't be able to tell if you're speaking or not. It can't be sensed."

"So they would just have to assume that I'm doing it?"

"That's right. It allows battle strategies to be made without your opponent's knowledge. How many times have you wished you could do so in a fight?"

I immediately groaned, thinking back on the hundred or so times I wished I could, but instead just resorted to shouting my plan. "A lot."

"Exactly. Today, that predicament dies." He pointed towards his head, "Practice on me. I want you to push your aura into mine, like you're about to steal energy."

"Alright." I locked onto his aura, like I'd done a million times already. Then, I pushed further, to the point where I could sense his emotions, and then I went even further, mixing my aura with his own, just before the point where I would begin to withdraw from it.

At that, I stopped, having no clue on what to do.

"Okay...what next?"

"Go even further." He instructed, "You're just about to break through."

I tried pushing harder, but nothing happened. I only felt resistance against my aura, like shoving jelly into a stone wall.

"It's not working." I grunted.

"You're aiming at the wrong place." He gestured upward, "Aim for my brain."

I willed my aura to go upward, and like water, it flowed from Zeus's chest to his head, condensing around the brain. I was able to bend it to my will with ease, and I could literally feel the organ inside his skull pulsing with power, right along with my own beating heart. That told me the two of our auras were perfectly meshed together. And Zeus said telepathy can be achieved by meshing auras...

I pushed with all of the strength I could muster, and felt the invisible wall break. After that, there was silence and relief.

Deciding to give it a try, I thought, Hello?

Immediately, a voice came back through my head. Matt! It worked! Very impressive!

My mouth fell open, and Zeus nodded encouragingly, not saying a word. It was weird, we were both talking in our heads, yet standing right in front of each other.

I was in awe. I had basically gotten it on the first try. Whoa...so this is telepathy?

It is. He responded. That was excellent! You did everything perfectly!

This is weird...I'm actually...talking to you with my thoughts. I smiled. So cool...

Zeus put his fists on his hips, standing like a superhero. And it will only get easier the more you do it. Let's keep practicing.

Can I do it on Kyros?

Zeus in real life raised an eyebrow, and looked at my eagle. Go ahead, it may not work though. Perhaps you should practice more-

I didn't pay attention. I smirked at Kyros, very curious to see what he sounded like. After hearing Zeus say that he could speak to me, I really wanted to try it out. I always thought it would be cool to have this mental connection with Kyros. I wouldn't even have to tap his neck or signal him anymore, I could just tell him what to do without even talking, and he'd be right on it.

Kyros had no idea as to what we were doing. He lay on his talons like a dog, drifting off to bored sleep. Well, let's see if he's bored after this...

I locked in on his aura quickly, meshing ours together, I waded through his and placed mine at his brain. With a strong push of will, I broke through and felt the same sensation I had with Zeus.

Kyros! I shouted.

A little too loud, because Kyros shot up and looked around, eyes wide, trying to see what happened.

What? Who's there? A voice came back. I was very, very surprised to hear it, because I knew it was him talking. Or well, thinking.

His voice wasn't what I expected. Or well, I honestly didn't know what to expect from a talking eagle, but I imagined, given his size, he would have a very deep voice. But surprisingly, his was much like mine. Deep, but light enough to tell you there was still a hint of a child there. Which I found interesting, considering Kyros is older than any living human.

But no, my bird sounded a lot like a teenager. Kyros, buddy, it's me! I'm talking to you through your mind!

He stared at me, and cocked his feathered head. Young Master! You can speak to me! How?!

Telepathy! Grandfather just taught me!

His gaze flickered over to Zeus, and then back to me. Oh, I see. Well, that makes things far easier. I can tell you straightly now that we're out of treats.

I chuckled. I can finally talk to him regularly and that's the first thing he asks? I turned to Zeus, "Hey, he wants some treats. Can you give him some?"

Zeus's face scrunched up. "Treats? Eagles eat fish and smaller animals. In Kyros's case...sharks and lions, probably."

"He could, but Kyros likes bird biscuits. Specifically ones shaped like monsters. I get them from Demeter at the Empire lobby every month. I left mine at Camp, so could you..."

Zeus didn't look too happy about it, but he grumbled. "I will go see if we have some. Continue practicing the technique." He walked off, cursing under his breath. "Bird biscuits..."

After training for a couple of hours, the sun began to set.

I had broken conversation, started it again, and repeated that process about a thousand times. No, make that two thousand. I'm pretty sure I've got the hang of this now.

That push of will only got easier the more I did it. So far, this telepathy thing has probably been the easiest part of training. It was something I could do, and work on, without really having to struggle physically. I could now lock onto Zeus and speak to him near instantly, if I wanted. It's going to be pretty funny when I surprise everyone with it soon. Oh man, the look on their faces...

Their faces.

Man, I hadn't thought about them in a long time, it seemed. Really, it's probably been a few hours, regular time, but to me, it feels like weeks. I wonder if they're okay. I really hope they are.

I sat next to Kyros on the sand, much like we did on Dad's island, when I trained there. Zeus stood against a palm tree, watching the sun, not even blinking.

Kyros could sense my uneasiness. Young Master, are you okay?

I responded with a thought of my own, finding it as easy as talking through mouth now. I'm fine, bud. And you don't have to call me young master. You can say Matt, if you want.

Your father was master, so you are young master. It is a matter of respect.

He hadn't mentioned my dad until now, and I felt my mouth get dry. I swallowed hard, deciding not to argue.

I'm thinking about my friends. What's going on with them on the outside. If they're okay or not.

You're worried for them?

No...I mean, a little. I know they're strong, and they've got Asuka with them, but...still, I just hate not knowing. I hate not being there to help them.

You will be there soon. Trust in them, and have faith.

What did you think of Asuka? I asked. Did you even see her?

I did. She has a good scent. She is not filled with evil like the Primordial. I sense...great sadness and pain within her. Not a single happy emotion in decades.

I looked over at him, confused. Decades? But...she can't be that old, right? I thought she was just a teenager.

He let out a low caw, Didn't you feel her energy? It is very...odd. It feels very ancient, and mixed.

Mixed? Mixed how?

Like there are two auras inside of her. Two energies, two minds, swirling together.

That made me wonder. Two auras? But how? I didn't feel that when I sensed her energy, I just felt the ancient vibe. How could it be possible to store another aura inside of you for that long?

But then again, Talon's aura is really strange. His feels like the entire council of Olympians placed a small chunk of their aura into him. So maybe Asuka isn't the weirdest person I've ever locked on to. But that still begs the question...

Once you arrive...Kyros started, breaking my thoughts. You will no doubt be able to traverse any obstacle. You have progressed greatly, Young Master.

Thanks, Kyros.

Master would...be proud, if he were here.

That shocked me. I took in a sharp breath and stared at the eagle, but he didn't look at me. He was looking somewhere else, far off into the distance, maybe at something only he could see.

And I turned back, following his sight. Maybe if I looked hard enough...I could see what he was looking at too.

I wish he were here with us. Kyros said.

I placed a hand on his back, rubbing his feathers. Yeah, me too.

(000)

Short and sweet, I know. But hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! Matt's training, "fighting" Ananke, and Matt talking to Kyros! Bet you didn't expect that!

Anyway, stay tuned guys! Next chapter is going to shake things up a bit!

Until Next Time.