Alright everyone, I'm back. These next few chapters will be coming out very quickly, because I had some extra time to go ahead and write, stacking chapters on top of each other without releasing, just so I could edit them and reread. So if it seems like a bunch of chapters just got uploaded, that's why.
Anyway, hope you enjoy them! Feel free to review!
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.
4. The Cavalry Arrives
You know, I gotta admit, seeing Sigurd lifted a certain weight off my shoulders. One I didn't know was there until now.
He pulled up in blazing fashion, as usual. He finishes off Typhon, then rides in on the head of a massive dragon, with hundreds of other auras behind him. I wasn't wrong about the reinforcements, it seemed.
The giant dragon swooped in and tucked its nose towards the sand, the rest of its body straightening across the ground and planting its feet. It slid a dozen yards, then came to a stop, just in front of my group.
Sigurd could be seen clearly now, stepping off the head of the dragon and down the nose, onto the sand with his arms spread out beside him.
"I told you the Great Convergence would happen, did I not?"
As we closed in to shake hands and smile at each other, I could see what he meant. Behind his stead, more warriors stepped off the dragon.
The first guy looked like a Casanova, or a conquistador. He was average height, with coppery skin, a lean build, and wearing a beige short sleeve button up, only it was unbuttoned, and he wore no shirt underneath. His jet-black hair was slicked back, and he had a little facial hair in the form of a goatee.
He looked like a pretty normal guy, but when I felt his aura, I could tell he was the exact opposite. He was a demigod from another pantheon. It was then that it hit me...this must be what Sigurd meant by the Great Convergence. All of these auras were probably from the army he'd formed over his exploits. From all different pantheons.
The Casanova had his hands in his cargo shorts and looked around at the beach, bobbing his head as if he weren't impressed.
He spoke with an accent, "So this is the big Greek Camp? Funny, I just see a bunch of sand."
Just a second after, came the next new face from the dragon. The difference between this guy and the Casanova was like night and day. Casanova looked like he could pass for a guy on the street, but this man looked like a warrior.
He was Indian. Brown skin, tall in height and lanky in build, with a long, unkempt gray beard, and equally unkempt gray hair in the back, everywhere but the top of his head, leaving him eighty percent bald. If I had to guess, he was in his seventies. Which surprised me at first, that Sigurd would recruit someone so old, but upon feeling his aura, I took back my opinion. This guy was really strong, and had a lifetime of combat experience.
He wore a sleeveless gray tunic, with metal bindings around his biceps and wrists. He had no weapons, but if I had to guess, he used energy to form them. Something told me he was responsible for that giant blue arrow earlier.
He didn't look around at the beach, instead, he kept his eyes focused on me. "A nice place. And strong demigods. You weren't kidding, Sigurd."
Once he fell into line with Sigurd and the Casanova, the third guy emerged from the dragon and entered the beach. I didn't think things could get more different in terms of appearance after the old Indian, but I was proven wrong. The next guy blew him out of the water.
Under a jacket and tattered blue jeans, he wore nothing but white cloth wrappings, like a mummy. The only thing that wasn't concealed was his eyes. I could tell what color they were, but that hardly mattered. Next to them, sat burnt skin, blacker than charcoal. That must be why he keeps himself covered like that, to protect his skin from the air.
When I felt for his aura, I only found the same level I'd find in a mortal. No supernatural strength whatsoever. It confused me, but I quickly got over it. If Sigurd chose him, it was for a good reason.
When he spoke, he spoke with a southern drawl. "Never been outside of Alabama before. Didn't know New York had beaches like this."
As all three of them stepped off, the entire time, the army that Sigurd gathered was stepping off of the dragon's back on both sides, jumping down onto the beach. There had to be three hundred of them, just by first glance. There might've been more, might've been less, but just looking at them all, and the fact that it came from Sigurd's efforts, I was utterly impressed.
"I can't believe it, man." I was shaking my head in disbelief, "You did it."
"Took a little over a year, but these are the results." Sigurd said, "You have an army to fight Ouranos now."
He didn't have to use his mind reading trick to see that my gaze kept going to the three guys next to him. He took it upon himself to explain, "Oh Matt, I should probably introduce you. This is Diego, Viraj, and James." He pointed to each name as they were assigned.
I shook hands with all of them, "Nice to meet you guys."
"So this is Matt Beckett." Diego said, gauging me, "Younger than I thought."
"You have a very impressive prana, young man." Viraj complemented.
James just looked at me, then back at Sigurd, "That's a big boy."
"And there's one more to introduce." Sigurd cupped his mouth, "Konstantin!"
I wasn't sure if he sneezed or said someone's name. It turned out to be the latter. The giant dragon that everyone rode in on began to shrink and take the form of a person. Within twenty seconds, it molded into a hulking, round man, that looked like one of those guys that live in the snowy forests of Alaska, living off the land and hunting animals. He had deep scars on his face, hair and beard similar to Viraj's, but younger and blacker. He wore a fur jacket, fatigues, and tall, black military boots.
He sauntered over to us, chuckling with a booming, gravelly tone. When he spoke, it sounded Russian. "Greeks! It's nice to meet you! We're going to kick some ass, I can tell!"
Sigurd introduced me to him by name, and he gripped my hand in a crushing shake, dwarfing my own with his. It was calloused and rough, clearly worn from years of using a weapon.
Behind all of them, stood the small army, awaiting orders. They were all mixed, resembling the clothes of the three in front of me, save for James. He was one of a kind. But Diego, Viraj, and Konstantin seemed to be the leaders of the pantheons Sigurd gathered from. A portion had on Diego's casual wear, holding spears and swords, and a portion had on Viraj's wear, with no weapons, and some, the least of the bunch, wore fur jackets like Konstantin.
And next to the new faces, I was surprised to see some familiar ones. I recognized them from a little over two years ago, they were demigods from Camp Asgard. Sigurd's people.
From the front line, emerged a very familiar face. She wore light armor, a fur waistcloth and boots, and had blonde hair. It was Arya, Sigurd's wife.
Sera lit up, "Arya!"
The two girls met in a hug. Harper didn't join in, but she did give Arya a hand shake and shot her a smile, clearly showing respect.
"I missed you guys!" She said, "Sigurd's lucky, he gets to see you more than I do."
"Looks like everyone's all here." Percy said, "This is our army?"
Sigurd nodded, "This is it. Shall we go somewhere and discuss our plan?"
"Yeah," I said, "That would be best. We've got a good place for that kind of thing."
Our good place was the Big House.
Not exactly your typical Batcave or Fortress of Solitude, but it would do for this occasion. At least it provided enough space.
The bunch of us had gathered in the living room, which gave a sense of deja vu for me, personally. Considering the same people in this room were in it a couple of months ago, and a plus four.
"So how many people do we have total?" I asked.
Sigurd sighed, "A hundred and fifty give or take. Most of them are from my camp. Viraj managed to convince some of his former associates to join, Diego's forces were willing, and Konstantin's men were actually quite eager to do this. They quite like fighting."
Konstantin himself shrugged, "What can I say, my boys like what they're good at."
Annabeth had a finger to her chin, "So let me get this straight again. You're from the Slavic pantheon, you're from the Mayan pantheon, you're from the Hindu pantheon, and you're...a Christian."
She said that last part at James, who just nodded, expression obviously hidden behind the mummy cloth. "Yes ma'am."
"He can channel his god's power through his body." Sigurd explained, "He gets incredibly powerful."
Annabeth blinked, "Good to know."
From outside, Talon shouted in, "Hey, how do you want me to cut these things?!"
Little context. We'd dragged the twelve cocoons in Camp and I told Talon to cut the gods free with that celestial bronze sword he swiped from the armory. I guess it was proving to be a little difficult. Talon had his foot propped on Aphrodite's, with the sword aimed above her head.
"Just whichever works best!" I said, "Right down the middle will do!"
He threw up a thumb, "Got it!" He started cutting.
I turned back to the others, "Listen, I don't need a description on you guys' abilities, I'm just thankful you showed up. I really appreciate it."
Viraj nodded, "Of course. I wouldn't just sit by while a universal threat runs rampant."
Diego concurred, "I'll be honest, I didn't fully believe Sigurd for a while. But now...it's starting to hit pretty heavy."
"I know it's insane." I said, "All of this is insane. I don't blame you for not believing it."
"They do now." Sigurd insisted, "And they're willing to fight. Every person out there is ready to listen to your orders, Matt. It's your call."
My call?
Not sure why, but my eyes found Percy's after that comment. He nodded slowly, smiling.
I felt on the spot, but in a good way. "Well...I guess we should start with what we know so far, and get you guys up to speed." I told them about what had happened today, how Ouranos absorbed the Adam Tree, attacked Percy and Annabeth's wedding with Typhon at his back, and how Zeus teleported us all here so he could fight Ouranos alone.
"And he is..."
"In one of those cocoons." Amaterasu said, "He was defeated."
"So that giant monster Viraj shot-" Diego said, eyes growing wide, "-That was Typhon?"
"Yeah." Percy said, "Looks like he's the only one with Ouranos. But if I had to guess, that guy's got an entire army of storm spirits, or titans, or some breed of creatures with him. We're gonna need that army you brought."
"Well, it's hardly anything to compare to what Ouranos probably has. But it's better than nothing."
"It's quality that matters." Viraj explained, "Not quantity. I've brought several of my old friends from Shiva's Order. We may be old, but we possess great power. Especially when side by side."
"He also destroyed the city." I added. "Nothing's left of it. No buildings, nothing. It's just a flat wasteland."
"A battlefield," Harper said, which was a good point. "He's waiting for us."
"Waiting?" James asked, "Like, he's not gonna destroy the world until he tries to kill us?"
"That's his style." Harper said, "He likes to play with his food."
I nodded, "She's right. Ouranos won't destroy the world anyway, regardless. He'll want to kill us first, and then everyone else on the planet. His goal is to recreate the world from ashes to fit his image. Or so he says. Call me crazy, but my theory is that he's just a pyscho, and wants to see everything burn for his own satisfaction."
"Ding, ding, ding." Diego agreed.
"So what?" Annabeth said, "We just fly over there and confront him? Face to face?"
"Like the ancient times!" Talon called through the door, making good progress in cutting the gods free. I think he was down to just four more before they were all out. The ones he had cut loose, lay unconscious on the leaves. "Two armies clashing head on! No cheap shots or tricks, I like it!"
Annabeth didn't look so sure. "So we shouldn't come up with a plan at all? We just...go and fight?"
Percy shrugged, "It sounds simple, but really, it is simple, Annabeth. I mean, whatever we try and do, Ouranos is gonna know. Besides, what plan can we come up with at this point?"
For the first time, Malachi spoke, "Percy is right. There's not much we can try that my father won't see coming. I think the best course of action is to face him, and try our best. The strategy should be to overwhelm him with numbers, and have our strongest go in for the damaging blows."
"That's a good idea." Sigurd said. "Is that it, then? We're good?"
"I think so. Have your troops make preparations, and we'll take off in a few minutes." I almost shivered as I said it, feeling like I was in a fever dream. I couldn't believe that the time had come. This was the final calm before the storm I would ever feel. In a few minutes, we would all be on our way to either victory...or our deaths.
Sigurd called the others out of the room to go and tend to the soldiers they brought, and prepare them for battle. While the rest of us stayed behind.
As they passed through the door, Sigurd gave me a nod before exiting. Talon walked briskly by him, holding his new sword proudly in the air. "Man, this thing's pretty sharp. The gods are all cut out."
"Thanks, man." I said, shooting him a quick smile.
I, Harper, Percy, Annabeth, Malachi, Sera, Talon, and Amaterasu remained in silence, standing in a semi-circle. It stayed that way for a minute or so, before I broke it, speaking again.
"So...I guess this is it, huh guys?"
They all nodded. Talon muttered, "Yep, end of the road."
Amaterasu glanced at us, then awkwardly stepped away, "I'll leave you for a moment."
But before she could walk away, Talon stopped her by grabbing her hand. "Whoa, hold on there. You're one of us now, through and through. You ain't gotta exclude yourself."
Amaterasu was shocked, and clearly touched. But she still weakly protested, "I just figured you all wanted-"
"You to be here." He finished. "We're in this together, girl. A team, right?"
I could tell we were all feeling the same thing at the reaction. It was surprising, but heartwarming to see Talon talk to Amaterasu with such affection, considering what he's been through. We all want him to be happy, and he's achieved that.
She smiled, a small twitch of the lips. "Y-Yes. You're right." With Talon's gentle tug, she promptly rejoined the semi-circle.
I felt overcome with emotion, and gratitude for the group standing around me, that words just began to pour out of my mouth, against my barrier. "I know this is going to sound corny as hell...but I love you guys. I mean it. I don't know where my life would be if I hadn't met you all."
They all smiled. Harper grabbed my hand and stared up at me, "I know where mine would be. I'm glad it didn't go that way."
"Mine too." Malachi said, "If you think about it...we've all affected each other in some major way. Even though for most of us, it's only been two years knowing each other. Yet, I feel like I'm standing with family."
"We are family." Talon said, "That's the only way to put it."
Percy nodded, "Ever since the Giant war ended, and the Seven sort of parted ways...Annabeth and I have gotten that same feeling again with you guys. We're grateful for that." Annabeth nodded in agreement.
Our little moment had gotten to Sera so much, that she was close to crying. Which, isn't out of the ordinary for her, but this time, it seemed a bit more serious. She seemed afraid.
"No matter what happens," She started, "Promise that we will stick together. All of us."
Malachi's eyebrows furrowed, "Of course we will."
"We'd never leave." Harper affirmed.
We all stepped towards her, and what started as a comforting hug just for her, turned into a group hug for all of us. The semi-circle quickly turned into a full circle when we embraced.
Upon pulling away, Talon smirked, "Yeah, we're gonna stick together. Even if we die, it'll be together. I can't think of a better way to go out."
"Nobody's going to die." I said, pointing at him, "We're all making it out of this. The only person that dies today is Ouranos."
They nodded at me, but the response came from a voice outside of the Big House door, beside us.
"He's right. None of you will die today."
We all turned to see Zeus standing in the doorway. Or rather, leaning his arm on the wood, sweating and breathing heavily. He looked like he'd come down with a nasty fever, and that wound in his chest...gods, it was the first time seeing the damage that had been done to him by Ouranos, and it made me sick. Zeus had several cuts across his body, and a massive hole just below his lungs, where the spear had impaled him.
The fact that he was still alive amazed me. It was a true testament to his strength.
I ran over to him and supported his weight with my shoulder, "Grandfather! You shouldn't be up!"
Amaterasu looked like she wanted to slap him for his stunt earlier, "You need rest, fool." She groaned, "This is what you get for fighting Ouranos alone. Why didn't you at least keep me there? You didn't think I could handle it?"
Zeus grunted as I eased him on the couch. He clutched the ichor leaking wound on his stomach with every movement, wincing in pain. Even his voice was forced. "I wanted to keep you all safe. I thought...I thought I could handle him. Turns out I was wrong."
It was hard to stay mad at him, especially seeing the state he'd been reduced to. "It's fine, grandfather. We're gonna take care of it. Sigurd brought reinforcements."
"I saw the beach." He said, and gripped me by the armor, "But it won't be enough, Matt. I'm telling you, it won't. He's going to kill those poor souls."
My eyes widened. I lifted my hand and flicked my two tallest fingers around quickly, signaling for the others to leave us.
They hesitated, but understood, and obliged my request. Soon enough, it was just he and I.
"What are you talking about?"
"Ouranos is too strong." He said, "That army out there won't be enough. He'll kill every last one of them. To be frank...he'll probably kill your friends too, you may be the only one that stands a real chance."
"Don't talk like that." I softly reprimanded, "I can't just go in there by myself. Besides, he's gonna have an army by his side too. I need something to combat that."
Zeus shook his head, "No army. Ouranos is fighting alone now. He only had Typhon."
I reared my head back, "He's taking all of us on by himself? No way." I mean, I guessed he didn't know about Sigurd's plan of the Great Convergence, but still. At the very least, he'd take on me and my friends all at once, which is still eight to one, assuming the rest of Camp doesn't join.
But Zeus persisted, "I'm telling you, he is. He has enough strength now to back up whatever bullshit he always talked. There's a dangerous technique he's using, Matt, that's making him stronger. It's how he was able to defeat me."
"What is it?"
Zeus swallowed nervously, "He's siphoning chaotic energy out of the spear and into his own aura."
Immediately, my mouth fell open. I knew exactly what he was talking about. That's exactly what Zane, my alternate universe buddy does. I'd seen him do it several times, and it always gives him an incredible boost in power. But with a cost.
"He's risking his own life by doing that. He gains power, but the chaotic energy's eating away at his soul." I was confused, "Why would he do that? He doesn't want to die, does he?"
"He can afford to take that risk." Zeus said, "Being a Primordial, he has a natural resistance to chaotic energy. He can withstand its punishments way longer than you or I can. Outlasting him won't work. The best bet, Matt, would be to end it early."
Hearing this, and seeing Zeus in the state he was, I started to think that maybe telling the troops to stay behind wasn't such a bad idea. I mean, I hated to put them on the sidelines after all of their preparation, but their lives mattered more than that. I couldn't watch nearly two hundred people die.
"Okay. Thanks, Grandfather. I'll try and reason with Sigurd to get the others to stay behind." That's going to be a hell of a task, but I didn't say that part out loud.
Zeus grunted, and tried to get up, using me as leverage to pull himself into a sitting position. "I'm coming with you, Matt."
I gently pushed him back down, "No! You're not going anywhere, Grandfather. You're sitting right here until we get back."
He shook his head, "I cannot lie here while you're in danger. I'm going to help you finish this."
I squeezed his shoulder, "Look, you did the best you could, okay? That's enough. Let me take care of it."
"You don't understand, Matt. I am the King. I have to keep fighting until my last breath. Just idly sitting by while I still have life in me, would be a dishonor!"
He was forcing himself against me, and I started to worry that I'd have to physically knock him out just to get him to cooperate. It didn't sit well with me, but if that's what it takes...
Thankfully, I didn't have to. Amaterasu must've stuck around close enough to hear the conversation. Just as Zeus started to stand up, she placed her index finger to his forehead.
"Forgive me for this." She said, and Zeus's eyes rolled in the back of his head. He fell back on the couch, completely out cold, and began snoring.
"Thanks." I turned and looked up at her, "How'd you do that?"
"God trick. If he weren't at his current weakened strength though, it wouldn't have worked."
"I'm glad it did." I stood up and aimed to walk out of the Big House door, but Amaterasu stopped me.
"Are you really going to try and stop those people from joining us?"
I looked at the floor, "I have to try. If Ouranos is really as strong as we think...a lot of those people are going to die. I can't let that happen."
She didn't say anything, and I left without a word. Harper met me outside of the Big House with my shield in her hand. The present she'd given me.
"Found this on the ice earlier. Almost forgot to give it back."
I took it gently from her and put it on my back, using the leather strap to keep it in place like a backpack. "Thanks."
She knit her eyebrows, "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little amped up. It's the final battle, you know?"
She nodded, "I think we're all a little nervous, to be honest with you."
"Harper...he was able to beat Zeus. Ouranos has gotten so strong, what if I-"
"Stop." She said, and put her hands on the chest of my armor, "Just stop right there. Don't go into that spiral of self-doubt that I know you're prone to getting into."
I chuckled, "I can't help it. Comes with the territory of being me, I guess."
She smiled sadly, "I know it's a lot of pressure that you don't deserve. But remember, I believe in you. Everyone believes in you, even those people on the beach. They don't even know you, but they wouldn't be here if they didn't have confidence in our power. I'd bet money that most of what Sigurd said to convince them was about you."
"I don't know about that."
She snaked her hands up to my head, grabbing the back of it and caressing my hair. It felt good. "I've seen you defy death and do the impossible countless times, Shark Boy. I don't think this will be any different."
I gave a small smile. It didn't put me totally at ease, but it definitely helped to hear Harper's reassurance, and the fact that she believed me so much. Still though, I couldn't get over the thought of all those people dying. It made my stomach twist.
"You're awesome, you know that?"
She shrugged, "Yeah, I know." Then she laughed with me and we kissed. A short one, but sweet.
I rubbed her arm a single time with my hand, "Alright, I'm gonna go talk to Sigurd for a second. I'll see you out there."
She nodded, and I jogged away, across the main yard of Camp, stepping over the still unconscious bodies that lie there to get to Sigurd. It had just hit me that I hadn't seen Aiden and Nico since the Wedding. I hoped they were okay, and among the pile somewhere. To be honest, it was calming knowing that they wouldn't be in harm's way. They were both too young.
Oh who am I to say they're too young. Hell, I'm too young.
I found Sigurd standing by the lake, his black cloak rippling gently with the wind, like the water in front of him. He hadn't changed since I saw him last, which wasn't even that long ago. He still had his red hair, a trimmed beard, and that eyepatch, covering his source of power.
He noticed me and smirked, "I figured you'd find me. Are you ready?"
"Just about." I answered, and stood next to him. "Got to get my nerves in order."
"That's only natural. I feel that way before every battle. Fear is a good thing; it keeps every warrior on their toes. The only warriors that don't feel fear, are the ones that want to die."
Die...
"The others are waiting for us on the beach. It's just your girlfriend, and Amaterasu." He raised an eyebrow, "Who I didn't expect to just show up on her own, you know. I had nearly arrived at Castle Izanagi in Japan, when I felt that her energy wasn't present. She'd already left."
"Yeah, she showed up for the wedding." I smiled, "But that's not the real reason. She wanted to see Talon. She just won't admit it."
Sigurd snorted, "Your friend amazes me. He managed to woo the almighty sun goddess, in all of his reckless glory."
"He has a way with women. They like the wild side, I guess."
We shared a chuckle over that, but things got serious once I looked down the beach and saw the small army waiting for me.
"Sigurd, I know you're not gonna want to hear this. But...maybe it's not such a good idea for them to go with us."
"Who?" He then followed my gaze and found his troops, "Them? Why?"
I stumbled over my words. It was hard to say them. "Don't take this as me doubting them, but if Ouranos was able to beat Zeus...I mean, I just don't want to lead them into a bloodbath. These people don't deserve to die."
I figured Sigurd would get angry at my suggestion to hang his troops back. The very same ones he spent over a year trying to recruit. But no, he just pursed his lips and nodded, actually taking my concern into consideration.
"I hear you. I've been thinking the same thing ever since I got here. Ever since I saw how Ouranos was able to flatten New York City to ashes, and even best the King of the Greek Gods."
"You have?"
"Of course. I've had doubts ever since I started my quest to bring the pantheons together for this cause." He lifted his finger and wagged it, "But then I remember, that all of those warriors on that beach, are the best of the best. And that's what they are. Warriors. That know this day could be their last, and still came anyway. The people that I arrived with, know the risks, Matt. They know that they could die."
"What about you and Arya?" I asked, "Don't you guys want a future together? I'm sure all of those people want a future. I just don't want to be responsible for ruining that."
Sigurd processed that for a moment, then answered calmly, "Life is only beautiful because there is death. Think about it. If we lived forever, if we were invulnerable, if we weren't fragile, would life really be so precious?"
"No."
"Exactly. Like I said, everyone here, is a warrior. Arya and I, are warriors. We have already accepted that this could be our final day together, and the next time we meet, could be in Valhalla. I have no qualms about that, Matt. You need not worry about us." He put a hand on my shoulder, "And it's not just your burden to carry. You aren't responsible for these people's lives. We're all here to stop a threat. Just because I made you the leader, doesn't mean everyone's lives is in your hands. They're all capable."
He said that last part a little jokingly, but I took it, dead serious. He had a point. Ouranos was a universal threat, so naturally, the other pantheons would have people that wanted to fight, to keep the world safe. But still, I do feel responsible for them. Because I feel like there were moments in the past where I could've stopped Ouranos, but didn't. So in a way, it is my fault that he's still alive.
I knew Sigurd wasn't going to be shifted on this, so I forced a nod. "You're right. I'm just overthinking it. We're going to be okay, I think."
Sigurd patted my shoulder, "That's the spirit. Now, I think it's about time we ended this, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"You want to say some words to the crowd before we leave?"
I started to say no, but then I figured that would be really selfish. All of these guys come to your home turf, risking their lives, following your commands, and you don't even give a little speech to hype them up? That would be stupid.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
Amaterasu and Harper joined us down on the beach, leaving the mortals, the demigods, and the gods behind, still out cold and in Camp, where they'd hopefully be safe for the entirety of this fight that would ensue. I just hoped and prayed the camp's barriers were enough.
At one point, during our walk down to meet the others, I asked Harper if she'd seen Aiden among the crowd, and she confirmed that she did, and made sure he was okay. That brought a sense of relief to me I didn't know I needed. I didn't want anything to happen to the kid. He was good, and brave.
The small army stood at attention, all standing in a square formation, lined up perfectly, facing me. My friends, Sigurd, Konstantin, James, Diego, and Viraj, were at the forefront, awaiting whatever I had to say.
I hopped up on Kyros, and he hovered about fifteen feet in the air, propelling me on a makeshift stage, so everyone in our squadron could see me.
I nearly clammed up, unable to get the words out. Until I remembered what was at stake here, and the challenge we were all about to undergo. It brought fire into my chest, and pushed out the words that was needed.
"First, I just want to thank each and every one of you for showing up today." I shouted everything, so none of it was missed. I have a fairly deep voice, so it doesn't take much to make it loud. "It means more to me than you'll ever know. And I'm so grateful, and honored to be fighting beside such capable warriors."
As I went on, I started to get amped up. "In that city, lies the sum of our efforts! The peak of our struggles! The source of our pain! He is the end of the line that we so desperately want to reach! For so long, it's been just beyond our grasp, each time, slithered away into darkness, to plot more atrocities. But today, that ends! Today, WE WILL DELIVER JUSTICE!"
At that, I got a roar. Hearing it invigorated me, it made me feel giddy, knowing that my words had an actual effect on virtual strangers. Which to be honest, they weren't. I may not even know their names, but just them being here, helping us fight Ouranos, bonds us more than just about anything in my eyes.
"The fate of the universe rests in our hands! It's up to us! Not the gods, but us, to stop this threat! And we will succeed! It won't be easy. In fact, it'll probably be the hardest thing you've ever faced in your entire life. But just know, that you won't be alone! You have me! You have all of us! We're united together in this fight as one being! We attack together, and we suffer together! Right?!"
"Right!" I got back, a deafening roar from the crowd. It was awesome.
"WE CAN DO THIS! WE WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS!"
The war cry that came made it sound like our little army of two hundred, if that, was two thousand. Suddenly, I didn't have fear that they would all be wiped out, or that Ouranos would even kill one person. My mindset changed once the speech was over, and I took it to heart. We were all in this together. Different walks of life, all embarking on the same path. We may not agree on everything, or look alike, or hell, even like each other if we got to know one another, but for today, we fight as one.
And that's pretty cool if you ask me.
Continuing the war cry, Konstantin shifted into a dragon, and the soldiers from each pantheon climbed on, as they were when they flew in earlier. Viraj, James, and Diego joined them, climbing up on Konstantin's dragon head, behind his horns. Sigurd shot me a look, and a firm nod, before being the last to board.
Once everyone was on, Konstantin flapped his wings twice, and lifted off in the air, setting a short course for New York City.
I motioned for my friends to join me on Kyros. "Alright guys. This is it. You ready?"
They all nodded at me, and one by one, I pulled them up on the giant eagle. Each time I touched a different person's hand, whether it be Malachi or Percy, I felt a small spark of electricity pass between us.
One being. That's how we'd fight.
Come to think of it, that's how we've always fought.
And look where it's gotten us. We've kept moving forward to the final obstacle. And now that we've arrived...we'll move forward again, to the finish line.
Everyone got in place, and I locked onto Kyros's mind, forming a temporary mental link between us.
Alright buddy, we're on. Take us to the city.
Today's the day, young master. Your father will be avenged. I can smell it in the air.
Yeah, buddy. And after this, we'll finally have some peace. You can have all the bird biscuits you want, and then some.
Sounds like a plan.
I smiled as he took off. We followed the dragon's path, and fell into a slow flight, towards our final obstacle.
(000)
Until Next Time.