Chapter 41

8th of December
Rome

Dionysos had navigated through strange situations. Very strange situations. He had personified madness and chaos. He had ascended to godhood. He had even made love to a lava elemental in a pizza oven. But this? Now? He was calmly sipping coffee with the seemingly naive and oblivious archangel Gabriel, right after desecrating her church and fighting a giant alongside her.

Gabriel, with her wide, innocent eyes, turned to him and asked, "What were you doing here?"

He hesitated, a flicker of apprehension tugging at his conscience.

Then, inspiration struck.

"I was here to desecrate the church," he said plainly.

Oops. He wanted to say he was here to eat some ice cream. His bad.

Gabriel's face paled, shock and horror twisting her delicate features. She looked like she might cry. Dionysos felt a pang of regret (a very, very small one).

"But," he quickly added, raising a hand to stem her reaction, "let me explain."

Gabriel's teary eyes remained fixed on him, awaiting his justification.

"I may not appear it," Dionysos continued, "but I am quite learned. I've delved into many subjects, including Hamartiology—the branch of Christian theology that examines sin."

Gabriel blinked, curiosity momentarily stifling her tears. "Hamartiology?"

"Yes," Dio affirmed with a nod. "And I have a question on sin that I believe you, as an angel, would be able to help me with."

She tilted her head slightly, the tension easing from her face. "I would be happy to help," she said softly.

Dionysos took a breath, appearing to gather his thoughts. "Do you consider lying to be a sin?" he asked, his tone deceptively casual. "I have my doubts, given some of the passages I've read in the Bible."

Gabriel's eyes brightened with interest. "Lying? Yes, of course. It's generally considered a sin in Christianity. But I'm curious, which passages are causing your doubts?"

Dionysos looked thoughtful. "Well, for instance, there's the story of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus. They lied to Pharaoh about the Hebrew women's childbirths, and yet they were rewarded for their deceit. The Bible says, 'But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive' (Exodus 1:17). Later it adds, 'Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty' (Exodus 1:20). It seems contradictory, doesn't it?"

Gabriel's eyes softened as she listened intently. "I understand your confusion, but the midwives' actions were driven by their fear of God and their desire to preserve innocent lives."

Dionysos nodded, then continued. "And then there's Rahab, who lied to protect the spies. Joshua 2:4-6 states, 'And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were... But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.' Rahab's actions are later praised in the New Testament in Hebrews 11:31: 'By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.' And James 2:25 says, 'Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?' It seems that lying is sometimes condoned or even praised."

Gabriel's eyes sparkled with admiration. "I'm impressed by how much you know," she said genuinely. "But despite these instances, the overarching teaching is that lying is a sin. Those stories are complex and context matters, but the commandment 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour' is quite clear" (Exodus 20:16).

As she spoke, Dionysos couldn't help but let a sinister smile creep across his lips, his eyes glinting with something dark and unspoken. But he quickly masked it, returning to his composed demeanor before Gabriel could notice.

"I'm glad you see it that way, lying truly is a sin" he said smoothly. "Your perspective is invaluable, thanks."

Gabriel smiled softly, unaware of the fleeting malevolence that had passed over his face. "I'm always here to help," she replied. "If you have any more questions about sin or anything else, just ask."

Dionysos's expression turned serious. "Actually, there is something else," he said slowly. "I saw Uriel using humans as objects, as magical batteries. This included children. They were imprisoned and let to suffer for the 'greater good'."

Gabriel's eyes widened in shock. "What? Uriel would never do such a thing!" she interrupted, her voice rising in fury. "How dare you accuse him of something so vile?"

Dionysos held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Hear me out, Gabriel. In the Bible, it's clear that such actions are sinful. Proverbs 6:16-19 states, 'These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.' And what about Matthew 18:6? 'But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.' Your dad is hardcore, by the way".

Gabriel's face flushed with anger. "Stop it! Uriel would never do such a thing! You must be mistaken or lying yourself!"

Dionysos smiled, a hint of triumph in his eyes. "Gabriel, you just lied, saying he would never do such a thing. Which, according to your beliefs, is a sin.".

She did not look like she was listening to him anymore. She was thinking too much : Uriel would never do that! But it was true that he did a lot of things on the orders of Michael, and that they did not want to tell her…

Dionysos kept going. "Well… I've thought a lot about what actually constitutes a sin. The scriptures sometimes contradict themselves. For instance, some angels fell while others did not, even though they committed small sins to save many. It is clearly not utilitarian ethics that determine what is sin and what is not. So, at first, I thought it was deontological."

He paused, watching Gabriel's reaction. She looked confused and conflicted, her faith battling with the doubts Dionysos had sown.

"But seeing you did not fall right here," Dionysos continued, "it is not the case. If any sin caused an angel to fall, there would not be any angels left. So, it must be the third possibility: only the intimate conviction that you have sinned causes an angel to fall."

"That's... that's not true," she stammered. "It can't be true. Our righteousness isn't based on our own perceptions."

"Isn't it?" Dionysos asked softly, leaning closer. "Think about it, Gabriel. How many angels have fallen because they doubted their own purity, their own righteousness? How many have questioned themselves into damnation?"

Gabriel shook her head, her hands trembling. "No, we are judged by a higher standard, by God's will. God, who can judge…I mean…It…", she whispered to herself, knowing her dad died, even if Dionysos was oblivious to it. It could not be a consciousness judging them anymore - it had to be a 'program of rules of falling'.

"And yet," Dionysos pressed, "it's your belief in that judgment that sustains you. If you truly believed you had sinned, what would happen? Wouldn't you fall, regardless of whether you actually sinned or not?"

Gabriel took a step back, her mind reeling. "I need to... I need to speak to Uriel," she murmured, more to herself than to Dionysos. "But you…I don't believe you. Uriel would never do such a thing. And if you lied - which you did - you'll know what Michael means by divine wrath, mortal".

Dionysos watched her with a calm, almost satisfied expression. "Go ahead, cutie...I mean, Archangel. Seek the truth, if you dare. But remember, the truth can be a harsh and unforgiving light. If what I said is true, you will fall, and that fall will expose your lie and sin. Will you trust in Uriel's virtue? Do you have the courage to risk your very essence, to face the possibility of falling from grace? Or will you choose the comfort of ignorance? The choice is yours, but know this: whichever path you take, there is no turning back."

Gabriel's eyes filled with determination as she considered his words. Then, with a resolute expression, she disappeared in a brilliant flash of light, leaving Dionysos alone with his satisfied smile.

As soon as she left, Dionysos's expression changed to one of sheer panic. "Oh fuck!" he exclaimed, his calm facade crumbling. "Why do I always push it too far?" He glanced around wildly, the urgency of the situation hitting him like a ton of bricks. "I've got to get the heck out of here before Uriel shows up and turns me into dust for tattling on him to his baby sister!"

He bolted, tripping over his own feet in his haste, stumbling and muttering under his breath as he fled the scene, his earlier bravado replaced by pure, unadulterated fear. But then he skidded to a halt, remembering something crucial.

"Wait, the feather!" he muttered, fumbling in his pocket and pulling out one of the three feathers he had stolen from Gabriel when she was too shocked by his revelations. He quickly performed a small ritual, linking the desecration to the Christian god of the ex-church, the pantheon, and the possibility of it being retaken, to Gabriel's angelic nature.

8th of December
Half Blood Camp

Clarisse stood atop the ramparts of Camp Half-Blood, her gaze sweeping over the tranquil landscape that lay beyond the borders of the camp. The stillness was unsettling. The usual flurry of activity, the familiar sight of monsters lurking just beyond the protective barriers, was conspicuously absent. The serene expanse stretched out before her, unbroken by any sign of impending danger.

She didn't like it.

Since Luke had left the seat of Eponymous Archon, the camp had been under her, the fifteen strategos, and Pollux's command. Clarisse herself had played a key role in directing the camp's defenses. They had faced wave after wave of monstrous assaults, each attack forging the campers into stronger, more resilient warriors under the relentless training of this monstrous tramp Raccoon. The challenges had been grueling, but they had thrived, their skills honed to razor-sharp precision through countless battles.

But now, for the past few days, an eerie calm had settled over Camp Half-Blood. No monsters. No threats. Just an unnerving silence that gnawed at her instincts. The election for the new Eponymous Archon would take place in a few days, adding to the tension.

Clarisse tightened her grip on her celestial bronze spear, her fingers itching for action. The unease in her chest grew with each passing moment.

This sudden lull felt unnatural.