Hello dear readers!
It is me, again with another chapter of OUT OF REACH! I know that you have been waiting long for this one. And – to be honest – I've been waiting for too long as well! I am so happy to be able to finally publish this chapter! But you already know, that before the chapter, I shall always answer your comments.
Marseldagistani – I wish I could.
Sm0keyPanda – Thank you and I hope that future chapters will also be interesting to you.
Jason Vander Vlugt – Thanks.
Janny092 – eeeem… Yes, that, exactly that.
DOOT76 – Well, Six is a young man, and since in Halo Reach he had barely a few lines of dialogue, I am not surprised that you imagined him with the voice of Master Chief from the live-action series. And yes, since Six was raised in a no-magic-bullshit society, B-312 might as well not give a damn about this whole Mythology BS. And that will make many people and gods from PJO a massive headache.
Nliochristou – Thanks. As for your questions:
1) – Cannot answer this question now. Right now, they are trying to even find out if it is their universe.
2) – Yes, but not soon.
3) – He might get a thing or two, but not from Gods. And you would be surprised, but in Greek Mythology, there were mortals (mortals – not demi-gods or legacies, but mortals) who were able to defeat gods. That and compared to most of the things and people from the PJO, B-312 is already overpowered. Giving him anything from the gods would make him OP AF. So, the answer is no.
4) – It will take a few chapters before we will reach the third book, but… Let's just say I will explain in the future why fate cannot affect him… And he will change a few things. But I won't say what exactly.
StellarEngine – Thank you very much, I am flattered.
Crazzytony – Yes, the main reason why make B-312 land in the maze is because of the time dilation. It will be my plot device for a while. And he will definitely have some interactions with other gods and goddesses. More than he will want to… But also not that much. As to when Six was born… Good question… I didn't think about it yet, to be honest… I will most likely answer in future chapters.
VGBlackwing – That is exactly why I wanted for Six to capture Lycaon. He is a perfect source of the information, the one that no matter how many times broken, will self-repair. In other words – a never-dying source of information.
Guest - Muchas gracias.
Guest – And who said that nobody has noticed it? You brought up a very interesting thing in your question. And to be honest, I also feel like the mist is too often used as an explanation as to why normal humans never noticed anything. And – honestly – I am a little tired of it. That is why I will give you a hint of what I have planned: You see, there is a very specific reason, why I wrote B-312's arrival from Gods' perspective… According to them, everything was already solved through the mist. But… I won't spoil anything… But keep that thought in your mind, it will be important in the future.
Lowrex – Thanks. And don't worry – I don't want to stop.
AxeTheGreat – Thanks.
Guest – I also don't recall it. As far as I am aware, Apollo is able to see the future, but he is unable to tell it to the others. He can only say anything about the future through his oracles. But it is also said that Apollo does not fully control the power of prophecy, so I just bend over the cannon a little. That and I just wanted to write a scene where the gods just freak out. But I don't think I will do a scene with Apollo saying a prophecy again. It was forced by B312 coming back in time. Normal PJO Apollo from now on.
Cryken – Well, every Spartan knows how to rip and tear. They just don't do it often.
That is it for now. Let's jump into the chapter!
Also – remember about my discord - more information on AN below or on my profile page!
Out of Reach
Chapter 5
Questions and Theories
Darkness. All that he could see was darkness. Overwhelming, everlasting darkness. And within the darkness, there was the pain. Never-ending, endless pain. As if someone was using acid on his skin.
But he was supposed to be immune to acid. He was the first werewolf, the great king Lycaon, the one feared even by gods! How could he feel any form of pain?
Lycaon tried to move his limbs, to get himself out, and to tear apart anyone who dared to treat him like another trophy. Yes, revenge of the Wolf King was always bloody, and the king was thirsty for blood.
But just then, Lycaon realized that something was different. He could not feel his limbs. There was no response from his arms or legs. Even worse – he could barely move at all. He felt as if someone was constantly draining him off from his vital strength. And that pain… Something was definitely wrong with it. He was Lycaon! He could regenerate faster than even gods!
And yet, when Lycaon gazed upon his body, he had found no legs or arms. Instead, he noticed that his limbs were torn apart, and the wounds were wrapped in… silver?
With a snarl, he realized why he felt so weak. His entire body was covered in a silver net. The one that could have only come from one Goddess he knew.
"BRITOMARTIS!" His roar echoed through the darkness, spreading Lycaon's rage through the void. "When I break free of your little trap, I will eat you alive! And then I will rape and kill everyone you hold dear! Starting from that whore, Artemis!"
Lycaon waited for an answer. He lived long enough to know how greek gods react to such a threat. He was waiting for the rageful reaction of Britomartis or any other member of Artemis' personal fan club. And yet, no one was calling back. No answer, just silence.
And so, Lycaon screamed. With rage, with promises of blood, with curses and oaths of painful death. And yet, no matter how much he tried, there was no answer, no cursing back, No bickering, just nothing—hours of silence.
It was frustrating to Lycaon. He was a king, He wasn't used to be ignored. He demanded respect and servitude. And yet, someone forced him to stay alone in the dark, in complete silence, wrapped in a silver net. It was easy to predict that Lycaon wasn't very fond of a person who did this to him.
It took hours, but Lycaon stopped screaming. He just realized that he was left alone, somewhere in a long-forgotten place, where no one will try to find him.
And so, hours were passing. Hours, that Lycaon used to think.
This place… Wherever he found himself, it wasn't Tartaros. Lycaon was in the pit a few times, so he could immediately tell that it was not the greek hell. The lack of poison air was a significant giveaway, along with the feeling of being constantly watched.
That and he couldn't remember dying. There was also the fact that he was still wrapped in a silver nest. Why would anyone try to hold him like this? It made no sense.
"Who and what are you?"
A sudden voice, coming from all around the darkness brought Lycaon back to reality. The voice belonged to a male – so now at least he was sure that he was not held captive by Artemis and her whores… She would never let a male anywhere hear her…
"Where are you?! Show yourself, you coward!" Lycaon yelled with authority, as any king of the old days would. Only to be once again answered by silence.
"Who and what are you?" The same voice asked once again. It was hard for Lycaon to even tell from where this sound came from. It was as if the darkness itself was speaking to him. And that infuriated him even more.
"Show yourself, and your death will be quick! Or else you will end up like the whores-AAAGH!" Before Lycaon could end what he wanted to say, he was interrupted by a sudden punch in the stomach. The force was so strong that it took away Lycaon's ability to breathe for dozens of seconds. He felt as if one of those mortals trains decided to strike him.
After he finally recovered enough to breathe again, the same voice asked him once more.
"Who and what are you?"
Now Lycaon recalled. Before he found himself in this place, he remembered his battle in Knossos's old ruins, where he tried to kill Britomartis. Then, someone came to help her. It looked like one of those automatons made by Hephaistus. He had a similar emotionless voice.
"You are that damned automaton! I will reap you apart for interrupting my hu-AAAAGH!"
He was once again interrupted. This time, someone or something decided to pull out his left eye. The pain was beyond comprehension. It wasn't something Lycaon felt in ages, even from the hands of Hunters. It felt almost as if he was mortal again.
"Who and what are you?"
And once more, the same damned question that would bounce around Lycaon's mind. Now he knew that if he wants to escape, he needs to cooperate, or at least force this being into killing him.
It took a few seconds for Lycaon to rethink his situation. And so, he answered.
"I am Lycaon! Once King of Arcadia, cursed by the gods to become the first werewolf! Now I am the king of wolves! You have some nerves to kidnap me during my hunt! I swear you will pay for-aaagh!" This time, the werewolf king's right cheek was slapped with such force that a few of his teeth just feel off his mouth.
While groaning in pain, Lycaon waited for the next question. He couldn't understand why someone would ask him such a question. Everyone knew who he was. Every god and a hero knew and feared him, the first werewolf. He was mighty. He was king of all wolves and werewolves around the world!
And so, Lycaon waited. Waited for any kind of response from his kidnapper. But to his own surprise, he got nothing. No answer, no bickering. No anything.
What was even more frustrating for Lycaon was that he could not tell where his kidnapper was. There was no smell, no sound, nothing. It was like the thing that took him away would just disappear whenever it got the answer to its question.
The nothingness around him was slowly turning Lycaon insane. And this point, he would really prefer to hear bickering and curses. Instead, he was just left in silence.
Lycaon was not sure how long he waited. Still, after a few minutes, the mysterious automaton once again decided to speak to him.
"Lycaon. Son of Pelasgus and Meliboea. The former king of a Greek polis Arcadia. According to legends, the Greek Gods cursed for the failed attempt of assassinating Zeus and serving human meat to the gods. Turned into the first werewolf in the world. Forced to watch as almost all of his children were executed by Zeus."
There was no sarcasm. There was no hate. It was as if the automaton just quoted a book about Lycaon.
The werewolf king could not understand it. After all those centuries, whenever someone got him captured, there were always words of hate spoken to him. But not this time. This kidnapper… It was as if it didn't care about the fact which it had before him. For it, Lycaon was just another target. And the werewolf king could not comprehend that.
"Female named Britomartis. Who is she?" The next question came out of the blue. And Lycaon could not understand why this automaton was asking him about it. This automaton should already know about all of this. All the automatons, created by Hephaistus or one of those half-blood bastards, should already know those things.
Lycaon was confused. There were so many questions in his head. If the automaton didn't know who he was helping, then why did he help that stupid bitch in the first place?
Or maybe… Maybe this was one of those faulty prototypes? The one that came out is not precisely in the way it should.
"Ohoho, now I get it! It is so funny! You are one of the failed examples of Hephaestus' work! I should have recognized a failure like you earlier! You don't even know what you are doing-AAAAUUUGHH!"
Lycaon once again learned why he should only answer the questions. His laughter was interrupted when, in the place where once his left arm was, someone pinned a nail. Lycaon could feel how the metal was tearing through his bone, making sure that his wounds in the left arm will not regenerate at all.
The pain… It has been a while since Lycaon could feel pain. Even Hunters of Artemis would just slaughter him on the side. But not this thing. For whatever reason, this automaton took every chance to give Lycaon as much pain as possible.
"Female named Britomartis. Who is she?" After the nail was pinned to his left arm's bone, Lycaon was asked the same question once more. And this time, he knew better than not to answer the question.
"She is a minor Goddess, former Artemis' hunter."
And then, once again – silence. As if the automatons took its time to understand what Lycaon just told.
"Britomartis. Born on Crete Isle. Daughter of Karme and Zeus. According to legends, she was born as a demigod, then turned into a goddess when she tried to escape the isle's king. Known as a deity from Cretean Pantheon. Also know in Greek legends as a loyal friend of the Goddess Artemis."
Now Lycaon understood what was happening. This thing… it was using him to learn. It captured him to learn. But why him specifically? Why did he choose to capture him instead of Britomartis?
But soon, Lycaon worked this out. That is why he wasn't killed. That is why this thing used a silver nest. Why it kept him alive.
It was using Lycaon to gain knowledge.
But there was also something not right. All the information that thing was telling… It was what mortals knew about the Greek world. Everyone in the world knew who he was, just like everyone knew that Britomartis was first a hunter, then she was transformed into a goddess.
"Why were you trying to kill Britomartis?" Another sudden question. A very dumb one, in Lycaon's opinion. Even someone not introduced to the Greek world could deduce that he was trying to kill her because she was a goddess. And a hunter on top of that.
"What kind of stupid question is that?!" Lycaon could no longer contain his frustration. "Are you a retarded piece of junk or something? What else you're going to ask me about? Who is Zeus? Or which gods belong to the Olympians council? Think about it, you brain-de-aaaaaaagh!"
Lycaon once again started to regret that he has spoken out of line. This time, he could feel a cold metallic hand ripping out his right eye-ball out of his skull.
"Why were you trying to kill Britomartis?"
Lycaon now realized – this thing will not stop until he answers its questions. There was no way out – if he wanted to get out from whatever the place he was currently held, he was forced to cooperate. There was no other choice.
"To have my revenge! I, Lycaon, will take revenge on every Olympian God for what they have done to me! They will regret the day they were born—aaargh!"
He was once again interrupted. This time, by another nail being pinned. This time, it was his right arm. Lycaon could once again feel how a nail was slowly moving through his bone. The pain was so intense that Lycaon started to vomit with blood.
At this point, he also wished to simply be killed by Britomartis. It would've been so much easier. He would recreate in the Tarataros, then find a way out to the mortal world once more.
"More."
Lycaon could understand. He wasn't sure if the pain was blocking him from understanding what the automaton was trying to say or if the thing simply asked for something more. But more, what? What was the "more" in its mind?
"More what? What in the Hades name you want?" Lycaon was barely conscious. The pain was slowly taking away his conscience. But before he could enter the paradise of Morpheus plane, he felt a needle injecting something into his body.
A sudden surge of energy jolted Lycaon awake. He felt almost reborn, ready to kill an entire army of half-bloods. Maybe even strong enough to survive.
But before Lycaon could even start thinking about an escape plan, he was punched in the stomach. Whatever was left inside his stomach, Lycaon was now vomiting it. That and blood. A lot of blood.
"More." Once again, the same command. The same wish, but this time, Lycaon had an idea what the automaton was asking for. And soon, the mysterious being confirmed it to him. "Tell me more. Tell me everything."
What Lycaon didn't know yet, was that it will take years before seeing a ray of sunlight again…
Britomartis didn't know exactly what to think about what happened a few days ago. What she experienced that day was… weird.
She could not stop thinking about that weird automaton. It behaved so weirdly, unlike any of the machines she has ever seen. She could not understand why Hephaistus would create such a faulty machine.
Obviously, she assumed that it was another one of the forge god's automatons… Only he was able to create such a wonder. But he always made machines that at least resembled humans or living creatures. That thing, on the other hand… It looked just like a stereotypical machine. One that a mortal would make, emotionless and soulless.
And there was another thing. Why would that machine try to keep Lycaon alive? It was easier to just kill it. He would go to Tartarus, and with a little luck, he would stay there for a few years. But no. Instead, that machine simply took her silver net and immobilized the wolf king.
And Britomartis could not understand that. Why would it do that? What was the point?
There was also the fact that it didn't listen to her commands. Every single one of Hephaistus automatons, no matter how primitive, is created in a way to always recognize and obey any god or Goddess. But that thing… It almost seemed as if Britomartis was standing in its way.
That and no automaton would use a mortal weapon, no matter how futuristic it would look.
Britomartis wondered… Maybe that was not one of our automatons? What if it was something else? But what it could be.
No matter what that thing was, she knew she should go to Artemis to give her report. Her old friend was most likely worried about her, especially since they were forced to split when the attack came.
Britomartis teleported to the outskirts of the hunter's camp. She knew exactly where it was. She still had that connection to the Artemis from the old days when she was one of her Hunters. She knew exactly where to search for her Lady.
As she appeared, she made sure to appear in a place with no one around her. She didn't want to accidentally kill one of her former sisters. And she also didn't want to make her old friend furious. She knew how dangerous enraged Artemis could be, and she didn't want the target of her fury.
As she entered the camp, the first thing she noticed was the animals - a few types of hunting birds, sitting on the trees. Carefully observing, while on the ground, a few wolves were laying on their bellies, half-sleeping half-guarding.
Then she met a few familiar faces from the times when she was still just a Hunter. First, she noticed Phoebe – one of the oldest Hunters to ever lived, serving Artemis for a few thousand years. She was one of the – if not the – best trackers.
Her ginger hair was loosely flowing on the wind. Britomartis smiled at the old friend, and soon she received a small smile from Phoebe as a response.
Then, Britomartis noticed Zoe, also one of the oldest Hunters around, one of Artemis's current lieutenants. She looked exactly the same as Britomartis remembered – like a Persian princess. Her diadem could really make her look like some princess who just decided to run away from her royal family.
"Britomartis." As soon as Zoe noticed the Goddess of Nests, she smiled came closer. "T'is valorous to seeth thee well and unharmed. We were worried about thee."
Britomartis couldn't help but laugh a little. No matter how much time has passed, Zoe seemed resistant to any form of language change.
"I am well, thank you, Zoe. I was forced to flee since Lycaon was on my tail." She answered with a small laugh at the end. She just couldn't help herself and make that bad pun.
But it would seem that Zoe Nightshade was also resistant to Britomartis bud puns, as she simply said to her old friend.
"Lady Artemis awaits thee in her tent."
And so, Britomartis entered the biggest tent in the camp.
Artemis' tent looked almost exactly as she remembered. Furs and skins of many wild animals, hanging on the walls, on the floor, and even on the bed. A bow and a few silver arrows just laying on the ground. On the center of it all, there was a small campfire, burning without the need of coil, giving a pleasant atmosphere and warmth, without the excessive smoke.
And, on the other side of the tent, there was a twelve-year-old girl, with dense, long auburn hair, tied into a ponytail and magical silver eyes, shining just like the moon.
This was her old friend, Artemis. The same Goddess who saved her from Knossos. The same one who later turned her into a minor goddess. In her usual twelve-year-old form.
"Britomartis." Artemis started. Her voice was calm but friendly. And yet, it was apparent that she was also happy to see her old friend unharmed. "I am so glad to see you safe. I was worried a little when we were forced to split."
Yes, the Goddess of nests recalled what happened a few nights ago. She was just visiting her friends from the hunt when Lycaon attacked with his pack. It was completely unexpected.
It was not the first time Lycaon attacked Artemis and her hunt, but it was the first time it was coordinated this well. And after a while, it was obvious to Britomartis that she was the main target of that attack. Lycaon did everything he could to separate her from the rest of the hunt.
The question is – why?
"Yes… It was a bizarre night. Yet I still don't know why Lycaon went after me."
"What is most important is that you are safe. Come Britomartis, come and sit next to me." Artemis said with a small smile while she tapped a place near her. Britomartis only nodded and accepted.
For a few minutes, both hunters sat there, in complete silence, enjoying the warmth of the small campfire inside the tent. No words were necessary at that moment, as both of them were just happy for a moment of safety they had.
"You know…" It was Britomartis who broke the silence. Her voice was unsure, almost as if she didn't know what she was even trying to say. "Lycaon… He almost got me. And so I panicked and teleported both of us to Crete. He tried to kill me there… But… Something happened. And I am not exactly sure what it was…"
Artemis patiently waited for Britomartis to continue. She knew her long enough to know that she will tell her everything. And yet it was surprising to Artemis to her old friend in such a state. Artemis remembered Britomartis as an energetic girl who loved to prank and tease people. Never shy or unsure, this was something Artemis would never expect her friend to be.
The Goddess of the moon was now even more worried about her friend. What happened on Crete isle to change Britomartis so much.
"He got me even there. He was so close. I… I wasn't even sure if I will come out of that fight without wounds. I mean… I was sure that I will win, but I also knew that it won't be an easy fight. And so, he got close and…" Britomartis paused once again for a few seconds.
Before she continued, she moved her hands towards the flame. The love started to change soon as if it was trying to show something similar to a picture.
The flames soon unveiled a presentation of a small version of what saved Britomartis that night. Weird bulky automaton, with black and silver armor, and strange bronze glass eye that covered most of its face. There was a bizarre knife in his one hand, while on the other – a mortal rifle that looked somehow futuristic.
Artemis wasn't sure what she was looking at. And yet, somehow, she also felt a weird connection to this picture, almost as if she knew what it represents, but she could not tell what.
"That weird thing… That weird automaton saved me. But, the thing is… It didn't behave like any of the automatons created by Hephaistus or any of the half-bloods. That thing was using only mortal weapons. I could not feel any form of celestial bronze, imperial gold, or even our silver on it. And… it would seem as if it had no emotions or even personality. Nothing. Just pure soulless machine. The only human thing in him was a male voice it had."
Male voice… For a second, Artemis feared that her friend was saved by a crazy mortal male… But she quickly dismissed the thought. No male mortal could defeat Lycaon.
Meanwhile, Britomartis continued her story.
"I tried to warn it that without a silver defeated Lycaon will be impossible. But it didn't listen. And… to be honest, I cannot understand how it did it. It was so unreal. He literally just tore Lycaon apart, limb by limb." At that point, it was apparent that Britomartis has left some of her inner fear to slip into her voice.
"And then… It asked me with its emotionless voice… No, more like ordered me to give him silver. But instead of killing that damn mutt… It used my nets to bind that werewolf. He used my nets to cover what was left of its limbs. And then it tried to simply go. I tried to stop it, but it was even stronger than I expected. It broke free and then… there was this blinding light, and it was gone…"
Artemis had to admit – what Britomartis said was very weird. First, the behavior of that automaton… None of the greek automatons behaved like machines. They were created to be almost human-like, to imitate mortals' personality.
Second thing – none of our automatons used mortal weapons. They were useless against anything mythological.
And most of all – all automatons could immediately recognize and obey any god or Goddess. It was set in them the moment they were created.
Artemis wanted to know what this thing was. Could it be that other pantheons created their own automatons? Even if yes, then why? Why would they hunt greek monsters? Why would they use mortal weapons? The fact that it was taken by the weird light was proof enough that some higher power was behind this odd automaton. And now Artemis wanted to know more.
"You know…" Britomartis added while still gazing at the imitation of the automaton that saved her. "When it looked at me… it was as if I was eyed by a dangerous lone wolf…"
Upon hearing those words, Artemis froze. Immediately, Apollo's words of prophecy came back to her mind, like a flood. Something in her mind was continually whispering to her: The wolf is out.
'Could it be…? Could it truly be… My…' She could not even end the sentence in her own head. It was a too terrifying thought to her.
The same words were circling in her mind for days, since the moment she heard Apollo's prophecy. She wanted to forget them, to throw them away, just like she threw away… Him.
She tried to deny it. There was no way for anyone to survive the chaos. There was no way in Tartarus that anyone will learn what has she done in the past. And so – there was no way that he would suddenly return.
And yet… She could feel that somehow He had survived. And maybe even He had returned. She couldn't tell where he was. She could only tell that he was out there, somewhere. And that thought was more dreadful than anything she had faced in the past. She was afraid of what He will do to her. She was scared of how her mother and brother would react.
In other words, she was afraid of the consequences of killing her own child.
Her son… It was the only thing she was afraid to admit. She had a son. A son that she threw into chaos, hoping that he will die before anyone could learn about his existence. And yet, judging from both Apollo's prophecy and Britomartis' words, it would seem that only he survived, but also he returned. Powerful, perhaps even unstoppable.
That… Or maybe it was just her imagination. After all, nothing could return from chaos. Not even gods were able to survive there. She had nothing to be worried about. It was just her imagination going wild.
Meanwhile, Britomartis looked at her old friend with worry. It was the first time she saw Artemis in such a state. It was as if her mind wasn't here. Her face was betraying her emotions – worry, dread, even panic.
It was as if Artemis knew more than she was allowed to say.
And yet Britomartis didn't comment it. She knew better than to bother her friend with teasings.
"I must report this to my father." Out of the blue, Artemis' face returned to normal. She stood up, with determination in her eyes. Britomartis knew that look – Artemis was ready for the next hunt. "Knowing all this, we will have to hunt down this rogue automaton. Will you join us, Britomartis?"
Britomartis looked up at Artemis. It has been a while since she traveled with her old friend and helped her in her hunt. But Britomartis would never decline such an offer. She loved to hunt just like Artemis, and she craved the thrill of the hunt once more.
That and she had to teach that stupid rogue automaton a thing or two about respecting the gods.
And so, with her trademark smirk, she delivered her answer to the Goddess of the hunt.
"You know the answer, Artemis. I would never say no to another adventure. "
Artemis nodded. Then she gently grabbed Britomartis' hand, and then both of them were covered in silver, moon-like light. Soon, they were both teleported to Olympus…
Demigods, monsters, gods, magic, mythology… It was a lot for a Spartan to take. After all, Noble Six was born in society, where magic and mythology were nothing more but just stupid fairy tales for kids. And now – assuming that anything that Lycaon has said was true – he found himself in the world of magic.
There were many things Noble Six had to think about. But it was nothing new for him. As an ONI agent and a Spartan, he was more than prepared to gather intelligence and adapt to this unique situation.
First thing – Gods. It would seem that somehow gods from the greek pantheons existed. Not only that, but it also would seem that they would often manipulate humans, have children with them… According to Lycaon, they were the actual rulers of the so-called "western civilization."
Noble Six wasn't exactly a big fan of the gods. If there was any hint of truth in what the former king of Arcadia said or anything that books about the Greek pantheon said, the Greek gods were an irresponsible bunch of idiots. They were like a mix of every worst trait of humans at every stage. Behaving like kids, with teenage-like hormones and sexual drive, and arrogance of the entitled generals that he has had to deal with in Oni.
There was no worst combination for anyone that that.
That and the greek gods were responsible for many deaths. According to UNSC law, they should be already executed for their war crimes. Forcing humans to fight for their wars? Experimenting on humans and making the monsters? Or just making people's life miserable just because they were in the mood to do so?
There was no excuse for them. They were a danger to the human race, and they should be dealt with as any other danger – with a bullet to their heads.
In personal opinion, the so-called Greek gods were no gods at all. In his mind, they were most likely invaders from space, trying to enslave humans. That only made Noble Six despise the so-called Greek gods even more.
Then there was the mist, the mist, would seem that the gods were using it to make sure that humans will never see them. According to Lycaon, it was also possible to control people's minds with the mist. Noble Six wasn't aliens to mind-control tactics, so he tried to think about a reasonable explanation to that. Nano-bots? Electromagnetic waves? Some kind of unknown drug?
One thing he knew for sure – humans had to be freed from the control of the mist. They were used as slaves for far too long.
Third thing – monsters, it would seem that Greek Gods had experimented with humans and created those mutants. Lycaon was one of the examples. Officially, it was their way to punish those who dared to not obey them. In Six eyes, this method was putting too many civilians under unnecessary risk.
Sadly, it would seem that those monsters were more interested in harming everything around them. Under normal circumstances, they would be protected through the Mortal Dictata law. Still, the behavior stated that they should be dealt with in the same way as Insurrection.
Fourth thing, the so-called Demigods or half-bloods. It would seem that up to this day, some of the god/human hybrids are still alive. The same law – Mortal Dictata – stated that they should be treated just like any average UEG citizen. Their origin mattered not. In the eyes of the law, they were humans.
As far as Lycaon was aware, there were five significant groups of demigods.
Camp Half-Blood. Currently on a Long Island, New York. Possible above hundred campers. Children of greek gods, both majors, and minors. Besides hybrids within the camp, there were also living members of other species – Nymphs and Satyrs—a total number of campers – above a hundred.
As Six recalled, Nymphs and Satyrs were not of human origin. They were created when Ouranos died. They were made from god's corpses.
Noble Six wasn't sure as to what to think about them. According to the knowledge he had, most of the Nymphs and Satyrs were pretty harmless. Only some of them had a bad relationship with humans. On the other hand, most of them worshipped a god known as Pan, who wasn't very fond of humans. In other words, they were a problematic case.
The next place was an enclave inside San Francisco – Camp Jupiter. It was a place for roman half-bloods. As Lycaon said, the gods were split between the versions of themselves – Greek and Roman. They were not united, and they have often waged war with each other.
For Six, it was a great opportunity. It meant that it was possible to manipulate those so-called gods into fighting against each other. In other words, – divide and conquer.
As for Camp Jupiter… It was supposed to be a much larger place than Camp Half-blood, with its own city. Besides Demigods, within the city walls also lived satyrs, nymphs, spirits, and legacies – children of the demigods. Population? Most likely above a few hundred, maybe even above a thousand.
In both cases, the number of people in those camps is yet to be confirmed.
Amazons – another group of demigods and legacies. According to Lycaon's knowledge, they were a continuation of the same group of female warriors tribe from ancient Greece. If anything regarding the amazon's legends was real, it would mean that they were highly misandristic in nature or felt superior over the males. If they continued to practice slavery as they did in the past, they should be dealt with immediately.
But before anything could be done against the Amazons, more intel was necessary. As of now, Six have only learned that they were somewhere out there.
Hunters of Artemis. A group of female-only followers of the Goddess of moon and hunt. It was confirmed by the Lycaon that they were highly misandristic and hateful towards all males. The werewolf also described that Artemis and her hunters would kill any male immediately, even if someone would just find their camp by accident.
Highly misandric, most likely also driven through religious fanatism towards their Goddess, perhaps even brain-washed by Artemis herself. In Six eyes, they were dangerous. Too dangerous to even exist. UNSC and ONI laws were unambiguous about what Six should do to both Amazons and Hunters – exterminate. Eliminate all members, and destroy evidence of the existence of those groups.
It would also seem that there might be a war incoming. During his interrogation, Lycaon confessed that the Titans are rising and will try to destroy Olympians. And then they will try to recreate the entire western civilization.
It would seem that the biggest threat to humanity were titans, especially their king, Cronos. They were gathering monsters, demigods, and even mercenaries. They have ordered Lycaon to attack the hunters to distract the gods from titans.
And there were also more. Circe and her students. Triumvirate. Monsters. Titans. Giants… It would seem that there were dangers to humans hidden within the shadows, trying to manipulate the entire human civilization.
Noble Six already knew what to do. His mission was simple, the same as always. Protect humans from everything that could threaten their existence. Eliminate all dangers.
And so, Spartan B312 stepped once again into the darkness, going wherever the endless maze would take him…
And that is it! Oh boy, I really wanted to publish it. It was definitely too long without publishing a chapter.
I hope that you don't mind a chapter where there is not as much action. I don't want this story to be just pure action. So I hope you have nothing against it.
So, more gods are slowly learning about the possibility of Six's existence, our Spartan is gaining Intel about the world around him… Who knows what will happen next?
Now, a quick thank you to my Beta-Reader, Rogue-El, who has done an amazing job with all the chapters (this as well), so that my story would not look like a gibberish maze – thank you mate, I owe you big time.
A quick reminder about my discord server – if you wish to know about the progress of creating this (and other) stories, and you would like to talk more about the story – be it your theories, ideas, etc. – just visit my discord server. The link is here (discord . gg/ pghekDe ) and on my profile page.
Anyway, I believe it is for now. See you in the next chapter!
Czechus out!