Guess who's back?
Yeah, it's me! And you have definitely waited far too long for this. But here we are again, with another chapter, one that I am pretty sure you have all waited for!
Now, the last chapter was dedicated to pleasing Goddess Artemis so that she would let the space mission Artemis I be successful. Now I want to thank her for that. I was screaming like a little girl when I saw the launch of Artemis I.
Now, with everything sorted out, let's begin!
Out of Reach
Chapter 13
The firstborn returns
Everything about the quest felt completely wrong. Even if she was trying to save her goddess, Zoe felt something was amiss against fate. And it all was somehow connected to the prophecy given by the oracle.
Was she supposed to save her goddess, the one she had, no, the one that she trusted over many millennia? Or was she supposed to uncover the truth about the one she and her sisters were hunting for so long? The machine, the so-called wolf, the reclaimer, the…
Zoe could not even utter those words. They felt wrong as if speaking those words meant she was defying natural order - as if she was betraying her trust for her goddess.
Nevertheless, she decided to – as always – trust her goddess completely. She was her lieutenant; she was her most trusted battle sister. She will not betray everything she believes in just because of a few incoherent words from the oracle. That was her decision. She believed in her goddess and trusted that Artemis would reveal the truth when free.
And yet, the quest itself felt… wrong. Even before the group started to search for the missing goddess, her sister-in-arms, Phoebe, was forced to stay due to the poisoned t-shirt she was given. Then, the son of Poseidon joined their quest just before they were forced to fight the Nemean Lion. Only to later realize that they were hunted by the Spartoi.
The Junkyard of the Gods was when she lost another sister. Bianca sacrificed herself to stop the giant automaton from killing them. And as much as she hated it, there was no time for grief. Their time was limited, and Artemis was waiting to be rescued.
They have all reached the Hoover Dam, where they all fought against the skeleton warriors. And that was the moment when she realized that something was not right. In the desert, Bianca was able to destroy one of the warriors. But there were only ten skeleton warriors during their skirmish at the dam. Did Bianca kill more than the one she saw? Or was there someone else helping them in this quest?
Once they all reached San Francisco, the time remaining fell heavily on the entire team. The clock was ticking, their enemies were on their tails, and the finish was still far away. Nereus showed them the monster that her goddess was trying to find. Then lord Dionysus helped them avoid the manticore and the honorless mercenaries. And finally, they received help from the mortal father of the kidnapped demigoddess, Doctor Frederick Chase.
Fate, of course, was still throwing adversities against them even when they were so close to reaching their destination. Of course, nothing could stop stubborn demigods, overjoyed satyrs, and a zealous servant of the hunting goddess from reaching the place that would lead them to their goddess.
The Garden of Hesperides.
Zoe wasn't exactly sure how and what to feel. After so many years, countless centuries, she was going back to where her life as a huntress began. Before, she was just another Hesperide, a nymph of the evening and sunset. She wondered how her sisters in blood would welcome her. She could still remember being disowned by her own family just because she aided that son of a whore who ultimately betrayed her.
Zoe cast all her fears aside. It was not a time for sentiment. Her goddess was in need of her, and she swore to help her in any way possible.
And thus, she entered the garden with her fellow companions. What she saw on the other side was anything but the garden she once remembered.
The entire garden was on fire, with dark grey clouds covering the sunset and the ashes falling like snow. The trees with apples of immortality burning to the crisp, leaving nothing aside from ashen ground.
This wasn't the garden of her childhood years. It wasn't the home where she would dance and sing with her Hesperides sisters. It was pandemonium, a paradise turned into a hellish nightmare. The smell of burned fruits, plants, flowers, and meat, combined with ionized air – such symphony entered her nose, causing her stomach to twist.
"What hath happened here…?"
"The wolf. That gent cameth and did turn this lodging into ashes."
The voice came from behind the fountain. A voice so similar to hers.
The group moved around to see who was addressing them. And then Zoe's heart almost stopped. As much as she hated her blood sisters for abandoning her, she could not stand to see them like this. First, she saw the one who called them. It was Hesperia. She clutched her stomach, from which golden ichor dripped onto the ground. Her face was pale, and her eyes were empty as if she was one leg already in the Erebus.
Other Hesperides were in no better shape.
Aegle held her throat as the golden ichor slowly leaked between her fingers. Arethusa was lying on the ground, crying with barely any air in her lungs. She could not move her legs – it was as if someone had just broken her entire back. And there was also Erytheia, the last of the Hesperides, with a bullet hole in-between her eyes.
That was something Zoe could never expect. She never wished her blood relatives to suffer, not like this. So how could this all happen? What thing in the world could possibly be able to just kill the Hesperides, daughters of Atlas, with such relative ease?
"But… yond is impossible… Ladon? Wherefore thee didn't calleth the dragon to protecteth thee?!"
"We didst."
Then, a large object fell onto the ground from a tree that would lead into Mount Othrys. Something large enough to be…
One of Ladon's heads.
It was all beyond Zoe's comprehension. Not even Heracles could just enter the Garden of Hesperides and cause that much pure destruction. And none of the gods she knew would disobey Zeus' direct order of not interfering in the quest. Nothing of what Zoe saw made any sense.
"What… what happened here? What the hell is going on?"
Zoe turned around and noticed the same shock on her fellow comrades' faces. Both the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Zeus were flabbergasted. Not even demigods witnessed that much destruction in their lives. On the other hand, the satyr looked as if he was about to fall down to his knees and cry.
"The wolf cameth. We hath tried to lure that gent with our song and danceth. But t wast as if it be true that gent wast unfazed by our song. T eke wast not interested in the apples of immortality. Then, Erytheia hath tried to lure that gent with more powerful song. And as joy filled our hearts, we lured another demigod, yond thing… yond monster… hath used one of the mortal weapons… to killeth mine own lief sister!"
The entire group continued to listen with dread as to how the Hesperides were desperately trying to fight the so-called wolf. And yet nothing seemed to be working. Hesperia described how none of their weapons could even scratch the wolf's armour, how their strength failed against him, even if they were daughters of mighty Atlas.
In their last effort, the nymphs of evening called their dragon to protect them. How mighty Ladon launched his attack and unleashed its fiery fury upon the intruder. And how even that failed against the warrior.
She described how the wolf was utterly immune to Ladon's fire. How despite using – what seemed to her – mortal weapons, the wolf was capable of hurting their dragon. And how ultimately, the wolf summoned his own holy fire and burned the dragon from the inside.
Zoe could feel her blood sister's dread. She recalled all the fights the hunt had with that thing, and just now, she truly understood how outmatched she and her sisters were. That monster could decimate the entire hunt without even making any effort. The only reason they were all alive was only that it did not view them as its current target.
And now, the prophecy asks her to go exactly where the wolf went. To the place where her father was imprisoned, where most likely her lady was kept. Straight to the Mount Othrys. The once-capitol of Titans.
"Zoe…" the voice of her female companion, daughter of Zeus, shook her back to reality. Thalia Grace was looking at her with eyes full of… Zoe wasn't exactly sure. Was it fear or sadness? Or was she trying to comprehend – just like she – what was going on? "What is this hesperide talking about? Who is this 'wolf'?"
Zoe knew she won't be able to hold their companions forever. They were all asking similar questions throughout the entire quest. She would usually just remain silent or avoid the question altogether… But now, after seeing the pure destruction around the place she once called home… Her companions had the right against whom they were standing against.
"' Round a few months ago, one of our sisters, goddess Britomartis, while hunting by lycaon, the lady encountered… we art still not sure what it twas. We hath believed t to best just a rogue automaton, but now… after seeing this and hearing the prophecy…."
The flames danced in Zoe's eyes as the smoke slowly got inside the huntress' lungs. She coughed a few times and continued.
"Yond thing… t wast capable of avoiding the entire hunteth for months while attacking large groups of monsters. T was… t is capable of permanently killing those folk. Whenev'r we wouldst enter any monster lair 'r camp… there wast nothing hath left. We're barely able to findeth any bodies' r coequal evidence of the square. T was…"
Zoe couldn't hold her tears, nor could she hold her body any longer. She started shaking out of pure fear. She finally realized that in this battle, she was never a hunter. She was prey.
"T wast as if 't be true Thanatos itself cameth for those folk and reap those folk."
Suddenly, Zoe was violently grabbed by Thalia – Zeus' daughter. Her eyes were sparking with electricity and uncontained anger. The huntress could feel the electricity quickly moving through her body, stabbing every cell like a needle. Hundreds of thousands of needles.
"And you tell us this now?!"
Thalia's voice was now like venom for the huntress. The daughter of the Sky was angry, and now there was nothing to hold off her anger. And yet Zoe could not blame her. Not now, not after what they just heard.
"Thalia, calm down-!"
"Calm down my ass! You've all heard what she said! She was leading us straight into a trap! Right into this gods-damned wolf's hands!"
There were thousands of words that Zoe wanted to say. To reprimand the rebellious daughter of Zeus for her irrational behaviour. To remind her about their mission. To show her own loyalty to Artemis… To apologize for never telling the whole truth. But her voice refused to leave her mouth. All she could do was wait until Thalia's inner storm passed away.
"You're right, but it does not matter right now. Now, all that mattered was to save Annabeth and release Artemis. We can solve other matters later."
Most likely, for the first time in centuries, Zoe looked at a male with something else that anger in her heart. Son of Poseidon seemed to be the complete opposite of the previous holder of her sword. She was glad not only for the Anaklusmos to find a worthy wielder but also for him to be part of this quest.
After a moment of hesitation, Thalia finally calmed and released Zoe's collar. Her eyes were still full of anger, but now she was again focused on the quest.
"So… Where now?"
"Mount Othrys. Mine own father's prison."
And thus, they moved through the ashes of the Garden of Hesperides, silently following the smoke. As they continued their journey, they saw other fragments of a once mighty dragon that used to protect the apples of immortality. Now, its half-burned body was leaving the odour of death to remind everyone what would happen to those standing against the wolf.
After a while, the group of half-bloods had finally reached their destination – Mount Othrys, the seat of power of Titans. Now, almost rebuilt, almost in its full power. And right where Zoe's father used to hold the Sky, now a lonely and tired goddess was taking the Titan's punishment in chains.
"My lady!"
Zoe let out a desperate call to her goddess. But as she was about to quickly approach her mistress, she called back to her with an equally desperate tone.
"Stop! It's a trap! You must leave now!"
Throughout her year as a huntress, Zoe was always wholly obedient to Artemis. But that was the only order she had to disobey. And thus, she reached her patron and tugged her chains. And as she was trying to free Artemis, a booming voice spoke behind her.
"Ah, how touching…."
How could it happen?
How could it all end like this?
Artemis's mind was constantly asking those questions while she was busy trying to hold the Sky. And, of course, she knew what led her to this place, right into the trap. But she was an Olympian goddess – her wounded pride demanded retribution.
She left her huntress with her brother while she hunted an old beast. And its trail led her straight into Mount Othrys, where she met Titan Atlas – free from his imprisonment, standing next to the traitorous demigod of Hermes – Luke Castellan. It was a perfect trap for her – they all knew she would never hesitate to help a distressed maiden.
And now, she was forced to hold the Sky and listen to countless mockers from the Titan's forces.
Of course, as the personal prisoner of Atlas, she was often visited by her new prison guard. Atlas seemed to take great pleasure in watching her squirm under the Sky's weight and the celestial bronze chains. The general was indeed pleased with her current state. But there was something more to it. Every time Atlas came to mock her, she would learn something new about the current movement of her enemies and allies.
That is how she learned about the ongoing quest to Mount Othrys, which was supposed to save her. But there seemed to be more. Atlas wanted to know something from her. And he was waiting with his question for the right moment when her mind would finally start to break. And as much as she hated the general, Artemis knew that Atlas would get what he wanted sooner or later.
And she even already knew what the general would ask her.
"Tell me… Why are you hunting your own son?"
Part of her knew. The Olympus was being infiltrated, after all. But that could not help her from wondering – how Atlas could know that much? Not even her hunters could suspect what they were genuinely hunting – not even she knew initially. So how could Titans already possess such knowledge?
"Oh, don't be so shocked. Olympians are not the only ones capable of reading fate. Or have you already forgotten what Koios is capable of?"
Koios. Name that did not appear too often. Name, so often forgotten, and yet so important – maybe not to Artemis, but to her mother, Leto. After all, Koios was Leto's father. Lord of the North, Titan of farsight, intellect, and knowledge. It was now apparent to Artemis how her enemies knew about her previous hunt. They knew and wanted to use it – both against her and Olympus itself.
"Yes, Koios learned many things. He learned you had a son. The Sky whispered to him about your atrocity. It would seem that lord Kronos's blood is way thicker than you Olympians would wish for."
Atlas's loud laughter was like a sault to her injuries.
"Worry not, huntress; the oracle has already foretold the truth to the demigods and your hunters. They all know what kept you occupied for such a long time. Even my traitorous daughter knows it. And she has some questions for you as well."
Artemis could almost feel how Atlas's words were picking all her hope apart. Her greatest secret, her greatest shame. Her greatest resentment. And now it was back, haunting her like a ghost from the past.
"Koios is still trying to fully understand what happened. The Sky whispered to him countless words that we are still trying to understand and deduce the true meaning of. I will not lie; Koios took great toil during his first try at reading your son's fate. Words given to him by the Sky almost killed him. I still remember him mumbling incoherently… "
Atlas violently grabbed Artemis's chin and asked with a tone full of venom.
"So how did a virgin goddess like you end up with a baby, with a boy? You better tell us fast. Although, it changes nothing. His existence is problematic for Olympians because he proves that gods don't care about their offspring, which will only bring more cannon fodder for our cause. Maybe even it brings him to us?"
Artemis closed her eyes and listened to how Atlas once again left her alone with her burden. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks as her mind finally gave up. Of course, she remembered. She recalled the boy. Her baby. The child she could not love.
It all happened many thousand years ago when she was still a very young goddess. She was much wilder, more aggressive, and more akin to the wilderness than the moon.
And as always, it all began with one hero. Aeneas, the child of Aphrodite.
Aeneas was a hero of countless quests and adventures. He was one of the heroes of the Iliad, protecting his beloved city from the barbaric hordes of King Agamemnon. He was the one to gather all the survivors and the one who would give a foundation for one of the greatest civilizations created by mankind.
And he was also someone who – as much as she would want to deny it – the one who she dared to have less than innocent thoughts, even if just for a moment.
He was unlike any other child of Aphrodite. Unlike any of the male heroes. Raised by the Nymphs, favourited by my brother Apollo. I became impressed with his skill with a bow, notably with his loyalty. To his people. To his cause. To his oaths. A soul that refused to break a promise was a soul that became a guest in my heart.
Despite my initial dislike for any male heroes or children of Aphrodite, I began to bless his hunts and his fights. I became his patron as well in the Trojan War. I watched and enjoyed his victories and every smile of his – as much as I wanted to deny it. And yet I always watched it from the shadows or the high heavens. I was – and I am – a goddess of duty and virginity. I would not dare to halt my hunt or any other task just for primal pleasantries.
That is until one day, Aeneas almost died in my arms. On that faithful day, the son of Aphrodite was fighting against Diomedes, king of Argos. Aeneas fought bravely, bravely than most, when standing against great heroes.
He fought bravely, but the mortal hero of Argos struck down Aeneas, and at that moment, my pure heart stopped for a second. Something new, completely unknown, screamed in my mind that I should not let him die. And die, he did not. With my brother Apollo, and my mother Leto, we took the fallen hero of Illia into the heavens, into the great chamber of Olympus.
We would heal the brave and nurse him back into his former glory there. In those days, I would often be alone with his unconscious body, tempted by my primal thoughts to claim him as my own – even if that meant risking the wrath of the goddess of love.
I never let those thoughts win. Aeneas was never meant to be mine, just like I was never meant to be with any male – I swore an oath and would keep my word. But my oath prevented me only from ever belonging to a man.
A wild thought penetrated my mind. A hidden overwhelmed my body and my mind. I need to have something of my own, to possess something that would be mine and mine only. Something that other goddesses could enjoy and I not. Something to love and cherish, someone to see its entire world just in me.
A child of my own.
And so, on one of the nights, when neither Apollo nor Leto was watching, I grabbed a small part of Aeneas's essence. Even at that moment, a part of me still tried to resist. Something was telling me that I should not do it. That the consequences of such action would haunt me for the rest of my life.
Oh, how ironic.
I have waited a long for the right moment. And it came in my moment of desperation.
During the Troyan War, at some point, my father allowed gods to fight each other. You mortals called it Theomachy. I happened to stand against the mother of heavens, my father's wife, Queen Hera.
No. A fight would not be an apt description. It hurts my immortal pride to this day; there was no fight. Just a pure humiliation at the hands of the Queen. Ironically, before that, I chided my own brother for being too afraid to fight against Poseidon. It was the first time I tasted the true poison behind the god's pride.
Queen Hera humiliated me. The difference between me and her was too great. For me, it was one of the hardest battles of my life. For her, not even a banter. Barely something to humour her. As if every attack I would try to lay on her was nothing more than a playful nibble of a small pet.
That day, I ran away to my father like a scared, wounded animal; all the while, my mother took what was left of my war gear and my pride. All the while, I cry on my father's shoulder. I felt weak, useless, and powerless. But not even my father could lift up my spirit. And thus, when Nyx won the dominance over the Sky against her daughter, I went back to the great chamber to see him.
Aeneas. The perfect one. My instincts overwrote my every bit of pride as a goddess. I wanted something only for myself, and I would have it.
Carefully, to not wake up the sleeping hero or alert his mother, I slowly merged a very small part of Aeneas's essence with my own. It was done. My future descendant. My future little moon. My future perfect daughter.
Or was it?
At that time, I was completely obvious and unaware of the destiny awaiting Aeneas. And what great feats he would achieve. To unite the remnants of Troy, only to sail through the most dangerous seas, and venture through the most dangerous lands, only to find a new kingdom in Italia, one that would later in time become one of the largest empires in the world, starting what would be later known as the "western civilization."
He was destined for greatness. And like every future king with a promising future, he was blessed with one more thing – an assured dynasty. Fate wanted his legacy to last for a long time, so he would need to be assured of a future heir. Thus Aeneas was blessed to have only sons.
And what no one – not even Aeneas himself knew – I carried his firstborn son in my womb. A child of Artemis and a legacy of Aphrodite. Not my perfect daughter, but… a son.
Ashamed, I ran to a place where no one could see me. My mind was in utter panic. Billions of thoughts ran through my immortal brain as chaotically as the spirits of the wind during a storm. What was I thinking? How could I be so stupid? How could I – Artemis of the hunt – do such an irresponsible thing? Fate would demand the impossible from my future child, as all the god's eyes would be upon him. He could become a challenge, an obstacle to fate's plans for the Aeneas dynasty.
I still do wonder how those nine months passed through so fast. I tried everything I could to change anything with my child. I tried to metamorph him from a demigod son to maybe a daughter of nature, another nymph. I tried to remove it, kill it. I tried everything, but destiny stood against me – every son of Aeneas was destined to be born.
I carried Aeneas heir for nine months, helpless to change my destiny. For nine months, I watched how the consequence of one stupid night grew inside my womb. And when the time came, I brought a young child into the world, alone and in the cold, somewhere where no one would hear my cries of pain.
And there he was. My son. My little moon. Alone, cold, terrified of the world that awaited him. The echoes of his cries still sometimes appear in my heart. His childish plead for help, for warmth… for love.
My heart was fighting against itself. I tried to resist the motherly instinct to protect my child; I wanted to hate my son… but I could not, unlike the weak Artemis who ran away from Olympus in shame. "I" was not enough. I needed power, unlike anything I had summoned to do the unspeakable.
I recalled all the times whenever I hated males. I called for all the hatred towards males from my sisters-in-hunt, of how many times we had to rescue a maiden from the filthy and perverted hands of the opposite sex.
More. I needed more.
I recalled my oath to my father. How I would only have female companionship. How many males in my hunt would be unnatural. Against the oath, against the order. Abomination almost.
Not enough. More.
I now recalled the instinct of every wild animal that saw its child as incomplete, unfit, incapable of being what it was supposed to be. As something born not as it was supposed to be. Every wild mother at that moment would just leave the incomplete child in the wilderness to die. And at that moment, I channelled the instinct of every wild female to abandon the unfit child.
Almost… but not enough. I needed more. I needed to summon my darkest aspect, the evilest and most dreadful version of me.
I called for my Spartan aspect – the Artemis Orthia, and for every depravity she – I was involved in. How I enjoyed the yearly beatings of young males and adored every bit of their blood leaking onto my statues – onto me. I called for the darkest aspect of me from the entire Hella. How they enjoyed alive sacrifices, the torture of the innocent, the pleasure of their screams and pain.
On that one night, I was the darkest and the evilest version of myself. Capable of any and every atrocity. Even crushing every bit of love and motherly instinct I had for my firstborn son.
With all the dark power running through my veins, I teleported into the edge of chaos – a place where even gods dared not to venture. At any other moment, I would be too terrified to go even near that place. But all that dark power running through me crashed every seed of dread. There was just me and a terrible sin I was about to commit.
And there we were. Me and my son, standing on the edge of chaos. Me, heartless with a cold heart, and my child – scared, alone, searching for my non-existing warmth. And then I did something not even Queen Hera could do – I threw my son into chaos to face oblivion and nonexistence.
He was falling into nothing, soon to become nothing. His cries… so horrifying. So heartbreaking. Obliterating slowly every bit of hatred I could have for him. At the last moment, I realized what I had just done. But before I could yell, fall to my knees, reach out for him, or even berate myself for what I had done, he turned into mist and… disappeared. Became nothing. I could no longer feel him. The firstborn of Aeneas and the firstborn of Artemis was no longer.
Later I returned to my sisters and my duties as a goddess as if nothing had happened. I cared not for questions nor for the smirk of victory on Hera's lips for a few next years. I believed that nothing happened, and thus, nothing happened. Have I regretted it? I was – and I am – a goddess. Gods do not regret, for they have nothing to regret. I have the right to do with anyone and anything, whatever I please.
Centuries passed. Troy has fallen, as later many countries and empires. The great kingdom of Agamemnon fell into oblivion, bringing back the old balance of the city-states. Athens, Sparta, Argos, and Tebes continued to fight for dominance, only to temporarily unite against the greater threat coming from the empire of the East – Persia.
Later, all the Hella would fall into Macedonian dominance, only later to be taken over by the promised empire of the Aeneas's descendants. I would become Diana, the Roman Goddess of hunt, wilderness, and moon.
And yet even Aeneas's empire fell into obscurity. A new religion has taken over the empire, the constant in-fights between so-called emperors of Rome, constant invasions of barbarians… And the empire became divided. Between West and East. Only for the West to fall apart not long after and the East to last another millennium, but not as a Roman empire, but Bizantinian empire.
Another millennium later, nothing that would even resemble what was once created by the Aeneas' descendants was left. Constantinople was no more, as the mighty Greco-roman empire fell apart at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. And we, gods, migrated with the heart of the West whenever it went. To whatever country was the most powerful.
All the while, I completely forgot about my one night of weakness… and the horrible consequences that followed. I forgot about my atrocity… I forgot about everything. I told you – gods feel no shame, no remorse, for we do not make mistakes. We are perfect.
But fate had other plans.
I felt it when the skies turned against me, and the constellation shifted into the unknown. I felt it when I woke up on Olympus and swore I would find whoever dared to attack me. I felt it when Britomartis told me what happened to her. I felt it when I saw it for the first time. Even if I could not see its face, deep down, I knew.
After all, a mother always knows.
It was easy to shut down that feeling. Reasonable thoughts were the most helpful. No gods could survive the chaos, so how could one powerless baby? It could not be him, right? It could not be my son; that was just impossible. It was just a stupid automaton, right?
Right? Right?!
So what made me doubt? What made me believe that connection? Could it be his actions? His skill? Or was it my regret? Or repressed motherly love and instinct?
Did any of that matter right now? When I was in chains, forced to hold the Sky as Atlas continued to taunt me?
And then, the screams came.
Screams unlike any other. Screams of terrified maidens who had never felt fear in their life. Everything came from below my prison, where the Garden of Hesperides lay. Those were the screams of the daughters of Atlas. Screams of pain and fear.
Then came the roaring of the dragon. Laddon, the dragon with hundred heads. First came the roars of an enraged beast. But even those turned into a desperate cry for help from a wounded animal. If I did not know how dreadful Ladon can be, I would be tempted to feel sorry for it. Something below was fighting against the dragon and winning – something is done only by one demigod so far.
Explosions from below entered my ears like sparrows, with angry whiplash entering my head. With them came the disgusting stench of burned bodies and… poison? The stench was almost impossible to bear, creating a cacophony for the senses when added to the sound of explosions. I was beginning to wonder if Atlas just found a new way of torturing me when everything suddenly stopped.
The surreal silence welcomed the Palace of Titans. It was almost as if someone silenced the time itself.
I cannot tell how much time has passed since then. Was it just minutes? Hours? Days? Or maybe entire eternity? The time started to flow to me only after I heard a familiar cry.
"My Lady!"
My ears did not deceive me. As I raised my head, I saw familiar faces. My beloved lieutenant, ever-loyal Zoe Nightshade. And with her, Thalia Grace - daughter of my father, Perseus Jackson – current son of Poseidon, the one to give back my father its bolt.
"Stop! It's a trap! You must run!"
My voice, perhaps for the first time in millennia, was hoarse and resembling nothing of a tone that should come from a goddess' throat. Days of holding the Sky, enduring the punishment meant for the Titan of strength alone, compared with the Atlas's constant bickering… I barely resembled anything godly-like.
And on top of all that, I was now forced to watch how my own lieutenant disregarded my order and how she tried to break my chains in tears.
"How touching."
Atlas' booming voice echoed throughout the entire dark palace. His voice was covered in thick layers of sarcasm and sadism, without even a trace of love for his daughter. His evil and twisted smile almost illuminated the dark. And as he walked towards us, he took the most known demigod traitor – Hermes' bastard, Luke Castellan, with Athena's daughter as a prisoner.
The tension became thicker than the mist, with pure hatred visible on both sides. All they needed was a sparkle to set a fire of bloodshed between once-friends.
Finally, all the pre-fight talks ended with Zoe's one demand.
"Let Artemis go!"
But her father only laughed at her attempt.
"Perhaps you'd like to take the Sky for her, then? Be my guest."
"No! Do not offer Zoe! I forbid you!"
I was assured of my sister's loyalty, and I knew Zoe would offer to stand in my place without hesitation. And as much as my heart beamed with pride for Zoe's loyalty, I knew that such a task would take too much of her strength.
The pointless talks continued as the tension in the palace seemed to reach the skies. The Son of Poseidon tried to force Atlas into a fight – I am yet to uncover whether it was out of pure stupidity or bravery. In contrast, the traitorous bastard tried to lure Thalia into joining his cause. All the while, the army of monsters slowly marched toward the dark palace.
With Thalia's last denial, the loyal demigods charged at their enemies. And as their swords and spears were about to clash…
A sound of thunder pierced through the palace like a whip silencing everyone inside. No one knew where it came from, but I soon realized that my chains were obliterated thanks to Zoe's sudden cry of surprise. Could it be that my father decided to help with the quest?
The first one to break the silence was the Titan of Strength.
"And thus, our final guest has arrived. Why won't you step into the light? We all have waited for you to come, Son of Artemis!"
The words Atlas spoke were like spears piercing through me and the group that was supposed to rescue me. But the most shocked was my dear sister-in-arms. My Zoe. From the look on her face, I could read her utter shock. She already knew, and yet she could not believe it. And… neither could I. And yet, the Titan of strength called out for him, my son.
"You don't have to hide! I know what you have been through!"
This time, Luke Castellan used his silver-tongued speech to convince his cause of whatever was hiding in the shadows. And Thus my heart dropped, for I could not think of any reason for… my son to not stand against the Olympians. He was not raised in the camp; he was unaware of my turmoil.
The traitorous son of Hermes had perfect tools to mould my child into a perfect weapon against the gods. And he knew how to use it.
"The constant running from monsters. The feeling of not being good enough for your own godly parent! I know what it's like! But with your help, we can change that! We will destroy Olympus and obliterate their pathetic Western civilization to the ground! With Titans' help, we will be on top! Living like kings! No longer being chained by neither gods nor pathetic mortals-"
Another sound of thunder went through the palace. And soon after, the sound of flesh tearing apart reached my ears. It happened way too fast for any mortals to notice. From the perspective of my mortal rescuers, the half-blood son of Hermes was suddenly pushed off the mountain by an unknown force.
But my immortal opponent and I saw it differently. As the sound of thunder reached the mortal, his entire chest was blown apart by a metal bullet. His lungs had mostly evaporated, and the last shreds of his heart were now hanging on the remnants of his chest. And then came the second part of the devastation, as the whiplash from the bullet came, sending the demigod from the cliff. In his last moment on the mountain, I could see how the whiplash violated what was left of his internal organs and popped his eyes right off the socket.
A truly terrifying fate, even for a traitor. Perhaps it was for the best of my mortal companions that they could not fully see it as I did. Nevertheless, the sudden death of Hermes's son left them in fear.
No. My inner instinct told me that Hermes's son did not die. Despite the injuries, the dark power of the Crooked One was keeping him alive. In a state of pure agony, but alive nevertheless.
From the corner of my eyes, I noticed something unusual. The great fire, set ablaze in the middle of the palace, was… Even as an immortal goddess, I am unsure how to explain it… It was as if the flames started flicking, showing off a character hidden within the fire. At first, I thought that Hestia herself appeared on the battlefield. Still, I realized I could not feel divine energy from the flames.
Suddenly, the flames created a circle of empty space for a split second, from which a bullet came out.
The bullet quickly travelled through the entire palace, piercing the right arm of the Titan of strength. And Atlas could not believe what happened. A mortal bullet penetrated his divine body, spilling out the golden ichor, wounding an immortal being.
Atlas was not the only one surprised. I don't believe there was a single soul in the entire palace that would not be shocked. Something that had no right to occur just happened. A mortal weapon harmed a divine being.
Soon, more bullets came out of the fire, as if blessed by every god of fire. Soon, Titan's chest was covered with golden blood. And while such wounds would turn fatal for most mortals, the Titan of strength and endurance only became enraged. His voice erupted with a power of a volcano.
"How dare you?! To strike me, a titan?! A higher being?! You will pay for this, you cockroach!"
At that moment, my huntress attacked with her bow, inspiring the rest of the demigods. Both the daughter of Zeus and the Son of Poseidon fought bravely against the tide of pure and uncontained fury from Atlas. And yet even that was not enough to slow down an enraged titan – he just continued to march towards the place from where the shot came.
And here came another surprise – by an unknown force, the great Titan of endurance fell onto his back.
Atlas quickly came up from the ground. He spits out the remains of ichor from his mouth while quickly healing from the sudden blow. It would take much more to defeat one of the most powerful titans.
"Is that it? That's all you can do? Hiding and striking from the shadow, like a coward-!"
Before Atlas could utter any other word, he suddenly stopped as if the entire air was sucked out of his lungs. And a second later, a sound of cracking bones sent that Titan down onto the ground. For a few seconds, the Titan of endurance was helplessly lying on the ground, incapable of moving. At least, for a few moments, before his godly endurance again kicked in and healed most recent wounds.
With an angry roar, the Titan of endurance jumped back, fully prepared for a fight. His eyes were golden-bloody, full of uncontrollable rage.
"Go on, boy! Show yourself and take your chances against the great Atlas!"
But his main enemy was nowhere to be seen. And while Atlas was searching for the one who dared to strike him down, he was constantly attacked by my huntress and her demigod companions.
"Annoying flies! Move aside and die!"
And with that, Atlas punched the ground in blind anger, creating a massive wave of dust. The demigods were thrown away to distant corners of the palace. And within the settling dust, the light oddly fluctuated in one spot. It was as if the light and the dust were covering a kneeling giant.
Atlas smirked, most likely expecting an easy victory. He summoned a javelin – a weapon commonly used in ancient Greece - and threw it with one fast swing toward the anomaly within the dust. Meanwhile, whatever was hiding in the dust quickly dashed towards the Titan and incoming javelin. Then – faster than any mortal could see or react – it made a turn to grab the incoming projectile. With the second turn, the invisible warrior used the javelin's momentum to propel it back to its owner.
The Titan could not even react. The pure disbelief coming from Atlas over what happened just a moment ago completely immobilized the Titan. And thus, the javelin pierced Atlas in the place where his heart would be.
While Atlas tried to pull out his javelin, his opponent was no longer invisible. Atlas was facing the same enemy I tried to hunt down. The so-called automaton.
My son.
With a firearm in his right hand, he sprinted with a speed that would put even Atalanta to shame towards Atlas. And while Atlas seemed capable enough to deflect the bullets with his hands, the golden ichor was slowly dropping onto the ground. And with every drop, Atlas was becoming more and more furious.
Finally, my son reached the Titan. At that moment, he quickly changed his pistol into a combat knife and found himself in a deadlock with Atlas. Both opponents tried to overpower each other, only to find themselves in a deadly stalemate. I cannot say what my son felt during that duel of pure strength – mostly due to his helmet covering his face – but Atlas was flabbergasted. Not once before, a mortal turned to be equal in his strength and endurance.
But he was not the only immortal who could not believe their eyes. I have never met a mortal who could match Atlas on his turf. Which only made me wonder – what exactly my child had to go through to earn such strength?
The duel continued. As Atlas tried to overpower his armoured opponent, his adversary changed tactics. He quickly pulled Atlas towards himself and kicked him right in the stomach. And as Atlas was still recovering from the sudden blow to his belly, my child quickly punched Atlas' chin.
Then it all changed into a deadly combo. Atlas was receiving powerful blows to every vital and important body part. He received no mercy nor even time to turn defensive from his opponent. My son was using countless combined martial arts – some I could recognize and some completely new to me.
Zoe and the demigods returned to the battle with their spirits full of determination. My lieutenant started to shoot countless arrows in her father's direction, aiming at any weak point the Titan could have. All the while, Thalia and Perseus would use whatever chance they could take to stab Atlas in vulnerable places.
Atlas was becoming more furious with every second. It was almost as if he refused to believe that he could be hurt or even touched by a mortal, let alone bested at his own game. And it was one of the best moments to strike Titan another time. But just as the son of the sea was about to strike the Titan, both hands suddenly fell as if every bit of energy had left them.
The son of Poseidon was cursed by another Olympian. And now – the wounded pride of whoever was dumb enough to curse the boy in the first place – was paying the toll on the entire strike team.
"Ha! Your strength has failed you, bastard of Poseidon!"
As Atlas glooped over a small victory, Thalia Grace stabbed the Titan's left eye and my Zoe – his right. Atlas roared again, his voice becoming hoarse with every next second. He was pushed beyond his limits, beyond anything he was forced to face in his prime time. And as he was roaring in pain, my son used his left elbow and pushed the Titan ahead.
With the first step, my son pulled out his tactical knife and stabbed the Titan between his left second and third rib, most likely trying to reach for the non-existing Titan's heart. With every stab, Atlas was roaring louder, and a golden ichor was leaking from his mouth and nose.
Then, my son moved to the Titan's back and grabbed the Titan with his left arm, holding Atlas in a suffocating grip while stabbing him in the chest. At that moment, I looked into my enemy's eyes, and… There was nothing left of the prideful Atlas that everyone feared. All I could see in him was fear and flabbergast. His eyes seemed to ask: How?
"What are you waiting for?! Finish him!"
It was the first time I heard my son's voice this night. It was powerful, one of those you know that hold experience. One that only veterans of many fights possessed. And as if possessed by my son's voice, both demigods and my huntress stabbed Atlas in one synchronized moment.
And for the last part, as if just to add misery to Atlas' final moment, my son sliced the Titan's throat… but didn't let his opponent go. Instead, he sheathed his knife and pulled out a weird glowing blue ball. The ball was then glued to Atlas' mouth, and finally, the tian was released.
Atlas fell onto his knees. His eyes were empty as if his entire soul was completely and utterly broken. It was surreal to see Atlas like this. Surreal and almost impossible. Almost as if it was just a hopeful dream. And then, as if to bring more misery to the Titan, my armoured son pulled out his gun and shot Atlas in the head.
The golden ichor was leaving the Titan's head like a puddle. Members of my rescue party were looking at each other with shock as if they also could not believe what had just happened. Even I almost lost all my strength due to this shocking scene. Somehow, my heart was afraid. Something inside my mind was screaming that I was not the huntress between me and this armoured thing – my son. But that could not be… I was a goddess, an Olympian Goddess! And yet, I just witnessed a mortal defeating a titan even I stood no chance against.
How was that possible? How could it be?
A massive blue explosion brought me back to the current moment. What was left of the Titan's face and head just evaporated, leaving nothing more than a headless, golden meat-like corpse.
And there he was – my son. Looking right at me. And then slowly shifting his predatory gaze at the rest. I recognize immediately what he was doing. It was a stance of a predator, who did not wish to fight, but would rip apart anyone who would dare to strike him. In other words – he was expecting the three heroes to do something completely stupid.
Zoe got into position between him and me, with her bow ready to release an arrow at any moment. Thalia Grace also aimed her spear toward my son, albeit in a more defensive position. Her shield with Medusa was also up, but I could not see any hint of fear coming from my son's posture. Could it be that he was unaffected by the magic of the shield?
Thalia's eyes were full of doubt and conflict. She wanted to believe she gained a new ally, yet she had just witnessed the terrifying power of the armoured being. Her body was unsure of what to do. To run? To fight? Or to turn off the panic?
Meanwhile, the son of Poseidon was awkwardly standing on the other side. Although I could not blame him as well – it was obvious that he thought of my son as an ally after all that happened. Yet, the reaction of his fellow companions forced him to stay in a defensive position.
The four heroes, standing in the impasse, await the other person's movement. Only for my son to suddenly turn away towards the laying golden corpse of the Titan.
"It's not over."
That voice put everyone back in fight mode, with every weapon turning against the Titan. The golden ichor started to boil, and an inhuman scream emerged from each broken bubble. But that was a scream that I could not recognize. I have never witnessed any immortal being scream like this.
To scream from confusion. Disbelief. Of self-doubt and desperation.
Atlas started to quickly regenerate. At first, he appeared as an inhuman thick golden liquid. Then the liquid started to form what seemed to resemble a golden nerve system. Atlas was not yet done – he was a titan of endurance for a reason.
And as quickly as he started to regenerate, my son aimed his weapon and, with a battle-hardened voice, gave a command.
"Focused fire! Attack any vulnerable point. Force him to waste as much energy as possible!"
As if possessed by spirits of battle, all three heroes confidently started to attack the dreadfully looking Titan. Both Zoe and my son were mercilessly shooting their bullets and arrows into carefully targeted points while Thalia and Perseus got closer and, with the proficiency of professional butchers, started to cut out any golden points of ichor that were slowly connecting.
For a few brief moments, when Atlas somehow managed to regenerate his face, I could see a terror mixed with confusion. Atlas was not able to comprehend what was happening or how it was possible that he was being defeated by mere mortals. Pain, confusion, terror – perhaps Atlas was experiencing those for the first time in his immortal life.
"Stop it!"
The voice of Atlas was barely recognizable. It was anything but resembling a prideful general. Atlas was now reduced to a terrified boy who was bullied by everyone around him.
"I said stop it!"
The panic in his voice was rising, as well as the anger. And that anger was slowly giving Atlas the boost of power he desperately needed. I knew what was about to happen. Atlas was forced to unleash his last weapon – his divine form.
"CLOSE YOUR EYES!"
"ENOUGH!"
As Altas and I yelled, the golden explosion covered everything inside the palace. Atlas just released his divine form. Only an immortal fellow could fight him since no mortal could witness pure divinity.
"NO MORE! IT IS TIME FOR YOU ALL TO LEARN WHERE IS YOUR PLACE!"
"Spread out and hide!"
"AND I SHALL START WITH MY UNLOYAL DAUGHTER!"
All heroes did as my son order them to do. All of them jumped in different directions. But my Zoe was just a bit too late. Atlas released a projectile that brushed her right arm. The wound was small, barely cutting her skin, yet it was enough to paralyze my huntress. I instantly recognized the poison used against my huntress – the poison of Ladon.
Atlas just signed the death warrant for her own daughter.
"THE FIRST BLOOD IN A NEW WAR!"
Thalia hid behind one of the dark columns, with her shield protecting her from witnessing the true form of Atlas. Meanwhile, my son continued his attack from a distance – how could he do it? I was not sure. It was as if the divine form of his opponent was not affecting him at all.
"The Sky! Give it to me!"
I was so focused on watching Titan that I did not notice the son of Poseidon coming close to me. His eyes were shut tight, not daring to look for the battle behind him even for a second.
"No, boy, you don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"
"Annabeth took it!"
"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last long!"
The son of Poseidon was brave, and I could not deny his courage. But the task of holding the Sky was not for everyone.
"I will die anyway! And right now, you and that armoured guy are the only ones capable of fighting that Titan! Give me the weight of the Sky!"
I will not lie when I say that Poseidon's son's words and courageous spirit touched my soul. It was rare to find male demigods who, instead of being blinded by their pride, would know their place and simply do what was necessary.
And on top of all, he was right. Those children could not stand against an immortal in his true form.
I quickly sent a mental message to the son of Poseidon, telling him to get ready. And a few seconds later, I was free from my imprisonment while Poseidon's son was holding the Sky.
Without the celestial bronze chains, nor without the weight of the Sky, I felt how my entire godly power returned to me. In a way, I felt whole again. I once again was Artemis, the proud goddess of hunt and moon.
With all my powers restored, I quickly jumped into action. At first, I transformed into a cheetah to quickly move over the distance to the Titan. Then I transformed into a massive bear to crush Atlas with my mighty paws.
But that was not enough. Even in his weakened form, Atlas was still a powerful titan, and thus, he quickly swapped me aside.
"You are no match for me, girl!" Atlas yelled at me as I transformed back into my human shape. "But none of you are a match for me! Die!"
Atlas, in his blind rage, released a powerful shockwave that shook the entire palace. If I was a mortal, I'd end up dead. Something that quickly made me realize that I was not fighting alone. My son was still standing against this mad Titan.
Turning to my right, I noticed him kneeling on one knee, leaning on his arm, with a clenched fist on the ground. I was unsure if he was alright – he had just witnessed his opponent's true form, and despite that, he continued his assault. For all I knew, his mind could be already shattered… or worse.
Atlas also realized that his main opponent was kneeling. And he could not contain himself from gloating.
"All that fuss, all that trouble… And now, look at you, mortal. Your hardship leads you to where your entire kind belongs – on their knees."
As Atlas was about to deliver his final strike, I noticed that the armour on my son started to shoot out small bolts of lightning. I was completely unaware of what was happening until my son suddenly launched and punched the Titan in his chin. The force behind the strike was so powerful that it almost seemed as if the Titan was struck by thunder. And then, before Atlas could even fall, my son attacked once again, this time punching through Atlas's chest.
It took three seconds for Atlas to realize what happened.
"No… No… No, no, no, nononononononno! A mortal cannot stand against me! I REFUSE THIS!"
And then, in his half-regenerated immortal form, he rushed at my son, who, in response, moved aside and activated an oddly shaped, oval-like blue blade. And then, he cut through the Titan, the blade moving through the golden flesh of the Titan like a knife through warm butter.
"Stop this! STOP THIS NONSENSE! I AM THE TITAN OF ENDURANCE! I SHALL NOT BE DEFEATED!"
As Atlas slowly stood up again, I noticed my son's gaze on me. It was as if he was waiting for any combat direction.
"It will take too much time to defeat Atlas like this. We must trap him back under the Sky."
My son shifted his gaze from me to the son of Poseidon, who currently bearing the Titan's curse upon his shoulders. Then, my son's gaze returned to me.
"Do you have the energy to fight?"
I slowly nodded, still trying to understand the weird phenomena of my son's voice. It didn't belong to someone who spent most of their days behind a desk. It was a voice that I could mistake for a battle-harden veteran.
Nevertheless, he quickly nodded back at me, and we both attacked. And here came another surprise. I was a bit scared that perhaps we would keep getting in each other's way of beating Atlas. And instead… I could not completely explain it. It was as if he was synchronized with my moves. We did not need any words or gestures between us. Not even my brother could achieve this level of synchronization with me. We were both matched… perfectly.
He matched my tempo and my fighting style to an impossible degree. Whenever I would have to step down, he would take my place as the main adversary. And whenever Atlas tried to overpower me, he would just block the Titan, giving me an opening to attack again. It was almost as if we were one unit during that fight.
Which frightened me completely.
Suffice it to say our plan worked out perfectly. We were slowly pushing our immortal enemy toward his old cell while not giving him any moment to retaliate. Step by step, punch after punch, the Titan was slowly getting closer to his old cell.
The only thing left was to inform the Son of Poseidon what to do next. I sent him a mental message, ordering him to prepare to let go of the Sky and run away as far as he could. Meanwhile, my son launched his final attack on Atlas and cut the Titan's legs. Soon, the Titan was lying right beneath the falling Sky.
Atlas was now trapped between the earth and the Sky again, this time completely without a way to escape. His form returned to the mortal-like as he desperately tried to push away the Sky from crushing his entire body.
The battle was over. We have won, at least for now.
The demigods' companions slowly came back from their previous positions. Son of Poseidon, walking slowly, drained from the experience of holding the Sky. And Thalia Grace, walking side-by-side with another demigoddess, a blonde-haired daughter of Athena. And there was also my lieutenant, Zoe, walking slowly, looking half-awake.
"Wait… Where's Luke?"
Despite everything that happened to her because of that boy, the daughter of Athena seemed to still care about her old companion. But her friends did not have any good news for her.
"He… He killed him."
As the daughter of Zeus uttered those words, she pointed in my son's direction. Her face expressed only uncertainty over what will happen after the fight, now that all the common enemies were defeated. On the other hand, my son did not give any sign suggesting he was in any way offended by her tone. It was almost as if he was used to it.
"No… He is not dead. I can feel it. I could tell if he was dead. Besides, he would not die at the hands of an automaton."
As much as I wanted to deny the daughter of Athena, sadly, I knew she was right. I could feel the crooked one's tainted energy entering the dying traitor. Sooner or later, we would hear from the traitor again.
On the other hand, I looked up at my son again, trying to determine his reaction to being called an automaton. But… there was nothing. Just pure, unnatural for human stoicism. Just as if he did not care if people did not view him as a person.
"I don't think calling him an automaton seems right… Right, …em, wolf?"
Once again, my son did not react. Instead, he moved towards the nearest column and stuck something to it. And then he moved to another column and another.
"What are you doing?"
And again, not a word. He continued moving from column to column until he reached the last one, near the cliff. Then, he grabbed a massive… what seemed to be a sniper rifle and started to aim down the cliff.
As we all looked down, we noticed the yacht "Princess Andromeda" and a massive army of monsters and demigods marching towards the palace.
"Hey, didn't you hear? What are you… wait, you don't mean to fight that army there, do you?"
For the first time since defeating the Titan, my son moved his head toward us and uttered only two words without emotion.
"Assets denial."
We all stood there in complete silence, too shocked to say anything. It was as if he said something in a completely alien language. Assets denial. Those packages on the columns, now that sniper rifle. He was baiting the army to attack its highly valued strategic position, just to concentrate their forces in one point… and then blow them up.
From any mortal point of view, this course of action was the most logical. But he was now fighting against immortal beings who could rebuild this place in no time with their powers. Trying to destroy this place before winning against the Titans was pointless.
"No. The Titans will just rebuild this place. You won't do any damage except briefly annoy the crooked one."
"You didn't listen. It is not a denial of strategic place. It is a denial of assets." And right before he could explain anything more, he moved his Sniper Riffle toward the Sky. "Unidentified flying object has entered the air zone above this mountain."
As we all moved our heads to the Sky, I was the first to notice the incoming flying object. It was one of those small, fragile aeroplanes from the first world war. And yet, despite its fragileness, it slowly descended toward us. And from the cockpit, I could see – and hear – one enraged man taking his aim at the Titan's army.
"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"
"Dad?"
It would seem that my half-sister's father has come to rescue his daughter. Although, instead of confirmation, from the biplane, only the sound of an automatic weapon came out, and with it – the first wave of monsters storming the mountain fell down.
What a brave man.
As we were about to move, I looked at my lieutenant. Her eyes were apologetic, almost similar to a child who was ashamed of doing something naughty. Soon, her gaze became hazy, and then she fell over.
"I… I am sorry, my lady…."
I immediately came to her side, trying everything I could with my powers to either tell her what was wrong or to heal it. And soon, I found out. The small wound from her's father, javelin, poisoned with Laddon's poison. She was holding on for so long, constantly fighting for my freedom. And now she was about to give life to me.
What a bittersweet end.
"Stars… I cannot see the stars, my lady…."
Oh, my poor Zoe. So faithful, to the bitter end. I slowly caressed her face and held her in her final moments. And as much as I wanted to hold her until her time would come, fate was not even kind enough to grant me this wish. The army of monsters was coming closer. And not even the combined action of the biplane's pilot or my son could change that. It was time for us to go.
The moonlight brightened as I summoned my chariot. I ordered the demigods to enter it quickly. First entered the daughters of Athena and Zeus. Then, the son of Poseidon helped me with Zoe's body. And as we were about to enter my chariot…
"Wait."
My son walked towards us, holding something that resembled a medical pistol with a needle. I wasn't exactly sure what he had inside, but most likely, he believed that it could help Zoe. And as much as I appreciated the gesture, I knew he could do nothing to prevent Zoe's fate.
But before I could utter a word to stop him, he aimed at Zoe's heart and injected the needle into her bloodstream. A few seconds after he took it out, Zoe suddenly spasmed in my arms and yelled with an almost inhuman-like scream of pain.
And before my godly rage could even begin, Zoe stopped spasming and calmed down. Her breathing was slowly becoming stable. I had a million questions for my son, mostly about what he just did to my lieutenant.
I could ask none of them, for as I looked at him, the only thing I heard from him was just one word.
"Go."
And then, he turned away to once again face the monsters.
The son of Poseidon and I quickly brought still-unconscious Zoe to my chariot, and soon we all flew through the night sky while a small biplane followed us like an honour guard.
"What… what about him?"
As the son of Poseidon asked, we all took our last glance at the month of Othrys. The sounds of fights have calmed down, and the monster's army has already stormed the palace. My heart skipped a few beats, fearing that my son could still be there, being held hostage by the Titan's evil army. I could only hope that he somehow escaped and that I… that I will be able to see him again…
That I will be able to see my son again.
And as a single tear fell down my cheek, the palace and entire mountain shooked from the powerful explosion. Tons of ground was lifted, and the screams of countless monsters and even Atlas himself were heard through the skies.
And thus, we could only leave, all in disbelief, with dark clouds and ruins of the palace behind us. To face the winter solstice…
I hope you have enjoyed the chapter!
Now for Q&A!
Ainz-2005 – When it comes to Spartans' age expectancy, I prefer to use the same terminology as ONI, which is: We only know that when you reach 100, you will still be kicking like a young adult. And so far, that is enough for me.
Dragonarrow20 – Now, that makes me wonder as to whom would be more fanboyish/fangirlish about Noble Six: Athena or Hephaestus?
HaloZealotDemon – Well, the naivety does have a point here, because it basically shows the "clash of civilizations". The civilization of Noble Six has long ago moved away from anything mystical, while the civilization of demigods is sheltered in its mythological upbringing to the point, from which many modern people would even consider them to be weird and narrow-minded. Neither the B312 nor Greco-Roman mythologic civilizations have anything in common, thus creating this weird and odd scenario.
Flash – Thanks for the comment. As for your question… Sadly, in my country, there are no Halo books available (at least in my native language that is… We have English versions of them but they have ridiculous prices on them), and thus sadly I have not read any Halo books. I wish tho because I have heard that there are many awesome stories in them that I am missing out.
Janny092 – Dear Janny, have I ever told you how much I love reading your comments? If not, then now you know.
Guest – The question regarding if Artemis ever regretted her decision was answered in this chapter, while the other question will be answered in the next one.
Victorius 435 – Yes, I am familiar with the story you mentioned (I actually follow the story as well). As for your questions… No, the gods are not aware of humanity's real past. And I am yet to decide if Noble Six will find anything related to the Forerunners – and that is because it could mess with the timeline of Halo in a very bad way. It's an open topic for me, but for now, I cannot give a straight answer to this.
Austin – I will not lie, the thought of creating the Wh40k x PJO story with Son of Artemis crossed my mind many times. And I had many ideas as to whom the MC would become, like for example an Astartes from the Luna Wolves chapters that remained loyal to the Emperor after the heresy. As of now, I was thinking more about making Son of Artemis into Ra Endymion, mostly due to how amazing and mysterious this Adeptus Custodes seems to be… Sadly, the chances of me making this story are rather slim… and small…
EchoSentient – [SPOILERS].
Blasphemy for the Bored – It was my point to make it hypocritical. Noble Six hates gods because they don't obey Mortal Dictata, despite the fact that in order to create Spartans (and even later, when the Spartans were already functioning units) the Mortal Dictata was completely disregarded. What I meant is that it's kind of ironic how B312 questions the morality of gods, while completely ignoring his own government's pure disregard of morals while creating him and other Spartans.
random Norwegian – As I mentioned in my previous answer, it was my point to make it hypocritical and ironic - B312 not questioning ONI nor UNSC while having no mercy on Gods and mythology. I hope it's more clear now.
Pedro Alonso Buby Huayanay Zamudio – I am not sure what exactly did you mean by saying that I should use the Covenant. As for the Master Chief – I believe he was already overused in countless stories and crossovers. Well, that and the fact I just prefer B312 over John 117 (I know, I am sorry, I just can't help it okay?)
Guest (2) – What a rapid explosion of questions. Okay, let's do it. 1 – Because so far, B312 found himself in an unfamiliar scenario, in which his AI partner seems to be more knowledgeable of. 2 – Auntie Dot is still dealing with the fact that she can feel. Her feelings are blending with protocols and what we see is the synthesis of both of them. 3 – Why only Chief and Cortana can have an emotional story? How they are exactly excluded from your criticism then? Both Auntie Dot and Cortana have access to the memories and repressed emotions of their Spartans, both are (at least now) Smart AI that is suddenly dealing with emotions. And they are both partners to deeply emotionally scarred child soldiers with mental problems. Thus again – what makes John and Cortana so special that only they can have a more deep relationship?
Guest (3) – Yes, normally Halo and PJO are not related to each other. I believe, sir or madam, that you have discovered the "Fanfiction Crossover section" where we basically cross the universes with each other.
TheMutatedNut – R U sure about that?
And to all the rest people to whom I did not answer in this section – I always read all the comments, and I am always, ALWAYS, extremely grateful for all your support. I really wish I could thank you all, but sadly it would take too much space to thank you (comments for the last chapter took 5 pages! That is awesome!) so I have to do it in this form instead.
Once again – thank you all, and I love you all. And I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and see you all in the next one.
One last thing before the end – visit my discord server if you want to know about the current status of any of my projects! Catch your link here:
discord . gg / pghekDe
See ya all next time!