BEGINNING OF VOLUME 2 - PSEUDO - GOD
The Calm before the storm.
The Quiet before the tempest.
The Peace before the chaos.
Herakles stared at the large copper heart in the centre of the clearing. The moment Athos entered the damn thing his life force had vanished from Herakles' radar.
Had his son perished?....No, that could not be it.
Athos was Khaos-kin. His story would not end here. It would never end! Right?
His fists were clenched in worry and his nails cut into the palms of his hands, drawing Ichor. His son had done things he never thought possible. Not only did he kill Ladon, he even ripped out a Titan's Heart! Atlas' at that! The sheer amount of guts and strength it took to accomplish those tasks escaped him.
Suddenly, the ground began trembling and Herakles' neck snapped toward the heart. The bronze blood within it was boiling and its pores were spewing a dark mist. Herakles took a few steps back as cracks began spreading on the ground with the heart as the epicentre.
'What's going on?', He thought, studying the heart that was beginning to levitate and spout even more black mist.
*BADOOM*
Herakles' pupils trembled at the scene before him.
The heart was beating.
*BADOOM*
The mist coagulated and wrapped around the floating heart - enveloping it in its dark embrace while muffling the sound of the heartbeat.
*BADOOM*
Plantlife wilted around the dark cocoon and the cracks spread even further, wounding the earth.
*BADOOM*
The winds howled and gales blew as though heralding the coming of doom.
*BADOOM*
Rolling dark thunderclouds formed in the previously clear skies and Herakles frowned. This was his abode and the weather changed only when he willed it, yet the ritual could bypass that.
Just then, as he was admiring the sheer power of the ritual, he froze and turned toward the horizon. Something...no, somebody was approaching the island. Fast.
Did someone sense the ruckus the ritual was kicking up? He looked back at the cocoon that had enough energy swirling around it to hurt even himself and his eyes filled with resolve.
He would not let anyone touch his son.
***
Khaos.
Chaos.
Khaos.
Chaos.
Which was which and which wasn't? What was the one which wasn't and what was the one which was? Were they the same or weren't they? If they were, what were they? And If they weren't, then which was which and which wasn't? What was the one which wa...
Athos' mind went about in circles as his consciousness floated in oblivion. His body was stripped away and so was his sense of time. His mind was slowly crumbling in this state of non-existence and his sense of self was withering.
Vague images flashed past his mind, dancing at the edges of his vision. He relived every major event from both of his lives - From his former parents' funeral to eating the Titan's heart, over and over again. Yet he was detached, as though he were watching a movie that he had no interest in. Questions riddled his mind as he navigated the void but he was lost.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Who was he?
What was he doing?
Why was he here?
He could feel his thoughts slowing as his mind turned chaotic. He was going mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.mad.....
Back in the real world, his body grew colder and colder - a stark contrast to the boiling blood surrounding him but just before his consciousness could fully fall apart, Just when the last sliver of his psyche was about sink into the abyss....a finger on his right arm twitched and the blue gem on the Leviathan ring glowed.
***
Herakles stood in his usual spot, his sandals sinking into the nearshore and his back ramrod straight but his eyes weren't fixed on the horizon but on the wall of light blazing across the water with speeds far faster than he could track. It was low enough that it boiled the seawater next to it but high enough to say with certainty that it wasn't swimming.
*BOOM*
The wall slammed into the beach, revealing a tall figure standing on superheated sand that cooled down and formed glass. He was abnormally handsome, so much so that it was almost unnatural. That faultless chin, those exquisite biceps, that perfect tan - There was no mistaking him.
He was Phoebus Apollo, The God of Light and the Sun, Prophecy and Truth, Healing and Plague, Archery and Poetry...one could go on for days.
The golden robe he wore that looked to be made from sunlight was tied a bit lower than normal, intentionally or unintentionally revealing his perfect eight-pack abs. A quiver full of arrows was strapped to his back while he held a large golden bow that radiated power. His lush, blonde locks spilt over his shoulders and his eyes shone like molten gold while he lazily smiled, showing his pearly white teeth - a sight that would make any girl's knees turn to mush.
"Apollo...", Herakles growled. "Why are you here?"
"Huh? You're talking to me?", Apollo pointed to himself in mock surprise. "Do I have to have a reason to be anywhere? Ain't I awesome enough to be welcomed regardless of the place?"
Apollo spread his arms and briefly glowed brighter as if to prove his point but Herakles' expression remained as it was.
"Why are you here?", he repeated, his eyes narrowing. The timing of this visit was too perfect. There was no way this was a coincidence.
Apollo's shoulders slumped and his expression fell as though he were really disappointed, "Brother...Brother, how many times do I have to tell you to stop being so serious? With that attitude its no wonder your wife kil-
*BOOM*
Herakles' fist stopped a mere inch away from Apollo's face - the Sun God was unharmed, but the sheer pressure induced by the punch cleaved the beach behind him into two, forming a mini-canyon.
"You better watch your mouth lest you wish to be rid of it", Herakles warned, pulling back his fist.
"Huhuhuhu...so scary...", Apollo grinned, unfazed by the punch. "You did the same thing the first time we fought, you know? You're predictable."
"Oh! The time you lost to a mortal?", Herakles retorted and Apollo's jaw clenched, making it pop.
"I underestimated your strength. That will not happen again", Apollo hissed, his eyes beginning to glow.
Herakles cracked his neck and fists, "It been a while since I stretched"
Apollo's glowed even brighter before suddenly dimming, "Sadly, I'm not here to fight", he let out a sigh.
"Then I'll ask you for the last time, why are you here?", Herakles said, his tunic fluttering in the wind.
"I'm here for that", Apollo pointed at the dark clouds in the distance crackling with lightning. "Since I'm the fastest, strongest and most handsome, dad told me to check out any abnormalities in our territory"
"And?", Herakles raised an eyebrow.
"And?! Is your brain truly made of sludge, brother? After the Fall yesterday, everyone has had their feathers ruffled. With Uncle Poseidon out cold, two cities wiped out and the alliance between the Titans and the Gigantes, we're the most vulnerable we've been since I was born! Not to mention the damn weight of the sky being distributed among our thrones!", Apollo ranted before taking a deep breath. "You know dad and how paranoid he can be. I'm the Sun God. I can see everything the sun touches if I wanted to. Thus, he's tasked me with finding any abnormalities and...", His eyes glinted dangerously, "neutralizing them."
"Why are you here then? I see nothing", Herakles shrugged.
"Are you fucking blind? Can you not sense the obscene amount of energ- Wait, you aren't trying to stall me, are you?", Apollo's eyes narrowed.
"Are you accusing me of something, Music man?", Herakles snarled, getting in Apollo's face.
"I am indeed, Doorkeeper. Do you take me for a fool?', Apollo responded by glowing even brighter and puffing out his chest angrily.
"Yes, I do"
*BOOM*
"Aaaagh!!!"
Herakles pushed Apollo lightly and sent him flying a few kilometres into the sea. He then looked behind him at the thunderclouds.
'You better be done by the time I finish this fight', he thought and grinned slightly.
"YOU! YOU DARE TOUCH ME?!ME?!!!", an enraged Apollo burst out of the sea, the water around him turning to steam. His wet hair instantly dried and light bent around him, forming bright, golden greek armour.
Herakles snorted and flicked his wrist. His greek tunic morphed into battle-worn leather armour and the Nemean Lion skin formed a Golden fur cloak that trailed behind him.
"DIE!!!", Apollo shot forward, choosing to strike with a fist than his weapons, at a speed faster than Herakles could think. He became a beam of light that shot for Herakles' throat but in the end, his speed was useless. Herakles' body moved mechanically - grabbing Apollo's wrist, whirling him around, and using his own momentum to fling him far into the sea once again.
A few seconds later.
"AAAARGH!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
What looked like half the sea blasted outward, turning into steam as a livid Apollo slowly floated up, lava-like veins bulging all over his body. A reddish-gold crown that looked akin to liquid fire coursing up and down formed on his head. He held out his hand and his bow appeared which he immediately nocked with a pure white arrow.
He pulled back the string and a cocoon of light enveloped the bow.
"Peftastéri", he exhaled and released.
The world turned white.