Wingo woke on the riverbed, struck twice by lightning. He bolted upright, searching for Haidee. He scanned from the stone bed to where her horse had been tethered. No sign of her, only her garments by the former location and blood staining the stone bed. Numb with shock, Wingo knelt beside it, placing her garments on top. He didn't cry or rage, just knelt there, frozen in shock.

For hours, he remained there, staring at the garments, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. He was utterly devastated.

"Wingo!" A raspy voice called out. "We've been searching for you since dawn."

Wingo didn't respond, even when the man beside him shook him. He stared blankly at the garments, unable to tear his gaze away. The man slapped him hard enough to knock him back onto the rocky riverbed. Still, Wingo just returned to his original position. He didn't care about being slapped; it felt like a fitting punishment for his failure to save Haidee from the man he suspected to be the king of Olympus. His vacant eyes reflected only the image of the young man who had smirked maliciously at him.

"Wingo, it's me, Orio," the man said, pulling him to face him. "What happened here?"

"She's..." Wingo tried to muster the strength to tell him, but his words crumbled whenever he thought of her. Orio saw the shock on his face and wanted more information.

"You and Haidee have been gone for half the day. What happened?"

Wingo glanced back at the stone bed, trying to direct Orio's attention with his gaze. Orio noticed the blood and the white silk garment, which gave him a hint about what had transpired.

"The lustful king," Wingo tried to speak again, but a jumble of emotions muddled his words.

"The king?" Orio asked, trying to piece together the answer. "Zeus?"

"He took her," Wingo started to explain, but his energy drained and he fainted beside the stone bed.

Orio immediately took Wingo and the garment back to their home. He laid Wingo on his bed and tended to his wounds. Wingo was enveloped in darkness, plagued by nightmares filled with repetitive sounds of pleasure and a menacing grin.

"In time, you will rise up and confront the man who touched her," a booming, disembodied voice spoke in the darkness.

"You are the chosen mortal who will destroy Olympus," the voice continued.

"Olympus deserves more than destruction," Wingo replied.

Then, a giant emerged from the darkness. He was partially obscured by dark clouds and had the physique of a god. His body resembled the color of the ocean, and his eyes were like the sun.

"Are you a titan?" Wingo asked, seemingly unimpressed by the giant's size.

"Oceanus is my name," the titan replied. A powerful wind buffeted Wingo as the darkness faded, revealing that they were now above the ocean, surrounded by islands.

"Where is this?" Wingo looked around at the various islands partially obscured by the ocean.

"This is the Aegean Sea," he replied. "This is where I was born, of Gaia, my mother."

"Why have you brought me here?" Wingo asked as he continued to look at the islands.

"You are not of Greek birth, are you?" the titan inquired.

"That's correct," he replied. "But why pry into my origins?"

"Kronos chose you because you are not a child of Greece," the titan explained as they heard a powerful, threatening roar from the direction of the sun, "and because the gods can be defeated by the hands of mortals not born in Greece."

"So, the great titan chose me to deal with his personal vendetta?" Wingo asked with disgust. "I will kill the gods for my own reasons, not for the failures of a titan."

"We will help you defeat the gods," a beam of light approached them, growing brighter as if the sun itself was moving towards them, riding a chariot drawn by four winged steeds. "I am Helios, the titan sun god."

"I thought you were on the side of the gods, Helios?" Wingo asked, shielding his eyes from the light emanating from the titan.

"The gods have treated Gaia unfairly," Helios replied. "Every day, the gods misuse their power and torment mortals. Recently, Zeus came to your home and mated with your beloved by force."

Hearing confirmation of what he had witnessed sent a fresh wave of fury through Wingo. His body burned with anger, and dark clouds gathered above them, rumbling with thunder. Even with Helios' illumination, darkness consumed the light above them.

"...Why did you not save my beloved, sun god?" Wingo's voice, ferocious and darkened, shattered the titan's composure.

Helios' booming voice held a hint of shame, "The king of Olympus chained me to endlessly circle Greece. Had he seen me interfere with his affairs, he would have struck me down with his lightning and cast me into the pits of Tartarus. My intervention could have resulted in Gaia's demise, as she relies on my rejuvenating light."

Wingo remained silent, processing this revelation. Finally, the darkness receded, and the two titans vanished in a flash. He awoke to the clanging of metal and his own stomach growling loud enough for Orio to hear. Wingo, somehow sobered and numbed by grief, felt a flicker of determination to face the god directly.

"Good morning, brother," Orio entered the room, holding a bowl of steaming porridge. "I heard you were hungry."

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Wingo chuckled weakly, taking the bowl and devouring it with a savage hunger.

"Selas made this porridge," Orio added. "You're lucky to get a special one from her."

"Sounds like you're envious," Wingo replied with a hint of his usual sarcasm, forcing a smile.

Orio smirked back, landing a playful punch on Wingo's shoulder. They chatted for a while, Orio's attempts to lighten the mood seeming to work. Selas, sensing a shift in the atmosphere, joined them after finishing her chores. As night fell, Selas prepared their meal while Orio tended to the fireplace. They huddled together, their warmth offering a feeble comfort against the cold despair in Wingo's heart.

"Thank you, friends," Wingo finally spoke, acknowledging their efforts. "I guess it's time I tell you what happened."

Orio and Selas fell silent, bracing themselves for the worst. Wingo inhaled deeply, composing himself as he recounted Zeus's brutal attack. He choked at times, the memory of Haidee's helplessness haunting him. Due to Helios' revelation, Wingo could now explain being knocked down by lightning.

Upon hearing the full story, Orio and Selas dissolved into despair. Wishing they could have been there, they cursed the Fates for dealing them such a cruel hand. They agreed – Olympus had to pay. Wingo's smoldering rage finally ignited theirs.

Selas spent the following days preparing them for the journey. It would take two months to reach Mount Olympus, navigating treacherous territories and hostile creatures. Unwilling to leave Selas alone in their secluded forest home, they decided to take her with them. Selas would stay in Athens, secretly selling the wine they produced to generate funds for their future.

At dawn, fueled by their burning anger, they embarked on their quest. They rode with fierce determination, hoping to reach the mountain before Haidee's body succumbed to the elements.

Twelve days passed they reached Mount Parnassus without incident. They slaughtered a pack of wolves threatening travelers near Thebes, their first taste of violence on the journey. As they ventured further into the region of Malis, they encountered a peaceful centaur tribe. The centaurs, surprised by Wingo's ability to speak their language, offered them the finest steel armor they possessed.

Thirty days later, they entered the territory of fierce pillagers known for their ruthless tactics in the region of Achaea. Armed with axes, shields, and spears, they stopped Wingo and Orio on the road. Wingo recognized their language from his past, but he did not speak to Orio about it. The pillagers stopped them in their tracks and spoke to them a rough-spoken language, but the two understood what they tried to say.

“Give us horse” one of the pillagers said gnarly

“We need these horses to travel to Mount Olympus” Wingo replied

“You pass if you give horse” The pillagers pointed their spears towards Wingo and Orio. Orio unsheathed his sword immediately, his action made the pillagers shriek

“You die first” One of the pillagers charged his spear toward Orio

Orio parried the spear and jammed his sword into the chest of the pillager, this made the pillagers howl in laughter pitying their member who was stabbed directly.

“Why are you laughing?” Orio asked in anger

“The boy is stupid for charging first” one of the elder pillagers explained

“Orio, cut through them and rush towards the forest ahead” Wingo wanted to have the pillagers for himself, he had some history with their origins.

“I will not leave you here brother” Orio lashed out, “they seem like people who are not afraid of death”

“Well we are the same as them, aren’t we?” Wingo replied in a calm but frustrated tone

Orio understood his plan and did what he was instructed to do, he shifted his horse to the left and slashed some of the unprepared pillagers then he rushed off towards the forest. The pillagers were angered by Orio’s escape so they tried to attack Wingo all at once but Wingo stepped down from his horse and spoke to them.

"Hail the Allfather!" Wingo declared, momentarily confusing the pillagers.

"How do you speak our tongue?" a gruff elder questioned.

"I have some history with your brethren," Wingo replied enigmatically. "Likewise, I'm surprised you speak Greek."

“Njord and Tyr guided us on our way to these foreign land” the elder explained, “Tyr gave us knowledge about this language”

They spoke with each other for a time and allowed Wingo to pass, they knelt as he left towards the forest. Orio waited for him by the entrance of the forest, he saw the pillagers kneel before him as he left the area, he was shocked by their action and wanted to ask Wingo what made them decide to kneel before him. As Wingo approached Orio, he was about to ask when suddenly Wingo shook his head referring to Orio not to ask any questions. They left hastily once again, to reach the mountain before Haidee was lost to them forever.

Their journey continued, taking them past various forest dwellers – some hostile, demanding tolls, others simply curious observers. One encounter with a patrol from Larissa resulted in a bloody skirmish, forcing Wingo and Orio to defend themselves. Finally, on the fifty-fourth day, they reached the entrance to Olympus.

The sight that greeted them was awe-inspiring and terrifying. Legendary creatures from the titans' reign roamed freely. Pegasus, the winged horse ridden by Perseus, was among them. Their rage simmered as they observed these symbols of the gods' power.

“This is it brother, Mount Olympus” The rage of the brothers boiled to its’ peak, with the flames covering their eyes, their goal was to save their friend and throw Zeus into the pits of Tartarus.

Driven by vengeance, they snatched two stray winged horses and, ignoring the thunderous rumblings and darkening skies, ascended towards the mountain peak. The flames of Olympus pulsed brightly on their hands, a stark contrast to the growing storm.

As the two rode upwards, a disembodied manly voice boomed, "Another mortal dares to enter our domain!"

"Such a pity," chimed in another disembodied voice, this time female.

A third voice joined the chorus. "These mortals challenge the gods? They don't understand their place."

"Zeus, strike them down with your lightning bolt!" a woman's voice urged. "Show them the difference between us and these puny mortals!"

Thunder rumbled ominously in the dark clouds. Wingo and Orio knew Zeus was preparing his attack. They desperately maneuvered their winged horses along the mountainside, trying to escape his sight.

Just as they thought they'd evaded the lightning, a powerful gust of wind buffeted them towards the next strike. They fought against the wind, but it was as if an unseen hand was pushing them directly into the path of the bolt. Trapped and unable to move, they were struck by a volley of six lightning bolts, extinguishing their flames and killing them and their horses instantly.

"They'll find little joy in Hades' domain," a booming voice spoke, almost with a hint of pity.

The two fell from the mountainside, their bodies burned by the lightning and their eyes turned to a ghostly white. They couldn't feel the air rushing past, couldn't see where they were going, but they knew they were falling. The only sensation was a deafening ringing in their ears. Yet, they felt no regret, no sadness, only a burning desire to wake up and face the gods again, to drag them down to the mortal realm and strip them of their luxurious freedom stolen through the abuse of mortals.

Light pierced their darkness, breaking through their blindness. When their vision returned, they found themselves on an island with ten other people – strangers they'd never seen before.

A guttural roar echoed from the direction of the sun. "The time for vengeance has come!"

They all turned towards the voice, and there stood a giant before them - the great titan, Kronos.