Acheron slowly claimed the stone steps that led up to Mt Olympus, the place where once the 12 Olympians ruled over Greece. But now, it only housed the last Olympian and nothing more.
At the height of its glory, Olympus was beautiful and glorious, it teamed with life and thousands of humans came to the foot of the mountain to worship the gods and asked them for miracles. It was adorned with the finest pieces of art done in the gods' name and the most marvelous architecture in all of Greece.
Oh, how it has fallen over the millennia! all that glory and prestige turned to dust. Off-limits to the mortal humans who have now begun to step away from the gods, who had forsaken them. How did it reach this ruinous state?
Acheron's steps echoed through the long, white marble halls, the floors littered with broken statues and pottery, all seemingly done in anger. These halls that were once full of absolutely loyal servants were no more, left to collect dust and slowly decay. He walked towards the inner chambers where the throne room of Olympus was built.
The hallway opened up to a grand hall, the ceiling the highest in all of Greece. 12 beautiful golden thrones carved with the most exquisite craftsmanship and adorned with the most beautiful jewels, silver and gold intricately weaved into each throne just as the owners wanted. They were just as spotless as the day they were created. The thrones formed a U-shape around the hall with the biggest one right in the middle. And on that throne sat a giant of a man, at least 10 feet tall with a body packed with muscles, white hair, and a long white beard on his head. His powerful body was riddled with scars of all shapes and sizes, hardly even covered by the expensive-looking toga he wore. This giant of a man was the last Olympian, this man was the God-king, Zeus.
"Who dares impose on my immortal throne?!" Zeus's voice boomed through the empty throne room.
" Immortal?" Acheron asked, "That's not how I see it,"
Zeus opened his eyes, lightning flashing through them.
"Why have you come here, Cursed One?"
"It's Acheron now, not Cursed One," Acheron responded,
"A fitting name for one such as you," Zeus said,
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" My wife and I thought so too," Acheron said,
" You still did not answer my question, you are not welcomed in Olympus,"
" Herakles is dead, once again you have sent another son to die but this time it was your last one," Acheron said grimly,
"IT WAS YOU?!" Zeus roared,
" Surely you did not think me dead before today?" Acheron asked amused,
"I can't blame you though, your children never bothered to ask my name and I'm sure they never mentioned me as a man. They always called me 'Monster' and the only thing they ever cared about was getting their hands on my wife," Acheron said,
Lightning filled the hall before Zeus launched a bolt that penetrated Acheron's chest, leaving a fist-sized hole where his heart was supposed to be.
"That didn't work the first 100 times, why would today be any different?" Acheron asked as he watched the hole quickly close up at an incredible rate.
"Tch!" Zeus sucked his teeth in anger.
"It alleviates my anger if anything!"
"How does it feel to outlive your sons? Your so-called 'Family'? I'm sure most of them died after the Great Destruction?" Acheron asked,
"You know nothing!" boomed Zeus,
"I know nothing? If there is anyone who understands, it is me," Acheron says,
"Is it now, when the Underworld is calling, that you realize how terrible of a God-King you were?"
"Your sons, your flesh and blood, sent to fight monsters to prove themselves to you, all ending in tragedies that would be remembered for generations to come," Acheron said as he stepped closer to Zeus,
"Why do you live while all my family has perished?" Asked Zeus,
"Family is something that involves 'Love'…. Where was the love when you pushed Hera in the way of my spear to save your life? Where was it when you were constantly unfaithful to her? Even as my spear pierced her heart, her eyes had nothing but love towards you… She was too good for you."
"DO NOT SPEAK OF HER!" roared Zeus,
"What about Artemis? She was ready to leave all this behind, was it love or jealousy when you tricked her into killing Orion? Or did you forget you tried to rape her while she mourned the loss of her lover?"
"I ORDER YOU NOT TO SPEAK!!" Thundered Zeus,
"Let's not forget poor Hephaestus! Born to control fire, the greatest blacksmith the world has ever known!... banished to a cave because of a defect on his face... And Aphrodite, his wife? Passed around like a common whore and given the title of 'Goddess of Love'!"
"You know nothing!" Zeus exclaimed. Each word from Acheron was a crushing blow to his conscience,
"Athena told me," Acheron simply stated,
"She told me everything just before she and the others betrayed you. It was an honor and a pleasure to kill them in battle during the War of Gods. They died as the warriors they were, they died like gods on that battlefield! More than I can say for you, Zeus, the last of the Olympians!"
"…"
Zeus looked into the eyes of his greatest enemy, whose eyes started to glow in purple light. His life was slowly coming to an end, he had now accepted it. It was poetic that of all people, Acheron stood before him in his last moments.
"You are still the same petty little slave from all those years ago that was sold to the Greeks while I was sent to Atlantis. We didn't see each other until the war broke out, you had taken the name Zeus by then and had become a god amongst men, while I was nothing but an undying soldier…. I was there at your beginning, and I was here at your end. Goodbye Zeus, King of the gods."
Zeus closed his eyes, the last thing he saw in his life was the eerie purple glow that had taken over all of Acheron's eyes and the widening of his mouth.