“We all have a special connection with our animals. So when we need them they have a tendency to know and show up.”
“Right.” Needless to say I didn’t really believe her, even though I should have.
I heard a chorus of whistles followed by a bevy of animal sounds.
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Defeat them.” Apollo motioned behind us to the Titans and Giants.
I sighed, climbing onto the chariot behind Athena and Adrian came behind me. He hugged me. I closed my eyes and let my weary body rest against his. It didn’t take long for us to take off. I heard the furious roar of Cronus behind us. Turning my head slightly I saw him turn in a huff. He was pissed. They’d be after us shortly. At least I had bought us enough time to regroup so Zeus could get more lightning. I don’t know what good that would do though if Cronus and I were going to be the only ones alive within the next few hours.
“Are you alright?” Adrian wrapped his arms around me.
“I don’t know.” I said a heavy sigh.
I couldn’t bear to look at him; I didn’t want to start crying again. The thought of losing him, or any of them, was excruciating. This was important. I knew that. There was no other way, but the price was too high. The entire world was dead. We flew over Thessaly, slowly. I peered down at the ruins. Adrian refused to look this time. I was thankful I couldn’t see the bodies. I knew they were there. They were strewn everywhere.
I could smell the salt water from the sea. It was refreshing yet nerve wracking. We were close to the acropolis, close to the end. The real panic began to sink in as the chariot made its descent.
What if I can’t reverse the damage? What if I can’t defeat Cronus?
“Be ready!” Zeus shouted, putting the last of his bolts in the quiver.
I spun around to see them coming.
“Is he riding a cloud? How is he riding a cloud?”
“I’m not really sure,” Zeus said, examining his father.
“That’s nice. Is there anything you know when it comes to them?”
“We have to defeat them, and I can’t do it alone,” he replied.
“Seriously Zeus? That’s it?” I asked in disbelief.
“I didn’t have a great relationship with my father. He did attempt to eat me and ate everybody else.” He motioned to his brothers and sister.
How could I argue with that? He did grow up in a cave. I pulled my shield into place, held onto my sword and was joined by the other gods. This would be their last fight if I couldn’t put Cronus back in Tartarus. I stood next to Zeus, waiting. The Titans and Giants stepped out of their clouds and glided toward us. They were big yet graceful.
“Are you ready?” Zeus asked.
“No.”
“Here.” He handed me a small leather quiver with three bolts inside.
“Your lightning?” I asked, stunned.
“Just in case. When it comes time for you to reverse everything make sure they are tied up. Take one of the bolts and stand next to my, well, what’s left of my throne. Strike the bolt in front of it three times and throw it into the sky. It’ll take care of everything from there.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“You’ll be fine Cara. You have my blood in you; you’re the daughter of two of the mightiest gods. Don’t worry,” he tried to reassure me.
“I’m trying not to.”
“And don’t listen to Adronis. He’s had three hundred years to get used to this. You’ve only had a day.”
I didn’t know what to expect. Cronus stood there like a statue, staring at me. He licked his lips narrowing his eyes. He was trying to decide something, probably the best way to kill me. He crouched down, poising for attack. I knew pain was coming. More pain. The dull ache of my previous injuries rang throughout my body. Fresh bruises were beginning to appear on my chest and legs. They were deep purple with yellow edges. A smile spread across Cronus’ face. He knew what he was going to do. Then, without hesitation, his brothers moved into position. It was as though they were given some mental instruction because Cronus never took his gaze off of me. I didn’t even notice when the other gods and Titans began their final battle. We stood there, like a predator and his prey.
Of course I was the prey.
I swallowed hard preparing for whatever might come next. He moved so fast. Before I had time to react he was in front of me. I wasn’t sure if it was his fist, hilt or foot that made contact with my chest, but I was airborne and slamming into a pillar. I hit it so hard the marble crumbled down around me. I sat there for a minute, my eyes bugging out of my head. I rolled to my hands and knees coughing and gagging. This was the second time he did that to me. My chest felt like it was collapsing. I turned my head to see him approaching fast. Ignoring the pain shooting through my body, I struggled to stand. The anguished screams of Hera rose above the throbbing in my own head. I whipped my head around to see her slumping to her knees, Coeus pulling his sword out of her chest. He sneered at me, and then turned on Athena. On my mother.
“No!”
“What’s wrong? Don’t like seeing the Olympians die? This is what they get for their betrayal.”
“You ate them! Your own children!” I screamed at him.
“Because it was prophesied one of them would overthrow me.”
“I’m not letting you get away with this.” I let out an enraged scream and ran at him.
Our swords clanged and sparks flew. The pain was buried beneath the adrenaline. I kept swinging at him while all around me the Olympians were falling. Athena’s body lay a few feet away from Hera. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Adronis being thrown from the side of the acropolis, plunging to the sea below. Adrian’s lifeless eyes stared up at me from a pile of rubble to my right and Zeus struggled for his last breath as he struck Crius with his last bolt. Hyperion and Iapetus lay behind Cronus with swords sticking out of their chests. Heracles and I were the only ones left. He had already slain one of the giants. Then it dawned on me. The bolts Zeus gave me. I hadn’t used them. I had two at my disposal. Reaching to the quiver slung across my back, I grabbed one out. As our swords met again I jabbed the end of the bolt into the hollow of Cronus’ neck. He started to sizzle and smoke. The smell of burning flesh rose into the air. His screams died down for a moment. I didn’t give him time to regain his composure before throwing the sword into his abdomen. It felt odd, metal cutting into flesh especially Titan flesh. His wasn’t like normal human skin. It was tougher, stronger. I brought the bolt down on his chest this time, ramming it as hard as I could.
I was never a violent person. I hated blood, guts and gore. Right now though, I wanted more. I relished in his screams. His blood ran onto my hands. The warm, crimson liquid startled me at first. I cocked my head to the side watching it cover my fingers. Finally, a smile was able to creep across my lips. I pulled my hand back, leaving the sword in his chest and pressing the bolt in further, and licked my hand. The smile widened. It contorted into a sneer. Cronus’ eyes rolled to the back of his head and he sank to his knees. He swayed there for a few moments before falling over. I pulled the lightning bolt out of his neck and my sword out of his chest. The blood thirsty rage battling in my body was appeased. I could feel myself calming and my heart rate returning to normal. There was no differentiating my blood from his. I sheathed my sword and knelt down beside the motionless body. I placed my index and pointer finger on his neck, looking for his pulse. It was there but barely. A low moan escaped his lips and his eyes began to flutter. I unsheathed my sword, turned it around and bashed Cronus in the temple with it. He was out and would be for a while. Standing, I observed the destruction we all created. Everything was laying in smoldering heaps. Bodies were broken and laying about. The bodies of Titans, Giants and Olympians. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I turned to face whoever it was. I didn’t want to fight anymore. Luckily it was Heracles. His somber smile and nod sent a surge of sorrow through my body. I threw my arms around his neck and buried my fac
e in his shoulder. The tears were streaming down my cheeks, clearing paths to my skin through the blood. Heracles dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around my body.
“It’s alright, Cara. It’s over,” he tried to soothe me.
“No, it’s not. It’ll never be over. This was why I was created, to keep them alive. Look they’re dead! And as long as I’m alive, so will he,” I cried, looking at Cronus.
“You know how to reverse all of this. You can put the world right.”
I looked up at him with my red rimmed eyes. He was right of course, but after this was all fixed, would there still be a need for me?
Chapter Twenty-four
I had to get back to Olympus, to Zeus’ throne. The pains of battle were catching up to me again. My ribs began to ache. I took off what remained of my armor. The chiton underneath was soaked in blood.
“That doesn’t look good,” Heracles said, eyeing me.
“I know.”
“I guess it’s good you’re immortal.”
“We should get going to Olympus.”
I let out a low whistle and waited. I wasn’t sure what was going to show up but I knew it was the only way to get there. We heard the flapping of wings and knew who it was, Pegasus.
“Will we both fit?” I asked.
“He’s strong.”
Heracles climbed onto his back and reached his hand out to me. Sighing, I took hold of it and fell into place behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my head into his back. Pegasus ran forward toward the edge and I held onto Heracles tighter. The winged horse leapt off the edge and dove toward the water, letting his hooves skim over it as he evened out. The last thing I needed was for a show off horse, unless he didn’t mind me tossing the rest of my cookies all over his fur. It took a few mutes but I was almost starting to relax. My sore and achy body rested peacefully against Heracles’ well toned physique. I kept thinking about what I was about to do. I know I had to erase everything the Titans had done. I had to bring the world back to life. They were no longer a threat so everybody was safe. At least for now. I kept my head down and eyes closed. I knew what was passing below us. I didn’t want to see anymore death.
“Cara.”
I looked up. Mt. Olympus loomed ahead of us.
“Alright, here we go,” Heracles shouted.
Pegasus began his descent. He was fast. We were standing on the ruins of the gods home within a matter of seconds. My heart sank. I didn’t see Zeus’ throne. Nothing was distinguishable. I had never seen the throne before. I turned in a circle trying to find it or at least where it should have been.
“Where was it?”
“What?” Heracles asked.
“The throne. I don’t know where or what anything was,” I cried.
“Well, think. If you were Zeus, where would you sit?”
“Um, if I were ruler of all the gods I would sit…” I let my voice trail off as I examined my surroundings.
I sighed with relief and let a smile spread across my face. “I’d sit at the highest point. Up there.”
“Sounds about right,” he agreed.
“How do I get up there?” I was a bit discouraged by the rubble and marble that blocked my path.
“Climb.”
“Geez, thanks Heracles. I couldn’t have figured that out on my own,” I said sarcastically.
“You asked.” He shrugged.
I rolled my eyes at him and began my climb. “Don’t stare up my chiton either.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Yeah right,” I mumbled as I tried to make my way up.
The climb itself wasn’t all that bad. The marble wasn’t as smooth in its crumbled, destroyed form as it was normally which was nice. It made for easy grip. The sandals though, did nothing to help. The throbbing in my back and chest only got worse with the higher up I went. If I wasn’t immortal I would definitely be dead. When I did finally reach the top I sat down.
“What are you doing?” he called up to me.
“I’ve had my ribs and chest busted by a titan. I’ve had a sword rip into my flesh and almost break my back. I think I can sit down for a few minutes.”
“Okay, okay, calm down. I was just asking.” He sat down and stretched out his legs. “You are a special kind of goddess, Cara.”
“Please, relax. Don’t help me,” I grunted, climbing up the last few feet.
“Hey, you’re the goddess, not me.”
“You’re the undead hero who took out two giants.”
“I’m still not a god.”
“You are an enormous wuss, Heracles.”
“Really now?”
“Yes.”
“And how did you come to that conclusion?”
“You’re not helping me.”
“Ah, okay. So killing two giants while dead for thousands of years doesn’t count for anything?”
I just grunted and pulled myself over the edge. “No.”
“Well, you made it to the top just fine.”
“Shut up.”
“Do you know what to do?” he asked.
“If I didn’t do you think I would have taken the time to get up here?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re ridiculous, Heracles. How did you live as long as you did?”
Laughing, he replied, “I have super strength.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing I wasn’t alive back then,” I shouted to him while examining everything around me.
“Why is that?”
“You wouldn’t have made it past twenty.”
He just laughed. I found the shattered remains of what could have been the throne. I walked up to it and turned, surveying my surroundings. It was a spectacular view. It was definitely where Zeus sat to rule over everything. From this spot I could see all of Olympus and there was a nice little break in the clouds that showed down to the earth below. Thessaly was smoking in the distance along with a few smaller towns. I wasn’t sad now. I was about to right all of these wrongs. I looked down at my blood stained hands. They didn’t bother me. I reached to the quiver on my back and pulled out one of the bolts.
“Are you ready?”
“Does it look like I’m ready?” I muttered sarcastically.
“You’re a smart ass. There is too much Ares in you.”
“And you’re just an ass.”
I stared at the pile of rubble; I had no idea what it had been.
What’s the worst that can happen if I’m wrong? I’m just hitting the ground, with a bolt of lightning. With a bolt of Zeus’ lightning.
I sighed. No pressure there, I thought smugly.
“Here goes,” I said, holding the bolt above my head.
I drove it into the ground three times, gaining intensity each time. With each strike the sparks and light that emanated from the ground grew. After hitting it off the ground the last time it began to burn my hand, I tossed it into the sky and watched as it expanded across the entire thing. For as far as I could see the sky glowed a wondrous golden yellow.
“What’s going on?” Heracles asked, standing up a bit startled.
“I-I don’t know.”
“Did you do it right?”
“I did it just like Zeus said,” I told him.
“Are you sure you’re in the right spot.”
“Nope.”
“What happens if you’re not?” There was a bit of panic in his voice.
“I have no idea.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of the sky. It was still glowing.
“Do you think that’s right?” he asked, glancing from me to the sky and back again.
“No idea.”
“Well, should we go back to the acropolis?”
“Um, yeah, I think so. I wonder if it’s done,” I said more to myself than anything.
I climbed back down, which was easier than going up. I stood next to Heracles for a few minutes watching, not sure what was going on. I slowly made my way to the edge of the summit and peered down. I couldn’t se
e much, mainly clouds, but there was a small break that gave a great view of the ground. At first it looked the same. Discouraged, I ran to the opposite side. I looked toward Thessaly and my heart leapt into my throat.
There were no burning ruins.
“We have to go. Now come on,” I whistled and waited for Pegasus to return.
He was taking too long for my liking and my bloodied foot began to tap.
“Will you relax? Obviously if you don’t see burning rubble then you did it right.”
“Then why isn’t everything here normal?” I snapped.
“Maybe it fixes everything in order,” he suggested.
“Hmm.”
“Give it a few minutes.”
Sighing heavily, I agreed. A few minutes went by and nothing happened. I plopped down next to Pegasus and glared up at Heracles. He was keeping me from getting to the acropolis. I opened my mouth, ready to start yelling at him when it happened. It started slowly as a light glow. It crept over the edge and washed over our feet. As it flooded the crumbled remains of the god’s home the buildings seemed to rebuild themselves. They weren’t large, nothing more than small, marble huts. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and apparently neither could Heracles. He stood and stumbled toward me. His eyes were as big as saucers.
“I think you did it right,” he whispered.
“I do too.”
“Did everything just rebuild itself?”
“Uh huh.”
“You want to go to the acropolis to make sure they’re alive?” he asked.
“Uh huh.”
“Let’s go.”
We backed up and turned half-walking half-running to Pegasus. I was the first on. I grabbed the reins and waited for Heracles to get on behind me. I felt his toned, muscular arms wrap around my waist, holding on tight. He scooted closer to me and I felt his stone hard chest press into my back. I gave the reigns a shake and Pegasus was off. He dove off the edge and into the forest at the base of Mt. Olympus. He maneuvered expertly through the trees and brush, his hooves barely off the ground. Thessaly was approaching quickly in the foreground. The buildings were standing and people were walking around, as though nothing had happened. Pegasus tucked his wings into his side and Heracles slid off. A car zoomed past the field we were in.
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