Twilight of the Gods (Universe in Flames Book 8)

by Christian Kallias

  “Even so, what if the Gorgar don’t want to help us deal with the Furies once deprogrammed? Not to mention that they’re not exactly a warrior race.”

  “Yes, but they have the numbers. Perhaps we should use the tech to ensure they help us free their world, then let them decide what they want to do in regard to joining the Alliance.”

  “You’re not seriously entertaining the idea of using Argos’ tech on them the same way he did, are you?”

  “If it comes to that, perhaps it’s an option we should consider.”

  Ryonna shot daggers into Keera’s eyes. “That wouldn’t make us any different than the Furies.”

  “While I admit this may be the case, at least on the surface, we have to consider the consequences if we don’t. The Obsidian is helping us churn out ships at a very satisfying rate now, and we’ll soon have a powerful fleet of new ships. But it won’t matter if it takes five of our destroyers to bring down one Fury enemy ship. I know these odds improved since the Olympians joined us, and perhaps if the Asgardians join as well then we’ll finally be in a position to do some serious damage. But let’s not forget this is war, and sometimes you have to do things you’re uncomfortable doing to survive.”

  Ryonna growled.

  Keera raised an eyebrow. “Am I about to take an unwanted nap?”

  Ryonna didn’t answer. Instead she looked outside the ship’s viewport at the beautiful accelerated Asgardian hyperspace corridor. She wished the one ship escort helping them travel faster to their destination could assist, but its captain had been given specific orders to only act as transport and nothing else. At least for the time being.

  Too bad, thought Ryonna. Having an Asgardian destroyer as backup could have opened up a few more strategical options, especially if they’d need to improvise their approach tactic upon arrival.

  “I’m sorry if I angered you,” added Keera after a moment.

  “That’s okay, you’re just stating your honest opinion. What kind of a friend would I be if I blamed you for that?”

  “But— you’ve growled.”

  Ryonna looked at Keera, her eyes dead serious.

  “Would you have preferred I farted?”

  It took a second for Keera to process Ryonna’s both unusual and unexpected words, and they both laughed out loud.

  Keera wiped tears from her eyes. “Thank you, I needed that.”

  “I could sense that. Believe me, we won’t be laughing as much when the shit hits the fan and Tar’Lock releases one pearl after another to relieve his own anxiety.”

  “Do they smell that bad?”

  Ryonna smiled.

  “Let’s just say that if this war drags on for much longer, I might consider having some sort of nose surgery done.”

  “YOU NEED TO TRY HARDER!” shouted Chris.

  “I don’t think I can,” lamented Sarah.

  They were standing in the training room aboard the Hope. Chris tried to train his mother to get a grip on her Fury powers but they weren’t making any progress. He started to think that whatever power she had manifested on the surface of Droxia had just been a fluke.

  “Don’t you feel an energy running inside of you? Something that even if you can’t quantify or access, you still feel is there?”

  “This is useless! I’m not a warrior like you or your father.”

  “You don’t know that,” argued Chris before letting a breath of frustration escape.

  “I should get back to the bridge.”

  “We’re in hyperspace. Daniel has the bridge, and there’s nothing to do there.”

  “Doesn’t look like there is anything to be done here either, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Chris wondered why his mother couldn’t access her Fury powers. It was clear she had some, but was it psychological? Or were they triggered only in certain situations? That gave him an idea and he concentrated on sending Gaia a mental message.

  You can’t be serious? she answered back.

  I am, can you please do it? It’s important.

  I don’t like this, but— okay, I’ll be there shortly.

  “I’ve had it,” said Sarah, throwing her hands in the air.

  “We’re not finished. Not by a long shot.”

  “Oh yes, we are. I’m the parent here.”

  “You need to train, and the sooner you get a grasp on your powers, the sooner you’ll stop being so anxious.”

  That seemed to make Sarah pause and think.

  “Are you reading my mind?”

  “I don’t have to. I can see how you’ve been behaving ever since you unleashed your powers on Droxia, it’s been eating at you.”

  “With good reasons; I could have killed you all.”

  “I don’t think so; as a matter of fact you saved all our lives.”

  “Beginner’s luck.”

  “Perhaps, but you’d feel better about yourself if you had a good grasp on these powers, if they came to you naturally.”

  “I want nothing more. I hate how I’ve been feeling lately.”

  “So let’s train some more.”

  “It’s useless, Chris. I’m not like you or your father. I—”

  “You’re afraid. And that’s okay. It may take a while for you not to be.”

  “It didn’t seem to be a problem for you.”

  “I am Fury hybrid, it’s in my genes. The way you acquired your powers might be the reason why it’s more difficult for you to access them, but one thing is sure: whatever Fury genes you’ve been granted from the pregnancy, they are powerful ones, and we could use those abilities in our fight.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I don’t want to be a liability.”

  “Look, I understand how you—”

  Before he could finish, there was a series of screams coming from outside the training room and the front doors exploded. Gaia emerged through the flames, her battle bot’s eyes shining red.

  CHASE AND ARGOS were escorted to meet Athena on her ship. They were brought to a large garden teeming with life. Beautiful trees, birds of all colors, and a holo-projected skyline showing a clear blue sky.

  “We don’t have these on our ships,” commented Argos.

  Chase looked around, absorbing the beauty of the place as he did. “No, we sure don’t. But that’s an upgrade I’ll have to discuss with Yanis. We could use such places to unwind.”

  “I’m glad you enjoy our gardens,” said Athena as she came from behind one of the largest trees in the center of the Athenian garden. “Congratulations on your recent promotion, Admiral.”

  Argos had to suppress a chuckle.

  “Thank you. We— we need to talk.”

  “What about?”

  “What about?” echoed Argos, his tone far from controlled.

  Chase swiftly raised a hand instructing his brother not to let his emotions get the better of him.

  Let me speak, please, said Chase telepathically.

  Athena slightly cocked her head to the side. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “Abandoning your children comes to mind,” said Argos.

  Chase shot his brother an angry look. “I thought we agreed you would let me speak.”

  “Right, won’t happen again.”

  “Doesn’t really matter anymore, now does it? I was trying to approach the subject slowly.”

  “Yeah and from the looks of it,” said Argos pointing toward Athena, who was walking away, “that probably wasn’t a good idea.” Argos flinched. “Sorry about that.”

  Chase pointed an accusing finger toward Argos. “You stay here, understood?”

  Argos nodded as Chase ran after Athena.

  “Please, Athena, wait.”

  She stopped but didn’t turn back. “I— I don’t know if I can talk with you right now.”

  Chase could feel emotional turmoil emanating from his biological mother.

  “Perhaps if you gave me some time,” she added. “I— I’d like to gather my thoughts.”

  “I understand that this is a surpr
ise for you, but it was a surprise for the both of us as well. And while I’m more than willing to give you room on the matter, I’d like to point out that our existences are very— how should I put this? Chaotic at best. Pretty much every day we fight for our lives, and right now feels like we have a few hours of tranquility ahead of us. Who knows if that will be the case later on, so could we perhaps talk just a little bit?”

  Athena walked toward a tree with purple bud flowers. She lit up one of the buds with her mind and inhaled a very large quantity of the smoke through her nose. The smell was intoxicating and Chase understood that the plant had psychotropic properties. He could feel Athena’s anxiety levels quickly drop and moments later she turned toward him.

  “You must be disappointed in me. But please understand…” she paused. “I didn’t know you were my son. When we first met I did think you looked familiar, but—”

  “But you weren’t sure. Zeus told me we were taken from you at birth.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that. But yes, I’ve only held you and your brother in my arms once, before Menelas took you to safety. I didn’t even want to know your names.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “It was near the end of the first Fury War. And I didn’t mean to get pregnant. I— I don’t think you want to hear this but…”

  “No, please continue. I do want to hear it.”

  “I didn’t want children. I was leading our forces against the Furies, the war was raging, and Zeus had gone mad with anger toward your people.”

  “The Furies aren’t my people.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect. But Fury blood runs through your veins.”

  Chase nodded solemnly.

  “Your father, Menelas,” she continued, “didn’t think it was wise for us to let anyone know about your existence. Zeus would probably have requested your execution back then. You have to understand the context of all this. My father had fallen in love with a Fury woman. He always thought that no other Olympians knew this. He’s very proud and I never spoke a word of it out of respect for him. But when he lost her—”

  “It drove him mad.”

  “It did. But perhaps his loss was a necessary tragedy, after all that’s what got us to join the allied world’s fighting the Furies; without our help, they might have conquered the entire universe back then.”

  “I understand— I think. Though I must say this doesn’t help the feelings of abandonment I’ve been harboring for most of my life.”

  “With your father gone, I can only imagine.”

  “He’s dead then?”

  “He was captured by Arakan just before we won the war. Though obviously we didn’t defeat the Furies fully, just sent them away. Surely Arakan executed your father.”

  “Zeus explained that part to me and also why he didn’t destroy the Furies when he got the chance.”

  “Well, then you probably know more about it than most Olympians do. I still don’t understand what possessed him to just trap them instead of destroying their world. Granted, we’re not a genocidal people, but the Furies were an enemy like no other we had faced before. They were intent on cleansing the universe of any other species. They needed to be stopped and sometimes blood calls for blood.”

  “On that we agree and I won’t repeat Zeus’ mistake, but I understand why he hesitated. Perhaps in his place, I might have done the same.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Hopefully he won’t be mad if I tell you this, but the reason he trapped the Furies instead of destroying them is because of Oryn.”

  “The recently defected Fury that tried to kill you? What does she have to do with all of this?”

  “She is the fruit of his love with Zalara.”

  Her face dropped. “That would explain it. Here we were worried my Father would try to assassinate our children because they were part Fury, and he had one of his own. I knew he had fallen for Arakan’s wife, but I had no idea they had a child together.”

  “I’ll ask that you let him tell you that story on his own, should he feel inclined to, but I’m not sure he’d be happy if he knew I told you.”

  “Well, thank you for your candor and trust on the matter. I will not tell him nor anyone else about this, I promise.”

  Athena gestured toward Argos, who had stayed behind, to come rejoin them. While he was on his way, out of the blue, she embraced Chase and hugged him with an incredible amount of force. Chase was surprised at first, but when she sobbed, he let his own guard fall and embraced her back.

  “I’m so sorry, my son,” she whispered in his ear.

  Chase closed his eyes and let his own tears run amok.

  ARGOS APPROACHED ATHENA AND CHASE. They were in each other’s arms. He stood there, not sure what to do or say.

  Eventually, after a rather long and uncomfortable amount of time, Athena grabbed Chase by the shoulders and affectionately ran her hand through his hair.

  “You’ve matured into a fine young man,” she said. She looked toward Argos. “The both of you.”

  Argos gave a shy nod in response, uncertain of what to do.

  Athena’s gaze turned back to Chase. “I’m so proud of you. I can tell you inherited the passion and determination of your father. His moral compass never wavered and yours seems to be just as strong.”

  “And you…” she said walking toward Argos.

  “I’m not good with hug—”

  But before he could finish his sentence, she slapped Argos so hard his hair got thrown to the side.

  Chase’s eyes grew wide as Argos held his hand on his reddened cheek.

  “Ouch!”

  “That serves you well. All of this mess is your fault! How could you do this? Why did the two of you have to be enemies!?”

  “Well, we’re not anymore,” complained Argos. “And it’s a long story, one I’m not sure Chase wants to hear.” Argos sent a compassionate look toward his brother. “Perhaps when all of this is over.”

  Athena eventually embraced Argos. His heart started beating fast and hard in his chest but soon his mother’s love washed over his broken soul and he embraced her back.

  “I’m glad the two of you are friends now, perhaps something good has come out of this war after all.”

  A few moments later, the three of them sat on a wooden bench next to a beautiful cascade at the far side of the garden.

  “We could use your help,” said Argos.

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help you; what is it you need?”

  “Do you by any chance keep DNA of Olympians in any way, shape, or form?”

  She furrowed her eyebrows. “Why?”

  “We would need Aphroditis’ DNA so we can rescue her from the machine,” interjected Chase.

  “And how exactly do you propose to do that?”

  “We swap her for a clone,” said Argos.

  “I doubt this plan would work. While I don’t know how the machine works exactly, I do seem to recall the soul of an Olympian is what’s powering it.”

  “Yeah, we figured as much. Chase thinks we got that covered.”

  “Let me guess, you’re going to ask Ares.”

  “How did you know?” asked Argos.

  “Because that’s what I would have done in your place. Nobody got closer to Aphroditis as much as he did in the last few centuries. Even after Father banished her, Ares never left her side.”

  “I can tell Zeus no longer harbors bad blood for Aphroditis, though,” said Chase.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Chase— son,” she corrected herself. “Perhaps time has healed that wound, but I’m not sure he’ll ever fully forgive her.”

  “What has she done that’s so bad?” inquired Argos.

  “You know she sees possible futures. Well, she knew Zalara would die, she knew it would drive him crazy and that it would result in Olympus participating in the war. She wanted to tell him, but she confided in me that every future in which Zalara didn’t die turn
ed horribly bad for our people and countless other species. The Fury War would have dragged on for thousands of years. For that reason…she couldn’t tell him. Until much later. I’m sure you can imagine how that went.”

  “Is that why you said his loss was needed earlier?”

  She nodded. “Yes, that single event is what she used to call a nexus. A strongly anchored point in time, one that if changed would have immeasurable consequences. And so she only told me, after the fact. I— I was the one who insisted she comes clean with Father. If I had known he’d banish her, I wouldn’t have. But in hindsight, perhaps all of this had to happen.”

  “I’m not sure I’m following?” said Chase.

  “My sister’s gift is both a blessing and a curse. She sees these moments in time, these nexuses, as well as the people that are most likely to influence the future. It’s the heaviest burden you can ever imagine. But with her silence, she insured the Furies were defeated.”

  “Except they weren’t,” said Argos.

  She looked into his eyes. “They were stopped, and for nearly ten thousand years there was a lasting peace, until the Obsidian and Star Alliance went to war. Even your actions, I— I think she knew it would turn out this way.”

  A tear ran down Chase’s face. “That would explain why she was so willing to enter the machine.”

  “Don’t blame yourselves for this, my sons. Both our journeys had started way before you were even born. I no longer think my meeting with your father was just a coincidence. I’m just sorry your destinies pitted you against one another the way it did. But it fills my heart with joy to see you fight side by side now. And remember, my sister never does anything out of chance, never.”

  A cascade of shivers ran down both Chase and Argos’ spines.

  “She stepped willingly into that machine because she knew that it would result in the best outcome for the majority. There’s no-one more selfless than my sister.”

  Argos’ eyes filled with tears as well.

  15

  Gaia approached Sarah and Chris.

  “What the hell is wrong with her?” asked Sarah.

  “I don’t think that’s the Gaia we know,” answered Chris. “Stay behind me, you’re not ready for this fight.”