A TERRIFYING YET BRIEF REUNION WITH ANGRY OLD FRIENDS

I had rested and recuperated; however, I was still not fully healed. The fleece lay on me, and I felt its magical energy penetrating into me, shoving its way in my veins. I had also listed all the injures that I suffered in the battle with Ischyros. I broke my right rib, shoulders, left elbow, right wrist, femurs and even damaged my spinal cord. If it weren't for the fleece, I would have certainly died.

My bones weren't completely fixed. They were almost to the finish line, though. I could sit up straight and even walk, but only with the fleece on my neck. It was too painful to do anything other than lay down otherwise. Also, let's not get into running or anything faster than regular walking. The pain I experienced was in a league of its own - beyond unbearable.

But I was just relieved I was alive and on my way back to my former health. Vittoria and Mei didn't know I had awoken yet. I would love to walk out of my room, but I struggled to make it to the front door. Yelling was another option, but I was too weak to raise my voice. It hurt to even talk. I had eaten the food graciously left next to my bed and drunk all the water offered in one big gulp. Humans can't live without food for a month and water for three days. Someone must have forced-fed me water. Clutching my body and feeling my arms, chest, and legs made me realize I had lost some weight. A significant amount. I must have been in a coma for at least a week or two.

I took my time eating. Vittoria(assuming it was her - it could be Mei also) had cooked some veggie pitas and cooked fish. Salmon was the king of fish, and pink salmon was the best of all. But it also told me something: we were nearing Alaska. The Denali mountain was not far away, and soon we would free Atlas. It dampened my spirits to know that my cozy rest days would come to an end so soon, but not by much. After all, the golden fleece was in my hands, and Kronos's plan would advance to the next stage.

Right after I finished eating, Vittoria and Mei opened the door to my room. The latter smiled at me while the former tried to kill me. By that, I meant a sweet yet really tight hug. "Ow, ow! I'm not fully healed yet! Let go of me, or my bones will break again!" Vittoria relaxed her embrace and beamed. Then she punched me in the gut. "I said I'm not fully healed yet! That hurt!"

"Well, it hurt me more to see you like that," she hugged me again. "I'm so glad you're not dead, Yiannis. Don't ever do that again. Even with the fleece, we thought it would be a long shot to keep you alive."

I smiled, squeezing her back. "Sorry. I must have caused a big panic, and right when we succeeded and saved Mei. You've gone through a lot, and I only added to that. Although I can't promise anything, I'll try my best to not worry you so much again."

"Please do. Also, one other thing."

"What is it?"

"I saved Mei. You were sprawling here for more than two weeks."

"Wait, more than two weeks? No wonder I've lost so much weight!"

"Well, it's not like you're malnourished or anything, so you'll be fine. More importantly, how are you feeling?"

"Like hell. I can barely get to the door and back here." Mei stared at every inch of my body, making me uncomfortable. "What is this, a body search?"

"Sorry," Mei apologized. "I'm just using a spell to gloss over all the injuries you have. Even though it's been two weeks, you're quite a long way from fully recovering. I would say that you would need at least another two. Thankfully, you managed to procure the fleece, or the both of us would have died." Mei bowed her head. "On that note, forgive me for my uselessness. You saved my life, Lord Yiannis, and I nearly got you killed."

I nodded. "You're an ally, and a close friend to my close friend, making you a friend. You don't have to thank me for what I did. Also, don't call me your Lord. I already told you this."

Mei faintly smiled. "Regardless of how you feel, you are the son of Kronos. To his followers, you might as well be our prince. This is a fact you need to accept. Starting from today, Vittoria and I will address you as a superior."

"Huh? Where'd that-"

"Kronos has elevated you for your recent deed. You will soon replace Vittoria as his third-in-command, and she will become your servant, as will I. Use us as you see fit," the two bent the way butlers did in movies after being given orders by their masters.

I sighed. Why was it that my father left me in the dark so often? And why was I getting promoted? I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without Vittoria, so I should be serving her, not the other way around. And even when I was higher than Vittoria in rank, Kronos sent more information to her and Mei. "Well, fine. I guess I have no choice now. Anyway, I'm actually honored to have such capable hands as yourselves become my underlings. Is there anything else Father has mentioned?"

"Yes," Vittoria answered. "Lord Kronos will speak to you tonight." Good. I didn't like being the only one left behind. Finally, at least in terms of intel, I would be equal with Vittoria. That would prove to be a big help. But I wanted to know the situation at DGH...Helen could be in grave danger.

"Has Kronos notified you of current events in DGH?" Mei and Vittoria both nodded. Mei answered first. "However, your father wants to give the bulk of information to you. He did not mention much to us."

"Other than his plan had gone accordingly," Vittoria continued. "And that you would take my place in managing the spy network. I'll give you a list of who's on our side sometime tomorrow. But, your father did say that Helen is not in danger, so you need not be worried. She hasn't visited the Underworld yet and has no clue you're here."

"So she's doing fine and still in the dark?" Thanks for the heads up, dad number one. "That IS indeed much-needed relief. Well, I won't be learning anything until later tonight, so we'll continue the discussion tomorrow. In the meantime, I'd like your comments on something."

"Which is?" Mei asked.

"It relates to our future. Well, mine anyway, but as my new minions, it concerns the two of you as well. I formulated a plan on how to deal with the gods, especially Zeus, but I think it needs tweaking." I let them know why I didn't mind having Zeus see my scythe from the heavens and asked for feedback for dealing with Athena and some other gods.

Mei crossed her arms. "The idea of baiting Zeus is fine on its own. You are correct that goddesses like Athena will be a threat. I do believe she will be the biggest challenge you will face. What do you think, Lady Vittoria?"

"Mei, you can just call me Vittoria now. After all, we have the same status as Yiannis's underlings. There's no need for formality anymore."

"Understood."

"Anyways, I agree with Mei. The wisdom goddess will be the biggest thorn. Some gods can probe deep into the mind and manipulate emotions. But it's likely few, if any of them, would actually engage us."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Many of those who can read minds and control emotions are minor gods, and nearly all of them have joined us. As such, we have two main threats on this side: Aphrodite and the Erotes. Some among the Nine Muses can control states of mind, but they never leave Olympus, so they won't be joining the war effort anytime soon."

"That makes sense. Kronos will most likely order either his brothers or the minor gods on our side to deal with the Erotes. They may have some power, but not much over the hearts of others. The only exception is Eros, who will be dealt with by Hades, who is too powerful to be afflicted by his spells. As for Aphrodite..."

"That love goddess is powerful enough to make even Zeus go crazy. Is there any way to push her back?" I asked.

Mei shook her head. "I don't see a way how. Aphrodite can make your heart wild with lust with the snap of a finger. She can modify her voice and appearance to be so alluring that nobody can resist her. This is true for both men and women."

"Frankly, I find her to be a worse opponent than Athena. I can handle mind games, but Aphrodite can easily make me her pawn. We need to deal with her first."

"Not quite," Vittoria disagreed. "Aphrodite's only strength is her charms, as well as her abilities to control the desires of others. It is a frightening ability, but that's all she has. Aphrodite lacks strength or power and can be taken out rather quickly in battle, assuming you don't become infatuated with her. But I don't think she'll even take the war seriously. At least for now, anyway."

The last bit came as a shock. "But...it's a war. One where Aphrodite may be vaporized from existence. Her family may suck, but they're still her family, and they could die too. Then there's the fact she has a relationship with Ares. With all that on the line, I can't see why she would ignore the war or dismiss the matter."

"It's like this, Yiannis. Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire, passion, lust, fertility, and, of course, sex. And she takes her role very seriously, as evident by her numerous flings and dates and by bringing potential couples together. However, that seems to be all the love goddess is interested in. Either she's boinking someone or having others boink each other, sometimes with disastrous consequences. After all, she is the literal image of beauty, lust, and what someone may want in a mate. I told you at the Isle of Lemnos that she started the Trojan war. And, you saw for yourself how she can ruin lives. You saw what she made Hypsipyle and her followers go through for a thousand years. However, she always chooses to do things indirectly, so, at most, she will play a limited role. In the myths, Aphrodite continuously sought other men, looking for one who could finally please her, both in bed and in a relationship. Ares can't do either, it seems."

"So what you're saying is that the love goddess will be too busy looking for the perfect soulmate to be bothered?"

"Exactly that. We should focus all our attention on Athena."

It was hard to wrap my head around, and I did want to laugh. She was doing my job for me, and as long as Aphrodite had a man to have fun with, I can ignore her. The same is true even if she's empty-handed, for she would then be busy looking for a man or toy around with someone's life for fun. The latter was a worry, but there would be little I could do to prevent her if she targeted me. With divine authority over emotion itself, Aphrodite could easily have the gods on their knees and beg. I think that went for the Titans as well. Was Father powerful enough to overcome Aphrodite's lure? Or was she even considered a problem by him?

"Well, let's hope you're right, Vittoria. Aphrodite could turn this whole war around. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I guess we can end the conversation here for now. Let me know if anything else comes up."

"Yes, Lord Yiannis." Vittoria and Mei both left the room, leaving me to stare at my window.

I sighed. I was a reserved kid. I never really had any friends except Julien. Helen and Julien were enough for me, and being popular or even somewhat known has its problems. The more people that are involved, the more drama that will follow. Plus, I didn't want that many people to know I existed. There would be too much noise. I would be accompanied by the voices of lots of fellow students. Rumors and gossip would abound, although I knew they already had in middle school. I was an exceptional loner, yet the most popular boy(Julien) was my best bud. That alone caused theories to spread as to our relationship. I never liked popularity, and I was scared to be "someone." I'd much rather fade in the background, into the shadows where I felt at home. I did not like being known or watching people watch me. How on earth was I supposed to be a "Lord?" How could I be a big shot, Kronos's son, when I couldn't even handle middle school? I can't be a public face to our group when I'm scared of publicity itself.

My body was telling me to go back to sleep. I got the message from the burning sensations that flooded me. So I went back to sleep. It's not like I could do anything at the moment. I couldn't even leave my damm room.

And I couldn't sleep. That's likely because I got more than enough hours. Two whole weeks is a lot of recharge time.

As such, I stared out my window. And my boredom left me, swapping hands with fear. Was that what I think it was?

Hurtling towards us was a ship - Nathan's ship. In a few seconds, his frigate could sink us with its cannons.

How? How? How? How did they evade Helios...oh wait, Julien was Zeus's son. Perhaps he managed to convince his father of both his innocence and to intercede Helios on his behalf. I had betted on them dying before Zeus got a chance, but there goes that. Even so, how had they kept up with us? How did they locate us...oh right, Zeus saw me with my daddy's scythe. He got paranoid a bit too early for my liking.

Mei broke my door. Her panicked face was enough to tell me she was aware of who was next door. "What now?" she asked. "Nathan's coming."

"Where's Vittoria?"

"On the deck, Lord Yiannis. The frigate is shooting cannonballs at us, but Vittoria is using a water spell to enclose the ship in a protective barrier."

"How long can she keep it up?"

"Twenty minutes at most."

I hopped from my bed. I needed Vittoria to attack the enemy ship, not defend ours. There's no way I'm sidelining the best magic-user on board the Black Pearl. Mei would be doing the same thing. I, on the other hand, would be taking over Vittoria's current job. I was in no position to be playing offense, and Vittoria was too good for defense. Even in my current condition, I could use a water spell for at least ten minutes. Not that long, but with Vittoria and Mei at the front, it will do. And that's if I used the water spell. I wasn't.

Mei latched on to my arm. "Where are you going? You can't go out like that!"

"I-we don't have a choice. We're on an old-style warship with no weapons, while Nathan's little frigate has cannons. It may be antiquated, but it's still a frigate."

"Yes, but what can you do in your condition? You can't even walk out the door to your room!"

"Hey, just because I'm disabled doesn't mean I'm useless. You're an enemy to all disabled people."

"This isn't the time for jokes, either!"

"I know. Trust me on this, Mei. Just help me up to the deck. I'll explain what's in my head as we go along."

Cannonballs hurled at the Black Pearl. Water rose from the sea, halting them. Jets of fluid either sent the cannonballs back to Nathan or into the water below. Vittoria danced, controlling the water around her. The water curled with her fingers, shot forwards with her arms, and transformed into shapes with her hands.

But she was nearing her limit. Her feet moved slower and slower, and she was having difficulty raising her arms all the way up. I would need to step in.

Three cannonballs sped towards us. With my mask on, I used an ice spell to freeze them, watching them plop to the sea. Thankfully, ice spells did not require much anima to flow in my body; I could use them for hours on end. Of course, I would need more anima to ice larger objects, but cannonballs were anything but that.

Mei ran to Vittoria, informing the latter of my plan. Vittoria's eyes locked with mine. I nodded and silently mouthed that I'll be fine, and she just had to have faith in me like always. We stared at each other, Vittoria being hesitant. She didn't want me to put myself in danger again. The same went for Mei. But she relented. With Mei, they could launch an assault on Nathan's ship. Well, one of them would stay with me. Since Vittoria was the one mentally steering the Black Pearl, she would be by my side, shooting fireballs and the like at Nathan. Mei, meanwhile, would use one of the spare boats we had to secretly infiltrate Nathan's ship. There, she would deliver a little present. If she ran into anyone aboard, her orders were to flee. There was no need to fight. If Mei did her part as intended, Nathan's ship would be at risk of sinking. We were still quite far from land. Our three enemies would be stranded at sea or have a god fix their ship. But they would lose valuable time, and my kind gift would only exacerbate that.

Vittoria stood next to me. She shot fireballs, well, a mix of that and lightning at the enemy ship as I froze nearby cannonballs. "Are you sure about this? You'll lose the spartoi we acquired."

"As if that bothers me. We have fifty mummy soldiers, and I'm the son of Hades. I can raise more undead if needed. Besides, I've only sent twenty with Mei. That's more than enough to keep her safe. And don't worry about us. I can keep this up for a while if I don't die of boredom. And Mei isn't even going to be fighting anyone. That job is reserved for my new zombie henchmen. Since they can't die, they should keep Nathan, Julien, and Adan busy while Mei breaks the frigate's engines. If she can't, that's fine. She can escape, and Nathan will be occupied with the spartoi. He won't be able to chase her or us. Although it will suck to lose them. The spartoi do make good butlers."

"Yes, they do. Try not to overdo it, Yiannis. Your legs are already shaky."

"Am I not your boss now? Don't tell me what to do."

"Shut up, you. You have no power over me whatsoever," Vittoria smirked. "Glad to have you back with us," she whispered.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Nice to joke around with you as well. I missed the old, happy you."

"So did I."

A cloud of smoking gas jerked into the air. The right side of Nathan's ship was burning in flames. The frigate swayed, unable to keep balance. The spartoi that had been sent ran around, hacking at everything they saw. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mei rushing back towards us. The black Pearl slowed down, and Vittoria went to the lower floors to fetch her.

I plopped my rear to the ground. Sad to say, but I had trouble using even ice spells now. I wondered how I could heal faster. Asking Vittoria or Mei to use healing spells was out of the picture. They needed to conserve their energy, and they may be my new servants, but I care about them. They've done all they could, and I'm not demanding anything else from them. Besides, it was my own fault. When I hopped on Ischyros's back, I had planned to stop time. That way, I wouldn't have smacked into his tail the way I did. But there was a problem. I realized I wasn't able to use my powers, no matter how hard I tried. And spent days reflecting on why. The thing that separates this case from others, where I was able to use my powers, was my state of mind. Usually, I was nervous, scared, or uncertain, but I had some level of confidence. But, when facing Ischyros, my mind drowned in fear. At the Isle of Lemnos, I remember seeing a clock in my head. By controlling its hands, I could push time in any direction I wanted. It was as if that clock was submerged deep underwater by a sea of terror. I'm guessing I needed to be calm and have a clear mind whenever I wanted to control time. Oddly, the powers I got from Hades seem to be exempt from this rule. When I got back to the Underworld, doing some target practice with the dead should provide more data.

I looked towards the frigate. The spartoi were pushed being back. Julien and Adan pushed them off their frigate, shoving them into the ocean. Nathan, however, struggled. A group of spartoi encircled and viciously cut him down. I tried to ignore his screams and looked at what I had done. I had committed my first murder - I had killed someone for the first time.

I had seriously injured Helen's harassers, but I refrained from ending their lives. They were scum, but to do that was going too far. I mangled them to give a warning: don't mess with my sister ever again. But...now I had ended someone's life prematurely. Sane people have this sort of barrier that prevents them from killing, even if they're horrible people. Once they kill, that barrier is removed, and it'll make no difference to them if they kill another. I gazed at Julien and then at my hands. Would he be the next soul I reap?

My actions will cause many at DGH to die, and I had liked many of them, even Anatasia. Sure, she hated me, but I did put her head in a toilet. She had a valid reason. They were all decent enough people. It was the gods who manipulated them through that damm cult - they had too much power. Chiron was not part of the cult, but he might as well be. Those in the cult were the spokespeople of the gods. They thought they were Popes. Fearing pressure from the gods, Chiron tended to obey them.

Then there was Nathan. He was in the upper echelons of the cult, and I hoped to learn something from him, but his behavior always confounded me. He was Vittoria's best friend and even her love interest, and then he suddenly became deplorable? Without any explanation? Sure, Zeus could have bribed him, and sure, he could have just been that way, but why the drastic change? Vittoria actually loved him, and Nathan defended her when Julien sent Anna to die. Why did he now want to brutally torture her?

Vittoria still had feelings for him even after he changed. Even after he "hated" her. When she recalled Anna's death, she mentioned Julien as the threat and simply labeled Nathan a jerk. With all that, I ruled out the possibility that Nathan was just always an asshole. It was beyond a gross oversimplification - it made no sense. But then, what turned Nathan from an ok dude to what he was now? The cult...no...the gods...

A horrifying idea let itself loose. Aphrodite had power over all emotions. There were plenty of gods that could do the same, although to a lesser extent. Right now, this was only a conspiracy theory I made up, but it certainly was imaginable. Olympus was literally above DGH. Heros were essential to the gods. Not only were they their kids, but they were valuable tools for their survival. However, they were powerful. Hercules had stricken down Ares on his own in combat. While they couldn't kill all of the gods, they could do a lot of damage. They had to be controlled.

That's what the cult was for and how Nathan ended up a member. Aphrodite and a few other gods can easily make other demigods their puppets. The cult really were the spokespeople of the gods - literally.

Of course, this was a conspiracy theory at the moment. Julien joined the cult of his own free will, and he knew of its existence. Either he was already being controlled, or he wasn't. If he wasn't, then it was possible the gods did not brainwash demigods. Julien knew of the cult's existence, making him a threat. If I were the gods, I would have just mind-controlled him like all the rest. Since the gods could just do that, it made no sense to coerce him.

I had a feeling Vittoria knew the answer to the questions swarming my head. I would just have to ask her later about all this, even her history with Nathan. I didn't want to be pushy, but I needed to know. I had to know. Were the gods really reprogramming the brains of demigods to control them? Was Julien always a pawn? And who else was a victim? Who else would I have to kill in the future because of the gods?

Our boat accelerated, leaving Julien and Adan behind. What remained of their frigate was now just a dot in the distance. Mei helped me up. "Is there something wrong, Lord Yiannis? You seem angry?"

"No, just a thought, Mei. I can resolve my worries later. I'm presuming your little trip was a success?"

"Yes, My Lord. As instructed, I blew up the frigate's engines and left the spartoi aboard."

"Good work."

Vittoria nodded. "Let's not get too excited, though. Julien and Adan may locate us yet again. But we did buy ourselves some time, at the very least. Since you were out for two weeks, I'll bring you up to speed, Lord Yiannis."

"Thanks, Vittoria. What else is on our to-do list?"

"Freeing Atlas and Prometheus, for one. Only a god or a Titan could hold up the sky indefinitely. One of the minor gods on our side is a double agent, but he isn't aware that he's been revealed. Kronos has baited him."

"How so?"

"Your father has informed the god indirectly that three heroes are on their way to free Atlas and Prometheus. This minor god is very, very power-hungry. If he manages to foil the Titan Lord's attempts, the gods will be forced to recognize him. Zeus himself will have to promote him, especially since he caught Kronos's son. The god in question will likely use you as a hostage of sorts, pressuring Zeus to acknowledge him; otherwise, he'll release you and join the Titan's side. Sadly, the minor god is clueless as to what's really going on."

"A good plan - but this is a god, minor or not. He'll have no problem beating me up as I am now. I don't want to be a burden to either you or Mei."

"Fear not, my Lord. We still have a week till we reach the Denali mountain. I'll face the minor god while I'll have Mei accompany you as you free Prometheus. Do you have any objections?"

"One. Powerful though you are, this is a god. Can you win?" To this, Vittoria gave me that seductive yet twisted grin. "Of course I can, my Lord. He may be a god, but he isn't that strong and certainly not the wisest. I will win, but if you care about me so much, then you can try to get to me as quickly as you can."

"Will do. Who even is the god, anyway?"

"Oh, Proteus."

"Wait, you mean the guy who answers your questions if you catch him?"

"Yes. Understandably, the minor sea god is tired of being captured, tormented, and abused all the time for answers. He wants more power to protect himself, and that made him easy to manipulate. I will admit that he does possess some ability. He was only caught so far because he was tricked - not overpowered, and few even pulled it off. But do have some faith in me, Lord Yiannis. Do you see me losing?"

"I do, but I will acknowledge your skill in magic. To be called a prodigy by a god is something. Of course, I have no doubts about your intelligence. While I'm not sure you can beat him, I do believe you can trick him. And trap him. Don't let me down, Vittoria."

"Thanks for your level of trust. And for not believing in me," Vittoria pouted.

"But I do believe in you. If you can't beat Proteus with strength, you certainly can with your wits. But, even then, I am confident you can accomplish victory both ways."

Vittoria smiled. "Got it. Then you can at least free Prometheus, right?"

"We'll see. Isn't there a giant eagle that loves eating his liver? I will have to kill that, you know."

"It's easier than you think. It's a formidable monster, but much, much weaker than Ischyros. It's just one giant bird. One arrow to the neck, and it's a goner."

"Thanks for the tip. Is there anything else I need to know?"

Mei nodded. "Your father has requested you with us to see him."

"Alright. Where are we going?"

"Our hideout is actually underneath the Denali mountain. We also have forts around the area. Of course, we have places in the Isle of Lemos and other locations where areas are plentiful. In this case, it will be our underground lair in the Denali Mountain."

"About father...I'm guessing I will be the one reviving him?"

"Yes, my Lord. You will place the fleece on the Titan Lord's coffin and awaken him from his imprisoned state."

Well, that was unexpected. I would be seeing Father much sooner than I had thought. And I was going to MEET him. I didn't know what to think. Should I be happy, nervous, or terrified? There were many ways to react to the Titan Lord.

"Very well. Naturally, I accept my father's request. Is there anything else?"

"No. I'm sure your father will tell you all you need to know tonight."

"Then let us prepare for our visit to the Denali mountain." Vittoria and Mei bowed. "As you wish, my Lord." I still needed to get used to this.