AN EMOTIONAL TALK WITH FATHER

As promised, I received a visitor late at night. The Titan Lord finally came to see me again in my dreams after what seemed like years.

"It's certainly been some time, Yiannis."

"Yes, Father. I was worried you'd forget to show up."

"Why is that?"

"You seem to have a penchant to tell Vittoria everything and leave me in the dark. I was concerned you'd do the same again and ignore me." A pause. The Titan Lord sighed. "Yiannis, do not be offended. Until I promoted you, Vittoria was my third in command. Her superior, and my general, Atlas, is still petrified. As my highest ranking aide, it follows that I inform her ears of what she needs to know. On top of that, she has served me ever since she was but a little child, while you have only recently sworn allegiance to me. Unlike you, she did not need to play catch up, and she had much more experience. Then, there was one other reason, the most important of all."

"Which is?"

"Yiannis, I do not freely blatter out my objectives. I notify only those who I trust and those who I know can accomplish what I desire. Having my blood does not exempt you from this. Do you think Vittoria is incompetent, or have you found evidence to convict her of treason?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then you can understand why this is how things have been until now. And I know you've figured this out already. You've let your emotions get the better of you."

"I-" He was right. These conversations were the only time I actually talked to Kronos. I...I just felt that he wasn't acknowledging me properly. He was always on the phone with Vittoria, and I admit I was somewhat jealous of her. I wanted to spend more time with the Titan Lord, funny as it sounded. Most people would run away. I spent a lot more time with Hades, but...I liked basking in the presence of the Titan Lord more. Here, I was surrounded in cold, empty, boundless darkness, and I couldn't see a thing...yet it felt so strangely comforting. Here, I felt right at home. I don't know why, but it felt as if my mother was wrapping her arms around me, telling me not to be afraid. This "cold" radiated a tender, gentle warmth. It was one reason I chose to trust Kronos. He always sets up this atmosphere for me, and I didn't think he'd be caring enough to do so if he only saw me as a pawn. If that were so, he'd quickly tell me what he wanted from me and leave, dismissive of my feelings, to which he has already answered.

"I'm sorry, Father. You're right. Vittoria deserves to have more information than I do. She was my superior until recently, after all. Forgive my rashness."

"And how about your other question? Will it be just as petty?"

"No." My father didn't have to word it like that, but I guess he was disappointed. I asked a meaningless question and wasted time, which I'm sure is very, very dear to the "Lord Of Time."

"It's perhaps not what you would want me to ask, but I need to know. There's a chance Vittoria wouldn't give a response, so you're the only one I can ask, Father. It concerns the cult. But I can ask it later. I'm sure there's plenty you want to tell me about."

"Indeed."

"What's the situation at DGH? You killed the spies that got caught, didn't you?"

"Yes. Are you going to throw a tantrum for what I did?"

"No. I'm sure those spies knew what would happen if they were captured. In fact, I'm thankful you gave George and the others a quick death. Worse would have been in store had they stayed alive. But what exactly happened? You killed them, so you were observing what was going on. I'd like to think you didn't just let your followers die."

"As you learned on Helios's pasture, some of our spies were caught red-handed - including George. Having made the discovery, DGH has descended into utter chaos, especially the cult. Nobody at DGH knows how long the spies have been operating, nor how much they were compromised. The cult themselves were arrogant enough to believe that they could not be infiltrated - Nathan merely thought some in the cult were being extorted. The rest had little to no clue that there were even spies. Your friend Julien described the situation quite aptly.

"Helen is still ok, right?"

"Yes, my son. I've already told you this."

"Well, the situation in DGH is too dangerous. Anything could happen."

"Perhaps," the Titan Lord tittered. "That is if the situation is really so dangerous."

"What are you getting at, Father? And what's funny this time?"

"The spies that were caught revealed little, except some supposed evidence that could be used against Vittoria."

"Nick knew of Vittoria's role. With Vittoria out of DGH, she'll have a hard time defending herself. Even if the evidence is all lies, it seems to be worrying enough for those in DGH. Nick managed to convince enough kids to launch an investigation on Vittoria, starting with her room. As such, she won't be going back to DGH. Her spy network will surely crumble. For that to not happen, someone else will have to take it over."

"Correct," Kronos said. "You will be the one."

I nodded. "But won't it be better to pick somebody else? Everyone knows I went on a quest with Vittoria and that we're friends. People may be suspicious of me now. Well, if they believe Vittoria is a spy, anyway."

"Nick has shared the news with the other demigods, but they're not wholly convinced. The evidence they have is tenuous. Well, some of it. Of course, Vittoria is a cautious girl. It doesn't help that she's already dealt with any possible evidence that could be used against her. She may be sloppy sometimes, but she would never leave anything in her room, especially when she was nowhere near it."

"That's for sure." Still, something was off. Why did Nick rat out Vittoria and not me? I was the real threat - as long as I lived, Olympus would be insecure. If he came for me, he could have implicated Helen as well, and I'd be forced to respond. He'd have an advantage, and if he "proved" I was a traitor, he could have still justified setting his sights on Vittoria. Why did he not make that move? Was it because I wasn't there? No, that doesn't matter. He could wait all day long to persecute me. After all, Helen was still in DGH. Kronos was also watching how things were playing out. My father was amused at how serious I was being, so it ruled out the possibility Nick had that card up his sleeve. Otherwise, Kronos wouldn't be laughing. How could Nick have missed that? If he had switched sides, why had he avoided targeting me? Nick had Helen in his hands. But...what if he hadn't turned traitor either?

"Father, did you plan Nick's ascension all along?"

"It took you long enough, Yiannis. Would you like to hear the story behind that?"

"Yes."

"There was a traitor in the ranks, and he knew too much. It was one of Athena's children, and I had some of our own kill him. It would have been too dangerous if he lived. He knew the child of Kronos lived in DGH and that Vittoria was a leading figure among the spies. He saw how the other spies he knew of took orders from her. However, while they buried his body, it was found. The spies I sent to do the job had also not checked his remains; his siblings obtained incriminating evidence. His pocket contained a slip of paper containing a list of all the spies he knew of - including Vittoria. On the back, it listed the fact that you lived in DGH. So, there was nothing I could do to stop George and the others from being tortured. I granted them a quick death, and I told them to say their leader and the child of Kronos was a female."

"So you want to frame Vittoria as your daughter?"

"Yes. I can't hide the fact I have children from the gods, but I can deceive them about their identity. Thankfully, your stature is petite, and even though you've revealed yourself to Zeus, with that mask on, it was quite hard to tell your gender."

"I'm of average height! And I'm not that skinny!"

"More importantly, you made a wise decision when battling Ischyros. As you predicted, Zeus has completely lost it. He fears your current strength and, even more, your growth. Now is the optimal time to give bait, and he already knows a few things - based on what we've given him. My child is a female who led a complex spy network in DGH - right below him. We've led him to believe there's a very high chance it's Vittoria. However...she isn't in DGH."

"Of course, those are all lies," I snickered. "Except the last part. I'll give the scythe to Vittoria. If she's to play as the next child of Kronos, that will be an essential prop."

"Indeed. Now, back to my little tale. After I killed the spies, I plotted Nick's rise. He was already Nathan's right-hand man. In his absence, Nick took his position - there was no contender when George was dead."

"And I'm guessing you had to prove his innocence and loyalty to the other demigods, meaning you had Nick imprison other spies."

"Yes. I had Nick start a series of successful investigations and raids. I had him round him spies who had already been exposed and those whose who agreed to sacrifice themselves for my plan. By bringing such quick results, he was given Nathan's position permanently. In the cult, there are ten leaders, or as they refer to themselves, consuls of the gods. These ten consuls form a council that is the highest authority in the cult, and the higher a consul's rank, the more power they have. Nick is currently the ninth consul and is poised to become the eighth."

"I see..."

"I can tell it bothers you, my son. Would you have preferred the spies have escaped?"

"Yes. I would much prefer your followers alive than dead. Besides...some of them were my friends, and I liked them. They were good people. But...I know that this is in our best interests. With Nick in such a coveted position, we will gain more intel than ever before. If the spies had escaped, it could have given the wrong impression that DGH was too dangerous, not that it already is, and others may have followed them. If they got caught, we would have lost more spies, and our side would be more demoralized than it already is. Of course, you would never be able to initiate your plan had things gone differently. Vittoria would have been a suspected spy, but you wouldn't have been able to make her appear to be your daughter. Since everything went your way, this will allow you to bait Zeus all you want, for he's motivated to kill her if he could find her. Of course, having her shoulder what was meant to be my burden would protect Helen and me, but..."

"You don't want to put Vittoria in danger, do you?"

"No, I would never. But I know I can't be in danger either. Your rise, your success is dependent on me. If I died, Helen is the one one who could continue what I started. Unfortunately for you, even you can't be heartless, evident by how you constantly make sure Helen is ignorant and out of harm's way."

"So you've begun to trust me, it seems."

"Yes. I don't know what happened in the past, but what I know for sure is that you do care about Helen and me and see us as more than pawns," I smiled. "I've decided to follow you until the end, Father." A pause. Kronos didn't speak, and the darkness around me vibrated a little as the temperature increased. It was fuzzy and warm...but I sensed hesitation. What made the great Titan Lord shy?

The darkness wrapped around me. I felt it coil around my body, and I embraced it. Father was hugging me for the first time, and it felt so good. I think I even teared up a little.

"Thank you, Father," I smiled. Kronos cleared his throat. "Yes, now that that's done, I need to inform you of the Denali mountain."

"I have to free Atlas and Prometheus, and I have to trick Proteus into holding up the mountain in Atlas's place, right?

"Correct. You have a week until you arrive. I will be waiting for you."

"Oh...right." I'm pretty sure Hades had arranged for Father's tomb to be moved somewhere else or to be obtained by his forces. And now, it lay underneath the Denali mountain. "I-I'm...I'm looking forward to seeing you in person," I said awkwardly. "Maybe we can do a real hug when we meet?"

"Yes. I'd like that. But you'll need to survive until then. Free Prometheus first with Mei's help. You can't take on Proteus, much less a giant eagle in your condition. I can assure you Proteus is no match for Vittoria. Otherwise, he'd be my third-in-command, and I wouldn't have abandoned him so readily."

I giggled. "Alright. I already had faith in Vittoria's ability, you know. I was just concerned. Very few demigods have beaten a god, minor or not. But if that's how your system works, then Vittoria should have no problems, right?"

"Right."

"By then, Atlas will be free. I'm guessing I'll be visiting you straight after."

"Yes. I'll have you know that the fleece does not contain an infinite amount of energy. You will use more of its power to free Atlas from petrification, as well as heal yourself. By the time it reaches me, I will only have enough strength to reform my body. It will take a few years, at the very least, for my powers to fully return."

"I'm sorry about that. I had to use the fleece because I was weak and inept. I apologize."

"Don't. You're still mortal, Yiannis. You may have the blood of two gods in your veins, but you're far from invincible or unstoppable. Some demigods could kill you in an instant as you are now. Of course, you have the potential to surpass them, and I know you will. You are MY son. I expect at least this from you."

I bowed. "Thank you again, Father. I'll see to it that I bring you success."

"I hope so. You had one more question you wanted to ask. What was it?"

"I..." I didn't want to hear the answer. I wanted to believe that Nathan was the one at fault, that Aphrodite or some other god wasn't controlling him. It was hard to stomach the fact I killed him. How would I feel when I did the same to Julien and learned that Aphrodite twisted his mind? But I had to know. I needed to. If the gods really were brainwashing demigods into the cult, then I had to save them. I wasn't going to let them die because they were cult members. If they could be freed, then I was willing to take the risk. I won't let the gods do whatever to who they please, and I won't let them dispose of innocent lives, not when they've brought pain to so much.

"Father, who is the true architect of the cult? I know they serve Zeus, and he probably ordered a cult be made for him, but who made it? Did the members willingly join, or was a devious goddess at the center of it all?"

"Yiannis, Zeus's cult was formed when I still had a throne on Olympus. It spans millennia and is more influential in the mortal realm than you realize. Famous politicians, businessmen, soldiers, and thinkers claim heritage to it. Aphrodite or some other goddess of some arbitrary emotion could not control it - it's too much for even them. However, if you're talking about the segment in DGH, that is another story. Demigods are indeed powerful enough to seriously plot an insurrection against the gods. Zeus will need to suppress all desires of rebellion. Aphrodite, the Erotes, and the other Olympians who have power over emotions certainly control some demigods, but not all. A sizable portion joins out of their own free will. Some actually believe that they are doing the right thing. For them, the gods and the cult are forces of good. As such, their minds are not totally dominated. There is no need for that to be. Aphrodite or some other Olympian need merely play with their hearts, gradually twisting them until they become unconditionally loyal to the gods. These individuals may be good or even great characters, but they do not have the will to turn against the gods or even question them. The Olympians have been glorified in their eyes, portrayed as beings who are divine and just. Their hearts have been made to believe such nonsense, and they are always happy to be Zeus's playthings, never aware of the truth. Others, however, do know of the god's nature. Usually, the individual is already corrupt, and thus the gods do not have to do a thing. As long as they feed their desires, they will happily reciprocate with devoted loyalty. If they show any sign of dissent, the gods just kill them - manipulating the emotions of others is a very menial task. Of course, some also choose loyalty to the gods of their own free will despite knowing the truth. They are full-throated supporters of the gods and wish to maintain their rule. Lastly, there are those that owe the gods an immeasurable debt. They have no choice but to work for the gods to pay it off. They've sworn to fully clear said debts on the river Styx. However, the very nature of the debt makes it impossible to be paid unless one accepts to be an eternal slave to the gods."

I bit my lips. The gods really were sickening. I wanted to punch a wall. How many people did the gods use? How many lives were cast aside needlessly? How many worked for them as slaves because they couldn't pay off their debts? Those thoughts especially maddened me because a "dear" friend could fall into those categories, as well as a few others. And even more so, I now knew it was impossible to persuade them to join my side. They were forced to be obedient, and the only ones I had a chance with were the "corrupt" ones, those who served the gods for a reward. But that was pointless. They were corrupt for a reason - they willingly chose to help the gods. They were just as bad, if not worse than the gods were. And I was in no mood to give gifts to such people. I thought it was possible to open the eyes of at least some of them - how wrong I turned out to be. The despair that resulted drained my spirit - I felt it cut into me - feeling the hope I had fly into the air. I had no choice but to eliminate all those who served in the cult. A total slaughter it was.

The darkness propped me up. I felt that radiant warmth again, soothing my muscles. "Do not blame yourself, Yiannis. There isn't much you can do. The only way to free all of them with the lowest possible casualties is to dethrone the gods as quickly as we can, although we may still kill a lot of them." It wasn't comforting to know that, but as long as I could save some people...then there was no time to waste. I had to replace Zeus with Kronos.

"Thank you again, Father. What about Nathan? Was he being mind-controlled?"

"I'm afraid he was. It's what convinced Vittoria to join my side and leave DGH to prepare for my resurrection. In dreams, I revealed to her the working of the cult and eventually Nathan's tragic fate two years after she arrived in DGH. As a ten-year-old, she was too young to travel oceans, so I had Circe carry her to her home and teach her magic. Her mother, Lamia, mothered her next and taught her how to wield various weapons. Lastly, she visited Calypso and stayed on her cursed island of Ogygia, learning her tragic history. She came back to DGH a few months before you arrived."

Vittoria went through so much when she was so young. The gods made her life hell, and she saw that she wasn't alone. I was glad that she found solace with Circe and the others who took her in. And hearing her story... it blew me away. A ten-year-old was responsible for reviving the Titan Lord, and she became Kronos's highest-ranking servant. She must have done extraordinarily well to be granted that. I now wondered why I was becoming her superior when I had nothing that could remotely match her record. Regardless, I was her boss, and to be honest, I can't see Vittoria as a "subordinate." We've tackled problems together as a team, as equals. Since she didn't order me around, I won't either. Of course, this applied only to her. I'm pretty sure Kronos intended for me to lead his army alongside him when we would attack Olympus. I'll make Vittoria equal in rank to me and my replacement if I go bye-bye for whatever reason. She deserved at least that much.

Kronos interrupted my thoughts. "I know you're reluctant to ask, so I'll answer. Julien joined the cult of his own free will. Zeus was the one who ordered him to find Vittoria, Anna, and Nathan and bring them back."

"I see. So Julien's been in the cult ever since he was little, huh?"

"Yes. Unlike most, Julien was groomed to be a part of the cult by Zeus. He has not had his emotions played with or his mind bewitched. Julien knows the gods are not perfect, but he sees it worthwhile to die for them."

I could have been angry or sad, but I just had my head down as I smiled. I remembered the time after Vittoria tried to kill me, and we chatted in DGH after I recovered. I clearly remember him saying that he wasn't part of the cult - that he promised to protect Helen. I clenched my fists. Did he tell Nathan of what we talked about? Was the cult aware that I was aware of them? Or rather, what has Julien told them about me? He's been my "friend" for at least four years now. Did the cult figure out that they could threaten me with my sister's life anytime I did something "naughty?"

My blood boiled. It didn't last long, though. Anger left my mouth as I began to laugh. I felt...free. This whole time, I had been concerned about Julien. It was what held me back, what made me dread the war that would soon take place. But now, I learned he may have backstabbed me ever since middle school. When the war started, I'll hunt Julien down and kill him if I failed to do it now. There was no reason to hesitate any longer.

But right now, I needed intel. "Father, are there any other developments I need to know of?"

"Yes. This concerns Hades. Your other father has privately been amassing a large military force of undead. He is preparing for several future campaigns against the gods. Before the war starts, you should reveal to him your lineage to me."

"Yes, Father."

"About Atlas...I would have killed my brother long ago if not for his loyalty to me."

"Why is that?"

"Atlas is conniving, needlessly ruthless, and far too arrogant. As I am now, I worry that Atlas may betray me. It was only my power that kept him obedient to me - he was too scared to go against me."

"Then why are we reviving him now? Can't we delay it until you've completely recovered?"

"No. You see, Hephaestus and Hermes are the first gods I plan to eliminate. Hades has already pushed the messenger god down into Tartarus. Atlas will deal with the blacksmith of gods, and the gods will lose a critical source of weaponry and repair. Next will be Apollo and Artemis. I will have Prometheus deal with Apollo and Hades Artemis. That should keep Atlas busy."

"I suppose that's one way to keep your general occupied. Will I join any of those battles?"

"Yes. It will be a ripe opportunity to inform Hades of the truth, so why not join him?"

"Yes, I was thinking the same. I'm assuming Vittoria and Mei will be accompanying me?"

"That is up to you. Those two are now your subordinates."

"Understood. If that is all, then goodbye, Father. I'll see you later."

"Yes, Yiannis. It's been a while since I've held my children in my hands."