CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Enamor teleported to his godly realm where he watched his foe disintegrate before his eyes. He knew that he seeker-titan would reform in a thousand years, but for now the day would be won. He was weak and wounded. Enamor hoped that his comrades and brother were successful as he fell to the floor of his sanctuary and passed out.

*****

Insanium was engaged with several gods at once. All that came in to try and wound him were speared by a savage tentacle. Several demigods had to retreat from the battle. Insanium was in a form that defied logic even for the mind of a god and made him difficult to pinpoint or hit. He seemed to be able to walk between dimensions as if it were in layers that the gods could not access or see. The Master, Ghoul Lord, and Skeleton King were among those who retreated from the second wave against Insanium. Brom, the dwarven demigod charged in. A tentacle whipped over his head as he ducked beneath it. Brom slammed his war-hammer into the hovering body of Insanium. The hit was not as damaging as Brom had hoped it would be. A tentacle plunged through his side while a second wrapped around his throat and lifted him into the air.

Armco appeared and stared at the nightmarish form of Insanium. He saw the minions assimilate the denizens of Hell. He hated the god of madness for invading his home and wanted it back. In the blink of an eye the devil-god was beside Brom and severed the tentacles that held and pierced him. He teleported Brom to safety. The Lich Emperor and Ghost Lord retreated on their own accord after seeing how the invading demigod made short work of the others.

Ra, Osiris, Pan, and Cyclops charged in together against Insanium. Ra severed every tentacle that got close to him and cleared the path for his allies. Pan was swatted away by a stub that remained. The satyr god ached from the force of the impact. He looked up in time to see as each of the gods that charged in were flayed in the blink of an eye. Pan teleported away to safety.

As the gods began to fall or retreat, the morale of Insanium and his forces grew. Insanium began sending divine blasts of energy at his enemies. Zeus teleported to Kronos and began beating on him with his bare fists. Lightning crackled with every pummeling strike. Thor and Odin joined the battle against Kronos as did Poseidon, Tyr and several others. Before long almost every demigod not already engaged in battle and present was assaulting the mighty Kronos.

Sif and Skadi were ripped apart by the bare hands of Kronos. Thor roared with furious anger as one of his beloved was killed before him.

"Sif!" He cried out as he slammed his mystical hammer into the head of Kronos again.

Apollo fired arrow after arrow into the massive nightmarish body of Kronos. Whatever Insanium had done to the elder seeker-titan, had altered his form by adding otherworldly traits that defied logic.

Zeus was struck so hard in his face that his jaw broke and he was sent flying backwards and crashing into a mountain.

Poseidon was beating Kronos in the face when Kronos bit down on his right arm and severed it at the elbow.

It was Odin, Tevlos, Frey, and Freya that helped turn the tide. Odin's spear stuck through the mighty elder seeker-titan. Kronos stomped a heavy boot down upon Odin, crushing him. Tevlos severed one of the arms of Kronos with his scimitar. Frey severed the other. Freya lopped off one of his legs and Kronos toppled over, slamming to the ground and rocking the terrain like an earthquake. Poseidon clutched his stub to stem the bleeding. Apollo severed the last leg and then looked over his shoulder to see Zeus rising up from the crumbled mountain.

Zeus forged a mighty great sword from a lightning bolt. He teleported in the blink of an eye over Kronos and severed his father's head from the torso. He cut the torso in half, making the ritualistic seven parts.

"You cannot destroy me!" the head of Kronos shouted defiantly. Thor crushed the head with one mighty blow from his enchanted war-hammer.

Poseidon tried to send the severed parts of Kronos to Oblivion before Insanium could get his tentacles on any of them. Before the battle was over, more gods had been killed. Morale dwindled. Insanium sighed with distaste. He grew a new tentacle and latched a hold of the head of Kronos and teleported them away.

"Damn!" Poseidon roared.

"We will get another opportunity my brother," Zeus said as he bound the wound of his brother. The gods left the world of Dark Athyx and returned to their own godly realms to recover from their wounds. Zeus was the last to leave the dark world. He knew that even if they managed to defeat Insanium, they would have to deal with the greater god of this dark realm, called Viscus one day.