CHAPTER LXVII:The Final Rest

Everyone had taken a room for the remainder of the night. I sat in the kitchen with Orochi and Christina since I couldn't sleep.

"So they raised a ship from Tartarus?" Orochi asked.

"Correct." I answered.

"And they raised a Leviathan?" Orochi continued.

"They raised a three headed one, but yes that's correct." Christina said.

"All to kill Sara Pearl, Tribunus Laticlavius

of Neptune's blessed?" Orochi said, he was clearly confused and trying to piece it together.

"Yes. Sara's apart of a prophecy, a very old one that the gods didn't know existed until 1920." How did I know that? I thought to myself. "She's very powerful and is needed. I thought it was Olivia at first, but when I asked the gods if it was Sara Pearl they responded yes." I explained.

"Mary, your eyes." Christina said.

What did she mean? I looked at Orochi as he pulled out his smaller blade. I looked at my eyes in the blade's reflection and saw they were glowing green. My eyes slowly dulled and went blank, as Orochi sheathed the blade in its matching scabbard. My powers were increasing, it seemed like every day that I strayed away from Olympus I became closer to the Spirit of Delphi. Did Khaos plan for this to happen? Shatter my faith in Olympus as a whole to make me the most powerful demigod she got her hands on?

"You're the demigod Oracle that my father tried to kill." Orochi said.

"Yeah, and you're not a god so I advise not taking after him." I responded as I put my hand on my dagger.

"I hate him just as much, so don't worry." Orochi said. "Besides, you'd be dead before you drew your dagger." Orochi motioned to his hand.

Orochi's sword was halfway out of it's scabbard, it was only then that I realized his sword was sheathed blade face up. He was impressive, and he clearly followed some Japanese traditions. I remembered the sheathing style from a game Seth played with two other demigods. Despite being so remote, The Underworld had amazing internet quality.

"Your a Son of Zeus….who's your mother?" I asked.

Orochi seemed to smile. "You mean, what race is my mother. She's Japanese, she was a great woman." Orochi answered.

"Was?" Christina asked, I had caught it too and was curious as well.

"When I was ten she slit her throat with the clan tanto after my grandmother had disowned her. My grandmother said that my great grandmother, Aiko Sato, didn't come to America for us to lay with foreign gods." Orochi answered without a shift in emotion.

I thought for a minute, the name seemed very familiar. "Aiko Sato, wasn't that-"

"The Dragon Eyed Samurai? Yeah, that was my great grandmother. Of course she's called Jane in the book, but she didn't take that name until she moved here." Orochi cut me off looking at me.

I had read that story, and knew what he meant. The story was about reclaiming her family sword while defeating an evil that was probably the Japanese equivalent of Khaos. I had started to read the book when I was shocked to death. I had sadly lost it in The Styx, and kept pushing off buying a new copy.

"Was Aiko Sato actually Dragon Eyed?" I asked.

"Sort of, you Aiko's eye was slashed in a fight." Orochi said as he pointed to a slanted cut in his Oni mask. "And when she claimed the family sword her eye came back pitch black with a yellow iris and a dragon pupil."

"That's amazing, do you have the family sword?" I asked.

Orochi shook his head. "No not yet. Now I have a question, why were your eyes like that? I get you're the Oracle but your power should be weak since you're a demigod." He asked back.

"Yeah….I had a rough week and my power has been getting stronger." I answered.

Orochi and Christina nodded like they understood. A lot of demigods had vivid dreams, especially kids of Hypnos and Morpheus. However, I doubted they could interact with their dreams and control them to a certain extent. Plus I doubted god and goddesses actively controlled their dreams. I'm still one hundred percent sure that my dream of watching Athens burn was Athena's work.

I had read in a book on Oracles that other gods could ask your patron, Hades in my case, to let them show you something. Of course, the patron can say no. In that case you can ask Apollo, in which case he'll say yes or no after you plead your case. If Apollo deems it necessary, then he'll step over the patron god or goddess. If Apollo says no, then you can call a vote with the Olympian Council. Oracles had a whole a political system backing them.

"By the way Orochi, what are you doing here?" Christina asked.

"My dad sent me to find out why two legions and an adventuring party were in San Francisco. Then two gods gods showed up, and he practically shoved me on a Striker chariot. I could go back, but I'm lending my expertise to make sure this fight ends tomorrow." Orochi explained, still with no change in emotion.

"You know what bothers me. They never attack at night." I said listening to the silence outside.

Christina laughed under her breath. "Yeah, Pluto's Guard is hard enough to fight in the day. In the night, it's damn near impossible. Infinite darkness means infinite shadow hopping."

I nodded and yawned. The day was finally catching up to me. I put my head down and slowly fell asleep. I woke up in the open field surrounded by dozens of snakes.

"Welcome back, I missed you." A kind voice said.

"Hello Oracle, why am I here?" I asked.

"We need to talk for a short bit, then I'll wake you up." The Oracle said.

I nodded, chances were it was about my increasing power or the battle. Both were urgent matters, but one took precedence over the other. Especially in the Oracles eyes.

"You are losing faith in Olympus, but that isn't why you're powers are increasing. Your relationship is strengthening with Apollo while you disassociate with the other gods. You already disliked Zeus and Aphrodite but as time passed you began to hate Hera, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, and Dionysus. This, in turn, increased your fondness for Apollo." The Oracle explained.

"That makes sense….I dislike the gods and their antics. Apollo and Artemis are more like a brother and sister to me, rather than supreme rulers of music and hunting." I responded.

The Oracle smiled. "Of course, Apollo and Artemis are basically children in the gods eyes. They show often why." The Oracle laughed. "Especially Apollo, he's less god and more musician."

"He's always treated me well, ever since we met he's been kinder to me than most gods. Especially most Olympic gods." I said.

"You have lost faith in the gods, and you need to regain it quickly. Aphrodite may be obsessed with love but it gives her power, Ares is shrouded with bloodlust but he can be kind, and Athena may be a know it all but she does feel. Every god is a dagger of good and bad, you must focus on the good that has pierced your heart instead of the bad that hasn't pierced your lung." The Oracle explained through a sweet smile.

"I understand, thank you." I said.

The Oracle pointed to her heart then pointed at me. I smiled at the Atlantian signing and woke up. Sunlight leaked into the kitchen. I was hopeful that Orochi was right, and that today would be the last day of combat. Our troops were exhausted, Khaos was gaining energy, and enemy forces were getting desperate. If we didn't end this today, I was afraid we'd lose this battle which would be a turning point in the war as a whole.