CHAPTER XCVII:Trial of Ice

All six of us stood before Khione, she was unarmed but that didn't change the danger of going toe to toe with a goddess. Khione smiled and stepped forward, Seth put his crossbow at his hip leaving his dagger out. He ran forward and swung at Khione, she dodged the swing and hit Seth in his side. Seth spun the dagger around and took another shot at Khione, Khione moved away and jumped up spinning in the air. Khione's heel connected with Seth's skull sending him to the ground, He practically spun as he fell.

I charged forward without thinking, my blood boiled and my veins burned. Khione turned to me and I squeezed my fists, two daggers sliding into my hands. I threw one and Khione dodged it quickly turning with an icicle, blocking my second dagger.

"Lucky guess," I said, kicking Khione away from me.

"Oh far more than luck my dear, I've seen a lot of warriors come and go. Achilles, Leonidas, Perseus, Herakles, Artura, and so many more. My reach extends as far as the wind, my influence buried within the snow and ice, my power as strong as the cold that bites at your skin. You will die here. That is your fate," Khione hissed.

I dashed forward again and shadow hopped in front of her and was immediately smacked down to the floor, Mino followed after me. Khione's icicle turned into a sword and met with his. Khione pressed the offensive, getting Mino to the middle of the temple. Mino struck hard to no avail, Khione caught the blade on the guard of her sword and disarmed Mino.

Khione lifted Mino up and slammed him down on the ground cracking ice below him. Adam shot an arrow at her and she caught it. Khione spun and had an ice bow to redirect the arrow at Penny. Penny blocked the arrow with her Shield, but the arrow pierced halfway through. Olivia joined Penny in her charge, Khione nocked her bow like she was aiming an arrow at Olivia. A piece of ice appeared on the bow string and Khione fired at Olivia, who dodged the icicle and shot a sandstone bolt at Khione. A wave of water was summoned from the bolt, and Khione went to freeze it. Penny smacked Khione in the face with her shield before she could and Olivia willed the wave to crash down on Khione, practically drowning the goddess.

I stood up as Khione looked at Olivia, her clothes dry. Hate burned in her eyes, but she resigned. Khione stepped towards the center of the temple. Mino struggled to get up, and Seth was coming back to consciousness. Adam still had his bow trained on Khione as she called forth a blizzard.

"You win, but there are no artifacts here besides one. The artifact that started all of this, one that means nothing to anyone but one. I resign my fight half-gods, Morai be with you," Khione smiled as she vanished in a column of snow.

As she disappeared I looked just past her to see the skeleton in the black hoodie from my dream after battling Aiko. I moved towards them and lifted their arm, the second I touched him I felt the surrounding area change. I turned around to see The Minor God 5, in full force.

"Is that it? All the artifacts we stole?" Crow asked.

"Yeah, at least the ones Khaos demanded," Dreamwalker answered.

"What's so special about this place? It's an old dusty temple!" Ghost yelled.

Sorcerer was rubbing his arms and pacing. "And fucking cold!"

What were they doing here? I moved around to get a better look at them, even Shadow was here.The sinking realization that The Minor God 5 had destroyed Olympus without so much as a single bit of blood drawn was hiting me at once.

Khaos came through the roof, Olivia being dragged by her. All of The Minor God 5 knelt before here infront of a frozen chamber. Olivia kicked and screamed as Khaos dragged her body by her wrists, which were tied together.

"Let me go!" Olivia yelled.

Khaos ignored her. "The artifact. Is it here?"

Dreamwalker nodded and pointed at the frozen chamber. Two large doors opened up revealing the chamber, inside were decorations and memorabilia from Atlantis. In the middle laid a sword, a xiphos, old and rusted from weathering and time. I stood in front of the sword, and watched Khaos drag Olivia to the sword.

"Zagreus cursed you all those years ago to live like this Zeno! Usurper of Atlantis! True King of The Ocean! Ruler of Poseidon's children! True Atlantean blood!" Khaos threw Olivia down as she ranted. "My first follower! The first true invoker of my name! The man who woke Khaos!"

"Please! I don't know what you're talking about madwoman! Just let me go!" Olivia yelled out between heavy sobs.

Khaos smiled and cut Olivia free. "Oh you will Zeno, you will. Put your hand on the sword."

"No!" Olivia yelled trying to run.

Khaos snapped her fingers and the chamber doors closed. She snatched up the sword and pinned Olivia to the doors, putting the sword to her neck. Olivia cried, and drew breath after breath careful that the sword wouldn't scratch her skin. Olivia kept crying and Khaos looked fed up with it.

"Grab the sword and you live! Don't and this is where your tale ends!" Khaos yelled, causing Olivia to cover her ears.

"I'm not ZENO!" Olivia shouted through her sobbing.

"I see through your lives Zeno! Grab the sword and you live!" Khaos yelled.

Olivia grabbed the sword and their eyes glowed, Khaos backed away and let her fall to the floor. The walls glowed with scenes of Poseidon killing Atlanteans with Apollo and Artemis supporting him. One showed Poseidon dueling a general, and the last one showed Zeus striking the kingdom with lightning. Olivia shouted in Greek and swung the sword, Khaos' smile widened as Olivia stumbled around to the middle of the chamber.

Finally Olivia went still, she turned towards Khaos and knelt down. Olivia bowed her head and Khaos stepped forward, drawing her blades. Both blades we placed on Olivia's shoulders and were slowly lifted up, and she slowly stood with the blades.

"I remember father, my apologies for my outburst," Olivia said looking Khaos in his eyes.

"Of course my child, there is much work to be done," Khaos smiled.

Olivia walked with Khaos out of the chamber, I ran after them and Olivia marched after Khaos like a soldier. Olivia wasn't what anyone thought she was, that's when I saw a mark on the back of neck. It was glowing bright, but it was the Alpha symbol from the Greek alphabet. The curse of Zagreues, also called the curse of a thousand lives. Olivia was a rebirth, and apparently she was a rebirth of this so called Zeno.

Khaos paraded Olivia into the main temple, infront of The Minor God 5, and announced, "Ladies and Gentleman! Zeno Neptune! True blood of Atlantis and Atlanteans! Your leader in the coming war!"