CHAPTER XCVIII:Zeno Neptune

I finally came back into reality, I turned to see my companions had walked into the chamber where the sword of Zeno laid. I grabbed the hidden blade off of the skeleton and ran into the chamber. Adam looked at me, his gaze followed me the whole way into the chamber and made me uneasy. Penny was looking at the walls, and Olivia was looking at the sword.

"Olivia Neptune, Daughter of Poseidon," I called drawing my sword.

Olivia gaze flicked to me. "Yes?" She smiled.

"You betrayed Olympus, you betrayed your adventurers, you betrayed Atlantis. The price of your crimes is death," I called, grip tightening on my sword.

I heard a bowstring draw and expected Adam to be aiming at Olivia, but an arrow was trained at me. Adam didn't say a single word, but I knew that was no mistake. Seth put a hand on his sword and stepped forward, but Mino had already drawn his sword and stabbed Seth through his stomach. Seth went to scream but all the air was forced from his lungs. Mino turned the sword before pulling it back, Seth dropping on the ground his hand slipping off his sword.

I wanted to run for him but the second I went to, the tension in Adam's bowstring audibly increased. Penny was watching everything unfold, sword drawn. At first I thought she was with Olivia, but soon realized she was staring at Olivia with hate in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked looking at Olivia, trying to keep whatever calm I had left.

"The gods cursed me all those years ago for taking a throne that was rightfully mine. While an ignorant king marched on foreign land I stood victorious over his kingdom with The Universe at my side! Demigods belong on top of nations, not mere mortals with no connection to the gods! They forget the names, the stories, the people who made them! Not us! We are leaders at birth! Warriors at birth! Look what you've done in so little time, look what you've accomplished! But we're supposed to let mortals burn the world and forget the gods?!" Olivia ranted, Adam wavered a moment but kept his bow on me. "Instead of praise for my success, my kingdom was destroyed. My reign ending as soon as it had started, but I'm still here. I have lived and died so I may arrive at this moment, before you Mary Lucia Riley. The punishment for your ignorance is death."

I stared at Olivia, hands at the ready, but a question burned in me. "What about you two? Why are you with Olivia?"

"Zeno-" Olivia blurted.

"I don't fucking care! If I'm going to die here then what for?! Tell me why there are three people against me and the gods and only two for them!" I yelled.

Mino looked at his arm and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the mark of Thanatos, an hourglass that gradually ran out of time, but it was paused at the last second.

"I made a deal with Death to get out of Tartarus after Olivia pushed me down the stairs on Orpheus' path," Mino said, a shocking calmness in his voice.

Adam's bowstring went slack as he looked at me, "They marched on Artemis' reserve and sent two of the Minor God 5 after Luna to kill her. Olivia told me I could stop the hunting parties and the bloodshed if I joined them, I did and here I am. Protecting Luna."

Adam went to draw his bowstring but Penny had run forward and tackled him down, quickly rolling off of him and charging him. Adam took his dagger out and blocked the sword, I summoned Leonidas infront of Mino with every bit of intention of letting Leonidas kill him. I ran towards Seth, sliding on the ice next to him, and held him up. His eyes were open and glossed over, blood came from his mouth and his weapons were still buried in his sheaths.

Tears burnt my eyes. My entire life laid dead in my arms, every ounce of purpose was gone. When my mother was gone it was only me and my brother, even my father wasn't there for me when my brother was. So many good times, so many restless nights and horrible days spent with him, all of my memories in a single person. I took two coins from his pockets and closed them in his hand. I took the last reinforcement card from my pocket and looked at it.

"Zeno. You will die here. No one will save you, no one will help you, and death will take you permanently. This isn't a threat, it's a promise," I said, smashing the card on the floor.

A giant gate burned in on the floor and continued burning as Cerberus stepped through. All three heads let out a loud bark that sounded like three bombs going off at once. Cerberus' attention went to Mino, who was fighting Leonidas and still had Seth's blood on his sword.

Cerberus growled at Mino and charged. Mino turned to Cerberus and went to call a lightning strike, but Cerberus' right head snatched him up, biting down on his chest, and shook him like a toy. Mino let out a blood curdling scream as he was grabbed, and his armor let out a nice ripping sound. I could hear the bones crunch as Cerberus bit down once more but Mino was already gone. The left head tried grabbing him but the right one let go and slammed him into the wall letting out a loud glass like sound. Blood had sprayed everywhere from Cerberus' mini feast, and covered Cerberus's right mouth. I got a sickening sense of satisfaction as Mino laid dead, armor and flesh ripped open. Leonidas, who had skillfully ducked out of the way, vanished since his job was done.

Adam and Penny fought hard going toe to toe with eachother. I went to help Penny, but Olivia stepped infront of me. Her blades moved elegantly at her side, but that's when I realized she was using the, freshly renewed, xiphos and her dagger.

"A fight to the death, Daughter of Hades?" Olivia asked.

I nodded and charged forward, I blocked blade after blade with my own blades. I ducked under one and kicked Olivia in the chest, I ran infront of her and went to stab her heart. Olivia dodged and stabbed me in my side, sending my whole body into high alert. I pulled away and had blood rushing down my side. I ran forward and Olivia kicked me down against the wall, quickly pressing her sword into my chest. My chest burned red hot as I coughed up blood. Olivia retrieved her sword and walked away towards Cerberus.