QUEST COMPLETED!

On one side stood Vittoria and Mei, ready to cut some divine flesh. On the other was basically a real-life Aquaman - if Aquaman was old, had gray hair, and smelled like a sewer. He was really stinky - and I felt like vomiting again. I didn't know about him, but I thought the Old Man Of The Sea really needed to get out of the sea. Pollution from humans is not a good cologne.

Aquaman(Proteus) grinned wickedly, spinning his trident in his hands. "Finally, my life can change! Zeus is sure gonna give me one hell of a promotion when I capture these two! Maybe I can even become an Olympian if I tell him what I learned from Kronos!"

I walked forward, but Prometheus stopped me. "I believe Lord Kronos approved of your friends, namely Vittoria, to capture Proteus. You will not get involved."

"As the Titan of forethought, have you already seen Proteus's demise?"

"Not exactly. My powers allow me to see all possibilities and determine a reasonable probability of each occurring. However, even I cannot foresee everything. And I could be completely wrong about what may happen or not."

"Well, I'm guessing you're not wrong that often; otherwise, neither the gods nor the Titans would put much trust in you."

I heard footsteps accompanied by heavy breathing. Proteus was no longer the only problem - Julien and Adan had added to my dilemma.

I didn't expect to see my good old friend again. Apparently, neither had he. "There! We found the fleece...Brian?"

Adan didn't speak. He simply readied his bow. I forgot he was a child of Apollo - and that meant he would be a tricky one. Apollo was the god of not only music but also light, healing, disease, and archery. Adan had quite a formidable list of powers bestowed upon him. I remember seeing him shoot some arrows for practice before I left DGH. He had an assortment of bows, from some that released a sonic boom that damaged one's insides to others that were poisoned. On top of that, from other things I've learned about Apollo children, Adan is skilled in healing magic, enough so to completely recover from a fatal wound, but just once. But he wasn't the only demigod with impressive abilities.

"It seems some unwanted guests have arrived," Prometheus cooly said.

I nodded. "Could I get involved now?"

"No. You may fight the two who just came here if you wish, but do not fight alongside your friends."

"If I wish? You're awfully calm about this."

Prometheus faintly smiled. "Would you like an insight?"

"Pardon?"

"An insight. As the Titan of forethought, I can accurately predict the future - at least sometimes. If you believe that what I may say will help you, then ask."

"I politely decline." I thought Prometheus would be offended, but he was still smiling at me. "May I hear the reason why, child?"

"I can't fully trust what you say. You may be good at what you do, and even if you're right, it'll still be detrimental. After all, you admitted that you can't see all future possibilities. There may be unseen roads and doors, and they might not be kind to me. If I learn about a potential path, my actions may change compared to when I didn't know a thing, and I could wind up on the wrong road."

I stomped my foot. With Adan immobile, I took his quiver and tossed it off the mountain. I didn't harm him, not yet. If I dealt him a fatal blow, he could just heal it when time moved again. Of course, it wouldn't be that hard to kill him since he has no arrows to shoot. But Julien would try to protect him. And so that's where I'll inflict real pain.

I gripped my scythe. Here was my "friend," the one I made so many memories with. A boy my sister adored. I was once happy that she saw him in such a positive light. I once thought it made sense. Too bad it was just a dream. A giant lie. At least I've woken up, though.

I put my scythe in my pocket and proceeded to beat up my former friend. Angry questions erupted through my skull, demanding answers but left unanswered. How long have you lied to me? Were you and Zeus aware of who I was? Did you tell your friends at the cult about Helen, about what she meant to me? I punched, and punched, and punched until I honestly couldn't recognize Julien's face anymore. It really had become a bloody mess, and I sighed.

Perhaps Zeus planned all this, but what about Julien? Did he care about Helen and me? I thought the answer was no, but what would I do if it were a yes? Father did say Julien became a cult member of his own volition, and Vittoria did not have kind words for him...but I have no evidence other than that. I gazed down at his messed-up face. I was left with a bunch of questions. Questions that I had to know the answer to - I just couldn't ignore them. I had to know the answers.

I cut off Julien's arms and slashed his calves. For Adan, I simply knocked him to the ground. I let time flow again, sweating like I was in a desert. If only controlling time wasn't so taxing...

Adan got up from the ground, his eyes wide at Julien's condition. Immediately he stands up. He begins muttering words I can't hear, and a green magic circle encapsulated Julien. The light it emitted grew more intense as the volume of Adan's voice amplified - who I now knew was speaking in good old greek.

When the light died down, Julien's arms had been fully reattached to his body. It was some impressive skill, to say the least. I wondered if Apollo had his own unique brand of magic - that healing spell was very different from what Vittoria taught me. Did gods specialize in a certain kind of magical technique? Or did they develop their own personal magic? I guess I could add that to the list of questions I would ask Vittoria later.

As expected, Adan crumpled to the ground. He had difficulty getting up, and his legs were shaky. His hand wandered for an arrow, only for it to realize there was no quiver.

Julien drew his sword. "Careful. Nathan had him surrounded, and he still escaped. He had no problem mowing down Thomas, Nick, and George by himself."

Adan nodded. "What should I do?"

"Not to be mean, but I think we both know there's not much you can do without some arrows. The river god Proteus is here somewhere. We'll need his help, so go find him. I'll cover you."

I let Adan run away. There wasn't much he could do unarmed. If Father was so sure of Vittoria's victory, then he couldn't do much to change that. Of course, I can't have Proteus come here, so I had to defeat Julien quickly. Since Adan was unarmed, he would be easy prey. Julien couldn't waste time with me either.

Julien charged, and I blocked. We exchanged blows. I realized that I was much more agile than before, and my fighting skills improved decently. Before Julien wiped the floor with me in a mock duel. But now, I had no problem reading him. I was also able to use anima more efficiently than before, noted when I was fighting Prometheus. Was this the aftereffect of absorbing a Titan's lifeforce? Could absorbing the essence of divine beings allow one to reach divinity themself? So many questions I would have to ask some other time.

Julien struggled to keep up with the onslaught of attacks but managed to repel me. He jumped back, electricity buzzing on his fingers, which extended into meter-long zigzags and flew at me. I deflected them with my scythe. Adamantine is the metal of the gods for a reason. Unbreakable, lightweight, resilient, and versatile, it has no flaws.

Julien stopped zapping me with his hands. He rose his hands up to the sky in supplication. Grey storm clouds appeared and clumped together, roaring fiercely. In that instant, a purplish-blue light flickered as the heavens quaked.

I lay face flat on the ground. I pulled myself up to see a diagonal cut marred my chest. My shirt and part of my pants were stained in blood. Even when I slowed time down, I still couldn't dodge that thunderbolt.

I realized Julien's attack formed a deep, deep crater and that I was at the bottom of it. A small town could be built down here. Climbing back up was akin to climbing a small mountain, so I created a nice set of stairs using ice.

Julien jumped at me the moment I reached the top. But he wasn't the same. His whole body was unsteady; he looked like he was going to pass out. His last move took out nearly all of what was in him. It didn't take much to disarm him and send him flying.

Prometheus materialized behind me. "You've defeated this one and let the other run off. What will you do now?"

"Lord Prometheus, do you mind carrying him?"

"You're not going to kill him?"

"No. I think this one will be a valuable hostage."

"What about the other one? Why did you let that boy run off?"

"He's not much without his weapons. Even if he found Proteus, nothing would really change. About Atlas...I think it's time we awakened him."

"I see. Then take my hand. I'll deliver you to my brother."

Atlas stood on the topmost point of the Denali as a statue, with his arms outstretched, squatting. I felt his dreadful aura again. I saw pictures of a vicious man on the battlefield, beheading anyone who crossed him. He laughed insanely, taking pleasure in watching his enemies squirm in pain. He liked especially to make others suffer, spreading despair like a plague. But there was someone who even he feared. Atlas trembled as he knelt before a tall, well-built man with dashing black eyes and hair that reached his elbows. His long beard fell past his collarbone. This man was Father, who sat on the same throne Zeus sits on now. I could see why Atlas was so scared. Kronos's power was terrifying in his prime. In its face, I felt like a bug. An insect that was coerced to obey such strength. I had no other choice. My very existence was worthless.

I took a deep breath, hoping that meeting Father in the flesh wouldn't be as scary. I placed the golden fleece on Atlas's neck.

The statue began to vibrate. Cracks began to form, and the stone chipped off into tiny pieces, falling to the ground. Eventually, the stone covering was broken by Atlas, who had been successfully revived. He nearly sank under the pressure of the sky. After managing to stand, he looked at Prometheus. "Well, if it isn't my dearest younger brother. Didn't you always have a hole in your gut?"

"Yes, until that giant bird met its end. As you can see now, I have been freed at last."

"Who exactly let you go? That fragile little child? I doubt he could even break your chains, much less kill that eagle that ate your insides for centuries."

"Well, appearances can be deceiving," Prometheus smirked. "This seemingly delicate boy is Lord Kronos's son, and even though he's a mess now, he's quite formidable."

Atlas bellowed with laughter. He was so loud I thought he was going to cause a disastrous earthquake. Even the weight on his shoulders, the gigantic sky, shook. "What a farce! As if this little twat could be Lord Kronos's child! A single snap and he will be sent flying to his grave. You seriously think he'll be the one to kill Zeus and his insufferable siblings?"

"Not now, but if he improves, then possibly."

Atlas narrowed his eyes, glaring at Prometheus. The Elder Titan stood calmly. Even though Atlas was much more powerful than he was, his face had a serene expression, even though Kronos's right-hand man was glowering at him. "If you don't believe me, brother, then ask Lord Kronos yourself."

"Tch." He faced me. "So, what exactly are you doing here? Have you come to free me too, perhaps?"

"Yes. Father ordered it. Soon, your replacement will be trapped here, while you'll be able to escape."

"Oh, is that so? And who might your replacement be? Another small demigod?"

"The river god Proteus." I pointed in Vittoria's direction, and Atlas saw I wasn't joking. He stopped paying attention to me. It was clear he longed to be free. His eyes lasered in on the sea god, who clashed with my two friends.

Prometheus put his arm on my shoulder, yanking me backward. "Your friends will require some space if they are to shove the river god where Atlas is. Watch them, and pay special attention to Vittoria. You can learn from her."

Mei was in her empousai form. Her claws clattered against Proteus's spear. While he was able to keep up with Mei, it was another story with Vittoria. Like she had with me, Vittoria gracefully moved around her foe as if she were performing a ballet. She took every chance she saw to cut Proteus with her sword, never missing her mark. Proteus failed backward. Whenever he tried something, Mei would pounce on him. Their teamwork was incredible, but Prometheus was right. There was a lot I could learn from Vittoria. A swordfight was second nature to her, even if the opponent was a god. She made no mistakes, even though she was tiring. The dodges, the parries, the feints...she read Proteus was such precision it was scary.

Proteus jumped backward. He stabbed his trident into the ground. The ice, the cold air around me, had transformed into water. He shot jets of fluid, but Vittoria and Mei froze them before they got doused. Proteus sparred with them again. With columns of water hurtling towards them, the fight had become more difficult for my friends. Proteus managed to gain a few inches, but overall, it was a heated stalemate. For a while, anyway.

No matter how hard he tried, Proteus could not overcome both Vittoria and Mei. He was moving closer towards Atlas. But he still had one card up his sleeve.

Proteus lifted his spear. Water swirled around it, eventually forming a massive whirlpool. The whirlpool split into two, then four, then eight. Proteus let them loose, following up with a giant tidal wave.

Prometheus shook his head at me. "I've already told you not to get involved. Your friends will handle this." Those whirlpools reached higher than the clouds! How on earth were Vittoria and Mei supposed to evade that and a tidal wave of equal size?

Vittoria stared down at what was coming her way. Mei took her hand, and she grabbed it. Vittoria noticed me and smiled. She whispered something I couldn't hear, but what I thought was, "don't worry about us. This fight is ours."

The whirlpool collapsed, as did the tidal wave. I didn't see Vittoria or Mei anywhere. Since we have a partial mind link, I can sense Vittoria's location. I knew she wasn't dead. Interestingly, she was right behind Proteus, who was furious that he had spent so much time on "mortal bugs." Unfortunately for him, he would be spending some more time. The fight wasn't just over yet.

Vittoria jumped out of Proteus's shadow. Before he could react, she sliced him right down the middle. Mei lunged at the river god the instant after, trying to keep the momentum. She clawed at the river god furiously.

Vittoria disarmed him and began attacking Proteus with his own weapon. Mei took Vittoria's sword and fought with it, slashing the river god's eyes. As Vittoria had said, the fight was hers and Mei's. Proteus was too wounded to continue, and with the rampant bombardment of attacks, he simply couldn't do anything but be pushed back. I wondered why the river god didn't shift into his divine form. He could have won the fight then.

"Proteus, like the other gods, is too proud. He won't enter his divine form because he thinks it humiliating to unleash his full power on mortals. But now, he absolutely can't do it. If they're wounded and exhausted to a certain extent, a divine being won't be able to reveal their true power. As you can see, your friends have successfully forced Proteus to surpass that threshold. They've even managed to rob him of his trident. Of course, Proteus is also a minor god, considerably weaker than the Olympians, enough so for an outcome like this to be possible."

Proteus was thrown back a few feet away from Atlas, who abandoned the sky swap places and be free of his curse. The old river god struggled to bear Atlas's burden - it didn't help he was injured. Then, there was the presence of Atlas, which made Proteus pale. "It seems the old god of the sea is unhappy with his post. Unfortunately, he has betrayed Lord Kronos. If only you chose to be obedient, you could have acquired the power you seek."

Proteus averted Atlas's eyes and tried to keep the sky in place. His wounds were slowly healing, but not fast enough. The mere act of holding something so massive ripped open fresh new cuts. Liters of seawater sweated out of his body. He was in no condition to lift the sky, evident by his wails. He, a god, had been reduced to this. Tears fell from his eyes. Were they from humiliation or regret? The glittering confidence in his eyes faded - they focused on the ground as if lasers were going to come out. He was angry, but there was also something else: humility. I had the feeling the look in his eyes was similar to mine when I lost Brian. A single, bitter loss shredded the pride we once had in our abilities. Although Vittoria helped me get over it, it was unlikely anyone would help poor Proteus. He had betrayed Kronos and the Titans. Once the gods learned the old river god was a double agent, they'll likely dissociate from him too. He would hold up the mountain in perpetual misery, all alone.

Atlas sized me up. I didn't need him to scrutinize every part of my body. Unlike me, Atlas was perfect. Not in looks(he was bald, had facial scars, and comically tiny lips), but what he thought constituted perfection. Mainly, an unrealistically toned body such that Spartans would fawn over him. A bulging back, with biceps and triceps that were as big as my head when flexed, and hands that could tear anything it grabbed - Atlas was built for war. He was the ideal Greek soldier(well, except he wasn't dashing).

A spear materialized in Atlas's hand. And he then proceeded to try to stab me with it.

Did he want to test me too? I hopped backward and met Atlas with my scythe. Atlas's eyes expressed shock, which disappeared as quickly. Unlike Prometheus, he wasn't holding back. Or maybe he was. Atlas was much stronger than Prometheus.

I parried Atlas's next attack and dived in to strike. A second later, I barrel-rolled sideways, just missing Atlas's spear, which had been lodged into the ground. I got up and raised my spear, which Atlas blocked. I thought the recoil from that was going to break my fingers off.

Atlas snickered. "Is this all the son of Kronos can do?" He lunged at me so fast I was forced to stop time with all my might. But Atlas was just too strong.

He became slow enough for me to barely move my face away from his spear. I was speechless. How on earth did Atlas resist my power? I absorbed all the anima I could. Did he use a powerful negation spell? Or was Kronos's general able to negate the abilities of others? Not even Prometheus can just shrug me off like that.

"Did you really think you could freeze me in place?" Atlas laughed. "You may have inherited Kronos's power, but it's a pitifully small share. Perhaps those weaklings on Olympus could actually be stopped by it. I'm sure you know that using more anima generates more power, but if that was all you could do, then you're just too weak to channel the anima needed to freeze a real Titan."

I fell downward as Atlas brought down his spear upon me. He was so quick that it was the only thing I could do. He had knocked my scythe from my hand, and I couldn't even see him do it. His spear had stuck in the ground again, and this time it formed a sizable crater, one I fell into.

The spear had pierced my right hand, fixing it to the ground as well. Atlas sneered. He must have thought I felt like a bug, a pathetic weakling who had to now ask for him to free my hand. I would probably have to beg for that.

Surprisingly, Atlas let me go. "Well, you are a mortal. I don't know why I got so worked up over this. A piece of advice: know your place, worm. You may be Lord Kronos's third-in-command, but you're just a weak kid. Don't let it get over your head." Atlas pulled his spear from the ground. He gave me one last glare before turning to Prometheus.

If Atlas's goal was to demoralize me, I admit it almost worked. He didn't use his divine form, yet the gap between us was still too big. I had never been beaten so soundly before - tossed aside like I was nothing. It was as if an arrow had hit my pride, shattering it like glass. Unlike with my other fights, I didn't lose because I made a mistake. I was defeated because I was too weak to do anything. Then, I wondered about Atlas's divine form. Would I go insane after seeing his full power? At the limitless difference between a mortal and a Titan?

But I could ask that question for the gods as well. And I was destined(hopefully) to overthrow the gods themselves. If so, then one day, I might be able to give Atlas a run for his money. That thought was the glue that cemented part of my pride back together. It was a much appreciated mental boost. I didn't feel very secure knowing just how big the power gap was between me and my superiors at the moment.

I got up and used healing magic to mend my hand. Prometheus approached me. "I'm glad you're not dead, Yiannis. I thought my brother would really kill you out of spite."

"As did I. But, Atlas seems to have some control over his emotions. As long as I don't irritate him, or even better, keep a distance, I think I'll be fine."

"You're not going to give him a piece of your mind?"

"As mad as I am, I think you know that is the worst option. I'll have to move on for now."

"Indeed. With the fleece in your hands and Atlas awakened, your quest has been a success. Well done."

"Thank you, Lord Prometheus. About Father...shouldn't we go meet him now?"

"Oh, not now. The Titan Lord is a deity of night. He is more powerful under the cold, dark moon. As such, his regeneration will be faster and even more so when we bolster it with the fleece."

Prometheus swung his arm. The topmost peak of the Denali collapsed, revealing a hidden flight of spiral stairs. He handed the fleece to me. "You have been given the honor of placing this on your father and bringing him back up from Tartarus. The passage will be open again at nightfall. Make sure you bring the fleece with you. Until then, I believe you deserve a well-earned rest for your efforts." Prometheus snapped his fingers, and the transparent staircase Vittoria made was transported here. Or, something very similar to it was placed beneath my feet.

"Teleportation magic." As a Titan, I'm sure Prometheus could read some of my thoughts, like the other gods. "I have a feeling you don't wish to wait in the freezing temperatures here. Atlas and I have some words to share with your father. Return to your vessel for now."