chapter fifty-four

─── the kids finally start to take after me and insult immortals

          𝔑ow, some might say that it was stupid of me to like traps so much, but the thing was, if you expected a trap and walked into one, then hey, at least you knew it was coming. Alcyoneus didn't scare me, Death didn't scare me nor did these shades because I had always expected the worse from this mission.

I knew that we were going to be walking into something like this, so I was just tired. I wanted my bed. I wanted a blanket, a pillow and no alarm or monster screaming at me at some ungodly hour in the morning. That meant the quicker I finished this, the quicker this could become a reality.

"Hazel." Frank spoke up next to me, holding his hand out towards the teenager, who was looking horrified. "That package you're keeping for me? I need it."

"Frank, no. There has to be another way." Hazel's voice shook as I kept my eye on Alcyoneus. We didn't know what type of powers he had or when he was going to call the shades to attack.

"Please. I-I know what I'm doing." Frank's desperation had me worried, as I turned to look at him.

"You're right, Frank Zhang. Sacrifices must be made." Death was not helping matters, that was for sure. The giant stepped forward, grinning manically as the ice shook. It was unstable, unstable enough that I might have started to have a really good idea.

"What package do you speak of, Frank Zhang? Have you brought me a present?"

"Nothing for you, Golden Boy." Frank spat, as I grinned. He was growing up and insulting powerful immortal beings, and I was so proud of him for it. "Except a whole lot of pain."

The giant roared with laughter. 

"Spoken like a child of Mars! Too bad I have to kill you and this one...my, my, I've been waiting to meet the infamous Andromeda Jackson." The giant grinned as I cocked an unamused eyebrow. "Your fight with Lord Kronos? Well done. Our patron hates you above all others, except perhaps for that upstart Cressida Grace. I am sorry I can't kill you right away, but my brother wishes to keep you as a pet. He thinks it will be amusing when he destroys Neptune to have the god's favourite daughter on a leash. After that, the patron has plans for you."

"I've had a lot of people say they're going to kill me before, and none have delivered. I'm infamous for a reason." I grinned, flicking my sword around. "And I hate to break it to you, but my father's Poseidon. I'm Greek."

The shades took in a dramatic gasp as I struggled not to roll my eyes.

"Greek, Roman, it doesn't matter." The giant waved me off easily. "We will crush both camps underfoot. The Titans didn't think big enough. They thought to use the camps to get to Olympus, but we giants know better. We'll just go straight there. We will destroy the gods at their source."

The ghosts pounded their swords against their shields. The sound echoed through the mountain.

"The source? You mean the ancient lands, Greece?" Frank doubled checked as the giant chuckled.

"No need to worry about that, you will not live long enough to see our ultimate victory. I will replace Pluto as Lord of the Underworld. I already have death in my custody, and with the little girl, I will have all the riches to myself too." Alcyoneus grinned darkly.

"I thought they banned that years ago." Hazel muttered to me as I nodded. "I don't do service!"

"But you gave me life!" Alcyoneus replied. "We had hoped to bring our patron back years ago, to offset the problem that your civilisation caused. The Doors of Death will stand open, those who serve us will never perish. Alive or dead, you three will join my army."

"Ha!" I laughed. "I said no when Kronos asked me, but at least he had a bit of class when doing it and tried to kill me before asking and then possessing a child. With you, there's no class, no execution and no dramatics! You suck at this!"

Hazel and Frank choked on either side of me.

"When were you going to mention you almost fought for Kronos?" Frank sidled closer to ask.

"Were you listening? He asked me after trying to kill me, obviously I said no." I rolled my eyes. "Gods, ye of little faith."

"I raised this monster from the earth, you won't protest if I'm the one to kill him?" Hazel stopped me and Frank bickering as we turned to look at her.

"Be our guest." I waved her forwards. "You're going to crush this, Hazel."

"Are you sure you will not join us of your own free will? You could be quite precious to us? Why die again?" Hazel's eyes flashed with anger, before she handed a wrapped up package to Frank.

"You're my best friend too Frank." I felt like I was interrupting a moment, turning back to assess Death and the shades. "I should have told you that. Do what you have to do."

There was a cough, and I turned to look at her.

"Can you protect him, Romy?" I grinned, looking around. There was probably a small army of shades here, all armed to the teeth and ready to gut us.

"Light work." 

"Then I've got Golden Boy." Hazel nodded, before she charged the giant. That was all it took for the shades to attack, and I immediately batted the first one away. Frank rushed to kneel at the feet of Death, as I finally got back into the swing of fighting.

It had been a while since I had fought an army, but the feeling came back quickly. It barely took me any time before I got back into my element, dodging and swinging at the shades, protecting Frank at all costs.

The energy grew with in me, my bones shifting and rubbing together as I sliced another shade, knocking them away and deflecting arrows and spears. I wasn't going to let them hurt him.

Scanning, I kicked a shade away that was getting a little too close for comfort, before spotting a shade in a lion-skin cloak, holding a standard with an eagle atop of it. My original plan began to evolve as I cackled, diving forwards into the soldiers, yelling and taunting them as I decimated their forces as best I could. I really wanted that eagle.

I threw myself over the offensive line, slamming into the shade as I grabbed the eagle.

"You want it back?" I teased, kicking another shade through a wall. "Come and get it!"

They all seemed to grow more angry, following me away as I drew them towards the edge of the glacier. I needed them to follow me.

My bones began to grind as I gritted my teeth, the pain overwhelming. They needed to be closer, to be far away from the others. I had to protect them, even if it meant hurting myself in the process. I wouldn't let Frank or Hazel die.

I got to the end of the Via Principalis, overthrowing the chariot as the horses veered around me. They couldn't harm me, not even if they wanted to, and whilst the swords of the shades weren't cutting through my skin, it was only a matter of time before they exhausted me.

I stabbed another, still moving backwards but I was starting to tire. No matter how much I killed them, they'd just get back up and it was an inevitability that they would find my weak spot and stab me once I was exhausted. I'd be dead just like that.

I had twenty feet until the edge of the glacier. I just had to make it there.

Ten feet.

Five feet.

"Romy! They can die!" Frank's voice broke through my pain, as I swung once more. I was getting weak, but the power, it was still there. I could only do this once.

They forced me to the edge of the glacier as Frank drew his sword, seemingly about to rush and help me. 

"No!" He stopped, as I groaned in pain, slashing another. "Hazel."

Frank took another step towards me before Hazel cried out in pain. He shot me a helpless look as a sword skimmed across my skin, clattering off to the side.

"I've got them!" I called back, gritting my teeth as a pained scream threatened to rip out of my chest. I did not have them, but I'd never let the ghosts know that. 

I continued to swipe and dodge as best I could, storing up more power as I watched Frank seemingly turn into an eagle. 

"So not fair." I muttered, striking another down as my foot slipped on the edge of the cliff. 

I took one quick glance backwards, before humming. This would have to do.

"Romy!" Frank yelled, and I glanced towards them, spotting the fallen giant. "No!"

"Sorry kid." I muttered, as my bones cracked back into place. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the ice cracked, something rumbling up from the earth and sea beneath me, shattering the ice and sending the shades to their knees.

Their mouths were open as if they were screaming, before the earthquake ripped through the glacier and the camp. Crevices appeared, ice shearing off as shades were thrown into the water. My knees gave out, sending me to the floor as I caught sight of Hazel and Frank one last time before the ice beneath my knees disappeared.

Then, all I could remember was falling.

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

So, no hurricane for andi cause she's already a bit op, but we're reviewing her earthquake powers from another love which is going to be great fun. Love that for her. Frank's stressing, Hazel's stressing but both are learning to backtalk immortals, so andi's pretty happy.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx