We stopped right in front of my old prison cell.

Now with the combined strength of both me and my father, we easily tore the heavy metal door off its hinges. We threw it to one side, causing a loud sound as it crashed against the wall.

Katie was the first to rush out of the cell. As soon as the door dropped to the floor, she flung her arms around my neck and almost squeezed me half to death.

Jake came out as well, supporting Maximus on his shoulder. Kane rushed forward and helped Jake support his beaten up father. He looked at Poseidon and nodded respectively to him. The council members came forward and helped Kane and Jake get Maximus on his feet.

"I knew you would make it," Katie whispered in my ear.

I smiled at her, even though she had her face buried into my shoulder. I did the only thing that came into my head first – I kissed her on her forehead.

Surprised, she raised her head and looked at me in the eyes. Gods, now that I was noticing her a bit more, I noticed that she was smaller than I was – maybe the length of a ruler. But the way she looked at me – all seeking and curious – made me feel comfortable and confident about what I needed to do.

"I promised you I'd come back," I told her. "Didn't I?"

Chloe cleared her throat. "Not that this is the most sweetest I have seen my brother, but don't we have to get out of this place and call for the Olympians?"

Jake came forward, after making sure Maximus was alright. "Chloe's right, we need to get out of here."

"We need our weapons first," Katie said, still hugging my neck. "We won't get far without them. And we need to get the rest of the students and get Chiron out of his cell. We need all the help we can get. Otherwise, we stand no chance against Proculus, who is gonna whoop our ass's."

"We're not far from the weapons store," Kane said. "It's twelve corridors away from here, almost at the entrance of the palace. It will be heavily guarded, but Marcus and I will deal with that."

"Will my bow be there?" Chloe asked, her voice filled with longing.

"I'm positive of it," the Whirlwind said.

Poseidon came forward, gripping his trident tightly. "We're not hurting any more of my men," he sternly said.

I sighed. "Dad–"

"No, my son," the Stormbringer said. "I will talk with them. They will listen to me. They just put their faith in the wrong person. They'll snap out of it when they see me."

"Poseidon's right," Maximus said. He was limping on his right leg, but his armour had been straightened and most of the cuts and bruises were gone from his face. The council must've fixed him up.

"Like Katie just said," he said in his clear voice again, "we need all the help we can get."

Ariadne looked impatient. "Yes, we need all the help we can get. Now let's MOVE IT!"

All of us ran down the corridor. I grabbed Katie's hand and led her down the long, narrow hallway of the palace. Maximus only just kept up, going as fast as his bad leg could allow him. Chloe and Jake followed suit, while my father led the way.

On the way, we came up to more prison cells. I slashed the locks off with my sword and several students came out, looking at me gratefully. Every so often – so often that I completely lost count – we would come across more prison cells and more students came out when I busted the doors open. Pretty soon, we had over a hundred students behind us, all of them looking worse for wear.

"Wait, stop!" Jake said. He halted at a huge bronze door that was over a couple metres tall. Jake came up to the door and started pounding on the solid bronze.

"Chiron!" he shouted. "Chiron, can you hear me?"

A low moan was what Jake got in reply. I came up to the door and looked through the small hole in the centre. Chiron lay on the floor, his wrists chained to the wall, and looking really beaten. His horse body was covered in dust and was covered in scratches.

"Dad, Kane, help me out here," I yelled. "We've got to get him out of this cell!"

The three of us gripped the frame of the door and tugged with all our strength, grunting through gritted as we did so. Even though we had Poseidon helping us, our combined strength wasn't enough to break the door open.

"Allow me," James said, walking up to the door. The son of Hercules gripped the frame of the door and, with one quick tug, ripped the door of its massive hinges. He threw the door to the side.

He wiggled his fingers at me. "Little gift I inherited from dad."

I just stared at him in shock, but quickly pulled myself together. "Lucky you," I grumbled.

I stepped into the cell and ran up to Chiron. "You alright, Chiron?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "I'm too old for this crap," he grumbled.

Poseidon came up to him, smiling slightly. "You sound like me, brother."

Chiron looked up, stunned to see his brother–in–law. "You're awake," he said, like he couldn't believe it.

My father nodded, pulling out a vile of clear water. He uncorked the vile and tipped the contents all over Chiron's horse body. He then raised his hand and the water rose at his command, as he waved it all over the scratches and healing them. In no time at all, Chiron was fully healed.

The things that my father could do with his water bending skills still impressed me.

Chiron leaped to his feet. "Thanks," he said to Poseidon.

"Don't mention it," the Stormbringer said. He looked at me. "Let's go."

We came up to the massive wooden door of the palace entrance. Like Kane had mentioned, the entire hallway was full of soldiers, who pointed their spears at us. But like he promised, Poseidon just raised his hand and the soldiers, shocked about what they were doing, lowered their weapons and apologised.

"It's just over here," Kane said, pointing at the door by the side of the palace entrance. He rammed the door open and collapsed inside the room.

I came up behind him and got him to his feet. I looked around the room – the walls were stacked with bows and arrows, the shelves holding spears and helmets. On the barracks, I saw swords in all matter of sizes, with shields ready at the use. On the floor were pieces of random armour, and at the end of the room was a messy stack of new weapons.

Chloe came in and instantly cried out in relief. She ran up to the wall containing all the bows and picked up the glossy black arrow that Maximus gave her days ago. She pulled back the string and a shiny arrow appeared on the bowstring.

"Thank god," she sighed. She looked up at me and smiled. "Maximus would've killed me if he found out that I lost his wife's bow."

"You're lucky to have my mother's bow," Kane said. "Just treat it with respect; otherwise my father will never forgive you."

I looked back at the massive group of people. "Alright guy's – grab whatever weapons you can carry and meet us outside the palace. This is going to be one battle where we need all of your help. Go!"

Instantly, everyone came inside the storage room and started grabbing random pieces of armour and weapons. I picked up a large shield – a round shield that had thick leather on the inside – and ran towards the palace door.

Chloe, now carrying her bow with a quiver of spare arrows, pulled back her bowstring and sent a powerful, explosive arrow at the door, which smashed open on impact. Wood splinters went everywhere and dust billowed around us.

I marched through the dust and came out into the open air. At the bottom of the palace steps, a crowd of people had gathered and gawked at me. When they saw Poseidon come up right behind me, they all cheered loudly, so loud that my ears rang like they had tiny little bells in them.

Katie came up beside me. She was wearing slim, golden armour that ended up at the base of her throat and she had two daggers at her sides, stowed away in two small sheaths of leather.

"So this is Cyclone City," she said in a low voice.

I nodded. "Pretty much," I replied back. "Not so great when you're in its prison, but great when you look at it on the outside. I found that out for myself only a couple of days ago, so it's not that bad."

Katie looked at me, looking concerned. "Do you think we should tell them to evacuate the city, until the fight is over? It would seem like the best thing to do."

"She's got a point," Jake said. He had retrieved his gold sword and was now wearing his own gold armour. On his back was a long spear, made entirely of platinum. He had a spare knife at his side. "We don't want to be held responsible for the deaths of several thousand people."

I nodded. I walked up to the base of the stairs and raised my hands. Immediately, everyone fell silent, waiting for me to say something.

"People of Cyclone City," I called out loud. "This is an urgent announcement – I need everyone to evacuate the city as fast as you can. Proculus has gone insane with murder and we do not want anyone hurt, so please get out of the city now!"

"Do as my son decrees," Poseidon interjected. "Evacuate!"

Listening to their master, the people started clearing the streets, panic evident in their eyes. Children were lifted off their feet and many of the people who were on horseback urged their horses to go and help escort as many people as possible.

"Lord Kane!" someone shouted behind us. I turned around and saw the same hunter who was sent to find the other Whirlwinds. Behind him stood a huge mass of hunters and soldiers, all of whom were carrying spears and bows, looking menacing in their tombstone grey armour and scowling helmets.

"How many Whirlwinds are there?" I exclaimed. "I thought there was over fifty of you guys!"

"There are actually thousands of us in total," Kane said. "I don't know, maybe a few thousand? I don't exactly know, but the more there are, the better."

Poseidon came up and expected the awaiting mass of Whirlwind Hunters, nodding approvingly. "This is more than I would've hoped for. This is definitely great."

Katie came up and stood at my side. "Yes, we know that we've got a lot of men on our side, but right now we've got other problems to deal with. Aren't you going to call the Olympians?"

Poseidon frowned for a moment. Then he seemed to remember. "Oh, right! Sorry about that, daughter of Demeter."

He closed his eyes and lifted his face up as if he was looking at the sky. The clouds started to go even darker as the winds started to pick up. Then, in the middle of all the roaring winds, a voice spoke over the noise, loud as cannon fire, and as clear as a waterfall.

Zeus, my brother, Poseidon telepathically spoke. I pray to you. Help me and my children defeat Proculus. I have returned and I beg you to aid me in this darkest hour. I will join you again, but you and your Olympian allies must help me. Proculus is going to kill us.

"Halt, in the name of your Prince!"

All of us turned around to face Proculus and his Storm Guard.

Proculus carried his serrated sword as usual. He was wearing platinum armour, the same armour he wore the day he abducted me and Chloe and he was wearing his black cape. He wore spiked gloves, like he was trying to impersonate Jason Statham's knuckle busters from the Expendables movie, and his face was pinched in anger and fury.

Behind him, the Storm Guard carried all manners of weapons – lances, javelins, swords, daggers and what looked like scythes (curved blades on a wooden pole). I looked at those scythes and my blood turned to ice – in certain legends, the scythe was the symbol of the Titan Lord Kronos, and was the same weapon that Zeus used to cut Kronos to pieces. Hearing what those scythes were used for in battle made me sick.

Proculus pointed his sword at me. "I swear on the River Styx, you're going to die Dimascio."

"No, he's not," Poseidon said, stepping in front of me and raising his trident.

Proculus glowered at his father, breathing through gritted teeth. "You...After all this time, I thought I could be the good guy for a change – I woke you up from your paralysis; I defended this city for centuries; I've defended your honour and I get THIS?" He waved his other hand at me and Chloe, pointing at us in disgust. "What makes them so special that they deserve to be in charge of this city?"

"They have purer hearts than you do, Proculus," Poseidon said in a calm tone. "They have shown me what it truly means to be like a mortal father. I've trained them all their life and I've seen something that you haven't got – they have more courage than you ever have, and only a true child of the Stormbringer can rule this beautiful city that I have created so many aeons ago. This city is only meant for the rightful heir to the Hurricane Throne – I only made you the Prince because I was sorry for you. Your time is over; now it's their time."

"I'll skewer them where they stand," Proculus spat, "before I see either one of them on the Hurricane Throne!"

Chiron came forward, clutching a massive bow at his side.

"Proculus stop this madness," he said in a stern voice. "Enough people have died because of you and it must end. The Proculus I once knew would never have caused this much pain and destruction."

"People have died because of me?" the Cyclone Prince repeated. He let out a long, hysterical laugh that made my spine shiver. "I thought that was Marcus Dimascio's job? He seemed to be a lot better than I am at doing the job."

"Don't blame my brother for your crimes!" Chloe shouted. "You murdered too many innocent people so you could keep your position as ruler of Cyclone City. Plus, you've defiled our father's honour by killing all our other siblings! That doesn't make you worthy of ruling this city! It just shows everyone here what you really are – a cold–hearted killer and an enemy of the gods!"

"Shut your mouth!" Proculus yelled.

"Why don't you shut your mouth?" I growled back.

Everyone turned their heads towards me. There it was again – the same shyness I felt when people are watching me, the same defensiveness that always kicks in. This time though, I managed to push my uneasiness to the back of my mind and concentrated on Proculus.

"What kind of ruler are you?" I asked him. Before he could answer, I continued asking him questions. "Are you some sort of immortal that can get away with anything? You think that because you're the son of a god, that everything that you see belongs to you? You think that because you're the son of the Stormbringer, that you have the full power of the storms, and that every son or daughter of Poseidon could threaten your title as Cyclone Prince? You think that you're that powerful, you can make people do all your dirty work so you can keep yourself clean, while everyone else fears you and obeys every word you say?"

I shook my head in disgust.

"No, Proculus Mathias. All I see is a coward, and a liar, and a bully, and a murderer. Let me tell you what I know about you..."

Reaching into my pocket, I brought out my diary, which I continued to carry around with me. Chloe, Jake, Katie, Poseidon, Chiron and everyone else looked at me like I was crazy. They were probably right if they were thinking that thought.

Flipping through the pages of my diary, I stopped on page twenty five. "Proculus, a twisted madman with way too many dishonourable intentions, murders for sport and fun, and tortures people until they reach their breaking points, leaving them like empty shells. I've personally been through everything he's put me through and I've seen what he is capable of. He says he's a Prince, but all I see is a cold–hearted idiot in his true form. He calls himself a son of Poseidon? Well, I don't think he truly knows what a son of Poseidon really is. A son of Poseidon is thoughtful and caring, selfless in his own way, and always protects the realm of the gods and his patron god – not the person who puts someone in the middle of pain and harm, so the outcome wouldn't leave a person feeling like they don't belong in this world and have to fight other people for scraps." I closed the book with finality as I looked up at Proculus. "And that, you murdering bastard, is what you are doing to people like us. And I am telling you right here, right now, that your days of being the Prince are over!"

A stunned silence filled the air as Proculus stared at me. His eyes were filled with confusion and shock. His sword hand was slack even though he gripped it tightly. His face went pale and the usual anger that was on his face was not there.

But at the last moment, he finally regained himself. "You think that keeping a diary, even in the thick of battles, will help solve anything?"

"No, I don't," I said.

I looked at the worn out leather of the diary. "People always buy diaries, but they don't write anything in them because they can't be bothered. I always view them as guides to the past, so it might teach people what men like you really are. It helps me, in a way, to look back at what I am not meant to be."

I unsheathed my sword and held it outwards.

"You really are ready to die then?" Proculus asked incredulously. "After all this time trying to survive one more day, you're really going to fight for this city, and claim it as your new home and do a better job than I have?"

"In the words of my grandfather, Colin Dimascio, and his grandfather before him: 'If you are to die, you are to die fighting for something that is worth fighting for.'"

Poseidon lifted his weighted net and gripped his trident even tighter. "That was one of the many reasons why I loved your mother – she's brave and selfless, just like you are."

Chloe came up beside me, nocking a shiny arrow on her bowstring. She looked up at me. "If I die today, I'll see you on the other side brother."

Jake brought out his electrified sword and held it in both hands. "It was an honour fighting beside you, Marcus. I'm with you until the end of the line."

Katie stood at my side. She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes clearly said that she was never leaving my side.

Chiron raised his bow and all the students behind him yelled in defiance. Kane and Maximus did the same with their weapons and all the Whirlwind Hunters roared and screamed with courage and fury. All our voices cried out to the open air, and for a moment, the sun broke through the clouds and shone down on our faces, showing our numbers in the thousands.

"Fools,"Proculus muttered. He raised his serrated blade and his Storm Guard warriorscharged forward.