Prologue
Posted: Thursday 29th August 2024

Caius
I lunged forward for my mother's body but was blocked by Nyx who's scowl was deep. She was terrifying in her imposingness, but the fury that I felt was, perhaps, unmatched by any force that had been known in the world to this point.

"Leave this place Nyx," I growled at the ancient primordial. "Leave this place and never show your face again."

"The girls death is of no consequence," Nyx feigned indifference, but I could sense how angry she was that my mother had been able to outsmart her and overpower her will. "Join me or face my wrath."

I raised my hand to strike the killing blow to Nyx, to banish her to the void never to be seen again. The blast emanated from the very core of my being, building from my stomach to surge out of me. Nyx disappeared into the shadows before the blast could hit her.

My powers spent, I fell to my knees and practically crawled to my mother's body. The blade still stuck out of her where her heart had once beat. I pulled the blade out and placed my hands over the wound to attempt to heal her, but I knew it was useless. I could sense that her lifeforce had left her body. It was probably halfway across the Styx already, on it's way to Elysium.

A pool of blood began to form around us on the pristine white marble floor of the Olympic Council Chamber. No one spoke. Even Zeus was silent. I sat there for a long time, cradling my mother's body in my lap, staring unknowingly into the pool of blood before I felt a soft hand on my shoulder.

I jolted away from the touch and turned to see Artemis standing there.

"We should return Ariadne to her own for funeral rights," The goddes said.

"I am her own," I replied sharply.

"The demigods of Camp Halfblood are her own," Artemis corrected, "Ariadne was always a demigod, she should be given her rites by them. We gods should not deprive the mortals of their mourning."

"Their mourning?" I repeated. "What of mine?"

Athena crossed to join Artemis at my side. Of all of the present gods of Olympus, these two were perhaps my closest relatives, and certainly they had been my mother's closest relatives anyway.

"You are a god," Athena said, "a young one yes, but we do not meddle in the ways of mortals."

"I am not a god," I snapped, "and I shall do as I please. I want her back."

"I will not agree to it!" Zeus thundered. "Nyx cannot be allowed such power over you as she would wield if your mother was bought back. No, better she stays out of the way with Hades where no immortal but my brother can access her."

I carefully lay my mother back on the ground and rose to my feet, turning to stare at Zeus, "You do not command me, Zeus."

"I do," Zeus was practically shaking, with fear or anger, I couldn't tell. "You are bound by the same laws as the rest of us. We do not interfere in the ways of mortals, we cannot."