Death of Gods

PROLOGUE

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"You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice."

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The sound of his footsteps on the marble floor seemed to echo through the hall, as if its own alarm warning the palace occupants of his approach. Still, the vast, high ceilinged hallway remained empty aside from himself and the various busts or statues of his brother collected over the centuries. The long stretch of the entrance hall looked to be more of a shrine than a place of dwelling, even for Hades. As if to stand as a reminder of whose will you were to be subject to if he decided to grace you with his presence.

It was when he reached what should've been halfway down the hall that Zeus realized he was making no progress at all. The hall before him only seemed to be growing longer the more he walked, the hall behind him doing the same. No doubt his brother's way of further disorienting his guests. Unfortunately for Hades, it only furthered Zeus' annoyance. Spinning the scepter up in his hand, he swung it to his left, sending one of the busts crashing to the floor in pieces. Instantly, two large black hounds' half his size appeared before him, red eyes glistening hungrily as they growled and snapped their teeth at him. Unimpressed, Zeus slammed the tip of his scepter against the floor powerfully, slightly shaking the hall and its contents, electricity crackling in his eyes. The hell hounds' growls were immediately replaced by whimpers. "I demand an audience with your master," Zeus told them regally. "Alert him to my presence, though I doubt he is unaware of it."

The massive beasts turned tail and ran down the hall, turning again only a few feet away and seemingly disappearing into the wall. Zeus waited impatiently for only a minute before the image of the hall rescinded on itself, now at normal length and with rooms or turns every few feet. A woman appeared through one of the doorways, her black lace floor length gown swishing at her feet as she approached, dark eyes expressionless. "Zeus," she greeted, bowing her head slightly so her shoulder length hair swept into her face. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, dear King?"

"No need for your false pleasantries, Persephone," Zeus answered, moving towards her too. "I am here to speak with Hades, we have an important matter to discuss. If you would kindly bring me to him, I would be grateful."

"But my King, did you not just say there is no need for false pleasantries?" Persephone mocked with a smile before turning on her heels and beginning to move. "Hades is right this way. Last I saw him, I believe he was in his study torturing some unfortunate soul who dared enter the grounds. He's very much like a spider these days, weaving tangled webs for imbecile souls to find their way into for his own amusement."

"He sounds well, then."

Persephone scoffed. "If that's what you call well, then it's no wonder he believes it to be," she replied. She stopped outside of a closed double door, taking a deep breath before opening and stepping inside. She immediately bowed her head before raising it, a false smile across her face. "Forgive my intrusion, my love, but you have a visitor," Persephone announced. "Your brother Zeus, King of the Gods." She was sure to add the extra title, to rub it in Hades face once again that he was not the all-powerful one. It was the very little power she had over him at times, though it would more often than not end in punishment for her. Still, she thought it all to be worth it. She moved to the side so that Zeus could enter and then took her leave, closing the door behind her.

Hades, sitting in his chair with his back turned to the room, did not acknowledge his brother right away. Instead, his focus was solely on the large window before him, displaying the Underworld in all it's glory. The charred ground outside the window, the flames that rose through cracks in the ground, the encasement of souls like a mote around the castle. And not too far off in the distance, Zeus could see a man completely devoid of skin, seemingly strapped by invisible binds to a chair and screaming soundlessly. At his feet and all around him laid pieces of sizzling flesh, the smell so potent it seemed to come through the closed window and burn the hairs in Zeus' nostrils. With a snap of Hades' fingers, a wall closed over the window and he turned in his seat to face Zeus. Seeing the look of disgust on his face, Hades purposely inhaled the aroma of cooked flesh and smiled. "There's nothing like a little torture to get the day going," Hades said tauntingly. "I've always loved the fact that the souls seem to keep a corporeal form, or at least in their own minds. It makes their terror all the more satisfying."

"I'm not here to discuss your sadistic hobbies, Hades. I'm here about--"

"I know why you're here," Hades interrupted. "And the answer is no. I don't know who informed you about him, but believe me, they will pay for their mistake once I do."

"The only mistake here, brother, is that you did not tell us about the boy yourself or sooner," Zeus responded, leaning on his scepter opposite Hades. His was the only chair in the room, black and high backed with gold stitching. The rest of the room was lined with books, a small fireplace against one wall glowing with blue flames, and a large empty dark oak desk between them. It was clear to Zeus that it was not often a room that others were welcome in. "You, of all Gods, know the law of the Demigods; you helped create it."

"Yes, and at the time I had no intention of fathering one myself," Hades said.

Zeus spoke as if the words were never said. "'By the word of the Gods, we declare it to be that all known Demigods be registered and in attendance at Mount Academy. Should a God knowingly withhold the information of their child, they will be sentences to two years no contact for each year kept secret.'"

"If you knew this kid like I do, you'd know that wasn't a terrible price to pay," Hades shrugged. "But still, my son won't be attending anywhere but this palace."

"You seem to be under the false impression that either of you have a choice or say in the matter," Zeus replied, some of his anger slipping through his tone. "Your son will be joining the ranks at the Academy bad you bothered to make an appearance at the last council meeting, you would've been informed on the matter that his generation seems exponentially stronger than all the rest. In a controlled environment like the Academy, we can continue to hold the power and to end any possible revolt before it happens. But leaving even one demigod, your son, unchecked by superiors and to allow his power to grow rampant, could be the end of us all."

Hades rose to his feet slowly, blue eyes meeting his brother's as a smirk spread across his face in taunting amusement. "Why brother, are you afraid of facing the same fate as our dear father?" he asked mockingly. "Afraid our own children will be our downfall as you were his? I believe such a thing is known as Karma."

"It is not cowardice to take precautions," Zeus snapped. "But it is ignorant. We ourselves are an example that history repeats itself, and I would like to prolong such a fact as long as possible. With that being said, I expect your son to be ready by dawn of tomorrow. I will have Ares send one of his men for him." Zeus turned his back, heading for the door and pulling it open as he glanced back at Hades. "Heed my words Hades, Ryker Storm will be taken to the Academy tomorrow morning whether by his own will or mine." He slammed the door behind him, the sound of thunder booming through the room, and Hades only smiled wider.

"No need for your threats, brother," he said quietly to himself. "Ryker will be more than ready for the Academy tomorrow." The beginning of Hades' plan to overthrow his brother was already coming together, but what he didn't know was that so was the plan of someone else.