52. is only
G A Y L E
THE sword drops onto the ground as my heart continues to thud against my chest. I watch as my vision blurs and the blood pounds in my ears.
I take a step back, fingers trembling. The coppery smell of the crimson liquid that has been spewing from the skies and onto me finally gets the better of me and floods my senses.
I take a deep breath, suddenly realizing how helpless and weak I really am.
I was a fool to think that I could help.
Iapetus continues to crush Poseidon and Nike between chains of thorns.
Their howls of pain contribute to my blood pounding through my ears, making it the most painful experience.
Their bodies convulse and writhe on the ground. It doesn't help that the rain splatters their bodies, mingling in with their golden blood.
My eyes well with tears.
"This all stops when you reveal yourself, mortal." A strident tone breaks my concentration and my gaze focuses back on the figure before me.
He looks like Oceanus, only older and with a darker, more serious look on his face. I watch as his alabaster skin continues to be coated with crimson rains and his eyes scan the area for me.
"Don't!" Poseidon screams between convulses, his voice sounds as if getting it out of his throat is the hardest thing he's had to do. His face is coated in ichor and blood, but he remains firm, his deep brows furrowing in determination. "Whatever happens, Gayle, do not let up! Get out of here! Get to Apollo. You can still save us."
A hearty laugh echoes throughout the streets as the war wages on in the background, the sounds of swords clanging against each other drowned out by the laugh.
It comes from Iapetus.
"You would leave your friends here to die, while you escape? I knew mortals were cowardly but this– this is comical."
My fingers tremble as I nod, tears streaming down my hot cheeks as I turn to leave, but something about Nike's tortured screams keeps me rooted to the spot like a tree.
I need to overcome this.
I need to prove that I'm not completely useless.
I have to think of a plan.
What can I do?
If I move to pick up the sword, Iapetus will know where I am and attack me himself. It's already a miracle he didn't hear me drop it amidst of all this chaos.
I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to come up with a plan but nothing comes to mind, but when I open them I feel relief flood over me.
In my hand is the hilt to Bellator, my katana.
It slices through the air as I attempt to get a good hold on it, and suddenly a little bit of the confidence I'd lost at the beginning of this war return to me a little.
My hand around this sword feels right, so much better than the other sword I had before.
Before I can think too much about it, I've snuck up behind Iapetus, and slashed across his back, right through his spine horizontally. A black liquid spews out from the the place I slashed and Iapertus turns around, his eyes flaming in rage.
I don't miss the way the chains around Poseidon and Nike begin to loosen, so I don't stop there.
Just as he turns around, I slash at his neck, decapitating his head from the rest of his body.
The thick black liquid that I assume is his blood splatters onto my face as his body drops down to the ground.
I turn the dial to reveal myself and head towards Nike and Poseidon.
"I thought I told you to leave." He says, freeing himself and Nike from the chains.
"Hm. Considering I just saved your ass, you should be thanking me for staying." I retort, cleaning my sword against my armour.
Nike chuckles as her skin begins to heal itself, leaving only remnants of blood and torn clothes on her skin. "Okay, definitely not Cyrene. You ready? We'd better get going. You don't wanna be here when he wakes up and reattaches his head."
That was all she had to say for us to race down the streets of Mount Olympus, darting towards the entrance doors of the castle.
"What exactly is the plan here? We're gonna storm into this building then what? Enjoy tea time with your dear ole daddy-o Kronos?" Nike turns to Poseidon who rolls his eyes in response.
"I've got to admit, Nike, I definitely did not miss your sarcasm."
"Really? I find it kind of endearing." I reply.
"You know what, not Cyrene? I like you more and more by the second."
"Enough. We need to think of a strategy. We can't just waltz in there. We need a plan."
"Fine. Poseidon, I suggest you don't go in with us. If you do, you're playing right into Kronos' hand. You're the last god he needs to complete his ritual."
"What happens if he completes his ritual again?"
Nike frowns, pressing her index finger to her chin in thought. "Oh you know... death, war, famine, the end of the world..."
I feel shivers trail up my entire body at her explanation and I turn to Poseidon. "I think she's right. You'd better stay out here."
Poseidon sighs, kicking his foot into the ground defeatedly. "Fine. Nike? Gayle? Will you be able to handle this on your own? The fate of the world is in your hands. Not just the mortal world, but this one too."
"Gee, no pressure. You ready to go in there and kick some titan butt?" Nike asks, turning to me with the naughtiest grin I've ever seen in my life.
She grabs her three stars and holds them up in preparation to enter.
I can't help but feel a surge of energy, whether it's from me or it's radiating off of Nike I can't tell, but I won't let it go to waste.
"I was born ready."
The silence in the atmosphere when we step into the building is almost daunting, the thought that I might be heading towards my death is the only thing on my mind.
My grip tightens on Bellator, my only refuge when things get scary.
It's quiet, too quiet but the doom and gloom is the last thing on my mind.
The only thing I care about is Apollo.
I start to wonder internally if he's in trouble, or he's got it handled.
Oh, how nice it would be to get there and this whole thing is over, and he's holding Kronos' head over a throne like the king I know him to be.
But I know my wish is too good to be true, especially when we reach the highest room of the castle and it is also deadly quiet.
My hand reaches out to grab the handle but Nike stops me. I'm about to protest when I realise her index is pressed against her plump lips.
She murmurs the words, it's a trap, to me and motions to the helm of darkness on my head.
I nod towards her, understanding what she wants me to do.
I flick the dial and turn invisible, but before I can ask her what the plan is, she pushes the door open revealing a scene far too graphic even for me.
Lightning continuously strikes in the dark room, as a large dark figure sits on what I assume is the throne of Zeus, which towers above everything else in the room.
The figure doesn't look like any of the other titans, save for his dark soulless eyes. He has a crown on his head, a crown I assume once belonged to Zeus. He's made entirely out of lava rock, and beneath the surface you can see glimpses of the lava, swirling and moving ever so slowly.
He is also larger than all of the other titans, in fact, he must be larger than Iapetus and Oceanus combined.
As if that image isn't horrifying enough, he's sat on the throne wearing Zeus' crown, in his clutches, he has a helpless Zeus. His arm is large enough to rest around his neck and he continues to squeeze.
As he squeezes, lightning continues to shock around the atmosphere while Zeus writhes in pain. He coughs out the ichor and splatters it onto the ground helplessly.
Zeus isn't the only one in a hopeless position, for the other Olympians seem to have it worse than he does.
They're all trapped in their individuals cages, and by the looks of it these cages are made out of deicidium, for they are all weak and passed out.
The only cages that seem to be vacant are the ones I can only assume have been assigned to Apollo, Poseidon snd Zeus himself.
"Guess I didn't get the demonic sex club invitation." Nike shouts, hurling one of her throwing stars towards Kronos himself.
It doesn't make it far enough, instead Kronos stops it mid air with only the swish of his fingers and his mind.
"Enough games. Where is Poseidon?" He bellows loudly enough for the ground beneath us to rumble.
It's only then that I notice the glimmering red moon behind him, how it's glowing beautifully in the night sky. There's no rain in here, so I can only assume that the ceiling is see-through.
Tearing my gaze away from the show-down in front of me, I begin to search for Apollo and Ariel.
"It is almost time. Your attempts to stop me have been and will continue to be futile. Join me, Nike. With you by my side we will be invincible."
Nike rolls her eyes at his request and scoffs aloud. "As if." She sighs as another one of her stars slices through the air towards Kronos. She threw it so swiftly I didn't even see it happen.
Kronos sighs, stopping this one mid-air as well. It drops to the ground. "You have spent too much time among mortals. What wasted potential." He says, finally releasing Zeus from his clutches and dropping him to the ground.
I have no idea what he's done to him, but Zeus is completely powerless. He remains still on the ground as if he's been turned to stone by Medusa, the only indication that he's still alive is all the live lightning striking in this room.
Before Nike can respond, the doors burst open and in come Apollo and Ariel, the former armed with the adamantine sickle.
Kronos chuckles, though it is humorless. "I was wondering when you'd join us, Apollo. Torturing Zeus is fun and all but it just doesn't have the same kick." He growls, "he doesn't have your level of perseverance. It is so much more satisfying to watch you reach your breaking point."
Apollo clenches his jaw at Kronos' words, but I don't miss the way he takes a slow, hesitant step backwards.
He's... afraid.
Something that I can't recognize flashes through his eyes. I remember that Apollo was in Tartarus with Kronos and Zeus and all these other titans. It must've had a deeper effect on him than he's been willing to talk about.
"It's over, Kronos. We have the sickle." Ariel chimes in, taking a step closer to Kronos.
"How dare you address me!? You are impure! The scum of the earth! You are not worthy of the crown. You being referred to as queen of the gods just shows me how much Olympus has descended into anarchy. I must end it all and start anew. In my world, garbage will not interfere in the affairs of the gods!"
"Apollo, now!" Ariel screams, and Apollo takes charge towards Kronos, aiming the sickle at his head to finish this once and for all, but before he can strike him, Kronos grabs him by the neck and throws him across the room.
"You are weak! You have always been weak!" He shouts, turning his gaze to Apollo, who is now on the ground motionless.
Something else takes me over. A rage I've never felt before causes my body to lift off of the ground. I take heavy breaths to try and steady myself before I do something I'll regret.
I didn't even know I had it in me. The image of Apollo on the ground, alone and unconscious bothers me more than anything has ever bothered me before, but my eyes dart towards the sickle laying on the ground mere centimeters away from him, and the only thing in my mind is finishing this damn gladiator movie.
"Enough!" Kronos says as the ground beneath our feet begins to rumble. "Whether is Poseidon? I will torture it out of you both!" He says, as he motions towards Nike and Ariel with his hands and they both ascend off of the ground. They start to slowly drift towards him, while simultaneously choking for dear life.
It doesn't take me long to reach the sickle, at which point the adamantine blade starts to glow. It's almost like it's calling to me, and all my practice with Bellator is finally going to be put to use.
"Tell me now, tell me where he is!"
"I'm right here, asshole." My eyes dart to the door, where Poseidon is stood with his arm extended to the ground, before I can fully process what is going on the ground beneath us begins to shake.
Ariel and Nike both fall to the ground and slide from side to side as it continues to rumble more tumultuously.
Apollo's body slides towards the wall but I don't let that stop me. I'm on a mission, and this is the perfect distraction.
Before thinking too much about it, I fling Bellator towards Kronos. My whole body feels like it's just been plugged in, and I'm vibrating on an entirely different frequency.
Bellator lunges right into Kronos' chest, becoming visible mid-air just as she makes contact.
Kronos' eyes widen in confusion as I follow up with a flying kick, knocking him down like one of those giants outside.
I press my foot to his neck and turn the dial to the helm to reveal myself.
Kronos is gagging and coughing up that black substance which I suppose is his blood as his dark soulless eyes focus on me.
"Apollo isn't the weak one, you chode!" I shriek, finally working up the courage to strike off his head using the sickle, disembodying him just as I did Iapetus.
The locks on the cages drop to the ground as the doors open, releasing all the gods who were trapped in there.
"Kick-ass!" Nike cheers from behind me as the ground beneath us stops shaking.
I take several deep breaths, dropping the bloody sickle to the ground. I didn't notice how the blood has splattered my face once again, the only indicator is the signature coppery smell from last time.
I... beat him? I killed Kronos?
I turn on my heel, watching as all the gods begin to regain their energy, all except Zeus who remains motionless on the ground.
Even Apollo opens his eyes and gets up, he brushing his fingers over his hair as his eyes focus on me.
I grin, waving him over excitedly. "I did it! I killed him! I defeated Krono–" but before I can complete my sentence, I feel the force of something cold and metallic against my skin.
Apollo's eyes widen as his hands drop to his sides.
He drops to his knees as an emotion I recognize all to well flits onto his face.
It feels like the world around me has stopped moving, and all of the gods around me, whose lives I just saved are all looking at me with fearful expressions on their faces.
It's only then when I decide to finally glance down, half expecting what I already know to be true.
The end of the sickle is sticking out of my chest and my own blood is leaking out from my suit of armour.
Before I can fully react, the sickle is pulled out, exposing me to a pain I've never before experienced. My eyes begin to water, as they drift from Ariel to Poseidon to Nike. They are all wearing the same horrified expression on their faces.
Turning to my side, I notice the hand of Kronos clutching onto a bloody sickle, just as it flops to the ground motionlessly.
The sound of the sickle against the golden floors rings throughout my ear, reverberating over and over again as I drop to the ground.
The ground is not as hard as I expected, it's actually quite soft and cushions my fall.
I only realise I'm not on the ground when I feel wet raindrops on my face. They aren't raindrops, I realise, but the tears of Apollo, who is holding me tightly in a warm embrace.
I gasp for air, feeling the life slowly drain from my body as my eyes well with tears. I've never experienced pain like this in my life, so I focus my attention on Apollo, on the warmth of his body against mine.
"No. No, don't leave me. You promised you wouldn't leave me!" His screams echo throughout the entire room. I watch as his face turns red, I watch as his burned eyes focus on me, an emotion so sharp and gritty it hurts me more than the pain in my chest.
I open my mouth to speak, but I can't say anything, there's another liquid in my throat blocking me from saying anything. I begin to cough and wretch, releasing a pool of blood as Apollo cries harder, he holds me closer
"You're not leaving me. I won't let you go. You're not a liar, I'm not letting you become a liar." He says, pressing his fingers against my chest in an attempt to heal me. He continues while I watched as my blood stains his fingers. "It's not working. Why the fuck isn't it working?!" He cries, howling in pain.
"Apollo." I hear my own voice and it sounds foreign to me. "Apollo, stop..." I manage between coughs. I feel more of his teardrops pepper my face as I take his hands into mine. He shakes is head in denial. "Listen to me, I love you." I hear my voice again.
"Don't say that to me now. Gayle, please don't say that to me now, it sounds like you're saying goodbye. Please." I shake my head at his words as the tears stream down my face.
"I have to say it. I need you to know that I love you." Using the last modicum of my strength, I reach out to caress his ever so soft cheek. He holds onto my hand. "I don't care what it takes. Even if I have to travel to the deepest–" a cough. "–the deepest darkest pit of Tartarus and fight the biggest monster down there myself. I will come back to you."
Apollo cries even harder at my words, taking my hand and kissing it slowly. "I love you."
Suddenly the pain I've been in slowly begins to cease, and the world around me darkens.
The last thing I hear are Apollo's cries as he gets dragged away, and the world around me finally comes to a halt. A conclusion.
My last thought is of Apollo, of me reminding myself not to forget the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Even in the next lifetime.