-Chapter Sixteen-
Percy gave a sharp exhale as he dropped to the ground with a thud, the sudden jump knocking the wind out of him. He groaned as he laid on the ground, his body sore and fatigued. Yorath landed beside him, breathing heavily from the exertion. The two brothers were exhausted and wanted to have some rest. They both knew that rest was but a fleeting dream. They had limited time, they needed to use every second and minute to their disposal.
"Last chance." Yorath gave a gulp as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Percy nodded as he sat upright. He turned towards his watch and visibly paled. He was at death's doorstep. They needed this reality to work, or else Percy's death was nigh imminent.
The two brothers stood up groggily. The fight from before cost them so much energy to come out alive. They were already fatigued before that, now they were even more tired.
The two looked around, trying to make sense of their surroundings. They were surrounded by tall buildings and modern skyscrapers that didn't seem that much different than modern buildings.
What caught Percy's eye was the sky. The sky instead of the normal blue of the day, or the dark black of the night was instead a sickly grey that seemed to dampen the atmosphere tremendously. The two brothers of time shared a look as if having a silent conversation.
"There's titans here that's for sure." Yorath stated. Percy raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
Yorath pointed behind him as Percy turned to check what he was pointing at. In the distance, he could faintly see the tallest building in the whole city. It dwarfed even the skyscrapers that managed to reach the grey sickly clouds. The two brothers once again shared a look.
"Mount Ohtrys?" Percy asked to which Yorath nodded. Their senses proved once again essential to their objective. And to think, the two brothers considered that specific ability as useless a few days ago before dimension-hopping.
"We need to dig around first. We don't know if Kronos exists in this reality. Although I am detecting a rather familiar presence." Percy added with a nod.
"Ah. You felt it too? It feels awfully a lot like our aura." Yorath noted, placing a hand on his chin.
"You think it's Kronos?" Yorath asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It most likely is. We still can't be sure though." Percy answered with a shrug.
"Mortals. Return back to your homes at once. It is strictly forbidden to be out at curfew times." A voice called out. The two turned towards the direction of the voice. A man in golden armour stood in front of them with a sword holstered in his sheath.
"Return now or you shall be punished severely." He said in a commanding voice. The two brothers looked at each other and gave a small nod.
"Okay, okay. Pardon us. We will return to our homes right this instant." Percy agreed, raising his arms in surrender. The two brothers walked away from the person as he continued to patrol the city roads, preventing anyone from going out of their houses. The two turned to a corridor and promptly hid there as the armed person walked onward.
The two sighed in relief and walked out of their hiding spots.
"That was close." Yorath said with a sigh.
"What are Titans doing patrolling the city?" Percy mused, a look of thought crossing his face.
"No idea. We can find out later. For now we need to find a place to hide. There will most likely be more patrolling here." Yorath suggested as Percy nodded in agreement. The two brothers went deeper into the alleyway, trying to find a door inside the building. The building itself looked worse for wear, like it was abandoned some time ago. The two scoured around, trying to find an entrance but found not even a single door.
"It was probably sealed up." Yorath mused, trying to find other entrances.
"Well. There is one more option we could try." Percy suggested. Yorath turned to him with a raised eyebrow to which Percy pointed at a ladder that led to the top of the abandoned building.
The two brothers went up the ladder with relatively no trouble. Other than the occasional panting and the grunts due to their fatigue, they got to the rooftop rather easily.
The two searched around the rooftop trying to find an entrance. Yorath gave a sharp whistle which promptly earned Percy's attention. The son of time merely pointed at a trapdoor that blended in with the concrete roof.
"After you?" Yorath asked. Percy sighed and pulled out Firestorm. The blade sparked with Roman Fire as the previously dark staircase was now visible to the two brothers.
They walked down the flight of stairs, the whole building filled with a deafening silence. The two arrived at the bottom, the whole floor was filled with darkness. Other than the light Firestorm provided, there was no other light source on the bottom floor.
"Try to find a switch or circuit breaker." Percy commanded as Yorath sighed. The younger son of time grabbed his yo-yo and twirled it in his hand, the yo-yo glowing in a green light. The two brothers scoured the bottom floor, looking through the walls to try and find a switch or breaker.
Percy clutched Firestorm in his hand, using it as a torch and holding it close to the walls to try and find some sort of switch.
"Found it." Yorath called out. The room was instantly filled with light as the light bulbs went to work, lighting up the area.
"Huh." he added, looking around the area. "I'm surprised electricity still works here."
At one of the corners of the room was a hearth with multiple bookshelves filled with books and volumes. Around the area were weapon racks that looked haphazardly placed. There were racks of swords, bows, axes, shields, all sorts of weapons. Multiple tables filled with notes, pencils, and books were littered across the room.
The two brothers turned to each other with a raised eyebrow.
"Wonder what happened here." Yorath added, looking around the room with a raised eyebrow. Percy remained silent and patrolled the room, his gaze falling onto the weapon racks and bookshelves.
He eyed the hearth in front of him and walked forward, trying to check if it was anything of importance. Right as he thought about it, the hearth activated, a flame igniting like magic. The hearth seemed to shine bright, like it suddenly had vigor to be reactivated again.
"This definitely isn't an ordinary building." Percy confirmed as he knelt beside the hearth. The fire warming his skin and providing a cozy environment.
"I just want to take a nap." He said as he plopped down onto a bed. Percy turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Um. Yorath?" Percy called out. Yorath sat upright and turned towards Percy with a raised eyebrow.
"That bed wasn't there before." Percy stated as a look of realization hit the son of time like a truck. He jumped from the bed with a yelp, looking at the bed like it was going to kill him.
"How peculiar." Percy mused as he looked through the notes scattered around the table. Yorath, who was now wide awake was still eyeing the bed warily, as if it was going to grow a pair of legs and suddenly attack.
Percy stayed silent, shuffling through the notes to find any bit of information that could help them.
"You can lie down for a while. You seem tired." Percy suggested as Yorath looked at him incredulously.
"Aren't you the least bit suspicious that a bed suddenly appeared out of nowhere?" Yorath asked with wide eyes.
"Oh, you'll be fine. Besides." Percy waved his hand dismissively, holding a small piece of paper. Yorath squinted, trying to read the writing on the paper. Percy sighed and placed the paper back on the table.
He held out his hand as a small homemade burger materialized in front of him.
"This room provides what you want. Of course there are limitations. But essentially, you can get essential items that you need for surviving." Percy explained as he tossed the burger to Yorath.
"So when the bed appeared? That was because I wanted to-"
"Sleep? Yes. Now go take a nap. I'll wake you up when I need you." Percy waved his hand dismissively as he skimmed across the notes. Yorath smiled and immediately jumped onto the bed and took a nap. Percy shook his head, a chuckle escaping from his mouth.
He searched through the scribbled writings, trying to make sense of it all. He grabbed one of the notes and read it, trying to make sense of what happened there.
The execution is due in a few hours. All of us that are left shall be snuffed out like a flame in a candle. If only we had more time. We could've planned thoroughly and strike back with a vengeance. Alas, even we cannot escape fate. And thus, sparks of divinity start to leave this land. And so falls the Olympian Gods. And so I leave this house of gifts to whoever may find it. May your luck be better than ours.
Percy stared at the note with a worried expression, setting the note back down onto the table. He was slowly piecing stuff together. He walked to the bookshelves and searched through the numerous books that were arranged in alphabetical order. He found one particular book that detailed the powers and lives of divine beings.
He flipped through the pages, going through countless godly beings, be it minor gods, or major ones. His page skimming went to a halt at one of the pages. He had a hunch. It was proving to be more and more correct as he continued to read on.
Hestia
The virgin goddess of the hearth, the right ordering of domesticity, the family, the home, and the state. In Greek mythology, she is the firstborn child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.
Percy shut the book and placed it on the table for later use. He gave a small and tired sigh. He plopped down onto a chair that materialized behind him, catching his fall. He honestly felt bad for the goddess of the hearth. In his reality, she was such a sweet and caring goddess. The Hestia in this reality wasn't so lucky. He sighed and reached out, a bottle of water materializing in front of him.
He gulped down the water and turned back to the table. He had a lot of work to do. He had to figure out if Kronos existed in this reality. And so far, it's looking like he is. Killing every godly being sounds like something that the Titan would do. Enslaving humanity was also something that the Titan of time would do.
Percy rubbed his temples. He had his work cut out for him.
Even though he was much more tired and fatigued than Yorath. He couldn't bear to let Yorath do all the work. He knew his brother was tired, he wanted him to rest before they seek out Kronos. It would result in Percy losing more energy, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. What kind of brother would he be if he didn't.
He needed to find out more about the titans of this reality. He needed to figure out how many there were and how powerful they are. He skimmed through the notes, looking at all the personal recollections that Hestia wrote.
He got up and grabbed a few books about history and plopped them down onto the table for use. He read through the notes and found most of them were just random day-to-day notes, however, some notes proved to be more beneficial than others. It was like a diary. Percy guessed it was used as a sort of coping mechanism. He read through the history books, intending to find out information about the Titans.
He read about the multiple wars that gods and titans waged against each other. How the gods lost and were sent into hiding. How the titans actively tried to find them to execute them for daring to challenge the titans. Although the gods lost, the war-ravaged the lands and resulted in massive casualties on both sides.
The titan army that was once so powerful was reduced to a mere seven individuals. One titan commanding the rest. No name was mentioned of the titan. Only titles and feats. Feats of brutality and warmongering were depicted on the books that made Percy sick to the stomach.
There were no pictures, no names, no powers shown. He audibly cursed, careful not to awake Yorath. If there was the slightest information about the titan's powers, he could piece together if Kronos existed or not.
Percy sighed and rubbed his temples. He had a long day ahead of him.
---
Yorath awoke, looking around groggily, temporarily forgetting where he was. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. He looked around and the events before he slept came back to him. He stood up and stretched his limbs.
"How long was I out?" Yorath asked, turning to Percy who was sitting on a chair, multiple notes, papers, and books littered across the table.
"Five hours give or take." Percy answered, his eyes still trained on the book he was reading.
"Five hours already?! You should've woken me up!" Yorath said incredulously.
"I should, but I didn't" Percy waved his hands dismissively.
"Have you at least slept?" Yorath asked.
"Yup." Percy lied as Yorath nodded, taking a seat beside him.
"Anything of note?" He asked, turning to Percy.
"A lot actually."
"Oh? Is Kronos here?" Yorath asked as a cup materialized in his hand.
"It's likely. But no confirmation yet." Percy stated, not even sparing a glance.
"So what's the plan?" Yorath asked, turning to Percy with a raised eyebrow. Taking small sips from his coffee cup.
"As of right now. Nothing." Percy deadpanned, shutting the book he was reading and placing it onto the table.
"Pardon?" Yorath asked for confirmation, a look of confusion shown on his face.
"It's still nighttime. We're extremely weak as of right now. Any encounter with the titans would result in our deaths. Our steps should be strategic and planned. We can't just brute force it like before." Percy explained as Yorath took more sips from his coffee.
"So what now?" Yorath asked.
"Well. We rest." Percy said as he stood up and stretched.
"Couldn't you have told me before I drank coffee?" Yorath exclaimed with a sigh. Percy chuckled.
"I'm going to take a nap. I'll tell you the details in a few hours. We still need to do something before we proceed." Percy stated.
"You can take a look around, try to find something about the titans or something." Percy waved his hand dismissively as a door appeared along the walls.
"Sure, sure. I'll stand guard just in case." Yorath called out as he took more sips from his coffee. Percy opened the door and promptly shut it. He listened carefully, hearing Yorath's footsteps slowly retreat.
Percy sighed in relief, slumping down the door in exhaustion. There were visible dark bags under his eyes, his skin turning a sickly pale. He rolled up his sleeve, his green veins were now more prominent and invasive.
He cursed as he rolled up his whole sleeve up to his shoulder. The green veins which used to only reach his elbow were now reaching to his shoulder and more.
A mirror materialized in front of him as he examined himself. Small green veins were seen on his neck, prompting him to curse uncontrollably. He composed himself, buttoning his collar and making deep breaths. He could literally feel his death approaching him. It felt like its hand was on his shoulder, ready to claim his life then and there.
The mirror dissipated, leaving his thoughts. Only now did he manage to examine the room around him. It was relatively simple with a single bed, a desk with a singular chair, and a fireplace. He sighed and plopped down onto the bed. His mind was racing with thoughts. He only had a single day before he would die. He didn't know what to think.
He shut his eyes, trying to silence the thoughts that kept plaguing him. Yet it continued on and on, his heart racing as anxiety and nervousness started to seep into him yet again. His mind, even if there wasn't any life-threatening danger other than the strain was going overdrive.
He knew one thing was for certain. He wasn't getting any sleep any time soon.
---
Percy opened the door and left the room, the door itself disappearing after he closed it. Yorath turned to Percy with a raised eyebrow, a book in his hand.
"You look like shit." Yorath admitted, staring at Percy with a worried glance.
"No kidding, you really look like shit." He emphasized.
"Couldn't sleep." Percy waved his hand dismissively.
"Uh-huh." Yorath nodded, unconvinced.
"So what's the plan?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Is it still ni-" Percy coughed out. "Sorry, as I was saying."
"Is it still nighttime?" Percy asked to which his brother nodded.
"Good. First we find a titan." He deadpanned. Yorath choked on air, looking at him incredulously.
"What? Didn't you just say we shouldn't-"
"I did. But we still need to do it anyway." Percy confirmed.
"Ready yourself. We're doing it now. The rest will most likely be on guard once we do this." He stated, unsheathing Firestorm and examining it, trying to see if any damages need to be repaired.
"So who're we finding?" Yorath questioned.
"Hyperion. Titan of heavenly light." He answered, putting Firestorm back in its sheath.
"The one that caught us before?"
"Yes, the one from before." He replied back.
"We better get a move on before the sun rises and they stop patrolling." Percy commanded as Yorath stood from his seat and followed Percy to the stairs.
"Oh, and Yorath," Percy stared.
"Hm?"
"Promise me something." Percy said with a deathly serious tone.
"Oh? And what's that?" Yorath asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If I die. Take my watch and use it to return home. Don't ever look back. And don't you ever dare hesitate."
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