NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The End Of An Untold Saga (1)
Chapter 1: The End Of An Untold Saga (1)
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~Wrath, Sing, o Goddess of the rage of Silba, son of Sally, fiercest of the Sea, who brought untold storms to Olympus' halls~
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*LIGHTNING!*
A bolt of lightning cleaved through the raining sky, illuminating the peak of a desolate mountain. There, at the summit, stood a person, his gaze cold and indifferent to the world around him as he simply overlooked the battle that was taking place below the barren wasteland.
The person in question was a man with white skin, a young adult around his twenties, standing proud and dignified with an oppressive air surrounding him that could almost be called suffocating and nerve-wracking.
His short, silver hair shimmered like molten mercury, unaffected by the pouring rain. His swimmer's physique was clad in an intricate silver-armored trench coat, its glowing white lining forming a stark contrast to the dark innerwear of black pants, fingerless gloves, a belt, secured with a gray buckle, framed his lean waist. His undershirt bore a white upside-down trident insignia in the middle of his chest. On the right of his popped collar was clipped a fancifully designed white pen with silver lining pen.
Additionally, his feet and arms were both encased in armored boots and vambraces that seemed designed not only for protection, but also to kick the absolute shit out of anyone foolish enough to test his patience.
Though his face and body can be described as impeccably handsome by the masses, it was his eyes that held the main event. His eyes were heterochromatic with eerie dark sclera's. The right eye shone a cold metallic silver, while the left burned with a fierce, sinister gold.
*LIGHTNING!*
'The lengths you have gone to for vengeance… It astounds me no end, child.' A voice that could only be described as evil and spine chilling spoke in the heterochromatic man's mind.
"..."
'HAAHAHAHA!' He hollered a spine-chilling laugh that would bring tears to children. 'I'm so proud of you, grandson.' The voice now revealed to be the youth's grandfather praised with an unsettling tone of pride.
"..." His grandchild didn't utter a single word, instead his expression held no interest in the one-sided conversation satisfaction.
The malevolent voice chortled, amusement combined with mockery. 'C'mon all the elbow grease we put into this and that's all I get. Child, you've slaughtered deities, shattered the order of my blasted children, you should be smiling?'
"..." As he expected, his grandchild didn't respond, preferring to remain silent rather than humor his elder.
That was alright, though. Their conversations always followed this trend. He had spent enough time locked inside the youth's mind long enough to know that if he kept running his mouth, sooner or later he'd get a response. When trapped inside a person's mind, the only thing you can do is have a conversation with your jailor.
Frankly, at times it takes a lot of effort on his part, but that was alright too. Patience was always his greatest ally.
'Don't want to speak? Fine, as always, I'll do all the talking.' He made a cough, and began, 'Resolve is best described as the quiet fire that fuels relentlessness and sweet vengeance fueled by rage is not merely wrath but it's the precision of fate corresponding to its course one ruthless act at a time.'
*LIGHTNING!*
Though youth continued to stay silent, however the same couldn't said about the weather, with wind, rain, and lightning picking up more pace the longer this one-sided discussion went.
'I'm sure you're wondering where I am going with this nonsense, so I'll just go out and say it. Tell me Perseus Silba Jackson, apple of my eye, what is it that fueled your revenge? What started you on the path of vengeance?' He asked with a look on his face that can only be called insane, so intense it seemed to burn through the youth's left eye.
'Remember when I found you on that island. Your desire for revenge was so intense, it made locating you a walk in the park—hell, I could feel it from all the way down in Tartarus. You were what many would call an animal.' The madman added as he reminisced of the good old days when his grandchild wasted no moment savagely killing his enemies. Good times indeed.
*LIGHTNING!*
"..." The weather kicked up another notch.
Though remained mute, his mind replayed the source of his undying hatred with painful clarity. Revenge. A single word, yet it shaped his very being. It has been the entire reason since that terrible night. When his mother was killed—punished for the crime of bringing him into this world.
His name is Perseus Silba Jackson, the demigod offspring of a mortal woman and an Olympian god, and by luck of the draw, the result of a broken oath by said deity. When whispers of his birth reached the ears of his uncle, the Sky Father and ruler of the gods, Zeus, the god king sought his immediate termination, desperate to prevent a prophecy from coming to pass. He failed, of course, but in doing so, he started his nephew on the path of vengeance.
He spent weeks homeless, until he had been captured and sent to Camp Half-Blood by a squad of Atlanteans under his father's orders. But things didn't go smoothly for him there either. When he found out the truth from the camp director, he exploded and tried everything to leave, getting things to get difficult—violent even. The camp was nearly torn apart from his fights with the director. This constant rebellion led him into a deeper pit, landing him in a five-star exclusive resort at a magical island as a timeout by the Olympians. He was a prisoner, shackled by celestial handcuffs.
On that island, his hatred towards the gods festered, growing stronger with each passing day, alongside his gripping sadness. It was in the depths of that isolation that the Titan Lord, Kronos sought him out, and together, they forged an alliance bound by shared hatred.
And thus, their quest for vengeance began.
"Kronos." Perseus's voice cut through the silence like a blade of ice. His voice was abnormal, sounding guttural and distorted, like the sounds of scraping metal.
The Titan narrowed his eyes defensively, a reflex he had whenever he pissed off his descendant.
From within his grandchild's mind, the Crooked One felt an overwhelming ice-cold pressure, locking him in place. The air became freezing, making him take heavy breaths. Normally, he would've countered with his own power but that wasn't an option.
He knew the boy was serious because he never called him anything else other than grandfather as a sign of respect to the person who has done so much for him, but now he was triggered.
"Do you want me to erase the remainder of your divine consciousness?" He threatened, the space in his mind growing colder than the depths of the northernmost oceans.
It was only thanks to the remaining fragments of willpower that Kronos wasn't lying face first on the floor.
Kronos chuckled, a cold sweat rolling off the side of his face. 'Easy now, child, let's not do something rash.' He let out a bitter laugh. 'If you kill the last fragments of myself, there's a possibility of my powers fading as well. The power of Evil. Darkness. Time! You really want to give that up. He raised his hands up with a carefree smile, but his grandson didn't let up.
Seeing that that wasn't helping his case, Kronos tried something else. 'Not to change the subject but your creations are performing rather well for themselves. I'm almost impressed.'
He'll admit, that was a poor attempt at levity, but they served their purpose. The pressure on him lifted, and he exhaled in relief. He really should stop poking the bear.
Their attention shifted to the battlefield below. At the foot of the mountain, a battle raged—a clash between two opposing armies. On one side, were the forces of Olympus, Atlantis, and the Underworld. Their warriors consisted of gods, both major and minor, Atlanteans, Nature Spirits, loyal demigods, and the endless ranks of undead warriors, etc.
The Greek pantheon side donned enchanted armors. Ranging from white for Olympus, obsidian black for the undead, and vibrant sea green for the aquatic creatures.
From separate realms they all were, they formed a united front, determined to crush the rebellion forces of Kronos.
Yet, the rebels were no less formidable. From their side, they had not only Titans, bitter from their long imprisonment, but also traitor gods and children of Nyx, ancient monsters, and demigods who were sick and tired of the status quo.
And to make an even playing field against the unrelenting undead of his uncle, Perseus had his own personal army, created from his very blood. Animated armors capable of astounding acts of strength and endurance. They surpassed the living and undead in physical prowess and could not be stopped until thoroughly taken down. They numbered in the millions and were very vital assets.
A scoff sounded out of the youths' lips, arrogance seeping into his tone. "Hmph, obviously. I made them. Unlike your Titans, they don't fail." He spoke, his normal voice returned.
The Titan clicked his tongue at that, neither agreeing nor refuting his grandson's claims, as harsh as they were.
Thirteen long years had passed since they began their quest, plotting and preparing for this war. And two of those years were spent battling. And the world paid dearly for it. Entire states vanished, lakes dried up, mountains were reshaped, and forests scorched. The innocent had perished by the millions, casualties of a conflict far beyond their comprehension. Half of Western civilization lay in ruins, a mere battleground for the forces of nature.
The cries of soldiers echoed in the distance, mingling with the sounds of Greek fire descending from the sky. Gods clashed against gods in the heavens. Thankfully, anyone with a killable body was smart enough to stay out of the way, lest they become another casualty.
*EARTHQUAKE!*
"Raaaaahh!" A thunderous roar erupted from the battlefield as a Titan, towering like a living skyscraper, grappled with a colossal figure encased in metal.
*EARTHQUAKE!*
The ground trembled beneath their feet, sending waves of wreckage across the already land.
*EARTHQUAKE!*
The clash between them sent powerful tremors rippling across the battlefield.
'Ooooh, they're really going at it.' Kronos chuckles as he watched the no-name Titan battle a Talos giant—an unmistakable creation of Hephaestus no doubt. 'If they continue like this, one of them is bound to topple and take out a good chunk of your forces.'
'How exactly would you feel about that, hmm?' Kronos asked, as if the ethical dilemma were no more than a passing fancy.
Perseus responded with nothing more than a bored blink devoid of any real concern. It was enough to draw a disappointed sigh from his grandfather. He missed the good old days when it was easier to get a rise from the only relative he found... endearing. Yup, Perseus had grown too calculating, too detached, and it was all thanks to him. What a shame.
...
Above the battlefield, a half-blood child of Apollo circled through the sky on the back of a Pegasus. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the fight, frowning at the unnecessary destruction the Titan and Talos were wreaking.
"Neigghhh!" The Pegasus let out a panicked bray, its wings beating furiously as it dodged a massive mechanical arm that swung too close for comfort.
"We need to take that bitch down before one of them fucks up our guys!" The blonde demigod growled into his earpiece, urgency thick in his voice. "Bring out the TSCs now!" He circled the two towering giants, his Pegasus weaving through the air with practiced ease as they prepared to deal with the deadly situation below.
From the far end of the battlefield, seven groups consisting of fourteen demigods took to their set areas. The seven leaders threw down a metal sphere the size of a hand. When it landed on the dirt, it brought out countless metal pipes and wires. It didn't take more than a minute for the spheres to assemble fully into a total of seven TSC's (Titanus Siege Cannons), an invention of the dark blacksmiths of the Greek world, the Telchines, for the war effort.
It was a futuristic artillery weapon standing enormously at 300 or 600 feet tall (20, 000 cubic feet) and weighing a hefty 700 tons. The mounted railgun-like weapons were built with an elongated, sleek cylindrical barrel that stretched upwards, capable of shooting down targets thousands of miles away.
The TSCs hummed to life, glowing as they charged up beams of soaked up natural energy. The air around them buzzed with power, hairs were spiking up, the intensity building as each second passed.
"Beginning TSC weapons check," the flying half-blood commanded, his voice cutting through the tension. "Team Omega, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta—are you ready?"
"Team Omega, ready and waiting." Came the first response, the leader's voice firm through the comms. One by one, the others followed.
"Team Alpha, ready." The second team leader replied, a confident smirk audible in his tone.
"Beta's a-ok." A fourth voice answered, followed by a yawn. The relaxed soldier stretched lazily in his seat.
"Gammas, ready." The fifth voice checked in.
"Mmm, Delta… mmm, ready." Came the slightly muffled response of the sixth team leader, his voice interrupted by the sound of chewing.
"Denise, stop eating during combat." A voice scolded over the comms before continuing. "Epsilon is good."
"And Zeta is ready and waiting." The specks wearing final team leader confirmed.
The teams synchronized their voices. "Natural energy collection is stable and ready to fire!"
Nodding to himself, the half-blood pilot's gaze fixed directly on the massive automaton below.
"Fire!"
In an instant, the TSCs unleashed their bright beams of energy, tearing through the air toward their target with lethal precision.
...
From behind Perseus, seven radiant beams of golden light tore through the sky like divine lances. The beams converged into one, forming a singular, overwhelming attack that struck the center of Talos' head. The moment it connected, the massive figure's head vaporized into nothingness, leaving behind a trail of dissipating energy.
"You were saying?" Perseus mocked with a cocky smirk with arms crossed. The only response he earned was a frustrated scoff from the Titan in his head.
He didn't have much time to gloat, as in the next moment, a radiant flash of light stopped behind him, causing a dust cloud to happen.
From the dust cloud, appeared a distinguished older gentleman in smoking butler clothing. His light, neatly styled hair and meticulously groomed beard gave off a sophisticated and intellectual demeanor. Small round glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, complementing his sharp eyes. He wore a well-tailored double-breasted suit in a dark green accented by polished silver buttons. His ensemble was completed by a sleek black necktie adorned with a decorative brooch.
'Oh great, this guy.' Kronos grumbled under his breath with crossed arms, annoyance barely concealed.
Unbothered by the butlers' entrance, Perseus shifted his gaze and addressed the approaching figure by name, "What is it, Richard?"
The older man kneeled with his hand pressed over his chest in respect. "Master Perseus, I bring news from our eyes in Georgia," he began. "The Father of Monsters has fallen in battle against the Big Three. He's been sealed in Tartarus by the Cyclopes. We've also lost Hyperion and Krios by the combined efforts of Athena, Apollo, and Ares, however the rest of the elder Titans have taken out a good portion of the minor gods while bringing injuries to the rest of the Olympians. The gods are regrouping back at Olympus. Both sides are exhausted, and Python has assumed position of acting leader for the monsters." He finished his report.
"I see." He acknowledged, but if one looked closer, there was the tiniest hint of a smile.
'BLAST, I knew the bastard would fail us!' Kronos shouted, his voice booming with discontent inside Perseus' mind, causing his right eye to twitch in irritation.
"Calm yourself, grandfather." Perseus responded with a frown. "This is all according to plan, so stop yelling in my head!" He shouted with his true voice.
Kronos huffed. 'I know, but still, Typhon was supposed to cripple them. I wanted to revel in the despair in their eyes as you fire it.' He replied with a sadistic grin.
With a sigh, Perseus turned back to the patiently waiting Richard. "Order our mortal forces to withdraw and wait out the rest of this war. As for the immortals, they will storm Olympus, with Atlas leading the Titan forces. You, my Silver Soldiers."
Richard nodded. "And what of the monsters? Typhon may be out of the war, but Python, despite his injuries from Apollo and Artemis, is still eager to storm Olympus." He suggested.
Perseus' eyes narrowed at that. "You know I don't trust Python. He doesn't follow orders and is a liability. All monsters are."
'That's mighty cold of you, Perseus, to mistrust your own army like that.' Kronos teased with a smug look on his face.
"Trust no one but yourself." Perseus retorted. "Isn't that what you taught me, grandfather?" He repeated his teachings and Kronos' grin widened like a cheshire cat.
'I've truly outdone myself.' Thought the Titan, relishing in what he had shaped his descendant into—a heartless, calculating killer. 'I earned myself a cookie.' He mused, materializing a cookie.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be joining the attack. It's best we keep Python on the bench. Say whatever you have to keep him away, understood?" Perseus ordered, receiving a nod.
"Crystal clear, sir. I'll inform the monsters to stand by for further commands." Richard replied, already relaying the command mentally to the acting leader of the monsters.
"Another thing. I need you to keep my family busy while I personally ensure 'it' remains secure." Perseus added.
"As you wish, sir, I'll be sure to do my utmost best to buy you as much time as possible, but what about young master Tyson?" He inquired. "Shall he part—
"No!" Perseus spoke hastily. Kronos raised his eye suspiciously but chose to hold his tongue. No matter how much he tried, he could never sever the remaining trickles of love the child had in his heart. "He'll stay and look after things while I'm gone. If anything happens to me, he'll take over as leader of Team Silba."
Richard's brow furrowed slightly, his voice steady but cautious as he asked, "Are you... certain you wish to proceed with this, sir? It is very volatile and there's a possibility of the Dimensional gap opening an entrance into our dimension.'
"Yes, I'm sure. It won't function without someone constantly regulating its output with enough willpower and spiritual power to keep it from blowing up in our faces. That's why I made sure only I and I alone could access it."
He gave a resolute look to his butler. "I started this. I have to be the one to end it."
"But sir!" The butler, for the first time raised his voice. "There's the chance of 'it' going awry. You said it yourself. 'You' can't see the future when it comes to that thing. What if that is a sign you'll die in your attempt to wield it!" He exclaimed with trepidation.
"I beg of you, please reconsider, we won't survive without your wisdom. We need—
"And I need you to do as I say." He interrupted with a flare of his aura, quickly shutting up the servant. "Or can't you do that, machine."
Richard hesitated for a moment before with sigh, saying, "Fending them off won't be easy without your presence, sir. The three brothers are powerful, and the sisters are no slouches either.
'No shit, you defective pile of bolts, he fought them!' The Titan Lord rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed with the servant's terrible approach to divert his master's course. Ever since the creation of the automaton, he's never really had a good opinion of him.
'Shut up.' Perseus plainly replied.
"This has gone on long enough, Richard. I will complete my revenge, and I will end this war once and for all. My decision is final." He stated with a tone of finality that left no room for argument.
Understanding that going any further would cross the line, Richard ceased his attempts at changing his master's mind. "As you wish, sir."
With a swift hand motion, Richard sliced through the air, and a shimmering blue portal appeared, crackling with energy.
'Ingrate.' Kronos almost spat. 'If it were me, I would not let that stand. The automaton would've been nothing but a pile of scrap in my hands.' The Titan flexed his fingers in frustration, as if imagining the scene himself.
'Well, you're not here, are you, grandfather?' His grandson shot back with a bite to his tone. 'Don't forget who took over.' Perseus reminded.
Kronos could only scoff in response, but didn't persist. The memory of the day his grandson had taken everything from him, leaving him as nothing more than a trace of divine consciousness trapped within the child's mind, was still painfully fresh. He wasn't enraged, just the opposite, he was proud in a way. Then again, he was an evil psychopath, and his feelings were prone to sway like the wind.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you've done for me, master Perseus. I wish you the best of luck." Richard said before he turned and departed.
Once the butler left, Perseus muttered to himself, "No, thank you, Richard." He thanked his most dutiful creation.
Closing his eyes, Perseus raised his head to allow the rain to hit his face as he took a deep breath, the rare sight of a serene smile displayed on his face. He enjoyed this final moment of peace before things went to shit again.
'We're nearing the conclusion, child.' The Titan went over his beard.
Since day one, Kronos has observed the child throughout this journey. He has raised him from that pathetic boy he found weeping in that cave to this. He'd admit, it was… quite fun, but, as with all things, this too must come to an end.
'Tell me honestly, was it all worth it?' Kronos inquired, a mixture of curiosity and caution in his voice.
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(Trying something that's been on my mind for a while. I know it's been months since I last posted a chapter for, We Are Silba, and I apologize but I've just been busy with life.)