Trickster Wukong

Olympus.

Illian's pathway to the underworld.

That was where he needed to go.

There was only so much regular mortals could inform him on.

But knowledge wasn't the only reason he was going there. He needed every chance he could get to complete his quest.

He'd get that chance from the gods.

Well, this is what he thought.

However, he was still a 15 year old boy. 

He was a skilled Con Artist. But this was only the case amongst gullible humans with months of preparation.

Despite this, though this was only a hunch, Illian found one thing in common with the two after hearing Thaddeus and Vale's stories.

The gods seemed more like humans than Illian initially thought.

But he still needed to get there. And he doubted his chances of reaching Olympus by simply shooting into the sky. 

Therefore, with Leonidas and Philosia, he was hoping he'd achieve his goal upon doing what he needed to do.

Though he thought this, he couldn't help but have second thoughts.

"OH SHIT!" 

First Hour: 

A giant black pillar constantly appeared and disappeared in the sky, never touching the earth yet generating terrifying winds as it moved, flipping and rotating.

And if one looked closely, they'd be able to see the small boy tied to a naked man frantically flailing his limbs under the large moon, yelling.

"This was a lot easier in my head!" 

Illian yelled, his voice echoing in the sky as the strong winds slapped him in the face.

The same wind made it hard to breathe for Illian but surprisingly, after having some time to adjust to it, it was easier and easier.

As for his eyes, not once did they even flinch as he kept them wide open.

And it was because of this he could see the ground drawing closer.

"Ruyi, come to me!" 

Illian yelled, swinging his head back as he caught his staff in his teeth.

Without waiting, it tossed it once again, yelling, "Expand!" as he did.

-BOOM

Ruyi expanded to terrifying lengths as it stood straight up vertically, though never touching the ground.

At the same time, Illian's buttocks landed on his surface as he slid down, his clothes struggling to stay on him as it flapped violently, his hair dancing in the air frantically, all while Leonidas violently skid on the staff, the boy reached out his hand.

"Up!" 

He yelled, pointing his two forefingers in the sky as he drew closer to the end, veins bulging on his neck as he struggled with controlling Ruyi.

As he did, the staff started to move midair, defying all logic as it spun upward.

As it did, Illian and Leonidas were catapulted upward, flung through the clouds as for a second, he loomed before the moon, wet.

"Please…stop this!" Leonidas yelled. Illian could only assume he'd been yelling all this time but couldn't be heard due to the strong winds.

But to this, Illian simply shrugged.

"Hey, blame your Kingdom for being so far away…too high!" Illian yelled the last part in a heaving tone as the oxygen lessened and the temperature decreased.

Second Hour:

"I'm getting the hang of this!" 

-CLAP

Ruyi slapped onto the bottom of Illian's feet as the boy spun in the air, as if he were riding a skateboard, Leonidas long since passed out and foaming from the mouth.

"Clear space." 

He noted, seeing from the sky that there were no villages on the ground.

"Expand!"

In the blink of an eye, Illian witnessed himself travel a tremendous distance in an instant as he shot off his staff, Ruyi still perched through the ground.

As he rose into the air, his body spinning backwards in a controlled manner, he revealed a long grin as he stared at the ground below.

"This is awesome!" 

He laughed. 

Slowly, his inner child had taken over and he started to enjoy himself.

Third Hour:

-TAP TAP TAP

Illian, breathing heavily, sprinted across his enlarged staff which temporarily lay in the air horizontally, trying to get to the end of it before it rose upward.

"Hurry up or I'm leaving you!" Illian looked back, yelling at Leonidas who was bruised all over, missing a few teeth, breathing heavily, so out of breath he failed to reply to Illian.

In the end, they were successful as they shot into the sky like a rocket, Illian's previous grin somewhat faded.

"How far is it? We should be there by now." 

Illian complained, seeing there was nothing in the distance for a few more miles.

Fourth Hour:

A giant pillar penetrating through a mountain could be seen perched diagonally as a boy sat at the end of it, biting into a loaf of bread he held with his shaking hand as he stared into the distance.

"Alright, this was fun at first but I'm over it…"

Illian swallowed the bread in his mouth, pausing before he continued, his eyes looking forward.

"Good thing we're finally here?"

He spoke, staring at the Philoria. 

With landmass that went on for miles, filled with houses and farmland, the Kindgod was surrounded by tall walls.

In the center of this all, an enormous and tall palace lay that made the rest of the Kingdom look miniscule, a few spires surrounding its tallest spire at the middle. It was truly a palace for a king.

"Four hours…it took us a whole month to reach the village…" Leonidas muttered, somewhat dazed from the previous four hours.

Illian ignored his blabbering as he stared at blank space upon swallowing.

"Hey, Monkey King. You there?"

Silence.

Illian wasn't sure how this worked, but he was expecting some sort of sign.

And though Zoey stated he had a low affinity with his Legend, he couldn't help but think…

'That's bullshit.'

He wasn't going to make the same mistake of using regular Inheritor logic to answer the anomalies he was experiencing.

Despite knowing this, it wouldn't help him answer the questions he had.

Why him? 

Why was he chosen when no other legend would choose him?

Was that the right question he should even be asking?

After all…

'What are the qualifications to be chosen to be an Inheritor?' 

He had too many questions, but it could ultimately be boiled down into one.

"Just who are you, Sun Wukong?" 

After a few seconds, Illian tossed the brown sack into the wind, rising to his feet as he stared at the Kingdom.

"Expand."

-VUAM

Rather than the usual abrupt explosion Ruyi would let out when expanding, this time, he slowly expanded like an escalator toward the Kingdom.

'This is harder than it looks.'

Illian sweated a little as he looked down. He could continue this all day if he wanted, but it simply needed a little attention to perform it and it was mentally exhausting.

However, he didn't have to put up with this for long as they arrived above the Kingdom, so high they towered over the palace itself.

'They've probably noticed us by now.'

"You're done for." 

Leonidas spoke, his tone filled with loathe as he glared at Illian he was faced away.

"My parents…Philosia will never stop till they've killed you for your crimes." Saying this, Leonidas started to chuckle as he continued.

"I mean, how crazy do you have to be to mess with us. We're blessed by Zeus himself. Do you think you'll live peacefully after this?!"

"Well, that's the point. Haven't you noticed by now…"

Illian said this, Leonidas moved closer to a part of the rope between that had weakened due to the vigorous movement, biting down with the teeth he had left while Illian continued.

"That's my plan, you see. It's pretty simple."

-STOMP

Illian stomped down as he lowered his body, bracing himself as Leonidas widened his eyes, met with air where he prepared himself to push Illian.

Illian didn't need to do much as Leonidas tripped over the boy, his momentum leading him off the staff.

"No, I don't expect peace after doing this. But that's the point. The only way I'll get to where I need to be…"

Leonidas stared at Illian's indifferent expression as he descended to his kingdom, his eyes blank as if he lagged to comprehend he was falling to his death.

"Is by invoking a reaction from them. Shrink."

-VWIP

The pillar disappeared as Ruyi lay vertically under Illian's foot.

'They're perfectly aligned.;

Illian noted, seeing Leonidas right over the palace.

With this, Illian breathed in.

"Expand!"

-CRACK!!!

-BOOM!!!

All that could be seen was a black pillar suddenly appear from seemingly nowhere with a CRACK like thunder, followed by explosion as it torpedoed into the ground, completely burying the Palace of Philosia under it as if it were never there to begin with.

Heavy shockwaves shot through all of the Kingdom, strong that anything near the Palace was completely blown away.

It was so powerful the walls shook slightly, threatening to crumble.

After a while, the tranquility of the night returned as all that was left was that that pillar went on, piercing through the cloud, so far that a regular human eye couldn't tell where it ended.

However, there was one human who was watching everything atop the pillar.

"Oh…I didn't expect it to be that destructive." Illian contorted his face like a child who just broke a window.

-WHOOSH

"Hello."

Illian snapped his head back, almost falling off his staff as his heart felt as though it skipped a beat.

What entered his line of sight was a man that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, with the wind even as he stepped forward.

"Illian Hale." 

Illian narrowed his eyes as he prepared to shrink his staff at any moment.

The man's luscious blonde hair and somewhat bright smile was the last thing Illian noticed as his eyes darted from his sandals that fashioned wings on his ankles and helmet that followed the same design.

Additionally, he held a staff with two serpents coiled around it, wings perched at the head of the staff.

"My name is Hermes, Son of Zues and God of Travelers."

Illian paused, staring with a blank expression.

And after a few seconds, though his expression remained the same, he was having a completely different reaction inside.

'Zues? God? Damn, did I take it too far?'

Illian could feel his heartbeat quickening, but upheld his poker face.

"I, as a messenger, am honoured to inform you that you've been invited to dine with the Gods of Olympus." 

Illian paused as he stared blankly.

'What…'

He asked, confused. 

However, he quickly regained his composure as he bowed slightly. 

Everything that happened from now on would determine everything.

"I am truly honoured to be recognised by the Gods. A lowly mortal such as myself does not deserve such acknowledgement." Illian bowed slightly, speaking respectfully.

"However, I must admit, I was not expecting this reaction after what I had just done." 

Illian looked up. But as he did, his warm smile faltered a little as he stared at Hermes' eyes.

Hermes' expression hadn't changed an inch. He simply kept staring at Illian…as if he could see through him.

"Well, it's true that you've disrespected Olympus with your actions. However, Zeus, God of Olympus, has given you a chance to…redeem yourself." 

Hermes' eyes shifted down as he paused, glancing at the platform they stood on for a second before regaining eye contact.

"They are interested in you." 

Illian stared, dumbfounded. Not at the fact he was invited to Olympus, but because he'd just realised something seeing Hermes sneak a peek at Ruyi.

'These bastards…'

It was as though gears started to turn inside Illian's head.

'No wonder they reacted so quickly…they were waiting for me to destroy the palace. They…they played me.'

Hermes said they were interested in Illian, but more like they were interested in something he had. 

And there was no better way than extortion at getting something from someone. Illian knew that all too well.

Despite this, Illian didn't feel bad. No, instead, he inwardly grinned.

'These assholes…are more like humans than I thought!' 

Illian inwardly grinned deviously. They actively sacrificed a whole palace filled with their own humans to gain an upper hand.

Even the stoic and seemingly controlled God before him couldn't help but take a glance.

'This worked out better than I could have imagined.' 

"Lord Hermes, I will accept this blessing. I would be humbled to dine with the Gods." Illian bowed, his expression straight and sincere.

"Excellent! Give me your hand." Hermes extended his hand but was surprised to see Illian staring for a few seconds.

"Before that…shrink."

-VUAM

In the same second, Hermes felt his stable footing disappear as he began to descend quickly.

Darting his eyes down, he looked for the staff, looking back to Illian upon failing, only to see the boy smiling as he had his sickly hand extended.

With the ground nearing for the both of them, Illian's voice rang out.

"I'm ready!" 

He yelled with a wide smile, Hermes staring as countless thoughts ran through his mind.

'What an interesting boy.'

He concluded, the smile returning to his face as he grabbed Illian's forearm.

'I was curious as to how far I was from…'

Illian deviously grinned inwardly, his eyes focusing more than ever.

However, before he could finish his thought and before he'd even realised it…

-WHOOSH

-THUD

Illian, his buttocks on the solid ground, widened his eyes as he looked down, his brain trying to comprehend what just happened.

'I was just…in the sky…when did…'

Speed? Teleportation? Illian didn't know. It was the first time his eyes couldn't catch something.

Looking up, his eyes fell on Hermes who had his back turned. 

"Olympus is made to reject outsiders from entering. Like most usually think, it's just in the sky."

Hermes slightly turned back with a grin, meeting Illian's gaze.

"Illian Hale…"

'Wait a minute. Are we here?' 

Illian shot to his feet as he dashed to Hermes' side, his eyes falling on a sight he could never be prepared for.

A cool breeze brushed against his skin, making his hair dance on his forehead.

The scent of blooming flowers filled the air, so pungent he could almost taste it. 

He heard the distant sound of laughter and music…no, it was just the singing of the birds that rested in the lush plant life.

A bright light dazzled his eyes.

As he slowly widened his eyes, Olympus loomed majestically before him. 

Towering marble columns reached toward the sky, glistening in the sunlight. Golden accents shimmered like stars against the deep blue backdrop. 

Lush greenery adorned the pathways, bursting with vibrant colours. 

The entire scene radiated a sense of divine beauty and grandeur, making Illian feel both small and awestruck.

"Welcome to Olympus."