Chapter 13

Being bedridden after every fight was starting to get annoying. I sat up and got a cup of water. Hades was sitting in bed, reading a scroll and he gave me a nod as I went past.

Poseidon was still in bed and he had a cloth on his head. It looked like he had gotten a fever from using his powers so much.

Somehow, we were better off than after our fight with Campe. I suppose it was cause Hyperion was looking down on us and Oceanus was still heartbroken about Metis.

Metis.

I set my cup down and walked over to our tent. I needed to talk to her about that fight.

I walked into our tent and saw her sitting at a desk and writing on a scroll. "Uh Metis, we should talk."

"Sigh. Knowing you, you probably feel horrible for defeating my father right in front of me. I'm not mad at you or anything. I just… need some time."

"That's what I'm here for. It's probably weird considering the circumstances, but I'm here to help."

Metis sighed. "I was only in the moment. Being the oldest of five hundred. Sigh. Father only really cared about me since he didn't have enough love to go around."

This wasn't what I had in mind but I let her continue.

"He always talked to me and me to him. I tried to be friendly with my other sisters, but while they weren't spiteful, they did feel uncomfortable.

"You know he actually liked you olympians. At least Hades. He was eight at the time and he had found us oceanids bathing in a lake." She chuckled. "When we told father a weird boy was watching us bathe he was ready to kill a few people. But his face was priceless when he saw the clueless son of Cronus splashing in our water."

Metis sighed and looked at me, who was almost laughing.

"Hey! Can you let me reminisce quietly."

"Yes, yes. Go on."

"He showed me so many things. And I got to go to so many places. It was nice. But things have changed."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's changing for the better. Father never liked Cronus and much less him on the throne. He was only obedient for respect for their mother, Gaea. You already know I don't like talking about things like this. Why are you bringing it back up?"

"Well I didn't want any complications or-"

She flicked me in the forehead. "I knew there'd be complications the moment I found out who you were. I'm a grown woman in a war. I can handle things like this." I nodded. I wasn't the type of person to keep pestering someone. If they said they were fine I'd drop it.

Unless of course they clearly weren't or showed signs of not being fine. But I trusted Metis. This wasn't the first time she showed me her vulnerable side. She's not naive either. Hell, it was her idea to have her sisters keep him destroyed so we could win the war without him. Luckily he couldn't die. So things weren't too bad. She'd see him again.

"Go train with Poseidon or something. I'm kinda busy right now." I nodded. I could read anything physical, but not emotions or thoughts. Metis was logical and practical. She joined us knowing what would happen.

I walked out of the tent and climbed down the mountain. I had nothing to do but train and wait for the time to fight Atlas.

At the bottom, Hades was doing squats and raising his hands in the air. As if he were trying to raise the dead.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked as I walked over.

"Wait I almost have it. Just a little longer." I crossed my arms and after a few more seconds, a ruby the size of a fist shot out of the ground and in front of Hades. He closed his eyes and the ruby straightened into a needle before it blasted forward and pierced a tree.

"What was that?" I asked. Shocked.

"I turned into a magnet in Hyperion's palace of gold and jewels. I suspected it was like Demeter and her plants and Hestia with her fire. So I tested it and I learned I could control and detect metal."

I scratched my beard and wracked my brain for any connections. I was pretty sure Hades became the god of riches so I assumed so much metal would awaken his divinity?

"It doesn't seem too practical now though. But there's plenty of metal under us so just give me a bit of time."

I turned around and tried opening my eyes. It was as if I had dropped hot sauce in them and I was trying to force them open. Deciding not to potentially hurt myself, I took my Lightning Bolt and tried summoning lightning.

Clouds gathered and thunder boomed. But there was no lightning. Poseidon was a potato and Hades was busy so I couldn't spar. For the first time in a while, I had nothing to do.

I was about to go look for Hera when something knocked on the barrier. I turned to see two titans standing there.

I walked over to them. One of them was a seven and a half foot tall man with a bald head and a curly orange goatee. The other one was a lady standing at 6'4. She had dark brown, wavy hair that she kept in a low ponytail. In her hand was an ivory balance scale that was. Upside down? On her belt was a longsword.

"Do you need something?" I asked. I wasn't in the mood for any trash-talk right now.

"I know this is probably weird coming from titans but…" the man started.

"We'd like to join you in your quest to dethrone Cronus," the woman finished.

I sighed. These guys weren't serious were they. "Okay and you are?"

The blind woman smiled. "I am Themis, Titaness of fair justice. I am blind to background and conditions. I only judge fairly and as someone deserves. Cronus is an evil tyrant, and justice must be served."

"And I am Prometheus. I only care for the wellbeing of my mortals. I never liked how Cronus ran things, but after forbidding us from answering the desperate prayers of my children, I knew he had strayed too far. Then, he gave Pithos to my foolish brother Epimetheus along with Pandora as punishment for me speaking out. I know exactly what he wants to do. Those two idiots are going to release those evils and humanity will be ruined."

I rubbed my eyes. "You two didn't really come here with that for me to open my barrier to you? You know. The one protecting us from titans like you."

"Uhh…" Themis scratched her head.

"We can give you information!" Prometheus offered. "We can act as your spies as long as after you win the war, you help me."

"And win the war for me." Themis added.

Prometheus nodded. "You don't even need to let us live in the barrier. Cronus knows nothing of our betrayal. And after hearing from a village how amazing and kind you guys were. I knew it'd be you who'd save them."

The worst thing they could possibly do was give me wrong information. I needed a way to validate what they actually told me. After some thought I shook my head. "Sorry guys. I simply can't trust you. You'll have to find someone else to help you." I turned to walk away but a hand grabbed my arm.

I quickly drew my xiphos and activated Absolute Attack and Evasion while trying to open my eyes. All three failed but I still cut off the hand.

Prometheus pulled back his now handless arm. The titans seemed just as surprised as me. Hades rushed over with his Kopides drawn. It seemed like he was watching. Themis stepped up to the barrier and Hades put his sword at her neck.

"You better not move," he sneered. His voice was full of venom. Themis quickly put her hands up and stepped back.

I checked the black flames. While they did grow, it was still under where Prometheus' arm was. And Gaea told me the fire would consume the barrier but until it traveled all the way up it and finally destroyed it, the barrier would be in effect and a titan couldn't just crawl under.

Fear invaded my mind. Poseidon was useless, my abilities wouldn't activate, and Hades was still injured. The Hundred Handed Ones couldn't even fight Hecate so I assumed they wouldn't be able to get close to Cronus.

With my foot I drew Gaea's rune on the floor. It was another circle but with a 'G'. All the primordials apparently had one. Gaea appeared laughing.

"Well I must say. This is a bit awkward."

"Gaea, what the hell happened." I grumbled. If the barrier fell, we were finished. I already see someone on a chariot fly out of the sun and towards Cronus' throne.

"Don't worry Zeus. It only means that they were telling the truth and genuinely want to help you win this war. I expected something like that. So as long as they felt no ill intent towards you. They could enter. Like that donkey Hestia brought on a leash. It hated you guys so it couldn't enter."

Hestia had snuck out and brought a female donkey for Poseidon. But it couldn't enter so we killed it in case it was a titan but nope. Just a regular, poor donkey. I only had three uses of the rune to call Gaea and I was fine if live animals couldn't enter. We had written it off as the barrier blocked everything but us.

"Don't worry." Gaea laughed. "While Hecate is indeed powerful, she's not strong enough to stop primordial energy just like that. Since it seems as if I'm no longer needed. I have to run the whole earth. Bye. And remember what I said. Alive and free." She eyed us all before vanishing in leaves again.

Hades had already dropped his sword and so did I. Trusting Gaea wasn't smart. But if we didn't trust her, she'd drop the barrier. She was also straight forward. If she wanted us dead, she'd just drop the barrier.

"Huh. I guess we can use a bit of information." I said.

Themis nodded and walked in the barrier with Prometheus right behind. They sat on the grass while Hades and I pulled up rocks and looked down at them.

"So what do you have?" Hades asked. He still had his Kopides ready.

Prometheus cleared his throat. "Hecate has found this sea creature while you were defeating Oceanus. She theorised it's burnt entrails could kill immortals. With this, Cronus plans to kill you as soon as possible."

"And what do you want us to do with that?" I asked.

"Well, Cronus doesn't want Hecate, a complete wildcard at this point, burning the entrails, so she has to spend a bit more time making sure the entrails work as she thinks they do." Themis said.

"So you want us to stal it from them?"

"It's the only way."

Hades stood up and stretched. "So I'll go once I'm fully healed. I've heard of the underworld and want to really know what it's like down there. People do often exaggerate. It might be nice down there. Who knows?"

Themis nodded but Prometheus still had a frown.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"The blonde woman with you. Ah yes, Demeter. Is she free?"

"Why?" My suspicion was rising.

"The people need food to eat. And I heard she created a way to farm without the need for a prayer. I'd like her to teach it to the mortals."

"She can teach you and you'll pass it on. But she's not leaving with you."

The titan nodded and I led them up the mountain.

Once we entered the camp. Everyone drew their weapons at the titans.

The Hecatoncheires readied boulders, the Cyclopes their hammers, Demeter a sickle, Hera and Amalthea swords, Metis a spear, and Gida her teeth.