Chapter 28

A week has passed since Sven collapsed. Helga joined a scouting group that began searching for the harpy nest. At first, she didnt leave Sven's side, but she knew he wanted the matter investigated so she left. Astrid was spending time at the training grounds helping to guide a few of the Empusa that are here. Nova would guide them usually since she also needed blood to survive, but with Astrid here she is much better suited. Astrid taught them how to use illusions, shapeshift, and how to seduce men to make feeding easier if they were to ever leave the sanctuary. She took it upon herself to do this to prevent them from relying on their ancestors. So they wouldn't be tempted to go dark. Wanting to spare them from the hardships she once went through.

Sven finally awoke, and there was a woman taking care of him. She had long brown hair, tan skin, and green eyes. She was wearing a short hide dress with beautiful colors woven into it. Sven quickly took notice of her beauty. She wore a short dress made of buffalo hide, with intricate colorful designs weaved into it. Her arms had tattoos similar to Nova's. It was clear to Sven that she had been the one caring for him.

"Who are you, and how long have I been out for?" Sven asked politely.

"My name is Kimi, and it has been about a week. Your companions were by your side most the time, and the one called Helga only left this morning to help with scouting. Now that your up I must go inform Chief Mikom." Kimi said in a shy tone. She seemed to be avoiding eye contact with Sven and quickly left the room.

As he got up he realized his clothes were off. Sven thought it was probably Astrid's doing. So he got up to look around the room for clothes. He found a set of tanned pants, and a shirt. It seemed like the stuff the natives wore around here. Given how often his armor gets destroyed, and how durable his body was. Maybe wearing normal clothes was his best option for going forward. There was a sudden knock at the door. In walked an older man, followed by Kimi.

"This is Chief Mikom. He was wanting to speak with you." Kimi said before going quiet, and avoiding eye contact again.

"It's nice to meet you. Lilith, and I have known each other for a long time. I'm always happy to meet a companion of hers." Mikom said while extending his hand.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay here. We came here to find help in discovering my background. Will you be able to help me?" Sven asked.

"Do you not remember what happened?" Mikom replied.

"I remember being coiled up by Nova and then blacking out," Sven said while trying to recall what happened.

Kimi went on to explain in as little words as she could. Since she also witnessed the fights. After a few minutes of explaining Mikom chimed in.

"You are related to the Nemean dragon, but we are not yet sure how. If you would follow me we can attempt to find the answers. " Mikom said as he began to walk to the door.

As they left the cabin, they began heading into the forest. After about ten minutes of walking, there was a cave along the mountainside. When they entered there was a series of candles on the ground surrounding an odd formation set up by rocks. Mikom went over sitting down as he pointed to the area in front of him.

"Sit, and begin meditating please," Mikom said.

Sven quickly listened. It didnt take long for him to enter a deep trance. Mikom closed his eyes and did the same. A series of visions began flashing through his mind, and quickly he opened his eyes with panic on his face. Staring at Sven trying to comprehend what he just saw.

" This has never happened before. I've done this process with success on both tera, and gods on numerous occasions. I tried to look into your past to discover more about how you could be the Nemean Dragon and in human form no less. All I got was darkness. A powerful force seems to be blocking it. So I choose to look into your future. To see what your purpose may be showing up now after so much time. I saw two major tragedies that are capable of destroying the world, and you're at the center of both. I don't think you are the one to cause these tragedies. For in your eyes, and aura I felt not even a sliver of malicious intent. " Mikom said as he was trying to regain his composure from the visions.

"You're not making any sense. My parents raised me all my life so I am human. I thought I just had an awakening. Can you explain more please?" Sven pleaded.

"When I looked into your past before I was blocked by the darkness. I saw the man you called your father carrying you down a mountain. He may have raised you, but he was not your true father. After seeing where you were raised its starting to make sense why you were placed there. The average lifespan of a god is about three times of a regular human. Most people refer to them as a child of Zeus, or so on. This is okay for reference to the powers they inherited, but the powers are more complex than that. In the beginning, there was chaos, then Gaia, and its because of her that we are here today. After a few centuries of the death of Zeus, the powers left to us by our ancestors grew weaker and eventually faded altogether. A few generations passed, and it came back stronger than ever. I believe our powers are a necessity in this world in order to create a balance, and that is why they returned. Not to long after these powers began to awaken a god named Odin found the ruins of Olympus. Fearing that others would want to repeat the mistakes of the past he hid it. Like me, he had blood ties going back to Apollo so he to had the gift of prophecy. Knowing the mistakes that lead to the fall of Olympus all those years ago he worried it would repeat if others found it. After the years passed he had a vision. That a giant serpent would come from the sea upon the lands to devour humans. That a might wolf would show up to engulf the world and then the sun. Fearing what fate would befall humanity he gathered other gods and chose to rebuild Olympus. As he grew older and the fear grew he worried he would not live to see the tragedy unfold. So he sent several of the Gods who now treated him as their leader to show up in the world of man to create spectacles in order to inspire prayer. As the stories began to change, and grow the prayers were now coming in from a large group of humans. They waged war in their names believing they could attain entrance to a place they called 'Valhalla'. When they found out about this they realized it was an ideal way to keep these people fighting, and praying to them. This repowered Olympus gifting them immortality. Over the passage of time corruption has sowed its ways back into Olympus. Some say he fabricated the vision in order to gain power. Now I'm starting to think he may have been right. Someone must have foreseen this and had you placed at the epicenter of the battle to come." Mikom explained in great detail. Hoping he didnt overwhelm Sven.