The Son of Hades - Born of Fire

Athena Chapter 20

The weeks passed them by like a quick gentle breeze that hinted at the nearing of Autumn. They found themselves just above the clear water, taking in the air of the cold morning. Athena stood on the deck of the ship not too far away, looking down at the two of them as they sat on a small boat looking down into the deep waters.

"Go ahead jump," Mackenzie told him.

"The water is cold," William complained as he dipped his fingers. "It wasn't this cold the last time."

"The water's warm," Mackenzie replied. "Don't be a coward like your father, jump in."

"I see what you're doing," William confessed with a smile. "I'm not taking bait."

"Are you sure you're the King of Valgorn?" Athena shouted.

"You two are the worst."

"Mackenzie," she shouted again. "Do you remember when I first taught you how to swim," Athena reminded him. "And you sank as soon as you fell in."

"You don't have to remind me of the day I almost drowned."

"What are family for?" the Goddess replied with a smirk upon her face. "You do know he's not going to jump unless you do something."

"Fine," Mackenzie whispered before tossing him in.

When William had fallen in, he ducks down under and then raise's up his head. "You didn't have to do that. I assure you I was about to jump."

"I was making sure that's all," Mackenzie admitted.

He ducks down under the water for a second time, swimming deeper and deeper towards the ocean's floor. While swimming, he saw the corals and all the fishes that surrounded the large rock. He swam closer and closer towards it and when he did he saw that there was no sword. He swam back to the surface and begun breathing aloud.

"Did you find it?" Mackenzie asked him.

"No," he replied while trying to catch his breath. He pulls him up into the boat with no effort needed. "Did you see it?"

"No, it wasn't there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, all I saw was sharp corals and tiny fishes."

Athena stood there on the deck, almost in disbelief when she heard them. She jumps down into the water, and swam rather quickly toward the bottom. When she reaches down below she saw no sign of the sword anywhere near the coral or around the rock. She swam back to the surface, meeting them where the boat sat. Mackenzie helps her in while frustration poured from her face.

"It's not there," she assured them.

"That's not possible," Mackenzie argued. "No one could have moved it. Only a Valgorn bloodline can. He is the last Valgorn isn't he?"

"Poseidon must have moved it," said the Goddess.

"I understand that we should be concerned about the sword but you're the same as Mackenzie."

"I'm more powerful," she confessed, brushing his curiosity aside.

"You can't be who I think you are," said William, stunned.

"Did her name or the fact that she's my cousin gave you any clue?" Mackenzie asked him.

"No," William said truthfully.

"I'm afraid it's gone," Athena replied, redirecting their conversation on what seemed more important.

"How can that be?" Mackenzie asked.

"In the Great War, blood from Poseidon, Zeus and Valgorn were taken and combined using Gellgin Steel. Only one of three does the sword respond to.

"So now what, what is our plan?" Mackenzie asked.

"We find another way," she told him.

It was late at night and the moon and the stars shined over the ship. Athena stood next to Mackenzie on the hall of the ship while William laid on the ground drunk. "I'll be back soon. I'm going to pay a visit to the three most terrible sisters I know."

"Be careful," Mackenzie replied.

"I will," the Goddess replied before disappearing.

She reappeared at the front of the witches cave. She found herself standing before them with her hand tightly gripped on her golden hilt. She stood there while the Greys were whispering to each other. They looked even more horrible than the last time she saw them, which she didn't believe were possible.

"Are you going to help or continue to whisper," the Goddess replied, her patience running thin.

The greys looked at her unpleasantly before speaking their mind. "What is it that you need to know?" the one in the middle asked, holding firmly onto her eye.

"The Sword of Vengeance is missing. I need to know where it is."

"We cannot tell you what is not yet known to us, however we can tell you what we do know."

"And what is that?" Athena asked.

The three of them started whispering to each other again. Athena could still hear what they were saying. "We cannot tell her," one of them said. "We mustn't," another replied. "We should," said the one in the middle.

"Tell me what?" Athena shouted.

The sisters looked at her again but this time they were calm and less anxious. "Some few years ago, your mother Hera was in love with a mortal man. When Zeus came to know of her deceit he wanted to kill the man. To save the man she loved, Hera created the Bracer of Enchantment. But before the human could use it, Zeus took it away and hid it far away from Hera."

"What does it do?" Athena asked.

"It grants you the power of a God. The son of Hades cannot wield the sword because it is not his to wield, but the Bracers of Enchantment can help him."

"Tell me, where can I find it?" the Goddess was eager to know more.

"In the Forbidden Cave," the Greys replied. "Find the friend of the Wizard, only he can help you find what you seek. Find Grimswood and you find where he sleeps."

Mackenzie stood on the deck looking out into the oceans, before a silent cold wind came and greeted him with the company of Athena. "What sort of news have you come with?"

"Good ones," she admitted.

"What is it this time?" the son of Hades asked.

"We no longer have to chase after a sword we may never find. There is a weapon that can help you. It's called the Bracer of Enchantment. It can give you the power to defeat the Gods if ever they oppose you. To retrieve it you must enter the Forbidden Cave."

"What is the Forbidden Cave?"

"It is a cave created by my father Zeus. He sealed it off to the outside world because my mother created a weapon that can turn man into God.

"Where is the cave located?"

"No one knows," she replied.