The Battle of Olympus | III

20. The Primordials Offer Me Private Magic Classes

Half-plot, half-Eden/Apollo fluff, and entirely foreshadowing.

Also guys, I've been meaning to post this chapter for like, the last month but I just kept forgetting so oops.

Also I legitimately don't know what to title this chapter so oops. My bad.

The primordials were waiting for us on their thrones.

It looked strangely similar to the Olympians', but there were twenty-one of them, not twelve, headed by a single deity: Chaos. Yet that throne was empty, and only six were currently occupied.

We were the last ones to have entered, though I found myself worrying over how distracted Apollo looked, though Athena and Ares looked no better. The war god's usually confidence had been replaced by visible anxiety, to the point where he was tapping his feet, looking like he was just barely restraining himself from talking to Athena.

Ah. The primordials must've interrupted one of their conversations.

"Welcome," one of the primordials said, standing from his heaven-themed throne as we approached. "They're all here, sister."

When Hemera rose, I couldn't stop the surprised jolt that ran through me—that had to have been Aether, for the others were Ourea, sons of Gaia. Still, as soon as I realized, I felt a bit silly. His throne should've alerted me immediately, as well as his appearance—he might've been in jeans and a t-shirt, but his half-ghostly form and twilight eyes were obvious enough.

"We need to hurry," one of the Ourea said, rising too. "I can't hold them back for much longer."

"Peace, Olympus," another said, standing too. "This is your realm, and you will hold it."

Olympus huffed. "Easy for you to say, Kithairon. It is not your realm currently being besieged." For a moment, his appearance flickered. "Even still, my might cannot hold back all the others' furies for so long."

"Wait," I blurted out, all sense of propriety gone. "They're already attacking?"

Athena looked like I had just spit in their faces, but Hemera only smiled, if a bit unsettled. "They had wanted to wait, to be sure, but Olympus'—the younger one's—attack on your Oracle forced the others' hand." She sighed. "And thus the battle is brought."

"But then where's Penn? And Harper? The others?"

"I do not know," she admitted. "If they are here, their presence is masked by the others'. All we know is that you must prepare yourself for battle." She waved a hand, and a golden map rippled into existence before her. "They are attacking from here, here, and here." She pointed at the different locations, and it was then that I realized it was a map of Olympus. "Their target will be the throne room—here—for this is where the heart of Olympus lies. Destroy it, and this realm will be destroyed."

"But primordials aren't allowed to destroy each other, right?"

"No, they are not," Hemera agreed. "They can, however, destroy the others' realms—that is not part of our ancient laws. Should they destroy this realm..."

"Our base of power disappears," Athena said. "We lose. And Olympus is weakened."

"We'll have to change the laws after this battle," Aether muttered. "'No destroying each other's realms.' Though obviously, that law can't apply to Chaos, again."

I blinked. "Wait, what do you mean, again?"

I regretted it as soon as I said it. The room seemed to darken. The Ourea cast each other dark looks as Hemera and Aether shifted uncomfortably. Even the gods found something suddenly interesting.