Quest of the Half Gods

Chapter 8: Γαλάτεια

Galatea felt as though the floor had dissolved under her again. She knew that she should be surveying the danger around them, but she couldn't take her eyes off Hestia. The goddess's eyes sent her only one message: run. 

The man on the throne's voice shook her out of her trance. "Ah, yes, young witch, I see that you have noticed our guest! We have several more in storage." He said, laughing coldly. He had long dark hair that he kept back in a ponytail and scars covered his body. He was dressed in Greek battle armor. It was only after studying him that Galatea realized that he was surrounded by draugr. 

"I am very happy that you were able to make it to the beheading ceremony Apollo. I thought it was fitting that the son of my least favorite god watch his old friend die." He said, gesturing to Hestia. Galatea turned to Apollo to see his reaction, but he wasn't even looking at Hestia. He was looking at a teenage boy who stood next to the man on the throne. He had short brown hair and gray eyes that reminded Galatea of Annabeth Chase's. It took Galatea a moment to realize that this was the spirit that they'd been following, only, he was older and...alive. 

"Icarus?" Apollo said, betrayal and hurt in his voice. The boy wouldn't meet his eyes. "Ah yes! Icarus!" The man on the throne said. "I picked him up while I was doing some...redecorating in the Underworld and brought him back to life! He just looked so sad without his father, so I adopted him." Icarus glared at the man though said nothing. Apollo stepped forward, "Why are you doing this Prometheus?" His tone was thick with anger, "You aren't evil!" The titan clenched his jaw, "I fight with the winning side Sunny. If you haven't noticed," He said, scoffing and pointing to Hestia, "You're losing! Very badly! Besides, I am not fighting for the winning side, I am the winning side. I think, that I've been punished for too long! I think it's time that the gods see the error in their ways, and experience what it's like to be in pain!" 

Galatea glanced at Apollo, "What are the chances we make it out of here alive?" She whispered. "Close to zero." He said, glaring at Icarus. "We have to try," Teia said, "We have to get to Hestia." Apollo nodded and they raised their blades. "Let her go!" Galatea yelled to the platform. "HAH!" Prometheus laughed, "Look at you! The little daughter of Hecate." He tilted his head for a moment, narrowing his eyes, "Oh? What's this? It looks like there's something special about you! Oh yes, something that no one can know! Something that-" He turned to Apollo and pointed, "He can't know!" Apollo frowned and turned to Galatea, "What is he talking about?" She wasn't listening. "This isn't about that Prometheus!" She hissed. He nodded, "Oh, I know! I'll save that one for later. For now..." He turned to the draugr who manned the guillotine, "Kill her." 

Galatea and Apollo watched in what felt like slow motion as the blade of the guillotine dropped and killed the Olympian. "NO!" They both screamed. Prometheus smiled to himself, "You see, you can't defeat us without the assistance of the gods, and we are turning them mortal and killing them faster than you two can even agree on a path to follow. You can't stop us, demigods." He motioned with his hand and even more, torches ignited, exposing even more of the darkness around them. Rows and rows of draugr lined the seats of a coliseum that surrounded them. "It's time to go kids," Prometheus said. "It's been fun." He grinned and the hordes of zombies launched themselves off their seats to attack.