THE RISE OF THE VETERES

SOMEONE TRIED TO MAKE ME HORSE FOOD

I found myself hovering in the air. Clouds passed by me. And there it was. The Denali - Kronos's base of operations. But I was getting goosebumps. I did not like what I saw.

The Sun shone brightly in the sky. However, clouds speedily moved to block it. A shrill breeze made me shudder. Or perhaps, it was because the Denali had been overrun. Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Artemis, and Hera were ready for war. They were dressed from head to toe in battle armor and had their weapons at hand. And I was in the sky, where they could easily see me. Not good.

I took a deep breath. "Calm down," I told myself.

I'm sure this is a dream since I'm in the labyrinth right now. Even then, the gods might be able to detect my presence. Did Kronos bring me here? What for? To persuade me to hurry up?

The Titans emerged from underground. Prometheus, Leto, Hecate, Hyperion, Iapetus, Krios, and Kios sprang forth to do battle. The two sides charged, and the world rumbled.

So fiercely that I woke up in shock. I took a towel nearby to wipe the sweat off my face. Perhaps with the repeated failures and the attack on DGH, the gods decided deploying heroes would not be enough this time. So Zeus decided to take matters into his own hands for once. Would the Titans be able to handle the gods? They were still preparing for the war.

I felt a gentle tap. "Is there something you need, Elena?"

"No. Your face...is something the matter?"

"Well..." I told Elena about the dream I had and asked for her opinion.

"You needn't worry," Elena placed her hand on mine. "Your father, Lord Kronos, is almost fully healed. Even if he wasn't, he's surrounded by powerful allies. The gods may regret choosing to attack."

"How can you be so confident? Zeus is going all-out. He once overthrew Kronos, didn't he? What-"

Elena raised a finger to my lips. "Have more faith in your father, Yiannis. The gods barely scraped a victory in the first war. You've made them suffer a series of humiliating defeats, and our side has a clear advantage now. You'll soon see why Lord Kronos is feared by all, and once you do, it should ease-"

Helen mumbled something in her sleep. Elena and I thought she was awake and heard everything we said. What a relief she didn't.

"It should ease your anxieties," Elena finished. "And remember our mission. Once we free him, the gods will cease to exist."

"Yes, you do have a point. If we're to help Kronos, we need to pick up the pace. Should we start traveling again now?"

"Yes. While I know Mei was prepared if you didn't show, the sooner we reach her, the better. If she encounters Hephaestus, you are the only one that is not a god who can defeat him."

And so, we were off. This time, we weren't walking in circles. And we didn't come across any monsters or booby traps. I wondered what the labyrinth would cook up for us this time.

After five hours of walking, I got my answer.

At first, we were surprised to see a grassland down here, with a barn in it. It seems Old Macdonald got a few upgrades. His chickens were seemingly made of gold, his sheep having jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth. The cows were the weirdest, having ten legs and two heads. There were butterflies with blue wings, and they appeared the most normal. I guess there were vast ecosystems even in places like this. Although, the weirdest thing was that there was light coming from above, as if there was a sun here.

Elena pointed towards the horses, and I saw they scared her. It wasn't shocking, given how the beasts had wings, intimidating golden eyes, and a bloodred hide. Their jaws looked as if someone stuck spikes in them for teeth. They sniffed the air, drool flooding out their mouths. Then they stared at us, growing restless in their stables, whimpering, as they bit on rocks.