Argonaut - The Apprentice (Part II)

Prologue - The Pariah

 Prologue – The Pariah

2nd Jan 11:12 PM

Time had not been kind to him. His body was decaying almost as fast as his mind, it wouldn't be long now. It was actually something of a miracle that he had survived the three years since his defeat. His legs ached from the strain of simply walking; he was barely even strong enough to use his abilities let alone pose a challenge.

A coughing fit racked his body, unlike the usual pains this was no mere figment of his demented imagination. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, the lung cancer was worsening rapidly. Despite his situation he laughed, coughing up even more blood; how ironic that his own body would probably be what killed him.

As frail as he had become he refused to allow himself to be helpless, and while he may not be strong enough to tear them all apart in the way he would have in the past there were still ways he could win; ways that none in Valhalla knew of. He smiled. The Archons had taken many secrets to their graves, though there were a few things that still existed as more than memories. He would return, more powerful than ever; but for that he needed time, and more than a few people dead.

Of course these hidden horrors would not be easy to find, but he was confident that if anybody could locate the Archons' failsafes it would be him. His search had taken him across continents, searching the ruins of the old Archaean cities for any sign of something he could use. For the better part of two and a half years he had come up empty handed, the Niphal had scoured every inch of the cities he had searched so far; all but one.

Olympus had born fruit greater than any he had dared hope for, one piece of technology sealed in a hidden chamber that had remained untouched. This treasure, known as the Index had proven most useful in his search for the Stygian Vault, inside which dwelled weapons of immense power capable of killing Kinetics with ease. Perhaps there would be something inside that could cure his dying body, however unlikely it seemed there was always a chance.

Ragnarok; that was where the Stygian Vault lay. The Index would show him the way, and there he would end this all. Flicking the deep cowl over his head he walked on, the rusting armour he wore didn't flow smoothly as he moved. He had to, had to satisfy the itch that still burned to this day. Kill Atlas. Kill Atlas. He could not die before he completed this task, gods never died. Prometheus would never die.