Lords of the Underworld [malexmale]

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four

"All right, this is the big day. The throat-slitting, skull-cracking, intestine-ripping day."

"Wow. You're really inspirational, dad." Nikias deadpanned as I let Akin braid my hair the next morning while we stood in my bathroom. Akin was all prepared for battle in his suit, mask in place, goggles sitting on top of his head, his hair done in a ponytail. Nikias was leaning on the wall beside the bathroom door, looking as peeved as he was yesterday about not being part of the physical part of the war. His dark hair was swept back from his face, green eyes glaring at the floor, and he wore just a simple pair of loose black pants and a cropped shirt.

"At least he's not spewing some speech before the battle like they do in those action movies." Akin offered as he tied off the bottom of the braid and brushed it over my shoulder. I just nodded my thanks as I picked the mask up off the counter.

"Akin, can I have a minute with my dad?" Nikias asked, pushing off the wall. Akin nodded, then glanced at me.

"Don't forget; everyone has to be out on the field in twenty. You have to meet up with Lucifer, Ambrosius, and Dania." He said. I nodded. Akin surprised me when he gave me a formal military salute, then a girly wave before leaving the room. Nikias watched him go, then turned to me as I adjusted my goggles over my head.

"You said you can't die because it'd rupture the balance. And yet, you offered to go after Rhea. That sounds like a suicide mission." He told me with a deep frown. I cocked my head in the mirror, my blue eyes staring back at me. Akin had left enough of my bangs down so it swept across my face and fell down the sides, and the braid he'd knotted fell over my left shoulder. And when I looked at Nikias in the mirror, I noticed how similar Nikias looked compared to me. I frowned at the concern on his face at my silence.

"I'm not going to die, Nikias." I told him flatly, looking back down.

"Are you sure? Because the only reason you'd face Rhea would be that you found a way to disconnect her from the Source and kill her." Nikias explained with a deadly calm. I blinked, then narrowed my eyes and looked up to see him holding a folded up napkin. I reached into the pouch on my holster, only finding ammo there. I turned and approached Nikias, snatching it from his grasp and shoving it back in the pouch.

"I'm going after Rhea, Nikias. I'm not going to kill myself."

"You've been depressed about something since the moment I saw you. The first time I looked at you, I couldn't help thinking... Wow, he's really sad. I don't know why. I wish I did, but you taught me that sometimes people deserve to have secrets about themselves. I just don't want you to do something stupid." He muttered. I smirked at that, folding my arms over my chest. All these years and I don't remember any of my sons treating me the way Nikias did. He knew all about my coarseness, I wasn't even letting him fight in the war, and he was still concerned. It was both amusing, and a little scary. I had no idea how to properly react to that. Should I hug him? I'd rather not. I still wasn't used to that whole touchy-feely thing.

"I'll be fine," I assured him after a moment of silence, watching Nikias bit at his bottom lip uncertainly, "I've fought them and won before. I can do it again. If we do our jobs right, we'll win." Nikias said nothing. He looked like wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words for it, so he gave up and settled for looking at me in distress. I sighed and stepped forward, putting a hand behind his head and pulling him close to me. Nikias appeared startled by that, but didn't hesitate to hug me around the torso tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. We stood there for a moment before I backed away, clearing my throat.

"I should get going before Ambrosius throws a fit." I told him. Nikias nodded solemnly, then gave me the same salute Akin did. I felt the strangest urge to smile at him, but I forced it away and just returned the salute before I closed my eyes and teleported from the bathroom in my room in Seth's temple. I appeared in the large field on the other side of the river where the Egyptian and Greek armies had gathered. It was a vast, crowded group. I recognized gods and demigods, creatures and monsters. Some who'd fought in the previous Titanomachy, some brand new and wary.