The Mighty Ones' Fall

Chapter 20: The Fall

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"What are you doing?" Layna exclaimed in confusion as Brady cut the ropes tying her to the chair. She looked very distrustful of him, more so than anyone else.

"I'm on your side! I wanted to get you guys out of here earlier, but those Warriors were here," he explained hurriedly, moving on to help Damien and Hannah.

My eyebrows shot up in realization. "You fed Jason false information. So you're the one who told Jan about the plan," I said. "But how did you escape the Woods without being killed by the gods?"

"I managed to convince them that I actually was on their side," Brady told us, laughing as if he almost couldn't believe it himself. "I told them I went with the Warriors because I saw my opportunity to act as a spy, and I took it. I was always one of Jason's favorites, and Lady Athena knew we could use that to our advantage."

"Well, I'm glad it worked," Hannah announced, jumping to her feet. "Now let's go before we miss anything."

"Wait!" Layna shouted, blocking the exit of the tent, her arms crossed. She was glaring at me angrily. "You're really going to trust Brady again immediately? Jace, you, of all people?!"

I rolled my eyes in disbelief, appalled that she was being so shallow. "We don't have time for this, Layna! Alec and the gods need us!" I yelled back at her. Furious, I shoved her out of the way and led the group in a mad dash toward the huge mass of Knowing members near the sword fighting arena. We managed to push our way to the rings of people closer to the center, where the Warriors stood, while everyone else - women, children, etc. - formed the outer rings of the circle. Waiting for Alec to appear, the seven archers were already lined up with their bows and arrows aimed at the clouds.

The sky was black and thundering, but it had yet to rain. Suddenly, out of the tumultuous clouds flew Pegasus, shining bright and white, with Alec sitting atop his back. Fearing they would be shot down, I had to hold my breath as the pair slowly spiraled down to the ground, but still the archers held their fire. Jason probably wanted to hear what the young hero had to say before he killed him.

Alec hopped off Pegasus's back when they were still hovering a few feet off the sand. As soon as the shirtless, bronze-plated hero landed safely on his feet in the center of the arena, he pulled his rock out of a pocket in his jeans, and it turned into a sword when he raised it over his head. Meanwhile, his mount propelled himself upward with one great beat of his wings and disappeared once again into the thickest of the clouds.

Jason, now wearing full battle armor and holding a sword and shield, stepped out of the crowd and into the arena. He halted about twenty feet in front of Alec and said for all to hear, "So the traitor who is sentenced to death has finally returned home, I see."

"This is not my home anymore, not the one I knew," Alec snarled angrily. "Your reign has gone on far too long. Your tyranny has been built upon nothing but lies."

Jason only chortled maniacally, and I took that moment to enlighten the poor hero about recent events by screaming over the thunder, "He's a dream walker, Alec! That's how he knew everything!" Then I ducked behind the twins to avoid being seen by Jason, even though he probably recognized my voice. I just hoped no Warriors would attack me. 

When I felt it was safe for me to stop hiding, I stood up again and watched the fuming Alec clench his jaw and the fist that wasn't holding his sword. Ignoring my interruption, Jason frowned and continued defensively, "My reign was perfectly successful until you and the Forest Gods ruined it. With all of you dead and gone, it will finally go back to the way it was before." 

Alec took a step forward. "We'll see about that," he said bitterly, in a voice that told me he knew what was going to happen. Jason, too, looked ready to charge, but first Alec held up his free hand to ask for a pause, and added, "Wait. I need to do this...alone. No help." He twirled his sword around once, and all of a sudden, his body was engulfed in a bright white flash of light, from which fifteen smaller balls of light separated.