Retribution [malexmale]

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"So, if you find the key, you can get your family back?" Dorean asked me as he prepared dinner that same night.

I nodded, still scraping my fingernail against the table, even though Dorean had already slapped my hand twice to stop, but I couldn't. I needed to fidget while I thought about the news Callias had given me, news that was both horrifying, angering, and exciting to hear. I still had no idea how I felt about the whole situation. I was furious with Callias for not having told me about this, telling me that our family was alive, leading me to believe that all these years they were dead and gone forever and I would never see them again. I was excited because this meant there was a way to get my pantheon back, a way to rebuild what we'd lost.

But there was a cold terror caused by the rift.

Was it really worth it to bring back my pantheon if it meant a universal catastrophe?

Thousands and thousands of people had died during the return of the Titans two years ago. People in Hell, Hades, Helheim, and even the mortal realm had been heavily effected by the Titan invasion. The Titans had tried to return to the old ways of doing things, viciously punishing those who opposed them or did not pray to them. They'd caused tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms, and tipped the fates of humans.

If my pantheon were to return, would such a thing happen again? Would my family be as vicious and cold as the Titans?

"That's a good thing, then," Dorean said in response to my nod earlier, bringing over a plate of lasagna to set in front of me, "You won't have no more headaches or nightmares... anymore. You won't have anymore headaches or nightmares." He scowled at himself. I gave him a faint smile that assured him I was all right with the grammar mistake before I looked back down at my plate, picking up my fork to mostly poke at it instead of eat it.

"That's true," I muttered, frowning slowly, "But would it be good for everyone else, that's what I'm worried about. The rift in the balance and the possible return of my pantheon aren't coincidences. After everything that's happened to us since we first met, I don't believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason." Dorean frowned as he sat across from me with his plate, tilting his head as he twirled his fork around in the sauce.

"Well, Callias did say your family wasn't all that nice to him... His story about Dexius still makes me upset. It makes me glad I'm an only imp. Eh, mostly." He added, wrinkling his nose. I gave him another small smile at that. Dorean probably had hundreds of siblings without even knowing it considering he'd been born on an imp farm, something that was now illegal in Hades and Hell after Hades and Lucifer made a pact to abolish slavery in both of their realms.

Unfortunately, that caused the other realms to get riled up. Now most of the realms hated Hades and Hell for their movement against slavery because slaves from other realms were fleeing to Hades and Hell. Once the borders were crossed, the slave marks on their bodies vanished and they were free citizens. However, once they crossed back over, the slave mark returned and they were subject to being hunted by bounty hunters and sold in auctions. It was still the subject of huge debate at all the United Pantheon meetings.

An idea came to mind at the thought of the United Pantheons.

The United Pantheons was a collection of representatives from every belief who gathered together in a large office building in Seattle, Washington, in the mortal realm. The United Pantheons discussed major events that could effect other realms, the mortal realm, and could lead to possible apocalypses.

And the rift in the balance should be enough to call a meeting to discuss it. Even better, if I could get a hold of one of the death gods, preferably Stanton or Thanatos, I could probably figure out what was causing the rift. The death gods were now much more alert to any rifts after the Titan incident. The slightest flux in the balance and the representatives of UP found themselves in the office to discuss the cause.