THE GOD OF NIGHTMARES

CHAPTER 5

 "Hello there, father. How have you been doing lately." said Icelus, a forced smile carved onto his face. Of all the times his father had to visit him, it had to be right now, right after his little outbrust with That Girl. 

 Icelus was mostly a loner, whenever most of the gods would call for meetings and the like, he would just send one of his minions, a shadowy horse, a black spider, a giant bat, or whatever fearful creature his little nightmare realm could conjure up and listen in through their ears. As such, very few gods and goddesses dared venture into his domain, and he doubted any of them would even want to, considering that not even immortals were safe from nightmares. In fact, it was probably why he wasn't that well-liked in the immortal world in the fist place.

Still, right now, Daddy Dreamest was here, and he might as well entertain the old man.

Hypnos ran a hand along his forehead, clearly stressed about something.

"Icelus, I know what you were out doing a few hours ago. Several nymphs in the New York City Division noticed that you used your powers on mortals in a-- what do those mortals call it.... ah yes, a nightclub."

Icelus pretended not to care, and simply ran a pale hand across his jet-black hair.

"Maybe I did, but you can't really blame me. I am a god after all. Doesn't that entitle me to do whatever I want with those mortals. Zeus knows why Prometheus created them anyway, they're pretty damn obnoxious, especially the big dumb ones who fancy themselves as alpha dogs, yet are nothing more than runts of the litter." said Icelus, while sending a particularly nightmarish dream to a certain mortal whose mind was recently vulnerbale from watching some horror movie.

"Icelus, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. You're sixteen millenia old, you should know better than to use your powers on mortals, especially when they're not part of your domain. Lord Zeus specifically stated that though we immortals are allowed to roam around the mortal world, we are not allowed to directly interfere with mortal lives. What you did a few hours ago goes against that rule, and you're lucky Lord Zeus didn't send someone other than me to inform you of this fact. They would have been a lot less lenient." said Hypnos, frowning at his millenia old son.

Icelus scoffed. "You think Lord Zeus even gives a shit about any of us? We're minor gods, father, in his eyes, we're no better than morta--"

"How dare you speak of Lord Zeus in that manner, boy! You are lucky His Excellence happens to be on a mission right now--"

"Probably boning some mortal bimbo and creating more demigods..." muttered Icelus under his breath.

"What was that?!"

"Nothing. Anyway, is that all you came here to tell me. Wow father, I'm feeling such a caring aura from you. Visiting your only son after all these centuries just to tell him off. Father of the Year right here!" said Iceus.

Hypnos was clearly fighting back the urge to sock his first-born right in the face, as the man gritted his teeth and went on.

"That's not the only thing. Mari told me what you did after giving those mortals some nightmares."

Icelus' eyes narrowed. Of course it was Mari, it was always Mari.

"What did the little princess tell you, huh? That I 'misused my powers in a show of disorderly conduct' or some BS like that?"

"On the contrary, she actually said that you saved a mortal's life, and that she was proud of you for it."

Icelus' breath hitched in his throat. He wasn't expecting that.