Chương 104: Ch.6
The battle raged so close to the Roman camp just on the other side of the mountain. The third legion, usually lead by me now a days, was being lead by Mike. I was already in no mood to fight when I arrived but seeing all these mud monsters turned my mood completely sour.
I moved through the battlefield, invisible and cutting down enemies left and right while using my shadows to make hundreds of them fall in half. The first legion was freed up when they saw what was happening.
They redoubled their efforts to help the second legion while I moved quickly as well, trying to end this battle as soon as possible. I put away my sword and scythe before summoning what power remained and made quick, small shadow needles that pierced the heads of all the clay monsters and one big one that pierced Enceladus's head.
He screamed in agony while Zeus and Jason struck moments later while he was holding his own head. He died screaming as he turned to gold dust much like a monster. When they cheered, I revealed myself finally. Tired beyond mortal limits while my body was going through a change on a cellular level.
Mike saw me just in time as I nearly passed out. He and Jess held me up asking. "When did you get here?"
I snorted. "When did all the monsters start dying in droves?"
They all heard me and realized it was me that was doing it. Even Jason, Piper and Leo, the hero's who took down the giant, thanked me. I waved them off and they helped me back to camp. There I rested for a few hours before telling them. "I still have a quest to complete. I'll see you all in a few days."
I drove Bianca and myself to LA where we entered Hades. Charon was there with a smile on his face that caused Bianca to feel weirded out. I asked him. "So, how was vacation? It seems you took it early from the tan."
I handed him the drachma while saying. "Hades palace please."
He nodded as we got in the boat and told me. "It was nice. I quite enjoyed what mortals call the piña colada. I'm told I can go back in another three hundred years even. Hades has been in a good mood of late."
I nodded. "He would be. Oh, by the way, this is Bianca, Hades's daughter. Bianca, this is Charon, the Ferryman to the underworld. A nice guy once you get passed the doom and gloom look."
He chuckled and paddled on saying. "It's nice to meet another child of Hades that isn't so ill tempered. He's had a few that were stuck up brats."
She nodded. "I try not to be. It's nice to meet you as well."
The trip to Hades's palace was actually kind of peaceful. When we hopped off the boat I told him. "Stay here for a bit, I'd like to see my brother while I'm down here and I'm sure Bianca would like to have some time alone with her father."
Bianca gave me a look to which I just shrugged. "Unlike at camp or on Olympus, Zeus can't see down here as it's out of his territory. Therefore he can't stop you from speaking to your father, no matter what his law says."
I passed Charon some more drachma for the wait before he nodded to me and we headed inside. At the door the two hellhounds came running until they saw me and rolled over whimpering at the memory. Persephone came and saw us but I shook my head and she sighed. "My husband is this way."
She led us into his study where he sat. I stepped forwards with his helmet saying. "Lord Pluto, the third regiment captain greets you and returns your helmet."
He changed almost instantly into a much more war like Roman version of himself as I handed him his helmet and saluted him. He nodded. "Very well done, though I detect hellhound slobber and my daughters use of it."
I nodded. "We faces the titan Atlas on our way here and she was forced to wear your helmet, striking many worthy blows against him and his army. As for the hell hound slobber, Orthrus, Cerberus's brother, has become my pet. It was he who retrieved it from the junkyard of the gods."
Pluto nodded gravely before sighing. "You've done well considering fighting to major battles."
Bianca asked. "Two?"
I stilled as did Pluto who merely replied. "After the defeat of Atlas, he fought the army of the giant Enceladus and struck a blow to the giant himself as well."
She looked to me and I remained stiff as it was Pluto I was dealing with. When he dismissed me saying. "What is it you wish for for this task you've done me?"
I stilled and looked to Bianca and he sent her away as I answered like all legionaries were taught to. "For the glory of Rome."
He nodded and saluted me back before I was finally dismissed for good. Relieved and tired of playing the Roman, I told him coldly. "Hades, it's time we talked."
He shifted once more into his Greek form. He looked me over and sighed. "You've brought my daughter to me and ensured she would survive the quest she was sent on. For that I owe you. You've already been rewarded for the quest you returned as a Roman soldier. Now what is it you want boy?"
I gave him a cold indifferent look before saying. "You're the god of the underworld, not apart of your brothers domain and barely in his grasp at all so I know you can give me what I seek."
He stilled as I continued. "I've eaten a golden apple from Hera's tree. Soon my body will finish making me immortal. I want you blessing and help to elevate me as the god of rebirth for this world."
He frowned and I sighed. "Only for those that have earned it of course, and only with your permission, I'll help the souls who wish it to be reborn. In this way your power will only grow as your domain expands to beyond just death. No more needing to expand for damned souls or pay overtime to those who don't want to work."
He looked me over before nodding. "I shall think on it. For now though I should warn you. The other gods on Olympus are angry that you've denied them questing rights and yet you've worked for the Romans and now myself. They're using your new state of soon to be immortality to their advantage and claiming you're no longer allowed to quest as you've technically become immortal."
I grunted. "Tell that time the zombies Ares gave Clarisse or the constant help the others send their kids. Tyson is after all a cyclops and as such is immortal himself."
Hades nodded and stroked his beard. "Perhaps you're right. But for now you are banned from interfering."
I stilled before nodding. "About the godhood then, what if I could get you a weapon that could be used against another pantheon? One that had an army of deity like beings?"
He looked me over hard before saying. "An item like that would more than pave any way to your rise as a god."
I made the demon blade appear in my hand and he looked it over before taking it without another word. He stared at it as if trying to unlock it's mysteries. Finally he spoke. "It could take centuries for me to figure out how it was made but for now, consider it done. Return here once you've become immortal and I shall impart a piece of my godhood to you. How strong you become and how far you go from there is up to you."
I bowed lightly before asking. "About Bianca-"
He waved me off. "I'll send her back to camp after I've had my talk with her."
I nodded and left, heading for Thanatos's place. Charon gave me a lift before dropping me off there. I told him I had it from there and recommended Australia for his next vacation. When I went inside Thanatos's throne room, he was there waiting for me.
He spoke before I said anything. "I don't have long so I must warn you now. Don't come looking for me. You are soon to be an immortal and as such you will not be allowed to help me anyway."
I looked him over sadly before saying. "Is there anything I can do?"
He shook his head before sighing. "Just you asking was enough. Here, this will let you know if and when I'm freed."
A black coin resembling Lucifer's old devil token of the damned appeared in front of me. I took it and sighed before nodding. "I will come as soon as I sense you're freed or maybe a little bit afterwards as I'm sure you'll be busy."
He nodded and for once I could tell that if he could smile he would. A moment later Orthrus came running through the shadows in his hound sized form and tackled me, licking me to death. I wrestled with him for a moment before pinning both his heads.
When he went still, submitting, I released him and stood up wiping the hellhound slobber off my face. Thanatos watched us curiously before sighing and sending us back topside.
We appeared at the seen of a murder. A guy was clearly poisoned to death on the bed. Luckily Lucifer noticed us before Chloe had a chance to turn around and look at the doorway. I quickly put Orthrus away before stepping back into the shadows and heading to the penthouse.
I called Lucifer a few minutes later and he said he'd stop by when he got of work. I headed to find Maze with Orthrus in puppy form. She to my surprise, was living with Chloe. When I knocked on her door Trixie is the one that opened up.
When she saw me she smiled. "I remember you! You're Lucifer's son! Wreith or something."
I smiled. "It's Wraith and I remember you too. Hey, do you want to play with my puppy? He's an energetic one."
I showed her Orthrus and to my surprise she asked. "Why does it have two heads?"
I chuckled. "He was born that way. That just means there's more to play with and give doggy kisses."
Orthrus yipped and I gave him the impression to behave and play nice before handing him off to the little girl. She set him down and they raced through the house wrecking a few things as they played.
Maze showed up a few minutes later and looked at me. "You feel different."
I nodded. "It's been a while and I've been through a fair bit. The least of which is that my body is becoming immortal and soon i'll become the Greek god of rebirth and reincarnation. My human side is dying off as we speak."
She shrugged. "I've never had sex with a god before."
I chuckled. "But you've had sex with a demigod and an angel so you'll be fine without unless you're bringing friends."
She pouted. "Promises promises."
I shrugged. "I came to see if you'd be willing to share the recipe for the demon dagger forged in hell or if you were willing to pop back down there with me to forge some more."
She crossed her arms. "What's in it for me?"
I sighed. "Well, I'll share some celestial bronze and imperial gold with you and help you forge a Greek and Roman god killing blade. Only one of course but it should be enough for you to figure out how to make it yourself."
She smiled. "Deal, let me get my things and I'll be right out."
I shook my head. "I'm a couple days. I've some business to take care of before I head to hell. The least of which is dealing with the clearly god level entity in LA that isn't hiding it's presence."
Maze smirked. "I'd be careful. That's Lucifer's mother."
I stilled before sighing and nodding. "Very well, then he can deal with her. But I still have several things I need to do first. Take care of Orthrus until I get back. If he gets out of hand just say 'bacon' and he'll calm right down. Of course you'll have to actually feed him bacon or it won't help much."
She frowned. "What's an Orthrus?"
I chuckled. "A two headed hellhound that can change it's size ranging from the puppy it is now to about three stories tall."
Her eyes went wide and I shadow traveled to the presence I felt that had the most wrathful aura. It the stone pillar in the penthouse. I'd missed it before because I was focused on other things. I remolded the pillar as I put the blade in my inner realm.
I could feel it's power pulsating and knew it was a Ruler's weapon at the very least! Where the god of this world found such a thing is beyond me. Even as broken as it is right now it was still powerful enough to set me on edge. I sealed it away tightly in my inner realm before leaving the clearing.
I shadow traveled to the insane asylum next and found a man waiting for me there. He wasn't surprised to see me in the least. "You're here for the buckle."
I nodded. "I am."
He sighed. "It's not time yet. Wait until Lucifer comes and gets it. Then you can have it."
With a wave of his hand he sent me back to the penthouse, leaving me stunned. "Well fuck me running, that was unexpected."
I kept replaying it in my head before sighing and realizing that was probably the 'God' of this reality that was speaking through his connection to the blade piece. Sighing I left it to fate for now and spent the next few days helping Maze find a job she'd be good at.
When I described bounty hunting to her she was exited enough to hop in my lap for a deep kiss. Unfortunately, Trixie was there and so was Orthrus who both ruined the moment.
I did manage to give Lucifer the scoop on what I'd been up to for the last half a year or so. He congratulated me on joining the Holy Roman Empire. I happened to find a water fountain he had installed so I could make a few calls with Iris messages, the way both Greek and Roman demigods contacted their own people and sometimes the gods.
I made my calls to the Roman camp and told them my situation on becoming immortal and being forbidden from interfering anymore in quests or the like. I contacted camp half-blood as well but they'd already been told by Artemis and Bianca, who'd returned from the underworld with a bit of training under her belt and a gift for Nico, her little brother.
Both she and Thalia had already joined the hunters of Artemis and became immortal themselves. The campers all congratulated me before wishing me the best. I told them all if they were ever in LA, to look me up as Wraith Morningstar.
With that I officially left the demigod world behind as a quest taker. That same day Lucifer came to me asking about what I thought of Chloe being a miracle. Sighing I told him. "Even if she were, there's one thing even your father isn't allowed to interfere in, that's free will. I've known for a while that she was special but I wasn't sure what made her that way. So what if she makes you vulnerable, in the end it's both your choices to choose who you love and who you choose to express that with."
I looked at him deeply and sighed as I touched his face before sighing softly. "You are the best parts of my father, capable of more than he is as a whole because you're not weighed down by his nature. So what if she's the best of a blessing or a curse. It's how you both feel that matter, not god, not your mother and not me. What is it that you feel for her?"
He looked at me and hugged me a second later saying. "It's good to have you back son."
I hugged him tighter before letting him go and saying. "It's good to be back. I don't know how long I'll be in town so you should go and tell the detective whatever it is you're feeling before someone else worms their way into your head."
He nodded and I sent him through the shadows to her house. An hour later he called me in a hurry asking for a favor. I took flight immediately and landed next to him and Amenadiel who looked at me, surprised to see that I was back and actually had wings.
Forgotten I actually hadn't shown them to him. Lucifer caught him up on how I got them while also telling me in a rush what he needed done. When I agreed, I took him to hell. I stood outside a door while he went in to find the man who'd apparently poisoned Chloe.
When he came out, I grabbed him as he looked at another door. He shrugged me off before entering. I followed him in and saw Uriel, the angel I took the blade from. When he stabbed his brother and pulled back, I light the image of his brother, and the entire room alight with my wings.
As it burned the guilt was purified from his mind and a sort of piece came over Lucifer. I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him out as the door burned away. I sniffed out the flames before other doors could catch fire. Taking him into a hug, I carried him out of hell, through the dimensional rift and onto the beach.
I dropped him and landed next to him. He'd already remembered the list so I shadow traveled with him to the hospital where he and detective douche went off to find the ingredients list and acquire them.
Two hours later they came back with Lucifer having used his abilities multiple time to get them what they needed. Ella, the forensic scientist that worked with the police, helped whip up a batch of the antidote.
Almost immediately she and I hit it off while Chloe was being treated with Lucifer at her side while she rested. We agreed on drinks at Lux and maybe, if it went well, an interesting night in bed. I felt she was definitely one to keep.
She reminded me so much of my wives with the inner fire and everything. Her presence screamed mate to me. I headed home to the penthouse to grab some sleep before the date in the evening.
When Lucifer arrived, making plans of his own to find out what his mother was up to I offered him. "I already know."
He stilled. "You do?"
I nodded. "She told Amenadiel and as he's basically human now, I read his mind. Wasn't that hard actually. They want to use you to return to heaven and if possible, start a war to kick your father out."
He was flabbergasted. "And how do you suppose they want to accomplish that?"
I took out the blade he buried in the pillar before. "With this. It's one of three pieces to a god's weapon, and I'm not talking about the gods of this reality either. I don't know where your father got it, but it's more powerful than even I am capable of using safely. I felt it in LA and took it out of the wall I'm assuming you hid it in. It's simply to powerful to remain anywhere near mortals, or even angels. You know I've no reason to lie to you about this. If it stayed where it was you'd eventually feel it's call and go on your own murder spree."
I put it away and he looked shocked. Sighing I told him. "It's not whole of course, and assuming it is your father's personal weapon, that means he's more powerful than I have him credit for. Still far weaker than the other Lucifer by far, but more powerful than I currently am. It's true, if they used it, it could possibly destroy him, but if they weren't prepared or careless in any way, the backlash could wipe out this reality at the least."
My words chilled him to the bone as he whispered. "And they wanted me to use it?"
I nodded. "It's possible they don't know it's true power but even still, it would consume your mind to wield it. The blade has a will of it's own and nothing you're strong enough to deal with I'm afraid."
He sighed and poured us both glasses of brandy before asking. "What do you think I should do with them?"
I shrugged and put the blade away. "Depends. What is it you want?"
He took a draft before sighing. "I want them gone or at least mother anyhow. Not dead but gone. If she stays I'll only be subject to more of her mind games."
I nodded and looked to the elevator where his detective came in silently. "And Chloe?"
He sighed. "I love her, I do, but I can't protect her from my family's mind games. If I need to, I'll have to distance myself to protect her as best I can. Charolette has already started in on her but she hasn't been nearly as affected as whatever scheme dear old mum is cooking up next."
Chloe was surprised enough to speak now. "Charlotte is your mother?"
I cut in before he could answer. "She's his step mother and my step-grandmother. She married his dad and well, they went through a messy divorce that shook the foundation of the family. She's looking to connive her way back in using Lucifer and manipulating everyone else in her path to get the family property and sway the rest of the family to her side."
I waved a hand. "You're just a more recent victim of her war path. Father here tells me she messed with your case against someone to get you to call him a lier. One way for her to split you apart I'm guessing. Once he's emotional and vulnerable, she probably intends to work her way into his head and into the family inheritance."
Chloe's look of understanding dawned on her before she asked Lucifer. "Why didn't you just say so?"
He sighed. "Because detective, if you've not noticed, I'm not exactly comfortable about sharing my family's business. Although I am sorry for what she's done so far to affect you. Hell, if Wraith hadn't returned I'd probably have left town by now to find a way to find out how she intends to pull it off."
Chloe looked to me and I raised a glass saying. "Yeah, not exactly the brain trust around here. I had to spell it out to him. He can tell you exactly what's going on once there's a ring on your finger, until then, there's a saying in our family, secrets are best left with the dead. It's not a pretty picture, but if word got out he told you anything before the marriage, you'd be hunted down and killed in a bloody fashion as a warning to him to keep his mouth shut."
Lucifer looked to me but I sent him a mental message. (Just don't say anything and it won't be a lie on your part. After all if she found out the truth, odds are she'd be killed by your brothers or sisters before your dad stepped in.)
Chloe looked pale before looking over Lucifer who sighed. "There's a good chance he's right for the most part. Our family is complicated and powerful beyond measure. Why else would someone like Charlotte Richards want to get back in it so badly? Odds are she'd have sacrificed me and dear old dad to get her grubby hands on the estate."
I left them to talk saying. "Take your time. I'm gonna go get Orthrus and visit Maze before heading to the club downstairs."
I sensed them getting real close now and decided to get out of range before the Big Bang happened. I shadow traveled from the elevator to Maze's front door. I knocked and moments later Trixie and Orthrus came to the door.
He had bacon in his mouths so I wasn't surprised to see him excited to see me. Trixie let me in when I told her Chloe and Lucifer were having adult time. I sat at the counter while Maze burnt bacon for Orthrus and complained. "I woke up this morning and my ball gag as in it's mouth while they fought over it. When I tried to take it away, they nearly took my arm off!"
I sighed and looked at Orthrus who whimpered at my gaze. He was clearly getting hungry and agitated. "I'll be taking him with me when I leave here. I've a place he can go for a hearty stretch."
Orthrus looked excited while Trixie looked saddened by the news. I moved Maze out of the way and turned the heat down before grabbing a new skillet and frying up some actual bacon instead of charcoal while telling Trixie. "Don't worry, once he's run all over creation I'll bring him back. After all, I do live in LA now."
Trixie burst out. "Really?"
I nodded. "Really, really. I may be gone every now and then but I'll try to let you play with him whenever I can. He just needs special care so he has to go away every few days for a small trip to keep him healthy."
Maze snorted. "More like so he doesn't eat us."
I shrugged. "It keeps him and you healthy then."
I set some bacon on a plate for Maze to eat before tossing a few pieces to Orthrus who gobbled them down much more readily. After cleaning up and making sure Maze took Trixie to school, we headed to hell for a good deal of time. It wasn't long on earth as every second was the equivalent of a year in hell.
The hardest part was teaching Maze to forge Celestial bronze and imperial gold. After we both had our swords and daggers made, I flew us both out of hell before heading to hades as my body had finally finished it's process of becoming immortal in hell.
I'd even checked on the golden apple that I'd only bit off of and found it was missing. I searched high and low until I felt what had changed. My world tree had absorbed it and began slowly growing it's own golden apples.
I was shocked to my core but realized they weren't quite on the level of immortal apples, at least, not yet anyway. Getting in and out of Hades was rather easy for me even if I shadow traveled but I still preferred the long way as Charon was actually a decent conversationalist.
When I arrived on his boat with drachma in hand, he didn't even question it at this point as I was probably his most frequent visitor. He took the drachma without complaint as I told him. "Hades palace. I've an appointment with the god of the underworld. I'm actually going to become a god myself now."
He looked surprised. "That's rare. Usually it happens on Olympus. The last one that got promoted down here was Psyche I believe and she went quite mad."
I shrugged. "I doubt I'll go bad but who knows, it might be fun."
He looked at me before shrugging and carrying on paddling. When we arrived, I gave him some extra drachma before handing him a bag of snacks to try while he waited. I headed inside and this time the hellhounds didn't come running. Persephone however did show up to lead the way.
There in Hades's study, he waited for me as if he knew to expect my visit until I realized Hades itself was his domain and he probably knew the moment I stepped foot inside it.
He stood before an alter and told me coldly. "Step forward. You must take in apart of my divine essence to stimulate your own. Once you've done so, you'll be able to claim whatever domain you wish so long as you're both willing and strong enough in that aspect to take it from whoever has it."
I nodded and he began to glow saying. "Don't look away."
I didn't as apart of his glowing black mass struck my chest like a sledgehammer. It really wasn't gentle in the least. Almost immediately I felt the changes inside me as I connected immediately to the domain of rebirth and reincarnation. Then came the fertility god domain. Both Demeter, Persephone and Pan, whom I felt in New Mexico, resisted at first until I overwhelmed all three of them.
Next came the domain of nature. Pan only had a slight effect as his was centered more around beasts but again he Persephone and Demeter felt my dominance in that area. I didn't take their domains so much as encompass it like Hades did death and the underworld in general.
I felt a connection to Gaia as her presence stirred but settled down for the most part as she wasn't a goddess in this reality but a primordial being. She was in some small part a piece of my real mother that simply wasn't right in the head. Although she'd stirred as if she felt what I truly was, she simply wasn't strong enough to awaken yet let alone challenge me without my mother helping her.
Finally, the last was death itself. Not Hades's death, but my brother Thanatos's version. We tussled a bit but I let him have it only taking the death of the evil as my domain. With so much and nearly all of it all encompassing like nature, fertility and rebirth/reincarnation, my power as a god was nearly unrivaled.
Even the others of the big three felt my rise in status and power amongst the deities of the Greek pantheon. Hades smirked as he felt my power rival his own in near equal status without having actually accumulated any faith or worship.
He was exited because my primary realm, rebirth and reincarnation, depended on his say so. He could in theory limit the growth of my over all strength and as such, control me to an extent. He waved a hand and his throne room appeared. There another throne appeared to equal his and Persephone's in status but slightly dimmer I should say.
It had less finesse to it as if it was unfinished. I could tell he did so on purpose to show me that even though I rivaled him in strength, I was not his equal quite yet. I took my seat as he and Persephone did. My throne changed to my design, a green Phoenix in the back with a wolf and bat in each claw.
The throne, for the most part, remained as it was while Hades himself welcomed me. "Congratulations, Wraith, god of rebirth/reincarnation, fertility, nature and death. You're welcome to build a palace like your brother in my domain. As for the beginnings of your job, I've already made a list of those ready for reincarnation. As for rebirth, that will be preserved for special souls that are worthy of retaining their memories."
I nodded and took the list that appeared before me. A moment later Hades frowned. "It seems we've guests who wish to congratulate you. They are requesting entrance into my domain."
I nodded. "It's up to you whether to let them in or fight them. I've no opinion either way."
He sighed before standing as twelve gods and goddesses appeared before us. Only Zeus, Ares, Poseidon and Demeter has ugly expressions. Demeter because I now took the bulk of the fertility and nature faith energy as it comes in.
Ares was pissed because he expected and wanted war while hoping in secret that I'd start it. As for Zeus and Poseidon, well, they were pissed such a powerful god wasn't born on Olympus. Instead it now even the scales a bit more in Hades's favor.
As my power consolidated by the second, my Roman aspect began to form. As the Roman god of rebirth, death, nature and fertility, I immediately began sucking more faith from Demeter's counterpart as well. Her power faded more as she weakened a bit more but nothing too serious.
I left her plenty and Persephone even more as I didn't need to touch on their nature aspects. Once I started sending souls into the cycle of reincarnation, my power would no longer be dependent on just the basic realms.
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