The Last Demigod Ch. 01

Of Storms

A young man and older woman sat across from each other in a lit only by the light that shone through the room's one window. The drapes that hung over the one window in the small round room were tattered throughout and shredded at the ends. Despite the numerous tears and holes in the thick drapes, the drapes billowed with each random gust that blew into the small room.

Between the man and woman, stood a short old wooden and round table. The table was so short that it forced the two to remain hunched over while they continued their game of Chess. Like the board, the pieces were also old with most of the pieces missing bits.

It was the man's turn. He placed his fingers where the head of knight should have been and picked it up. He clenched the piece in his hand tightly while he thought out his next move.

"So how do you remember it?" the woman asked politely.

The man didn't reply.

"Anthony?" she asked.

Anthony placed the knight in its new position and smiled. "Check," he replied.

The woman sat back in her dusty, leather chair, crossed her legs and brushed the dust off her very faded blue jeans. "How do you remember it?"

He sighed. "Like it was yesterday."

He threw himself into the leather chair he was on and slouched. "One of my earliest memories. It was sometime in the middle of the night." He paused, tilted his head back and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. "I heard voices, sounds, coming from my mom's bedroom. At the time, I had no idea what she was doing, but as all children are, I was curious."

He paused to take a peek at her. In that moment, the light that shined through the billowing drapes had encased her face in such a way that it highlighted a beauty that he had not noticed. The light had also highlighted the brown and streaks of white in her long hair. He initially didn't notice how smooth and silky her hair was. The most surprising part of this moment in time was her brown eyes. No, not brown. Hazel. Her hazel eyes sparkled like gems.

"Anthony? You were saying?"

"Sorry," he replied and fixed his grey eyes back towards the ceiling. "The door was shut, but not all the way. I remember because I pushed the door open without having to turn the knob. The first thing I saw was my mother's back. She was moving in a strange way, I thought at the time. When the door opened all the way, it creaked loudly. My mother turned, saw me, yelped, and threw herself around pulling the sheets on her."

The woman shifted in her chair. The rubbing of her arm against the leather of the armrest seemed to break his train of thought. "Sorry," she quietly said.

"After she moved, I saw a man. He looked as shocked as my mother. Before my mother could say anything, that's when it started. The ground shook. It was as if I had tripped on something, but I wasn't walking. I fell to the floor. My mother yelled and jumped from the bed. The man followed. She picked me up and as soon as she was standing, I felt a sheet draped over me. I couldn't see anything, but I felt my mother stumble and strong hands and arms grasp over us to keep her up. Before I knew it, we were outside. I pulled the drape from my face and..."

"What?"

He let out a sigh again.

She noticed he was gripping the armrests tightly. "I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about this."

He raised his hand and took a deep breath. "No, it's fine. I saw that my house was crumbling. It was as if something reached from below and pulled it down. My mother began to sob and I felt the man wrap his arms around us. I looked towards the sky. All I saw was light streaking across the darkness of the night. I tried to find the moon, but I couldn't. 'Fire' the man was yelling. 'Fire everywhere' he repeated."

"What happened then?"

"The rest is a bit hazy. My entire house was destroyed. We walked for a while. I only knew it was a while because I had fallen asleep in my mother's arms and when I woke up, it was morning. I remember not being able to see the sun. I've always loved the sun, but it was cloudy that day. The clouds were a dark grey. The type you see during a thunderstorm. I actually heard the thunder starting."

"Were you scared?"

"No. I don't ever remembering being scared of thunder. At that time, I felt safe maybe because my mom was holding me the entire time. I don't know. But that's when it got worse. Once I heard the thunder, I saw the lightning. The fiercest lightning storm I have ever witnessed. I remember seeing the bolts dance across the clouds. Trees around us were getting struck. My mother and the man began to run. It was a short while before we found ourselves in some part of a house that was barely standing. I remember half the roof was gone. For some reason, I remember thinking it was so neat."

The woman chuckled.

He glanced again at her and noticed she was leaning forward with her head placed below her chin, her elbows on her knees. He leaned his head back and turned towards the window. The maroon drapes continued to billow. A few beams of light were shining on his knees. He stretched out his hand till a beam struck his palm. He immediately felt the warmth and clenched his fist. He felt that he could almost catch the light.

"Go on," the woman said.

"We huddled together in a corner of the house. The man and my mother were talking, though I can't remember what they were saying. A loud boom had interrupted them. I remember clutching onto my mom tighter. Another boom followed. And another. My mom pulled me from her, tore a large piece of the sheet she was using to cover herself, and wrapped it around me. She placed a finger over her lips. I remember tears clouding my vision." He paused to wipe a tear that had formed.

"What made the booming?"

"At the time, I didn't know. Before my mom had left me, she said 'find Apollo.'"

The woman nodded slowly.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "She repeated it as she stood and walked away from me and the man. The man called out for her, but she kept walking out and into the street. And that was when I saw it."

"The monster?"

He nodded. "The biggest thing I had ever seen."

"Body of a man, three heads of a dragon, black wings, and serpent legs," the woman said quietly.

He nodded again. "I don't remember much after that. The storm had eventually passed, as you know. The man took me took a small gathering of others who survived the storm. Everything after that gets hazier. I lived with that group up until I felt I was able to fend for myself."

"And the man?"

He shook his head. "He left shortly after he arrived, people had told me."

The woman chuckled again. "Did you ever find Apollo?"

He returned a confused look. "No. I didn't know if I should be looking for a place or a person."

The woman began to nod slowly as she began to turn her gaze elsewhere seemingly caught in thought.

"What is it?"

"Do you want to know what really happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"How the world ended."

He sat up. "Yes," he replied sternly.

"But first, we haven't been introduced," the woman stretched out her hand and said, "My name is Artemis."

He reached out and gently grasped her hand. He noticed she had the smoothest and softest skin he had ever felt. "Nice to meet you."

The two sat back into their seats, almost in sync. She leaned forward, picked up her King piece and slid it one spot to the right. "You're turn."

"I almost forgot about the game."

They both shared a short laugh.

He leaned forward and gazed upon the Chessboard. "So what about the end of the world?"

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well... I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

He sat up and closed his eyes.

"Relax."

He sunk into the leather chair.

She stood up and walked towards him.

He immediately opened his eyes.

"Keep them closed, please."

He closed his eyes once again.

She paced around to the back of his chair and gently placed her smooth hands on the side of his face, covering his ears. She leaned forward and whispered, "Listen. What ever is happening, do not open your eyes till I tell you."

He nodded. He felt her press her hands against a little firmer. He started to feel as if he were beginning to fall. He grabbed at the armrests. But he didn't feel them.

She cooed in his ear and repeated, "Relax, keep your eyes closed."

He tried to calm himself, but they were falling. He was in the chair, but he was falling with her.

"Open them."

He opened his eyes and saw her, but she was much younger. There was a grey tint the world around him.

"Artemis?" he called out.

As beautiful as he thought she was before, she absolutely gorgeous when she was younger. Her face was fuller and her body firmer. She was dressed in a brilliantly white toga that had a golden sash that stretched from the top of her right shoulder across her body, in between her small breasts, and attached at a golden embroidered belt that was tightly clasped at her narrow waist. Her hair was even longer, but was held in a neat bun that hung loosely at her back. She also wore a golden headband that housed a olive branch wreath.

"Artemis," he called out again.

This time, the younger Artemis glanced at him and placed her finger to her lips. She then turned and began to walk down the hallway.

He had noticed that they were in something that resembled a bedchamber. The walls were made of white stone and pillars. It was something he had seen out of a history book about Ancient Greece. The floor seemed to be made out of gold or some other precious medal that had precious stones embedded into it making elaborate designs.

The hallway led to a much larger room that was just as decorated as the bedchamber. The larger room had an enormous door that was plated with silver and lined with pearls. He noticed there were door handles. There was a large oval window on one of the large doors and from out shone a blinding light.

"Where are we?" he asked, but heard no answer.

They waited in the hallway for a moment, until the large doors flung open towards them.

"Artemis!" a man in a tan brown hat, cloak and what appeared to be wings coming from the sides of his head called out. "They've breached the gates! You must find your mother!"

"What about my brother?" she yelled out.

"He's at the front lines with Ares and Athena!"

"I must be with them!" She charged towards the door, but the man grasped her at the shoulders.

"Your brother commanded that you find your mother first."

She pushed the man's arms away and nodded. She hurried out the door.

Anthony followed after her. As soon as he stepped out, he found himself of awe in the scenery before him. He looked over what he could only figure to be heaven. It was a vast city with palatial buildings. Each building had a similar theme, but each was different in its own way. The roads spiraled, turned, and forked in every direction between the buildings and over them. As far as he could see, clouds lined the exterior of the city.

He had noticed that the building he had just exited was attached to an even larger palace. He turned and was once again caught in awe of the colossal home of Artemis. Where am I, he thought to himself. He soon realized that he no longer could see Artemis. He began to run in the direction he remembered seeing her go. The man that had alerted Artemis zoomed by him. He realized that the man wasn't running, he was flying!

Anthony stepped to the entryway of the palace and noticed that the door was higher than any building he had ever seen. He wondered how much larger the palace could get and feared he would never find Artemis, but he suddenly heard a scream. The foyer of the palace had two grand stairways that lined the sides of the room that led to a large second level that had a balcony over the entryway that led to the rest of the first level of the palace. The scream came from up the stairs. He made his way as quickly as he could and turned the corner to find Artemis armed with a bow.

"Let her go!" Artemis commanded. She held the arrow aimed directly at the creature that was holding whom Anthony assumed was the mother of Artemis.

"The time of the Olympians is over!" the serpent looking creature said with a hiss at the end of each word. He was holding a black, curved blade against the throat of Artemis' mother.

"You won't live to see it," Artemis said as she loosed her bow. Anthony couldn't even see the arrow move before the serpent creature's head whipped back with the arrow lodged in his eye.

"Mother!" Artemis cried out as she dashed towards her and wrapped her arms around her.

"My dear," her mother said as she returned the embrace. "We must go."

"Where to?! Hermes said that the gate has been breached!"

"Where is your brother?"

"At the gates, Hermes said."

"I will aid him," Artemis' mother said.

"No! Find father, I will aid him."

Artemis' mother nodded and dashed towards the rest of the house while Artemis turned and dashed toward the stairs.

"What's going on?!" Anthony yelled out, but she didn't seem to hear him.

She leapt off the middle of the grand stairway to the first level and proceeded to leap out the door. She then began to dash with inhuman speed across the pathway of where ever they were.

He was having a hard time keeping up. He noticed that the serpent warriors that were fighting Artemis' people outnumbered them five to one. Upon being able to see the gate, he saw what appeared to be a legion of all kinds of monstrous creatures storming the gates. He recognized all but one monster, the same monster he saw kill his mother.

BOOM went that familiar sound, but it wasn't the terrifying creature, it was the largest man Anthony had ever seen. The man had a thick white beard and long white and grey hair. His muscles were thick all throughout his exposed anatomy and in both his enormous hands were what seemed to be flashing lights. Anthony looked closer and saw that the large man was holding rods of light. No, not light. Lightning! Anthony thought to himself.

"ZEUS!" roared the terrifying monster.

As large as Zeus was, Anthony didn't feel any safer. The monster was as large as the entryway of Artemis' palatial home. How could they stand a chance?

"YOUR TIME HAS COME!" roared the monster.

"NO!" Zeus thundered back. His voice matched the intensity of his appearance. Zeus reached back, lightning crackled about him and formed into a rod in his right hand. He then leapt forward and hurled the rod at the monster. "RETURN FROM WHENCE YOU CAME, TYPHON!" he roared as the lightning rod soared through the sky between them.

The lightning bolt struck one of Typhon's three dragonheads. The giant terror seemed to be dazed for a second, but the head that was struck resumed its perked position and glared back at Zeus.

Anthony looked towards the gate where he saw the small number of Artemis' people. Each was armed with a different weapon, but her and the man that she was standing by were both armed with bows. Anthony made his way closer to them and looked at the man. He had noticed that the man by Artemis looked just like her except... he had grey eyes. They're siblings, Anthony realized.

"Artemis, you must fall back!" her brother commanded.

"Not without you and our kin!" she replied.

"Apollo!" another soldier cried out, we can't hold them any longer.

BOOM! BOOM! The thundering of Zeus' lightning bolts in the sky was deafening. Each toss of a bolt resulted in a low rumble of the surrounding area.

"FALL BACK!" commanded Zeus, his voice a thunderous sound itself.

Apollo and Artemis continued to loose arrows against the oncoming legion as the rest of their fellow soldiers retreated.

"RUN!" Anthony cried out, but still they didn't hear him. The monstrous legion surrounded the siblings, yet they still continued to unleash their fury till finally they closed on them.

Anthony began to run towards the palace, but he realized the creatures couldn't see him.

Suddenly, he saw Hermes fly through the crowd that surrounded him. Hermes wasn't armed, but what ever force kept him the air was strong enough to knock the creatures off their feet. The flying man dove towards where Apollo and Artemis were.

Anthony lost sight of him for a second before he saw Hermes shoot out of the middle of the enormous crowd with both Apollo and Artemis. He held onto their garments as the two continued to loose their arrows on their pursuers.

Anthony threw his hands up in cheer, but then realized a shadow cast over him. He turned back to gaze upon the enormous Typhon. The monstrous tyrant slithered over Anthony and all went black.

He threw himself from the chair and over the small round table that held the chessboard causing the old chess pieces to scatter onto the floor. He was back in the city of Dion. He found himself gasping and sweating. He pulled himself onto the chair that Artemis was once sitting on.

"What..." he said out loud, still trying to catch his breath. "What happened?" he managed to ask.

Artemis was already seated on the chair opposite him. "I'm sorry I had to show you that way, but words could not convey the horror of it all. The god monster Typhon destroyed our home and any survivors were cast out to live on Earth."

"Home? Where was that?"

"I'm sure at this point you've come to your own conclusions, but yes, it is exactly what you were thinking. The vision I've shown you is that of the destruction of our home, Mt. Olympus. I am Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Hera and twin-sister of Apollo, your father."

He opened his mouth, but couldn't form the words.

"You are a Demigod. The last Demigod, in fact. When Mt. Olympus was destroyed, Typhon unleashed the worst of his sons on Earth. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, the sons of Typhon died out before mankind could be obliterated."

"What killed them?"

She managed a smirk before she replied, "When the great mother Gaia died, so too did the laws that allowed gods to walk among the earth. When a god steps foot on earth, they age faster than mortals do."

He threw his hands up. "Wait, wait..." His breathing was irregular. He was slowly turning pale.

"Anthony," she said with the utmost of grace, "calm down."

And with that, he felt his breathing return to normal. The clamminess of his hands began to fade as he felt himself lessen the grip on his thighs. "This... this is all unbelievable."

She slowly nodded her head. "Yet... you've seen a son of Typhon before."

He closed his eyes and dug his head into the backrest of the leather chair. "Okay... okay..." He took a deep breath. "Let's say everything you've told me is true."

"Mmhmm."

He opened his eyes and fixed them on his newfound aunt. "What do I need to do exactly?"

"Well, first we need to find-"

"No, just tell me exactly what I need to do," he interrupted.

She paused then returned a stern glance before answering, "First, you should show more respect. Second, to phrase it quickly, you need to find a way to get to Mt. Olympus and restore the Olympian Lineage."

"How?"

"A child of a god must be born in Mt. Olympus to restore us, or you, as the rightful owner."

"Why me?"

"Not only are you the last Demigod, but you happen to be the closest to Mt. Olympus." With that, she stood up, strode to the window and pulled apart the maroon tattered drapes. "You see that mountain over there, that's where our home used to be."

"Oh, well, that's convenient."

"It's not that simple. First, we need to find an Olympian female before you get there and then we have to defeat the children of Typhon that remain there."

"Won't we need help?"

"As much as we can get."

"Great! Where are the remaining gods?"

"When we fell, we were spread out across the earth."