They had one more day and the brothers were still in the midst of a heated argument. Zargreus and Methios were actually sick and tired of this feud going on between their three brothers but the others kept going on and on. The only upside was that nothing had turned violent yet.
In the past when the brothers fought, Methios would immediately take his older brothers' side because they were practically the same age and more alike in terms of their personalities. Zargreus would usually take his little brothers' side but now both of them just wished this would be over so peace could be had.
"ENOUGH!" The two brothers watched as Athenios reached his hand up and pin Leodocus and Arcus to the wall.
"Brother, maybe you shouldn't—"
"Be quiet Zar! I don't want to hear any more from any of you."
Athenios had had enough, he was angry and as he looked at his two little brothers pinned to the wall he dropped his hand and they were released.
"You will all listen to me very carefully now. Leo, I don't know what's gotten into you other than your obviously having some infatuation with this thing—"
"I do not—"
"I said be quiet!" he used his fathers' voice now. It boomed through the room as it would when they were younger and being scolded by the Allfather for one reason or another
"You do and you would do best to forget about it. It is going to die!"
"It is a she for god's sake," Leodocus mumbled under his breath as he peeled off the floor.
Athenios now looked at his youngest brother.
"And you, I have never known you to be so defiant Arcus." He used a softer voice with him.
"I am sorry brother." He bowed his head.
"All is well just as long as—"
"I am sorry that you expect me to be okay with murdering an innocent girl!" Arcus was angry again and it took everyone by surprise.
"Oh Arcus do not be so naïve, this has to be done and please do not pretend as if you've never taken a life before, remember that servant girl?"
"That little wrench was attacking that poor animal, I had to smite her."
"So you say." Athenios rolled his eyes.
"If she's such a threat then why don't we just lock her up instead of killing her?" Arcus said as he sat down on the floor.
"That's pure idiocy brother," Methios said from the other side of the room.
"No it's not, it could work."
"And then what Arcus? We lock her up for eternity and then what?" Zargreus asked.
"Then she's alive at least and we're not killers."
"Do you really think anyone especially a mortal would choose to be locked up in the depths of hell forever rather than a quick clean death?" Athenios taunted which made Arcus confused.
"Precisely, and what if father discovers that she still draws breath?" Methios asked his little brother.
"I don't know."
"I will tell you then. He will not give her the mercy of a quick death. He will make it painful and cruel and will use her as an example of anyone that threatens his power."
"Exactly, killing it now is mercy because I'm sure once it starts using its powers Zeus will know and be on the hunt for it," Athenios added.
"Would you stop calling her it!? Gods be damned she is a person!" Leodocus was getting angry again.
"I will hear nothing from you Leodocus."
"Even if I agree with all of you?"
"You do?"
"Yes, we can't take her prisoner. Zeus will find her but I don't want to kill her either." He said looking at Arcus.
"Leo there is no in-between, we give her death or we give her to father." Zargreus expressed.
"There is a third option."
"Well then enlighten us on your brilliant idea." Athenios sat back.
"I do not appreciate your sarcasm brother."
This was something Leodocus had been thinking about since their last day at Mount Olympus, something so unspeakable that when his mother Hera taught him all about it she swore him to secrecy. It was a ritual that if performed perfectly meant immortal greatness but if not meant incredible tragedy.
"We don't kill her but we ensure she is no longer a threat to Zeus."
"And how in god's name would we do that?" Arcus asked.
"We take her power, her essence and anything that makes her godly away. We make her completely mortal."
"What?" They all gaped at him.
"It would ensure that she never threatens Zeus' divine rule and save her in the progress. We could return home and be heroes."
"That is ambitious brother but I'm afraid it's impossible." Zargreus looked gravely at his brother.
"No it is possible, my mother told me so herself."
"Oh, we should all trust your mother now? Leo do not act as if she hasn't lied before to you and everyone else here."
"He's not wrong Leo, Hera is as deceitful as King Proetus was when he plotted the killing of Bellerophon. You cannot trust her.
"That was different, you know father's constant betrayals only enhanced this part of herself in her as well as I."
"As did our mothers but they didn't plot to run us out of Mount Olympus at every chance out of anger!" Methios expressed angrily.
"None of them is his wive now are they?"
"Here he goes defending her once more." Zargeues rolled his eyes at his little brother making Leodocus' jaw tick with irritation.
"I am not defending her but she had no choice being the deity of wives and all. All of this is beside the point here brothers."
He tried to reign in his increasing anger because squabbling about something as old as this was not going to accomplish a single thing. There would always some resentment for Leodocus' mother Hera and her actions but now was not the time go on the defensive about that.
"I concur, tell us what you know Leo." Arcus encouraged his brother.
"Mother told me the story of a half-blood that was born a hundred years after Hercules. Apollo created and ended her all the same."
"I don't recall this story," Zargreus said.
"It wasn't one of the many others father used to tell us. The half-blood was named Ctesylla and she married a power-hungry man that wanted to use her powers for greed. Apollo watched from above until the very last night of Ctesyllas' life where her husband was going to sacrifice her to take her power for himself. Apollo had grown fond of his creation so he wanted to save her so she could continue to spread his worship to the world."
"Are you by chance coming to a conclusion here brother?" Athenios asked impatiently.
"If you would pacify yours and let me finish. Anyhow Apollo descended down to earth to save her but he was too late. He acted quickly by bargaining with the Thanatos from taking her soul and he took it himself to Hades so he could purify it off all abilities and she could live a normal life. It was a success but it took too long to convince Hades and she died anyway because her mortal body was weak by the time they had arrived in the Underworld. Even still her soul was purified." Leodocus concluded.
"Where is it now?" Arcus asked.
"It is in Hades, inside a special vault. Uncle Hades considered it one his treasures."
"Why didn't Apollo take it and put it back in her body or another of his prophets after she died?"
"Uncle Hades denied him access to it. And if you remember the spontaneous murder spree in the 1800s, Apollo was overcome with grieve and took it out on his favourite playthings, mortals."
"That's unfortunate but I still don't think this will work brother," Zargreus said.
"It will because we'll go take her and bring her back here for a short period of time. While we extract her soul and ask Uncle Hades to purify it and put back it into her then send her back to earth." Leodocus argued.
"But she'll be dead by then." Methios objected.
"Not if we charm her body, we'll use Medusas' spell and turn her body to stone for a bit."
"Such an enchantment is tricky brother, the last person who attempted it ended up trapping the love of his life in stone for eternity." Zargreus notified.
"There are ways around that problem, have faith in me."
"How did Hera come to know about this? Has she attempted it herself?"
"No, she told me she manipulated Apollo into divulging it to her by getting him drunk."
"Why?"
"I have never claimed to be an expert of my mothers' gnarled mind." Leodocus sighed rubbing his temples thinking about the demented woman who gave him life.
At this Athenios stood up from his chair finally having listened to enough.
"You are not all considering this ludicrous plan are you?" He asked all his brothers that were trying to get Leo's plan around their heads. Truth be told it was the only solution that wouldn't morally divide the brothers.
"For starters, we don't even how to do that." Methios was uncharacteristically acting as the voice of reason, ignoring his older brother.
"We can ask Fama to take us to see Pythia, she will help us."
"Us, so we all must go? Isn't Pythias' realm dangerous?" Arcus asked.
"I would expect that but I can go by myself."
"We do not separate Leo, ever," Athenios stated.
"We would be separating for only a short time, I shall go get what I need from Pythia while you all go retrieve her from the mortal world. Better I take the risk alone but I am confident I will be back not long after you all."
"Where would we even keep her?" Methios wandered.
"If you would build a prison chamber and I will write an incantation so that you may fortify it."
"This is idiocy…but it just might work."
"Yes, and we don't have to kill her." Arcus smiled.
"Okay, but how are we going to convince Uncle Hades to take her soul?" Zargreus asked and for a moment the brothers were stumped which amused Athenios.
"I'll kill someone on earth and when Hades come to claim their soul I will request a meeting with him."
"Have you gone mad Leodocus!?" Arcus expressed.
"What makes you think he will entertain you and have you forgotten that we are not even allowed to be down on earth?"
"Yes surely uncle will tell father and then we're all dead."
His brothers' worries were annoying Leodocus.
"Listen I think this could work and I would urge you all to remember that uncle doesn't follow Zeus' rules and does what is in his best interest. He will not turn me away or any of us in for that fact. Besides I will make him an offer he cannot refuse."
"What are you going to offer him?"
"I'm going to offer him a chance to perfect this soul purifying experiment. He succeeded with Ctesyllas' soul but the process wasn't complete. This is a chance of mastery for him."
"And to use her as a guinea pig?" Arcus mumbled.
"Essentially but I would remind you I'm trying to save her life here."
"Alright, brother I see how this plan of yours could work but are you really going to kill a person?"
"Yes. I will choose some doomed soul and kill him quickly."
"As long as it is not an innocent."
"I wouldn't dream of it brother."
"Leodocus I think we can all agree that this plan sounds more possible now but there's one thing you haven't accounted for," Zargreus said.
"And what is that exactly?"
"That this soul extraction was done on a half-blood, a mortal blessed by Apollo. But the descendant is not half-blood, she is a Hemitheos, she is one of us and I am afraid she will not willingly give up her soul so easily." He said effectively silencing the entire room.
Methios and Arcus had bought into the plan and even Athenios was beginning to waver until this moment. Now it seemed out of reach as they all imagined what it would be like to be in her position and someone was trying to take one of their souls. All of them would fight tooth and nail. No doubt she would as well.
"We will just have to convince her then." Leodocus conceded.
"Besides, there are five of us and one of her."
"She has probably never even used her powers." Arcus thought out loud.
"Absolutely, how can a little girl with barely broken in powers defeat the five sons of Zeus?" Methios said confidently.
"We can do this," Leodocus said.
"I believe in this plan," Zargreus said smiling.
"Thank you but what say you Athenios? We cannot do this without you." Leodocus looked at his older brother.
This is absolutely and completely absurd and yet it was the best they could do. If there was one thing Athenios had always struggled with was the ability to listen and take others' opinions into consideration but being exiled with his little brothers he was slowly learning.
And his brothers were his weakness; he simply could not abandon them now so reluctantly he nodded. The brothers then embraced each other then he pulled back.
"We will do this under one condition."
"Which is what?"
"How we capture it is my decision."
"I suppose that makes sense since these three will not know what to do with a female mortal but just promise me you won't harm her." Leodocus conceded.
"Why are you so concerned? As long as it gets here in one piece why does it matter what condition it is in?"
"It matters because we don't harm innocents and when you take her please practise referring to her as a person, not an object."
"You are truly too wound up Leo so perhaps you will be more relaxed once we capture your lady love." Athenios joked and everyone in the room sniggered except Leodocus who wore a sour expression. Leodocus shook his head at the thought. It was completely ridiculous.
"Don't be so immature, there is no time for such things. I'm just trying to make sure everyone walks out of this happy. We'll be back home, the threat eliminated and the girl will not have the burden of uncontrollable godly abilities. I'm doing a public service."
"I wish we could be at the end of that already."
"We all do Arcus. So we're all clear on the plan?"
"Yes, dawn is when we start."
"Dawn is when we begin to restore our destinies."
So the plan was set and the brothers were all on the same page. This was the only time they had hope of getting back their lives. Everything was riding on this going well.