A beautiful, tall woman with her face pressed to knees was quietly crying while muttering something. She could have been mistaken for an ordinary woman if not for her enormous stature and horns. She must have been in unbearable pain for some reason, cause she didn't even notice barbarian walking right up to her. Haemon had never once encountered a monster or a titan in all the months he'd been here. No matter how many times looked for enemies there were none. But fortunately, he eventually managed to find a trail of a certain monster that left ice behind her.
"What's wrong with her?" Haemon asked, looking at woman crying. A raven-shaped shadow flew up to his master and sat on his shoulder, cawing. "Nightmares after war, he-he, Titanamachia has inflicted irreparable wounds on many. And this girl was in midst of some pretty disgusting events" Olympian looked coldly at a woman and turned to leave. "Master, can you say one word out loud?" Asked raven brushing his feathers perched on warrior's shoulder. "Why?" Haemon turned his head and stared at shadow. "Come on, just say, Zeus. Let us have fun at least once!" Jumping off his shoulder, a raven flew up to a rock. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, barbarian sighed heavily and then said loudly: "Zeus!"
"Happy?" Warrior hissed, heading toward raven. It in turn bowed its head and smirked in a certain way. "Now," Bird whispered, flying high into the sky. "Damn," Haemon caught movement behind him but couldn't react in time. Before something incredibly huge and cold pierced his belly, chaining him to rock like a fly. He immediately tried to break free but was stopped by the stone spikes that emerged from rock to which he was chained. His whole body was pierced by stone immobilizing him completely, as soon as he started to break free with more force a barrage of fiery arrows rained down on him.
Woman clearly had no intention of letting go whoever dared to say her enemy's name. Her hands glowed purple with eyes, from many spells she was casting on Haemon in an attempt to kill him. "Die son of Olympus!" With a furious shriek, she slammed her palms, thus summoning several black holes near warrior. Thing turned out to be quite disgusting, for it tore flesh and bone without allowing barbarian to properly recover. The former lord of memories didn't stop there, her bloodlust boiling inside her as heart never stopped bleeding. With a flick of hand, she opened many cracks in space itself, unleashing torrents of unbridled primordial elemental.
Fire, lightning, water, earth, air, all these elements penetrated into olympian's body like poison, tearing and killing his consciousness many times over, thereby causing him to sink deeper and deeper into darkness of his soul. Deep inside is he just a deranged barbarian? A freak who hated world because it rejected good in his heart? An Olympian born of God knows when and God knows why? Who really is his mother? Just an incredibly powerful woman or something more?
Nyx is the night itself, a gentle night that brings dreams and peace. But then who is Haemon? Son of great night what is unable to match brothers in strength or knowledge! A brat banished from his family for his ugliness since night is beautiful. But what if this is not true face of night? From the very first day when men realized thought and ideas, they truly experienced true fear to only one thing. What hides in night shadows? Yes, night is a primal fear of what may dwell there! Who knows maybe at night there is a predator that is not afraid of fire or a demon forever prowling around looking for flesh!
There's a nightmare longing to break free. "I really hate your magic! I'll destroy it, devour every last drop of it!" A frantic shriek echoed throughout canyon, causing Titan to stop hail of spells. Her eyes stared in horror at what emerged from beneath of rock.
The skeleton burned nonstop in dark purple flames, consuming magic around it. It was as if flames themselves were predatory beasts devouring their prey. Any mage's worst nightmare. An adversary with power to devour very essence of magic, a monster from depths of everyone's subconscious who ever wondered what if there's one on whom magic had no effect at all? The fire seemed to devour flesh of its wearer as well, at least half of it since one side of it remained the same while the other shone like a torch in the night. Creating a hideous combination of skeleton and flesh, and as ironic as it sounds. For every power, you have to pay, and for this one price was incredibly high. Every second is agony in name of agony to defeat very essence of magic.
A nightmare yes, it's true power of a nightmare the one that must embody worst sides. Mistress of Memories came to her senses after realizing danger, quickly raising her hand in air, she drew some symbols that summoned a hail of firestones. The meteor shower fell on Haemon's head, but he didn't even try to dodge it, just raised his bony palm to sky. The pillar of black fire, like a hungry dog, pounced on the stones of the sky, incinerating them with a mere touch. The fire took on the form of a wolf tearing at the very heavens. Sorceress recoiled in horror at what she saw, panicked, she began to recite one spell after another. But those, as one might expect, were completely useless. It doesn't matter if it was ice that could freeze time itself, or lightning that destroy planets. Everything was devoured by fire wolf and his mad master.
In the end Olympian decided to kill sorceress, then with a swing of a flaming whip, he struck a powerful blow. But didn't succeed, cause a shield made by stars appeared Infront of her. Titan covered her face with hands in fear of anticipation, but was shocked when nothing happened. Opening her eyes she whispered with tears in eyes: "Father!" Then realizing that this wouldn't hold beast for long, she flew into air growing a pair of enormous eagle wings. "Who are you?" Olympian hissed demonically as he watched how prey fly away. It took a couple of moments before a cheerful older voice replied, "Ha-ha sorry about that Haemon but I couldn't let you torment my daughter like that. Yes, it is wrong to interfere in a hunter's affairs in such a way, but it is also not a good thing to kill innocents. As a token of my sincere apology, I will show you a way to a more appropriate dinner"
Putting out fire with gritted teeth, Olympian coldly turned to voice, "Where?" A chuckle echoed throughout canyon and then a red glow appeared in sky as a pointing way. "Who would have thought such powerful personalities would decide to interfere?" A raven flew up to hunter, landing on his shoulder in the process. Haemon didn't punish his dastardly brother for his petty treachery, for through it he realized something new about himself. Covered in black veins, olympian tensed his leg muscles incredibly. With a roar, he sprinted toward new prey. His speed was phenomenal even by the standards of lords, ground was covered in cobwebs as soon as he took a step.
As he raced through desert, he pondered what his power lay in end. "Hmm, as being a son of night, I'm probably kind of coin other side" Shadow flew closer, while eating cheese with honey at the same time, and added. "Your conclusions are correct, master. Your true power is slowly awakening, you see the thing is that each of us gets powers depending on our desires and character. For example, if an olympian is raised in an environment where everyone needs to be taken care of, he or she is more likely to gain powers related to home. Our aunt Hestia is an example of this!"
"But truth is also you consider that there are two types of lords by nature. First are those who are born already determined, they are clearly aware of what they want and their character has already been formed before birth Athena and Ares are examples of that. And second type is those who, for the most part, were born as infants and their desires are manifold Odin of them," Shadow explained, growing a long gray beard as sitting in a lotus pose.
"Hm, second type you say" Olympian whispered thoughtfully, speeding up. Something had clearly occurred in his head, and it was something that would cause great problems for his enemies. After a while they reached destination.
An incredible sight appeared Infront of them. It was a tree, or rather a golden apple tree of incredible size, its branches reaching up to sky and its roots going so deep that it is hard to imagine. Haemon smiled madly as he realized it was a golden apple tree, while covering body with fire. "Old man is clearly not lacking in a sense of humor," Commented shadow as he watched how legendary hundred-headed dragon Ladon begin to descend from tree. Haemon didn't wait for beast to descend and immediately lunged at it with a spear.
Dragon noticed attack, so didn't hesitate to raise several heads to unleash its all-destroying venom mixed with fire. The spear flew aside, allowing the dragon to leap from tree, wings extended, a powerful whirlwind nearly bringing down olympian, but he managed to claw at the ground. Raising his hand he rained flames down on the dragon, forcing him to use heads again, but only this time all at once. Fire venom mixed with spheres of chaos erupted in fury at the stranger who dared to approach apple tree.
One arm and legs were held tightly to ground so that he wouldn't fly away cause of wind which was created by dragon's wings. While other arm spewed flames in response.
"More, show me more! Show me how strong is fallen titan!" With a frantic cry of joy, Haemon increased amount of flame. Other half of his body became veined again, as result giving Olympian a demonic appearance. Slowly, Haemon rose to his feet and began to approach dragon with confidence. His other hand summoned a flesh whip, which was engulfed in fire, with a swift sweep of hand, olympian lengthened whip and successfully wrapped it around monster's neck. One of heads was caught in a very dangerous position, as many fiery spikes wrapped around it tearing flesh, dragon felt its whole body slowly but surely being stripped of its head. It was too late to do anything, so he chose not to act.
Bloody tears welled up from barbarian's eyes, his physical strength had reached its limit, and that meant it was time to break free of shackles again. "You are mine!" Roaring, olympian yanked back sharply with all his might, ripping one of monster's heads clean off. The creature's head collapsed near his feet, giving him a chance to feast on flesh as he fought. Stabbing his clawed hand into serpent's neck, Haemon ripped out a chunk of meat and then swallowed it without even chewing. You could see blood mixed with meat soaking into olympian's bones. "Ladon do you want to know my true wish? Ha-ha, I truly wish to become a perfect nightmare!" Barbarian's cold voice like a whisper of death swept around making blood run cold in veins.
Haemon slowly raised another hand with a purpose to show a world, what madman dreams look like. His pale skin changed to black scales, then a multitude of green eyes stared out of Haemon's hand at world. It was a horde of mad children born in name of their father's mad dream. The various size of snakes crawled out from warrior's hand. And all of them dreamed of pleasing their father by bringing enemy as much suffering as possible. Some snakes nip at dragon's head, injecting venom deadly even to a creature like him. While others opened their mouths to spew their father's flames on sinners.
Dragon will fall from fire and venom and will become food. Once again the son of Nyx knew victory before an enemy whose face was feared by all. Haemon immediately pounced on beast's flesh as it drew its last breath. Even searing venom didn't stop barbarian from devouring titan's flesh. Fangs with claws plunged into flesh, giving pleasure of victory to olympian. But no sooner had Haemon finished his meal than the mighty voice spoke to him again. "Forgive me for distracting you from your meal, but could you give me a moment of your time? We have much to talk about, grandson!" A blue portal opened over Haemon's head, dragging him away. Shadow, in form of a sage, flew into the portal on a carpeted plane.