Chapter 36: Sons of War.
The Maze of Time pulsed with otherworldly energy, its stone corridors shifting and warping like a living, breathing entity. Damon, Brick, Naia, Thalios and Eudora found themselves suddenly torn apart, the very fabric of space twisting around them as the maze separated the companions.
Brick and Naia materialized together in a vast chamber, its walls adorned with shimmering runes that seemed to dance in the flickering torchlight. The ceiling arched high above them, lost in shadow, giving the impression of endless space with only the giant sand timer looming over them in the darkness.
"What in Hades just happened?" Brick bellowed, his voice echoing off the ancient stones. He spun around, searching frantically for any sign of their missing comrade. "Damon! Can you hear me?"
Naia placed a gentle hand on Brick's arm, her sea-green eyes filled with concern. "It's no use, Brick. The maze has separated us," she said softly, her grip tightening on her trident. The weapon hummed with power, responding to its wielder's unease.
Brick's shoulders slumped, a rare moment of vulnerability from the son of Ares. "Darn it..." he muttered, his mind racing with possibilities of what dangers Damon and the others might be facing alone.
Naia's voice cut through his spiralling thoughts. "We just have to keep moving and hope that the others can do the same. They are strong, Brick. They will find a way."
Brick took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders as he met Naia's gaze. "You're right. I know they can do it." He turned to face the twisting path before them, his war hammer gleaming dully in the low light. "We've got our own challenges to face."
"Come on," Naia urged, "we should move before this place changes again."
They set out through the maze, every footfall echoing endlessly, adding to the disorienting nature of their surroundings. The walls seemed to breathe, expanding and contracting almost imperceptibly, while the floor beneath their feet occasionally rippled like the surface of a pond.
Suddenly, Naia froze, her eyes wide. "Brick, do you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the strange ambient noises of the maze.
Brick stopped, straining his ears. A low, rumbling roar reverberated through the corridors, sending a chill down his spine. "Yeah," he replied, tightening his grip on his hammer. "Sounds like something big. And angry."
They moved cautiously toward the sound, weapons at the ready. As they rounded a corner, the passageway opened into a massive circular chamber. At its centre stood a colossal creature that seemed to be made entirely of ice and snow. Its body was craggy and translucent, with glowing blue veins pulsing beneath the frozen surface. In one massive hand, it dragged an enormous club adorned with glowing Norse runes.
"W-What is that thing?" Naia gasped, having never encountered such a creature in all her adventures.
"An ice troll," Brick growled, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the threat. "I've heard stories, but I never thought I'd see one up close."
The troll's head snapped towards them, its eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. With a thunderous roar that shook loose shards of ice from its body, it charged.
"Here it comes!" Brick shouted, bracing himself for impact.
But before either of them could make a move, a blinding bolt of lightning streaked past them, striking the troll square in the chest. The creature stumbled back, its icy exterior cracking from the force of the blow.
As the spots cleared from their vision, Brick and Naia saw a figure standing before them, hammer raised high. Erik, son of Thor, stood tall and proud, his red hair crackling with residual electricity.
"Erik..." Brick said, recognition and wariness mingling in his voice.
The son of Thor turned to face them, his hammer still sparking with energy. A cold smile played across his lips. "Naia, Brick. Fancy meeting you here, sons of Greece." His voice was deep and resonant, carrying the hint of a challenge.
Brick's eyes narrowed, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Erik. I should have known we'd run into you eventually."
Erik smirked, casually wiping troll blood off his hammer. "This maze is strange. It separated me from my team." His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Perfect timing, wouldn't you say?"
Naia stepped forward, her trident at the ready. "We don't have time for this, Erik. We're supposed to reach the maze's centre, not fight each other." Her voice was firm, trying to be the voice of reason.
Erik's smile widened as he raised his hammer. "Why not both? This maze is about proving our strength. What better way than to take you both down and prove myself to the gods?" He locked eyes with Brick, issuing a silent challenge. "After all, what kind of warrior would turn his back at the chance of such a battle?"
Brick grinned, a spark of excitement igniting in his eyes as he raised his war hammer. "I've been itching for a worthy fight. Let's see what you've got, Erik."
Naia sighed but readied her trident. "Fine. If we have to fight, let's get it over with."
"Two on one... I like those odds." Erik said.
The air crackled with tension as the three demigods faced off. Brick's muscles coiled, ready to spring into action. Naia's eyes darted between her two opponents, calculating her strategy. Erik stood tall, his hammer humming with barely contained power.
With a mighty roar, Brick charged at Erik, his war hammer swinging in powerful arcs. Erik met him head-on, their weapons clashing with a thunderous boom that echoed through the maze. Sparks flew as they exchanged heavy blows, each strike resonating with the power of their divine heritage.
Naia moved swiftly, circling around Erik and thrusting her trident with precise strikes. Water materialized at her command, swirling around her weapon and lashing out like liquid whips. Erik was forced to split his attention, deflecting her attacks with his hammer while trying to fend off Brick's relentless assault.
The battle was intense, the very air seeming to vibrate with the force of their clashes. Brick's raw power was matched by Erik's strength and skill, neither seeming to gain the upper hand. Naia's water-based attacks added an unpredictable element, forcing Erik to stay on his toes.
Despite the ferocity of the fight, there was a sense of mutual respect between the combatants. Brick couldn't help but grin as he traded blows with Erik, finally facing an opponent who could match him strength for strength. Erik's eyes gleamed with excitement, relishing the challenge presented by the Greek demigods.
"So, this is the power of the Greek demigods!" Erik yelled, his voice filled with exhilaration. "Come, show me more!"
As the battle raged on, the maze itself seemed to respond. The walls pulsed with energy, and the floor beneath their feet shifted and tilted, adding another layer of challenge to their fight.
Meanwhile, in another part of the maze, Damon faced his own trials. He found himself in a long, winding corridor, the walls adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to depict ancient battles and forgotten heroes. Shadows clung to every corner, writhing and twisting as if alive.
Waves of spectral enemies emerged from the darkness, their ghostly forms swirling around him. Each defeated foe granted him soul points, a strange currency of power that Damon had grown accustomed to collecting. It had been a while since he'd been able to gather souls, and the familiar rush of power was both exhilarating and unsettling.
Damon's sword flashed with dark energy as he cut through the spectral warriors. He could feel the strength of the shadows growing within him, enhancing his abilities. As he fought, he kept a mental tally of his soul points, already planning his next upgrade.
The last of the spectral enemies dissipated with a haunting wail, leaving Damon alone in the corridor once more. He took a moment to catch his breath, the silence now almost deafening after the chaos of battle.
"Looks like that's the last of them," he muttered, unable to sense any more immediate threats.
Ever since arriving on Mount Olympus, Damon had been unable to collect souls, leaving him no room to upgrade his abilities. He'd been forced to train the old-fashioned way, which worked but was much slower than his strange system. Now, with this influx of power, he felt a mix of relief and unease.
Suddenly, the shadows around Damon seemed to pulse with warning. A new presence was approaching, radiating power that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Something is coming this way," Damon said, his grip tightening on his sword. "And whoever or whatever it is... it's strong."
A large, dark figure appeared in the distance, slowly approaching through the twisting corridors of the maze. As it stepped into the light, Damon found himself face to face with Atl, the son of Tláloc. One of the Aztec demigods.
Atl's Aztec armour glinted in the dim light, intricate patterns etched into the metal seeming to move like flowing water. His eyes burned with fierce determination as he looked Damon up and down, his gaze as intense as a gathering storm.
"One of you..." Atl said, his voice low and rumbling like distant thunder.
Damon took in the sight of his opponent. Atl was a muscular young man with deep blue hair that seemed perpetually wet, as if he had just emerged from the depths of the ocean. His eyes shifted colour like storm clouds, and his skin was marked with swirling patterns that resembled flowing water, like living tattoos.
Damon readied his sword, feeling the shadows gather around him, screaming danger and power. The very air seemed to grow heavy with tension as the two demigods faced each other.
Atl's expression was grim, his voice laced with barely contained anger. "To prove myself. This maze... It's a test for all of us. Your kind has looked down on us for far too long."
Confusion flashed across Damon's face. "What do you mean, 'my kind'? We're all demigods here."
But Atl didn't seem interested in explanations. Without another word, he charged, his spear glowing with divine energy. Damon met his attack head-on, their weapons clashing with a force that shook the ground. Spider web-like cracks formed in the stone beneath their feet as they struggled for dominance.
Atl's spear thrusts were precise and powerful, each strike infused with the fury of a raging storm. Damon countered with swift, shadow-infused strikes, but he quickly realized he was being pushed to his limits. Every muscle in his body screamed with effort as he fought to keep up with Atl's relentless assault.
"This guy... He's so strong," Damon thought, his mind racing as he dodged and weaved, using his shadow ability to burst into darkness itself as he avoided Atl's attacks. But even with his powers, he was barely managing to stay in the fight.
Desperation began to creep in as Damon realized he was outmatched. He needed to change the tide of the battle, and fast.
"Let's see how you handle this!" Damon shouted, summoning every ounce of power he could muster. Hellfire burst to life around him and his sword, the dark flames licking hungrily at the air. With a primal yell, he unleashed a powerful blast, engulfing Atl at point-blank range.
The corridor filled with smoke and the acrid smell of brimstone. Damon leapt back, using the moment to catch his breath and reassess his strategy. But as the smoke began to clear, his heart sank.
Atl stood unharmed, surrounded by a shimmering barrier of water that had protected him from the hellfire. The son of Tláloc's eyes glowed with an inner light, his voice filled with disdain.
"Your fire is weak. Your soul is conflicted. And you have no chance of defeating me."
Suddenly, Atl's body crackled with electricity, and the air grew thick with moisture. Out of nowhere, rain began to fall, defying the laws of nature within the confines of the maze.
Damon's eyes widened as he realized the true extent of Atl's power. "This isn't looking good," he muttered, raising his sword once more as he prepared for Atl's next attack.
The son of Tláloc raised his hands, and the rain intensified, swirling around him in a vortex of water and lightning. "You Greeks think you're so superior," Atl snarled, his voice barely audible over the roar of the storm. "It's time you learned that there are other pantheons, other powers in this world. And we will no longer be ignored!"
As Atl prepared to unleash his full power, Damon searched desperately for a way to turn the tide of battle. The shadows whispered to him, offering their power, but would it be enough? With his back against the wall, Damon knew he would have to dig deep and find the strength he never knew he had if he hoped to survive this encounter.
Back in the chamber where Brick, Naia, and Erik fought, the battle had reached a fever pitch. Despite their initial bravado, the demigods seemed evenly matched. Brick's brute strength and Erik's lightning-infused attacks were counterbalanced by Naia's strategic strikes and water manipulation.
Erik deflected another of Brick's powerful blows, the impact sending shockwaves through both their arms. He countered with a spin, his hammer crackling with electricity as it connected with Brick's side. The son of Ares grunted but remained on his feet, taking the blow like a hulking tank before swinging his hammer in a wide arc that forced Erik to leap back.
Naia seized the moment, summoning a torrent of water that knocked Erik off balance. She lunged with her trident, aiming for a non-lethal strike, but Erik recovered quickly, blocking her attack with the haft of his hammer.
"You're good," Erik admitted, a smile of genuine admiration crossing his face. "But this ends now."
With a roar that shook the very foundations of the maze, Erik summoned a massive bolt of lightning that surged through his hammer. He directed it at both Brick and Naia, the raw power of the attack throwing them back and sending their weapons sparking from the electric charge.
Brick gritted his teeth as he watched Naia struggle to her feet. Slowly, he rose, his body smoking from the attack but a grin still plastered on his face. "That all your lightning can do?" he taunted, stepping in front of Naia protectively.
Erik's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed with renewed determination. He summoned another bolt, even more powerful than the last, and hurled it directly at Brick.
The son of Ares stood his ground, his massive frame absorbing the full force of the thunder. The air crackled and popped, filled with the scent of ozone and burning cloth. When the lightning faded, Brick still stood, his skin reddened but largely unharmed.
"Your hide is as thick as a troll's," Erik said, a note of respect in his voice.
Brick's grin widened as he felt his godly power surging through his body. His battle rage, held in check until now, began to boil over. The air around him seemed to shimmer with heat as his divine heritage manifested fully.
"This fight is nowhere near over," Brick growled, his voice deepening as the blessing of Ares took hold.
Naia watched in awe as Brick's body began to glow with a faint red aura. She had seen him fight before, but never like this. It was as if the very essence of war was flowing through him.
Erik, sensing the shift in power, readied himself for another round. But before any of them could make a move, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.
The walls of the maze groaned and shifted, stone grinding against stone as the very structure of their battleground began to change. The three demigods found themselves being pulled apart by unseen forces, the maze once again asserting its will.
"No!" Brick shouted, reaching out for Naia as the floor between them split open.
"Brick!" Naia cried, trying to use her water powers to bridge the gap, but the maze's magic was too strong.
Erik, too, was being drawn away, his face a mixture of frustration and resignation. "It seems the Maze has other plans for us," he called out. "But mark my words, Greeks. We'll finish this battle someday!"
As the chamber reconfigured itself, Brick and Naia found themselves reunited, but in a completely different part of the maze. The walls here were darker, seeming to absorb light rather than reflect it.
"Are you okay?" Brick asked, his battle rage subsiding as concern for his friend took precedence.
Naia nodded, catching her breath. "I'm fine.
"But where are we now?" Naia asked.
"I don't know..."