As soon as the elevator doors opened, Ikki and Percy stepped out, each reacting differently to the sight before them.
The son of Poseidon nearly had a heart attack, while his friend was only mildly surprised.
They found themselves on a narrow stone path suspended in the sky. Below them lay Manhattan, as if viewed from an airplane. Before them, a spiral staircase of white marble rose through a cloud into the heavens.
Ikki glanced at the staircase's end and was astonished at what he saw, his eyes gleaming slightly.
In one simple word, Olympus was "wonderful."
From the clouds' peak emerged the decapitated summit of a mountain, its pinnacle covered in snow.
On the mountain's slope were dozens of palaces at various levels—a city of mansions—all featuring white-columned porticoes, golden terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with countless fires. Roads coiled in a dizzying manner up to the peak, where the largest palace shone brilliantly against the snow. Precariously perched gardens flourished with olive trees and rose bushes.
Ikki could distinguish an open market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater on one side of the mountain, a racetrack, and a coliseum on the other. It was an ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins.
It was fresh, clean, and vibrant, like Athens must have been 2,500 years ago.
Beside him, Percy had wide eyes as he took in everything around him. His brain simply couldn't process what he was seeing. He looked again, as if his mind doubted what his eyes insisted upon: it was really there.
"This palace can't be here," Percy said to no one in particular, disbelief evident in his voice. "The peak of a mountain hanging over New York City like a billion-ton asteroid? How can something like this be anchored above the Empire State Building, in plain sight of millions of people, and not be noticed?"
"It's probably because of the Mist that they can't see the place…" Ikki explained calmly, though he felt that this place was separate from the earthly plane, as if existing in another dimension.
Through his [Kansas Yog Law], he could understand some of the complexity of this location's creation, but not entirely. He would need days to study it and potentially replicate it using his spatial manipulation, though he doubted it would be easy or that he had enough "energy" for it...
Percy remembered what his friend had told him about the Mist, but that didn't explain how a place this massive floated above New York.
Ikki noticed his friend's doubt and replied, "It probably floats because of magic or some divine power keeping it suspended here. Either way, let's go—we have a meeting with the Gods."
The son of Poseidon nodded, still trying to grasp the reality of the place. It was real. He was here. This wasn't a dream; it was the mysticism of the Gods, the inexplicable to mortals.
Their journey through Olympus was breathtaking. Ikki and Percy passed forest nymphs who giggled and threw olives from their orchards at them. In the market, vendors offered ambrosia popsicles, a new shield, and a genuine replica of the Golden Fleece in shimmering fabric, as advertised on Hephaestus TV.
The nine Muses tuned their instruments for a park concert as a small crowd gathered—satyrs, naiads, and a group of attractive teenagers who might have been minor gods and goddesses.
No one seemed worried about an imminent civil war.
In fact, everyone appeared to be in a festive mood.
Ikki felt somewhat uncomfortable with all the attention he was receiving. Everywhere they went, the locals stared at him, completely captivated by his perfection.
Still, the two didn't take a proper tour of Olympus. Who could imagine what might happen if they wandered too long in the Gods' abode?
Undeniably, goddesses would want a piece of Ikki, despite him being a child.
He was simply irresistible.
Ikki and Percy climbed the main road toward the grand palace at the peak. It was an inverted replica of the palace in the Underworld. There, everything was black and bronze. Here, everything gleamed in white and silver.
Hades must have modeled his palace after this one. He wasn't welcome on Olympus except during the winter solstice, so he built his own Olympus underground. Despite his bad experience with the God of the Underworld, Percy felt sorry for the guy. Being banished from this palace seemed truly unfair. It would embitter anyone.
The stairs led to a central courtyard. Beyond it lay the throne room.
Ikki and Percy exchanged a glance before ascending the stairs to their meeting with the Greek Pantheon.
"Room" wasn't exactly the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet.
Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling decorated with moving constellations.
Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. A large fire crackled in the central brazier.
Most of the thrones were occupied, except for two. The two missing gods were from the male side of the council. All the goddesses were present.
The gods fell silent, waiting for the two demigods to approach. Under their watchful eyes, both walked to the front of the central throne on the right and the one immediately to its left.
Ikki appeared completely casual. His expression was calm and serene. Percy, walking beside him, was nervous and tense. By the time they reached the gods, the son of Poseidon's legs were trembling.
The gods were in giant human form, like Hades had been during their earlier encounter. Percy could barely look at them without feeling a tingling sensation, as if his body was beginning to burn.
As they walked toward the gods, Ikki briefly observed them. Ares was one of the two missing gods. Of those present, he recognized only Aphrodite, who smiled at him with amusement. Dionysus and she… the reasons behind the feelings he'd been experiencing in recent days.
Artemis was in her older form, somewhere between 18 and 20 years old, as always beautiful, proud, and full of grace. Ikki was captivated by her mature appearance. She was tall, with a well-built figure and curves in all the right places.
Quickly, he averted his eyes from the Goddess of the Moon, unsure how to face her, as emotions and feelings stirred strongly within his chest.
It wasn't the time for this.
Ikki also noticed Hestia crouched near the central brazier. She appeared just as he had seen her many times at Camp Half-Blood. She seemed to favor her younger form.
After glancing at the other gods, in just a fleeting moment, he had an idea of who was who. All of them were silent, and it seemed the meeting was about to begin—before the two interrupted.
Ikki focused his gaze on Zeus, the Lord of the Gods. Zeus wore a dark pinstripe suit and sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. His beard was neatly trimmed, a marble-gray and black mix, like a storm cloud. His face was proud, handsome, and stern, with eyes the gray of rain.
"Father and Lord..." Ikki knelt before his father, who nodded with satisfaction. He could almost sense a faint trace of affection in Zeus' demeanor. It was strange, considering that the King of the Gods wasn't exactly the loving father depicted in the myths he had read. But this was reality, not mere fiction crafted by humanity.
Though he considered this, Ikki decided to remain cautious. His power inherently brought imbalance to the world, and the Sky God might very well try to kill him out of paranoia.
Not that Ikki was worried. After facing Ares, he knew that his current power wasn't far below the gods'. His magical methods and mystical techniques gave him an advantage, though he wasn't certain just how far ahead he was.
Beside him, Percy knelt before the god he assumed to be Poseidon. Poseidon resembled a beachcomber from Key West, wearing leather sandals, khaki shorts, and a Tommy Bahama shirt adorned with palm trees and parrots. His skin was deeply tanned, and his hands bore scars like those of an old fisherman.
His hair was black, like Percy's own, and his face carried the same brooding expression that often earned Percy the label of rebel. But his eyes, sea-green like Percy's, were lined with wrinkles suggesting he smiled often.
Percy approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet, saying, "Father."
He didn't dare look up. His heart raced, and he could feel the energy emanating from the gods. If he said the wrong thing, there was no doubt they could reduce him to ashes.
Zeus frowned, displeased as he addressed Percy: "Should you not first speak to the lord of this house, boy?"
"Peace, brother," Poseidon said. His voice stirred Percy's oldest memories—a warm sensation, like the faint memory of a god's hand on his forehead when he was a baby. Poseidon continued, "The boy submits to his father. That is proper."
His voice was as calm as a wave-less sea but as powerful as a tsunami.
Zeus glared at Poseidon with dangerous eyes and asked in a threatening tone, "So you still claim him as your own?"
Without waiting for a response, Zeus continued, "You claim this child, conceived in defiance of our sacred oath?"
The goddess seated on Zeus' other side sent him a piercing look and coldly said:
"Hypocrite."
The King of the Gods shifted uncomfortably at the goddess's icy word. Calmly, Ikki glanced at the goddess who had spoken. He recognized her as Hera. She had long, licorice-black hair, soft brown eyes in which one could easily get lost, and a face of regal, untouchable beauty.
Her figure was utterly divine, with curves in all the right places.
Her beauty was undoubtedly worthy of the title "the most beautiful goddess of the Ancient Olympians."
Ikki had felt her cold gaze since entering the room, but he didn't care. He knew she hated him and would probably try to make his life a living hell as if he were to blame for his father's infidelity. Yet the goddess before him seemed to disregard that logic entirely.
Poseidon seemed to agree with Hera. He looked at his brother and spoke: "Yes, brother. Your words are pure hypocrisy. You too broke our sacred oath—twice. And unlike you, I admitted my transgression."
Transgression. The word made Percy's throat tighten. Was that all he was? A transgression? The result of a god's mistake?
Zeus ignored Poseidon's words and tried to disregard the intense gaze of the goddess seated on his other side. He turned to his son, who was looking at the gods with a calm expression on his unreal face—pride gleamed in his eyes.
"Shouldn't we begin this meeting? Arguing about this won't lead us anywhere," one goddess said, glancing at Ikki as though analyzing his words and behavior with maximum efficiency.
The goddess resembled Annabeth in many ways, especially her storm-gray eyes, though hers were colder, brighter, and seemed "full of fierce energy." She was extraordinarily beautiful, with long dark hair and a regal, lovely face, fitting for a warrior goddess.
Her figure was captivatingly perfect—ideal for a warrior goddess.
There was no doubt she was Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.
"You're right… Let's hear what the boys have to say," Zeus said, seizing his daughter's intervention to proceed with the meeting.
"Yes, we'll hear them out and then decide what to do with them," Hera said coldly, surprising everyone. The gods quickly realized her true intent for this "meeting."
Ikki frowned. This woman spoke as if his life was in her hands, which annoyed him. But he swallowed his anger and began to recount everything that had happened on the mission, while Percy supported him with details and helped narrate the story.
Percy pulled the metal cylinder from his backpack, which began sparking in the presence of the Sky God, and placed it at the feet of its original owner.
There was a long silence, broken only by the crackling of the brazier's fire.
Zeus opened his palm, and the bolt flew into it. When he closed his fist, the metallic points sparkled with electricity until he held what looked like a classic lightning bolt—a six-foot dart of energy with crackling sparks that made Percy's hair stand on end.
Feeling better now that his weapon was returned, Zeus murmured, "I feel these boys are telling the truth."
He looked toward one of the gods seated on a throne. Others also turned to him, as though expecting him to speak.
Ikki glanced over and noticed the god looking at him strangely—with a hint of sensuality?
Though uncertain, given the warmth emanating from him and the gods' focused attention as though he were a lie detector, Ikki supposed this was the Sun God, Apollo. His appearance confirmed his identity—he was exceptionally handsome, as tall, muscular, and bronzed as a Baywatch lifeguard, with long golden hair tied in a "man bun" and eyes that shone like the sun.
His splendor was enhanced by his golden Greek tunic and the beautiful golden bow and quiver of magical arrows hanging on the right side of his throne.
"They're telling the truth..."
"But it's not like Ares to do something like this," Zeus said after hearing Apollo's confirmation.
"He's proud and impulsive," Poseidon remarked mockingly. "It's a family trait."
"Sir?" Percy called out, deciding to share his dreams with the gods. He addressed his father, but Poseidon and Zeus responded simultaneously:
"Yes?"
"Ares didn't act alone. Someone—or something—planted the idea," Percy said, explaining his dreams.
Ikki added details about the malevolent aura that seemed to freeze the world and made Ares hesitate to continue fighting him.
"In my dreams," Percy continued, his voice pensive and slightly trembling, "the voice told me to take the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he was also having dreams. I think he was being used, just like me, to start a war."
"You're accusing Hades, then?" Zeus asked.
"It wasn't our uncle," Ikki's words surprised the gods. "It was something older and more powerful..."
The gods exchanged looks.
A heated discussion erupted in Ancient Greek about what it could be.
Ikki, understanding Ancient Greek, discerned that they were debating a prophecy foretelling the destruction or salvation of Olympus by the hands of a demigod of the Big Three.
This prophecy had been the reason for their oath, another attempt to control fate. Yet they had failed, as two of the three had fathered children in recent years.
The most tension-inducing topic, however, was Cronus, the King of the Titans.
When the discussion reached this point, Zeus raised his hand, silencing the room. His brow furrowed as he spoke:
"Enough of this subject."
"Is there anything else, boys?" he asked impatiently.
Both shook their heads.
"Then let's finally decide what to do with you," Hera said, staring directly at Ikki.