Wrath "Rise of the Fallen"

Apollo often had a flair for epic finales, and this sunset was no exception. But Zeus enjoyed none of the spectacle as he descended to near the foot of Olympus. The riotous sky seemed only a harbinger of fire and blood. Hades had said to meet on the Thessaly side and by the time he arrived in a small clearing cut by a lively creek, the sky had darkened into a gruesome bruise, throwing the clusters of black pine into deep shadow and wrapping a slithery unease about him. So too did it accentuate the lightning-white fire that had started emanating from his ring—the stone he’d received from Kronos—as he arrived in the clearing.

“Brother,” Hades said, materializing from the darkness in a gentle whirl of ash-peppered darkness. The fire above his helm tossed an eerie green light that set the shadows dancing. He clasped Zeus’ shoulder then looked around. “Where’s the wet one?”

“Silence.” The word sizzled through the trees. Poseidon skated along the top of the creek, his thick black hair draped over the deep umber of his broad shoulders as wild as his beard. Glimmering symbols were tattooed about his bare shoulder, wrapping down across half of his chest. When he was even with his brothers he skipped off the creek and strode up the bank to grip Zeus’ shoulder in greeting. “King.” Turning to Hades, he said, “Lord of Decay.” Hades rolled his eyes, harrumphed, and said, “We have a long way to go. And I suspect we’ll arrive too quickly.”

“You know where we’re going?” Zeus asked.

“Not at all.” Hades pulled the opal from beneath his tunic. “But this is going to get us there. Gather close. Do you have yours?”

“My what?” Poseidon growled, his soft brown eyes flashing.

“Stone,” Hades snapped. “The one Kronos gave you.”

“Of course.” Poseidon lifted his hair to reveal a black rock afire with speckles of every color in his right ear. “Damned thing just started glowing too.”

“Like mine,” Zeus said, lifting his left fist to display the bouquet of light coming from his ring.

“Good. Good. Now come close.” Hades held his stone out and it seemed to catch fire. “I have no idea what’s going to hap—”