Chapter 13: Wrath of the Thunder Bringer

  “Flee you fools!” Chiron’s voice cut through the valley, bading Cir and Odysseus to flee through the burning camp as the sky began to cry and extinguish the fmes driving the gnolls away.

  “Who did you piss off?!” Cire shouted, spinning to fire three arrows into a pursuing gnoll.

  “Me? Why do you think this is my fault?!” Odysseus spat.

  “It just feels like it is!”

  “Well!” Odysseus spat through gritted teeth as the pair ran, “At least there's good news.”

  “Oh? And what's that?!”

  “I can see the enemy,” Odysseus replied before turning and firing an arrow that hit a gnoll through one of its many eye sockets, instantly killing the furry creature.

  “Show off,” Cire hissed as the two came to the edge of the camp where several gnolls broke through the smouldering wall weakened by the fme and storm. “Now what?”

  “Good question.”

  “And?”

  “And what?” Odysseus replied, turning to the girl who paled at his response before a green light illuminated the heavens.

  “Meteroria.”

  The gleen above suddenly exploded, raining down a hundred bolts of light that struck the earth, eviscerating the gnolls blocking Cir and Odysseus’s path.

  I want that! Odysseus gawked, the prospect of such power tantalizing to him.

  “Come!” Chiron barked, snapping Odysseus from his daze to run towards the centaur that stood only a few dozen meters away.

  However, before Odysseus could take his first step towards his mentor, the sky cracked, a blinding light that roared with fury and struck the earth with thunderous appuse.

  “W-what is that?” Cire stuttered, the girl shaking as Odysseus’s vision finally returned.

  The sky above began to twist, the clouds visible to the naked eye despite no sun to reflect their form.

  A storm was gathering.

  Odysseus frowned, looking down at his arm where all the hairs stood on end, the air seeming to suddenly become acrid with the scent of ozone as an eagle's cry echoed.

  “Zeus…” Odysseus muttered, the name out of his mouth before he realized what he said as the tapestry above cracked with lightning once more and a figure stood between him and Chiron.

  “Zeus? As in the all-father? The big guy in the sky? THE Zeus?!” Cire yelled before taking a step back from the figure cd in a simple white robe with gold jewels dotting his body.

  “The Me,” The man replied smugly, his form one of shifting smoke, his body human yet inhuman, tall but seemingly endless, as though Odysseus was gazing at a void.

  Yet, despite looking at the marble-skinned god, all Odysseus could muster up was anger rather than reverence or fear, his body unwilling to back down even as Cire seemed to lose her strength and fall to her knees.

  [Protection Against Divinity Activated!]

  “Zeus!” Odysseus hissed, rage boiling beneath his skin as the tter’s inhuman eyes focused on him.

  “Zeus! Begone from this pce! You know the rules set here, you-” Chiron yelled before suddenly vanishing as the porcein god raised his hand.

  “Silence.”

  Chiron was gone, bsted away as the world shook, the very earth beneath Odysseus feet quaking as though a mighty beast had awoken.

  “Chiron!” Cire yelled, drawing her bow only to be struck by lightning.

  “Cire!” Odysseus clenched his jaw, an audible grating sound vibrating from his mouth as his teeth snapped together in a snarl.

  Immediately Odysseus’s hand came up, his bow firing an arrow at the divine being that struck true, snapping the blonde man's head back as the arrow entered his skull.

  Yet it did no damage.

  Zeus shifted his head, his hand reaching up and pulling out the flint tipped arrow with ease before slowly approaching the young archer.

  Shit.

  Odysseus raised his bow, firing arrow after arrow, the divine being not bothering to dodge or deflect, only calmly walking forward with his body peppered with arrows.

  Then, the god stood before Odysseus, his eyes burning as his flint knife came out and shanked the divine being in his spleen.

  “Are you done?” Zeus said, his voice akin to a parent talking down to a tantrum throwing child.

  The man's hand came up, arrow in hand, Odysseus eyes wide as the god prepared to strike.

  However no strike came, instead a hand was pced on his cheek, a wide smile on Zeus's visage that seemed to morph under Odysseus’s eyes as dozens of notifications fshed in his vision.

  [Protection Against Divinity Activated!]

  [Protection Against Divinity Activated!]

  [Protection Against Divinity Activated!]

  [Protection Against Divinity Activated!]

  An old man, a young tanned boy, a stern figure, and a stoic bearded lord with a raven on his shoulder.

  Different faces bearing down at Odysseus, each wearing a smile but wrath in their golden eyes that danced with power.

  He caressed Odysseus's face, a shiver creeping up the tter's spine, who did his best to stand before the being releasing such suffocating pressure.

  Why can't I move?!

  “It would be so easy to tear you down, steal your life from your body as you stole from me,” Zeus whispered, his voice calm, almost comforting as he held the arrowhead before Odysseus's face. “Yet as you are now you don't even grasp the culpability of your crimes.”

  [Protection Against Divinity Activated!]

  A shimmering effect coated Odysseus's skin, blocking the arrow from grazing his flesh as the god flicked his wrist.

  “My child. Born of my flesh, so wise yet foolish,” Zeus said before his hand began to press against the barrier, the arrow slowly cutting through until it nicked the bottom of Odysseus's eye “I may not be able to touch you. But you will feel my presence. Forever and more.”

  Then, Zeus lifted the arrow, the projectile morphing into a bronze lightning bolt in his palm and stabbing Odysseus in the eye.

  ****

  “GAH!” Odysseus woke, shooting up as he clutched his burning eye and rolled from his bed.

  Odysseus screamed, his body curling up into a ball, still clutching his face as Chiron entered his room, trailed by Cire.

  “Odysseus? Odysseus! Show me your face!” Chiron asked, crouching low to steady the boy crying out in pain and filing.

  “What's wrong with him?” Cire asked, concern on the young ranger’s face as Odysseus continued to scream.

  “Odysseus! Show me your face!” Chiron demanded, finally managing to wrestle the boy's hands from his eye only for Chiron to wince. “Cire! Get the green pouch in my cabin!”

  “Whats-”

  “Now!”

  “Y-yes sir!” Cire reported taking off only to return a moment ter with a rge green satchel where Chiron began rummaging through the container.

  “Here boy,” Chiron said, taking out oils and balms as Cire looked on with her eyes going round at the sight of Odysseus’s face.

  He was scarred, his leftmost eye bearing a jagged wound in the shape of a lightning bolt that pulsed with electricty

  “What happened?” Cire asked, standing to the side with a worried expression.

  A moment passed, Chiron refusing to reply as Odysseus finally finished screaming and fell unconscious.

  “Chiron?”

  “Fetch me some bandages, Cire, please,” Chiron ordered, picking the young boy up and pcing him back in his bed.

  “Yes sir,” Cire said, doing as ordered as Chiron began to mutter archaic words ced with power.