Fire and Metal: Chapter 12

Fire and Metal: Chapter List

Betrayal: Lance's POV
I opened my mouth, ready to interrogate our prisoners, when suddenly, all but one of the demigds seemed to be choking. I looked closely, and realized that their clothes seemed to be shrinking and compressing them. One by one, the demigods went limp.

"They're only unconscious." One of the prisoners said. He was the only one who hadn't been choked, but he also seemed tired. "Take me away from here, and I'll tell you everything I know. I was captured by Nero and forced to serve him after he found out about my talent to control clothes, appearances, and certain potions.  I never wanted this.  They are evil.  The only one who has ever show any kindness to me was Claudius, but he cannot do much under the watchful gaze of his fellow emperors."

Felicia asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Philip Venere, son of Aphrodite." The guy grunted.

I concentrated, and made a hole in the cage large enough for Philip to slip out, and then shut it again. I whispered to Felicia, "keep an eye on him."

Philip said, "All right. We need to go through this door, down the hall, to the prison.  I'm assuming you are trying to rescue your friend that was brought in a day ago?"

I nodded, and we started running. When we got to the cell Philip had led us to, there was no one in there. I turned around, "You! You tried to trick us!"

"No! No I didn't, they were talking about taking him away for a special appointment or something." He stammered.

"Oh no! We were too late!" Felicia cried.

"No we weren't, we just gotta get him away from three powerful emperors, no big deal." I tried to comfort her.

Philip then led us to the throne room. As he walked, he drew his weapon, a four foot long rapier, and motioned for us to do the same.

When we arrived at the throne room, all Hades broke loose. Monsters of all kinds charged at us. We spent the next twenty minutes or so stabbing, dodging, parrying, slicing, and generally wreaking havoc. Soon, all the monsters had been reduced to dust.

Laughter boomed out from a side passage. "Tired already? You haven't even witnessed half of the extent of our power!"

Once again, Nero stepped out. "Soon, we will have full access to the Roman legions we had back in our time. As soon as Melinoe is ready, we will be as well.  I must thank her sometime for bringing me back to life though.  For now, however, We will make do with some demigods.  But...  We need a leader for them."

My stomach clenched. "Where is our friend? And speaking of which, did you have anything to do with the disappearance of my mother?"

"Ah, your mother. You can have her back.  She was merely bait for you to bring the important one here." Nero clapped his hands, and four demigods carried my mother in. She looked terrible, her face was white and bloodless.

"Mother!" Felicia cried.

"Children, you came." She murmured, and embraced us.

During this, Philip stood off to one side, feeling out of place. Then, Nero turned to him. "Venere, how nice of you to help our enemies. Does what I have done for you mean nothing to you?"

"You have done nothing for me. I am willing to help anyone who opposes you." He bared his teeth. At this, I was sure he wasn't an enemy.

"Bah! it doesn't matter, you will all soon either join me or be eliminated, I have the essential one already." Nero snarled.

"Where is Neil!" Felicia screamed.

"Ah... You will find out shortly." Nero taunted.

With that, he swept out of the room. I was furious. Suddenly, a troop of soldiers marched in. At the head of the troop was a demigod with a helmet and visor over it. In his hand was a massive bronze flamberge. He shouted incoherently, and the troop of about ten soldiers came and attacked. We were hopelessly outnumbered.

Suddenly, Felicia exclaimed, "These are shades! They must be the first group of ghosts brought back by Melinoe!" With that, she knocked aside one of their blades and stabbed through the shade. It dissapated.

"I'll attack their leader, you guys handle the shades." I suggested. I didn't think the leader was a shade.

As soon as our swords met, my sword began vibrating. I remebered that the type of sword he was using, a flamberge, had ripples along the edges caused the opponet's sword to vibrate and eventually break. I had to disarm him fast.

We exchanged a flurry of blows, when, possibly by sheer luck, I caught his weapon by the hilt and sent it flying. He snarled, and stepped back. I swung my blade at his head. The flat of my weapon caught against his helmet, and it, also, went flying. However, his face was still veiled.

Suddenly, he laughed. It was a cold, humorless, and yet creepily familiar laugh. He reached into space, and drew out a long, celestial bronze staff.

''No. It couldn't be.'' But it was. Neil spun his staff around, and rapped me in the ribs while I was distracted. I fell to the ground, dazed.

I got up. "Traitor!" I yelled at him. He slowly turned his still veiled face towards me. "I had no choice, no more than an ox being controlled by a yoke." He raised his hands, and the world flashed. Before I collapsed, I heard an enraged cry and a flare of flames. My last thought was, The dream...