The Rise of Erebos: The Chained Goddess

ALEXANDER

Amethyst gulped. "Uh, stealing, er, who said anything about that?"

Kai shook his head while Geneva and Rose rolled their eyes. "Yeah, couldn't be us."

"What kind of people would do that?" I added nervously, shivering in my boots. "I mean, we were definitely planning on not stealing anything, you know, like good kids!"

I'd say we built up a pretty good defense for ourselves, right?

But Epione was having none of it. "Do you really think I was born yesterday? Get out, or I'm going to have to do something you won't like."

"Look, we're all injured and we need help," Timmy pleaded. "We're kind of on an important quest to save the world, so it would be nice of you to help us out."

"You do realize how ridiculous this sounds, right?" Epione asked, annoyed. "A bunch of kids on a quest to save the world? Yeah, right!"

Geneva crossed her arms. "I know it doesn't sound very believable, but it's true. You're a healing goddess, isn't it your job to help people?"

Epione sighed. "I used to have that mindset, but ever since Zeus punished Asclepius and prevented him and I from just doing our jobs, I've kind of lost my passion for helping people. Now, please get out. I don't want to hurt you"

"But how'd that get in the way of you helping people?" Geneva asked, ignoring Epione's threats.

"Think about it like this," Epione said after a deep breath. "The gods, the people that you look up to and admire, give you a role to play in keeping order in Olympus. For my husband and I, that was being able to help people as doctors. For centuries, we were praised for our work and expected to keep doing our job, to keep it up. But the second that our work got in the way of what the Olympians and Zeus wanted, we were told to stop what we were doing, even if that was what we were told to do from the very beginning. It's hard to keep loving what you're doing when you're so controlled by those that are above you."

It was sad what happened to Epione and Asclepius, and served to prove just how problematic the Olympians were. It's crazy just how many situations like Epione's have occurred, like how so many campers have left and/or betrayed the Olympians after hearing the sheer amount of travesties and problems they've started.

For me, I have never stood for or backed what the Olympians have done, but I wouldn't actively betray Camp Half-Blood. The sacred duties that Chiron and Mr. D abided by were that they would help campers for as long as they needed and that they would assist the Olympians no matter the situation.

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Rose said. "You and Asclepius didn't deserve to be punished the way you did, but by not pursuing and continuing your job as a doctor and someone who helps people, you're just letting the gods have more control over you. Why don't you continue doing what you love instead of submitting to the Olympian's code?"

Epione stood quietly. "I suppose you're right. It's been hard with the restrictions and all, but I guess that shouldn't prevent me from at least helping you guys. It's a bit of a risk for me to do this, but I do owe you a favor since you managed to get rid of most of the monsters in the building. I've been having a lot of trouble with them since Asclepius and the kids left on their trip."

"Thanks," Timmy said gratefully. "We won't let your help go to waste."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Follow me to the infirmary. Let's make this quick."

Epione beckoned for us to follow her as we came up the stairs and onto the third floor. We entered a long hallway filled with multiple offices and stretchers off to the side that were dusty and reeked of alcohol wipes. At the back of the hallway was a singular, rectangle shaped window that stretched out across the back wall and allowed for a full viewing of the forest near the Asclepion. She took a right into two large doors and opened them to lead us right into an infirmary.