The Greatest of Olympus

Prologue

''Please'', she whispered hopelessly, ''Please stop.''

She knew he was not going to. Using the last bit of her strength she clenched her fingers around the rope, preparing herself for the next lash. She knew she'd get unconsious soon. She kind of got used to the pain. It started to become more bearable, more familiar. Yet it was still so, so incredibly atrocious. The beginning was always the worst. When the sharpness of the satana slices into old scars and when wounds start bleeding again. Oh gods, how she always wished she would die instead.

Tartarus took a step back hissing the satana whip through the air directly into her flesh. The girl screamed so hard it felt like her lungs were going to burst into flames. There. That was it. The dark spots infront of her eyes got bigger, the pain slowly started to disappear. She couldn't feel her body anymore and she lost track of time. But hadn't she already? She and her brother weren't able to say how long it had been since they were both torn into this dark, cold pit. They hadn't aged but it felt like decades had passed since...since the fire. Since the day they had lost everything. Since the day they had turned 12.

The rope that was tied around her wrists cut and she felt herself falling to the ground. They were in the same room they always went to. Technically, it was just a medium-sized cave with black, moist walls and a throne sculpted out of the stone on the other side of the room. The cave was really hot and freezing cold at the same time. They could never figure out why though. It just was a Tartarus thing.

She didn't even notice the collision. She opened her eyes to a slit and saw her reflection on the wall. Thin. Blood-soaked, torn, sticky rag hanging loosely from her bones. Tiny head, shaved off hair, covered in blood and dead, dark eyes staring back at her. My hair, she thought, I want my hair back.

A man came up to her and paused right infront of her, cutting off her gaze. He knelt down and started stroking the girls head. Every touch sent out a wave of aches through her body. His black eyes didn't show any signs of pitty or sorrow, just plain satisfaction and triumph. "Oh my little princess, look at how beautiful I've made you. Your pain and despair are giving me so much energy. I love you almost as much as my early love Gaea, but you're just so much more... innocent." Tartarus was whispering into her ear and it felt like he was pouring boiling hot water into it. The girl winced in agony. "Please stop." she creaked. "My brother and I can't take this anymore. Please let us go, Tartarus. Please let us be free." The man laughed full-throatedly, clarifying that he wasn't going to make it easy for the twins. "And then what? I destroyed your orphanage and your friends Peggy and Jack are gone too. Just face it: There's nowhere you could go anyway. The only family you have is me."

The girl forced herself to get up. She got on all fours and looked the man in the eye. She felt like punching him in the face. Scratching his eyes out. Hurting him, beating him. But she knew she would loose, just like she did before. It was hopeless. Besides, she barely had the power to keep her from blacking out, let alone attack a deity.

"Than. Let. Us. Die."

Tartarus stood up and grabed the girl by her hips. The girl immediately shrieked and tried to free herself, but quickly gave in as she felt a new wave of pain pierce through her body. She teard up as the man flung her onto a suddenly emerged king sized bed. Ignoring the pain the girl defended herself kicking her legs in the air. But Tartarus pinned her down.

"Never my princess.", he whispered slowly revealing his godly appearence, "Never."