Chaos Bringer (Percy Jackson; The God Slayer From Another World)

Chapter 22 The spiritual truth

Carter poured his entire concentration into his search. He had been sitting cross-legged for a full day now, his eyes focused on surveying the entire globe in front of him, searching for any tiny bit of spiritual pressure that was out there.

But he could find nothing.

Most holy artifacts left distinct impression of their existence. And a weapon as powerful as the nail of christ, such a weapon should be easy to find. But it is like it doesn't exist.

It wasn't until he got an idea did he finally got a break.

"Research," he said, the globe went blank. "The holy grail war"

Images suddenly flashed through his mind. A massive war, demons, angels and monsters in an archaic conflict over a bloodied field. Ripping each other apart. The angels were few in number compared to the monsters, but they ripped through the hordes of ghouls and demons with their powerful magic. Carter searched around the field, until he saw where there was a big conflict, near the center. And he could not believe what he saw.

On the right of the person, holding a club over their back, was a man made of molten rock and metal. It's eyes like a gateway to hell itself. It's hair was made of black flames and flowed wildly. It had two upturned bottom teeth, resembling a boar. It growled deeply at his opponent.

The one on the left looked like a middle aged human. He had a thinning mustache, blond hair and intense brown eyes. He had smile wrinkles, but he was not smiling. He wore silver armor that shined brightly on it's own. He held a long iron sword inscribed with golden words and had a gold and purple hilt. It was steaming greatly, almost blocking the one in the middle from sight. But there was no mistaking that figure, or those intense, black eyes where no light escaped.

"You have to stop," he said to the two. "Or this world will be destroyed."

The two warriors ignored him and charged towards each other. The monster swung it's club while the man swung his sword. The person used clawed iron gloves to redirect their blows, destroying a section of the army and ground. They continued attacking each other, but the person kept redirecting their attacks, not allowing a single one to land.

"You dare interfere human," the monster bellowed.

"Stay out of this," the man said. "This isn't your fight."

"I'm making it my fight," Ryan said. He held out his hand, and a small wooden steak appeared in hand. "What do you think your fathers would say about this?"

They both growled at him.

"This has to end. Or one of you will die here today," he said.

"Yeah," the demon said. He pointed to the human warrior. "And it'll be that ugly faggot over there!"

They charged each other again. Ryan held his head down, a grave look on his face. He clutched the spike in his hand as they approached, and stabbed himself in the heart. He began praying under his breath. And Carter understood clearly.

"Through the ministry of our holy lord, may God give thee pardon and peace. And I absolve thee from thine sins. In the name of the fathers, the sons, and the holy spirit. Amen."

He stabbed them both as they approached, stopped dead in their tracks. The nail sprouted wooden vines, which wrapped around each of them and then encased them in a wooden prison. The demon was brought into the ground of a fiery pit, while the clouds of the other opened, and a beam of light dropped down on it, encasing it in life and brought into the heavens, along with all the angels. The demons retreated back into the earth, and soon, Ryan was alone on the battle field, himself covered with blood.

He felt his cheek, and saw the blood that caked his body. And he began screaming, and screaming and screaming, and dropped the nail of christ. He threw it down and then he held the side of his head, and fell in the ground, screaming and crying out in agony till he passed out.

That was when, a figure appeared and then picked up the nail of christ. The man was middle aged, and he looked familiar to Carter. He looked at Ryan and sighed.

"All these worlds owe you an unrepeatable debt Ryan. May god lay rest upon your soul."

He left Ryan on the field, and disappeared in a blaze of light. Carter followed the man, and he reappeared in a room he may never forget. The Egyptian throne room. Ra reverted back to his godly self and stood to the sun boat which didn't house a throne. He held out the nail, and it floated from his palm. It floated and then pieces of wood joined it till a throne was made from wood, which he then encased in gold.

"May no one find this weapon I pray it will be safe till the day when it is needed."

That was when his vision suddenly stopped. The most powerful weapon of all existence. ra had been sitting on it this entire time. Keeping it a secret from every other god or mortal.

Carter covered himself and then opened a doorway to the throne room. It was deserted, which was strange. The only time he seen it, there was always some kind of even or a war. He wasn't use to it being quiet. And despite the reason of the boat's existence, it was there where the god Ra held his throne.

Carter walked up to the boat, and climbed aboard. It felt different than before. It was for one way more welcoming to him. He rubbed the wood of the tailing. He went to the throne and held his hand on the arm rest.

"So you have returned," said a booming, yet familiar voice said behind him. Ra stood, his skin glowing a golden color. Carter bowed to him, and Ra bowed back at him, acknowledging their strength.

"It has been long my young friend," Ra said.

Carter nodded. "We have been gone for a while. The world has changed."

Ra nodded. "I see that the world is in peril once again, against an even more powerful threat than anything we have experienced before. And I knew you would come for it."

"So you really do have it?" Carter asked him.

He nodded again gravely. "I was a new god when that war started, between heaven and hell for the utter dominance of Earth. I was new, but I knew that the nail of christ was a weapon too powerful to leave on Earth."

"That's why I couldn't fi d it on Earth," Carter said to himself. "Tell me more about this weapon."

Ra closed his eyes, and he seemed totally at peace. "The nail of christ was the only weapon strong enough to of touch the body of christ. No one knew who forged it, or where it came from. Ryan never even knew. The angel michael gave it to him years before the holy grail war had started, told him that it would be important."

"So Michael didn't know where it came from either?" Carter asked.

Ra nodded, his eyes still closed. "He found it while he was on Earth, in the hands of a foolish mortal who claimed he could kill God and Satan. It is a mystery."

Ra held out his hand, and his throne exploded into a million pieces, except for a single wooden piece, straight and carved like a nail covered in what appeared to be silver barbed wire. Ra summoned it to his hand, and placed it carefully on a small box.

"I was never able to use it," he said. "I wish I could. But it seems only those with holy or demonic elements are able to wield such a weapon."

"This definitely could have come in handy," Carter whispered and took the box from him carefully. He held it up and it disappeared into the duat.

"Before you leave for good," Ra said. "I must tell you something Carter Kane."

"What is it," Carter looked towards the old god. His eyes were sad, as if he knew something terrible was going to happen.

"When you kill Ryan, make sure you tell him thanks."

Carter smiled and opened a doorway to the New York Nome. "Sure pops. I will."

"He jumped through and into his old room. Once there, he took out the box again. He looked at it, examined it and ran his fingers over it. Such a small thing will finally bring about peace to the world, once and for all. All he had to do now was get to Ryan. And it is over."