The Fated One

1 (Hades)

Hello! This is the first chapter of The Fated One. I'm releasing the first few to see what everyone thinks of the story as a test to see if I should continue working on it (since none of my friends/family are willing to read it or provide constructive feedback).I hope you enjoy, but either way please feel free to leave some feedback, positive or negative! It's always appreciated.

- Isabella

The fighting was already well-underway as dawn burst across the sky in shades of violet, red, and gold. Hundreds of soldiers bled through gaps in their armor as they clashed with their opponents. I knew if I stopped even for a moment I would see many of the soldiers that weren't gods laying dead in the dirt. Both sides had allies in the different clans of creatures and monsters that Chaos had brought into existence alongside the primordial gods. Each day more died in the struggle for power-- for freedom.

So I did not stop, even as my head throbbed and my muscles became unbearably sore with each swing and jab of my Bident. The world tilted and wavered around me and my ears rang. I was exhausted. I hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in months, and with my brother bedridden from a strange and seemingly incurable illness, those nights had only become more restless. Without Zeus to lead us, our army had lost its morale, and more and more either died or quit as a result. Without Zeus, we didn't have a chance.

But I couldn't think about that. The minute I started doubting, this war would become far more dangerous. And with our soldiers already losing confidence, if they saw either Poseidon or I worried, then we would not survive. We would not win. That was not an option, not when losing would mean being cast into Tartarus for all eternity, eventually going insane as we rotted away in that isolating darkness. Not when it meant that the freedom we had promised our soldiers would be an ambrosia-coated lie that would follow us for the rest of our existence until Chaos reclaimed what it had created.

Losing was not an option. I had a future to protect.

I kept a careful hold on the light and shadows around me, rendering myself invisible and incorporeal. My helm made it so that I wasn't using as much energy to do so, but it was still exhausting. It made my head spin and throb, making my vision spin in nauseating ways. Sweat and ichor ran into my already strained and stinging eyes, and my side throbbed from a particularly vicious stab wound, severely limiting my movements. I wasn't the only one in bad shape; Poseidon started limping a while ago, and even Nyx had some terrible injuries. I risked a look around me, and saw her nearby. Her night-colored skin and hair was streaked with gold. She still fought with lethal and sadistic efficiency, and soldiers fell easily. Even wounded, my mentor was a terrifying sight to behold.

At the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the now-familiar form of Aphrodite as she struggled with Atlas, her stunning face set in a determined snarl. I went cold as I saw Coeus spot her too and went to assist her opponent. I had to think through my options quickly; Aphrodite was one of our best fighters and we couldn't let her get hurt. Nobody else seemed to notice her struggling, and those close enough to assist her were otherwise preoccupied. If I ran to her side, I would likely be too late, and Coeus could injure her debilitatingly.

After a few moments of hesitation that could very well be costly, I stepped through the aether the way Nyx and Erebus taught me. I had to let go of the hold I had on my surroundings, as the helm made me effectively incorporeal while I used its power. The shock on the Titan's face when I suddenly appeared before his eyes to stop his attack was almost comical. I quickly raised my Bident like a staff to block his strike. The hit reverberated through my bones; the clang of metal against metal screamed through my ears. My head throbbed harder. He recovered before I did and lunged for me. In a panicked bid to avoid the attack, I disappeared through the aether again. I reemerged behind him, panting.