Loopholes

You think over what Alexia said about Gods living only in Olympus but she is letting fear rule her judgment.

"Alexia most of what you say is true," you sense everyone watching you as you lay out your reasons, "but I don't think I'd be welcomed with open arms in Olympus. My step parents told me that Zeus didn't want me growing up among the petty squabbles of the immortals but I believe he was more afraid of my threat to potential shifts in the balance of power of the main twelve." Sandrine is listening with an intense focus that you've never seen from her before and you hope your words ease her concerns. "I'm not saying that I don't have a place in Olympus but right now I have work to do here. I know for a fact that Athena has been essentially locked out of her city for over the past twenty years; who knows if Apollo has any influence left among his clergy. The seals that protect this city are failing, and no one seems to care about anything other than looting the city of its wealth." Your claim of Athena having been ousted from her city shocks Lady Sandrine out of her deferential silence.

"Is it even possible for a goddess to be exiled from their own city?" Her expressive face clearly troubled. "We would have heard from the High Prestress if she lost contact with the goddess." Sandrine looks around for confirmation, her eyes locking with Alexia's as she continues hopefully. "Perhaps your purpose has been preordained by Zeus and Athena. Could it be that you have been sent here to assist you mothers attempts to regain control?" Sandrine at least has the sense to be worried about the consequences if the seals are weakened or broken.

"I agree with Sandrine on this my King." Alexia chimes in in support of Lady Sandrine, "The Gods know all, your purpose must be to reseal the ancient ones below and can only be summoned to Olympus after you succeed." Alexia she still has this notion that you are a pawn going through a trial to earn a place among the gods.

"I think the gods do fear Bruce." Galeon's gruff support is as solid as ever. "Didn't we just witness him rebuffing Ares' influence over his own followers." He punches you in the arm hard enough to make you rock. "Look at this man. It's highly possible that gods afraid to fight the old ones on their own need new blood to annihilate the enemy they imprisoned." Galeon's argument earns a **** nod from the Lord Marshal.

"Even without Kalion's heavenly weapons he was able to fight beyond the means of any mortal, who knows how much he can do now that he has his godly powers." Raxuis appraises you with undisguised curiosity. "I would be interested in testing him in some isolated area soon if its not just mortals we may face in the coming weeks."

"Besides," you politely ignore the Lord Marshal's invitation to assess your strengths and weaknesses, "my threat is to the established Gods and goddesses residing in Olympus. Hades mainly stays in the underworld, Poseidon has taken up residence in the sea, my father Ares has a Palace of Terrors somewhere within Thrace that any brave/stupid mortal may visit and survive if they're lucky." You had considered paying a visit to your father's palace several times in the past, you wonder if you might have made a better first impression had met that way instead of here in Athenapolis before finishing your list of the gods who seldom stayed in Olympus. "Artemis roams the lands hunting with her maidens, so she is almost never there either." Alexia looks shocked at your knowledge of anything besides drakes or drinking.

"So you think that you're going to be able to continue on as you please without the blessings of the other gods and goddesses now that you've enhanced your ability?" She seems almost in shock at your blasphemous theory, but you're 100% sure and to make your point you envision a Ballista to be formed from your bracelets and fire the weapon straight up into the air. The bolt climbs higher than the citadel itself before turning and diving for the open courtyard before you. The shaft strikes with such **** that it drives its head through the granite paving stones that cover the open space and stands quivering like an arrow shaft although the bolt is as thick around as your arm. A weapon like that is as powerful as the vaunted war engines of Helios itself, and you carry it on your wrist like a falcon ready to strike at whatever target you choose.

The weapon reforms back into your bracelets with a thought, and you turn to see everyone looking at you in astonishment. Your demonstration of your ability not to be controlled by other Gods was a success, and you smile as you consider how much more damage you could have wrought on the surrounding buildings had you decided to.

"With this birthright finally mine, the borrowed power of others gods have left me. I believe the gods denied me of these gifts because they fear me. Relinquishing them to me only now because they need me to save them from their neglectfulness in this city." Even Galeon is shocked by your brashness, but you are not afraid of anything, not now that you've finally been given your due. "I can make any number of weapons or tools capable of destroying not only those demons that they failed to vanquish, but the gods themselves." The men and women around you are stunned into silence, but you turn to Alexia to drive home your point.

"I will not be taken from the ones that I love, Alexia!" Your words are aimed as much at the heavens as they are for your spymaster. "I will turn my weapons on the cowards who refuse to risk their immortal lives against the demons should they try to bind me like Prometheus." The power you feel is immense. Greater even than what Hades or Poseidon possess multiplied a hundredfold and you make it clear that you're going to allow any **** to control your fate or those you hold dear to your heart. Freedom is worth any price, even if it leads to war with the god's themselves.