The Guardian of Knowledge

Alexus was beginning to hate the creature. Although he had asked for a challenge, this monster was surprisingly easy to kill. He had smashed it's eye to kill it the first time, gutted it like a pig the second time, and the third time it wasn't much of a problem. But just the constant preserverance was starting to get Alexus reved up.

Spitting out a distracting wad of blood, Alexus readied himself as the creature reformed before his eyes. "Hmph. I figured." Alexus glanced at the beast before taking a step forward.

In a sudden streak of his sword, he lanced himself up and ran across the side of the creature's back. The giant basalisk wasn't rather akin to this form of attack, but it did know it's weakness. The creature abruptly turned and rolled tossing Alexus off and nearly wounding his left leg. Annoyed, Alexus rose to his feet and sheathed his sword. "You're a fisty one, aren't cha?" Rising his hand he forged his bow and arrow as he took aim the beastcharged forward. In a gentle stroke the winds confinded and exploded. In a shower of sut, dust and ichor the beast was gone.

With an abrupt turn, Alexus moved before the beast could return again.

He traveled north-west this time. Luckily, the snow stopped and only the breeze kicked up. It took him three days to reach Nevada and from there only a few hours to reach Portland, Oregon. Arriving at the city, he checked his leg to see if the wounds had been healed.

Amazed at the sight of a clean recovery, Alexus smiled. In a sudden realization that he was in public, his smile faded and he made his way toward a nearby park.

Mortals stared and snickered as he calmly sat down and rested his eyes, recovering the faint vision of Diana. He didn't blame the mortals for staring, if he were in their shoes, he'd probably stare too. A strange vulgur man in his mid-twenties walking around the park in nothing but a loincloth and sandels. In this day and age, normally he'd get arrested, but then again what exactly where the mortals seeing.

They didn't see monsters the way he did. Who was to say they'd see him the same way he appeared to be. Opening his eyes, he nodded at the crowds of young children staring and the adults bickering.

Politely excusing himself, he decided to check the peirs. He traveled through the winding city of Portland before finding the peir. Once there, he spotted her. Appearantly Athena was wrong about Diana's traveling schedule. Or maybe, she had a hunch someone would be meeting her soon.

Diana had her hood down and gazed at the calm oceanline. "You were looking for me weren't you." She spoke without hesitation and faulter. Her eyes never moved from the horizon but her thoughts did travel.

"It's been a while Diana." Alexus greeted.

With a hint of laughter the Oracle replied. "Far too long, what has it, five years now? I saw you in the colony of West Virginia. How long did you stay there?"

"About two days, i had a feeling that Hades would summon a beast there, so I decided to attract the creature closer. After I saw you I left." Alexus admitted.

"I see. So what have you been up to. Have you met with the Romans yet?" Diana replied. "I know that they are near by. In reality I've known since quite sometime."

"The Romans aren't much of a threat. I mean I'm already much of an expert on them. I've spent some time with them. Studying them and learning their cultures and customs. They are very similar to us when you take it into fact."

"No, the Romans are perfectionist. They perfected the art and warfare that the Greeks had. Where we use Phlanax they use Legions. A more efficient way of combat. Besides that their leadership skills are beyond ours."

"That is true." Alexus replied. "But Diana can I ask you something?" Alexus knelt down beside her taking a seat.

"You do know that I've already noticed." Diana replied. Glancing at him, she sighed. "I know that you love me. But my role in this role is not be loved, but to speak the prophecies of Delphi. I can not bare a husband or have children. I can only be with Apollo. My patron doesn't allow me to cort."

Imbarassed, Alexus gazed at her uncertain of what to say. He had known she was blunt and truthful as all Oracles were, but to say such things to him, it made him feel bad. "I was going to ask you about this feeling I have. I've been having a nightmare about these giants that are bent on destroying the gods."

"Have you heard of a prophecy?" Diana wondered.

"No." Alexus sighed. "I haven't heard of anything. All I know is that in the dream, I was in an old temple of Zeus back in Greece. In this temple I saw a goddess being beaten by a giant brute. He towards at twenty feet tall but his powers lead me to believe he was taller."

"Did the goddess have black hair and emerald eyes? Did she look graceful yet war-like or just graceful?" Diana questioned.

"She was graceful and yes, she did have black hair and emerald eyes." Alexus replied. "Why what is the problem?"

"I see, so it's started, after five years, the war against them is about to begin." Diana murmured.

Intrigued, Alexus wondered. "Diana, what exactly is it you're talking about?"

"The prophecy of the Giants." Diana breathed. "After the ten year war with the Titans, Gaea, the ever more present Mother Earth, began to feel disgraced and angered with Zeus. She didn't feel happy that her children were imprisoned once again. This time, she fathered Tartarus as her mate. With her eldest brother at her side, she could birth the strongest monsters known to both man and Gods. And with that she birthed the Gigantes or Giants for short."

"Ok, then what happened?" Alexus asked.

"After the giants rose, one by one they attacked Mount Olympus. In the myths the twins Ephialtes and Otis were the first to attempt reaching Olympus via stacking mountians. It didn't work and with that Porphyrion captured Hera, the queen of the gods. He gave her a choice either become his bride or die by his hands. . . and so, she choose."

Alexus's gazed fixed toward the horizon. He never knew about the Giants, much less that Hera would ever been captured. The queen of Olympus wasn't all that appealing if you'd ask him.

"So, what does this prophecy state." Alexus wondered.

"I suggest we not talk about it. If I'm right the prophecy will be exposed, and if I'm wrong then it will only leave death and chaos around."

"Either way, it's best we do know." Alexus rose. "I'm getting you back to the First Phlanax, once we're back there you can explain everything to Hermad and everyone else."

"Actually, I was planning on making it to the Temple of Apollo. You see, we need a certain relic if we are to confront the Giants."

"And what relic would that be?" Alexus asked.

"A relic that only you can hold. The Scepter of Apollo."

Annoyed, Alexus sighed. "Fine, where are we going?"

"The Sunshine state of course. We're going to Florida." Diana smiled.

Notes

NOTES

Diana is the Oracle of Delphi, she is the one person devoted solely to Apollo, the god of Prophecies.

The Scepter of Apollo, to my knoweldge isn't a real relic, it is supposed to be similar to the Deioclain's Scepter in House of Hades except it helps lead an army devoted to Truth and Knoweldge rather than an Undead fallen legion.

Temple of Apollo is an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo, it is supposed to be where the Oracle of Delphi stayed at during the old Greek age.