text: [Themes: fantasy, serious, fantasy]
  
  I live in a huge world. Why do I exist in this world? Is there a greater reason that I exist than just having to exist? Considering all the beings in this world (Gods, Titans, monsters, Chaos) it's hard not to feel like a lowly ant living among giants. How can I make sure my existence here is not wasted?
  
  Many have tried, many have failed, but many have also succeeded. Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, these are just names of some who were challenged and were rewarded with the gift of immortality. Their names would be remembered forever. How did they do it? How can I be like them?
  
  "You need a purpose," a voice in my head said.
  
  I suppose that you're right! A fulfilled purpose is enough to suffice a confused heart, giving it the feeling like it fulfilled the reason for its existence, too. But what shall be my purpose?
  
  "Serve me..." the voice answered, "You must serve me, my son..."
  
  Of course, I knew that this voice belonged to my father even before he revealed it so. The natural superiority and hardness in his voice proved that. But is that really just what I'm good for? Just an unworthy servant...? I banished the thought.
  
  "Father, I only exist to serve you," I answered the voice. Though my world is unfortunately huge, so is the length of my mortal life. Who knows what feats I will be able to accomplish by the end of it?
  
  After all, it doesn't hurt that my Father, the one who answers my prayers every now and then, is Zeus, the Lord of the Gods and the Ruler of the Sky. My limit goes beyond the sky!
  
  > Continue...
  It took me a moment to realize that I had fallen asleep. Ever so slightly, I let some light pass my guarded eyes and look at my surroundings.
  
  I've been lying down in a field of grass and it's morning. Apollo has only begun his day-long trek in his golden, shining chariot from east to west. The sunlight is what interrupted my peaceful slumber. Curse it!
  
  Suddenly, with my trained senses, I heard grass being stepped on. In that moment, all my battle senses that I gained from training were turned on. The steps are scattered, possibly caused by multiple creatures or a single animosity with multiple legs. I froze my body thinking maybe the monster would lower its guard when it thinks that I'm still unaware of its presence. The smell of sweat and blood filled the air. Clearly, the creature just had its meal.
  
  Using expert caution, I unsheathed my sword very quietly while still on the floor. The blade emits a faint glow, the power of the sky, being in the blade, made its presence known.
  
  I felt nervous, my heart pounding and my blood rushing, but never afraid. My mind was calculating everything in sight but I still don't know what creature I'm dealing with. Could be an army of wolves or a giant Arachne, who knows?
  
  The steps grew closer, then stopped. I felt their eyes staring at my body.
  
  What should I do?
  
  > You're the son of Zeus, they shall face your wrath!
  With one quick movement, I was on my feet facing the creatures. My sword felt perfectly balanced in my well-rested arms. My brain draws out about 20 different tactics on how I can maneuver in case the creatures used any tricks. All these happened in a manner of seconds. But, what stood before me didn't look like they wanted a fight.
  
  A large group of men, women and children stood in the grassy plains. They looked dirty and tired like they came here from a faraway place. They also looked sad, most of the women seemed afraid of me. This made me put away my sword.
  
  A bearded man, who seemed to be their leader, intones, "We came all the way from our village of Cione, which lies by the great mountain of Etna."
  
  "What are you doing here?" I asked, "What do you want?"
  
  "We're here seeking refuge," the bearded man answered, "A horrible monster terrorized our village and destroyed our homes."
  
  An idea sprung from the top of my head. "I live in a village named Mene. It's not very far from where we stand and I can escort you there," I said, "It should suffice as a temporary home for you, for now."
  
  I beckoned them to follow, and they did.
  
  > To your village...
  My village, Mene, stands to the south. The refugees and I will have to pass through a light forest to get there. I feel the cool light morning breeze and sighed a contented sigh. Life always feel good when you're on your way back home.
  
  "It seems like you and your people had a lot of trouble while heading here," I asked the bearded man who seems to be their leader.
  
  "My name is Percix," he said, "I used to be the King of Cione until that horrible giant destroyed it." He sighed as if remembering the struggle that they went through. "I thought I was a good King, now look at my people," he said beckoning to the group who now trails behind us, "We were hounded by bandits and monsters the whole way, and I couldn't do anything about it."
  
  Without meaning to, my battle experience kicked in and I studied the old King. He's frail and old, there was no way he could defend all his people from anything stronger than a pack of wolves. With the clothing he wore, you would never think he was royalty. A dirty toga with scattered rips slung loosely across his body. He had grayish hair and beard and his eyes resonated nothing but sadness.
  
  "Worry not, you're in safe hands now," I assured King Percix, "but would you describe this giant for me? I have fought a lot of them before and I might be able to help."
  
  > learn about the Giant
  King Percix's face turned dark and grim. The forest air seemed to thicken, turning into a light blanket of fog. "You've never faced anything like this Giant before," he said with a sinister smile on his face. "This giant that I'm talking about has wings the size of war ships," he intones, "his body reaches the skies and his head can touch the stars."
  
  "His hands are as big as the moon," he continues, "and his eyes---"
  
  Suddenly, he stopped. I scolded myself quietly, wondering why I hadn't heard the sound earlier, maybe it was because I was so drawn to the King's description of the monster. Rustling sounds are coming from the trees which surrounded our weary group of refugees.
  
  Moments passed, and the sounds evolved into movement in the plantlife. There are something out there. I drew my sword. It's warm glow seemed to thin the now-heavy fog of the forest. I held my breath waiting for something to happen.
  
  At the sight of my sword, some of the children wimpered and ran to their mothers. I couldn't blame them. From the sounds, it's clear there are a lot of creatures out there and they aren't human.
  
  I turned to the King. He was looking at the trees and says, "Not again---"
  
  An explosion from the trees interrupted him again. I was somewhat wrong. The creatures are somewhat humanoid in a sense. They were huge, the smallest probably standing at seven feet high. All they had on were pieces of cloth strapped to their waists. There were three of them with greenish skin and muscled bodies. Their eyes looked at everyone at first. Then after seeing my drawn sword, they focused on me. Without question, I know that we've been ambushed by a pack of giants.
  
  Tell them:
  
  > say "You ugly beasts! Come and get me!"
  "YOU DUMB BRUTES! IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, YOU WOULD STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" I yelled.
  
  The giants laughed a stupid man's laugh. Percix looked at me like I was crazy, but I kept my eyes on the giant bandits, my sword starting to feel heavier.
  
  "FOOLISH HUMAN!" the biggest of the bandits yelled back, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"
  
  I summoned all the authority in my voice and yelled back as loudly as I could, "I AM GAIUS, THE HERO OF MENE AND THE SON OF MY FATHER, ZEUS!" Thunder rumbled in the skies and the clouds turned gray in a manner of seconds. The winds started to pick up and it looked like a hurricane is starting to form right where we stand.
  
  > The Fight
  The other two giants started noticing the change in the environment; they lost their dumb grins and I sensed a little fear in their eyes. The bigger giant, clearly the strongest in the group, kept his grin and his eyes on me. I tried my best not to show my fear and I did it by returning his gaze straight at him.
  
  Then, he broke his statue-form and turned to his friends. He growled two words to them, "Get him!"
  
  I was prepared for the attack. The two stupid giants obeyed their leader's command and charged at me at the same time. I waited for the right moment and jumped ten feet in the air. The giants realized their mistake a little late and hit each other head on with a full force enough to cause an earthquake.
  
  Meanwhile, I used my power over the winds and hurled myself downward towards the now-unconscious bodies of the two giants with my sword pointing at them. The impact was so severe that it sent out a shockwave that was probably felt by everyone within a 50 yard radius. Blood and giant entrails scattered across the forest floor. The impact caused a fog of dust that hid myself from the others.
  
  When the fog clears, I saw myself towering over the two corpses. My sword is stuck inside what seems to be the head of one of the giants but it was so decimated that I couldn't be sure.
  
  I pulled my sword out and saw for the first time the reaction of the last giant. His smile left his face altogether and was replaced by a surprised, opened mouth. I jumped off the tower I just created and locked my gaze at him again.
  
  "Let's get this over with!" I said pretending like the stunt that I did hadn't caused me as much energy as it did.
  
  > Final Round
  The giant roared so loud it shook the trees nearby. He hefted a huge club the size of the thickest tree in this forest and charged straight at me.
  
  I guessed wrong and thought that he was going to do the same attack that his friends did but he didn't. Clearly, he's not as dim-witted as his friends. The moment I tried to sidestep his charge, he stopped mid-stride and stepped toward the direction that I went. Even with the speed that I had, I couldn't entirely dodge his strike and he hit me in the back. I heard bones cracking as his attack glanced at me.
  
  I tried to stand up but the pain prevented me. I was only able to crouch, now. Realizing that he probably won, the giant towered above me. He raised his club, as if to end the battle, but I had other plans.
  
  The seconds seemed like minutes and I concentrated as hard as I could before the giant could make his final move. Then, there was an aura of calmness that enveloped the forest.
  
  The giant hesitated just a little bit and that was enough time that I needed to finish him off. I raised my sword and it glowed ever-so brightly toward the sky. The storm clouds gave birth to a thunderbolt that hit my sword killing everyone and everything within 5 feet around me.
  
  The force disintegrated the last giant and I stood perfectly straight. My body healed after the thunderbolt hit, a blessing that sons of Zeus often have. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth and I looked back.
  
  To my surprise, the group looked even more scared than before. I couldn't blame them, even other demigods were amazed at the power that my Father granted me because he rarely give out as much.
  
  Percix broke the awkward silence, "Praise Gaius, the Son of Zeus, our Savior!" he shouted towards his people. Scattered cheers from the men rang through the forest, most of the woman still looked at me like I was worse than the giants.
  
  "We should continue towards Mene," I said when the crowd quieted down, "I'm not sure I could fight more of these things if we get attacked again."
  
  And with that our journey continued.
  
  > To your Home
  I breathed in the smell of fresh air. Finally, I'm home. I just hoped that the group of people that followed me(when I counted there were 20 of them) could feel the same way right now.
  
  Everything is where it was since I left a six years ago. The farms, the houses and the people, though the people looked different, now. There was little Hactor who couldn't even rich the snout of a horse when I left, yet now he tends the stables. Little kids run about whose faces I've never seen before in my life.
  
  There was so much to do I couldn't decide...
  
  > find Mother
  I guided the refugees to the center of the village. Expectedly, all eyes from the villagers turned towards us. I put on a calm face and announce, "My people, it's me, Gaius!" At first, I was afraid they wouldn't remember me, then all the villagers smiled and made their way towards me.
  
  There were a lot of "You've grown tall's" and "Who are all these people with you?'s" I felt overwhelmed with happiness. "Where is my Mother?" I said raising my voice a little louder than the crowd's. They pointed me to the familiar house and I went in.
  
  My mother was the only one in the village who hadn't changed a bit. Her eyes still had that welcoming gesture she made it seem like I was just gone for a couple of days. The inside of our house looked the same, too. Sigh.
  
  "Gaius, you've certainly grown taller," my mother said, "and look how handsome you are, all the girls in the village would be fighting for you."
  
  I smiled, it was great to be home. Then, I let my serious face go back. "Mother, we need you in the village, please come..." I said.
  
  She knew the importance of the matter through my voice and went out of our house in a heartbeat with me trailing behind.
  
  > let's get some answers!
  The village center is now crowded. Everyone was talking so loud I had a hard time trying to hear my thoughts. My mother and I went towards the very center of the crowd.
  
  I was going to use my own voice to stop the madness when a more smoother voice pierced through the noise. I was surprised to see that it was my Mother. I mean, of course it was her voice that attracted my father to her a long time ago, but I hadn't fully realized what power her voice really had.
  
  "Everyone quiet down!" she shouted and there was silence afterwards. She's the Queen of Mene, now, I understood how much power she holds over her people.
  
  I made the introductions with Percix and my villagers. And finally, I said, "I need some answers and I need them now."
  
  "Well, I need some answers, too," Percix answered, "Perhaps we could exchange some information?" I nodded and agreed. "I will let you start, then, ask away..." Percix finished.
  
  [I recommend asking and reading all of the questions because they are all crucial to understand the story]
  
  > You're done asking questions...
  Percix stated that he have no more questions and that concluded our exchange. I felt a lot better, again, with a mission. I told my Mother to help Percix and his people and that I'm making for Cione at first light.
  
  She asked, "But, why so soon? You just came back, why not rest for a day?" I expected this sort of response from my Mother and told her that I'm fine and that Typhon might start attacking other nearby villages. Which meant Mene isn't that far off from his list.
  
  The thought of endangering her village and her people greatly affected her. She agreed to give me a horse and provisions to last me the whole trip.
  
  The next morning, I said my goodbyes to the village and Percix. They told me to be careful and come back soon to which I nodded and promised that I would do. Then, I was off, riding my black horse northwards.
  
  > On the Road Again
  A few days have passed since I left Mene. My body felt heavier compared to when I started but it was used to the heavy burdens. I remembered Chiron telling me that the enemies I will face would be as tall as mountains, he asked me how can I kill them if I can't even climb a mountain.
  
  As I approach the hills I studied the landscape. The hills looked as if a God was digging up the ground searching for something. And, with my luck, that's probably how the hills were formed anyway. Mounds of dark brown dirt formed ridges that looked like the waves of the sea. The air smelled of dirt plus the occasional sea breeze coming from the nearby shore.
  
  I drew closer to the dirt hills and started to see the signs.
  
  There were crude, man-made signs strewn across the entrance to the hills. They all say the same thing: "Turn Back, Beware the Monster." Well, that's good advice if you're an ordinary mortal. My horse, whom I named Pegasus, was tired. I had a feeling that with his old age he wouldn't actually complete the quest with me. I decided to take off his harness and let him go.
  
  Now on foot, I went up the first mound of dirt. The moment my feet touched the dirt, a loud and sinister laughter echoed around me. My training prepared me for situations like this and I steeled my nerves. This is the worst time to panic.
  
  With that, I pushed onwards.
  
  > meet the Monster
  I reached the peak of the second hill and the monster was standing right in front of me.
  
  I knew for sure he was human. He had an old look on his face with long dark brown hair reaching down to his waist. The odor that came from him was a mixture of sea scent and dirt, like the beach. He looks normal and seems to pose no threat at all except for two things. One, he stands at seven feet tall, almost as tall as giants. And, second, his body is covered in mud. It seemed like he had been sleeping on a mud puddle.
  
  "Finally, Mother has given me something to do, I suppose," the giant bellowed with voice as deep as a bear's.
  
  Instinctively, I drew my sword. "Perhaps, you would introduce yourself before I send your soul to the Underworld," I said, not understanding the sudden aggressiveness I felt. My blood boiled and my skin itched for the awaiting fight. I tried to control myself.
  
  The giant raised both his hands in surrender. "The blood of Zeus clouds your judgement, demigod," he said, "The Earth has warned me of your coming and told me to spare you."
  
  "I am Antaeus, Son of Poseidon of the ocean, and Gaia of the Earth," he bellowed, injecting power in his voice, "There is no need for rash decisions."
  
  I tried to suppress it as hard as I could, but my anger is really swelling up now, affecting my judgement. I concentrated on the sea, and then on the hills; it's understandable that Antaeus would live here.
  
  I made the mistake of looking at Antaeus and I lost all control. I have to do something, now!
  
  > charge Him!
  A loud roar escaped my mouth and I charged the monster. Again, my highly trained brain developed different scenarios that could happen and what I should do.
  
  Antaeus smiled like a bear waiting for the fish to come to its mouth. He reached down on the ground and dug up a huge boulder about the size of a horse. The monster appeared to throw it, and I had to slow my charge.
  
  > wait for the throw, then dodge to the side
  He hefted the boulder, and threw it at my direction with all his might.
  
  I waited to the millisecond before I tumbled to the right. But, Antaeus was expecting this and as I look up, another boulder was coming straight at me.
  
  He's better than I expected.
  
  > Dodge again, then Charge
  Again, I waited for the right moment, then tumbled forward. I felt the second boulder missing me by inches. I finally reached Antaeus but this is no time to celebrate.
  
  I closed up the remaining distance and stopped in my tracks.
  
  > jump and climb onto his back
  I waited for the monster to attack then I jumped up and tried to climb onto his back. I held on to his neck using my left arm, his muddy body made it hard to stay on, and stabbed him in the back.
  
  I did it. I killed the monster. Instinctively, I hopped off his back stood in front of his dying figure.
  
  Again, I didn't realize the mistake I made.
  
  > The Mistake
  Feeling victorious, I lowered my guard. Suddenly, Antaeus swiped at my legs and I heard bones cracking. A sharp pain enveloped my whole body and I fell, not understanding what had happened.
  
  I looked up at the staggering Antaeus and saw what was going on. Instead of blood, the wounds that I inflicted were gushing out mud. Where I stabbed him, the wound pumped out what looked like the material they use to create vases and pottery.
  
  Within seconds, muddy skin replaced where the fatal wounds should've been. The earth has undeniably healed him.
  
  I tried to say something but the pain prevented me from uttering anything. It didn't help the the dirt that I was laying on seemed to be holding onto my body, prohibiting me from moving.
  
  Antaeus stood over my body and said, "There's no way you can beat me in my own territory. But, alas, Mother Gaia told me to spare you and I will."
  
  He bent forward and laid my sword down by my hand. "She said to remind you that:
  
  Sons of Earth will never suffer strife,
  
  As long as they stand on it, they will take your life."
  
  With that Antaeus sunk slowly to the ground. Before his head disappeared he said, "The Gods are with you, son of Zeus, but is that enough to complete your quest, I will not be too sure." Then, the Earth ate his head, too.
  
  My vision began to become blurry, then my eyes closed altogether.
  
  > Antaeus is gone, you have lost
  I woke with a start. The first thing I realized was the darkness that enveloped my surroundings. When my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I was able to make out where I was.
  
  I was under a tree. A humongous tree. Sitting on its base, one would not be able to see the top of it. I figured the darkness comes from the tree by them blocking the sunlight.
  
  The sky is blocked from my sight. For some reason, this made me feel terrified. It's like my power has also been hidden from me. I'm not sure how to explain it but under the black blanket of darkness above, I felt helpless and vulnerable.
  
  I collected my thoughts. How did I get here?
  
  It was Antaeus, most likely. He knew I would have to face Typhon, who was birthed by the union of the Earth and Tartarus. Typhon was his brother.
  
  Looking around, I saw a dim light coming from the north. He sent me right where Cione should be. If I started now, I would probably reach the village in half a day journey. I have time in my hands.
  
  > You're hungry, hunt something to eat
  I unsheathed my sword, relieved by the familiar glow that seemed to make me feel a little better where I was. On all fours, I looked for tracks.
  
  I haven't taken ten steps from where I was and already found deer tracks. Thanking Chiron for my wilderness survival training, I began following the trail.
  
  About 40 paces eastward, I started to see my prey. There was a small herd of deer, here. I counted them and came out with five deers. Killing them all would suffice me for five meals.
  
  I analyzed the right way to go on with this.
  
  I woke with a start. The first thing I realized was the darkness that enveloped my surroundings. When my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I was able to make out where I was.
  
  I was under a tree. A humongous tree. Sitting on its base, one would not be able to see the top of it. I figured the darkness comes from the tree by them blocking the sunlight.
  
  The sky is blocked from my sight. For some reason, this made me feel terrified. It's like my power has also been hidden from me. I'm not sure how to explain it but under the black blanket of darkness above, I felt helpless and vulnerable.
  
  I collected my thoughts. How did I get here?
  
  It was Antaeus, most likely. He knew I would have to face Typhon, who was birthed by the union of the Earth and Tartarus. Typhon was his brother.
  
  Looking around, I saw a dim light coming from the north. He sent me right where Cione should be. If I started now, I would probably reach the village in half a day journey. I have time in my hands.
  
  > Might be a little rusty, practice your sword fighting skills
  I walked to the west, looking for the right place to practice my swordplay. There's no doubt I would need it in the upcoming battle against Typhon. I remembered all the stories about him.
  
  On their first battle, my father, Zeus, was defeated by Typhon. This made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. How can I defeat something that even a God can't kill without difficulty.
  
  The answer was clear, I have to become stronger than a God. And to do that, I need to receive more training. But, I don't have time for training again. I would have to make do with this small practice I'm going to have.
  
  I arrived at a big clearing that would surely provide enough space for me to train . . . everything. I could train my sword and my powers here.
  
  Both would be really important for the upcoming fight, but I only have time for one so I have to choose carefully.
  
  [Don't get your panties in a bunch, it won't matter what you choose, you'd get the same results by choosing any of the two]
  
  > feel like you need to have better sword skills
  Within days of training, the forest had gotten a major change in its landscape. There was a huge clearing that has roughly a 50 feet diameter. Inside the big circle, trees have been cut down and light was allowed in abundance. I thought it was like the forest actually wanted to have the light.
  
  In the middle of the clearing, there would be a boy drenched in sweat but still standing tall. I would be there feeling good about what I had done. I couldn't blame myself, the forest taunted me.
  
  For hiding the sky from me, this is what it gets. Now, I could lie down on the ground, rest, and look at the sky for all eternity. Feeling good about myself, I still felt guilty of destroying a small of part of the forest.
  
  Wood nymphs started running away in groups the moment the first 20 foot tall tree went down. But, if Typhon is really going to be destroying Mene, next, there's no question that he would destroy the whole forest. The forest should actually thank me, for what I've done and what I'm going to do.
  
  Shaking myself off of exhaustion and sweat, I looked northwards. There's no doubt Typhon heard the disturbance in the forest. I wouldn't be surprised if he's planning an ambush for me right now. He would have to do better though, because my skills have certainly gotten a lot better as well.
  
  > let's get to the action already
  The village has been destroyed.
  
  I made my way out of the forest and started looking for the village. It took me a moment to realize, that there is no more village. Cione laid in ruins at the feet of the biggest giant I have ever seen.
  
  The stories were wrong, as far as I was concerned. This giant is more deadly, and more terrifying than from what they told.
  
  Typhon's dragon wings are gargantuan. I imagine a wingspan of about two miles. His body is surrounded by a huge tornado engulfing nearby ruined buildings and turning them to dust. I crane my neck all the way up to see his yellow-toothed grin and red glowing eyes looking straight at me. I probably looked like an ant from his view.
  
  "After years of destroying hundreds of cities," he said with a voice that sounded like violent storm winds, "Zeus sends a lowly mortal to fight me! YOU COWARD! FIGHT ME YOURSELF!"
  
  "MY FATHER DOESN'T NEED TO WASTE HIS TIME WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU!" I yelled louder than I ever had. Still, I thought there was no way he could've heard me.
  
  "Ah, so the demigod wants to fight with words first," he smiled, "Well, I am Typhon, the legendary destroyer of Gods, a tiny human such as yourself will never stand a chance!"
  
  > say "Father, help me!"
  I prayed for my father. "Father, I need more power."
  
  I'm sorry, son, but the power you need can't just be given to you, he replied. You need to become a God, and to become a God you need a huge sacrifice.
  
  Without thinking, I thought, "I don't care! This is my life's purpose, to make a name for myself, and I won't get it if I get killed here."
  
  I didn't hear him again but the feeling of becoming a God was painful. It was like absorbing all the power in the world inside my human body. I knew that if I give in just a little bit to the power it would consume for good. Trying hard not to die, I concentrated on my Mother and Percix, the very people I've been trying hard to save.
  
  Mere seconds seemed like days to me. Then, finally, it stopped. I searched through my memories, they are all still there. I'm still Gaius, but now I'm not Gaius anymore.
  
  "MY NAME IS GAIUS, THE PRINCE OF THE HEAVENS AND VANQUISHER OF MY FATHER'S ENEMIES," I said with a really different, really powerful voice. I felt the power settling under my skin, my body just barely keeping from exploding from the inside. I concentrated on my power and in minutes I was surrounded by a powerful tornado, just about the same size as Typhon's.
  
  "What is this?" Typhon asked, I detected a little hint of fear that showed in his disgusting face, "He turned you into one of them?" Then, he burst out laughing.
  
  Earlier, the laughter would have scared me for the sheer volume of it. But now, it only made me concentrate a little harder. Typhon's laughing like there's no tomorrow, because there probably isn't, now's my chance.
  
  > charge him
  I braced myself, then jumped at the giant. The leap would've been impossible for a mortal but being a God made me different. The ground where I used to stand has been replaced by a small crater. I felt the winds propelling me towards Typhon; some might say it wasn't jump and that I was, in fact, flying.
  
  The skies are now turning darker, much the same when I was ambushed by the giant bandits. Now, though, the sky glowed darkness. It was like the makings of a huge storm. I sensed tornadoes forming around both me and Typhon.
  
  Typhon, surprised by the sudden attack, stopped his laughter short. He didn't enough have time to react better and just tried to jab at my incoming figure. Time seemed to slow down as his fist closed in on my flying form.
  
  > dodge the jab, then climb his hand
  The winds seemed to read my mind and sensed the slight hesitation that I got. They pushed me out of the way. Right when Typhon's fist should've hit me, I dodged and stabbed my sword through his hand.
  
  I held on my sword as hard as I can. Typhon swung his arm upward with me still on it. Then, using the upward force of his swing, I removed my sword from his hand. For a moment, my body flew upwards without me having to use my powers over the winds. I soared past Typhon's head.
  
  Then, with all my might, I willed the winds to push me straight down towards the giant's chest.
  
  I willed the winds to propel me faster and they obeyed. My tackle sent Typhon down. All this time, he was wide-eyed and his face were full of surprise and fury. It seemed he wasn't used to being thrown down and the sound when he hit the ground could've been heard back at Mene.
  
  Standing at his downed chest, I stabbed him with my sword. I left my sword inside his body and then ran towards his legs, creating a wound that opened up his whole torso.
  
  Typhon yelled for pain that he didn't expect to receive from out fight. Ichor, the golden blood of immortals, were gushing out from the wound.
  
  I hopped off his body and studied the carnage. Now, Antaeus's words made more sense.
  
  Typhon's body seemed to be absorbing the ground. The dirt is being sucked up where Typhon touched the ground. Suddenly, Ichor stopped flowing from his wounds and was replaced by mud. I'm witnessing a scene that happened not weeks ago, when I fought Antaeus.
  
  Within seconds, the huge wound that I created was replaced by muddy skin. I racked my brain for Antaeus's words.
  Sons of Earth will never . . . strife,
  
  As . . . they stand on it, they will take . . . life."
  
  An idea started tickling me inside my head. As long as they stand on it, hmm. . . Looks like we need to change our fight's venue.
  
  "Giant with wings? I've never seen a giant with wings before," I yelled to Typhon, who was already getting back to his feet, "Did your mother gave you that so you can run away from me?"
  "They're made to catch heroes who are running away," Typhon said with a sinister voice, "The thing that you should be doing right about now."
  
  I pretended to whimper and said, "I disagree, I think you can't catch me!" With that, I jumped off the ground and head straight to the heavens. As gullible as I thought he would be, Typhon, with his massive wings, followed closely.
  
  > To the skies!
  Taking the battle up here was the best move I could've ever thought of. The moment I felt the winds above the clouds, I felt my power surge up. We are in my domain, now, I'm unstoppable.
  
  Typhon flew faster than I had expected. It took all my power over the winds to keep at a safe distance from him. Sometimes, he would grab a huge rock from a mountain and hurl it towards me. I dodged them easily.
  
  I was amazed at the power that I possess now that I'm a God. I would test my limits more if only Typhon would surrender . . . I perish the thought. There's no way this giant would surrender to me.
  
  Well, that means there's only one way to stop this.
  
  I kept on flying until we reached the sea. Looking behind, I saw Typhon getting more tired as I dragged on the chase.
  
  Suddenly, I willed the winds to take me up. Typhon, noticing my change of altitude, decided to get a better height as well. The plan is working perfectly. The farther he seemed to get from his mother, the Earth, the weaker he gets. And, the higher I get in the skies, the stronger I felt.
  
  I rose until I was sure that I have enough time to deal the final blow. I concentrated on the skies. Surrounded by the heavens I felt a surge of power, like every cloud is giving me some of its magic. In my mind, I shaped the biggest and the most powerful lightning bolt I could muster.
  
  I waited until the right millisecond and unleashed the power. What I did was hard to explain. The best I could come up with is that I rode the lightning bolt. I aimed the bolt to hit me, directly, and when it connected, the force generated shot me straight down to Typhon's rising figure.
  
  I pointed my sword straight at him going as fast as a lightning bolt. The impact was so severe that I didn't even felt it when my sword impaled Typhon right in the chest.
  
  We barreled straight to the ocean, the giant roars of pain made my ears deaf from everything else. I felt the sea stopped our descent. The water around Typhon's unconscious body is turning gold with Ichor. I waited for something else to happen, but there are no dirt to heal his wounds. The closest earth is probably in the bottom of the ocean hundreds of miles beneath the sea.
  
  I have slain the mighty Typhon.
  
  > Gaius, Slayer of the Mighty Typhon
  Months passed since my battle with Typhon and I neared the end of my journey. I was back on the large field of grass where Percix first found me. But, now, it's entirely different. For the first time, I sense the power that my body radiates.
  
  The moment my feet touched the grass, it was as if the grass stood in attention. There was a force that shot off the end of my foot, like ripples on the waters.
  
  I have to restrain my power as much as I could for allowing the power to radiate uncontrollably is dangerous for mortals. I remembered stories narrating events when mortals, who were at the wrong place at the wrong time, were disintegrated just by being in the presence of a God.
  
  I concentrated, practicing harnessing the divine power that was a gift from my Father. The silence gave way to more hearing. I didn't like what I heard.
  
  I expected hearing the rustling and the voices from my village of Mene, which is just up ahead. There was nothing in the air, only the mystery of the silence.
  
  In a blink of an eye, I stood in front of Mene. The distance, that would've taken me a few days to complete, was completely traversed in a second. I felt good about myself. Then, the feeling vanished entirely.
  
  I stood in front of a huge ruins. Black smoke are still billowing from the ruined buildings. I scanned the place for any mortal soul alive and found only one, and it's in the brink of death.
  
  My village of Mene was destroyed.
  
  > enter Mene
  I walked really slowly and calmly. It was hard for me to keep my anger in check; I could literally feel the power inside struggling to be unleashed.
  
  There was Hactor's stable, or what's left of it. I was surprised to see no corpses scattered in the streets. I made my way towards the only living soul in the debris.
  
  Tears ran down my face as I stare at the dying image of Queen Aelia, my Mother.
  
  I knelt down and caressed her fragile body in my arms. Her breath came in gasps and in every gasp a tear fell down from my godly eyes.
  
  "You are going to be fine," I whispered, trying hard to suppress my power. I didn't believe it though. I felt her gasp grew slower and slower.
  
  "Sacrificed. . ." she said, straining to get the word out of her mouth.
  
  I tried to stop her from talking, then it occurred to me. He asked me for a sacrifice before he gave me this power. I was meaning to ask him about this sacrifice the moment I slew his enemy.
  
  ". . . Lig. .Li" my Mother tried to say another word though I tell her to stop, "Lightning. . . everywhere. . ." she finished. With her last breath, she said the word Lightning.
  
  I laid my mother to rest for the final time and kissed her on her brow. I touch her forehead and uttered a blessing.
  
  Then, I flew straight up into the sky.
  
  He couldn't have done this. How could he? After all that I've done for him, this is what he does to repay me?
  
  I flew as high as I could until I couldn't help it anymore and unleashed all my anger in the form of divine power. The nearby clouds disintegrated and turned to water. The sacrifice for being a God. The reason for the deaths of everyone I loved. The one who is going to pay for it all.
  
  "You would pay for this," I said, really quietly, "You will regret the day you gave me this power." All around me the last remaining clouds turned grey. Thunder and lightning erupted everywhere, mortals who were unfortunate to be near would have been deaf from the noise.
  
  I didn't even try to restrain my power. "I WILL MAKE YOU PAY, ZEUS!" my shout sounded like thunder in the middle of the storm.