Chapter Text
Not many stories are saved of the time before the pantheon of Olympus was taken by the children of Cronus and their kin. Not many who have lingered from those times are willing to share the tale, or are sound of mind enough to do so. Much can happen in the boundless expanse between pre-time and the lives of ordinary people, who pass these stories as mere myths. Not many even have the wisdom to comprehend all that incredible timespan, those who do end up driven mad. There are, however, those who recall a much simpler time. When there was yet no man, and where everything in the universe had its meaning, its purpose and its answer.
Where there is creation, destruction soon follows, like two lovers bound in an endless dance. When something comes to be, something else ceases, to preserve the sacred balance of the cosmos. And such, for every marvel of nature and the world, a creation of destruction is spawned into the world.
Such destruction was spread by the spawn of titans Tartarus and Gaea, fabled as the father of all monsters, Typhon. Before his defeat at the hands of Zeus and his almighty bolt of thunder, his kin spread through the land to continue his doing. Many have been named, their fables spread throughout the land and planted a seed of fear into the hearts of many young men. There have been many, however, lost to time and never recognized for their heinous lineage. Many of them could never scale to the destruction of their predecessor, and ultimately perished in much less grand circumstances. Some recognized the beauty of humanity and, with time, blended in with the common men. While some stayed down, deep in wait, expecting a moment to come out of their hiding that could arrive any day.
One of these grand beasts was a great serpent that laid its nest deep under Mount Olympus. It was a beast of great might, with a thousand of fangs and blade-like scales covering every inch of their body. No sword nor spear, holy or otherwise, could penetrate its shell. During the titanomachia, the beast fed with the remains of the fallen immortals, as well as with the fear and death thick in the air. Once the war between the gods and the titans ceased and the new generation of rulers of the earth took its place on top of Olympus, they retreated back into their nest. There, with its charcoal-like scales and striking orange eyes, it laid awake, thinking and scheming. With its body growing too large to leave the cave, its reign of destruction stagnated. Instead, it relied on its instincts to guide it. Every time a piece of precious equipment fell from the top of the mountain -- be it a golden chalice, a piece of ambrosia, a gift from one god to another -- the dragon gathered every resource it could lay its claws upon. The hoard it collected was said to be grander than the richest treasures of the gods, but the beast was never satisfied. It craved more and more each day that passed. Any attempt at it leaving its nest cause the earth to quake, on a scale only Poseidon himself could rival. If the gods knew of this creature living right under their sacred mountain, they at the very least paid little mind to it. What's wrong with one lost cup or blade to the very immortal beings who ruled over the land and everything in it?
One day, while the great dragon was sleeping, something fell at the entrance of his cavern. The beast's ears tweaked, one of their eyes opening slowly and taking in the sight. The cave was dark, only illuminated by the great treasures it had gathered over the eons spent all alone. And there was something new, laying on the ground and awaiting to be added to the grand pile of shining metals. A great hammer, made from the toughest bronze and with detail so intricate, it looked as if it contained the map of the entire cosmos within it. The dragon didn't move for a moment, just observing the hammer in silence. There was no rush in their domain. If someone was even daring enough to step into this pit of darkness halfway to Tartarus, they'd be no match to them. And most didn't even recognize it as the beast's hiding place. The beast closed its eyes, ready to return to their centuries long slumber.
However, before they could drift off again, a noise awoke them. Someone did, in fact, dared to enter. A giant, likely his kin, stood at the entrance, clearly searching for something. Once they laid their eyes upon the newly fallen hammer, it was within their grasp within moments. Then, the dragon opened their eyes, two bright torches in the eternal darkness. A low, primordial growl slipped their maw, as it opened its mouth. The giant couldn't even get a chance to escape with the retrieved hammer, as within moments, the dragon lifted its colossal head and devoured them whole, leaving no trace of them ever entering the cave.
The beast lifted the hammer with two claws. It felt surprisingly heavy -- not too heavy for it to lift it up, but significant for its size compared to the serpent's sheer mass and strength. Then, they laid it down, at the edge of their pile of gold, bronze and crystals. For a second, they stared at their newly acquired treasure, wondering. Only a god could wield such a weapon, clearly... There was something grand and powerful about it. Something that the dragon recalled, but never truly experienced. And then, as it claimed the tool as its own, the dragon closed their striking eyes and slowly returned to sleep.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, old friend. I feel in no place to ask, but I need you to do something for me. I will give you my blessing and my advice, but other than that, it will be all in your hands. I can't wait for the day we can see each other again."
Abolish thought a lot of things when a blade pierced through his back, a gasp of shock becoming subsequently his last breath. One thing he didn't think at that moment, however, was how quickly he would feel alive again.
Maybe alive wasn't the right word. As he woke up, he could tell something was different. That it wasn't the life he left behind. He was sitting on a grand, circular bridge of stone, with voices of humans carrying in the air all around him. His mouth was filled with a bile taste -- one he didn't realize how quickly he linked to the river Styx. But there was no water on him. No, he was back to the shell that his soul left what felt like moments ago. The same soft, unarmored body that he grew accustomed to over the years. And yet, he met it again with a frown.
Not thinking much, Abolish got up from the ground. It felt strange, being alive again. Or whatever he could call this new state. He was surrounded by many people he didn't recognize, most of them just as, if not more surprised than him. Some bore traits of inhuman, immortal creatures, others appeared almost ordinary. Abolish was just about to turn around and head away from the bridge, into one of the large tunnels gaping in the cave around them, before he was almost tackled to the ground by a man running by him.
"I'm alive! I'm alive again! Hahaha!"
"That's... A way to put it..." Abolish murmured. The enthusiasm with which the man ran into the hot, lava-filled tunnel made him stop for a second. Maybe he shouldn't follow someone who looked and acted like such a madman.
"This guy seems awfully happy about this..." Another voice joined him, this time clearly directed at him. Abolish turned his head slowly. A man stood by him, roughly his height. Incredibly long, blond hair covered a part of his face, and his broad arms were covered in scars. The warrior sighed, as his hand traveled to the sword he carried by his side. A gift from an old friend -- that somehow followed him into the other side.
"He may not realize why we're here yet," Abolish guessed with a shrug. "Should we follow him, or...?"
The blond man shrugged. "An awful lot of people are heading into the other tunnels. Won't hurt if we go this way instead."
"Fine by me."
He didn't recognize either of the men, that's for certain. The unwavering ecstasy of the first one amused him, even if he was not willing to admit it just yet. The other one appeared a lot more cautious, almost like a prey animal getting a feel of their surroundings. But Abolish didn't want to judge either of them yet. It seemed like none of them expected to end up here. He, at the very least, knew who called him to this place, and vaguely understood the reason why. The others were probably not as lucky.
"Should probably get some materials while we're here..." The blond hunter murmured, approaching one of the twisted trees growing on their path. "Any idea where we're headed from here?"
"Not really..." Abolish shrugged. His weapon was not great for chopping down wood, but it had to do for now. He wielded it with great care and reverence, keeping in mind who forged it for him. "That guy that ran ahead will probably find out soon enough..."
"I wouldn't be so eager to run ahead if I were him..." He picked up his own sword and swung it in the air, as if to get a feel for its weight. "These lands probably belong to the gods, otherwise why would they- Geez! You again?!"
Just as quickly as the first man disappeared, he came back. He still carried that big, excited grin on his face, even as he almost ran into the blond man's blade.
"Watch where you're going! I'm holding a weapon, I could've killed you with this!"
"Killed me?" The man spoke with quite a heavy accent. It reminded Abolish of something, but he couldn't quite tell what yet. "We all just came back to life! You think I fear one blade from a man who can barely wield it?"
"Hey! You think I'm not trained to work with this thing?!"
Abolish watched them in silence. The enthusiastic man was a bit shorter than them both, but marginally. Expansive tattoos covered his upper body, which was otherwise exposed. His muscular physique and many scars seemed like they could tell a story. Abolish pulled his hand over his own uncovered arm. It didn't feel right, for whatever reason. Maybe he just needed some more time to remember how this body felt.
"You don't look like you are! You look more..."
He paused, when they all noticed more people entering the tunnel. Two of them, this time. One was a young woman, with red hair cascading over her armor-covered shoulders, and with a thin, golden blindfold covering her eyes. Despite that, she moved around just fine, if a little clumsily.
The other one... Abolish's heart tightened, as something returned to him. Not really a memory. More so a memory of a memory. A feeling as if he had some sort of idea of this man. Barely taller than the woman, with fluffy, white hair and a deep blue toga covering his slim body. The two of them chatted cheerily, and only stopped when faced with the three warriors.
"I guess we have company..." The white haired man commented. His eyes met Abolish's for just a moment. There was no reaction from his side. Maybe the memory of a memory was not true after all.
"We do?" The young woman asked.
"Oh, great..." The blond man sighed. "Are you two really headed this way, too?"
"We thought no one else was heading here... Doesn't seem like the most pleasant of places," the short man commented. Abolish got a bit closer, trying to remember if he ever heard his name. "If you don't mind, we could head with you..."
"It's fine by me... It's just the three of- Oh, I mean, two of us now." The long-haired hunter rolled his eyes when he realized their tattooed companion had run off again. "What are your names, by the way?"
"Oh, I'm Shelby! It's so nice to meet you!" The woman responded. Her voice was cheerful, but had a calming presence at the same time.
"Why are you blindfolded...?" Abolish asked carefully. "You can't see in that, can you?"
"Huh? Oh, no, no, not really. I died with it." Shelby chuckled, as if recalling the image. "I was going to be proposed to, it was meant to be a surprise..."
"Can you take it off at all?"
Shelby didn't respond. As if she didn't even want to acknowledge the possibility. Well, if she could move around with it just fine, then it probably made little difference.
"Well," the white haired man chimed in "I'm Scott Antonis Mattheos Pagona Pavlos III, but my friends and fans just call me Scott."
"Scott.. Ant... Antonis... Matt..." The blond man scrunched his nose, trying to repeat it.
"Just Scott is fine."
"Yeah, I'll probably have to write it down, if I ever want to say it," Abolish commented. The name didn't ring a bell. Or at least he couldn't tell at this moment. Maybe it was the heat... Not that he was unused to it.
"And what is your name?" Scott asked with a sweet smile.
"I- I'm Abolish." He didn't even realize when he said it. It felt as if the name just left his mouth. His name, even if it wasn't chosen by him. His grip tightened on his sword once more. Another gift. Once he realized how it probably looked like to complete strangers, he let go of the weapon. "And what about y-" But before he could ask, the blond hunter was already gone in the tunnels. "Huh, so much for being careful and not running off..."
Abolish, Scott and Shelby followed behind them, deeper into the tunnel. Despite having just met, the conversation between them felt natural. Abolish didn't comment too much -- he preferred to keep his cards close to his chest. If others wanted to reveal how they ended up here, who sent them and why, that's fine. But he felt much safer keeping that name in his head, and not revealing it just yet. Maybe it could give him an advantage in...
What even was this? He could barely recall. There was a voice that echoed in his head, when he was brought back. He recognized it. The voice of a friend he has not seen in what felt like eons. A friend asking him for a favor, and wishing to see him again. Abolish couldn't remember him too clearly. He could only remember that if anything, he had a debt to pay to that man. Maybe this was his way to pay it back? And for that, he would have to return to what he had almost sworn off. Even if that was the very thing that he carried the name of.
Eventually, they reached the two hasty men that accompanied them. The two of them seemed to have too much fun enjoying their new lives in the afterlife, trying to taunt and face off against some giant, floating monster in the air. In the meantime, Abolish gathered resources without speaking much. It felt natural to him. Gather, collect, hoard. It could always come in useful in the future.
"Soooo..." Scott said eventually, while sitting on a large boulder next to where Abolish was mining out iron. "We were all sent here to just... Fight and kill each other?"
"Seems so... Same old, same old..." Abolish sighed.
"Oh? You were a fighter in your life?"
"A fighter... Sort of, yes. And an entertainer, too."
"Oh, would you look at that! And so was I... I was a famous actor..." Scott smirked.
"Yeah, I know."
"Do you...?"
"I- I mean... Yeah, you look like the sort." Abolish shook his head. Maybe that one comment wouldn't cost him his victory. Especially if his fleeting memory served him correctly, and there was some sort of connection he had with this man. But even so, it was better to stay quiet and keep watching. "So, um, not much of a fighter, are you?"
"No, unfortunately... I'm a lover, not a fighter..." Scot sighed, then turned to Abolish when he heard a chuckle. "Hey, what was that about?"
"Again, you look like the sort." He said with a gentle smile.
The cavern they entered reached as far as the eye could see. The ground was dangerous, shaky, covered with expansive lakes of lava and magma-covered stones. Even as his companions had to watch their step, Abolish felt no need to do such a thing. The heat did not damage his feet, it left no impression on his tanned skin. It caused the others to stare at him in shock.
"That doesn't hurt you?" The blond hunter asked. Just earlier, when asked for his name, he claimed it to be Nobody.
"I'm used to the heat," Abolish shrugged. Then, he chuckled when he saw Nobody trying to step on the magma rock, only to then jump away with a yelp. "Hey, I said I'm used to it... That doesn't mean it won't hurt you."
"How can you be used to it? It feels like... The deepest pits of Hades..."
"To me, it feels like home."
"Home?" Scott chuckled. "Do you really come from a place like this?"
"...More or less."
"Friends! I can see the sky from here!" The tattooed man called out from the other side of the lava lake. His accent made it a bit hard to understand, but from what they gathered, he went by the name Nikos.
"The sky?" Shelby gasped in excitement. "You're right, I can feel the wind! Oh, it's been so long..."
"The sky..." Abolish repeated quietly. He took a few steps forward, before turning to his companions. "Come on, guys. We're almost out."
He didn't have to look after them. He could leave them behind. Less competition meant more of a chance to win -- even if he couldn't imagine a world in which he would lose. Whoever he was here to face off against, no one could match the strength of the sheer ferocity of a being like him. Even if the memory of his life and lineage was fuzzy, he could feel the immense heat raging in his chest. And yet... It felt nice to wait. It felt good to guide them, to take Shelby's hand as she struggled on the steep, jagged rocks. And so, it felt even better once they actually reached the end of the cavern, and were greeted with the sight Nikos promised.
Abolish had not seen this many stars in the sky since he arrived to the world. Each of them a tiny speckle on the firmament, and yet it filled him with a deep sense of wonder. The same kind he felt when he... Again, a memory of a memory. He could tell he felt it at some point, but he could not place it in any specific time or place. He just remembered being in shock that there was so much to the world, that he was missing out on for so long.
"It's beautiful..." he whispered.
"I have never seen this many stars..." Nobody commented.
"There are stars up there?" Shelby asked.
"Yes, plenty..." Scott answered with a smile. "This whole place is just... Amazing..."
The cave they just left was no match to the breathtaking view outside. The haven stretched beyond the horizon, with the lands formed in a way that felt even nature itself couldn't enforce. It seemed as if the hands of gods themselves shaped this area, giving it its supernatural beauty. And in the distance, stood a mountain much grander than any of the hills surrounding them. Its top was obscured by clouds and mists, giving it a mysterious, mythical look. Abolish's heart tensed again. A memory of a memory returned to him, this much stronger. This time, manifesting as a word he could finally utter.
"Home."