Contents
Chapter 28: Softly it Begins
Overview
Escorted under guard, Alexis enters the arena with Augustus and Kharon for the opening ceremony. Chthonic and Olympian leaders face off amid volatile tension, with Erebus’s arrival and Demeter’s open hostility heightening stakes. Hades steadies at Alexis’s reassurance, and Zeus formally begins the ominous proceedings.
Summary
Guards escort Alexis, flanked by Augustus and Kharon, from the cells toward the arena. She worries for Fluffy Jr. but trusts her protector bond. In the tunnel, they pass Olympians including Vorex and Alessander; Alexis realizes Alessander no longer intimidates her. A pain spike echoes through her bond with Augustus as the roaring crowd chants.
On the sand, four Chthonic flags and leaders await; a marble altar stands nearby. The stadium is packed with creatures as dusk falls over bloodstained sand. Hades appears on the brink of losing control until Alexis’s reassuring smile calms him. Persephone, seated with Charlie and Helen, waves from the stands while the chant crescendos.
Opposite them, Patro and Achilles arrive under wary guard; Agatha postures and Drex stumbles. Vorex arranges the line, and Hades, Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite join the Chthonics. Erebus leaps down from the stands, masked and menacing, unsettling even Aphrodite; Hades silently reassures Alexis.
Zeus enters with Fate and the Olympian leaders: Hera, Hermes, Athena, Poseidon, Apollo, Demeter, and Dionysus. The two lines face off across the altar, ancient power thick in the air. Athena and Poseidon remark on Kharon’s gifted ear; Kharon possessively adjusts Alexis’s necklace. Demeter fixes Alexis and Hades with icy hatred, drawing a throat-slitting gesture that promises violence.
As hostility mounts and the arena vibrates with the chant, Zeus raises crackling hands and the crowd falls silent. He declares the start of the ceremony, locking eyes with Alexis. Fate smiles knowingly, and Alexis senses the unpleasant turn to come as the proceedings begin.
Who Appears
- AlexisProtagonist; escorted to the arena, reassures Hades, feels pain-bond with Augustus, braces for Zeus’s ceremony.
- AugustusHusband and protector; escorts Alexis, shares her pain via bond, stays close and vigilant.
- KharonHusband and protector; possessive, soothing touch calms Alexis; draws comments about gifting his ear.
- ZeusOlympian leader; opens the ceremony, projects power, focuses on Alexis, escalating ominous stakes.
- HadesChthonic leader; nearly loses control, calms at Alexis’s smile, silently reassures her.
- VorexOlympian guard; manages the procession and lineup, cowed by Kharon’s warning.
- AlessanderPoseidon crony; tries to speak, appears diminished to Alexis and not a threat.
- FateAssistant to Zeus; trades knowing smiles with Alexis, provoking her anger over past actions.
- DemeterOlympian leader; glares at Alexis and Hades, makes a throat-slitting threat.
- PersephoneSeated near Charlie and Helen; waves encouragement to Alexis from the stands.
- ErebusMasked Chthonic; leaps into the arena, radiates menace, unsettling even the leaders.
- PatroFormer partner; arrives under watch, grim toward Alexis amid the tense lineup.
- AchillesFormer partner; avoids Alexis’s gaze, stands apart with wary guards.
- AgathaChthonic; flirts with guards during procession, unfazed by tension.
- DrexChthonic; appears ill and stumbling as he enters the arena.
- AthenaOlympian leader; notes Kharon’s gifted ear, debates its meaning with Poseidon.
- PoseidonOlympian leader; scowls at Kharon’s gesture, calls it deranged.
- ApolloOlympian leader; dazzling presence; meets Alexis’s eyes with a sneer.
- HeraOlympian leader; part of Zeus’s procession, austere and imposing.
- HermesOlympian leader; flashy attire, part of the arriving delegation.
- DionysusOlympian leader; striking white eyes, walks with Demeter.
- AphroditeChthonic leader; whispers to Erebus and is startled by his response.
- ArtemisChthonic leader; takes position in the ceremonial lineup.
- AresChthonic leader; joins the line as Houses face off.
- CharlieIn the stands with Persephone and Helen; visible to Alexis.
- HelenSits beside Persephone and Charlie; watches the ceremony begin.
- NyxSerpent companion; coils around Alexis’s leg during escort.
- Fluffy Jr.Hellhound; left resting, still central to Alexis’s protector bond.