The Prince of Ice

“Where am I?” Dimitri groaned as he tried to sit up. His body screamed in protest to any sudden movements, but the floor he was laying on was as cold as ice. His eyes soon adjusted to the light to see that he was in some sort of dungeon. Sitting up proved troublesome, not cause of the pain, but for the fact that he was chained. They trailed onto the walls and all around him, shackling his arms legs and even his neck. The room was dark with no windows and grey with the cold cobbled bricks. The chains were gold, which meant there was no way out unless he was let go. One thing about being a Demi-God that Dimitri never understood was why couldn’t break free of gold chains. Once ensnared there was no way out of them once they were on. They burned like all Tarturus as well; Dimitri massaged his already burnt neck.

Suddenly a light flooded in as a door opened from the far side of the room. Dimitri winced as he shielded his eyes away from the disturbance.

“The Gods wish to see you know.” It said as the figure walked over to him and with a small key undid the chains around him.

Rubbing them sorely, he felt a clamp ring around his neck. Wincing in utmost pain he slowly walked with his captor out of the room and into the light.

The halls were lined with silk and velvet, tapestries and ancient paintings. Dimitri paid no attention to them and kept his mind on what was about to happen.

“The Gods!! THE GODS!! This isn’t happening!” he wanted to cry out, but bit his lip in sour protest of his thoughts. Dimitri in all his life had never been in the presence of the Gods, and personally didn’t relish the thought.

Soon they both came to a door with a large flame etched deep into the wood. Knocking three times the door swung open to reveal one of the biggest halls he had ever seen. The ceiling had to be about 50 feet high, the walls and the multiple levels were bathed in white (surprise again!). Columns and pillars held them up like a pantheon of royalty. Children young and old were gathered amongst the levels as Dimitri was given that lonesome walk. His capture had stayed at the door and shut it briskly with a hallowed boom, Dimitri never felt more alone in his life as he looked up at the unfamiliar faces all around him. Not a sound was heard, not a whisper spoken as he made his way to the center of the hall.

From a distance they looked like statues, but as Dimitri came closer he saw 12 people standing in the center waiting for him. He could name them all, but something about them being here unnerved him so deeply he nearly stumbled.

Standing before the twelve of them all Dimitri refused to look up in fear of giving away his resentment for even being here. Or worse his true self.

“Dimitri Vane, you have assaulted one of our students here at our humble school for the wayward with no cause to do so.” A voice said from the far right.

“Don’t fix the truth Esmeralda, that’s not entirely true.”

Dotty’s voice came from beside the Gods. She stood at attention, but her eyes were someplace else other than there and now.

“Don’t give me that Dotty! Five people saw him attack them out of the blue!” The girl named Esmeralda said as she stopped over in a huff. She was a medium height girl with black curly hair. Her eyes were a stormy green and the bridge of her nose was lined with freckles. His skin was a creamy peach as she stood before Dimitri her hands on her hips in this little premature pout. Dimitri stifled a laugh, and if he wasn’t so self conscience about what was going on he would tell her how she looked.

“And those 5 were kids amongst the ages of 5 to 8. I was there remember and I say he was attacked! Besides he gave them what was coming to them. I warned them not to mess with him in the first place. If he hadn’t of attacked I would have beat them to a pulp.” She said boastfully.

For the first time he looked up at her and smiled lightly, he would have loved to see that!

“Well glad someone agrees with my thoughts!” he said taken aback at how horse his voice was.

“Ah, it speaks!” Esmeralda said dramatically as she cast another dirty look at Dotty, but it seemed just to bounce of her still gleaming armor.

“Dimitri, tell her what happened.” Dotty said blankly her face derived of emotion.

As he opened his mouth to reply, a shock ran threw him forcing him to the ground. The power and sheer force from it caused him to scream in agony, he looked up at Dotty.

“Was that really necessary Esmeralda!?!” she yelled looking over at the girl.

Her arm was outstretched in a throwing manner, the sign of a lightening bolt glowing above her head for all to see.

“The daughter of Zeus I presume.” He said threw his clenched jaw as he tried to gain his balance back. She smiled smugly at him as she took a step forward.

“And don’t you forget it! You address the Gods first; in your insolence you must have forgotten yourself, so that was a little shock.”

Raising himself off the ground Dimitri bowed in the direction of the Gods. Keeping his head down, he stood there in silence.

“As I was saying, I didn’t attack them to hurt them, just to get them away from me. Do you honestly expect me to let them kill me and apprehend me without a fight?!” This was directed at Esmeralda.

Her face fell slightly as she cast a look at Dotty, who seemed to be stifling a laugh.

“True as that is, you had no right to beat them so badly, they nearly bleed to death and that is cause of action. You have been treated fairly enough and…”

Dimitri felt a swell of rage come over him, “Treated fairly enough!” he roared.

Even Dotty jumped, as she looked at the Gods nervously. Dimitri’s head snapped up and without even thinking of it began to speak again.

“You call being invaded, beaten by those two huge apes, dragged from my home, kidnapped, and nearly bleeding to death from that damn needle. Then being nearly burned past recognition by gold chains for who knows how long good treatment or fairly treated! If that’s your hospitality than you need to work on your social skills a bit more princess!”

For the first time since he had been in this hall he noticed that a small snicker of laughter ran all along the higher rows.

Esmeralda’s face went slightly red as she raised her arm again, but this time he was ready for it. The crackle of lightning zoomed past him as Dimitri side stepped the bolt and it struck the floor with an almost deafening boom.

“You might want to know something about me.” Dimitri’s voice was menacingly sound as he stood normally and looked into Esmeralda’s shocked face.

“I always asses my problems and situations. Mess up and I will notice, use the same tactic again and I will use it against you.” The hall grew silent as Esmeralda took on an icy veneer. Before she could even respond to him Dotty cut in.

“Should we not continue at the matter at hand Esmeralda!?”

She threw Dotty a hateful glare but composed herself and looked back at Dimitri, “You will be sentenced whatever the Gods see fit.”

The room went silent again as attention shifted from them to the silent Gods. The twelve of them did not speak all this time aloud, but somehow Dimitri knew they were amongst themselves.

“In a week’s time, we will take it upon ourselves to decide on what will be done with this one.” A tall lean man said.

He wore a dark stormy grey suit; his face was noble and well chiseled under a marble white beard. His eyes were of the tempest of storms, and Dimitri knew how he was the instant he looked upon him.

“Do you know who I am boy?” his voice gravel like and somewhat dark. Dimitri tried to hold onto his nerves as they ranged around his neck.

“You are Lord Zeus, king of the Gods.” Dimitri was shocked at how his voice sounded to small and weak; maybe it was the silver chain still around his neck.

Lord Zeus smiled, his lips creasing his face in lines slightly, “So you are a Demi-God as the others have foreshown, but your aura is so small it almost fooled even us.”

Dimitri couldn’t help but smile a little, “Threw training I have the ability to dull my aura so as not to be noticed by monsters as easily. It’s a great honor to be noticed with high standings from an immortal such as yourself.”

He knew he was laying it on thick, but it seemed was working. Lord Zeus looked more pleased with him than ever.

“A smart child as well. Maybe he is of your kin Athena?” He spoke to his daughter on the far right.

She had silver dollar eyes, just like Jade, her hair was a mix copper and gold. Her armor gleamed as well with Jades and Dotty’’. Well this explained a lot! Her eyes meet his and she looked towards her father.

“I think not father, all my children have my eyes and his are green. But I sense a great resentment in his soul so maybe you Ares.”

Dimitri knew sibling rivalry when she heard it; even though it pained him a little he remembered the days when he would fight with Valory for his mother’s affection.

Lord Ares was a big man, not as tall as his fathers but wide. His armor was red as blood; Dimitri refused to think if it was made that way by custom or by battles.

“Naw ya old crone he isn’t mine. To scrawny, but he is a fighter. Did ya see what he did to my best sons? Did a number on them!” he seemed to be reveling in his son’s agony.

Dimitri tried to hide his smugness so they wouldn’t notice, thank goodness he wasn’t the son of Ares, and he would get no mercy for what he had done if those were his half brothers.

“Enough, we will discus this later. For know we all must retire.” Lord Zeus said and with a flash of light all of them were gone.

The hall went silent for a moment, but Dotty stepped forward at Dimitri.

“I’m sorry this had to happen this way.” She whispered in his ear as she undid the collar around his neck.

“You could have told me and this whole thing could have been avoided!” he hissed at her, his anger soon coming back at the sequence of things came back to him.

Her silver-ish eyes closed on him, “Would you have honestly have come willingly if you knew what was here?”

Dimitri felt himself stall, “Would he?”

“Guess you do have a point there.” With a sour gruffness as he rubbed his sore neck with shaking hands.

The thought that he was actually standing in front of the Gods, and even his own father. He scowled his stupidity of not looking at him, though he knew it was of his best interest. He remembered days in which his mother would coo and tell him how much like his father he would look, whenever he was pouting or skulking. He would get a chance in a week, and what a week this would be.

~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~~~