MTL NOVEL Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Giants of Olympus
### Chapter 10: The Giants of Olympus
The grand hall of Olympus thrummed with an electric tension as Apollo and Artemis settled into their newly risen thrones, the air around them shimmering with the raw power of their ascension. The golden seat beneath Apollo blazed with the intensity of the sun, its edges flickering with flames of Radiance and Divinity, while Artemis's silver crescent throne gleamed with a cool, lunar glow, vines of Wilderness curling around its base. The pantheon watched in a mixture of awe and unease, their immortal eyes fixed on the twins who had just been named *The Radiant Oracle* and *The Silver Huntress*. But the spectacle was far from over—something monumental was unfolding.
As they sat, a surge of divine energy pulsed through them, their forms beginning to shift and expand. Apollo's body stretched upward, his already towering presence growing until he loomed like a giant, his height rivaling the tallest pillars of the hall. His golden curls, once cascading over his shoulders, now flowed like rivers of molten sunlight, spilling down his back and framing a face so beautiful it seemed to rewrite the laws of perfection. His crystallized jewel-blue eyes sparkled with a piercing clarity, twin beacons of Prophecy and Sight that cut through the haze of Olympus, reflecting the cosmos itself. His skin glowed with the domains of Light and Beauty, a luminous sheen that made him appear as though carved from the heart of a star.
His attire transformed with his growth, weaving itself from threads of divine power. A toga of gold and blue draped over his massive frame, its fabric shimmering with the hues of dawn and dusk, embroidered with intricate patterns of Mathematics and Astronomy—stars and equations dancing across the cloth. The toga clung to his form, revealing a chiseled twelve-pack abdomen, each muscle defined with the strength of War and Precision, yet softened by the elegance of Harmony. White gloves adorned his hands, pristine and glowing with Purity, their edges trimmed with golden laurels that whispered of Victory. He was no mere god now—he was the most beautiful man alive, a towering figure of godly splendor that commanded every gaze in the hall.
Beside him, Artemis grew just as vast, her lithe form stretching into a giantess of silver grace. Her silver hair lengthened, flowing like a cascade of moonlight that pooled around her throne, its strands shimmering with the cool ferocity of the Moon and Hunt. Her sharp silver eyes burned with a wild intensity, reflecting the untamed Wilderness and the lethal Precision of her aim. Her attire morphed into a tunic of silver and shadow, its edges frayed with the essence of Exploration, adorned with faint etchings of stags and wolves. The fabric hugged her athletic frame, revealing the strength of a huntress honed by centuries of instinct, yet it bore the purity of Chastity in its untouchable sheen. She was a goddess of the night, fierce and untamed, a perfect counterpoint to her brother's golden blaze.
The hall fell silent, the gods and goddesses staring up at the twin giants who now dominated the space. Apollo's voice boomed, a symphony of Sound and Inspiration that shook the marble: "We are Olympians true—sun and moon, light and shadow. Let the heavens know our might!"
Artemis's voice followed, sharp and resonant, carrying the weight of Hunt and Victory: "We claim our place, not as children, but as equals. Olympus bends to us now!"
---
Zeus sat on his storm-forged throne, his massive hands gripping the arms so tightly that faint cracks spiderwebbed through the gold. Outwardly, he maintained his kingly composure, his gray eyes sparking with a forced pride, his lips curled into a smirk that didn't quite reach his soul. He clapped his hands once, thunder echoing through the hall, and declared, "Behold my children! Giants among gods, radiant and fierce! The pantheon grows stronger with them!"
But beneath that facade, his mind churned with a paranoia as old as the myths themselves, a shadow that twisted his thoughts like storm clouds gathering over a calm sea. *They're too much,* he thought, his gaze flickering between Apollo's towering form and Artemis's silver majesty. *Too tall, too powerful, too… everything. Apollo with his thirty-five domains—Prophecy to see my plans, War to challenge my might, Time to outlast me, Fate to undo me. And Artemis—her arrows could pierce my storms, her Hunt could stalk my throne. Together…*
His paranoia wasn't new—it was the same dread that had haunted him since he'd overthrown Cronus, his own father, with a sickle and a rebellion. The tales of Greek mythology were littered with such cycles: Uranus felled by Cronus, Cronus by Zeus, each generation toppling the last. Now, as he watched Apollo's golden curls gleam like a crown and Artemis's silver bow pulse with lethal intent, the fear took root. *Are they my heirs—or my doom?*
He masked it well, his smirk unwavering, but his thoughts raced. *Should I bind them? Chain them like I did the Titans, hurl them into Tartarus before they grow too bold? Or should I nurture them, keep them close, turn their power to my ends?* The memory of his own rebellion gnawed at him—he'd been bold, cunning, ruthless. Apollo's beauty hid a mind sharper than Athena's, and Artemis's wildness rivaled Ares's fury. Together, they could unseat him. The thought was a thunderbolt in his skull, silent but searing.
Hera leaned closer, her emerald eyes glinting with malicious delight as she sensed his unease. "Look at them, husband," she purred, her voice a venomous whisper. "Giants already, dwarfing us all. Your precious twins—how long before they tire of bowing to you? Apollo's got Prophecy—he'll see your every move. Artemis's arrows could find your heart. You're not smiling so wide now, are you?"
Zeus shot her a glare, his voice a low growl. "They're my blood, Hera. They'll honor me."
"Like you honored Cronus?" she taunted, her peacock feathers rustling. "You see it, don't you? The threat. Get rid of them, Zeus—before they get rid of you."
He didn't reply, but his grip tightened, the cracks in his throne deepening. He wouldn't show it—not yet—but the seed was planted, festering in his divine mind.
---
The other gods reacted in their own ways, their voices a cacophony of awe and tension. Poseidon rose, his trident gleaming with seawater, his sea-green eyes narrowing as he boomed, "Giants, eh? Flashy as ever, Apollo! And you, Artemis—those arrows look sharp enough to skewer my whales!"
Apollo grinned, his golden curls swaying as he leaned forward, his twelve-pack flexing beneath his toga. "Only if your whales challenge me, Uncle. I'd rather we share the seas in peace."
Artemis smirked, her silver eyes glinting. "And I'd rather hunt on land, Poseidon. Keep your waves—I'll take the wilds."
Athena stood, her gray eyes cool and assessing, her owl perched on her shoulder. "Impressive," she said, her voice cutting through the noise. "Apollo, your domains—thirty-five, a number I can't ignore. Knowledge, Prophecy, Mathematics—you tread close to my realm. We'll have to test each other soon."
Apollo met her gaze, his jewel-blue eyes sparkling with challenge. "A test, Athena? I'd welcome it. Wisdom against wisdom—let's see who shines brighter."
She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips, but her mind was already calculating.
Ares, lounging on his throne of blackened iron, laughed—a harsh, grating sound. "War in your hands, pretty boy? I'll break that bow over your head and show you what real fighting looks like!"
Apollo's smile didn't falter, his domain of War flaring subtly. "Try it, Ares. My arrows burn hotter than your temper."
Artemis chuckled, her silver bow humming. "And I'll pin you down before you swing, brother."
Hestia, ever calm by her hearth, smiled softly. "They bring light and strength—good for us all."
But Dionysus, sprawled with a goblet of wine, slurred, "Too much light! I'll need more drink to sleep through it!"
The hall buzzed with their voices, but Apollo and Artemis sat unshaken, their giant forms radiating power and beauty, their thrones a testament to their new status.
---
Zeus watched it all, his paranoia simmering beneath his kingly mask. He clapped again, thunder rolling, and declared, "The Radiant Oracle and The Silver Huntress—Olympians true! Let their names echo through the ages!"
The gods cheered—some genuinely, some warily—but Zeus's mind was elsewhere. *Thirty-five domains,* he thought, his eyes tracing Apollo's golden curls, the way they framed a face too perfect, too powerful. *And Artemis—her aim's unerring, her will unbreakable. They could… no, they wouldn't… would they?*
He remembered swallowing Metis to prevent Athena's birth from overthrowing him, chaining Prometheus for defying him, hurling the Titans into the abyss. His rule was built on such acts—ruthless, decisive. Should he act now? Strike before they grew bolder? Or wait, watch, let them prove their loyalty? The indecision gnawed at him, a godly flaw as ancient as his throne.
Hera's whisper slithered into his ear again. "You're thinking it, Zeus. I see it in your eyes. End them now—while they're still basking in their glory."
He waved her off, his voice gruff. "Silence, woman. They're my children."
"For now," she retorted, leaning back with a smirk.
---
Apollo lounged on his throne, his massive form relaxed yet regal, his golden-blue toga revealing the sculpted perfection of his twelve-pack. He glanced at Artemis, his jewel-blue eyes glinting with triumph. "We've done it, sister. Thrones, titles, power—Olympus is ours."
Artemis nodded, her silver hair pooling around her, her giant frame poised like a coiled spring. "Aye, brother. But the gods are restless—Father most of all. I feel it."
He smirked, his domain of Prophecy whispering faint threads of Zeus's unease. "Let him stew. We're his blood—he'll see our worth. And if he doesn't…"
Her silver eyes sharpened. "We'll make him."
The system chimed:
"Objective complete: Olympian status solidified. Faith nodes: 275. Influence radius: 1,000 miles. Next step: expand divine authority."
Apollo's golden curls gleamed as he surveyed the hall—Hera's wrath, Athena's curiosity, Ares's bluster, and Zeus's hidden fear. The Sun and Moon had risen, giants among gods, and their reign was just beginning—whether Zeus liked it or not.