Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 24: Epilogue

Mount Othrys – Two Weeks Later

Third Person POV

Loki paced the stone floor of the throne room; his black eyes pulsed with anger. The other thrones were unoccupied at the moment, but that would not always be the case.

Suddenly, the large celestial bronze doors opened to reveal a tall man with dark grey hair and silver eyes. He wore a dark red tunic under silver armor. The man approached the throne before bowing before the god of evil.

"Iapetus. Why are you here?" Loki asked angrily.

"I… I wished to see if there was anything y-you need me to do?" Iapetus asked nervously.

Something flashed across Loki's eyes as if an idea had just come to the Norse god. He stopped pacing the floor as his an evil grin spread across his face. "Tell me about your mother," Loki ordered.

Iapetus looked at Loki oddly before bowing once more. "As you wish," Iapetus said before he went into a long tale about his mother Gaea.

"So Tartarus is her brother?" Loki asked at one point.

"Yes, my lord."

"Where is your mother currently?"

Iapetus stared at Loki questioningly. "Why?"

Loki stepped closer to the titan as his eyes pulsed with anger.

Iapetus stepped back under the ferocious glare of the god of evil.

"Tell me."

Iapetus bowed once more before continuing. "She is rumored to be located on the island of Crete under a mountain called Mount Dikti. There is a cave in that mountain that was rumored to be the location of the birth of Zeus by my sister Rhea. It is thought that her location may be accessed somewhere in the cave, but no one has ever found it before."

Loki stepped up to his throne and sat down with a broad smile on his face. "Will your mother help us defeat the gods?"

Iapetus's eyes widened. "She might."

Loki motioned for Iapetus to approach his throne. "Good. I have a job for you. Find your mother."

Iapetus bowed before rushing out of the throne room.

"You can't trust Gaea," a voice said from behind Loki's throne.

Loki turned to see Nemesis, the goddess of revenge. Her black eyes shined in the low light of the throne room.

An evil grin spread across Loki's face. "You're right…" he began, "but I don't need her to join me to gain her powers."

AN: That's it for Maze of Death. Thanks to Starlit Reader, who suggested that this little piece be added as an epilogue. Stay tuned to the final story of the Champion of Olympus series.