Titans of Chaos

It was within my grasp. I had seen the process several times now, and I knew how to startunwinding fate. I did not know how to finish, but...

I knew, at least in part, how to do the work of Chaos.

So with an energy-tendril I touched the fate choking Quentin, pulled part of its nature into ahigher dimension, rotated it, replaced it. This rotation acted like a mirror, and the fate becameself-aware. It woke up.

It was awake, but not free. The web of magic strands around it forced it to act. I was not surewhat it was doing, but, somehow, this thing was making Quentin choke.

I shouted to Victor and told him what I saw.

I said, "We need Quentin to do the next component of the destiny unweaving spell. How do wesave him? How do we save Quentin?"

Victor said, "The enemy must be using the Olympian power to affect us, because the laws ofnature here in this space we are in are blocking his other powers from working. Mount Olymposmust be likewise defended from external attack. All we need to do is outwait him."

Quentin coughed and heaved again. How much could random chance do, once it was no longerrandom? Make all the air molecules in someone's throat forget their Brownian motions for amoment, and create a partial vacuum?

The azure beam from Victor's eye flickered across Quentin's throat. There was no change. Quentinhacked and spat and could not speak.

I said, "It is not a magical, nor a material effect. We need to have Quentin zap the magic awayfrom the destiny cursing him before you can force cause and effect back into place."

At that moment, steam started to come up out of Colin. His solid body was becoming more andmore dreamlike and insubstantial.

Vanity whispered in horror, "Oh my God, he's fading."

The voice over the cell phones called, light and quick and gay: "Oh, Vanity Fair, my Vanity Fair,my ripe young peach with a pert derriere! I will make you a bargain; I will make you a deal. I onlyneed for one of them to die. If you do not decide, then I will."

Vanity yanked the cell phone out of her pocket and stared at it. "What?"

"To start the war with Chaos, the war to end all All. I only need one death. The treaty will break,Olympos will fall, and down will come Heaven, and Cosmos, and all. But you might live, and yourfine beau. Just let Hades take Colin to the world below. You get to pick which one of you will die.

Will you pick? Or shall I?"