Hey guys, this is really important. PLEASE READ!
I've put up a poll on my page. At this point, I will not have completed all three chapters for Breaking Point, but the first one and the second one will be up as well. This comes after much consideration over what you all think I should write. What appeals more to you guys? I wish I could do both, but since they're so different, I'm not sure if I could make both at high quality. I'm not even sure if I could make one at high quality. This is because I'm not sure if anyone really wants to read my sappy high school story and instead wants to read my sappy ancient-setting story.
Anyway, vote on the poll and please tell me which you would prefer. I will leave the losing story on the site to perhaps complete one day, but I won't write it now but rather focus on the other story. Thank you.
Warning: Perthos is Percy. Don't be confused please. Thank you.
NOTE: the story went to Code 1 even though I never touched it. I have uploaded it again. If it goes to Code 1 again, then the site itself is taking down my story. We'll see what happens.
Chapter 1
Zeus screamed in pain.
His wife Hera was both suspicious and worried. On one hand, her husband was in immense pain and had been crying for help for several days. On the other hand, she wondered what Zeus could have possibly done to get himself in this amount of torturous agony.
Immediately, her thoughts drifted to infidelity. It hadn't been long since the twins Apollo and Artemis were sired. Hera resented Poseidon for helping Leto, but she resented Zeus even more for cheating on him. She knew their first child, Ares, was a disappointment; however, she couldn't help but feel cheated that Zeus didn't try again with her.
She knew that she was his third wife. After Metis and Themis, she was his last choice. He'd even gone after Demeter before her and fathered Persephone.
But she went to find help anyway.
Ares sauntered into the palace, brandishing a double-headed Minoan axe. He looked at his mother disdainfully and said, "What do you want?"
She scowled at the young, arrogant god. "Your father is in pain. It's been long enough. I think it's time to do something about it."
"Eileithyia!" Zeus yelled. "Ares! Hera! Someone help me please! The pain is unbearable! I can't get rid of it. Just split my head open. It will stop."
Hera approached him.
Suddenly, there was a flash, and on the right side of the room appeared a grumpy-looking Poseidon. His jet-black hair was greying, and he was dressed in armour. Hera hadn't seen Poseidon in armour since the old days—the Titanomachy days. Hera wondered if there was trouble brewing underneath the surface of the sea.
"What in Tartarus' name is going on here?" bellowed the sea god. He hadn't noticed Zeus cowering in agony. "Brother, where are you? I will rip your skull off your body and feed it to the sharks! You're causing a ruckus down there. Do you realize how many mortals you've fried from your storms? Control yourself!"
"Do you think I would control myself if I could?" Zeus roared back. He clutched his head and gritted his teeth. "If I had control over this massive headache, I wouldn't be in agony over here. Besides, what does it matter to you? Is it causing a war down under the sea or what?"
Poseidon glanced down. He seemed to realize that he was still wearing armour. His jaw set and he said coolly, "I was training with my sons. That is all."
Hera curled her lip. She remembered the news. Eighteen days ago or so, Poseidon and Amphitrite had birthed a fourth child. Unlike powerful gods like Artemis or Apollo, who matured within a week, the fourth child had aged rather slowly. And unlike Ares and Eris, Poseidon's children weren't bad. Both Benthesikyme and Rhode lived peacefully in their domains, content with their lives. They didn't hate their parents, and despite all the affairs Poseidon seemed to involve himself in, he and Amphitrite did not waver as much as Hera and Zeus. Now Poseidon had two sons—his heir, Triton, and his future army general, Perthos.
Hera never understood why the youngest child, whose name came from the word for destruction, was the most powerful of the four children. He was already a proficient fighter. As the god of sea storms and flash floods, Perthos was a potentially dangerous god.
"What are you doing in such agony, dear brother," Poseidon asked curiously. He bent down and gave Zeus a devilish smile. He was enjoying this. "Is the pain in your head? Shall I try to heal you?"
"Don't you dare touch me!" Zeus screamed.
The sea god smiled and flicked the side of his brother's head. Zeus flinched and cried out in pain again. Poseidon laughed heartily as he sadistically tortured his older brother. Zeus promised himself that he would never forgive Poseidon for this, but at the current moment, he was the least of his worries.
"Just get rid of this pain!" the younger brother demanded.
Eileithyia, who had remained in the throne room at Hera's command, knelt down in front of her father. She offered a hand to him, which he took. With every jolt of pain, he squeezed her hand, causing her to wince. Ares frowned and came to him with the axe.
Zeus looked up at his son with a pleading look. Ares nodded and raised the axe.
Though she knew it wouldn't kill the immortal god, Hera still flinched when the axe made contact with Zeus' skull. Golden ichor flooded out of the wound in the god's forehead, but he was still conscious. Perhaps the headache had disappeared because he no longer cried out in pain. He stared blankly up at the axe in his head. Ares tore the weapon out, and for a moment, all was quiet.
"Is that really all it took?" Poseidon asked.
Before anyone could respond, there was a blast of noise, and in a blazing light, a woman appeared in front of them. She was beautiful. Hera immediately took a disliking to her. She had pretty features. Her hair was black, similar to Zeus'. Most startling of all were her eyes. They were grey like the colour of storm clouds. She looked barely old enough to be considered a grown woman. She was dressed in traditional garments, but she also wore a full set of armour. There was a shield strapped to one of her arms and a spear wielded in the other. The woman uttered a war cry.
The five others in the room stared at the woman disbelievingly.
"That face…" Poseidon muttered. "Metis?"
Zeus' eyes widened. "No! That's impossible! She can't be—"
"Only the first child," Poseidon assured him. "There is no second child."
Ares and Eileithyia looked confused, but Hera knew all too well what the two gods were speaking of. And Hera was furious.
"I am Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war strategy," the new goddess announced proudly. She stared each of the gods down with a fearsome look. When her eyes landed on the wounded god on the floor, she bowed. "Father."
Zeus felt his wound and winced. It was bad. He looked to his brother. "Bring her to Triton. Have her train there."
Poseidon looked bewildered. "To Triton? Why?"
"Because I have an axe-mark in my head!" Zeus roared. He stood up, leaving a trail of ichor behind him. "Do this favour for me, Poseidon. I'll pay you back in the future."
The sea god looked at the new goddess. She didn't look like she'd been forming for mere days. Unlike Apollo, Artemis and Ares, Athena had several years to grow and prepare for the outside world. Even if the growing happened in Zeus' head. He remembered hearing of Metis' demise. He couldn't imagine being stuck living inside of Zeus' gut as a fly.
Then he remembered being stuck in his father's belly and shuddered. Growing inside an entity was horrible—stinky, gross and very messy.
Looking at the goddess, he suddenly realized that she would be a perfect partner for his new son. Or perhaps Triton's daughter, Pallas. While he had been training both of his sons, Triton was much older than Perthos. Perthos could use someone new to the outside world like Athena.
"Very well," Poseidon answered. "I shall take her to the south with me."
"Excuse me?" Hera screeched.
Poseidon stared at his sister. She looked angry, and rightfully so. But Hera was also smart. Other than her outburst, she said nothing. Poseidon thought it was a smart decision. Despite her anger, she likely wouldn't win a fight against a goddess of wisdom. Well… that part wasn't necessarily true, but he wouldn't have taken the chance without learning more about the goddess.
"Go, Athena," Zeus ordered. "Follow your uncle."
"As you wish, Father."
Athena turned to face her uncle. She wondered who this Triton was. What would she be training in the south? What lands would she be going to? Poseidon snapped his fingers and they were encapsulated in a blinding light. When the light died down, Athena found herself standing on the sandy shores of a beach.
A young man appeared before them. He had jet-black hair and sea-green eyes—an exact replica of his father. "Dad? Who's that?"
"Perthos, this is Athena," the sea god introduced. "Athena, this is my second son by Amphitrite, Perthos."
Athena extended an arm. Perthos shook it.
Little did Athena know, this boy would soon be her best friend.
Perthos rolled to the side and jabbed at her.
Athena failed to avoid the strike, and the tip of his blade struck her helmet. She froze and dropped her weapon. Raising her arms, she surrendered to the victorious son of Poseidon. Perthos grinned as he looked down on her. The god, for some reason, chose to be a tall, handsome young man. And it wasn't like Apollo's version of a tall, 'handsome' young man.
Athena almost wanted to laugh at the miserable nymphs that tried to get the young prince's attention. Perthos was focused on one thing and one thing only: impressing his older brother.
"Good job, Perthos," Triton praised. "But don't get carried away. Athena is far more powerful than either of us. Even if you can defeat her in combat, it is getting her into combat in the first place that is most difficult."
"I know," the god of sea storms agreed. He gave her a sideways stare. "She's a sneaky one."
"I will be visiting Father now. Behave."
With that, the merman disappeared into the ocean.
Athena wasn't sure how long she'd been in the world. She hadn't been counting the years. After all, time passed much differently to them than it did to mortals. New gods had been birthed. Hephaestus was born by Hera and Zeus, but Hera had tossed the ugly god off Olympus and left him to be reared by the Sintians on Lemnos. Hermes, a trickster god had also been born. She watched as mortals began to expand power over the known world.
Many things had happened, but what always pleased Athena the most was returning to back to the home she grew in.
"At least you can fight Perthos without losing within the first few seconds," her childhood friend Pallas grumbled. "There's no way I'd hold my own against Perthos. He's probably the best solo fighter in history this far."
"I'm not that good," Perthos laughed as he waved her off. He blinked and the sword in his hand dissipated into the air. "I mean, gods like Ares, who know everything about weapons, should be pretty good fighters too, right?"
"Ares would not beat you," Athena replied. "You are a very… different fighter."
"I know." Perthos sighed and sat down in the sand. He squinted as he looked up into the sky. "I prefer swords over spears, which is unusual, and I don't fight nearly as efficiently in groups like armies. I mean, after all, I am a god. Even if I'm crushed to pieces, my consciousness will still be there. So I take more risks. I like solo fighting. It's fun for duels too."
"And you can use any weapon," Athena added.
"Not any… but a lot of them, yeah. I even managed to master the bow. Apollo's a great help, you know. Aside from his constant nagging on how I should try hitting on more nymphs or try sleeping with them, he's an okay god. Though, I'm not quite sure what exactly I was expecting out of him, Olympian god or not."
"You're an Olympian, Athena," Pallas said. Perthos noticed a mysterious tone in her voice. She twirled her spear in her hand absentmindedly, keeping her focus on the conversation. It was almost like an idle threat. "What is it like? You get to see Grandfather every day."
Athena sat down next to Perthos and sighed. "Being an Olympian is not as glorious as it seems. It is only because we are the most powerful of the gods that we exist as the Council. Not to be offensive to you two, but your roles are minor. Perthos, your father essentially controls your domain, and Pallas has nothing to her name. In fact, she can die. I, on the other hand, inherited my mother's domain as she can no longer perform her duties properly."
"Maybe they should feed Zeus some of that nasty mustard stuff to get him to vomit her out," Perthos suggested lightheartedly. "It worked for his siblings."
Pallas laughed, and Athena couldn't help but smile.
She enjoyed these times. She could get away from the responsibility of her position and relax with friends. She knew it wasn't wise to do so, but she also knew that relieving herself of stress would help calm her temper and clear her mind. It was always easier to make better decisions with a clear mind.
"Shall we spar, Pallas?" Athena suggested.
Her childhood friend clutched her spear. "It would be my pleasure," she bowed.
Perthos turned to watch the two. Despite Pallas' modesty, she was a very skilled warrior. She could hold her own very well against Athena, despite the fact that the goddess specialized in war strategy and combat. Perthos knew his enhanced power came from a secret domain of his, but he wasn't going to tell Athena that. It would hurt his own pride to reveal that he specialized in swordplay—an art not very popular amongst Greeks. It was why he tried so hard to master archery and the spear. He needed to be able to use common weapons as well, otherwise it would seem as though he was hiding behind his own powers.
But something was off that day. He could sense a different tension in the air. He frowned, knowing the reason for Pallas' discontent. Athena seemed oblivious to it.
"So why did you come back today?" Pallas asked as they prepared to spar.
Athena responded with a cool head. "It's easier being around less powerful beings. There isn't so much pressure around you."
"I see."
Perthos thought about Athena's words carefully. They were blunt and unforgiving, but that's just who Athena was. If she wasn't, she wouldn't have been the goddess of wisdom. Wisdom called for as little bias as possible, and that sometimes meant shielding the heart. Perthos watched Pallas' expression carefully. Her brow was knit, and her face contorted in concentration.
"Begin!" Athena shouted, and the two began to spar.
There was a whirl of spears as the two began a relentless attack. Perthos couldn't help but think of what he would've done if he was fighting. Wrong step. Too wide of a swing. I would've attacked. I would've feinted. Mis-timed swing. Poor rotation and momentum.
Thunder rumbled in the sky.
Athena blocked a strike with the shaft of her spear and kicked Pallas backward. The two of them were panting, tired from the movement. Athena had been worn down trying to defend against him, which gave Pallas the slight advantage.
"You're trying really hard today," Athena told her childhood friend.
"If I don't try, I won't get better," she argued.
Athena relaxed her muscles and tried to enjoy the small break. But suddenly Pallas lunged forward with a strike. Athena's guard was down; she thought they would've let each other catch their breaths. Her eyes widened as the viper-like strike darted toward her. Perthos nodded to himself, impressed with the deceptive strike. But he knew Athena would counter, whether she was hit or not. She would minimize the damage and take the opportunity to make a strike at Pallas.
It did not mean that Zeus knew she could counter it.
Perthos saw Pallas lurch forward suddenly. Her spear clattered to the ground, and she stumbled to keep her footing. Athena, who moved too fast to stop, stabbed her friend through the chest. She noticed Pallas' misstep a moment too late.
Pallas stared disbelievingly at the ground. Her wound was grave. Perthos rushed to her side and moved her toward the water. Athena's spear was still imbedded in Pallas' chest, and the goddess of wisdom stood unmoving, shocked by her own action. Perthos scooped up water and splashed it over Pallas' wound. It was to no avail. Perthos knew that his power was unique—only he could heal within water. While all children of Poseidon grew in strength while underwater, not many could control the waves and heal like Perthos.
"Why…?"A tear fell from Pallas' eye. "Why this way?"
Perthos was close to Pallas. When Athena wasn't around, and they weren't off on their respective jobs, they would spar each other. After all, she was Triton's daughter. It only made sense for him to want to help her and protect her.
Athena unfroze and moved over to where Pallas lay. She knelt down and grasped her friend's hands. Perthos was stunned. For the first time ever, he saw Athena crying. She looked distraught; her eyes swirled with what seemed like a million emotions. She squeezed Pallas' hands. "No, this can't be happening. Please, Pallas. You're not dying. You're not dying."
"I just wanted to beat you," Pallas croaked. "I wanted to do something for once. Not just a girl. Not just an unknown person."
"I didn't…" Athena's eyes turned dark. She was calculating. A moment later, she turned to the sky and screamed, "Curse you, Father! How could you do this to me? I'm immortal! I won't die!"
She was flickering with golden light.
For a moment, Perthos thought she would reveal her divine form and incinerate everything in the area. He placed a hand on her shoulder and watched as the life slowly left Pallas. Perthos cursed himself. He knew he wasn't powerful enough. If he had just been born with more power, he could have saved his friend.
From the very first day Perthos met Athena, he had been impressed with her power and stature. Even for a goddess who had barely been in the world for a day, she carried herself with immense pride and respect. She was a goddess Perthos could look up to. She was a good friend and one of the best goddesses he'd ever met.
Even if he and Athena knew each other for longer than they did Pallas, Pallas was still a good friend of theirs. It broke his heart to see Athena in such sorrow.
Perthos looked to the sky and made a prayer. He thought of his uncles, Hades and Zeus, and pleaded for safe passage for the girl into the Underworld. He thought of his brother, Triton, and prayed for him as well.
It was a mistake—a sad mistake.
Athena stood up and wiped her tears away. She closed her eyes and turned her palms toward the sky. Pallas' body began to glow gold. The wisdom goddess began muttering an incantation, and slowly, the golden glow grew. The light was so intense that Perthos had to avert his eyes, despite being a god. When the glow faded, he looked back and saw that in Pallas' place was a wooden image.
"The palladium," Athena announced, lowering her hands to her sides. "In my error, I shall take your name and bring honour to it. Forgive me, my friend. From this point on, I shall be declared Pallas Athena!"
There was another magical glow. This time, it came from Athena. Her body was showered in a golden hue, as if some magical process was occurring. Perthos had never seen anything like it. Living deep down in the ocean for most of his life, Perthos hardly had much of a chance to interact with the sky, not to mention the dazzling goddess. He felt enamoured by her beauty.
The light died. Athena reached down and touched the wooden image. It disappeared into thin air, presumably in a safe spot where Athena could monitor it. The goddess turned to him and tried for a smile. Even as forced as it looked, he still felt the urge to hold her. Perthos stepped forward and embraced her.
He wished he'd spent more time with her when he could.
So, how is it? Next chapter is already up. Just to make sure you all know, but Perthos is Percy.
