Prologue
Percy POV
Sunday July 17 2425
6am
I had a few too many drinks and it showed. I walked, or more accurately tried to walk, the golden paths of Olympus towards his chambers.
Dionysus may be a drunk but he knows how to make drinks. I thought. And man, Hermes and Apollo know how to party.
It had been a crazy party that day or rather the day before as Apollo was right now riding the sun through the wanted to celebrate Apollo's birthday and the guy had extremely expensive tastes. Not that anyone minded. We were invited and got to have some too, so why complain?
Both Annabeth and I were invited but she was busy with designing the architecture of the next civilization the Greek gods would have to adopt.
She has to start taking it easy. I thought. Well next time I will just drag her out. I thought inside my hangover. When the hangover was over I would understand that just the thought of doing that was too dangerous.
No one and I repeat no one should mess with Annabeth when she was in her work trance. A lesson that I learnt the hard, dangerouw and sharp way.
Life since I became a god was God-given. I slept when i wanted, woke up when I wanted, worked when I wanted, close to never, partied whenever I felt like it with every club in the whole world as a possible destination, in general I did whatever I wanted.
The day when the legendary seven, were rewarded with immortality would be forever etched in my memory.
Flashback
The day was plain weird.
First I was teleported out of my university in the middle of a test and next thing I knew I was standing on the center of the circle in the conference room in Olympus.
Then I looked around to find all of the prophecy's seven, and Nico, standing around. I saw Annabeth who was talking to her mother. It felt rude to interrupt so I didn't. Next was Leo.
'Wait… WHAT?' I shouted
I ran towards Leo and punched him in the face which threw him about 10 feet backwards.
'Why are you here?' I asked him shouting. 'You jerk. We thought you were dead for 5 months now. Not even an Iris message? What were you thinking?' I asked ready to start crying out of happiness but not quite ready to let go of my anger.
Leo stood up.
'One, ask first, punch later. It is painful to talk now.' He said while he rubbed his jaw.
I took a step forward, cracking my knuckles.
'Okay, okay.' He said flailing his hands in front of him. I stopped. 'Look I am sorry, okay? I was busy. I saved Calypso and we had to find somewhere to live and a way to make a living and…'
'And you didn't have time for one message to let us know that, oh I don't know, you are alive.' I said ironically yet pissed.
'I said I am sorry. I was concentrated on other things and…'
A person clearing his throat was heard throughout the room loud and clear. A booming voice belonging to Zeus followed it.
'If you two are quite done with your bickering we believe' He said gesturing at the rest of the gods 'That we have some announcements that might interest you.'
That caught the attention of all eeight of us who all stopped whatever we were doing and stood in a straight line, facing Zeus.
'We wish to reward you for your services in the hard times that we passed and we believe that it is time to do something that we haven't done since the time of Hercules.' He said getting more excited with every phrase.
Oh oh. That's a déjà vu I am feeling, isn't it?. I thought. We were going to be offered immortality. I had already refused it once but this time it was different. I looked at Annabeth and with one look I understood that we were having the same thoughts.
This time we could both become immortal, no strings attached. This time we would become gods, together.
I had apparently spaced out since the next thing I heard when I spaced back in was Zeus ending his speech about how great the gift they were being offered was.
'… So now please step forward to receive glorious godhood and be reborn as the gods of Heroes!' He finished
'No!' A voice said. After a bit Percy understood the voice came from Valdez.
He snapped his head to the right, where Valdez was standing, arms crossed and fire in his eyes.
'Excuse me?' Asked Zeus with the surprise everyone felt.
'I don't want your glorious godhood. Because of your curse Calypso is now irreversibly mortal. I want to live with her for the rest of her years. Grow old with her and when the day comes die with her.' He said with conviction and a bit of anger.
'But you can't be serious. Refusing godhood because of a woman…' Said Zeus incredulously
'Watch it Zeus. She is not just a woman. She is my wife. So be careful what you say.' He said now truly angry. Although it was a bluff a man whose partner has been insulted can be more dangerous than when his life is at stake. That made both Zeus and me shiver.
Zeus mumbled something along the lines of 'Two times in just as many years for the same reason. I am surrounded by lunatics.'
My thoughts on the other hand were more along the lines of 'Well been there, done that, can't judge.'
'Anyone else who wants to refuse?' Asked half heartedly Zeus.
At that my father hot me a worried glance to which I answered with a smile which seemed to relax him a bit,
With the silence as his answer he started the ritual.
"Okay, chosen ones, if you'll step forward please." Zeus ordered and we obeyed.
"Do you promise to fight for Olympus no matter the odds when it is threatened?" He started.
"I do." Everyone said
"Do you promise to follow all of the council's orders and listen to your comrades?" He asked.
"I do."
"Do you promise to honor the godhood you are given and take responsibility of your domains no matter the consequences?" He wondered.
"I do."
"Do you promise to be a just and honorable gods from now until you are forever forgotten and faded?" He inquired.
"I do."
"Then welcome to the Greek pantheon." He said with the most honest smile Percy had seen on him.
Zeus finished and lifted his hand towards me. A second after he did that, a golden force came out of his hand and swirled around me, creating a sort of golden spherical bubble, blocking everything from my sight. I slowly felt myself change from the outside as the gold force aligned around my skin and clothes. Then, when I thought it was done, it penetrated through my skin and I felt myself change from the inside now. I felt stronger, more invincible, smarter, and so many other things. Even better, there was no pain at all, just a sense of calm and happiness. Finally it ended and the ball of force disappeared. I found out that I was lying on my back on the floor so I rolled up to my knees and stood up. As I brushed myself off, I realized that I was oozing power and, guessing from my father's, now proud, smile it was very impressive.
'Remember this day for today you have been reborn as gods.' Zeus stated
I stood up and walked to Annabeth who was shining a grey aura.
'Well wise girl. I guess it is time for that forever and ever part.' I said happily. She gave me a smile.
'Couldn't have said it better.' She said and she kissed me.
Flashback End
And since then I became major god of all bodies of water and Heroes as well as minor god of Earthquakes. All seven of us got a different set of domains except of the domain of heroes which was joined for all of us.
Lost in my thoughts I reached my temple. Its golden doors were divided into six squares showing my greatest achievements. They served both as an inspiration and as a safety code.
A safety code? How is that? You may wonder.
Well it was Annabeth's idea to make it so that the room could only open if you pressed them in the right order.
I, in order to remember them, pressed them from the ones with the least to the ones with the most important sentimental value.
First was a sculpted picture of him fighting Kronos, who was in Luke's form, on the upper right. I was holding riptide and Kronos his symbol of power, his scythe.
This was by leaps and bounds the one I didn't hold with any affection. It was brimming with sad memories. The time when my wife was in love with another boy, the time when I watched helplessly as Luke committed suicide to save everyone and when I lost so many of my friends in the defense of Olympus. All in all, I didn't even feel I should show this picture.
I pressed the riptide on my sculpted self's hand which receded deeper into the stone with a satisfying click.
Next was the time I defeated the original Minotaur before I even reached the camp on the lower left. I was holding the Minotaur's broken horn in the air above his head ready to stab him with it. In the background was the camp with many people watching in awe.
That memory to me was neutral. It was really a matter of timing. If it wasn't raining that day I wouldn't be able to do that and thinking of the rest of my achievements in the following years I was more embarrassed to have found it difficult than proud.
I pressed the horn I was holding which did the same as riptide.
Afterwards was the time I had defeated Hyperion in the park on upper left. I was getting engulfed in Hyperion's flames while I had his hands in the air ready to unleash a wave of water on him. This would be higher on the list if the scene depicted was the reality. Although I trulydid beat the titan singlehandedly this scene hadn't happened so it irked me.
I pressed on the armor the titan wore.
Next, on the lower right, was the time he beat Ares on a clean swordfight on my first quest. It depicted Ares and me having locked swords on the beach. My face was one of cold concentration while Ares' was one fear sloppily covered by anger. That was high on my list for 2 reasons. One, the fact that I put the hothead in his place in a fair fight really filled me with pride and two every time Ares saw this door he grew 2 or 3 tones closer to his lava colored armor.
I pressed the said armor.
Next, on the middle right, was one of my favorites. It was the time I rescued Annabeth from Atlas. Even the memory of the fear I had of anything happening to her made me lose years of my immortal life. But I felt my chest puff from the understanding that I had delivered and saved her. The depiction was of me pushing Annabeth from underneath the sky with her on mid-fall and the sky ready to land on the back of Atlas who was lying, face down, beneath it. Artemis on the background unleashing arrows on incoming monsters and Zoe lying peacefully on the sky in a constellation.
I pressed on Zoe.
Last, on the middle left, was my favorite memory, albeit a bit grim one. It was me and Annabeth getting out of Tartarus with me holding her on one hand and a rope on the other. On the background the giant and the titan that gave their lives so that could happen. It was by far my favorite achievement. It was tangible proof that I literally went to hell and back with her and it showed just how much I loved her. I gave a silent "Thank you" to the titan and giant as I did every time and pressed the rope.
With the last click the door opened soundlessly only to reveal a warm, familiar sight. It was Annabeth sleeping on our couch with hundreds of papers around her full of plans. I decided it was a good time to sober up.
I reached into my pocket to a stone that was given to him as a favor from Dionysus. It was a blessed Amethyst and once a week, if I held on it, it removed any effects a hangover I might have.
The stone was cold to the touch, a sign it was usable, but it quickly warmed up to my touch and I felt my mind clearing.
The blur left me and my sense of balance returned. The only thing that was left behind was the sleepiness but it was to be expected after an all-night party.
Now, with a clean head, I continued forward. Careful not to step on anything I reached Annabeth. I grabbed her gently, bridal style, and started climbing the steps towards the second floor where our bed was. I laid her down gently on the bed and covered her up. Next I walked to the other side and lied down. I closed my eyes and was ready to surrender myself to Morpheus when I heard Annabeth's voice.
'You reek of alcohol.' She said sleepily.
'Well sorry. I drank a bit too much. I am not drunk anymore though.' I said apologetically but with a note of tiredness in his voice
'Amethyst?'
'Yap'
'See you in the morning then. I'm beat.' She said and with that she cuddled closer to me and fell asleep.
'It's already morning.' I whispered, more to myself than to answer but I enjoyed this nevertheless. He held her in my embrace and fell asleep.
A/N: Okay guys. This was a short world building and was quite slow and impassive compared to my other stories but trust me the next chapter will open with the BANG. Now tell me what you think of the premise and if you feel that something is out of place. Any and all reviews are welcome since they make my day. And as always
Glad to entertain you
Greghero
