'thoughts or flashback'
"normal speech"
Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO, no matter how much I wish I did.
Chapter One: Perseus of Athens
A snort came from his left and Perseus only slightly turned to see who. "An Athenean. One that claims to be a son of Lord Poseidon as well? Do you take us for fools boy? Why would you come here and spread such lies?"
Perseus put on a condescending look and arched a brow in Theron's, the council member's, direction. "While it is Athens that celebrates and advises using their wit above brute strength, it is still common sense not to insult the brother of a king. Even if you suspect him of lying of his parenthood. Or have you forgotten what happened the last time you insulted my King council member?"
Theron glared with all he had at Perseus. All around him the Spartans who knew Theseus laughed. To insult that particular king was idiotic and something Theron had learned the hard way.
Theseus too had been called a liar for claiming Poseidon his father. This was before Theron knew he was the newly crowned King of Athens. To prove his claim Theseus asked Theron to climb the highest tree he could find and then Theseus would prove his heritage.
Theron in an effort to embarrass Theseus had climbed a tall tree going about 40-50 feet up. Once up at the highest branch Theron had mocked Theseus and wondered how he would go about proving who his father was. Theseus had merely grinned at the braggart and fool and used what little of his demigod powers he could control to cause a localized earthquake around the tree.
The squeals of fright and shouts of terror from Theron had amused not only Theseus but all who bore witness to the act to no end. To this day Theseus would often mock Theron even though it had been many years since the incident.
A slow mocking smile spread across Perseus' face. "But if you would like me to prove my worth… I have heard that if you climb a tree around here the most interesting things can happen. It's almost like you can prove your parentage on them. It's like your family tree or something."
Stelios, long haired and one of the most loyal men to King Leonidas barked out a laugh. "I certainly believe him. None but the family of a King, one who is surely but a misplaced Spartan, would dare speak that way. Tell me Perseus, are you sure you and King Theseus were not stolen away from Sparta? You are nothing like the other weak-kneed men of your kingdom."
Perseus only smiled thinly at the cocky but not ill intentioned Spartan. "No. We are just not as restrained as others would like. I don't see that changing any time soon either no matter who tries."
More laughter all around at Perseus' ability to give as good as he got.
After his chuckles died down Leonidas stepped forward to greet the boy from Athens. "Perseus, son of Poseidon and brother of Theseus. It seems you arrived a bit later than you would have liked." He waved at the pit and Perseus looked slightly annoyed, "But we welcome you to Sparta nonetheless. Come, we can talk more as my men gather the rest of the council and we decide on what to do about these Persians."
Percy nodded but was careful not to let his nervousness show.
While it was true that he was strong and confident in his own skills as a warrior, Leonidas wouldn't be talking to him as a mere warrior. He would be talking to him as a King talking to an emissary from Athens. Perseus couldn't afford to make his home look bad, nor could he make them look weak by letting Leonidas push him around.
At the same time, by declaring for all to hear that he was a demigod, it earned him respect. Not because he was a son of a god but because it was common for demigods to keep their heritage secret and trust no one until they could either defend themselves or they had some sort of way to keep safe. It wasn't uncommon for demigods to be treated with scorn or be targeted as a form of revenge on their parents.
Theseus was in his twenties before he revealed his father for all to see. That Perseus did it and at such a young age in a city where no one would hesitate to challenge him, spoke volumes of either his bravery and strength or foolishness.
"What was King Theseus' reaction to the Persian messenger when he visited?" Leonidas asked curiously as he walked alongside the young warrior.
For there was no doubt he was a warrior. Apart from the obvious sword strapped to his side, he was well muscled and had rough hands. Ones that showed he worked hard at what he did.
Apart from that he had claimed to be the commander of the Athenean military forces. Not an easy feat at such a young age but if he was really Theseus' half brother than it was likely true.
Perseus measured his words carefully. "He was extremely insulted that a so called god-king would dare ask Athens for subservience. So of course he insulted them with words and then had them kicked out of the city." Perseus forced a grin on his face, "He has a certain way with words and insults that I'll never match."
Leonidas barked out a laugh and clapped him on the shoulders. "I see you are a man of action Perseus. That does sound like something Theseus would do, but never doubt his strength. He is just as skilled with his arm and his sword as he is with his words."
Perseus nodded for he knew it was true. There were few in the world who could cross blades with Theseus and live.
"Come along then Perseus. I must go and inform the council that a visit to the Ephors is needed. Once we get there blessing we can plan out how to go about repelling those cowardly Persians from our homeland." Leonidas called for another of his long time friends to arrange a place for Perseus to stay.
In the meantime Leonidas would do as he said and inform the council what he did to the Persian. From there he would need to climb the mountain where the Ephors lived and consult the oracle. Without knowing the words spoken by the oracle, words that were said to be the thoughts and blessings of the gods themselves, Leonidas knew Sparta wouldn't commit to assembling a force against Persia.
1 week later, Sparta
"So then Sparta has opted not to fight because of a religious festival huh?" Perseus asked Astinos, a Spartan soldier he'd befriended that was close to his age.
Astinos was the son of Captain Artemis, one of King Leonidas' personal guards. He was the oldest of three sons born to the captain and had been handed the task of keeping an eye on Perseus.
It had been a week since his arrival to Sparta. A week spent in and out of meetings with members of the Spartan government, explaining over and over the position Athens had taken against Persia. It was tiring and annoying work, especially since Theron was in his element in those meetings and there was little Perseus could do to shut him up.
Leonidas had been busy himself trying to rally support for a full scale offensive against Persia. Unfortunately he had to garner approval and blessings from the oracle before the council would commit. Approval that had been failed to be delivered.
Perseus shrugged off those strange customs that Sparta had. Of them going to war only if their half drugged supposed oracle told them to.
He knew of only one true oracle channeling the spirit of Delphi and it certainly wasn't in Sparta.
"Yes. Theron has advised the rest of the council not to commit to war during our festival of Carnea. The oracle not blessing our involvement certainly didn't help matters." Astinos answered the young warrior of Athens.
Perseus sighed and fell back to lie on the grass. He had his arms folded underneath his head and was glad he'd found shade under the tree to fend off the fierce sunlight.
"What will happen now? I will have to bring some sort of news back to my King. I was told to find out what Sparta would do and then meet up with the Arcadians before heading to the Hot Gates." Perseus closed his eyes in thought, planning his next move.
Astinos took a seat near the young Athenean but paid careful attention to the weapon at his side. "King Leonidas is displeased with the stance Sparta has taken. He is forced to obey, but…" Astinos trailed off and struggled with himself whether or not to reveal the next part, "he recognizes that Persia might attack the half brother of King Theseus and try to force Athens' surrender. Because of that he has offered to escort you back to Athens using whatever route you wish, along with some of his guards."
Perseus sat up slowly at hearing that bit of news. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Is that so? Well I think I should arrange a meeting with King Leonidas to thank him for his generosity. We might even be able to work out the most beneficial route to take. To make it safer of course."
Astinos was careful to not let amusement show on his face. He'd been told to test the waters with Perseus and see how he would react to the King's offer to escort him from Sparta. He knew that he and his father, and Stelios comprised a unit of 300 Spartan's that had volunteered to join the king. It was nothing but a thinly veiled strike force to defend the Hot Gates and hold off the Persians.
The young Spartan thought that he would have to convince Perseus to agree to go along with their plan; or at least he would have to explain it more in depth for him. But Perseus had proven that his half brother was not the only one born with a sharp mind as he'd seen through the ruse of King Leonidas quite easily.
If you can't get official permission to protect your home then simply find another way.
With a laugh Perseus jumped to his feet and offered a hand to Astinos. "Come along Astinos. I fear that my departure of Sparta draws near. I of course must thank Theron for his hospitality before I leave though."
Astinos laughed too as he was pulled to his feet. Despite being younger than him, Perseus showed no fear, or perhaps it was recklessness, in speaking his mind whenever he wanted it. Theron annoyed him and so Perseus would often mock him in some form whenever they met.
4 days later, Pellana
It was unbelievable. Perseus had seen many things in his short life but the sight before him was not one of them.
King Leonidas along with 300 Spartans had 'offered' to escort Perseus to his next destination to ensure his safety. All present knew what they were doing and so there was little to argue over despite the animosity between Sparta and Athens.
Some considered it a suicide mission but even so some respected Perseus for being in the thick of it. Perseus had explained his orders to Leonidas, how he was to hopefully convince Sparta to join in the alliance to hold off the Persians. From there Perseus himself would fight alongside the various city states and push back the Persian army.
He was young but did not shirk away from duty. Spartans respected that just as much if not more than strength.
So they had marched for days, hoping to get to the Hot Gates in a little over a week. What they had encountered on the way though was sickening.
Pellana, a small village that was a popular rest stop for travelers, had been razed to the ground. Women, children, men all killed with no apparent survivors. Blood and gore was everywhere.
No building was left untouched, all were burning. The skies above were dark as if from a fierce storm but instead it was due to the smoke in the air.
Perseus and the Spartans walked all through the town looking for survivors. They didn't have much hope of finding any but they tried anyways. Some broke off into parties to widen their search area.
"Who could be responsible for this? What was the reason?" Stelios asked. Even if he loved Sparta and all that it represented, not even Stelios could ignore the terrible fate that had befallen Pellana.
The King of Sparta stood strong despite the carnage around him. He looked around for any clues or causes of the destruction. "Persians."
Captain Artemis stepped forward and presented his finds. "They numbered around 20 judging by their foot prints."
"Scouting party." Leonidas declared firmly. He was knowledgeable in the arts of war, there was little reason to doubt him.
All the Spartans were jumpy at hearing that the Persians had done this. It had been recent too, judging by the fires still burning.
"Behind us!" Astinos shouted as he caught the glimpse of a shadow from the corner of his eye.
At once all the Spartans jumped and raised their shields. Spears out and ready to thrust and kill.
Perseus who had been quiet the entire time strained his ears for any sounds. Small footsteps could be heard coming their way. His eyes widened as the shadow grew longer and a person was starting to emerge.
He took off at a dead run towards the person. Some of the Spartans were yelling at him to wait and not run to his doom but he ignored them. Soon they understood why he ran to the person emerging from the shadows.
It was a little girl. A child no older than 10 or 11. She was stumbling and lurching every few steps. Blood ran down from the side of her head and she looked in terrible shape.
As Perseus got closer to her he could tell she was barely keeping herself alive. He jumped at the girl when he was a few short meters away from her and stopped her from falling over. Carefully he cradled the girl in his arms as she lost the ability to walk.
"Healer! Someone amongst you must be a healer! We need to help this girl." He shouted to the stunned Spartans.
Quickly they all made their way over to him and surrounded him. Leonidas stepped forward to check the girl over. His face was grim as lifted her eyelids and checked her head.
"It's quiet now. I don't hear their screams any longer. It's quiet now." The little girl whispered pitifully.
Perseus looked desperately at the king. Hoping for some good news.
Leonidas just shook his head. The girl was lucky to have survived this long, but she had lost a lot of blood and looked to be dehydrated from hiding in the fires most likely to avoid the Persian scouts.
"No. I won't allow it. Not again. Not after Hippolytus." Perseus insisted. "Water. Give me some water."
Astinos stepped forward and placed a hand on the young Greeks shoulder. "She cannot drink Perseus. It would do more harm than good."
The son of Poseidon slapped his hand away and demanded once more. "I said water. I need someone to give me water."
Sadly but with a look of understanding Leonidas handed his own pouch of water over. Expecting to see Perseus tilt the opening into the girl's mouth. What happened next surprised even him however.
Perseus lay the girl down on the ground. He checked her pulse to make sure she still breathed before continuing. From there he took the pouch of water and held his hand over the opening.
He then started to sing, it started off as a prayer of sorts, then moved to a chant before ending in a song. A song of healing and guidance. A song where he asked the god Apollo to lend him aid.
The water was pulled from the pouch by what the Spartans thought of as magic. It floated in the air before forming a ball. Perseus moved the ball to the girls head and it glowed slightly as he kept singing.
After the glow died down he moved the water to the few bruises he could see and fixed a bone that he hadn't noticed before was broken. From there the last stop he made was to hover the ball over the little girls chest.
The ball seemed to momentarily sink into the girls chest before pulsing with bright light. After a few seconds he pulled it back out.
All the while the Spartans were speechless at the display of power shown. If any had doubts before, none doubted now that Perseus was indeed a son of Poseidon. Only a demigod and son of the king of the oceans could command water in that way.
By the end of his healing session, Perseus was quite drained. Sweat poured off him in waves and his face was slightly pale. He tossed the orb of water somewhere behind him and then slumped to the ground.
"Perseus." Leonidas gripped his arm before he could fall completely. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." He answered tiredly. "Just drains me a lot. I'm not so good at healing. Just something Asclepius taught me not too long ago. If you'll excuse me I need rest. Please watch over her."
With a quick prayer before he succumbed to unconsciousness Perseus fell limp in the kings arms. Leonidas just chuckled and was soon joined by his fellow Spartans.
"Perhaps this son of Athens isn't as hardy as I thought. Look at him. Falling asleep already." Leonidas motioned for one of his men to pick the girl up as everyone shared a laugh.
'Perhaps all hope isn't lost just yet Perseus. All of us here knew what we were getting into and I lamented the fact that I would be leading such a young but powerful Greek to his death. But now, maybe we won't all meet Charon in the underworld together.' King Leonidas for the first time in a long week, had hopes that maybe, just maybe, his 300 Spartans would hold off the Persian army long enough to receive reinforcements.
After all, what chances did a false god-king like Xerxes have against Leonidas and his men. Especially when one of those men was the son of a real god. Even if Perseus was from such a wimpy kingdom like Athens.
A/N I don't like hotdogs. I just don't. It's not important really but after today I felt that my distaste for that particular food should be known.
Please leave all questions and concerns on your way out. Someone asked me last chapter but I guess I should let everyone know here too. I'm not sure about the pairing at the moment. Sorry if that's disappointing but maybe I'll set up a poll for people to vote. Know this though, it won't be Annabeth/Percy. I like the canon relationship they have and feel like anything I write would be just a poor imitation and so I won't do it. Let me know if you guys want a poll or not. I'm not really sure myself, it might not be any pairing at all really.