Hey everyone,
First, I'd like to apologize for my terrible writing. I am not used to writing in third person, so I must get accustomed to it once again, though that will be a problem because my other story is in first person. Anyway, I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.
Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time. I am trying to make Jason seem like a more relaxed character at first before he gains responsibility.
I apologize for any grammatical errors in the story following.
With best regards,
SharkAttack719
Chapter 2
Girls Aren't Allowed
Percy never thought that they would have gotten this many troops, but apparently Hera really wanted to help Jason.
"Wow," he muttered. "That's a lot of people."
"Like I said," Argus repeated, "a mighty fine crew."
Jason turned and saw them watching the crowd around him. He waved them over. "Percy! Argus! Get over here!"
Percy immediately obeyed his orders and jogged over to where Jason was. He was standing on a box of some sort, towering over the other men. Percy never really noticed it before, but Jason was a very tall man, and with the sense of responsibility and leadership he'd gained by helping to train him, he looked like an optimum leader.
"Heroes!" Jason called over the mingling warriors. "Quiet down, would you kindly do, please."
The loud conversations from the men ceased quickly. Everyone turned their attention to Jason, who looked comfortable with all of the attention. Percy hated attention. It was the one thing he couldn't stand. Maybe going on this quest would change his views, though as a ten-year-old boy, he doubted that highly.
"Heroes!" Jason called again. "You all come from different parts of Greece: Sparta, Argos, Corinth, Megara, Athens, Crete, Thessaly, Delphi, Thebes, and more great cities. We have our differences, as I myself come from Iolcus in Thessaly. We grew up in different places and have had different influences on our lives. Some of you may have had a tough childhood, while others grew up in royal families. But this is the Quest for the Golden Fleece! Together, we will prevail and become the greatest heroes as one to walk the Earth."
A loud cheer erupted from the crowd.
"We have a great hero in our presence today!" Jason continued. "Heracles, in all his glory, who has completed five great labours that will earn him a spot in glory, not only for his deeds to the gods, but as a member of the Quest for the Golden Fleece."
Percy saw Heracles smile, a cocky smile, but a smile nonetheless. The cheering was less enthusiastic now, just like Argus had predicted. Percy guessed that these men really wanted credit for actually doing something during the quest, rather than letting Heracles do everything.
Then Jason changed the subject. "For our journey across the seas of the Mediterranean, we will be taking this lovely bireme there and back. This is our ship, the ship we sail to find the Golden Fleece."
"What shall the name be?" someone asked. "It seems as though you have not named it."
"Uh..." Jason stared straight in front of him, his face morphing into one of a thinking action. He glanced down at Percy, his eyes screaming for help.
The crowd began shuffling awkwardly, their supposed leader not being able to think of a simple name for the ship. Then a light went off in Percy's head.
"The Argo!" he shouted, gaining the attention of the men standing around Jason. Most looked surprised, as if they hadn't noticed him before. "The Argo fits its builder, Argus, who will be coming on the trip, and fits the city that it was built it, Argos."
"The Argo," Jason mused. He slowly smiled. "Our ship, the Argo!"
The crowd still looked stunned at the fact that Percy was there. No one cheered or clapped, creating awkward silence around them. Argus looked a little flushed, though, not expecting the ship to be named after him. Then Heracles stepped forward and pointed at Percy. His face was directed toward Jason.
"What is that boy doing here?" the son of Zeus asked. His voice sounded loud and proud, yet at the same time had a slight kindness to it, as if he'd dealt with children before. "It is not safe for the child to come on this quest. We are heading for the Golden Fleece, you say? It will be guarded by a ferocious dragon that none of you have seen before."
Jason pressed his lips together firmly. "That is Perseus, or Percy as he likes to be called. He has been trained by the likes of Chiron and his father, Poseidon. I have seen him in combat with monsters, and I see him fit to go on this quest. He is willing to risk his life to head on this quest."
Percy wouldn't say "willing to risk his life," but he was willing to face any dangers that they would encounter on their quest. He had been trained for four years with Chiron, and a little bit from his father. Zeus had proclaimed a law after he became King of Olympus that gods could interact with their children as long as they kept their sense of godly duties. Becoming human was dangerous for a god, according to the mighty king.
"A brave, young boy," Heracles smiled. "Much like myself. And he is a son of Poseidon, the god of the seas?"
"Yes," Jason confirmed. "This quest will be along the seas, so children of Poseidon may be prevalent. Percy, however, is like no other son of Poseidon. He holds great power that has yet to be fully unveiled. I have traveled all over Greece and no other swordsman is better than this ten-year-old boy."
A lot of the men laughed. One spoke up. "Do you truly believe that this boy is better than all of us at combat?"
"I never said combat. Heracles could easily crush Percy in hand to hand fighting, and in terms of hunting, Percy is not the best with a bow. But in sword fighting, you will all succumb to his superior skills. Even I, who helped teach him, have lost to this boy."
"That is unlikely," the man snorted.
"Want to watch us combat, then? I swear to the River Styx that I will not hold back in this non-fatal match." Thunder rumbled in the sky.
The men all around grinned and backed up. It seemed like, to Percy, that these men would enjoy a twenty-year-old man beat up a ten-year-old child. Cruel, thought Percy. These men are cruel.
Jason looked straight into his eyes. A message was sent through that eye contact, a message that said, Don't kill me. Try to hold back and hit with the butt of the sword.
"Should you not wear armor first?" Argus suggested. "And grab a shield?"
"A shield is for pansies," Heracles called.
Percy turned and glared at the son of Zeus. "For you, maybe, as you can combat anything with your bare hands, but think of other swordsman. Fighting two-handed with one sword gives only more power, but fighting with a sword and a shield gives you better defense and versatility. I've learned that defense wins matches."
The men blinked, surprised at his knowledge.
"Percy, here." Jason tossed him a shield, which fit perfectly onto Percy's arm.
Jason pulled out his sword and pointed it at Percy. "No armor?"
Percy shook his head. "No armor needed. But can I get a better sword. This one is a little heavy. It keeps me off-balance."
Jason smirked. "Too late, Percy. Match starts...NOW!"
Alarmed at the sudden start, Percy put his shield up to block the incoming strike from Jason. It was a downward stroke, as if Jason wanted to symmetrically slice Percy in half. Percy pulled out his own sword and parried a side-swipe stroke. He took blow after blow, his shock a disadvantage to him.
The men around were chuckling amongst themselves, thinking that they were right, and Percy unable to defeat Jason in combat.
But Percy already had a plan in his head. Jason was a skilled sword fighter, but never listened to Chiron's teachings. He would always go on the offensive first, wearing down his own energy. It was a tactic Percy never told Jason, just for the fact that Percy could beat him every time if he held his ground.
A flurry of strikes from Jason seemed to put Percy off-balance, but the boy recovered quickly. He strafed to the right and jabbed at a open spot at Jason's side. It grazed his skin, creating a tear in his shirt and a thin cut along the side of his abdomen. Jason faltered for that split second, and Percy stepped in, slamming his shield hard against Jason. The twenty-year-old stumbled backwards before somersaulting over the approaching ten-year-old. He grabbed Percy from behind and held the sword across his neck.
"Do you yield?" he asked.
Percy dropped his sword to the ground and drooped his shield before reaching up and grabbing Jason's wrist. He'd practiced this far too often to be able to mess up. In a lightning-fast, viper-like grip, he ducked under the sword, the blade coming close to taking his nose off, and pushed Jason to the ground. He hit the nerve at Jason's elbow, which sent a tingle throughout his sword arm. Percy took the sword out of Jason's temporarily stunned hand, threw his shield to the ground and grabbed his sword from the ground. Jason's sword was much too heavy for Percy, but Percy managed to keep it from drooping down.
Everybody seemed to think that he was going to defeat Jason at that moment, but he wanted a little more fun, so he just held the sword out for Jason to grab.
The son of Aeson grabbed it and got back up on his feet. "What are you doing, Percy? You could have ended the battle."
Percy grinned. "Let me show them that although fighting with better defense and versatility can win, power is sometimes a good option when your opponent is weakened."
"Are you saying I am weakened?" Jason held his sword as firm as ever.
"Not at all."
Then Percy charged. He made robotic but hard slashes at Jason's shield, trying to damage it as much as possible.
The boy did the same somersaulting move over Jason but only kicked his sparring partner forward. Jason and Percy charged forward into each other once again, their swords meeting halfway. Bronze clashed with bronze, a seemingly endless battle ensuing. After what seemed like forever for the two, Jason managed to take advantage of Percy's unbalanced sword. He struck down hard enough so that Percy's sword arm would feel the true weight of the sword. Percy did feel that and his sword clattered to the ground.
"Curse you, Jason!" Percy shouted, leaping out of the way. "You know I can't fight with a heavier sword."
"Keeping up with a man ten years older than yourself with a heavy sword is impressive enough, considering you're only ten years of age. Especially considering no man has beat me in sword combat in years."
Percy backed up to the edge of the circle when he heard something clatter at his feet.
It was a hair pin.
He glanced up and saw the flicker of a smile on Heracles' face. Percy picked it up and immediately, it elongated into a magical sword that was three-feet-long. It gleamed bronze and shined brightly in the daylight. Percy noticed the engravings near the hilt.
"Anaklusmos," Percy muttered.
Then Jason attacked.
Percy never thought he'd ever find a sword that was balanced for him. Anaklusmos was the very definition of well-balanced. It fit in his hand perfectly, the weight seemingly fitting for everything he did. He also felt more power when holding the sword, as if the sword were connected to the sea.
Percy blocked Jason's attack with ease now, the sword seemingly an extension of his arm. He rolled to the side as Jason came down with a strike. Percy ran over to his shield, picked it up and put it on his arm.
Jason looked weary now, the battle and lack of sleep taking its toll on the young man. Percy took that and used it to his advantage. Now, Percy could go full offensive, striking as he pleased.
Jason managed to hold himself for five more minutes before Percy did a torso-turning kick, a kick he'd personally named a roundhouse kick, that his father said that they did in the far east, in a place called Japan. The kick sent Jason's shield flying.
Percy blocked a strike from Jason before disarming him, twisting Jason's sword with the flat of his own blade, forcing the man to drop it. It clattered to the stone pavement, and Percy's sword was inches from his undefended chest.
Everyone was silent.
"Yield?" Percy asked, tired.
"I yield," Jason declared before turning to the stunned crowd. "There you have it. Percy can defeat me in straight up combat. Now, back to talking about the quest..."
Percy slipped out of the ring before the men could come back in to trample him.
Then he saw Heracles grinning at him, causing the son of Poseidon to walk over to the great hero.
"You dropped this," Percy said, holding the sword out.
The mighty son of Zeus shook his head. "I prefer using my bare hands. Swords are excellent as well...but I prefer my hands."
He stared at Heracles stunned. "You're—You're just giving this to me?"
Heracles nodded. "You deserve it. It is a blade worthy of a fighter like yourself."
Percy's eyes gleamed with excitement and thankfulness. "I—I don't know what to say. Thank you, Heracles. I—It is an honor. But...it was a hair pin. Where did you get this sword?"
"A failed labour," Heracles admitted. "I was to steal the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. One of the lovely ladies tried helping me, but I failed, chased away by Ladon. As a parting gift, she gave me this sword, Anaklusmos, the current that takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea. I promised her that I would come back for her. I will, one day, and make her my wife, to repair for the damage done to my first family." He grimaced, the memory painful.
"I—Thank you, Heracles. I couldn't be more thankful."
"It is no problem, Perseus," Heracles said. "One day, you may become a great hero, like I will be. Greece is large enough to hold tales of more than one hero."
Percy nodded his thanks. He opened my mouth to ask something before someone exclaimed, "She can't be here! She's a woman!"
Percy frowned and went to check out the commotion.
"And just because I am a girl means I cannot come on this quest?" the girl said.
Percy saw Jason knotting his eyebrows. "I am sorry, young one. I cannot allow you to come on this quest as it will cause strife amongst the crew."
"And why might that be?" she demanded.
"The rooms are shared, and I fear for your...safety." Jason seemed hesitant, making sure he chose his words carefully.
"Jason," Percy called out. "Why don't you just sacrifice your room for her, and then have someone you trust in there guarding the room?"
Jason turned to look at him and blinked. "That is not a bad idea, Percy. But she is a woman and young. Women should not be—"
"Sexist," the girl muttered.
For the first time, Percy examined the girl. She looked around fifteen years of age and had long brown hair. There seemed to be an aura of danger around her, as if coming close to her was a bad idea. However, there was also that feminine aura around her. Percy knew most men were lust-filled idiots, so he could tell that it was an aura of sexuality. He had a feeling that many men would be after her when she grew a little bit older.
"No, Jason," Percy said. "Let her on the quest. I have a feeling that she's a better fighter than she looks. And by the bow slung on her back, I believe she is a hunter."
"Percy, you know very well of the risks of this quest," Jason said, his voice strained. "A beautiful young lady like this should not have to be sacrificed, as fate may choose to cut her cord."
"Jason...just...inquire about her."
"Fine." Jason turned to the girl. "What is your name?"
"Atalanta," she responded quickly.
"And where are you from?"
"I am the daughter of King Iasus of Arcadia," she announced. "But my lady says my father wanted no daughter but a son. I grew up in the forests of Arcadia, a group of hunters raising me until I met the goddess Artemis. She is my patron."
"See, Jason," Percy whispered to him. "Find out who they are before you accept or decline. Didn't you listen to Chiron's advice?"
"He didn't teach me that," he whispered back. "I was mostly trained in terms of fighting. Your fighting skill is mostly natural."
"Crew of the Argo!" Jason hailed. "What do you think? Should we allow Atalanta as a part of the Quest for the Golden Fleece?"
Percy frowned. He didn't think that would be fair. The girl had come here, wasting her time to be a part of a quest she would probably be kicked out of.
It was silence for a brief period of time before someone stepped forward and said, "No!" That began a miniature riot, as everyone began shouting about how girls weren't supposed to be on quests and how girls belonged in households serving their families.
Atalanta scowled but took the criticism without crying.
She is a tough girl, thought Percy.
He wondered if Artemis was watching them right now, getting ready to curse the Argo when it set sail for Iolcus.
"Jason." Percy looked at his companion with the most pleading look he could muster up. Percy knew that having the girl on the trip would not only gain credit for the huntress, but also teach men a lesson. When Chiron told him the stories of the gods and goddesses, he found that Artemis was right in a way. Women did deserve credit. "For the Olympians."
Jason looked conflicted and he bit his lip. He looked over the swarm of men who would become his crew, the crew he would lead from Iolcus to Colchis and back. There was no doubt in his mind that Percy was right, that Atalanta is allowed to be on the quest. He'd heard the same stories as well from Chiron as Percy had. Then he made a decision.
"Despite your wishes, Atalanta will join the quest," he boomed. Complaints exploded from the crowd, like fire bombs. "Now I know this may cause strife and conflict, but I will make sure you do not even notice her during our voyage. She will not be a problem."
Angry callouts began emerging from the men. They began calling threats to Jason about killing him when he slept. Percy had never seen Jason get really, really angry before, but he did this time. His face went red and he bellowed, "You will obey my orders or get out of here!"
Silence swept over the crowd like a giant tsunami wave. It came tumbling down on them creating a sudden cease in noise, like calm waves on a summer day.
Jason looked angry, as if he were going to tear someone to shreds. His face was a bright red, but one of anger rather than embarrassment. His eyes were red as well, the veins in his neck seemingly popping. "You will do as I say or leave! If you are such wimps that you disallow a woman on board the Argo, than you may leave, never to be mentioned ever again in history."
The silence from the crowd continued.
"Now, who believes that Atalanta should not be a part of this quest?" Jason asked daringly. "If you do think she should not, leave at this very instance."
Nobody moved. Nobody left. Nobody made a sound. The only thing that Percy could hear were the light waves thumping against the shore.
Then the red drained from Jason's face and he turned to Atalanta. He stuck his hand out to her. "Welcome, Atalanta, to the Quest for the Golden Fleece. I hope you have a good experience. Your room will be shared with Percy, here. No one should complain about that, right?"
He was met with silence.
"Good, now—"
"Jason!" someone shouted as they ran down towards the group. "Jason! Am I too late?"
"Theseus?"
Percy hopped onto the box that Jason was standing on and saw the young eighteen-year-old son of Aegeus running toward them. The young man was jogging down to the boat, seemingly hoping to join the quest.
"What are you doing here, Theseus?" Jason called.
People parted as the man walked through. Theseus, Percy's quarter-brother, caught his breath slowly. "This—I thought that this quest would be good training before I head back to my father, my mortal one, that is. Am I too late to join?"
Jason shook his head as a small smile broke out on his face. "Of course not, Theseus. We could use all of the help we get."
Theseus looked around at the men gathered around Jason before his landed on Atalanta. "And who might this be?"
"Atalanta," the son of Aeson said. "You will not touch her."
"I know, I know." Theseus put his hands up. "I was just curious."
A little bit of silence followed, no one really sure of what was happening.
"Sir," Tiphys suddenly called out to Jason. "I have just realized...we have a name for our lovely vessel, but we do not have a name as a collective group."
He frowned. "We don't have a name for ourselves, do we Tiphys? What should we call ourselves?"
"The Golden Fleece Crew?" someone suggested.
Jason shook his head. "No, too long."
"The Peninta?" another person suggested.
Jason considered that. "We do not have exactly fifty in our crew, so it does not relate to us completely."
Percy pursed his lips. "How about the Argonauts?"
Everyone turned to him once again. He felt himself shrinking back from the attention. "You know, because our ship is the Argo. Nauts just sounds cool. The Argonauts. I guess it is like a shortened term of nautical, which is a naval term. And we're on the ocean, so..."
"That's not such a bad idea," complimented Atalanta. "I move that we use that name."
"I second that," put in Theseus.
"Third," called Heracles.
"And I fourth that," Jason smiled. "All hail the Argonauts, the sailors of the Mediterranean, and retrievers of the Golden Fleece, because we will find the Golden Fleece, and it will be ours!"
Everyone's spirits began to be lifted again, the cheering ensuing once more.
By sunrise the next morning, the Argo was launched from the city of Argos, looping around south back north to Iolcus, where Jason would tell Pelias he was going on his mission to Colchis.
As Percy stood at the bow of the bireme, enjoying the waves, feeling the currents of the ocean whip around the boat, he could feel power surge into him, the hair clip-sword named Anaklusmos clipped to his finger. With the extra energy he had, he urged the boat forward, a special power he realized he could do. Percy wanted to get to Iolcus quick because the faster they got there, the faster the exciting quest would arrive.
"This is going to be an awesome quest," he told Atalanta, who was standing beside him.
"I guess it will be, but it is dangerous," she replied.
"Danger?" he asked. "Bring it on."
Hey everyone,
Hope you enjoy this chapter.
I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.
With best regards,
SharkAttack719
