A.N.: Heyo! Yet another chapter of this godforsaken story, eh?

Also I have been noticing that ChocoChomper has been the only one to review so far. Why? Are my chapters not interesting? Please review and tell me what I might be doing wrong, if so.

Question of the day: If you had the choice of deciding what happened to leo at the end of BoO, what would it be?

REPLIES TO REVIEWS:

ChocoChomper: Bob is good, but Damasen is better. Also I try to update often. Its not like I have set schedule.

CHAPTER 11

Tantaros's mind raced as he walked into Damasen's hut, thinking of what to say. He knew that if he didn't convince him, Damasen would kill him as easily as he had pushed Gaea into a tree. He decided to start talking with Damasen's life, move on to his, then lay out the reasons.

Wow. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought himself a child of Athena, except that she can't have children, being a virgin goddess and all.

As Damasen led them into the hut, he noticed that it was a modest dwelling, much like the home of the fisherman who had rescued him. Bits of meat- he presumed it was from the drakon- hung from the roof. There was nothing much, just a rickety bed, a small fire and a large pot beside the fire.

Damasen noticed his gaze lingering on the pot and huffed. "I was just making dinner when you… arrived."

Clearly he was still not happy.

They all sat down on the floor in a ring around the fire. Tantaros sat beside his mother, who had healed up nicely. On her other side sat Tartarus, who was currently glaring at his giant son. Damasen sat opposite all of them, stirring the liquid in the pot, now on the fire. He was not looking at them, instead muttering things like 'stupid parents' and 'stupid pawn' and 'didn't let me eat'

Finally the food was ready. It turned out to be stew with a thick broth. They ate in silence. Neither spoke, for fear of losing their temper.

After 2 hours of silence, Tantaros couldn't take it anymore.

"So… how about you tell us your story?" he knew that it was a stupid idea, since he already knew his story, but it might soften him up a bit if he was made to tell his story.

Damasen narrowed his eyes. "Nice try, pawn, but I'm not going to tell you my sob story. How about you convince me why I shouldn't destroy you or these two?"

Well, there goes that plan, his brain said.

Shut up, he told it.

You don't have a second plan either, retorted his brain.

Get out of my skull, he said.

It didn't budge. Inconsiderate brain.

"Ahem…I …"

Damasen waited impatiently. He needed to think fast.

"It would be a crime!" he yelped.

Damasen raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It would be a crime if you killed Gaea or Tartarus, since they are your parents, and killing them would be treachery against the Ancient Ethics laid down by the Fates. If you do so, the furies will plague you. Do you really want to fight not one, but four monsters at once?" he said, hoping he would buy it.

Damasen's eyebrows rose even higher.

"Also," Tantaros continued, " do you not yearn peace, being the Bane of Ares? Is peace not in your very nature, as war is in the nature of the God of War?"

Damasen blinked. He then grinned.

"Indeed young pawn. Peace is in my very blood. Very well. I shall not kill Gaea or Tartarus. Besides, I couldn't, even if I wanted to, seeing as they are immortal."

"There is a little flaw in your explanation, however. Why should I not kill you?'

"Because that would have the same effect." Tantaros said softly. "You see, I am no pawn of Gaea, nor of Tartarus. I am more than that. I am their son, and your brother, Damasen."

Damasen looked dumbstruck. He turned to Tartarus. "Is this true, Primordial?"

"I am happy to say that it is, son."

Tantaros let his eyes glow different shades at once, one the color of Gaea's eyes an dthe other the color of that of Tartarus's.

Gaea said, 'My son, despite all you might have thought of me, I am truly sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't quite make me feel loved, does it, Gaea?" Damasen growled.

Gaea teared up. "My son…"

"I AM NOT YOUR SON! I PROMISED TO THIS MORTAL THAT I WON'T HARM YOU, BUT I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN YOU ANY MORE. GET. OUT." Damasen all but raged at Gaea.

Tears in her eyes, Gaea turned around slowly and walked out of the hut. Tartarus glared at Damasen before leaving, possibly to comfort her.

Tantaros wanted to take out his sword and give Damasen a piece of his mind, but restrained himself. One of the things that the Greek stories had taught him is to always analyze his target. Otherwise he might get gutted right in the crotch like Ankaios, the Crotchless Wonder, who fell to the Kalydonian Boar.

He left the hut to find Gaea sobbing really hard, and Tartarus doing his best to comfort her.

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. It isn't your fault. Not your mistake if he holds a grudge."

Gaea looked up at her husband. "But it is my fault, dear. If I hadn't been consumed in rage, if I had just stopped and thought about the consequences, he wouldn't resent me now. My son hates me."

"He might, but I am still here, mom. I will never leave you. I will help you, comfort you, humor you, whatever you want. I will not lose another mother. Or father, for that matter."

Gaea gave him a teary smile. Once she calmed down, she allowed herself to be led to the Mansion of Night.

Soon they reached a cliff. Judging by the gross plants and fungi, this was one of the toes.

Tartarus seemed to know what he was thinking. He turned and shot him a look of mild annoyance.

They walked up to a woman who was sobbing and holding a shield, with a picture of her holding the shield, and it went on and on.

"Greetings, Akhlys."

The woman looked up. Tantaros wasn't surprised seeing her state; after all, he had seen beggars in worse condition.

"Greetings, uncle Tartarus. Greetings, aunt Gaea. Who is this young mortal you have brought? Perhaps a meal for me?" she asked, licking her pointed teeth.

"No, he is our son. Now, is your mother home?"

Akhlys seemed shocked. Then she said, "Well, then, another cousin. Oh well. You two never knew when to stop. Anyways, Mother is in her Mansion. Would you like me to send her a message?'

"No thanks, we will go ourselves." Said Tartarus firmly, his face a bit golden.

He walked to the cliff face and stepped off.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DAD, NOOOOOOO!" Tantaros screamed as he watched his father fall. Then he realized that Tartarus was floating on air. He turned and called, "It's the Mist, son. It hides a bridge to Nyx's palace, unless you jump. Come on!"

Tentatively, he stepped to the edge and cautiously stepped off, expecting to fall off. Except… he didn't. He just stood there, on a seemingly solid space. Then it seemed as if a new part of the world was being shown to him. A bridge stretched past him and his father, gently curving and sloping down until it stopped at the threshold of a massive house.

He followed after his father, unsure of what lay ahead.