Guest: Wait so the gods were all less than ten when the titanomachy or will we see a time skip? / No they weren't, but Kronos not eating them had an effect on the time scale for everything.
00GraceTheFangirl00 (chapter 25): the best pjo fic ove ever read right here / Thanks
00GraceTheFangirl00 (chapter 22): im litterally crying ahhhh why dont i read fluff more often I FORGOT HOW GOOD FLUFF WAS WITH ALL THE ANGST I READ / I like fluff occasionally.
EmberFlame03: Oooooh, the plot thickens. / Yes it does.
Flaming eyeball: I'm just imagineing any of chronos or chaoses items left behind wow Kronos could use some of them (the primordial of times stuff) WAIT IS THE RIVER OF TIME ONE OF THOSE THINGS or maybe not and I love that the primordial of sex levels things behind that is funny / Kronos already has something :).
Lord Nitro: Just imagining any of Nyx or Ahklys' items left behind...
...crap I just scared myself. / Yeah, that would be sort of terrifying.
thegoldraven: So the Titanomachy is now a fight between the Gods/Titans and Primordials instead of the Gods and Titans? The Primordials should have better sense than to leave their weapons lying around. And if they are ordinary objects to Primordials, why would Erebus seek then out? I assume that the Dragons will be of great use to Kronos in the upcoming war. I just have to say, the scene with Kronos and the dragons reminds me of the game of thrones scene where Daenarys is feeding her dragons on the way to Quartheen. / It's not going to be much of a fight, but yes. Because Erebus can't control the sky, but if he were to find one of Ouranos' things, he would have minor abilities to control the sky. That was sort of my intention :).
Death Fury: Great job! / Thanks
Chapter 26
The next few weeks pass quickly for Poseidon.
He finds himself getting left behind at the pace things begin to move, Kronos barking out orders to his Titans. Poseidon isn't entirely sure what's going on, only that Rhea is getting tenser with every passing day. And Kronos is on an increasingly short fuse. It seems that the slightest thing makes him snap. Picking up on his mood, the dragons end up incinerating a poor nature spirit and devouring the remains.
Kronos merely looks on mildly annoyed.
"Well something bad is happening," Percy groaned.
Eventually, Poseidon gathers the courage to approach Kronos. He shifts on his feet, nervous, before he raises his chin. "Father?" He questions.
Kronos' golden eyes flicker over to him, before they return to the dozens of little images in mist that swirl around him, flicking a finger through them as he fervently searches for whatever Erebus might be looking for. "What?" Kronos snaps, his fists clenching on his obsidian throne as he glowers down at Poseidon.
"Not good," Thalia muttered.
Percy nodded fervently in agreement. "Not good."
Poseidon is momentarily put out by that glare directed towards him, before he straightens as he regards his father. It's only been a few weeks, but those days weigh heavily on Kronos. His father's gleaming armour hangs a little looser on him, eyes so dark that they're almost black. Poseidon has seen enough of these phases to know that it means his father is dabbling with the runes again.
Poseidon clears his throat. "Mother is worried," he admits. "We're all worried. Please – leave your searching until tomorrow at least. Rest."
Kronos' expression sours. "I cannot. Not until I know what he's searching for." He grits his teeth, and Poseidon half expects a column to explode. "Not while Rhea could be harmed. Not while Othrys is still standing."
Hestia shook her head. "Something bad will happen," she muttered. Percy felt the same thing she probably did, a feeling in his gut that something was going to go horribly wrong.
"You're going to drive yourself into oblivion," Hades says, forming from Poseidon's shadow.
Kronos is saved from answering when a column of flames erupts beside Hades and Hyperion steps out. Kronos leans back slightly. "Brother, you have news?"
Hyperion bows his head to his King. "Yes, my Lord," he murmurs, golden sword in hand. Poseidon's eyes widen when he notes that the edge has red blood splattered over – mortal blood. "We've found Erebus."
Instantly, Kronos jerks upright. "Where?" He demands, expression as cold as marble.
"Lelantos found him shifting through one of the larger cities, the last one our father – long may he suffer – destroyed in a childish tantrum." Hyperion's sword disappears. "We had protests from the locals."
"Naturally," Kronos mutters, before he rises to his feet. "Very well. Let's upset the locals further, shall we?"
"Please don't," Poseidon said tiredly.
The Titans don't wait for Poseidon or Hades, they don't even glance at them before flashing away.
"Mother," Poseidon gasps out before he spins around and flashes towards where he can sense Rhea. "Mother – they've found Erebus."
Rhea stiffens. "Where?"
"One of the ruined cities," Hades explains, a lot more composed than his younger brother.
The Titaness looks rather frustrated with Kronos as she nods. "Alright. You're coming with me – all of you."
Zeus grins widely. "Yes!"
The eight immortals flash to a decimated city.
Poseidon's eyes widen as he stares at the scorch marks over the crude stone remains, little huts that will never again house anyone. The little city is completely destroyed, blackened stone scattered over the entire area.
He spots golden armour amongst the stones. "Father," he says, nodding towards the golden Titan.
Something darts between the houses between Poseidon and Kronos, a black figure that moves too fast to be properly visible. But the dagger glints strongly under the sunlight.
"Father!" Poseidon cries.
He doesn't need to warn Kronos – the Titan is already in motion, spinning around and raising a hand to stop the dagger in mid-air. The Titan lord snaps his fingers and the dagger disintegrates, ashes floating serenely to the charred ground.
"Ambush," Artemis guessed.
There's a moment of silence as Poseidon summons his trident, his siblings doing the same with their own weapons – even little Zeus, the Master Bolt crackling angrily in his hands. But then the buildings around them explode with sudden action.
A hellhound roars as it leaps through the air towards Poseidon, but Chiron is quick to fire his first arrow into the monster's skull.
Dozens of monsters soon become hundreds, which seem to in turn become thousands.
Poseidon finds himself fervently grateful for his father's harsh training regime. Hades is at his side, black sword a mere blur as he disintegrates monster after monster.
"Father!" Poseidon yells again, barely able to see Kronos through the hoard of monsters clambering over each other to reach them.
But he can hear his father well enough.
"TREASON!"
"That doesn't sound good," Hades mused.
Poseidon thinks that's rather obvious, but even he isn't expecting the thousands of monsters to slow to a crawl, eyes widening comically slow.
Then the sky converges overhead, thunder clouds forming from nothing.
The hoard briefly thins, allowing Poseidon to glimpse Kronos, his eyes turned towards the ground at his feet.
The Titan lord gathers himself, before he plunges the blade of Backbiter into the earth.
The earth heaves.
A great shudders runs through the ground beneath Poseidon's feet. Rhea's eyes widen a split second before a crack webs out from the blade of Backbiter, the crust of the earth crumbling away into a great abyss.
A terrifying wind whips up around them, and Poseidon grabs onto the closest immovable object.
Within seconds, the screeches of the monsters die down and the hole in the earth reforms, the area eerily quiet.
Percy's jaw dropped. "What was that?"
"It will explain," Zeus said flatly.
Then Kronos sinks to his knees, still clutching Backbiter's hilt.
Ever loyal Hyperion instantly follows, clutching his brother's shoulder.
Poseidon leaps across the distance between them, dropping his trident with a clatter. "Father?"
A line of silver sweat rolls down Kronos' forehead.
"He's fine," Hyperion says gruffly, sitting back with a relieved sigh. "Just used a lot of energy."
"What… what did he do?" Hades asks warily.
"Create an abyss," Rhea says flatly.
Poseidon hesitates. "What's an abyss?"
It's Kronos who answers. "A direct link to Chaos," he rasps out, still propping himself up with his sword. He drops back, imitating Hyperion's position. "Great Chaos that's exhausting," he grunts.
"Chaos?" Percy asked in astonishment.
"The abyss beneath the Pit," Athena whispered. "Anything that falls there never returns. Beings are torn apart by the power of the abyss."
The baying of hellhounds echoes around them.
Rhea grimaces. "Time to go," she says, hauling Kronos to his feet despite his protests.
Hyperion snatches up his brother's sword. "Erebus has placed some block over the town. We can't flash out unless we leave."
Rhea stiffens. "An ambush."
Hyperion nods warily. "Yes. It was all planned." He starts off through the town. "This way."
Poseidon forces himself under Kronos' other arm, helping his mother to keep the King on his feet. He glances at Kronos. "Could you do another?"
Kronos grunts, sweat sticking his raven hair to his forehead. "If I wanted to fade, perhaps."
That's a no then. Poseidon exhales, watching as Hades darts ahead of them to take out a clump of monsters.
They're nearly out of the town when Poseidon hears it, the sound of bowstrings being drawn in tandem.
Kronos' mouth opens slightly, looking astonished yet frustrated. "Gaia be Great," he growls lowly, angrily. Poseidon doesn't know where the arrows are coming from, until he follows Kronos' gaze upwards into the sky – and towards the hail of arrows arching towards them.
Kronos tightens his grip on Rhea, pulling her towards him and suddenly shifting their position until he's protecting them. With his own body.
"That's the scene on the cover of the book," Athena realised.
As Poseidon stares over Kronos' shoulder, he watches as the arrows all suddenly freeze. Kronos' eyes glow golden, and he snaps his fingers.
Ashes fall over them, the remains of the hail of arrows.
"Aw, how sweet."
Poseidon spins around, raising his trident instantly as he recognises that voice.
But before he can do anything, something throws him to the side. His head collides with stone, and everything goes black.
The last thing he sees is Erebus standing in between two buildings, black eyes shining with sadistic glee.
Poseidon swore viciously. "That's not good. Not good at all."
I've been trying to update this for the past few days... but I wasn't able to. This was going to also go up on Christmas... but here it is.
Can anyone guess what's going to happen next? It might cause a few of you to be rather upset.