Reign of the New Protogenoi

by JBubu

He's been through hell ... literally. He saw things that shouldn't be known but the truth had to come out. His trust broken, his world suddenly a lie and one betrayal after another. He was the greatest hero but now, Olympus has lost him and with that, they set up their own end. A reckoning is coming and lines will have to be drawn. A new King will come and with him, a new era...

48. Taking A Breather

I LIVE!

And I APOLOGIZE!

It's been nearly a year, I know. I hate covid, I hate my "essential" job, and 2020 can go jump off a cliff. Let me tell you, living within throwing distance of DC has been annoying as all can be. With that said, I'm glad to finally be out of the funk. I've had the first 5th or so of this chapter ready since April, but nothing came to me after. And then, I type enough to smoke out my keyboard in the last week.

Hopefully my muse remains and I get another chapter out soon!

Also, I'm probably going to make a and Subscribe Star to help get a little something for myself out of this. I'll elaborate more next chapter.

Just to let you all know, I feel a little rusty so this chapter might not be my best. I'm content with it and not going to let it sit around any longer, but just a heads up for that.

Disclaimer, all that jazz.

Onwards!

---

Percy sighed as he slowly closed the door to Andromeda's office, the silence of the halls and flickering light of the torches leaving the dark king alone.

He stepped back and turned away, heading down the hall and towards the throne room. He was due for a check in with the state of his domains and to sift through the prayers that kept coming to him. However, as he got to the main hall connecting the different passages, he was met with Leto. The redhead stopped as she noticed him, a small set of files tucked under her left arm.

"Perseus," she greeted in a slightly more subdued tone than was her normal warmth.

"Leto," he returned with a slight nod, pausing as the redhead approached him. "Do you need something?"

"Yes actually, it's about the demigods in the barracks," the matronly goddess said, handing the file to him.

He opened it and quickly skimmed the papers, noting it was mostly a series of reports on the supplies for the barracks with the demigods and a few request forms. Since Leto had the orphanage run like a well-oiled machine and with plenty of volunteers to watch over the young children, she'd offered herself to help watch over the newest arrivals. Hestia had been quite happy with the results as Leto's presence had done wonders with the scared demigods.

However, in the last couple of days, stress had been mounting for some of them, especially those of Athena's brood.

Athena's presence was sorely missed and without seeing her, some of the demigods were starting to close off even with Leto's efforts and other, friendly volunteers. But they could only do so much, the words and assurances of mostly strangers just not having the weight to it that the blonde goddess had. Hopefully, Athena will be able to come out of Hestia's office and visit soon, but between practicing containing her new power and watching over Cloelia, the former Olympian was busy herself.

'Raven's been wanting to visit them too,' he recalled, thinking back to his own daughter.

She'd been a frequent visitor to the barracks the first few days after their 'attack' and had quickly befriended some, like Piper's sister, Tracy. Sadly, with her own changes, while not as prone to power flares as Athena, Raven was still getting used to the mental strain of hearing direct prayers and the power coming with it. For the sake of safety, her visits had been put on hold.

Right now, she was with her mother, getting some rest after having gone through another long meditation session with him. Luckily, Raven was proving to have a bit of a knack for sorting prayers as she took in his lessons and settled her mind, her own personal construct already forming to organize better. There were still 'growing' pains as it were and Raven was still left exhausted afterwards, but he was confident she'd be ready to connect to the Moon and accept her first domain soon.

Thoughts of his daughter's progress set aside for now, he returned his focus to the file.

"Everything looks good here," he said, pausing at the end where Leto had a request written in. "Sleeping pills huh…"

Leto's silence was answer enough, but her slow nod just drove the point home further.

"You know that's something to run by Will instead of us," he said, his tone lightly chiding as Leto had the grace to duck her face a little. "Food, blankets, clothes, anything like that, you need it you get it, but medical supplies that isn't simple herbs and teas need to be cleared by Will or some of the other doctors on hand."

"I know but it's getting bad Perseus," Leto returned, her hands wringing together as she looked at him. "A quarter of them are having night terrors and barely sleeping as is, even with sleeping spells and you know how dangerous it is to overuse those on mortals, demigod or not."

"The pills could be just as bad, especially if you cross them with a sleeping spell," he commented, even as he willed a small pen into existence in his hand and signed off on Leto's request. "Please be careful and make sure none of the minor gods or blessed doctors use any sleep spells without clearing it with you first."

Leto had proven her ability to be responsible and caring about her charges. If anyone could use the pills sparingly yet effectively, it would be her.

"And make sure to stop by the clinic and run this by Will so nothing surprises him," he added as he handed back the files to the goddess. "Last thing I need is Will chewing my ear off … he might anyways," he finished, muttering the last bit.

At least that got the slightest chuckle from the redhead. Even he couldn't help but give a smile back as the goddess then took the file.

"Thank you, Percy," she said as she turned and started to head out.

"Any time," he responded, watching her go for a bit before turning.

With that handled, he resumed his walk back into the throne room. It took him a minute or two and once in, he looked around to see that it was empty. He wasn't surprised about it though, knowing most of his peers enjoyed having private mornings. 'Jason's probably with the Zhang's visiting Frank,' he recalled as he assumed his godly height and sat back into his throne.

He sighed as his focus shifted to the whispers of prayers and the echoes of dreams and nightmares normally at the back of his mind getting a little louder and clearer as they came to the forefront. Every day more and more seemed to flow his way and even with the assistance of Zoe, it could still take him hours to get through everything. Most gods might ignore them, dismissing it as something beneath them, but Percy couldn't bring himself to do that.

Not after the life he lived and the times he wished someone, anyone, would have answered if only to let him know someone cared. He was one of the ones to push for revealing themselves to the mortals and ending the isolation of the mythical, so why wouldn't he take the time to truly answer prayers as best he could? A lot of it was fleeting and trivial, true, but there were plenty still that genuinely needed something. He tried to be efficient about sorting anything that stood out in particular to him, answering what he could without being overly direct and blatant.

Nyx had spent years hammering it into his head that sometimes helping too much could be just as bad as not having helped at all. As much as he didn't like it, he knew hardship and failure could be the best way to learn a lesson and grow. That sometimes, stepping back and letting someone overcome something for themselves is the best thing you can do for them.

It didn't mean he couldn't be a source of support and encouragement along the way.

A little nudge in the right direction for those feeling lost, literal or not. A feeling or convenient hint for those searching for something—or someone—important to them. A bit of hope needed to last just long enough for help to arrive or to finally help themselves. Or, something as simple as just being a comforting presence for those that needed it.

Children and the young tended to need it the most, and he was all too ready to help where he could, even when he had a war on his hands.

Too many had their own 'Gabe' in life for him to stand idle. A parent or person of authority abusing it for whatever reason when they were supposed to be a trusted pillar of support and protection. People full of petty anger and insecurity, lashing out at whoever was close and vulnerable just to make themselves feel better.

He couldn't stand it, and even if he couldn't be as direct as he wanted—not yet anyways—he still tried where he could. An abuser developing a sudden distrust and fear of their own shadow could go a long way to distracting them from the vulnerable around them. He'd be lying if he said he didn't get a sense of dark satisfaction doing it too.

However, as often as he got prayers for help or strength, he also frequently got the vengeful kind. With mortal media and the net being flooded with the picture of him on the moon, it wasn't too surprising he became the mental image for the angry and spiteful. Particularly from scorned lovers in fact, as ironic as it felt for the dark god.

Zoe was already making a record of how many prayers to 'smite' someone's significant other he was getting. It was usually about lying and cheating, from the petty to the severe. 'And they don't even know about Nico yet,' he mused. He snorted just picturing Nico bitching and groaning while getting mentally swamped with angry prayers and such demanding divine retribution and all that sort once the mortals learned about him.

Still, things like that would have to wait until they settled their war first. Then they could go about getting personally involved with the mortals and the mess it was bound to be.

So, he just sat there was he let the prayers come and go, answering where he was needed and could. His own training with Nyx and the flexibility of his divine mind allowed him to sift through them at a blistering pace. He wasn't sure how some of the others personally imagine the prayers but to him, it was like standing in the middle of a controlled blizzard. Every prayer was a single, unique snowflake whipping around him in the wind, vying for his attention as he deftly snatched them up to look closer.

The designs told him about them and what they wanted or needed. Some were small and soft little things that he let rest in his palm as he listened to them. Others were harsh and icy, with sharp edges that he had to catch firmly with his fingers and hold still. Whatever form they took, once he listened, he'd chose to act or not and in doing so, he'd add a design or mark to the flake, so he knew the prayer had been answered.

After that, he'd release the flake. However, instead of being carried back into the flurry around him, it would fall to the snowy floor and make small piles around him instead. Later on, he'd come back for them and move them to his mental forest, taking each flake and attaching them to the branches. Any prayer flake coming from a new individual would be attached on its own while any reoccurring prayer flake would be merged with the previous ones Percy had picked out before.

Only when the being responsible for the prayer finally died would the flake turned snowy leaf finally fall to the floor for the last time.

It was his personal record and way of seeing how those affected by his prayers did in life. Zoe, Lupa, Lamia, and Medusa could do the same as his mental guardian and Shadows—after he spent the mental equivalent of a week teaching them his method—however, they rarely answered prayers even if he gave them the allowance to. Being linked to him meant they were trusted to act in his stead—especially if his focus was elsewhere—but they usually preferred to leave the final choice up to him.

Granted, each had their own touchy subjects that quickly got them to act, but much like Percy had been taught by Nyx, he also stepped in and cautioned them on certain prayers. He thanked Chaos all four of them had plenty of years under their belts and knew how hasty decisions could have unintended consequences, so it wasn't hard for the warnings to stick.

Instead, they collected the prayer flakes that caught their attention and made lists for him to review later on in whatever methods they prefer; Zoe and Medusa using tablets while Lupa and Lamia liked writing them down in scrolls. Whatever methods they chose, they each had a time and place they liked to bring them to his attention for review and the final say.

Usually late at night before going to bed or early in the mornings right after breakfast, depending on how the day goes.

'I could let Raven have a longer break and review with them tonight,' he noted as he finally opened his eyes, exhaling as he rolled his shoulders. Though it didn't feel like it in his mental plane, he'd been sitting still for a while. The morning light coming through the large windows of the throne room was significantly stronger, so it had to have been an hour or so.

However, his attention quickly shifted as he looked to Rhea's throne.

His wife was sitting much like he had, her eyes closed and leaned back as she settled whatever prayers came to her. 'I wonder if she's thought about a guardian or an assistant yet,' he mused as he tapped a finger on his arm rest, watching as Rhea slowly breathed out and opened her golden-hazel eyes.

It didn't take her long to look in his direction, a small smile playing on her lips as she got up and stretched.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he said as he watched her, appreciating the way her snug clothing complemented her sensual form.

He knew she made it intentionally showy and loved every moment of it.

"Good to be back," she playfully replied in a low, purring voice as she made her way to him and settled herself in his lap, back to him.

He chuckled knowingly as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer, breathing in her scent as she leaned against him. The married pair were content to sit like that for a while, simply enjoying the close contact and warmth.

"How's Raven?" she asked after a while, getting a slight hum from him.

"Asleep and should be out of it for a while," he replied as she shifted on his lap to sitting across it and looking at him. "Raven started that last session pretty early and she's still trying to catch up to all of it… Makes me wish I'd done more to teach her before all of this," he added, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Hey now, I know you and Andy weren't expecting this so soon but what's done is done.".

"… I know, it's just…"

He sighed as she snuggled her head against his shoulder as one of her hands came up and started to trail her fingers through his hair. He tightened his arms around her in response, appreciating the gesture of comfort for what it was. They remained silent for a little while, content in their embrace.

"Well, she's getting rest now and I think I'll give her the day before we pick things up tomorrow," he said, breaking the silence as he looked at her properly.

"Will Andy stay all day with her?" the lioness asked.

He hummed in thought for a moment before asking, " Not the whole day but probably until afternoon or so. She wanted to make sure Raven rests and then eats before she comes and gets me."

"Okay, then what do you want to do?" she asked.

He blinked at that, opening his mouth to answer before closing it just as quick. What did he want to do? 'Everything has been war this, plan that, or just responding to shit going sideways. But I can't really do much about the war at the moment.' They were playing the waiting game for now, letting the anger, hate, and paranoia fester among the Olympians and their army. Their thoroughly mauled pride and seething desire for vengeance amongst some of their most influential assured that they wouldn't turn tail just yet.

Honestly, he was just waiting for an opening.

Something to fully separate most of the mortal army from the Olympians, that way he and the others wouldn't have to hold back as much. He knew there were plenty demigods in the army that were as gun-ho about this war as the gods, but that was a minority that could be easily picked out and separated later on. But that was also speculation and planning for later.

However, he was pulled from wondering as Rhea used a finger to tilt his face towards her.

"You could use a break yourself, so how about we visit Hestia and the others?" she asked, waiting a few seconds before adding. "We can see how Athena and Cloelia are doing."

He thought about it for a bit, seeing the merit. Hestia usually let them know how things were going but Percy hadn't personally been in her mindscape since Raven's connection was pushed on her. In the outer world, just over two days but in the mindscape, Hestia was accelerating the perception and flow of time to an extent, so it had been far longer.

"You know what, I'd like that," he said after a bit, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

If anything, him spending some bonding time with Cloelia was a needed plus.

With a nod, Rhea all but hopped off him and he stood to follow, the pair walking hand in hand towards the hallway connecting to the mindscapes. By now the temple was abuzz with activity as the pair passed through some of the busier walkways as minor gods, nature spirits, and the occasional mortal made their way between offices within the temple to other smaller temples for other overseeing deities. Percy gave some polite nods and such to anyone who noticed and greeted him, Rhea much the same.

In short order, they got to the less traveled hall, stopping before Hestia's Redwood door.

Rhea barely even need to knock before it opened, inviting them in. Like every time he entered, he took a deep breath to immerse himself in the warmth that represented his draconic wife. Beside him, Rhea practically purred as she soaked in the rays of light as a soothing breeze passed over them carrying Hestia's greeting.

"We should spend more time in here," Rhea commented as the pair walked, already knowing which direction to head as they felt out the three distinct presences within. "I just want us all to curl up and cuddle away."

"Isn't that the same thing you said about my forest?" he asked, a slight teasing tone coming through.

"True, but can you really blame me? Your forest is just cool enough that makes it a perfect excuse every time," Rhea answered after a moment, a smile of her own playing on her lips as she let go of his hand only to run it along his back.

He shivered a little at her touch, his body responding as she knew it would, his wings manifesting in their full, dark glory. Rhea was quick cuddle up to his side as his right wing wrapped around her, getting a pleased purr out of the queen.

"I never waste a good chance to snuggle," she murmured, looking all too pleased with herself.

He snorted but didn't comment, simply letting her enjoy herself.

The pair continued to walk for some minutes, the rustle of long grass swaying in the constant breeze filling the silence until they got to where Hestia had set the cottage for Athena and Cloelia. Unlike last time he was here, he could smell the slightest hints of fire and wood burning, a slow puff of smoke occasionally coming out of the chimney.

Walking around to the front side of the small building, the pair was greeted with the sight of their wife and her new—follower, hand, Percy wasn't entirely sure just what Hestia wanted to call Athena's position—training with said goddess. The duo were a fair distance away in a dip in the valley that he was sure hadn't been there before. Glancing down, he noticed a red rune border with some small runes etched along the floor that completely surrounded the charred space the two goddesses occupied.

He assumed Hestia used it to isolate their fire and even noise rather than actively split her attention between Athena and maintaining her mindscape.

Both goddesses were dressed lightly in simple, tunic-like tops and shorts with their hair up in ponytails. Even from the distance, Percy could clearly make out their details, especially the way Athena was practically heaving, sweat soaking through her clothes as she sparred with a far more composed looking Hestia. Seemingly catching her breathe, Athena swung her arm, tendrils of amber-ish fire flaring to life and speeding towards Hestia.

Only for Hestia to all but swat it aside and simultaneously throw a dense fireball of crimson and gold hues.

Athena wasn't ready for such a sudden retaliation and got a face full of it, knocking her on her ass as it popped harmlessly against the mostly fireproof goddess. Percy couldn't keep a slight grin off his face as he could see and practically hear Athena growl in frustration as she got back up to try again.

"This brings me back," he murmured to Rhea, the lioness nodding at his side with a matching grin.

"Nyx and Tartarus weren't as nice with you though," she added teasingly, watching as Athena barely hopped over a wave of flame.

Now Percy pouted, remembering several times where he was sent ass over teakettle off cliffs and such by blasts of concentrated Darkness. The inherently cold and rather harmful properties of the element didn't bother him much as Nyx and Erebus' heir, but that did nothing for the force and weight of the blow each attack carried.

Still, as much as he could complain about the training methods, he couldn't deny that it had been effective.

He'd always been more of a hands-on learner and being repeatedly thrown into the fire as it were pushed him along nicely. No time to really think or plan, or more importantly, doubt. Just act and react, to try and feel the ebb and flow of his attuned elements and how each responded to his will. Sometimes he'd marvel at how he'd start a week struggling with performing a specific action with an element only to be able to do it out of reflex by the end of the session.

Shaking his head at some of those bittersweet memories, he watched as Athena was caught in a flaming whip and flung back into a patch of tinder, a cloud of ash and dust obscuring her. Shifting his eyes to his draconic wife, he quirked an eye at the amused smirk playing on her face as she casually twirled around her whip, patiently waiting for Athena to recover for more.

And judging by the pissed look on Athena's now ashy face, the former Olympian was not about to tap out either.

However, he was pulled from his observations as he felt Rhea poking his side. Glancing down at his wife, he watched as she subtly tilted her head backward. Following the movement, he glanced over his shoulder towards the cabin and caught a glimpse of bright eyes and black hair before it ducked behind the somewhat open door. Looking back to Rhea, he caught her smile before she let go of his side.

"I'll see if Hestia and Athena could use an extra set of hands," she said as she started to move away, her clothes seamlessly changing to match what the other two were wearing.

His eyes followed her form for a good minute or two before he sighed as he stepped back and sat down in the soft grass. He watched as Rhea got close enough that Athena finally noticed her, though the apparent surprise on her face and distraction cost her as Hestia nailed her with another fireball. He could see Rhea's shoulders shake with her chuckles as she approached Hestia, embracing her wife with all the affection she was known for as Athena recovered.

He couldn't hear what was said with the barrier, but he got the gist of it as Hestia glanced in his direction, her own warm smile on her lips before she refocused on Athena. Rhea said something, probably about how she wanted to join in the training, and going by the way Athena suddenly paled, the goddess was in for a rough time. He suppressed a snort, knowing how Rhea tended to be rather overeager when it came to training. Playful sure, but definitely at a higher pace that what Hestia had been limiting herself to.

And he didn't have to wait long for them to start as Rhea all but pounced, a staff made of golden flames not dissimilar to those Hestia had been using, in hand. Luckily, Athena hadn't been one of the strongest and adaptive Olympians for nothing as a spear and shield of amber flames flared to life in her hands. The duo collided with a noticeable pop of sparks before a flurry of blows began.

Now in a close-combat setting, Athena went from floundering under Hestia's consistent assault of elemental bombardment to smoothly ducking and weaving against Rhea's almost dancelike strikes. A pace that would leave even veteran demigods and minor gods alike out of their depth was made as the two goddesses went at it, all the while Hestia threw in the occasional potshot of fire.

As they moved back and forth Percy couldn't help but marvel at Athena, his eyes tracking her easily. Barely over two weeks and change for her and she was already making headway into the use of her new element. The definition and stability of her constructs especially impressed him given fire's rather chaotic nature and how the element could get almost temperamental when forced into one defined shape or form.

He would know, his own Voidfire was especially wild even now with his mastery of it.

Then, the way those amber flames painted her in constantly shifting light and shadow, all the while her own eyes shined like beacons with her strawberry blonde hair catching the light and seemingly ignited too. And, as the duo slowly got faster and faster, he could see a wry grin forming on her lips as she got more into the spar. Rhea was much the same, the light of their weapons reflecting off her golden gaze as she tested and probed Athena's defenses, especially the shield construct.

As minute by minute passed, he could actually see Athena getting better and better as she pushed more into offense rather than weathering Rhea's assault. Sometimes her spear or shield would crack and burst in a fireball, but the goddess wouldn't slow down, another construct in hand within moments. Rhea was responding in kind, her pace increasing as a little more weight was thrown behind each blow. Sparks flew as dust and ash was kicked up with their every collision as the goddesses sparred, both clearly starting to tune out the mindscape around them.

"Maybe I should ask for a turn," he mused out loud, a familiar itch to move and do something welling up within him.

But, before he could think on it further, his attention was drawn back to the cabin. Or more specifically, the one just barely hiding in the doorway. As subtly as he could, he shifted around enough that he could somewhat glance back without really giving away that he was looking in the first place. His observer was turning out to be rather skittish at the moment.

Still, he just managed to see her out of the corner of his eye.

The heterochromatic set of eyes, one his own swirling icy blue and the other a simmer amber much like Athena's own, watched him with a mix of curiosity and caution, her wavy dark hair loosely falling around her shoulders. Looking forward again, he wondered how he'd go about getting her to come over rather than get up and approach her. It wouldn't do to scare her, and he could understand why she was being cautious in the first place.

Hestia had told them already about how Cloelia more or less remembered everything that happened that night leading up to her forced elevation to a divine state and watching Annabeth's sacrifice. However, a result of her momentary stint as an adult had forced some of her development. Cloelia had been much like her mother and very sharp for her age—when considering her "curse" limiting her development to the rate of a mortal anyways—so the changes only made that even more apparent.

Mentally she was more along the lines of what you'd expect of a young girl about to enter her teens would be. Speaking fully articulate and understanding far more than her appearance would suggest but at the same time, emotionally she was only a little further along than what could be expected of a child barely past the toddler stage. For all she knew and could understand, her emotions still played a significant role on just how she'd act.

In a way, he found the parallels to Raven almost uncanny.

His eldest (or was Cloelia technically eldest now?) had been born already mostly physically mature and aware with the knowledge and instinct she'd need to be an adult. However, having the information and then actually experiencing something pertaining to that knowledge was two very different things as Raven had been quick to learn. Her first few weeks had shown her to be very reactive and easily excited as she got to witness firsthand with what she only known about secondhand.

Cloelia's case wasn't as blatantly obvious as Raven had been, but the similarities were there.

Still, it was no surprise when the godling had spent several nights in a row crying her heart out and beginning to come to terms with what happened, but thankfully Athena had been there for her. And Percy was thankful for that, knowing that Athena was a far better ear and shoulder to help than he could have been himself in regards to Annabeth's lose. At least now, both were recovering and by the looks of it, Athena in particular was devoting herself to learning to control her power so that she could be outside with the rest of her children too.

Cloelia, from what Hestia told him, mostly kept to herself when Hestia was here to train Athena, reading the large assortment of books Hestia had brought along with a set of coloring books and other such things you'd expect a child to want. She probably had been doing just that until Percy and Rhea came close enough for her to detect them with her untrained senses.

'But how to get her out here now?' he wondered, stealing another glance back. Cloelia was a little further out the door now, but an arm and leg still within so she could duck in at the slightest movement. He knew she had to be curious about him, as she doubtlessly heard a lot about him during his time as a demigod. Then again, that was probably working against him now given he didn't really match up with those stories at all anymore.

But, knowing Athena, she probably had told Cloelia plenty about him now and what he'd done. She may have been mostly unconscious but there was no way Cloelia couldn't feel the connection she now held with him and Athena, not to mention the fainter one to Hestia. But, even if she knew, she was probably unsure about just how to approach him much like Raven had been the first time in the throne room those few months ago.

Granted, meeting him there in his giant form had probably been rather intimidating for her.

Glancing down at his own assemble, he hummed as he willed away his Coat of Darkness, the manifestation of power simply fading away leaving him in the simple, short-sleeved navy shirt he had on and his dark grey jeans. He also suppressed his power further down, the almost idle pulse of power that usually surrounded him shrinking to the point of vanishing without completely erasing his presence.

He could feel the shift in his eyes as he did that, the swirling black flames and icy glowing pupils phasing to a much more mundane icy blue irises and distinctly dark pupils. The color and natural glow of his eyes still made them rather striking by mortal standards, but still far tamer than what he usually had. Even his wings were hidden too. Normally he liked having them out, curled comfortably against his back but he felt the more mundane, the better for now.

And going by the slightest shuffle he heard, it was working.

Now for something he knew about all of Athena's children; make them curious enough and they'll always approach. So, he made no motion of having noticed her at all, instead bring his hands up and starting to mold and shape a block of ice he produced. And not just shape either but color and texture too. He could get ice from clear and smooth as glass to deep shades of blue or even purple before adding black much like his Voidice. It was one of his favorite exercises to do when he had idle time or just wanted to do something with his hands.

It made for great practice of his control and going by the opinions of his wives and concubines, made for rather pretty decorations that they liked taking—Hestia in particular, much to his amusement—whenever he was done with them. Right now, the block was formed into a running wolf, proud and majestic as shades of purple and deep blue doted the dark fur of the back and tail while the eyes in particular were the lightest shade he could make it that wasn't clear.

He was just starting to add more detail to the patch of land connected to the back paw when the shuffling got even closer.

Pausing, he slowly looked to his side. Cloelia was now only a few feet away, arms curled around a lion plushie—he already knew whose idea that was—as her eyes constantly shifted between him and the sculpture hovering over his hands. Luckily, she didn't shy away now that he looked at her, so he tried talking.

"Hello Cloelia," he started, keeping his tone soft as to not spook her.

"… Hi," she replied back, almost a whisper as she hugged her plushie a little tighter.

So far so good. Given the way she kept looking at the statue, he was sure it was a safe bet for conversation.

"Do you like it?" he asked, lifting up the statue more so she could get a better look.

He got a shy nod in return. Smiling, he set the statue down off to the side closer to her and formed another small block of clear ice.

"Want me to make something else?" he tried, catching the slightest glint of excitement in her eyes as she nodded more eagerly. "Okay, what should it be this time then?"

Her nose scrunched up cutely as she thought about it, her gaze going down to her plushie in her arms for a moment before her eyes brightened as she asked, "Mr. Biggles?" All the while she held out the plushie.

He tried his best not to chuckle at the name even as his own smile grew as he replied, "Sure."

Now, normally it would take him barely a few seconds to make the shape and form before taking maybe a minute or two to make his own version of the coloration, or even break the rules a little and have the ice mirror the colors exactly. Instead, he took his time. He hummed as he moved his hands around in ways he hadn't done since he first started these exercises years ago as he slowly molded the block of ice as if it were clay without actually touching it.

Now that she was so close, he could watch as she came to almost standing beside him, her eyes wide in childish awe mixed with that intense focus that all of Athena's brood had as she watched the ice mold and shift to a form already like the toy. He found his own fun in it, exaggerating the effort and attention as he added smaller details, like the plushie's crooked whiskers or the buttons of the vest it wore.

He was rather proud of how the tail and mane turned out so fluffy looking.

Whereas the plushie was a golden brown with bright yellow buttons for eyes and a deep red vest, the sculpture was a mostly faint blue with the ice of the vest a slight purple tone and the eyes with a clear, almost glowing set of icy buttons similar to the wolf he'd already made. All in all, it took him roughly ten minutes to do and once done, he set down the sculpture right next to the wolf one.

"Oh wow," Cloelia murmured, having dropped to her knees and set down her plushie beside the sculpture so she could compare them. "It's so pretty."

"Thank you," he replied, another block of ice already formed above his hand.

"Are you doing to make another?" she asked, most of her previous hesitation seemingly gone as she looked at him eagerly.

"I could," he answered, looking at the statues for a moment before an idea came to mind. "Or … you could make one."

The offered caught her off guard as she blinked owlishly at him.

"But … how?" she asked after a bit, looking between the plain block hovering over his hand and the completed statues on the ground. However, after a moment, the realization sparked in her eyes as she looked at him with that intensity again. "… Is it because I'm your daughter now?"

Percy studied the look, seeing an almost near overlap of the godling's lost mother. He didn't let it show, but that similarity threw him for a moment. He almost mentally cursed at that resemblance, even if to be fair, Cloelia also resembled Athena more than anything now. Her hair color and right eye being the exception. Problem was that Annabeth had been the most like her mother in looks and just about everything else there was, so seeing one meant seeing the other to a degree.

He'd already made his choice though and would make it again if he had to, but damn if it wouldn't take some getting used.

"… So, Athena did tell," he murmured in the few seconds he'd somewhat drifted off, more to himself than anything but she nodded all the same. He was tempted to ask how she felt about the whole ordeal, but wasn't sure how to really bring it up, so he let it be and refocused on the ice. "Yes, it is. You'll have some of my abilities now." Offering the block to her, he added, "So, want to give it a try?"

The godling looked between him and the block several times as she chewed on her lower lip, a slight fang peeking through making him almost chuckle. 'She's got plenty of similarities to Raven right there too. I almost can't wait for them to meet. She's going to love her, I just know it,' he mused, all the while patiently waiting for Cloelia to make a choice.

"Okay…" she answered as she shuffled a little closer and sat right beside him.

"Alright then, first hold your hands out," he instructed, waiting as she followed his instruction.

He smoothly transitioned the block onto her smaller hands, smiling as she gasped a little at the could touch but she didn't pull away. Now firmly in her hands, he watched her get a feel for the block and observed just how she was interacting with it on a deeper level. That block was cold enough to make most mortals uncomfortable with touching it, but he could tell Cloelia wasn't bothered.

Whether she realized it or not, she'd started radiating a sort of cold of her own around her hands to match the block, her fingers gliding over the smooth surface as she tested it. Seeing that, he couldn't help but focus on her right hand and the unique coloration it now had after her experience channeling his power without a blessing or anything else to protect her from the effects. The almost marble-white appendage gained a more blueish hue as her power went through it and from what he could fell, the cold part of her power she now inherited form him flowed much easier through that limb.

"Feel comfortable with it?" he asked, getting a small nod from the godling whose attention was thoroughly on the block now. "Good. Now, can you feel your power at your fingertips?"

"A little," she answered, finally looking to him after staring at said fingers of a good minute.

"That fine, this is just a start. Now, with that power, imagine the ice moving like clay or maybe wet sand wherever you're touching it," he instructed, conjuring another block in his hands and making his own fingers glow with cold power as he did just that.

She watched him for a minute or so as he simply pressed and slightly shaped the ice in his grip before she looked at her own block. The glow of her fingers intensified slightly as she started to press them against the block. It took a moment or two but soon enough, the ice started to shift and give where she touched it.

"I did it!" she cried excitedly, the last of her hesitation melting away as she looked at him.

"Great! Then keep doing that until you barely have to think about it," he continued, already feeling a swelling of pride as he watched her start to really play with the block.

Minute by minute, her control was getting better as the block responded like warm clay would rather than the choppy, shifting mass it started at. By now Cloelia was thoroughly engrossed in the endeavor, her face scrunched in concentration. Between the look in her eyes and the way her little fang poked out, Percy almost couldn't resist the cuteness.

He'd already dismissed the block he'd been working on in favor of simply watching her. After a while though, he felt she had enough of an idea of what to do so he spoke up.

"Okay, now you can try and shape it into something specific."

Cloelia glanced at him for a moment at the new instruction before she gave a slight nod as she refocused on the mass of ice in hand. However, it seemed that she wasn't going to have such an easy time at the task as whenever she focused on one specific section, another part in her hands would shift and move. At the fifteen-minute mark a slight whine escaped her as she tried to rotate the ice in hand to focus on what looked like the head of whatever she was making.

Only, she ended up twisting the whole mass accidentally, just about undoing all the progress she'd been making. Her cheeks were starting to puff up as she tried again but the more upset she got, the quicker her mistakes came. Coincidently, Percy felt the slightest flaring of heat now coming from her. He also noted it was predominantly on her left side and the glow of her fingers to that side were now glowing orange, a slight hiss coming from the ice at the points of contact.

It was only his power still suffusing the block that prevented any melting.

"Alright, I think you can take a break now," he said as he put his hands over hers and gently took the icy lump.

"… Almost had it," she mumbled with a pouty frown as she looked at the ice as it returned to a pristine block in his hands now.

"And you'll do even better next time," he returned encouragingly as he set the block beside the two statues.

"So you'll visit again?" Cloelia asked, the hopeful look in her eyes not lost on him.

"Of course I will," he answered with a warm smile at her as he gently rested his hand on her head, ruffling the dark wavy hair that looked so much like his.

She blushed a cute pink but didn't try to escape the touch. If anything, she was somewhat leaning into it. For a second though, his eyes fell on the little tuff of strawberry blonde hair mixed into her bangs. 'It's at the same spot Annabeth and I both got grey hairs from holding up the sky.' He almost sighed at the memory, all the while wondering if maybe Phoebe had pulled one on him. Otherwise, his life really was full of too many coincidences even when deities of Fate weren't messing with him.

However, he was pulled from those thoughts as he noticed the barrier Hestia had up falling, the three goddesses approaching them.

Hestia looked as unruffled as when he'd arrived while Rhea looked just a little sweaty but otherwise fine too. Athena on the other had looked like she'd been a lion's chew toy, and to be fair, she kind of was. Her top was just about gone, exposing the sports bra under neath. Her hair was out of the ponytail and he was pretty sure she had a slight limp while favoring her left leg. That and she was caked in ash and sweat, her breathing still heavy even as he noted the satisfaction in her eyes.

Nothing quite like a good workout and spar, even if you do look like you'd been mugged by the end of it.

Smiling at all three, Percy was quick to stand up and was about to give Hestia the kind of greeting she clearly wanted but paused as he noticed Cloelia ducking behind him. Glancing down at his daughter, he noticed she was giving shy look to Rhea from behind his leg. 'Right, she hasn't been introduced to Rhea yet. Well, that can be fixed,' he mused, his hand coming down to rest comfortingly on Cloelia's head as she looked up at him.

"Hey, no need to be shy. This is Rhea, my wife," he introduced as he gestured to said wife who preened at the way he referred to her.

She was always partial to that and loved it when he indulged her like that. Still, seeing as how Cloelia was now looking at her, Percy leaned down and picked her up, getting a slight squeak from the child. It didn't take long for her to adjust though, now clinging to him but not as tense as she'd been a moment before. See her relax somewhat, he stepped a little closer to Rhea but still left some space.

"Hello there Cloelia, it's nice to finally meet you," she greeted with her warmest smile, one hand extended to see if Cloelia would take it.

The godling glanced between the hand and Rhea's face several times before slowly reaching out and grasping her fingers.

"Hi," Cloelia greeted, almost as softly as she had Percy initially.

Rhea simply gave an encouraging smile as she gently shook the hand before letting go, Cloelia returning to leaning against Percy's chest, her head tucked under his chin. An amused chuckle rumbled through his chest as he shared a look with the three goddesses. After a moment though, Athena glanced down and noticed for the first time the statues Percy had made.

"Oh, what are these?" she asked as she picked up the wolf one, inspecting it with an appraising eye.

"One of Percy's ice sculptures. He makes them to practice his ice control," Rhea answered as she leaned down and picked up the plushie replica and the actual toy, looking between the two approvingly.

"They don't melt unless you use powerful flames or divine power on them, so we have a nice collection of them," Hestia supplied only for Rhea to smirk in her direction.

"Don't you mean you have a nice collection of them?" the lioness teased, getting a slight blush from the draconic one. Leaning closer to Athena and stage whispering, "And she says her link to dragons isn't that big a deal."

Percy chuckled as Hestia huffed but it did nothing for her blush, especially with Athena adding her own playful grin.

"Alright fine, so I like collecting them, sue me," Hestia admitted, quickly snatching the wolf statue right out of Athena's hands. The goddess looked like she was about to protest but Hestia cut it off with a pointed sniff, "Now, are we going to stand here all day or are you finally going to take a bath?"

Now the attention was on Athena and Rhea wasn't one to miss an opportunity to tease.

"You are a little ripe at the moment." She even waved a hand in front of her nose.

If it weren't for the ash and dirt, Percy was pretty sure they'd have a good view of the blush Athena sported at that. With as much dignity as a goddess could maintain while powerwalking, Athena swiftly made for the cabin to get cleaned up, Rhea and Hestia sharing a giggle.

There pair settled after a bit, their attention now falling to him and the silent godling in his arms. The goddesses shared another look, something passing between them that even Percy couldn't decipher before Hestia spoke up.

"Well, I guess I'll get started on dinner then."

"Dinner?" Percy muttered before looking around and really noticed that it was somewhat darkening. He hadn't really noticed before that the time was relatively late in the mindscape when he and Rhea had entered. "Need any help?" Percy asked after a moment as Rhea gave Cloelia the lion plushie back.

"Just entertain her while I cook," was the swift reply as Hestia made her way to the cabin as well.

"Yeah, we'll call you both when its ready," Rhea added as she followed Hestia.

That left Percy and Cloelia alone for likely another hour or so. Hestia could just think a meal into existence, but his wife enjoyed taking the time to actually make something when she could. Still, glancing down at the quiet godling in his arms, he was met with a set of curious eyes. 'What to do, what to do,' he mused before one idea came to mind.

"Say Cloelia, you know where we are, right?" he asked, just to see how much Cloelia understood.

"Umm… in Hestia's mind?" she stated, not sounding too sure.

"Just about," he replied in a nod. "So, want to see mine?" he asked after a moment.

That got him a set of very curious eyes, making him chuckle. How many times had he seen those types of eyes when visiting Athena's cabin over the summers?

"… Can we?" she asked, a hopeful hint coming through.

His answer was an eager smile as he willed the shadows to them. Normally this would be impossible within the mind and absolute domain of a primordial, but given their marriage, Percy and his wives had some special exceptions to those restraints. Cloelia yelped lightly as the shadows coiled around them as a cold mist gathered before the sensation of falling came for just a moment. For those few seconds, an all-encompassing silence surrounded them. Then, in a slight rush of cold air, they arrived.

Cloelia gasped as she looked around, shivering for a moment.

Percy didn't worry though, as she quickly adjusted subconsciously as she looked around wildly, trying to take everything in with wide eyes.

"It's so pretty," she murmured, her eyes locked to one of the white rose bushes dotting the landscape.

A twinkle of mischief came to his eyes as he looked at the world around him before he willed a change. In moments, the snowflake leaves of the trees and the white, crystalline roses started to glow in shades of light blue and violet. The sky lightened with countless blinking specks of light, his own personal nebula of color swirling about. Even the obsidian trees gained a sort of inner glow, making their dark bodies contrast that much more.

And Cloelia desperately tried to take it all in, looking around as quickly as she could.

He smiled in amusement as he started walking, the muffled sound of his feet meeting the purest snow and the gentle breeze passing through the otherwise empty forest echoing around them. They weren't alone for long though, as shadows stirred, and figures emerged. Thanks to her link to him, she could sense it, her eyes darting around as wolves of various sizes going from no bigger than a beagle to wolves big enough to match ponies. Most of them had dark fur, as did most beings and creatures touched by his blessing, but plenty broke from that norm. Also, many had marks and patterns in their fur, glowing with an almost reflective light to the forest around them. Funnily enough, all of them were essentially cubs to young adults, curious and eager to meet the new presence.

None of his immortal pack emerged though.

Those stayed seamlessly merged to the darkness, watching from a respectful distance, appraising the newest cub in the ranks. They knew their presence was too strong, too fierce to properly be comfortable for her and meet just yet. Percy gave an appreciative nod that they noticed and returned in their own ways. With his attention returned to Cloelia, he watched as she looked at all the wolves circling about. Several of the smaller ones came close, sniffing all the while as they took her in.

She tensed at first, clinging harder to him but after enough approaches and nothing happening to her, she started to relax. A gasp and then giggle came as one particularly bold cub jumped up against Percy's leg and sniffed at her foot before licking it. More got encouraged to approach as soon Cloelia was giggling, feet halfhearted kicking at the ticklish sensation of wet noses.

"I think they want to play with you," Percy said, getting Cloelia attention.

"Can I?" she asked shyly, but no less eager, and as some of them could in fact understand, many of the cubs started yipping and whining too.

"Sure," he answered, happily setting her down and gently taking the plushie from her.

Wolf cubs could get rather rowdy and the plushie might not survive long. With her feet now in the snow, Cloelia marveled about, stepping around experimentally before a cub got her attention. A playful tug at her shirt and challenging bark from a startling white furred cub was all it took for the godling to understand in a way she probably wouldn't even realize yet. It didn't matter of how in the moment, because Cloelia understood enough to start chasing.

Percy chuckled to himself as he watched his newest daughter run off, playing a game somewhat like tag with the cubs. Some of the larger ones stayed near him, looking for his attention more which he was happy to provide. A hand lazily trailed through the thick fur of one close to his left as he slowly followed. The peals of childish laughter and happy barking felt like a balm to the soul as he simply took it in, a small smile on his face as he watched.

He didn't even bother trying to track the time, knowing Hestia or Rhea would get him once dinner was ready.

He laughed when Cloelia squealed as she slipped into a small dune of snow, cubs of all sizes joining into the dogpile. He hummed with a sort of pride as he watched her race along with the cubs, moving through the obsidian trees as if she were born to do it. He gave an approving clap as she wrestled with some of the larger cubs, her godly constitution seeing her to the top, most of the time.

"Well someone's having fun," a soft voice mused beside him, her presence having just appeared beside him.

He smiled as he looked at Zoe, the former titaness just about leaning against his side, petting some of the wolves that came closer upon noticing her presence.

"I know Hestia's trying her best but there's only so much a set books and coloring can entertain a child while Athena trains, so I thought, why not let her meet the young of the packs," he said, all the while offering an arm.

Zoe smiled indulgently as she wrapped her arm in his and let him lead them on as they followed the trail of playing cubs.

"This is doing you some good to, you know," she commented after a bit, getting a sigh form him.

He knew that look he was getting from her, could feel it even without taking his eyes off Cloelia. She learned it from Nyx after all. To 'fill her honorary big sister role' better had been the reasoning given. He could only nod, knowing she had a point without even needing to say it. He'd been tensed and stressed over the last few days. He'd suspected, even predicted that Pontus had some ins that the Olympians weren't aware of, but he'd hoped that the old primordial would keep all cards close to the chest and try to gather power while Percy and co handled their war.

His attacks on Ogygia and the Zhang household had been far more overt though. Then Annabeth's death hadn't made it any better. For all the anger he'd held for her along with mostly disappointment, he'd never wanted to kill her. For all the pain of knowing she cheated and then hid it, he didn't feel compelled to kill her, at least, not after a while. He'd been furious and might have initially in the first years, but Nyx had helped him simmer down.

The last thing he'd wanted was to act like an Olympian and use scorned love as a justification for murder. He knew Annabeth hadn't been malicious in what happened, even if she'd never truly come clean to him about it. Cowardly and tending to a mauled pride when out of sight, but ultimately a victim of the manipulation of the gods all the same.

That didn't clear her of any culpability for her own actions though.

The more cynical, jaded part of him would often muse that her shamed, faltering marriage to Apollo had already been her dues. Still, once the war had started up, she'd have to choose her side as much as any other. If she refused any offers to get out of the way or go peacefully, then he wouldn't have hesitated to cut her down, but only if it needed to be done.

Hell, a part of him, as small as it had been, had hoped against everything that she'd step back from the war and survive it. That even if he could never truly bring himself to trust her or himself around her, that she'd live on in peace and that would have been enough for him.

But no; it seemed even casting off their mortality still left them with that touch of tragedy and sacrifice.

Still, she'd gone down swinging to save her daughter, and Percy could only respect her for that. As much as it hurt and he mourned that last, near traitorous part of him that had wanted her dying off, he could also feel a weight leaving him.

Only … then came the responsibility with Cloelia.

It wasn't something he'd ever expected to deal with, but then again, that was his life story in a nutshell. He didn't regret it though, and just watching his little cub run around like that, free and happy, made his chest warm. And yet, another curve ball with Raven's situation was thrown at him barely an hour after he'd adopted the godling. And now, as if a cruel joke, Raven was saddled with a responsibility that she hadn't been ready for either.

It was maddening and he knew he'd been tense and broody the last few days when alone. Nyx would be pulling at his ears again if she'd seen him before dragging him out to a no-holds spar, just to get him to open up. The memory of Nyx pouncing at him, her pike-like daggers in hand and a grin that could scare the Terrors themselves, made him snort. Another low sigh escaped him as he felt some of the tension seep off his shoulders, the feel of Zoe's hand tightening on his arm in her show of support helping him in just the right way.

"It's been a long week," he murmured, seeing her nod just to the side of his view.

Neither said anything else as they walked, simply enjoying their own silence in the background to Cloelia's playing. They stopped near his Viewing Tree, the Weeping Willow-esque tree drawing his attention for a bit as Cloelia paused in her playing to examine the frozen lake near it. He always did enjoy watching people's reactions to the waterfall feeding into it with no apparent beginning.

However, it didn't take long for the playing to resume as the cubs ran off with Cloelia in hot pursuit. However, it wouldn't last too long as Percy felt the pull on his bond to Hestia. 'Dinner's ready then,' he mused as he let out a sharp, New Yorker whistle. The sight of Cloelia and the cubs stopping to look at him, all in a near synch turning their heads to the side actually made Zoe giggle enough to warrant hiding it in his shoulder.

A miracle then.

"Cloelia, time to go," he called, smirking at the whining of both godling and cubs in chorus. "Come on, you'll need to wash up first."

Cloelia pouted but came anyways. But just before she got to him, she turned around and bodily picked up the pure white cub from before. Said cub was not small by any means, going close to a German shepherd's size, so seeing—her, he confirmed with a quick glance thanks to the way Cloelia was holding her—being mostly pulled off the ground save her tail in the relatively tiny godling's arms made him chuckle hard.

"Can I keep her?" the heterochromatic eyed child pleaded, trying to look as adorable as possible.

And said cub was also making the puppy face, whining at him. The other cubs were whining too, but more along the lines of upset they weren't picked. The same thing happened when Raven first picked out her own personal wolf companion out of them.

"Hmm, I don't know," he said with a shrug, looking at Zoe so he wouldn't immediately cave to Cloelia's look.

His mental guardian was all too amused at this, smiling in her own playful way as she waited to see how long Percy would last. Never long, his wives and concubines knew it well and Raven learned that even faster.

"Please?" Cloelia continued, drawing his eyes.

He regretted it right away, seeing the watery gaze and almost trembling lips. Sighing as dramatically as possible, he looked at her in—hopefully—a stern way.

"Fine," he said, suppressing a smile at her small cheer. "But … she's your responsibility. And just because she's far more intelligent that most wolves ever get doesn't always make that easier," he warned, getting a quick nod from the child but she really wasn't paying attention to him anymore, muttering possible names to herself.

"Oh Percy," Zoe snickered, doing nothing to hide just how entertained she was. "What ever will you do with all these girls pulling you by the heartstrings?"

"Like you have a problem with that," he shot back with mock heat.

"Of course, all you males need female guidance and sooner they learn that the better," the titaness continued airily.

Only to yelp when he poked her side in just the right spot. He grinned in victory at her pout before he moved along, picking up Cloelia and resting a hand on the cub's neck before the shadow responded to his will. He let them fall through just like when they arrived. The moment the soft soil and grass of Hestia's mindscape touched their feet, he set Cloelia back down and let go of the cub.

Percy turned to see that Athena was already outside waiting for them, washed and dressed in a light chiton much like Hestia liked wearing, her eyes shifting from him and Cloelia to the wolf curiously sniffing around at her feet.

"Mom, look!" Cloelia squealed as she raced up to Athena, the cub on her heels. "I got a new wolf puppy!"

"That's a puppy?" he caught the goddess mutter in mild disbelief before she turned curious eyes on him.

He smiled and shrugged as he walked along calmly, letting Cloelia's eager babbling about what she'd done for the last hour distract the former Olympian. Percy walked around the pair, sharing another glance with the goddess before he walked in. The smell of warm beef stew and fresh bread filled his nose and got an eager rumble out of him as he set his eyes on his wives.

Both had changed as well, Hestia in a cream chiton while Rhea was in a snug shirt and shorts.

Considering he hadn't gotten the chance earlier, he swept up behind Hestia and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close the moment she set down the plate of bread rolls. She squealed as he kissed the back of her neck before squirming to turn in his grip. Now facing him, she happily returned his kiss, her arms coming to wrap around his neck.

"Mmm, I missed that," she murmured after pulling back just enough to let them look properly at each other.

"I gave you a morning kiss today," he pointed out, hands settling on her hips.

"That was more than a day ago for me in here," she retorted.

"Then I'll be sure to give you extra to make up," he added, pecking her on the lips all the while.

"Oh, no worries, I'll just finish setting up all by myself," Rhea pipped up, the playfulness not being missed by either deity.

Percy smiled as he released Hestia and moved to get the large pot of stew. He didn't miss the chance to pinch Rhea's rear as he passed her, what with her bent over and setting up the bowls on the table. The eyes she shot him were promising but he set that aside for now as he grabbed the large pot filled of steaming stew and brought it to the table. By the time he set it down, the trio were joined by Athena and Cloelia, the godling still excitedly telling Athena about everything she saw in Percy's mindscape as the cub followed.

"Really? You're giving them out like candy at this rate," Hestia commented the moment she saw the cub.

"Jealous?" he asked teasingly as he held her chair out for her.

She snorted but smiled anyways as she sat, and Percy went around doing the same for Rhea.

"Maybe I should start keeping lions and tigers in my mindscape and see how they do with my blessing," the queen mused out loud.

"Don't you still have all those mammoths in there?" Hestia pointed out, getting a curious look from Athena as Percy also held her chair.

"Mammoths?" the goddess asked, getting an all too eager grin from Rhea as the primordial happily went into detail about her creation project.

All the while, Percy helped Cloelia into a booster seat, setting her beside her mother. The godling had calmed down now that everyone was together, but not as shy as she had been when Percy and Rhea first arrived. Once he took his seat, Rhea quieted down as they all held hands out. Even if they were deities themselves, saying a quick grace in Lady Chaos' name was never amiss.

Once down, Hestia set out to spooning generous portions of stew for everyone, Cloelia first. Percy glanced down to see Cloelia's as of yet unnamed cub sitting patiently beside her seat. With a snap of his fingers, a bowl of dried deer strips and Kibble was in front of her. The cub dove in with gusto, much like Cloelia the moment Athena gave her a spoon after warning her the stew was hot.

An unnecessary warning given Cloelia's new temperature tolerances though.

Percy shared a smile with the mildly exasperated Athena, the goddess looking far more relaxed and bright-eyed than she had the last time she saw her.

"I guess wolfing it down comes from you now, right?" the goddess asked, trying to look stern but Percy could see her lips curling up at the edges.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, but honestly couldn't even try to look repentant.

Athena rolled her eyes at that but finally let her smile show as the goddess snapped her fingers, a cutesy bib appearing on Cloelia, not that the godling seemed to notice given how she was eating.

Hestia's cooking did that to people.

And, with that, he tucked in as well. He almost groaned at the rich flavors of beef and other stewed vegetables spilled into his mouth. And dipping the warm bread into it just made it a hundred times better. Percy knew that he was a lucky man, with not one but three amazing wives, and he'd do just about anything for them.

But Hestia's cooking was just something else.

His bond with Rhea let him know that she was much in the same boat and both of them could feel Hestia's barely suppressed embarrassment at their compliments, among other things, flowing across the bond. A quick glance showed that Hestia's cheeks had the slightest glow to them, her platinum blood brightening her Mediterranean complexion nicely.

"We'll have to save some of this for Andy," Rhea commented between bites of her bread roll.

"If there's anything left that is," Percy added, only half serious.

"Percy," Hestia murmured, just a little heat in her eyes as she stared him down.

Wolves tended to pick clean everything, so he stared back; a battle of wills silently engaged. Rhea grinned between bites, already knowing who'd cave. Percy did too, but dammit if he wasn't going to give a token resistance. Even Athena was picking up on the byplay, her amber eyes alight with amusement as she looked between the two.

Percy lasted a full minute, a new milestone for him, before finally muttering, "Yes dear."

His defeat was met with a chorus of giggles. Rhea he expected, Hestia too if she was amused enough, and Andy was a no brainer whenever she was present, but what got him was that Athena joined in. He looked at her in mild surprise at the cute sound made, but that just made the goddess stop. A faint blush formed as Athena went back into eating, pointedly not looking at him or the others.

He couldn't help but grin at that, happy to see the goddess opening up more as the days passed. He went back to his own food, feeling lighter than he had in days. All the while Cloelia was chowing down. Honestly, at the rate she was going, Cloelia might be the one to watch out for, not him…

---

He sighed in content as he set the empty bowls and cutlery into the sink and turned on the hot water. Since Rhea and Hestia had cooked, he set himself to be the one cleaning up. Sure, a snap of his fingers would have it all done, but sometimes just taking a moment to do things slow was just better.

A set of hands beside his held a sponge as his helper for the evening applied a liberal amount of soap. He glanced to his side to look at Athena, the goddess having volunteered to help even when he said he was fine doing it alone. She insisted though, so he just let her be.

The clinking of bowls, pots, and such was the only noise they made for a while as Percy glanced back over his shoulder. Rhea was sitting with Cloelia near a small desk moved in here just for the godling, coloring together. Since Percy had his one-on-one time with Cloelia, Rhea was rather keen to do something with her and after encouraging her, Cloelia was quick to pick out her coloring books.

As for Hestia, she was relaxing in a loveseat across the cabin from them, her foot gently scratching at the still unnamed cub laying at her feet. She caught his glance and gave him a small smile, something he returned before turning his attention back to cleaning. It seemed that Athena was of a similar mind, leisurely scrubbing at the few bits of food stuck to one pot.

Percy couldn't help but stare for a moment, never having thought he'd see Athena do something so utterly mundane as the dishes. Well, that, and it wasn't because of some sort of unusual punishment or prank forced on her. Had she ever even done the dishes before? Now he was curious, and his mind kept shifting into imaginations of when or why Athena would do such a thing?

His staring didn't go unnoticed though, as the goddess paused to glance at him.

"… What?" she asked softly. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, there's nothing," Percy was quick to clarify as he returned to the dishes.

He could feel Athena's eyes on him, but she didn't try to push, which he was thankful for. The pair soon fell into the rhythm of work, somehow shifting into a set of Athena actually washing and then him rinsing and drying before putting them away on a rack. It took only a few minutes but soon they had all the dishes done. Using the same towel to dry his own hands, he offered it to Athena next.

Only, said goddess just gave a tiny smile as her hands steamed dry.

"Convenient that," he said with a snort as he set the towel aside.

Athena gave an agreeing hum as she turned to look at everyone else relaxing. Percy did the same, leaning back against the sink and simply taking in the atmosphere. However, after a bit, he felt a gentle poke to his side drawing his attention. Looking at her finger poking him before her face, Percy raised a questioning eyebrow as Athena ducked her head a little.

"Percy … can I speak to you?" Athena asked softly before looking around and adding, "Outside?"

Seeing no reason not to, he nodded and gestured for her to go. He followed after, sharing one look with Hestia and even Rhea, having looked up from her seat with Cloelia. He could feel their curiosity, but they let them be, each returning to what they were doing before. Once outside, Percy took a deep breath and let the relatively cool breeze drift over him.

It had been late afternoon relatively in Hestia's mindscape when Percy and Rhea came in, and now it was decidedly into evening with the night sky and Hestia's rendition of stars overhead. Normally the primordial kept their mindscape in one set time—if a time of day was visible, unlike Andromeda's tower/archive—but for Cloelia, Hestia had been shifting the light to reflect the flowing time.

So, while internally, he knew only an hour or two had passed in real time, it also felt like he'd spent a good chunk of the evening here. 'This is going to throw me off when we step out,' he mused before his attention turned to the silent goddess beside him. Athena looked somewhat nervous; her gaze cloudy as her eyes shifted around on anything but him.

"Athena," he spoke up, making the goddess start a little as she finally focused on him.

"Sorry, it just," she paused as she took a steading breath. "I'm still not very good at this."

"Take your time then," he responded, patiently waiting as the goddess gathered herself.

It took a bit but after a breath, she focused on him.

"… Thank you."

That had him blinking at her. He was about to ask for what, but she continued before he could.

"Thank you for everything, especially for today. For spending the evening with Cloelia like that," she said, her voice soft and sincere as she looked up at him.

He smiled gently in return as he understood. "You're welcome and really, it was the least I could do."

"No," Athena said with a light shake of her head. "You don't get it." Her eyes dimmed in their simmer as her tone got lower, barely a glance being thrown at the cabin behind him. "That's the first time I've seen Cloelia smile like that since …"

She stopped there, a wet shine coming to her eyes as she tried to blink it away. But Percy could tell that wasn't working, and soon, one tear broke out. And where one came, another followed. Athena took a shaky breath as she tried to wipe at them, but they kept coming, her shoulders starting to shake as she held back a choked sob.

Acting out of instinct, he stepped forward and hugged her.

She froze up for a moment, but then the walls came falling as she started to sob in earnest, clutching onto his shirt. He simply held her, one arm around her waist and the other on her back, rubbing comforting circles as he felt the hot tears soak into his shirt as she pressed her face into his chest. He started to hum, a deep, rumbling sound starting from the chest that he knew worked to calm people. And it seemed to work here just as well as he felt Athena relax further against him, the sobs slowly fading into slight hiccups.

"I'm sorry … I just," she sniffled but he gently shushed her as he tightened his hold.

"Don't apologize," he chided softly, feeling her shift a bit against him as he continued. "… I know what it's like. How much it hurts."

He could only imagine what it had been like with Cloelia for the last week. He had snippets from Hestia, but the primordial purposely limited her own view into her mindscape when not present to give Athena and Cloelia the closest semblance of privacy she could. Both goddesses were doing better, but that was far from done and there were bound to be flair ups. And Percy felt he could be a sympathetic ear for the former Olympian.

They stayed like that for several minutes, holding each other until Percy felt she'd calmed enough.

Pulling back a little, he gently tilted her head up to look at him. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her cheeks glowed with the flush of her platinum ichor, but he didn't point any of that out. Instead he slowly used his thumb to rub away the last of the tears until her cheeks were mostly clear.

"Thank you," she murmured again, this time letting her head rest against his chest as he kept rubbing her back.

"Any time," he returned, letting his chin rest on her head.

The silence lasted for a little longer this time, until he couldn't feel her hiccup or anything of the sort. Then glancing at the cabin right behind them, he got an idea. "Hey, how about we walk for a bit?" he offered.

She brought her head up and looked at him curiously at that, then looking over her shoulder at the rolling hills illuminated by the gentle glow of stars overhead. Looking back to him, she nodded. Smiling, he took one step back and then offered his arm out of reflex. Taking walks had been one of his favorite ways to just calm down, and he'd often do it with Nyx back in their garden in Tartarus.

Athena looked at the offered arm for a moment before a slight curving up of her lips appeared as she took it much like Zoe had earlier. With her in toe, he started leading them away from the cabin and off towards the tree line in the distance. Now that it was dark, the sound of crickets and such started to pop up, much to his own mild surprise. 'Really nice touch Hestia,' he mused as he glanced at Athena.

He could tell the simple walk was already doing wonders as the goddess let her eyes drift about. After just minutes of walking, he even started to catch a slight hum coming from her. He wasn't sure if she noticed she was doing it or not, but he didn't call attention to it, simply listening. By the time they crested one of the larger hills, they were a fair distance from the cabin, so they stopped.

Percy let his gaze wander for a bit, especially as he looked at the large, far off mountain that Hestia used as her center. Surrounded in deep and lush forest that looked more fit to be in Rhea's mindscape. There were also hot springs and geysers all around it, along with numerus deep caves that Hestia steadily denied had any sort of treasures or hoard hidden within. He, Rhea, and Andy were still trying to explore without Hestia waylaying them to try and prove it.

And he knew laying deep in the center was a volcano the likes of which could make Vesuvius look like a little firecracker.

He was about to wonder whether Hestia would be in the mood for soaking in one of the lava pools dotting the mountain, some of which glowed with hot reds and oranges even from here. But his attention returned to Athena as he felt the goddess lean against him again. Looking at her, he was met with those warm amber eyes as she gave him a small smile.

"You know … that was the first time Cloelia has called me mom," she said softly, her smile getting a little wobbly.

"Really?" he asked lightly, not having known that.

Athena nodded. "After … after telling her how we adopted her, she kind of closed off for a while. She'd still talk to me, but it felt, off I guess."

"It's a big change so I'm not surprised about that. She probably just needs some time to settle with all the change," he commented, getting a slight hum of thought from her.

They lapsed into silence for a while, both simply taking in the surroundings. Then, he got her attention as he decided to settle down and sat himself in the soft grass. He glanced up at her before looking at the spot beside him. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but he just smiled. A good five seconds passed before the goddess gave in with a sigh as she sat down beside him.

"So … what has she been calling you for the last few days then?" he asked curiously as he leaned back on his hands.

"My name," she answered with a bit of a shrug. "Not too different form before, only, sometimes she used to call me momma."

"Really? How'd that happened?" he asked.

"Well, when she wasn't with Annabeth or Calypso, she'd spend most of the time with me. One night she called me momma out of the blue. I made the mistake of telling Annabeth and then she made a little gag out of it," she explained, her eyes falling to the swaying grass around them, a tiny, bittersweet smile on her face.

He chuckled lowly at that, just picturing the scenario.

A flustered Athena all confused and such as she told her daughter about what her granddaughter had called her. Then Annabeth turning it into a running gag to tease the normally unflappable goddess.

He knew Athena, much like the other gods, had never really gotten close to any of their kids, mortal or not, for millennia. Annabeth was the closest and, in many ways, the first to get that close to the goddess. Cloelia being her first divine grandchild gave the goddess a chance to be there from the start with no laws of any sort or real reason to stay distant.

Given how similar Athena and Annabeth had been, it was no surprise the divine toddler had gone and practically named Athena as a second mother even if technically, that would be Calypso's job should anything happen to Annabeth. Looking at the goddess now, he could see that warmth she'd hidden for so long, finally given the chance to express itself not only for Cloelia, but all her children.

"And she didn't ever call you grandma?" he asked, a light tease in his voice.

It took her a moment to register that question before she tried glaring at him for that. Given the sudden blush on her cheeks, it wasn't really working. She gave it up in a huff and looking away, but he caught the amusement in her eyes.

"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I want to be reminded about it," she grumbled.

"You, old? Nah, I can't see it," he retorted, getting her to look at him. "I prefer ageless to be honest," he continued, a crooked grin making its way onto his face.

Athena actually swatted at him for that one, making him chuckle as he leaned out of reach. She tried to get closer, but he kept scooching back until the goddess gave up with a huff. He shot her triumphant look before relaxing, looking up to stare at the countless stars Hestia had taken the time to paint into the skies of her personal canvas.

"I wonder when she'll get around to calling me dad?" he mused out loud.

He'd loved it the moment Raven called him that and knew it'd be the same once Cloelia got comfortable enough for it. He wouldn't push though.

"With the way she was today, I don't think you'll have to wait long," Athena answered as she joined him in his stargazing.

A more comfortable silence descended from there, the pair simply enjoying the atmosphere. Still, after a while he felt a light pull from both Rhea and Hestia, so he assumed they'd been gone long enough.

"Ready to head back?" he asked, getting the goddess' attention as he stood up and then offered a hand.

"Yes," she replied, taking his hand and letting him help her up.

Again he offered his arm, a more playful grin on his face this time. That got a roll of the eyes, but she smiled all the same as she took his arm. With that, the pair set to walking back and soon enough, Athena was humming along again. This time though, he couldn't keep his curiosity as he asked, "Mind telling me what you're humming?"

"Hmm? Oh, not really anything in particular. Sometimes Cloelia would get a little fussy so I started doing little bits of humming like that to settle her," the goddess answered.

"Sounded almost like there'd be a song or rhythm to it honestly," he commented.

"Maybe you could think of something then?" she suggested, getting a curious look from him.

"… Maybe," he answered.

He wasn't the most musically inclined but possibly during some spare time he could come up with a line or two. The pair continued from there, Athena's continued humming playing off the background of crickets and other sounds Hestia had added to the mindscape. As they got closer to the cabin, they spotted Hestia outside waiting patiently for them.

"Rhea's reading Cloelia a bedtime story," the draconic goddess supplied as they got to her. "And don't worry, she already got a bath."

"I didn't realize we'd been gone that long," Percy commented.

"Me neither, but thank you for doing that," Athena added with a near curtsy, but Hestia waved it off.

"It's not a problem and honestly, we barely needed to do anything," Hestia continued, a small smile of mirth dancing across her face as she focused on Percy. "But I'm pretty sure she'll try to stay up if Percy doesn't go in and say goodnight though."

"Oh really? Well then, better not disappoint," Percy replied as he made his way in right behind Athena.

Most of the lights were off save for one lamp in the corner providing just enough for Rhea to read from whatever book Cloelia had chosen.

It seemed that Rhea had just wrapped up, the goddess closing the colorful book as she ran a hand through Cloelia's dark locks. The godling looked to be fighting off falling asleep, if only barely, but playing with the cubs after her impromptu lessons on ice manipulations had clearly tired her out. She got a bit of a second wind as soon as she noticed that Percy and Athena had returned though.

"Percy! Momma!" she squealed before shifting into a yawn as she partly sat up.

Percy noticed out the side of his eye that way Athena perked up at being addressed that way, but his attention went to his wife as she gave a fond giggle as she got up from her chair.

"Goodnight sweetie," Rhea murmured as she gave a quick kiss to Cloelia's head.

"Night," the godling returned before Rhea turned away.

The goddess shared a glance with Athena and then Percy as she walked past them, lingering at Percy's shoulder as she whispered, "We'll be waiting outside."

There was a certain purr to her voice that Percy would recognize anywhere, but he studiously kept any reactions at bay. Not that it did anything for the knowing look in Rhea's eyes before the goddess continued on her way. The sound of the door closing behind her felt particularly loud to him even if he knew that she'd been gentle. 'Focus. I'll get her later,' he chided himself, walking closer and kneeling at the bedside of the godling.

"So, all tuckered out and ready for bed?" he asked lightly, sparing one glance to the cub curled up in a puppy bed at the foot of the bed.

He got an agreeing hum and nod.

"Will you visit again?" she asked softly, a bit of that earlier shyness returning.

"Sure I will," he assured her as he tucked her in, settling the blankets up to her shoulders.

Smiling down at her, he leaned in and gave a small kiss to her temple. He got a small, happy smile out of her as she settled down, eyes already fluttering as she finally started to give in after the long day. Percy merely stayed there and watched as she kept her eyes closed and her breathing already started to even out before he finally stood up himself.

He locked eyes with Athena then, the goddess having stayed watching silently.

"She called me momma again," the goddess whispered, a wet look coming to her eyes even as the fire within shimmered in delight.

Percy didn't say anything to that, feeling there wasn't really anything that needed to be said. Instead, he gave her a comforting hand to the shoulder and his best smile. He got one in return but then was surprised as Athena stepped closer and hugged him. He blinked in surprise, but it didn't take him long to return it, again humming in his own way.

He couldn't help but note the pleasant scent of lilac, a hint of smokiness, and … peaches?

Whatever the case, he liked it, and was plenty happy to let the hug last as long as Athena wanted. But that had to come to an end and as he felt the goddess pull back, he let his arms slowly fall to his sides. She stepped back a little, her head somewhat ducked down but Percy could easily see her glowing blush in the low light of the cabin. He was tempted to tease her a little, but he kept that in check as he slowly passed her.

"Goodnight … Percy," he caught her whisper as he got to the door.

He glanced back at her before whispering just as gently, "Goodnight Athena."

With that, he stepped out and softly closed the door behind him, leaving both goddesses to rest from their day. That left him alone outside, not that he was surprised about it. He could feel that Hestia and Rhea were waiting outside the mindscape for him, so he didn't take his time.

In moments he was stepping out the sole door of her mindscape and back into the real world.

He actually had to blink a little at the sudden change of lighting, but that didn't mean Rhea and Hestia were going to wait for him. No, instead his wives each grabbed one of his arms and before he could say anything, they were gone in a burst of fire. A mild sensation of falling came and went just as quick leaving Percy just a moment to realize they were back in their room in the House of Primordials.

"You, silly man," Rhea all but growled before she pounced on him, knocking him back onto the bed.

He looked up at his rather feisty wife, those eyes of hazelish-gold nearly molten in their glow. Slowly, deliberate and like the predator she was, she lowered herself onto him from merely straddling him, to laying out on him, her face inches form his. The feel of her womanly curves and taught body on his own never failed to light the fires in him as he took a deep breath, the scent of fresh tilled earth and honeysuckle filling his nose, before slowly exhaling..

A stream of mist came with it, getting a knowing look from the lioness.

He noted that Hestia wasn't idle either, the draconic deity having crawled around to them to the head, sitting on her knees and leaning over his head. He wasn't looking right at her, but he definitely caught the glow of her burning crimson.

"Do you have any idea what you did?" Rhea asked, her voice carrying that husky note he loved so much.

Percy watched her intently, having somewhat of an idea what could be setting Rhea and Hestia off. He didn't say though, simply letting a crooked smirk make its way onto his face as his hands slide up Rhea's thighs and settled on her plump rear.

"Just taking care of my little girl," he answered innocently, his smirk growing as both goddesses growled in turn.

"And it was adorable," Hestia murmured, her breath steaming as she leaned down to really meet his eyes, the desire boiling in them. "But you just had to go the extra mile."

"And don't even try to play coy," Rhea continued, her hands gripping at his sides and getting his focus back on her.

"Would you prefer I didn't?" he asked, one of his hands leaving its place on Rhea's rear, instead settling on her lower back and rubbing in circles the way she liked it.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't," she answered between purrs of appreciation, pressing herself onto him further.

"Plus you're a sucker for a pretty face that's crying," Hestia added teasingly, running her hands through his hair.

He growled from the back of his throat; a playful glare being shot as his amused wives. None of them acknowledged the sound of Rhea's claws tearing into his shirt, tossing aside the ruined thing so her claw-like nails could directly scrap along his skin. Percy groaned at the sensation, having come to love Rhea's rougher play as his suppressed power broke the restraint, his eyes returning to the smoldering swirls of black fire and icy flares.

He could feel them both tremble in response to his aura embracing them, a near smug smile on his face.

With a thought the shadows underneath the clothes of his wives and his own, so subtle and harmless, turned to razors. In moments, every stretch of clothing on either of them fell away in fine cut ribbons but none reacted more than grinning in anticipation. Rhea especially moaned lowly as his hand squeezed her ass possessively, pulling her hips down harder against him and rubbing at her exposed sex against his hardened member.

"I just hope you're ready for the consequences," Rhea said before humming throatily as she sat up and started rolling her hips.

Percy snorted as his hands latched onto her hips, helping her grind along as he looked up at her.

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself there?" he muttered, most of his attention now on the way she was moving, teasing him with her familiar heat.

All he got was a knowing look from the lioness before his sight was covered by the curtain of Hestia's dark hair as she goddess leaned right over his face. She was quick to close in and kiss him hungrily, her hands holding the sides of his head.

"Who knows, maybe," Hestia said the moment they paused in the kiss. "… But we can talk more later. There are more pressing issues at the moment," she added huskily, biting at his lips.

He agreed, kissing her back as he felt Rhea shift and soon, he was losing himself in their warmth…

---

And done! A little lime finish to it. Wanted a bit of a break chapter, do a little more worldbuilding and just get ready to dive back in soon. Hope everyone enjoyed and let me hear (read) your thoughts!

A pleasure to be back, Jbubu