Hey everyone. I appreciate your reviews. Some of you had a problem with the pacing of the story. I understand you wish to reduce the internal musing and probably increase the story content. I will attempt to fit in as much as possible with every chapter. However, I have personally enjoyed lenghty stories which have a lot of the inner thingking elaborated on. It is my style of writing and I hope you enjoy it despite your reservations.
Regarding Percy's stilted and formal tone, there are two reasons behind it. One will come up later on in the story, the other being my way of writing.
I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Cheers.
Unprecedented Beginnings, Part III
Flashback Continues.
Mt. Olympus, A Room on Olympus.
Diana bolted up. In her immediate vicinity were the very gods of Olympus who she worshipped. Any Amazon would be honoured to be in the presence of one god, let alone all twelve of them. Yet, she was here now, and she wouldn't miss the opportunity to express her gratitude and show them respect. Attempting to get off the bed, she slid over to the side and got on her feet. Immediately, she noticed that she no longer felt the pain, stress and agony from the fight with the imbecilic beast. The healing power of the eldest Olympian was unique and rejuvenating.
Being injured did not allow her the chance to take in the magnificence of Olympus. Its sheer grandeur and glory was enough to bring her down to her knees. She was in the city of the Gods. A claim that no mortal besides a select few could make.
A brilliant flash of light assaulted her eyes, forcing her to shield them with her hands. When it subsided, in front of her stood the messenger of the Gods, Lord Hermes himself. She immediately knelt, in a show of respect. Lord Hermes spoke in a soft yet warm tone. "Rise, Diana. You have proven yourself worthy of my respect. From henceforth, you have no need to kneel in front of me. We are inexplicably proud of you and the honour you bestow us. Call me as you would a friend and hopefully, an elder brother in time. We do share a father."
Enormous pride and gratitude filled her for the words of Lord Hermes. His sign of acceptance and his consideration of her to be his equal, much less his family, was heart-warming to say the least. "Thank You, Hermes. I do hope that we kindle the bonds of family. However, I fear the wrath of the queen of the Heavens. This will be the first time I will be graced by her presence and I am directly responsible for her beloved son's current residence in Tartarus. Won't a reminder of her husband's infidelity be devastating? I am terrified that my first visit to her majesty's presence will prove fatal."
Hermes chuckled. "Fear not, sister. I am a constant reminder of our father's perilous ways. She has let you live as she is still your patron. While her son may be temporarily indisposed, he isn't gone. Your battle stopped the deaths of millions of humans, including husbands and wives, their families. She may be vengeful, but she is still the goddess of family. I think she will be conflicted for sure. Do not expect a heart-warming reception. She will however be nothing but cordial until you earn her respect.
"We are getting side-tracked. Let me make the announcement I came here to do:
'By the will of the Olympian Council, Diana of Themiscyra is invited to the Olympian Throne Hall to be rewarded for her valiant efforts in defending the world of Man and the Gods of Olympus.' "
Seeing the look of absolute astonishment, Hermes burst out laughing. Facing down Ares wasn't the way to break this young lass, but a reward ceremony leaves her speechless? Still amused, he spoke "It is time, Diana. Close your eyes." And tapping into his infinite pool of energy reserved for immortals, he teleported them into the centre of the throne room.
Olympian Throne Room.
Seated in a U-arrangement, with Lord Zeus and Lady Hera in the very centre. Onto the left of Zeus sat, Lord Poseidon, Lord Apollo, Lord Hermes, Lord Hephaestus and, Lord Dionysus in that order. Onto the right of Hera sat, Lady Athena, Lady Artemis, Lady Aphrodite and Lady Demeter. Tending to the heart was Lady Hestia.
The room was teeming with unrestrained power. Honoured as she was to be in their presence, in but an instant, took a defensive stance that would ensure self-preservation if one of them were to let loose. Not that she would survive. Regardless, it assured her and provided her with little comfort. All of them, apart from Lady Hestia, sat atop their thrones in their gigantic forms. Coming quickly to her senses, she heard her mother say, "Kneel before our Gods, Diana. Show them the respect they deserve."
And knelt, she did. "My Lords and Ladies, I am immensely fortunate and grateful for this honour."
Lord Zeus, boomed with crackling energy, "Rise, daughter. Your actions saved everybody and brought honour to Amazons. You are the true hero in this story. You deserve every bit the reward you shall receive."
Lady Hera spoke and astonished all present there. "As a patron of the Amazons, a deity for family and marriage, I am proud of your achievements. All of us are. Every patron of the Amazon, no doubt, understands now that they have never picked a better champion." A pregnant pause griped the hall, none daring to break the silence lest angering the queen.
Hera smiled. A smile filled with happiness, pride and agony at the same time. "While I am unhappy that my son chose to be a power-hungry megalomaniac, I am no Mother Gaia to punish those who do their duty. Besides, you may be a daughter of my husband, but you were not conceived in any traditional sense of the word. For you are my daughter as well." The hall came to standstill. Nobody dared breathe, let alone move. Diana, the daughter of Zeus and Hera? The revelation is enormous.
"You were our gift to your mother. It is necessary for the gift of life to be touched by both our energies to preserve the sanctity of life. So, I and Zeus, merged our energies to infuse the clay sculpture your mother made. That is why you are our champion. You have a golden heart, filled with kindness, compassion and love. At the same time, you have the ruthlessness to do the necessary good that is needed. Our gift to you today, as you have proven yourself worthy, is to set you free and remove the limitations placed on you for your own safety. Today, you will achieve the full purpose of what you were meant to be, the Goddess of War and Peace – being the bridge between the mortal world and the immortal. You will however be limited in few ways. Although a Goddess, you are not of our kind. You are not immortal in the truest sense of the word. You can die, but only in battle. You will be a New God. And today, the world will witness your rise as you claim the title as your own."
Saying thus, the Olympians started chanting in the language of the creator, invoking his presence to set free their champion and let her claim her rightful role, among the New Gods as the Goddess of War and Peace, and heir to the throne of Olympus. Streams of light emerged from them and engulfed Diana. From Zeus, a deep blue; Hera, a chocolate brown; Demeter, an earthy green; Poseidon a light blue; Hestia, a bright orange; Artemis, a wispy silver; Apollo, a bright Golden; Aphrodite, a deep pink; Dionysus, a dark purple; Athena, a bright white; Hephaestus, a golden brown. With this action, they connected her essence with those of the new Gods and demolished the barriers holding her down. The metaphysical energy filled her body and began burning her to the point, she yelled with all her might and collapsed onto one knee, in a crouched position. The chanting stopped, and in place of Diana knelt, a great warrior resplendent in shining golden armour that was styled with elements for all across the world. Her eyes glowed a mixture of malevolent red and shimmering blue with power signalling her connection with war and peace. Strapped to her back were two long swords. A bow was slung across her upper torso. In her right hand, she had an Amazonian Halberd and in her left, a huge battle hammer. Strapped to her waist were kunai, shurikens and explosive pellets. And in a bright flash of blue, it all disappeared, and Diana returned to normal. However, she was humming with power, outclassing her previous state by manifold. She was nowhere close to her father or his siblings power-level, but if Ares were to ever return from the eternal dungeon, she would give him a run for his money. She gazed into her, newly revealed birth-mother's eyes, and whispered, "I hope to make you all proud. Thank You, my Lords and Ladies."
"Dispense with all the formalities now, my niece. For you are now, one of us. We may not be of the same race, but we are still family." Poseidon proudly spoke in a baritone reminding her of a proud father-figure. "Sure. We have our fights and feuds. Heavens knows that all of us are as insufferable as one can get. I know I am. I know my brothers and sisters are. I know Athena is. I know Apollo is too. But, that is what a family is meant to be. Now, how about we start your party. We are to celebrate the birth of a New Goddess and finally, a sensible heir to the throne of Olympus."
A soft voice stopped them all. "Not so fast. While Uncle Poseidon may be among the most knowledgeable on Olympus, he is quite forgetful. As our bridge to the mortal world, where we no longer reside or influence, you will be tasked with many duties of Olympus, Diana. From time to time, you might be sent to quell the enemies of Olympus, investigate strange appearances and any intriguing circumstances that raise our suspicion. We will not impinge on your life and livelihood, nor seek to use your abilities as our loyal hounds. However, we will need you to undertake these tasks as an heir to Olympus as well as the only being from Olympus residing on the mortal plane. Do you understand?" If it weren't Athena, Diana would have considered the tone condescending at best. But, the goddess of Wisdom, War and so many other domains, was rarely emotional. She spoke with only logic and considered none, inferior or superior. She was to be a fair adjudicator and as her patron, it was from a source of concern.
Diana was extremely delighted. She would no longer be confined to Themiscyra. She would be able to roam the worlds of man and learn. Explore the world she fought tooth and nail to protect. Yet, despondency hit her hard and grief threatened to break through her external calm demeanour. Her Steve was gone. Forever. May he rest in peace among the hallowed Elysium lands. Locking up the turbulence in her heart, she replied, "Yes, my lady. I understand my duties. I won't fail you. I am happy to execute whatever the directive may be."
"That is good," Apollo spoke all of a sudden, in her mind. "Because, a situation has come up and requires your attention. Meet me later, after the party is done to deal with it."
"If that is all, I declare the party started." Zeus boomed and disappeared with Hera.
5:00 AM, The Next Day.
Apollo's palace.
Diana stood outside a resplendent, golden palace that hurt to look at. Clearly, the palace was built so bright to incorporate Lord Apollo's ginormous ego. Nevertheless, she was to wait for the twin gods of the sun and the moon. A small sound broke through the silence of Olympus and an arrow whizzed speedily towards her. Recognizing the sound from years of training, she dove out of the way and threw a knife out of pure instinct at the source of the sound without even looking back. A harsh thud accompanied by the sound of bark tearing, echoed through the empty streets of Olympus. Standing up, she saw a group of girls varying in their stages of adolescence, decked in silver hunters' gear, and had their bows notched with blunt non-lethal arrows.
"Are you Princess Diana of Themiscyra?" asked the leading girl who wore a silver tiara. Diana nodded signalling yes. "Lord Apollo is currently… occupied. He asked Lady Artemis to instruct you and guide you for your quest. Milady ordered us to provide you with these." She said handing out a translucent silver crystal and a scroll. "The crystal will help you track your prey and show the trail to it. The scroll contains the required information about your hunt and an enchanted enclosure to help you capture the prey. Once done, crush the crystal. Good Hunting." And the group sped away into the forests.
While they were leaving, an irritated Diana called out "The next time we meet, you could try a more conventional approach instead of shooting arrows." Taking deep breaths, she calmed herself down and opened the scroll.
It read:
"Diana. During your battle with Ares, enormous amounts of celestial energy were released. When you sent Ares to the pit, all of that energy collected and opened a rift to the other dimension. Unfortunately, the rift wasn't just a one-way trip. Something powerful entered our world while Ares went away. Apollo and Athena detected two beings – an immortal and a mortal. We fear that enemies of Olympus may have escaped from the pit. This is a working theory and might be incorrect. Nonetheless, we believe it is imperative you check it out. Whoever they are, investigate and if necessary, terminate them. If they mean no harm, then capture and call Apollo and me by crushing the crystal. We will be there to transport them to Olympus." Artemis informed/ordered her.
Diana let off a long sigh in resignation. It was just her luck. She brings one foe down and two more pop right back. And her mother would be quite vexed with her for having broken the Amazonian law, violated the queen's direct orders and sauntered off the island with a man of all things in the first place. Barring a direct command from one of her patrons or perhaps her birth mother, she would be exiled.
There's yet another doozy. Queen Hera being responsible for her birth. And now she has been made a New goddess. Quite a doozy indeed. Pushing through her confused state, she wore a determined expression. She was an Amazon. She can take anything anybody threw at her. Whoever this prey was, they were bound for a reckoning.
Time Jump: Four months later.
28th June, 1944.
National Aquarium, Washington D. C.
It had been four months. Every time she came close enough to make contact, they disappeared. And she had to start all over again. The crystal showed the trail yet again, just when she had almost given up. A cry of frustration let loose from her throat. Deciding to give it one last go, she prepared herself for the hunt and embarked. Praying to Hera for strength, Hestia for resolve and Athena for a proper strategy, she left for her prey.
The trail ended at the National Aquarium in D. C. Quite an unusual place for an Olympian level foe to hide. She trudged on inward. The crystal began glowing. As she went forward, she followed the brightening and dimming of the light to finally reach a bench where a boy was seated facing a shark enclosure. The crystal glowed the brightest here. She had found her prey. He didn't look like much and he was just a boy. He sat there with a serene expression on his face. She was startled when he spoke softly, yet with power, "You are persistent. I will give you that. Four months of relentless pursuit. The best part being, I don't know who you are or why you are after me. You sure are not one of the silver Goddess's litter, and you dress too much like a warrior to be a huntress anyway. And what is with showing this much flesh? I thought this era was all about how much cloth cover you. If I were on my world, I would guess that you are a daughter of the dunderhead ruling Olympus. I mean with your icy blue eyes, your affinity to fly and an air of royalty emanating from you, it wasn't that hard. However, from my four months of stay, apart from you, the Greek influence doesn't seem to be as prevalent as it should be. Especially during the world war. So who are you and what do you want?"
Diana was steadily growing in anger. He played her like a buffoon over the last few months. He deliberately let her track him and then studied her like a guinea pig. He had the audacity to judge her clothing choice. And he deduced correctly, that she was the daughter of the King of the Gods while she had no idea who he was. Not to miss, he blatantly disrespected Lord Zeus and Lady Artemis.
"I am Diana, the Amazon Princess of Themiscyra, daughter of Hippolyta, Zeus and Hera, champion of the Gods and the New Goddess of War and Peace. I have been tasked with bringing the filthy mongrel who had the audacity to challenge Olympus and escape its punishment from Tartarus. You will go down today and the threat to the Gods will be eliminated." Diana intoned with a cold fury that belied her itch to cleave his head off the shoulders. "However, I will show you mercy if you were to surrender now. Beware, I have felled immortals before."
The boy started laughing. Hard. It only served to work her up even further. Cold rage filled her up. "Are you mocking me you barbarian? I will show you the power of an Amazon you fiend. Draw your sword and engage me in an honourable battle, cretin. If you have any honour left in you." She unsheathed her sword and waited for him to draw his. His next words surprised her. "I won't fight you. I have no interest. Besides, what would you achieve fighting me? I am not immortal myself. An immortal like yourself, cannot fight me unless I challenged you or answered your challenge. Your hands are bound by the ancient laws. So, subdue your itch to fight woman. Ask what you wish, and I will answer the best I can. Also, what is a New Goddess?"
She couldn't believe her misfortune. First, someone escaped from the portal created for dispatching Ares. Then she went round and round for four months unable to catch her prey. When she finally caught him, he was but a cowardly kid not even awarding her the honour of a proper sword fight to show him her superiority. Cursing to herself, she chanted the spell from the scroll and a bronze prisoning enclosure bound him keeping his hands and feet in the metal's clasp. And then she took out the crystal and crushed it under her feet. A few moments later, a golden flash forced them to shield their eyes and Apollo appeared. Soon after, Artemis, Athena and Hestia too arrived through similar flashes of light.
"Well done Diana. I was beginning to wonder when this quest would be completed and if you need help. Not much trouble I preume?" Athena asked in a commanding voice reminding her who the original Goddess of War was. Before she could reply, Artemis sneered "He didn't even put up a fight? I can't remember the last time a male did that. What a coward? Males have no honour."
The 'male' bristled at the insult. "Perhaps, I saw no need to engage in unnecessary violence unlike a bunch of prejudiced, judgemental, all-female teenage followers of a hateful Goddess that knows nothing on the matters of the heart yet passes her version of the judge, jury and executioner?"
Apollo cut in defending his sister and still managing to keep the situation from spiralling out of control. "Silence you insolent mortal. You will speak only when spoken to. We are still immortals and blasphemous insults can be considered a challenge under the ancient laws you seem to know so much about. (Upon their surprise) Yes, I have kept tabs on you since you arrived. Nothing is hidden from my vision. I saw how you played the cat and mouse game with our champion. I saw how you never once resorted to violence, always helping people in need and still being out on the street every night. Yet, I feel the essence of a titan's immortality in you even though you are mortal. So, let me make this clear, you will be sent back to Tartarus the moment you speak a lie. I will not hesitate to blast you if you remain as impudentmas ever. (after a short pause) Speak mortal. Who are you and how did you come here?"
The boy began an angry tirade, "My name is Perseus Jackson. I was a hero of Olympus and fought loyally for the Gods. However, due to unavoidable circumstances, I caught a celestial affliction. In order to save my family and friends, I had agreed to be banished to Tartarus in exchange for the guaranteed safety of a loved one. Four months ago, something pulled me out of the hellish pit into what seems to be a past without the influence of the Greek gods. I am just attempting to survive in this world and make the best of a bad situation. This is the first time I am meeting you self-indulgent forces of nature and I have to say, you may look different. But you are just as stuck-up as you all were in the other versions of you."
"You degenerate piece of schist, I should pummel you for you impertinence." Artemis raised her hand to blast him to smithereens, until her aunt started laughing loudly. She was flummoxed, to say the least. Rage began taking over her words, "Why are you laughing Hestia? Are you mocking me?" In an instant, the temperature soared, and Hestia stance went rigid. Her orange eyes seemed to ignite with a cold fury and intense displeasure for her stuck-up niece. "And why would I do that, niece. I do not mock others, even in good humour. With the number of issues that plague each and every one of us, we construe even the most light-hearted statements into insults. And you are among the most hot-headed short-tempered immortals I have encountered and I have met quite a few. I was laughing at the accuracy of his assessment on our 'self-indulgent' behaviour. We hunted him for four months out of a paranoia of the unknown. We have him bound and willing to talk while we constantly demean him because of our pride and need to feel superior. We ridicule his strength to remain out of a fight when it is our weakness demanding being always at war. So, I laughed."
Artemis looked away realizing the truth behind her words. Seeing the uncomfortable silence that was beginning to develop, Athena decided to interrogate their captive. "Till now, you have been vague about who you are. Besides your name and your once loyalty to us, everything else is too brief for us to let you go. Tell us more about yourself and do not lie, mortal. We have the God of Truth right here."
Percy sighed, "I was born on August 18th, 1994. I was the son of Sally Jackson and Lord Poseidon. I was his first true-born demigod son in 3 centuries. My birth was the violation of a sacred pact undertaken by the three brothers and I have suffered the consequences of that my entire life. I do not have the emotional capacity nor time to regale you with the whole of my tale. But I believe, the information I have provided right now should suffice."
To say they were shocked would be an understatement. A son of Poseidon born 50 years from now. Ridiculous. Yet, Apollo hadn't detected a single lie, the entire time he spoke. So, either what he says is true or at least he believes it so himself. Hestia recovered first. She knew she found something familiar about him. Now she understands. But, the thing that perturbed her was his use of the past tense instead of the present tense to describe himself. "So, Perseus. Why are you here? And why do you refer to your heritage in the past?"
"Lady Hestia. No matter how weird things get, you remain a constant source of hope. I must apologize for my brash attitude towards you when you arrived. I hadn't intended for that to happen. You will forever have my respect. Regarding my past heritage, a millennium in the pit and my particular affliction have removed every trace of Lord Poseidon's godly essence from me. I am a walking anomaly as I only have my mother's genetics in me as of now."
Apollo spoke up, "That last sentence is a lie, mortal. I warned you not to lie to us. We can feel the titan's essence thrumming through you right now."
"But I haven't lied. I swear on the River Styx, that whatever I have said in this particular meeting, is what I believe to be true as remembered by me." Thunder struck above and Percy wasn't immolated yet. They were surprised. Beyond surprised. Percy's voice cut in, "This has been an… interesting meeting so far. I hope I have answered all your questions, enough to sate your curiosity and perhaps assuage your fears. In time maybe, you can learn more about me. However, I wish to enjoy the days of freedom in this… world without constantly being chased. Is there any way, to set your minds at rest while I continue on my path to figure out how I get back to… wherever it is I am from?"
The Gods were conflicted. They didn't know what should be done. He clearly was no threat to Olympus. However, if Zeus and the rest of the Olympians found out about his existence, the ruckus that would evolve on Olympus would endure for the next millennia. Finally, finding an appropriate solution, ignoring those of enjoying him for a hunt (Artemis wanted to wipe that smirk off his face very badly), incarcerating him and inquisition him (Athena wished to lobotomize and study this anomaly), Hestia and Apollo decided "You will be in the care of our champion, Diana. If you attempt to escape, fight or break any terms of our deal, at any time, she will hunt you and end you. We will be keeping a close eye on you. In time, we expect you to share your full tale. Until we can verify you are no longer a threat, you will remain in her care. You will also meet the Olympic Council someday of our choosing. These are the terms of our agreement. Do you accept?"
After considerable time had passed, "I accept" came the reply.
Another chapter in flashback detailing their very first meet. The next chapter will be set in the present time. See you then.