Chapter 6
AN: Hey guys back with another chapter. Please read this AN (if only the "One of the main things part) and please read the end AN both have important information regarding the story going forward. I'll be answering/responding to some reviews etc in this AN so there's some information here but I will repeat it in the end AN as a recap.
Firstly, thank you all for the follows, favourites and especially the reviews. They really do help. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story; I'm enjoying writing it a lot. There are so many positive reviews and it's really encouraging so thank you so much! On to some responses.
One of the main things that has come out of the reviews is pairing. Now I have played with a lot of different pairings whilst I've been writing and planning this story and a lot of the pairings just simply don't work in the timeline. Like the likes of Thalia, Bianca, Annabeth etc. because Percy is from the past, once he is revived (spoiler but I think everyone knew he'd be coming back) it's just not enough time to build a significant romantic relationship. The whole quick romance thing isn't really my cup of tea if you get what I mean. I'm not going to do Artemis either, getting around the whole maiden Goddess oath is complicated. As you can see the choices are quite narrowed down-however between now and when Percy is revived, if you suggest a pair that may work, I shall consider it. However, it's like 99% Zoe pairing. Also, if they die in the books up to Last Olympian (I haven't planned further than this yet), then they die here. I know what you're thinking- "Oh but Zoe dies in the books." Yes, she does but NO SPOILERS.
ThatOneDude: thank you for your review. (Without giving away spoilers) I played around with the idea of Apollo's Army surviving but then one of my key plot points regarding Percy's development isn't met. That chapter is coming up soon, so hopefully it will make sense why it is that way soon.
AgellosIsAngel: thank you for your review. That's very high praise and I hope I can live up to those standards. Personally, I think I have a long way to go until I reach that level. In regards to teaching Percy English, I do have him getting to grips with the new things once he's revived. It's a brief interaction with Apollo but hopefully it will do the trick.
Kysmith: thank you for your review. Will Percy be back in time for the main plot to save Artemis. Yes, no, maybe, perhaps. Lol. You have to keep reading to find out. I'm just kidding. I have quite a few chapters planned and so his revival won't be instant. In relation to chapters I have about 7-8 planned before I think I'll have the Titan's curse stuff happen and Percy comes back. I'm not going to tell you the role he plays though.
Anyway, apologies for the long AN. On to the chapter. Usual Disclaimer.
The campers had once again gathered around the campfire. A warm breeze passed through the camp as the demigods present relaxed after a day of activities.
Dionysus was sat in a rocking chair, looking bored out of his mind, a can of Diet Coke in his hand. Beside him was Chiron, sitting contentedly in his wheelchair. Artemis, as usual, sat amongst half of her hunters, with the other half carrying out border patrol duties.
The two deities and the centaur had been playing pinocle in the Big House when they had received an Iris Message telling them that they would be someone arriving at camp to tell tonight's story. And once again, two sneaky sons of Hermes had been eavesdropping.
This time however, Artemis had caught them. She had been incensed that two boys had been spying on her, and it was only at Chiron's behest that the pair of them were not currently jackalopes. The pair of them had been adamant that three months of dish washing duties and swearing on the Styx that they were not allowed to enter the Big House unless given specific permission from either Chiron or Mr D, was totally worth finding out that they would have a guest story teller tonight.
In fact, the Stoll brothers had started a pool around camp asking others to guess the identity of the mystery guest. One drachma per guess and the winner would walk away with thirty percent of the money that the Stoll's made. So far, everyone in the camp had placed a bet on who they thought it would be.
Neither Artemis nor Chiron were giving anything away, and the anticipation was etched clearly on everyone's faces. The bets ranged from Ares to Aphrodite and someone had even placed a long shot bet on Zeus turning up. The Satyrs had also gotten involved and they were all hoping that tonight's mystery guest would be the lost God Pan. The Stoll's didn't have the heart (and they also wanted the money) to tell them that this was probably not who was turning up.
The campers excitedly were discussing amongst themselves who they had thought was going to appear. The animated chatter lasted five minutes before they were interrupted. The silence was caused by the camp lake starting to bubble violently until a figure emerged from its depths.
The figure stepped into the light caused by the campfire, revealing a gorgeously beautiful woman, with black hair pinned back in a net of pearls and silk, a circlet of polished red crab claws across her brow, mocha-dark eyes, and a kind smile. She looked around at those gathered.
"Hello young ones. My name is Amphitrite, Queen of Atlantis." Her proclamation was met with two whoops of delight as two slightly pudgy blond boys with violet eyes punched the air in delight. The two boys rose and walked over to the trickster sons of Hermes and held out their hands, a smug look on their faces.
"A good idea to ask Father, Castor. It seems we have won the pool." Castor and Pollux laughed as Travis and Connor groaned, handing over a large and heavy bag of coins. As the two sat down again, Amphitrite let out a beautiful laugh. She was thoroughly amused at the actions of these demigods; and Dionysus, who was clearly still a softy at heart.
The demigods took in the Goddess who radiated a gentle kindness. This had been Perseus's stepmother who became his adopted mother. They had all learnt that Perseus introduced himself as the son of Amphitrite. For the legendary son of Poseidon to chose his father's wife as his chosen representative Godly parent was a strong statement; it was a testament to the role Lady Amphitrite had played in Perseus's life.
Amphitrite waved her hand, a beautiful ornate fishing chair appearing out of nowhere. The Queen of the Seas sat down with grace. She cleared her throat before addressing those present.
"Tonight, I shall tell you the tale of how Perseus gained the acceptance of the people of Atlantis as the Prince of the Sea. I also know that many of you are curious as to why Perseus would go around announcing himself as my son." Amphitrite's face broke out in a wide smile as she mentioned Perseus calling himself her son. A few tears threatened to spill from her warm eyes. "This story will also explain why he did so."
Those present were hanging on to every word that was said. The Goddess had their attention. There wasn't much known about Perseus's life under the sea, and all were eager to know what occurred in Poseidon's kingdom.
"Perseus grew up in the mortal world up until he was eight. After that I personally went to bring him to Atlantis. Growing up in the mortal world he had little knowledge of the Godly world and so telling him who he was, was the first step. It was a tough transition for him to be honest due to a number of reasons. He first had to adjust to the surroundings. Being a son of Poseidon, his powers and abilities are enhanced when in contact with water. He had to learn control from a very young age. He also had to learn how to fight with various weaponry with the Atlantean army. Triton definitely made sure Perseus was put through his paces."
Amphitrite had a faraway look in her eyes. She was fondly remembering Perseus's childhood as if it was yesterday. That might very well have been the case for the Queen of the Seas, as was the case for all immortals. Years could pass in the blink of an eye.
"But what I think was hardest for Perseus, was earning the acceptance of the Atlantean people. The beings that live under the sea are a proud race of people, and for many of them Perseus was a half breed." Amphitrite bristled with anger as she said those words. "He was not one of them in their eyes and so many blatantly showed him disrespect. Whenever he was around us, they would behave themselves, some would still show looks of disdain. Perseus tried so hard to win all of them over, but while some accepted him and some were indifferent, some were still against him."
"It all changed when Perseus was around fifteen years of age."
Line Break
Perseus walked through the hallways of his father's palace. He had just completed his report to his father about the ongoings in the city. It was part of his princely duties to ensure things like businesses were running fairly (in the sense that there was no scamming and taking advantage of the people), there were no safety hazards in terms of infrastructure and that if there were any other issues in town that may require attention.
Perseus enjoyed his duties, he enjoyed interacting with his people. It had been around seven years since he arrived in Atlantis and he had gotten to know practically everyone here. However, the people here were split on their opinions of him.
Some had accepted him wholeheartedly. The son of Poseidon was their prince in every way. Some were civil and didn't really have an opinion on him. However, there were a select few (quite a lot actually) that just did not accept him. He was not one of them and they had outright told him to his face as he carried out his duties and patrols.
Perseus had found this out at an early age that you couldn't make everybody like you. That was a given. However, it hurt his heart deeply when they abused him and called him a half breed outsider. He had vowed that he would earn their respect. Respect was something that was earned and not just given as a birth right. He would earn it. These were his people, whether they wanted it or not. He yearned for their acceptance. To prove he belonged.
He was brought out of his musings by his brother calling out his name. It seemed that the meeting in the throne room was over. Triton glided towards him quickly, his two tails swishing as he did so. Triton's appearance was young, green skin and black hair tied in a ponytail, and he wore his armour which was studded with pearls. When he caught up, he put a hand on Perseus's shoulder.
"Perseus, you seemed unfocused in the throne room when you were giving your report to father. He asked me to check up on you as he had to leave, apparently there is an emergency in a nearby town. Is there something on your mind?" The relationship between the siblings had started a bit roughly, with Triton slow to accept Perseus as his brother. However, over time with constant nagging (and beatings) from his mother, Triton began interacting with Perseus more.
Their bond had developed closely during Perseus's time training with Triton, the eldest son of Poseidon passing down his knowledge and tutelage on to his younger brother. The pair had gone on to form a sibling rivalry as they both tried to one up the other in the hopes of impressing their parents.
"It's nothing brother. It's just that I am finding it hard to get the people to accept me. It's been seven years, and I have still been unable to prove myself to them. Sometimes I feel like what if it never happens? What if I am always the outsider?" Perseus's shoulders were sagging, showing how much this affected him. Triton was never good at expressing his emotions, but seeing Perseus in this state was enough for even him to show his softer side. He embraced his brother.
"You shall win them over brother. And if they continue to disrespect you, send them to me and I shall teach them some decorum." Perseus laughed, causing Triton to smile slightly.
Before either of them could say anything else, the warning trumpet resonated throughout the halls of the palace. Atlantis was under attack. Perseus looked at Triton.
"Go brother. I shall fetch my armour from my room and then I shall join you. Stay safe." The brothers stared at each other for a fraction of a second longer before they split off, with Triton going towards the Atlantean army and Perseus heading to fetch his armour.
Perseus had been here for several years, and had been training with the Atlantean army since he'd arrived. However, he had only officially joined the ranks of the army at age fourteen and this was his first time fighting amongst them in a genuine fight. Adrenaline surged through his body as he hurriedly put on his armour.
He grabbed his worn-out bronze leaf shaped blade as he rushed out. His priority was the safety of Atlantis and her citizens. He ran through the halls, guiding people to safety as he head towards the front gate. He could hear the battle raging outside the walls of Atlantis.
As he exited the gate, he looked around in the hope of finding his brother. Instead of spotting his brother, he saw a trident being jabbed at his head. His instincts kicked in as he ducked instantly. Drawing his sword, he squared up against a merman decked out in heavy armour minus a helmet.
Perseus was never one to strike first, so he eyed his opponent warily. It didn't take long as the merman lunged wildly, jabbing his trident again. Perseus was well trained in facing off against a trident as it was a lot of people's main choice of weapon here. He parried the jab easily. The trident was longer than his sword and so Perseus needed to get inside the merman's guard.
Perseus stood strong on the defensive as he blocked and parried, waiting patiently for his opening. The heavy armour seemed to finally wear down the merman as his strike became slow and laboured. Parrying the strike, he expertly performed a disarming manoeuvre before decapitating the merman in one fluid strike.
He had no time to take in what just happened. He raced towards the area where the battle was heavily situated. He ducked, parried and took down many as he made his way over to the centre of the battlefield where he knew his brother would be. He spotted his brother, but froze when he saw who he was engaged in battle with.
A huge merman, much larger than the rest, with the upper body of a tall and muscular man, with a long green beard and hair, along with the horns of a bull. Riding a chariot pulled by huge crawfish with a serpent as a weapon, Oceanus, the eldest Titan looked like he was toying with Triton. The titan bellowed in laughter as he saw Perseus join alongside Triton.
"I have already sent your father chasing false leads. By the time he returns, it shall be too late. His sons will have fallen, his palace will have fallen and Atlantis will have fallen." Perseus and Triton worked in tandem as they tried to repel Oceanus's attacks. It was a losing battle. They were fighting to no avail.
They were outmatched in the powers department. The Titan would wrestle away control of the water whenever they tried to utilise it in their attacks. Whenever they managed to get close to the chariot, the serpent would strike, or Oceanus would bat them away with his trident. Triton's conch was usually a weapon that was extremely affective when it was used to stir the waves into a frenzy, but even that was proving to be useless.
After around thirty minutes of fighting, the brothers had taken on many wounds, their armour was dented and their stamina were low. It seemed like Oceanus had had enough of playing around. The Titan let out a war cry as he let loose a wave of power, causing the sons of Poseidon to go flying backwards.
Perseus noticed Triton landed only a few feet away from where they started. He however, was still flying through the air before he crashed heavily into the walls of the palace and blacked out.
Perseus groaned as he came to. He shook his head to regain his vision as he recalled what had happened. He was instantly on alert as he remembered Oceanus. He looked up groggily. He could see a crowd had gathered outside the gates of the palace.
He saw his mother and brother tied in chains in the middle of the crowd. Oceanus was clearly giving a speech celebrating his victory, his men roaring in approval at every word he said. Anger coursed through his veins. His people, the citizens of Atlantis had been forced to kneel in front of the Titan. Oceanus walked around smugly, his arms wide open as he bragged about his accomplishment. An Atlantean in the crowd seemed to have the guts to spit at the Titan, who angrily wiped it off. The Titan gestured to one of his men, who picked up the male Atlantean and tossed him to his leader. Oceanus's face twisted into a snarl.
"Traitors, all of you. There was a time where you worshipped me. Praised me." He raised a knife to the man's throat as he spoke. "And now you shall be given a choice. You shall bow and beg for forgiveness at my feet and then pledge your undying allegiance to me. Or you shall be killed like him."
There were screams that came from the crowd as Oceanus prepared to cut the head off the man who had dared disrespect him. Parents covered children's eyes to prevent them from seeing this inhumane sight. The man's screams never came. Instead, there was a metallic clang sound as the knife was knocked out of Oceanus's hand. Embedded on the ground besides the knife Oceanus was previously holding, was another knife.
Oceanus whirled around to locate the perpetrator. The crowd parted way to show Perseus shakily getting to his feet with the help of his sword. There were gasps amongst those present.
"How dare you attack my people whilst I still stand. Whilst I am still alive, no harm shall come to these people. My people."
"Perseus," whispered Amphitrite, tears cascading down her face as she silently begged him to save himself. Perseus ignored his family as he stared down the Titan in front of him. This Titan who had come to his city, terrorized his people, attacked his family and had almost killed one of them in front of him in cold blood. He was furious.
The Titan openly laughed as he saw what was in front of him. A boy, clearly not an Atlantean but a Godling stood with the support of his sword. He recognized the boy from his fight earlier. He had skill but was no match for the eldest Titan.
"So, you have returned again little Godling. Look at you, you are barely able to stand let alone fight. You stood no chance before stand no chance now. Lay down your weapon, surrender and pledge your allegiance to me and I shall show you mercy. I shall spare your life." Perseus stood stock still as he glared at the Titan. His anger was evidently plastered on his face.
"Very well Godling. We shall fight one on one and I shall grant you a painful death. Shall we boast as is the norm of war? I shall go first and then you can introduce yourself so that I may know who I am about to crush. So that I will know which name to take when I remind these people what happens to those that oppose me." The crowd surrounded the two, creating a wide berth so that the pair would have a large battlefield. Oceanus strode into the middle.
"I am Oceanus. Eldest Titan son of Gaia and Ouranos. The true ruler of the seas. Master of the Aquatic Sea monsters. All shall bow at my feet." Many Atlanteans were cowering at the Titan's words. "You see Godling. Something like that. Just to get the adrenaline pumping a little before the fight."
Perseus knew that Oceanus was taunting him. He had to stay calm. He had to concentrate. He looked around, taking in the faces of his family and his people. Looking at their faces, something inside him broke. He felt a tug on his gut. The anger on his face was replaced by a look of calmness. He once again turned his steely gaze towards the Titan.
"I am Perseus." Oceanus took a step back in fear. It was just a simple declaration of the Godling's name, yet it held such power, such authority. It was intimidating. The Godling's eyes were aglow with power. Oceanus growled. This Godling thought that just his name had been enough. Against him? The insolence of the demigod. He had decided. Perseus would die.
Oceanus yelled out angrily as he sent a torrent blast of water. Perseus raised his hand in response and the water separated into multiple tendrils, swirling around and plucking Oceanus's mermen army up and sending them crashing into the walls of the palace. The people of Atlantis, realising they were free, backed away a little more so that they were now a safe distance away from the fight.
Oceanus spread his arms wide, calling the power of the seas forth to do his bidding. Everyone present braced themselves for the full force of the wrath of the seas. Five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, a minute. Nothing happened. Oceanus looked up towards Perseus confused.
Perseus tilted his head slightly, an amused expression forming on his face. He straightened and spread his arms wide, just as Oceanus had done previously. This time the result was different. The seas lurched and reacted violently. The water surrounding the two swirled around. Faster and faster until it whirled around Perseus. His sea green eyes pulsed with unrestrained power. Perseus extended his arms again, and the whirlpool of water shot forward towards the Titan.
The Titan was sucked into the whirlpool before being spat out across the seas where he crash landed into a heap on the floor. Oceanus couldn't believe it. His powers and control of the seas were on par with Poseidon at the very least. He had easily beaten Triton and this brat mere moments ago. Yet now, this mere Godling had wrangled the control of the seas from him. He was being overpowered by a child. If he wasn't experiencing this first hand, he would never have believed it.
This Perseus had more power than he did. Even now, the water swirled around the boy, curing his wounds. His army had been dealt with in a matter of seconds. Just who was this child? How was this possible?
Amphitrite watched as Perseus out powered a Titan. He had been powerful in training, and was good using a lot of weapons. She knew he had the potential to be one of the strongest sons of Poseidon ever, but he had never seemed this powerful. This was on another level. The Queen of the Seas felt that all too familiar uncomfortable feeling in her head. Ananke was back.
Well Amphitrite? This is in essence, the crux of what you wished for. This is what you asked for is it not? A weapon to help you in the future, to help your family in the future, to help your people in the future, to help Olympus in the future. Those were your exact words. Your people were in trouble and the resultant powers that derived from your wish that are inside Perseus reacted to the situation. His powers have started to unleash themselves. Perseus has been promising in training but that is because of two reasons. One, because these powers had yet to manifest. And two, because he was training to improve himself. It was a selfish act. Bear witness that Perseus is stronger, he has more power when he fights for other, for a cause, than if he was fighting for personal reasons or personal gain.
The presence of Ananke disappeared as Amphitrite tried to take it all in. She was shocked. The result of her wish, the wish made at the Temple of Fate was so powerful that it had caused Oceanus to look like an amateur in his own domain. And this was only the first time the powers had shown themselves. She was sure it would develop over time and get stronger once it was under control. Ananke had been right. This was better than a sword or any other type of weapon.
She watched as Perseus was toying with the Titan, who was struggling to even get close to her son. The water swirled and struck at Oceanus, attacking him again and again. The seas were responding to Perseus alone. The waters were choppy, churning violently and unleashing their rage on the Titan. The water kept swallowing and spitting out the Titan as Perseus slowly inched closer.
The water finally stopped when it spat out Oceanus at Perseus's feet. The Titan gasped for breath. His body was battered and bruised. A busted lip and a broken nose on his face, arms covered in cuts. Perseus levelled his sword at the Titan's neck.
"Leave Titan and I shall show you mercy. This place is under my protection. You have been peaceful prior to this so I will give you a chance to show that you can still remain so. The next time you wage war, I shall not be as lenient." As the Titan scrambled towards his chariot to flee, the adrenaline started to wear off for Perseus and tiredness started to overcome him. He forced his way towards his family and began releasing them from their chains.
His mother hugged him as soon as she was released from her shackles and he welcomed the safety and comfort of her embrace. Once he untangled himself out of his mother's arms, he grasped forearms with Triton, who sported a proud look on his face. All three of the royal family reacted to the sudden movement out of the corner of their eyes. The people of Atlantis had all gone down on one knee, kneeling in front of them.
"All hail Prince Perseus." The cries were echoed by every Atlantean present. He had won every one of them over. He had stood up for them in the face of adversity. When they were in danger, he was the one who saved them. The cry had been started by the man who had spat at Oceanus, and he been one of those who openly mocked Perseus for not being one of them. He had gained their acceptance.
Perseus's eyes began tearing up. He was no longer an outsider in the eyes of these people. He was one of them. He returned their gesture with a bow of his own before he followed his mother and brother back inside the palace. He walked alongside his family before Triton mentioned something about telling their father about what just happened and left.
Amphitrite led her son into her and Poseidon's bedroom. She sat on the bed cross-legged and pat her lap. Perseus accepted her invitation and lied down on the bed, placing his head in his mother's lap, sighing in content when she lovingly ran her fingers through his hair.
"Perseus, I think it's time I told you everything about you. Your origin, your situation, everything." And so, she told him everything. She told him about all the trials she went through to reach Ananke's temple. The wish she made. How Ananke had said he would be a weapon.
She told him how the cost of her wish was Poseidon's affair. How the people of Atlantis mocked her. How Poseidon had the affair, but she was the one that was judged. How she couldn't keep her house in order; how they said that if she can't even run her household, how will she run this city. She told him how she felt betrayed by these people that she fought for, fought with and prayed for.
She told him how she couldn't bare to get rid of him. She wasn't the jealous type and was always kind to Poseidon's children and how she decided that Perseus was her wish and that she would nurture him to be a kind and loving hero. She told him how they found a kind mortal who would teach him morals and how she came to collect him to bring him back. She had showered him with love and adoration. He was her wish. He was her son.
She told him how his powers had only just started to manifest themselves and that she would be here to help him control it because it was her fault that he was the way he was.
Perseus had listened attentively as his mother spoke and he now had tears in his eyes. Not because he had been born to be a weapon, but because his mother had gone through so much just for him. She had fought through a whole city's, her city's ridicule. Just for him. He turned around and put all his love into the hug.
The next day, Perseus walked into the throne room to meet his father. He bowed to his parents. He saw another smartly dressed man in the room and immediately realised that this was a political meeting.
"Ah son there you are. Introduce yourself to the delegate from the neighbouring city. The two of you shall be working together to establish a diplomatic connection." Perseus shook the man's hand.
"Hello, I'm Perseus son of Amphitrite." There was a shocked gasp from everyone present. The man looked visibly confused. Amphitrite had brought her hands to her face in shock. Poseidon was the only one smiling. He turned to his wife.
"So, I take it you told him." Amphitrite nodded.
"I did, but I didn't think he would stop calling himself your son. I don't know why he's said that." Poseidon raised his hand. He smiled warmly at his wife. He could see it meant a lot to Amphitrite that Perseus had declared himself her son. He was her pride and joy. A mama's boy some would say.
"You told him the story. My children have the same fatal flaw of Personal Loyalty. All he will have taken from the story is what you've done for him and how much you went through. His heart will have swelled up with love and this is how he has chosen to show it. It does not mean he isn't my son. But it means that he has chosen to represent you. Because you stood for him, he will stand for you. I know how my children think. He will feel like he will never be able to repay you for what you've done for him. He wasn't yours, but you made him yours. For him this is but a small action. They are but words. By choosing to say he is your son, all his deeds will for you, in the hopes that he can feel like he has repaid even a small semblance of the personal debt he feels he owes you."
Amphitrite let out the tears of joy that had been threatening to spill out. Perseus son of Amphitrite. A small statement, but for the Queen of the seas, it meant the world.
AN: and done! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. What was good, what was bad etc.
First dose of action. We see some of Perseus's power. Amphitrite's wish means that Percy's power is amplified when he's in a situation like that. By that I mean when he's fighting for like the safety of others. This is one of the key plot points.
We also see why Percy calls himself the son of Amphitrite. I know Oceanus on Riordan wiki is one of the more peaceful Titans but he does attack in the Last Olympian so I thought it would be good to showcase how powerful Percy could be, especially in his own domain. And what better way to show that than by being able to wrestle away control of the sea from Oceanus.
That means that "normal Percy" will be as powerful as he is in the books. But "weapon Percy" gets like crazy powerful, but gets hit with exhaustion after as we can see. How will this develop? Read on-once I've posted lol.
Pairing wise like I said 99% Zoe-fits the timeline because of the past thing and when Percy comes back, we will already be on the 3rd book so relationship development wise it's a bit tough, especially because Percy is like 18/19 in this story and I'm just going to make Zoe the same age because she's also from the past. I've got 8 more chapters planned before we have Percy back in the main timeline which includes "how he died". Want to know what they are about? Leave a review, I might drop hints.
Until next time!