Prologue
Every story has a beginning and every hero has an origin. This hero was not to be. A single choice, a single moment had brought him to life.
Sally Jackson was a brunette woman of barely twenty four years of age. Her short life had been filled with misery. Both her grandparents lost their lives after their airplane ran into a freak thunderstorm. The lightning shredded the airplane apart and there were no survivors as all the passengers were either fried or fell to their deaths.
Her own parents lost their lives painfully as well, with her mother killed in the September 11 terror attacks. Though not in the building itself, the falling debris had killed people as much as a whole block away, her mother being one of them.
She supported her father, who rarely had ever supported her. He had quickly fallen to a deadly lung cancer, something Sally saw coming. Her father had turned to numbing his mind with tobacco, alcohol and drugs after his wife, Sally's mother had gotten killed. Though never abusive to his daughter, they hardly got along.
Still, as his daughter, Sally Jackson supported him as best as she could. She had been forced to quit her college, which was the prestigious University of California-Los Angeles, where she had barely completed two years in political science. UCLA was too far from her father, and she needed to work to support her father, so the young girl gave up her dreams and for the next few years she worked odd jobs to scrounge up cash, all the while writing her own novels at the side, though they never did quite hit the bestseller list.
Sadly, good things rarely ever happen in life. Two years after Sally had quit her college and decided to support her father, her father lost his battle against cancer. Sally was the only one at his funeral.
Loneliness is one of the worst things imaginable a human being can suffer. Sally Jackson was alone. She had left her life and dreams behind, only for her father to die anyway, and now she was old enough that colleges did not accept her anymore. She turned to writing, only to be stifled by editors and publishers, who wanted to impose on her vision.
It was when all was seemingly lost that he had appeared. Sally had visited that nearly empty beach. Montauk. Rarely was it filled with people, even in the summer. And in the winter it was definitely abandoned. There were better places in Manhattan to spend your time, but Sally always visited this beach. Because of him.
It had not taken long for her to find out who he was. She could scarcely believe it. Poseidon. Lord of the Seas. An actual living breathing god. The idea was so absolutely ludicrous and impossible, but she had the undeniable proof in front of her. He was definitely a god, metaphorically and literally.
Were she to recount her life, Sally could say without a shadow of a doubt that Poseidon had been the best thing that had happened to her life. Like a glowing fish in the deep dark seas that was her life.
Now, nine months later, Sally Jackson was back again at Montauk. She had always known it wouldn't last forever. He was a god, and he had a wife. It was wrong, but still …
Poseidon was clothed in traditional Atlantean armor with his bronze trident at his side. A powerful weapon, possibly the only known object in existence that could match the master bolt. The other would have been his own father's scythe, but that was in safe hands.
The sea god stared at his lover. He shook his head slightly. He shouldn't call her that. He was retreating back to Atlantis, and it wouldn't do good for Amphitrite to find out. He couldn't help it though. Sally Jackson was beautiful. Very much so. She might have been a nymph in her previous life, which would explain why he was so drawn to her. He had noticed her in the first place due to her frequent presence at this Montauk beach, which he was sure mortals rarely visited.
The sea god smiled sadly at his lover's downcast face. "I am sorry, my love. I have placed a great burden on you."
"Don't.", Sally trembled, placing a hand on her stomach. "Don't say that."
Poseidon stepped closer. His trident and gauntlets vanished in a flash of gold and he held her sides gently. "You know what will happen. My son … he will be in danger. He will be a danger. To himself, to you as well. And the prophecy …"
"You said it yourself Poseidon, that prophecies can't be predicted like that. If anything can happen, then our son might not even be the child of the prophecy."
Poseidon chuckled, but the humor did not reach his eyes. "It is doubtful, Sally. You may not be able to tell, but our son is strong."
Sally smiled as well. She was not one to appreciate these things, but it made her feel good. Her son was going to be powerful. At least that was there. Her whole life had been a mess, but her son. Her son would right those things.
Her son … who was …
"Aaah!", Sally cried out. She fell limp like a sack of potatoes, but Poseidon caught her in a flash.
"Sally! What's wrong?!", Poseidon shouted. The sea god's eyes were wide and panicked. Sally had been completely fine. All of a sudden, what had happened?
"T-The baby!", Sally gasped.
"Now?!", Poseidon exclaimed. The sea god stared at her stomach, looking at his child. "You have the worst timing, you know that."
"What?!", Sally exclaimed as she moaned in pain. She couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.
"Not you. Him.", Poseidon said, pointing at her stomach. With a snap of his fingers, a bed flashed into existence, and the sea god placed his lover gently onto the bed.
Sally's back arched as a flare of pain went through her body. She was not even able to form coherent thoughts as the pain went past the threshold of what she could bear. The pain was unbearable and unimaginable. She had never felt such pain in her entire life. But at the same time, almost subconsciously, she knew this was just a moment. Soon, it would all be worth it. Her son, her child would be born. And though Poseidon could not be there for him, she would be. She would be the best mother a child could ask for. Images flashed through her eyes. A child, raven haired and green eyed. A cute frown had settled onto his face as he tried to reach for the toy sailboat in her hand. More such images flashed through her mind, almost easing the pain, distracting her mind.
But one image caused her body to arch in pain once more, sending her into greater pains than ever before. It was Manhattan. Ruined and desolated and void of life. Even though the sun was visible and shining, the skies were black as the night, and the rain seemed to scorch and steam the surface rather than cool. Lightning flashed soundlessly through the skies. Only one figure stood against the darkness. Not Poseidon. He was too young. A shadow of a beard marked his face, and his raven hair loosely reached his neck. Lightning flashed, and the figure turned around, showing sea green eyes.
Next to her, Poseidon, the almighty lord of the seas, panicked and paced around. "Come on Sally.", he held her hand, and though she had been holding it with a death grip, Poseidon didn't mind. Being a god of immense power, he couldn't even feel it. But a normal mortal might have their bones crushed.
Despite all that, the sea god was very worried. Was this what it was like? This was horrible. Sally was going through so much pain. It felt less like she was giving birth and more like one of Hades's twisted tortures in the Fields of Punishment.
Despite being quite literally millions of years old, the lord of the seas was understandably stumped and had no idea what to do. He didn't think the birth would happen while he was still there. He had planned to leave well before that, but Sally had insisted on just a few more weeks.
"Damn.", Poseidon cursed. What should I do?
Briefly, he considered a dangerous idea. "The child is already matured is it not?", Poseidon thought out loud. "All that needs to be done is to extract him outside.". His hands started to glow, and he was about to teleport the child directly outside.
"STOP!", A voice yelled.
Poseidon jumped. No one was supposed to be here. He whirled around, only to be taken aback. The last person he expected to see was a fellow Olympian. And … oh dear.
A goddess of auburn hair and silver eyes stood there with an angry expression.
"What are you doing here?!", Poseidon pointed at her.
Artemis glared at him with a deadly expression, which would have normally looked comical on a twelve year old, but Poseidon didn't find it funny. Artemis was his brother's favorite daughter. If she …
"Were you about to do what I think you were?!", Artemis shouted, stomping towards him. The ground shook from the force of her footsteps.
"Careful!", Poseidon shouted back, holding the bed frame so it would not topple over.
"Careful?!", Artemis shouted back irately. "Me?! You were just about to kill your own son you idiot!"
"What?"
"Have you forgotten that mortal organisms cannot survive direct teleportation?!"
The sea god turned his head away, cursing softly. She was right. In his panic, he had forgotten. But more importantly "What are you doing here, Artemis?", he asked more politely.
The moon goddess glared at him, but Artemis relented at last. "A stroke of luck. Any other of the gods would have seen nothing, but tonight the full moon is out."
Poseidon cursed more loudly, seeing she was right.
Artemis still had a frown on her face. "Besides, this is my domain. I cannot ignore a woman going through the pain of birthing. Even if the child is forbidden."
Poseidon stared at her warily. "So … you'll help?"
Artemis frowned, not deigning to reply. Her small hands softly rubbed Sally's stomach, spreading soft silvery energy around her.
The goddess tried not to let surprise show on her face, but it was difficult. Impossible. She thought. What a monstrous amount ofpower for a mere baby… one would think this is not a demigod, but an Olympian being born. The idea was ludicrous, but the proof was in front of her.
Putting that thought for later, Artemis focused on the woman. But even the goddess of childbirth was not optimistic. The child was immensely powerful for a demigod baby, and it was clearly taking its toll on the woman, who was only mortal and didn't have nearly enough strength to support the child. She theorized that Poseidon would have had to been with this woman for all nine months, or else the woman would have died months ago as her baby drained up her strength.
Artemis summoned a cup of nectar, pouring it into the woman's mouth. Normally that would be disastrous for a mortal, but with a demigod baby in her, it would actually help. Though in this particular case, Artemis doubted much would happen.
Sally Jackson screamed for all the world to hear, and they may have, if anyone else was nearby, but Poseidon had at least cleared out the whole beach. Artemis whispered soothing words. "Ssshh. Relax. I will start to ease the pain now."
Poseidon watched the goddess apprehensively, but his tense shoulders slightly relaxed when Sally's screams turned into shuddered sighs of relief as Artemis beamed her with silvery light.
As Sally's eyes watered in the sheer relief, she breathed softly, feeling an immense relief. "L-Lady Artemis?"
The goddess raised both eyebrows in surprise.
"I-I could hear you both."
Artemis chuckled almost sadly. "You are a strong woman. Tell me, what is your name?"
"Sally. Sally Jackson.", the woman said.
Artemis held Sally's hand, and Poseidon held the other one. "Is the worst of it over?", Poseidon asked nervously. It hurt to hear Sally screaming like that.
Artemis looked down, shaking her head. "The nectar I gave her is the only reason she is still alive."
Poseidon frowned. "What?"
For once, the moon goddess looked almost ashamed. This was her domain. And yet …
"I'm sorry uncle. But she won't make it."
"What?!", Poseidon exclaimed. "No no no. That's … why?"
"Some mortals are not able to bear demigod children and live. And this is a more special case."
"But Zeus's–"
"This boy will be far more powerful than Thalia Grace, uncle. You were with Sally for all nine months were you not?"
"… Yes."
"Then let me tell you this. This woman should have never been able to give birth. She should have died within the first month of her pregnancy itself. This child … it is far too powerful to be sustained by a mortal alone. It was only your presence that allowed her to live this long. But now even that is not enough. Even my added power is not enough."
The sea god was stricken with shock and guilt. He did this. He did this to her. This was a mistake, he should have never–
"I'm tired.", Sally said softly. "Please don't talk like I'm not here."
"Sally.", Poseidon muttered, touching her cheek. "I'm sorry. I–"
Where she got the energy to chuckle, Poseidon didn't know. "Oh Poseidon. Don't you dare take all the credit."
"Huh?"
Sally smiled sadly. "You never forced me. You never pressured me. This was my choice. But …. I … I don't want to die."
Artemis looked downcast, feeling helpless. Wasn't this her domain? Why? Why couldn't she save just one mortal? She could fell a thousand monsters but couldn't even save one woman.
"But–", Sally continued. "Also I don't regret it. This … this past year was the best time of my life. I … wouldn't trade it for anything. All I ask … my Lady … before I die … my son. I want to see–"
"Sshh.", Artemis quieted her, shining more silver light. "Be still. Save your strength. It is almost done."
The lord of the seas held Sally's hand. "Sally. Don't worry. I'll arrange something. I'll ask Hades to–"
"No.", Sally shook her head.
"Why?", Poseidon exclaimed. "I can bring you back to life. We can be together."
Sally sighed, smiling sadly. "I know its selfish. Our son … he will grow up without a mother. But … I can't. I'm not good enough. He'll be better off … without me. And anyway … before I met you … I wanted to die."
"No!", Poseidon exclaimed, almost shaking her. "You're wrong. You'll be the best mother a child could ever ask for! Don't say that. I'll arrange something."
"Alright Sally. One final time.", Artemis said. "This will hurt more than the others. My magic won't be able to stop the pain this time."
And it was with one final push, the world changed.
Artemis stared at the bundle in her arms which she had wrapped in a soft fabric. She held it delicately. "It is over."
Sally Jackson could feel her end approaching. It had only hastened now that the baby was out. Almost as if her body stubbornly refused to die until her son was safe.
"Waaah!"
A cry pierced through the silence. Artemis's eyes widened as she nearly dropped the child. The ground was rumbling, and she could feel the droplets of water on her skin. Rain.
She turned to the side. The waves were pounding the beach at a dangerous height, and lightning flashed across the skies, the thunder loud enough to be heard for hundreds of miles.
Dark clouds started to replace the night sky, covering the stars, and the air grew colder. The rain came down harder, and Artemis quickly created a dome around them all to keep them dry.
The goddess turned to Poseidon. "Uncle! Stop!"
But the lord of the seas was just as surprised as her. "Its not me!"
"Waaahhh!"
The goddess of the moon turned her eyes to the crying newborn demigod, who screamed at an alarming volume. For the first time since Python, Artemis felt a cold chill go down her spine.
The storm grew as the baby cried louder. Lightning flashed, striking outside the dome. When her vision cleared, Artemis could see layers of glass formed on the sand.
Poseidon stared with wide eyes. Impossible. Utterly impossible. Not even he himself was born with such … overwhelming–
"Uncle!", Artemis shouted. "You need to stop it."
Poseidon snapped out of his shock, summoning his trident to his hand. Pointing it at the sky, the sea god shot a beam of green energy upward, dispersing the clouds in a spectacular fashion.
Still, Artemis's shock only grew upon seeing the power Poseidon had to put in to counteract the storm. Unbelievable. What kind of a monster was this child? Only just born, and yet …
Sally was now leaning against the bed's frame, sitting almost at a forty five degree angle.
Artemis quickly handed the child to her. Hopefully it would stop screaming so much. And it did. Almost immediately, the child quieted, breaking into a chortle.
Sally Jackson knew she didn't have much time left. But still, she was grateful. Not many people got their last wishes. But she did.
"Thank you, my Lady."
Artemis, who was still in shock, took a moment to respond. "Huh? Oh. Of course."
Sally stared down at the bundle in her arms. Her son. He had his father's raven hair. He also had his father's eyes, sea green miniature oceans. But at least, it looked liked he had her nose, and her cheeks.
"My son.", Sally smiled. Her son was deathly quiet now, and was looking around curiously ever since his eyes had opened. He stared at Sally, and then suddenly broke into a chortle of laughter, stretching his tiny hands towards her face.
Tears filled her eyes. She had made her peace hadn't she? She had accepted that she would die. But now … seeing her son. His wide eyes and toothless grin as he reached for her. She didn't want to die. She wanted to raise her son. Her son.
Poseidon was beside her, supporting her back. One was not a mortal anymore and the other was not an immortal god. Just two parents.
"My Lady.", Sally asked. "I know its very unreasonable and selfish …"
Artemis blinked. She had stepped back, not wanting to intrude on the couple, but now she approached the woman.
"What is it?"
"I was wondering … after I … pass. I know what its like to grow up alone. Without family. Please … could you–"
The goddess of the moon was frozen in place, stunned by the request. "Why? Why me?", she asked, her voice shaking.
"Why not?", Sally simply replied.
Any other goddess might have blasted a mortal for such a … forward request. But Artemis was a paradox. She was a maiden goddess, sworn never to lay with another and never to birth children, but at the same time it was the one thing she craved more than anything. A child. But this was a boy, not a girl. Even so, it didn't seem to make much of a difference.
"I– I …"
"Don't worry Sally, I'll arrange something. I could–"
"And your wife?", Sally asked. "Would she allow it?"
"N-No.", Poseidon managed to stammer out. But still. There has to be something I can do. Allowing Artemis to help with the delivery is one thing. But raising is another matter. After all, she is still Zeus's daughter. She can't be trusted.
Unsure of what she was doing, Artemis slowly took the child from Sally, who smiled. Internally, the goddess was screaming at herself. There were so many things wrong about this. This was a boy child. And what about her hunters? What about the ancient laws?
Fuck the ancient laws.
Diana?! Artemis thought in surprise, but there was no reply.
The goddess gulped, staring at the curious face of the child, who tilted his head and stared at her cutely. At this, her heart melted, and any resistance she held up was washed away.
Poseidon stared at Artemis and back to Sally. "Sally … is this what you want? Artemis … she does not like males. You know that right?"
At this, the goddess's temper flared, her face turning gold with anger. "And what are you implying there?! You! You think I would mistreat him or something?! That I would hurt a child?!"
Poseidon was taken aback. Where did that come from?
Sally's smile stretched further. "I can see … that my son … is in good hands. I am happy now … I was scared … to leave … but now its okay. He'll have another mother."
"No.", Artemis refused. "I won't do it. I'll raise him, but not as his mother. I won't take that away from you. I'll make sure he knows you, Sally. You won't be replaced."
Inside of course, Artemis had panicked at the thought of motherhood. She was definitely not a mother. No way. A big sister maybe, she already had Apollo as a younger brother. This child could be another younger brother. He was anyway her cousin.
Sally chuckled, gasping for her last breaths. "I … feel oddly happy about that."
"Sally.", Poseidon muttered, holding her hand. There was nothing else he could say. She had made her peace. She was happy. And she was definitely going to a better place. He would at least make sure of that. She deserved Elysium.
Artemis also knelt down to the dying mortal's level. "What do I call him?"
Sally smiled. With her final breath, she uttered her last words. "His name … is Perseus Jackson."