A/N: So, here is Chapter Two of my new story, The Guardians. I hope you all liked the previous chapter and were intrigued enough to stay for more. I'll try to keep my author's notes short from now on. It'll just be the usual reminders to vote, comment, review and leave a kudos if you liked it. And also, if you need further explanation or don't understand a concept in this story, I would be glad if you'd PM me or ask your question in the comments/reviews. I'll answer them as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!

-TripleHomicide.

PERSEUS looked around himself in boredom, an eyebrow raised as he inspected the Audience chamber of King Tristan, the ruler of Mycenae. The King seemed to be middle-aged, but fit and healthy and the dark-skinned girl seated at his side looked like an exact replica of him—dark hair, well-defined features and a pretty face. Beautiful in fact. She was a carbon copy of her father.

Except for the eyes. Princess Piper had ever-changing kaleidoscopic eyes which reminded him oddly of the goddess Aphrodite. It didn't take long for Perseus to put two and two together.

The audience chamber was grand. Bigger and far brighter than many other kingdoms, but Perseus had seen Olympus, the Underworld and Atlantis. He had visited the ruins of Othrys and beheld the palaces of Titans, giants and other gods, and he could honestly say Mortal Kingdoms paled in comparison.

Perseus examined the royals with keen interest. The King looked forlorn and weary. He had bags under his eyes and seemed tired, although Perseus doubted that anyone could feel as tired as he did. Anyway, the king looked to be on the verge of giving up and his hands which were on the armrests of his throne were shaking, ever so slightly.

Princess Piper, however, had schooled her expression into one of neutrality. She was glancing at Perseus appraisingly, trying not to let any of her emotions show. But the slight quiver of her lips and the veritable ocean of pain, remorse and melancholy in her eyes showed Perseus that she was on the verge of breaking down. One look at her told him she had seen her mother—well, stepmother, if Perseus' guess was correct—Queen Jane be taken away by the man who had murdered the Queen's handmaidens and then stolen the Crown from the King's chambers.

He made a mental note to speak to her in private.

"You say you can trace my wife and bring her back?" The King asked, looking wary. His voice was shaking and Perseus understood. It wasn't good to just trust anyone who appeared out of the blue claiming to be sent by gods no one believed in. But Tristan was desperate. He would do anything now to find the Queen.

Perseus cleared his throat, then said, "I make no promises, King Tristan. I have been employed by the gods of Olympus to find out what is going on and why your crown and the members of several royal families of Greece have gone missing."

Tristan nodded shakily.

Perseus forged on. "I will try everything in my power to return the Royals to their kingdoms—that is, if they are not dead yet—but I need to know exactly what happened that night."

Tristan furrowed his eyebrows, then glanced at Piper. He nodded to her and she stood, saying, "Take a walk with me, Perseus. I shall show you around the palace."

He did not argue. With a nod, Perseus pivoted on his heel and walked out of the Audience chamber, without waiting to see if the Princess followed.

XMX

WHEN PIPER CAUGHT up with him, she exhaled and said, "Show me." Perseus arched an eyebrow, then cocked his head to the side.

"Excuse me?"

"Prove to me you're really from the gods of Olympus," She said, her voice sounding oddly forced. "Show me you're not some conman who wants to rip us off for gold."

Perseus snorted. "I don't want your gold, Princess. And I have no need to prove myself to anyone." He looked straight ahead, clenching and unclenching his fists as they walked.

"You want the full story, don't you?" Piper snapped. She gave him a sideways glare. Perseus rolled his eyes. Had he mentioned that he hated Royals? With a wave of his hand, water collected from the air around his fingers. He flicked his fingers and they melted back into mist.

The princess' eyes were wide. She was gazing at Perseus in awe, wonder and a bit of amazement. He cleared his throat again and looked away. They came to a stop in front of a passage. Suddenly Piper's face fell. She looked down, then said, "This is where it happened. I was returning to my chambers that night, with my lady in waiting, Rachel."

Perseus' brow furrowed. He knew the attack had been late at night. He didn't want to know what the Princess had been out doing. He motioned for her to go on. "We heard the scream and when we got here, the maids were dead. Mother was fighting this man in a white cloak and he overpowered her. She lost consciousness and Rachel attacked him but then he killed her." She was saying all this without pausing to breathe, tears filling her eyes as she spoke. She wrung her fingers, then said, "I wasn't…I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save her." He saw a few stray tears flee from her eyes. "He vanished after taking my mother. Just…melted into thin air."

Percy felt his blood freeze. It meant the foe attacking Greece apparently had connections to the godly world. That made things a lot harder. He examined the Princess taking note of her shaky hands, her trembling bottom lip and her darting eyes.

"There's something you're not telling me," Perseus said, looking away.

Piper froze. "What?"

"You heard me," He said, turning back to her. "Your actions are screaming out to me. Something else happened. Something you've not told anyone." His eyes narrowed as Piper took a step back. He could practically see her brain whirring, trying to come up with an explanation for his quick wits.

Perseus chuckled. "It doesn't matter. I'll find out sooner or later. Did the assailant leave behind anything?"

Piper was as still as a chalkboard. She shook her head, a little too quickly, then said, "No. He didn't. But he had white hair and bright white eyes." Perseus nodded, soaking in the information.

"Thank you, for the details. At least now I know what he looks like," His eyes swept across the passage one last time. He huffed. "I suppose that's all I'm going to get from this place. No more sticking around, then." He turned back to the Princess. "Inform your father of my departure. I shall return with the Queen soon enough."

Piper's fist clenched and he could tell she had something to say. He turned, about to mist-travel away when she blurted out, "Take me with you."

The laugh which came out of him was hard, and wicked. With a cold smile he regarded the Princess. She seemed a little put-off but then anger overtook her features. "I want to help. I want to go find my mother."

He shook his head. "My travels are no place for a Princess, Piper. You would just slow me down and I would be distracted, trying to keep you from dying every five seconds. Besides, I doubt your father would allow it."

Piper's lips curled, and she said, "I don't care what Father thinks. I want to do something. I can't just sit here and wait when I could have saved them both if I hadn't been a coward." Her voice was harsh.

"You've heard my answer," Perseus said, voice harder. "Now goodbye, Princess Piper. I hope we meet again under better circumstances."

He pivoted on his heel and marched out of the passage.

-X-

PERCY cast another glare behind him as his stallion trotted down the dusty path away from the walls of Tiryns. His hands were tingling and his hair had been standing on end now for a long while. He looked around again, trying to reach out and detect an aura but whatever, or whoever was following him, didn't seem to have one.

Shaking his head, he murmured to the horse and they began trotting once again. He was on his way to Sparta, the kingdom of Blood and War, where he had heard that a young prince had gone missing.

If he could find out what had happened and connect the dots with all the disappearances he might be able to make progress and give the perpetrators an identity. He had to know if any royal possessions had also been stolen like the crown.

Pursing his lip, he ran a hand through his hair. If he could find out who had kidnapped the royals and stolen the Crown of Tiryns, he might be able to know if they were all connected to the mythical world and then track them down. He would find out if they had been seen anywhere near Arcadia—near the Grove—and know if they had taken the Stone of Olympus.

His ears twitched as the sound of hooves reached them. He had been travelling for about three days now and he was never able to get a reprieve from the steady clop-clop-clop. He narrowed his eyes and turned around. Strangely, he saw no one. Releasing a breath, he continued riding towards the iron gates right ahead of him, which led to the city of Sparta.

Perseus paused when he heard the cough. With expert motion, he drew a knife and spun, hurling it towards his tail. He heard a gasp and then a swish and a muttered curse. Perseus silently ordered the horse to turn and he swore when he saw the woman on the white steed before him.

She had donned a cloak which was so long it covered most of her upper body. However, her forearms and her breach-clad legs were visible. Her boots were impeccable and Perseus swore again, a scowl marring his face. He rode towards her and came to a stop in front of her horse, which she was trying hard to calm.

"Thought you could follow me without me knowing, did you?" He inquired, voice low. The cloak was pure, blinding white and had a hood attached, which covered her eyes and face, but the figure was very much feminine. Suspicion filled him. If it was who he thought it was…

"Oh, I knew you'd find out eventually," Her voice was strangely familiar. "It's a little later than I expected but no one had ever bested me at hide and seek, so…" She trailed off. Her hand reached for the hood and threw it back, releasing luscious brown hair and revealing kaleidoscopic eyes.

"You," Perseus said, then began swearing colourfully, once again.

"Yes, me," She gave him a smile. "Come on. We're heading into Sparta, are we not?"

XMX

"W-where do you think you're going?" Perseus sputtered.

"With you," Piper replied smoothly. She tried to calm her erratically beating heart which had almost stopped when he had hurled that knife at her. She turned away from him and began riding towards the city gate.

"I never permitted this," Perseus said, still stupefied, as he caught up to her. "I told you not to come."

"I did anyway," She shrugged. "Because no one tells me what to do." Piper could see he was turning a little red. Hiding a grin, she turned away from him.

"Go back this instant," He snarled. "I will not allow you to impede and hinder me during my task."

"I don't really care," Piper barked back. "You're going to need my help, sooner or later. And I'm doing this to find my mother. Not for you."

Perseus was about to retort when he heard the soothing voice in his head. Do not argue with her. She is correct. You shall need her assistance before all is said and done.

Athena's voice just made him feel angrier. He preferred to work alone but if the gods had commanded that the Princess accompany him, who was he to argue with them? With a scoff, he said, "Fine. Obstruct my work in any way and I leave without you."

Piper blinked. She hadn't expected him to allow her to join him so easily. The wind whipped at her cloak and she was briefly reminded of the events of that night. If she wanted to find her mother and do something about…the other one, she had to go with the gods' puppet.

She did not enjoy the fact that she would be leaving the comforts of her palace or that she would be far away from home. But this was for her mother, her friend and herself. She had been training for most of her life; she was sure she could help Perseus when the need arose.

She watched him shoot towards the gate on his steed and with a kick to the side of her horse, she followed after him, trying not to let the gnawing in her stomach—the fear of venturing into the unknown with a stranger—show on her face.

-X-

PIPER had never been outside Tiryns before and the sight of the new city, gigantic and overly decorated made her feel as though her hometown was inadequate. She stared in wonder at the shops, houses and stores scattered around. She could see several children wearing armour, duelling each other in the city square.

She took note of the number of soldiers around, who had turned to look at her and Perseus as they rode into the city. At the entrance, the guards had examined them and asked for identification. Perseus had told them he was there to see the royal family, by order of the gods of Olympus. At first, they had seemed a little doubtful, but then he had shown them the same trick he'd shown her and they were granted passage with no further questions.

She passed a glance at the man who rode in tandem with her. His eyebrows were furrowed, dark hair falling into his eyes as he bit his lip in deep contemplation, which he did a lot, she noticed.

Piper turned, examining the city once more. She could see a collection of barracks in the distance, then at a stall rows upon rows of weapons. Weapons…Piper suddenly felt foolish. She hadn't taken any.

In her rush to follow Perseus out of Tiryns, she had forgotten to pick the necessities and had only packed a bag of clothes she usually used for training. Cursing herself, she shifted, adjusting the cloak wrapped around her bodice.

"Stop," Perseus' voice broke through her thoughts. He cocked his head to the side, looking around. Several citizens of the war polis were gathering around them, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Piper guessed they rarely got visitors.

"Temple of Fear," Perseus said suddenly, as though a tiny voice in his head had given him the information. "Let's go. That's where the Queen and King are."

Without waiting, he shot off down a road on his horse. Piper cursed once more, then followed. He was purposely going fast. She scoffed. As if that would stop her. When she caught up with him, he was already hopping off and Piper hurried to do the same. She glanced around her, soaking in her surroundings. The temple was grand, made out of stone and obsidian, and it seemed to be emitting a low pulse, which made Piper feel uneasy. The doorway stood open and inside, Piper could see three figures speaking.

"Hurry," Perseus motioned. He took the first step, rushing up the stone stairs which led to the door. Piper followed, but then suddenly she felt her head swim. The gnawing in her stomach became more pronounced and Piper was aware of her arms becoming sweaty.

Temple of Fear was an understatement. The temple was an embodiment of the thing itself. Piper tried to calm herself, taking another step. She could see Perseus, already at the top and she hurried to follow.

When she got to the doorway, she felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. She looked around her, forcing herself not to clutch her gut, which churned at the unnatural fear taking hold of her. Piper watched as Perseus hurried towards a priest in black and red, who was speaking animatedly to two people in red robes, obviously the King and Queen.

"I want my son found, Akrios," The Queen was saying. "I don't believe in these gods but I will do whatever it takes to find the Prince. And it is your duty to do the same!" Her voice was shaky and she looked as if she was on the verge of collapsing.

The rulers looked composed on the outside but one look at their stance told Piper that they were close to breaking, like she had been.

"Excuse me," Perseus ambled towards them. They turned and he dipped his head in greeting. Piper began to march after him, trying to avoid the giant chained statue in the centre of the palace, and the two stone heads of two extremely good looking boys, mounted on the wall behind it. The dragons which encircled the statue were so huge, with eyes so alive, that Piper felt the goose pimples erupt on her arms.

She came to a stop behind Perseus, right in front of the giant statue of—obviously—the war god, Ares, if the mosaics she had seen in Tiryns were accurate.

She heard a pounding noise and Piper thought faintly, Why is my heart beating so loudly?

"And who are you?" The King asked Perseus, hands inching to a sword at his side.

"A worker, quite reluctantly if I may add, of the gods you don't believe in," He said, lifting his head. Piper saw a green flash and noted that his eyes were shining more brightly. "I'm travelling through Greece to find out what's going on and to locate the missing royals."

His voice was cheery enough but Piper could see the blood drain from the three people's faces. Her heart thumped louder and Piper placed a hand on her chest as Perseus motioned to her. "This is my…er, aid, Piper." He turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "Piper, say hi."

She waved but did not speak. Piper was busy thinking, Why the Hades is my heart beating like this?

Then she paused. That wasn't her heart. She turned to the statue. It was vibrating, quietly, thumping a bit. Piper pursed her lips in confusion. What even was this? A statue with a heartbeat?

She reached out, just as Perseus said warningly, "Don't!" But her fingers had already brushed the god's chest. Nothing happened. Everything was still, silent, as it had been before. Piper turned to Perseus, about to say, 'Well, that was anti-climatic', when a loud boom filled the temple. She shot an apologetic look to Perseus, who glanced around in alarm as the entire temple began to shudder.

Piper swore when she noticed the statue moving and lifting its head. Red Light erupted from the eyes and mouth of the statue of Ares and the dragons and a loud shrieking and wailing filled the room. Another blast sounded as the King shouted, "What did you do?!"

Perseus looked like he wanted to ask the same question but then Piper screamed, "I don't know! I just touched it!"

She watched as the light faded, turning into misty and fiery red spirals, which shot out of the doorway.

It seemed as though the entire city was shaking. An earthquake was happening, right then—and it was so powerful Piper feared it would destroy Sparta. Piper looked up as a squad of guards raced into the room. They were ten in total and they surrounded the King and Queen, then began bustling them out of the Temple, followed hotly by the priest.

Perseus cursed loudly, attempting to move but then one of the guards broke away from rank, removing his helmet as he raced for them. He had a mop of curly black hair, dark eyes, pointy ears and an impish grin on his face.

"You must be the ones dad talked about," The man said, panting, as he came to a stop in front of them.

"What?" Perseus barked.

"You've released the Makhai—war spirits that were trapped inside that statue," He explained. "And unless we find them and return them to their place, a fire breathing giant is going to destroy the city." He smiled wider. "I'm Leo, by the way. Nice to meet you."

A/N: Hello all! So I know this chapter is short but it's something right? I hope you all like it. Vote, comment, review, etc. Have a good day/night, wherever you are! Happy Holidays!

-TripleHomicide.