Chapter 10

He woke up with a gasp, his chest heaved with each breath and his throat ached. He didn't know why his throat ached, was it of words that he could say? Was it because of the screaming?

That made him pause.

When was the last time he even screamed.

Within a second he sat up and stretched his leg. That was weird, as a God he never felt such an ache. He looked around and noticed that he was in the hut of Leto. He had spent a lot of time here, with a fond smile, he walked into the main area.

"Leto?" He called out.

Silence.

Perseus didn't know why but his bones ached and all he wanted to do was talk with his old friend. "Leto?" He called out once again.

When no answer was heard, he frowned and willed himself to get dressed in something more presentable. The stinky robe he was wearing wouldn't cut it. When the foul stench still hit his note, he winced and looked down at the robe.

Why weren't his powers working?

'Patience.'He thought and closed his mind, willing godly power to wash over him and replace the robe he wore.

Four or five tries and it still didn't work. He let out an aggravated breath of frustration. Walking outside, he frowned. "Leto?" He asked in a quieter voice.

Then. A thunderbolt struck right beside him. He quickly fell into a bow, "Father."

Electric eyes stared at him. "You've renounced me as your father years ago." His booming voice said, "Don't you remember?"

Excruciating pain developed in his head and Perseus screamed out as he took a hold of his head. Another pang in his head and he dropped down to his knees. Perseus screamed and wheezed with each breath he took. "Why are you doing this?" He rasped out as the pain stopped for a mere second.

"Well, Perseus." Zeus said and looked at his son. "I'm not doing anything." With that, a sadistic smile warped his face and within a flash, the god disappeared.

The young god felt weak. He hadn't felt like that since, since his birth. "What." He questioned and winced as another pang made him drop to his knees once again.

An owl hooted and Perseus snapped his eyes up to the animal. "'Thena?" He questioned with a pained smile. The owl hooted angrily.

"Athena?" He questioned once again but in a much smaller voice. "What did I do?"

The owl hooted and flew towards Perseus. He held his hands up in his defense but the owl held his claws out as the animal scratched his face. "Athena?" He asked loudly, desperate.

He just wanted to know what was happening.

Days pass and Perseus tries to stay up each time. Only every few weeks a God needs to sleep. Not for Perseus, he falls asleep each time.

Then the stomach aches come, he eats washed up coconuts. He thanks his uncle Poseidon before cracking them open and eating the meat.

Then he looked at himself in the reflection, he would've snorted at the position he looked at himself. He felt like Narcissus. He noticed the beard that was starting to grow. He noticed that his hair grew.

Then he started to notice sounds in the forest. When he heard a familiar hiss, he went out for exploration in hopes that it was indeed his patron animal. He walked between bushes and looked around. "Ah, there you are." He stood fearlessly across the feline. He held a hand out to pet the animal as he thought it was just shy. The animal wasn't shy, just murderous.

A scream left his lungs as the pain didn't register until later. His brain also didn't seem to register that a mountain lion had his teeth embedded into Perseus' hand. "What?" He asked in desperation into the sky. His chest was heaving and he screamed out in pain, the lion kept his teeth in place as he looked at Perseus with feral eyes. In desperation to make the pain stop, he let his other head hit the ground as he patted around for something to defend himself with. "Get off!" He shouted and his hand took a hold of something. Without looking at what it was, he whacked it at the animal, keeping a hold of it, he repeatedly smashed it against the lion.

In blind pain, Perseus finally stopped when his arm started to ache. He looked at the animal in horror and cradled his bloody hand. With heavy pants he looked at the animal. The side of the face was smashed in, blood gushed from the wounds and its fur was ridden with blood.

Then Perseus did something that he had never done before. He turned away from the animal and leaned into the bushes before his stomach contents went up his throat and into the greens.

Weakly, he made his way back to the hut and just fell to his knees. Tears fell down his face. The animals that he adored, the animal that he brutally murdered. He looked down at his hands, one was bruised from hitting the animal with a rock and the other was gaping with, blood?

Mortal blood.

Panic swelled up his throat and he couldn't breathe anymore. No longer was he a god, but he was human.

That night he stayed up, watching the forest with silent horror. For days he didn't feel tired, for days he didn't tend to himself like he usually would. For days he clenched his fist and reopened his wounds.

How dare he?

How could he?

Why did he?

He took a sharp breath in and fell backwards onto the wooden floors in exhaustion.

–

Perseus woke up with a gasp and looked down at his hands. "No." He whispered and clenched his fists, nails digging into his palm. Drawing ichor, "I don't-" He felt the room closing in and his clothes were feeling tight and uncomfortable. "I don't deserve this." He whispered and stared out in front of him.

"You do." A voice said.

His eyes sharply cut to Aether, "W-What?"

"You deserve life." Aether repeated. "Think about it, write about it or even talk about it." The bright man said as he opened Perseus' curtains. "You don't lack in skill nor training, Perseus. You lack emotionally."

Perseus followed Aether with his eyes as his body was frozen with shock. Ichor still dripped down from his hands.

"You aren't fit to be a leader emotionally." Aether continued as he looked out over his kingdom. "You are unfit as a ruler because you empathize, you feel bad and you freeze."

Empty but bright eye sockets looked at Perseus as Aether snapped his fingers, on Perseus' table was an animal. Perseus choked up as he recognized the feline.

"Look closer, Perseus." Aether urged.

Perseus felt his throat close off as he took a closer look at the animal. His head was still bashed in, but he blinked as he recognized the body. "A dog?" He questioned.

"A dog." Aether agreed. "You let your emotions get the best of you. You didn't even see that it was a dog, not a puma."

"But-"

"But things aren't what they seem, Perseus." Aether snapped. "We're in a world of trickery and powers. Don't expect things to always be truthful." The ruler straightened his back and looked out over his realm once again. "You are naive, Perseus. You still bow to Zeus."

"Of course. He is m-"

"He is no longer your king!" Aether roared back. "You should no longer recognize him as your king, nonetheless as your father."The primordial god was seething. "He killed you, Perseus." The room brightened and after a sharp breath. It dimmed back to the usual brightness.

"Think about it." Aether said, "Welcome to your training."

A/N: I came here with an update and something to share.

That sounds dramatic, just that my exams are coming up and I should focus on that! Don't expect an update until Christmas-ish