A/N
Got inspired to write faster. So, this chapter came out faster than usual.
Please read the A/N's as they are really important for me to convey my messages to you guys. I don't like giving announcements. So deal with it.
I got some reviews regarding the harem that asked me to remove someone from the harem. While I can't outright remove anyone from the harem, I can reduce the character's vote by one for each review suggesting their removal. How does that sound?
Also, a humble request. If you have commented your choice once, please do not comment your vote again. You can add someone who you didn't comment in your first attempt, also ask to remove someone (in case there is a change of mind). It really makes managing the polls very hard. You guys have supported and cooperated with me for so long, please do so one more time.
The next chapter will be updated on 25 December. May God bless you guys.
Now onwards with the story. Enjoy.
Artemis POV
It had been four days and Perseus was still in a coma. He had been healed from the elder snake poison, but his body had been severely weakened by it. Atalanta, the daughter of my twin brother, who had been healing Perseus had been astonished seeing that the boy had survived elder snake poison. It was even worse than centaur's blood. And centaur blood is enough to kill any demigod, Hercules was killed with the usage of centaur blood. Perseus had a regeneration rate higher than any minor god. This was enough to impress me and confuse me at the same time. Even though he was a male, I had to admit that he was a really skilled fighter.
But the two major facts that had confused and troubled me were that I still couldn't enter his mind. However hard I tried, I was always blocked by his mind barriers. And the worst part was that I couldn't even sense any mind barriers in his mind. The other was that his eyes gave absolutely no clue of his parentage. I had never seen such a beautiful and majestic shade of blue. When he had been mad at me, I was completely taken aback by how his eyes became miniature hurricanes. It looked as if my father and uncle Poseidon were together creating a hurricane powerful enough to destroy an entire continent. His eyes had completely turned a scary deep blue and the sea-green ring surrounding his eyes had shined brightly, promising trouble to anyone who pissed him off.
I was agitated. Never in my two millennia old life had I been afraid of anyone's glare. The closest anyone's glare came to frightening for me was my uncle Hades's, and that was because it was in his job description. Also, he had saved my lieutenant Zoë from inevitable death. When she had described how the boy had bested ten grown cyclops without sustaining any major injury, I couldn't help but feel a small amount of respect for the boy creep in my heart. Zoë was undoubtedly the best fighter amongst the Hunters, and even she couldn't pull off such a feat. Then, he had taken on half the monster army that had attacked my Hunt. Also, he just survived getting pierced by an arrow covered with elder snake poison.
The arrow had added a scar to his shoulder. He already had many scars, which I could tell were from the monsters he had fought before. But some scars stood out prominently amongst the others. One was a deep red scar near his abs. Another three scars were present on his upper right chest. Then there was a reddish-black scar which looked like a rib had come out from it. Other's would have found these scars scary and disgusting, but to me, a goddess who gave importance to physical activity and combat, the scars were attractive, not that I would ever say it aloud. Subconsciously, I found myself tracing his scars.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by a small groan. My attention went to the boy who was stirring from his state of unconsciousness. Without wasting a moment, I ordered Atalanta to come in. She ran in and started checking on the boy's vitals. As soon as she touched the boy's body, his eyes snapped open. He started looking around frantically, searching for any signs of trouble. Once his eyes landed on me, a wave of relief passed through his eyes, before it was replaced with panic. He immediately tried to get out of bed and bow to me. Keyword- tried. His legs gave way and he ended up face-planting on the floor. Atalanta let out a laugh at this, and even I let a small chuckle escape my lips.
He slowly rose to his feet using the table beside the bed to support him. "Hello milady. Considering that I am not dead, I take it that you mean me no harm as of now." He spoke in a weary tone.
I decided that I would poke some fun at him. " Who said that you are unharmed? Haven't you sensed a major organ missing from your body?" I asked in a fake gleeful tone. His face changed to one of horror as he immediately peeked in his pants to check whether his dick was still present. The fool didn't even think that he would be able to feel the absence of the organ. Once he realized that I had tricked him, his face first turned to one of relief, before he got an annoyed look on his face.
"You...you tricked me." He said in annoyance. I raised an eyebrow at him but continued to chuckle. Atalanta, who had listened to our conversation was now rolling on the floor in laughter. "It's not that funny." He complained.
Finally managing to bring my laughter under control, I looked at him seriously and asked, " Jokes aside, who are you boy? I get that you didn't purposely invade the Hunter's camp, but I know what you are. And I can tell that you know it too. So tell me boy, who are you?"
He observed me for a minute, as if deciding whether I was worth to know about him. This pissed me off. But before I could snap at him, he sighed and spoke, "I will tell you everything milady, but I request you to please call your lieutenant here, as she too wanted to know about this."
I raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but signalled Atalanta to bring Zoë here.
As the daughter of Apollo exited the tent, I decided to ask him another question. " When I tried to peek into your mind, I was stopped by some invisible barrier. Only Olympians or higher beings have the ability to block their thoughts from me. So, how were you able to do so?".
He seemed to be in an internal debate with himself, before he spoke cautiously. "That is because of a presence that lives in my mind. His name is Ikol and he says that he was sent by my real grandfather to help me. "
I was surprised that the boy had an entity living inside his head. Also, the boy seemed to be at total ease while speaking to me, while others would be grovelling at my feet or begging for mercy. To be honest, I liked it this way. My reputation as a man-hater was not totally justified. I admit that I take pleasure in ridding the Earth from vile men, but I respected the good males. An example was my uncle Poseidon. Even though he was not completely faithful to his wife, he had not sired any demigod since three centuries. He also treated me like his niece and was more of a father to me than Zeus. It was really sad that there were near to none respectable men remaining.
At that moment, Zoë entered the tent . Once her eyes fell on Perseus, they widened before she calmed down. "Thank thou for saving my life, Perseus. If it weren't for thou, I would be dead right now." She spoke in a kind tone. This shocked me because I had never seen her speak to any male in this tone. She was the second biggest man-hater after me.
The boy just nodded and grinned back a lop-sided grin at her. "No need to thank me Zoë. I did what was right. I am glad that you appreciate my deed unlike some people who make fun of the people who save them from arrows." He said the last part in a sly tone, while looking at me through the corner of his eyes. Zoë took a moment to understand what he said before she gave a small chuckle. I narrowed my eyes at him before summoning a throwing knife and chucking it at him. It seems that he was expecting this as he sidestepped, before catching the knife with his right hand and placing it on the bed. I was surprised by his reflexes and movements. They were as fast as me. Zoë on the other hand looked in awe at the boy, but did a good job of hiding her awestruck expression.
I decided to ignore this incident and asked him, "Now explain to me Perseus. Who really are you?"
He sighed before sitting down on the bed and made space for Zoë to sit. Once he got comfortable, he spoke, " I am Perseus, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. Prince of Atlantis and second in line to the throne of Atlantis."
I was shocked at this revelation and judging
from her expression, so was Zoë. "How is this possible? If you are the son of uncle Poseidon and aunt Amphitrite, then you should be a god, an immortal at least, but yet you bleed red like a mortal. Do not lie to me boy, or I swear I will cut your dick off , for real this time." I spoke threateningly.
Instead of cowering or at least flinching like I expected him to , he just looked at me in amusement and spoke sarcastically ," Really new, that threat. Jeez. Can't you hunters think of something new to threaten someone?"
I looked at him with an unamused look on my face. He sighed in defeat before elaborating," I am not their blood child. I am adopted. As for who my real parents are, I don't know. I was one month old when Dad adopted me. All that I can remember about my real parents are my mother's face and my real father's eyes. Also, I can remember an old man with an eye-patch and a man with a mischievous smirk. " He spoke sadly.
Zoë and I took a few moments to process this information. When we looked back to Perseus, we saw that he had a far away look in his eyes. With a jolt, I realized that he was experiencing some kind of flashback. Judging from his expression, it wasn't something really good or a fond memory. Then, he gave a soft smile as he shook himself out of his stupor. Curious, I asked him," What were you seeing?"
He raised an eyebrow at my curiosity, but shrugged and placed his thumb on my forehead. He did the same to Zoë with his other thumb. Suddenly, I found myself in Perseus's memories. I was seeing a scene unfold from third person point of view. I saw that Zoë was standing beside me. I was wondering where I was, but as I looked around, I saw fish and other sea creatures swim around the building. With a jolt, I realized that I was in Poseidon's undersea palace in Atlantis.
After a few moments, I saw a young boy about seven years old came running down the hallway. At first, I was confused as to who the boy was, but one look at his royal blue eyes confirmed that he was Perseus. He was running around topless, with just a pair of jeans. He did not have the scars that adorned his body now. He looked carefree and happy. He was giggling giddily. Behind him ran Triton, the first-born of Poseidon and the crown prince of Atlantis. At first, I thought that Triton was trying to hurt Perseus, but I was proven wrong when he swooped Perseus up in his arms and started tickling him.
I remembered the times that I had spent with Triton. He was the older brother I had always wanted. He was way more over protective of me than necessary. He was the one who had helped me understand that Orion was a rapist bastard and helped me cope with my Hunter's death.
"Come on Percy, get dressed. You have to look your best when you meet Rhode. She is really good at heart, but really blunt just like you. We don't want her to say something bad about you in front of all those people, right? " Triton asked Perseus.
Hmmm. So his nickname was Percy. Sounds good.
Perseus just looked at Triton with big puppy dog eyes. I felt my will crumble just by looking at those eyes. I felt the same from Zoë. But Triton wisely looked away from the cute pair of eyes. "Nope. I am not going to look at you. I know all about your injured seal look. Not gonna fall for it." He said.
Perseus pouted. But even he knew that arguing with his big brother or even trying to escape was futile. So, he groaned in frustration but nodded his head. Triton smirked in triumph and carried Perseus to a room. Zoë and I followed them. We saw Triton helping Percy change into a ocean-blue chiton. It looked really good on the boy. Triton was wearing a similar chiton just sea-green in colour, which showcased his shoulder muscles.
The scene immediately dissolved and I saw myself standing in a ball. Mermen and other Atlantean generals were dancing to the peaceful music that was playing in the background. Suddenly, all talk stopped and the room fell into a hushed silence. The main doors opened and Delphin, the god of Dolphins and Poseidon's right hand man (or is it right hand dolphin?) stepped inside.
The attendants present were now solely focused on what the god of Dolphins was about to announce. Said god cleared his throat and announced in a booming voice, "All hail Lord Poseidon, Lord of the seas and king of Atlantis. All hail Lady Amphitrite, lady of the seas and queen of Atlantis." A huge round of applause rang throughout the room as the god of the seas entered the room wearing a sea-green chiton similar to Triton's. The god had a proud look on his face as he carried his trident in his right hand. His other hand was interlocked with that of Lady Amphitrite's. She wore an ocean-blue dress which perfectly hugged her body, showcasing her killer curves which would make any man drool. She had a happy and satisfied smile on her face.
Next, Delphin announced loudly, "All hail Lord Triton, son of Poseidon, ambassador of the seas and crown prince of Atlantis.
All hail Lady Mera, daughter of Triton." Another round of applause went around the room as the prince of the seas entered the room with a smile on his face. Just looking at him made many young women blush . He held hands with his daughter, Mera. She was his first-born. She was about seven years old the same age as Perseus, but a little shorter than him.
Then, Delphin spoke again, "All hail Prince Perseus, son of Lord Poseidon and Lady Amphitrite." The crowd burst into claps as the young prince entered the room shyly. He was nervous, but his eyes held mirth that could be noticed by every person present in the large room. Then Lord Poseidon took the stage in the center of the room and spoke aloud, "Welcome everyone to this ball. This ball has been organized for two main reasons. The first being that my daughter Rhode has come to visit us . The other reason is that I have an important announcement to make. It fills me with pride to declare that my son, Perseus is now the second in line to the throne of Atlantis."
The entire room went silent for a few moments, before it erupted into cheers and claps louder than before. Perseus, who was already nervous, his behind his brother's leg. Triton chuckled and picked him up. The seven year old child squealed in excitement before his brother placed him on the ground beside Mera. It was funny to see her stand beside her uncle, who was the same age as her.
As the party proceeded, Percy found himself between a group of his mother and her friends. The next half hour was torture for him as the ladies repeatedly pulled his cheeks while squealing about how cute and adorable he was. As Percy managed to escape from the group of ladies, he ran to his father, who was speaking to Rhode. Seeing him, his father smiled before picking him up and holding him near his chest. Rhode smiled at him and spoke, "If I didn't know that he was adopted, I would have really mistaken him for a real son of yours."
As soon as she finished speaking, Poseidon stiffened and his eyes widened dramatically. Perseus on the other hand, was just surprised to hear what she had said. Rhode understood her slip and quickly clamped her hand over her mouth in horror. Amphitrite, who was listening to the conversation from nearby, threw her chalice of wine away and started approaching the Lord of the seas.
Perseus took this moment to ask, "Father, what is the meaning of adopted? And what does the pretty lady mean when she says that she mistook me for your real son? Am I not your real son?"
Poseidon looked like a deer caught in headlights. He didn't know what to tell his son. He could either tell the boy the truth and risk losing his little boy, or he could hide the truth and when his son finds it out himself, risk facing the hatred of his son.
Deciding that the first option was better, he slowly explained to Perseus how he was adopted. As he continued explaining the details of his parentage, Perseus's eyes slowly started watering and he took on a betrayed and heartbroken expression.
"When Poseidon finished his explanation, Perseus just stared at him with wet eyes. "So does that mean you are not my father and mom is not my mother?" He asked quietly. Before Poseidon could even answer the question, Perseus jumped out of his hands and started running out of the ball room. Poseidon was about to follow him when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see his wife with a pained expression. "Stay here Poseidon. Let me talk to him. The boy needs his mother right now. And please do not punish our daughter for this. This had to happen someday, if not today then tomorrow. "
Poseidon looked like he was about to argue with her, but closed his mouth and sighed in defeat. Amphitrite gave him a sad smile before rushing behind their little boy. Zoë and myself followed Amphitrite as she navigated through the maze of doors and corridors. Finally, she stopped in front of a blue door. It was shut and locked from the inside. Amphitrite started to knock on the door while calling and pleading for Perseus to open the door. But there was no response from the boy.
After five minutes, Amphitrite got tired of it and just sat outside the door, leaning her head on the door. Sounds of footsteps were heard as Triton and Mera approached their mother and grandmother. Triton had been informed of the situation by Poseidon. He then proceeded to try his own luck at getting Perseus to open the door. But alas, his attempts also proved futile. Mera was the final to try. She didn't understand why her uncle had left the ball and locked himself in his room. But she did understand that Perseus was upset and so, tried to cheer him up by telling him jokes. Despite her grief, Amphitrite couldn't help but give a small smile at her granddaughter.
After a few minutes, they heard shuffling of feet and someone approaching the door. With a click, the door swung open and revealed a disheveled Perseus. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. His hair were even more messy than original. Amphitrite lunged at her son and pulled him into a tight embrace. Perseus let out a small smile at this and wrapped his little hands around his mother. While the mother and son were having their moment, I decided to take a peek into Perseus's room. As I looked inside, I saw a flash of orange flames. As soon as they started, they vanished. It went unnoticed by the others, even Zoë . I had a good idea of who it was, but I didn't speak it aloud.
"Is it true? Am I ad.. adopted?" Perseus asked in a quiet voice. Amphitrite looked conflicted while answering, but slowly nodded her head. Perseus just hugged her tighter. By the time, Poseidon had arrived at the place. Perseus met his eyes and spoke in a calm tone. " Who is my real father?"
Poseidon responded with pity shining in his
sea-green eyes. "I am sorry Percy. I cannot tell it to you. I have sworn an oath on the creator himself that I will not reveal your parentage to you. You will know about it when the time is right. But know that your parents were really close to me. Your father was a man with a heart of gold and an unmatchable courage. Your mother was the most kind-hearted person I have ever met. They both loved you more than anything in the world and even though they didn't like to send you away, they did it so that you could survive."
Perseus seemed surprised by the news but he quickly nodded his head and turned to his mother. "You may not be my birth mother. I know that I am not related to you by blood, but you will always be my mommy. " Amphitrite nodded happily with tears running down her face.
The boy then turned to his adoptive father.
"No matter whoever my real parents be, I will always be Perseus, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite." Poseidon smiled and nodded before crushing the boy in a hug.
The next moment I blacked out all of a sudden and found myself back into reality with Zoë and Perseus sitting beside me. "That was when I first got to know that I was adopted. Things were a bit strained between us for a week, but then everything went back to normal."
He said with a small nostalgic smile.
One thing that still bothered me was, "How did you get those scars? From my experience of hunting, they are not from some simple monster. Even the arrow scar you got last week has almost faded, but the other scars still look like they are fresh from a battle you fought a day ago. So, which monster gave you those scars?" I asked.
Zoë seemed to agree with my question. She added to it saying, " Even the bruise that thou got while fighting the cyclopes faded immediately after giving thy some nectar and ambrosia. Thy healing process is even faster than minor gods. So how come the scars remain on thy body?"
The boy got a far away look in his eyes. He subconsciously ran his hands over the scars on his chest. Even I couldn't deny that he had quite a physique for a twelve year old. Muscles could be seen on his arms and shoulders. On his chest was a six pack that proved that he worked out regularly. His hands were calloused, signifying that he was a seasoned fighter and had been using weapons for quite a time.
I was brought out of my thoughts when he spoke, "I got these when I fought Leviathan."
Both my and Zoë's eyes widened in horror. The great snake monster was something that terrified even us Olympians. Only the big three had enough power to subdue the great monster. It was the second most terrifying monster the Olympians had faced, the first spot obviously being occupied by Typhon. I couldn't believe that this twelve year old boy had faced such a monster and lived to tell the tale.
"Do not lie to me boy. I know that no demigod can go against the great snake and survive. Even us Olympians are terrified of the monster. " I spoke out in disbelief and anger.
The boy's eyes widened before they narrowed dangerously. " Tell me Lady Artemis, why would I lie about something like this? Also, isn't your brother the god of truth. My father told me that you have some control over that domain. So I suggest you check for yourself." He spoke through gritted teeth.
I was shocked at his sudden boldness but nodded nonetheless. Imagine my shock when I sensed that the boy was telling the truth. He then summoned his throwing knives and handed them to me. Seeing my confused look, he explained.
"These are made from the nail of the monster. I got it as a spoil of war. The nail was pure celestial bronze. The same that is used to make my dad's trident and your father's master bolt. It does not have the powers like the God's weapons, but it is indestructible." I looked in awe at the six knives on the belt. I could feel Zoë almost drool at the knives. Seeing our looks, he smirked and took the belt back. He then pulled two knives out and placed one in mine and Zoë's hand each.
"You can keep them. It is enchanted by the elder cyclopes themselves to return to the user. " We nodded dumbly and Zoë muttered a small thanks to him.
"But, I want something in return from you." He said. His smirk quickly turned devious, making me question if I should have taken the blade. " You have to call me Percy. Perseus makes me feel old. " He completed.
Surprised, we both could just nod at the wierd demand.
He then removed the two rings on his left hand. The rings flashed a golden color before they turned into twin gladiī. I looked in shock at Perseus. From the whole hunt, only Zoë, Atalanta and Phoebe knew about the Romans. Seeing our faces, he gave us a deadpan look and spoke, " I have lived in Atlantis for the past eleven years of my life. Don't you think I noticed my dad changing forms when some Roman used his name? Of course I know about Camp Jupiter. "
I nodded, a little embarrassed as what he had said made perfect sense and was kind of obvious. He continued speaking, " These are made from an imperial gold nail that was another spoil of war. Indestructible."
I nodded my head. I had been doing that a lot today. This boy was just filled of mysteries and surprises. He turned the gladiī back into rings and wore them. We fell into an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Luckily, it was broken by Zoë.
"I would like to see thy sword Perseus. If thou do not mind." This was the most politely I had heard Zoë speak to any male ever. He nodded and removed a ball point pen from his pant pocket. He uncapped it and it turned into a three foot long Greek sword . It had a trident on it's handle and the word Anaklusmos was inscribed on it. Zoë's eyes hardened at the sight of the sword and she spoke in a cold voice, " How did you get the sword ,boy? "
Perseus seemed to be taken aback by the hostility in her voice. "Huh, it was a gift to me from my father on my fifth birthday. Why? Do you know this sword? "
Zoë got a sad look in her eyes for a second, but an emotionless mask covered it as soon as it came. " Yes. The blade has a tragic past, boy. I do not feel like telling you any more."
I thought that Perseus, no Percy would try to question and probe her further, but he kept his mouth shut and shrugged. " Fine. If you don't wanna tell, it's fine. Your secrets."
Zoë nodded curtly at him with the same emotionless mask, but her eyes also held a small amount of respect for the boy. But the boy was too oblivious to notice it. He sighed and turned to me. " If I may ask, could I know where my shirt is? I think the Hunters will not take kindly to a boy roaming shirtless in their camp. And I will like to keep my anatomy as it is."
I chuckled at his sentence and snapped my fingers, summoning his shirt for him to wear. As he wore it, I heard Zoë sigh sadly. It was so quiet that if it weren't for my enhanced godly hearing, I would never have been able to pick it up. I turned towards her and saw a strange expression on her face. Suddenly, her eyes flashed blue for a second before turning to their regular black. It was so fast that I wasn't sure if it really had happened or it was just my imagination.
Leaving it aside, I checked the time to find that it was ten PM. I turned towards Perseus and spoke, "Well, seeing as it is night time, sleep for now. You will be traveling with us for the next three months as we travel towards New York. From there, we will separate ways and you can go to camp. But of you make a move on any of my hunters, mark my words I will turn you into a jackalope and hunt you down."
The boy nodded frantically as he paled at my threat. As he went back to sleep, I exited the tent with Zoë. Zoë looked a little happier than regular. I dismissed it as the happiness of getting a new indestructible throwing knife. As I entered my tent, I changed to my night wear before climbing into my bed.
The only thing I could think of was a boy with royal blue eyes. Even when I tried to think of something else, my thoughts always drifted back to the adopted son of Poseidon. Little did I know that my lieutenant was having the same problem two tents beside me.
Percy, huh? I thought as I finally drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
A/N
I know that you guys might be thinking that Artemis and Zoë are ooc, but I have seen many fanfics where Artemis is practically a bitch . I wanted to try something new. But even if she seems kind to Percy, I promise that her attitude won't be much different than other fanfics, just a little ooc. Same for Zoë.
Also, in this fanfic, Percy isn't going to be the regular 'hero' . He won't be the completely humble and just hero. He will be the surviver. More practical. He will still be loyal as fuck, but not the other goofball traits that Canon! Percy possesses. My view is that what is the use of showing the protagonist the same as he is portrayed in the original story. It is common knowledge that people like variety. So, I will try to portray the hero in a new way. Hope you people like it.
Also, since he is the son of thunder, war and sea, he does not like to be restrained. So, due to being a son of thunder, he has a dangerous fury and doesn't take shit from anyone, even Artemis. We can all agree that a person who is independent and takes no shit from anyone is more attractive than a pushover. Also, everybody respects power and authority.
Speaking of power, I admit that our hero is a powerhouse and also skilled, but I won't be making him too overpowered. He will not be blessed by any other diety aside from Poseidon. As I said, I want an independent and self-built protagonist.
Coming to different matters, I am seriously keeping my fingers crossed that you all select Calypso for the harem. I really like her with Percy and feel sorry for her. I really really hate the ship Caleo as I think uncle Rick just made it because he wanted to pair someone with Leo.
Now that my mini-rant is over, last message is that please comment or P.M me your preferences or suggestions. Even criticism is openly accepted as your criticism will help me see my shortcomings and help me improve my writing.
The current standings of the poll for the members in the harem are:
Artemis- 46
Hestia- 47
Thalia - 33
Athena- 34
Zoë- 36
Calypso- 30
Nyx- 32
Reyna- 27
Aphrodite- 27
Annabeth- 17
Bianca- 17
Piper - 22
Hera- 18
Rhea- 13
Khione- 10
Hazel - 5
Bellona- 4
Rachel - 4
Nike- 2
Lupa- 7
Selene- 2
Clarisse- 2
Rhode- 2
Hecate- 3
Silena- 7
Leto - 2
Drew - 1
Hebe- 1
Kymopoleia- 1
Vote fast if you want any changes. The final standings will be declared after i start writing his quest to find the master bolt. That is something like two chapters from now. The max number of girls in the harem are 7 or 8.
Current standings:
1_ Hestia- 47
2_ Artemis - 46
3_ Zoë - 36
4_ Athena - 34
5_ Thalia - 33
6_ Nyx - 32
7_ Calypso - 30
8_ Aphrodite and Reyna - 27
Thank you guys.
Until next time.
Peace out:
Darkgamer2004