Chapter 20
Greetings readers!
First of, Happy New Year to all of you! Thank you for all the support that you have given me in the previous year! It really means a lot to me! And I hope that I can bring you some good stories this year as well!
In response to Darkgamer08's review, well that's not entirely wrong. Since Atlas happens to be the most important villain of this story, even though Kronos is the big baddie, I can't have him be the usual vanilla villain. He has to be different in the sense that he gets a lot of character development and an objective point of view despite being an antagonist. And I am glad to hear that you are liking this portrayal! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to MysteryTrident14's review, Happy New Year to you as well! The primary difference between the dynamic between Percy and Zeus vs the one between Percy and Hades is that the former is more informal and more personal. Since Percy is Athena's lover, the dynamic between him and Zeus is like between a son-in-law and father-in-law and Zeus also sees Percy as one of his own and treats him that way. Along with that, they see each other very often and have quite a few light-hearted conversations.
While Hades also cares about Percy, their dynamic is more about mutual respect between two individuals who have bonded over fighting off threats rogett. It's also more formal and is like the dynamic you would expect to see between two soldiers.There's a lot of respect and they will help each other out when required without any hesitation but it's not like they see each other every Saturday for a barbecue. I am really glad that I was able to answer this amazing and insightful question of yours! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to the guest reviewer, first of all, thank you for your concern! Even though we tested positive, thankfully, we didn't have any severe symptoms and have all made almost a full recovery. Yes, the Fates really do torture Percy. I admit that sometimes it seems like this story is only about the protagonist getting hurt again and again but I like to think that I am writing a drama and its necessary to have the protagonists oscillate between highs and lows in order to let the readers emotionally connect with the characters.
Yes, like you said, no party can really claim to have the moral high ground in this arc because both sides have done wrong things as well as right things. Yeah, Calypso has sided with the Titans but her causes aren't really influenced by any megalomaniacal tendencies unlike the other Titans, so she's more of a grey character right now rather than an actual antagonist.
Actually, even for Atlas, getting revenge is more important than putting Kronos back on the Black Throne. I am glad that the tension-breakers are working! I do plan to have some in every chapter, albeit, not all of them will be comedic, some of it may just be some light fluff. Thank you for your continued support!
Responding to Conner W's review, I am so glad that you think so highly about my work! I really do my best when I write these chapters so that it's enjoyable for all of you and I am really happy to hear that you liking it! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to MegaRayquaza8121's review, truly, the Calypso Arc is one of the hardest for me to write because of how much emotion there was in that arc. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Walter Ha's review, I know you meant it in a figurative way but somehow Percy becoming Captain America just feels like an awesome idea to explore for another story and another crossover. And I think I know what I am going to be writing once I am done with the Percy X Diana crossover. Thank you for the idea and thank you for your continued support!
I would like to thank HellRaiderS for your continued support! I am happy to hear that you are enjoying these chapters!
In response to Jubby1905's review, I am very happy to hear that you liked the previous chapter! Exactly, morally flat is exactly how I would describe this arc. And I am happy that I could reintroduce Calypso in a proper way. I fell off my sofa when I read your description of Percy and Atlas being invincible Hulks because that's exactly what they've been. Your ideas are really awesome and there's definitely going to be a closure scene between Percy and Achilles. The sea gang and Olympians reminiscing about seems like the perfect idea for some fluff in a particularly intense chapter. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Ryan Fowler's review, yes, the previous chapter was one of the emotional stringers due to all the heavy emotional baggage involved in the Percy X Calypso Arc. Well, it would be nice to see Percy and Calypso reconcile but in all honesty, that doesn't seem very likely given Calypso's bitterness. Thank you for your continued support!
Responding to HughJasz's review, I was confused when you said Percy's and Calypso's reunion lacked tension because you felt that plot convenience had forced them apart. I didn't understand that because the plot is what runs the story. I mean sure, I know and you know that these two were forced apart due to the plot but the characters are behind the fourth wall so there needs to be an actual in universe explanation. I would think that perhaps rereading the Calypso Arc in the first story could help in giving more context and connection to the characters since it's been so long. That's what I did before I started writing this arc. But that's your choice. Thank you for your input!
Responding to Arden2709's review, these chapters are very draining to write, to be honest. Chapters that have action are always easier to write because I don't need to do much other than letting my imagination run wild. But when it comes to emotional hefty chapters, I really need to think and put myself in the characters' shoes. It is honestly pretty draining but nonetheless really fun to do and I am glad you agree! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Krzychu97's review, not really, I haven't cured Percy of the depression that arose due to Achilles' death. He just went through all the five stages of grief, like he did when he had to leave Calypso behind. It was character development. He couldn't always stay depressed about Achilles' death. Just like how in real life we learn to deal with the grief and move on, he also learnt to accept it and moved on.
Percy going through mental anguish doesn't really have anything to do with the length of the war. I could make the plot progress at breakneck speed but that would not be fun. Even a good plot falls flat without character development. And that's what Percy's character is going through. In the form of navigating the highs and lows of his life, he grows as a character and that's what connects him to the audience. Rather than a pure action fantasy, I like to think that I'm charting a supernatural drama, something that makes a reader oscillate between different emotions and places emphasis on characters rather than the plot. Nonetheless, thank you for your input!
Finally, coming to skotos07's review, I am very thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the previous chapter! I hope you like this one as well! Thank you for your continued support!
All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.
Atlas winced a bit as Calypso wrapped a bandage soaked in her specially crafted Nectar, Nectar which had properties that accelerated healing, around his torso to heal the bruises and hairline cracks he had sustained in his chest.
"Percy, er, Diaboles has gotten stronger now. He was definitely not this strong when he was in Ogygia. He was barely as strong as one as one of the younger Olympians and had no metaphysical abilities at all. I knew that he had gotten stronger but I didn't expect him to be stronger by such a margin. Now, he is easily on par with Krios and Koios and within touching distance of Iapetus. Hyperion won't be able to defeat Percy due to the elemental disadvantage. So, apart from you at full power, only Kronos stands a guaranteed chance of defeating Percy." Calypso stated with some worry on her face but somehow, her voice seemed to convey some relief at the prospect of Percy being so powerful.
"Percy, huh?" Atlas asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It just slipped through due to force of habit, papa." Calypso tried to answer with clarity but she couldn't hide the uncertainty in her voice.
"What's the matter, Calypso? Until today, you were vehemently fuming against the injustice done to you by Diaboles but now, you seem a bit confused. It's as if you are suffering from inner turmoil? Daughter, tell me, what troubles you?" Atlas asked in a gentle, fatherly voice as he pat the space next to him and Calypso duly sat down.
His question had rattled her a bit. And that was because he had spoken the truth. She was waging an internal war since she was unsure about her own emotions and her own intentions. But Atlas did not become impatient. Instead, he calmly waited as he gave Calypso as much time as she required to sort out her emotions on this matter.
"I don't like him, father." Calypso concluded after thinking for a long time, causing Atlas to snort.
"That much is obvious. But that is a very vague statement because it can be interpreted in many ways. It could mean that you just dislike him. It could mean that you hate him. It could also mean that you are having to deal with some residual feelings of love for him, even if you feel like you don't like him now. Or, it could be a combination of all these. So, which one of these are we talking about?" Atlas quizzed her with a detailed set of questions.
"I don't know." Calypso admitted with a bit of guilt as she stared at back of her palms.
"It's fine. Calypso, it is not at all wrong that you are confused right now. There is nothing to be ashamed about. As much as I hate that monster Diaboles, I have to admit that the two of you had something special. And even though he's a heartless bastard for disregarding all that and deserting you, since you aren't a cold-hearted imbecile like him, the part of you which loved him, the part which will always love him, is wrecking havoc on your emotional clarity." Atlas answered as he wrapped an arm around Calypso to comfort her.
"Papa, I really thought that he was the love of my life. I know that this makes me sound like a damsel in distress, which I most certainly am not, but before he landed on Ogygia, for a thousand years, I had been emotionally isolated and the only time I had company was when the gods sent someone to make me suffer. But Percy, he felt different. There was that genuine twinkle of love and affection in his eyes and that fiery determination to protect me blazed in his eyes. I accused him of being nothing more than charmer who seduced me because after being deserted for three thousand years, that's what it felt like to me. But today, when I saw his sea green eyes clench up in pain and anguish, it reminded me of his genuine determination and that is starting to dampen my rage." Calypso honestly confessed.
"Daughter, I am so proud of you. It is never easy to accept our true emotions on something. Especially not when those true emotions go against the most logical decision. But it is an important part of life. Sometimes, we have starkly contrasting opinions about someone. Hate is a very strong word and is the culmination of every negative emotion. But there are very few people who we actually hate. You may think you hate Diaboles but the truth is that you don't. As long as you remember what you once had with him, it will be impossible for you to ever hate him." Atlas replied with a deeply thoughtful expression on his face.
"But he wronged me. He deserted me and ran away. Whatever fond memories I have of him are nothing compared to the pain and anguish that he put me through." Calypso declared with an angry scowl on her face.
"Yet you seemed tensed, almost hurt even, when I punched him through the bar." Atlas presented a his observation to her and his statement caused Calypso to go silent.
"I don't intend to make you feel uncomfortable, daughter. But you really need to have a clearer picture of your own intentions. You can't have revenge against Diaboles without him being injured critically. And the question you have to ask yourself is, do you want to see him in such a state? I know I do. I want him to pay for the suffering he put you through. But do you?" Atlas questioned Calypso as he pinned her under a powerful gaze.
"No. How much ever I convince myself that I hate him, my heart skips a beat when I visualise him in a lifeless state. What do we do, papa?" Calypso asked with uncertainty in her tone.
"We wait. Despite my intense dislike of Diaboles, I will not directly take any violent actions against him until you sort out your own feelings. Your mental well-being and emotional stability are paramount to me, Calypso. I will not do anything that compromises any one of those two. That is my promise to you." Atlas promised with absolute sincerity in his light grey eyes as he comfortingly squeezed Calypso's arm. That gave some much needed support and time to Calypso who decided to use that time to deeply introspect.
When the rays of the rising sun reached her, Athena woke up to find that she was the only occupant in her bed, which somehow felt wrong and cold, as she had gotten used to waking up to Percy's comforting warmth and his energizing scent that reminded her of a salty sea breeze.
For a moment, she was a bit confused as to why Percy had left. He had never done that, not even when he had nightmares. But then, she remembered the events of the previous night and panic temporarily took over her mind, as she feared that Percy was on his way to explosively confront the Olympian Council. But then, through the large, sliding glass doors in their room, she saw that he was reclining in a chair in the middle of the miniature moat he had built.
That location was usually the setting of their romantic dinners and it was a part of the small yet beautiful outdoor patio in the garden that Athena and Percy had designed and manually built together. It was a place that housed many of the happiest memories of their wonderful romance.
For three thousand years, Athena had found solace in its confines. When Percy had been in a coma, she had practically lived in that outdoor patio for half the time because no matter how sad she was, being in the patio had uplifted her mood.
Whenever she stepped into it, she was reminded of Percy tickling her with a devilish smile on his face whenever she decorated the patio with flowers or climbed a ladder. And her ears were filled with the sound of her and Percy's joyous and content laughter whenever she sat there. It never failed to put a radiant smile on her face.
However, it didn't seem to have the same uplifting effect on Percy as he was sitting in the middle of it with a half finished and rather large bottle of Boreas' specially brewed Nectar in his right hand. There was an air of melancholic silence around him as he unblinkingly stared at the rising sun with a morose expression on his face.
Athena got out of the bedroom and went to the garden, taking a few steps towards him, in order to talk to him and console him. She did it as silently as possible to not disturb him but his enhanced hearing still managed to pick up her soft footsteps.
"Sorry for leaving you alone. I didn't want my nightmares to wake you up. I have already done enough damage to your pscyhe. I don't want to add to it anymore." Percy stated with a heavy sigh as he took a deep gulp from the bottle of Nectar in his hand.
"I am surprised you didn't storm into the Olympian Throne Room demanding answers as to why Calypso was not released from her prison." Athena stated with an impressed look on her face. That must have taken a lot of self-control from Percy's side.
"Trust me, I damn well intend to do that. And I have already informed the rest of the Olympians about my intent, resulting in a Council meeting being scheduled. But before I go ballistic, I want to hear from mother, Aunt Selene and Aphrodite first. Because I trusted only the three of them to get Calypso freed, in my stead. And they failed to do so." Percy coolly explained his lack of reaction to Athena.
"You didn't trust me?" Athena questioned with a hurt evident in her voice. This was enough for him to turn around and face her with a twinge of desperation in his voice.
"I trusted you then, I trust you now and I will always trust you with all my heart, Athena. My reaction against you yesterday was deeply unjustified and I am very, very sorry for that. I have given you a great amount of pain, Athena. But I am not so heartless that I would expect you to fight for the freedom of my former lover, even if I don't have feelings for Calypso anymore. Besides, my sacrifice hit you harder than everybody else. So, it would have been unfair on my part to expect so much from you." Percy quickly answered as he stared into Athena's eyes.
"Did you think I would be jealous?" Athena asked in a subdued voice.
"I didn't want to put you in the spot. You are very large-hearted, Athena. But if our roles were reversed, and if you had been the one to ask me to fight for the freedom of a former lover of yours, I certainly would have felt uncomfortable, to say the least. I didn't want you to do something that I wouldn't do. I had done enough hypocritical deeds by then. Not to mention, I had already crushed your spirit with my stupid actions. I didn't want to get you more involved in the mess that was my life." Percy answered with a self-depreciating smile as he took a swig of Nectar.
"And you say that you have given me nothing but pain. Look at yourself Percy. Everything you have ever done, you have done it with an intent to protect us. Our lives have been full of grief, Percy. But they have also been filled with happiness. Immortality is a blessing as well as a curse. So is love. Our highs have been intoxicatingly and beautifully high. And our lows have been devastatingly low. It's Calypso's fault that is unable to understand this." Athena softly stated as she reached out and cupped Percy's cheek.
"Is it really fair to demonize her like that? Yes, maybe her expectations were a bit too idealistic but that doesn't justify me deserting her in any way. You know, I think I am starting to understand why no one fought for her freedom. Everyone thought it was her fault for expecting too much from me in the first place and hence, consciously or subconsciously, believed that she deserved her punishment." Percy stated with a glint of realisation in his eyes. However, instead of Athena, it was the newly materialised Aphrodite who responded to his statement.
"I saw you suffer, brother. The first few years after the split were the worst. I never intruded on your thoughts but sometimes, when I was talking to you, trying to heal you with mental therapy, your pain radiated in waves. What you were forced to do, shattered a part of you, the part of you that is chained by your own fatal flaw of personal loyalty, so thoroughly that you never completely recovered from the trauma. She could never see that you were a victim as well." Aphrodite stated with gritted teeth.
"You are just harbouring a grudge against Calypso, sister. Anyone would be crushed if the person who they loved with all their heart broke the promise of not allowing them to be separated. Your disdain for Calypso is irrational and unjust. Our split tore me apart. It wasn't Calypso who tore me apart. I wasn't a victim. She was. I was the goddamn perpetrator." Percy hit back with barely concealed anger. And that was when Artemis showed up.
"That's what she made you believe. That master seductress knew that the two of you could never be together. She knew that your fatal flaw of personal loyalty would not allow you two to be together, because she knew that you would always choose us over her. But she still pursued a romantic relationship with you and then, she forced an inevitable choice upon you. A choice that haunts you to this day. She used you to get even with the gods." Artemis heatedly declared.
"This is nonsense. I will not tolerate you badmouthing and vilifying Calypso's character. There is nothing wrong in accepting that I made a mistake. I betrayed her, Artemis. And I deserve to suffer for that." Percy shot back as he rose to his full height.
"All of you, stop arguing. That is enough. Whatever we need to discuss, we'll discuss it in the Olympian Council meeting that is going to be held in a few hours. I believe you all owe Percy an explanation." Athena interjected before the situation got more heated.
"Yes. I would damn well like to know why you decided to disregard the last wishes of the man who blew himself up to save your hides." Percy stated with a growl, that was directed at Artemis and Aphrodite, as he emptied the contents of his bottle before smashing it on the ground. And before anyone could say anything else, he disappeared in a blue mist.
A few hours later, all the Olympians, plus Percy, Selene and Helios had gathered in the Olympian Throne Room. And even though Percy was not as emotionally volatile as he had been the previous night or in the morning, his eyes were still narrowed, conveying his raging impatience.
"I will cut to the chase. I once had a very passionate romantic relationship with Calypso, the daughter of Atlas. But due to the Gigantomachy, I had to leave her for the sake of defeating the Earth Mother and her draconian offspring. But I never stopped fighting for Calypso's freedom. Before the clash with Tartarus, I did it in the background and I foolishly expected that my sisters and brothers would do the same. But I got a rather rude awakening. And I am in need of answers, which is why I am saying this so openly." Percy determinedly declared, giving a brief summary of his relationship with Calypso.
"We are aware of your history with the Titaness, nephew. And the Council even debated granting Calypso amnesty a few years after your sacrifice." Hera calmly responded, shocking Percy to no small part.
"All of you knew?" Percy asked with surprise. He had believed that none of the Elder Olympians, barring his father and Aunt Hestia knew about his relationship with Calypso.
"Of course we did. Amphitrite, Selene and Aphrodite did honour your words after all. And along with the other younger Olympians, barring Athena, they discussed this matter with the rest of the Council." Hades coolly replied.
"Then why didn't any of you tell me about it? You just let this matter simmer away. And even more importantly, why did you not free Calypso?" Percy questioned through gritted teeth as he stood up.
"We didn't want to poke our heads into your life, nephew. It would have been wrong to discuss a topic with you that you yourself hadn't discussed with us beforehand." Demeter answered with some sympathy in her eyes.
"As for why the daughter of Atlas is not free, it is simple. The Council took a vote, on whether we had to free her. And most of the Council members voted against this decision." Zeus strictly and firmly concluded.
"What?!" Percy asked in an incredulous tone with an expression of disbelief on his face.
"Son, Amphitrite, Hestia, Demeter abstained to vote. Athena and I weren't present when the vote was taken and the rest of the Council voted against it." Poseidon revealed with a sombre expression on his face.
"No, this can't be true. Apollo, Hermes, Ares, you couldn't have possibly wanted to keep Calypso chained on that cursed island." Percy addressed Ares, Apollo and Hermes with denial evident in his voice.
"We would have freed her, Perce. That was the intention of the Council at the beginning. Hermes, Aphrodite, Artemis, Ares and I all wanted to honour your request at all costs. We even asked Aunt Hestia to go and talk to Calypso." Apollo solemnly stated.
"Then why didn't you free her? Tell me, who forced you not to free her. Tell me, Apollo." Percy demanded in a raised voice as his eyes turned into sea green atomic fireballs.
"No one forced us, Percy. It was Calypso's own actions that were responsible for the continuation of her imprisonment." Hermes stated with a deep sigh.
Percy's expression morphed into one of confusion so, to answer his questions, Hestia snapped her fingers and Percy found himself in Hestia's mindscape as she shared with Percy the details of her fateful visit to Ogygia.
Hestia was only happy to come back to Ogygia. Decades after her nephew had been forced with an impossible choice which had forced him to leave Calypso behind, the Olympian Council had stated deliberating the notion to free Calypso from this accursed island.
Their decision to free the eldest daughter of Atlas would depend on how she interacted with Hestia and how she took the news of Percy's ultimate sacrifice and what her future plans were. The Council was going to be watching this conversation very closely and Hestia just hoped that Calypso would not let any bitterness shine through. She was brought out of her thoughts when Calypso nearly barrelled into her.
"Aunt Hestia, what brings you here? It's been so long!" Calypso stated as he hugged Hestia with all her might.
While she wasn't as close to Hestia as she was to Selene, Calypso still enjoyed a very close relationship with her as she was one of the few people who had not only voted against Calypso being punished, she also routinely visited Calypso, albeit, not as frequently as Selene. Speaking of which, it had also been a very long time, a few years actually, since even Selene had visited her.
"Forgive me, niece. The last few years have been especially rough on all of us. And we went through a event that caused us so much grief that Olympus itself shut down for a few years. The hearth of Olympus has lost its beacon of hope after all." Hestia revealed with grief shining in her dull brown eyes, causing Calypso to let loose a gasp.
"I assume that only something of disastrous proportions could have caused a shut down in Olympus. And Aunt Selene seems to have been affected by this as well. What happened?" Calypso deduced with some worry on her face and she became even more concerned when Hestia sat down.
"To say it's of disastrous proportions would be understating the impact of the event. Olympus has just lost its hero and the world has lost its beacon of hope. Perseus Diaboles is gone. And he sacrificed himself to save us." Hestia revealed with grief pouring through her voice. There was some silence for a few moments before Calypso finally reacted.
Hestia had expected a sob or shriek from Calypso but she was completely stumped by what she heard instead ā a bitter, vindictive chuckle. That was a sound she had never heard from her niece.
"What's the meaning of this, Calypso?" Hestia questioned with anger blazing in her eyes. She normally managed to keep her temper under control but this was beyond even her limit.
"I am sorry, Aunt Hestia. I just couldn't stop myself. It seems like Percy has a knack for leaving devastated people behind with his selfish actions. Back then, it was me. This time, it's Athena who is a heartbroken mess. Wonder who the next one is going to be?" Calypso asked with bitterness seeping into her voice.
"Calypso, you know as well as I do that Percy was only a victim of circumstances. How can you possibly hold a grudge against him at this point in time? Percy just sacrificed himself to save the world. Mind your words." Hestia angrily rebuffed.
"That's the narrative Olympus pushed across last time, wasn't it? That it was the poor Hero of Olympus who was too noble for his own good. The man who was so selfless that he broke his own heart and left behind a life of eternal piece for the sake of his family. But what was the truth? He went off globe-trotting and lived his life peacefully ever after, with Chaos knows how many romantic conquests while I, the one who actually lost everything, mourned and wept for him. This will be no different. Eventually, he'll come back and get back to his perfect life while I will be left to rot here for the rest of eternity, forgotten by the very man who I once loved with all my heart." Calypso venomously stated, but she had tears in her eyes as he levelled accusations. Tears that went unnoticed by Hestia.
"I am disappointed in you, niece. I did not know that you held so much poison within yourself. Percy never stopped fighting for your freedom." Hestia shot back with seething fury etched in her eyes.
"Then why am I still here? Why am I still on this accursed piece of rock after all these decades? Why did he move on if he really wanted to set me free? Why did he not communicate a single word about his efforts through you? Perseus Diaboles was, is and will always remain a emotionally manipulative bastard. You may think you have gotten rid of him but like a plague, he will be back to wreck your life." Calypso bellowed in a mixture of rage and anguish as she fell to her knees, sobbing her heart out.
"I have nothing left to say. Goodbye, daughter of Atlas." Hestia coldly stated with a glare directed at the back of Calypso's head.
Deciding that she had no work left here, she disappeared in a flash of flames. And as soon as she disappeared, Selene materialised next to Calypso to console and comfort the sobbing girl.
A moment later, the entire scene dissolved and Percy found himself back in the Olympian Throne room as he unblinkingly stared at the Olympians in front of him, as he took time to comprehend what he had just seen.
"Do you now see why we voted against her freedom, brother? How could we, as sane family members of yours, unleash a bitter, vindictive Titaness like that, one who clearly hated your guts, into the world? She was a dynamite waiting to go off. There was no saying what she could have done." Aphrodite finally spoke up.
"And she is not a weak Titaness, Percy. Her sorcery is nearly on par with Hecate and her abilities as a healer, rival my own. It's already bad that the Titans have Phoebe on their side. If Calypso had joined them earlier, our entire family would have been in danger." Apollo calmly stated as he tried to reason with Percy.
"You could have made her take a solemn oath to never go against Olympus." Percy tried to argue, but it was a futile effort.
"No, nephew. As much as I wanted to see Calypso freed, I know for a fact that she would have never taken such an oath. And it is for the better we didn't find out her allegiance the hard way." Selene stated with a deep sigh of resignation.
Tempers had already flared dramatically that day when Calypso had lashed out against Hestia. In hindsight, Selene felt that she should have talked to Calypso first and explained the next course of action to her niece before directly approaching the Council. But during those years of grief, all of their minds had been numbed and muddled due to the sheer pain of losing Percy.
Selene knew that the combination of Calypso's own bitterness as well as the shocking news of Percy's sacrifice had caused Calypso to react like that. The Council had been furious with her and if they had tested her allegiance with an oath, Selene didn't doubt that Calypso's actions could have led to her being hurled into Tartarus.
"I could not put you and Athena in danger, Perseus. Rather, I refused to do so. Athena was a train wreck during that time, which meant she was especially vulnerable. And you were in a catatonic state, lifeless for all practical purposes. But you weren't completely gone yet. And we had hope. There's no saying what we she would have done if she had been freed. She may have not been as bitter and vindictive then as she is now, but it was simply a chance I could not take. I didn't take that decision as the king of the gods, I took it as a father and uncle. I took that decision because I was responsible for the safety of my family." Zeus firmly stated.
"But we just corrupted one of the purest, most compassionate souls in the world. We turned her into a broken, vindictive, bitter shell of herself. And while I started this wildfire, all of you only added fuel to it rather than putting it out." Percy hoarsely whispered with his head held down.
"True. What we did was wrong, nephew. But the hardest choices always require the strongest wills. What you did that day, walking away from a life of eternal peace and undisturbed happiness, just for the sake of our family, was one of those choices. And what I did that day, to dishonour your request and let a victim of circumstances be corrupted, again for the sake of our family, was one of those choices." Zeus replied with a weary sigh, one that perfectly conveyed the burden he had acquired over four millennia.
If he hadn't matured during the Gigantomachy, perhaps he would not have lost any sleep over this decision. But his nephew's unwavering loyalty and unfaltering ideals had affected him profoundly. And he was acutely aware of the active role that he and the rest of the Olympians had played in the destruction of Calypso's innocence and he most certainly regretted it. But at that point in time, he hadn't found any other way to protect his family.
"I am sick of my choices causing destruction to others. There has to be a way. Something I can do to reverse this. Please, uncle." Percy pleaded with Zeus, causing the god of thunder's eyes to soften.
"If you can get Calypso to take a solemn oath that she will never go against the gods and that she will never interfere in your and Athena's life, you can acquit her of all her crimes against Olympus and award her with total freedom." Zeus offered, causing Percy's eyes to brighten up immediately.
"Father, you can't possibly be serious? You do realise that Calypso is the reason why Atlas has managed to recover faster than he was supposed to. We have no idea about how much she has helped in the resurrection of the other Titans. We cannot just let her go unpunished for those actions." Artemis refuted. Percy's anger flared but Zeus beat him to a response.
"Daughter, I know your personal opinions on Calypso are rather unfavourable. And in some ways, it is justified because you think she is responsible for Perseus' turmoil. However, this is a personal matter for Perseus, so it would be better if we let him deal with this in a way he deems is best and more or less overlook her involvement in this war. And I have complete faith that whatever decision he ends up making will be beneficial for all parties involved. I advise you to have the same faith in him." Zeus started in a gentle yet strict voice, the one that Apollo and Hermes had dubbed as the 'dad' voice.
"I have unwavering faith in my brother, father. It's the Titaness who I deeply distrust." Artemis answered with a small scowl on her face.
"I have to agree with Artemis on this one. In more ways than one, Percy is the best of us. But he is also very susceptible to his fatal flaw - personal loyalty. Trust me, I know what he has gone through because of that Titaness. And she knows that as well. She knows exactly which buttons she has to press to break him apart. And as his elder sister, I cannot watch that unfold." Aphrodite strongly supported Artemis' statements.
Percy wanted to shout back. He wanted to tell them that they were completely wrong. That he was the one who had devastated Calypso and not the other way round. But try as he might, he couldn't. And in that moment, it dawned on him that Calypso had been right.
He realised that during the entire course of his relationship with Calypso, there had always been a subconscious fear of his family not accepting their relationship. He had spent a lifetime denying that but now, he was staring to realise that maybe he had unknowingly sabotaged their relationship.
Maybe deep down, he had known that it would always be either Calypso or his family. It could never be Calypso and his family. And he had made his choice. But try as he might, he could not force himself to direct any anger at Artemis and Aphrodite, which was something that shocked even them.
"I half-expected you to angrily shout back." Aphrodite noted with an expression of mild shock on her face, bringing Percy out of stupor.
"Shout at you for what? For worrying about me? For trying to look after me? For trying to protect me? Both of you are not really helping me in my quest to stay angry at you. As much as I disagree with both of you, I can understand where you are coming from. Because if I were to be in your position, I would have reacted in the same way." Percy stated with a confused and tired sigh.
He was being honest. Even though their methods and actions were very much on the wrong side, their intent had always been right. At least from his perspective. All they had ever wanted was to keep him safe. And could he really fault them for that?
"Look, I really appreciate that both of you are so set on protecting me. But please, for my sake, just give me one last chance to convince Calypso and resolve this." Percy requested with solemn sincerity in his eyes and no one could muster up any resistance to this proposal.
"Ugh, fine." Artemis grudgingly accepted.
"Son, what is your next course of action?" Amphitrite questioned.
"Maybe Aunt Selene can try reaching out to Calypso and ask her to meet me. It's a bit of a stretch for her to listen but I hope she will. And it's even more of a stretch that she will actually accept the conditions for amnesty. But I want to try, for one last time with complete sincerity." Percy determinedly declared as he looked at Selene.
"I will contact her, nephew. Even after everything, we always enjoyed a very close relationship. I hope that is enough to convince her to show up. However, getting her to agree to these conditions will be up to you. But like you said, it is worth a try." Selene supported Percy's decision and agreed to help him.
"Yes, giving Calypso amnesty makes sense not only from Percy's personal as well as a moral perspective, it also makes sense logically to not have such a powerful foe. Some of us may not even like the idea of conditional amnesty being offered to her but it would be better for our own war efforts to turn her into a neutral entity." Athena attached her carefully crafted logical reasoning to Percy's proposal and that made it irrefutable.
It also earned her a grateful smile from Percy which she gladly returned. She had nothing against Calypso. Maybe, a twinge of jealousy because it seemed like the Titaness had only enjoyed intoxicating highs with Percy during the course of what seemed like a perfect relationship. But she would do anything to make Percy happy.
"I agree with all this, but, I have one condition - I am going to be accompanying you. I promise that I won't be prodding into your conversation. That's the last thing I want to do. But I do not trust the Titaness. I will stay hidden and stealthily keep a watch from afar. Just in case the Titaness springs a harmful surprise." Artemis announced with a protective edge to her voice.
"Artemis, as much as I appreciate your concern, I don't need you babysitting me. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. This is my burden. And it's my burden alone. Besides, I trust Calypso enough to not resort to such underhanded tactics." Percy stood his ground, unwilling to budge.
"You are a fearsome fighter, Percy. There's no doubt about that. You aren't called the destroyer who brings damnation for no reason. But your fatal flaw can and will interfere with your ability to defend yourself if Calypso pulls an unpleasant surprise on you. We cannot leave you undefended." Aphrodite pointed out with just as much firmness as Percy. And before he could rebuff her as well, the rest of the Council seemed to agree with her.
"She is right, nephew. While I trust Calypso, I do not trust Atlas or any of the other Titans for that matter. They could be using Calypso to get to you and could try to harm you, without Calypso's involvement in such an operation. For your own well-being, listen to your sisters." Selene backed Artemis' and Aphrodite's proposal. Percy looked around to see if someone else would back him up but he finally relented when Athena sent him the 'look'.
"Ugh, fine." Percy accepted with a huff of annoyance, causing Apollo to smirk at the blatant resemblance between him and Artemis.
"That settles it then. The Council shall convene again later this evening to discuss the details of Perseus' battle with Atlas and our strategic response. And hopefully by then, Selene would have contacted the daughter of Atlas and we would have also received some word from her. Until then, this meeting is dismissed." Zeus boomed before disappearing in a clap of thunder.
A few moments later, the rest of the deities in the room also disappeared in characteristic flashes of light. They had places to be at and things to do.
Percy was casually strolling through Olympus, having decided to take a walk to clear his head and regain control over his emotions, when he found Jason and Reyna admiring a temple which coincidentally, happened to be dedicated to him.
"A rather large piece of vanity, isn't it?" Percy stated with a chuckle as he walked towards Reyna and Jason, startling them.
It was indeed a large temple, built from Olympian marble and full of marvellous sculptures, beautiful murals and artisanal manuscripts, it was inarguably the greatest of all monuments dedicated to him. And it was one that unsurprisingly, had been built after he blew himself up while taking out Tartarus.
"It is beautiful. In my opinion, it is the greatest piece of architecture in the entire world." Reyna stated as she breathed in awe.
"You know, your mother not only designed this temple, she also built it herself. From what the others tell me, she refused to let anyone else be a part of this project. Took her a full decade to design and build this. She had just gotten out of one century of chronic depression and she wanted to build something that would remind her of me. Her mental fortitude really is magnitudes above mine." Percy stated with a proud look on his face as he intently stared at the architectural marvel.
"You have gone through some pretty damaging stuff as well, Percy. And yet you always are the first person to walk into the battlefield so that you can keep others safe. I don't think you can really compare mental fortitudes. You and Athena have gone through different types of jarring emotional trauma. And as far as I can see, both of you have bounced back from it very well." Jason shared his opinion with Percy, who didn't say anything in return for quite some time.
"Kids, walk with me. It's been quite a while since we had a chat. And even though we are in the middle of a Divine War, I don't want to miss out on being involved your lives. Of course, when I say I want to be involved, I mean only in a positive and non-intrusive way." Percy gestured at the two young demigods in front of him with a kind, welcoming smile on his face and they gladly accepted his offer.
The three of them walked for a few seconds in silence, taking in the hustling yet serene atmosphere of Olympus' streets which was when Percy noticed that Jason and Reyna were holding hands and a mischievous smile broke out on his lips.
"Kid, you're a brave man for dating one of Athena's daughters and not informing her about it. It's cute that you think you can hide this from your parents but trust me, that doesn't happen. Been there, done that." Percy teased Jason with an amused glint in his eyes, causing the son of Jupiter to pale instantly while his partner reddened to the colour of a cherry tomato.
"It'sā¦." Jason started but found himself at a loss of words.
"Complicated?" Percy finished for him with a smirk on his face.
"Yes." Reyna admitted in a hushed whisper.
"How so?" Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Like, we like each other, a lot, and all that but we don't really know where this will go or what we should do. And we're afraid to attach any tags to this because it could result in unwanted pressure and there's even a Divine War going on and you never know what could happen. So yeah, we're just peacing this together as we go." Jason ranted on as he hastily answered Percy's question.
"Calm down blondie. Right now, all you should not be doing is engaging in hanky-panky. Anything else is fine." Percy quipped with a wink that made Jason gag and Reyna redden to a colour Percy was starting to feel was unhealthy.
"But on a serious note, it's good that you decided to let a natural flow dictate the pace of your relationship. You are right, tags do add pressure to any budding relationship. But again, it's a question of individual preference. Some people like that extra pressure because they see it as a sign of commitment. Others don't. But let me tell you, the most important thing that I have learnt from personal experience is that moving slow is always better than moving too fast." Percy paused to take a deep breath before continuing.
"As unromantic as it may sound, making big decisions instinctively is not always good. Because you may end up doing something you'll regret later on. Or you may have moved too fast and created too many links in a relationship that can't last. The last point may not hold true for you two but it is always better to let emotions, any emotions for that matter, simmer for a while than letting them boil over." Percy had a faraway look in his eyes as he imparted the wisdom he had gained through his own experiences.
His sentences gave Jason and Reyna much to think about but before they could ask him anything, Selene materialised in front of them in a flash of silver light.
"Percy, Calypso's agreed to talk to you." Selene revealed with unconcealed exuberance in her voice.
The revelation caused Percy to nearly keel over in relief. Of course, he knew that it would be a huge uphill battle to actually convince Calypso to accept the terms required for her to be acquitted but the fact that she had responded to their aunt's reach out so soon provided a ray of hope.
Hey guys! Whew, after almost three weeks of releasing a chapter, this chapter finally broke that dry spell. The reason it took so long for me to update was because I caught COVID. In fact, my entire extended family ended up catching COVID when we met for the first time in almost two years during this holiday season.
Thankfully, the symptoms were not particularly severe or anything because all of us were double jabbed but it still wasn't a pleasant experience. Fortunately, I am now back in good shape and thrilled to be back to writing!
The main thing I focus on in this chapter is highlighting the muddy nature of this arc when it comes to the characters and overall moral ambiguity. Usually, I make it clear who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in the narration but here, I am just looking at this from all the different viewpoints.
Doing that creates this fairly unbiased narrative which may look confused and directionless, which I assure you it's not, but it gives an objective touch and feel to this story and allows the readers to arrive at their own conclusions as to who is right and who is wrong. And this is a characteristic that is going to stay unique to this arc. This will be the only arc in this trilogy and perhaps in even my future stories to feature this unique style of narration which I hope all of you will enjoy.
Also, before we get to the next chapter, I would suggest a re-read of Chapters 19-22 of the first story(The Tale Of Perseus: Beginnings) as well as from Chapter 17 ā 20 of this story, just in case you want a brief recap of Percy's and Calypso's history.
Read and review. Please stay safe from the coronavirus! I hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter! Have a fantastic day!
