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The Aftermath
Ascension of the Fallen: Chapter 18
Perseus' lifeless body flew away, forcefully hitting the sea and cleaving the very tides of Pontus in half, shaking Gaea as the mythological world was alerted that he had fallen once again.
As the three huntresses battled their former patron, Atlas watched stonily.
Although his daughter had betrayed him, Atlas found shreds of pride in the way she fought the goddess of the hunt.
Suddenly, a tremor shook the earth, even throwing Atlas himself off balance as everyone fell to the ground. Thalia huddled Annabeth's unconscious body close to her, like a mother hen protecting a precious egg.
The titan looked upwards into the sky to see a shockwave of gold, encroaching towards their position.
The others were knocked onto the ground as the shockwave skidded Atlas backwards.
His face was grim, and the huntresses paused their fight with Artemis, knowing what had happened as well. Thalia's eyes were wide in shock, as she couldn't feel Perseus' presence on her necklace.
He could sense multiple presences approaching them; among them, Athena and Apollo.
It would be a pain to have to deal with multiple gods. He grunted as the huntress bounded over to him and Thalia. Atlas flashed out with them just in time.
Apollo and Athena arrived in the vicinity, only to see a bloody, wide-eyed goddess of the hunt.
Poseidon widened his eyes in shock as the shockwave reached him. The god of the seas sensed out the location of Perseus' body just as it hit the water, and he immediately flashed there.
Nothing was to be seen.
No life within a mile of the location.
Yet Perseus wasn't there.
The god scratched his head in confusion.
If Perseus wasn't anywhere to be found in the sea, and he was supposed to be in the sea…
Then where was he?
Oh dear. They were truly fucked if he was there.
A spear crossed over a spear appeared above his head, prompting Poseidon to flash to the meeting.
An invisible bump hit him, causing him to stop dead in his tracks, forcing him out of the metaphysical plane. He grunted, sitting up and realizing that he was now on the ground. The sea god grumbled, getting up and wiping to get the dust off his clothes.
Poseidon groaned, realizing that he'd have to walk the rest of the way, since Perseus had banned all metaphysical presences in the vicinity, and hence, had banned flashing, shadow traveling, mist traveling, flame traveling, among many others. Only the god himself had access to flashing through the building.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Poseidon furiously bounded through the large doors, taking a sharp right and several more turns before arriving at the room. He pushed through the door, stopping in his tracks as all eyes turned to him.
Orange torches lit the walls, casting shadows all over the room, giving it a sort of eerie, backroom deal vibe.
Poseidon, realizing he was standing like a buffoon, took a seat at the table.
Hushed whispers emerged, some of what had happened, began to fill the room, until theories and speculations were thrown around, and everyone began shouting, trying to get one's own voice heard over the others.
Pallas tried yelling, but none of them would silence themselves. The titan of warcraft slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, effectively shutting up the group of immortals.
"Silence! You are acting like a bunch of children," he roared furiously, causing even some of the titans to cringe away from him.
"Thank you. The shockwave you just felt was Perseus being defeated by some being. If any of you have any ideas about his whereabouts, please come forth."
The sea god called out, drawing everyone's attention to him, "I sensed him in my domain, yet I could not find him; I fear he is in the realm of the Trench" he took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he feared the death of his brother yet again.
Panicked whispers began to fill the room; how would they find him if he was in the Trench?"
"Silence yourselves!" the titan of strength boomed, and so everyone shut their mouths, fearing his wrath.
Poseidon silently thanked Atlas, continuing, "The Trench is unexplored territory to even my predecessor, Oceanus. Pontus has full authority over the Trench. My brother is at his mercy now."
A somber-faced Pallas, who was brother in all but blood to Perseus, stepped forth, commanding all to his attention, "This is indeed horrid news. However, we must proceed with caution and hope that Perseus can get himself out of the trench. As Perseus' personal second in command, I will assume temporary leadership unless any want to challenge me. Any challengers present, step forth."
The titan of warcraft passed a glance at Atlas, expecting the titan of strength to challenge him, but it didn't come. Nor did Menoetius, Poseidon, Hades, and Mars, who was still weak from the death of his Greek counterpart.
"Very well then. The first order of action is to, obviously, continue infiltrating the demigod camps. Additionally, our spies have noticed the titan Hyperion and a group of troops moving towards Mount Saint Helens, successor of Mount Etna. They seek to reinforce telekhines there, most likely remaking the Scythe, or to free Typhon. If you recall, Perseus defeated Typhon singlehandedly, but we cannot afford the risk. Menoetius, take the three huntresses and Hecate, and move to intercept them. Make sure Hyperion does not get out unscathed."
Menoetius nodded, and Pallas took a deep breath, "Koios, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, and Prometheus are on the loose. They travel with a massive monster army, and they move to hit our largest forge in Montana. The combined intellect of Koios and Prometheus cannot be ignored, and three major titans is something nearly unstoppable. Atlas, Mars, Hades, Kratos, Thanatos, Heracles, the two demigods of Hades, and myself will stop them."
"Ones who I have called, prepare to leave. The rest of you, pour through the ancient scrolls in the library to find ways to reach Perseus."
The rest of the group nodded in assent, as the two other groups flashed away.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" a being boomed upon his throne; his face as dark as a thundercloud.
"Please, father, let her speak first," Athena pleaded, trying to save her sister from her demise.
Artemis rose to glare defiantly at her father. Despite Apollo having patched her up, her clothes were still stained with blood, the mark of a traitor.
"The titan Atlas escaped, and my three most experienced and most trusted huntresses have left me."
With every word his daughter spoke, Zeus seemed to become more and more enraged.
"However, there was a shockwave halo of gold before they left immediately afterwards."
A sinister smirk began to form itself on Zeus' lips, as he started rejoicing, "A shockwave halo of gold means that Perseus has fallen once more!"
Half of the council began to rejoice, and the other half felt numb.
The stupid lightning god jumped off his throne, performing a silly dance as Dionysus sensed that it was time to get drunk, passing around bottles of fine wine.
"Party this evening!" Zeus announced, making Dionysus grin with madness and anticipation.
Zeus flashed out, forgetting to even end the meeting, as others followed suit. Artemis, Apollo, Athena, and Hermes remained behind to wallow in their misery, as Hephaestus sat on his throne, tinkering away without a care in the world.
"You know," the forge god commented, prompting the other four to look at him, "Perseus is a good fellow."
The red-eyed Athena raised an eyebrow at Hephaestus, far too tired to speak. The forge god obliged at the unspoken request, "He is my friend, and has been for some less than five mortal years."
"I had passed time in the forge millennia before then," the crippled god said, with glistening, unshed tears in his eyes, "My wife always off frolicking with other men, if not Ares. Soon I found myself working on all types of machines, always seeking perfection. I frequently created, making things that contain a treasure I cannot possess. Never socializing, always stuck in my forge. One day, I decided to have a walk in the woods. That is where I met Perseus. The first thing he said to me was a joke about volcanoes and mountains, our domains."
The four nephews and nieces let out a half-sob, half-chuckle at that. It sounded just like their uncle.
"He didn't care about my condition; he simply saw me and treated me as a friend. Noble of heart, strong of mind he was. Do not fret. He will survive, and he will come back harder than before."
Hephaestus finished his mini-speech, surprised that he could do such a thing.
"Do not take it hard on yourself. Perseus will find it in himself to forgive you."
Hephaestus flashed away, leaving the four gods to awkwardly glance at each other in the throne room.
Perseus woke with a shuddering breath, his chest shaking in pain. Despite such, he forced himself to sit up as the aching pain now exploded throughout his entire body. He leaned on his arms uncomfortably, looking down to see his entire body wrapped in bandages. Sweat dripped slowly on his forehead as he took time to glance at his surroundings.
He was laying in a soft, large, white bed in a spacious, modern room. Soft yellow, moon mist crystals cast a dim glow across the room, making him want to fall back asleep, but he had lingered long enough.
With a forceful grunt, he sat up in pain, pulling the soft bedsheets off of himself.
He slipped off the edge of the bed, rising with a sigh and turning towards the doorway.
The entire house's main theme was a creamy white, and Perseus could see that it was a modern house. Vases adorned the dining room, and Perseus finally made it outside.
Perseus immediately blocked the sun's rays with his arm to ward off the irritating beams of light shredding his retinas.
After his eyes had some time to adjust to the blinding lights, he lowered his arm, taking in his surroundings.
He was on an island. A beautiful one at that.
Various plants from different regions of the world were present, somehow living harmoniously in one place. The air was thick with the sweet scent of all the flora, and the sound of wildlife filled the air.
Faintly, over the chirping of the birds, the buzz of the bugs, and the lapping of the waves, he was able to hear the voice of a woman.
She sang beautifully, the notes drifting happily through the air of the island to meet his ears.
He turned towards the singing voice, allowing himself to be enchanted as the woman unknowingly drew him in. He felt at peace, bathing in the song as it overpowered his other senses.
After walking for some time, he came to a clearing.
The woman, sensing him, turned around, and to the disappointment of Perseus, ended her song.
"It's beautiful, the song, that is," Perseus told her sincerely.
The woman straightened herself, her eyes rising to meet his, "Thank you, brave hero."
She blushed a slight golden, realizing who she was looking at; unbeknownst to her, Perseus was doing the same.
Soft, hazel almond eyes met his dark black, both taking in the sights of each other.
He would be lying if he said his breath didn't hitch for a moment.
Wavy, caramel hair cascaded towards her slim shoulders, falling lazily atop them, beautifully framing her face. She had high, regal cheekbones adorning her face as if she was some sort of princess, and her lips were upturned into a beautiful, soft smile. Subconsciously, without his knowledge, Perseus reciprocated the smile.
To be honest, he thought she looked a hell of a lot like Zoe, just much more upbeat.
"I am Perseus," he introduced himself.
The woman smiled sweetly at the tired god, "I know. My name is Calypso."
AN: Liked the cliffhanger?
Warning: I have changed the lore for Calypso and Ogygia, because it wouldn't work otherwise.
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