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Scars of Fog
Ascension of the Fallen: Chapter 21
In a forest on the coast of Nova Scotia
Not a word was spoken between the two; the tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.
"Olympian."
He didn't even acknowledge her name, greeting with such a frigid tone that the goddess flinched a little.
"P-perseus…"
Even months after his return, his presence still shook her as unshed tears pooled in her brilliant silver eyes.
"It's Lord Perseus to you."
He flared his aura, bringing the moon goddess to her knees. It was utterly suffocating; the immense power he held made her feel like a mere ant beneath his feet.
He stalked towards her like a hunter stalking its prey, as Artemis stared down at the ground, refusing to see his dark orbs, which were undoubtedly filled with hatred.
She trembled, hearing his footsteps come closer and closer. Tears dripped from her eyes onto her shaking hands and the ground.
"Look at what you have done to me."
She shook her head, partly in denial and partly in sadness, but Perseus grabbed her chin, jerking it upwards, causing silver to meet mesmerizing black.
The goddess of the hunt quivered at his betrayed inky pools of onyx.
"I am a monument to all your sins."
The limbal rings in his eyes began to glow gold as wisps of time surrounding his body blasted her backwards.
"I saved your mother Leto from the wrath of Hera. I raised you, taught you archery and the art of fighting, and took you on your very first hunt. I suggested the Hunt and co-founded it with you. And what did you do?What did you do?"
The goddess, her body wracked with sobs, couldn't answer, her previously shiny auburn hair looking dull and lifeless.
He ignored her, however.
"Let us begin, shall we? Of course, we shall!" he shouted in mock joy and sarcasm, "the tale of the immortal huntress, the great Phoebe Artemis!"
The god of darkness started listing out her sins, counting with his fingers.
"The slaughtering of Niobe's children with Apollo. Hestia and I imparted lessons onto you two. Yet the twin archers were always brash and hot-headed. You, of all people, should know that children are just children. Why punish Niobe's children for her insolence? This is by far your worst atrocity, but at least you can find solace in that Apollo shares the blame."
He tsked, putting one finger up.
"Sipriotes. He spotted you bathing, and despite begging for forgiveness, you changed him into a female. Not as bad as some of your other sins, yet it's downright terrifying, at least to me. I'd rather die than become a female."
The god knew that would get a rise out of the sobbing Artemis, and the immortal huntress lunged at him as he caught her throat in one hand.
He slammed her into the ground with one hand, knocking the wind out of her. She struggled in his grasp, as he paused to examine her as if she was an animal.
Perseus tossed her against a tree as if she were a ragdoll in the wind. She slumped against the tree in defeat.
"Let us continue. Three. Kallisto, one of your favorite huntresses. Despite it not being her fault that Zeus seduced her, you turned Kallisto, a pregnant woman at the time, into an animal, a bear to be specific, also hiding the fact from your Hunt. You didn't even let her leave the Hunt. After you turned Kallisto into a bear, you proceeded to hunt her down while she was a pregnant bear… at least she gave birth to a human baby, Arcas, who would go on to rule Arcadia and become one of the world's greatest hunters to walk Gaea. Your hunters would kill Kallisto, and none would be the wiser about the event."
Artemis had her head in her hands, and when she looked up, her dull eyes were now blood-shot, as Perseus snorted in derision.
"Ooh and last but not least, my Fall. I had righteously defeated Zeus, and yet…"
He paused for a moment before continuing, "I got stabbed in the back by who? Artemis, Athena, Apollo, and Hermes. My four nephews and nieces, who I'd raised, who I'd never thought would backstab me. I have to admit that you and Athena betraying me stung most. Hestia informed me you, Apollo, and Hermes were 'innocent' due to blackmail from the limp-dicked lightning god, while Athena was drugged. I could have protected you and your hunters from his wrath, even if he returned from the Pit. Another sin due to your brashness."
Artemis sat against the trunk of the tree, unmoving as she stared lifelessly at her hands, tears trickling down her face.
Perseus looked at the huntress in pity, his face softening just slightly.
Despite his cold exterior towards his niece, part of him couldn't help but feel pity for her, and his cold demeanor cracked ever so slightly.
He sighed, "Despite your prideful and hot-headed attitude, I don't entirely blame you; Zeus did blackmail you, for one."
The moon goddess snapped her head up to look at him, her silver eyes silently pleading for forgiveness.
The god of darkness continued, "For another, one's domain is their nature. Take the war god, Ares, for example. Ares represents war; it's bloody, brutal, and impetuous. Although I hate the bastard, his impulsiveness and brutishness come from his domain of war. That is his nature, forced upon him by his domain of reckless war.
Now, take someone like Athena. She holds warfare and wisdom, among other domains. Warfare is the act of war, the 'carrying out' of war. Warfare has tactics, strategies, unlike the simple, brutal war that Ares represents. This is why Athena has bested Ares time and time again, and why she is extremely methodical in her fights. Yet her numerous domains like wisdom, civilization, and strategy, along with her victories have sky-rocketed her hubris, almost to the extent of that which Zeus possesses.
Zeus is the god of honor and justice, yes, but his personal nature has overtaken the nature of his domains. He neglects the domains, so often that they have become beyond weak."
Artemis was listening with rapt attention, as if she was a child of Athena in a lecture given by the wisdom goddess herself.
Perseus sighed, "Sorry, I was rambling. You cannot let your domains overtake you, yet you must also utilize your domains, and be in touch. You must find the perfect balance, niece. Your domains of hunting, the wilderness, and the forests have overtaken you from the very beginning. Nature is mercurial, and it has imposed itself upon you."
"Control your domains, moon goddess, or they will control you."
A few weeks later
The full moon hovered high in the night sky, shining brightly as it overlooked the dark forest and casting pale white, ghostly shadows onto the treetops.
The night was oddly silent, animals of the forest hiding away from someone. Or something.
A man spun around suddenly as the night seemed to darken itself, dark clouds blocking the moon from casting its ethereal white glow onto the trees.
He stiffened, expanding his senses to feel nothing.
Yet his instincts told him otherwise.
He heard a quiet rustle in the bush behind him, and he whipped around, silently sending a throwing knife through the bush to find nothing.
"Mars Ultor."
The voice permeated the clearing all around him, as Mars listened without responding, his muscles taut in preparation.
He heard another rustle to his left, but the quick-thinking god dropped low, allowing a celestial bronze knife to fly over his head.
A figure stepped out into the clearing.
Everything about him screamed hunter.
He strode towards the god with a hunter's grace.
Easily six feet tall, he had a lean, wiry figure and was dressed in hunter's garb with light silver armor underneath. The man seemed to have a dimmed aura around him, as if he were concealing it. A glowing bow was strapped to his back, and he idly flipped a pair of hunting knives in his hands. Menacing silver eyes and upturned lips were the only features he could make out from under the man's hood.
Mars narrowed his eyes, "Lelantos."
The least worshipped of the titans, Lelantos was often forgotten by most mortals, and rightfully so. Despite being more powerful than Artemis, or Diana, his domains were limited to hunting, and no recognition turned Lelantos into just another immortal blinded by a thirst for vengeance against the gods.
The man gave a sinister smirk from underneath his hood, one that sent chills down the back of Mars' spine. His aura radiated full confidence, bordering on arrogance, yet he held himself carefully, knees bent at an almost imperceptible angle and muscles taut, ready to engage if needed.
"Mars Ultor. The god of war himself, whose name strikes fear into the heart of the enemy…"
The god of war ignored all the rambling, for he spotted a strange glow around Lelantos that disappeared as soon as it came, so quickly that he partly didn't believe it'd been there at all.
"…and I will be the one to end you."
Mars shrugged nonchalantly, throwing another three knives towards the titan, who bent backwards to avoid the knives.
The war god crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds, swinging his pulsing battle axe upwards, yet the ever so agile Lelantos side stepped and delivered an open-palm punch to the chest.
It should have been nothing, and Mars should have felt nothing.
Yet a crushing force worthy of the titan of strength himself hit his chest, and Mars skid backwards through the forest more than seventy meters, a trail of dust kicking up in his wake.
Mars battered off several arrows with his shield, firing a beam of divine energy.
It sheared through trees, wood nymphs ducking away lest they suffer the two immortals' wrath.
Lelantos dodged, randomly sending a column of silvery fire towards the god.
He widened his eyes in surprise. Since when did Lelantos could wield fire?
He didn't have time to ponder the question as Mars ducked behind his shield, bracing for another beam coming his way.
The impact force sent Mars skidding. Lelantos' fire was blazing hot, even hotter than the inside of Vulcan's forges. Mars felt parts of his shield melting off from the heat, and his beard and hair were singed slightly from the blaze.
Mars peeked over his shield only to give a very manly yelp and duck in surprise as a pulsing silver arrow gave him a haircut, plowing straight through the tree behind him.
He dropped his axe in favor of a blade, realizing that the axe would never touch the titan of hunting.
The god crossed blades with Lelantos again, noting the agile grace that the titan of hunting employed. The titan irritatingly weaved in and out of strikes, returning with lightning fast strikes of their own, which Mars shrugged off easily. Mars landed a sweeping strike to Lelantos' leg, and the hunter hissed in pain.
The titan lit up his knives with a silver fire, and Mars narrowed his eyes warily.
A clang sounded throughout the clearing as they met blades once again, each struggling to gain the advantage over the other.
Back and forth they went, neither gaining an advantage. Being the titan of hunting, Lelantos fought with a hunter's grace that not even Artemis herself could achieve, and his status as the forgotten and unworshipped titan fueled his energy to keep on going. He exemplified patience, always waiting for openings that Mars unintentionally gave him. However, Mars was the god of war, and unlike his buffoon Greek counterpart, he was the embodiment of all aspects of war, not only the bloody part. The god often utilized tactics and strategy, adapting his style to match Lelantos'. Mars was the physically stronger of the two, able to overpower the titan over and over, yet he didn't, knowing that Lelantos would bait him into losing balance.
They went on for hours, as sweat poured down their bodies, grime visible on both their faces.
Mars feigned fatigue, slowly trying to back away as Lelantos, who only wanted to finish the fight, advanced without a second thought. The god purposefully left a flaw in his stance.
The titan of the hunt went straight for it. Too late did he see Mars' smirking grin as the god sidestepped cleanly, butting the dome of Lelantos' head with the pommel of his sword.
The utterly exhausted titan collapsed immediately without a fight. The god of war sagged his shoulders in tiredness. Lelantos had the strange ability to control fire, something that only Hyperion of the titans should have had. If it were a demigod wielding the fire, Mars would've concluded that he'd been blessed. Yet the fire was both silver and wielded by a titan whose domains didn't include such.
He raised his sword, preparing to end the titan.
He swung downwards, yet a clang echoed throughout the clearing. A red, flaming great sword had stopped him.
Mars turned to his right to see a seven-foot immortal towering over him, a screaming helmet with two horns on his head. He wore intricate, red armor, flames flickering around him. The ground beneath his feet was scorched black, as if the immortal was a wildfire himself. Merely being in his presence made Mars' skin scorching hot.
He sighed, "I'm guessing you're not my friend."
The being seemed to curl its lips upward in slight amusement, tilting its head.
"You know you shouldn't be igniting yourself in a forest right. You're a wildfire hazard. Care to introduce yourself to the neighborhood?"
"They call me Slaine."
Slaine raised one hand towards Mars, and the god braced himself with his shield.
Flames hit his shield, and Mars felt it disintegrate into nothingness before the beam of flame slammed into his chest with full force, burning off his armor.
Still Mars stood his ground, skidding backwards as the beam finally ended and his armor ended up utterly smoked.
"There goes my favorite chest plate," he grumbled in annoyance. Reaching into his bag, he brought out five pieces of ambrosia, which he popped into his mouth, instantly feeling his energy regenerate. He was about to eat more, but Slaine ignited the bag on fire, burning the rest of his food.
"Fuck you dipshit!"
He ignored him, rushing towards him with immense speed and throwing a wild haymaker at Mars, who blocked with his forearms.
Well, tried to block.
His bones cracked under the force, and the god hissed in pain as he was forced to retreat.
"Enough games, godling."
The being unslung his great sword and brought it down in a powerful strike, shaking the earth. Cracks appeared along the ground, as Gaea herself shook like she was waking from her deep slumber. A great ravine formed from the impact. The god could feel the malevolent, depressing aura from where he stood, understanding that it led straight to Tartarus.
Mars, reacting immediately, stepped inside the being's guard, and pierced the chink of the being's armor with his dagger. The being barely flinched, backhanding Mars into the ravine. Mars clung to all that he could, and luckily for him, he landed on a small crevice.
Slaine jumped down and created a foothold for himself. He lit himself on fire as he paved his way towards Mars, who drew his spear.
He was getting tired of this.
In an incredible act of strength, Mars pushed off his crevice onto the opposite side of the ravine, a nearly twenty-foot distance covered by the god.
He leapt back, trying to surprise Slaine, but the immortal saw him midair and swung at him. The great sword hit his midsection perfectly, and although his armor protected him from the brunt of the impact, that was not to say there was no internal damage.
Like a comet, his lifeless body flew far into the sky, hundreds of miles traveled in the air as the mortals thought it was bird.
Mars' body landed, it cleaved the forest in two, breaking the sound barrier as it skidded to a stop in the Field of Mars.
The Arena
Perseus took some time to examine his newly forged blade.
When he had thrust it into Oceanus' chest, it had been a piece of hastily crafted, warped metal, one that Hephaestus would cringe at if he saw it. Now, it had molded itself into a double-sided sleek yet powerful black blade, with a streak of gold running down the middle. A large black diamond formed the pommel, with a black adamantine cross guard. Two fullers ran down each side of the blade, lightening it and increasing its strength. The handle was made of gemstone, with grooves carved in that fit his fingers just right. The blade hummed beautifully in his hand, gold strands of time swirling around it.
He flipped the blade in his hand, testing it out.
It was perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
Zoferos would be its name, he decided. The blade seemed to hum in agreement, as if it were sentient.
However, he frowned a bit upon feeling a significant crack inside the sword, as if there was a rift threatening the very integrity of the blade.
Eh. Heph would fix it for him, then maybe he'd take it for a dip in the Styx to strengthen it even further.
He did need a little pain endurance boost; after all, it'd been millennia since his regular dips in the Styx to enhance his strength and pain endurance.
Styx never turned down his dips in the river, and she was always very welcoming, even offering to tone down the pain of her river, but he'd declined it every time.
He'd overheard Nemesis and Hecate teasing Styx about not being able to sleep for days after he bathed in her river and watched as the goddess' face turned bright gold at being caught.
His new blade needed a boost in structural integrity and perhaps elemental strength, and he could increase his pain tolerance along with paying Hades and Styx a little visit.
"Ready to lose, Perseus?"
The god looked up to see an energetic Thalia bouncing on the balls of her feet, along with Bianca and Nico who looked a lot more nervous than the daughter of Zeus. And they should be. After all, he wouldn't go easy on them.
Hades sat on the sidelines, making eye contact with Perseus as an unspoken message passed between the two gods.
Fine.
He would go easy on them.
Well, not too easy.
Perseus snorted at the ever so cocky Thalia, "Make sure to remind me to buy you a bed so you can keep dreaming."
He grinned in amusement when he noticed Thalia's eye twitch in annoyance, and she flung a bolt of lightning towards the god, who raised a pillar of earth to block the bolt.
Perseus sensed the two children of Hades through the shadow realm, and he grinned, easily forcing them out of the shadow realm.
The two materialized on the ground, confused and disoriented. Bianca heaved her morning breakfast onto the arena floor, and Nico hunched over, rubbing his temples in pain.
Meanwhile, Thalia lunged at him with her spear, which Perseus easily swatted away. He slammed his boot into Thalia's chest, knocking the wind out of her and cracking her sternum. The demigoddess wheezed in pain, taking several steps backwards before promptly tripping on a pebble and falling
Perseus turned around to see a woozy Bianca charging at him. The god sidestepped and gave her a little push to the small of her back. The daughter of Hades lost her balance and gracefully face planted into the ground. He snickered, blocking Nico's clumsy sword strike without even looking at him and knocked him out with the pommel of his sword.
He froze Thalia with a snap of his fingers, hearing the girl yell at him in frustration.
The god grinned, summoning a bean bag and a juice box as he closed his eyes, deciding to take a quick nap. After all, a god needed his beauty sleep.
She tried to break free of the time hold that he had on her, but he was too strong, and she could only settle for moving at a snail's pace.
The god sensed Bianca charging at him, and he grinned evilly as an idea manifested in his head.
He quickly froze her, weaving an intricate time loop inside the realm of shadows. He unfroze Bianca and formed a portal under her feet, dropping her into the shadow realm.
He'd go check on her in around fifteen minutes.
Turning to check on Thalia, he noted that she had traveled an astonishing distance of one and a half inches; half an inch more than expected.
"RELEASE ME PERSEUS!" she growled, her face purple with rage.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, that's not very polite Thalia," he put on a fake thinking face, stroking his imaginary beard, "maybe if you say the magic word, I'll let you go."
"FUCK YOU!" the ever so elegantly worded demigoddess replied.
"You wish."
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his gloomy brother shaking with laughter.
The daughter of Zeus blushed a furious crimson, stammering, "J-just let me go, please."
"Hmmm… how about… no."
Perseus yawned, rubbing his eyes as he tuned out Thalia screaming obscenities at him.
Finishing his juice box, he laid back on his beanbag, waiting for a couple more minutes before snapping his fingers.
Bianca fell hard onto the ground, her dark hair covering parts of her face. She glared at the god, who cheekily waved back.
"I HAVE BEEN FALLING," she panted, "FOR THIRTY MINUTES!"
AN: How'd you like it? I don't even know how many references I made, first one to find each gets 100 cookie points.
Shout out to GodOfFamine on FFN for the name of Perseus' blade.
Got inspiration from TheSonofTartarus (FFN and Wattpad) for the Styx bathing idea.
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Heres an inspirational quote that I randomly found:
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible." – T.E. Lawrence
Til next time!
-thann3