V - The Wild Destroyer: Age 8-10

I had been walking for several days now. Ever so often I would find a stream or pond where I could get water. I hadn't had food since the day before I first entered the woods. I had stopped to rest at a stream when I heard a roar behind me. I turned around quickly and saw a giant lion.

The look in his eyes told me I was to be his next meal or appetizer. I don't think I have enough meat in me. I took out my dagger ready to fight.

The Lion lunged at me and I lunged at him. Using my momentum I jumped onto its back and stabbed at his neck. To my surprise, the dagger just bounced off as if I had just stabbed a well-made shield. In my second of uncertainty, I felt the lion buck me off and I flew to the ground hard. I heard a crack as I felt my shoulder dislocate when I hit the ground. I groaned in pain and looked up at the lion towering above me.

"You're the Nemean Lion, Aren't you."

The Lion seemed to smirk and lunged at me again. I tried to roll out of the way but I felt one of his paws slash across the left side of my chest.

"That really hurt meany," I whined. My breathing was shallow.

I tried to stand up but I felt the Lion slam into my back. I went flying into a tree and collapsed at the base of it. I turned around and the Nemean Lion sauntered toward me. It lunged toward me, mouth open, ready to tear my head off. Thinking fast I formed a spear of shadows and in desperation shoved the spear into his mouth. The Nemean Lion looked at me in surprise as it turned into golden dust.

I sighed in relief. My whole body hurt from the fight that it almost gave out. I looked at the stream. Water. If I could get to the water I could heal myself. I tried to stand up but quickly collapsed. Seeing as walking wouldn't work I started dragging myself toward the stream. When I finally reached it I rolled on my back and fell asleep in the water.

When I woke up I was healed. I felt a stinging on my chest. It was the cut that the Lion gave me. There were 3 claw marks that covered my left peck. Well, I guess this is the same as the cursed blade.

I stood up and walked over to where I had fought with the monster. Golden dust still covered the ground but in the middle was a pelt. I grinned. This could be very useful.

I felt weak when I was fighting the Lion and wanted to be stronger. So I began to train as I was traveling randomly. As I was training and walking, I became faster with them and more agile.

After a year of this life, I became agile, stealthy. I was often traveling in the trees, feeling completely at ease in them. Well, not at first. I really struggled to climb them, and after that, to walk in the branches. But after a few months, it was like I became a part of the trees. running as fast as on the ground.

But where I was feeling at home was in the water. Whenever I was dipping in a stream Or the sea, I was relaxed. I learned to swim and to fish. Fishing was made easier when I learned I could sense them in the water.

I killed many Monsters. The nice thing about Monsters is that when you kill them you get spoils. For example, Stymphalian Birds drop good meat that can be eaten, When I fought against 3 drakons I gained a lot of drakon skin which I used to make myself boots and pouches to hold other spoils or weapons.

I made several tools and weapons to help me in my travels. Using bone and wood I made a spear. Using drakon liver and Wood I made a bow. I made arrows the same way as my spear.

From my time in the forest my rags I called clothes tore until they barely hung onto my body. Using my powers over shadows I learned I could morph the shadows into anything I wanted. So I used the shadows as pants and the Nemean lion pelt as something for my upper body. When I killed a giant crab I got some of its outer shells which I crafted into a helmet if I needed one.

Life was very peaceful but the peaceful life ended with a silver arrow.

I was resting on a branch, carving a small piece of wood into a small skull with wings with my dagger. I had taken up carving as a pastime. It helped me focus and It put me at ease. When suddenly I felt uneasy. I ducked and just above me whizzed a silver arrow.

I quickly slung my bow over my back, grabbed my spear, and jumped down to face whoever had shot at me.

Coming from behind a tree out walked a group of preteen girls.

"Tell me boy What are you doing near our camp!" Asked one of the girls. I understood what she said but, due to the lack of use, My voice was extinct. So I growled, to advert the girls to not approach.

My unusual answer, an animalistic growl took the Hunters aback. But they readied their bows. Feeling threatened, the girl who spoke before sneered.

"Look at that girls! A real male! An animal! It's time to hunt." My muscles tensed and I jumped in the tree, climbing so fast to them I was only a blur.

The huntresses looked up, trying to find me. But they couldn't see because of the thick canopy.

They made a circle, facing away from each other, but I quickly landed in the middle of everyone and tripped them down with a circular blow at their legs. They quickly got up and surrounded me. I count 6 in total. This is not a fair fight I whined in my head. A hunter lunged toward me but I sidestepped her, sending her into another one. Two more ran toward me from the left and I noticed them out of the corner of my eye. Jumping quickly I grabbed a low hanging branch and swung myself back into the canopy. I looked down and saw that they were all up again. I hopped back down and tried to clear my throat. "St… St…" I was trying to say stop attacking me but I was struggling. One of them lunged at me again and while I got away, she nicked me with her knife. I felt the blood run down my face.

I knew I could not win against them. So I ran toward the nearest tree and rushed up to it again. Then on low hanging branches, I swung where they could see me toward a larger area in the forest nearby. When I got there I grabbed my spear and started writing in the dirt. I knew I did not have much time with the hunters on my tale. But I needed to give them this message. When they found me I was just finishing. I quickly leaped up and sat on a branch above them. They raised their arrows at me and I started to frantically shake my head and pointed at my message. The girl who was clearly the leader stepped forward and began to read what I wrote.

The message was in ancient greek.

My name Is Perseus. I am sorry for attacking you but you attacked me first and I was only trying to defend myself. I have lived in this area for almost 6 months now and have not seen you around.

Just know that I didn't mean to growl at you. You all are the first contact with a person I have had in almost 2 years. And have not spoken so my voice has paid the price for that. Also, you shot at me.

I swear I have no intention of harming any of you in any way. Unless you choose to attack me then I will defend myself. If you want me to, I will find another place to inhabit away from where you are. I will leave you now.

When the girl was finished reading she looked at her fellow hunters. "Lady Artemis would be very interested in this boy." She looked up at me. "Come with us boy."

I shook my head, I felt something sharp pierce my leg. I looked down. A silver Arrow was stuck out of my leg. I glared down at them. "You will do as you're told, Boy." The Hunter who shot me said. The way she said the word boy was laced with malice. I pulled out the Arrow. I jumped down which hurt my leg then put up a hand to tell them to not come closer. I began to write furiously.

You've shot at me and attacked me for no other reason than me being male. Do you honestly think I would come with you willingly?

The answer is No I will not come with you. But if you want me to meet your Lady, I will wait here.

Don't shoot me again or I will leave.

After I was finished I jumped up out of their reach. After it was read the leader girl looked up at me thoughtfully. While the rest glared.

"How do we know he isn't trying to take advantage of Lady Artemis," one said. The others agreed. I looked at all of them in shock. Are they serious? First I'm nine and also really? I shook my head at them.

Suddenly the leader girl spoke up. "Let's summon Lady Artemis."

"But Polyphonte, he is a male." many protested.

'Polyphonte so that's her name' I thought.

The newly named Polyphonte closed her eyes and began to pray. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a beautiful girl with Auburn hair and silver eyes appeared. Polyphonte filled her in and she glared at me and raised her bow wand aimed it at me.

"Who are you boy."

I growled and hopped down to face her. I drew out my Dagger from my belt ready for a fight if need be. I felt the shadows grow closer and water around me started to grow thicker as if trying to protect their master.

"Perseus," Polyphonte started "This is Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt, our patron goddess."

I looked at her a bit fearfully. She was a god, a male-hating god. Around her was a large silver aura with interlacings of gold. I bowed to her.

I opened my mouth and tried to talk. Unfortunately only a weird sound came out of it and I flinched, annoyance, and defeat clearly visible on my face. I looked at Polyphonte and pleaded with her with my eyes. She nodded at me.

"Milady. This young boy was near our camp. We taunted him and tried to take him down with our arrows but before we could do anything, he climbed in the trees at blinding speed and managed to trip us all. When we attacked him he defended himself before running away to a larger area where he then explained to us writing in the dirt his story in vague lines." Artemis nodded and seemed vaguely impressed with the feat of the boy.

"So, what stopped you from killing him." Perseus scowled, his grip tightened on his weapon.

"We are his first contact in 2 years and he said he did not wish us harm." Artemis noticed the shadows getting closer and closer to the boy. "How do you have power overshadows boy, who is your godly parent?"

I shook my head. I would not tell her. It was like something was telling me not to.

She glared at me and I glared back. "I will be back, girls, I am taking this boy to Olympus."

I felt fear creep into my heart. Olympus was the last place I wanted to go to. Even Tartarus would be better. I started running. I heard footsteps behind me and knew I was being followed. I lunged toward the nearest tree and scampered up it. I began running through the canopy. Lunging, leaping, and running. I could still hear the hunters on my tale. I needed to get back to my hollow tree that housed my stuff. But I was running the wrong way. I started jumping back and forth between the ground and the trees trying to get them to lose my scent.

Maybe dad can help me out. 'Hey dad' I thought 'if you can hear me, I need some help.'

I heard a voice in my head 'what do you need son.'

'Could you help me out I am on the run from the hunters,' he laughed and I grumbled 'It's not that funny,'

'It kinda is,'

I growled 'Just help me out. I can't get to my stuff and I'm being chased.'

'Ok, ok, do you know what shadow traveling is.'

'No,'

'Ok as a part of your grandfather's powers you have the ability to move from a shadow to another shadow anywhere in the world that you have seen. But in this case, I can help you out. Run as fast as you can to the nearest shadow and think of running through it. I will have your grandpa Erebus control where you go.'

I spotted one near the foot of a tree. Suddenly I felt an arrow dig itself into my arm. I looked back and saw Artemis glaring at me. I stumbled a little then jumped toward the shadow. It was like I was falling through a dark tunnel and when it finally became light again I found myself in a very different forest. While in the last forest the wood was darker, however, these woods were a more tan color.

There was a giant flash and Thanatos appeared in front of me. "Hello Perseus," he grinned at me.

I grinned back. I looked down at his arms. In his hands, he held my drakon boots, my Nemean lion pelt, some of my food, and 2 of my bone knives. My grin faded. I tried to speak but it came out as a groan. Thankfully he understood.

"I put your other stuff in your room at the House of Nyx," I looked at him confused. "My mother Nyx, your grandmother has a giant mansion in Tartarus, your grandmother made a room for you there. Any of the stuff you don't need will now go to a chest in your room. Here I have gifts for you. He brought out 2 things. A belt and a pouch. This belt is a gift from your grandfather Erebus."

I looked at the belt. It was black with a white fabric skull with blue wings as the belt buckle. On its sides, it had a place to hold the pouch as well as other cool things. I opened the pouch and found something that looked like a black hole.

"It's a portal to your chest. You can grab anything from your chest and pull it from here. Just think of what you want when you reach in and it will appear in your hands. It's from your grandmother Nyx."

This thing was amazing.

"Finally I have a gift from me." He pulled out a rod with a place to put my hand. He gave it to me and I placed it in my left hand. I looked at him expectantly. He rolled his eyes. "Squeeze it." I did so and a beautiful black bow folded out from the rod. On its sides, it had carvings of death that seemed to be animated. My eyes filled with tears of happiness and I hugged him. "The rod has a fitting on your belt just so you know. Oh and the Bow is enchanted so that you just have to draw back your bowstring for the arrows to appear," he said. When I stepped back I finally had a chance to look around.

'Where are we,' I thought at him mentally.

"We are in Thessaly on Mount Pelion. I have brought you here because here is where you will continue your training. At the bottom of this hill is Chiron the centaur, Trainer of Heroes. You will take as much time as you need to get your voice back, then you will climb down and ask him to train you. You will tell him you're a child of Sparta and that you're a legacy of Poseidon but you will not talk of me or your grandparents." he said strictly. I frowned a little but nodded. "Also do not mention the Bow or Pouch because they could only be made by a Primordial or in this case the son of one."

"One final thing, during this time you may work on your shadow traveling but once you reach Chiron I will lock your powers you received from me and your grandfather." I frowned at him. "Think of it as a way of focusing on your Poseidon inheritance. I promise you that in 5 years when you are 15, I will come back and I will take you to the House of Nyx where we will train you. But for now, Chiron will help you with weapons and your water powers." I nodded, still a bit annoyed.

I spent 2 weeks talking to myself. For the first 2 days, it sounded like grunts and groans but by halfway through the second week I could talk again. I also became very skilled at shadow travel. I learned I could make shadows closer or larger as well which meant I had an easy way of escaping if I needed to.

When the second week was up and I started to head down the mountain, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I stumbled and fell on the ground. In front of me was a puddle. Nothing had changed except my eyes. My eyes which were always a dark violet with flecks of gold and black and had a circle of sea-green around the pupil were changed. The sea-green seemed to have enveloped the purple and only flecks of gold remained. I looked closer and my usual dark violet seemed to flicker through my eye like a wind in the green. In many ways, it felt like I was looking at a different person.

Righting myself I continued my walk toward the base of the mountain. When I reached it I found a cave with a centaur in front of it. The centaur looked like a younger man from the waist up, with long brown hair tied up in a knot, bushy eyebrows, intense brown eyes, and a clean-shaven face. His lower half was that of a white stallion.

I stepped into the light and looked at him. "Are you Chiron, son of Kronos and Rhea, Brother of the eldest gods and Trainer of Heroes,

He nodded.

"I need you to train me."

"Why?"

"I want to be strong to protect those I love… so I don't lose anyone else."

Chiron looked at the boy with pity in his eyes which made Perseus glare. "I do not want your pity Centaur. I came to train. That is all,"

"What is your name, child."

"My name is Perseus, child of Sparta and legacy of Poseidon."

Chapter 5 and we get to meet Chiron. This has been my longest chapter yet.