Sally came out of the kitchen with an apron tied around her waist. "Did you find what you went looking for?" She asked with a kind smile. Perseus relaxed immediately at the sight of her.
"Yes, mom. I did. I'd like you to meet Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Luke, son of Hermes, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena." Perseus steps aside introducing the Greek trio.
"Greek demigods? Oh dear, this is news indeed. Well, they're welcome to stay as long as necessary." Sally says, wrinkling her eye brows in thought.
"I was just about to say that they wanted to stay for about a month. Anyway, have you seen Sigrún? I need to tell her something important." Perseus says in a grim tone.
"She's in the arena, you know where it is. You three, come with me. Let me show you your rooms and where you can clean up, and Perseus, you should take a shower too." Sally says, addressing all four of them.
"Yes, mother, I shall clean up." He smiles at her and the Greek trio and goes to his room.
Perseus looks at himself in the mirror, and he prefers this version of him. Strong, powerful, and tall. So much better than when he was younger. Back then, he was small and scrawny. Now, however, he's tall and muscular. Well, as muscular a twelve year old can be. Powerful and bright electric blue eyes that seem to glow with power, dark raven locks frame his regal face in a windswept manner. His face has drawn the attention of many a girl, with his royal cheek bones and powerful jawline, and he'll only continue to develop in looks and power.
He heads to the arena where Sigrún is. As he walks down the hall, he looks at the photos of him and his adoptive mother Sally. There is one for every year he's been alive. He notices once more that he has grown in more ways than he realized. When he nears the arena, he hears the clashing of steel on steel. 'Seems like Sigrún is sparring with someone.'
When he enters the arena he sees not Sigrún, but the two older Greek demigods engaged in a fierce spar. Perseus notices Sigrún standing off to the side observing. He goes to stand next to her.
"These young Greeks are impressive for their age, Perseus. That Thalia girl would make a fine valkyrie." Sigrún remarks as he stands next to her. As Sigrún says that, Thalia let's out a scream and raises her spear to the sky and a small bolt of lightning compared to his own drops from the sky and she directs it into Luke and he gets sent flying.
"Indeed. It's a good thing that the arena has no ceiling so I can freely practice my powers. Listen, I need to tell you something." Perseus says, with a little bit of fear in his voice.
Sigrún turns to him fully and raises an eyebrow, "What is it and why do you sound afraid?" She asks firmly, locking eyes with him.
Perseus feels as if she were looking into his soul, and he had been on the receiving end of it before. He stands straighter and squares his jaw. "I had a vision of the great fire giant Surtur himself. The Fates, both the Norns and the Moirai, visited and spoke to him. They said that Ragnarok was not meant for another millennium, and that Loki tricked the giants. That's why the sun and moon weren't devoured and why Fenrir wasn't present. When father's hammer was shattered into many shards, they were sent across the realms. At least one landed in Muspelheim, and the Fates decreed that Surtur is to guard it until their chosen warrior of fate came to claim it. Just before I woke up, he called out to me. He said he awaited me." He finishes his explanation breathlessly.
Sigrún stood there listening silently, absorbing the information. Her eyes became a blazing fury of rage and sadness. "Then I suppose that we shall train you to your fullest potential of mind, body, spirit, and power. We begin as soon as possible." She turns on her heel and starts crisply walking away.
"Wait! There's another thing!" Perseus calls, "The Fates decreed that Surtur may challenge and test me to see if I'm worthy." He finishes. Sigrún nods and continues to walk away.
As the two finish their conversation, Perseus turns back to the sparring match between Luke and Thalia just in time for Perseus to see Thalia disarm Luke, sending his sword flying. She kicks his knee sending him down to one leg, and she levels her spear at his throat.
"Yield Luke! Face it, you can't beat me yet." Thalia exclaims.
"Alright, alright! I yield. Sheesh! You don't have to rub it in every time." Luke grumbles in fond annoyance.
Perseus claps slowly making his presence known. "Well done, and well fought! Truly impressive, but both of you can be better. Every warrior can be better." He says walking into the fighting pit. The two Greeks flinch in surprise.
Luke glares at him, "Yeah? You think you're so good, why don't you fight both me and Thalia!" Luke challenges, his pride taking a second hit in a matter of seconds.
Perseus narrows his eyes. "Very well. I accept your challenge, but don't expect me to hold back." He responds.
"Even better." Luke sneers at him with jealousy coursing through his veins, causing him to not think straight and underestimate his opponent.
Thalia looks back and forth between the two boys that are glaring heavily at each other, although to her it looked like Perseus was holding back his true glare. "Bring it boys." She says getting into the stance of a Greek hoplite with her spear and shield. Luke brandishes his xiphos in a mediocre manner. Perseus, meanwhile strips off his shirt to gain more mobility in typical viking fashion and summons his sword Worldender. Then, he summons his shield and gets into his combat stance.
"Bring it on, you two." He says in determination and his eyes glow electric blue with power. Luke charges first and makes a wild slash that Perseus easily sidesteps.
"Your first mistake. You underestimated your opponent and rushed in without a plan or studying me." Perseus states as he paries Thalia's thrust with her spear at the same time.
"Come on Thals! You can do better than that! You're to stiff, not using your shield and spear as a part of your body!" He remarks as he fluidly counter attacks with a shield bash, sending her back dazed. He steps aside just in time to dodge Luke's strike.
"Attacking while your opponent has their back turned? Dishonorable, son of Hermes!" Perseus exclaims as he goes onto the offensive, attacking ruthlessly with both his sword and shield. He has Luke on the retreat.
Luke is barely able to keep his sword up. Perseus just keeps battering him. While this is going on, Thalia has been staying back and observing Perseus and conserving her energy.
"Pathetic! You want to be able to protect your loved ones and your friends? With your current level of swordsmanship, you would only be an annoyance for a skilled opponent, and when they fight seriously you'll all be dead! Take advantage of your inherited speed, son of Hermes!" Perseus exclaims and disarms and knocks Luke out with a shield bash that sent him flying.
Perseus turns to Thalia. "And then there was one. I see you learned from your friend's as well as your mistakes. Let us see who is the better warrior and lightning user." He says calmly while twirling his sword and circling her.
They circle each other for a while keeping eye contact with each other. Then, as if on a silent signal, they rush forward and engage in firece combat. Both have lightning sparking off of them, Perseus with a deep electric blue, and Thalia with a cobalt blue. They move faster and faster becoming blurs, one pushing the other to the limit and the other getting serious and not holding back. With a final clash, both are sent flying to opposite sides of the arena with a bright flash and lightning arching throughout the arena in a dome like shape before fading away.
Perseus hits the wall hard, rattling him and his sword and shield are knocked out of his hands. Thalia was a bit worse. She hit the wall and lost her weapons as well, but she didn't have Perseus's strength or durability. She definitely cracked a few ribs but her competitive and prideful nature had her refusing to yield. She stands up with a groan and blurred vision.
Perseus on the other hand, has a wide, anticipating smile on his face. He rises to his feet with a light grunt. "Come, daughter of Zeus! Let us finish this!" He shouts in glee.
Thalia squares her jaw and stands up straighter. "Agreed. Let's finish this!"
Both combatants rush each other unarmed, going with good old fisticuffs. They fall into a pattern: punch, dodge, kick, counter for Perseus. Block, counter, kick, dodge for Thalia. Neither combatant gains the upper hand until Thalia's stamina gets too low. She threw a sloppy right hook, and Perseus counters by sidestepping and throwing to the ground.
"Do you yield, Thals?" Perseus asks, his raven locks falling across his brow and obscuring his face.
Thalia growls, "Never!" She stands up breathing hard with blood flowing down her face from a cut on her eye. She raises her arm with a cry in a last ditch effort to win, forgetting that he too has power over lightning far greater than her own.
The bolt comes down and she redirects it at Perseus. Perseus catches it and it arks around his body. He raises an eyebrow. "You want to play with lightning now? Very well. Here, Thals. I think this is yours. I want you to have it back." He extends his hand and the lightning hits Thalia, and in her weakened state it knocked her out. Her natural resistance saved her from being fried to a crisp, however.
Perseus looks around the arena in shock at the damage done to it. 'This is what happens when I cut loose? This could be bad unless I'm in a controlled environment...' he thinks.
"I know what you are thinking about, Perseus. You're afraid of what can happen when you don't hold back." Sigrún states from behind him.
"How can I not be afraid? Just look at all the damage..." He says softly and runs a hand through his hair.
"That's the point, Perseus. If you fear your power and don't learn to control it, your power will control you. That's why you must develop, control, and refine your power. That is what we will work on the next couple years. Because you are a god, and not a demigod it is essential you learn that because not only will your power grow, so will your godly aura and your blood will become more potent. When you turn eighteen, you will become fully immortal. You are lucky that you are invulnerable to all mortal weapons. But when it comes to divine weapons on the other hand, you are vulnerable, but it will still be difficult to completely kill you. Do you understand me young prince?" Sigrún explains to him.
Perseus nods, "I believe so, Sigrún. Thank you for the explanation." He says great fully.
"There is one more thing I must tell you, Perseus." Sigrún says carefully.
"Ok... What I it?" Perseus asks curiously.
Sigrún takes a breath and starts to speak. 'no going back now.' she thinks. "You, young Perseus are your father and mother's first born child. As you know that the first born of a deity is very powerful. You also know that your father is the second most powerful in our pantheon, and your mother is powerful enough in her own right as she is Queen of the Valkyries. That's why I insist you train with what I told you earlier. Your parents are proud of you, young prince." Sigrún explains.
Perseus looks at her in shock. He can't believe what he just heard, but the more he thinks about it, the more it actually makes sense.
"Ok... That was a lot to take in... Anyway, let's get our guests to the infirmary, ok?" Perseus says at last. Sigrún nods then smirks and walks away as he bends down to pick up Thalia, which he does with ease. He turns to pass her to Sigrún but she wasn't there. 'Of course, she's up to her games again.' he sighs and slings her over one shoulder and does the same for Luke on the opposite shoulder. He carries the two to the infirmary with ease. He sets them in different beds and goes to take another shower as he's drenched in sweat.
"Well. That was fun. Hopefully it humbled the son of Hermes without inciting his jealousy. I'll speak to them both when they wake up." He says out loud in thought as he walks to his room.
A/N: Alright! I'm real proud of this chapter, though I'm not sure about the fight scene. Like always, read and relax, and constructive criticism welcome. I just want to thank all of you for the positive and helpful feedback.
Disclaimer: I own none of this except for the plot and any OC's I put in this. All characters belong to Uncle Rick and Greco/Roman and Norse mythology.
Poll for the main ship because I haven't decided yet:
Pertemis
Perlia
Both