Author's Note: Big chapter for yah to enjoy! Loved the reviews and messages so keep them up! Now, quick thing to note;
1 - Updates will be weekly on Sunday nights or mornings. If by chance a delay is happening (I'll know since I write chapters in advance), I'll announce it for you all.
2 - It seems a very large grouping of readers wants Percy/Andromeda. I originally made so Percy wouldn't but I've gotten some input that it could match (And I can find anyone worthy of Andromeda otherwise). Anyways, I'm putting it to a final vote whether it happens or not. If it helps, they're Greek, are technically no longer related by blood, and if anyone is uncomfortable with it, I will put clear warnings before any sort of intimate scene (I do that anyways for any character pairings).
Otherwise, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I only own plot.
The night sky was cloudless as millions of tiny stars glittered in the perfectly black canvas. The winds barely above the gentlest breeze, a cool caress to any out at the hour as the new moon remained hidden. 'Looks like the huntress isn't out tonight … good,' a feminine figure thought as she looked out over a sheer cliff. Below her was an immense valley nestled between the Rockies and prairies beyond.
Her raven hair drifted slightly with the wind reached the back of her coppery thighs. Her athletic and full figure was barely hidden away by a short, strapless and sleeveless black dress that reached mid-thigh with slits at the sides reaching her hips for movement. She wore black drakon leather boots reaching just above her knees with slight heels and Tartarean Steel toes. Along her arms she wore separate sleeves with black Void crystal bracers and fingerless gloves. Tied at her hip was a long black chain with twin barbed knives each reaching a foot in length. Lastly were her bright green eyes like those of snakes staring out into the still night as she hummed to herself.
This woman was none other than one of the most dangerous and recognized monsters of Greek mythology, made lethal with her training and new pledge. This is Medusa.
At times she would open and close her hands, still experimenting with her new found strength. Her oath taken only days ago after the new council formed … and the consequences of such a pledge …
Two Days Ago
Medusa and Lamia stood side to side in their combat attire. Lamia being in a similar dress to Medusa only with the addition of a black leather jacket and Void crystal bracers and shoulder guards while her bow formed of Tartarean Steel was strapped to her back. Her creamy skin and bright blue eyes contrasting to her pitch black hair. Both stood straight and proud before their savior, their King, and not-really secret crush, Percy.
He looked at the pair sternly as well as a small table between them and two goblets of Stygian Iron. Inside the cups was bright green water provided directly by Lady Styx rather than obtained from her river. Medusa would have been lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Percy, along with all the other new protogenoi had such an overwhelming presence now, even when suppressed and it made her instincts go haywire. Part of her wanted to kneel and gravel, knowing she was beneath him in every sense of the word while another part of her wanted to jump him and be beneath him in all the right ways. Only her very rational fear of Rhea and now Hestia kept her at bay from trying, even though knowing Percy would never be unfaithful.
A rather annoying but positive aspect of his that she honestly loved even if it was working against her at the moment. She glanced to the side and noted that Lamia was also shuffling nervously with a shy glance directed at her King. If it wasn't the wrong time for it Medusa would have teased her mercilessly but now they stood at attention as Percy cleared his throat.
"Medusa, Lamia …" he said in a rich and deep voice making her shudder. "… Are you two ready for this? To swear your undying loyalty to me, for better or for worse, until the very end of days?"
Medusa and Lamia shared one glance before facing him without an ounce of doubt in their eyes as they said together. "We swear."
Percy looked at them intently before nodding and bringing up his hand to his mouth. He bit down on his palm, making use of his fangs as platinum ichor, another defining feature of these new protogenoi, dripped off his palm and into the two cups equally. The green water within the cups hissed as the platinum and green liquids swirled in a perfect balance. Percy soon stopped and Medusa watched as his injury healed within moments as shadows condensed around it before he picked up the cups and offered one to each.
Medusa took hers along with Lamia and the pair looked into the cups before downing them together. Medusa suddenly felt a burning pain surge through her veins but she bit her lips to prevent herself from screaming as her frame shook, Lamia not doing much better. The shadows writhed and withered around them, frost forming beneath their feet as their veins glowed in tones of gold. The agony only lasted for a few seconds but it felt like so much longer before she suddenly dropped to her knees panting, the darkness around them calming as well.
Sweat trailed off her brow as she looked up to the sound of Percy chuckling softly. She met his flaming black eyes as he looked at them with pride and care before he spoke.
"Well down ladies, your oaths are cemented. No longer are you mere monsters or even gods …" he said as he dropped to one knee and cupped each of their chins to keep their faces aimed at him even as both tried to suppress their blushes. "… You are now my right and left hands, my wraiths, my Shadows …"
Present
They were fully bonded to Percy now. Ichor flowed through their veins as they inherited abilities similar to their one and only master along with any gift obtained from their oaths. Medusa's strength rose to godly levels as well as her aptitude for swords while Lamia gained the senses and stamina of wolves making her a perfect huntress capable of tracking any target for hundreds of miles if needed. 'Hmm … I wonder if we will start hunting soon,' she thought with a small smirk before her senses picked up a familiar presence approaching as she turned her eyes to the night sky.
The fluttering of feathers and powerful beats forewarned the arrival of whom she searched for making her smile softly. There approached a magnificent white stallion with wings as grand as the rising dawn. She stepped back to allow some space as her son, the first and original Pegasus, landed before her in all his grandeur. His muscles coiled underneath his glowing coat as he turned to face her while tucking in his wings. His blackened muzzle, eyes, and hooves being the only thing to blemish his white coat and wings.
She watched as her son took her in after being separated from her for millennia thanks to her curse and presence befitting that of a monster. For some tense minutes they stood unmoving but then, with a small snort her son approached steadily. She made no move until her son, standing at 6 feet at the shoulder and his head towering over her, brought his head down and tenderly nuzzled her cheek. It made her smile the way only a mother could before she gently hugged his muzzled to her as he stepped closer.
"My son …" she said softly as she stroked his neck. "You've certainly grown."
She got an appreciative snort out of it before she leaned back slightly and looked directly.
"I don't know what the years have been like with your father," she spat out Poseidon's role in disgust. "But I ask now … would you stand by me instead?"
They locked eyes as she said that. No words needed to be said between them as their emotions seemed to pass through their touch. She could tell he'd missed her but had never been able to approach her, being forbidden by the gods ever since his birth. She had also been a monster for some time and being filled with so much hate only made her presence more intolerable for him but now she was different. The proof was in how he found her in only hours after she came to the surface for the first time in nearly a decade.
Her own love for her child and wish to form that maternal bond with him passed into him, letting him know that she cared little for how or why he was conceived, only that she loved him regardless. It was all made clear between the pair before her son snorted again and then nuzzled her in yes making her beam. She then leaned up on her toes and kissed his forehead … but more happened.
From her kiss a darkness like the richest ink spread through his coat. All the while he stood still, comforted in the warmth and presence of his mother as the darkness spread over him. The very night seemed to stir around them as the darkness seeped into Pegasus before he jerked slightly but relaxed soon once Medusa soothed him. Soon the darkness and shadows dispersed but now Pegasus was reborn. His coat now being as black as Percy in his wolf form and similar raven wings, Pegasus' eyes being icy blue completely as frost seemed to form along the ground beneath his hooves.
Medusa looked at her son in pride and felt their connection deepen to the point she took her hands off him and could still read his emotions to understand him. Her son looked at himself before rearing on his back legs proudly, approving of his new form as she smiled.
"You look good my son … now, you know where to go," she said before receiving a nod and quick nuzzling before Pegasus turned around.
He thundered off the cliff and took to the night sky, his new home as his body became one with the darkness. She watched him fly away with pride before she sighed as she looked down. The shadows seemed to seep together to form a puddle below her before she sank, leaving the cliff without a trace …
The shadows condensed to form Medusa again as she arrived at a familiar garden. She turned to the sight of the infamous Tree of Golden Apples. Off to the side the four Hesperides stood slack jawed with a grinning Percy beside them, his wings hidden and hood up to hide his face for the time being as they all stared at the tree. Still wrapped around the tree was Ladon but the massive dragon's hundred heads all were trained to the same spot. Sitting comfortably on the grass was Hestia with several of Ladon's heads resting around her, one even curled up partially on her lap as giving the dragon equivalent of a purr as Hestia, her wings also hidden, giggled and scratched the dragon's nose.
Medusa chuckled with amusement as she walked to Percy's side and watched as Hestia seemed to whisper to Ladon, the dragon purring and blowing snorts of approval before she, like Medusa had before, kissed his nose. From the kiss a crimson flames spread over Ladon but the dragon made no gesture of alarm. Soon the entire dragon's body was awash with the flames for several seconds without actually burning the floor or tree even as the temperature rose to the point the Hesperides were all sweating while Percy and Medusa remained as cool as cucumbers. After the flames dispersed Ladon was revealed with a new color. His scales gleamed like molten rubies with steam billowing off the dragon, his glowing orange eyes taking himself in.
Then the massive dragon stood up, the ground trembling at his movement as he uncoiled himself from the tree for the first time since being posted as the guard. Then, with a swipe of his left foreclaw, the dragon unearthed the tree, roots and all, before picking it up with several heads while the largest of the heads turned to face Hestia. She nodded as she waved her hand as a portal of fire opened before him, raising the ambient temperature even more. Good thing Percy erected a barrier to hide power for this or else the Olympians would have come running. Ladon didn't hesitate to walk through the portal, heading to the same location Medusa had sent Pegasus to. Once the dragon was through the portal closed and Hestia walked up to Percy, the silent Hesperides watching on in stunned silence.
Hestia giggled at Percy's smirk before giving him a quick kiss making Medusa a little jealous but she kept it hidden as the pair separated.
"We'll be waiting," Hestia said before she disappeared in a swirl of fire making Medusa breathe a little easier thanks to Hestia's chosen form of transport.
Hestia was still new to the power she had and tended to burn her surroundings when flashing so she stuck to flame teleportation for now … not that any of the new protogenoi were much better at the moment.
"So …" Medusa started as she glanced at the stunned girls with their eyes glued to the former location of Hera's little tree. "What now?"
"Now, I make good on my promise to Atlas," Percy said as he started to walk and Medusa fell in step behind him and slightly to his right.
She could hear the Hesperides shake themselves from their surprise and start to follow them making Medusa curious so she leaned closer and whispered to Percy.
"So why aren't they calling to Olympus or anything since we basically took the only reason they are here?"
"Hestia convinced them that her sister wanted the tree moved. They weren't that hard to convince to stay quiet and they don't remember the last time I was here. Now I think they're just too curious to see what I'll do to bother contacting the Olympians," he replied under his breath, too low for anyone other than Medusa to hear.
She nodded in understanding as they made their way up the mountain and to Atlas, the titan still in his personalized prison while turned to their direction. No doubt that he sensed the spikes in power with Ladon's change and the portal but then his eyes fell on Percy's approaching form.
"So …you've returned," the titan said, sounding surprised that Percy actually kept his word.
"Of course," Percy said before grinning as Atlas got a good read to his new power as Percy got close enough, even while suppressed.
Medusa snickered as the titan paled, probably now just realizing just how much of a threat Percy was … granted at the moment he only felt like a strong titan on par with Kronos. Now that she thought about it as she glanced back at the Hesperides, the four seemed to be standing on shaky legs while giving nervous glances to Percy. 'My-my, it seems my King has become quite the imposing figure,' she thought while barely restraining herself from licking her lips. She shook off those thoughts though before focusing back on Percy and Atlas.
"So, get ready to move over a little," Percy said casually as he walked up to the titan's side.
Without warning Percy gave Atlas a shoulder shove, pushing the surprised titan a couple of meters away while he barely kept himself from falling over. All the while Percy grunted a little as the weight of the skies dropped on him alone barely even getting him to slouch. Atlas approached with an incredulous look, eyeing Percy up and down.
"Just who are you?" Atlas asked with suspicion in his voice. "Nothing short of a god could hold that and certainly none bare Hercules or myself could with such ease."
"Oh please," Percy said as he looked at Atlas. "First off, Ouranus used to hold the skies with his thoughts alone and it was your father with his three brothers that wanted to play with the big kids so Ouranus divided the task between them. I can handle it easily."
"But who are you?" Atlas persisted as his daughters neared him while still looking at Percy and now Medusa nervously.
"Hmm," Percy hummed before grinning, his fangs flashing as he spoke again. "First that one order. I order you, Atlas, to take the portal opened for you and upon arrival, you will swear on the Styx to serve Rhea faithfully until she deems you fit to release from service." Atlas looked enraged at the trick but was stunned into silence as Percy flicked his hood back, letting Atlas see his face for the first time since all those years ago. "Yep, it's been a while big guy but we can catch up later."
With that a portal of shadows formed behind Atlas and before he could try to protest in any way Medusa moved. Launching herself like a cannon ball she dashed forward and jumped at Atlas before he could even notice her. With both feet she kicked Atlas in the chest, surprising the titan with her strength and sending him careening back through the portal before he could so much as utter a sound.
"Did you need to do that?" Percy asked in amusement as she looked back at him and grinned.
"I didn't want to hear him complaining about being unfair," she replied sweetly before looking at the silent Hesperides. "And you girls can follow after your father."
"Why? What are you going to do with us?" one of them asked with narrowed eyes but Medusa could tell that all four were terrified at the moment.
"Well do you really want to stick around?" Medusa asked with a shrug. "Your father isn't here and you can't guard the tree … just makes me wonder what will happen with you four in the hands of the Olympians now without any excuse." That got to them as all four shiver in fear and disgust, knowing the more than likely treatment they would receive if taken to Olympus.
"O-okay …" another one said as all four moved through the portal.
Once they were gone Percy allowed it to close before looking at Medusa again.
"You didn't need to scare them like that," he said in a slightly reprimanding tone but she replied with a pout.
"I wasn't lying though," she defended getting a shrug from him. "So what now?" she asked as she moved closer to him while looking out at the city off the mountain.
"We wait, Rhea and Thalia will handle the rest," he said as he rolled his arms to get them in a more comfortable position.
"Fine …" she drawled out as she sat down in front of him and the pair remained silent for a while.
"…"
"…"
"… So wanna play I spy?"
With Rhea
"So this is it?"
Rhea looked over her shoulder to Thalia as the pair continued to walk through a large clearing as a cool wind blew, the evergreens swaying slightly.
"Yep, we are making home here," she replied as she returned her attention to the clearing before her and scanning the flat land going on for miles in every direction.
"But Canada?" Thalia asked as she stepped up beside Rhea.
"What's wrong with Canada?" Rhea retorted with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing just," Thalia paused as she searched for words. "I don't know. Why not Quebec or something like that. We are in the middle of Ontario with nothing for over a hundred miles in any direction."
"That's true but it's a perfectly strategic location," she replied easily. "We are out in the wilderness which is my turf now, Canada has more and longer nights along with the cold meaning Percy will always have the advantage here but in the summer Jason will, and it's too far for the Olympians to have influence making it risky for them to even think about attacking us themselves."
"Won't stop them from sending armies," Thalia retorted but Rhea only grinned.
"Armies marching hundreds miles of wild terrain and at the mercy of the elements and wild animals along with any defenses we form. By all means, let them attack," she said before focusing on the land before her. "Now give me some silence please."
Thalia snorted in a reply but Rhea ignored it before she focused on the earth beneath her. She could feel the hum of life and power beneath her feet, both from the ground itself and the wildlife surrounding them. She could make out millions of little vibrations and movement made from the smallest animals and humans in the closest settlement to the very shift of the tectonic plates responding to her whim. Then, as she slowly raised one hand the earth around them shook as the life around her seemed to hold still with baited breath. A massive fissure rivaling some of the largest canyons started to form in front of her before a mountain started to jut out of the divided earth.
She maintained her focus all the while suppressing a smirk at the sight of Thalia beside her, the younger goddess looking on, god-smacked as the maintain grew before them and taking up the entire clearing and beyond. Rhea felt a few beads of sweat forming on her brow as she felt the earth around them tremble and move to allow the whole mountain to reveal itself, some parts of the rock faces blackened and scorched but there was nothing to be done about it. After all … she was raising this mountain from the very plains of Tartarus. After nearly an hour the whole mountain stood before them making them crane their heads up to even try to see the top.
Rhea took another breath before she focused on the mountain while raising her hands together as if holding it before tearing them apart. At her motion entire chunks of rock were violently torn off the mountain face and sides with billowing clouds of dust and gravel. Thalia waved her hand making a powerful gust to remove all the dust only to be stunned again at what was now revealed. Hidden by the exterior rock as a protective shell now removed, Thalia could see a winding path reminiscent of a snake curled up and leading from them up to the mountain top. As wide as a three lane highway and with a gentle incline before the very top seemed to run into a dead end 2/3s of the mountain.
"Come on," Rhea said as she willed her wings to appear before jumping and with a powerful beat, rose high into the sky.
Thalia tailed her quick enough and soon they were several thousand feet in the air facing the mountain face, the end of the path a ways under them.
"Why does the path stop into the mountain face?" Thalia asked but only got a sly smile from Rhea as a response.
"This is why," Rhea answered as she waved her hand and like a broken egg, the top of the mountain cracked.
It rumbled for a while as it fell open and off the mountain top, the sight only getting Rhea to smile more while Thalia had a far more extreme reaction.
"No fucking way!" she shouted as her eyes glowed more in excitement.
"Way," Rhea snickered.
Now revealed to the world was a city nearly double the size of Olympus. With a grand archway at the top of the path, a city of marble and obsidian seemed to glow in the night. The buildings were built much like the designs of Anglo-Saxon Europe but given archways and columns reminiscent of Greek times. The roadways were illuminated by solid light lamp posts as the paths curled in and up. The city had three divisions separated by a raise in elevation and a marking archway with a gate. The lowest and largest seemed to have the most space with few homes and large storages for all kinds of supplies next to obviously free expanses of land meant for farming.
Rhea even noted a large barracks built not too far from the main entrance, just far enough to not seem imposing over the entrance but close enough that any soldier could reach the gates in a few minutes and from the larger observations towers along the roof, a ballista could easily be aimed at the entrance too. The next level in was built for residential districts and shops with multi-level buildings and raised pathways to reach higher buildings. Higher archways and paths on the roofs of some buildings also stood out as paths for soldiers and check points with the occasional watch tower for sentries.
Lastly on the top level were simple temples but rather than built with designs to represent any one of their loyal gods or the protogenoi themselves, they remained mostly blank. Rhea knew that later one each temple would be converted later on and possibly more added to create a physical link for each new god allying with them. Then, right in the center was the largest temple with several separate wings and even a tower topped with an observatory and garden in a large courtyard to the back. Rhea scanned over every inch as she hovered forward in the direction of the main temple.
"What is all this?" Thalia asked in awe beside her as the pair moved on.
"A parting gift left by Nyx and the others," Rhea answered as she looked at Thalia. "It was her idea and she made it in secret with the other previous protogenoi for us. Our own city to protect and care for … though I think we'll need to decorate a little more."
"And how did you know about it?" Thalia asked her curiously as she moved in front of Rhea and flew backwards without pause.
"Tartarus showed me the day after we formed the new council," she replied easily.
"And the main temple? Is that where we'll live?" Thalia asked while jerking her thumb backwards.
"No," Rhea replied while shaking her head. "Think of it as the official HQ for our council. Our throne room and several offices are located there for us to receive reports and requesting needing our attention."
"Then where do we live?" Thalia asked with a frown.
"Don't you own the Palace of the Skies now?" Rhea retorted making Thalia blush in slight embarrassment.
"Yeah … I guess I do," she replied sheepishly but it only made Rhea giggle.
"Don't worry about it. There is more to it but all I can say for now is that our personal home was built by Ouranus and a certain gentleman but we won't get it until a few more things are done. So don't go worrying about anything, we'll all be living together even though some of us will have our own separate spaces such as you with your palace and Percy owning the House of Night."
"Cool," Thalia hummed before the pair finally arrived over the temple before Thalia whistled. "Those are some big ass chairs," she muttered while looking through a large window into the throne room and spotting the thrones, each measuring around five stories tall.
"Well what did you expect?" Rhea asked while eyeing Thalia. "Our godly height is thirty meters."
"I feel like we will accidently step on people every now and then," Thalia chuckled darkly before adding. "Makes you wonder what they would do if they saw our divine forms."
"Well aside from the fact that anything short of a god would be vaporized for just standing too close, let alone looking at us, and the fact that we'd each be as tall as Typhoon, I suggest you don't go assuming it," Rhea chided before adding. "Remember what Tartarus told us. Lady Chaos made a strict ruling that no primordial may assume their divine form on a mortal realm so unless in your palace or Tartarus, stick to godly or mortal form."
"I know," Thalia said while raising her hands in surrender.
The pair then descended until they arrived at the courtyard, the soft grass cushioning them as a cool breeze swept over the mountain. Thalia followed Rhea as she walked forward to a large pond with a stone walkway laying over the still water to a little island in the center.
"This is it," Rhea said as she stopped at the border of the pond.
"Here looks good as any," Thalia agreed before a sudden burst of heat drew their attention behind them to see a large portal of fire.
"Perfect timing," Rhea muttered as Ladon, with a surprisingly new coloration, stepped through with the Tree of Golden Apples held firmly within some of the coils of his neck.
The dragon didn't mind them as he moved on a ways and deposited the tree gently down and laid down beside it while now turning his heads to look at them.
"I'm actually surprised Hestia could do it," Thalia said as she looked at the dragon curiously but made no move to approach.
"Hey, Lady of Dragons and all that," Rhea said with a smile while feeling a swelling of pride over her daughter. "Now I think we need to wait a few more minutes for Percy to be in place."
"I hope he hurries," Thalia grumbled.
"What's the hurry, its not like you're doing anything right now," Rhea said as she crossed her arms and looked at the younger goddess.
"I know … it's just that I'm antsy okay," Thalia replied. "I haven't been on Earth for years and I can't help feeling like a fight could start at any moment."
"Thalia, the gods would be committing suicide if they attacked us here directly," Rhea reminded her.
"True …" Thalia sighed as she tried to relax before another flash of flames drew their attention to see Hestia having arrived as well.
"Hey there sweetie," Rhea greets warmly as Hestia approached before giving her a quick hug and then looking around.
"This looks nice," Hestia said while gesturing to the far walls of the courtyard made of marble and obsidian with a few solid light lamps around.
"Wait, you knew about this whole city!?" Thalia asked incredulously. "I only found out a few minutes ago."
"Well you were too excited and ran off to check in on your Palace when Tartarus showed a few of us. No worries though, Andromeda is still in the dark since she joined you," Hestia replied with a little snicker at the end.
"Great," Thalia huffed while throwing her hands up in the air making both the other goddesses giggle at her.
"So how long do you think?" Rhea asked Hestia.
"It shouldn't take long," Hestia replied with a shrug before looking at Ladon.
Rhea could have sworn the dragon was giving Hestia the closest thing it could to the puppy dog eyes with wagging tail and all, practically begging for her attention.
"It's odd that I find him slightly cute like that," Thalia muttered as she looked at the dragon as well.
"Want to pet him?" Hestia asked excitedly.
"Won't his scales scrape us though and poison us?" Thalia asked as she eyed the dragon warily.
"Nope," Hestia chirped. "I made some changes to him when he became my sacred animal so I took away the poison from his blood and saliva."
"What did you change it too then?" Rhea asked curiously as the three goddesses walked closer to the dragon.
"His blood is now hot and acidic enough to melt even Celestial bronze in a few minutes while he can breathe fire now, even Greek fire if you really piss him off," Hestia replied nonchalantly.
"I pity the idiot that tries to pick a fight with him," Rhea said as they got close enough to pet some of his heads. She marveled at how warm and smooth his scales felt now as the dragon purred contently making the ground shake slightly around them.
They remained like that for a few minutes simply chatting on trivial things and giving Ladon some attention before they noticed a portal of darkness opening up not too far away. Rhea smiled as she approached it but then her eyes widened when her nephew shout out of it. Her hand lashed in reflex as she stepped aside, catching Atlas by the scruff of his worn shirt stopping him dead. She then dropped him and waited as he got his bearings as he stood up. He towered over her at eight foot but she wasn't the slightest bit intimidated especially when he finally noticed her and paled.
"I guess you feel my increase in power," she said offhandedly while resting her hands on her hips. "So I believe you have some orders to fulfill."
"Aunt Rhea," he said through grit teeth before he slowly dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "I … I swear myself, Oras Atlas, to Lady Rhea on the Styx to serve … faithfully and without fail until she sees fit to release me."
A loud thunder crack followed to sealing the oath but unlike before, a green energy seemed to form a collar around Atlas' neck before fading into his skin. 'Looks like Styx's new higher authority on oaths is coming into play now,' Rhea thought before she smiled as she rested a hand on her nephew's shoulder.
"I accept your oath Atlas. Now stand," she ordered and he did so before they all looked as his daughters came through the portal before it closed behind them.
"Man, everyone is showing up now," Thalia commented as she and Hestia approached making Atlas and his daughters start as they noticed yet another former heroine of Olympus before them radiating similar power to Percy.
"And now we have to get to our part," Rhea replied as they returned to the pond with the others following.
"Did they have wings before?" one of the Hesperides whispered making Rhea chuckle.
"They're markers for us," she replied while looking over her shoulder.
"Markers for what?" Atlas asked as he then noted that Hestia had willed her wings to appear as well.
"For the new Protogenoi," Thalia answered with a wide grin at the stunned faces of Atlas and his daughters.
"Thalia," Rhea said to get the girl's attention.
"Right."
They both stood side by side as they faced the island centered at the pond. Together they took a deep breath before aiming their hands at the island and concentrating. Soon their hands started to glow their respective green and pale blue auras. Rhea could feel the shift of the Earth and the ley-lines of natural energy and power move in accordance to her will and centering at their mountain. The mountain started to trembled as the winds picked up around Thalia with some storm clouds forming overhead.
Then the island started to shake and crack as tendrils of white bark crawled out before fusing in the center. It started to form into a massive oak with a trunk nearly six meters across. Then thunder crackled overhead before lightning actually struck the tree but left no damage, if anything it seemed to help with the growth. Instead with every strike the oak seemed to form veins glowing in colors of light blues and greens while the tree's branches sprouted golden leaves and the dirt at the tree's roots became as black as obsidian. While all that was happening Rhea could feel an immense pressure begin to weigh down on the tree but the oak remained firm in its growth as it took the burden of the skies. The storm remained around them as the tree finished growing to nearly five stories tall of magnificent white bark and golden leaves.
After they finished both primordial goddesses sighed as they dropped their hands to their sides. Thalia then wiped her brow as she snapped her fingers to make a glass of nectar appear in her hands before downing the entire thing in one go.
"Stupid Olympians," Thalia muttered as she snapped her fingers again to make the glass disappear. "Having to fix a destabilized sky of all things."
"Well now the Earth and Sky are reconnected properly," Hestia chimed as the other stepped closer to admire the tree.
"And it looks wonderful," a male voice said making all whirl around to see Percy and Medusa having just formed out of shadow.
"It is pretty," Medusa added as she looked at the tree curiously before she glanced at the skies.
"He'll get here later," Percy said to her probably knowing what Medusa was waiting for before he looked at the others. "So … want to break in those thrones?" he asked with a smirk.
"Lead the way honey," Rhea said in a teasing tone as she and Hestia each took one of Percy's arms and started walking back into the main temple and completely ignoring the currently spluttering Atlas.
They could hear the others following behind them as they walked, the large hallways illuminated by the celestial bronze torches that ignited as they got close and remained on while warming up the atmosphere around them. It took a few minutes until they arrived in the largest chamber being large enough to house a football stadium with their currently plain thrones. Rhea heard the group behind them pause as she along with Percy, Hestia, and Thalia kept moving forward to their thrones. With each step they started to group taller and taller, their footfalls soon becoming echoing booms causing a slight tremble to pass through the temple.
Percy took the center throne with Hestia and Rhea at his left and right sides respectively, the backrests being especially thin along their backs to not bother their wings. As each primordial sat their throne changed to their element or domains. Percy's became obsidian with cool mist and shadows seeping off it whereas Rhea's turned to emerald with depictions of nature carved into it. Hestia's became ruby with steam and even small bouts of fire coming off it. Thalia's on the other hand remained as marble but gained carved depictions of storm clouds and literally crackled with lightning along the borders.
As they sat Rhea could feel their thrones become tied to their domains and become their focal points, filling each primordial god with energy making them sigh contently while expanding their senses to the farthest reaches of their domains.
Rhea still found it overwhelming at times being able to feel all life on and in the Earth, even to the Underworld though Tartarus still belonged to its namesake god. She could only imagine what Percy and Hestia were feeling, the pair having equally extensive domains that were beyond physical representations and judging by their focused expressions they were trying to organize all the input as well. She was broken out of her mussing through with several arrivals.
Jason, showing that he did have his moments of flare for the dramatic, appeared in a strike of white lightning through one of the open windows while Andromeda appeared in a poof of pink and purple smoke making her cough slightly. Phoebe seemed to simply phase into existence while green water condensed in the air to form Styx. Nico appeared in a burst of Hellfire.
"Yo," Percy greeted as the others walked to their thrones while growing to Primordial heights of a hundred feet and took their seats. Andromeda quickly moved to her throne and upon sitting the throne it turned into a blue shade of opal with the slightest accents of pink and lavender. Jason's remained as marble like Thalia but his seat glowed more along with having white lightning trailing off the frame. Styx's throne turned into Stygian Iron of all things and Phoebe's became a sort of quartz if Rhea had to guess but otherwise remained plain. Then all the seated protogenoi looked together to Nico as the boy stood before his throne and craning his head back just to look up at it.
Percy and Jason tried to hide their slight snickers as Nico thought on a way to get around being human sized and needing to sit on a throne reaching five stories in height. After a moment of scratching his chin he snapped his fingers before closing his eyes and directing his hand at his throne. Rhea leaned forward curiously before she felt the slight shake and displacement of rock as marble steps formed from Nico all the way up to the seat of his throne. They all watched in silence as Nico took his time ascending the steps looking perfectly relaxed until he reached the actual seat. Then with another wave of his hand a new, properly sized throne formed on the seat of the actual throne and Nico took a seat.
He looked quite comfortable as he even crossed one leg over the other, laced his hands together before setting them on a knee, and turning his attention to the council … while sending a barely hidden glare at the still snickering Percy and Jason. Rhea herself giggled slightly at the sight of Nico sitting on a throne on another throne.
"Alright then," Percy said once he reigned himself in thanks to Hestia poking at his side. "So is everyone already assimilated to their thrones?" He got a wave of nods before he continued on. "Great! Now we have to actually get this city ready if we want our allies to move in and feel welcome."
"Oh! Before I forget," Hestia cut in as she waved her hand.
At her command a dip the size of a community pool formed in the center of the throne room with logs of white marble appeared. Then, in a roaring flare of power, a fire sprang into existence, immediately warming the entire chamber and the temple alike with the healthy glow of the nearly golden flame.
"Our hearth of home," Hestia said gently to the many smiles of the council.
Percy leaned over and gave her a kiss of the cheek before returning his attention to the council proper.
"Back to making the gods feel welcome we need set up a small temple for each god so they don't lose too much power once they renounce their ties to the 'West'," Jason started up again while looking at Percy intently. "Even the minor gods we already have allied to us will need it to safely separate from Olympus, otherwise they will be as defenseless as an Olympian coming here."
"I could handle setting up the smaller temples," Rhea offered, knowing the some of her fellow protogenoi had more pressing matters to attend tomorrow whereas she only needed to be on the mountain and slowly enriching the nature around them.
"Sounds good," Styx spoke up before she glanced to Nico. "And Nico, tomorrow we have our little project to work on."
"Agreed," Nico replied with a firm nod getting several curious looks.
"No rest for the wicked," Thalia sighed getting a playful glare from her tiny cousin before she gave a more predatory grin. "But once everything is set … the hunting begins …"
The others gave agreeing grins as their eyes seemed to glow with power before Percy chuckled drawing attention to himself.
"Oh trust me …" Percy said as his grin broadened while his fangs seemed to grow making him look feral. "… I've already been tracking my target but first … I'm going to need my pack."
So how was that? Yays? Nays? I hope everyone enjoyed and let me hear your thoughts!
A pleasure, Jbubu
