So, I said I was gonna update once a week but I decided to stay up all night and write the second chapter. So I'm gonna go ahead and publish it. I hope you guys enjoy and tell me what you think.
Ch. 2
The first thing I remember hearing when I woke in Tartarus was running water. It was clear as day among the screams of pain and agony. It beckoned to me, called my name and demanded that I respond. I drearily lifted my head and stared at the churning green waters. The River Styx. The river which every Greek swore their oaths by. I don't know how long I sat on the bank. I didn't want to move. I didn't have the strength, the will, to even stand. The river called me constantly, trying to pull me into its depths.
"Perseus," a voice whispered. It was sweet and soft, like that of a mother calling for their child. I drew up to my imagination as I stared deeper into the river. A face seemed to be forming in the currents.
"Perseus," the voice called again. It was closer this time, louder. As if someone was standing beside me, asking for my attention. I slowly turned my head to the right, expecting to see endless miles of the Riverbank of the Styx. Instead, I was met with the end of a long black robe.
"Perseus," the voice called for the third time. Despite being ignored, the voice never sounded angry or irritated. It stayed loving and calm. Nurturing, almost. I traced the robe upward, staring into the dark hood of the owner. The only piece of her face that was visible was her mouth. It was lifted in a sad smile as she stared down at me.
"Who are you?" I whispered out. My voice was hoarse, as if I hadn't spoken in weeks. How long had I been here? Had it already been weeks, months?
"Be calm, my champion," the woman said. Her voice was soothing. It reminded me of my own mother. I wonder what she's doing now. I wondered if the gods even told her about me. I stared at this mysterious figure in both fear and awe. Who was she to be in Tartarus, a place where most gods feared to even go near? Her words finally struck me.
"Champion?" I asked. She knelt down, her face becoming level with mine. With a delicate motion, she grabbed the edges of her hood and pulled it down, revealing her eyes and hair. She was a beautiful goddess, with eyes as green as the Styx itself. I stared at them as they swirled like the river. They were hypnotizing.
"Do you not remember me, child?" she asked. I could feel the power that was within her. It was familiar, but I still couldn't remember. She continued speaking. "I see. The Roman river has washed even the memory of my power from you." My eyes widened in realization and her face brightened. The sad smile she was wearing shifted into one of joy.
"You're the goddess of the River Styx, aren't you? Lady Styx herself, the keeper of oaths." She nodded lightly and stood, stretching out her hand to help me onto my feet. I took her hand and bowed to her.
"Please, Perseus," she said happily. "There's no need for that. I am just a minor goddess. You do not need to bow to me." Even though she denied the praise, I could tell that she enjoyed it. All gods do. I had many questions to ask her, though I was still caught on the words that she had first uttered to me.
"What do you mean by 'Champion', Lady Styx?" She laughed jovially at the title I had addressed her with. The curls of her hair, which were as green as her eyes were, bounced with each breath. She smiled at me once more after calming herself.
"I apologize for my outbreak," she told me. "It has been a very long time since someone has addressed me as 'Lady Styx'. To answer your question, you are now in service to me. I saw what happened on Olympus. Most deities did. It was an injustice, to say the least. Tell me, Perseus. Do you know the history of why the Greeks swear their oaths by my name?" I shook my head. Annabeth had probably once told me. How was she taking the news of my banishment? Styx shook me back into the moment almost as soon as my mind began to wander.
"Many, many millennia ago, the Titans and gods were locked in war," she told me. "This became known as the First Titan War. It was after this war that your father and uncles received their domains and started their reigns as gods and kings. During this war, I was given an ultimatum from Kronos. Assist him and his army and he would protect me and reward me. Or I could fade, to never be known again. I chose to side with Zeus in the hopes that he would prevail. After the war was over, Zeus rewarded me with the status of Oathkeeper. Any promises made by the gods or mortals for the rest of eternity were to be sworn by my name. A meaning of truth. Over the years, though, I became forgotten left to rot in Tartarus with my brothers and sisters." I racked my brain trying to remember the names of the other rivers of the Underworld.
"You mean Acheron, Phlegethon, Cocytus, and Lethe?" I asked. I only remembered them from my last trip into Tartarus. Styx nodded again, the smile spilling back onto her face. "That still doesn't answer my question, My Lady. Why am I your champion?" She turned to look over her river.
"Do you remember when you dove into the Styx, Perseus?" she said solemnly. I nodded in response. "You gave me your soul. You trusted me with the deepest parts of your mind. You believed in me to help win the Second Titan War. Now I am here to assist you with the last war you shall have to face." I tilted my head, confused.
'Lady Styx-," I started but she turned towards me quickly.
"You do want to escape Tartarus, don't you?" I nodded again. "Once you do, the gods will not stop hunting you until you are dead. They will declare war upon you and you will be forced to fight. You will need all of the strength you can gather. That includes allies, blessings, and weapons. I believe you will already have a few on the Olympian council who will side with you." I thought back to the gods who voted for my innocence. Would they actually support me in a war against their fellow council members? I thought about Lady Styx's words for a while before finally conceding to her.
"What do you have in mind?" I asked. She motioned towards the river.
"Dip your hand in, Perseus," she told me. "I will give you my blessing." I did as she asked and dipped my left hand into the River Styx. The current of the bright green river seemed to stop and all force of the river was dragged to my hand. After a moment, it began to sting. Then it began to burn. I screamed in pain but kept my hand in the river. Once the burning stopped, I slowly pulled my hand out. An intricate black tattoo swirled up from my fingers, all the way to my elbow. There were no discernible figures or symbols. It was just a mass of swirling patterns.
"You are stronger now, Perseus," she said. "Your hand is indestructible. I have also given you your powers over water back." I looked at her in confusion.
"What-,' I started to ask but she cut me off again.
"Poseidon took away your powers when you were sentenced." I nodded in understanding. The Olympians deemed me a traitor. My loyalty to them was now gone. I was now alone. Well, save for Styx. I looked down at my hand then back towards the goddess.
"Where do I go now?" I said to her. She smiled sadly before flipping her hood back up.
"Follow my river, Perseus," she answered. "It will lead you to the Arena of Pallas. Near there is where all the rivers of Tartarus meet. You will then find my siblings. Lastly, I want to bestow upon you one more gift." From her robes, she drew a small a large dagger. It was more like a dirk really. One Greek word was inscribed along the blade. 'Οπερατέρ', it read.
"Oathkeeper," I muttered, my mind immediately translating it.
"Zeus gave me this blade," Styx whispered. "It's a shame that this blade will be the beginning of his downfall." I bowed my head to Styx.
"I'm sorry, My Lady, but I must refuse this blade. I already have one that I have become quite used to already. I reached into my pocket to grab Riptide before realizing that it wasn't there. Styx's smile returned to one of sadness.
"Anaklusmos is still on Olympus, Perseus." I stared at the Oathkeeper long and hard before finally grabbing it. The Olympians have taken everything from me. My life, my freedom, even my blade. I will make them pay.
"I swear it on the Styx," I whispered. Styx smiled before she dissolved under her cloak. It fell to the ground in a heap.
'Feel free to use the cloak, Perseus,' a voice whispered. I knew it was Styx. It seemed to echo from all around me, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "It shall hide your identity as you roam this wasteland. I lifted the cloak and clasped it around me. At the center, where it all comes together just below my chin, was a broach in the shape of a green skull. The symbol of my patron. I felt a sharp pain in my left arm and lifted it up to investigate. A symbol had appeared in the swirling mass of a tattoo that the river had given me. It was the same skull that was attached to the cloak.
"No time like the present to get moving," I mumbled to myself. With not so much as a glance backward, I moved step after step along the bank of the Styx, in search of the other four rivers of Tartarus.
(A/N)
I think this is a good stopping point for now. I kind of want to build this story slowly. Percy might not get out of Tartarus for a while. But anyway, leave a review and I'll do my best to respond to them as I am now.
Just a fan of fanfics- thank you for being the first to review and I really hope it doesn't seem super cliche. Percy betrayal stories are some of my favorites to read, though.
PhoinexFire- Thank you for the review. And yeah, longer chapters would be better. I kind of just wrote that first one as a longer summary basically. Just a little bit of an exhibition.
bambino01- Thank you for the review! I wanted to make him seem both furious and disappointed at the same time. I hope that conveyed well.
Perseus Apollyon- There are three reasons as to why this starts differently. 1) I completely forgot about that first story. 2) I have been reading a lot of Percy betrayal fics and they're some of my favorites. 3) I have been playing a lot of the game Hades and it's all about the daddy issues in the Underworld. As for the Poseidon thing, albeit it doesn't make sense in the canon universe, this is not canon. In this universe, Percy has been called a traitor by many gods and even seemingly been proven to be one. There are also some others who have supposedly ratted on Percy being a traitor.
Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Follow and favorite for more. And don't be afraid to PM me with suggestions and/or OC's. And don't forget to review. Once again, no guarantee, but I'll do my best to respond. Also, there will be two former heroes who had died who will be revived. Any guesses as to who?