Update 06/20/17: I am going through and editing certain chapters that I don't really like. I'm not changing major plot or anything, just fixing the writing and certain character development points that I don't really like. If you've read the old chapters already, you don't have to read the revised chapters, but I strongly recommend you do.
P.S. I'm keeping my old A/Ns in there, so yeah... Enjoy!
Hello, friends. I know I say this every time, but I am so sorry for this ridiculously late (and short) update! I had the busiest two months in my life, and emerged from it with a cringe-worthy case of writer's block. Again, I am super sorry. But don't worry, I am NOT giving up on this fic. I'll just need a bit of time to get my head back in the game. Thanks for your understanding and support of this story. Please read, enjoy, and review!
Disclaimer: The great Mr. Rick Riordan owns all rights to Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus. I own nothing.
Love's True Motives
Celestial bronze glinted under the rays of the rising sun as the broadsword arced toward its target with wholly murderous intent. Time seemed to slow for Zoe as she watched the weapon slice through the tension-infused air, straight toward her neck. It seemed that this would finally be the end, but a bright idea dawned upon her within a second of decapitation.
She reached back, unslung her quiver, and hefted it like a shield, closing her eyes as she waited for the jarring blow. Yet, the anticipated attack never came; or rather, it was not at all like what Zoe believed it would be. That in itself was reason enough for suspicion, but the grunt of pain not a moment later forced her eyes open to examine the situation.
What her onyx eyes saw filled her with a strange swirl of emotion: worry, gratitude, relief, and irritation. There was Perseus, ever the hero, with a sword partially imbedded in his forearm and partially blocked by the dense wood of Zoe's quiver. "Idiot!" Zoe raged as she realized what had happened.
Ares scowled, yanked his sword away, and charged at Perseus to exact his revenge for losing his would-be kill. But even the god of war was no match for the god of destruction, injured or not, because with a flick of the wrist, Perseus drew his sword and knocked his opponent's blade straight out of its owner's hand.
Ares screeched to a halt in his shock, took one look at the scorching glare Perseus shot his way, and sneered, "You may think you've won, scum, but you just wait. You'll be no match for what's coming for ya in the future." A shiver travelled down Perseus' spine at the words, recalling his dream from the night before, but before he could demand more information, Ares was gone, most likely back to Olympus to cry to his father.
The moment the god of war left the scene, the fighting calmed considerably; within moments, the battleground was freed of the sounds of war as the soldiers slowly trickled away, and the gods returned to Olympus. "Perseus!" two shouts rent the air mere minutes later. The god in question froze in his observations before turning around rigidly, only to be met with a slap to the face and a punch to the gut.
"How stupid could you be?" Zoe shrieked, shaking her empty quiver threateningly, "I could have taken care of it myself! Don't play hero where heroes aren't needed! But… Thank you."
Artemis nodded in agreement, not even bothering to use words to express her jumbled up emotions, before she caught sight of his still-bleeding wound, "You're hurt. Zoe, fetch me a wet cloth please."
Perseus attempted to pull his arm away, but it was in vain since Artemis's hand darted out like a striking snake to catch his wrist. Perseus hissed in pain as the sudden jolt irritated the gash.
"I'm sorry, Perseus," the goddess apologized quickly, glancing up at him in concern, "but I wouldn't have to do this if you we're being a fool. Hold still, I need to clean it out."
Perseus hesitatingly extended his arm and grinned lopsidedly at her through the sting of her touch, "Guilty as charged. Do what you must."
Zoe returned with the cloth not a moment later, allowing Artemis to get to work with the injury. Bringing her fellow deity's arm closer so she could examine it, she carefully cleaned the blood and gore out of the wound and gave Perseus a chunk of ambrosia, watching satisfactorily as the sinews began to knit back together.
"You are very lucky Zoe got out her quiver, Perseus," Artemis chided once the injury fully healed, "otherwise your arm would have been chopped clean off. Don't do something that stupid again."
"While I am grateful, wouldn't you agree that missing an arm would make me all the more charming? I think a rugged, barbaric look would do well for me." Perseus smirked and lifted an eyebrow teasingly, only to be punched by an irritated, albeit reluctantly amused, moon goddess.
Artemis brandished her fist half-heartedly, "Stop it before I cut the arm off for real."
Perseus could do nothing more than seal his lips and attempt to feign innocence.
"This pointless dispute must come to an end!" Odysseus groaned in frustration, rubbing his face with his hands as he leaned forward against the large conference table, "We have been feuding for ten years! As your advisor, I suggest the Greek Army withdraw…!"
"No!" A booming voice interjected resoundingly, followed by a solid wooden thud. Odysseus glanced up in alarm, only to be met by the quivering dagger hilt embedded in the banquet table before him and the fierce glare of the mighty King Agamemnon himself, "I shall not withdraw my troops until the Trojans are dead and their city is burning!"
"My liege, be reasonable. The army is tired, morale is reaching record lows. See your people rather than your exorbitant ambitions for once!" Odysseus pleaded desperately, reluctant to go against the Grecian commander-in-chief's will, but ultimately succumbing to his responsibility of deciding the wisest course of action.
He stared defiantly into the fiery gaze of the larger man, meeting his kingly obstinacy with that of his own. Both warriors' eyes remained locked in a silent, motionless battle for supremacy, with neither man willing to back down. However, one's resolve must eventually shatter, and the one to depart first was that of Odysseus.
The King of Ithaca stared disapprovingly at his ruler one last time and said, "I see. This was a battle I was fated to lose. But take this to heart, Agamemnon: you will need Achilles if you wish to succeed in the final battle, and I pray for mercy if he continues to deny us his aid."
Odysseus let the warning linger in the tense air before turning to depart. His brisk stride had carried him to the tent flap, when Agamemnon's voice stopped him short, "Wait, King of Ithaca!"
Odysseus spun on his heel and raised an eyebrow, "Yes, my lord?"
"Come with me to Achilles' tent," the Commander-in-Chief swept over to the tent entrance as well. He brushed the flap aside without as much as a glance in Odysseus' direction, but before he exited, he grabbed the younger man's chiton and growled in his ear, "If you wish this war to end, you figure out a solution for us to win, or the fighting can continue another ten years for all I care. Understood?"
"Of course, my liege," Agamemnon released his hold on the cloth and continued on his mission purposefully. Odysseus' brow furrowed in thought, but he remained silent as he followed the warlord out to the humid night air, absentmindedly patting a hound as it sniffed around outside the tent and greeting a few soldiers.
Artemis had just exited the throne room of Mount Olympus when she heard an excited bark from behind her. She whirled around warily to find herself shin-to-snout with a black Cretan hound. The hound snorted in a disgruntled manner as the goddess relaxed and laughed slightly at the adorable canine, extending a hand toward it, "Is little Lord Perseus grumpy?"
The dog jumped out of her way with a soft growl and began to morph back into his human form. As soon as Perseus returned to his regular body, he turned to Artemis and began barking. Realizing what he was doing, the god flushed and cleared his throat, trying to ignore the other deity's poorly-smothered laughter.
"Why did I have to be the dog? I am pretty sure I was allergic to myself," he muttered dejectedly, looking for all the world like the sad puppy he was moments before.
Artemis shrugged innocently, "You make a better-looking war hound."
Perseus' eyes narrowed in disbelief but let the matter drop, "My misfortunes aside, I have learned that the Greeks are losing patience in this war, just as I have feared."
Artemis looked inquiringly at Perseus before the same conclusions dawned upon her, "I see. Agamemnon is much too stubborn to leave in defeat; therefore, he must be plotting to end the war with a Greek victory as soon as possible."
"Exactly. With Odysseus as his brain and Achilles as his brawn, Agamemnon has his cards set to thrust the Trojans toward their destruction."
"Then we must act, Perseus! The Greeks mustn't emerge from this petty feud victorious." Artemis declared determinedly.
"I cannot," Perseus admitted, holding up a hand as Artemis opened her mouth to protest, "I have paid off my debt to the Trojans. Thus, I return to my vow of neutrality."
Artemis' eyebrows twitched as she struggled to contain her frustrations before she sighed in defeat, "So be it. Return to and guard the Hunters' camp. That is all."
"Yes, Milady," Perseus bowed resignedly and teleported away, leaving Artemis alone in the middle of Olympus.
Two nights passed, and the Greeks' master plan had been set. Illuminated by the torchlight in the desolate Trojan square, the form of a woman could be seen sitting on the edge of a fountain, running her slender fingers through the cool running water.
"What is it, Lord Perseus?" she asked, not even bothering to look up at the god as she continued stirring the water.
"Helen. What are you doing?" Perseus asked, emerging from a nearby shadow, his bright blue eyes narrowed in suspicion as he walked forward purposefully.
"I am enjoying the feeling of the water passing between my fingers. Is it that suspicious, My Lord?" Helen stated calmly.
"You know that is not what I meant. What were you doing with the Trojan Horse?" Perseus growled, "I know the Greeks' plan. *Why were you taunting the ones here to rescue you, Queen of Sparta?"
"I-I know not what you mean," the supposed most beautiful woman in the world asked timidly, a tinge of fear gripping her heart, but Perseus was unrelenting.
"Don't play innocent with me, Helen. Where does your heart lie? Tell me the truth! You have brought down the pain of war upon Troy for ten years. Is this just a game to you, you deceitful little girl? Does the concept of death elude you?"
Helen looked down at her hands nervously, feeling a sea of confusion crash upon her as well as a little twinge of what could only be described as guilt within the pit of her stomach. Perseus cleared his throat impatiently, prompting her to look at him. What the Trojan princess saw would haunt her dreams for years to come. The God of Destruction's eyes were a dangerous, noxious purple, seemingly torn between the beautiful sea blue they naturally are and the notorious blood red of his bloodlust. It seemed to be taking every ounce of his strength not to lose control.
"W-Wh-What are y-you doing, Lo-Lord Perseus?" Helen stammered, fearing for her life for the first time in years.
"What am I doing? I am looking at someone who goes against all of my principles. People oftentimes forget that I am God of Loyalty and Abstinence as well, and you, Helen of Troy, exhibit neither of those qualities," Perseus hissed as he struggled to contain his frustration at the woman's evasiveness and apparent cluelessness, "Now answer my question. Which side are you truly on?"
Helen looked away, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks and a glaze falling over her eyes as she opened her mouth to respond, "I… I am…" She hesitated as she seemingly struggled with herself.
"Yes?" Perseus prompted in exasperation.
"I am… on your side!" Helen announced at last, the glaze that had settled over her eyes morphing into a look of fiery passion, "I did all of this for you!"
Perseus stumbled backward, the blue returning to his eyes through pure shock, "What?" He could not believe what he was hearing. "What are you saying?" he asked.
"I love you, Perseus! But you never even looked my way despite everything I've tried to draw your attention. I started a war, possibly the most destructive war in history, for you. This is my tribute to you, God of Destruction. Accept my offering!" Helen babbled senselessly, hysterically. This was such a dramatic transition from the shy, innocent girl she was mere seconds ago that Perseus could do nothing but watch helplessly.
"Do you not appreciate this gift, My Lord?" the woman continued on fervidly, "Then please accept this one instead!"
Leaving no time for Perseus to truly absorb what was happening, Helen grabbed him by his cloak, yanking him down to eye level. She stared fixedly into his eyes with before smashing her lips to his in a frenzied kiss.
Perseus tensed in surprise before what the woman was doing finally registered in his brain. He quickly shoved her away in disgust, a newfound fury boiling to the surface. How dare this woman show such little respect? How dare she have the arrogance to believe she could walk away from this insane venture of hers successful and unscathed? Perseus thought as the rage boiled over. His eyes turned pure red as his mind cleared of all logical thought.
He clenched his fist and advanced toward Helen, who was still feverishly basking in her glory. Perseus had been fully prepared to blast the woman to pieces before he stopped dead in his tracks. The rational part of his mind had taken hold as it realized that he was about to harm a woman, no matter how despicable, and for no real reason to boot. He wrestled with his own rage as reason and emotion, mind and heart fought against each other for the privilege of expression.
His hand twitched as it struggled to channel the destructive power that was slowly taking over his reason. Slowly, but ever-so-surely, his arm began to rise, his hand outstretched as he prepared to cast the fatal blow. But such an attack would never land. He redoubled his efforts to stop himself. The attack slowly started to fizzle out.
At the same time, a shout came from somewhere behind him, "Perseus, no!"
There was a blur of auburn across Perseus' field of vision, and his arm was pushed aside. Artemis' surprise arrival broke Perseus' concentration. The resulting blast of energy detonated against the fountain, reducing the sturdy marble to dust and causing water to spew in all directions.
"What are you doing here, Artemis?" He asked in confusion as he rubbed his temples, trying to remember the blurred details from a few seconds before.
"I came here to protect an innocent girl," Artemis said sadly as she nodded in Helen's direction. The girl was standing next to the ruined fountain with a delirious, gloating look on her face as she swayed from side to side.
Perseus sneered in disgust, "Innocent? I assume you saw what she did, so why are you defending her?"
"I did see what she did," Artemis replied curtly, feeling an unpleasant feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach, but ignoring it for the moment, "But she is not to blame."
The god of destruction stared at his companion in disbelief as he tried to process what she was saying, "Then who is at fault? Somebody is!"
"Take a closer look at her and you will see," the moon goddess gestured to the girl.
Perseus took a good look at her this time and immediately noticed something abnormal. There was a soft pink glow surrounding Helen, a glow that he would recognize anywhere. Suddenly, the entire situation made sense, from the girl's glazed eyes to her irrational behavior. "Aphrodite did this," he growled, turning toward the sky, "Aphrodite! Come here at once!"
There was a pause, and suddenly a puff of rose-scented, pink smoke materialized behind Helen. The enchantment around the girl flared in reaction to the presence of its caster. As the suffocating smoke cleared, the goddess of love and beauty was revealed, standing proudly as she surveyed her work.
"You called, Brother?" she asked with all the innocence and sweetness of the world, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
"What do you call this?" Perseus snapped, gesturing wildly toward Helen.
"A stupid little girl…" Aphrodite replied snidely.
"You know that's not what I meant. Now answer me straight: what were you planning to accomplish through all this?"
"My dear brother, you assume I am committing a crime," the goddess simpered dramatically, "But where is the bad in maintaining the balance of the world?"
"What, if anything, about this war is balancing?" Artemis cut in throwing a scathing glare at the love goddess.
"Oh, such a clueless little maiden you are. Perseus understands, does he not?" Aphrodite turned to her brother and shot him an unpleasant sneer.
"Perseus, what is she talking about?" the moon goddess asked.
"I will explain in a minute," Perseus muttered, "But first, release Helen from your control, Sister!"
"Don't try to avoid it Perseus," Artemis demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes, Perseus, explain it now," Aphrodited said mockingly.
Perseus gritted his teeth as his sibling skillfully changed topics. "No, Aphrodite, you will take the spell off of the girl this instant."
"Oh, but she'll have so many petty questions. We'll never get to what's important," the goddess drawled as she examined a perfectly shaped fingernail.
The god of destruction clenched his fists in frustration, "Fine, I will explain. But this does not excuse your actions in the slightest, Aphrodite."
The goddess simply shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and returned to examining her nails.
"As you know, by controlling domains of powerful emotional or metaphysical states, the god or goddess must constantly recycle the power back to the environment," Perseus began, looking towards Artemis to ensure she was listening, "I recycle my power back to the environment once it becomes too much to contain. Aphrodite constantly distributes hers, but her intake of power is much stronger than what she is willing to output through her usual antics. So eventually, the power build-up accumulates to the point where she cannot contain it anymore and must release it through alternative means."
"That is why I instigated this war," Aphrodite said with a cruel smile as she took over the lecture, "Hatred and love are counterparts for a reason. The more hatred that is created in the world, the less love will be produced. So with the reduced love input, I can now siphon out the excess build-up that I had accumulated through the years."
Artemis frowned in disapproval, "That is not an excuse to start such a pointless war. If you simply released an equal flow of love to the world as the world returns to you, you would not have this problem.
Aphrodite scoffed, "You're one to talk, Lady Love-Is-Pointless. You can support Perseus and his total sequestration of his powers, while you criticize me for being slightly stingy about to whom I bestow my powers?"
"Perseus has a real, selfless reason! You, on the other hand, do not."
"Why, you insolent little rat…" Aphrodite sniffed disdainfully, "Some people on this earth are just not deserving of love! People like you, for instance."
Artemis sneered and snapped angrily, "I never cared for love in the first place, especially not for your demented version of it!"
Aphrodite was about to retort with her own stinging comment when Perseus' eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers hurriedly. Both goddesses rounded on him in annoyance before seeing the look of urgency upon his face. They sealed their lips and watched tensely as Perseus manipulated the Mist.
"Perseus, what's wrong?" Artemis asked, watching him work.
He paused in his task and turned to stare the auburn-haired goddess in the eye, "We are about to witness the sacking of Troy."
*In Homer's The Odyssey, Menelaus revealed that Helen had circled the Trojan Horse on the night of Troy's sacking, mimicking the voices of the wives of the Greeks who hid inside.
So there it is. Sorry this chapter wasn't super interesting, but it sets up the nature of Perseus' relationship with Zoe, Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite. The actual conflict will start to come into play with the coming chapters. Also, don't worry. This is most likely the last Trojan War era chapter. There might be a flashback back to this era in the future, but present action will be moved to... WWII? the American Civil War? Modern day? I'm not quite sure yet. Pls tell me what time period you would really like me to write them in next. Thanks!