Ch. 1

15 Years Later...

'Perseus! Have you spotted anything?'

Perseus looked over to his father. Alexander was, just like Perseus, sitting in a tree. 'No, but they must be here. It is unusually quiet for a forest. Normally it is full of life.'

Alexander nodded and looked out again to find some sign of the Hellhounds they were hunting.

Perseus turned around again and also looked around. In his mind he slowly repeated all the info he knew about Hellhounds: Hellhounds, just like most monsters, turned into golden dust when you killed them. But often they left their pelt behind. The pelt was very sturdy and also quite soft making it a very sought after item. But it wasn't easy to kill a Hellhound: they were incredibly fast and had the jaw power to bite your head off. Some could even shadow travel, those being the most dangerous. They almost always traveled in packs so if you faced one you could expect at least four more.

Suddenly Alexander whispered. 'Perseus, Perseus, get ready, I see them: they are going to pass by at any moment.'

Perseus turned around and he saw some bushes moving before five helllhounds slowly came out, probably searching for food. Perseus and Alexander had laid a piece of meat on the ground next to the trees they were sitting in. The Hellhounds spotted the meat; they rushed over to it and began tearing it apart.

Perseus slowly grabbed his bow from his shoulder and readied an arrow pointing it at the nearest Hellhound. He looked over to Alexander who had done the same thing. He stuck up his fingers. Tree. Two. One.

Perseus let go of his arrow. The arrow traveled through the air and plunged itself into the Hellhound's side. It whined before dissolving into gold dust leaving a black pelt behind. At the same time another one collapsed from the arrow of Alexander. Perseus quickly put the bow on his back and grabbed his sword out of it's sheath. It was pointless to try shooting the other Hellhounds; they would just be too fast to hit. Perseus jumped out of the tree using a roll to land so that he wouldn't break his leg. The leftover Hellhounds growled fiercly at him. Perseus got into a fighting position. The Hellhounds looked a bit fearful at his celestial bronze sword. One brave one eventually charged anyway. When it almost reached Perseus it jumped forward at an incredible speed. But Perseus saw this coming and sidestepped the Hellhound. It jumped full speed into a tree, knocking it out. Perseus quickly jumped to him and stabbed him with his sword. The Hellhound whimpered before dissolving.

One down. Two to go. These two were a lot bigger than the one that had just charged Perseus. They circled Perseus, growling. Suddenly they both charged at the same time. Perseus quickly jumped away but one of the claws of the Hellhounds scratched him. Perseus counter-attacked; he slashed at one of the Hellhounds but it dodged the strike. That did leave it's defense open though and Perseus kicked it so that it was launched away. This way he could focus on the other one.

Perseus didn't wait for it to attack him again and charged it trying to cut it's head off. The Hellhound shadow-traveled away, now nowhere to be seen. Perseus tried to use his other senses to detect the monster. It suddenly appeared from behind and tried to attack Perseus but Perseus had heard the grass rustling as the Hellhound had shadow traveled. Perseus turned around and stabbed the Hellhound while it was jumping towards him, skewering it on his sword before it dissolved into golden dust.

Perseus slowly panted from the fight. The Hellhounds had tired him more then he had thought, and the scratch started to bleed fiercly. Because of this he didn't notice the last Hellhound behind him. It jumped at Perseus with the intention to bite his head off. Perseus turned around when he heard the air whistle but it was already too late to block or dodge.

He was saved though by Alexander jumping from the tree he had been sitting in and chopping the Hellhound's head off making it dissolve.

'Always watch your back before you are sure that the fight has ended,' Alexander said putting his own sword back in it's sheath.

Perseus sighed. 'Couldn't you have helped a little earlier dad? It isn't exactly easy to defeat tree Hellhounds by yourself.'

Alexander grinned. 'Yes, of course, but I wanted to see how you would hold up. I wasn't disappointed: you hold your own quite well there. In a few years you will be better than me.'

Perseus grumbled something incoherent which made Alexander smile again.

'Now, let's get these pelts and bandage your wound, shall we?'

'Hey, where are we going?' Perseus asked a while later.

They had collected the pelts of the Hellhounds and a bandage was strapped on Perseuss's arm. They were now walking on the normal road again.

'We are going to Athens, to sell these pelts.' Alexander explained.

'I imagine not to normal people,' Perseus said sarcastically.

Alexander grinned. 'No, we certainly aren't. You will see when we get there. Also enjoy the fact that I am taking you with me; Athens is quite something to behold.'

Perseus was indeed excited. He had already been to a few small cities before, mainly to buy supplies, but Athens? That was a massive city full of people from all over Hellas, even from outside it. His father would normally go there by himself to sell the things he had gathered by hunting monsters but this time apparentley Perseus was allowed to come too. It made him proud: this showed his father's trust in him.

'How long until we get there?' Perseus asked impatient after another hour of walking.

He had to carry five Hellhounds' pelts with him, which weren't exactly light. When he had asked for his father to carry some he had refused. Alexander had stated that this way Perseus was going to become even stronger. Perseus had from that moment forward complained constantly which only made his father smile a little.

Perseus was shaken out of musings by his dad giving an answer.

'Look before you,' Alexander answered

Perseus mouth dropped open. The biggest city he had ever seen lay before him. It was surrounded by giant walls and in the middle was a huge gate. Hunderds of people were there trying to get into the city to sell their wares. To the right of the city Perseus saw the harbour. Hunderds of ships lay there loading of their wares which had come from all around the Mediterranean.

'Come on Perseus, we need to get inside before it gets even busier.'

They slowly made their way through the mass of people in front of the city gates. The city's guards tried to manage it somewhat but there were just too many people. Eventually, after a lot of pushing and standing still waiting, they made their way into the city itself. Immediatley Perseus was baffled again. Before him, on a mountain, lay the famous Parthenon, dedicated to Athena. It really was unlike anything Perseus had ever seen before. The architecture was absolutely incredible.

'This city is something, isn't it?' Alexander asked while they walked through the busy streets.

Perseus nodded. 'It is so big! And there are so many people here!'

'Well, get used to it. From now on you will always come with me here. You need to learn how to do this yourself after all,' Alexander told Perseus.

They continued on to a to Perseus unknown location through the busy streets of Athens. Perseus looked his eyes out at all the strange people. He saw people from the Persian Empire and from even further. They were selling all kinds of spices and other weird things Perseus had never seen. One time Perseus thought he saw a merchant selling a monster but his father had told him that it was an animal. It looked like a really deformed horse. His father had called it a camel.

'Do normal people really see this... camel the same way we do?' Perseus had asked but to this Alexander had just laughed.

After another half hour walking through this massive city they apparentley arrived at their destination.

'Here it is,' Alexander said.

'Is what?' Perseus asked. The only thing he saw was a bland door. On it a small bord was pinned. It said 'Marketplace'.

'Just follow me, and you will see,' Alexander said opening the door.

Inside there was nothing else special. It was a small, abandoned looking courtyard. But Alexander just continued on with Perseus behind him. They eventually reached someone who was sitting at a bureau.

'This market is closed,' the man behind the bureau said without even looking up. Instead he just continued writing something.

'Even for me, old friend?' Alexander asked.

The man looked up. A smile began forming on his face and he stood up. Alexander and he shook hands firmly.

'Of course it's open for you, Alexander. Did you kill the Hellhounds?' he asked.

Alexander nodded. 'Yeah, well Perseus did, for the most part.'

Hyas looked over to Perseus. 'Then you must be Perseus, Alexander's son.'

He stuck his hand out, which Perseus shook. 'Sure am,' he replied.

The man grinned. 'You are a lot like your father. My name is Hyas.'

'Nice to meet you,' Perseus said.

Hyas nodded. 'It certainly is. I think we will be seeing a lot more from each other.'

Alexander agreed. 'Perseus is a monster hunter, or rather will be one, like me. But enough talking; let's do business. Have you got the drachmas for killing those Hellhounds?'

Hyas grabbed a sack from under his bureau. The clanging of drachmas could be heard. He handed it over to Alexander, who weighed the sack carefully before putting it in his knapsack.

'We also need to get into the market, we are going to sell the Hellhounds' pelts.'

He pointed at the five pelts that were hanging over Perseus' shoulder.

Hyas grinned. 'Those look very good. I am sure they'll fetch a nice price. Very well, I'll open the doors for you.'

His eyes glowed green before changing back to the normal brown. Behind him big doors opened. Perseus and Alexander walked over to them. For the third time this day Perseus was stunned by what he saw. Before him he saw a giant market but it wasn't a normal market like outside. No, instead of selling grain or meat they sold monsters, pelts of monsters, celestial bronze weapons, ingredients for potions and much, much more.

Perseus looked over to a merchant who was trying to sell a what looked like a baby Aethiopian Drakon to a man who was furiously yelling back that he could get one for half this price and demanded a lower price. On the other side of the room someone demonstrated a potion. He gulped it in and slowly turned invisible. He was knocked down though by a man who was walking by who of course couldn't see the invisible man anymore.

'What is this place?' Perseus thought out loud.

Alexander smiled looking around like he had just come home. 'This, my son, is the market where all demigods, minor gods, creatures and clear sighted mortals, like us, come to buy all their needs, and where we'll be selling the pelts. Become familiar with this place; as a monster hunter you will spend a lot of time here selling your wares.'

Perseus nodded still looking around amazed.

'Follow me, Perseus, we need to sell our pelts,' Alexander said.

'How do you know that, like, gatekeeper?' Perseus asked while they were walking over the market. Merchants from all sides tried to sell things to them.

'He is an old friend who I have known for a long time; it's a long story. He is actually immortal, a son of Atlas. You go to him to get your targets and to collect your drachmas.'

'Wow, he is the son of a Titan and immortal? That's awesome!' Perseus said amazed.

Alexander just smiled and shook his head at his son's way of talking. 'Just remember, if you are ever in trouble: go to Hyas, he will help you,' he said in a serious tone.

Perseus now saw where they were heading for: a massive stall which housed all kinds of exotic pelts and skins of monsters. A small man had just sold some scarf which looked to be made out of Harpies' feathers. In his hand lay a big pouch probably full of drachmas.

'That is Phillipos,' Alexander said pointing at the small man. 'To him you can sell all your pelts and skins. Be careful though, he is surprisingly good at getting people's money in his pocket. No surprise, because he is a son of Hermes.'

'Alexander! It is good to see you, it is definitley good to see you!' Phillipos said walking over to Perseus and Alexander. 'And you must be the son of the famous Alexander! It is good to finally meet you too.'

Perseus bowed his head slightly at the small man.

'It is good to see you too, Phillipos. We have come to sell some pelts from Hellhounds,' Alexander said.

Perseus finally could lay the heavy pelts on a table.

Phillipos inspected them. 'Top quality, as I expect from you.' He slowly stroked over them.

'I'll get you the drachmas,' Phillipos grabbed the pouch with drachmas that he had just gotten from the previous customer and handed it over to Alexander who weighed it again.

'Now, I insist that you come look for something for your lovely wife. She probably wants something exotic right?' Phillipos led Alexander away to see his wares.

Alexander quickly looked over to Perseus. 'Go get some extra celestial bronze arrows, we have almost ran out.' He threw a bag of drachmas to Perseus

Perseus caught the bag and began searching for a celestial bronze weapon seller. He didn't have to look long. A stall, almost as big as Phillipos's pelt and skin stall, full of all kinds of celestial bronze weapons.

Perseus walked up to the owner of the stall. 'How much for 200 celetstial bronze tipped arrows?'

'Twenty drachmas,' the man replied.

Perseus grabbed the needed drachmas out of his bag and paid for the arrows. With them in two quivers around his shoulder he made his way back to Phillipos's stall. But halfway he was suddenly bumped into by a hooded figure. Perseus looked at it and she looked back. She had a beautiful face, but in a dangerous way. Perseus was instantly on guard.

'Alexander, the monster hunter...' the woman hissed angrily.

'No, just his son,' Perseus said.

The woman smiled menacingly at him. 'We will have our revenge, soon,' she slowly hissed.

'What did you say?' Perseus asked wondering if he had heared her correctly.

'We will meet again, son of Alexander,' the woman hissed before walking away. Well, not really walking. She was almost slithering away...

'My name is Perseus!' Perseus shouted after her, but she had already disappeared into the crowd.

Perseus grumbled some curse before walking to Phillipos's stall. His father was just walking out with some weird looking necklace in his hand.

'Until next time!' Phillipos shouted after Alexander.

Alexander walked over to Perseus. 'I bought this for your mother. Do you think she will like it?'

'I don't think so, dad,' Perseus said distantly.

Alexander looked at the necklace. 'Damn, you're right. I said it, that Phillipos is just too good at taking people's money. Have you gotten the arrows?'

Alexander didn't get a reply. He looked over to Perseus who was staring at nothing, probably musing about something. 'What is the matter son? You seem distracted.'

Perseus shook his head and looked over to his father. 'Just someone I met on the way here, a woman. She seemed to know you, even recognize your appearence. She thought I was you. It was really weird: when she walked away she almost slithered instead of walking. On second thoughts she probably was some type of creature. I couldn't inspect it closer though because it had already disappeared into the crowd.'

Alexander sighed. 'I think I know what 'it' was: a Dracaena. Did she have a beautiful face, but in an almost scary way?'

Perseus nodded.

'I wouldn't worry about it; only one we can take on. It would be a different story if there were more than one,' Alexander said.

Perseus wasn't reassured. 'I think I heard her whisper something about revenge. Why does she hate you?'

'It's a long story: I, together with another nine demigods, went out to hunt Echidna, the mother of all monsters and also a Dracaena. She was being a trouble to the normal people and was seducing and then eating travelers. That's why we set off to hunt her. The big bag of coin for killing her certainly helped too. We kind of underestimated her. Make sure you never underestimate your opponent: you might be unpleasantly suprised. I and the nine other demigods thought that we could beat her easily. It turned out she put up a hell of a fight. She killed seven demigods before I finally shot a lucky arrow into her finally killing her. Since then the other Dracaenae all hate me.'

'Aren't you worried they will band together and try to take revenge now that this Dracaena has seen us?' Perseus asked.

Alexander shook his head. 'No, Dracaenae are terrible at working together. Remember that if you ever fight them.'

Perseus still wasn't entirely convinced of his father's reasoning but let it slide for now.

'Now, we have a long way to go home, so let's go!' Alexander shouted.

Author's Note: This story won't just be Percy being OP: he eventually will have great power but certainly not without effort and without a big downside, just wanted to clarify that. It also won't be a Guardian of the Hunt or something cliche like that. You'll see how it goes, but it will take some time to get there because I need to build the story up. Oh yeah, Artemis and the Hunters are coming soon, so be excited for that. Rate, Follow and Favorite if you like this story. =)