In the darkened room, Perseus sat alone on his throne. Moonlight crept in through the open main doors, but there were no guards, courtesans, or advisors around the King of Mycenae. His right elbow rested on the armrest of his seat, and his fingers curled around his cheek as he leaned on his right side, deep in thought.
The boy – a son of Poseidon with his own name – was an enigma. Even the manner of his arrival was strange…
Earlier
"My lord!" the captain yelled, holding tightly onto the wooden bannister of the ship. "The storm shows no sign of abating! It cannot be natural."
Perseus nodded, looking grimly at the violent waves and torrential downpour. "It can only be Charybdis and Scylla," the demigod replied, his stormy gray eyes scouring the terrain in front of him. "Advance forward at half-speed and keep us far from Pityoussa – we don't want to run afoul of Charybdis."
"Why Pityoussa?" the captain asked, looking around. Perseus pointed to their left, the captain following his king's lead and widening his eyes when he saw what Perseus saw. In the distance, the shadow of Scylla's many heads could be seen against the clouds, exposing the massive size of the monster that lay in front.
"As bad as Scylla is," Perseus continued, "I'd rather take it and its many heads in a fight rather than a whirlpool."
"Right, my lord," the captain replied, swallowing heavily as he looked at the behemoth of a monster the shadows promised in the distance. He turned to a messenger boy on the deck. "Tell the helmsman to slow to half-speed." The messenger boy quickly nodded and ran below deck.
Perseus could feel the ship becoming slower, but he paid it little heed as he stared at the threat in front of him. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a small boat riding among the rough waves, a single person onboard. Somehow, the little craft was surviving amidst an unnatural storm and ancient monsters. Behind the boat, there was a larger ship – though not as large Perseus' own trireme – following closely behind, the occasional arrow flying towards the boat it was chasing.
"My lord, what should we do?" the captain asked, his voice nervous in the face of fear. No captain wanted to wade into horrendous weather or into a battle, and it seemed that they were on the cusp of entering both at the same time.
"Hold position here," Perseus ordered, walking past the captain. Faintly, the captain smelled the distinctive odor of ozone, and just as he turned to see his king, he saw the demigod's body crackle with electricity, the bolts playing dangerously around him.
Perseus focused on the large monster known as Scylla, which had just finished destroying the pursuing galley. Now, all that was left against the ancient monster's might was the little boat that only had one person onboard. A head of Scylla pushed through the cloud to smash the small boat, but its occupant stood up and – to Perseus' amazement – an immense wall of water surged upwards, protecting the boat and its occupant from the head smash.
Without any further thought, Perseus willed lightning into existence, casting down one of the most powerful bolts he could summon. The lightning bolt split the sky, smashing into the impromptu water wall and conducting itself through the liquid medium into the monster. Scylla roared in pain as it fell into the water, while the water wall that the boat's occupant had hastily erected was blown apart from the sheer amount of energy that had coursed through it. The resulting shockwave created a massive wave that pushed even Perseus' trireme away, and by the time it was over, the storm was gone, and the sea was calm again.
"Do you see the small boat?" Perseus asked the captain. The other man shook his head, before a cry from the other side of the deck yelled out.
"There's someone in the water!" a crewman yelled, and Perseus smiled.
"Bring him onboard," Perseus ordered, already moving to the ladder at the end of the deck. "And get me some tattered clothing."
"My lord?"
Perseus turned to look at his captain. "I'm… interested in this man. I would have him believe that I am a fellow prisoner so that he will trust me and tell me who he is."
Perseus sighed as he leaned back in his throne. His little ruse had worked perfectly – the young man he met in the prisoner's hold told Perseus all about himself. A son of Poseidon… perhaps not unexpected after the boy's display of power in the sea, but still strange. As a king, Perseus hadn't expected to find a hitherto unheard powerful demigod, and especially not a child of one from the Great Three.
And then there was the prophecy that boy had said he received. One that called for a quest to grant him power to defeat a threat. Perseus was more than just a little wary of the so-called "threat" – he knew, as well as anyone, the possibility of this threat being himself. The demigod was not forthcoming on details regarding his threat, thus heightening Perseus' suspicions that the other Perseus would be nothing more than a usurper to his throne.
Still, if there was to be a quest, Perseus had no doubt that fate would find a way for one to happen, and if not by him as a king, by another king. That would be undesirable. At the very least, if he issued the quest, Perseus had control over what the quest would entail.
And it was not as if Perseus was sending the boy on a dead-end suicide mission. In Hephaestus' forge, there was a sword to be stolen – there were likely many, in fact, if one considered that Hephaestus was indeed the god of metalworking and forges. The one that Perseus had in mind, however, would easily stand out from the rest, and would have to be guarded by perilous traps. If the boy survived, that would be a miracle in of itself. Surely that would have to count as going through fire.
Perseus closed his eyes as he thought about the boy's defense of his Olympian father. Perseus had his own run-ins with the god of the sea and was thoroughly unimpressed by his historical and present conduct. The Olympian, like his brothers and sisters, was little more than a spiteful being imbued with powers.
As he thought about Poseidon, Perseus' heart clenched when his line of thought inevitably led to Andromeda. His beloved. Perseus sighed once more.
Yes, the boy would one day learn that the gods cared nothing for the matters of mortals, and flaunted themselves as they wished, regardless of who they trampled on.
He would learn that they were all the same, and none of them were good.
Percy sat at the desk he had been provided in his room, quietly pondering his situation as the sun rose. The day before, he had shipwrecked after facing Scylla and Charybdis, only to be picked up by a Mycenean ship and brought to the destination he had been striving for. After an audience with none other than Perseus, King of Mycenae, Percy had found himself with a quest – and fellow questers. He had yet to actually talk to any of them, but they were there.
A knock on Percy's door startled him, rousing the demigod from his train of thought. Quickly rising, he strode over to the door and opened it, revealing an armored guard.
"Come with me," the guard gruffly said, and Percy nodded, grabbing his pack and leaving with the guard. The man did not talk as he led Percy through a series of paths in palace complex, and eventually, they emptied out into a courtyard. Percy recognized the two other people he had been paired with in the quest, as well as Perseus himself, standing with an entourage of advisors and guards.
"Ah, yes," Perseus greeted, seeing Percy approach. "The last member of my quest. Come." The king gestured for Percy to approach, and he did so.
"This," Perseus pointed to the older man, "is Alcaeus, and this," he now gestured to the female that was closer to Percy's age, "is Kassandra." Percy examined his companions in more depth than he was able to the day before.
The older man was close to fifty, if not already in his fifties. The sides of his hair were graying from their original black, and his skin was quite tan, with wrinkles evident from many days in the sun. Still, his physique was in top shape, and he looked ready to wrestle with a bull.
The younger woman had to be close to twenty, though Percy was unsure whether she was north or south of that figure. She had shoulder length light brown hair, and her dark brown eyes stared into Percy even as he examined her.
"Now," Perseus continued, clapping Percy on the back, "these are the people that will be joining you on your, ah, prophesized quest."
Percy turned to face the king. "And where would Hephaestus' forge be? I can't imagine that the three of us could infiltrate Olympus itself."
Perseus nodded. "Of course not. But," the king said as he leaned in, "that's not where I plan for you to go. No. Hephaestus has a multitude of other forges, and the one I have in mind is none other than Lemnos, the second greatest forge, outside of Olympus itself, in the world. The island is located in the north Aegean, and it will be quite the journey to get there."
Gesturing with his fingers, Perseus ordered one of the armored guards, this one with a plume on his bronze helmet, to come up. "Georgios will escort you to the royal armory. You'll be equipped with only the finest weaponry before setting off on your quest."
The royal armory was about as grand as Percy had expected. A vast room, it was filled with racks and shelves of weapons, armor, and other gear. The sheer scope of the room meant that it was filled with nearly every conceivable item that any adventurer would ever need. Upon entering, each of the three questers were given a rugged leather pack and told to pick whatever they needed. Alcaeus and Kassandra immediately went about, grabbing swords, bows, arrows, daggers, potions, rope, and any other useful amenity they could use.
Percy, on the other hand, really needed no extra weapons – his Riptide was enough. Still, he pocketed a small dagger, just in case. He thought about the extensive bronze armor that was tempting to take but thought better of it – he had never really fought in armor, and it would only slow him down. It was also too bulky to easily carry. He contented himself with a nice pair of sandals, which he slipped on, a new tunic and pair of pants, and none other than the cap of invisibility itself. Percy wasn't sure if this was the same cap that Annabeth would eventually come to own, but given how well that one had served both her and him, he had no doubt he could finally ample utility for this one.
Finally, the three of them met up at the entrance of the armory, the other two having packs that brimmed with items. Nodding to the other two, Percy led the way out of the armory, and the guard, Georgios, led them back to the throne room.
"So, I take it you are all ready?" Perseus asked. Percy nodded, as did his two companions.
"Good. There is no time to waste – the Summer Solstice is within the month, and it will be your best chance at entering Lemnos and Hephaestus' forge undetected. You should be off, for you have no time to waste."
Percy sighed as he hiked up the hill, the almost-summer sun baring upon his exposed skin to heat him. In front of him, his fellow adventurers moved with little difficulty, but Percy had to stop, popping open a flask and taking a swig of water. He stared backwards, barely able to see Mycenae in the distance.
"Do you require a break?" Alcaeus' deep voice sounded from behind Percy.
"No," Percy replied, turning around, "I think I'll be alright. Let's continue." Alcaeus nodded, and Kassandra led the way as they continued to march on the hilly terrain.
As the sun began to set, Alcaeus came to a stop and took a look at their surroundings.
"This will be a good place to stop," Alcaeus explained, setting down his pack. Kassandra nodded, and Percy acquiesced to his other two companions. As the sun fully set, Kassandra started a fire as Alcaeus brought back a dead deer slung over his shoulder. For his part, Percy conjured as much water as he could out of the air, filling canteens with fresh water even as it tired him out further.
The three of them sat around the fire in the dark, chewing on cooked deer meat, courtesy of Alcaeus, and drinking the water that Percy had summoned. Finally, Percy broke.
"Alright, we can't keep in silence every day for the rest of this quest," the demigod spoke up, causing the other two people to look up at him. "Why don't we introduce ourselves and, I don't know, talk about why we're here. I'll start."
"But we already know each other's' names," Alcaeus stated, slowly chewing on his stick of deer meat.
"I know," Percy replied, "but we should still do this. It will be good to learn more about one another."
"Yes, I agree," Kassandra whispered. "It will be good to learn more about one another so that we can more easily trust each other when we have to fight and kill enemies."
Percy grimaced. "Sure. Anyway, I'll go first. My name is Perseus and I am, as you both know, a son of Poseidon. I have been given a quest to obtain power that I need to defeat a threat to those I love." The demigod paused and gestured at Alcaeus. "Now you go."
The older man shifted in his seat. "Very well. I am Alcaeus. I hail from Pylos. I lived there, happily, with my wife and children, but they were separated from me when we were invaded. I was sold into slavery, only for my slaver's vessel to be intercepted by a Mycenean ship. From there, I was brought into this quest by King Perseus. I hope to earn my freedom after I complete this quest, so I can find my family." He paused, looking at Kassandra.
The young woman sighed, setting down her mostly-eaten stick of deer meat. "I am Kassandra. I am from Mycenae. When I was young, my parents were killed, and after a few years of roaming the streets, I was brought into the care of King Perseus. He gave me a roof and education, and in return, I served him as best I could. Because of that, he called me to join the quest, and I could not refuse."
Percy leaned back on his stone seat, looking at his two companions. "We all have very different stories," he began, "but we are now all together on this journey. I don't want to lose anyone on this quest, so let's work together as best as we can to make sure that we all make it through this." The other two facing him nodded.
"What is this," Alcaeus hesitantly began asking, "threat you speak of? You make it sound very strong to require a special power to defeat, but I have not heard of such a terror."
Percy looked down at the ground. "I come… from a faraway land, and my people are threatened by this enemy. I have some time to train and find a way to defeat it, but one day, I will have to return to face the threat head on. I can only hope that whatever power I find here will be sufficient, or those I care about, and love will suffer and pay the price for my failure."
The son of Poseidon was shocked to feel a strong, rough hand gently rubbing his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Alcaeus standing over him, eyes twinkling at him as the older man looked down.
"I understand your plight, young Perseus," Alcaeus said, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "I wish that I had your drive and determination – if I did, perhaps my family would be safe today." He wiped the tears off his cheeks. "I will help you," he stated with bravo. "I will do my best to see that you will succeed where I did not."
Percy smiled at the older man. "Thank you," the demigod whispered. Alcaeus simply nodded. The older man turned to look at Kassandra.
"What say you, warrior of King Perseus?" Alcaeus asked.
"Well," the woman began wistfully, a playful smile dancing on her face, "considering that I don't want to die on some miserable island in the Aegean Sea, I suppose that my best option here is to go for the highest chance of survival, and that means working with you two. So yes, I will help you, Perseus, to survive this so you can find what you need to find."
Percy's smile grew wider. He was in an unknown world, in an unknown land, and in an unknown time, but even so, he now had allies in the fight against Kronos. Now, he had real hope that he could begin and fulfill this quest, to complete the prophecy given to him by Chronos and to find the power he needed to end the war that ravaged his time. Even with the odds stacked against him, with his own position so unstable and uncertain, Percy felt, for the first time since arriving in this ancient land, that he could make a possible future where he won against Kronos into a reality.
He would do his best to succeed. The world counted on it.
A/N: Slightly shorter chapter, but I think a couple of things that needed to get started got started here. I hope that, especially with some of the banter, I am kind of channeling a bit of Riordan's lighter tone while crafting my own style that's distinctive from the original series. Basically, I'm going for a darker version of the Percy Jackson series, but I'm still hoping that it retains some elements of the original works. Feedback on whether I'm succeeding at doing this would be very helpful.
Also, I need some help – I'm not satisfied with my summary of this story, which has changed twice in the past month as I keep reworking it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I'll try to update weekly, but if I can't, I will try to update within intervals of two weeks.
Thanks for reading! Please follow, favorite, and review, and stayed tuned for the next chapter!