Galene still eyed him with strangely. Percy knew that she turned to look at him when she thought he wasn't but said nothing about it as they walked down the dark and damp hallway. It was patently obvious that she wasn't enthusiastic about the discussion that had just taken place, but it didn't matter – she was a loyal member of the Athenian resistance and she would follow her orders.
For his part, Percy was more worried about his companions' reactions to the idea that, while shopping for goods, he had inadvertently joined a rebellion.
Earlier
"A raid?" Percy questioned.
"Yes," the woman responded, a small smile playing on her lips. "The main armory of the Athenian army, where Theseus has kept all of his soldiers' weapons and armor. If we can take it, then we can supply our forces while starving his out to force him to either negotiate or surrender. This is critical to our survival."
Percy crossed his arms. "So why haven't you done it yet?"
The woman sighed. "His armory is heavily guarded. We do not have the ability to break through its defenses without heavy losses, but with you and your power, it should not be an issue at all."
"Theseus is also a demigod. I don't want to fight him if I don't have to."
Galene snorted. "Theseus has not been seen in years, even during invasions and rebellions. I doubt he will for another insurrection. And why would he? He cares nothing for the plight of our people, their cries of fear, their hunger, or their safety. No, I don't expect that monster to show at al-"
The woman cleared her throat as she looked sharply at her younger subordinate, causing Galene to quickly look away.
"As Galene was saying," the woman continued, "Theseus is unlikely to be a threat. And even if he appears, you should be able to turn the tide against his forces and bring him to a stalemate with our own forces backing you up."
The woman sighed, having said her part. "Honestly, there is no reason that you would help us. We have nothing to offer you except for an amount of gold and maybe some of the weapons you needed. If you wished to leave, we could not stop you – in fact, we would not, because that would be your decision. But we do hope that you will help us. Our situation is more desperate than it may seem, and this is our last chance to strike at Theseus and his tyranny."
Percy chuckled a little. "All that after I've been knocked on the back of the head and brought here against my will?" At this, Galene sheepishly looked away while the woman laughed.
"Indeed, our methods are crude but effective. We needed to verify your intentions and we have done so – there is nothing left for us to do but to ask for your assistance. What do you think?"
Falling silent, the room awaited with bated breath at the demigod, who stood in the center of the room with his eyes closed.
Percy knew the risks and dangers of joining their endeavor. He could already hear Kassandra's exasperated tone and Alcaeus' deep disapproving voice. He knew that he had a quest to complete, a mission of the utmost importance such that nothing should hinder his swift progress.
And still, he wanted to stay and fight. Because deep in his heart, he knew it was right. Before the woman in front of him had even warned him of the dangers of staying and of the minuscule rewards for doing so, he knew what he had to do. Even if the monetary reward was small, he knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't try.
"I will help you," Percy finally replied. He kept his face impassive as he saw everyone else's light up – even Galene's, though she turned as she saw Percy looking at her.
Yes, this is what it meant to be a hero – helping those in need when there was no benefit for him.
"Where exactly are you taking me?" Percy asked. Galene didn't slow down at all, not even bothering to look back at the demigod.
"Outside," she said simply. "You know where we will meet tonight to begin the attack. Go about your day as normal and prepare yourself to fight." At the end of a long and windy hallway was a locked wooden door. Galene fished a key out of a small leather bag she hung from her belt, and without a quick turn, opened the door. Bright light flooded Percy's eyes, which had adjusted to the darkness of the environment he had been taken captive in, and he instinctively looked away.
"Your freedom beckons," Galene gestured, her voice containing a hint of humor at Percy's reaction. In return, he simply smiled, nodding his ascent as she turned away. With a step, he walked out into the bright sun, finding himself looking at a nearly empty street, devoid of passerby and shop stalls. Hearing the door creak, he turned to see the door close with a click of the lock.
Sighing, he turned back to the street and began to make his way back to the city center. Judging based on the position of the sun, with it having moved to a lower position later in the day, he could tell that the three hours that he, Alcaeus, and Kassandra had agreed on had likely passed.
He couldn't wait to get an earful of what they had to say when they found out why.
"You did WHAT?" Kassandra roared. Alcaeus pinched the nose of his bridge, looking tiredly at the young demigod in front of him.
"Why don't we take this somewhere quieter?" Alcaeus muttered. Percy looked around to see strange stares being shot in their direction. Kassandra nodded, and the group moved to the same alleyway they had used earlier that day.
"Perseus," Alcaeus began before Kassandra could continue her tirade, "do you realize the magnitude of what you have done? You will have declared yourself an enemy of King Theseus, ruler of Athens, and if either Kassandra or I get implicated as part of this rebellion, even King Perseus could be seen as supporting a rebel faction to one of his rivals. I sincerely hope that you have "
Percy froze for a second. He hadn't thought about the potential blowback of his actions on the other Perseus, but he quickly recovered. "Well, if neither you or Kassandra fight with me and the rebels, then it'll be fine. You two don't need to be in the city while I fight with the rebels."
Kassandra scoffed. "As if. We are tasked to aid you on your journey, and we cannot do that if you are slain by Theseus' blade." Alcaeus nodded behind the young woman.
"Indeed. We will be by your side to protect you wherever this quest takes you. Even if it takes us into the fire and fury of Athens itself." Alcaeus leaned in closer, putting his hands on Percy's shoulders as the older man stared straight into the young demigod's eyes. "You are our leader – we will trust your judgement and follow you wherever you go."
Percy felt heartened by Alcaeus' words and felt his resolve strengthen.
"Alright," he said out loud, gathering both of his companions' attention. "We will join the fight tonight, and we will free this city."
Kassandra grimaced but bowed her head. Alcaeus silently nodded. Percy smiled.
They were going to fight for freedom, justice, and everything that was good in this twisted world they lived in.
Nightfall came quickly, and soon Percy found himself, along with Alcaeus and Kassandra, huddled in a small deserted building near the foot of the hill where the royal armory was located. Galene was there too, along with nearly two dozen men and women. They were clad in assorted gear, ranging from rusted metal plating to leather padded armor. Some just were plain cloth clothes, but they all had a blade of some type hanging from their belts. Evidently, this was the fighting force of the Athenian resistance.
"This is it?" Kassandra questioned out loud, her tone incredulous. "You expect this motley crew to take on trained city guards?"
Galene huffed. "I'll have you know that we are some of the best fighters in the city."
Kassandra critically eyed the younger girl. "And I suppose you're a great fighter, squirt?"
Galene squinted back. "You want to test me?"
Kassandra began to unsheathe her blade before Alcaeus clapped his hands together.
"Ladies, ladies, we are all on the same side here," the man diplomatically said, putting on a nervous grin as he waved his hands. "Let us not fight amongst ourselves in here before we fight the enemies out there."
Kassandra let her blade slide back into her sheath while Galene snorted. Still, the two fell silent.
"So, uh, what are we waiting for now?" Percy hesitantly spoke up. "How long are we going to stay here?"
Galene turned to the demigod. "We are only one of two groups in this attack. When the other force – which is stronger and more numerous," Galene turned to eye Kassandra while emphasizing her words, "attacks, then we will commence our own assault."
"And how will we know when they attack?" Percy questioned.
Before Galene could answer, a massive explosion rocked the small building, causing dust to fall from the ceiling and the small candles that lit the room to shake, with some falling over and going out.
"That's how," Galene replied, smiling at Percy.
Percy couldn't believe what he was seeing when he left the small building with everyone else in their group. The royal armory of Athens, which was built on the flat top of a hill, had smoke billowing into the sky. From his angle, Percy could barely see small wisps of fire around the perimeter of the armory.
"Come on," Galene gestured, and the group began to hike up the path that led to the main gate of the armory.
When they reached the altitude of the hill that the armory was built at, Percy could see why so much smoke had come from the building. The main gate of the wall that surrounded the armory, which was likely of some sort of bronze construction, was completely blasted off its hinges and now lay a good twenty feet away, its fine metal twisted, warped, and burnt from damage.
"Quickly now," one of the men in the group muttered, and the entire group of people slipped past the gates. Percy could now see the armory itself – it was a massive building made of marble. It didn't quite resemble famous Greek architecture that Percy knew, like the Parthenon, but it did bear similarities to that particular Greek temple. The columns were still major feature of the building, and its torch-lit entrance showed a dimly lit tunnel that led deep into the building. Perhaps Annabeth could better explain the intricacies of pre-classical Greek architecture, but for Percy, it was just a building.
In front of the armory was a scene that Percy could only describe as a bloody battle. Dozens of bodies lay scattered on the ground. There were dozens more that still fought, locked in combat with sword, spear, dagger, or even shield. Between the bizarre mix of clothing of the rebels and the uniform bronze armor of the guards, Percy could easily tell which side was which. The bodies that lay closer to the ruined gate were mostly armory guards, but closer to the entrance of the armory, the bodies were overwhelmingly rebel. The rebels were losing.
"Reinforcements!" one rebel yelled, turning around to see Galene and the group behind her. The man smiled for a second before he was impaled by a spear, the sharp point of the weapon protruding from the front of his chest. He gurgled once, blood spilling out of both his wound and his mouth, before the spear's wielder pulled his weapon back and let the man fall to the ground.
"Charge!" Galene yelled, and the motley group of rebel fighters rushed forward, brandishing their eccentric mix of weaponry as they locked blades with the armory's guards.
Percy felt himself tremble as he saw the dead corpse of the man who had smiled before dying. He had seen death before – there were countless more corpses that littered the ruined Olympus he and Thalia had arrived at – but never the act of killing in such a vivid and gruesome fashion. It was one thing to see death after the act, and it was another entirely to see the act in the moment.
"You okay?" Alcaeus quickly asked, taking Percy by the shoulders. Percy quickly nodded, swallowing heavily as he unsheathed Riptide.
"We need to help them," Percy quietly said. Alcaeus and Kassandra looked at each other before nodding, and the three rushed into the fray.
Even with the reinforcements of Galene's group, the rebels were slowly being pushed back. The armory's guards were well-trained and experienced, working together to form an impenetrable line that slowly moved forward.
That is, until Percy jumped in.
Grabbing a shield from a fallen guard, Percy leapt over the spear line into the flank of the guards' formation. Startled, one guard quickly turned around, breaking ranks with his comrades, and thrust his spear at Percy. The demigod deflected the thrust with his shield, sliding forward and slashed diagonally down the soldier's bronze chest plating.
To both Percy's and the guard's surprise, Riptide passed cleanly through the guard with no evidence that a sword had ever been swung at the man. Percy blinked twice before he internally cursed. His trusted blade was made out of celestial bronze. He hadn't even considered the issue with that. It had been so long since Percy had fought someone that wasn't a demigod or monster. There was no doubt that the shocked man in front of him was a mortal, meaning Percy had effectively just jumped into enemy lines without a weapon.
Snarling, the guard recovered his faculties and thrust his spear again. Dodging, Percy rolled forward and simply punched the man in the face, feeling bones crack and teeth knocked loose. The guard fell backwards onto the ground, groaning and clutching his face, as Percy turned to the now-facing him guards. Most of the other soldiers had reformed a smaller line to combat the rebels, but a small contingent of them – four in total – had broken off of the main group to face him as he had fought the first guard. Picking up the fallen guard's spear, Percy breathed deeply, eyeing each of the four guards to see who would make the first move.
The guard farthest to Percy's left was the first to crack, yelling as he thrust his spear forward. Deflecting it with his shield, Percy rolled out of the way of a simultaneous three-spear attack that all ended at the ground behind where he had just been standing. Flipping his spear around, Percy whacked the guard that had attacked him first in the head, cracking the spear as it hit the guard straight on his ear and sent the man spiraling into the ground beside his fallen comrade who had received a nose job.
Percy quickly dropped his broken spear and rushed forward with his shield before the other three guards could fully pull back their shields and turn, bashing into all of them and knocking them to the ground. Spears and shields fell to the ground as the guards groaned on the ground. As they struggled to pick themselves back up, Percy, now devoid of shield, rushed in, bashing the face of the first of the three guards to recover. The other two had also picked themselves up, but hadn't picked up their weapons or shields. Instead, they raised their fists and stood beside each other, both stoically facing the demigod that had just beaten three of their comrades.
Instead of rushing into a one-on-two fistfight with the last two guards, Percy raised an arm. Behind them, a jug of water that had been resting on a small alcove of the armory building tipped over, its water rushing out. Turning, both of the guards looked confused as the water slammed into them with the force of punches. Both guards felt the air knocked out of their chests, and as they stumbled around, both turned to see Percy walk towards them. With two hooks, Percy stood victorious above five fallen guards.
He turned to see how his own comrades fared, catching a glimpse of Kassandra slitting the throat of the last standing guard. Percy froze as he saw the impassive expression on her face and the blood that matted her hair and coated her clothing. Beside her, Alcaeus stood over the dead corpse of another guard, pulling his sword out of the dead man's chest. He had a similar expression on his face.
Looking back at his own opponents, who were all unconscious rather than dead, Percy couldn't help but wonder about the differences between him and people like Kassandra and Alcaeus. There was no doubt that those two were ready to kill, whereas Percy couldn't bring himself to kill mortals, even those he fought against. His trusted sword protected him from any mistakes of that nature, as Percy had just seen firsthand.
"We have won!" Galene exclaimed, cleaning one of her daggers of blood on the tunic of a dead guard. The rebels – those who still stood – cheered in unison. Out of the two dozen in Galene's group and however many more were in the first group, a pitiful amount stood: no more than two and a half dozen fighters were left standing. Percy knew immediately that were it not for him, Alcaeus, and Kassandra, the rebels would've lost the battle with everyone dead.
Alcaeus walked up to Percy before looking down at the fallen guards. As the older man brandished his sword, Percy looked away – he already knew what was to happen. Five quick and clean slashes later, and Percy looked back at the older man re-sheathing his sword. The young demigod didn't dare look down because he knew what he would find.
"This is a battle," Alcaeus quietly said, looking down at Percy, "and these are our enemies. If you do not kill them, you invite them to kill you. There is no other way." Percy stayed silent as the man walked away to rejoin the main body of rebels.
"Bring the wagons," one of the men ordered. Four men disappeared for a few minutes down the hill before returning, now each pulling a small cart into the courtyard in front of the armory.
"Quickly load up the carts. Just bring them into the armory," the man explained. The four men nodded, and four more men, including the man who had ordered for the wagons to be brought, joined them as they pulled the carts to the entrance of the armory. As the man passed Galene, he turned to the girl.
"You're in charge while we load the wagons." With that, he continued into the armory. Galene nodded to herself before turning to her troops.
"Everyone, keep a watch for any enemy reinforcements." The other fighters nodded, and some slipped to the ground, exhausted from the fight.
Percy, for his part, slumped to the ground, sitting against the marble wall by the destroyed gate to the armory. Off to the side, Alcaeus and Kassandra sat, each cleaning their weapons.
Smiling to himself, Percy sighed. They had done it – they had stormed the armory and taken control of it. They would soon have all of the weapons they needed while starving Theseus' forces of them, and soon the Athenian resistance would be able to overthrow his rule.
They had won.
And then the armory exploded.
Percy was blown back into the wall by the sheer force of the explosion. Chunks of marble flew out, and some of the men that were standing closer to the building vanished underneath massive pieces of debris. At the distance Percy sat, along with Alcaeus, Kassandra, Galene, and the majority of the rebel fighters, they were only pelted by small pieces of shrapnel.
"What happened?" a man yelled, struggling to his feet. Galene stared in disbelief at the armory, which was now in flames as the marble structure slowly collapsed to the ground in pieces.
"Commander…" the girl whispered, her eyes wide.
"Galene!" another man roared. "Enemy troops!"
Percy pushed himself to his feet and peered past the edge of the wall to see a large formation – at least a few dozen soldiers – marching up the hill. At the front of the formation was a man who wore intricate armor. His shoulder length black hair blew in the wind, and his face was hard and expressionless.
"Is that…" a man spoke up, his incomplete question hanging in the air.
"Theseus," Galene whispered. Percy turned to look at the girl. Her eyes were wide and her hands trembled. "He's actually here."
She suddenly spoke louder. "We need to pull back immediately and form a line." Seeing that everyone was still shell-shocked, Galene yelled, "Now!"
"Pull back!" she ordered her men. "Gather shields and spears and form a defensive line."
"To defend what?" a reply came. "The armory is destroyed. The commander is dead!"
Galene gave a hard look at the man. "I am the commander now. You will do as I say!"
The man threw down his spear. "No! I am done with this. We have lost and we should surrender." Against the pleas of his fellow rebels, the man strode out to path, his arms up.
"I surrender!" he yelled to the marching formation. No verbal reply was given as they continued to approach the gate. A whizzing sound flew through the air, and the man grunted as he found an arrow protruding from the center of his chest. With a gurgle, he fell to the ground and then didn't move.
The remaining rebels looked from their dead comrade to each other before settling on Galene. Quickly nodding, the rebels gathered their weapons and formed a line deep inside the courtyard. Percy, Kassandra, and Alcaeus didn't join the line, but they also retreated to be beside the rebels. They could feel the searing heat of the flames on their backs, but they knew that it was nothing compared to the danger in front of them.
"We shouldn't have pulled back," Alcaeus muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"Why?" Percy asked. "This is a good place to reform the line."
"There is merit to building a defensive line with a secure flank," Alcaeus admitted, "but we lose the advantage of the chokepoint at the gate. It would be easier to hold a larger force at bay with a smaller force up there."
Percy nodded as he realized the truth of the older man's words.
"At any rate," Alcaeus continued, "I don't think it matters that much. We will not be able to last very long either way. We have no supplies and no way to retreat. This is a suicide stand."
Percy tightened his grip on the shield he held. He hadn't picked up a spear, but he had retrieved a shield to protect himself from the enemy archers.
He had to protect everyone somehow. He had to use his powers. Closing his eyes, Percy felt out around him, looking for every last drop of water he could find. There! Inside the hill was a small cavern filled with water. Drawing every bit of strength he had, he siphoned as much as he could upwards, pulling it through cracks in the rock and the dirt of the hill.
Galene and the other rebels looked with awe as the courtyard's dirt ground became darkened and moist as the water Percy was drawing on surfaced. As Theseus appeared at the gate with his army behind him, Percy roared as he flung all of the water he could muster at the incoming force.
Theseus was quickly lost behind the rush of water, and screams and yells could be heard as the water swept soldiers off of the hill like a waterfall. Percy continued until he couldn't, panting hard as he let go of his control of the water.
And as the waves parted, Theseus stood like a rock in the river, having not moved an inch during the whole ordeal. Behind him was a wall of water, held in place by Theseus' control.
Percy's stomach plummeted. The attack he had put so much effort into had wiped out all of their enemies, except for the only one that really mattered.
"Hm," the King of Athens intoned, looking at the ragged group of men and women in front of him. "A son of Poseidon. I did not think you would be so eager to kill your brother." With the last word, the other son of Poseidon ordered the water forward, rushing towards the rebels, Percy, and his companions.
It took all of Percy's might to protect him, Kassandra, and Alcaeus. The torrential wave pounding away at them was beyond anything Percy had ever felt, and he struggled to hold as long as he could. From the yells and screams, he knew that the rebels were unprotected and in danger, but he could do nothing to help them. The wave washed over Percy and his companions, flowing into the burning armory and putting out the fires.
As the water subsided, Percy warily let down the wall of water he had used to block Theseus' attack. Looking beside him, he saw the rebels lying in the ground. Many were not moving.
"Galene!" Percy yelled, seeing the girl washed up against a column of the armory. Rushing over to the rebel fighter, Percy knelt down and examined her. Blood flowed down her head, and her right arm and legs were twisted unnaturally. With shaking arms, he lay the girl's head down on his lap. He knew that these were not injuries that could be easily healed, if at all.
"Perseus," the girl muttered, her dark eyes fluttering open to see the demigod. "You are alright."
"Yeah," Percy said, struggling to smile. "I am alright. And you will be too. Just stay awake. We will get you the help you need."
The girl chuckled, coughing out blood as she did so. "Good try," she whispered, her voice weakening. "But I do not think I will be getting out of this one." Her head rolled to the side, and her eyes narrowed as she saw Theseus standing amidst the full moon.
"The tyrant," she mumbled. "Perseus, you must kill him. To free my people."
Percy swallowed. "I will do what I can."
Galene closed her eyes and slowly nodded, before re-opening them and looking at the bright night sky, lit alight with the stars of the cosmos.
"I now go to be with my father, my mother, my brother, and my dearest little sister," she rasped, barely able to speak. "I now join them, slain like them by Theseus." She let out a deep breath. "I wish I could have gotten to know you better, Perseus. May time r-remember you as," she stopped to breath in, "the greatest h-hero to h-have ever lived." With that, she breathed out one last time, and fell still.
Percy's forced smile dropped, and he looked at the girl with an expression of fear and disbelief.
"Galene?" he whispered. The body lay unmoving. Unbreathing.
Kassandra placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "She is dead, Perseus. There is nothing you can do." Percy was silent for a few moments before he slowly nodded. Lowering Galene's body to the ground gracefully, he rose up and turned to face the tyrant.
"Are you done mourning?" Theseus mocked, his voice sharp and harsh. "Be grateful I gave you any time at all."
Wordlessly, Percy drew his pen and uncapped it, revealing Riptide in its full form.
"What blade is that?" Theseus whispered, looking with a degree of awe at the transforming weapon. He could almost feel the sea pulsing through the sword. "Where did you get it from?"
"You do not want to know," Percy responded, his own tone mocking and predatory, even though he had no idea who the demigod was referring to.
"It matters not," Theseus replied, drawing his own blade. "I will take it from your corpse, after I kill you and your friends."
Percy turned to Alcaeus and Kassandra. "Stay back. I will deal with him alone."
Alcaeus raised an eyebrow at the notion while Kassandra simply nodded. She used an arm to maneuver the older man backwards as Percy strode forward, sword in hand, pain in his heart, and fire in his eyes.
"Do you not think we should help him?" Alcaeus asked, looking at his younger companion. Kassandra shook her head.
"Perseus needs to deal with this alone. I saw it in his eyes. At any rate, we would not be able to help him otherwise. This is a battle of demigods, and not a fight fit for mortals to join."
In front of them, Percy came to a stop, lifting Riptide into a guard position and waiting for Theseus to make a move. The king took a deep breath, and then launched forward off of a foot, pushing himself toward the younger demigod. Percy parried the first blow before using his shield to bash Theseus. The monarch jumped backwards to avoid the shield bash, and Percy took advantage to take the initiative.
Theseus was taken aback by the younger man's sheer ferocity and speed as Percy slashed and stabbed continuously. Driven by a desire to see Theseus toppled, Percy didn't let up at all, putting the king on the back foot as their fight pushed toward the gate. Still, Theseus' defense was impeccable, and as strong and fast as Percy was, he was unable to get in a blow.
Theseus leapt backwards to increase the distance between the two demigods, his sword arm shaking. Percy took deep breaths to rest, his body fatigued from the intensive assault.
"It seems our skills with a blade are evenly matched," Theseus intoned. "This fight will not be decided by our skills as swordsmen, but rather our mastery of our innate ability." Closing his eyes, Theseus summoned a column of water, drawing from the water that rushed downhill as well as the same cavern Percy had tapped into. Opening his eyes, Theseus sent the column forward, and Percy concentrated to stop it in its tracks. Hovering between them, the water remained suspended in mid-air like a beam of water that threatened to shoot either way.
Both men grunted as they strived to push it more towards the other. The two sons of Poseidon were locked in a battle of their paternal gift, and the outcome would be decided by whoever could overpower the other. That is, whoever had greater favor with Poseidon.
"Why!" Theseus suddenly cried out, his face showing signs of his strain. The column of water moved more towards him. "Why, father?"
After a few moments, Theseus coughed out a spurt of blood, and with a rush, the column of water that had been held with such tension between the two demigods flew into the king of Athens. Theseus was battered against the wall of the armory, falling to the ground as the water flowed past him.
Cautiously, Percy walked towards the downed king, Riptide drawn and ready for any confrontation. Theseus, on the other hand, did not look ready to confront Percy in any way, shape, or form. The king lay panting, sitting with his back against the wall. One foot was twisted at an odd angle.
"You have bested me, son of Poseidon," Theseus muttered. "I do not know how you have gained such favor with Poseidon, but it matters not. I am finished."
"I have yet to kill you," Percy replied, looking down at the king.
Theseus laughed mirthlessly, before unstrapping his intricate chestplate. With a heave, he threw it off to the side, revealing a beige tunic. At least, the parts that were stained with blood were beige. A long streak of dried blood ran from his right shoulder to his left hip, while directly right of his abdomen was a dark circular stain of blood.
"I did not do that to you," Percy whispered, looking with confusion at Theseus' injuries.
"Indeed, hero," Theseus rasped. "You did not. They did." He gestured out past the destroyed gate, past the walls of the city, and out into the distance.
Percy followed his finger, his eyes widening as he saw it. Hundreds – no, it had to be thousands, of little pricks of light in the distance. An uncountable mass of people.
"What is that?" Percy questioned, looking back at Theseus.
"The Dorians of the north," came the quiet reply. "An invasion force. For years I have fought them in the north to stop them, to halt their advance, but now my strength is spent and my city is ripe for the taking. I cannot stop them. You cannot stop them. That pitiful resistance could not stop them. Nothing can."
Kassandra and Alcaeus had walked up to where Percy stood, and Kassandra gasped when she saw the incoming army. Alcaeus grimaced.
"So why did you kill your own people?" Percy asked, his eyes burning. "Galene," he pointed at the girl's dead body, "lost her family because of you."
"I truly do not remember that girl or her family," Theseus replied. "I have killed many disloyal citizens. I needed every last portion of strength my city had to give to fight the Dorians, and that involved eliminating those who opposed my rule – they were hindering me from doing what I needed to do. If they were caught in the crossfire, it was accidental. Or maybe they were even opposing me."
"Why did you not just tell your people?" Percy demanded.
"What, and cause mass panic?" Theseus smiled, though again it was with no humor. "That would have bled my city dry of the strength it needed. An unpalatable option compared to simply requisitioning what I needed."
Percy stepped back and took a deep breath. He could not refute the logic of Theseus' words. He knew with his heart that the king had been unjust and tyrannical, but he knew with his mind that it was for the greater good. Could he fault the man for acting as he did, as a king should have?
"Take heart, hero," Theseus said, recognizing the dilemma in Percy's mind, "and know that I will be dead anyway. These wounds that were inflicted upon me by the Dorians are fatal. I will be dead before sunrise. You would do well to flee before the Dorians arrive – I doubt the city will survive their wrath."
Percy nodded, sheathing Riptide. Gesturing to Alcaeus and Kassandra, he motioned for them to depart.
"Wait, hero." Percy stopped and turned. "What is your name?"
Percy hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Perseus."
"Ah, Perseus," Theseus nodded. "An interesting name, given your fellow Perseus. Do you hail from Mycenae?"
"No, I come from a faraway land." Theseus slowly nodded, but his face showed a disbelieving expression.
"Well, if you ever make it to Mycenae, you should warn King Perseus of the threat. Though I doubt he will be able to stop it by that point." The king of Athens fell silent and leaned back, resting his head against the wall as he closed his eyes. His breathing grew shallower and slower.
Nodding even though Theseus could not see him, Percy wordlessly left the armory compound, Kassandra and Alcaeus following. They walked to the bottom of the hill without a word spoken, heading to the deserted building – they knew that some members of the rebel force had come on horseback, leaving their mounts in a stable attached to the building.
"We should warn King Perseus," Kassandra spoke up as they entered the stable. "This is a serious threat against Mycenae."
"We are sworn to accompany Perseus," Alcaeus rebutted, mounting one of the horses. "It is his decision."
Percy, who had also gotten onto a horse, looked at his two companions. "We continue. If we double back, it would take too long to reach Lemnos, and the north could be too dangerous by the time we come back. This is our only chance."
Kassandra looked at Percy with her dark brown eyes, staring, before nodding her acquiescence. Climbing onto a horse herself, the three rode out of the stable. Kicking up dust as they fell into a full gallop, they rode through the streets of Athens.
Everywhere throughout the city, there was panic. Vendors gathered their wares, fathers their families, and soldiers ran about with no clear direction or intent. Everyone knew what was on the horizon, but few had the ability to leave. Combined with the fact that the Athenian armory was in flames and the Athenian king was dead or dying, and there was no way to organize any kind of resistance to the impending invasion. Athens' doom was at hand.
Percy looked with sorrow at the trembling Athenian people as he rode through the city. There was nothing he could do for them. Nobody could have known what was on the horizon for the city, and even if the resistance had not existed, little would have changed. He had sought to bring justice to Athens and its people, to overthrow a tyrant and replace him with a more benevolent government, but everything he had done, everything Galene and the resistance had fought and died for, was in vain. Athens' doom was at hand.
The three rode out of the city, passing through the open gates of the city – no guards were left to man them. Outside, stragglers sought to flee on foot, bringing what they could with them. Those lucky enough to own horses rode as hard and fast as they could. Everyone tried their best to escape the coming horde. He could not save these people. How could he call himself a hero? He had not brought freedom, justice, or any kind of goodness to these people. He hadn't helped them at all. Athens' doom was at hand.
Even when they were miles away, Percy could hear the screams of a dying city, and when he turned to look all he could see was a city in flames. What good was there in such a twisted world where the innocent burned at the hands of the mighty? Athens' doom was here.
"The fall of a great city," Alcaeus muttered, his horse neighing as it did so. "And so ends the legacy of King Theseus, son of Poseidon. I hope that this is not the beginning of the end for us all."
Percy trembled at the sight, his jaw clenched and his face impassive. Turning, the three rode off, facing the dark horizon in the distance as they left the collapsing city behind them.