Chapter 4

The next day they all gathered in the mess hall for an early breakfast.

"So Percy, you think this is real bad?" Clarisse said.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so, I mean these Protogenoi are smart, they spent the last five years watching our every move, they know us, how we fight, our strengths and weaknesses." Percy replied.

"You're wrong Percy, they do not KNOW us, who we are, what we are capable of, I know we're all scared, even I am, but the Protogenoi have not met us, they do not know what we are capable of, we can prove them wrong guys, we can win this battle." Annabeth said reassuringly, but she was only replied to by silence.

No else thought so.

A voice broke it, "My daughter is right, you're all too scared, weak the Protogenoi will finish you in mere seconds once they get their hands on you, you all have to learn to believe in you, to have confidence, to have trust otherwise we can all just count ourselves doomed." Athena said.

"Mother, you're here."

"Yes Annabeth my darling, I am here to teach all of you, not about war or fighting but about the Protogenoi, after today's lesson you will all know everything there is to know about the Protogenoi, at least everything we know."

Everyone stood straight in their seats, they had a feeling this would be a very long day.

"I must tell you all about each one of them, what you need to defeat them. We all know that Kronos will not be part of this battle, but since the Protogenoi are immortal, he is still alive, perhaps in Tartarus or maybe in some long lost land. But you must know that when Kronos betrayed our trust long ago, the Protogenoi divided, those who joined Kronos and those that were against him. Only few of the Protogenoi sent that letter, for the rest of them live in peace and harmony in their very own lands, governing their creatures, living in peace. What I and the gods are sure of is that only very few remain. We believe that only 4 of them remain; Ananke, Erebus, Khaos and Nyx." Athena said.

"So this is supposed to be good thing right? I mean only four to battle. That seems to give us the upper hand in numbers." Clarisse replied.

"In fact Clarisse that may help us based on numbers but not based on strength. The remaining four are the strongest of all the Protogenoi that is why we must study them, one by one, starting with Ananke, Kronos' lover.

"Ananke is the goddess of inevitability, compulsion and necessity. She emerged self-formed at the very beginning of time--an incorporeal, serpentine being whose outstretched arms encompassed the breadth of the universe. From the time she first appeared Ananke was entwined in the serpentine coils of her mate, the time-god Kronos. Ananke is the wife of Kronos and because of what you did to Kronos," Athena said, pointing at Percy, "Ananke has joined forces with Khaos in an attempt to destroy you."

"Wow thanks just amazing, I haven't even met the goddess and I'm already her main target." Percy said to himself.

"Now the next god is Erebus, the god of darkness, and is therefore applied also to the dark and gloomy space under the earth, through which the shades pass into Hades. Erebus was the dark space under the earth, he was the Underworld, that is why me and the gods were wondering why Erebus joined Khaos in his plan, then we realized the reason, it was Hades' ex-wife, Persephone, she was a young and beautiful god but soon when she discover Hades' affair with a young Nymph, she fled. And this angered Erebus greatly, you see all that time in truth, he himself had fallen in love with Persephone. Thus his utter hatred formed for Hades and now given the chance, he has joined Khaos in his plan for revenge.

"We must call Nico at once, he may have some insight on Erebus and we all know that is there's someone who'll defeat Erebus it has to be Nico." Annabeth spoke up.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"Very well then, we shall call Nico, he's probably in the Hades cabin." Athena said.

"I'm here!" Nico said, declaring his arrival to all.

"Nico! We've missed you so much!" Annabeth said.

"I missed you all too!" Nico said.

Thus, a group hug, except for Clarisse of course who remained stiff in her seat, giving Nico a slight nod to acknowledge his presence.

"I have debriefed Nico about what I have said, now shall we all continue?" Athena said.

Without waiting for a reply, she continued.

Next we have Nyx, the goddess of the night, we know why she joined, it's because of you," she said pointing at Annabeth.

"Me?" Annabeth said, clearly petrified beyond her wits.

"Yes, my daughter and sadly I must say it is my fault, I am the reason why Nyx wants to destroy you, you see when I was young, Nyx was always so jealous of my knowledge, she craved to know more about everything, she asked me once, I remember that day clearly, I was just 18, she asked me how she could consume the world with darkness, only darkness, I of course did not answer her, in the battle against the gods and the Protogenoi, we battled each other and I won. Now that she has risen again, she will come after you Annabeth, and you must prepare well." Athena answered.

"Now we have the final Protogenoi, the master of them all Khaos."

The name brought chills down everyone's spine.

"Khaos is the genderless god, some believe Khaos was a she, but from the letter, we are sure that Khaos is genderless, Khaos is the lower atmosphere that surrounded the earth, the space between Heaven and Earth, the void of darkness. We all sprung from Khaos and we all descend from this god, the leader of the Protogenoi, Khaos is not particularly after any one of you but is after you all. Khaos is by far the most dangerous of them all."

Athena ended.

Everyone exhaled as if they held their breath the entire time.

"Now that you know about each of the gods and why they joined this battle against us, you must all understand what they are trying to do. Now I will tell you about the infamous ritual which they will perform to defeat us, the Protogenoism."