Chapter Two: Tartarus

'Great...I'm back again Tartarus! You missed me?' I just cannot believe my luck. I'm minutes away from death with a large, broadsword in my gut, and a pissy goddess next to me. Thank the gods she is in just as much pain as me or I'd be dead right about now!

I look around as I lay on my back, hands clasped around the foreign object embedded into my intestines, not much has changed in three hours... still the same fiery, horrendous looking pit of nothingness. Literally there is nothing here besides monsters, death and decay.

Finally managing to free the sword, I use it as a makeshift crutch to help me stand, looking to my left I see Gaea, a small smile spreads on my lips. She is now just above mortal hight, around seven foot and she is writhing around in pain.

I limp towards her, blood from my legs and stomach seeping through my clothes. I stand above the goddess and her eyes lock with mine, hate, anger, fury and loathing are just a few of the emotions that could be seen in her eyes, I sneered as looked straight back at her, this was the person who ruined my life and took everything away from me. Without hesitation I brought the broadsword down into her throat, silver ichor surrounded the wound, and the floor. The last sound the goddess made was a sickening death rattle, gurgling and chocking on her blood. And with that she slowly dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind a small pile of silver dust.

To say I was feeling down as a small understatement. I'm all alone, slowly dying without any of my loved ones; I could say this has been a very sad day indeed. Besides the circumstances I smile, shortly I will be reunited with my girlfriend in Elysium, darkness started to cloud my vision, I could literally feel Thanatos looming over my body, ready to reap my soul. But with my luck and life it could never be that easy, I bright light flashed before my half lidded eyes, and to say I was surprised would be the understatement of the millennia; before me stood my grandfather, Lord Kronos, the titan of time.

I was speechless, scared and curious all at the same time. What confused me the most was he was smiling at me... not the sinister type of smile you would expect but, warm and inviting almost like Aunt Hestia's. "Relax Purseus, I mean no harm and with a gifts." He even laughed!

"Err..." Was all my seaweed filled mind could come up with, "What do you want Kronos? And I thought you was meant to have been scattered once again?" During the titan war Kronos had used Luke's body as a host, but now he is in his original body; A tall muscular and powerful body, but it was evident that he had been chopped up into a thousand pieces, scars covered his body.

"Well even if I wanted to harm you grandson you are not in the position to defend your self, are you not?" Crap... he's right, I am on deaths door already, he could kill me with a flick of his finger. "But I am not here to do such a thing, in fact quite the opposite Perseus, I am here to heal you." Kronos said sincerely. Without out my reply he crouched down and placed his scarred hands onto my stomach, golden strings began to spread across my open wound; slowly the wound closed and turned into a deep purple scar.

"W-what just happened?" I asked in shock, my hand shakily traced the newly formed scar, angry pink skin lined it, and it was still relatively painful.

Kronos just smiled, "I rewound time Perseus, if it was any normal weapon your skin would have fully turned back to the state it was before the injury; however it is unfortunate that the wound was caused by a primordial weapon, in fact, you are lucky to still be alive."

Feeling refreshed I stood up, standing face to face with Kronos... it feels weird now that we are not trying to kill each other, but it feels nice. "Thank you Kronos, I understand that you have helped me enough already; but how can I get out of this hell hole?" I asked, still thinking how weird it is to be so civil towards the titan that hunted me for four years.

"Well Perseus, I told you I am here to bring you a gift..." I was about to ask him what the healing was then but he cut me off with a wave of his hand. "and no, I simply wanted to keep you alive, my real gift to you is titanhood, I no longer wish to live in self pity in this...pit, or in the judging eyes of my son's and daughter's. I have always admired you Perseus, even when we were at war. So I am here now to relinquish my hold on time and seat of power as Lord of titans to you."

My eyes bugged out, and jaw hit the flaw. I could not believe that my ex-enemy is giving me such a prestigious and unheard of gift! This has never been done for. The closest thing that can be compared to what Kronos is doing is when Hestia gave up her throne on Olympus for Dionysus. However this was something completely of the charts!

"T-thank you Kronos, but I can't accept. I'm not worthy enough." I hung my head in shame.

"Perseus, so young, naïve, selfless and humble. You are the perfect being to become the next keeper of time, it seems to be my time to leave this world, it would bring great comfort to my old heart if I knew it was in safe hands. You Perseus are a demigod, you appreciate life and the gifts it brings; not a power hungry deity who has had everything handed to them since they were born." Kronos spoke forcefully, showing how passionate he was about handing over his titanship.

"I Lord Kronos, Keeper of time, and King of Titans, I hear by relinquish my titles and domains. Do you Perseus accept my titles and domains?" Kronos looked me dead in the eye, sweat dripped down my forehead.

"I Perseus, Bane of titans and giants, hero of Olympus and Son of Poesidon accept your gift, of your titles and domains!" I finished with a gasp as power surged through my veins. Pain erupted deep inside me as my mortal blood began to change into ichor, my body adjusting to the new power grew to the godly height of fifteen feet. Looking down at Kronos he seemed to have aged a hundred years; his once fighting fit body now looked frail, his long brown hair now grey.

"Congratulations grandson, please tell the Olympians of my passing. It is now my turn to fade into the void." And with that said Kronos began to fade, unlike Gaea, Kronos' entire body faded, flickering until there was nothing; like a dying light bulb giving off its last light until it stopped, leaving darkness.

A stray tear slid down my cheek, even though we had been at war with each other for most of my teen years, he showed me compassion and respect just before he faded. Maybe Kronos was a good titan, just mislead...

Wiping my cheek I realised I was still in the doom and gloom of Tartarus, now I was a titan, this meant I can teleport. Concentrating on Olympus I could feel a tug in my stomach like I would when using my water powers, in a quick flash of golden light I had left Tartarus and appeared in the throne room of the gods, during the reward ceremony...