Hey everyone,

Here's the introductory chapter to my new story. It will slowly build up steam, the first few chapters being a little short. In all, this story will be quite short. I have only planned seventeen chapters including the prologue and epilogue, but we'll see if I decide to add any more. It will mostly be short because there isn't that much to write about that I can really expand on in the Trojan War. There were a few main points and main events, but nothing really that stood out that Percy would become a part of. Some chapters will be action-packed, some chapters will be mellow and full of thoughts and decisions. So, here we go. I'm taking a huge risk here. Thanks to those who have reviewed, those who put this on their favorites already, and those who followed this story.

With best regards,
SharkAttack719

Chapter 1

Welcome to the Land of the Myrmidons

Achilles threw his spear at the eyes of his opponent, aiming right at the spot in between. It would have been a devastating blow, especially since it was a spear that was being thrown. The only problem was that his opponent was, in his opinion, the most talented and skilled combat fighter in the entire world. It was almost impossible to beat Perseus... almost.

Perseus swiftly dodged the spear, nimble on his toes. He then waited for Achilles' next attack. Since his pupil no longer had a spear, he would have to fight with a sword. And even though Achilles could barely match up to Perseus in spear-on-spear combat (and often lost), he was no match against Perseus in sword combat.

It was something Perseus liked to keep to himself, for he had had twenty years of practice, added on to eleven years of sword training. Usually, one would figure that an "old man" like himself would be easy to tire out. That wasn't the case, though.

The thing was, Perseus was immortal, not a god... but immortal. Perseus could still be killed in combat, which was often why Achilles had to limit himself during sparring matches. That was beside the main point. Perseus actually looked seventeen. He never felt seventeen, though. It came with the immortality, but he felt powerful and timeless.

"Come on," Achilles growled. "Let me practice for real combat, real warfare."

From an outsider's point of view, it would have looked quite bizarre, a younger man, not even considered to be mature enough yet, ordering around a man who looked young but capable. Often Chiron had noted that Achilles had the build of a fierce warrior, one of muscular strength. Perseus, on the other hand, was slimmer and looked more agile and deadly.

"Fine," Perseus gave in. "All right. Should I frustrate you or would you like me to give you an actual training time with the water-ice sculpture?"

Achilles glared at his teacher, who gave him a playful grin.

"Come on, Achilles," the son of Poseidon said. "Lighten up."

"I need to practice and train for the war that Agamemnon so badly wants," the son of Thetis replied sourly. "As much as I don't like what he did, I will fight for Greece when Menelaus gets back to Sparta to find his wife gone from the throne. Why did Agamemnon even pay you?"

"Because he abuses his power," Perseus replied casually. He walked to the water's edge, where they were practicing, and began forming up a solidified water sculpture that would follow his movements. "He views many as below his level because they are not royal members. You, on one hand, are the son of a famous Argonaut named Peleus and are rumored to be the son of Thetis. Thetis, I have to admit, isn't the most powerful god out there. I, on the other hand, am born of a lowly peasant family, never talked about as an Argonaut because Peleus never spoke of those adventures, and am rumored to be the son of Poseidon, a very powerful god. To Agamemnon, it seems as though I am a fraud, just a warrior who fights for money. So, when he approached me, I figured out what he wanted, agreed to it acting stupid, and taking the money because I wanted it. Was it the right thing to do? Of course not, did I try to protect Helen? No, because it wasn't my duty. I knew what he was going to think of me because I used judgement and try to think as cocky royals do. Then there's the Athena side of me, the wise side. In truth, it is all guessing and placing bets. I could have guessed wrong, and who knows what would have happened. The wise side of me knows that I don't actually know that judgement stuff, that I was just hoping for something to happen. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

Achilles was staring at him with a glazed expression. "No one would understand what you just said."

He rolled his eyes. "What I mean is that to be smart, you have to know anything that can be written down and be able to apply it. To be wise, you have to have experience, knowledge and a good judgement. Something like that, do you get what I mean? The main point is that I took Menelaus' orders literally. He said to watch over Sparta, in which he presumed to include protecting Helen. Agamemnon also thought this and tried bribing me. In truth, he never told me looking over Sparta meant babysitting his wife. That way, I get the money when I didn't really fail to do my job."

Achilles seemed to get what he was talking about. An amused grin appeared on his face. "Devious, you are."

Perseus shrugged. "Whatever you say. I still remember when you were a young boy. You were quite... rebellious. Look at you now... still rebellious."

It had been many years since Achilles had arrived at Chiron's campsite, which the centaur had based in the north, in between Epirus and Thessaly. Back then, the son of Thetis was just a little boy, just like Perseus had been so very long ago. Achilles was quite playful and seemed like a child who wanted nothing but to have a happy life.

Peleus, his father, had come to Chiron with Thetis, Achilles' mother, asking the centaur if he would take care of their and train him to become a good soldier. It wasn't a hard task, considering Chiron had done it for many heroes in the past few years, so he agreed.

Chiron had simply been amazed how much Perseus had grown since his time as a little baby, the hero finally agreeing to be called "Perseus." Chiron had told him affirmatively that he had lived up to his name, becoming a great hero. Perseus was still doubtful and asked those close to him to call him Percy, just because he had gotten so accustomed to it. Achilles had called him Percy ever since the immortal man told him to, acting like a soldier under a general.

For the next fifteen years, Perseus taught him in the art of duelling, a combat that was rarely used in the army. However, Perseus did teach him how to use a spear, whilst learning how to use it from Chiron when Achilles slept.

Year after year, Achilles listened to Perseus, learning how to fight using a spear, then a spear with a shield, then a sword, then a sword with a shield. Perseus didn't teach him the art of hunting, though, knowing that Achilles was eager to fight in close combat. It was just like Achilles, who had grown from being a harmless little boy, to want to be close to the blood that was spilled.

Perseus, who had left for a period of time to find Menestheus, the king of Athens, found himself watching a battle between the Spartans and Athenians, a bloody mess that ended in victory for the previous Spartan king, Tyndareus.

Then more years passed, and Perseus found that the men of his generation were getting older, were dying. They began to fade as the new generation took control, the central city of Mycenae falling into the hands of an ambitious king named Agamemnon. His brother, Menelaus, took control of Sparta after marrying Helen, the daughter of Tyndareus' wife, Leda, and Zeus. Though Tyndareus was her mortal father, her actual blood father was the king of the gods.

Perseus never would have guessed that a daughter of Zeus could be beautiful.

There were six suitors for the beautiful woman, all who were considered capable of being Helen's husband.

Telamon, who was an Argonaut that Perseus had rarely spoken to, had a son named Ajax. Ajax was the king of Salamis, his father having passed on. He was a strong and brave man, easily the most muscular out of all of Helen's suitors. Instead of wielding a spear in battle, with a sword strapped to his side, like most Greek soldiers, he used a massive two-handed sword that was specially designed for him.

Elephenor, son of Chalcodon, was a king of the Abantes of Euboea. Perseus didn't know much of the man, but he was a wealthy king which would have benefitted both families.

There was Menestheus, who was the usurper of the Athenian throne, replacing Theseus at a very young age. Perseus, who liked Theseus because he was the only one of his old friends that resented what he did, wasn't very fond of Menestheus and had only gone looking for the old fellow because he wanted to give his mother's old farm to the king so that someone else could inhabit it. Perseus' mother would have felt good knowing that he didn't fall to pieces because of her death, that he stood up and walked away bravely. At least, that was what he thought.

Protesilaus was the son of Iphicles, a half-brother of Heracles. He proved to be different from the son of Zeus. He was less cocky, though he still abused his power as king of Phylace. Protesilaus was also not as brave but was smarter, knowing that there were limits to everything.

Odysseus, a son of Laertes, was king of Ithaca. He, like Elephenor, was quite distant from Perseus, so the son of Poseidon didn't know much about him. However, unlike Elephenor, he had a reputation around Greece for having guile.

The last of the suitors, and the winner, was Menelaus, the son of Atreus. Atreus was the former king of Mycenae, but his brother, Agamemnon, was the rightful heir to that throne. Perseus knew the back story that most did not very well. Agamemnon was the one who made Menelaus become a suitor for Helen and did everything in his power to convince Tyndareus to make Menelaus Helen's husband. It had worked. After Tyndareus' recent death, Menelaus became king of Sparta, and now, Agamemnon controlled two major territories in Greece.

Agamemnon wasn't a bad man, he was good, and he had good intentions, but he was just following a path that mostly disregarded others.

Perseus hoped that he had taught Achilles well. If all went according to plan, Achilles should have become similar to him, except with that more warlike and extrovert-like feel to him. No one would listen to Perseus in real life, the only thing making people notice him was that he was rumored to be a son of Poseidon and immortal.

They were true... It didn't mean people had to believe those rumors though.

Achilles knew Perseus' entire background, though, everything from the moment he set foot in Chiron's camp to the moment he had taught Achilles how to fight in battle-like situations without killing.

Likewise, Perseus knew everything about Achilles, from his birth to that very moment. The one thing that not many people believed to be true was that Achilles had been dipped in the River Styx when he was a baby.

People had good reason to doubt that others were more powerful than they were, it was just the mindset of a man. Every man wanted to hold the power of the world in their fist. Could the same be said for women? Some but definitely not all.

Perseus knew exactly where Achilles' weak spot was, where Thetis had held him from when she had dipped him into the River Styx. He never dared go near it, but Perseus had tried to instill everlasting fear into the son of Thetis. Just because he was invulnerable everywhere else didn't make him harder to kill. In fact, it just made him more vulnerable. He wouldn't be cautious of the one spot he was mortal in, wouldn't consciously protect it. If Perseus could not instill the right fear into Achilles' mind, Achilles wouldn't protect his weak spot and he would eventually die in battle because of his cockiness.

Perseus himself thought it to be too dangerous to be dipped in the Styx, never wanting to try it for himself. He also didn't want any of his pupils to ever be dipped in the River Styx that he would have from now on unless the situation was dire and there was no other option.

Perseus then remembered the oath he had spoken so long ago.

I pledge myself to serving Greece, he had said. I shall become the assistant of Chiron, a trainer of heroes, and accept eternal life.

When Perseus had told Chiron that he had sworn that, Chiron immediately relieved him of his duties, knowing he wouldn't want to do that for the rest of eternity. Instead, Chiron made Perseus swear on a personal oath that he would honour instead of the ones the gods had given him.

I pledge myself to serving Greece, to roam the world free and hunt down her enemies. I shall become the Prostatis Hellas, Protector of Greece, a trainer of Greek heroes, and accept eternal life until I die.

Hestia was the only goddess to witness the oath and she told him that the Olympians would know of this, accepting it.

This was a very bold move, but for some reason, Chiron had had that twinkle in his eyes. It was almost as if he knew another great country would come up to rival Greece. Perseus thought it unlikely, stubbornly refusing to believe another civilization could uproot the Greeks.

"Ready, Achilles?" he asked, willing the frozen-water sculpture to follow his exact thoughts. His pupil nodded, having grabbed another spear. "And... GO!"

Achilles burst into action along with the water sculpture, both charging at each other. Perseus deliberately set up some tendencies with the water sculpture, hoping Achilles wouldn't just blindly fight in warfare, but actually fight by analyzing his opponent. This was something Achilles would find helpful when facing a skilled warrior.

Undoubtedly, there were no fighters that could stand up to Achilles and his ferocious might, so Perseus was pretty much teaching him the skill that he didn't really need. One day it would help, though. He was sure of it.

The main tendency of the water sculpture was that it was flat-footed, not moving around swiftly or even like a good warrior. The second was that it was very defensive, holding up its shield often and only attacking after Achilles sent many devastating blows to the warrior's shield. Another thing was that its movements were quite sluggish, though powerful. It had all of the power behind the attack, but it didn't have the speed to execute it quickly enough to knock Achilles off-guard.

Achilles had landed two blows on the water sculpture when he realized its weaknesses and how he could exploit them. Immediately, his style of fighting changed. He became lighter on his feet, feinted strikes more often and overall conserved more energy.

Then he went in for the kill.

The son of Thetis hurled his spear at the sculpture's head, making it raise its shield to protect itself. As soon as the spear was thrown, Achilles darted forward to meet the water sculpture with his sword. He cut its spear into half, knocked its shield away with his own, and stabbed his sword right into its belly, thrusting upwards into the more important organs, effectively killing it.

Perseus made the water dissipate like a monster and added his own little fading rasp as the water evaporated into steam.

"Good job, Achilles," he complimented. "You saw what the model was doing quite quickly."

"That was a decent challenge," the son of Thetis shrugged. "It couldn't have been more obvious what its weaknesses were."

"To you," Perseus said. "To another, they would have tried beating down on it until it succumbed to its will. That would work, but it would take longer. For example, if a very skilled warrior is coming down on you, would you rather fight in a battle, skill with a sword against skill with a sword? Or would you rather fight in a battle where you can control everything that he does, force him to do something he would have to do and then take advantage of it by luring him into the trap?"

"The second one."

"Exactly! It isn't the best strategy by a long shot, but I don't think having the largest military force in the world makes you the better army. It's the tactics and technology that the army has that will help win the wars."

"Isn't that the opposite of what Agamemnon is going to do?"

"Pretty much. That is why he will need someone like Odysseus, the cunning to help him win the war. But manpower does also have an effect on the victors and losers of war. The ones with the highest morale will always triumph over those with lower morale... unless, of course, they are the last fighting force that the city has to offer and are outnumbered three-hundred to one. No man who is able to die or be injured with any sort of cut or stab can fight three-hundred men on his own and survive. You, on the other hand... you might be able to."

"You make me sound like I'm a superhuman," Achilles noted.

"That's because you are."

Suddenly, the sound of hooves clattering against the dirt ground became audible and continued to grow louder until Perseus' old teacher stood in front of them bowing.

"Chiron!" Perseus greeted, hugging his old master. Achilles followed suit, for it was Chiron who had taught him all about the tactics of war. Perseus could have done that, and did so when Chiron wasn't there, but the centaur said that Perseus' views on things would be very one sided.

"What brings you here, Chiron?" asked Achilles.

"Not much but to say that I will be heading back to the outskirts of the province of Macedon," he announced. "I must be leaving, for it is almost time for the king of Sparta to find out what has happened to his wife. I must say that I am surprised you are giving me half of what you received from Agamemnon."

"Anything to help," the son of Poseidon said cheekily. "Oh, when you pass through Argos, try to find an old man named Argus and give him this." He held up another pouch of drachmas. "He is getting old and should have a little more money that he can save up for his children."

"Are you bribing him?" Chiron asked.

Not expecting him to ask that, Perseus replied hotly, "No! Of course not! Why would you think that?"

Chiron had that little twinkle in his eyes. "I was merely curious."

It was true, in fact. Perseus would have Argus be the newsman and have him search for anything that was happening in terms of the royals of the kingdoms of Greece. It was a taxing job for an aging man, so Perseus paid him in golden drachmas, the currency of Mycenaean Greece.

"But, you should know that what comes ahead of you, Achilles, will bring you through all that you have learned over the past fifteen years," the centaur continued. "Perseus will be there to guide you should you choose to go to war, but even he cannot control your destiny. Use what you have learned wisely."

"Yes, sir," Achilles said, bowing.

Chiron gave him a kind smile. "There are no need for formalities. I am but a teacher, nothing more, nothing less. And besides, it is Perseus that you have learned from most, hasn't it? He has taught you many things, including battle tactics, right?"

Perseus flushed. Despite his attempts, he knew he would never be able to escape from Chiron's eyes.

"In any case, I must be leaving now," Chiron said. "Do take care. And watch out for the pain you least expect to hit you at the time of terror." With a knowing smile, he turned and cantered off, a pack resting on his horse-part's back.

Achilles turned to Perseus. "Do you think he actually knows what is going to happen?"

He shrugged. "Somehow he knew Orpheus was going to be important to us in the Quest for the Golden Fleece. I think it is just because of how many things he's seen. Remember, he was born just before the Titanomachy, along with many of the Titans' children. He is old."

Just as soon as Chiron disappeared over the hill's edge, the water next to them suddenly rose, a creature rising out of the ocean. The water spilled back behind them as if they had just been peacefully resting in the ocean before deciding to come up to the surface from their little swim.

Perseus smiled as Achilles walked over to the figure and gave her a hug.

"Mother."

Hey everyone,

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.

With best regards,
SharkAttack719