Hey everyone,
I kind of found this chapter quite... abnormal and it isn't really the best fit for the plot, but I wanted to get a couple of things off my chest so that I could focus on writing the next chapters without any problems and such. The chapter is named "Another Prophecy" because I made another prophecy. Who saw that coming? Definitely not me until I wrote it.
If you guys and gals want me to re-write this chapter, by all means, tell me. I'll be happy to do it. I have my doubts too. If you like it, then tell me it was okay. All right? Great, now that that is cleared up... Here's the next chapter everybody!
With warm regards,
SharkAttack719
Chapter 4
Another Prophecy
"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering," Perseus said. The mist glittered. "Show me Zoë Nightshade at the camp of the Hunters of Artemis... but make sure she's alone before you actually connect the call."
He waited.
Iris-messaging was a very cool and special way that demigods or mortals that could see through the Mist could communicate with one another in a live conversation. Medea had sent an Iris-message to Jason when the Argonauts had arrived in Colchis back when Perseus was young. It was a rather fascinating way of communication and he found it convenient that he could see the other person.
Then, the mist particles formed together into a very familiar image.
"Zoë!" he said excitedly.
The Hunter of Artemis looked around wildly to see who had spoken. Her eyes widened when she saw Perseus. "Percy! Oh, thank Artemis that she showed me what Iris-messages are. It's so good to see you!"
"Are you alone?" he asked, trying to peer into the background.
"Not exactly," a stern voice said from behind Zoë.
Perseus grimaced as an eighteen-year-old goddess appeared in the Iris-message. Artemis looked as dangerous as ever. Her silvery yellow eyes shone with suspicion and a little hint of that old gratefulness that he had first seen when he had suggested the idea of the Hunters of Artemis.
"Lady Artemis," he said respectfully.
"I'll make an exception for your case," the goddess said. She turned to Zoë. "Make the conversation quick. We must be leaving for Thrace by sundown."
"Yes, my lady," Zoë said. Then Artemis walked out of the room. When the goddess was gone, Zoë began laughing.
"What's so funny?" Perseus asked, clearly not realizing he was making a funny face.
"You should see your face," she said gasping for a breath. "I've missed your childish ways over these last twenty years."
"But you have matured, right?" he asked. "It would be a pity to still be like me with a goddess such as Artemis. If you acted like I did, she would probably scold you like there was no tomorrow for you."
"Probably."
They laughed together, reminiscing over old times. Once the two recovered from their little laughed, Zoë asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
All of the humor drained out of Perseus like a leaking fountain. He looked down and exhaled loudly. Zoë could immediately tell that this was something serious that he wanted to talk to her about.
"What is the problem, Percy?" she asked.
He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. "Remember when I made that promise to the gods when I became immortal?"
She nodded.
"Well, Chiron offered to change it, and Hestia was present to hear it acting as the gods' representative," he said. "My new pledge is... 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. And the thing is... in promising that, I have to break an oath I swore on the River Styx to you."
Zoë furrowed her eyebrows. "What oath did you swear to me...?" Realization dawned in her eyes and she gave him a harsh glare. "What do you mean you have to hurt a woman?"
"I have to kill her," he said, looking down once again.
"And what do you suppose you would have accomplished by telling me this?"
"Do you have any advice on how to see if I can break my oath to the River Styx?" he asked pleadingly. "And then forgive me for what I must do. Please."
"Who is this woman you have to kill?" Zoë asked her eyes dark in anger.
"Helen of Troy."
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean Helen of Troy? I thought she was Helen of Sparta? She was married to Menelaus two and a half years ago."
"And she willingly gave herself to Paris, a prince of Troy," Perseus said. "This is an offense to Greece and we must slay her to rid of the disgrace. That is the only way. She will beg for forgiveness, and I know she will try to use her beauty to her advantage. You know who I am. I am the only one who can resist, no matter what the bloodlust is from Menelaus and Agamemnon."
"Exile her, banish her," Zoë countered sharply. "There isn't a need to kill her."
"Zoë—"
"No! I will refuse to listen to any silly excuse you have. But I love you, like a brother, so I will give you advice about your oath to me. As furious as I am about you needing to break it, there is one thing that might help you, or rather one person who might help you. Go to the oracle at Delphi. There are so many prophecies that come from her; it is amazing she doesn't explode."
"Oracle at Delphi," Perseus muttered. "Got it."
She gave him a sorrowful look. "As much as you have done for me, you have decided to break the oath. I must tell Artemis of your actions."
"No! Zoë!"
"I'm sorry, Percy." Then she swiped her hand through the mist and the call was disconnected. He leaned back down on the sand behind him and groaned. It would be his fault that Artemis joined the Trojans. He knew it.
That conversation with Zoë did not go as he expected at all. It seemed as though Artemis really got through to her. The past Zoë would have understood why he needed to do what he needed to do. He didn't hate this new Zoë, in fact, in most ways she was still the same. But it was just that one little aspect that made their little relationship strained.
Perseus didn't think that oaths to the Styx could be breakable, but he was willing to find out. He had his reason for needing to kill Helen. Somewhere deep down inside of him, he knew that she detested the Greeks. He somehow knew she felt imprisoned with Menelaus. It was almost as if a god was whispering her feelings into his head.
He picked up some sand and threw it into the water with as much force as he could. Considering it was sand, it didn't go very far and only sprinkled lightly along the Mediterranean waters.
He, Achilles, Patroclus, Eudoros and the other commanders had come back home to Aegina after the few day deliberation in Mycenae. It was a frustrating task. The voyage would start in Athens, all one thousand ships to sail around the Athenian harbor. Then, Agamemnon would lead the giant fleet to Troy. That would all happen in less than two weeks.
By the time two weeks was up, Troy would be under siege from the massive Greek forces, or as Agamemnon and Menelaus liked to call them, the Achaean forces.
Perseus wanted to figure out a way to not receive a punishment from Lady Styx, but the only way he could think of was to not go. And he'd already promised himself that he would kill Helen. Zoë had the only other option he had.
He was already dealing with a prophecy, but it was safe to say that it most likely referred to Achilles. Perseus wouldn't be the monstrous killing machine that would be plowing Trojans down like crazy.
And so, his decision was to head to the oracle of Delphi... to see what she had in store for him.
Perseus walked in quietly to the temple of Apollo, hoping the god wouldn't smite him for declaring war on the Trojans.
"Oh, what a wonderful ending for you, Percy," a light voice said from the dais. "It is just splendid. You won't be cursed, do not fear anything."
Perseus turned, alarmed, to see who had spoken. He sighed when he saw a young girl standing on the dais, looking at him with kind eyes. This must have been the priestess of this temple. This must have been the host of the spirit of Delphi.
"Um, hello," he said nervously. "What do you mean wonderful ending?"
She gave him a warming smile. "What else would it mean?"
"I thought that the spirit of Delphi would speak from within you, and that you wouldn't know what you've said unless someone else tells you?" Perseus questioned, a little confused.
"Of course, dear," she said. "That is what happens. But sometimes I hear voices in the back of my head, almost as if the gods are trying to speak through me. It's a weird feeling you know. Almost as if someone is poking you with a stick but they don't actually have anything useful to say."
He nodded uneasily. "All right..."
This time, the girl stayed silent, giving Perseus the opportunity to approach her and ask her about his dilemma. He approached her and looked straight into her eyes.
"Is there any way that I can avoid the punishment for breaking my oath to the River Styx?" he asked.
The priestess' eyes rolled back into her head showing only the whites. Perseus backed up a step before they began glowing green. Mist thickened around the room and then the priestess began speaking. In thirty-seven years of life, he had never experienced anything so creepy.
"The tragic end to a great mighty power, shall arrive in means so sour. The end of the beginning and the beginning of the end, not his time yet to descend. A trick by the vulture, the hare and the raven, shall make them feel the oppression. Only one word can be fragmented, though both have fated him to be forever dented."
"So that proves it," Perseus muttered. "I'm not the one in the prophecy Thetis told me of. This has to be me in this prophecy."
The priestess' eyes stopped glowing green and rolled back outwards, so it looked less creepy. The mist that had thickened around the room thinned out again until it was no more than a thin, wispy line that trailed the floor so low that no one would notice it unless they really paid attention to their surroundings.
Both prophecies were a lot to deal with at one time, but Perseus really needed to find out what he could do about his little oath problem.
The tragic end to a great mighty power. That was probably Troy.
Shall arrive in means so sour. Troy would fall in a sour note.
The end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Perseus was unsure about that line. What was the beginning? What was the end? One thing he knew was that the end of Troy must mark this moment when the "end" begins.
Not his time yet to descend. Usually, countries were referred to as her's, but maybe Troy was referred to as a he. Then again, the prophecy was most likely about Perseus, so he figured it might mean that his time (meaning his life) wasn't over.
A trick by the vulture, the hare and the raven. This was very much like the line "Beware of the curse and of the prophet." He couldn't remember who the vulture or the hare or the raven was. It was obvious that the actual creatures weren't doing the tricking, but people who represented them. Maybe they are mortals, maybe they are gods. Still, Perseus' mind blanked.
Shall make them feel the oppression. Shall make them feel the oppression? Who was them? Did it include Perseus? What was the whole meaning of this oppression? Were the gods going to punish the mortals? Or... linking in with the previous line, were the "vulture," the "hare," and the "raven" going to make a certain group of people feel oppressed?
Only one word can be fragmented. That had to mean the oaths that Perseus had promised. If it wasn't, he wasn't sure what it could mean. In any case, it had to mean that only one of his oaths could be fragmented, or broken into many fragments.
Though both have fated him to be forever dented. This line unnerved Perseus the most. It said both oaths have him fated to be forever dented. Perseus couldn't literally be dented, but it had to be a metaphor for his emotional and mental self. They would be harmed, and it would be because he had sworn those two conflicting promises.
If he chose not to kill Helen, he wouldn't break his oath to Zoë; however, he would break his promise to Chiron and Hestia that he would serve Greece. The gods would punish him for disobeying his orders. Forever dented.
If he chose to kill Helen, he wouldn't break his promise to Chiron and Hestia that he would serve Greece; however, he would break his oath to Zoë and the River Styx. He had received many visions from men being punished at the river. He could envision himself being forever tortured and torn down. Forever dented.
"I wouldn't worry too much," the priestess said. "Times may seem dark coming forward, but if you turn on the light, you will always find Pandora's pithos there, Elpis still inside. The evil will offer you to open it, to free hope from humanity. But as long as the light is on, you will know your path."
Then she suddenly snapped and grabbed him by the shoulders. Her eyes glowed green again and she hissed, this time not in her own voice (though it was multiplied by like five when she spoke the prophecy) but in another's.
A threat stirs, a woman's voice said. It sounded far away. They're changing! A new threat will arise! Beware the one called Veneris and the one called Mavors! Do not show mercy! Kill all of the Anatolians!
Then, the priestess let go and collapsed to the floor.
Perseus was too stunned to even do anything. He was frozen in his spot and couldn't move. A new threat will arise! Another threat. What did the woman mean by Anatolians? Who were the Anatolians?
After what seemed like forever, Perseus unfroze. He was still stunned, however, and all of his movements were mechanical and sluggish. He helped the priestess up and laid her across the dais, as if she had just gone to sleep.
"Thanks," he muttered to her before he left to go back to Aegina.
In the dream, he was back in Troy. Near Troy, at least.
Dead bodies lay strewn across the battlefield, seemingly countless numbers lost during the war. The city itself looked exactly like it did all those years ago. Those giant walls would be very hard to penetrate indeed. This time, the soldiers were fighting, and it looked like the Greeks were pushing full force ahead.
Perseus looked up and saw a raven soaring in the sky. Just then, a loud roar came up from the battlefield. He looked down and saw a figure fall to the ground, a spear impaled into him from a rear-side attack. It was just below his heart.
Perseus floated down to the ground and prepared himself for the inevitable. The Trojans began retreating, stunned. An older man kept up the Trojans' sweep, ordering his army without any fear or hesitation. But he did have fear quivering in his voice. It was from the realization of which man he had just killed.
The dying Greek man was Perseus, just like it had been in his dream aboard the Argo. The young man knelt over him was Achilles, tears trickling down from his face. This time, other men began appearing out of the crowd. Patroclus came to his cousin's side, grabbing his shoulder.
Ajax was next, kneeling at Perseus' side. "He was a brave man, Achilles. He didn't die like a coward. Respect that."
Odysseus quietly watched from the background, disbelief clearly etched on his face. He looked as though something impossible had happened, like the gods had died forever. Diomedes was next to Odysseus, a look of sorrow on his own face. He didn't speak either.
Agamemnon stepped out of the crowd roughly and grabbed Achilles on his shoulder. Achilles looked up and immediately went to punch Agamemnon, but Patroclus stopped him. Perseus was surprised he didn't let Achilles punch the old king.
"Listen, Achilles," Agamemnon said. "This is what the Trojans do. They take loved ones away from us. Helen from my brother, our brothers from all across Greece from their wives and families, Perseus from you. Revenge. Kill the Trojans! Avenge Perseus. Make sure he doesn't die in vain!"
Achilles gave him a long glare of contempt before turning to Perseus' body. "Where's Anaklusmos?"
"I'm sorry?" Agamemnon asked confused.
"Perseus' sword." A look spread across Achilles' face that Perseus had never seen before. It was one full of sorrow, grief and hatred. He had never seen Achilles with that kind of lust for revenge.
Revenge to ignite and the city to plummet.
"How else are we going to kill those bastards?" the son of Thetis said.
The dream seemed to fast forward. Later on, Achilles was watching over the burning city of Troy as the sun set. Patroclus was at his side and Eudoros on the other. "We lost a good friend and comrade last week. But we avenged him."
"We did indeed," Eudoros said grimly.
Achilles sighed. "I must tell you two something. A long time ago, I promised to my mother that I would not act irrational and judge events too quickly, become infuriated too easily. It was something that she probably knew was bound to happen."
They both looked at him with questioning looks.
"But I also made an oath to the River Styx against Perseus' will," he said. "I swore that if Perseus were to ever die, I would hunt down his killers until they were dead at any cost. I wasn't thinking. Those two promises conflict with one another. I broke the promise with my mother." He swallowed. "That isn't it. Sometime earlier today, my mother visited me in my tent. She ordered me to lay down my weapons and never see any fighting for the rest of my life, as a punishment for breaking my promise, though she did mention someone telling her to. Something about an honorable, disciplined man. But never fighting again...? That is all a Greek king has to do. It is to fight for your own honor. So, I attacked Thetis."
"Are you crazy?" asked Patroclus, his eyes wide.
"I decided that I have to go to Olympus, to serve my punishment," he said. "At least I might be able to see Perseus again."
"Don't! They'll send you to the Fields of Punishment!"
"Here's Hermes," Achilles said.
A man with curly brown hair and brown eyes was walking up to the trio. He wore winged sandals and had a caduceus. It was Hermes all right.
"Ready to go?" the god asked.
Achilles nodded and without another word, the two vanished from the sight.
Perseus shot up in his bed, breathing heavily from witnessing that horrible dream. It was morning.
The dream had felt so real yet so fake. It had addressed the second prophecy that Perseus had heard the previous week in Delphi, yet what had happened had happened so quickly that it seemed fraudulent. It was almost as if this weren't a real event that was going to occur. It was more like a trick... or a warning.
Something about an honorable, disciplined man.
Beware the one called Veneris and the one called Mavros.
Those two had to fit somehow. A goddess had warned him about a new threat. Maybe this new threat had to do with who was going to trick the man in the prophecy (which was most likely him).
The raven, the hare and the vulture... one of them was probably Veneris. Maybe it is "the vulture" considering both start with a V. Then again, Mavros doesn't match with either of them.
The middle syllable of Veneris matches with hare, so maybe Veneris is the hare. With that logic, Mavros would be the raven. If there were a third person's name, it would be much easier to solve this intricate puzzle.
"Hey, Percy!" someone said, poking their head into the doorway. "It's time. We're setting sail for Athens."
Hey everyone,
Hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to tell me if you like it or not.
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