Filler chapter alert. Busy. Can't talk. Like it, hate it... tell me. Yay! Bye!
Chapter 19
Aftershocks
At first, he thought he had made it to the House of Hades. Ignoring the prophecy, he reached out to grasp at the first thing he could see. But once again, it was one of his dreams. This one was definitely not a nightmare, though in a couple ways it could be considered one.
Perseus stood at the edge of the River Styx watching as a two hooded figures approached the river's bank.
The entire scene was silent. The taller figure pointed to the river, and the smaller one walked to the water's edge. Immediately after, a ghostly image shimmered behind the smaller figure. It was Achilles.
The warrior looked exactly the same as when he had died. His pale green eyes swirled unnervingly, and he looked at the hooded figures pityingly. Then he began to speak, obviously silently. He looked as though he were warning the figures about something.
Perseus looked down at the murky river. Even though it was a dream, he could still feel the power and sorrow resonating from deep in the River Styx. It was a powerful stream. Perseus knew that it truly wasn't Achilles' mortal point that killed him. His pride and arrogance got in the way. If he hadn't been so sorrowful for Patroclus, maybe he would still be alive. It was doubtful, though. He had been fated to die in this war.
The only logical explanation for what happened Apollo finding out about his weak spot was that the god had eavesdropped: possibly when Perseus was sleeping, and Achilles was drunk.
They had really been careless, and considering Achilles probably spoke to Brisēís about most of his personal life, it was likely that his words could have travelled through the tent.
"Percy," Achilles said.
Startled by the sound, Perseus looked around not realizing that his student had spoke.
"Percy," he said again.
Then, the son of Poseidon turned back to the river. The hooded figures were gone, but Achilles stood there in all his glory. The son of Thetis acted as if it didn't shock him to see Perseus. It seemed to Perseus that it was a natural occurrence to see the living.
"Achilles?" he said back.
"Brisēís died?" asked his pupil sadly. "I thought I saw her reach the Underworld. Did she die?"
An unsettling silence fell over them as Perseus realized what he asked. When he figured out the answer, he nodded briefly. Averting his eyes so that Achilles would not see the guilt hidden deep inside of them, he spoke:
"Killed by Trojan archers when she tried escaping. She said she would rather die and be with you than live with another man. I do not know where she is now. It has been a long time on the surface. How about you, Achilles? How are you?"
"I switch from being around the River Styx and Elysium," Achilles replied. "Elysium is wonderful, you know? I have spoken to the first Perseus and told him all about you. He says what you do is an excellent thing and is honoured to share a name with you."
He flushed. "That's nothing. Seriously." Chuckling a little bit, he questioned, "Where are those hooded figures?"
Achilles looked at him in a perplexed manner. "What hooded figures?"
"Weren't there just two hooded figures by the river bank?"
"No. You must have been seeing things."
Furrowing his eyebrows, Perseus stared at the river's edge for a while. "I must have been..." he muttered to himself.
"Death isn't so bad," Achilles said suddenly. "And I bet you're wondering how I am able to talk to you right now."
"As a matter of fact," he started, "I am. How are you speaking to me right now?"
"Theseus figured out a little trick," replied the son of Thetis. "I can show you if you ever die. I'll be waiting; I'll never leave."
"That would be nice... I guess."
"And he also wanted me to pass on some life advice. After I told him about our adventures, he said that you hadn't changed much, yet he also said you had become a lot more powerful. He wanted me to tell you that Jason made it into Elysium."
His face darkened. "Jason got into Elysium?"
"That's not all. Theseus also said that with this fact, you shouldn't get mad. He knows about how you believe the Hunters is a good thing and how you think Jason should be punished for his actions against Medea, but life and death aren't fair... things. He said that you have to suck it up and stop being a baby. 'You cannot get everything you want in life, or death. Don't be like the gods: stuck-up, proud, idealists. Think better of doing things yourself. If you try to do everything, you will end up failing. Finding a team, or a group like the Argonauts, to help you in your adventures will help you greatly. You have to learn to accept jerks, gentlemen and gentlewomen, and all kinds of other people. Disagreement will only cause destruction.' Personally, I think you should listen to Theseus. He sounds very formal and educated, much like yourself but in a different sense."
He stayed silent as Achilles' face showed no emotion other than pity.
It was a long time before they spoke again. And it was Perseus that broke the silence.
"Don't pity the dead. Pity the living for it is they that must suffer under the gods' wrath. For in death, you earn what you deserve. In life, you earn whatever the gods' desire."
"That's an excellent way to put it," Achilles said.
Nodding, they fell into silence once again until Perseus asked, "Am I dead?"
Achilles shook his head. "No. You're up with the living."
"I won't be able to see you for a long time," he said.
The son of Thetis nodded. "I know."
"Listen, if I can ever speak to Hades, I promise that I will visit. And you are my first direct student and you deserve the honour of having that title. You have earned yourself the glory you deserve. I'll write a story about you. About Hector. About Patroclus. About the entire Trojan War."
"Glory isn't everything. You showed me that, remember?"
"But it is given to those who have a lasting impact, to those who have earned the respect they deserve. You know I would you earnest and human-like. I wouldn't make you overpowered. I wouldn't glorify you."
The quick nod was all he needed for an answer. Achilles said, "I must go now. If Hades finds out about this, he wouldn't be too happy. But it was nice speaking to you again, Percy. I am eager to speak to you again."
"Same here."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
The scene in front of Perseus dissolved, and suddenly, he was thrust back up into the mortal world.
Groaning, he lightly lifted his head off the ground, looking to see where he was. The place smelled nice, like olive oil and animal fats. He also smelled fire, ambrosia and nectar. There were voices in the background, though he wasn't completely sure what the voices were.
He saw someone open the door to the room he was in. The girl's face was a little blurry in his sleepy eyes, but he could hear her snort of disgust.
Turning around, she yelled, "The boy's awake!"
She tossed the bucket she was holding to the side, and Perseus realized that the entire area he was sleeping on was wet. He just couldn't feel it, being the son of Poseidon and all.
It wasn't long before two young women walked into the room he was in, both wearing nearly identical uniforms. Both had tunics that went down to their knees and himations that acted as cloaks. The silver seemed to glitter off of them as how the moon reflected off a rippling pool of water. They also both wore leather sandals, their feet kept clean and nimble.
The first one he recognized immediately. She was shorter with black hair and black eyes. A circlet gently sat atop her head marking her as the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. It was Zoë.
The second one he recognized just after he saw Zoë. Power resonated from her like sound waves echoing across canyons. Her auburn hair was cut short so it wouldn't interfere with her face while she hunted, and her silvery-yellow eyes looked like that of a wolf's, staring daggers into those she stared at. But somehow she managed to make that deadly look beautiful. Artemis stood in front of him, looking at him as if he were worth caring about.
"Percy," Zoë said, immediately walking to his side. "You're such an idiot."
"That is one thing we can all agree on," Artemis said calmly, her face devoid of emotion.
Perseus wasn't sure whether she was joking or if she actually meant it, but he let out a small laugh anyway. He stopped after he remembered exactly what had happened: Zoë trying to stop him from stabbing himself, the wave sending her washing away, Anaklusmos piercing his own stomach, Zoë grabbing his wound.
"I guess I am," he replied morosely.
"You should be grateful that Zoë knew who you were," Artemis said. "If not for her, you would most likely be dead."
He nodded solemnly, her words taking any positive energy out of him. But he knew she was speaking the truth. He may not like it, but she was right.
Pushing himself upright, Perseus looked down towards his stomach, where the wound was. Making sure his belt was tight, he slipped his arms out of his tunic so that he would not have to look down his shirt into darkness. There was a clear scar there, though it had faded considerably. It was not red, yet it did not look as though it was fully healed. Gently reaching behind him, he grazed his fingers across the wound on the other side, which felt more prominent than the front wound looked.
"Here," Zoë said offering him a square of ambrosia. "Eat this."
He nodded and grabbed the square. Carefully placing it into his mouth, he chewed the food until he was able to swallow it. A rush of energy filled him, fuelling his body. He slipped his tunic back on and attempted to stand up.
Zoë seemed to know what was coming before it happened. As he got to his feet, he stumbled and fell to the side. Luckily, he fell towards her and she managed to keep him standing, though she was quite a bit shorter than him.
"Thanks," he said.
"You will feel a little sore at your stomach, Perseus," Artemis informed him. "Just be aware of the Hunters. Many do not like you, so they will not welcome or help you. Stick around your tent or around Zoë and I, and you should be fine."
"Of course, Lady Artemis."
"Respect is good but it gets tiring. Call me Artemis. That is all I am."
Before Perseus could say anything, Zoë interjected, "Don't be surprised, Percy. You did help her create the Hunters. And you show her respect. Even though some of your decisions may not be decisions that she stands by, you've earned her respect a long time ago."
"I wasn't surprised."
They gave him sardonic looks.
"Okay, maybe a little bit."
Both women shook their heads and rolled their eyes. It was the first time Perseus had seen Artemis do that, but he guessed that being around her Hunters made her a more relaxed person.
He let go of Zoë as a supporter and managed to keep his balance. He took one step and felt exactly what Artemis had warned him about. His stomach felt as though it had been cramped up for a few days before being twisted in a knot and used to pull a boat onto land.
"How many days have I been here?" he asked. "And where is all of my stuff?"
"Two days," Zoë replied. "And I have your weapons. Artemis lay your armour over in the corner there."
He looked back into the corner and found all of his armour. Looking back towards Zoë, she was wearing a bracelet and a hair clip, both of the items his weapons. He couldn't admit it out loud, but she looked quite pretty with those on. Noticing the weird look Artemis was giving him, he immediately shut his thoughts up, forgetting that she could probably peer into his mind.
"I'm going to... uh... have a run around camp," Perseus said to cover up his thought. "To get myself back into shape. I probably haven't been awake for a while."
The other two didn't say anything, so he immediately went outside and took a run around camp. He spent his time deliberating over the things he saw and had done in the sack of Troy. He remembered the burning images of the falling city and remembered how he had taken part in that. He remembered his slaughtering of the Greek forces, his betrayal of his own men.
He was certain that Lesser Ajax raping Cassandra in Athena's temple was the reason why he became the Gods' Wrath. It was disgraceful to the goddess and she would want revenge on the Greek forces.
Troy was surely gone by now. He could only hope that Aeneas and Andromache got out safely. But Perseus would never know how much he would regret those thoughts.
On the way back to the infirmary tent (or at least the tent that he was in), he ran into Phoebe. She seemed to scan him for anything worth insulting before she turned back to her work. She was carrying half a dozen quivers that were full of blunt-tipped arrows.
He opened his mouth to ask her something, but thought better of it and walked past her. Before he could get ten steps away from her, she asked him a question:
"Is it true you founded the Hunters of Artemis? That you gave Lady Artemis the idea of creating this elite group of young women and girls?"
Perseus turned around slowly to look at the girl.
"I joined the Hunt seventeen years ago," Phoebe continued. "Ever since then, Zoë has talked about how you thought of the idea when Artemis didn't even consider it."
"I helped found it," he said carefully. "I simply suggested that idea to Artemis, and she took it away from there. I only partially helped."
She nodded, her expression unchanging.
He nodded back unsure of what to do. After a few moments of silence, he turned back around and walked away. Just before he entered his tent, she said, "I'm a daughter of Ares."
"Son of Poseidon," he responded back. He gave her a tight smile and entered the tent. No one was inside.
He walked to the back of the tent and put on his armour. He realized that Zoë had left his weapons lying on the ground next to where he had slept. Bending down, he clipped Anaklusmos to his hair, placed Aegis on his wrist, and slung his bow and quiver over his back.
Turning back to the entrance, he found Artemis standing with crossed arms.
"La—I mean, Artemis."
"Be careful of my brother," she said. "He is not happy about what you have done. He knows Troy had to fall, but he figures you should take the blame, for Agamemnon shall be killed soon and Menelaus is already dead."
She stuck her hands forward and two items shimmered into appearance. "A gift from me to you. Do not forget it."
In her left hand was a black bow carved elegantly of a magnificent wood.
"The bow is unbreakable," Artemis said. "It is also enchanted so that it will appear when you wish it to and disappear likewise."
In her right hand was a quiver with a huge set of different types of arrows.
"Hermes tried to give a present to me so I would favour him better, but I still do not. This is an enchanted quiver that gives you whatever arrow you need right away. It is also limitless. The downside is that it only gives you arrows that can kill demigods and monstrous creatures. You will need to add your own arrows to kill mortals."
Perseus grabbed the two items and replaced the ones that he had already slung over his back.
"Thank you, Lady Artemis," he said bowing.
"It is better if you are on the move. Apollo will come looking for you with Ares and Aphrodite."
"I already have destinations," he said. "I need to find out what happened to those who escaped Troy."
Cassandra stood at the bow of Agamemnon's ship, her hands tied behind her back. She never made it to Aeneas' ship. But she was close. In fact, if she hadn't been sighted, she probably would have made it.
Unfortunately, she had been caught.
Agamemnon, the poor man who lost his brother, took her into captivity but ordered everyone to stay away from her. No one was to touch her. She was grateful for that, but she knew it was only because Agamemnon only wanted to deal with his brother's passing.
Cassandra remembered the carnage of the battle too furiously, the burning of the city. Percy had not listened to her advice after all. Because of the attack, she took refuge in a temple of Athena. Before long, a man found her and raped her.
At that time, she longed for the time when she and Percy slept together. That was a wondrous night and was very pleasurable. But merely seconds into the rape, Percy suddenly appeared and brutally murdered the man who raped her. She was forever grateful.
Now, standing at the bow of Agamemnon's ship, she foresaw Agamemnon's murder by his own wife Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen. She also foresaw her own murder. The only thing was that the King of Mycenae would not be able to believe her prediction. She hated her curse.
They landed at Argos and travelled by foot the rest of the way to Mycenae. The army dispersed as soon as they got within city limits, but Agamemnon led Cassandra up to the grand citadel. As soon as they passed through the gates of the citadel, her prophecy happened exactly as she saw it.
Clytemnestra and a man named Aegisthus came up to Agamemnon and stabbed him. Cassandra watched as Clytemnestra plunged the knife into Agamemnon's heart without mercy or shame. The former King of Mycenae was dead before he even hit the ground.
Then they turned on Cassandra.
"May the gods curse you," Cassandra said. "Your time will fall."
An image flashed in her head, an image of a cloaked man jumping from the walls of Mycenae and stabbing both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Percy.
Then mercilessly, her throat was slit.
Diomedes walked solemnly on the beach.
He could not believe the events that had recently come to pass. His wife-to-be, Aegialia, with the help of Argives, locked him out of Argos, his own city. Apparently, the Palamedes had told her that he was bringing home a woman who was equal of a thousand times her beauty to be his wife instead of her. Nothing convinced her to let him back in.
Diomedes then migrated to Aetolia, and then to Daunia in Ausonia. He went to the court of King Daunus, King of the Daunians. The king was honoured to accept the great warrior. He begged Diomedes for help in warring against the Messapians, for a share of the land and marriage to his daughter. Diomedes agreed to the proposal, drew up his men and routed the Messapians. He took his land which he assigned to the Dorians, his followers.
He later married Daunus' daughter Euippe and had two sons named Diomedes and Amphinomus.
Travelling all across Ausonia, he settled ten new cities and renamed the long peninsula. He named it Italia after what the native peoples called them.
He was walking on the west coast of Italia, he wanted to visit the Land of the Sirens, to hear their beautiful music. He knew he would probably die, but he desperately wanted to hear of the place Perseus had gone through as a young child.
After five days, Diomedes disappeared.
Two years later, ten years after the Fall of Troy, a cloaked figure found the half-eaten body of Diomedes. Picking it up and putting it into the bag, he took off towards Greece.
Ten years have passed since the great Odysseus left Troy.
In Ithaca, many suitors compete for Penelope's hand in marriage. But the woman remains faithful to Odysseus. She and her son Telemachus help keep the suitors at bay. They remain hopeful that Odysseus is still alive somewhere.
Indeed he is, trapped on an island called Ogygia with a lustful nymph named Calypso. Odysseus longs to go back to his wife and son in Ithaca, but is stranded without any crew or ships. At the same time, he is seduced by Calypso and spends every night at her side. He remains faithful to Penelope, though, and does not have intercourse with the daughter of Atlas.
The gods arrange for Odysseus to escape from Calypso's grasp.
Perseus travels to Ithaca at Athena's bidding to tell Penelope and Telemachus that Odysseus is still alive. Then, at Zeus' bidding, he travels with Hermes to Ogygia to convince Calypso to let Odysseus go. Elated at the sight of an old friend, Odysseus embraces Perseus for a mere second before asking about what has happened and how long he was gone.
Calypso agrees to allow Odysseus to leave, and the King of Ithaca builds a ship with Perseus' help. They sail back home toward Ithaca, but are plagued by sea storms. Poseidon was angry with Odysseus because he had stabbed the eye of his son Polyphemus, the Cyclops.
Infuriated with his father, Perseus protects Odysseus with the help of Athena so that they manage not to die. They land in the land of the Phaeacians, a place Perseus remembers well. Odysseus is disguised as a beggar after telling the Phaeacians of his stories and is transported to Ithaca.
At first, no one seemed to recognize Odysseus, even Penelope and Telemachus. His disguise was that good. He endured abuse and ridicule from Penelope's suitors. Perseus managed to slip his way to Penelope and suggested she have a competition of sorts to marry the man who can do what Odysseus can do.
She is scandalized at the fact that she must marry someone who is not Odysseus, but quickly catches onto the deeper meaning. She grows suspicions about the beggar being Odysseus.
Penelope then promises to marry any man who can string Odysseus' great bow and fire an arrow through a row of twelve axes—a feat that only Odysseus has ever been able to accomplish. At the contest, each suitor tries to string the bow and fails. Odysseus steps up to the bow and, with little effort, fires an arrow through all twelve axes. He then turns the bow on the suitors. He and Telemachus, assisted by a few faithful servants, kill every last suitor.
In the end, Perseus reunites the family but disappears without a trace. Odysseus died of natural causes, of old age, wondering where his old friend had disappeared to. He needed not to look far.
For Perseus was at his side often, watching him on perched ledges and in dark forests.
After six years of wanderings, Aeneas landed at an ancient village named Carthage. He had a year-long affair with their leader, Dido. But after that year, Mercury was sent to him by Jupiter to remind him of his true purpose, to found a new city.
He was compelled to leave secretly without Dido having the power to stop him. A cloaked figure stood by watching as the leader uttered a curse that would forever pit Carthage against Aeneas and his descendants. She then stabbed herself with the sword she gave Aeneas when they first met.
Meanwhile, Aeneas travelled to Italia. There were only seven cities there, Diomedes not having completed settling at this time. Instead of going to the Daunians, he travels further north toward the Latins.
Juno, harbouring a grudge against Aeneas, urges Turnus, king of the Rutuli, to declare war on the Latins after Latinus' daughter Lavinia is married to Aeneas. Originally, Lavinia was supposed to marry Turnus, but it mattered not.
Aeneas' forces won in the end.
As Aeneas died, he ordered his servants to give his sword to his son Silvius. It was the legendary Sword of Troy, the golden blade that Paris and Hector once yielded. It never reached Silvius.
Perseus seemed to realize that potential that was rising from Aeneas' new son and stole the sword. He brought it to the Underworld, where he offered it as a present to Pluto.
The god of riches accepted the present.
After Aeneas' death, Venus begged Jupiter to turn him into a god. He accepted and turned Aeneas into Jupiter Indiges.
1100 B.C.E.
I write this short message to all remaining Greek demigods. Wherever you find this message, come meet me on the island of Aegina. Danger looms, darkness approaches. I heard of a prophecy and I fear it may be coming true. Greek demigods must rally. The end is near. Find your demigod friends and come to Aegina. Quickly!
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.
Thanks a bunch,
SharkAttack719