If I had the time to list every single favorite and follower of this story, I would as I did for "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: On the Run." I simply do not have that time, however, so I must speak to you in a brief and short paragraph (or maybe two). Anyways, I want to thank all of you readers for reading this story. I am eternally grateful for those who have followed this series since "Everlasting Hero: The Argonauts." It is a pleasure to see all of you read my story every few days. I may not have as many reviews, favorites or followers, but I am content with what I have. Surprisingly, I have managed to capture the attention of couple of authors on FanFiction. Notable ones are Mundster Madman (if you haven't read his/her stories, read them) and Anaklusmos14. I'm glad that they have read this story as I have read theirs. It is always an honour to have another author enjoy your stories. That usually is a good thing... right?
Anyway, the next story in the series is up! You remember the series of short stories that I was going to do? Yeah, that story is up! Find it on my profile page! And I hope to see at least 150 of you guys on there by the first month! If there is more than that by the first month, I'll be elated! Keep reading on and finding new stories! And I hope you enjoy this epilogue! Thanks so much!
DON'T FORGET! IF YOU HAVE FOLLOWED BUT NOT PUT IT ON YOUR FAVORITES, DO THAT NOW! TAKE THIS STORY OFF ALERTS AND FAVORITE IT!
SharkAttack719
Epilogue
Apollo watched over the city of Rome in the early year 500 B.C.E. as the young kingdom of Rome began emerging into a republic. A senate had recently been introduced into the political system that had carried down from the ancient city of Troy.
He hoped that Jupiter was watching as Rome began its era of power and leadership. The Etruscans to the north would soon fall; the god of the silver bow knew it. Smiling, he thought to himself about the great empire he helped create. Oh thank Zeus, his father, for allowing Aeneas to settle on the Italian peninsula. There, his descendant Romulus would create this grand city.
Apollo took a look as Rome began forming itself up. As god of prophecy, he saw tidbits of the future in certain visions. He could see the city evolving and expanding into a great empire that would cover nearly the entirety of the known world. It was marvelous.
In Rome's path, however, would be Greece. As a Roman god, he cared little for the Greeks. They lacked organization; they lacked discipline. Yet at the same time, they were far from barbaric. The culture that emitted from the lands to the east was far greater than Rome's.
Though the memory was hazy, he remembered a time long ago when he saw a dark-haired man speaking to a beautiful woman. It was Venus, or someone who was very similar to Venus: Aphrodite, as the Greeks called her.
Hazily, he remembered his successful trick against a Greek man. He remembered absolute chaos and devastation. A whole empire that stretched across the Balkan peninsula was wiped out in a matter of five years.
Even as these memories were opaque, there was one little exchange that he could remember between a man and Venus... or Aphrodite.
He was just out hunting that day. Apollo had seen the bow and arrow slung on the man's shoulder. Venus had swooped down from Olympus to beg for forgiveness. He remembered that he was angry at her for regretting her actions, but had done nothing to stop her from apologizing. Kindly, she spoke to him,
"Please. I am deeply sorry for what I did. I—I didn't know that it would lead up to what happened. Everything truly is my fault."
In a deep voice the man told her coldly, "Then maybe you should sit in a corner and burn yourself until you feel all of the pain I have felt over the years. You gods and goddesses think mortals are jokes? Good for you."
"I'm sorry!" she cried. Tears slipped down her face like a tender-flowing river, the water tingling her delicate skin. "I truly am! What must I do to make it up to you? I do not want you to be angry at me. I remember what you did to Apollo."
"A trident through his neck should have put him in his place," the man growled. He softened up the slightest as he regarded her slender form. "You might be the first goddess I have seen who is willing to show themselves at their weakest point to a mortal. That is abnormally brave of you. Isn't pride Zeus' law? 'All gods must have pride'?"
She chuckled a little at his horrid humor, though continued weeping.
Looking at her for a little while, the man swallowed and sighed deeply. "Listen, Lady Aphrodite. Don't cry. Don't be sad."
"You must know that... that my actions were taken out of lust, not revenge," she sobbed. "I never wanted revenge on you. Aeneas did escape unharmed when you easily could have dispatched him. My son, in my Roman form, or then Trojan form, survived because you refrained to kill him like you did the others. Aeneas stabbed you through the back. You must have been angry."
"To be fair, Aeneas was avenging his cousin's death by my hand," the man said. "I do not deserve the glory that I have earned, for every point of glory I earned can be countered with a negative from other actions done during the war. But war is war. I know that you have an affair with Ares to cheat on your husband because love and war go together. You have proved that with Paris and Helen, have you not?"
Venus said nothing but silently nodded.
"I forgive you for your actions," the man said. He looked straight into her eyes, which stared right back at him. "I understand it is in your nature. I must say, though... you could have taken a different approach to that."
Wiping tears from her eyes, she smiled hopefully. "You forgive me?"
"Yes."
"I cannot believe, as a goddess, I am saying this... but I am eternally grateful. You are exactly what Athena and Artemis call you: a threat to your enemies. I believe that is why Athena does not want to get on your bad side."
"And maybe I'll convince Athena that you do have somewhat of a brain inside your head."
"I wish not to fight you, but should another conflict arise, we shall not fight each other on the battlefield. Do you swear that on the River Styx?"
He nodded. "I swear by the River Styx that should Aphrodite or Venus and I ever come into conflict, we will not fight each other on the battlefield."
"Thank you."
The goddess, in her form, was still shorter than the man, so she was staring up at him. Both seemed to stay locked in that position for a long time. Two sets of eyes stared into each other, one seemingly analyzing the other's, and the other out of admiration.
Venus put a hand on his shoulder and leaned up, but he put a finger to her lips. "Not now, Lady Aphrodite. I need time alone. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course." Without warning, she kissed him on the cheek, winked at him flirtatiously and disappeared in a golden light.
The man shook his head but pulled his weapons back out.
Shaking himself back to the present, Apollo noticed a man standing at the foot of the hill Apollo was perched on. He wore Greco-Roman armour, a full set of bronze armour that looked quite heavy. He had a metal shield, two javelins and a short gladius, a regular Roman sword. On his head was a Corinthian helmet with two piercing blue eyes staring at him. No, wait! The eyes were green.
Suddenly, the soldier hurled a javelin at the god. Sidestepping it easily, Apollo had his bow out and ready to shoot an arrow. Anger coursed through the god's immortal veins. How dare this man attack a god?!
The man ran forward, holding his second javelin above his shield. The archer god let three arrows fly. They all made indents in the shield, but did not break it. The soldier let the other javelin fly, which made Apollo duck down.
Pulling his gladius out, the soldier ran up to the god. "Phoebus Apollo, god of the sun! Prepare to meet your doom!"
Apollo recognized that voice from somewhere, but he couldn't exactly put his foot on who the voice's owner was. It seemed a little distant from him. Just then, he sidestepped a jab made by the man and kicked the gladius out of the man's hands. But the man didn't look surprised at all.
Now the soldier had a dagger and slashed at Apollo's unguarded knees. Apollo was no close combat warrior. Everyone on Olympus knew that and even some Romans and Greeks. They knew he was not the best at sword fighting. He wasn't the worst, though.
"Who are you?" the god demanded angrily as he fell to a knee.
The soldier tossed the dagger to the side. Apollo took this chance to lunge out with his unharmed leg, but the man caught it mid-flight. He slammed his elbow into the god's knee, and Apollo let a howl loose.
Lying on the ground, temporarily disarmed, the god stared at the man in wonder. "What are you? Who are you?"
"You could say an old enemy," he replied mysteriously. At Apollo's confused look, the man tossed the metal shield down. "If you truly want to remember..."
The man took his helmet off showing his sea green eyes and jet black hair. He was but seventeen years of age. He pulled a hair clip out of his hair and it suddenly elongated into a three-foot-long bronze sword. Tapping a bracelet, it spiraled into a shield with the head of Medusa carved into it. They were both made of non-Roman materials. In fact, they were made of materials from Olympus. And the Greeks used them: Celestial bronze.
"You tricked me, remember?" the man said.
A sharp pain entered Apollo's mind.
"Remember when you got Aphrodite to trick me into 'raping' her? Think Greek."
Suddenly, bright light filled his vision. The glow died down almost as soon as it had come. He remembered now and fear filled his veins. "Perseus."
"Here's a taste of your own medicine," growled the son of Poseidon.
The bronze sword was raised up into the air, gleaming in the sun's rays. Apollo knew exactly what would happen next.
Perseus gave him a sickening smile and the sword was brought down with a whoosh!
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