TW: Monster violence
xXx
When I managed to pull myself back to consciousness a couple of hours later, getting up seemed to take monumental willpower, but I forced myself to anyway. After choking down my second to last mouthful of Phlegethon water (how little I had left really put me on edge) and ignoring the hunger pangs in my stomach, I once again hoisted myself onto the top of the plane to get more of a bearing on where I was. It didn't help much. Off to my left I could see the edge of that field of brown grass. To my right, more black rocks and sand.
Well, I knew which way I had to go anyway. So I concentrated on the plane and lifted it off of the ground. For a moment, I imagined myself at 12, just after I'd discovered my powers, trying to do something like this. Then I snorted. Yeah, right.
As the plane rose, I eyed the barren wasteland below and it struck me that my sleep had been very peaceful… from the outside. I wondered why there hadn't been any monsters. Or maybe they'd come by but realized they couldn't do much to my ice and had moved on? After all, if the remaining arai had found me, I likely wouldn't still be alive.
Shaking my head and deciding not to look a gift-horse in the mouth, I reached inside and allowed my power to flow out. It hurt a little, but ultimately didn't give me a problem. Eventually, I turned the plane right and pushed it forward. It, once again, took a little while to get the vehicle moving, but once I got enough speed, it practically flew itself. Well, kind of. I still had to push it forward and steer, but hey.
I didn't have to go over miles of invasive darkness this time, so I happily gave in to my inner sea creature and kept fairly low, just high enough to be out of reach of grounded monsters. Then I continued along the border of the Dark Lands until I could see the Phlegethon in the distance. It only took a little over an hour (Tartarus time), actually. Relieved, I kept a look out for the shrine and thankfully found it after another half-an-hour or so, when the Dark Lands ended on my right.
Eventually I found a place to land fairly close to the shrine, then reluctantly melted the plane back into water before refreezing it in a thick, protective layer to encase the wood. Somewhat satisfied with the outcome, I left my loot and trekked up the mountain path leading to the shrine. I'd never done so on an empty stomach like that before. Don't recommend it. Ever.
Then again, I also don't recommend ever going to Tartarus to begin with, so…
I crested the hill overlooking the shrine and smiled when I spotted it. My stomach let out a loud growl at the mere sight and I hurried down the path I had created by accident, just by coming over the mountain so often. I hoped no monsters found it and made a mental note to try and find other ways down.
When I got to the altar, I dug out some paper from the bag on my back and wrote a quick note letting Camp know I'd come back. Then I set in for another wait. I didn't know how long it would take for people to see the note.
Another hour (ish) later, food started appearing on the altar and my mouth watered at the blueberry muffins I found and practically jumped on them. While I began to eat, I reached for the note that appeared with them. Unfortunately, it was from Leo, who let me know that Annabeth wasn't there at camp. I felt a stab of disappointment that I wouldn't be able to talk to her or get her opinion. My stomach clenched and I had to swallow a lump in my throat that had nothing to do with blueberries or muffins before reading more.
The note went on to ask me how the 'quest' went. I simply said that I'd been successful, although it had been difficult. Apparently Leo was willing to send me ice cream for that in celebration. That lifted my mood and I laughed. Good old Leo.
I don't know how long I sat there eating, happy to have food again, as I sent more simple notes back to camp. Leo had been impressed at me making an ice plane I could control, and especially one that had lessened my 'power fatigue' to a point where I could more than double my 'flight time'. He also promised to give Annabeth some good plane designs to put in her notebook (Percy and Annabeth's Notebook VI) so I could view them. I really appreciated that.
All too soon I had to thank Leo before regretfully informing him and the other campers that I didn't have enough Phlegethon water to stay there for long. They weren't happy. To be fair, neither was I, but the food that had been steadily growing began to peter off and I packed it away as best I could, as usual.
It almost hurt me physically to leave the shrine that time—more so than normal. Something about everything that had just happened… I needed the comfort of the place, but I couldn't stay. Not with one swallow of Phlegethon left and a severely diminished stash of Ambrosia.
But part of me also wanted nothing more than to leave because I felt… dirty. Tainted. Unclean. Like I was sullying the shrine somehow. Like it was pure and I… wasn't anymore.
It was a stupid thought and I shook it from my head, determined not to entertain it.
(I wish it had worked.)
xXx
It took me three days and two nights (ish) to get back to base camp after I'd picked up my frozen load of wood. It was funny, though. Once I finally got back, I couldn't even remember what I'd needed the wood for. Tools, right? And… um….
After staring at it for several seconds, I chalked that up to being tired and hid the wood away as best I could. It wasn't the greatest, but at least it wasn't obvious behind those boulders. Once relatively satisfied, I headed into my cave.
It bothered me how much better and safer I felt once I stepped inside. I knew that was an illusion. Yes, the cave was defensible, but if Koios or any of his siblings came along, there would be absolutely nothing I could do to stop them from smashing my cave flat. And that was if someone hadn't gotten in while I'd been gone.
I took a look around and sighed. "Home sweet cave," I muttered sarcastically, then began a more thorough search. I only found the creepy spider-scorpion things that didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me. Actually, they scurried right out the door and I was more than fine with that. Especially after my recent run-ins with Pit Scorpions.
When I was sure the cave was safe, I laid my sleeping bag out on the bone cot (oh, yeah, that was one thing I wanted to rebuild with actual wood) before stripping my t-shirt and jeans off to get dressed for the night in some loose clothes I'd gotten off of a cyclops that had come my way earlier. (I'd washed them. Thoroughly. Six times.)
I paused when I realized that even if the cave was empty now, that didn't mean it stayed that way while I was gone. I couldn't stop someone from coming in without outright fighting them myself, which had always been a problem, but when I wasn't here… or even when I was…
I wanted something to block the entrance. And thankfully, something did come to mind. It would be cold, but far safer. Actually, now that I thought about it, I could do so much more with the cave itself, and I had animal pelts. Why hadn't I thought of it before?
I spent the next several minutes calling seawater through my seashell, carefully lifting all of my supplies with tendrils of water, and letting the rest of the water settle. Once I was sure nothing touched the stone surface anymore, I froze it. The whole cave. The result left a nearly flat floor covering the rock, inches in some places, feet in others. I smiled at it. Getting around in here would be much easier come the morning… once I laid some of the skins I had down for carpet. I had wondered what I'd do with some of those pelts. Tartarus was just too warm to wear them around. But laying them down as a carpet over my ice floor? Yeah, I liked that.
And thinking of which… I had one more idea. The one I'd actually thought of first.
I called more water to me, then froze it over the cave entrance at least a foot deep, leaving only some holes for air.
I'd like to see someone short of a Titan get through that.
Correction, I'd like to see a Titan that wasn't Hyperion get through that.
I really hoped I hadn't just jinxed myself.
I still slept well that 'night' allowing myself to feel truly safe for the first time in a very long time.
xXx
I spent the next day laying down the gryphon and hellhound pelts I had, making the place begin to look more welcoming, if a bit mismatched. Though it would probably look a lot better if I had a light of some kind. Maybe I could use some of the empty water bottles and put the glowing Phlegethon water in them? Hmm… I'd like to have lighting again. Maybe making this cave even more livable wasn't an impossible dream? Worth thinking about, I supposed, but later.
First, I wanted to get to my saltwater pool. I'd spent time away and a storm had probably come through—although the sand dollar should help there—but I had missed my pool the most.
Sure enough, the seawater had turned into a mild acid, and it had shrunk several inches, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I still cleaned what I could out of it before diving in. Honestly, it felt like coming home and I loved it. I reached out for the seashells I'd left there and called water into the pond. In seconds it had refilled and smelled even better.
I breathed the water in and let it out with a content sigh. Life in Tartarus sucked, but this… this made it livable.
xXx
That night, I read Annabeth's notebook via Apollo's scroll.
Seaweed Brain, it started, I need to tell you some things, but I want you to know where I'm coming from, ok?
That sounded… ominous.
Right now, the biggest issue isn't getting you out. I've had about a dozen plans to get you out of there since days after I found out what happened. It's more a matter of keeping you out once you get out. I know we've talked about this before, but I need to make sure we're on the same page, so please bear with me.
I've had so many ideas. I mean, I know we could try and hide you… although, hiding you from gods without the help of other gods would be difficult at best. And if we did get other gods' help, that could start the war you were willing to jump into the Pit to prevent. I know you don't want to put anyone else in danger, so for now, we'll respect that. I have this as a back-burner plan if nothing else works.
You can't stay at either camp, they're both beholden to the current Olympian council. Thinking we could hide you there from his thunderous majesty is wishful thinking at best and could get more people than just us thrown down there again. So that plan's out.
You could stay… well, almost anywhere else in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, but if we can get you from wherever you appear after you get out to wherever we have set up, it would still be difficult to hide from gods, and we're back to the same issue.
My next thought was Alaska, because it's beyond the gods. We would still have the issue of moving you there, but even if we got there, you would be so far from your family and friends. Grover has to stay to do Pan's work and while most of the camp would probably follow you, getting them there would be difficult at best. Your mom and Paul would also follow you there, but I can already see you cringing from that sentence.
She wasn't wrong. I didn't want mom or Paul to have to uproot their entire lives to move across the country for me! I'd rather stay in Tartarus!
And there was probably something to examine there, but… later. If ever.
Similar problems happen in other countries, not to mention we'd likely have to deal with whatever pantheon made their home in that country and that could be dangerous to you and anyone you take with you.
My last thought was Atlantis. But if our ever-just head of the gods found out, we'd be lucky to only have another civil war that didn't break out into a full-on world war. We'd win, I have little doubt, but at what cost? Even if we got you into your own wing of the palace and forced an oath of silence on the Styx from everyone who would see you, it would be a prison. And I know that would wear on you just as much as being down there does. At least you have some freedom right now—for a given definition of freedom.
To be honest, that's my favorite of the optional options at this point. Not keeping you locked up, I know that would kill you, but your father is willing to go to war for you. Honestly, it's a price I'd pay even if it would haunt me. But I know it isn't a price you're willing to pay right now. And that is something we'll have to address at some point, too because there are problems with that but that isn't the point I'm trying to make, so later.
I still have all of these contingencies in place, but the best way to get you out right now is to do it legally. I've made several appeals to the gods, but it hasn't come to much… unsurprisingly.
I want you to know I haven't given up on you. I'm going to burn this when I'm done, but you must know I have a plan. It's just going to take a while to execute. And I hate that you have to stay down there longer than you otherwise would, but I will get you out legally so you can just live your life the way you want to.
I had to let you know, Seaweed Brain.
I love you.
Annabeth
She was right, we had spoken about those options multiple times, but in clips of conversations here and there. Having it all laid out for me helped.
Even if I wasn't sure I deserved to get out of the Pit anymore.
I shook that thought away, hoping it wouldn't come back.
It did.
xXx
I spent the next several days learning to carve wood and failing to make a bed frame the first time. And the second time. I made it work the third time, if barely, but I'd take it. Then I decided to cover it all in ice anyway and had an actual, proper frame shortly afterwards. I still only had my sleeping bag instead of a mattress, but I really didn't mind. It was a nice sleeping bag.
I created shelves out of ice and chairs covered in fur. I sectioned off rooms and tried to remember my girlfriend's ideas of structure and decoration. By the time I finished, several weeks later, I had a decent apartment inside the cave, albeit made out of ice, but I really wished I'd thought of doing that before. Despite having to walk around in poorly-made slippers of fur from monster pelts, I felt like I'd finally made that base I'd been wanting. It didn't feel like camping anymore. I simply used the seashells for running water and the plastic water bottles filled with the Phlegethon water did work for light. I'd also frozen the godly rope to the roof of the cave (the other rope had long since disintegrated) and it shown a soft, silvery light down over my bed. None of it shone too bright, and the water bottles faded within a couple of weeks, but I couldn't help feeling immensely proud of what I'd made. I didn't often make things. I tended to be much better at destroying them… which made what I'd accomplished all the better. My ice didn't last long outside of the cave, though. So I began to carve different things out of wood: pointed sticks for a small, hidden fence, and that was where I used the wood I'd brought back from the swamp (and sometimes, more bones, but I wanted to avoid those if I could).
I now had a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom—complete with a bathtub, toilet and sink—and even a basement storage area. I'd also made a sort of living room that doubled as a small gym area where I could practice swords or hydrokinesis without having to leave my cave. It wasn't large enough to do much there in the way of movement, but it was better than nothing.
Too bad I hated staying on my own for long periods of time and had to leave my 'apartment' just to stave off insanity. Sometimes, I lived for the monster fights just so I could talk to someone… or something. And I got into plenty of fights. Tartarus hadn't been joking when he said he would let monsters come after me. The groups of monsters grew significantly—from a dozen members at most, to well above thirty hellhounds and a couple dozen empousai in the groups that attacked me.
Oh, and another drakon. Because they just couldn't leave me alone. It was definitely larger and stronger than the first one. I could have sworn I sensed it coming somehow, but didn't have much time to think on that before it dive-bombed me, jumping from a hill across the river. I'd barely had a chance to see it coming before it nearly flattened me.
Also, its scales were even harder to pierce than the last one judging from how they repelled even my hard-water strikes. Of course.
I grit my teeth and took out Riptide. I'd probably have to go for the eyes like before.
And then it occurred to me. I didn't have to actually approach its head to stab it in the eyes. But… did I have enough water? I took a deep breath and dodged another swipe of its claws and tail. I'd make it enough.
Oh, it was a fire-spitting drakon too. That was fun to find out as I almost got a face-full of flame that could have definitely hurt me.
I still forewent the water armor to send the liquid up to the drakon's head from behind. I froze it over the top of the monster's eyes once it realized something was off. Once blinded by ice, it flailed around, forcing me to dodge even more, naturally. I was still able to grab some Phlegathon water and super-heat it again. I'd take it out by way of the Chimera if I had to. Once I'd found a stone to take shelter behind, I shifted the water on its head into spikes. I wasn't expecting my attack to do more than blind it (which, good because I did not want to be paralyzed, thank you) and had already brought the Phlegathon water over into a position to attack. So when it let out a pained shriek and collapsed into gold dust as I shot the intensely hot water at its mouth, it took me by surprise.
For several seconds, I just sat there, watching the pile of dust that had been the drakon. I… hadn't been expecting that. I really… That… had been too easy.
I gulped. "It had to be weaker than I thought," I whispered to myself, nodding emphatically. "Yeah. That explains it." Because I couldn't practically one-shot a dragon, let alone a drakon. Right? It had to be weaker than the last one…
It had to be.
Tartarus gave monsters extra strength, not demigods… or not much. It just made life for demigods torture and enhanced negative emotions… I knew Tartarus, the Primordial, wanted me to get stronger, but could demigods even get strong enough to one-shot drakons? Maybe… maybe Heracles… who was now a god.
Yeah, it had been weaker, I decided. End of story. I accepted that as true and forced myself to move on.
I did find it harder to fight large groups of monsters, still, and despite barely getting scratches and bruises from the second drakon fight, hoards of smaller monsters got in more shots and hits. So, once again, I found myself practically bathing in the Phlegethon after, and sometimes during, every battle. At least it was familiar.
I also used that time to try and build some of the traps from Leo and Annabeth using Apollo's scroll. It… wasn't easy. Leo and I seemed to have different definitions for the word 'basic' and I could only make about half of them, but I was able to scatter the successful ones all over the area and it did help with defense.
Annabeth kept writing to me in our notebook, sending me thoughts and ideas for more traps and constructions. I smiled when I saw how proud she was of my problem solving. I just wished I could have told her myself.
Then she started asking when I'd go back to the shrine. I… didn't want to think about that, so I would usually stop reading when she got into that. I must have done that for a while because she started telling me to go back to the shrine, and then outright ordering me.
The thing was, I didn't want to go back. That had surprised me once I realized it, and I spent several days thinking about it. Eventually I realized that it was about my (possibly) becoming a monster and what I'd done. It felt… wrong to go to one of the only places of sanctuary in The Pit after I'd literally controlled monsters into killing each other. (And I hadn't told that one to Annabeth yet, either.)
I didn't know how long it took her to finally threaten to march into the Underworld and jump into The Pit herself before I finally found the motivation to rush back to the shrine as fast as I could. I couldn't let her do that. I even rode there on my ice-bike. Which made the trip much faster, actually. I also had to stop and fight fewer monsters. That was nice.
I'd had to go back to eating monster meat a little while before, and so getting food from the shrine was a blessing I would not refuse… even if it came with one of the most scathing commentaries from my girlfriend that I'd ever seen. I kept reading lines and wincing, feeling worse and worse as it went on. I knew I'd worried them, but I hadn't realized that I hadn't spoken with them for more than a year. It hadn't seemed like that long…
That, thankfully, did reassure her, especially when I explained that even with my cyclops-made watch, I couldn't always keep track of time, but she was still angry. As was Nico. The cold words he sent almost felt worse. After Annabeth's heat, it felt like getting frostbite—one just made the other more extreme. Even Leo and Grover had words for me. The only person who seemed remotely happy was Clarisse, who just sounded amused.
Why she bothered to send me anything, I don't know. I doodled cartoon pictures of hands in rude gestures and addressed them to her before burning them, but that just seemed to make her more amused from the notes I got after that.
Once Annabeth calmed down, I told her what I'd done with my cave and about my recent thoughts to make something more protective over my saltwater pool. I… probably shouldn't have done that. I knew I'd made a mistake as soon as I got her next note back, scribbled far more messily than normal. I could practically feel her excitement. She said she'd sketch some ideas and put them in the new notebook (XI now, I thought) and how she was so excited to help me build my sanctuary, especially to make it safer.
I told her I appreciated that, but I refused to go and get more wood. That had… not been a fun trip the first time. I did not want to go again if I had to. I could almost sense her hesitance in her next note, but she didn't ask me to go again.
I loved her so much.
Then she asked if something else had happened and if I wanted to talk, or write, about it.
I don't know how long I stared at those words, mind blank. Eventually, though, I began to look at the repercussions of my available choices. I didn't want to tell her. I really didn't want to tell her. I didn't even want to think about it.
But…
I also really didn't want to lie to her.
I must have sat there for a long time as more notes began to appear, but I ignored them. Instead I took out a clean sheet of paper, froze one of my floating balls of water into a flat surface, and began to write with Riptide.
The letter said everything, starting with how I wanted only her to read it, and talking about how I'd run into arai. For the first time I admitted outside my head (on paper but I figured it was good enough} what I'd done. First I described everything that had happened, zooming through the red clouds, hoping I was heading in the right direction, high from my happiness at finding a solution that worked, and creating something… and then the utter terror when I saw the winged old ladies—that weren't actually old ladies Or, they were, but… not like that.
My poor attempt at a joke didn't help at all, by the way.
I described the fight, practically blow by blow, and then… and then my solution. Making them kill each other so their curses hit their sisters and not me.
After that, I described how I'd felt, and compared it to my power over poison. I'm pretty sure it just looked like a jumble of messy scratches by the time I finished, but… I felt a little better about it all.
Then I folded the letter, wrote her name on the back and burned it, along with one other note that thanked everyone for helping me and sending food (Clarisse really needed to stop with the ribs, though). It let them know I was going to rest and would be back later.
Then I went up to the little nook I'd taken over, froze a foot of ice over the front of that (with holes, of course) and went to sleep.
The shrine couldn't stop my dreams that time.
xXx
I found myself back at Camp. Either it was summer again, or it was one of mine and Annabeth's shared dreams because it felt warm. The sun shone down from above in that amazingly blue sky, with just the slightest breeze from the ocean. It was perfect.
Excited, I looked around for Annabeth, but when I found her, I knew it wasn't actually her. I still reveled in seeing her come out of her cabin with several of her brothers and sisters. She caught my eye and smiled, letting the others know she'd be back later before striding confidently over and throwing her arms around me.
I wished I could feel her.
"Hey," she said as she stepped back, looking me up and down. Then she frowned. "You're not going in that, are you?"
I frowned back. "Going where?"
She rolled her eyes. "To the meeting, Seaweed Brain."
Confused, I just stared blankly back.
Her frown deepened into a scowl. "You couldn't have forgotten. It's only the most important meeting you may ever have! And it was your idea!"
What else could I do but scratch the back of my head sheepishly?
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "What would you ever do without me?"
I snorted. "Probably die. Or spend the rest of my life trying to get back to you. Or move into my mother's and grow into an old bachelor who lives off of pizza and blue ice-cream."
That worked, at least. She snorted in mirth and I smiled.
Still exasperated, but fond this time, she shook her head again and handed a stack of papers over. "Here are my notes. It includes a summary if you're really that forgetful," she teased. I winced at everything I'd have to read and flipped the first page over. Thankfully, it was in Greek. I began to read the words slowly. Greek or not, reading was still not my best subject.
Annabeth went on about how I was supposed to act and who would be there as she led me back to my cabin. I didn't have a closet like the Aphrodite cabin, but I did have a small chest I folded (or stuffed) my clothes into that she began to look through as I continued to read.
My jaw dropped and just seemed to keep going at each line. The meeting was about a treaty? Between the gods and the Titans? Oh, and the giants and monsters.
What.
No, seriously.
What a dream.
The papers outlined a contract that would be signed by the representative of all parties, and all races would be held to it. No one could attack anyone else, except in defense of themselves or someone else, but it had to be a provable, physical danger. A council would be formed with representatives from all races—up to and including mortals—who would oversee any disputes that popped up. In exchange, monsters would be free to live on the surface, so long as they didn't hurt (magically, physically, or mentally) other beings.
I couldn't believe what I was reading.
"Wait," I said, interrupting whatever Annabeth was saying about my clothes, probably nothing flattering. "Monsters are agreeing to this? And the Gods, Titans, and giants?! What about Bob? Damasen? Atlas?" Just to name a few controversies off the top of my head.
Annabeth turned to stare at me, puzzled. She looked so pretty, with her blond, princess curls down around her shoulders for once. Too bad I wasn't in the mood to admire the view.
"We've already talked about that, Percy. Each case will be brought up and reviewed separately. You helped me make a list of people we want addressed."
I swallowed. "Um… what about… the Primordials?" Tartarus and Nyx came to mind. Ouranos and Gaea were spread thin and gone forever if not actually dead… and there were other ones, right? Ananke and… Airbus* or something? The primordial of darkness, right? Though I'd never been able to figure out what the difference between night and darkness was… and wasn't sure I really wanted to know.
"No one can control them," Annabeth sighed. "Not really. But we will ask those not spread across the world and sea to please stay out of the realm, simply because they're so powerful."
"And the Titans aren't? Or the giants?" I asked, imagining Hyperion rampaging or Polybotes. I shuddered.
"Percy," Annabeth looked entirely concerned now. I felt bad for worrying her. She stood and walked over to me, holding my hands. "That's why we're doing this. The giants and Titans are tired of being banished to Tartarus." I flinched at the name. Annabeth sighed and hugged me. "And neither one of us can really blame them. But they have to sign this before they can come onto the Earth and Tartarus himself said he'd help discipline those who break the contract."
That shocked me, because, "He… did?"
Annabeth nodded. "It'll still be a prison for monsters, but only for those who break this new law, and those that don't sign, won't be released." She shook her head, never taking those storm-gray eyes from mine. "We talked about all of this."
I winced. "Yeah, sorry. I just… I guess it just still sounds too good to be true." She studied me for a moment before nodding and sighing.
"I agree. The giants and the Titans can do some serious damage. But… I still think you were right to fight for it."
Wait… I'd fought for this? I looked down at the papers in front of me again, staring at them as if they shouldn't exist because, well, they shouldn't. It… it just wasn't possible… was it?
I was so busy staring at the papers in front of me, I hadn't realized the world around me had frozen until I heard the sound of boulders clashing and thunder striking.
"Is this truly what you want, Grandson?"
Oh.
That… that made a lot more sense. Demigods didn't really have dreams like these—nice, calm, happy dreams. Not ones they could remember in any case.
For a moment, I closed my eyes because… this was a nice dream. The idea of all the gods and Titans and giants moving past their pride and greed and manipulation tactics to build something stronger and better…
It was a very nice dream. Even if I knew how difficult living in that world would be for me. If all went well, it wouldn't be a world of gods and demigods focused almost solely on power. I knew I was strong, and I wasn't a natural builder.
Annabeth, though… Annabeth was. She would thrive in that kind of a world. She would make it amazing and incredible. A peaceful life with her would make that life more than worth it. And the idea of all of the Greek demigods having a promise of growing up without having to beat some monumental odds…
But it was a dream. And I knew it. The only thing probably more impossible was me leading a remotely normal life.
"Is it even possible?" I found myself asking quietly, clutching the papers with the 'proposal' in front of me, not turning to face the Primordial. "How long have you lived, Tartarus? Thousands of years? Tens of thousands. Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Primordials gave birth to the Titans and the giants. Then gods, then humans. Each generation was created weaker than the last, and yet each generation beats the one before it. The kind of bad blood that creates… how many thousands of years or longer have people held grudges? Sometimes entirely justifiable grudges. Can any one of the generations trust the other?
"But…" I took a deep breath and turned to the ancient being, resisting his maddening presence as best I could, focusing on what I wanted to say. "Who suffers because of that?"
Even with his inhuman features, I could read the confusion on the being's face.
"From what I know, the Titans were cast off by Ouranos. Annabeth said he despised his children, who suffered, grew tired of the abuse, and fought back. Then Kronus ate his children out of fear. He ended up caring more about power than he did about his own children. Then with the current gods and how some of them treat their children… See a pattern here? Kronos' children had to literally fight back after sitting in their father's stomach for who knows how long. They win, and almost immediately have huge, angry arguments with each other. They hate and resent and… I've heard the term 'generational trauma'. I don't know if it fits here—" Annabeth would know— "but I think this is a type of it." I sighed and looked back at the papers. "Is it even possible for the Gods to live in peace? For them to even really understand peace?
"And maybe it took us weak humans who live and die so quickly and easily, to figure all of this out."
I shook my head. A lot of Annabeth's rants had gone into that, but only the ones I truly agreed with. And with my own twist. Sad she wasn't there. It would have been nice to prove to her just how much I loved listening to her talk, even about depressing things like that.
"This is a nice dream. I'd like to believe it's possible… but I'm not sure I can." I chuckled mirthlessly. "It's not something even you could guarantee would happen, with all your power. Could Chaos even?"
"We are but one planet under my parent's jurisdiction. I doubt they would even deign to consider such things."
I sighed and shook my head. "And isn't that part of the problem?" Just another step in the continuous pattern.
Funnily enough, he didn't answer me.
I'm pretty sure he left at some point, but I could only sit there and read a proposal I couldn't have created on my own as I wished such impossible things into being.
xXx
*Erebus. Primordial or Protogenoi of darkness and mist.
Ananke. Primordial of fate, inevitability, necessity, etc.
Other Protogenoi: Eros (not to be confused with Eros the son of Aphrodite) – Procreation;
Hamera – Day;
Oceanus – Rivers/water that circle the earth (not the ocean though… weirdly enough);
Ourea – Mountains (but not the whole earth?);
Phusus – Nature; Pontus – the Sea (Don't ask me why there's one for the world-encircling river and one for the sea, it's Greek, ok?);
Tethys – Fresh Water/life-giving water;
Thalassa – The SURFACE of the sea;
Thesis – Creation;
And, of course,
Chronus – Time. Yes. As in the Titan, Kronus. Some sources claim they're separate, some claim they're the same, some conflate them entirely without stating either. I do kind of like the idea of him just being reborn again and again in some sort of fated cycle… Hmm… However, it's easier (and just as fun) to treat them as two separate beings.
I got most of that from here: tripple w. theoi. com .greek-mythology/primeval-gods. html (no spaces) So take it with a grain of salt.
Thanks to Berix, Asterius Daemon, and Quathis for their help! :D Also, WE'RE OFFICIALLY HALF-WAY THROUGH THE FIC! WOOO!
Title of next chapter: Of Reassurances, Lost Time, and More Quests
Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)
