Dragonsbane
Chapter 2
-Annabeth-
"Percy!" Lord Poseidon exclaimed joyfully, flashing over and pulling the massive demigod into a backbreaking hug which the warrior seemed more than happy to return. Once they broke the embrace, she took the time to observe Perseus without his armor on that hid his appearance. His clothing looked rather simple with black boots and pants, a royal purple shirt that had a black fur mantle along with some leather bracers at his wrists. The only items to really stand out on him were a bronze archaic dagger, a katana, and a crown-like helm covered with massive fangs which Perseus was quick to take off and tuck under an arm.
With Perseus she saw the two women who'd been at his side in the battle and one of the cat people.
The first woman had unnaturally pale skin and stunning green eyes, ebony tresses standing out sharply. She wore a gorgeous white dress and had an ivory circlet with diamonds around her brow.
The second woman stood out with her green skin, red war paint adorning her face along with a muscled physique any child of Ares would envy. Her dress was forest green and embroidered with gold, a golden circlet studded with emeralds rested on her head.
Perseus' final companion, the cat man, had shocking blue fur. A color she wasn't used to seeing appear on a person naturally. He wore simple leathers but had a golden mask of some sort resting on his hip.
Poseidon clearly knew who they were, greeting the three warmly, like they were family.
Zeus, meanwhile, apparently having regained his nerve, stood tall "You are most arrogant to not bow to a King in his own hall. What an unruly land Tamriel must be to have peasants such as you."
"What right do you have to speak of arrogance?" the friendly smile vanished from Perseus' face, leaving only a cold visage that screamed danger "I refuse to bow to a murderous piece of slime like you. We may be equals in title, but to me you are no King. Merely a little worm that's too weak to do anything on his own."
"Wait…equals in title?" her mother asked, having caught that part of the statement while Poseidon seemed to straighten in pride at his son.
"Ah, that's right, you haven't been fully introduced yet." Poseidon beams and claps a hand to the shoulder of his giant son. "I present my son, Perseus Dragonsbane, first of his line. High King of Skyrim, Thane of the Ten Holds, Archmage of the College of Winterhold, Harbinger of the Companions, Leader of the Nightingale Thieves, destroyer of the Dark Brotherhood, Commander of the Imperial Forces of Skyrim, vanquisher of Ulfric Stormcloak, of Alduin, of Harkon, the Reaper, of Karstaag, and of Miraak. Master of the Way of the Voice and the Dragonborn."
With each title her eyes widened while Zeus' face grew darker and darker. "That…is a lot of titles." Nico said, slightly wide eyed at the list of titles full of unfamiliar names and terms.
"I've lived a busy life little cousin." Perseus laughed good naturedly "In Skyrim, should one choose to adventure and actually be successful, titles are almost inevitable."
"Strong, handsome, and royalty?" Aphrodite almost purred as the goddess of love slid off her throne and approached Perseus, a deliberate sway in her step. "A woman would give just about anything for a man like you in her life." Aphrodite crooned, her voice thick with a sultry undertone that most of the men in the room, and even some of the women, shudder. "Why don't I offer you some…incentive to help us in this nasty old war, hmm?" as she spoke Aphrodite seemed to shift to the appearance of an almost Viking like version of herself, covered in furs with touches of war paint that the goddess made work much to everyone's surprise. The even greater surprise was the quick and brutal response from a far from amused Perseus.
"No." the 'High-King' stated coldly, his face as stone as he locked eyes with the shocked love goddess, surprising most when the son of Poseidon didn't take the opportunity to look at the more than generous expanse of cleavage Aphrodite was showing. Annabeth noted the two women at Perseus' side seemed quite smug.
"What do you mean no?!" Aphrodite gasped, sounding torn between shock and offense as her eyes narrowed and her bust expanded noticeably, straining the leather of her furs.
"I mean no." Perseus stated simply "Your beauty pales in comparison to that of Dibella, Mara, or Meridia and even they hold not even a candle to the twin suns that are my queens." It took all her effort not to coo at the romantic words Perseus had just spoken while Aphrodite reeled back as if slapped. Then she processed the remark of 'queens' as in plural.
"But still, those with me are equally deserving of introduction." Perseus rested a hand at the small of the back of each woman, "I present my loves, Skyrim's Queens of Ivory and Jade, Serana and Borgakh." The two women nodded graciously to the gaping gods, neither seeming phased by the shock of their situation "As well as my closest friend and blood brother Inigo, the Cobalt Lord." The smirking cat man nodded, eyes alight with mischief.
"Two wives?" Hera asked, seeming more confused than upset, although that might be in large part due to Perseus flatly refusing Aphrodite in order to remain loyal to the two women.
"My culture is one of polygamy for its rulers." Borgakh laughed, "Each spouse having a different role in both the union and the act of ruling. In my people's custom I would be known primarily as a Shield-Wife, as my role is at his side in combat. Perseus is my sword just as I am his shield. Serana, is what my people would call a Hearth-Wife." Annabeth noted Hestia perk up at that "Her duty is to help run and ensure the smooth operation of his household."
"Perseus saved us both from fates that would have been forced upon us." Serana's voice was thick with emotion and past pain. Annabeth wasn't sure she wanted to know the story behind it.
"And I am just here to be the pretty one." Inigo commented with a smirk. Several of the assembled gods and goddesses shared confused glances, unsure how to really respond to the situation.
Perseus, unphased by the atmosphere, clapped his hands together "Now, I believe you all had a problem that required my aide, yes?"
"We don't need you." Malcolm sneered at the giant demigod "I'm more than enough to win this war for us. Apologize now for what you did to me before and maybe I'll be merciful and forgive you."
"Who are you?" Perseus asked Malcolm, barley sparing a glance toward the son of Zeus that he had, only months before, sent flying with a flick of the finger.
"Anyway Percy." Poseidon spoke up before Malcolm could explode with rage "The problem is that Gaea is rising along with her children, the Gigantes. The Fates," the Lord of the Seas nodded to the three old women who waved happily to Perseus "say that you're the only one who has a chance of winning this war."
"So, you wish for my aid." He asked and got nods from most of the council. Turning to the council he asked "Are there any other 'great threats' that I'm specifically needed for in this world?"
"The Gigantes are the final one." The Fates assure "All future threats can be dealt with by other heroes."
Nodding thoughtfully at their assurance Perseus pondered for a moment before turning to Zeus "I will help but I have a few conditions."
"You dare demand-" Zeus began only to be cut off by Hera.
"What are they?" the Queen of the gods asked, apparently in a good mood at meeting someone who honored their marriage vows, strange as those vows might be to her.
"First is that nobody, that means you too Zeus." Perseus specifically looked at the king of the gods "Is allowed to order me or my forces. They try and I leave."
"Any others?" Poseidon asked.
"Yes." Perseus nodded "Second, my mother's soul is allowed to come back with me to enter the afterlife of Tamriel. Third is that Zeus repeal his stupid law 'forbidding' travel between the realms. Finally, I am the one in charge of calling the shots in this war. Say no to these and I will leave and take those I care for with me including my mother's soul. Agree and then break theses and I will do the same."
"I refus-" Zeus began only to be cut off by Apollo.
"I vote in agreement!" the sun god said quickly, fear in the deity's voice.
"Apollo?!" Zeus gaped.
"I do not want to die!" Apollo exclaimed "And since Perseus is the best chance I have at living I'm rather inclined to agree to his more than reasonable requests."
"Seconded." Poseidon pitched in followed by the rest of the council bar Zeus, although she'd swear Aphrodite agreed only to have more chances to seduce Perseus.
"Motion carried." Hera said with a nod.
"Well, I still don't believe that you have what it takes to do this." Malcolm grumbled, the 'Hero of the Great Prophecy' still fuming at being overlooked.
"My son is right." Zeus nods "We know nothing of your apparent 'skills'."
"Then why don't I tell you." Perseus said with a smile, sitting down on a throne conjured for him by his father, the man's queens and best friend getting ornate seats as well. "It starts when father," he nodded to Poseidon "brought me to Talos. They searched the different families of Tamriel before deciding on an Argonian Couple who lived in Skyrim. They decided this on account of a tree the couple held."
"A tree." Malcolm snorts derisively "A stupid tree? That's how they decided who raised you? These gods of Tamriel must be stupid."
An enraged Perseus reacted faster than she could react, screaming out "Liz Slen Nus!" and, with a rush of what looked like cold air shooting from his mouth, Malcolm was suddenly encased in ice and on the ground. "Never," Perseus hissed "insult the Aedra or the Daedra…in front of me."
"You were saying about a tree Dear?" Demeter asked cautiously as Perseus gave her a small smile and a nod, leaving Malcolm encased in ice, eyes flitting about in panic.
"Yes, as I was saying it was because they possessed a Hist tree which are sacred to the Argonians, albeit rare outside their homeland. Argonians of their homeland are brought up on its sap instead of their mother's milk which helps them grow healthy and strong. The Hist tree is also psychic and can see the future at times. Several hundred years ago in Tamriel there was an army of Daedric warriors who attacked the land of mortals."
"Daedric?" her mother asked confused.
"Think of beings somewhere between a demigod and a minor god." Perseus brushed it off "Anyway, armies of them flooded forth into the world of mortals. But the Hist trees foresaw this and changed their sap, so that the Argonians of the Black Marsh grew bigger, faster, and stronger. It made them beyond their normal mortal capabilities."
"Super soldiers." Ares breathed in curious awe.
"I suppose." Perseus looked intrigued by the term "So Father and Talos each put a shard of their divine essence into the tree and asked that it give me the same treatment, knowing that I would have to return here one day. The Hist Tree agreed as did my adoptive family who father and Talos spoke to in a dream."
"That must have been a shock." Nico chuckled as Perseus laughed along with his cousin.
"It really was but they were beyond grateful. They were both barren and in thanks for giving them a child they offered frequent sacrifices to both Talos and Poseidon." The High-King of Skyrim said with pained nostalgic fondness.
"Don't you mean they offer?" Artemis asked, noting the past tense but apparently not the pained expression.
"They were killed." Perseus' face was as unmoving as stone "It was a few years ago and I avenged their deaths."
"I'm sorry Percy." Poseidon said sadly, giving his son a comforting hug like any real father would "they were good people."
"I know." Percy said sadly before shaking himself "Anyway, I grew up in Skyrim and eventually got tangled up in two prophecies of that world. One to stop a primordial dragon that was destined to consume the entire world lest I stop him and the other was from a Vampire Cult who sought to black out the sun and make Vampires the dominant species."
"…Heh?" the thought of most present was summed up with that one word from a gaping Apollo.
"How about I just start at where I began adventuring." Percy said with a sheepish chuckle "It all began with me, waking up on a rickety wagon, my hands bound together."
