Life goes on.
It was something that they were all familiar with.
Though Zagreus was no longer with them, they had to keep moving. They knew they would see him again. When he were to be reborn, they would set out to befriend him once more. And who knows, he would probably be different from the god that resided at their camp.
And sure they knew that in this time it was completely treacherous to turn their backs on Hḗrē and not pay her the proper respect. They knew how cruel the gods could be, but-
Zagreus was their friend.
They had made sure to be seen constructing a temple for him, creating mythomagic cards for him, and paintings. They made sure that they could be seen honoring him and then-
Then they secreted away everything into the grove because none of them deserved to rest their eyes on him.
And though they did know that he would be reborn, it was still so hard to lose someone that was a constant in their lives. It was Rachel who had made his custom mythomagic because Nico and Will could not look at it without breaking down. And none of them could appear weak; not when their citizens were looking at them to lead.
(Rachel wasn't sure she would ever stop mourning. He had tried to protect her when she was the one supposed to be getting him to safety. She forced them to start training her. She would not be a liability to anyone else.)
They had pleaded and begged for information from Háidēs who had told them that Semelê was still a child; a few years shy of marriageable age. She was a few years shy of catching Ζεύς' attention and then they would have Dionysos back onto the mortal plane.
It would be a long while before they saw him as a god again, but they could wait. They would wait.
Ariadnê stood within the temple of the gods as she was prepared to leave for Thebes. She would see if she could convince Semelê to return to the kingdom with her. She was nothing more than a princess at the moment while her brother Polydorus and nephew Pentheus were ruling alongside Zethus and Amphion.
Politics made her tired, but she hoped by the time she left the place, then Laius would be able to rule. Maybe she could even drop a helpful hint or two to keep Oedipus from killing him and sleeping with his own mother.
Ariadnê was dressed in a fashionable traveling cloak that Silena crafted for her. Her mourning veil covered her face as Dēmḗtēr raged against the world once more due to the death of her son.
The girl smiled as she saw her brother leaving their Father's temple before he rushed back out to help with the reconstruction. Nico was feeling too out of sorts to help conjure anymore helpers. She knew that Will was watching over the boy since Nico had thrown himself into work for the kingdom.
Thalia had hit the road already, heading for the ports to head for Crete. The others were going to leave after she and Thalia made it back. No one wanted to leave the kingdom undefended for too long.
She walked into her Father's temple, feeling something soothe inside of her at the smell of the ocean waves. She held a seashell necklace that she had crafted herself within her palm.
Despite how mature people thought she was-
Ariadnê was still just a kid that never really got a chance to grow up.
She was just a kid that needed her dad.
(Some days she still felt like that five year that hid under her bed from her stepfather, praying that her Father came back from his stupid trip at sea to save her.)
She wanted to oh so desperately tell him the truth, but he was avoiding them. She could still feel his eyes passing over her and she knew Percy felt the same. He was watching, but he was not engaging.
At least one thing was the same though, and it was his way of spoiling her and Percy in the most underhanded ways possible. He was one of the main people-gods that she turned to for guidance.
"Father of the sea and storms," she started as she stood before the altar. "Father-mine. I come before you seeking guidance. My faith has been shaken. I have never needed your counsel more than I do now. Please, Father, lead me down the path of destiny."
There was no reply and she forced back tears. It was a miracle that the weather was not reflecting their mood as she knew that she, Percy, and Thalia had kept gloom and misery wrapped around them like cloaks.
Ariadnê absently cleaned the dust gathering in the temple. She knew that they would have to start accepting the helping hand of the people to care for them instead of selfishly manning them on their own.
She silently sighed as she turned on her feet, never noticing the god that flashed into the room.
Her feet carried her to Apóllōn's temple. She usually tried to avoid entering his and Hermês' temple, knowing that she would quite possibly spill the truth out if she were left alone. And while it may be somewhat easy to weave truth and deceit together in front of Hermês, she had never been able to lie to Apóllōn. The only time she had been able to was when she had declared that she had hated him and that was only because she believed it so thoroughly that nothing could have convinced her otherwise.
And well, 'twas a lie in the end.
She ventured into the small room that had been added specifically for Ariadnê to have a private moment. She knew that Will had his own room somewhere else in the building.
Ariadnê sighed as she looked around before looking up at the ceiling. "I am not sure if you are even paying attention to me, but-" She groaned as she pressed her hands to her hair before starting again. "Beloved sharpshooter, light of my life. I'm not sure what awaits me in the kingdom of your lover. But I know that as long as your sun shines in the sky, then I shall be protected from those with ill intentions."
The girl paused, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "You probably think of me as a fool. A brave and idiotic girl who would dare to claim the heart of a deity. I know I do. Years ago, I wouldn't have even been caught speaking anything favorable about you. Every treacherous thought and every cruel whisper that plagues the land about you... I had already spoken tenfold. I loathed you, but the line between love and hate really is thin. If I am being honest, I think I still do hate you because I think of you. Often. It's disgusting and I cannot stop. My younger self would weep if she could see me now. You are the bane of my existence and the object of my desires. I did not lie when I told your prince that I did not know love until you. Night and day, I dream of you."
She sighed once more, "There is so much that I wish to tell you, Lord Apóllōn, but I cannot. I just- I just hope that when you gaze into the future, then you will see me at your side just as I see you in mine."
Ariadnê took the time to do some light cleaning around the temple in the way that she knew the god liked it. She placed a few more offerings before she finally decided to leave.
She slowed as she exited the temple, taking sight of the young girl that stood at the top of the steps. Even without the divinity that wrapped around her, she would have still known just who stood before her.
Artemis wrapped in the skin of a deer, and carried a quiver on her shoulders, while in one hand she held a torch, in the other two serpents; by her side a hunting dog laid down. Her eyes were as silver as the moonlight as she set her gaze upon Ariadnê.
There was no need to blend in when it was only the two of them.
Ariadnê folded herself into the traditional bow for beings on the sea that were residing on land. She braced herself for whatever conversation that was sure to come. She wondered if the goddess had the chance to speak with Thalia before the other had left.
Or was she coming to speak with her about Apollôn? Ariadnê forced herself to stay calm. She would not be weak in front of her.
The familiar voice soothed her frazzled nerves as the goddess said, "Rise, godling."
A part of her was irritated with constantly being alone with gods, but she would take this chance instead of it being Apóllōn. She was sure that she would spill everything if he were to be the one standing before her.
She knew that they saw her as some kind of leader, but that was not Ariadnê. Her only job was to keep Percy safe, and to arrive at whatever sight was needed, observe, and then tear it to shreds. Leadership was something that Annabeth chased after and that Percy cultivated.
She rose slowly, immediately feeling like prey under the eyes of the Huntress. The goddess smiled slightly as Ariadnê failed to hide her shiver.
"I have come to offer you a proposition similar to my half-sister," the goddess announced. Her head tilted as if she were pointing at her brother. "It seems to be the answer to your problems."
Ariadnê blinked.
If she had a nickel for every time she was asked to become a huntress, she would have three nickels. Not a lot, but it was tiresome that it happened three times.
Was she not clear about her love for Apóllōn?
Was this her father's doing? If she knew being his first mortal daughter entitled his usual protectiveness dialed up to a thousand, she would've... well she didn't know. She couldn't take whatever this was.
Ariadnê tilted her head to the side, inwardly preening as she knew that she resembled a cute little sea otter. Her stepmother cooed about that a lot whenever they had the slightest reprieve during the war.
Ariadnê shook her head slowly, "I must respectfully decline, mi'lady. I am deeply honoured by an offer that is not freely given, but my fate is not one of a huntress."
The smile that graced the goddess' face was just a little spiteful.
She was better than most due to her close relationship to those who were not deities or nymphs, but she was not one to be denied. "Your fate is not with my brother either. Like those before you and those after you, you walk the line of heartbreak. It is folly to love a god, Ariadnê, because we are immortal. We are strong, and you are weak. We will live forever and you will die. Letting yourself fall in love with us would be your downfall."
Ariadnê breathed deeply, her words respectful yet scathing, as she quoted: "Love is not foolish. Yes, fools may fall in love but it is not foolish. Love is powerful and sometimes it is the one thing that keeps us alive. Don't dismiss it because it is difficult, most things worth having usually are." She looked away for a moment, eyes fluttering over the crumbled temples. "And with all due respect milady, I would rather love and be loved and deal with an aching heart than to never know love at all." Her gaze moved back to the goddess, "And if that is not enough, I have told someone this before. I am not in the business of abandoning my brother. Would you choose mortality over Lord Apóllōn?"
The goddess blinked as if just remembering that just like herself... Ariadnê had a twin.
"While not as spellbinding as yours, our mother did not have an easy time raising us either. She married a man that she did not love to protect us, and he was one of the world's vilest creatures. She loved us still-my brother more than me. She knew our fates may very well lead to death, but she still tried to bring us up good. Out of the three of us, Percy is the only one I have left. And you, milady, whom I worship with all my heart and soul, stand before me and ask me to turn away. I cannot do that for surely I will die without my brother at my side. My place is not at your side. I am a warrior, not a huntress."
The goddess laughed aloud, the sound like wind chimes during the season of rain. "Hermês and Zag- Hermês was right. You do have a way with words that dance the line of disrespect. You have a strong spirit. I shall take my leave, but do remember, child of the sea, my offer is always available. We can find something suitable for your brother."
The hairs on Ariadnê's arms rose as the goddess began to glow. She closed eyes and turned her head.
When she looked back, she was alone.
Everything was different.
The world seemed to exist in muted colors after Thalia and Ariadnê left.
There was no static in the air nor random storms being conjured throughout the halls. Thalia could not be found in strange places with handcrafted arrows on her person nor could she be heard making random exclamations of pain as she practiced on wielding her powers. She could not be found levitating at random intervals as Ariadnê trained her throughout the night.
[She could get a few inches off the ground before fear took over.]
The others wished that they had made the girls wait longer before setting them out, but everyone could see that Thalia was growing restless and she needed to get away. Annabeth didn't know how many times she found her standing under the spot where Zagreus was torn apart. She would mutter about losing another brother to Hêrê. They didn't question her as she was so clearly deep within her grief.
And though as cruel as it may be, they all agreed that Ariadnê needed to come to terms that Apóllōn was not the god she knew and loved. This one was happy and in love, and if she was so truly desperate to change the future... if she truly loved him... then she would do whatever it would take to save him from that heartache.
She was doing it for Hermês so it made sense that she would do the same for Apóllōn.
Regardless, all of Ellada mourned the loss of Zagreus, but none more so than Castellan.
The citizens had pitched in to rebuild the ruins but even their hearts were not in it. They looked to their leaders who appeared so strong, but all could see that they were so weak.
Something had broken within them at the loss of their friend.
They all avoided Silena's Eatery even after Háidēs and Hermês had it rebuilt. Comfort could not be found in the area for the godlings. The restaurant is where their adventure with Zagreus began after all. It was where he became their friend.
It was where he had been so ruthlessly murdered.
Katie, herself, was still plagued by the feeling of his ichor dripping onto her skin. She could not get the sight of his limbs being cracked open like the legs of a crab. She could not help but to remember how Ariadnê and Thalia consistently threw his heart between the two of them as they pleaded for the gods to rescue it.
(And once Athênê flew by and took hold of his heart, the two let themselves drown within their rage.)
Katie conjured beanstalks that Jack would not dare to climb. Every leaf she controlled and every vine she summoned sharpened and spun like drills. Their hearts prayed to Gaea for forgiveness while their minds wanted nothing more than to see the titans ripped apart at their feet.
People in the future would romanticize the powers of life and death. One could not exist without another. There had to be a balance, but every time Katie closed her eyes and saw the god she grew angrier all over again and she didn't care for any balance.
She knew that it was to happen if it meant that they would have Dionysos returned to them, but that did not mean she had to be happy about it.
And they tried to keep each other so suitably distracted.
If Katie was being honest, maybe that was the reason that Thalia and Ariadnê did not argue too much to leave. Ariadnê had already packed her bags before it happened. And right after they grieve and cried and screamed and conducted the funeral rites, she rushed to the first port available to get away without looking back once.
(Before she left, she told them that the timeline was too bunched together. Amphion should not be king for another twenty years. That Dionysos had been reborn during that time. Semele was supposed to be dead. She figured that when the Moirai threw them back in time with the curse woven so tightly around the twins, that it threw the timeline off just a bit.)
Katie sat atop of Sweet Sito. Grief still clinging to her like a second skin. The gods were deathless. She knew that. Even when Zagreus would be reborn into Dionysos, a part of him that was just purely Zagreus would still exist. Even Pan could never truly die despite what they all were led to believe.
The gods were born from the celestial dust of the universe in a never ending cycle. They existed as a staple into the strings of reality with the ability to unweave the world as they knew it from a single thought. They existed long before thought was understood in the mind of humans and the simple idea of them would keep them alive even after the mortals died away.
But it still did not make it easier to deal with seeing wounded.
(If you make a god bleed, no one would believe in them anymore.)
The gods were such a staple part of her life that the idea of death for a deathless god just did not commute in her mind.
And her mind already felt as if it were being torn into two directions as she tried to seperate the god that she befriended from the god she knew since she was only ten years old.
That was how Rachel found her, curled into herself on top of the roof as she cried for Zagreus, cried for Mr. D and cried from the life that was constantly being ripped away from her.
Where was the balance in that?
There were more people that lived In Castellan. They had settled in nicely. Though most of them gave them all wary glances as they had witnessed or sensed the power that brewed under their skins.
Rachel sat beside her quietly. Katie could admit that the training was going well. She had already picked up on some muscle. "How do you think the others are doing?"
They knew that Thalia had secured a trade system with Crete. The missive had come and gone quickly with the required signatures needed. There were a lot of fruits and vegetables being shared. Katie had gotten in touch with all types of chefs in the other region and traded recipes.
Sweet Sito and Silena's Eatery had grown as more treats and cuisines were added to the menu.
Once Thalia had finished with the treaty, she went on to join the huntresses. One of the first demigods to ever join.
(Kallimachus, Hymn 3 to Artemis 12 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) : "[The young goddess Artemis addresses her father Ζεύς:] 'And give me sixty Ôkeanines (daughters of Ôkeanos) for my choir-all nine years old, all maidens yet ungirdled; and give me for handmaidens twenty Nymphai Amnisiades who shall tend well my buskins, and, when I shoot no more at lynx or stag, shall tend my swift hounds.'") )
There had been no word from Ariadnê except for a missive explaining the new trade agreement in clothing. One of the queen's daughters had been enamored by Ariadnê's own clothing and it was only out of fear of Haidês that kept her from demanding them off the other's back.
Nevertheless, the girl secured the agreement. She would stay for the festivities that she knew were to come before moving on to Sparta. She had admitted in her own letter that she had not seen any trace of Semele and that the girl had left on a trip with her parents.
(Another sign that the timeline had been changed to accommodate them as her parents should be dead.)
"I think they are doing better than they would be here," Katie admitted. "Both of them had a close relationship with you know, them."
Rachel hummed, passing her some banana bread that Will baked earlier. Katie looked at the people below her, "Though, I do fear what will happen when Ariadnê ventures to Sparta. I do not like that she had been personally requested."
"I don't either," Rachel admitted. "But I believe that she will be okay. She knows how to prioritize."
And wasn't that the truth. Nothing was more important than her brother, not even the Second Titan War. If it meant beating the titan lord into the ground for Percy, then she would have done it. No relationship or friendship could distract her from that.
The two sat quietly finishing off the treat. "The oracle has been speaking to me," Rachel admitted. "She recognizes me as a host, but she is not willing to leave the one she resides in now."
Katie turned to her, surprised. She knew the other had been seeing visions once more, but she had not known that the oracle was speaking to her. "What has she been saying?"
"That not all hope is lost, and better days are coming."
Ariadnê raised a brow when she noticed the décor that represented the Lētṓids. Her heart ached for the people she left behind in her own time. She wished she had something to- she looked down at the bow charm and the hunting knives that were on her bracelet.
"What," Amphion questioned, taking note of the girl's silence. He had been a welcoming presence since she had stepped foot into the land. And even more hilariously, his wife definitely saw her as a threat. Which was also disgusting because the man was as old as Luke had been when he died give or take a few years.
(Though considering that she laid with gods as old as the creation of the world, it wasn't too outrageous. Amphion was handsome. She could see why Hermês had loved him.)
Ariadnê turned to him with a secret smile, "I feel that I need to show my respect and appreciation for the Divine Twins. What better way to show my respect than to give them gifts of my appreciation?"
Before Amphion could ever process that information, Ariadnê summoned the items and was making her way through the festivities. He hurried after her, a smile filled with wariness danced alongside his features. He was still getting used to the way she asserted dominance and would hear no complaints about how a lady should behave. She was respectful of course. She didn't want to offend anyone's delicate sensibilities, but she also made sure that they knew that they were all beneath her and that they existed in her space because she allowed them.
(Of course, the girl paid no attention to the looks that followed her. The mortality may have diluted it, but she was deity borne.)
They reached the main altar. Ariadnê glanced up at the statues that had been depicted for the twins. She inwardly snorted. The forms the two preferred looked nothing like that. And Apóllōn's hair was not nearly long enough.
She sighed heavily as she placed the items on the altars. Muttering hymns to them, she bypassed praying for blessings for herself and instead focused on wishing good fortune to the gods.
A voice cried out behind them. "Women of Thebes, dedicate sacred rites to the power of great Lētṓ and to her mighty twins, Artemis of the Raining Arrows and Apóllōn of the Silver Bow. Mix sweet-smelling incense, and bind your foreheads with sacred wreaths of laurel. Great Lētṓ bids me to offer you this counsel."
Every woman in Thebes hastened to obey the urgent summons, paying tribute to Lêtô and her deathless children. They wound the sacred laurel leaves around their foreheads; they fed their sacred fires with incense; and they prayed to the immortal gods as the prophetess had commanded them.
Shouts of exclaim drew her attention and she could feel Amphion tense at her side. "What is she doing," the king muttered. Ariadnê turned slowly, taking in the sight of Queen Niobe strutting forward with her royal guard in attendance. She was the picture of beauty and wealth in her gold-embroidered Phrygian cape. However, her fair face was clouded with rage. Her long hair trembled with her anger as she observed the religious ceremonies with haughty eyes and increasing fury.
Her gaze of hatred lay on the statues that stood above Ariadnê's head. "King Amphion," the child of the sea, started. "I fear that she is about to do something incredibly treacherous. Know that whatever the outcome, there is a place for you and your kin at Castellan."
As his wife came to stop in the center of the festivities, Amphion groaned lowly under his breath. "I believe I may have to take you up on that choice."
"Women of Thebes!" she exclaimed. "You are mad to prefer the deathless gods to the mortal ones! Why are you worshipping Lētṓ instead of your earthly queen? Lētṓ is nothing but a feeble creation of mortal minds. She is invisible and impotent, whereas I am the daughter of King Tántalos of Lydia, who was the only mortal ever invited to feast with the immortals on Mount Olympos.' My mother, one of the Pleiades, is the daughter of the great Titan, Atlas, now the mightiest mountain, on whose high shoulders the starry heavens rest. Ζεύς is both my grand father and my father-in-law. My power commands both Boeotia and Phrygia across the Aigaiôn Sea. My royal palace contains infinite riches. As if all this were not sufficient reason to worship me as a divine being, look at my face. I am as beautiful as any of your deathless goddesses."
Ariadnê stiffened. Oh, this was much worse than the myths. The look of absolutely disdain on her face was enough to have her drawing her sword. This may not be the divine twins from her time, but they had potential to become them.
And she was never one to let people insult her what she claimed hers.
Ariadnê stepped forward, drawing the queen's gaze. Her voice was soft yet mocking, "Was your Father not the mortal whom tried to feed the gods the body of your brother? Is your mother not the sister to the queenly Μαῖα, mother of the god that took your husband as a lover?" She continued forward, eyes locked onto Niobe. "Why do you, a mere mortal, believe yourself greater than a Titanis who has lived longer than everyone in this kingdom put together? Tell me, why is your ill forsaken pride seemingly greater to the gods that reside above us?"
"Finally, as the jeweled crown of all my joys, I am the mother of seven beautiful daughters and as many handsome, accomplished sons. When they marry, I will have twice as many children. Is this not ample justification for my pride? Is it not ample reason for you to worship me?"
She turned scornful eyes onto Ariadnê. "How dare you then worship Lētṓ before you worship me? No one else respects her. Neither the sky nor the seas gave this banished goddess refuge. Even the earth refused to give her a place to bear her children. She was nothing more than a vagabond until the floating island of Delos accepted her and gave her its unstable land beset by waves. Moreover, after all her wanderings, she only gave birth to two children, whereas I have fourteen."
Ariadnê barked out a laugh. It was mocking and derisive. "Neither the seas? Aye, did you forget that my Father is Poseidón Aigaiôn, Lord and King of the Aigaiôn, brother to Ζεύς Panellênios. Sons of the great king Titan, Krónos, who ruled the starry heavens at the command of Gaea Matêr Pantôn. My power commands both Castellan and the seas that surround us. My royal palace contains infinite riches. As if all this were not sufficient reason to worship me as a divine being, I still do not dare to equate myself with any of the deathless goddesses. Yet, you sound bitter and unhappy."
Niobe scoffed as she looked at the other. "Who doubts that I am happy? Who can doubt that I shall remain powerful? I am so rich and powerful that adversity cannot hurt me! No matter how much Misfortune might destroy, she would have to leave much more behind, so much do I possess. For example, suppose that a few of my children were to die. I have so many of them that Misfortune could not possibly reduce them to a small number. Even then I could compete successfully with your Great Goddess, Lētṓ. Her unimportant accomplishment of two children almost brings upon her the shame of a childless woman. She had but two, and somewhat ridiculous too, since Artemis was girt in a man's attire, and Apóllōn wore long hair and used a woman's robe."
Ariadnê tensed, the ground rumbling beneath her feet. She was going to allow history to repeat itself, saving no one, but Amphion from their fate. But now?
She was going to gut the queen like a fish and skin her like a snake.
She turned her back to Ariadnê to gaze upon her citizens. "So, women of Thebes: Remove your laurel wreaths, and turn away from these foolish religious rites."
The timid Theban women regretfully obeyed their arrogant queen. They stopped their sacred observances and removed their sacred laurel crowns. Yet, in their hearts they continued to adore their deathless goddess, Lētṓ, and her immortal children, the Archer Goddess and the Lord of the Silver Bow.
When Ariadnê had joked about trying her hand at regicide, she meant those old stuffy white men from Rome and England and Spain and France that committed genocide across the globe and subjecting thousands to slavery over the centuries.
A queen was never on the list, but she obviously needed to go back through her history lessons.
"Draw your sword for you shall die with honor as it is better than to live disgraced." She summoned her dual-knives that she had named Romulus and Remus respectively. She was thankful to have had the frame of mind to wear a shortened chiton that day as the guards of the Queen moved to defend her. "Oh styx," Ariadnê cursed, sensing the wrath building in the air.
(Meanwhile, high on Mount Cynthus, great Lētṓ observed this insult to her divine honor and became enraged with Niobe. The goddess immediately sought her twin children and shared her impassioned fury with them.
"I am filled with grief and fury. Niobe of Thebes has publicly humiliated me. She is causing mortals to question my power as a goddess. Unless I am revenged, I shall lose all religious honors among mortal men."
"Furthermore, this cursed child of Tántalos dares to consider her own mortal children superior to you. She even calls me childless because I have borne only the two of you, whereas she has fourteen children. May she become childless as retribution for her wicked words."
Lētṓ would have pressed on with further furious complaints, but far- shooting Apóllōn interrupted her. "Stop," he declared. "We have heard enough. More talk only will delay our planned revenge." His twin, Artemis, spurred by quick anger, agreed.
Then the children of Lētṓ, Apóllōn of the Silver Bow and Artemis of the Golden Arrows departed from their aggrieved mother and glided swiftly through the air down to the Boeotian city of Thebes. They concealed their shining divinity beneath dark clouds and landed secretly upon the towering walls of the city.)
A chill ran down the back of Ariadnê. Her gaze flittered around her quickly before her eyes set firmly on the Archer Twins as they hefted their mighty bows.
(Now, blasphemy can only be punished by the gods themselves, for mortals, no matter how wise, cannot know but very little about the gods, and even less about the ways and the will of the gods. And that is why it is presumptuous to believe that a mortal could be of any help to an immortal, or able to save the reputation of a god.)
Ariadnê cared not. She may not be divine, but her life and soul was held in the hands of deities that live above them. The Thebans did not revolt against their queen, nor did other rulers declare war against Thebes, nor did anybody dared to put a prize to Niobe's head.
But Ariadnê prowled forward, spinning her swords silently in her hands as the sweet children of Lētṓ swiftly took upon their own responsibility to avenge their insulted mother.
Ismenus, Niobe's oldest child, was the first victim of the divine assault. He was reining his horse as he rounded a corner of the riding area when an arrow flew through his breast. He gave a sudden cry, and the reins dropped from his dying hands. He slipped slowly off his horse and sank down upon the sand, lifeless.
Ariadnê stopped suddenly, sensing the blood coating the earth. Niobe stared at her in confusion and fear and anger. Amphion rushed to stand between the two.
Next, Niobe's son, Siphilus, heard the rattling sound of the arrow case and frantically tried to outrace his own death. However, his effort was in vain, for the arrow overtook him and struck him from behind, penetrating his neck and throat. Because he had been leaning low over his horse's mane, he plunged headlong over the head of his blood-smeared horse and died upon the sand.
Ariadnê turned her gaze back to the deathless gods, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. She wondered what people would think that she found joy in watching the Divine Twins brutally murder the Niobes for their mother's hubris.
Phoedemus and young Tantalus, having completed their own exercises, were practicing their wrestling skills. With well-oiled limbs they pressed against each other's power, their athletic bodies locked in an embrace. One arrow pierced both of the brothers' bodies as they stood locked in one another's mighty grip. Together they cried out in pain and fell bleeding upon the sandy earth, breathing their last.
She turned her back on the queen instead moving back to the altar. She grasped one of the fallen wreaths of laurel and placed them onto her head. She lowered herself, in a bow of respect deeper than what she had ever given Niobe, to mutter prayers and hymns to the queenly Lētṓ.
Their brother, Alphenor, observed what had happened to the wrestlers and horrified, rushed to help them. However, he was too late. As he embraced their cold corpses, furious Apóllōn aimed his silver bow once again and severed the thread of Alphenor's life.
It would not be long before word reached the king and queen. She rose to her feet swiftly, grabbing another wreath of laurel. The royal guards hefted their swords and spears, but she ignored them all as she kept her eyes firmly on Amphion. She promised to save him from his fate and save him she shall.
Niobe's sixth son, Damasichthon, was killed by a double wound. After being shot in the knee, he had bent over in an attempt to dislodge the arrow, when a second arrow fatally pierced his neck.
She held her hand out to the king, eyes kind as she looked upon him. "I promised you that whatever the outcome, there is a place for you and your kin at Castellan."
King Amphion looked at her in confusion and worry, but word had already spread across the land that she was supposedly a dear friend to Hermês. She was beloved by Háidēs and his wife. Her exploits as a warrior were sure to outlive her.
He placed his hands in hers, sealing his new fate.
The last son, Ilioneus, in great terror raised his arms in prayer to the immortal gods. He addressed his plea to all of them since he did not understand the cause of this divine retribution. "Oh deathless Olympians," he pleaded, "have pity upon me and excuse me from your fatal arrows!" Far-shooting Apóllōn heard the prayer, but his oath of divine vengeance was irrevocable. However, he made certain that his arrow killed llioneus instantly and painlessly.
Word came swiftly and Ariadnê pulled the king away. They stood safely by the altar of the Lētṓ, hidden by the trees of world around them.
When Niobe received word that her sons had been destroyed in their prime by shining arrows, she recognized the handiwork of Lētṓ's mighty children. She was amazed that the deathless gods would dare to touch her sons, and enraged that they could and would wield such power.
Ariadnê pitied the woman. Oh, how quickly one could fall from their self-imposed pedestals. Oh, how far the mighty could fall.
Divine vengeance had taken its toll so quickly. The queen had proudly walked the streets of Thebes arrogantly flaunting her wealth and power, suppressing great Lētṓ's sacred rites. Now, the deathless gods had made Niobe a bereaved mother of seven children.
The king and queen rushed to the corpses of their children, and still- Ariadnê did not let Amphion move too far from her side. There would be time to grieve later as she pulled back into the safety of the tree line. The twins had not left the kingdom.
As Niobe fell upon the cold corpses of her beloved sons and kissed them all for the last time, she raised her arms to the sky and cried: "Cruel Lētṓ. Feast upon my grief. I am filled with anguish over the seven lives you have taken from me. I hope my deep sorrow will satisfy your wild fury. Yet, do not think that you have won any victory over me. In the end, I will prove to be stronger than you. I do not have as many children as before, but I still have my seven daughters, and that is many more children than you have, vindictive goddess!"
Ariadnê could admire her boldness even if she wanted the woman to shut up for Amphion's sake. Niobe hardly had finished speaking when the bow string vibrated again. Arrow-raining Artemis had begun to kill Niobe's daughters.
At the ominous sound of the bow, every heart felt the chill of terror except Niobe's. Her arrogance made her stubborn and insensitive as she sat, stunned, in the presence of her seven murdered sons.
Niobe's seven daughters, clothed in long black robes of mourning, their long hair unbound, stood weeping before the corpse of their brothers. One daughter was unsuccessfully attempting to withdraw an arrow from her brother's side when she, herself, was suddenly struck. As she kissed her brother, she died upon his cold corpse, amazed by her fate.
Ariadnê turned Amphion's head away, but even she could not drown out the exclaim of shock and grief as the girl was struck dead.
A second daughter, who was trying to comfort her mother's grief, suddenly became speechless as she died breathlessly from an arrow in her throat.
Ariadnê pulled the King away, rushing towards the stables. She knew that for nine days these people would be turned to stone by Zeus. She did not wish to be one of them.
A third daughter fell to her death as she tried to flee from her fate, and a fourth fell upon the corpse of one of her sisters, making that lifeless body her deathbed. A fifth daughter was fatally struck as she attempted to run from her deathless pursuer, while the sixth died shrieking in terror over the deaths of her five sisters.
To shield her last daughter, Niobe threw her own body over the child as a protective shield.
"Oh save this child," she cried. "She is the youngest, the last of many, and the only one for whom I plead for life."
However, the Archer Goddess slew the daughter in the midst of her mother's plea.
There Niobe sat, surrounded by death. Her seven sons, and her seven daughters were all dead. Niobe was now the Queen of Sorrows. Hardened by her grief, she was a statue of desolation. The wind did not disturb a hair upon her head. The roses in her cheeks faded into the pallor of grief. Her eyes did not move in her lowered head, nor did her mouth move, or her pulse beat. Her neck lost its ability to turn, her arms to move, her feet to walk. As Niobe sat, completely lifeless and still, she became transformed into a statue of solid stone. Only her tears remained warm and liquid, as they streamed down her marble face.
And one by one her people followed her.
A whirlwind swept Niobe away from Thebes and across the Aegean Sea to her own country of Lydia, where it placed her upon the summit of a great hill. There from her marble cheeks, tears of mourning flow eternally, night and day.
Such divine revenge struck fear into every heart nine days later. With renewed zeal, mortal women brought offerings to great Lētṓ's sacred altars and proclaimed her awesome power.
Ariadnê snickered quietly to herself from where she raced through the lands on the stolen horse with Amphion at her back. The twins disappeared back to the heavens and the sun shone favorably over the laurels in the escapees' hair. "Talk shit. Get hit," she mocked as they rode away. She made a mental note to send for Zethus as soon as the people were destatued.
Weeks had gone by since that fateful day in Thebes.
They quickly made their way to Sparta with frequent stops as the King demanded they rest. That wasn't even to mention having to return back to the land to grab anything he deemed too valuable to leave. She had promised him his own private area in Castellan. Luckily for him, he was still too much in shock from losing his children to try to force himself onto her. She would have hated to kill after going to such lengths to save him. Still for every place that they stopped, she had the local artists create portraits of herself that she sent back to Castellan like the world's first greeting cards.
And then she had made it to Sparta.
One of the first things she had done was to get the king onto the first ship to Castellan with a handwritten letter to the others to explain what happened. The second thing she had done was to get in contact with Zethus after confirming that the man was not dead and informing him that he had been granted shelter also.
Once her affairs with Thebes had been completed, she had turned her full focus onto Sparta.
From her third day in the kingdom, she had been warding off every assassination attempt under the sun. One of them had even tried to get smart and tried to get her to unfocused by scheduling meetings early in the morn and well into the night.
And for the cherry on top, she had to deal with every snide comment and disdainful look that Huákinthos could muster. Ariadnê wanted to speak with every writer that claimed the prince was kind and loving because the math was not mathing.
It had taken all her patience to remember the lessons that Rhodê instilled within her. And when that didn't work, she took the moment to remember the lessons that Benthesikymê taught her about pushing her rage deep within her (and to then use it as a weapon against their enemies).
Ariadnê meditated or trained the excess energy out whenever she had the chance. She needed to gain control of herself and her temper before she sank the kingdom under the sea. Once she had managed to gain some type of control back, it was amusing to watch Huákinthos become increasingly agitated when she replied to his comments in a pleasant manner.
Oh, she still dreamed of flaying him alive and dragging his body over hungarian hot wax pepper juice.
The only good thing about her entire trip was watching the training and being granted permission to participate. Of course, she knew that permission was only granted so that someone may "accidently" kill her but she was much too skilled and much too strong for that.
That wasn't too brag because chances are that they may be more skilled than her, but she always kept a thin layer of water around her like a body shield. For anything to pierce it would have to been guided by the hands of a god.
Still it was all kinds of wonderful to fight against other people. Sparring with her family was starting to get repetitive and she terrified the troops of Castellan.
That was how she met the legendary Krókos.
Ariadnê had entered the training grounds, with the guards that were stationed in service spreading about when she saw him.
He looked to be no older than her physical age of thirteen? Fourteen? Fifteen? She had lost count, but no matter. His hair was blond to the point that it was almost white and it curled delicately down to his shoulders. His form was horrifyingly wrong for a surface dweller.
Ariadnê hesitated.
She did not know him. Everyone that she had been granted permission to spar against had been formally introduced to her. She nibbled on her lip before she continued within.
The boy jumped nearly a foot in the air as she called out, "You are using the wrong form." He spun toward her. "You'll end up breaking your foot after all the pressure that you place on the right."
Ariadnê had paused in her steps.
When he turned towards her, he did so in a move that she recognized very easily. It was one that she did herself whenever her trips to the sea exceeded two surface days.
She eyed the boy as he was not a pureblooded mortal.
His eyes were what caught her attention. They were shades that she was very familiar with. One was as green as the sea and the other as blue as the ocean. They looked so much like her and Percy's eyes.
Ariadnê was pleasantly surprised to meet another child of the sea.
She was getting a little bored with the surface dwellers.
"Lady Ariadnê," the boy bowed. Ariadnê scrunched her nose in distaste.
"Just Ariadnê please," she requested. She stepped closer to him, switching to the tongue of the sea. "Correct me if I am wrong, but you are a child of Poseidón, are you not. I know a being of the sea when I see one. What is your name?"
The boy's eyes widened in shock. "How," he croaked. "No one knows."
Ariadnê snorted as she turned to stretch, switching back to the native tongue. "You are delusional if you believe that Lord Apóllōn hasn't told Prince Huákinthos about the true nature of your parentage. But I must ask again, what is your name?"
Oh, how he looked oh so similar to their Father. She had thought that Percy was their Father's twin, and he was with the form that he took on in the twins' original timeline. But this boy in front of her looked so much like their Father as he was at present.
"I am Krókos."
Krókos.
The mortal that Hermês had still grieved for even in the twenty-first century. She never knew this. The myths always painted him as a pureblooded mortal.
"You could save him," her mind whispered. "You've already saved Amphion."
She had already changed one course of history so drastically. What was another?
The part of her that whispered to change Huákinthos' fate was easily ignored.
This was her brother.
An entire world of demigods and now an entire kingdom of mortals knew how far she would go for her brother. Her brother — her siblings came before anyone else.
Ariadnê straightened from her lunge. "You look so much like my twin. The only difference is that you have honey-kissed hair." She summoned Stormsurge to her hands. She did a few experimental thrusts, feeling the usual perfect balance. "So brother dearest, care to spar?"
He shook his head, backing up slightly. Her prowess had been well spread across the land after all. "I am not used to fighting on land."
"Yes," she nodded. "I can see that."
Krókos bit his lip, looking away before turning back to her. "I-When I was born, my mother was told of a horrifying fate for me. In her effort to avoid it, she attempted to drown me."
Ariadnê gaped.
Krokus smiled a little bitterly, "She didn't know of the gifts bestowed upon me. So, I survived her attempts where I was found by Ôkeanos' warriors and trained to survive."
"You cannot fight Fate," Ariadnê lied. She was after all doing just that, but at least she had permission.
He nodded sagely," Evidently, by my survival."
"If it's not too much to ask, what is your fate?"
"I am either to die by a broken heart or to die and leave one behind."
The one left behind must be Hermês.
Ariadnê hummed lightly, "A heart-breaking tale." She inclined her head at the sword in his hands. "I have not seen you on the training fields. You will never get better without practice. Spar with me."
With furrowed brows, he questioned, "Why would you help me?"
"I am unsure of my own fate," she admitted. "Sparring with you may help me gain a clearer view."
"I-," Krókos hesitated. "My faith in the gods have not led me astray. That said, is that your only reason?"
Instantly, she replied. "You are my brother. I need no other reason."
Krókos smiled at her and she mimicked his expression.
Thank you, father.
Word Count: 8,512
WORDS TO KNOW:
Ζεύς Panellênios - Ζεύς, Of All the Greeks, Ζεύς as the national god of all the Greeks
Poseidón Aigaiôn - Poseidón Of the Aigaiôn Sea
Gaea Matêr Pantôn - Gaea, the Mother of All
Nymphai Amnisiades - Naiad-nymphs of the River Amnisos of the island of Krete
THINGS TO KNOW:
1) Though Amphitrítē does not figure in Greek cults, at an archaic stage she was of outstanding importance, for in the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apóllōn, she appears at the birthing of Apóllōn among, in Hugh G. Evelyn-White's translation, "all the chiefest of the goddesses, Dione and Rheia and Ikhnaia and Themis and loud-moaning Amphitrítē" Ikhnaia is used as an epithet of Themis.
2) Pindar, in his sixth Olympian Ode, recognized Poseidón's role as "great god of the sea, husband of Amphitrítē, goddess of the golden spindle." Like that just basically stating that while Poseidón is the god-king of the sea, Amphitrítē is the one who runs things. Which makes sense, considering her grandfather is Pontos, the protengoi of the sea. It's also really interesting when you realized that the worship of Amphitrítē, Hḗrē, and Persephónē came before their respective husbands.
3) The myth of Niobe is mentioned in the Iliad, but tis expanded on by Ovid.
4) The letter C didn't exist in Ancient Greece instead it was a letter K. So Castellan would be spelled: Kastellan.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR:
1) PUT SOME RESPECT ON AMPHITRÍTĒS NAME
2) So when I was writing this chapter, I did note that I had made a few mistakes to the timeline according to the timeline that I was able to construct so with some hand-wavy logic, fanfiction ductape, I made excuses to fix it.
3) Krókos is actually not named as a child of Poseidón in the myths. He actually comes into the myths in the times of Ovid and Nónnos, but I like Hermês and Apóllōn way too much and it's like looking at a younger sibling that wants to be like their older sibling, falling in love with a mortal, and then being horrified that they died the same way so its like "i wanted to be like them but not like this" Krókos' background though, with his Mother and everything, is my own personal creation.
4) ( Far-shooting Apóllōn heard the prayer, but his oath of divine vengeance was irrevocable. However, he made certain that his arrow killed llioneus instantly and painlessly.) YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THEIR DEATHS WERE LOWKEY DRAWN OUT AND PAINFUL TOO?! OOOOUUU HE SAID YALL WAS GONNA FEEL REAL PAIN FOR YALL BIG MOUTHED MAMA
5) Arguing with Niobe can actually be seen as insult. Its an offense to xenia: ancient Greek concept of hospitality. It is almost always translated as 'guest-friendship' or 'ritualized friendship'.
a) The respect from hosts to guests. Hosts must be hospitable to guests and provide them with a bath, food, drink, gifts, and safe escort to their next destination. It is considered rude to ask guests questions, or even to ask who they are, before they have finished the meal provided to them. b) The respect from guests to hosts. Guests must be courteous to their hosts and not be a threat or burden. Guests are expected to provide stories and news from the outside world. Most importantly, guests are expected to reciprocate if their hosts ever call upon them in their homes.
