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Perseus stood with his back to the Grand Flames. Before him, spanned one of the greatest harbors of man. It was one of the busiest and most important ports of the Roman Empire. Alexandria was a city unlike any other that his work had ever taken him to.
Here, in Alexandria, one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire, the streets stretched wider than any other, for in the hours under the sun, vendors and scholars roamed the streets. People would sail in from the world's furthest corners and dock in this harbor to walk these streets. The amount of wealth and fortune that came and went through the waters before him was incomprehensible and only matched by the city of Roma herself.
The docks of Alexandria were some of the most important in the Empire—in the whole world.
Perhaps it was for that very reason he was hired to kill the man who oversaw the harbor from the lighthouse. Perhaps he had seen a ship he should never have. After all, not all riches are earned legally. However, it was not Perseus' place to inquire such questions or rule judgment. He was just a sword for hire, a blade in the night.
Perseus stepped away from the Grand Flames that lit the waters and land below like the sun. He stood upon the marble edge of the highest point of the lighthouse and cast his gaze to a level of the building below. His target meandered about. The old man paced back and forth, wearing his mark into the marble as he watched the sleeping city and the path that led to the lighthouse.
Whoever his contact was, whoever the old man was waiting to speak to, would likely be arriving soon. Those with secrets always met at night, and it was Perseus' job to silence and bury the secrets, never to be found.
Perseus just needed to wait for the contact to approach the target. So, he waited, fidgeting with the golden ring on his thumb, resting high above the city with the Grand Flame to his back and the sea around the peninsula of the lighthouse.
Ships came and went as the night fell darker under the new moon. The lights in the town fell away into complete blackness as the residents drifted their way into Morpheus' arms. Yet, the lighthouse keeper continued to pace, profanities and second guesses slipped from his tongue, unknowing of the mercenary above, waiting.
It wasn't for some time that even Perseus began to doubt the arrival of the contact before both men saw the distant light of a torch creeping closer to the lighthouse. The target raced off into the lighthouse and to the compound's walls.
Perseus, however, jumped from the marble edge. His body plummeted from the staggering height, and he willed the sea to meet him. Water surged to catch him as he sunk into its depth for a silent moment. He carefully jetted to the surface and crept ashore. The water that clung to him was pulled from his clothes and formed into a watery spear he took into hand.
The flame of the contact approached the lighthouse's walls. The sandstone perimeter gave way to a wooden door that slowly opened. The target emerged from the shadows of the doorway and entered into the light of the contact's torch.
Rising from the wet rocky shoreline, Perseus pulled his arm back and aimed. The old keeper and an imposing cloaked figure never even knew what hit them. Their bodies fell into the sand. Blood sprayed from the hole that found its way through both of them, where their hearts used to beat.
Perseus pulled his watery weapon back to his side. The once clear liquid was now poisoned red as the hearts of the two men leaked from within the confines of the water. It was one heart more than what he needed for the hit.
To clean up the mess, he pulled more water from the sea to drag the bodies away with any sand stained by blood. The secrets of the men would rest in the seabed, buried in the depths of blue.
Perseus stepped back into the water with the hearts in hand and jetted across the bay and to the docks. Fish scattered from his path as he propelled himself past. Just outside of eyesight of the docks and the slaves who unloaded the night ships, he stepped onto dry land. The water that dripped from him reformed into an aquatic tank for his stolen goods.
Down the wide streets of Alexandria, he strode. His eyes never left his target building. The impossible imposing library of the world's knowledge beckoned him forward. He took the marble steps, two at a time, and let his fist fall upon the metal doors.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
He looked to his wake; not a light was anywhere on the street or in a building. Not a single soul was awake to have seen him.
He went to knock again, but the door opened to a hooded Egyptian man. Perseus lowered his hand and met the man's gaze before nodding to the muddled water floating beside himself.
"Hurry in," the man whispered, stepping to the side.
Perseus complied.
"Before you ask, I don't know who the second guy was. I only eliminated your 'problem,' and I even went so far as to handle the next problem that was about to stem from it," Perseus spoke as he looked around the famed Library of Alexandria. His eyes swept across the hundreds of shelves that stretched deep into the library. He looked above towards the balcony that hung torches down to light the maze below.
No one lingered in wait to kill him.
"Who was the second heart?" the hooded man asked.
Perseus rolled his eyes, "Just told you. I don't know. Big guy, though. Probably could crush your head in if he knew you."
The man's lips, the only part Perseus could see, fell into a frown, "I suppose I should thank you for the initiative, then. This second man you killed, are you sure it was not just another Keeper of the Flame?"
Perseus sighed. He hated being doubted.
He stepped into the man's space, "Target met him at the gate and didn't usher him in, so I'm thinking it wasn't someone allowed next to the Sacred Flame. Add on the fact you want the first guy dead for some reason, Scholar. I imagined he was sharing your secrets, so I worked for both our interests and took them both down. Then, as you requested, I brought their hearts to you." Perseus pulled a blade from his belt and pushed it, pommel first, into the man's chest. The man staggered back and hit the wall from the force alone, and he glared murderously at Perseus. For the first time, he saw the dark eyes that hid below the hood with tattooed snake fangs that extended down from the eyes, "So, stab it already and damn their souls forever like the good Egyptian boy you are."
"You know nothing of what I plan to do with their hearts, so unhand me." The man tried to push against Perseus' superior strength but found no freedom. "Unhand me, and we can talk about your pay."
Perseus smiled, sheathed his knife, and stepped away.
The Scholar glared, but ultimately, he pushed past Perseus to a large table covered in scrolls. Perseus fell in step as he, too, approached the table. The papyrus, readable under the low torchlight, was decorated with detailed drawings of snakes and the bodies of men.
The hooded man dropped the hearts into a clay pot before he turned to grab a brown pouch. The sound of coins sloshing around filled the air as they were dropped into Perseus' waiting hand.
Perseus peeped an eye into the mostly filled bag. Multiple faces of Emperor Commodus stared up at him. The Empire's coins jingled as he tossed them into the air.
The son of Poseidon turned to his contractor, "And for cleaning up your second problem?"
The hooded man sputtered as he reared his head back, affronted, "You seek further payment from work unasked? I should take your tongue for spitting such a demand."
Perseus nodded to the man, conceding to the man's words, "You are right. I shouldn't sputter demands." Perseus brought his right thumb to his nose, wiping away nonexistent dirt. The golden ring upon this thumb spun across his lip in the same motion, and from the golden metal sprung forth a gold blade, pommel clutched in Perseus's hand as the length rested on the throat of the fanged-eyed man. "I should have threatened."
Perseus pushed forward into the Scholar, who stumbled back into the table behind him. His back kissed the stone top. "Wait! Wait!" the man hissed. "I will speak of such pay." His arms splayed out to the side in surrender.
"Perfect!" Perseus let up and stepped away. He spun Anaklusmos in his hand around three times before catching it, blade pointed forward. "Since you volunteered such a fine idea, I'll only double my coin. I usually charge triple. After all, if you were so desperate to hire, your desperation for whatever fallout I prevented would have been as great."
The other man frowned, "a fourth of the first payment."
Perseus grinned back, "A double and a half."
The frown deepened, "A double and a half it is then. I only need to collect the coin from the treasury."
"Of course, of course." Perseus motioned him away with his blade. "Just don't think you can screw me over here. Not even your god Ra or Horus would save you from the flood of Hades, that I would besiege upon all these fragile scrolls."
The man frantically nodded as he scurried away.
Perseus watched him disappear behind a shelf. He sighed and turned to the shelves nearest him. While Perseus was educated beyond the everyday man, he knew the actual value of the library—a knowledge of a thousand of the world's greatest minds all in these scrolls. One place did not deserve such treasure. After all, it only took one flame to ruin everything.
He took a random scroll that littered the table and hit it away in his back waistband.
The pattering of hastened feet turned Perseus back around. His arm already outreached for the coins.
They jingled and plopped into their new owner's hand, who quickly grabbed his original payment as well.
"Good doing business. If you ever need such divine problem-solving in the future, just groan loudly about it on the shore again." Perseus laughed as he made his exit, coins in one hand and a golden ring on the other.
The doors clanged shut behind him as he entered the night. A breeze swept across the street, pushing sand into small waves across the road. The hairs on Perseus' skin stood. He glared at the offending wind before his eyes swept across the buildings. Besides the ruffling of hanged clothes hanging from windows, no eyes awaited. Just as he arrived, he would leave to the shore unseen.
Perseus fell back onto the sandy beach.
The night's coins were buried in the sand under the dry ship wreckage he had called home for the past few days. It wasn't the best hiding place he had ever used in his life, but he had never lived out of a beached and ruined ship before. Like the hiding spot, it wasn't the greatest of places to sleep, but he only had to wait till the morning before he would leave this city behind.
His quest….
The Gods had finally blessed him. After nearly twenty name days, Apollo had descended from the heavens with demands to set sail to Roma. The sun god came with orders to hunt down a foul beast—a god-killing monster.
It was about time the Gods gave him a chance to prove his power to the world. It was about time for him to become the greatest hero since the last age. The world would know his name for eternity.
A smile graced his lips as he closed his eyes to join Morpheus until the sun rose.
After all, by the time he woke, the start of his legend… of his myth, would begin.
The arrival of Apollo would be his start to immortality.
:P LINE BREAK d:
Light scattered across the heavens as the morning rays brought forth the morning surge of merchants. Wooden hulls cut through the bay as boats came and went from the port. Traders, transporters, and treasurers docked and unloaded as slaves scurried the stone dock.
For many of the sailors, Alexandria was a familiar city. As one of the largest hubs in the world, every merchant had tied their ships to port twice in their travels. Those who had only come once likely fell to pirates and bandits upon unfavored journeys.
It was why Perseus had prepared himself a sacrifice to the Gods. He gave a share of his coins to Hermes and a sand dollar to his father, Poseidon. On top of it all, he prayed to Apollo for favor on his hunt by pouring the majority of his wine into the sand.
Knocking back the rest of the wine, Perseus stood to his feet. He grabbed the two bags of coins he had earned and tied them together by their necks. Lastly, he hid his trusty knife in his waistband and traveled into town.
No one gave him a second glance as he strode his way to the docked ships. After all, he looked no different from any other Roman who walked the streets. Yet, his very existence was far above theirs. His very destination was far grander than theirs.
His eyes jumped from each sail to the next as he looked for his ride. He kept going, crossing half the port and a half dozen black sails before he found the golden ones he needed.
Perseus passed the onlookers, who began to whisper. He approached the guards who blocked his path; guards, not just anyone, could approach. The black and gold centurion-like armor blocked his path until he held up his right thumb. Apollo's ray glinted off the gold ring, and the carvings of scythes stared back at the guards. They stepped away and bowed as he strutted past.
He quickly boarded the merchant ship. The wood groaned under his steps as the ship whispered the knowledge of the sea into his ears. He could feel the vessel bend towards his presence, begging to be sailed, but it resisted touching him as its true master emerged from the cabin.
"Percy!" the older man laughed with his arms wide. "It is great to see you, little brother!"
"You as well, Chrysaor." Perseus hugged his brother. "It has been some years. I was worried you wouldn't come."
"For you? On your legendary quest?" Chrysaor laughed as he pulled away. "How could I not? Just make sure they finally sing my name in the songs that come from this,"
"The man of golden blades, sailor of the high seas, the ferryman of Perseus," Perseus laughed. "Your legend will forever be sung in my tale."
The son of Medusa smiled as he threw his arm over his younger brother's shoulder. "Good. Good. It will be good for the olive market as well. All of Rome will finally buy only from me."
The two brothers laughed as they crossed the deck into the main cabin. Chrysaor fell into his chair behind his desk, his boots propped upon the table of haphazardly strewn papyrus and scrolls.
"I see you got a new desk since the last time I was here," Perseus started.
His brother pivoted his feet as he showed off the wood, "Finest in the Empire. Hired the guy that made Marcus' desk and asked for something better."
"How did you become familiar with the late Emperor Marcus Aurelius again?" Perseus laughed as he crossed to the cabin to another desk cluttered with piles and piles of coin sacks and discarded clothes. He added his own gold to the pile. He then reached to his back for the scroll, but it wasn't there. He patted his sides and turned to his brother.
Chrysaor teasingly wiggled the stolen property in the air, "You stole this from the Library." Perseus nodded. "Attaboy. Though, you should learn to realize when you are being pickpocketed yourself."
"Yeah, yeah," Perseus sighed. "Can I have it back?"
His brother shrugged and unsealed the scroll. It was surprisingly short, all things considered, barely a hand's length.
"Apophis, the demon of chaos," Chrysaor read aloud and raised an eyebrow at Perseus. "Rather taboo of a scroll for the Egyptians, but leave it to the Library to gather every source of knowledge they can." He offered the scroll back to Perseus. "After all, knowledge is power."
"Oh, yeah?" Perseus smirked. "What knowledge do you have that is greater than me summoning a wave to drag us down to Father's palace?"
Chrysaor smirked, the kind of smirk that struck fear into a lesser man. It was the smirk of a man who knew exactly what he was playing with; he knew exactly what damage he could do with a small fire.
"You aren't the only one I am ferrying to Roma."
"Oh?" Perseus leaned forward. His brother rarely did favors for anyone, so for him to offer his services to someone else, they had to be special.
"You know Ra?" Chrysaor leaned forward, his boots thunking onto the wood as he made to stand.
"The Egyptian sun god?"
Chrysaor nodded as he went to the door, "Seems like our father isn't the only one to have a mortal child."
Perseus quickly followed as he half shouted, "You are helping a demigod of Ra?"
"She has paid a heavy fee for safe travels with her two guards."
The younger brother froze, "How much?"
"Twice the cost of a year's worth of olive sales to the whole of the Empire."
The son of Medusa and captain of the ship found his way to the side railing of his craft and turned to stare at his brother.
Mouth agape, Perseus had to shake his head clear of shock as he hurried to stand beside Chrysaor, "By Hermes. What possessed the woman to spend so much?"
"She came here in a hurry at the crack of dawn. Offered me all the gold under the sun." Chrysaor shrugged, unbothered by the weight of his own statement. "What man would I be to turn down such a woman offering so much?"
"Is she on board now?"
Chrysaor nodded," She descended below deck with her guards the moment she came aboard. Pretty sure she is hiding from someone in the city."
"So, there exists another demigod in today's age. That has not happened in years…." Perseus trailed off as his hands rested on the rails of the ship. "The stars align, and the heavens smile down upon me."
The two brother's gazes fell to the horizon, to Roma in the far distance.
"A daughter of Ra and a son of Poseidon on my boat. Both sailing to Roma, one in fear and the other on a life-changing quest. It sounds like the start to an excellent song, little brother, an excellent song."
AN: As always, leave a review, a favorite, and a follow. It helps me write a LOT faster than you could ever think, and it also helps me direct which story I write for.
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Another new story, but this time in Ancient Rome with a dash of Kane Chronicles. Not enough to call it a crossover, but for sure enough to mention it. I'm stealing Zia's character more than anything else. A version of Carter and Sadie may appear later, but nothing is set in stone for now with them. However, we will see some other characters from PJO and HoO appear later. This story does take a lot of inspiration from other media sources as well, like Gladiator and Spartacus, to name a few. (Gladiators, anyone?)
I will keep this as historically accurate as possible within the parameters of my story and knowledge of Rome, so please don't be too critical if I mess something up.
Overall, I hope you stick around and give this story a shot. I have personally never seen this story or anything like it written before, so I really am hoping for the best as I fly blind beyond my notes.
Long live the cult!
That's about it.
-Manke