Summary: Perseus, first-born child of Poseidon and Amphitrite, God of the Stars and Constellations, of Navigation and the Astral Plane. Patron of Heroes and Consort to the Goddess Artemis. Sitting upon the ruling council of the Gods for thousands of years - and now facing the end of Olympus.
Chapter Two
Thalia woke the next morning to quiet voices she immediately recognized to be Luke and Annabeth. She blinked her eyes quickly, trying to force herself awake, and realized she was warm beneath a thick blanket and laying on a bed that, while it wasn't exactly soft, was much more comfortable than the ground she had become used to sleeping on. It was even better than the cars they'd broken into to sleep on the very coldest nights during their journey.
To be perfectly honest she didn't want to move at all. She wasn't sure what to expect of this new place she found herself in. Grover had spoken of the demigod camp without end, but then again that was kind-of his job. He probably didn't have a clue what it was actually like for a demigod coming to Camp Half-Blood for the first time.
Thalia also didn't feel like moving because, for the first time in months, she actually wasn't sore. She didn't have aches and pains, scratches and cuts and bruises. Whatever that drink was that she'd been given the night before – nectar – was divine. The one that tasted like cinnamon rolls with sweet icing, like hot buttered popcorn from a movie theater and like chicken soup on a cold winter day after being in the snow. The flavor had seemed to change even as she drank it. Chiron had said it would heal them, and while Thalia hadn't believed him at the time, she definitely did now.
They'd also been given some little bread squares – ambrosia, he'd called them – and just two of them no larger than a cracker had filled her stomach like she'd just eaten Thanksgiving dinner. For the first time in months she'd not been cold or hungry or hunted and the thought caused her eyes to sting with some kind of emotion she didn't want to deal with right then.
Pushing the emotions away was a practiced motion for her at this point, so she balled her fist around the blanket and forced them out. Instead she thought of the hot showers they had been able to take. Washing the dirt and grime of travel and fighting, as well as the mud from their last push through the storm had been heavenly – even if she had been forced to share her shower with Annabeth and help the little runt get her hair clean and tangle-free.
They'd been taken back to the room they'd arrived in after that, the infirmary. Chiron had said he was going to get one of the other kids at camp to look at them, but they'd been on their own for long enough that they had refused and helped each other instead. Luke had a pretty good gash on his back from one of the cyclops' swords that she'd doctored up, and Annabeth's feet were bruised and bloody, so Luke had sterilized them and wrapped them in bandages for the night. They were used to taking care of each other by now.
Chiron had seemed sad about it, but Thalia didn't really want his pity so she ignored him.
They'd been given some plain-looking pajamas to sleep in, and some cargo pants and orange t-shirts with the name of the camp on them for the morning. Embarrassingly, they had been forced to give the centaur sizes so he could have undergarments fetched for them – as if the whole situation wasn't humiliating enough. He'd told them they would be given more personal clothing and necessities after they found out which cabin they'd be in. Annabeth had been upset that they wouldn't be staying together, and Luke hadn't looked happy either. Thalia tried to convince herself that it didn't matter, she wasn't a baby and she'd be fine on her own.
When it had been time for them to sleep Grover, who had been hanging around kind-of uselessly gave an awkward 'goodnight' and left. Thalia wasn't sure she'd ever fallen asleep so fast except the time she got knocked out by a monster's club in Connecticut shortly after she met Luke – luckily he'd killed it or she would've been lunch.
However, thinking about the night before brought immediate thoughts of the one who saved them.
Thalia wasn't sure she what she really thought of Perseus – their meeting, while important, had been very brief. She had just been getting ready to try and make a hole in the circle of monsters surrounding them so that Luke and Annabeth could escape with Grover. The monsters had made no secret of the fact that they were after Thalia and didn't care about the other two very much. She would have made them save themselves and stood alone against the bastards that wanted her dead so bad.
Then he'd arrived, and they were all safe. Because of that she felt a large amount of gratitude toward him, however she couldn't help but be a little resentful as well. Apparently the Gods were watching them struggle and only stepped in at the last minute. What if the monsters hadn't hesitated, hadn't stopped to gloat? Was their struggle just a really messed-up TV show for the Gods' amusement?
Thalia knew who her dad was. How could she not with the ability to strike at her enemies with lightning and summon a thunderstorm at will? She could feel the winds and as she looked up, it's like she could see and understand the whole sky, all at once. Her dad could only be Zeus, King of Olympus. Grover had warned her about claiming to be his kid before he officially claimed her, as apparently claiming to be a child of the 'Big Three' was a big no-no unless they did so first. Still, she knew anyway, and wondered why he didn't help her, why he left her to struggle and almost die.
When her end came, he wasn't even the God that saved her.
Grover claimed that there was some ancient laws, rules that even they had to follow, but it sounded like crap to her. They were Gods, and if Annabeth's mom could send an owl to them carrying a backpack full of food and blankets, as well as a map, compass and a bronze dagger, then her dad should have been able to do something.
Perseus had sort-of cheated as well, come to think of it. She remembered him saying that 'the boundaries of camp have been extended, effective immediately'. That meant he'd done it for them, she wasn't stupid. If he could bend the rules, and so could Athena, then why couldn't Zeus? He was the King, so realistically he should have had the most leeway to bend or break rules. But he hadn't helped at all.
'Whatever', Thalia decided. 'It doesn't matter if he cares or not. We made it.'
Deciding she'd had enough of her personal pity-party, Thalia forced herself to sit up on the cot and toss the blankets aside. This got the attention of Luke and Annabeth, who were both sitting up in their beds, and a man in a wheelchair parked in the corner of the room reading a newspaper. He had a sort-of scraggly beard and wore a tweed jacket. As he looked up from it Thalia realized it was Chiron himself, and the wheelchair must have been hiding his horse-half. Kind of genius, really, and also kind of weird.
"Were you watching us sleep?" Thalia asked, her eyes narrowed.
He raised his eyebrows, though his expression was slightly amused. "I wasn't," he answered. "Young Annabeth woke up first, and our camp security, Argus, let me know she was awake. By the time I arrived here Luke was waking as well, and we decided to let you sleep a while longer."
"Relax, Thals," Luke said easily, though he was grinning slightly at her accusation. "Chiron said it's almost time for breakfast so we were getting ready to wake you up."
"Luke told me to jump on you," Annabeth tattled immediately.
Thalia turned her narrowed gaze to the blonde boy. "He should know better after last time he tried to prank me. How was that lightning in the shower, Luke?" The older boy paled at the memory. It had only been a small shock, but with the water spreading the electrical current it had hit him everywhere at once.
"You need to learn that the proper response to a prank is to return the favor, not dish out bodily harm." Luke answered instead. "It sets a bad example for the kid."
"Uh-huh," Thalia nodded. "And you should learn that using 'the kid' to do your dirty work won't get you off the hook, it'll just make it twice as bad on you."
Chiron chuckled. "It's good to see you all in higher spirits than when you arrived. However, you should probably get dressed for the day. The conch will sound soon for breakfast."
"Sure thing, Wheels," Thalia said lightly. She thought he could probably take a joke, dealing with kids all the time, and she was right as he just laughed a little harder at the nickname.
She took Annabeth with her to the bathroom and they got dressed, despite Thalia's disgust at the bright orange t-shirts. The cargo pants weren't too bad, she guessed, though she wished they were a darker color. The clothes they gave Annabeth were a little big. They probably weren't used to kids her age showing up chased by monsters. Thalia morbidly thought it was probably because if they were that small and had nobody looking out for them, they probably didn't make it to Camp Half-Blood at all.
Once they were finished Chiron led them through the massive house, which he called the 'Big House' and Thalia wondered if it was a joke or if the people running this place were actually just that original. They passed through a wide hallway and passed a couple of open doors, one of which led to the Rec Room. They could see some games set up inside – a dartboard, some checkers and chessboards and a couple of card tables. There were board games and dice games and all of it surrounding a large ping-pong table in the center of the room.
Just past the door he said led to the basement they were led outside onto the deck, which wrapped all the way around the Big House and they were treated to an immediate view that shocked them. The property stretched what must have been at least a mile into the distance and marched all the way up to the water's edge of the Long Island Sound. Between the deck they stood on and the water glittering in the distance was a view that Thalia's brain had a hard time processing.
Buildings dotted the landscape, all of them resembling ancient Greek architecture. There was an open-air pavilion with a large number of tables lined up neatly within, an amphitheater and a circular arena, their white marble columns sparkling in the morning sun. There was a nearby sandpit with a volleyball net, a small lake with a number of canoes turned upside-down on the banks, and a cluster of oddly decorated cabins in an inverted U shape tucked up against the woods, a large bonfire pit in the middle of the formation. To one end of the property there was a stable with horses grazing just outside it, and not too far away there was a group of targets making up what appeared to be an archery range. At the opposite end of the open landscape there was a massive climbing wall split into two sections, and Thalia nearly flinched as she saw lava eject from the top, making its way down the wall randomly.
A few seconds later the two sections of the wall slammed together, before slowly separating and settling back as they were before.
There was a gravel drive that wound it's way out of the woods and up to the south edge of the Big House, a large box truck parked at the end with Delphi Strawberry Service painted on the side.
"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," said Chiron, smiling at their expressions.
Thalia sat alongside Luke and Annabeth in the dining pavilion, more than a little uncomfortable as the other campers seemed unable to quit looking at them. They were seated at a table in the front of the pavilion alongside Chiron, who was still in his wheelchair. She thought he would have struggled to cross the grounds in it when they left the Big House, but he'd just pushed himself along normally and she figured there was some sort of magic involved. It was housing nearly an entire horse, after all.
They'd each been given empty goblets, with instructions to just pick them up and tell them what they wanted. Luke had immediately tried to fill his with whiskey, and when it gave him dirty lake water instead, Chiron had merely given him a look. "Non-alcoholic," he clarified, as if he'd had to do so before. Luke only grinned at him.
Thalia chose pineapple juice, and Annabeth chocolate milk, while they watched the rest of the other kids file in. They all seemed to range in age anywhere from she'd guess ten to about eighteen, though there were more younger kids than older. Annabeth was far and away the youngest and smallest, though there was a scrawny little runt of a boy that couldn't have weighed much more than her at a table filled to capacity – the one with the most kids by far.
"Each table corresponds with a cabin, each one represented by one of the twelve Olympians," explained Chiron. "The other tables are for the nymphs and naiads, as well as the satyrs and dryads. The tables, and therefore cabins, which are empty are those that currently have no demigods born to them. Some of them are never filled, and therefore honorary, while others are used only on certain occasions."
"Why are some of them never filled?" Annabeth asked, her curious nature shining through as the nymphs started flocking to the pavilion with different types of food. They carried large bowls of chopped fruit, whole strawberrys and grapes, pastries and biscuits with butter and jam, and platters of eggs, bacon and sausage. Towers of pancakes accompanied by large jugs of syrup, and a few bowls of yogurt – Greek, she imagined.
Thalia's mouth watered instantly at the smell alone.
"Well, Cabin 2 is a great example of one that is never used. It represents the Queen of the Gods, the Lady Hera, and as the Goddess of Marriage she has never sired a demigod child. However to exclude her from our camp would be to dishonor her, and would therefore also dishonor her husband Zeus. This we do not do, ever." Chiron said, and his tone was informational, but very serious as if imparting a great lesson.
Thunder rumbled overhead, low and menacing, and Chiron glanced upward briefly. Thalia could feel it in her bones, and it seemed to originate somewhere over the city miles away.
"Another example is Cabin 8, in honor of the Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Moon. She has taken a vow of chastity as the patron of all young maidens, and so her cabin is usually empty. The exception is when she and her handmaidens visit the camp. It is also a sanctuary where any young maiden, regardless of parentage, may enter to pay homage. However, as we have a young man in our midst, a word of caution. If a male were to enter the sanctity of Cabin 8, their life is forfeit. Immediately. Do not do so under any circumstances."
He was staring at Luke with the most serious expression she had yet seen him wear.
"You joking?" Luke asked, pretty stupidly Thalia thought.
"I am not, and there is no more serious warning I could ever possibly give you. Do not step upon the threshold of the door. Do not knock, do not try to even peek inside a window. The Goddess of the Hunt will make you regret it, if you even live long enough to contemplate doing so. These Cabins are similar, in a lot of ways to the Great Temples of ancient times. The first man to ever step inside the Temple of Artemis was immediately transformed into a large stag. She and her handmaidens then hunted that stag for nearly a week, hounding it without rest before she allowed her wolves to tear it apart – while it was still alive."
Luke was as pale as a ghost, and Thalia felt her stomach turn at the mental image. "You do realize there's a little girl here, right?" she asked him, glancing at Annabeth. Luckily she was watching some buff, rough looking kids arm wrestle at a table across the pavilion.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "My apologies, but this lesson must be imparted on any male demigod that arrives at camp, and must not be seen as a joke in any fashion whatsoever. There are certain…imperative truths that must be known within this world, especially as it relates to ancient deities – be they Gods or otherwise. One whom is not welcome in another Cabin and enters anyway may find themselves in a misfortunate situation, but none so dire as a male entering Cabin 8."
"What about Perseus?" Thalia questioned, trying to move away from the subject of the psychotic man-hater. While she was only twelve and not into boys at the moment, she didn't really see the point of murdering them just for being what they were. Luke was her best friend, a thirteen year old boy. He'd risked his life to save her and Annabeth, and she didn't really like the idea of a Goddess hating him when she didn't even know him.
Chiron obviously noticed her discomfort and allowed the change of topic. "Perseus is the patron of heroes, as you learned last evening. While Cabin 5 is currently empty, as he has no mortal children here at Camp, his is perhaps the only Cabin where any demigod may enter, and it is also a place where friends from different Cabins can meet and spend time together. We have roughly two hundred campers here every summer, so things can get a little crowded. The only rules, so far as I know, are that there is to be no violence between campers in Cabin 5, and no um….inappropriate behavior. Some campers tend to use it as a place to have sleepovers with friends from other Cabins."
Noticing that the food had all arrived, Chiron ended the discussion as he cleared his throat and banged on the table. The dining hall went silent quickly. The centaur raised his glass seriously. "To the Gods," he spoke. The rest of the kids followed suit, and Thalia had barely reached her cup before the noise started again. Everyone was filling their plates, choosing from the delicious dishes and yet even as they did so, several of the kids were carrying their food over to the large brazier burning lowly in the center of the pavilion.
As she watched, the boy in the front with blonde hair and gray eyes took a cluster of grapes off his plate and dropped it in the fire, muttering something she couldn't hear over the noise.
"Burnt offerings to the Gods," Chiron explained. "In ancient times people used to make offerings to them for a bountiful harvest or for their favor in battle. These days things are different, but we still make offerings at each meal and in return we are blessed by them. No bad weather will ever pass the borders of camp unless the Gods will it. Likewise, the vineyards will always grow fruit in abundance and the waters of the lake run clear year round, perfectly safe to drink. Sickness does not find foothold here and when wounded, campers heal extremely quickly."
Thalia nodded, and after piling the foods she wanted onto her own plate she got up and approached the brazier. She gathered a slice of melon and two of the ripest, juiciest strawberrys from her plate and scraped them into the fire. "For Perseus," she muttered quietly. "Not sure if you hear me, but...thanks."
Immediately Thalia smelled the aroma of her burnt offering and her eyes nearly fluttered shut as she took a deep breath. The smell of roses and fresh rainfall, of hot apple pie and melted chocolate nearly overwhelmed her. Dozens of scents spiraled together to create something magnificent.
"Good, right?" a girl spoke to her left. Turning, she saw a pretty black haired girl with the brightest blue eyes and pale, flawless skin. "I think the Gods could probably live off this stuff. I'm Silena Beauregard, Cabin 12," she introduced herself.
"Thalia Grace," she returned, though she couldn't shake her hand while holding her food. "Cabin 12, that's…"
"Aphrodite," Silena responded. "Listen, I know what it's like to be new, so after the claiming ceremony this morning I could show you around if you like. It can be pretty overwhelming at first."
Thalia nodded, though she thought it might have been a little awkward. "Not sure what Chiron has planned, but if he's okay with it that sounds fine to me. Thanks."
The girl graced her with a blinding smile, causing one boy to nearly trip into the fire if his friend hadn't caught him, and then she was gone in a twirl of black hair and the soft scent of some type of flower perfume. The girl couldn't have been less like her if she tried, but she had been nice enough so Thalia just shook her head and headed back to Chiron's table.
Perseus arrived at Camp Half-Blood just as breakfast was ending and Chiron was herding the children like particularly energetic cattle over to the Amphitheater. He had some things to take care of later in the day but he always tried his best to make it to the claiming ceremony when new demigods arrived. It served a double purpose, really.
The first was as a show of Olympus' support to the new demigods who might one day be asked to fight and risk their lives for the Gods. The second was to make sure the Gods actually claimed their kids. For the most part he hadn't had any issues in recent years, however he also knew some of the immortals didn't really care about their kids and couldn't be bothered. Aphrodite had once refused to claim a kid that she deemed 'unfortunate looking'.
It would be humiliating for a child to present themselves to their fellow campers, only to not be claimed. It had only happened a few times, and Perseus had made sure there wouldn't be a repeat of that. His presence made sure the other Gods took notice, and they'd get a visit pretty quickly if they couldn't spare a second to send a sign. The twelve Olympians were usually no problem outside a few outlying instances. It was the others, who had been dubbed 'Minor Gods' by Zeus that usually took issue – they knew their kids were relegated to Hermes' Cabin anyway, and felt slighted.
Perseus had something in the works for that, and was probably going to get in some really deep trouble for it, but he figured he could probably get away with it as things were. Time would tell.
He was dressed more casually than he had been the night before. Perseus usually didn't wear his armor unless he actually planned to fight, but when he arrived on top of the hill he had been making a statement. The fact that the cyclops had still dared to challenge him forced him to drive that statement home a little further. While each God was a little different than the next, none of them liked to be challenged.
Perseus didn't really give a damn if it was his father's soldiers or not.
Today he wore his Astral Hoodie™, a true black fabric with moving constellations that reflected the night's sky – minus the light pollution – and a pair of jeans with special edition shoes gifted from Nike herself. Normally dressing like this helped him seem a little more relatable to the kids, and it was a lot more comfortable besides. His armor weighed several hundred pounds and his sword Tmima had the potential to create a force equal to a collapsing star. It could be….laborious to carry around at times.
It even showed up in the night sky, visible through a telescope. Mortals called it the Segment of Perseus, though it looked more curved through their telescopes than it actually was. In reality it only curved slightly at the tip, and the rest of the blade was straight.
He'd left it at home, though it was easily summoned. Perseus didn't foresee needing a weapon that could split mountains when meeting a bunch of teenagers. He had appeared in Cabin 5, a place that had a direct connection to his realm, and glanced around to find it empty – no surprise. He hadn't been with a mortal woman in years, and while some of the campers occasionally took advantage of his offer to use it, it was empty most of the time.
He left the Cabin quickly, exiting into the courtyard between his and all the others. He gave a small wave to Hestia as she crouched over the coals from last night's bonfire, poking them gently with a charred stick that was entirely too innocent looking. That stick had nearly burned down London in 1666 when she'd felt particularly vengeful at a baker who was using his baked goods to poison homeless kids.
It had gotten a little out of hand, and she was still a little embarrassed by it.
She waved back absently, and he continued on his way to the amphitheater. He forced himself to keep walking as a nymph peeked at him shyly from behind her tree, beckoning him over. He was tempted for a moment but thought better of it. The kids were waiting.
They weren't waiting very patiently though, he could tell. The loud rumble of voices and children's laughter echoed out of the open-air bleacher style seating as he approached, making his way to the side entrance which would lead to the back room. He entered it quickly, stepping around the instruments that were used for concerts and the props used for plays, spotting Chiron in his horse form, wheelchair abandoned with the three heroes from the night before in front of him.
Zeus' daughter looked like she might be sick any moment, and Athena's was blushing scarlet. The oldest of the three, Hermes' boy, was trying to grin and pretend to be confident, though his smile had a nervous edge. Kids never were comfortable in front of an audience.
"You'd think you were marching them to the gallows," he said to Chiron, announcing his arrival. All three demigods seemed to jump at the sight of him. Then the smallest one smiled a bright, gleeful expression that lit up her face.
"Perseus!" she called happily.
He grinned in response. "Little one," he greeted. "I'm afraid we were never properly introduced."
It was a white lie – he knew all their names and who their parents were. It could be unsettling to them if he just announced it though, and while some Gods took pleasure in scaring the demigods into respect, he really didn't bother. Some – like Athena – liked to take a peek into their thoughts and call them out to their face. It was meant to be humbling, but Perseus just thought it was rude and invasive.
"Forgive me, my lord," Chiron said, ever the respectful one, and he bowed his head slightly. "Here we have Luke Castellan, Thalia Grace, and Annabeth Chase."
He pointed to each of them, and Perseus nodded. "It's nice to meet you all under more pleasant circumstances."
"So...are we supposed to...bow or something..?" Luke said awkwardly.
He shook his head. "It's fine, you don't need to bother, Luke. I would say that's good advice should you meet another God – an Olympian or otherwise – but I spend a lot of time here and it'd be pretty annoying for all of us. I'm the Director for Camp Half-Blood, and through me the Council passes their words to the campers. I'm also here as a form of defense, as with demigods being under my protection and my official position here, this counts as part of my domain."
"Which means that camp itself cant really be attacked," said Thalia. "To attack a God's domain or seat of power is to challenge them directly."
Perseus grinned at her. "Exactly. Once the three of you crossed the boundary, you no longer have to fear monsters attacking. They wont even come close – last night being the exception."
Chiron cleared his throat, saying, "I think we should get started, now that everyone's here. The crowd out there sounds restless."
"Of course," the God agreed. "If you'd like to go calm them, we'll follow momentarily. I'd like to have a word with them first."
He left, and within seconds the noise quieted down. Perseus turned to the three kids. "Listen, I know this can be a little overwhelming, but doing it in front of everybody like this is the easiest way. It's quick, like a band-aid, and every kid inside there has went through it as well. We used to have a policy that a God could claim their kid anytime they wanted, but that caused too many problems. Some kids were claimed as soon as they stepped foot into camp, and others….well, it could take months until something suitably dramatic happened to match the Gods' ego. Zeus himself agreed to make this the new normal a few decades ago, and that pretty much settled it."
They seemed a little calmer now, and Perseus continued. "I'll be going out there with you guys and while there will be a little bit of spectacle, it wont last. After this is over Chiron has an orientation video for you to watch in his office. It'll cover the basics, as well as some things that people take for granted but you wouldn't know unless someone told you. So, lets head out there and get this done, and then we can all forget this ever happened."
They nodded in reply, and Thalia looked like she was gearing up for a fight. Perseus just shook his head a little in amusement and lead the way out onto the stage area.
"Heroes," he called, the slight amount of chatter ending instantly as he was joined by the three following him. "We're here for the claiming ceremony of three of your fellow demigods. They arrived last night, as I'm sure you're all aware, and their journey here was a little rougher than most. They can share the story if they wish at a later time – I will not go into detail. The only relevant fact is that they, like you all, made it here safely."
He glanced around, noticing the three of them standing awkwardly in something resembling a line while the rest of the crowd looked on in interest. "Luke Castellan, step forward please," he said, his voice echoing with the acoustics of the Amphitheater.
Luke did so jerkily, his hands fidgeting at his sides.
"Gods of Olympus!" Perseus called, allowing his energy to swell within him as his eyes glowed white. The torches on either side of the stage flared to life with a purple flame. "Who among you would claim this hero?!"
The response was immediate. A golden glow surrounded Luke, tinted at it's edges with a white light. A symbol appeared above his head, a holographic depiction of a winged staff, twin serpents coiled around it. The Caduceus of Hermes.
"Hail!" Chiron shouted, kneeling on his front legs. "The Messenger, The Traveler, God of Thieves and Merchants! Hail Luke Castellan, son of Hermes!"
"Hail!" the crowd shouted, each of them kneeling before the boy who suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
Perseus smiled gently at the boy as the glow around him faded. He placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed slightly. "Luke Castellan, Cabin 11," he said, pointing to a particularly full section of the stands, everyone returning to their feet. Nodding as he started to move, he waited until the blonde boy joined the group before continuing.
"Annabeth Chase, step forward please," he called, motioning to the tiny blonde girl. Her face was burning red, but she did eventually shuffle forward, hands twisted into the front of her orange shirt. "Ready?" he asked quietly. She nodded, her entire body tense.
"Gods of Olympus! Who among you would claim this hero?!" Annabeth mumbled something, and he grinned brightly at her. "Heroine, my mistake!"
There were muted chuckles around the stands, and just as suddenly as before, a silver glow encompassed the young child. A holographic owl carrying an olive branch surged to life above her head, and once more the crowd bowed.
"Hail! The Unwavering! The Wise! Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare! Hail Annabeth Chase, daughter of Pallas Athena!"
"Hail!"
Once again Perseus placed his hand on her shoulder. "Annabeth Chase, Cabin 10," he said, motioning to a group of blonde kids with sharp gray eyes and athletic builds. The girl nearly sprinted off the stage to join her siblings, and he hoped she got calmed down soon because he wasn't sure if he'd ever seen such a red face before.
"Thalia Grace, step forward please," he called. She did so, and her features were set into a tight glare. At him, at the crowd, and the fierceness of her expression reminded him entirely of his Lord Uncle. Her electric-blue eyes were narrowed and the only thing missing was the lightning dancing across them. She was not happy to be there, on display, and definitely not happy to be going last. It was just her and Perseus on the stage – Chiron was off to the side watching closely.
"Gods of Olympus!" he called, preparing himself for his King's dramatics. "Who among you would claim this hero!?"
As he thought it might, the sky darkened within an instant, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed onto the stage with a crack which nearly deafened him. The crowd screamed, and then Thalia was standing there with lightning dancing across her body, a massive glowing eagle floating above her head clenching a lightning bolt in it's talons.
Chiron was pale, but he would not falter now. He knelt for a third time, his head nearly brushing the ground in his reverence. This time, Perseus knelt as well and Thalia looked mortified.
"Hail!" Chiron roared, his voice rippling over the shocked children and forcing them to regain themselves and bow as well. "Our King! The Just! The Mighty! God of the Sky and all of Olympus! Hail Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus!"
"Hail!"
Perseus rose to his feet and approached her. "Thalia Grace, Cabin 1," he said.
Perseus sat comfortably on the deck of the Big House, watching Chiron closely as the centaur seemed to agonize over his choice. Finally, with a dramatic sigh, he moved his rook three spaces to the right. Perseus merely grinned at him, quickly moving a pawn forward a single space. Glowing white eyes met the centaur's brown ones, and Chiron finally sat back with a huff.
"Your not even thinking about your moves, are you?" Chiron accused, a slight scowl on his face.
Perseus only grinned wider. "Not even a little," he answered. "Just moving stuff around, seeing what happens. Who knows, maybe I'll win."
"That's not how chess works."
"Sure it is. While there's definitely some level of skill involved, me moving fast like I am makes you wonder if I'm an idiot or if I'm setting a trap. You get jumpy, and you try to look ahead two, or three or five moves, but you don't really know if I'm playing around or I'm actually playing. It makes you hesitate, makes you nervous." Perseus said, as if imparting some profound knowledge.
"Check mate," Chiron answered flatly, moving his bishop to e6.
A small, surprised laugh escaped the God. "Never was much good at it anyway," he said. "You know I tried that same little speech on Athena a while back, tried to make her nervous."
Chiron raised a brow. "And how did that work for you?"
"She threw the board at me and left," Perseus answered honestly. "She doesn't have much of a sense of humor regarding what she believes are 'intellectual pursuits'. Doesn't have much of a sense of humor at all, come to think of it."
Chiron laughed quietly. He sobered quickly though, glancing worriedly at the door to the Big House. "I'm not sure how much you can say, or what I'm allowed to even ask." he said, his voice troubled.
Perseus shrugged. "You can ask whatever you like. I may not be able to answer, but you can ask anyway."
"Thalia, is she…?"
"We think so, though there is no way to be completely sure until the time comes." Perseus answered. "There's still a lot of stuff up in the air at the moment, but things are changing quicker than we're used to. Might be some big changes coming to Camp, but nothings been decided yet and I can't say until I'm told otherwise on that particular subject."
Chiron nodded. Perseus knew he was deathly curious. They'd worked alongside one another since ancient times after all, though never very closely. While he had been Camp Director in one form or another for what seemed like forever, though it wasn't always called that, the truth is that he hadn't been allowed much leeway in the position. Chiron was the one who raised and trained heroes, and Perseus was more like an ambassador to Olympus. They spoke regularly, but it wasn't always as casual as it was becoming these days.
"Is there any information you can freely offer?" the centaur asked instead.
"That depends. I can say that, for the moment, there is a truce among the brothers. What the final result of that truce is going to look like, I cannot reveal. Its not even finalized yet so things could change dramatically before then anyway." Perseus said. "It was close to true disaster."
"Thank the Fates it's been averted then, even if only temporarily." Chiron said in return. "I assume you had a hand in averting it?"
"Some, I believe, though I just as easily could have made things worse. I have very little say in these matters and I may have already overstepped myself. The results on that gamble are yet to be seen. However, it is better to have that danger fall to me, rather than mortal children." he responded.
"Who did you manage to step into the path of, if I may ask?"
Perseus grinned, though it was rather weak. "Possibly, all three at once."
Chiron blanched, his eyes flaring wide. "Di Immortales…" he muttered.
Perseus agreed. It was not his best move ever, for sure, but to have those three baying for the blood of children...well, they usually got exactly what they wanted, even if they had to take it themselves. None of them would have survived. Thalia Grace would have been the first to feel their wrath, and in return it probably would have been Poseidon's daughter. Hades' children would be last but they couldn't stay hidden from Zeus forever. When he found them, they would have died badly in response to his own daughter's death. He was never a forgiving King.
That's if the three of them didn't decide to actually make an all out war of it. Then everyone would be in danger, mortal and immortal alike. If those three ever went to war, truly cut loose, humanity would have to start from scratch and there would likely be an entirely new Pantheon at the end of it all.
The truth was, mortals had never seen the true forms of the Gods, they'd be dead if they had. But only by looking at their true forms could their power actually be understood. They were energy, pure and simple. And the amount of energy at a being like Zeus' fingertips could not even be quantified by humans, let alone looked upon. He could not only destroy, but erase humanity from the world if he chose.
If he were trying to destroy a being as powerful as himself, like Poseidon or Hades, with the earth as the battleground...the destruction could not be put into words. Add to that hundreds of other immortals attempting the same thing and there may not even be an earth left. Whomever survived would have to recreate it.
Perseus grimaced at the thought. A war between those three was not something anyone wanted, except maybe themselves at times, and to put himself in their path as a convenient target was pretty close to the stupidest thing he'd ever done.
His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening on the Big House. It seemed the three newbies were finished watching the orientation film. They were lead outside by Annabeth, who was practically bouncing along, followed by Thalia with Luke bringing up the rear.
"Excellent, you've finished up before lunch," Chiron said. "I would ask that each of you go get acquainted with your Cabin counselors. They can show you where you'll be staying and take you to the Camp Store to gather whatever necessities you may need. You've each been given an allowance of sorts, and they can help you get set up."
Thalia raised her eyebrows in question.
"You can stay for the time being, Thalia. As you are the only occupant of Cabin 1, we'll have to set you up with an activity schedule, as well as chores and training. Technically you're Cabin 1 counselor, even if only for yourself." he said. "As you perform various tasks around camp you each earn some money which can be spent at the Camp Store for things you want or need, or the money can be saved and you can place orders for things to be picked up from the city. At the moment I'm afraid it's too dangerous for you to leave the borders of camp until you've had more training."
"When do I get to meet my mom?" Annabeth asked.
Chiron grimaced, though he tried to hold a straight face. Perseus interjected before he could say anything. "That depends, little one. While there is never a guarantee, as she is pretty busy, it's possible you may get to meet her soon."
Chiron merely looked at him, as if he believed Perseus to be lying.
"There's some stuff were taking care of on Olympus at the moment, and your mother is instrumental to it going smoothly. If everything gets resolved as we hope it will, it might be possible for her to come visit you, even if only for a little while. As for you, Luke, I'd have a talk with your counselor. He may know a thing or two you'd like to learn." Perseus finished, hoping the boy was catching his meaning.
Hermes was the messenger of Olympus after all, and if someone paid the fee, he was duty-bound to pick up and deliver messages. Even if that meant picking up from one of his sons to deliver to another. He likely couldn't stay long, but there were always ways around the rules if you looked hard enough, and if there was a way to break a rule, Hermes knew about it and had probably invented it.
The two of them said their goodbyes, and Luke promised to walk Annabeth to Cabin 10. Within a few minutes it was just Thalia standing there awkwardly. "C'mon, have a seat." Perseus offered.
Thalia sat, her eyes flicking between the two of them. "Did you just lie to her?" she asked, a frown forming on her face. "I saw the looks you guys were giving each other. I just...Annabeth's been through enough, and she doesn't need anymore adults lying to her."
"I didn't," Perseus answered, not offended by the question. "While it is rare for Gods to be allowed to spend too much time around their kids, that doesn't mean 'none'. It just gets a little complicated, is all. As I'm sure you saw in the orientation video, there are ancient laws we Gods must follow. What you probably don't realize is that these laws don't just restrain us morally, but physically. Think of it like ropes – really strong ropes. Each one is tied to an ancient law that we either agreed to, or had forced upon us. Now, as we try to move against that law, the rope tightens. The harder we try the more it binds, until we have no choice but to relent. This stops the chaos that would happen were the Gods to just do whatever they wanted."
She nodded her understanding, and Perseus continued, ignoring Chiron's inquisitive stare. "For instance, if you think of the War God, Ares. His dominion over violent conflict is something that can get out of hand pretty quickly. Were he to have free reign without laws restricting his interference in mortal affairs, he could theoretically keep the world in an endless war encompassing all of humanity until there isn't anyone left."
Perseus noticed her hand clenching the fabric of her cargo pants at the thought.
"Pretty scary, huh?" he asked rhetorically. "Now take, for instance, Athena. She isn't just the Goddess of Battle and Wisdom, but also Handicrafts and Human Innovation. She could do a lot of good things for humanity if she were given free reign, though she could do just as much harm. Her nature is more tempered than Ares, (he ignored the thunder completely) but to give one free reign means that the same rules apply to the other."
"So," he concluded, "in essence, just like mortal laws, we all have to be bound by them because of some of the outliers that could cause untold destruction. If mortal civilians were allowed to own an attack helicopter, there would be a lot of people that wouldn't bother, but there would be some that would destroy everything. For this reason, nobody is allowed."
"And what does that have to do with parents seeing their kids?" Thalia asked.
Perseus sighed. "The truth is, it isn't so much parents seeing their kids that's the problem, it's the influence we could have. We are bound by laws we cannot entirely break. You, Thalia Grace, are not. I could not personally steal a God's symbol of power. Not only that, but depending on the God, I could not even enter their domain to do so. You, on the other hand, are free to do whatever you want. Your dad could theoretically ask you to enter the domain of another God and sabotage them."
Thunder rumbled overhead, louder this time in warning. This time Perseus actually glanced upward. He recognized the tone, and that his uncle was not even a little bit amused. He was apparently not kidding about watching his interaction with the demigods closely.
"And that conversation, dear Thalia, is over." he said. He noticed Chiron looked extremely uncomfortable, though Thalia looked like she had a million more questions. "Back to our original conversation then, yeah? I didn't lie to Annabeth. It is possible that Athena might visit her soon, probable even, but I cannot speak for another God's actions or motives, let alone make promises in their name."
"Okay," she answered. "Do...do you think my dad might…"
Perseus shook his head. "I cant even begin to guess." he said truthfully. "Zeus is the God of many things, and Justice is one of them. Sometimes that means he holds himself to the ancient laws stricter than many other Gods, and other times it means he can interpret them in different ways than we can. What he decides, I'm sorry to say, is beyond my ability to speak of."
"Is there any way to get his attention? To let him know I….I don't know, want to talk to him?" she asked, and Perseus clenched his jaw because he knew that she was just a young girl that was hurting and looking for a father's reassurance. What he wouldn't say, is that her hopes were very unlikely to come true.
"My best advice, Thalia, would be to make an offering. If you do that, he will hear you. Say what you would like to say as if he were standing in front of you. From there, it will be his decision on how to respond." he said.
She nodded, falling silent and looking at her hands in her lap.
"Now, I really must be going, and Chiron still has to set you up a schedule. Don't worry about things too much. There are a lot of kids here your age, and while this is definitely a training camp for heroes, it's also a summer camp for teenagers. There are a lot of fun things you can experience if you allow yourself to. And if you find yourself looking for company away from that big mausoleum called Cabin 1, get some friends together and stay in 5. It's a lot better anyway."
There was a roar of thunder, and Perseus laughed as he disappeared.
Thalia stared at the spot the laughing God vanished from, the rattle of thunder still echoing in her bones. She thought he was trying to make her feel better, and it kind-of worked as she thought of her dad somewhere in the sky shaking his fist at Perseus in annoyance. It was probably a ridiculous image, and she wasn't sure what her dad even looked like, but it helped somehow.
"Well, child, that was something," Chiron said, a puzzled look on his face. "Forgive me, but the Gods are not usually so forthcoming, even Perseus. That he explained all of that to you is...surprising."
"Do you think he was lying?" asked Thalia. She didn't like being lied to, and she didn't like being treated differently either. It had to be one of the two, there was no third option she could see. She wondered briefly if he was trying to manipulate her, somehow.
Chiron shook his head negatively. "He didn't lie, as far as I'm aware. But the truth is usually much harder to come by. Most children do not get an explanation why the Gods work in the ways they do, and to ask is to risk offending them. Even their parents, sometimes."
"Is he treating me differently because of who my dad is? I noticed he bowed to me when I was claimed but not to the other two."
Chiron's answer surprised her. "No, that I can say with certainty. He was not bowing to you, but to the symbol of your father, to which he is sworn to service. Zeus is his King, and while the Olympians do not always see eye to eye, they are very old fashioned when it comes to royalty. There is perhaps only two Gods who would not bow to the symbol of Zeus, and they are his older brothers."
"Poseidon and Hades," she said.
Chiron nodded. "Exactly. And while they may not bow to him, they do recognize him as King. As for treating you differently because you are Zeus' daughter – the answer is no. You are not the first demigod child of Zeus, not even the first this century, and Perseus has always treated your siblings the same as any other demigod. There are some that have earned his favor, and some that have earned his wrath, but they all start out with the same position as any other child of the Gods. In that, he is fair above all things."
"Like Heracles," she guessed, and Chiron winced.
"Not the best example. While Heracles was a great hero and did perform the actions he is known for, he and Perseus were not exactly friendly after he finished his labors. I do not know the details of their falling out, but had your father not saved him, Heracles would have felt his wrath, I believe."
"So Perseus, the hero I mean, did he…" and at that Chiron chuckled.
"Another poor example, though not one I can fault you for. Many of the Gods submerge themselves into every aspect of their domain, and Perseus is no different. He thought, in ancient times, that the only way to be called the patron of heroes was to experience the life of a hero for himself. Back then Perseus was called Astraeus. Thus, he petitioned Zeus to turn him into a mortal for a single lifetime. Zeus agreed, and while not actually born from Zeus himself, the mortal version of Astraeus had his essence infused into a thunderstorm. The mortal woman Danaë was locked into a prison by her own father Acrisius because it was foretold that her son would kill him. The prison was open to the sky, and Zeus allowed the thunderstorm infused with Astraeus' essence to fall on the woman, impregnating her."
Thalia's mouth was open in disbelief – she'd heard of the legend vaguely, but thought it was fake.
Chiron grinned at her expression. "She gave birth, and gave him the name Perseus Eurymedon. He would then go on to live a mortal life, and be known as one of the single greatest heroes to have ever lived. He married the Princess Andromeda after saving her from Poseidon's wrath, and they had seven sons, one of which would go on to found the Persian Empire. When he died and returned to Olympus, he kept the name his mortal mother had given him in honor of her, and he created an entire constellation of stars in honor of his mortal wife. Humans later would name a galaxy after her."
"But wait a minute," she said, her brain seemingly locking up. "Wasn't Heracles descended from the hero Perseus?"
Chiron nodded. "He was. His mother Alcmene was the daughter of Electryon, who was the youngest son of Perseus and Andromeda."
"Holy shit!" she exclaimed.
"Language, child," Chiron admonished, though he was laughing. "Technically, Heracles was the descendant of both Perseus – or Astraeus – and Zeus. He was once nursed by Hera as in infant, and was thus infused with the power of three immortals. It is for this reason that his strength was greater than perhaps any other demigod in history."
"And then something happened, and Perseus was going to what? Kill him?" she asked.
Chiron looked a little unsure. "I don't know the details, but it had something to do with what happened at the Garden of the Hesperides when Heracles was tasked to steal an Apple of Immortality from the tree, which was Hera's wedding gift from Zeus. Perseus had gone there as well on his quest to kill Medusa many years before when he was a mortal hero. The Hesperides, nymphs that are guardians of that sacred place, helped him by giving him a container that could hold Medusa's head without endangering him or anyone else. Something happened there with Heracles that ignited Perseus' fury and he sought him out, but was stopped by Zeus."
Thalia's head was swimming with information, and she absently wondered what Heracles could have done to infuriate the seemingly-nice God she'd just had a conversation with. She'd probably never know.
However the knowledge that Perseus had once lived the mortal life of a hero warmed something within her chest. He knew what it was like to be hunted and have to fight monsters. To be the child of Zeus in the mortal world. That's why he was so protective of demigods and why he treated them all so well, why he named himself their patron and seemed to know just what to say sometimes. He'd actually lived it. He understood.
Thalia recalled that brief moment the night before, which seemed like so long ago now, when he had just saved them and he told them to be proud that they had survived. He'd said it was the first and most important test. He knew because he lived it and conquered it. And she could, too.
"Are you alright, child?" Chiron asked, his face worried, and she realized she was crying.
Thalia laughed briefly through her tears, swiping them away and feeling something release in her, some knot of emotions she didn't know how to deal with. "I just...I always wondered if the Gods were watching us struggle and fight to survive, and if they really knew what we had to go through just to get here. To be safe for a little while. It's nice, you know, knowing that at least one of them does."
Thalia wasn't sure if the centaur understood, really, but she thought she was beginning to. She didn't know what it was yet, but it was like something was beginning to unravel before her. She thought of what she knew of the legend of the hero Perseus, and how he had died an old man. He'd had a wife, a family and he beat the game. He proved that it could be done, that a demigod could survive to live a life if they just fought hard enough for it.
Inspired. That's what she felt, she realized. She felt inspired by his story, and she wanted to reach for that one day, too. Thalia knew she was just beginning, had barely even started really, but she had a goal now and she would fight to see it through. She would be like Perseus. She would win.
Author's Note: Chapter 2 done and we move a little further in the story, though not much I admit. Some of this chapter is similar to the original books, but really only the description of the camp itself. I was trying to think of a different way to describe it, but really there isn't any need. This is a fan-fiction, and so some of the original books will bleed through and there really isn't anything I can do about that.
This story will be a combination of Percy's point of view and Thalia's.
Regarding the story of Perseus' mortal life told by Chiron, it is very similar to the one told in the Preface, but I am free to steal my own words from time to time so I won't worry about the similar wording too much.
Also, a note regarding the Cabins in camp. They are changed from the cannon PJ&O to reflect the order that the Gods ascended to the council. Thus, they will be as follows:
Zeus – Cabin 1
Hera – Cabin 2
Poseidon – Cabin 3
Demeter – Cabin 4 (Changes begin after this, to reflect the inclusion of Perseus)
Perseus – Cabin 5
Ares – Cabin 6
Apollo – Cabin 7
Artemis – Cabin 8
Hephaestus – Cabin 9
Athena – Cabin 10
Hermes – Cabin 11
Aphrodite – Cabin 12
I intend for this to be a very long story, with each chapter roughly 8-10,000 words, maybe a little longer for some but probably no shorter than at least 6,000. The first chapter included the Preface, so it was closer to 8,500 I think. With that in mind, that would put this on pace for roughly 80,000 words plus by chapter 10. That won't even begin to reach the end of this story – I just have too much planned for that.
I will post updates as I am able, though I wont commit to a definite schedule because I have a job, a family and a host of responsibilities that have to take precedence over my hobbies. Writing – at least for me – doesn't pay the bills.
Review it if you want to, don't if you don't. No big deal.
Stay tuned for the next one. Thanks.