The Son Of Hercules

by Echoxenvy

Follow Matt Beckett, the Son of Hercules, as he and his friends wage war on the Primordial God Ouranos and his wide variety of allies. Love, hardship, battle, loss, and glory are just five of the many things he will experience on his epic journey. Current Book: The Rising Sun. OC-Centered.

115. We Get Stuck In Feudal Japan

Back again ya'll. Chapter Four. The fire within me is seriously back, I've been writing nonstop and loving every bit of it. Typing word after word and pumping these things out. I have fun and enjoy every book, but honestly I haven't felt it this intense since Book Two. To where the dialogue and everything just runs so smoothly, and everything goes with the flow.

Hope it's noticeable!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

4. We Get Stuck In Feudal Japan

Talon

No, I didn't want to share a horse with a stranger. But here we are.

Oh what's up, didn't see you there. Can you give me like, I don't know, five minutes? I gotta figure out where to put my hands while I'm on this freaking thing.

Quick recap. We saw Ouranos and his new buddy Tsukuyomi, fought a little, I got cut with the Heavenly Diamond spear, bled some ichor, and Asuka apparently doesn't go by Asuka to her friends. She goes by 'Emiko.'

Bunch of strangers showed up to help us (even though we didn't need it) and little Emiko did her thing.

She told them a vague gist of what was going on, and it became so nonsensical that the guy she was talking to just silenced her and said to take it up with Goro. Who's apparently the head honcho of Castle Izanagi.

That led to each of us sharing a horse with a samurai. I really didn't want to, because it'd be awkward if it were women, but it's even more so because their all dudes. Don't ask me why. Maybe it's because their strangers, or maybe it's because if I'm riding a horse, I just prefer to do it alone.

I tried to ask Asuka if she could teleport us again, but she made a cutting motion with her fingers at her throat, signaling me to shut up. Okay, guess the secret identity falls over to these guys too. I mean, that one dude did call her Emiko earlier.

We each got on the back of a horse, with one of the samurai steering it. There were eight, so that left one guy by himself. Lucky bastard.

I had my hands free, just laying limp at my side, and Goth Girl did the same. If I weren't in the same boat, I'd be laughing my ass off right now. She's leaning as far back as she can on the horse, damn near falling off, and that samurai in front of her has no clue. Priceless.

Everybody else just lightly grabbed on to their horse partner and thought nothing of it. Especially Sera, who had no care in the world. She just kept marveling and commenting on how pretty the horses were. Classic princess.

We had been moving at a decent pace to get out of the open field, but once we reached the tree line, the samurai that had Asuka on his horse, the leader, I assumed, called over his shoulder.

"Picking up speed! Hold on!"

When he said that, I figured they would just spur the horse in the side a little to get them going at top speed, which wouldn't be anything foreign to me. I used to ride a lot back home when I was younger, so I could stay on a horse, even as a passenger.

But when these boys mean top speed, they mean top speed.

The samurai in front lashed his reins and shouted at the horse to go faster, and boy did it. It tucked it's head in and practically broke the sound barrier millions of times over. It was gone in a flash, shooting shockwaves all over the forest, damn near destroying it.

The guy in front of me yelled something, but I couldn't hear what it was. Next thing I knew, I'm flying off the horse.

"SHIT!" I hollered, "HEY! GRAB ME!"

Apparently, what my dumbass didn't realize was that we were all about to go beyond light speed, and our horse dashed off with the rest of them. And because I'm too stupid to hold on to something, I fell off.

My entire body had been launched off the horse, but thankfully the samurai was quick. I was too far to reach with his hand, so he quickly unsheathed his katana, flipped it over to hold it on the blade, and offered the hilt out to me.

I reached out and stretched with all I had, thankfully grabbing it on the first try. The samurai yanked me back down and my ass plopped back onto the horse.

You bet your ass I grabbed onto that samurai's waist. I didn't give a damn what he was. He could've been a freaking fox man for all I care. I was not having that shit happen again.

"Hold on to something next time." He growled in front of me.

"Gotcha." I said, ears heating up. With my head turned to the side, I saw Goth Girl snickering at me, making fun of my situation.

Shut up. I mouthed. She would've done the same thing.

It lasted no time. After that, it only took a second to clear the distance between wherever we were, and the entrance to Castle Izanagi.

We didn't stop abruptly, we slowed gradually, back to walking speed. Stuff that a human can withstand. Trust me, if you ever want the best roller coaster ride you can imagine, hop on one of these horses and go from light speed to walking speed. That shit will make you throw up.

"We ain't gonna go time travelling again, are we?" I asked to the dude in front of me.

"No." I was surprised he got the sarcasm. Huh, these guys must have more social sense than Malachi and Sera. "We're here."

I let go of him and straightened my back to find out what all of the fuss was about. And...okay, I'll admit, I'd probably make a fuss too.

It was really something. This country continues to surprise me with the way it looks. I'd never seen such a colorful, warm looking place. Which was weird, considering the time of year it was.

If I had to guess, we'd crossed a wide stretch of forest to reach another clearing just as big. We now rode next to a tall, wide cliff that contained the Castle.

And when I say castle, I don't mean that as a single, fancy building, I mean that as a giant fortress.

I actually couldn't see any buildings yet. We were next to a pond that sat beside the place, looking up at it. A stone wall stretched across the entirety of the cliff, probably thousands of feet from just one angle, telling me that even if it wasn't nearly as wide, it was massive.

The only thing that we could see, as far as inside the wall, was what I guessed to be the top of the main castle, and a waterfall in the center that fell into the pond. It wasn't small either. It was white, powerful, and running over at a constant pace. Even watching it for several seconds, it never slowed or ceased, like it had an unlimited supply behind it.

We all stole looks at each other, wide eyed at the size. I could hardly imagine what it looked like on the inside.

Even looking around out here, I could tell that this place was different. The pond wasn't frozen, the grass was dark green, dandelions grew from it, dancing softly with the wind, the trees had leaves of all kinds. Yellow, red, green, and more. It almost looked fake. Back home in fall, when we have colorful leaves, it looks natural, and not too bright or too dim. But here, all of these colors are bright, like they've been exaggerated. Hell, even the sky seemed to have a perfect blue. No clouds, shining sun, barely any wind.

Everything was...eerily perfect.

"How come it's so warm here?" I asked, finally. "It was damn near freezing back in front of the mountain." Speaking of, when we came out from that light speed run, the mountain had been concealed behind a wall of clouds, so that tells you how far we travelled.

The samurai up front answered, "Weather here is controlled however Lord Goro pleases. The sacred land of Lord Izanagi stretches for about twenty miles, including the castle. Everything within that perimeter is usually set during the summer season."

"Goro can control the weather?" Annabeth asked.

"He is the oldest heir to Izanagi. He can do much more than that."

She didn't ask another question.

We crossed the open path and turned to the left, going up the cliff towards what we could now see as the entrance. The farther we went, the more width I saw from the walls. It wasn't just long, it was wide too, probably a good mile or so. I didn't even need to see the inside to know that this place completely dwarfed the size of Camp Half Blood, Camp Jupiter, and Camp Asgard combined. It was more of a small city than a Camp.

The entrance sat a bit taller than the walls in a traditional Japanese gable style, where it has a thick, triangular shape, and curls a little at the end. Under that, were two thick, wooden doors, with metal bars to fortify them. On each, at the center, sat the same symbol as the one's on the samurai armor. A sword being dipped into the ocean. A much bigger, more intricate engraving on the wood though.

The guy in front shouted something that I couldn't understand to someone beyond the wall. Must've been Japanese. Glancing up, next to the gable arch, was something just now appearing, since we got closer. Two watchtowers, with an archer for each, their bows drawn back and ready to fire.

The man shouted it again, waving his hand at the archers to back off, and they did, gently plucking the arrows from the string. Reluctantly, they made a small signal with their fingers to someone behind the gates.

There was a few seconds of silence, then the gates started to creak and groan loudly. They were even thicker than they looked, and had to weigh an untold number, judging by the two men it took to open just one side.

While they were opening the other side, I felt that weird tickling in my brain again. Didn't take me long to figure out what it was.

Before she could say anything, I thought what?

Wait, who just said that?

I reared my head back, which must've looked weird since nobody said anything through their mouth. Hadn't for some time. But it was Percy's voice in my head.

Jackson? You can talk with telepathy too?

No, fool. It was Asuka. I'm speaking to all of you. Now listen-

Oh! Is this what a video chat is? Sera said, or well, thought. Are we all in a video chat together?

No, Sera. Annabeth groaned. We've been over this. Video is visual. Okay? Visual. Sound it out, and use the V similarity if you have to.

Oh. The Princess actually sounded disappointed. What is it then?

I am speaking to you through- Asuka started, and her voice damn near made me get a headache.

Ah! Why's your voice so much louder than the others?

Good question. Goth Girl agreed, and in real life, I saw her rubbing her ears, wincing.

Asuka was losing her temper, but kept her cool visually. All of you shut up! Mine is louder because I am the one who initiated it! I cannot speak freely in front of them. I want to make sure that you all understand a few things before entering. Things I didn't have time to mention earlier.

Oh how convenient. I said, You just forgot to mention them. Okay, sure.

We were ambushed by two gods, fool! I'm telling you now! She sighed inwardly, Listen, don't make any sudden movements while we travel to Goro's quarters. Don't talk to the citizens, and don't look too long at them. Anything unusual will be seen as a threat, and the samurai will attack. If they do, I won't be able to help you.

Why not?

Because she is one of them. Malachi said, breaking his silence. Helping us would compromise her.

Precisely. Asuka sounded relieved that at least one of us understood. Just remain calm, and let me do the talking if necessary. Goro is a shallow individual, but a smart one.

If he's so shallow, why the hell is he the leader?

Just be quiet and follow my lead. She scolded, and broke the mind link, tickling my brain once again. The samurai were none the wiser.

By that time, we had just entered the gates, and finally, we were able to look at the city.

And it was just that, a city. Sort of.

I only say sort of because none of the buildings, save for the watchtowers and the main castle, were tall. They didn't emit pillars of factory smoke, there wasn't any winding highways or cars or honking horns. To be honest, a really, really big village fits the description better.

As we rode through, we saw small houses bundled together, little patches of trees with small ponds beneath them, a wooden bridge coming over a thin spot for people to walk through. We saw people working on crops, some people painting, some even washing clothes in a barrel. Everything was old-fashioned, and everyone was dressed old-fashioned, like ancient Japanese citizens and farmers. It was like we'd literally been taken back in time to the Feudal era.

But it was a really cool sight from afar. It looked like a slice of paradise. You had one big road that split the middle of the land, leading straight to the main castle, and a bunch of little roads that led to certain landmarks. I saw one building that simply said onsen on it, and I knew that was the hot springs. Which if you don't know, is basically a hot tub. How do I know? Well, don't ask.

Then there was a bowyer and armorer, probably meant for the samurai. Shops for dye, clothes, accessories, and all kinds of stuff. It was like a freaking video game or something, one of those big places you stop at to get the next upgrade. Only it was real. We were looking at it.

"Are they all demigods?" Malachi asked, looking around at everyone with confusion.

Asuka snapped her head back at him. Even I could remember that she just said not to talk on the ride up to the main castle, but he went and did it anyway.

No trouble though, because the guy up front just answered calmly. "Not all, but most are. Some are descendants of others, like the small children. About...a thousand, I would say. Only the samurai fight though."

"A thousand?!" Annabeth's mouth went to the ground.

"How many samurai are there?" Malachi asked again.

If I were them, I'd probably be a little suspicious about a stranger asking such a thing. I'd think they were trying to figure out our numbers and gauge our weaknesses. Though I doubt Malachi meant nothing by it, it's kind of hard to tell. He's a borderline idiot when it comes to everything but fighting. In that, he's a genius.

But again, the guy just answered casually. "About twenty. But the eight of us are the Shogun's guard. We are to protect Lord Goro with our life and do as he asks. His most trusted warriors."

Goth Girl and I looked at each other. Shogun? The hell? Was this actually Feudal Japan or something?

"The Castle is just up ahead." The man said, indirectly telling us to shut up and stop asking questions. "It won't be long."

And it wasn't. There was no middle or upper class, at least not out here. If a house was bigger than the last, it wasn't by much. Everyone seemed to be pretty equal here, other than the samurai and the "shogun" of course. But then again, that's how it looks on the outside. I ain't even been here thirty minutes. Asuka said Goro was shallow and shady, so maybe something else entirely is going on.

Finally, the horses stopped in front of a massive building. It was hard to tell, but I think it had five floors. Maybe six including the top. It was shaped exactly like you'd expect, a traditional Japanese castle. Made of dark colored wood, with curvy, elongated roofs, the hip and gable, that separated each floor, and finished at the very top. It was damn impressive.

Without speaking, the samurai got off their horses and we followed. We walked up a set of stone stairs while they formed a protective, or in this case, caging outline around us, with seven of them surrounding our sides, one at the back, and the guy that's been answering questions at the front, leading the way.

I tried to look at Malachi, like we used to do as kids. We could have an entire conversation with just our eyes about a sketchy situation. I was gonna make a signal with him, like if this turns out to be a trap, we let loose.

But Malachi wasn't even looking. He was too interested in all of it, looking up at the building, awing at the scenery, the tiny glimpse of the outside landscape we got on the staircase, able to overlook a few inches of the wall.

And Annabeth. Damn, that's another story. Blondie was loving the architecture of the main castle. "So intricate..." She whispered, "It has to be so old...but it's so well kept..."

With no one to turn to, I found Goth Girl looking straight ahead, her fingers twitching to grab the sword on her back. Just like me. Finally, someone that gets it.

I let out a long sigh that thankfully got her attention, and she looked at me. One blue eye questioned what was going on, but I didn't dare linger on it. They would know what was up.

I tried to make do with my mouth, since my eyes were also covered. I tightened my lips in a way that should tell her everything. We've become pretty familiar with each other by now, so if she doesn't get the memo, I'll be pretty disappointed.

But she did. She nodded ever so slightly and turned back to face the front.

When we reached the top of the staircase, the samurai at the head of the group opened a smaller set of doors than the one out front. He was enough to force it open, and it revealed a dim room to us.

We all walked in, the back samurai closed it shut. There were no lights, no electricity, just candles. Small candles that somehow illuminated the entire room enough to see. They must've had some magic in them, or some kind of special wax.

"Lord Goro, we've returned. Emiko is with us, and...some strangers she's brought."

I didn't even see the bastard until he turned his head. On a thin, cream-colored mat sitting on the ground, was a man. He looked about normal height, with a pretty good build. His clothes were casual, but differently colored than the citizens outside. A black kimono that reached his ankles, and covered up everything but his hands, neck, and head.

He'd been on his knees, facing a set of samurai armor in a sort of display looking spot on the wall, with a katana underneath.

That blade...I couldn't sense auras, but even I was getting a spooky vibe from that thing. I saw Malachi and Percy tense up. They felt it too.

Who I guessed to be Goro spoke, "Is that so? Well, that's good news. You may leave us."

"But Lord-"

"You may leave us." He persisted politely. His voice had an accent, but only slightly so. It was honestly not that noticeable. His articulation could've fooled me into thinking English was his first language if I didn't already know it wasn't.

The samurai all bowed to him in respect and left the room, but not exiting the castle. They just walked into a doorway beside us, out of earshot and into the darkness.

It was a little creepy, If I'm being honest. The main castle was big, but each room didn't match it. The roof was a bit low, maybe ten feet tall, and the size of this room alone could be filled by fifty people. I didn't know about the others, but I felt trapped. Like more samurai were about to jump out and attack us any second from the dark. And it was dark. When I say those candles lit the room enough for us to see, I meant it.

Goro stood up and bowed to the armor and blade, then turned around to reveal himself to us. He was Asian, obviously, with tan skin, crinkles in his cheeks, and handsome features. He honestly looked a lot younger than I expected. When those guys said he was the oldest living heir to Izanagi, I pictured an older, gray-haired guy. But Goro had a full set of dark black hair, tied into a bun at the back of his head. No facial hair, no wrinkles, flawless skin, and a lean build.

Was this actually him? Or his son? This guy looked no older than thirty, tops. Those other samurai had to be in their early twenties if this was the oldest living heir.

His smile never left him, "Hello, Emiko. How did you get on?"

Asuka was unmoving. Her tone was very, very formal and monotone. "Obviously a lot happened on my trip. I ran into some people."

"I see." He said. Okay, he hasn't given me a reason to, but I don't really like this guy. Dude talks too smoothly, too politely. He sounds a lot like Ouranos, if Ouranos was trying to hide his evilness. "You were gone for a while. I was beginning to miss my little kunoichi."

Goth Girl and Annabeth visibly cringed at the way he said that. Can't blame them. That was kind of creepy.

At Asuka's silence, Goro gestured for her to explain. "Well, I'll listen to what you have to say. Tell me, how did you meet these people? What happened?"

She took in a breath, "Well, when you sent me to scout, I ran into them near the mountain. We...had a bit of a misunderstanding, but once we talked it out, we understood that we had a common enemy. That presence you felt, the one responsible for the deaths of Toru and Daiko? It's a Greek god named Ouranos."

"I see." Goro said, "A Greek god. Well, that makes things interesting."

"These people are demigods from the Greek pantheon. They were here to confront Ouranos, and I ran into them. Shortly after talking, Ouranos must've noticed our presence, because he appeared, and...Goro, he appeared with Tsukuyomi."

At that, Goro's smile fell a bit, his eyebrows furrowing together. It wasn't anger, it was more like...confusion.

"The dormant moon god? This Ouranos must be quite the convincing fellow. Did you fight them?"

"We did, but we were completely outmatched. Your men saved us."

We wanted to shoot her puzzled looks, but held ourselves. Which was good, because causing a scene here would be a bad move. But Asuka was telling things way off. Like her running into us and leaving out the part where she came to get me, and then saying we were completely outmatched? Ouranos and that Tsukuyomi guy held their own, but let's not get it twisted, we could've taken them if we had a little more time.

I knew there had to be a reason for it. Some kind of reason. So I'll keep my trap shut and ask her later about it.

Goro nodded at her explanation, "I felt your presence spike at one point. That...must've been during the fight. It's why I sent my men out there." He chuckled, "Well, that's lucky, isn't it? A good thing I did."

"It is."

Goro raised an eyebrow, "Emiko? Where is my thanks?"

I scrunched my nose, and I'm sure everybody else did too. Where's my thanks? This dude is acting unnecessarily creepy now. He got a thing for Asuka or something?

Asuka averted her gaze, and even though I can't see one bit of her exposed features, I knew she was uncomfortable as hell. "Thank you, Lord Goro. I don't know what I would've done had you not saved us in time."

Goro rolled his eyes, "Ah, it's just Goro, Emiko. Just Goro for you. You aren't one of my men, you are my assistant. My own little task master."

He tried to add a jovial, joking tone to it, but to me, this shit is just plain harassment. I'm about to shut this idiot up in a second if we don't move on to the actual topic.

"Anyway..." She said, clearing her throat, "What are we going to do?"

Goro sighed, "Well first of all, I want to thank our new Greek friends for aiding you." He lifted his hands in a welcoming manner, "Welcome to Castle Izanagi. You are welcome to stay here for the night if you wish."

"They are willing." Asuka said, "I can show them a guest house-"

"I would like to hear it from them." Goro said, speaking louder to drown out Asuka's voice.

She looked back and forth between us and him, unsure of what to do. I began to wonder why she didn't stand up and argue, or bring that personality she's had in the little time we've known her. If Goro likes her, he'll listen, won't he? And she can't be scared of him. I mean, she's daughter of Amaterasu, in Sigurd's words, the Shinto Zeus. What's some old Primordial's descendant got on that?

But then taking another long look at the blade behind him, and I knew the reason.

The death katana. The Kusanagi.

That had to be it. That was the sword Asuka talked about. The one that whoever holds, controls the pantheon. It must be the reason why she's playing it so safe around him.

To me, it didn't look like anything special, other than the weird vibe I got from it. It was all black. Black grip, black sheathe, and maybe even black steel too. But I wouldn't dare judge a book on it's cover. Anything with the label "death" in it, is bound to be dangerous.

At Goro's request, Percy and Annabeth stepped forward.

"We're the leaders of Camp Half-Blood. Er-" Percy stumbled, "I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, and this is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

"Poseidon, eh? Camp Half-Blood?" He said excitedly. "How interesting. Go on."

"We've been at war with Ouranos for a while now. All of our battles with him are long, long stories, but just know that we're here to fight against him, and nothing else."

Annabeth backed him up, "We've worked with other pantheons before. The Norse one, for example. We'd be willing to work with you too, if you want. I'm sure we can come to some kind of agreement."

Asuka didn't shake her head or make a move, so I assumed what they were saying was on the line of acceptable right now.

Goro seemed interested, "If this Ouranos has gained an ally in Tsukuyomi...then perhaps your help would be welcome. I would rather destroy them than take a risk."

"One thing you need to know about Ouranos-" Annabeth said, "-Is that he's a master manipulator. He's got a knack for recruiting just about anyone to his cause. So if you've got more gods willing to go an unfavorable way...now might be a good time to tell us."

"Tsukuyomi and Susanoo were friends." Asuka said, as if she was only guessing, "He's probably already been in contact with him."

"Yes." Goro agreed, "Those two together are not good news. I would wager Tsukuyomi to suggest Ebisu as well. He has a grudge against Lord Izanagi for ancient history."

Ebisu? Oh, the guy that they sent across the ocean for being too ugly. I remember.

The room fell to silence as Goro looked at the ground, deep in thought. We all waited patiently for his answer.

"I shall think about it."

We all exchanged looks, confused looks.

"Uh, didn't you hear us?" Percy said, "Ouranos can recruit pretty much any god to his side. You even mentioned a few more. Wouldn't working together be the best option."

Goro's face twitched. I could tell the dude wasn't used to being questioned.

"I am Shogun here, Percy Jackson. I understand you are a foreigner, and have probably never been in the presence of royalty, so I shall explain." He straightened, a smug smirk now on his lips. "You are in my land, and my home. You are guests. If you wish to take a chance and fight your god on your own, go ahead. But if you are staying here, then you'll abide by the rules. If I want to think about it, I will think about it."

Percy glared, but nodded, "Okay, fine. My bad."

"Show them a guest house, Emiko. And come see me afterwards. I want to talk privately."

Asuka barely nodded, then walked as quickly as possible, pushing us out of the castle.

To my surprise, she didn't grill us on anything we said wrong, and Percy didn't complain about Goro for the entire walk. It was kind of awkward, because I knew as soon as we reached whatever guest house we were staying in, it was all going to blow up.

We strolled about halfway down the long path, gaining looks from the townsfolk, and Asuka having to wave them off so they wouldn't get suspicious. As if she wasn't suspicious, rolling around here in a cat mask and ninja outfit.

Asuka led us towards a house on the left side, at the back of the wall. It was basic, sizable, surrounded by grass and a couple of trees, some wind chimes hanging from them. Nothing special. It was probably the most semi-secluded place I'd seen so far.

She rushed to the front of our little line and opened the...shoji? Pretty sure that's the name. It's those sliding doors with that soft, paper-like center. You know what I'm talking about.

We all bustled in and she came in last, sliding the shoji shut.

Instantly, Percy was heated. "Okay, that guy is really-"

"Shh!" Asuka hissed, placing her finger over the cat mouth on the mask. When Percy made a what? gesture, she rotated her finger around the house, signaling that someone was listening from all sides.

"Horseshit." I whispered. "No way they followed that fast. I didn't see anybody!"

Asuka shook her head violently and tapped her finger to the mask, urgently telling me to shut up. I groaned.

How are we supposed to talk? I mouthed. Somehow she understood, and shifted her finger from her mouth, to her head.

She was talking about the telepathy thing again.

I scoffed, and threw up my hand. Alright, fine. Do it. Then came the brain tickling, mind link, yada yada, you get the gist.

Okay, all of you, just be quiet and listen to me for a second. Goro has sent two of his guards to watch over you. And you will most likely be watched the entire time that you are here.

Great aura control. Malachi said. I didn't sense them. How did you?

Because I know that bastard. You're foreigners, of course he's going to send guards. Besides, they're sloppy, I saw them.

Damn. I must be getting sloppy myself. I've really put those assassin days behind me if I can't spot a trail.

Just be mindful of your actions. She said, I need to speak with Goro, so if you want to talk, talk very quietly, or go to the hot springs. It's the only place they won't follow you in. It's separated by male and female, but there is a wall that separates the sections, you can speak through it.

Everyone looked like they had a million things to say to her, which was understandable. We were kind of getting thrown into the fire here, and she seemed to notice this.

I know this is a lot. And probably not what you were expecting, but just...please bare with me. And don't do anything crazy until I get back.

I was the one to stop her as she walked out the door. Hey, when you get back...you got some explaining to do. We want some answers.

About?

Don't play dumb. The Emiko thing, the Goro thing, this entire place. Everything's off, and your our only gateway to understanding it, but you're keeping shit from us.

Her mask stared at me for a second, and then turned around quickly to slip out of the shoji. Slippery.

I groaned, and turned to everyone else. Percy was delirious. He threw his hands up helplessly. "I'm lost. Anyone else lost?"

"You ain't the only one, buddy." Goth Girl grumbled, and started to sit down on a chair...only to realize a second later that there were none. Could've told her that. If we really are in Feudal Japan, these people sit on mattresses on the floor in front of a table. Hell, I'm pretty sure they still do that.

She looked like she wanted to explode, but kept the volume tame. "And there are no chairs. Can we go home now?"

"I'm not sure I like Japan anymore." Sera announced.

Malachi put up a hand, "Maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt. Did the three of us not keep secrets from each other on the Island? Talon, Sera?"

Sera nodded, "Yes, but that was different."

"Way different." I agreed, "We were strangers, and kids. We didn't feel comfortable talking about our past. Especially with all the shit you two went through."

"Maybe it's the same way." He persisted. "We are strangers to her. Who's to say, in her eyes, that we won't betray her? Just from that one interaction with Goro, I can tell he's no good. That blade that he was bowing to was the Death katana she spoke of."

Percy waved his finger back and forth rapidly, "I knew that's what that was! That thing had a weird aura to it."

Malachi continued, "Say she has something personal that should get out to Goro, or the other samurai, that could get her killed. Why would she tell us?"

"Right now, as far as I'm concerned, man, we're in enemy territory." I said, looking at everybody as I pointed towards the ground. "We don't know any of these people. We're far away from the core of the Greek pantheon, and all we have is each other. That girl isn't an acquaintance. We barely know her."

"She saved your life." Annabeth noted, and we all went silent. "Talon, we have to talk about it."

I gritted my teeth, and suddenly felt the urge to push my sunglasses farther up on my face. "I know. But I don't know what the hell to say." Looking down, the cut was barely hidden behind the draping of my shirt. I'd already wiped off the small amount of ichor, but if you looked closely, you could see yellow in the background of the wound. "I've never been hurt before. I had no idea..."

Goth Girl pointed at my neck, "You know, one thing I've always wondered about you is those tattoos. How'd you get them if you can't get hurt?"

I had one on the inside of my forearm, five lines for five years on the Cursed Island, the image of a boar's head on my arm, and then Mary's name in between collarbones.

"I got them when..." I racked my brain, but couldn't come up with anything. That's weird. I know that someone gave them to me.

Everyone was staring at me, and I suddenly felt hot under the attention. "Well...I got these lines on the Island. They burn it onto you each year. Remember, guys?"

"How come they don't have them then?" Percy asked, gesturing to Malachi and Sera.

Malachi explained, "Ouranos removed them when he possessed me, in order to erase all traces of my past so I wouldn't remember. Did the same to Sera for the same reason."

Sera nodded painfully, "Electricity. I remember well."

I was getting pissed that I couldn't remember where I'd gotten them. "I-I was there for that, right? They branded me too."

"It wouldn't burn your skin, remember?" Malachi said. "You were next to us, and when it did nothing, they took you away. You came back with a black line just like us. I always assumed they just used something stronger on you."

"Could they have used Heavenly Diamond?" Goth Girl asked.

"I can't fucking remember." I gruffed, "I...seriously can't remember, and it's pissing me off. I know I got these from someone. I know I wanted Mary tatted right here. I remember asking somebody for it, I just can't remember who!"

"Hey, we gotta be quiet." Annabeth shushed, gesturing outside with her finger.

I felt like my entire body was boiling with anxiety, an itch coming onto me from all over. It was stressing me out that I had absolutely no memory of those tattoos. And it's also weird that I don't remember ever questioning it. I've known about the ability for a while, so how come I never wondered about these things.

Unless, the memories were taken away.

I didn't say that out loud. I didn't want us to go down some rabbit hole we'd never get out of, so I switched the subject a little. "Whatever, it doesn't matter how I got them. The point is, I have ichor inside of me. What the hell does that mean?"

"In simple terms...you're a god." Percy shrugged.

I snorted, "I think I'd know if I was a god."

"Would you?" Annabeth pressed, "Do you know your mother?"

"Never have. Master didn't either."

"Maybe she's a goddess then."

"Nah...that can't be right."

"Why not?"

"I mean...it just can't be! Nikandreos is a mysterious deadbeat, but he's at least contacted me in some way before. I've never had shit from my mom. Not one thing. I always just assumed she died when I was a baby or something."

Annabeth wasn't letting this up. "But if she were a goddess, that could explain why you never get hurt, and Heavenly Diamond is your weakness. It's the same way for a god."

"Yeah, but gods can get hurt." Percy argued, "They just can't die permanently from normal weapons. Ares bled to Celestial bronze when I fought him on that first quest. I killed Oceanus with dad's trident, but he'll reform. Talon's never even been scratched until today."

"Yes, but Nikandreos is an exceptionally powerful god." Malachi informed. "Have you all heard the story?"

"His teacher told us a while back." Goth Girl said, "I don't remember much of it, but I do remember something about his dad killing Zeus or almost killing him, something like that."

"He took revenge on the gods." I said, "It was when humanity rejected them and tried to rebel, so they threw a hissy fit and started to destroy everything. Nikandreos basically became a superpowered human-mascot with a little help from Hera."

"And if you were born from a powerful goddess...then it would only add to the power." Annabeth reasoned, "It would explain why you've been able to do some really impressive stuff."

"Like incapacitate me with one shot." Malachi remembered, "Even though at the time I was stronger than Matt."

"Or scare off Ouranos. Even though he'd just killed Hercules." Goth Girl added.

"Who the hell could it be then?" I asked, almost sounding desperate, which I wasn't fond of. "Who could be my mom then?"

"Hera, maybe?" Percy guessed. "I mean, that sounds a little crazy, but does it really if you think about it? She's powerful, and she's been tired of Zeus's crap for centuries. She already had a prior relationship with Nikandreos, so who's to say she didn't...you know, get with him?"

"I can't think of anyone else." Annabeth sighed.

"So that's it, then?" I shook my head, trying to stay as quiet as possible, "I'm a god, and Hera's my mom now? I'm supposed to just accept that shit?"

"No one is asking you to accept anything, Talon." Sera soothed, "We are only trying to help."

I glared at the ground, wanting so badly to just shoot up the floor, punch a wall, or do something. I felt so lost. I had no idea what to even think, or where to start. I had an entire puzzle just dumped in front of me, without even looking at what the result is supposed to be. I'm just meant to figure it out. That's what it felt like.

"I have to see him." I said, "I have to see Nikandreos. He's the only one that can give me the answers I need. The truth."

"Then let's go." Goth Girl said, "Forget Asu-sorry, Emiko, and this whole place. Why don't we just leave, all of us, and find this dude? We know where he is."

"An entire mountain's worth of searching?" Malachi said, a bit sarcastically.

"She said he's near the top." I supplied, "And with yall's aura sense, even if he's suppressed, he shouldn't be hard to find. We...could do it."

Annabeth and Malachi both shook her head, with Annabeth being the first to talk, "Talon, I don't think it's a good idea. You're forgetting that Ouranos is here, and he's already got one of the most powerful Shinto gods on his side."

"We can take them." Goth Girl said, "We took down Tartarus in his domain. I think we can stop Ouranos and bat-boy."

"We had Matt, Hades and Yuri then." Annabeth argued, "We don't have them now, Harper. Maybe you guys can take them, not me, I mean, let's face it, I've been out of the game for a bit, and I can't begin to bring the level of power that you guys can. But I can strategize, and give you advice. Right now, based on what we know about Ouranos, and from that conversation earlier, there are plenty of Shinto gods that he can choose from. If Ouranos has time on his hands, he's going to use it well. He's probably recruiting right now."

Malachi nodded, "One god turns into two, then three, then four. The six of us cannot handle that. Especially without Matt."

"So what?" Goth Girl huffed, "We're supposed to just stay here? Where the leader is a creep and we're being watched all the time? Where the closest thing to an ally we have keeps secrets from us?"

"It is the best we have." Sera said, shrugging.

Malachi tried to reason with her, "I do not like it either, but I know my father. He will do the exact same thing here that he did with Atlas, Hendricks, the Sons of Thor, the Big Four, Tartarus..." he swallowed, hesitating to say the next name. "Levi..."

Goth Girl didn't tense up or get angry. In fact her annoyed expression melted, and her eyes fell to Malachi's knees.

"He is a master at making empty promises. Whatever these gods' weaknesses are, he will utilize them to the fullest, and they'll believe him, because he's that good at it. And in their mind, they think they'll betray him in the end, when really, they have no idea."

"He's like the world's deadliest car salesman." Percy muttered humorlessly.

I had to concede when I knew too much sense was being made. Malachi can be smart when he wants, and Annabeth is always smart. "Those samurai do seem pretty damn powerful."

"A single one is only a little weaker than myself or Percy." Malachi said, "If two of them were to team up on either of us, they would win."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah."

Annabeth came in with the conclusion, "So they're help would be great, but if we cross them...we're screwed."

"Pretty much."

"So that's the plan, then?" I scanned the room, "We're gonna bunk here and wing it? Trust Emiko and the samurai until Ouranos is done? Then find my dad? Or am I switching that order around?"

"Finding your father is priority." Malachi guaranteed, "Where that's going to fall, I don't know. But we will get you there."

I appreciated it, but somehow in the big scheme of things, It didn't sound all that probable.

"I need a walk." I said, reaching under my sunglasses to rub my eyes. "I just need a few minutes to think."

"Alright." Percy sighed, "Well, I guess we'll...look around the house. We might find something resembling a bed."

"A bed? A single bed?" Sera blushed, "I don't know if I like that."

While they started to babble, I stood near the shoji, trying my best to get Goth Girl's attention.

Finally, I snapped my fingers and she looked. I made a quick snapping motion with my neck, gesturing for her to follow me. It wasn't gonna be subtle or anything, they'd notice she'd left the house, but I didn't want to make a big deal about it.

The others were trying to figure out what rooms were what, and Goth Girl came over to me. "What's up?"

"We need to talk."

She didn't say a word as I slid open the shoji wide enough for the both of us. We entered the open air, greeted with the noise of clanging metal, distant chatter, and the single tree close by rustling.

I closed the shoji gently, "See them?"

"The guards?" She whispered, and looked around for a second, actually being pretty slick with it too. I could tell she'd spotted trailers before. She did it the exact way I used to. Act like she stepped on something, or heard something, look at it, then quickly turn around to scan.

"Yeah, two of them like she said. Behind trees on opposite ends. About..." She paused, "...a hundred yards back."

"Okay. Let's walk and talk. Keep it slow."

We started to stroll slowly, "What's going on?"

"I'm gonna be honest with you, part of me wants to kill those peeping bastards right now. Part of me wants to get the hell out of here and just go meet Nikandreos."

"What about the other part?"

"Well, the other part is the smart part that knows that would only cause a bunch of mayhem. Blondie and Malachi think we've got a real chance with these people, and they're probably right. If Ouranos has more gods on his side, hell, I hate to admit it, but we can't take them."

"You don't know that."

"I don't. But I got a pretty good idea of how it'll go down." It would suck. That's how it would go down. "Besides, we're already here. We run off and it'll look suspicious. Not to mention my damn dad is friends with that mask wearing chick. He'd probably be pissed that we just up and left her."

"I get keeping secrets," She said, "But the thing is, we don't know if they affect us. What if they do?"

"She did save me." I finally acknowledged it, and I didn't like dwelling on it. I can owe a friend, but owing a stranger is another story. Even owing a friend makes me uneasy. I feel like I just have to repay it immediately. It's a weight on my mind that I don't want or need.

And that in of itself is stupid. I should just be thankful. But Master drilled it into my brain that nobody does anything just to do it. There's always a motive.

Even Goth girl had to agree, "Yeah, she did. I think if she's gonna talk to anyone, it would be you. I mean, she originally planned on retrieving just you, right? She's friends with your dad, so who knows? She might open up."

"Doubt it. We ain't done nothing but annoy each other. She'd probably open up to Malachi more than me to be honest."

"Yeah but Malachi wouldn't know what to ask for. And...we could be completely wrong about her. Goro's a creep, so maybe these secrets are meant to be kept from him, not us. And even if they are, we're not gonna get anywhere by avoiding her."

I knew Goth Girl would feed to either side. The reasonable one, or the violent one. But whichever, I knew she would keep it real with me, and I appreciated that. In all seriousness, I give her a lot of shit, and we bicker, but she's a good kid. Been through enough for a lifetime of suffering, yet she turned out alright, with a level head on her shoulders.

To be honest, and don't you dare repeat this to her, but her word in this moment is what made my decision. If she told me it was best to run off, leave Asuka and this whole place behind to find Nikandreos, I would've agreed.

But I'm kind of relieved she didn't. Right now, I'm amped up, but later on when I think about it at night, I'd know it was stupid to even consider.

"Sounds smart." I looked around, and saw the point of conversation coming our way, by herself, small in the distance. That cat mask stuck out like glass in sand.

"There she is."

She followed my stare, "You gonna talk to her now?"

"I reckon. Might find out what Goro said to her that he couldn't say to us."

"Alright, I'll leave you to it." She started to walk off, but before leaving, she smirked. "Use some of that country boy charm for once."

I scrunched my nose up, "You think this is some kind of joke?" She didn't answer, "Hey!"

I knew that smirk was still there, and that pissed me off. "Damn goth girl..." This ain't the time to be joking around, dammit. I'm just talking to the girl. Don't need to hear none of that charm teasing mess.

I shook my head and put my hands in my pockets, racking my mind on what to say. How am I supposed to start this if we're being watched? Go back to her place? That's pretty forward, even for me.

Hell, I'm just gonna wing it.

I couldn't tell if she noticed me for obvious reasons, but she didn't seem to be going in a particular direction, just sort of walking in a trance. Does she live in the main castle? Or...anywhere? For all I know she has a damn tree house as small as a closet. We just needed somewhere to talk that's not out in the open.

I met her halfway with a nod, "Yo, Emiko."

Her mask didn't move, so she had seen me the entire time. "Talon."

"Got some time?"

"For what?"

"A little chat." At this point, we'd stopped walking and stood in front of each other, so I leaned in to speak lowly. "Where they can't hear."

She stared up at me for a second, probably determining on if she should humor the request. Guess she decided to, because the cat mask turned to her right. "The koi pond. Follow me."

She led the way off the long path and into the middle of several houses. Behind the first four rows, sat a group of trees overlooking a pond, far cleaner than any I'd ever seen. It wasn't blue or clear like the beach on the Cursed Island, but judging on how visible the koi were, even a foot down from the surface, it was well kept by someone.

And the koi were plentiful. Red, yellow, and all sorts of colors swimming around on the bank, bucking their backs above the water every now and then and diving out of sight. You could sit on the grass and watch them run around for hours, like one of those optical illusions. Hell, just looking at them now, I'm getting a little dizzy.

"Are those good eating?"

"What?"

"The koi? They good?"

"You...can. They have a strong taste though."

"You've tried it?"

"No."

Uh, how do you know the- ah, whatever. I don't even know why I'm asking in the first place. For some reason talking with her alone is making me weird. I should be here to talk strictly business. Get down to the bottom line, like I'm back in the old days of my assassin gig, talking with a client. But here, and now, I feel like I need to build up to it. Make some small talk to get her comfortable.

Hell, I shouldn't care. And I don't. It doesn't matter if we get to know this girl or not. At best, she's an ally, and it's fine to not know everything about an ally. I don't know everything about that Sigurd guy, and he's alright. I'll fight next to him.

But then again, he didn't have a bunch of secrets. Didn't have an alter ego, didn't wear a mask, didn't talk vaguely...

Well, maybe not the last one, but you get the point.

Next to the pond, sat a smaller body of water, about a tenth of the size. Separating the two, was a small waterfall, like a bucket being poured big, and offered a light trickling noise, enough to drown out a conversation if you're right next to it.

And that was exactly where she walked. I followed her up the grass to stand right next to it, so we didn't have to use the mind link.

"What is it?"

I took in a breath, "Alright, I'm gonna be honest. I'm a paranoid bastard. You can already tell by the way my mouth runs that my head's gotta be running too. And it's wondering what the hell's going on."

She didn't say anything.

"I just...think maybe if you could let us in on some stuff, it would really help. Like the whole Emiko thing. What's up with that?"

She started to respond, but I was already on the next word.

"And when the mask came off, Tsukuyomi said something about you being alive this entire time, about you not being Emiko. Are you just trying to hide your face from him, or from everybody? What's the story?"

She was silent for a moment, then said with disdain, "Is it my turn?"

"Go ahead."

"I understand you and your group don't trust me. I wouldn't either. But need I remind you of what happened earlier? I saved your life. If I wanted to betray you, or if I had my own interests put first, then I would've just let you die and finished the others off right there."

"Not really. You might want us around to help you defeat Ouranos and that Tsukuyomi guy, and then you'll betray us." I put my hands up, "Just a guess."

"I would've just escaped and done the same thing with Goro and the samurai. They're powerful, and they trust me...somewhat. I saved you because I made a promise to your father. I'm on your side, not because I like you, or any of you, but because we both have the same goal in mind. That is me being blunt, but that's the truth."

It didn't sound like she was lying, and what she said made sense. If we had died there, then she could've just escaped and come back here like nothing ever happened. All would've gone back to normal, but she would've failed Nikandreos.

"So that's the part that's making you work with us? Just Nikandreos? It's got nothing to do with anything else?"

"No."

Now that was a bit more suspicious. It wasn't as confident or clear as the former statement. "What did Goro say to you just now?"

"He pressed me on you and your friends. He wanted to know how I really met you, and I told him the same story. I told him that you will comply, and nothing of his will be threatened."

"It's him too, isn't it? You're hiding your face from him, for some reason."

She looked away, towards the water. "I can't reveal the reasons behind my secrecy to you. Not because I don't want to. Believe me, I've wanted to for a long time, but if...if Goro were to gain suspicion, and get his hands on any of you...say he gets information, and you can see my point."

I didn't spout any 'we wouldn't tell' nonsense. Because really, you don't know what you'll do in the situation.

"That's fair."

"Just know that it isn't anything that will hurt your group. It will only hurt me. Part of it is revealed to Tsukuyomi now, unfortunately, but not the entire truth. Everything still remains hidden from Goro, so that is good."

"Are you two...a thing or something? Exes?"

She shook her head, "He has no real feelings towards me. He makes advances because I don't bow down and grovel to him, and he finds that challenging. He is...not a good man. He thinks he's a god."

"Why's he leader if he's so scummy?"

"Like I told you at your Camp, he is the current Lord of Castle Izanagi. The oldest living heir who wields the Kusanagi. He's not a particularly frightening or skilled individual, but his status and the weapon he wields make him extremely dangerous. Anyone that fights with the Kusanagi is lethal."

"He likes to be in control." I noted, "Likes the power, the money, the fame."

"Yes. And if you notice, all of these people live in small houses, dressed like peasants, working like dogs, living in an old-fashioned society that only benefits Goro. All because it's the only option they have. They can't go anywhere else for the same reason as your world. There are monsters here too."

"But if they had a better ruler, could it work?"

"Of course. Your Camp works, and Sigurd told me about his. It all lies in the leader, and Goro only cares about himself."

"What if it were you?" I said it like it was simple.

Her head darted towards me, and I imagined her eyes were wide behind the cat's. "No. I am not a leader."

"You seem like you could handle it. Hell, you're strong. If all of these people don't like him, then why don't you rebel for them? Start a revolution or something."

"No. I can't. I'm not fit for it."

I didn't waste time in arguing. "If you say so."

"Besides, while Goro is selfish, he does care about his position. Ouranos, Tsukuyomi, and the other gods they recruit threaten that. So he and his samurai will fight against them."

"Doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to fight them right now." I said, "He has to think about working with us."

"He is threatened by you. You are foreigners, powerful ones, that could try to conquer his kingdom."

"Well he'd better make up his mind tonight or we're heading out on our own." I raised an eyebrow at her, "You coming with us, if it comes down to it?"

She sighed, "I would. But be patient. If we're losing our numbers advantage, we will need the samurai on our side."

"Alright, fine." I did a quick look around, but didn't see any guards in the scan. They were concealed better than before. But I knew they were out there.

"We've been talking a little too long." I mumbled, "We'd better part ways."

"Good idea. I'll see you later. Tomorrow, probably."

I nodded, and at the first step in the opposite direction, I caught myself. "Emiko."

She didn't respond, but she stopped.

"What happens after we're done working with them? Will we have to fight Goro too?"

She hesitated, and that was enough to tell me the answer.

---

Well, we managed to situate sleeping positions without killing each other.

There were two beds, not one. Thankfully. Though that didn't make it much better, because we needed six.

Goth Girl and I decided to be nice and let the couples have the beds. Percy and Annabeth on the right, Malachi and Sera on the left. While we took the floor.

I lay in front of Malachi and Sera's bed, while Goth girl lay opposite of me, about six feet away in front of Percy and Annabeth's. She didn't bother taking her hair out of that thick braid, or even setting up the Eros sword against the wall somewhere. She had one hand over the hilt, laying on her side, breathing softly. She was asleep, but lightly, in case of an attack.

None of us bothered wearing PJ's. One, cause we ain't little kids, or at least, I'm not. Usually I just go with boxers, but I'm not just bunking with Malachi tonight, there's girls here too, so I gotta sacrifice a little comfort to keep things normal.

But it surprised me that no one wanted me to make them any PJ's. I can. I can make anything I've seen before, and I've seen that stuff plenty of times. But nah, they just plopped right down and went to sleep. Honestly, I think we're all a little exhausted from the craziness of today. Not even the fight, just the mental gymnastics.

I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, but at one point, I finally drifted away.

But that's not a good thing.

For some reason, Nikandreos always picks when I'm the most dog tired to send visions. Tonight was no exception.

I heard his voice in the dark. Time is running out, Talon.

Shut up. I said. I was just about to get some damn sleep.

This is more important than sleep. I can help you. Let me.

Now you wanna help?

I've done it before. I will do it again.

I didn't see him, or anything. He only spoke to me through the state that I was in. I didn't know that I was asleep, but I didn't have control of anything. I could only watch.

Suddenly, the darkness left and I saw Ouranos, just as he was before, walking in a forest. It was bright enough that I could see all of him clearly, but dark enough to tell that night had fallen hours ago. Even the trees were illuminated, so I guessed a full moon.

Ouranos walked at a perfect pace, with a shrugging of his shoulders and a smirk that told me he felt really confident. Whatever he was about to do, he was excited for.

He wore no shirt, and had a Japanese hakama on his lower half, just like Malachi at one point. I didn't get the impression Ouranos was trying to imitate his son though, more on the lines of fitting in.

He pushed aside a patch of leaves and came into a small clearing, the edge of a cliff that overlooked a long, angular stretch of grass. Not even steep enough that you couldn't ride down it on a horse.

Ouranos looked around and saw what in my mind, just looked like a huge orgy. The clearing had very little space, taken up by naked women, men, and the like all around, pleasuring each other. It was like they were in a weird trance, without autonomy. They were just put under a spell to make out and fuck. And this was going on everywhere, not just a few groups, but a couple dozen pairs of people. In no specific order either. I saw man on man, woman on woman, woman on man, and every kind of combination you can imagine.

I've been around this kind of thing before, and it usually ain't my speed. Mateo tried to get me to go to one a long time ago. Sneak in and watch the show, but I wasn't into it.

And Ouranos wasn't either. He scrunched his nose in disgust and reared his head back, like he didn't expect this. But nether the less, he walked forward, weaving his way through all the dicks and pussies, doing his best not to touch anything. If I wasn't so confused, I'd probably laugh.

Finally, he found what he was looking for. Sitting on a throne shaped rock at the edge of the cliff, was that same guy from earlier. Tsukuyomi.

He looked no different. Ash colored skin, long, white hair, and cream colored, dilated pupils. This time only his lower region was covered, exposing a long, lean chest, with the crescent moon tattoo in the middle.

On his right and left were two people he switched make out sessions with every five seconds. A dude and a woman, about equal age, maybe mid-thirties or so. It made me wonder if he'd just created some kind of illusion with his aura, or if he plucked mortals from their lives and put them under a trance. The latter creeped me out.

Ouranos stood in front of him, unimpressed. "So you are Tsukuyomi. I honestly expected...different."

Tsukuyomi barely paid him any mind, but he did glance at him lazily. "You're not my type. Get out of here."

Ouranos mocked offense, "What a shame. I'd love to join in on your circus here, but I actually came to talk business."

"Business?" Tsukuyomi said, and laughed humorlessly. "Susanoo send you? I don't care if he knows. Tell that bastard I get the best of both worlds."

"Nobody sent me. I came on my own to talk to you about an opportunity."

"Not interested. I'm a very busy god."

"I am as well." Ouranos placed a hand on his chest, "I can understand."

At that, Tsukuyomi pushed away the woman trying to give him another kiss. "You're not from here. What kind of god are you?"

"I was old when you're father Izanagi was thrust from the heavens, if that tells you what kind of god I am. I've been here from the very beginning."

Tsukuyomi full on shoved aside the two mortals and sat up in his chair. "You're a Primordial?"

"A Greek one. You see, Tsukuyomi, I have done my research, and I know why you do this. Why you wallow in sex and sorrow. It's because you failed, isn't it?"

"Failed? Begone, Primordial, before I destroy you. I am at my strongest tonight." He glanced up at the full moon, which shone brighter at his attention, bathing him with gray light.

"You probably could." Ouranos shrugged, "And I invite you to go ahead. But first, I just want to say that It's not too late to change things. I can help you."

"Help me? With what?"

"Let's not play dumb here. I know what you seek, and I know that with it, you'll become the most powerful god in the pantheon. Maybe even the entire multiverse. I know where it is, who's hands it's in, and who's going to try and stop us."

"It is locked in a fortress."

"It was in the hands of Amaterasu." Ouranos said, beginning to pace a circle around Tsukuyomi, fighting back an obvious smirk.

"She left it behind for the girl. Gave it to them. She knew she was gonna die, so she made sure I wouldn't get it."

The girl? Was he talking about Asuka?

"It's not impossible to reach." Ouranos tempted, "With combined force, you could destroy that place and get it back. I could help you."

Tsukuyomi's eyes followed Ouranos and the latter walked with his hands folded at his back. "What's in it for you?"

"My secret's been revealed already. I was in hiding, but...unfortunate events have transpired, and I've been compromised. Not the worst thing in the world that could happen. It was about time for me to do so on my own anyway, but with that means my old friends are going to come looking for me."

"Old friends? Other gods?"

"Perhaps. But perhaps not. The ones I know for sure that will come, are Matt Beckett and his friends. A group of pesky demigods that want to kill me."

"Everyone has a reason for wanting to kill." Tsukuyomi said, "What's there's?"

"I intend to change their world. The one they've grown up in their whole lives." Ouranos outstretched his arms, "To reclaim what was once mine, I'll have to erase humanity. And they want to protect it."

"Give a proper answer. What's in it for you?" Tsukuyomi repeated.

"In order for my plan to come together, I need to take pieces off the board. I need to kill them. As of now, I'm not strong enough yet. But with you, and perhaps some others by my side, I will be."

"I get the power that Amaterasu didn't deserve, which is immeasurable, and...you get to kill some demigods? That is all you want?"

"For now." Ouranos said, "I have a far grander vision, that I can tell you more about later, but as of now. I must be rid myself of the obstacles that stand in my way. For that, I need help. So yes, I'm getting quite a lot out of this."

Tsukuyomi sat there, thinking about it.

And Ouranos came swooping in with his silver tongue, knowing he was close to winning him over. "This is all you needed to hear. Just a little encouragement. Someone to put the thought in your mind that you can do it. You can reclaim what was meant to be yours this entire time. Just like me. You want the weapon? You want Japan? You can have it. Have you not waited years and years for this?"

He said nothing.

Ouranos went in for the kill, "I know what it's like. To have everything taken from you. To sit in solitude and torture, longing for the day that you get another chance. Just one more chance to make things right." Every word laced with bitterness, and for a moment, I knew he wasn't acting. He was speaking his true mind. "Let's do it together."

Ouranos's words resonated with Tsukuyomi. His eyes blazed and he stood up quickly, glaring up at the moon.

"These demigods, how powerful are they?"

"Very." Ouranos said, trying to stay calm, but I could tell he was holding back a victorious smile. "There are seven of them. We'll need more."

"Not to mention Clan Izanagi." Tsukuyomi said. "They are powerful warriors. But I can assemble some like minds. Susanoo...and the Oni will obey me. I can even reassemble Kagutsuchi if needed."

"Do it all." Ouranos said, clenching his fist. "Gather them, as many as you can. We don't want a hard battle; we want a massacre. Correct?"

"Yes." Tsukuyomi strained his muscles for a second, and wings burst from his back. Long, leathery, bat wings, like we saw earlier, with a span of probably fourteen feet. They were huge.

A shockwave of wind blew all the mortals back and out of their sex positions, but as soon as it was over, they just went right back to it. Okay, so they were in a spell.

"I should get busy then." Tsukuyomi smirked, "I haven't felt like this in ages."

He flapped the wings once and flew off faster than I could see, leaving Ouranos alone with wind blowing through his choppy hair.

I saw that he had a huge, wild grin on his mouth, eyes closed in delight.

"Ah...Ouranos, you've done it again." He laughed, and turned around to find the mortals out of their spell. All of them were looking around, utterly confused as to what they were doing, where they were, or why they were naked.

Before they could scream or panic, Ouranos clicked his tongue at them. "Looks like you've seen too much. Here, I'll fix that."

They couldn't even make a sound. Ouranos's face distorted terrifyingly, his eyes wide, glowing blue, mouth open in a yell, and his hand shooting at them.

A blue light shone from it, creating an arc that cut through every single mortal at the stomach, right in half. Dozens of torsos and legs plopped to the ground, none of them alive. They couldn't scream, because if the cleaving didn't kill them, the intense shock of the heat would.

And he smiled at what he'd done.

That was all I saw before I woke up. Not in a sweat or a yell, but slowly and calmly.

I just laid there, with a lot to unpack. First of all, Nikandreos helping this time, and not giving me some vague riddle to solve, was pretty cool. That must've been right after Ouranos killed those two samurai. He went straight to Tsukuyomi, and then they intercepted us.

Just the two of them. But now I know they plan on getting more gods on our side. It was our theory, but now it's done and done. Something about a Susanoo, an Oni, and a Kagutsuchi?

It took me a second, but I remembered those names. Or well, two of them, from Asuka's explanation earlier. Susanoo is the other god that helped kill her mom, a sea god I think. And Kagutsuchi was that guy that burned Izanami from just being born, so Izanagi cut him into pieces. Guess that's why Tsukuyomi talked about 'reassembling' him.

I fixated on that part I thought to be Asuka. He said 'she left it behind for the girl.' For the girl. That had to be her, right? Made sense. That goes in line with what Asuka said, that she was killed in a battle with the two. But she said she didn't know the specifics.

You know, thinking back on it, we never asked her where she was during the whole thing. She had to be born at least. Was she entrusted here? Given to Goro's dad or something? Obviously if the girl Tsukuyomi mentioned is Asuka, then at least he knew about her.

Which doesn't matter. The point is, we were right. They're getting more gods.

Just as I was about to wake the others, I heard a knock at the shoji. Whoever it was, didn't knock on the soft part of the actual door, but on the wood next to it, very lightly, like a bird tapping it's beak. I only heard because I was awake.

I got up slowly and walked over to the shoji, still in my socks thankfully. Those damn boots of mine would've been noisy on the floor.

The person didn't get a chance to knock again, because I was there, sliding open the shoji. I didn't even look at who it was, I just assumed it was Asuka.

"As-" I started, and caught myself. Oh shit.

It was Goro.

In that moment, I wanted to beat my head against the wall. Shit! How could I be so stupid and not remember we're being watched! Fuck. I forgot the whole Emiko thing, the secrets from Goro thing, and now I've screwed it up. I was worried about her getting us in danger, and now here I go.

But Goro only lifted his eyebrows, "What were you about to say?"

"Oh nothing. I almost sneezed." Not a bad lie. With the way I said it, and the way I quickly rubbed my nose to fake the whole thing, it might've played the situation off to a dumb person...on a lucky day.

I just hope this dude bought it.

Thankfully, he didn't linger on it. He just shook his head and peeked over my shoulder. "Is Percy Jackson awake?"

"Nah, he's out. All of them are. What do you want?"

"I just needed to speak with whoever's in charge. That would be Mister Jackson, wouldn't it?"

"You can talk to me." I crossed my arms, "What you gotta say?'

"Not here." He whispered, "Wouldn't want to ruin a good night's sleep."

I glanced behind me at everybody, still out like a light, and then back at the 'Shogun.' This didn't feel right. I know a trap when I see one, and textbook action is to separate the group. Take them out one by one if you can.

But what do I have to be worried about? I can't die.

Jackass, remember what happened earlier today? Ya got scratched. And if they bust out the Death sword, I'm sure it'll do some damage too.

But I was curious. He might've made up his mind. And if we were gonna be working with these people, I should probably spill the details of my vision to him. Save for the Asuka part.

So I ended up nodding and shoving on my boots. "Alright, lead the way, Shogun."

He chuckled as I slowly closed the sliding door. "Not used to all this, are you?"

I took a second to look him over. He wore the exact same kimono as before, not even changing into nightwear. Or whatever qualifies as nightwear around here. But I did notice that on his waist, wrapped up in soft fabric, was the Death katana. He was carrying it with him now, loosely hanging on his hip, sheathe and all.

I answered him before it became awkward. "I'm used to living close like this, but I ain't been to Japan before. Especially Feudal, with Shogun and Samurai and all that."

Goro laughed, "Ain't. You must be from the southern part of the States."

"Got a problem with it?"

"I didn't say that. I just find the accent interesting. As I'm sure you find ours."

We walked a few more steps, with a long way to go before we reached the main castle. I had to admit, it was good out tonight. The sky was filled with litters of stars, the moon was almost full, maybe a few more days of waiting and it'll be there, and the wind was nonexistent. Just the sound of night creatures, like bugs and birds, you know.

I remembered I had to play it nice when I talked. We need their support, so I can't be an ass. Gonna be tough for me, that's like my default.

"Don't mean to be rude, but what's with all of this old-fashioned stuff? The Shogun title, the samurai, the houses, the way you live...it just seems like a lot of work for a place as big as this."

"Well as a demigod yourself, I'm sure you know that forms of internet and cellular service attract monsters. So there's the benefit of that. And...it just suits me, you know? It suits my clan. As the heir, I have the most power. As I should. People work to earn, and the warriors fight. It's simple, and effective."

"Work to earn what?"

He gave me a look, and let out a laugh that would probably make anyone else feel stupid. Like giggling at a puppy doing something dumb. But I ain't a puppy. I just stared at him, not saying a word.

"To earn a life here, obviously. Someone has to keep it running, it might as well be them."

"So what do you do? Just sit at the top and shine that sword of yours?"

I figured he'd brandish it and start a fight. He seemed like the emotional type to blow up at a single insult. But surprisingly, he didn't even sound combative.

"That's exactly what I do. They know what's expected of them, and they do it. They don't need to be happy, they just need to survive." He gestured to the walls, "Out there is much worse. They don't want that, not in a thousand years."

They don't need to be happy? This guy wasn't even trying to hide it. He was just telling me how it was. These people are treated like peasants, and he just does nothing, enjoying all the riches and comfort. And the people stay because it's the better alternative.

"So you don't care about them? And you make no bones about it as far as I can tell."

"I care about them as a whole. They are the people that I control, and just like any other god, that's all I should care about. Why should I bother myself with learning these peasants' lives? What we have works already, and I love it."

"Works for you, you mean."

"Of course. And them too, because they are still alive. Understand now?"

I wanted to call him what he was. A bully and a fucking coward. I'd like to see how tough he is when you take away the sword.

The thing was, it'd be different if he put up a nice front, and if the people had no idea of what a selfish bastard he was, but he doesn't even try to hide it. He's telling me, a stranger, how he really feels. He's straight up with it. In most cases, I respect when people make no bones about what they are, but here...it's just cruel.

But I said nothing of the sort. Just, "Yeah, I get it. Now what did you want to say to Jackson?"

"Just up ahead." He pointed to the castle's staircase, about thirty feet away now. We'd walked a good distance in the little back and forth exchange.

I noticed he didn't have his guards with him. Were they in the trees? In the castle? It mattered to me, because part of me still knows for sure this is a trap of some kind.

I had to keep calm. No sudden movements. Just go with it. Hear what he's about to say.

We'd reached the doors. Goro shuffled ahead and opened one for me, "Guests first."

I walked inside to dead silence, not a single sound could be heard. Just the door shutting and Goro walking up to me.

"I've thought about it, and I've decided to work with your group. I'm willing to take the risk if it means destroying any possibility of takeover."

I nodded, and decided to talk about my vision. No use in hiding it. "Ouranos and Tsukuyomi are going after more gods. They mentioned something about Susanoo, an Oni and a Kagutsuchi."

"How do you know this?" He asked quickly, coming around to attention in front of me.

"Had a vision."

"A vision? Interesting. Is that common for Greek demigods?"

"Yeah, pretty common." Not sure why it matters, but I know what he's doing. He's suspicious.

"I see. Well then, I suppose we should act quickly. An Oni is a demon, and there are many. If he recruits enough, he could have an entire army on his hands. And Kagutsuchi has been dead for quite some time, but I suppose if someone knows a way to bring him back, it's Tsukuyomi." Goro bit his lip in anger, "Heh, he was always jealous of my clan. Of me. My power."

"Any other gods he might try to get?"

"Ebisu, perhaps." Goro contemplated, "In fact, he would be the easiest to go after first. Maybe we could get to him before they do."

That's the deformed one that they sent out to sea. I remember. "How would he be easy?"

"He is the god of fishermen. My samurai can spot gods among mortals, and they've always seen him near the coast. Sometimes by himself, sometime among others. With the horses, it could take minutes to find him. The Oni are in Yomi, the land of the dead, and Kagutsuchi, if even conscious, was cut to pieces. I don't know the locations of his soul, if that's how it works. So...we start with Ebisu."

"What about that Susanoo fellow?"

"Susanoo is god of the sea, so he could go hand in hand with Ebisu, if needed."

I chuckled, "Guess we're hunting all the gods tomorrow, huh? That doesn't do anything to the country? Like throw it off balance or something?"

"Please. They're nothing. I am the reason this pantheon is still together. Those gods have been dormant for years, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo because they failed to get my family's sword after killing Amaterasu and her daughter-"

"Wait, wait-" I said, interrupting. "Did you say Amaterasu and her daughter?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "Oh that's right, I got caught up, almost forgot you're a foreigner. Amaterasu had a daughter about...eight hundred years ago or so, but both were killed by Tsukuyomi and Susanoo over some frivolous dispute. It's a long story."

I tried to keep calm, but my mind was running circles. I ain't smart enough to put a lot of pieces together, but this don't sound right. Asuka ain't dead, and she ain't eight hundred years old. At least, I don't think she is.

So does that mean her mom died and she survived? But...eight hundred years ago? How does that make sense?

Can't think about it now. Think later. Respond.

"Oh, okay. So guess she won't be any help." I tried to play it off.

"No. If she were alive she'd be wielding the sword. But she's not. It was meant for me." He smirked and shifted to show it to me, placing his thumb on the guard. With a push, a tiny portion of steel poked it's head from the sheathe.

As soon as my eyes fell on the black metal, I felt a presence so intense, more intense than anything I'd ever felt. It reminded me of the bloodlust I could send out, only amplified. It was like I'd walked in a room with the grim reaper himself, and he was staring at me, thinking about taking my soul.

The feeling came, and it made my heart drop. My vision tunneled and darted towards the metal, taking me from the room entirely.

I found myself back in the past, in a younger body. Destroyed homes on either side, piles of wood fueled raging fires, lighting up the night sky and illuminating the memory before me.

"Talon!" Mary screamed. I still recognized her voice, and always would. But this wasn't new, this was from a long time ago.

I looked up from my flat hands on the sand and saw it, just like I did when it was real. She was in the basilisk's mouth, thirty feet in the air. It stood stiff like a horse, the end of its tail and the long front of its body high in the air, jaws and fangs clenched around the small body of a girl. Her blonde hair was matted in blood, skin too. The torso was being ripped under the chest as the bite got stronger.

She was screaming for me. Dying, and I couldn't do a fucking thing but watch.

"Talon! Tal-"

"Mary!"

It clamped down on her, and broke her. The top half of her body fell out of its mouth and landed on the sand, eyes completely lifeless. The amount of blood pouring out of her gut was unbelievable. I'd have never, ever imagined someone could bleed that much, for such a small body, but the blotch was like a huge puddle, caking up the orange grains.

"NO!" I shouted, reliving every single movement as it happened.

"Stand back, boy!"

I started to run forward anyway, an invisible force stopped me and picked me up, plopping me right on top of a roof, next to her. Eyes once lifeless, now sparkling and beaming.

"Don't go back, yet. Let's just sit here together for a while."

And I smiled, even though a tear was coming down my cheek. She never pointed it out, she didn't even seem to notice it. She just placed a hand over mine.

"Okay, Mary."

The body.

Next I was on my knees staring down at her grave. It was raining, and it covered every drop that escaped my eye. It hid my pain that I never showed.

All of these came in quick flashes, yet it felt like I relived every scene. Every single one as it happened, but it also felt so quick, like a reminder.

As the final image came, a blurry vision cleared, and I saw Goro again.

He was in front of me, with furrowed eyebrows, his guard behind him with their hands on their katanas, all glaring at me.

Going cross eyed, I focused on the closer object. My hand on my gun, and my gun aimed at his head. The barrel right at the center of the forehead. At some point, I'd drawn it and came close to firing.

I hadn't even known.

Goro cocked his head, "Are you okay? You look a little...distraught."

A smirk threatened to fall on his lips, and I knew he saw it too. That sword...it's been touched by death itself. Literally. A being out there, the supreme one that controls who lives and dies, grazed that steel, and gave it incredible power.

I looked at it, and this happened.

The bastard knew. He liked throwing that thing around.

I scowled, "I'm just fine," and lowered the gun.

"Bright and early then?" Goro proposed, "We hunt a god?"

"Sure." my eyes flickered down to the sword again, which lead to my chin tilting slightly.

He noticed, "Oh I'll bring this too, don't worry."

You could cut the damn tension with a knife. I had to get out of there. Too much information, just shoved right into my head, reliving those memories, and not to mention the new Asuka information.

I've got too much going on.

"See ya tomorrow."

My boot scraped the floor as I turned around, and they broke silence with each step, to everyone else. But to me, there were a million sounds going on within that I couldn't shake.

---

(000)

Asuka is pretty mysterious, huh?

Ouranos and Tsukuyomi are up to no good.

The gang have too much going on in their heads.

So everything's normal.

Switching things back to Matt next chapter. The training continues!

Until Next Time.