Summary: Perseus, first-born child of Poseidon and Amphitrite, God of the Stars and Constellations, of Navigation and of the Astral Plane. Patron of Heroes and Mentor to the Goddess Artemis. Sitting upon the ruling council of the Gods for thousands of years – and now facing the end of Olympus.
Chapter Four
Hours before dawn, while Nyx still held half the world within her grasp and Artemis traveled a route mapped out by Selene before her, Perseus found himself immersed fully within the stars. This was relatively rare, as he usually – like most Gods – left a part of himself elsewhere while the bulk of his energy dispersed across his domains. Even while a physical representation of them walked the mortal world, they still had the bulk of their essence spread in multiple places. They weren't fully there – to be so would mean assuming their divine form.
Tonight, however, something felt...odd. He couldn't exactly pinpoint it, not yet, and because of this he had drawn all of himself to the celestial realm of the heavens that surrounded the world. In this moment he had no true physical form, or rather, his form was an extension of the stars themselves. He was spread thinly enough that he had no true body as a human would perceive it.
Something was itching at him, something was off...something had changed.
It hadn't been very noticeable, almost like a bird flying overhead. You could see it, but you never really noticed it in a meaningful way. Yet it had nagged at him, and finally he went in search of answers. So far as he could tell, for the moment at least, nothing was different. His companions, the constellations, were the same as they ever were. The spirits rested within them, awaiting his call should he need them. The millions of sources of light and heat warmed him as they always had, and they responded to his will as they had done since he first sought them out.
It was just something...tiny, something nearly unnoticeable. It was like something was missing. For hours and hours he searched, but it always seemed to elude his grasp, and now it had grown to the point where he could not let it rest. It was almost as if…but no.
'That isn't possible,' Perseus thought to himself. The mere idea of it seemed both alarming and infuriating.
However, as he thought upon it, the answer seemed to reach out and grab hold of him. With a fury he hadn't allowed himself to feel since ancient times, he wrenched all of his energy to the most distant reach of his territory, to the edge of where he was capable of exerting influence. There, the answer revealed itself fully and he was furious.
An anger he had never known himself capable of seemed to swell within him, and his energy responded in kind. The stars blazed with his emotion, hotter and brighter than he had ever seen them before. His fury echoed across the stars in a wash of divine energy and had he been capable of making sound in that form he would have screamed his wrath for all to hear.
Perseus was too far lost into his own rage to notice that Artemis had faltered in her voyage and stared upward and outward in alarm. Too wrathful to notice the sky surrounding the earth itself take notice of his ferocity. He didn't know that his echoing fury had caused the stars to blaze so very bright that they could be seen even within the most light-polluted areas of the world as if through a telescope.
Something had been stolen from him, something taken, and it should not have been possible.
There, just at the edge of his territory, where he could not travel any further and leave the source of the Gods behind. It was nothing really, but it was everything.
Someone or something had infringed upon his domain in the most egregious way. They had not only entered, but had taken a piece of it for themselves. It was a small, tiny thing, with a few thousand stars and a single constellation, but it was gone. It was there, but it wasn't his anymore. He couldn't feel it or interact with it, couldn't draw upon the energy of those stars and as his fury peaked, he was even more enraged that those stars remained dim as all others flared with his temper.
Uncaring of how his actions may be witnessed by others, Perseus launched his energy at that tiny piece of what was once his. He threw everything at it in an attempt to overcome whomever held it within their grasp, but it was to no avail. His energy slid around it like water breaking upon stone. It was unmoved and decidedly unaffected in any way. Whomever held it did so with an iron grip that he could not dislodge.
With that realization his anger turned cold. Even his augmented strength over his realm granted to him by Tmima had no effect – the blade which had originally lent it's strength to him to take the stars as his own in the first place.
"Ursa!" His voice, though not a physical thing, carried amongst the stars. "Scorpius!"
The two constellations, both spirits which had once resided within the mortal world, responded to his call immediately. They came to him, the light shifting as the stars rearranged themselves to accommodate the change. It was the larger of the two bears that arrived, Ursa Major, quickly followed by the Scorpion.
"Guard this," he commanded the bear. "Nothing in this area moves."
Even as he spoke the bear responded, the stars that made up the outline of the creature shifted and changed to a wider stance. Meanwhile he turned to the scorpion. "Hunt," he said simply, his own will laced into the words so that his subject knew exactly what it was meant to do. It shifted, then the stars making up it's general shape sprung apart and it was gone.
This would probably alarm the mortals, as they didn't truly understand the stars, but he didn't care even a little – the Mist would give them a ready explanation, just as it had done when they decided to 'land on the moon'. They still believed their Sun to be a star, after all, and Apollo wasn't very happy about that. As they looked through their devices the Mist would show them something to hold their interest while the truth was safely hidden. They would never question their science.
One thing was for certain – he would find the culprit in this, and they would wish they had never dared.
Thalia's first morning training in the arena was interrupted by the echo of a hunting horn bellowing from the forest to the south. Everyone halted their actions at the sound and stared off toward the trees to witness a trio of young girls emerge from the foliage wearing silver parkas and combat boots. While they were still pretty far away, she could see that the horn was carried by one of the two in the rear while the lead girl steered them toward the Big House.
"Alright, everyone back to work," Mark shouted, the oldest of the sons of Ares and current leader of the group training sword techniques. They were supposed to be lead by Perseus beginning this morning but he hadn't showed and so Chiron referred them to Mark, who'd been leading it before anyway.
"Not you, Grace," he said, waving her over. "Cabin counselors are to report to the Big House, so you can come with me. I'll leave Ellis in charge of this bunch."
Thalia frowned. She hadn't been told to meet anywhere. "Why?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"Something to do with my sister's quest. We're all supposed to meet Chiron in the Rec Room when the hunters get here. Let's get moving."
She did as he said and followed, glancing across the camp as she walked to see that the day was in full swing. There were already campers on the canoe lake and the climbing wall, some spread onto the archery range and others riding the pegasi that she had originally thought were horses. She saw a few other kids mirroring their actions and making their way toward the Big House but most of them had carried on with their activities from before.
They arrived there quickly, the large sky-blue mansion looming above them as they climbed onto it's deck. She recognized a few of the faces around her, the counselors from Cabin 11 and 12 first. Chris Rodriguez was a son of Hermes and was Luke's counselor, while the Aphrodite Cabin was lead by Silena Beauregard, the girl she had met briefly on her first morning in camp.
The day before Silena had finally made good on her offer to give Thalia a full tour of the place. She was nice, if a little girly in Thalia's opinion, and had stopped mid-tour to check her makeup. She only did it once, so it could have been a coincidence, but Thalia thought it was probably a regular occurrence. It also seemed a regular occurrence for the boys to stop and stare at her everywhere they went, even if a lot of them tried to pretend they weren't.
She followed Mark and the other two into the Rec Room where Lee Fletcher was setting up chairs around the ping-pong table. Clarisse La Rue was already there and the others were still trickling in little by little, Charles Beckendorf being the last and someone she had met on the tour the day before. He was a son of Hephaestus and was in charge of the camp forge.
Chiron entered the room in his wheelchair after they had gathered, closely followed by the three girls dressed in silver. The one in the lead was a tall, beautiful girl who walked with the grace of a gazelle. She had dark hair, brown eyes and a copper skin tone with a silver circlet braided into her hair, a small quarter moon attached to the center of it resting upon her forehead.
The two that followed her were of contrasting appearances to one another. The first on the left was a girl with much paler skin, flaming red hair and a more bulky build, though she wasn't even a little overweight. She had blue eyes which turned flinty at the sight of so many boys around the table.
The second girl, behind the leader and to the right was nearly as tall as the girl she followed. Her skin was just slightly darker, though it carried the same copper-tone, and her eyes much brighter. Her dark hair was pulled up into a braided bun on the crown of her head while two thin braids inlaid with cords of silver framed her face. At her throat, she wore a choker with a bronze compass hanging less than an inch from it.
All three of them carried a pair of long hunting knives at their hips and a silver bow and quiver slung across their backs.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Chiron called, once everyone was seated. "As you can see today we are joined by three of Lady Artemis' handmaidens. They are here at the request of the Council, and one of them will be aiding Clarisse on her quest. Leading them is their lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade. To your left, Zoë's right, is Phoebe and opposite her is Atlanta, who will be the one joining two of our campers for the duration."
Zoë nodded. "Phoebe and I are here to escort our sister. Once it hath begun, we shall take our leave."
Mark raised a brow at her in question. "Why'd she need an escort? If she's supposed to help Clarisse she should've been strong enough to make it here on her own."
Zoë glared at the boy. "It is not for thee to question. Lady Artemis tasked us this, and we shall abide."
"Miss Nightshade is correct," Chiron intervened. "If it be the will of the Gods, their will be done-"
He was interrupted by a sound that rattled the foundations of the Big House. It was a roar similar to the sound of a bonfire that had been lit with too much gasoline, and was accompanied by a heaviness that pressed downward on the room. Everyone was silent for a moment, and this allowed them to hear the loud, nearly stomping footsteps that approached them from the hallway.
Within a second Perseus entered, however it wasn't the kind and joking God she had come to expect. He was fully armored, massive Godly weapon at his waist and his face was as if made of stone. His silver armor, now that she could see it in better lighting, was intricately carved with lines that connected brighter points inlaid into the breastplate like constellations. His long, massive black cloak brushed the floor as he stalked in. Perseus' eyes shone brightly in the natural lighting of the room and his back was straighter than she had seen it since the night he rescued her.
Chiron it seemed, had noticed the difference at a simple glance and he quickly bowed as much as possible from his wheelchair. "My Lord," he greeted. The others seemed surprised but attempted to do so as well. Thalia noticed that Zoë and the other darker skinned girl, Atlanta, lowered their head to the God in respect, though Phoebe merely tilted hers in what could perhaps generously be called a nod.
"We were just about to begin," said Chiron, apparently unsettled by the lack of response from Perseus which, she knew from experience, would have normally been to wave off their attempts to bow to him. Something was wrong, Thalia just couldn't think of what it could be.
"There isn't any need for a long discussion," Perseus said, and it came across like a command. His tone was much different than she'd become used to and closely resembled how he had spoken to the Furies a few nights ago. "Clarisse will lead the quest, and Atlanta will join. Has she chosen her third member?"
"I...I know you said you advised me to pick a girl, but I wanted to ask if…" she faltered beneath his stare. She wasn't very confident when talking to the Gods, Thalia noticed, though she was the exact opposite with the other campers.
"She wanted me to join them, as one of the more senior members of our Cabin." said Beckendorf. "She asked for one of our sisters but the oldest girl in Cabin 9 is Nyssa Barrera and she's only nine. She isn't really ready for a quest."
"It is agreeable," said Atlanta, and her voice turned out to be accented by something Thalia couldn't place. "I have no issue so long as boundaries are kept."
"Why does the third have to be from Cabin 9?" asked Malcolm Pace, counselor to Athena's Cabin.
"Perhaps we should at least recite the prophecy given by the Oracle so that those here understand the situation," said Chiron, glancing at Perseus for approval. He nodded once in reply, and then Chiron spoke.
Three Shall Go West To The City Of Sin
Where Time Has No Meaning To Those Trapped Within
The Compass, The Boar And the Hammer Prevail
'Lest The World Fall To Darkness Beneath The Silent One's Veil
The words seemed to weigh ominously upon the room for only a moment, before Lee broke the silence "Compass?" he asked.
Thalia noticed the hunter, Atlanta, reached up and touched the charm at her throat. "My father is Perseus, so that is why I was called for I assume."
"Not entirely," said Perseus, and his voice was slightly kinder than it had been. "The prophecy was given only yesterday, and you were chosen before that. The prophecy only confirms that it was a correct choice made by your mistress."
Atlanta nodded, looking back at her father intently as he did so to her. It seemed as if perhaps they hadn't seen each other in some time, as Perseus had barely looked anywhere else since he entered the room. Thalia found herself surprised by the fact that Perseus had any children at all, as she knew Cabin 5 was empty. However, she did recall that Chiron had said he didn't have any children at camp, not that he didn't have any at all.
"So wait, you serve Artemis, but your Perseus' daughter?" Chris asked. "Doesn't that make her your, I don't know, step-mom?"
Zoë's hunting knife was out in a flash, it's point buried in the ping-pong table and causing everyone to lean back quickly. Her eyes glared balefully at the son of Hermes, who appeared frozen in his seat. "M'lady would cut out thy tongue for such an insult, boy!"
Perseus pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. "What, exactly, would make you believe that Chris?" he asked, though it appeared he didn't even want to deal with the situation at all.
"I, well...they-" he stuttered for a moment. "They say you're her mentor and companion, so everyone just assumed…"
The three hunters looked murderous at the insinuation, and Thalia realized she hadn't ever given much thought to the title. All of the immortals had a dozen titles each, some of them self-assigned, and many of them didn't really have much meaning in truth. Poseidon was called the Father of Horses, and while it may be true, it didn't really mean much to the world at large.
Perseus paused, and then he chuckled a low, muffled laugh. "By the Fates," he muttered. "You do realize that companion has more than one meaning? And you do realize that I raised Artemis as if she were my own daughter? While we Olympians may cross a few moral lines as far as humans are concerned, that isn't one of them. And even if that all weren't the case, Artemis is sworn a maiden forever. By doing so she was gifted the right to have twenty-four handmaidens to serve her for so long as she kept that oath, as Zeus' first and favored daughter?"
He shook his head briefly. "Her handmaidens, or hunters as their more commonly known, are an extremely rare exception to the ancient laws that only Artemis is allowed. Were she to break her oath, so too would her handmaidens be forfeit. The title 'Mentor' was given to me by Zeus on the day Artemis was born. She was curious and always searched out the wild places. Zeus feared for her safety while she was still new to the world. I was tasked to watch over her and to teach her. Eventually, as she saw more of the world she asked to be allowed to never truly grow up, for it is when girls grow older that she believes they lose themselves to the world of men. Her wish was granted by Zeus, so long as she took a vow of chastity, which she did immediately. When she took over duties after Selene faded and became Goddess of the Moon, I watched over her still from the Stars above."
At the end of his explanation he stared at Chris with a stern expression. "Artemis herself will arrive in camp upon the conclusion of the quest to collect Atlanta. I would advise whomever 'they' are that say these things be re-educated before she arrives. She will not tolerate the insinuation for even a moment, and neither will I."
He paused, his brow furrowed. "She's also fond of jackalopes currently and wouldn't mind turning you into one to keep as a pet. Or as food for her wolves."
Suitably terrified, the boy nodded rapidly in agreement, though he was silent and refused to speak.
"Back to business, then," Perseus said. "Clarisse, accompanied by Atlanta and Charles, will set out this afternoon. They'll be given supplies and transport to the city, and the quest will officially begin. You are all dismissed back to your normal schedule."
The suddenness of his command struck something within Thalia as odd, and she realized that he was actually angry about something. She didn't know him very well, or at all really, but she thought that she was most likely right about that fact. However, as she was beginning to learn, the Gods guarded their secrets fiercely and she would only know more if he told them.
Chairs scraped and bodies shuffled as a mutter of conversation swept through the room. Thalia saw Perseus approach Atlanta and motion for her to follow him out of the room alone. Meanwhile everyone was giving Clarisse their congratulations and advice, and Beckendorf was standing next to her receiving pats on the back and shoulder as well as well-wishes for the journey.
Thalia approached them when everyone had left and rummaged in her pocket for a folded up piece of paper she had hastily sketched out the night before while everyone else was at the sing-along bonfire.
"Clarisse," she called out. The girl and the boy next to her turned curiously. "Hey listen, I know I don't know either of you really, but I made this for you." She opened it to show a list, as well as some directions and a couple of hasty demonstrations. "When I was on the run with Luke and Annabeth we made these. Some are safe-houses where you can rest and some are small places we've stored things that can be useful for a half-blood out in the world. Non-perishable food, weapons, even some sleeping bags and blankets. It isn't much, I know, and you may not ever get close enough to them to take advantage. If you do, use or take whatever you need."
The girl looked at her carefully for a moment, before nodding. Beckendorf took the paper and, after glancing through it, nodded as well and put it in his pocket. "Thanks, this could be really useful especially for the return trip. I'm not sure what supplies we'll be able to gather when we get those two from the Lotus Eaters."
He didn't doubt himself at all, and Thalia chose to view that as a good sign. While being cocky could get you killed, being confident in your own skills could most certainly save your life. "It's no problem, really." she answered. "We made these for anyone like us who came across them and so you guys are welcome to all of it if you need it."
"Thanks, newbie," said Clarisse, looking her over. "You're alright."
While her approval wasn't really necessary, Thalia was just glad that the shock over her claiming ceremony seemed to be wearing off and people were actually treating her like a person again. Saying her goodbyes, along with her own version of 'stay safe and good luck', Thalia left to return to her sword training in the arena.
Perseus stared at his daughter, noticing the new addition of the silver cords braided into her hair since last they met. She was beautiful, had always been so, and looked very much like her mother Rania. The thin, straight nose and darker complexion was a gift from the mortal woman who had died more than two thousand years ago. Rania was born in Egypt, though she had traveled to Greece with her father and it was there that Perseus had first bore witness to such a similar face as the one he looked upon now.
Atlanta's mother had been a radiant woman, quick to laugh and her smile was a gift she bestowed upon all those she encountered. She had embraced Greek society despite her Egyptian heritage and lived in Olympia, and he had met her during the games held in honor of the Gods. She hadn't participated, but she had caught his eye all the same. Her laughter drew him to her, and her beauty held him there.
Perseus grew to love her quickly, and things were so very different back then. While she was mortal and could not live in his palace upon Olympus, she was a queen amongst women and he gifted her a large home in Corinth, where he would live with her as much as he was able and take her for a wife. When offered immortality and the right to join him in the Stars forever, however, she had refused. Rania held her own beliefs about mortality and the afterlife and would not be swayed.
She gifted him a daughter and three sons, and they had some of his most cherished decades together, and then time and age stole her from him. Only his daughter survived – her and the pendant she wore that once belonged to her mother.
"The stars echoed your anger last night," she said quietly. "The guardians moved as well, I noticed."
Perseus nodded. "There is something going on, but I can't really explain other than to say that I'm handling it, and I apologize for you having to bear witness to it."
She nodded, used to dealing with immortals after so very long it seemed. "This quest, it's important given the vaguely ominous final line."
"It is," he agreed. "And this I must apologize for as well. It was my actions that brought the need for this quest forward, and now you will have to bear the worst of it."
Perseus looked closely at her, then, and said, "You should know that I don't see it as so important that you should succeed at all costs. As cruel as it may seem to you, I would prefer you to live even if it meant the quest was failed and the two children of Hades lost to us. If there is no other way, if it comes down to a choice of your life or theirs, be selfish and allow me to shoulder the fallout."
Atlanta frowned at him. "I cannot promise that," she said, her lips turned downward. "To do so would not only dishonor you, but milady as well. Cowardice has no place in the Hunt."
Perseus closed his eyes, his pride in her warring with his frustration. She was all he had in the world, for he had never fathered immortal children and all of his other mortal ones had died. He would not see her killed just to maintain the honor of the Gods, especially not his own. "I would prefer dishonor over your death, and I will face Hades himself if that's what comes of it. Please, just promise me that you will save yourself, no matter the outcome afterwards."
Atlanta's answer was silence, an intense stare that would not relent. In that moment he looked into a mirror of himself, for he had the same pride within his own heart as she did. It could be seen as he stood up to the Council and defended their mortal children, or as he stood unwavering in the face of the many enemies of the Gods over the course of history. In this, she would not be moved, her stubbornness a match for his own.
He knew she would say no more on the matter, and he also knew that he would never force anything upon her. Instead, he closed the distance and hugged her to himself closely. "You are so very stubborn like your mother," he muttered into her hair. She returned the gesture lightly and pressed her forehead into his chest. He wished for a moment that he hadn't worn his armor, so that he could actually feel her.
She may have been more than two thousand years old, but she was still just a girl compared to him. The fact that she had stopped aging at fifteen meant that she even looked the part. Atlanta was worth more to him than perhaps anyone else alive, immortal or otherwise, and while he was proud of her, it also pained him that these moment were so very few. She was sworn to Artemis, and as a man, even a friend of the Goddess, he wasn't welcome within the Hunt except on rare occasions.
She probably saw Apollo more often than she saw her own father.
Perseus released her after another moment, and stood back to look at her. She wore a tiny smile, though whether it was at his acceptance of her choice or because of his affection he didn't really know. He didn't see her enough to truly know her in the way he would have liked. He was, in some ways, a typical absent father, and it hurt to admit that.
"If you refuse to at least consider my offer, then I'll have to protect you however I'm able." he said. He clenched his fist, summoning a tiny fraction of his energy, and bent the world to his will. Within his palm he felt a slight twitch, and opened his hand. "While you're bound to Artemis you're beyond my influence. However, while taking part in the quest you enter it once more, if only for a short time. This whistle is a gift, as any God may give a demigod, that will call a guardian from my realm to aid you. It will summon a representation of one of the constellations to defend you should you find yourself in danger."
He handed her the creation, a small thin tube that looked like a dog whistle. She took it gratefully, and inspected the silver instrument. "Which does it call to?" she asked.
"Leo," he responded, a small and slightly brutal smile crossing his face. The lion would come should she call, a being made of pure starlight that would seek nothing else in the world besides her defense for a short while. "Should you feel the need to call upon him, tell your allies to keep their distance. While he won't harm them directly he could very easily burn them accidentally. He won't be able to stay long so make it count."
He paused, and then smirked. "When you return, I think I'll forget to reclaim it. It's such a small thing, really. It may just slip my mind. If that should happen, I believe him to be safe within your hands."
Atlanta closed her hand around it and brought it to her chest, a bright smile so very similar to her mother's gracing her features. He may get into a little trouble for such a powerful gift if anyone knew of it, but she was most certainly worth it. Besides, the stars were his, and he'd be damned before anyone told him what he could and couldn't do with them.
And the ones that were gone, well, he would get them back.
Perseus stood next to Athena as they watched the battle unfolding in the arena. She had arrived for the afternoon session she was to lead, and had been pretty upset with him for missing the morning one he was supposed to have attended. Dereliction of duty was a foreign concept to her.
The quest had left that afternoon with very little fanfare, besides Atlanta reverently handing Artemis' hunting horn over to Zoë. She had carried that same horn at her side for more than two millennia, and it was a hard thing to relinquish. Out of the three who had left, she had been the most unaffected by the dangers they'd face. However she was also much older and had already lived through some pretty brutal times. Atlanta had hunted everything beneath the light of the moon and had little fear of the creatures that would come for them.
Now, he had to put them out of his mind for the moment and focus. The brief interaction with his daughter had calmed his temper, and now he had other responsibilities to attend to.
"They're sloppy, skilled but undisciplined," Athena said. "Most of them aren't even keeping track of where their allies are, to say nothing of those who are supposed to be their enemies."
Perseus and Athena were watching as the demigods took to the arena in what was supposed to be a ten versus ten battle. In reality it looked more like ten individual fights that were clumsily spilling into one another. They were giving their back to the opponent and focusing fully on their chosen target, and while they showed skill with the swords they were using, they barely even raised the shields on their off hand unless something was already aimed in that direction.
"They're young and inexperienced, but unfortunately you're right. In a true battle they'd fall quickly," he said in return. "An opportunistic enemy could wreak havoc here."
They looked nothing like the trained Greeks of old, though to be fair they hadn't been raised into it like the heroes of ages past. Still, they should have been better than they were showing. Perseus watched as one kid bumped into his own ally's dulled sword and shook his head. Not only could that be a fatal mistake all on it's own, but he'd knocked the sword aside just as the 'enemy' was performing a thrust maneuver that would have seen the kid skewered.
"Sloppy and dangerous," Athena said, frowning. She hadn't missed it either, then. "They're treating it like a game instead of training. This is where they should be practicing and honing reflexes. They should be adjusting as flaws are exposed. Instead they keep swinging their swords. Undisciplined."
"I knew they could use some extra training, but to be honest I didn't realize it was this bad. Chiron is overwhelmed with the number of children here and it's showing blatantly. He's off training an archery class right now while the counselor of Cabin 6 is teaching an individual lesson on fighting with a spear. I hope their classes are looking better than this," Perseus remarked, wincing as a kid tripped over a dropped shield and, in return, tripped another that was backing up while fighting. "Seen enough?"
"I have," said Athena, her eyebrows creased and a frown resting heavily on her mouth. Her form flickered, wavered, and then it solidified into a dark-haired girl who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen. She wore identical armor to the kids in the arena and an orange t-shirt. She carried a plain sword and a small, round shield.
She moved.
In an instant she was among the children, and Perseus grimaced at what he knew the outcome would be. This wouldn't take long.
The first boy, one of Apollo's, had his legs swept from under him brutally – Athena's shield brained him on the way to the ground and her sword had already caught his opponent's strike, redirecting it downward into the sand as her elbow caught him in the side of the helm. She continued into a spin and struck the crossed swords of another pair, knocking them aside with ease as she stepped between them, the pommel of her sword catching one in the sternum – launching him onto his ass – while the other had his ankle caught by her foot. She pulled sharply, unbalancing him while bringing the edge of her shield into his gut.
Four down.
With an upward strike she disarmed the first kid to actually notice her but whom hadn't had a firm grip on his weapon. Athena's sword changed direction in an instant and she smacked him on the thigh with the flat of her blade in what would have been a crippling strike had she used the edge. The boy's opponent, a daughter of Hecate, swung at her quickly but Athena ducked beneath the strike and brought her shield back into play against the inside of the girl's knee. She howled as she fell, though nothing was broken – it just hurt. A lot. Six down.
Continuing her motion the Goddess slid on the sand between a group of four. Her blade flashed in the sunlight as it smacked broadside into a girls forearm, causing her to drop her sword. She fell quickly to a knee in her thigh that locked the leg muscle into an instant cramp. Her teammate tried to help but put himself out of position and he received an elbow that slipped right through where he should have had his guard. It winded him and before he could fall she tripped him into the path of another kid who was drawing back to swing, but hadn't started the forward motion yet. Unsettled, he was an easy target for Athena's shield.
The rest fell just as swiftly.
Within just over two minutes twenty kids were groaning and laying on the ground. Athena stood before them and stabbed her sword into the sand. One boy, apparently not happy with their defeat, tried to lunge for the new girl from his position on his stomach. Athena kicked sand into his eyes and he fell again, shouting as he tried to clean them out.
Was it brutal? Absolutely, but it was also necessary.
Athena had used none of her divine strength, had transformed herself into a smaller form to give them the benefit of a similar arm's reach. She had also made herself look like one of the campers so they wouldn't just freeze up at the sight of an Olympian being their opponent. While there was nothing they could have done to actually win against her, they should have fought smarter and if nothing else, coordinated with each other defensively against an overwhelming enemy.
Perseus shook his head once, and then approached the group. "That could've gone better, I have to say."
"Entirely," Athena responded. Between one heartbeat and the next she had assumed her normal appearance. Most of the kids looked shocked, one girl looked like she might lose her lunch (though that could probably be attributed to Athena's strike to her abdomen) and the boy who had dirt kicked into his face looked furiously at them from his red, puffy eyes that he was still barely seeing from.
"Of course we lost to her," he snapped. "What were we supposed to do?"
Athena frowned severely at the child, her gray eyes narrowing in indignation at the outburst. Perseus knew she wasn't used to being talked to like that, by a teenage mortal even less so. She was also prideful and she wouldn't tolerate being disrespected. Perseus almost wanted to step in and protect the boy, but there was a lesson to be learned here as well.
"You can start by changing that foul attitude," she said, her tone cracking like a whip. "Do not be graceless in defeat to a superior opponent. Learn. Adapt. And do not test me. If your ego is so damaged by the results of your failure here today, then do something to change it so that next time, you aren't swallowing sand at the feet of your enemy."
"That goes for the rest of you as well," Perseus said. "You lost here, but the only reason that loss tastes so bitter is because you know that your showing was poor. Had you given a real effort, used group coordination and defensive strategy you may have still lost. But not like this, and all of you know it. It was your idea to do group combat training, and the instant the battle began you all separated from your groups. Situational awareness was nonexistent, and teamwork of any kind was not shown here today. Athena merely pointed out what one skilled opponent can and will do to you if you allow them the smallest opportunity."
"Most of the enemies you all face are some breed of monster, this is true. However there are many monsters that take a humanoid appearance, are much faster than you, and will strike to kill. Some even use weapons. Those shields on your arms – how many of you felt just how capable Athena was with hers?" he continued. "A shield and a sword can both be used offensively and defensively, but if you are going to carry a shield, they should be used in some manner, not forgotten about as extra weight."
Athena took over then. "These are all things we will work with you on in the coming weeks and months. These, and much, much more. However a lesson taught needs to be a lesson learned. In the field there are no conversations to be had like this in the event of such an overwhelming loss. You would just be twenty more dead demigods, trophies for your enemies. I'm sure the burial shrouds would be lovely."
The kids all looked somber, some angry, though none so much as Ethan Nakamura, who's eyes were still red and puffy from the sand she'd kicked at him. He was a son of Nemesis so it was in his nature to hold a grudge, but this wasn't the place for that and he'd have to learn that sooner or later.
"Listen," Perseus said. "Everything we teach you is meant to be a life-saving tool to help you in the future. In order for it to work you have to learn to accept criticism and know that if we correct you, it's for a reason. I'm certain that all of you will improve. You have to if you want to survive."
Athena nodded at him. "I can take this from here. You go and attend to the others training individual weapons, like you were supposed to this morning."
Perseus snorted at the mild reprimand for what she perceived to be his tardiness. She didn't know, nobody did, that he had been dealing with a crisis within his own realm that took precedence. Some may have noticed his rage, but he had told nobody what it was that caused it. It was his issue to deal with and exposed some type of glaring weakness that he could not afford. He would not allow that information to become widespread.
He still had no idea who had sabotaged him so thoroughly and silently that he didn't know they were doing it. He would find out, and then his wrath would descend upon them with a fury they likely couldn't even comprehend. Perseus was a God, one of the oldest, and after spending so much time around mortal children he had learned to restrain himself so that he could appear more approachable. It wasn't an act, not really, just another piece of himself.
Whomever had taken from him would get to see an entirely different side of him.
He left the arena swiftly, still armored. The attack on his realm had left him feeling slightly vulnerable, though he would likely never admit that thought out loud. The full armor he wore was just a subtle show of strength that he couldn't seem to shake the need for. His left hand had only left the hilt of his sword briefly all day, the touch allowing him a more direct link to the stars as he tried to feel them all. If more disappeared he wanted to know about it.
His opponent was crafty to have taken the section without him realizing it, but his hope was that if he was watching always, they could not do so again. Time would tell.
Perseus passed through the camp quickly to a small practice area just outside the armory. There he found Mark, son of Ares, demonstrating with a spear proper hand placement and balance. There were almost two dozen kids around him watching as he expertly transferred grips without losing control. The kid was very good for his age, Perseus could see, and while it probably had something to do with his father, it was also thanks to hours and hours of practice.
One of those surrounding the boy was Thalia, and he figured that would turn out just as well. He had been instructed to train her above all others, though he hadn't been able to find the time yet. Her presence in this training block would work out nicely. He noticed that her friend, Luke, was present as well. He wondered what kind of gift Athena had given the boy.
As he watched from a distance, he thought the teen instructing them was doing so admirably. He was also stern and older than most of those whom he was teaching, which allowed him more control over the group. They would listen to Mark.
Perseus changed his plans immediately. "Thalia," he called, his voice halting the training the others were observing. The girl looked at him quickly – as did all the others – and he waved her over. "Come with me, please."
She nodded, putting her spear back in the rack and waving at the others. As she approached him he fell into step just ahead of her. "Can I ask what this is about?" she asked, though he noticed her tone wasn't as outgoing as it had been during their other conversations – one of which she'd asked if he was a liar directly to his face. She was following without hesitation, though, which was good.
"Training, of course," he responded, flashing a small smile her way. "I've been given specific instruction by your dad to train you personally." He wouldn't mention that he had asked for it, nearly demanded it really. If it made her think higher of her father then all the better. As unfortunate as it was, they needed her loyal to Olympus beyond question, just in case she really was the one to hold the fate of it within her hands.
"My dad?" she questioned disbelievingly. "Why would he do that?"
Perseus shrugged. He wasn't about to tell her about the prophecy so soon, she'd likely bolt at the first opportunity and he wouldn't blame her. "Who knows, though it likely has some connection to our training of the demigods. You haven't been here as long as they have and while your definitely skilled and strong to have survived for so long without the protection of Camp Half-Blood, you've never been formally instructed in warfare."
"Neither has Luke or Annabeth," she said in return.
He chuckled at her shrewd way of looking at the world. "That may be true, but they aren't his daughter. Annabeth will likely receive some direct training from Athena, and I haven't spoken to Hermes in days so I wouldn't know about Luke." His lips twitched in amusement. "You know technically, as daughter of the King, you're something of a princess."
"No, I'm not," she snapped, her eyes narrowed. "To be a princess, which I most certainly am not, you have to be a daughter of the King and Queen." She shook her head. "Hera would probably skin me alive as soon as look at me – I've read the stories."
She wasn't wrong, but he found amusement in her aggravation. "Whatever you say, princess. This way please." He delighted in the small sound of fury she made at the new nickname.
Perseus lead her to the back side of the Big House, where there were a few random archery targets set up and some old barrels that had once contained strawberry wine – a favorite of Argus, and a gift from Dionysus for a task he'd performed.
Coming to a halt, he surveyed the area and nodded to himself. This would work just fine. Private, but open enough for training with all types of weapons. He would first need to evaluate her, and find which weapon she was most comfortable with. Then he could instruct her expertly in it's use, as well as different tactics that could be used depending on the range of her chosen weapon.
"Alright, this should do," he said. "For the foreseeable future I will be instructing you, personally and separately from the others. I will go over a wide range of topics, and I can teach you a lot more than just how to fight. For the moment, I'm allowed to instruct you however I see fit, within reason of course."
"I still don't get it," she said. "Why can't I just learn with everyone else?"
Perseus stared at her, and allowed himself a brief look through her thoughts as he wondered why she would be against specialized private training. As he did so, he learned that she wasn't against the training, not really, just how the favoritism would reflect on her to the other campers. She had an image in her head of loneliness, of Luke abandoning her for his new siblings and Annabeth for both her siblings as well as her mother. She thought of herself as the outcast of camp, with everyone treating her coldly and of being more alone than she ever had before.
What she didn't realize, but Perseus did as he viewed her thoughts of the last few days, was that her isolation was mostly her own doing. She had hidden herself away from everyone, either in her Cabin or elsewhere. She hadn't joined them in activities during their free time, she hadn't come to the nightly sing-alongs, and she hadn't tried to socialize beyond her schedule given to her by Chiron.
Thalia was a run-away, and had been on her own since before she turned ten. She hadn't attended school or socialized with kids her own age for years. She lived in some really horrid conditions and allowed herself to become familiar in that space. Because of this she didn't even see how much she was self isolating, and she felt somewhat trapped at camp, where she now had a specified schedule and clear boundaries that most girls her age would be familiar with.
In a lot of ways Thalia was a broken child, though her inner strength hid it well beneath a shell of toughness and independence.
"I can see your feeling kind-of restricted here at camp and it's a big change for you," Perseus said finally. "In light of that I'll make a deal with you. Attend all your lessons with me, and attend the camp sing-alongs each night with your friends. In return, I will personally escort you on an outing from camp once a month. We can go wherever you like. Yellowstone. California. Mount Rushmore. Anyplace you like for a whole day, if you agree to my terms."
She frowned in thought, but she didn't seem upset. "Why would you do that for me?"
Perseus smiled briefly, and looked skyward. "Do you know whats out there?" he asked. He continued before she could answer. "It's a billion, billion stars that all call to me. Every moment I spend beneath your father's realm I feel trapped, cut off from my own source of strength. It's been like this for so long that...well, a lot longer than you can imagine, I promise you."
He looked back at her. "I know what it's like to feel like you need some freedom. To feel like you just need to get out. And so I will help you with this, but only if you agree to my terms. Training and sing-alongs, that's all I'm asking."
Thalia looked at him strangely. "What do sing-alongs have to do with this?"
He laughed, unwilling to tell her that she needed it. She'd only rebel against the idea. "Where else are you going to eat roasted marshmallows and watch your friends make a fool of themselves trying to sing? Believe me, not all of Apollo's kids inherited his gift for music. Some of them are downright embarrassing. It's fun, and can be hilarious."
Thalia grinned at the thought, and Perseus realized he hadn't really seen her do so besides the time she brought her shield out and surprised him. She was a pretty girl, though she often tried not to look like it. She kept her black hair cut short and never wore make-up. She also wore her clothes just a little larger than her true size, though not enough to seem baggy. She was thin as well from a lack of regular meals, though that should change in the next few months at camp.
"So, do we have a deal?" he asked. "Training and sing-alongs, in exchange for one day of freedom each month."
Thalia considered him for a moment, and then nodded. "Deal."
Author's Note: This chapter I found a little harder to get through, and it's a little shorter than the others. I know exactly where I'm taking all of this, it's just that the set-up doesn't always come easily to me. That being said the next chapter will be something totally new for this story.
Every 5th chapter I've decided to do an Interlude and the entire chapter will be told from a different perspective than our usual two main characters.
Chapter 5 will be an interlude encompassing the quest to retrieve Bianca and Nico, though I'm still undecided if it will be from Atlanta's pov or Clarisse. While I would like to do Atlanta, as it offers so much more potential for worldbuilding, I can also find that OC's tend to turn aside some readers.
Chapters 6-9 will be a return to Perseus and Thalia, while chapter 10 will likely be the next Interlude. We will see when the time comes who will take that part of the story. I have the story outlined beyond that point, but some things are likely to be adjusted between now and then.
This time, I will ask that you review and let me know what you think of an Interlude from Atlanta's pov. I kept her role small in this chapter to see how people react to her. Do they want more, or do they prefer established characters?
Thanks in advance, and stay tuned for the next one.