Before I start, this chapter is dedicated to my friend, Yoshi.
LAST TIME
I was enveloped in a bubble and I disappeared in sea mist before reappearing in the throne room of Atlantis.
The magnificent throne room was empty at the moment. No soul was there. A second later, I felt a presence approaching, and true to my instinct, Triton appeared in his mermen form, his two tails swishing in the water and his trident glowing.
"Oh, it's you," He said in relief before lowering his trident.
I raised an eyebrow. "What had you so riled up, brother?"
"As the heir of Atlantis, the responsibility of protecting the city and the palace falls to me in my father's absence. So, I got alerted to a new presence in the throne room, which I didn't recognize, I thought the throne room was under attack. You do know why this room is so important, don't you?"
"It has your thrones… your symbols of authority as the rulers of the sea. I understand."
"Good, brat. Your room has been prepared. A servant will lead you there. Father told us what you did. So, rest. A medic will come to check on you soon." He said. "And so will my mother… as soon as she returns."
I smiled. "Alright."
"The tales of your achievements ring the streets of Atlantis, Perseus. Making sure you are alright is my responsibility as the heir and as an older brother. Go, kid. I'll meet you soon."
I nodded as a merman swam next to me and bowed before leading me to my quarters where I crashed on the bed immediately, the tiredness of the day catching up with me as I saw the soft bed in the room.
Ch.21 Atlantis
I groggily opened my eyes and found myself in a magnificent room underwater. Suddenly, someone turned on the lights and I was nearly blinded.
"Percy?" a deep voice said. I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly in order to remove the spots from my vision, and saw a large shadowy figure looming over me.
"Who?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"Brother! You're awake!" The cheery voice called and I could now place it perfectly. My eyes refocused. I was looking at a Cyclops—a misshapen face, ratty brown hair, one big brown eye full of concern.
"Tyson!"
My brother broke into a toothy grin.
I sat up, and a gossamer sheet floated away. I was on a bed made of silky woven kelp, in a room paneled with an abalone shell. Glowing pearls the size of basketballs floated around the ceiling, providing light. I was underwater.
That was when the events of the past few days flooded my mind. I was in Atlantis and was going to spend a week with my father and the godly side of my family.
I grinned at Tyson before jumping back in shock at the sight I saw behind him.
Now, being the son of Poseidon and all, I was okay with sleeping underwater and stuff but, it was still a bit of a shock when a hammerhead shark drifted through the bedroom window, regarded me, and then swam calmly out the opposite side of the room.
I had totally not expected that.
I concentrated back on my half-brother. "Hey, Tyson. How are you doing?" I asked
"Excellent! Lots of work in the forges! I make lots of weapons! Swords, Tridents, Spears, everything! It is fun!" He informed me excitedly. "The older Cyclopes teach me new things as well!"
"That is wonderful," I said with a smile. The underwater forges had treated him well. He had grown up quite a bit since the last time I saw him in person. Iris messages didn't give an idea of the other person's height unless they are standing next to something you can compare it to.
"I even heard what you did! You killed the bad titan and punched another! Many mermen are talking about it, brother!" Tyson said excitedly. "Did my shield help?"
My smile dropped remembering what had happened to the shield Tyson had made for me. It had been badly destroyed.
I closed my eyes, unwilling to meet Tyson's inquisitive gaze. "I am sorry Tyson. The shield was destroyed by Coeus during our battle. But it saved my life."
"As long as it saved your life! I will make you a new one as well!" Tyson said in an elated voice.
"That won't be needed, Tyson. Coeus took your gift from me… my shield. So I took his." I said, opening my eyes again.
Tyson blinked his large eye in confusion. "What?"
In response, I tapped my watch which expanded into the shield, and handed it to Tyson who inspected it.
"Wow… this is…" He trailed off in awe, running his hands over it. "Who made it, brother?"
"I have no idea. The one who might is in Tartarus." I said and Tyson looked sad at that.
That was when the doors of the room opened and Amphitrite stepped in… swam in the room. "Percy!" She greeted me with a huge smile. "How are you, child?"
"I am good. Better than I was before anyways." I replied.
"That is good to hear, Percy," Amphitrite smiled.
"So, what's up?" I asked lamely, trying to continue the conversation.
"You slept through the dinner, which ended an hour ago. I will have dinner sent up to you in a few minutes after Marcus checks you over."
"Marcus… the chief medic?" I asked remembering his name from our conversation after I had faced Oceanus and Tethys.
"The very same. He has been with your father since the Titanomachy. He is the best Healer Atlantis has."
That was when the doors opened again and a really old merman swam in. His skin was wrinkled and his hair was white. He also had a long, white beard. I nearly jumped when Alexander suddenly spoke up in my head, #I remember him. He was with us during the First Titanomachy! He healed us after battles.#
'You're awake?' I asked.
#Of course. I woke up a couple of hours ago but decided to let you sleep. Meanwhile, I checked your memories. You got an awesome chariot, kid.#
"Kindly lay down, Prince Perseus so that I can run a few checks on you," Marcus said, opening his Medical kit and removing a few odd devices from within.
"Sure," I replied before laying back on my bed as the healer started running scans on me and began noting things down.
"You're definitely in a better condition than the reports Apollo gave me yesterday. You've healed well, young Prince as a result of being underwater and Apollo's medicines. But, as Apollo has said, no using any of your powers till the end of the mortal calendar year. And you have to take the prescribed medications as well. Along with that, you should eat this once a day." He said, giving me a weird-shaped leaf.
"You wish me… to eat a leaf?" I asked in bewilderment.
"It is a medicinal plant, my prince. A plant grown only in Atlantis. It would make the medication more effective and soothe your muscles."
"Ok… thank you, sir," I said with gratitude and Marcus waved me off.
"It is my duty, my prince. Farewell for now. Farewell, Queen Amphitrite."
"Farewell, Marcus," Amphitrite said before Marcus swam out of the room. The Queen of the Seas soon followed him after fussing at me for a few more minutes when the food came, leaving me and Tyson to eat in peace.
Two days after my arrival at Atlantis, I sat in the weaver's gallery of Poseidon's court, looking at the proceedings that were taking place. It was an internal session and not a public one. So, I was the only person in the public gallery bar the two mermen soldiers who were guarding the entrance.
The proceedings were fairly boring and they were talking in Atlantean(which I could understand clearly now), but the gist of it was that the attacks by Oceanus's army had started and the attacks were concentrated at the borders of Atlantis for now.
"Father, I will go and deal with them immediately!" Triton declared, standing up from his throne but was immediately shot down by our father.
"No, Triton. You will stay till someone important from their army shows up. These are merely small attacks in order to test our army. Nothing more than skirmishes. For now, the Atlantean army and the increased security can deal with it. The heir of Atlantis showing up will show Oceanus that we are desperate and lead him to attack sooner. And we are not desperate."
"But, we cannot risk the borders, father! And the population that lives near them!"
"Of course, I am not risking anything or any of my subjects. Delphin, send a couple of your commanders to take the reign of defense near the eastern and southern borders. Nauplius!"
Suddenly, a young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties stood up attentively. He was clearly one of my brothers, looking at his features. "Nauplius, you shall go and take charge of the western borders which are the most vulnerable. And… Triton, contact Asopus. Tell him to take charge of the Northern border."
"Yes, father," Triton said, banging his trident on the floor.
"Delphin, what is the news of Oceanus and Tethys? Or their army in general."
"They are preparing, my king. For war. Their Forges are working overtime in order to supply weapons." Delphin chattered. "Tethys is enraged and wishes to go to the surface but Oceanus has forbidden her."
I immediately knew that Tethys wished for revenge on me for the humiliating defeat I had inflicted upon her a few months ago.
My father sat there on his throne, spinning his trident absent-mindedly in a clockwise direction… something which even I did frequently, either with my sword or trident.
"Father," I said, my voice booming through the court. Everyone looked up at me as I descended from the gallery into the court before kneeling. "If I may speak?"
Poseidon nodded, gesturing to me to continue speaking.
"I have a small suggestion. It is that we draw Tethys out and kill her. The loss of the Titan queen of the seas will hit Oceanus hard."
"And how will we do that, son?" Poseidon asked
"Me, of course," I declared before holding up my hand to stop any rebuttals and protests. "Hear me out, please. Tethys, as Delphin informed, is desperate for revenge. My presence will draw her out to us and as soon as she arrives, we'll finish her off."
"Absolutely not! You are still recovering from your fight with Coeus and Atlas, Percy. If something happens to you, we will have half of the Olympian council on us." Amphitrite declared.
"Of course, not right now. Once I am given the clean chit of health, I can do it." I replied smoothly before adding, "And, someone can come with me. Someone who is powerful and yet, mostly ignored."
"And whom," Triton spoke up slowly with narrowed eyes. "Are you suggesting that, little brother?"
"Kymopoleia," I replied simply. Many in the court stiffened at the name.
"Do you know who she is, half-blood?" One of the goddesses on the council demanded.
"My sister, the goddess of violent seas and storms," I replied calmly.
"She'll kill you! And you won't even know she is coming! Her mood swings are phenomenal! She would be all jolly with you one moment and trying to kill you the next!" She half-yelled in hysteria.
"Rhodos! Control yourself!" Poseidon ordered. "We know you dislike your elder sister but do behave in court."
"She has tried to kill me, father. Did you forget that incident?" Rhodos hissed.
"No, I haven't," Poseidon replied calmly.
"Then make your bastard understand that it is foolish to team up with her for anything! For all we know, she might've joined the enemy!" Rhodos roared.
"Thank you, Lady Rhodos for your opinion," I interrupted her tirade. "But, I shall stand by my suggestion. We draw Tethys out. Kymopoleia and I will fight her and finish her off. I know Kymopoleia—"
Suddenly, I found myself face to face with an enraged goddess. Rhodos was standing in front of me as her pearl blue eyes glowed with anger. A Pentadent was clutched tightly in her hands. Her aura was flaring. Oh, and she was an inch shorter than me.
"If you don't mind, you are in my personal space," I told her conversationally. "It is quite rude, you know?"
"I should smite you for your insult, demigod," She hissed as her Pentadent glowed.
"RHODOS! GO BACK TO YOUR SEAT!" Amphitrite shouted but she paid no heed.
I stared at the goddess in her eyes while flaring my own Aura. Even in my power-depleted state, it was enough to compete with the aura that Rhodos was emitting. She took a step back in shock before an enraged expression formed on her face.
"You think you can match powers with me after supporting my sister and get away with it, Bastard?" She asked before thrusting her glowing Pentadent at me, aiming for my heart. I merely caught the Pentadent in my right hand, stopping it several inches away from my Torso. The goddess tried to wrestle it out of my grip but failed miserably to even move the weapon. I could tell that she wasn't a warrior. Her grip and technique were unrefined. It was below amateurish.
There was stunned silence in the court before my father roared. "RHODOS!" Power was rolling off him in waves. The water around us thrummed with energy.
The goddess flinched and left her grip on the weapon before turning to look fearfully at Poseidon. In doing so, she left the Pentadent in my hands.
"F-father. I a-am sorry." She instantly apologized while kneeling on the floor, her head bowed. My father was clutching his trident tightly, its prongs glowing eerily with an unearthly sea green light. I could feel the seas getting restless.
"What do you think you were doing, daughter?" He hissed, stalking forward. "Trying to kill your half-brother, one who has brought more glory to house Poseidon in three years than you have in your three millennia of existence. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" Rhodos flinched violently at the statement and the anger emitting from the god of the seas in front of her.
I had to admit that the statement was harsh on my father's part. Gods were beings of pride. He had basically told her that I, a half-blood, was several times worthier than her, a goddess.
"Father," I spoke up before anything major could happen. "I take no offense to her words and her actions. Please calm down."
"Percy, she tried to kill you. An action completely uncalled for when you were suggesting something for the protection of the realm." Poseidon boomed.
"Still. She was not to blame as was acting under emotional stress. I am sure she won't try it again."
"But still, the action cannot go unpunished, Percy. She tried to kill a fellow member of House Poseidon. The very thing Kymopoleia was exiled for. And, as I remember, it was Rhodos who had pushed for it the most."
"Then as she tried to harm me, I should decide her punishment, shouldn't I?" I asked.
Rhodos looked up from the floor and glared at me. Unfortunately for her, Poseidon caught her glaring and declared, "Very well then. You can decide the punishment and the council will vote on it."
"Agreeable," I said and Poseidon disappeared into sea mist before reappearing on his throne. Everyone went back to their seats except Rhodos, who remained kneeling.
"Percy, the punishment," Poseidon prompted
"As a punishment for trying to kill me, I suggest she mends the very reason for our quarrel. She must reconcile with her sister whom she hates so much." I said and Rhodos's head whipped towards me so fast that I was surprised she didn't get whiplash from the movement. She glared at me murderously.
I returned her glare and she flinched before looking at the floor.
"Let us take a vote then," Poseidon said. "All for?"
A majority of the court raised their weapons, most of which, I noted, were tridents or similar weapons. Only one had a sword. A couple had Axes and war hammers as well. Two raised a dagger.
"We have a majority. Rhodos, as a punishment for an uncalled attack on Percy Jackson, you are hereby exiled from the court of Poseidon until you reconcile with your sister Kymopoleia for which you have a month. If you fail, further punishment shall be decided." Poseidon said before banging the butt of his trident on the floor again. The sound echoed throughout the court like sonar.
Rhodos bowed before walking out but, only after snatching her Pentadent out of my hands.
Poseidon turned to me, "Percy, as for your plan, I'll have to deny it. I am not risking you, my son. Your battles are not here. We are sufficient to handle Oceanus and his Army. We do not need to resort to using you, or anyone for that matter, as bait to draw them out. And, this discussion has ended. If anyone has something to add to today's session, do so now."
When no one stepped forth, Poseidon ended the session with another bang of his trident before disappearing into sea-mist. The others either swam out or flashed out of the court, leaving me with Amphitrite and Triton. Triton laid a hand on my shoulder and gave me a nod before disappearing into sea mist.
Amphitrite walked towards me. "I do not know that the decision you took today was the wisest," She said.
"Of Rhodos's punishment?"
The Queen of the seas nodded. "There is too much bad blood between the two since they were children. Kymopoleia and Rhodos were the exact opposite of each other. Kymopoleia was powerful and a warrior while Rhodos was much weaker and sucked at combat…. She still does."
"I noticed," I replied. "But that doesn't explain the bad blood between the two."
Amphitrite sighed. "Kymopoleia was always what Rhodos wanted to be minus her mood swings and violent tendencies. As a result, she was always at odds with her, always trying to one-up Kymopoleia. Kymopoleia, of course, wasn't someone who would take challenges lying down and they began to clash. It didn't take long for the sibling rivalry to turn into something worse."
"What about Kymopoleia almost killing her?"
"It was a bad fight. A very bad fight. In her anger, Rhodos forgot herself and took out her Pentadent before attacking Kymopoleia. Now, that girl, as I said, is an excellent warrior. She retaliated normally… the Kymopoleia way, which is fast, destructive, and brutal. Now, if it was someone like Triton, Delphin, or perhaps even someone decent in combat, they would've weathered it enough and only got disarmed or a little injured as Kymopoleia was barely trying at that time. Rhodos on the other hand… could hardly do a thing against her and got severely injured in seconds, being sent into a godly coma for more than a fortnight."
"So… whose mistake was it?" I asked.
"Both of them were at fault, but Poseidon, Triton, and I felt it was more Rhodos's fault if that is what you are asking. She knew how good Kymopoleia is. She had seen her fight during the Giant war. She had seen her destroy smaller armies single-handedly without breaking a sweat. And yet, Rhodos challenged Kymopoleia in that area… a field in which Rhodos stood no chance against her. But, that incident worsened their relationship, breaking any civility between them."
"May I ask you a question?"
"Of course," Amphitrite nodded.
"If Kymopoleia is so good and war is on the horizon, why hasn't she been called back yet? And she has changed. So many years of isolation change a person. She has changed for the better."
Amphitrite chuckled bitterly. "You're only saying this because you haven't seen her destructiveness, her rage yet, child. We have. She controls the worst aspect of the seas."
"So does father," I retorted. "He is known as the storm bringer. Even I can cause and control storms. I have done it before. So why single out Kymopoleia."
"Simple. Your emotions are much in control unlike her. She loses her temper at the smallest of things and that will cause the violent storm to control her. You haven't seen her violence, child. Believe me, it is a bad idea to bring her back here among civilization. And, this discussion is over." She declared and I just nodded in defeat.
But, I would reunite Kymopoleia with her family someday. I just hoped Rhodos could begin the process by reuniting with her sister.
I hummed softly as I walked with my father to someplace he wished to show me. It was Boxing Day in the mortal world and I had finished Iris-messaging my mom a few minutes ago when my dad had knocked on my door before entering.
Now, we both were walking to Poseidon knows where… literally.
We had passed several corridors, rooms, gardens, and big open spaces but I still didn't have an idea where he was taking me. And he even refused to give me a hint!
#Stop being so twitchy. It is likely a surprise for you.#
'I know, I know. But… it is annoying to be kept in suspense,' I whined to the god in my head.
#Good things come to those who wait, Percy. So, you must wait.# Alexander said wisely.
'Do you know where we are going?' I asked him.
#I haven't visited Atlantis enough times to know every nook and cranny of this humongous place. But wherever your father is taking you, it should be some important place.# Alexander replied.
I gave him a mental nod seeing the security around. It wasn't too tight but greater than what the other places in the palace had. And it was steadily increasing.
Every soldier on the way bowed to Poseidon as we passed. It was a given that no one stopped us.
By now, Poseidon was leading me through a narrow corridor where an armed merman or cyclops was present at least at a distance of every ten feet. The walls were no longer tiled or stoned but made of metal. Atlantean steel and Celestial bronze walls. After walking for about a hundred and fifty meters, we entered a small rectangular room where eleven soldiers were present, all armed to their teeth.
A few meters away, a set of Humongous doors were present, glowing with different symbols.
Immediately, all soldiers, who were a mix of merman, Cyclopes, and what looked like to be fish-centaurs pointed their weapons at us. One, who was the only half-Dolphin in the group, came forward, a claymore in his hand, which he was lifting with a single hand.
'Identification' It said in our minds, echoing like sonar.
Poseidon replied back in a language I couldn't understand and the dolphin-man lowered his sword. Immediately, all the soldiers formed two lines, making a path of sorts to the doors that were present, standing in attention. But none bowed.
The Dolphin-man allowed us to pass and Poseidon walked to the doors before quickly pressing several symbols on the door. It glowed and Poseidon stepped back before looking at the Dolphin-man who stepped forward and pressed his hand to the door.
The handprint glowed briefly and the doors vanished instead of swinging open. My dad thanked them before gesturing for me to follow him inside.
The room we entered was big. Not humongous but definitely as big as the throne room they had in Atlantis. Perhaps even a bit bigger.
Adorned on the walls were weapons. I sucked in a sharp breath as their power hit me. I instantly knew that many, if not all, weapons here were godly. Maybe not Master-bolt level godly but definitely in league with how powerful my storm-rider was.
#This is… awesome.# Alexander breathed. Even I was having trouble comprehending the types of weaponry I was seeing. I was pretty sure that if Ares ever saw this place, he would make a home in here.
"Welcome to the Weapon Vault of Atlantis, Percy. The main weapon vault." Poseidon declared spreading his arms. I whistled appreciatively. Poseidon continued, "This is a place that can only be accessed by the royal family and the commander in chief of the Atlantean forces… who is Delphin, so the point is moot. Anyways, this is one of the rooms I pride myself on. This vault has some of the most precious artifacts that history has ever seen. Some are of course merely of historical value but, most of these are powerful weapons that once belonged to some sea deity."
"Whoa… but what do you mean by historical value?" I asked with a frown.
Poseidon smirked before walking to a nearby table and picking up a signet ring that was lying on it. The ring was of pure gold, shining in the light of the torches. He touched the ring and it turned into a roman style imperial gold sword. A gladius hispaniensis to be precise.
Alexander sucked in a sharp breath. #I can see why Poseidon is so proud of this collection. That sword is the Corea Mors. The sword of Julius Caesar himself.#
"Behold, the fabled Corea Mors. The sword of Julius Caesar." Poseidon declared grandly before handing the sword to me in order to examine it.
The sword was indeed a work of art. The balance was good and the build was excellent. It would certainly be able to channel powers well. Nowhere near what my Storm-rider or riptide could, but much better than a normal sword.
I handed it back to my dad who kept it back in his place before leading me further showing me several relics and famous weapons. The spear of Hector, the sword of Germanicus, the Shield of Achilles, the dagger of Brutus, The sword of Perseus(the original guy), the Spear of Theseus, the bow of Odysseus, and most surprisingly, The Excalibur. I didn't even ask where he had gotten the last one for but the sword was one awesome thing.
He also showed me a plethora of weapons he or someone else had won from other deities throughout the millenniums of his existence. Most were from other gods, titans, and deities gained by either killing the wielder or plundering the kingdoms. Many were even created by the cyclops in the forges but were too powerful to be kept in a normal vault and made available to mere soldiers.
The sheer number of godly weapons, that is, the weapons imbibed with powers that make them deadlier and allow them to enhance the power of the wielder in all aspects including the control of domains the weapon was imbibed with, were staggering.
After an impressive, drool-worthy tour of the weapons vault (in which I was yet to see more than two-thirds of the vault), Poseidon said, "Percy, you recently gave away the Riptide back to your friend Zoe Nightshade."
"I did," I nodded. "What of it?"
"Riptide was your backup weapon, something which you no longer have. And, every good warrior must have a proper backup weapon."
"I have my dagger," I said as the dagger Hestia had given me appeared in my hands.
"Yes, my sister's gift to you. A good weapon as well…But that is a dagger. Something which limits you a lot. And your expertise is in swords and the spear family of weapons. I might also add that the dagger won't be effective against Titans like a sword or a spear would be unless you stab a vital point on their body with it."
"True," I agreed. A dagger did have limited uses unless you were extremely skilled with the weapon, which I had to agree that I wasn't. I liked longer weapons like swords and spears more.
"So, you need a backup weapon. Choose." Poseidon declared, spreading his arms, and gesturing around the vault. "Any weapon here which you like… but I would urge you to take some godly weapon and not the relics because the godly weapons are better in every way."
"Godly weapon?" I asked with bewilderment. "Isn't it against some rule to give demigods godly weapons?"
Poseidon blinked. "As far as I am aware, no. We gods usually refrain from doing it because most mortals won't be able to handle the stress that comes with the godly weapon. Though, many weapons given to heroes in the past, whom we know could handle it, were godly in nature. The sword of Perseus, Achilles's shield, Hercules's bow… even your Riptide was a godly weapon. Your, as you call it, Storm-rider will fall into that category as well if the power I feel from it is any indication."
"Oh," I said lamely. "So, I just choose any weapon from here?"
"Of course. You are my pride, Percy. And, as the hero of the prophecy, nothing less than a godly weapon would aid you. Of course, you have your main weapon, which I feel will aid you the most. But, a good backup weapon is always necessary."
"And I choose one from these?"
"Yes, Percy."
I looked around, indecisive about what I even wanted. Each thing was awesome in its own right.
#Let me take over.# Alexander said and we shifted control.
Alexander moved through the vault, analyzing all the weapons with a glance before his eyes settled on a staff with a dragon head that was leaning against the wall and he went forward to pick it up.
'That's a stick,' I told him dryly. 'A big beautiful stick but a stick. Choose something better. Like a sword or a spear.'
#It is no mere stick. That is the most powerful weapon that I can currently feel in the vault next to Poseidon's trident and your storm-rider… even if the latter seems weaker at first glance because it isn't at full power yet.#
'What d'ya mean?' I questioned.
#I'll tell you later.# Alexander replied before picking up the staff. Suddenly, I felt an influx of power, similar to the one I got after killing Arastoo but weaker than the one I got after killing Coeus.
The staff suddenly morphed into a sword. A perfectly balanced sword, similar to my storm-rider.
'Whoa,' I said, which reflected out loud through Alexander's control.
But, Alexander was not done. He flicked the sword and it started changing form again, this time, turning into a huge war hammer. A few seconds later, it was a double-sided Axe.
I gaped in my own mind as Alexander changed the weapon from one form to another.
#This is a weapon that can take any form.# Alexander declared unhelpfully as he swung the Axe experimentally.
'Cool,' I breathed, still recovering from the awesomeness that was in my hand.
#Now take back control.# Alexander said, and I was back in control of my body.
I turned to see my father who was gaping like a goldfish. "How… How in the name of my brother did you do that!?" He asked with bewilderment. "How did you even know what you had to do with it?"
I blinked. "It… just felt right… why?"
"Ah… err… cause I didn't know its function?" I blinked in response to Poseidon's statement and he added, "I meant that I thought that it was a staff… not this."
I shrugged in response but I knew that it was due to the fact that Alexander was a god of war. These things were instinctual to him and as an extension, to me.
"So… May I choose this, dad?" I asked.
"Of course. It is all yours. A worthy weapon for a worthy hero. But does it have a concealed form?" Poseidon asked.
#I… don't think so. Will it into a ring or a pen or something Percy.# Alexander said.
I willed it to turn to a click-pen but the weapon refused to change form. I then mentally asked it to conceal itself and it turned back into the staff that I had seen first.
"I don't think it does," I said aloud.
"Then come, let us go to the forges so you don't have to carry the staff around. Then, you can go test it out." Poseidon said before leading me out and carefully locking the door of the vault before we walked together to the forges.
I casually dismantled yet another dummy in the Arena in Atlantis with extreme prejudice with the Scythe in my hands. A second later, the scythe morphed into a double-sided Axe as I spun around and beheaded another Dummy. In a blink of an eye, it turned into a spear as I skewered the third dummy.
The new weapon was awesome and I loved it. It could easily change into any weapon I wished for. So far, my favorite were the sword, scythe, spear, war hammer, and double-sided Axe. They were awesome to dual wield with my storm-rider. I had christened the weapon, Tempest Domitor. Storm tamer.
I felt someone walking towards me and I turned, only to see my brother Triton.
He tutted. "What did those poor dummies ever do to you, brother?"
"They didn't fight back," I replied without missing a beat as I beheaded another dummy with the sword form of my Tempest Domitor.
"Want to spar with me?" Triton asked inquisitively.
"Sure," I shrugged before kicking the dummy's head away and turning to face Triton.
"Powers?" I asked.
"Sure," Triton replied with a smirk as his trident appeared in his hand and armor appeared on his torso. I replicated his action as my armor appeared along with the storm-rider in its sword form while the Tempest Domitor turned back into its ring form.
A second later, I tapped my watch and it converted into the shield I had won from Coeus.
Triton tutted. "I would've thought you would use a trident like any true son of the sea, Perseus."
I raised an eyebrow before the sword turned into a trident.
#You do realize that you are going into a trident fight with one of the best trident-users on the face of the planet?# Alexander asked with amusement.
'I do. But, I can't back down from the challenge especially when it is a spar. If it was a real battle, I would've flipped him off before attacking.'
#True,# Alexander agreed. #But, let me do this. αφαιρώ περιορισμός Ένα#
I immediately translated it to, Remove restriction One as energy flowed into me from the weapon.
'Wait, what?'
#Shortly after I woke up in your head, I found the weapon pulsating with energy and the energy was growing as you recovered. It is likely due to the sword absorbing Coeus's essence. It is a fully-fledged godly weapon now. Kill a few more titans and gods, and I am pretty sure that thing could rival your father's trident. But, I am talking about at least eight to ten of them, perhaps, even more, depending on whom you are finishing off. Currently, it would easily rival many godly weapons at full power. Even Triton's trident.#
I gaped internally. Even if my father's trident was the least powerful of the big three weapons, my weapon rivaling it was a huge thing.
Now, if you are wondering why the trident was the weakest amongst the big three weapons, it was to compensate for my father's natural power. My father controlled the biggest domain space amongst the big three. The sea, the storm, and the earth, by the abilities of the Earth-shaker, all of which he could use as a weapon. Zeus, on the other hand, technically only had the domain of thunder to use offensively(even if it was a damn useful one) and thus, had the most powerful weapon amongst the three. Hades was the middle man, who could control both the shadows, earth, and the dead offensively even if the first two had limited uses in battle, was given the helm of darkness to enhance his power.
It was simply the balance of fate to put the three brothers on equal footing.
'So… why the binds?' I asked.
#Because you need to get accustomed to it, Percy. If you had touched the weapon directly after you had recovered, you would have to be admitted to the hospital again because of the power influx it would've given you. I put three-level binds on it. I have unlocked the basic one right now. I will unlock the next one soon. The last one, when I think it is needed. Also, I may rebuild the binds as you kill more gods. Now, go fight, champ.# Alexander said and I turned my attention back to my brother who was analyzing my armor.
"Great armor, kid. Where did you get it?" He asked.
"It was a gift from Hera," I replied, walking towards the center of the arena where I stood ready to face him.
Triton banged his trident on the floor and we were surrounded by an air bubble immediately, which covered the whole arena.
I raised an eyebrow and my brother shrugged. "I didn't want to give you the reason to use Greek fire on me. I don't want to get touched by it, thank you very much. When does the duel end? A time limit?"
"Ten minutes or till one accepts defeat," I replied with a shrug.
Triton nodded and a moment later, with mutual consent, we charged at each other. Our tridents clashed in an epic clanging noise. Triton jabbed his trident at me which I slapped away with my shield before trying to hit him with the butt of my storm-rider. Triton merely parried the strike before swinging his trident at me which I ducked under before punching the god in his gut.
The punch didn't faze him in the slightest, likely because it was a normal punch and not one with earth-shaker powers. I could've used it, but I didn't want the poor guy in the med-bay, especially when war was looming over Atlantis.
Triton slashed his trident downwards and I jumped back before sending a jet of water at him which he merely redirected away. I idly noted that the jet was more powerful than it should've been, likely my storm-rider enhancing my powers on the element.
"You know, with all that I have heard of you, I thought you would punch harder," Triton said, spinning his trident dramatically.
"Believe me when I say, you don't want to get hit by that," I said dryly. "Sending the second in line of the throne of Atlantis to hospital, or god-forbid, Tartarus, when war looms over Atlantis, is a bad idea."
"Whatever," Triton said before shooting a powerful jet of water at me, which I side-stepped before sending a fireball at my brother who extinguished it.
A second later, we charged at each other again, engaging in trident combat. We were encased in our personal hurricanes as we battled each other furiously.
Triton parried each of my strikes with ease and I did the same for him. At what I estimated to be eight minutes, we were both relatively unharmed, barring a few shallow cuts, which were already healing. That was when I threw my shield Captain America style at Triton. The shield impacted his chest, making him fall on his butt.
I immediately jumped up and brought down my trident towards his neck, intending to hold him at trident point but, Triton brought his trident up, catching between the prongs with the shaft, stopping it.
I tried to push further with brute force but Triton did the same, trying to push me away. That was when a gong sounded and the air bubble broke.
The time was up. Damnnit!
I backed away a few steps before helping Triton up as the water surrounding us healed all of our wounds in seconds. Triton dusted his pants before giving me an impressed look.
"You're impossibly good for a mortal even if you're a demigod." He praised. I just smiled in response before shrugging as I willed my armor to disappear.
"You're awesome as well. That was the toughest trident fight I've ever had." I replied as Triton repaired the arena with a wave of his hand.
"But not the toughest fight?" Triton asked, turning to me.
"No," I admitted. "That goes to the General."
"Ah, yes. Of course." Triton nodded, remembering the fact that I had faced off the General of the titan forces in single combat.
"But you were definitely somewhere in the top five if I say so."
"Top five? That's low, brother." Triton scowled.
"I fight Ares and Athena on a regular basis," I said dryly. "And I have fought your maternal grandparents as well, if you remember, though, you're better than Tethys."
Triton sighed. "Sometimes I forget who all you train with, little brother. I must admit that my little Owl surpassed me in melee combat…. Goddess of warcraft and all. You know, I had a lot of fun training her when she was a wee kid…. Well, in godly terms at least." He added with a fond smile.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the name for Athena. Who calls a four thousand plus years old goddess, little owl? Beings older than her, apparently. Time was indeed a fucked up concept in the godly world. And so were age and blood relations. They simply didn't matter as they did in the mortal world.
"Can I ask you something, Perseus?" Triton asked and I nodded in response. "Why are you insistent on bringing Kymopoleia back?"
"Because I feel that she has changed for the better. She still has mood swings and stuff but is genuinely a good person. She saved my life and healed me when Tethys went all Nuclear on me. And, no one deserves such a fate to be banished away from family and forgotten for so long. She has served her sentence in exile for more than two thousand years."
Triton remained silent, not saying anything.
"She is your sister Triton. Do you think she deserves such a fate and ridicule? Especially for so long?" I asked. "Look, she cannot exactly control her nature. She tries to. But, she can't. She is the destructive part of the sea, brother. And don't tell me father and you haven't laid waste to cities in the past when enraged. Kymopoleia, despite it being her domain, tries to control it the best she can."
"And that is why she needs to remain isolated, Percy. The fewer people she talks to, the fewer chances she will get enraged and the lesser chance she will cause a storm or a tsunami. She is a ridiculously whimsical goddess, Percy."
"I know… but I feel you should give her a chance. I will talk to her to control her powers and her feelings. I will teach her to stay calm. But, support me to bring her back to Atlantis. To reunite her with her family. Isolation for so long changes a person. Tell me, would you have ever expected the goddess of violent seas and storms to heal someone? A person she didn't even know? That too, without an ulterior motive?"
"She… didn't ask you for anything?" Triton asked skeptically.
"She didn't even if I sacrificed a couple of Hydra heads later. In exchange, she helped me even further by her own will. She never asked for anything. And, I know she secretly waits for my IMs every week, even if she doesn't say it. She craves for company, Triton. She has been isolated for more than two thousand years, in exile for her mistakes. I agree she shouldn't have done what she did. But, she has served her sentence."
"I… will think about it." Triton relented. "I don't promise anything but, I will consider it."
"Thank you," I said.
That was when a merman swam in at an insanely fast speed.
"My Prince-my prince." He gasped, kneeling on the floor. "The… western border district… is under attack… two titans milord. And an army. Immediate help needed."
Triton's eyes were alert as his armor appeared on his body again. "Tell them I'll prepare a force to come to the rescue. Hold the borders till then!"
"They are requesting assistance as fast as possible." The merman reiterated. "There are two titans, milord!"
"Yes, yes," Triton said, swimming out of the room as we followed. "I will go as soon as I can. Tell them to hold the fort till I arrive with reinforcement."
"How much time will it take?" I asked, yelling after triton.
"About twenty to thirty minutes to get going and fifteen more to reach there with the whole reinforcement," Triton said while swimming backward before turning again and shooting ahead, leaving me with the merman.
"How far is it?" I asked the merman knowing that forty-five minutes was a long time.
"About nine nautical miles, young prince," He replied.
'Alexander, are you thinking what I am?'
#A risky plan, but… I am sure nothing we are not used to by now. Your power is back in full force. Drink a bit of nectar and you will be ready to go. But… as usual, we will be careful.#
'Of course,' I mentally agreed before turning to the soldier.
"Can you take me there, sir?"
"My prince?"
"Can you take me to the place which is under attack?" I asked hurriedly.
"Of course, sir. But—"
"No buts! Take. Me. There." I ordered as I placed a box beside me and it grew into my chariot. I got into it before telling the merman to board it.
"What are you waiting for?" I snapped as my full battle regalia appeared. My Storm-rider was clenched tightly in my hands, thrumming with power.
The merman hastily climbed on board.
"Phoenix! Map of Atlantis!" I ordered and a holographic map of the whole domain came up.
"Point the exact location on here," I told the soldier and he hastily pointed at the destination. I selected it and the location was set.
"Now you can get off, sir," I said politely.
"My prince…"
"I won't ask again," I said firmly and he jumped off.
"Thank you. Phoenix, take me to the selected location! Full speed. Oh, and, Battle mode please."
"Battle mode activated. Destination set." The AI replied before the chariot launched ahead at full speed, taking me to where the battle was.
AND… DONE!
Hope you enjoyed it.
A huge thank you to I_amaSWITCHbot for beta-ing the chapter!
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