Eventually, the darkness of the ocean was broken by a singular source of light- a piercing pillar of light, exploding outwards from somewhere in the distance. It pierced through the inky depths of the ocean like a shining sword.
"We're nearing the palace," Amphitrite said softly, her fingers still curled around my knee. Her finger traced it slowly, the edges of her manicured nails scratching the fabric of my, uh, trousers, we'll call them. "Now, is this truly out of your desire to visit, or is there something else going on?"
"Officially, I'm here to visit," I said meaningfully, and I felt her hand tighten slightly. She's perceptive. Somewhere in the back of my head, I made it a point to give my dad some kudos, when I saw him. Amphitrite, no pun intended, was quite the catch. "Unofficially, I need to seek out Carcinus' daughter to get some information about his illicit activities."
"I see," Amphitrite continued, her words still tumbling into each other, her voice as smooth as velvet. I felt a burst of heat against my neck. "Do what you must."
"I will," I promised, another pang of nervousness flashing through my body. I pulled one of the cigarettes out of the box Delta gave me and channeled a bit of fire through my fingertips.
-500 MP!
The tip of the cigarette was engulfed in a small, rich flame that was extinguished almost instantly. I took a nice, smooth drag, letting my nerves go back to normal. I could've just used my powers to do that, but there's a certain level of badass that comes along with firing up one of these things.
Imagine an action movie, and the main character is about to walk into a room and go crazy. Do you imagine him sitting still and clearing his head, or do you imagine him with a cigarette in one hand and a can of whoop-ass in the other?
I rest my case.
"You smoke?" I pretended not to hear the disapproving tone she was speaking with. I'm not really too worried about what Amphitrite does and doesn't approve of- she isn't my mom. "Prince, that isn't good for your health."
Well, not really. My gaming powers and healing underwater from my dad cancel out the dangers of smoking, anyway. Not that I feel like explaining that to her, though. Too much work.
"I know," I said simply, choosing to look away from her and back out to the ocean, which was lightening. We must be getting close. "I'm in danger at every moment, unfortunately. This means nothing."
"You don't have to be," Amphitrite's voice was closer, now. I could feel her body molding into my arm. "Stay with me. I'll protect you."
I ignored my arm, which was conveniently placed in the valley of her impressive chest. "I have a destiny to fulfill."
"So noble," Amphitrite said breathily, her nails scratching my hand lightly. Her mouth was on my ear again. "You don't have to let your life go to waste."
I tried to ignore the little nibble she gave me on my earlobe as she pulled away. This woman was something else.
Her point made me wonder though: she wasn't wrong. I didn't have to let myself be taken in this fight.
Yeah, as if. That thought was instantly dashed away. I don't know why I am this way, but I'd never let this prophecy fail. There's just too much riding on it.
Maybe I just don't want my mom to live under Titan rule. Despite the shadiness of our previous encounters, I don't want to see Hades or Hestia fade away, or even my dad. I don't want everyone back at the camp to be slaughtered.
Aphrodite, even. I don't know where I stand with her, but the last thing I want is for her to go back under Titan rule.
I was broken out of my thoughts as I considered the goddess next to me.
Amphitrite was up to something- I could've told you that without training of any sort. I distantly recalled that her father was Oceanus. Maybe there's something brewing here. I'll have to put a pin in that train of thought for now.
Not for the first time, I wished I had someone to bounce ideas off of. Back at camp, I could bounce ideas off of Annabeth all day long, and she'd challenge me at every turn. It made my plans way more ironclad.
And, well, I liked the company. Sue me.
A grim reality settled into my soul with a heavy thud- I can't trust a soul down here.
My dad's been subverting my expectations at every turn, Delta is a wildcard who's trying to radicalize me, and Amphitrite seems to be keen on seducing me away from my destiny. I came down to Atlantis, expecting a paradise, but it seems like it's the opposite.
It seems like paradise for sure. Hades, on paper, it is- beautiful women, training, a superstar brother. People doting on you at every turn. A whole city revering- no- worshipping your every move. Watching your life like a movie, rallying behind you like one of the heroes of old.
But that isn't the full story. Something is lurking behind the shadows. Some sort of plot. A hidden friend? A benefactor? An enemy, perhaps. And I'm in the middle of it now. Maybe I always was, even when I was in the overworld.
I took a breath, inhaling the vanilla-flowery scent of Amphitrite and the ocean, blending. A wave of confusion hit me. The scent here had completely different than it had been a moment ago…what happened to the chrysanthemum?
Anyway. Time to put my training to the test.
The first rule of information gathering is finding a way to get a steady stream of knowledge. That part's common sense, I'm sure.
It just makes sense. When you know nothing, the smartest and most logical thing to do is establish a channel of information- a means to tether yourself to some form of knowledge. Anything, anyone that can make the situation clearer.
I glanced at Amphitrite, who was applying some lipstick.
"How do I look?" She asked in a low tone of voice, smacking her lips a few times. That felt a little out of character for her, but I went along with it anyway.
"Beautiful," I returned, smiling brightly at her. She seemed to revel in the attention, licking her lips slowly.
I steeled myself, the pleasant warmth of Amphitrite's hand on my thigh not as distracting anymore. I have goals. I have motivation. I need to do this. I will do this.
The cigarette was almost completely burnt out. I stared at the barely visible smoke dispassionately. My mom wasn't going to be a fan of this new hobby. Or Hestia. Their opinions, on the other hand, I do care about.
I shuddered, imagining the looks of fury that are awaiting me when I get out of here. It was a necessary sacrifice. I'm sure they'll understand. Maybe.
I took a final, long drag, the finishing tufts of smoke pouring into my mouth as I developed a plan in my head.
The easiest way for me to extract information is to take it from someone close to me, someone that likes me. Brute force is out of the question- I have too much heat on me at all times to use that sort of tactic without immediately being outed.
A pleasant tactic was just about the only way to go. I would have to be sneaky, still, but it was my best bet. Who to work on, though?
My dad? No, no. He seems like the most convenient person, but I don't think even he knows everything going on behind the scenes, here. If it was that simple, it wouldn't be a problem to start with.
Delta? No. Definitely not. I can't use that man's own tactics against him- that's like Harry shooting off a sectumsempra at Snape. Besides, I don't even fully trust him. For all I know, he's just as guilty as anyone else.
Amphitrite? My eyes widened as I snuck another glance at her, a small smirk forming on my face. That…just might work. She has no love for Poseidon, but her allegiance lies with the people of Atlantis. If something is going on, I might be able to get it out of her.
-500 MP!
I took a deep breath, pushing all of my negativity back into my veins. By now, this was all too natural to me. I poked around in my own body a bit, slowly activating the mana flowing through my veins.
There were a few ways I could glean information off of her. My methods were limited, seeing as she was a deity and the queen of the sea, but they weren't all shot out.
Fear wouldn't work. Violence wouldn't work either. Like I said before, a pleasant method was my best and only bet. The smartest thing I could do was use a method centered around flattery and seduction- a taste of her own medicine.
My veins came alive with power. It was intoxicating. Underwater, my mana refilled at a much faster pace. Every drop I expended was filled back almost instantly- accompanied by an electric feeling. It was like a waterfall of energy.
Seduction, then. She's already getting all kinds of touchy-feely with me, so as long as I operate within that sort of sphere, I can try to get bits and pieces of information off of her.
Heat spread across my fingertips. A burning sensation followed, a rush of hot air exploding outwards. The air vibrated as heatwaves poured out like a carton of milk left sideways.
Fwoom!
Flames poured out of my fingertips, swirling and churning into a fireball. The butt was incinerated with a loud hiss, little bits of smoke escaping from my hand.
It's the little things in life. Could I have just burnt it in a second? Yes, but sometimes, you just have to step back and smell the roses, so to speak.
Amphitrite looked at my fireball with a raised eyebrow. Her hand tightened. "You're skilled at mana usage."
"Thank you," I replied, shaking my hand a bit to dispel the smoke. Time to make her comfortable. I returned the favor, my hand curling around Amphitrite's thigh.
Serenity Inducement activated!
Oh, whoa. This felt much different. My hand buckled for a second, almost shaking with mana. Did I get stronger?
The mana toll was instantly negated by the fact that I was underwater, so I grinned to myself. This could just work!
She responded like I'd expected, lowering her head onto my shoulder and molding her body into my arm. "You're quite warm."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I muttered into her ear, squeezing lightly. Invisible strands of mana seeped out of my fingertips, flowing into her thighs. I ignored her breathy moan. "You're really good at mana usage."
First question. "Do you know Carcinus well?"
"I do," Amphitrite answered, her voice trembling. I inwardly raised an eyebrow- I'd taken classes on seduction before, but I'd never put it into use like this. It seemed a lot easier than I'd expected. "He's one of the main men who serve in the court. Carcinus handles t-trade and exports."
Oh!
I felt like a fool.
I mentally commanded my skills menu forward, flipping through to one of my very first pickups- the Flirt skill!
Flirt (Level 17): You sly dog! Aphrodite looks down on you fondly, boosting your attractiveness!
TIER 1: You're going to have a hard time keeping the ladies off of you later on! Gain a +5 CHA and gain a boost of (1 x your current CHA)% while talking to a member of the opposite sex.
TIER 2: You've really been flirting nonstop, huh? Gain a +20 boost to your CHA while in physical contact with someone of the opposite sex!
I knew that perk was a good investment! I wondered how many more of my skills had upgraded without my knowledge, but I didn't have the time to check through it right now. I just needed to take a peek at Serenity Inducement super-fast. There had to be a reason it felt so drastically different.
Serenity Inducement, LV-12 (13%)
TIER 1: You can induce potent feelings of tranquility in others, enabling you to keep everyone who surrounds you at total ease!
TIER 2: In addition to putting someone at ease, your mana gains a denser quality, igniting pleasant feelings and heightening already-present ones by 40%!
-200 MP per every second of use!
No wonder Amphitrite was getting hot and heavy- these two things together were probably making her feel really good. If she had any sort of real attraction to me, these two perks were probably boosting it into oblivion.
If my powers can influence deities, how powerful am I really going to be when I'm maxed out? It's a crazy thought.
I rubbed a little circle on her bare thigh. "Do you know anything about his not-so-legal activities?"
"No," Amphitrite moaned into my ear, her hands reaching up to grab my shirt tightly. I pumped more mana into the ability. "Perseus…you feel so good."
"You think so?" My mind was racing. I didn't want to open up a can of worms I was ill-equipped to deal with at the moment, but she was quickly dissolving in my hands.
I slowly started to cut off the skill I was using- I didn't need anything unforeseen happening. I felt something in the air change for a moment- the heavy feeling on my chest grew more pronounced for a moment.
How far was I willing to go to ensure I had someone spilling information to me? Was I technically betraying Aphrodite by doing this? Was I betraying my dad?
No…even if I was, it would have to be a necessary sacrifice. If there was a plot in Atlantis, I'd have to uncover it and take care of it- or thousands of people could get hurt. That was my mission. That was my duty.
I just needed to keep her comfortable, like this. That way, I could ask her all sorts of questions and she'd be more willing to give me the right answer.
If only that's what happened.
Something changed in her eyes.
"Fuck," Amphitrite was openly moaning now. She grabbed my shoulders, hard, and pulled herself onto my lap. Her hot breath was panting onto my face now, her eyes burning with lust and desire. She bucked her hips. "You're so fucking good."
What the- I frantically cut off the Serenity Inducement, but it looked like the damage was already done! How did she go from pleasantly mewling to humping me?
The air thickened. Why was she acting like this? Even when she was trying to seduce me it wasn't this…wild. She was starting to act like a completely different person!
"Mm," I couldn't help the feelings I was getting from this woman, but I had to focus. Focus, Percy, focus. The task at hand. De-escalate the situation. "My lady, we're almost there. We probably shouldn't"-
"Agh," Amphitrite moaned loudly, dropping her face into the crook of my neck and planting frantic kisses. She was slowly unbuttoning my shirt, her hands resting on my chest. "Fuck me. Take me. I don't care."
Okay, what the hell! How am I supposed to ask her questions in a state like this? I groaned lightly- her lips started sucking on my collarbone.
Calm down. Calm. Down.
Think-I'm thinking. I'm thinking. The air, the pressure- what happened? Is that what's causing this behavior change, or was it truly all me? My hands grabbed her butt, but not in the way you think. I was trying to keep her from moving on me more.
No…it can't have been all me. My skills have upgraded, yeah, but this is a goddess we're talking about. There has to be something else going on.
"I see the palace," I grounded out, but she wasn't moving. She kept kissing on my neck, starting to move downwards. Her hands were slowly moving towards my lower half. "Amphitrite!"
She wasn't listening. Why do I always find myself in these situations? Amphitrite's eyes shot up, glazed over. Her lips settled into a sultry smile. "I want you to fuck me."
Her mouth reached the waistband of my pants- okay, that's enough! I can't have her blow this mission-or me!
I grunted, sitting up more. My hands curled into her made-up hair, pulling her head up forcefully. "Not. Now."
Amphitrite moaned even louder. A modicum of clarity returned to her eyes at the sudden movement, and she glanced back at the palace, which was starting to become more than just a dot in the distance. "But Percy…"
She smiled at me, lunging forward and biting my neck. I cried out in pain, my hand grabbing her neck and pinning her to the floor underneath me. I knelt, my confusion and awkwardness melting into anger. "We can't risk the lives of people in Atlantis just because you're horny!"
"Oh, Zeus," Amphitrite said, her body bucking upwards. "Choke me harder."
"After," I forced myself to say. "After this."
"Mmmm," Amphitrite said, her hand rubbing on my trousers. "No."
She reached up and kissed me hungrily, her tongue going deep into my mouth right away. I forced her off of me, ignoring my own desire, and slammed her into the chariot wall.
It rattled for a moment as she slid down, her breaths shaky.
Holy fuck. I straightened my outfit, brushing off all of the dust and lint that had settled on it. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, my," She blinked a few times, her eyes gaining clarity as she forced herself up. She bit her lower lip. "You better give me a repeat performance on the way back."
What a fucking freak. There's something horribly wrong right now. We're not even at the dinner party, yet!
I panted slightly, ignoring the flat-out horny look she was giving me. She sat back down next to me, leaning on my shoulder.
I gave her a warning look, but she raised her hands. "No sex, I know."
We both spent the next few minutes getting back to looking presentable.
The chariot stopped, and the door was opened by a man with a round belly and large mustache. He was dressed sort of like a waiter. He must've been eating a sub or something- I could smell the meat on him. "House of Poseidon- welcome to my lord's humble home! Let me lead you to the eating party!"
Humble? I smiled pleasantly at the man, but I was chuckling on the inside. There was nothing humble about the palace at all.
It was rising from the side of a gigantic cliff. White, shining pillars jutted out, adorned with jewels and crystals of all shapes and sizes. A dome made of sea glass rested on the top of the palace, glinting in the shine of an artificial moon that hung off in the distance.
"Thank you," I replied politely, wrenching my hand out of Amphitrite's, who pouted at the action. I needed to get to bottom of her behavior, fast- or the whole mission was going to go up in flames. "Your name?"
"Aleous, my lord," Aleous replied, bowing his head. "May I assist you in finding the dining hall? We have some fine specimens out there tonight."
"You may," I allowed, resisting the urge to growl in frustration as Amphitrite took my hand again, holding it possessively.
I needed to get to the bottom of that, fast.
Aleous led us up the impressive steps, past the gargantuan pillars. "Aleous, how many people are in attendance tonight?"
"Quite a few, my lord," Aleous replied cheerily. He seemed entirely too happy for a guy standing outside in the dark, but hey. To each their own. "My lord, Carcinus, has invited friends and associates from all over the sea in your honor! It will be a feast like no other!"
I nodded to myself. Seems about right. Sneaking around here will be a bit tough, but if I can get to Carcinus' daughter, I should have plausible deniability. Maybe I can sneak in some food in between.
My hand tightened around Amphitrite's. "Are you ready to be normal?"
She glared at me. "Is this not normal? Am I not good enough for you?"
I rubbed the bridge of my nose in annoyance. Ugh. Amphitrite was starting to act like such a brat. It reminded me, in some odd way, of-
My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Aleous, could you give me a moment to speak with…Lady Amphitrite."
"Of course, my lord," Aleous smiled pleasantly, leading us to a room outside of the main hallway. There were crates of food- a truly insane amount if I'm frank. How many people were going to be here?
"Is this private enough?" His eyes flitted around nervously for a moment. "I'm not technically allowed to bring guests back here, but"-
"Perfect." He closed the door behind us.
"Percy, what are you"-
"Save it, Aphrodite," I snarled, anger rushing up my back, leaving a trail of stinging, like an army of fire red ants had taken colony. I wasn't used to hot flashes, but this sort of anger never came unaccompanied. "What are you doing?"
There wasn't a sound for a moment. I could hear the echoes of music somewhere off into the distance, reverberating off of the sleek floors and sneaking under the door.
We were in some sort of butcher room. There were no windows at all, and the door looked like the only way out. A variety of tools hung from the far wall, some of which were dulled and still stained with blood- he must've been running a bit late on providing food.
"How'd you know?" Aphrodite muttered petulantly a moment later, her arms crossed.
"A bunch of stuff," I said in an exasperated tone. "Amphitrite never called me Percy. She never did anything more than kiss my cheek, and she definitely wouldn't try to fuck me in a chariot ride to a dinner party she was looking forward to! What are you thinking!"
"What am I thinking?" Aphrodite shot back. "What are you thinking! I'm your wife and you're thinking about seducing not one but two women! In the span of the same night! One of whom is your stepmother!"
"It's not like that!" I yelled, before lowering my voice. The last thing I needed was Aleous coming in here. In a calmer tone, I forced out, "This is a mission. I need to get certain information so I can protect the citizens of Atlantis. Seduction is the best way to do it without blowing my cover!"
"Right, and I'm sure you aren't enjoying it at all," Aphrodite said venomously, and I made no comment. Withholding something isn't lying, right? Right. "Oh no, look at me, I'm going to have to do things to attractive women! Yeah, real tough, Percy. Real tough."
"Why are you even here?" I said, my patience rapidly dissolving. I know I'm not exactly innocent in this situation, either, but come on! I'm trying to save people, here! "How did you possess her?"
"Easy enough. Amphitrite may be a goddess, but I am an Olympian," Aphrodite said with a touch of smugness. My anger reached a peak, and a spark of fire lit some of the leftover animal parts on fire.
I put the fire out a moment later when the acrid smell reached my nose. I probably just cooked some poor seahorse's leftovers.
What Aphrodite said didn't make much sense, but I digressed for now. Aphrodite was already making zero sense, and the last thing I needed to do was add more fuel into that bonfire. She was going to be breaking into the negatives, soon.
Some of the older kids at Yancy used to joke around and say women just weren't capable of being understood- I never truly believed that until I met Aphrodite. The woman gave crazy a new name. If she ever became my ex, she'd be the type to slash my tires and stalk me around.
I knew no restraining order in the world would keep her off of my back, either.
"I thought you were powerless?" I pointed out after a few moments, and Aphrodite had the nerve to blush. Can gods even blush? Either way, her cheeks were tinted gold.
"Well, our bond gives me power," Aphrodite said, almost shyly, and I resisted the urge to scream in frustration. She must've remembered the situation- her shyness disappeared instantly and was overtaken by a steely expression. "And then, Amphitrite's feelings for you gave me an opportunity to jump in and take control."
"Wait," I realized, maybe not at the best time. My cheeks felt warm. "You tried to fuck me in that chariot? You wanted me to choke you on the way to a fancy dinner party?"
Aphrodite bit her lip. "Maybe. Possibly. Well, in my defense, I didn't make her do anything she didn't want to do already!"
"Aphrodite," I said slowly, somehow keeping a rein on my building anger. I thought back to my conversation with Hestia. What would she say? I've tried different approaches each time with Aphrodite…maybe I need to take a step back.
I guess I'm the first person she's had real, concrete feelings for. After millennia, she's just developing feelings for someone, and that someone was just trying to seduce another goddess.
Okay, I'm sure that would put a twist in my toga, too. Unfortunately, Hestia hasn't really prepared me for something like this. My mom, though?
Growing up, my mom never really yelled at me- we had these things called 'teachable moments'. Any time I messed up big time, or I did something terrible; my mom wouldn't scream at me, or ground me. She wouldn't even punish me. She'd use the opportunity to bluntly tell me what I did wrong, and then help me understand why it wasn't okay.
It did wonders for me. It was kind of her way of showing me what I did wrong without making me feel like some sort of delinquent or waste of space- that's what everyone else used to make me feel like. I would've turned out way different if she hadn't.
I think I finally get it now. Aphrodite hasn't had someone care for her or her wellbeing before- not that Olympians care much about the permanence of their actions, to start with. I need to change that. For my sake, and hers.
I can't just be her romantic partner. I need to teach her the difference between right and wrong. I need to help her develop a moral compass.
I cleared my head. It was time to make this a teachable moment.
I let the anger evaporate in my body- Gamer's Mind was a true boon. I startled her by lightly touching her shoulder. "Aphrodite, you can't hijack people's bodies to have sex with me. You can't hijack people's bodies because they have feelings for me. That isn't how this works. That's out of line. And creepy- it's really creepy."
Aphrodite's lips curved downward in a slight pout, but I wasn't fooled. There were some real, true emotions hiding in that fake expression. "But you're going to touch them! And maybe do things with them! Is it wrong of me to want you to do those things to me?"
She had a point.
"No, it isn't," I agreed with her, but still tried to maintain my sternness. If I seemed too understanding or casual, the whole conversation would fall apart. I'd give her an inch and she'd take a mile. "Aphrodite, the reason I don't do those things with you yet is that I actually want to feel something for you before I do that. I don't want to just touch you and do, er, stuff because of your physical appearance. I want to get to know you and like you. There's a time and place for all of that."
That took her for a spin. Her eyes widened, and her mouth started to hang open a bit. I pressed my advantage.
"I don't feel anything for either Amphitrite or Carcinus' daughter," I said honestly. "I'm just doing what I have to do to protect my people. For you, though, I actually carry concern and worry and all of that. I want to keep you safe. That's a start, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"But you can't keep doing things like this. You can't keep putting me in these weird situations like I'm some sort of lab rat," I told her calmly. "The hotel room, this- I want to see where things go, but you can't keep acting out on your emotion like that. I'm human. I can only take so much before my feelings start reverting."
"It's just hard," She muttered softly, and I could make out tears forming in her eyes, even in the darkness of the room. "I feel like I'm not good enough. Why don't you look at me? Talk to me?"
I paused. There were two ways I could take this- I could either be super nice and a little fake, which would protect her feelings, or I could be bluntly and brutally honest- which would hurt, but it would actually give us a fighting chance.
"I haven't been able to trust the gods recently," I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. "And that, by extension, includes you. I'm sorry."
Aphrodite's expression changed, transforming into one of sorrow and a little bit of understanding, which was more than I'd expected. "I'm guessing your father told you."
"He did."
Aphrodite pursed her lips. "Percy, I know it's scary, but you have to believe me. I'm on your side. The gods had decided long ago that only select few people were to break the news to you- and I wasn't put on that list."
"You say that, but I have no way of verifying," I wasn't going to trust her on her word. I've fallen into that trap too many times so far. "Prove it."
"I swear on the River Styx that everything I've said has been unequivocally true," Aphrodite didn't waste a moment, and I somehow heard the rumble of thunder, even all the way down here. The next part, though, surprised even me, "I swear on the River Styx that I will never lie to or bring harm to my husband."
My eyes bulged. "Aphrodite! What the fuck! Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
"Gained your trust, I think."
"You literally can't lie to me now, or you'll die!"
"Well, our bond already stopped me from hurting you. Lying isn't too bad- I'll reform in Tartarus soon enough," Aphrodite smiled softly at me. "It's a good enough price for you to see that I'm not trying to manipulate you, or anything untoward. I'm loyal to you, and only you."
"So, if I was going to kill everyone at this party, you'd join me?"
"Yes."
"If I wanted to raze Olympus to the ground?"
"Yes."
"If I wanted to wear purple galoshes with a brown coat?"
Her nose wrinkled. "As much as I even loathe to think of such a thing, yes."
A laugh found its way out of my throat. "Thank you, Aphrodite."
She closed the distance between us, softly wrapping her arms around me and nestling her head into my chest. I heard her muffled voice, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your mission."
I returned the hug, softly patting her back. "It's okay. I just need to know that you won't do it again. I can't risk something like this happening again."
"I promise." And for once, a god's promise actually assuaged my fears. If she lied right there, I'm sure I would've seen her get zapped away. "There's something I need to tell you."
I held her at an arm's length so that I could monitor her expression. "What is it?"
"What I said before…I shouldn't have been able to hijack Amphitrite's body like this," Aphrodite bit her lip. "She was weakened the moment you got closer to this palace. There's some sort of magic at work here. A compulsion barrier."
"Magic? The kind powerful enough to addle the Queen's senses?" My stomach dropped a bit. I felt like I was at Six Flags all over again- only this time, the worst thing that could happen to me wouldn't be throwing up on the floor and being made fun of- it would be death. "This isn't good news."
"You can do it," Aphrodite lightly grabbed my chin. "I know you can. Don't tell your father I was here- gods do not take kindly to other gods going to their domain without permission."
I nodded, the nervousness vanishing a moment later. "I can. I will. Take care of my mother for me."
"Always," Aphrodite pressed a sweet kiss to my cheek and Amphitrite stumbled backward for a moment.
"Perseus?" Came her bewildered reply a moment later. "What happened?"
"Are you feeling better now, my lady?" I smoothly helped her regain her bearings. "You seemed a bit lightheaded after we stepped out of the chariot, so I asked the waiter to bring us into this room. Is everything okay?"
"Yes…I think…" She mumbled but shook her head lightly. She took my offered arm. "Let's go, prince."
"Of course."
Aleous, to his credit, didn't make any indication he'd heard anything, even though I was almost certain that he had. He looked relieved when he saw us, though.
"Let me take you to my Lord," He continued leading us through the palace.
Annabeth would've loved this place. Large, marble columns rose out of the purple sand, framing a cathedral-like ceiling that stretched out as far as my eye could see. There were stained glass caricatures on it, renditions of some of the myths that I'd read about my father.
The rebellion against Kronos, the golden net with Zeus. I saw a couple of myths I didn't recognize- some sort of giants sitting around a table with a plate of bones. My dear old grandfather and what looked to be two other titans fighting each other.
My eyes followed the rest of the stained glass pictures. I repressed a wince at the depiction of Medusa. These artists must've had a field day with the amount of detail in that one. I almost didn't even want to consider how long it must've taken them to make it.
My left eye felt a little warm for a moment. You guys know the real story, right?
The monster, well, woman at the time who my eye belonged to was once raped by my father in Athena's temple. For her punishment for losing her purity, she was then transformed into this horrible freak of nature by the said goddess. From then on, she went on to be killed, only to be brought back and killed again- by yours truly.
When Perseus- the original Perseus- killed her the first time, Chrysaor and Pegasus came shooting out from her neck. Even now, they're considered to be children of Medusa and Poseidon. Do you know what that means?
Yep. My dad knocked her up against her will and she suffered because of it.
The goddess that Medusa ran to, prayed to, took her loss of innocence as a knock to her own pride and transformed her into a beast as a result- a hideous, horrible freak. She used her beauty against her, forcing Medusa to live a life of loneliness because anyone she ever looked at would turn to stone. Her once demigod children were twisted and deformed as she changed into a monster, too.
That moment of lust on my father's part doomed three entire beings.
I scowled to myself, barely registering Amphitrite's stories about the various dinners she'd attended here. Olympus had enough dirty laundry to air out that I'd probably never sleep a day in my life if I knew it all.
It was very jarring to remember these things. I know the whole argument about how people can change, but those people are humans. Mortals.
Immortals don't change. Not based on what I've seen. The only one capable of any sort of change thus far has been Aphrodite, and we've all seen how that's been going.
I don't think they have the capacity to change unless they're forced to. Aphrodite, for example, is changing because of an external force- me.
Immortals in general, though? Doubtful.
Here are my two cents: life is useless, more or less. Especially knowing what I know now. Life itself is cruel and unnecessary, but there are fleeting moments that can still make it enjoyable. That's what lends us the ability to grow and change- we have a grip on our mortality. We know that someday, despite how useless it all seems, everything we did will be all that we're remembered by- so we change and grow, ensuring that the best version of who we were is what people remember.
The gods care little for that. They're quite literally undying. Even if you destroy the essence of one, they'll just reform in a couple of years in Tartarus, and boom- they're right back where they were before. As a result, they don't really have any use for morality or philosophy. They just do what they want.
Look at the myths or camp, even. All these children that are around the same age, coming from gods? Doesn't that trip anyone else out? How many times do the gods just come down to earth to have their way with mortals?
Another feeling of ice coated my insides.
And how much of it is voluntary?
Maybe there's a reason Hera dislikes so many of the male gods for having so many demigods. Not saying the goddesses are any better, but I'm pretty sure they more or less are. Athena and Aphrodite make asexual children, and Artemis is a virgin goddess, along with Hestia. Hera doesn't have demigod children. Demeter is the only one whose reproductive methods (or lack thereof) are unknown to me.
Boy, what a headache.
Someday, I'm going to fix all of this. I have to. I'm going to drag every Olympian out and make them repent for all the wrong they've done. I like some gods, I'm not saying I don't, but they will be made aware of what they've done. That's a promise.
For now, though, I can't. I'm not strong enough, yet, but even then, we have a common enemy right now: Kronos.
Once he's taken care of, we can work on it.
"Lord Perseus," I was broken out of my thoughts as a squeaky voice boomed loudly from in front of me.
Uh, wow.
The man in front of me was the perfect depiction of if the word cheeseburger was a person.
He was short, unbelievably so, and had a stomach that hung so wide he looked like he was a step away from falling over and rolling around like a bouncy ball. His tiny shoes were multiple shades of red that I couldn't place.
The suit he was wearing was holding on for dear life. The shiny buttons were straining, and one had popped out long ago. The white shirt underneath was smudged with cheese pizza, and his scratchy beard had sauce all over it.
I met his squinty eyes with my own. "Lord Carcinus. Thank you for your most generous invitation."
There was a scratching noise, much like the sound I remember our fax machine at school making after Tony Maguro hit it with his car as a joke. I realized, a moment later, that this was his way of laughing. "Of course! Amphitrite, my dear, you're looking positively scrumptious tonight! Look at you work that dress, girl! Meow! Meow!"
What?
I exchanged a look with Amphitrite as Carcinus dissolved into really loud and oddly wet mewling noises.
Amphitrite pressed her lips to my ear. "Carcinus has been a little…off…as of late…"
My eyes widened, and I had to stop myself from laughing.
What the hell is going on here? In the myths, Carcinus was a literal monster. He'd aided the Hydra of all things, in its fight against Hercules. He basically embodied the term 'menace to society'-and now, he's making cat noises to my step-mom?
The world of Greek mythology is a gigantic clusterfuck. I know better than to judge someone based on their appearance, though. There's a reason this dude was put into the sky.
Carcinus [THE SEA'S ANCHOR]
LV- 120
HP-1,000,000/1,000,000
MP- 1,000/1,000
Carcinus was a giant crab that came to the aid of the Hydra in its battle with Herakles at Lerna. The hero crushed it beneath his foot but, as a punishment for its disobedience, the goddess Hera placed it amongst the stars as the constellation Cancer.
WEAKNESSES: FIRE!
WEAK SPOTS: NECK, HIND CLAWS!
Interesting. He wasn't too tough, but his title was still interesting to me. The Sea's Anchor? Clearly, that wasn't referring to my father, because he's the one who wants me to come over here and get him a reason to usurp his position. It must be some other sort of sea deity- knowing my luck, it's going to be Oceanus.
I couldn't make a move on Carcinus yet. He'd done nothing out of the ordinary except make cat noises- he definitely hadn't committed any crimes.
Real crimes, anyway. His list of crimes against fashion, though, would've landed him a one-way ticket to the FBI's top ten most dangerous list.
Eventually, he stopped meowing. It took a lot longer than it should have if I'm being quite honest, but it is what it is.
"I'm sure me and your little-miss-delectable-model of a step-mom have some yummy subjects to talk about," Carcinus continued, mouthing some words at Amphitrite that I couldn't make out. "Go frolic around. Meet some people. Eat some apps. Save space for the main course, though!"
"By all means," I declined my head, my eyes making contact with Amphitrite's for a brief moment. She was led away by Carcinus.
"Drink?" One of the merpeople that were serving the event found his way to me, giving an exaggerated bow.
He was holding a pretty tray, but I noticed that the glasses were just that- glasses. Some sort of red-stained sea glass, yeah, but just that. No actual liquid was in them. He must've seen me staring. "Simply speak, and any drink you want will appear!"
Not bad. I grabbed a glass off the platter, just as a rather plump woman started talking to the server about where the bathroom was.
To his credit, Carcinus knows how to throw a party better than most of the rich people I know. That drink thing was a nice touch, and I'd never met waiters as eager and happy as these. Maybe it's just a Greek thing.
Looking around for the first time, I noticed that the room I was in was positively gigantic. I'm pretty sure I've seen gymnasiums that are smaller than this.
Circular tables adorned a diamond-like outline inside of a buffet-style dinner. Merpeople were smiling behind the trays, loading plates full of all kinds of different food.
I exhaled slowly, looking around the room with Observe active. Meh. Nothing much to really be seen around here.
There were some interesting names around, sure. I saw Aithousa, my half-sister from the myths, cozying up to some random dude. Some telekhines were lounging around, eating crystallized seaweed. I walked by a gaggle of little kids wearing shirts with Triton's face on them.
Disturbingly enough, one even had a shirt with my face on it.
Trying to shake my mind off of that weird thought, I continued walking further down the room. Strobe lights and smoke machines caught my eye- this must be the dance floor.
I haven't been to any crazy dances before, but even I knew this was something else. First off, the dance floor had levels.
Yeah. Levels. The dance floor was vaguely rectangular but divided into thirds, more or less. Each floor was separated by an elevation change, and the only way up and down from these floors was the main staircase.
On the top level, you had your adults, more or less. Aside from a couple of grandmas, I'd say the average age over here must've been forty. A few people were slow-dancing, a couple were doing the robot, and a surprisingly high amount of them were doing the Single Ladies dance. It looked like there were a lot of drunk women and men, most of whom were reliving their childhoods on that dance floor- I decided to move on when I saw one particular man doing the sprinkler, though.
I don't need to scar myself too much, here.
The second level, in contrast, had a bunch of little kids running around. It looked like all the parents from the first level had just let their kids run loose in this second one. That's actually probably what it was- good call on Carcinus' part.
Wow. I'm gaining some respect for this guy- people should take notes on how he throws parties. Bad guy or not, these parties are definitely nice.
As you can probably guess, there wasn't really anyone dancing on this one, except for a few little kids that were positively tearing it up on the Cotton-Eye Joe. I stepped in for a few rounds, much to their delight, but I didn't stay there for too long, either.
I was looking for Carcinus' daughter- and trust me- she wouldn't be on either of those levels if she's really my age.
I'm pretty confident about that- the first level was the parents, the second one was the little kids, but the third one?
The third one looked like it was something straight out of a movie. The other two seemed tame, mellow, but this last one was brimming with the electricity of being alive- the dance floor itself looked like it was vibrating- which it basically was.
Over the roar of music, I could easily make out that anyone between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five was here.
Unlike the other two floors, this one was themed, too. Monoliths of ice rose over it, their insides defrosted and filled to the brim with luminescent jellyfish that flashed different colors to the beat of the music.
Icy smoke machines spewed plumes of bulbous smoke, bathing the floor in a hazy light.
It was like dancing on the Northern Lights.
Beneath the dry-ice smoke swirled an array of blues, acid greens, hot pinks, and gold- even more jellyfish. The music played over the dance floor as if had fused with the bodies themselves, and the people were loving it if their screams were any reaction.
I hated it, but I was instantly recognized the very moment I got down there. Some of the girls went crazy, and I had a bunch of the guys clapping my shoulder as I passed, too. The crowd parted to let me in, and then instantly closed behind me.
A couple of nymphs were dancing towards the middle of the dance floor.
"Come join us," One of them yelled, gesturing towards me flirtatiously. One pulled her skirt up a little. "Come on!"
I'm not usually a huge dancer, but something about the vibe of the night was getting me to feel some type of way. The music was blaring loudly in a pleasant way, my soda was tasting perfect, and there were cute girls! If there was ever a party I was going to dance at, it was going to be this one!
Come on, you already know I started going crazy on the dance floor. I'm not sure how, but they were playing all the music I liked.
Songs blended together before I knew it. Mr. Saxobeat went into a few usher songs, that then went into a couple of Justin Bieber songs- I'm talking the oldies, too. The DJ here must really know what's up.
The nymphs and I danced for a few songs, and then I danced with some random girls, and then I ended up in one of those dance circles for the first time in my life, squaring off in a dance competition with some random dude.
It's what I always imagined it would be. Surprisingly, even the crowd's yells did little to deter me- I was feeling like a million bucks.
A while later- I couldn't tell how long it had been- I excused myself from the dance floor in search of food. One of the waiters gave me a slice of pizza, with a stern warning to save room for the main course.
Yeah, okay. I'd probably burn the rest of this off in a second once I got back on that dance floor.
I annihilated that slice and downed the rest of my soda. The pleasant feeling from before seemed to heighten, and I mentally slapped myself.
I got complacent. I wasn't here to dance; I was here to find Carcinus' daughter. I'd danced with basically everyone there, and a quick little peek with Observe showed that none of them were the girl I was looking for.
No harm, no foul, I decided, politely excusing myself from the dining room and shimmying over to the bathroom, where I splashed some water on my face.
"Focus, Percy, focus," I reminded myself of my mission forcefully. Carcinus' daughter. Right. Let's go.
I exited the bathroom a few seconds later, but I stopped myself from returning to the party floor. My senses were going haywire. My hand tensed.
I turned, and a girl was standing right there.
I almost took her head off when she lunged forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me into a janitor's closet.
I wasn't asking any questions.
I grunted, instantly grabbing her by the neck and holding her up against a wall. She slapped my arm painfully.
"No...help...you..." Having confirmed that she was too weak to be a threat, I decided to check her out.
Malia [THE FORGOTTEN DAUGHTER]
LV-23
HP- 19,500/20,000
MP- 800/800
Malia is the youngest daughter of Carcinus. Disgusted by her father's activities, she's been waiting for one of the operatives from Atlantis to come to save her for close to five months, now.
I dropped her to the ground, instantly turning on my healing powers. I massaged her throat gently. "Sorry about that. I had to be sure."
"It's fine," Malia replied quietly. "I should've been clearer. I'm glad you're here, though. I knew you were powerful but leaving that dance floor just shows it. We need to move fast."
"What's going on?" I said lowly, matching her volume. "What do you mean by leaving the dance floor? What is your father planning?"
"He's been doing this for months," Malia's bottom lip trembled, and I activated Serenity Inducement for a few short bursts.
"Doing what?" I slapped a hand on her mouth as some people walked by. I whispered in her ear, "And why has Lady Amphitrite not lent you aid?"
We paused for a few minutes, was the sounds of footsteps echoed down the hallway. She blinked a few times. "He always waits for her to leave. I'm sure you've noticed how hard it is to get off of the dance floor- for most anyone who isn't a goddess, it's impossible. There's compulsion magic that keeps people from leaving."
"Malia, you need to tell me what he's planning," I warned. "I'm here to help. I can't help if you don't let me."
"It's so horrible," Tears leaked down Malia's face, and I held her comfortingly. "He…he…"
I had to cut her off again, as voices started speaking loudly in front of the closet. It was Carcinus, I think, but it sounded nothing like the weirdo from before- he sounded mean and angry. A lot more like what I expected him to sound like. "The boy. Find him. We don't have much time before she wakes up."
"Yes, my lord."
As they disappeared again, Malia looked at me with eyes widened in fear. "This isn't a dinner party, it's an eating party."
"That's what the servant said, from outside," I remembered. "What does that mean?"
"My father doesn't bring people here to feed them for the joy of it- he's fattening them up," The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
The smell around the servant. The butcher room with the crates. Fuck, even what I thought was pizza sauce on Carcinus' chin. His shoes.
The multiple portraits of the giants with the bones- those bones weren't animal bones.
The red glasses. The merpeople insisting on drinking whatever that stuff was- the compulsion magic Aphrodite had warned me about!
No…no…what have I gotten myself into?
Unable to keep her emotions in check, Malia wailed, "The guests here aren't just guests- they're the main course!"
STAT CHANGES:
*I forgot to upgrade some of the skills, so I'll just do so here.
Flirt (Level 6) UPGRADED TO Flirt (Level 17)
Serenity Inducement, LV-4 (12%) UPGRADED TO Serenity Inducement, LV-12 (13%)
The Reaper (Level 3) UPGRADED TO The Grim Reaper (Level 6):
TIER 1: The Reaper is ruthless and cunning, and is willing to use any means, no matter how amoral, in order to attain his goals. The Reaper can cause opponents to temporarily go blind, get staggered, weakened, crippled, bleed, or even knocked down. Level 1 gives a 5% base chance, which is doubled anytime a combination of subsequent hits is applied (must be within a 5-second timeframe).
TIER 2: The Grim Reaper is capable of immobilizing enemies in one hit. Gain a bonus multiplier of 10! for hitting your enemies' weak spots, with the chance to cripple or kill them outright!
Death Drop (Level 2) UPGRADED TO Death's Leap (Level 5):
TIER 1: Add this move to your fighting arsenal to give your enemies an unpleasant surprise…
Gain knowledge of a nasty attack that warps in and dive-bombs the enemy from a distance. Add in elemental flair at your own risk!
Base DMG: (150 x STR)
Elemental DMG: (100 x STR) + (100 x WIS)
MP cost: 250 MP!
TIER 2: Gain the ability to teleport between markers placed within a certain radius of your body!
MP cost: 100 MP for every yard!
AN: Well, then! This is probably the largest chapter I've written for this story, and I didn't mean for it to come out that way, but I had a lot I wanted to fit in. As you can tell, Percy is definitely starting to get disillusioned with the world he was so in awe by at first. Out of curiosity, did anyone see that cannibalism plot twist coming before Malia outright said it?
Anyway! I'll see everyone in the next chapter!
N3XT: Hahaha, no can do! Percy needs that luck more than Piper!
OhJustReadIt: Thank you, it means a lot! I'm still going to be updating, so no worries there!
Aidan Stone: I like the way you think. Of course, I'll neither confirm nor deny that statement, so do what that what you will.
KanatiWaya: Thanks! It's definitely the vibe I was going for!
OoOXylionOoO: I'm of a pretty neutral take on that scene. It was necessary for future events, for one. At the time, though, I wrote the scene intending to convey to the readers that Percy just doesn't want to use the eye, but he doesn't want the eyepatch, either. Mix that in with that weird feeling he's having about gods, and what do you get? Restrictions that buff the eye but also make it so that he won't accidentally use the power. I'm planning on improving the starter chapters after I finish this arc, so I'll look into that scene specifically sooner rather than later.
Silly Thoughts: I actually didn't know that about pizza- I'd always thought it was Italian in origin! Also thank you for your interesting take on that scene, I don't think anyone's phrased it like that before. That gives me a better idea of how I can improve on it- so thank you!
Darquesse8512: Good catch! I'll fix the Hitler thing soon, but your catch with the Reaper really helped me out- thanks!
The Exiled Darkness: I aim to please.
TheWritingFreakIsBack: That's actually really high praise, and I'll definitely take it! Plus, 10/10 description with the clown analogy.
CrookedPizza: That's a good take. I like writing stories in ways that people can feel different ways about something, and you're one of, if not the first, person to not implicitly love Delta, and your deductions are correct. Maybe something about his past…
Han Is DEAD: I do agree with you. If that happened to me when I was twelve, I would've cried myself to sleep.
Posaitan: I always love hearing from you! It's crazy how long you've been reviewing my story, I think you were like one of the first ten way back in the day. I appreciate you, and you know I love being different! Maybe a little too different, but I digress.
Koper: No comment. He's very different from Canon, and that's where I'll leave it.
surya25addanki: They're definitely on his shit list- and that beatdown will come someday. He needs to get strong first though.
Percykirito4: You're fine! I get what you mean, and you're not too far off from the truth. I haven't fully worked out the quest mechanic, but it'll work similarly to what you just described!
Mreeeh: I agree! Triton is actually one of my favorite characters in the story!
Burning Moonlight: Damn it. I was trying to hide that plot twist.
BJack12: The idea interests me, but I feel like for this story it just wouldn't work. Maybe I can write another sometime.
NydelokMan: I hadn't considered that, but now, for sure. I plan on this story being a good blend of comedy and adventure and romance, so you can rest assured that it will come at some point.
Also, got a couple of reviews about this: this story will not feature a harem. I struggle enough with writing one romantic interest- if I get much better, though, I could consider writing a side-along story, sort of like a Flip Of A Coin Omake series where Percy gets with all kinds of other women.
Just a thought, though.
See you guys next chapter!
-Maroon
EDIT 4/20/21: Numbers!