"I need you to cover me," I said in a no-nonsense tone. I eyed Triton nervously, realizing that if I wanted to walk away from this one intact, I'd need to do some serious upgrading. I'd have to invest everything I've gotten so far just to stand a chance.
As for the asking for cover...well...it is a bit of an odd request.
I know that expressly asking for cover isn't the best way to keep my powers a secret, but I kind of need a few moments to myself to work the perks and stats and all of that out. Plus, it's Aphrodite. I'm sure she'd be able to keep a secret or two for me, worst case.
Besides, her possible confusion, in this case, isn't a priority- honestly, it doesn't even really matter to me. Aphrodite would've found out sooner later. I just need her to buy me a bit of time. "Just keep him busy for a minute or two. I need a moment to calm down."
"Okay," Aphrodite nodded, shooting me a concerned look. Other than that, without even stopping to think twice about what I'd said, she just followed instructions. She snapped her fingers, and a pink dome erected itself around me, humming with pure energy and warmth. It felt like I was standing inside a space heater.
With another look back at me, Aphrodite walked out of the barrier, her silvery hair floating out of the ponytail as a pinkish glow surrounded her body.
Okay, good. Time to think. Breathe, Percy, breathe.
I pulled up my status screen.
PERSEUS JACKSON
[SON OF POSEIDON]
[HESTIA'S FAVORED]
[ECHIDNA'S BANE]
[GODSLAYER]
[BLESSING OF HERA]
[DIVINE CONSULTANT]
Level- 36 (0/25,000)
HP- 20,000/20,000
SP- 28,500/28,500
MP- 30,000/30,000
Allegiance- N/A
STR- 52 (+5)
VIT- 25
DEX- 56 (+5)
INT- 39
CHA- 36 (+5)
WIS- 33
LUC- 27
Points- 35
Perk Points- 7
Money- $1265
Son of the legendary God of the Seas and Sally Jackson, Percy is the current child of prophecy. Despite his murky past, Percy is ready to take on his future with determination.
REP at Half-Blood Hill: WELL LIKED!
REP at Atlantis: REVERED!
REP at Olympus: NEUTRAL!
*THE TITLE [SON OF POSEIDON] PERMANENTLY GRANTS +1000 MP AND BOOSTS THE REGENERATION OF MP!
*THE TITLE [HESTIA'S FAVORED] PERMANENTLY REGENERATES YOUR HEALTH BY 30% AND GAINS +5% FOR EVERY 100 HP LOST BELOW HALF!
*THE TITLE [ECHIDNA'S BANE] ALLOWS THE USER TO BE IMMUNE TO ALL POISON!
*THE TITLE [GODSLAYER] GRANTS THE USER 2X EXP WHEN INVOLVED IN A FIGHT WITH A DEITY! THIS EFFECT SCALES, DOUBLING FOR EVERY IMMORTAL OPPONENT AND TRIPLING FOR EVERY OLYMPIAN!
*THE TITLE [HERA'S BLESSING] ALLOWS THE HOLDER TO TRESPASS ON SACRED GROUNDS AND FEEL AMBIENT DIVINE ENERGY!
*THE TITLE [DIVINE CONSULTANT] DOUBLES THE EXP GAINED BY DOING A QUEST GIVEN TO YOU BY ANY DEITY!
Perfect. I shuffled ten points each into my STR, DEX, and VIT respectively, and I split the remaining points between everything but LUK and CHA. Of course, that meant three for WIS and two for INT.
As the points began working their magic, I turned my attention over to the perks screen, which was gleaming with a big number seven. I'd honestly forgotten how many perk points I just sort of had lying around.
I flicked through the perk tree, only paying attention to the ones that would help me in fighting specifically.
It was a shame. There were a few perks that caught my interest, but they didn't offer the immediate sort of benefits I was looking for. Again. I'm mainly looking for some short-term boost-type perks. Just the kind that'll let me go toe to toe with a god and come out on top. I don't have time for cool passive ones right now.
Regardless of how he acted before, or his lack of formal training, Triton's still a god. It's clear the version of him which I thought I knew was doctored to some extent, so I'm going to have to treat him like I'd treat any other god. Minor or not.
I need to bring out the big guns and only pick perks that will make me stronger right now.
I heard a few explosions from outside the dome, and the top cracked, making a light shattering noise. A few moments later, the cracks repaired themselves and I heard Aphrodite yell something. Another female voice yelled back, and the ground underneath me rumbled.
I narrowed my list down quickly- I didn't have time to spare.
I remember researching these perks way back when- right before I went on down to Atlantis. Funny. Back then, I didn't want to get them because they only offered short-term boosts when I was looking for longer-term effects.
First things first, I picked up Opportunist.
It was the first perk I'd looked at a month ago.
[BATTLE] Opportunist, LV- MAX
Whenever you disarm someone or land a strike dealing any damage, your attacks become incrementally faster, capping at a boosted attack speed of (DEX% + 50%) on top of your current attack speed.
Pretty simple and straightforward, yeah? That perk netted two points, so I still had five left to toss out.
I considered Lunar Lullaby again, but the whole thing with that perk that I still don't love is that it's pretty clear that it's there for training. I mean, being able to lower the gravity on my body would only be helpful to make it harder for me to move, and thus let me move faster in general. Lowering the gravity on my body wouldn't help, as I'd start floating away and my dear uncle would pulverize me for doing so.
I nabbed Photokinetic for another two perk points.
[ELEMENTAL][PHYSICAL] Photokinetic LV-1, (0%)
Photokinesis is the mental and/or physical ability to control light. To a greater extent, one could become invisible, concentrate light particles into lasers, and manipulate any part of the light spectrum (ultraviolet, infrared, etc.).
It seems like a pretty basic perk in general, honestly sort of dumb, but it's what I'm deeming a necessity. It'll let me manipulate the light to some degree, so mid-fight, I can flashbang Triton and use that to get some more hits off, stacking Opportunist and The Reaper.
The last three perks I shuffled into some other basic perks that could help me out. Last Breath, Troll, and Lady Luck's Draw got some love. Mostly because three perk points were just enough to get me one really good one or three of the one-pointers, and I'd rather go for quantity over quality at the moment.
I banished the menu with a flick of my wrist and quickly brought up the special menu I'd gotten from the hidden objectives.
Carcinus had been good for something besides mangling my arm, after all.
I bit my lip, looking at the choices. All of them were enticing. The Eyes of Heaven would let me see the gods, one of the routes would give me a perk for every enemy I defeat, which would be busted…Medusa's route would get me a limit break.
Based on my very little experience with them, limit breaks are absolutely busted. Having one at my beck and call would be amazing.
For this fight though…it's pretty clear. The route of the warrior is the best way to go. If the eye can really help me predict movements off of the slightest twitch of someone's muscle, I'll be able to outmaneuver Triton. I'm hoping that my speed coupled with the eye can give me enough of an advantage to at least hang around with him.
Mix that in with my abilities already, including the two main ones I just got, and I'd be able to fight well above my skill level. Even if it is for just a few moments.
Sighing, I clicked it. Medusa's eye burned for a moment, and the menu vanished into thin air. I unwrapped the eye and blinked a few times.
My depth perception felt completely off. My right eye saw things, well, normally, but my left eye almost felt like it was zoomed out. There was way more clarity and sharpness. I could make out every wrinkle in the ground around me, every tiny pebble. Every small movement, every minute detail of the ground was being committed to my memory.
It also messed with my ability to track motion. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion with my left eye, but normally with my right eye. My left eye almost made things feel like they were choreographed. It was very trippy.
The dome dropped and, I promise I'm not exaggerating- the world around me was absolutely decimated.
I was standing on a patch of dirt about five feet across. That wasn't the weird part- the weird part was that it was standing a good twenty or thirty feet above the rest of the area, which had been razed into the ground. The grass had been completely melted off, and steam was rising from the ground, along with the annoying smell of burning seawater. The dirt had been turned into mud.
Clarisse and some of the other campers were nestled in the woods. I tried waving at them, but I couldn't seem to get their attention- their eyes were glued to the sky. I followed their gaze.
Aphrodite was in the air along with Hestia, and they were engaging Triton in a battle of unbelievable proportions. Even with my new eye, it was difficult for me to see what was going on.
They hadn't slipped into their godly forms yet, but they were hard to track anyway. Aphrodite was zooming around, her sundress fluttering in the breeze. We made eye contact for a moment, and she gave me a small smile before her face hardened again. She vanished, turning into a pink haze and smashing into Triton.
He responded by growling and shooting another column of pure energy toward where she had been a moment before. Hestia appeared out of nowhere, completely obliterating the energy with a wave of her hand. The battle kicked up another gear, all three of them entering more lucid forms.
By this point, I lost all track of what was going on.
All I could really tell was that there were loud flashes of light and banging noises, and every once in a while, the ground would shake, but to my immense surprise…the blob that looked like Triton was somehow keeping up with them both. I knew I had to get involved.
[XXXXX] Quest Alert!
An Egyptian Affair!
Prepare to wake up on the western banks…
Rewards:
?
[YES/NO]
Okay…wow. This quest is important. I clicked yes and steeled myself.
Time to join the party!
The ground cracked underneath my feet, and I blasted into the sky toward him, my left eye tracking his movements as if they were telegraphed.
He turned and smiled happily, "Good, now we can really start!"
He muttered something in another language, and a holographic snake-looking thing blazed to life in between us both, casting a golden light over me. Even my enhanced eye had trouble following what happened next. Its maw opened, a ball of blue flame forming inside. A loud hiss echoed between the two of us.
-1000 HP!
Suddenly, I doubled over. My entire body seized up for a moment- it was as if someone had coated my veins in gasoline and tossed a match on in there. Rather than shooting out of the snake's mouth, the blue fire began roaring to life on my body as the breath was forcibly ripped out of my throat.
My jump ceased in the air. I felt like a puppet who'd just got his strings powerfully snapped. My body lost all momentum.
"Urk!" I couldn't even scream properly. Before I could even blink, Triton grabbed my neck with his hand and turned to my aunt and Aphrodite, who were glaring at him, cracks beginning to appear on their skin.
I was beginning to teeter in and out of consciousness by this point. The game glitched for a moment, the HUD short-circuiting. What the fuck?
Please wait…rebooting…please wait…complete!
Slowly, I stopped fading in and out and my body started losing the burning feeling. My throat opened back up. The weird feeling of my insides melting had stopped almost a minute after it started- I don't think that's what was supposed to happen.
[LEGENDARY] [POISON] [PHAROAH'S CURSE] – [COUNTERED]!
Oh, boy.
The fire wasn't stopping though. Its blue hue seared into my eyes, and I was forced to screw them shut, just because of the sheer brightness of the flames. Plus, Triton still believed I was unconscious, and I wasn't in any rush to correct him. I had to see where this was going.
Time to play dead.
"You dare use their power?" Hestia snarled in a very uncharacteristic rage. Her fingertips must've been smoking- the smell reached my nose, and I was a couple of yards away from her. The part that intrigued me was that my aunt never got mad. You were more likely to see Zeus tap-dance than you were to see Hestia get truly pissed off. Triton, bless his soul, had found a way to do so. "What did you do to him?"
Triton tauntingly bobbed my body up and down. I mentally grumbled- I felt like a baby getting bounced up and down on an older relative's knee. "Dear auntie, you don't have me to thank for this- thank Agathodaemon! All those years ago, he made this discovery after all!"
"You…the Romans, too?" Aphrodite bristled next to Hestia. I could tell she was a few moments away from exploding. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Mixing these pantheons? What does Agathodaemon have to do with anything?"
Pantheons?
Triton laughed loudly. "Why, everything! He gave me the idea, after all. Atlantis sand produces hydrogen sulfide, which he noted makes a fiery poison. Of course, he also helped me out by describing this poison as disappearing in water, so he really just set the whole thing up for me. When I gave pretty boy the clothes to take you out, I smeared the inside with poison. It activated a few hours after he got back up, and all I had to do was use a little tip I picked up from a friend. Dear old Agathodaemon is the only reason I pulled this off!"
I heard my aunt get closer, but Triton made a little noise. "It's commendable how much you care for the boy, but sadly, you'll have your hands full trying to protect the children, won't you?"
There was a roar from behind us. I was sorely tempted to open my eyes, but that would blow my cover. Triton laughed again, and I felt us teleport out of there.
A few moments passed, and we appeared in what felt like some area underwater. My reflexes felt the immediate boost, and my body gained that weightless feeling I'd come to expect with being underwater.
Plus, the game pinged, but I promise I knew I was underwater before that. I wasn't cheating!
My eyes snapped open, just as Triton loosened his grip on my neck. My brain began racing through different ways I could take him down.
I was underwater now, which boosted my abilities a pretty good amount, but they probably boosted his too. Not that it mattered. If he could hang with two elders above ground, he would probably destroy me in this state.
That doesn't mean I'll give up, though. Far from it. Let's get to thinking.
In terms of speed, his speed's something I completely underestimated, seeing as he got us in and out of camp- which shouldn't be possible, by the way- before Hestia or Aphrodite could stop him. It's safe to say he outclasses me in that aspect.
Power, too, is something he has a surprising amount of. I know my aunt and Aphrodite aren't offensively oriented gods, generally speaking, but even then, he shouldn't have been able to mess around in the ring with the both of them for as long as he had. I won't be able to purely outpower him.
My best bet, right now, is to use the element of surprise. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to land a critical strike or something. Mix that in with the Thousand Hand Technique, and I might just be able to buy myself enough time to run-
"You can stop pretending, brat," Triton said, interrupting my thoughts and dropping me to the ground. I tumbled onto the sand like a sack of potatoes. A sheepish grin formed on his face at my indignant squeak.
Regaining my composure, I instantly went to attack him, but he raised his hands. As he dusted some dirt off his clothes, he urged, "Let me speak first."
Fine. I looked around while he got comfortable.
First observations- we're on the ocean floor, I don't know, somewhere.
Real descriptive, I know, but it's tough to tell these things sometimes. Normally, I can belt out some coordinates, but there was some weird magic barrier off into the distance. It was blocking my powers.
Aside from that, the only light we were getting was from some of the luminescent fish around us. They bathed Triton's face and the sand in a reddish light. Great for the vibes, not so great for super-precise geo-locating.
"I've placed a barrier around us," Triton pointed toward the magic barrier I'd been looking at just a moment ago. "Just so we aren't interrupted- and you won't leave without hearing me out."
"Screw hearing you out! You attacked the camp, you fuck! After I was nice to you! How did you even pull that off? Gods aren't allowed to make the first move!" I seethed, angry, and just a little bit betrayed. Words just kept spilling out of my mouth- looking back, I probably wasn't making the most sense. In my defense, there were just so many things to hit on! "You're the traitor!"
"That first part was easy. I don't know if you remember, but in our conversation, before you went up, you technically invited me to visit you. As far as camp rules go, that's enough permission- dumb, I know, but it isn't my first time going to camp. I know how to work the system. You also invited me to train, giving me the grounds to attack you- as if," Triton scoffed, taking a seat next to me on the ocean floor, where I was still sprawled out. His tone was just a tad condescending. "If I really attacked you, you'd be dead. I love tapped you. Let's make that clear."
"Okay," I said, uncaring that I'd been so easily duped. I mean, yeah, that's on me, but the Ancient Laws are seriously flawed if they're that easy to work around. As far as I'm concerned, that's not really my fault. I can't construct every sentence I utter in the presence of an immortal with that in mind, or I'd go insane. Thanks, gods! "So, you'll still admit to being the traitor?"
"The traitor?" Triton repeated, his eyebrows knitting together. The gems on his chest stopped glowing. "What do you mean? I'm working with Oceanus, yeah, but I'm not a traitor. I haven't made any move against Atlantis."
"Stop playing dumb!" I said, pointing at him. I scampered to my feet. "You literally just admitted to working with Oceanus. That's who Carcinus was working for, too. It doesn't take too much mental brainpower to put two and two together."
"What?" Triton reiterated, genuinely confused. His face flickered with annoyance. "I haven't done shit! I didn't even know who that Carcinus guy was until you told me the story! I mean it! My goals with Oceanus don't involve Atlantis or its citizens at all, really."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Okay, Percy, okay. Back from the top. "Okay…then. How do you work for Oceanus? Like, what in the name of Zeus does he have you doing if you're not the one feeding this information to him? Do you make him food or something? Do you clean his closet? Brush his teeth for him?"
"He just…alright, let me explain," Triton sighed, leaning back onto his elbows. He looked like he was finding the best way to start. Kind of funny, really, his mouth kept opening and closing like a fish. Eventually, though, he decided on, "When I was a kid, things were…kind of rough around here. Especially being the crown prince. Dad was, well, a lot different back in those days. As his heir, he trained me personally to become this big secret weapon in the war against my gramps, and that was that. It was all I did. Train, train, train."
The magic barrier Triton had put up vibrated as a low whale call echoed from above us. A large pink bolt of energy slammed into it, and it cracked slightly- Triton's expression changing for a moment, before reverting back to normal as the barrier began repairing itself. "Okay. Anyway, yeah. All I did was train, and my only friends were the other soldiers of Atlantis. That's it. Back in those days, we didn't have much freedom at all, and all my life was about conquest. Fighting the Titans and pushing back their armies, claiming lands in the never-ending war between our dad and my grandpa. I didn't get any days off, or even hours off for that matter. My early life was devoted entirely to war."
I nodded intently, not really sure if I believed him or not, but interested, nonetheless. I also couldn't help but draw some comparisons between Triton and me- I'd been getting that same level of tunnel vision lately.
And, full disclosure, my life's a bit easier, too. I still have some sort of illusion of freedom. Sure, that prophecy is hanging over my head, but it's up to me what I do with that time. I could train, or defect, or make little pretty ponies and no one would think twice so long as I'm willing to lay down my life when the time comes.
Triton hadn't ever gotten that chance. Not even close. He'd been ushered into a lifestyle tethered around fighting and conquest, his entire worth as a prince and human revolving around how useful he was. Each victory out on the battlefield was just another check on the box for him.
I could only imagine how deeply he'd fallen into that rabbit hole. All things considered; it was impressive he was still mentally here.
Well, he did attack a camp full of children just to get me to hear him out, so the jury's still out on that one, I guess.
"As I said, I didn't get breaks. Not one. As a god, my stamina was infinite and my power boundless. As the commander of the army, I was inexhaustible. I single-handedly wiped out entire towns, claiming them in our father's name. I slew great beasts and destroyed titans- everything was so straightforward. But then, one day, one of these towns had a survivor- a girl that had somehow hidden during the razing," Triton frowned. He looked up at the infinite, inky darkness above us. "Arethusa. At the time, we thought she'd been a survivor of the town, but I'd later find out that she wasn't a survivor at all. She wasn't even from the town. She was running, Perce. Running."
The way Triton said her name made me think there was a little bit he was withholding from me, but I just filed it away for now. "From?"
"Alpheus," Triton growled. "I doubt you've heard of him. Very few people have, and that's intentional. The myths can't decide what he was doing. Some say Alpheus was a hunter and fell in love with Arethusa, but she fled from him to the island of Ortygia near Syracuse and metamorphosed herself into a well. Others say that Arethusa was bathing in the river Alpheus in Arcadia when she was surprised and pursued by the passionate river god, with the goddess Artemis taking pity upon her and changing her into a well, which flowed under the earth to the island of Ortygia."
The gems glowed on his chest. "They're all wrong. Alpheus was never a hunter or some passionate lover- he was a son of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys- one of the captains of his army at the time. He was a fucking creep, and he chased Arethusa, a nymph, from ocean to ocean, always trying to gain on her. I never got the backstory fully, but one day, he caught her."
My breath hitched in my throat. Power began rolling off of Triton in waves, making my skin crawl. Triton continued, behind gritted teeth, "And when he did, he took her. Over and over. She killed herself shortly after."
"I…I'm sorry, Triton," I said sincerely. An icy feeling began spreading across my chest. "I don't know what to say."
"I loved her," Triton said quietly, his fist tightening. His voice was breaking, "She understood…she knew me like no one else could. I couldn't take it. I snapped, and we won the war a few years later. A millennia-long feud ended in five quick years- I didn't take a single moment off. For five years straight, every single second of every single day, I was fighting. Killing. You've seen the scope of the ocean- you'd be surprised how many enemies there are, hiding. When we descended on my grandfather's palace, Dad took all his captains, and instead of executing them like the dogs they were, he made them swear loyalty to him."
Suddenly, the story clicked into place. The four sounds of Oceanus, the four pillars of his army…
"No way…"
Triton confirmed my thoughts. "Yes. Alpha is really Alpehus of the myths. He and his brothers were all children of Oceanus, and they all served him loyally until we won the war, and they were forced to serve our father. That's why you won't get a straight answer on who any of them are- the myths have been structured that way intentionally. Dad doesn't want the identities of his four commanders getting out, and in the case that they do, he wants to have just enough plausible deniability. The great, venerable leader of the free ocean, hiring four murderers that killed some of the current citizens of Atlantis' loved ones? It would be a shit show. That's why the captains are rarely seen. It's all been planned out."
"They seem to, well, like their jobs, though," I pointed out, thinking back to the few interactions I'd had with the commanders. Delta, specifically, I could vouch for. "They've kept the city safe for all these years. Even if they weren't decent people before, if you think about it, they were just doing what you were. Fighting for their fathers."
"Most of them do. And you're right, to some degree, I won't argue that- it isn't about that, though. Whether they like their jobs or do them now, whether they're good people or now- all of that is irrelevant- at one point, they were still our enemies. We spent hundreds of years fighting them, just for Dad to turn around and give them amnesty. These four, between them, have the lives of millions, if not billions. Alpheus, specifically. Dad knew…he knew what he'd done. He knew what Arethusa meant to me. When I heard about it, I was so furious…so mad. I gave up fighting and pretended to regress mentally, becoming the Triton everyone knows and loves," Triton laughed bitterly. "I couldn't stand another moment fighting for Dad. Funnily enough, life after the army only strengthened my resolve. The way my mother treated me, the way our father lost hope in me. I was just a tool to them. If I wasn't a commander, if I wasn't fighting, I was useless. A waste. My own mother told me that. That's when I found Oceanus, withered and weak, on the brink of death."
"You both want similar things," I guessed, to which Triton nodded. "You want his kids gone, but most importantly, Alpheus dead. What does he want, though? Where's the overlap?"
"That's where you come in," Triton said awkwardly. He looked at me expectantly, "See, gramps is on the doorway of death. He's like a parasite right now, latching onto people like hosts, taking place in their body and taking over, draining their life to strengthen his. He wants a new host- someone to anchor his lifeforce so that he can take back what he thinks is his."
"You want me to become his host?" I laughed loudly. "Look man, I feel for you, I do, but I'm not aiding Oceanus in anything. Beyond my own personal feelings, that's damn treason. Plus, why can't you just do it?"
"Listen," Triton said seriously. "Let me finish. He may be my grandfather, but I don't want him around either. I learned pretty quickly that he's not good news. The only reason I haven't disposed of him myself is that, well, titans are…tricky. They don't just outright die or fade. The easiest way to wipe one out is a process called dissolving."
"Which is…"
"Destroying his essence completely," Triton said seriously. He looked sheepish. "I, uh, I may have gotten help from a friend that isn't, well, Greek, to learn of it, but I think it's our safest bet. Besides, that whole merging process becomes a million times more complicated when it comes to two immortals. I'd have no way of knowing whether this plan would work out not if I was the one taking part in it."
I pondered his words, "So you'd want me to become one with him…to destroy him."
"Yes. It's a bit more complicated than that, but merging with a deity grants you certain…abilities. If you combat Oceanus in your head, you could force out his ren. Again, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it won't be easy. It's the easiest way, but it's almost like a dream. You won't know what's happening."
I sighed, "Triton, man, you have to stop saying stuff I don't get. Ren? What the hell is ren?"
Triton huffed, "A ren, also known as a secret name, is the true name that states the nature of the entity's soul. Everyone has one. You do, I do, dad does-it's a secret name which is typically only shared in times of great need or as a gesture of deep trust. That's cause through revealing one's secret name to another, the holder gains power over the owner. The owner would then be forced to do as the holder demanded. The name cannot be revealed by anyone, except by its owner or by the one closest to his or her heart. Once you know a being's secret name, you can use that to utterly destroy their essence, or, in times of peril, save their lives."
"And…your friend told you this. Your friend," I repeated, sighing loudly. "Triton, you attacked the camp, pissed off my girlfriend and our aunt, poisoned me- super fucked, by the way- to ask me to kill Oceanus using a method that your friend told you about."
There were a few moments of silence. "Basically."
Look, I know. It's a bad idea. A terrible one, in fact. For some reason, though, I felt like, I don't know.
Think about it. If I just go back to my dad and everyone right now, they'll be pissed off at Triton. They might even outright murk him, and he's the only one that knows where Oceanus is right now. If we lose that well of information, Oceanus will just escape, and Triton will face the consequences for everything so far. Whether I want to believe it or not, he's the best shot anyone has to finding and destroying Oceanus.
I groaned softly, "This is a mess. Why didn't you ever do this before? I doubt I'm the first child of Poseidon to walk in here."
"Like I said, gods and titans are tricky. I didn't want to risk my life for nothing. I didn't want to risk any of my half-brother's lives for nothing, either. As for that, you're nowhere near the first," Triton confirmed. "But, there's something different about you. It takes a certain mental and physical strength to be able to do what I'm asking, and the other children of Poseidon either had their hands full with something else or didn't have the, well, facilities to deal with it. You've proved yourself as capable. Along with that, gramps still had a modicum of strength back then. Getting someone's ren is no easy task and chances are, it wouldn't have worked back then- it just happened to work out this way."
There was more silence. We both sat, side by side, and looked up into the dark, murky ocean. I thought about his offer more while he fidgeted next to me.
Triton grabbed my shoulder, "Listen…I know it's a lot to handle. I know. For me, or for any immortal, time is sort of wonky. Decades, centuries even, are like a blink of an eye. So, from my point of view, it hasn't been too long since the last son of Poseidon has come through, even though for you it probably seems rather convenient that you just so happen to be the answer to this situation you knew nothing about."
"Yeah," I admitted. "It is rather convenient. You're also kind of forcing my hand here. On the one hand, you're telling me all of this stuff, pointedly with emotion, mind you, to get me to help you. On the other hand, you've engineered a situation where I'm forced to help you."
Triton looked sheepish.
"If I say no, and dad finds you, you'll be sent to execution," I frowned, relaying my thoughts from earlier. At least he had the nerve to look a little bit embarrassed. "And the only person with information about Oceanus besides the traitor is gone. You're smart."
"I wasn't a commander once upon a time for no reason, you know," Triton chuckled. Our eyes met, and some emotions flickered through his face. "I know this may not help, but as a show of faith…"
He pressed my hand to his head. I went to make a joke, but I suddenly realized he was doing something serious. Light blue mana formed on my fingertips, glowing against his forehead.
My hand tingled. At first, I thought he was transferring some of his power or something over to me, but things became rather clear very fast.
At first, he kind of struggled. We were in an uncomfortable position. A few moments later, though, I felt random surges of energy and power. The game pinged, telling me that my mana stores were increasing by a little bit.
And then bam! Like a cork shooting off a bottle, his life started passing through my fingers—ghostly memories of random parts of his life. Almost as if recognizing my presence, they shifted to show me when I'd first arrived in Atlantis, dueling Delta in front of everyone. Triton had been there along- hiding near one of the pillars- I felt Triton's amazement and grudging respect, his surprise at my combat prowess as I went back and forth with Delta on the palace floor.
I saw, I felt his reaction to his mother scorning him right before we went to go see Carcinus; his genuine happiness at me offering to hear some of his songs. The pit of emotion left gaping in his stomach as the chariot pulled away.
The scenes shifted.
I saw moments I hadn't explicitly shared or seen with my brother, as well: Triton and Dad caught in a bind in the middle of the great Titan war- Triton splitting the Earth without so much as a thought; Triton and Arethusa talking by candlelight, laying down on the sand in front of a budding Atlantis, his chest warm; Triton by himself in the library of the palace, studying up on his duty as prince, staring at our father's mural on the wall and struggling with the feelings of betrayal taking over his body at what he'd done.
Slowly, Triton relaxed. The mental struggle eased a little. Rather than scene by scene, his entire life started blurring through my fingertips. His likes, his dislikes. His worst fears passed through me, his most embarrassing secrets. Triton, everything he ever was, and everything he ever hoped to be burned into my brain.
It felt surreal. Out of nowhere…I heard his name.
No, I'm not going to let you guys know what it was. Not only would it be a massive violation of trust and all of that good stuff, you also wouldn't find use for it, seeing that he himself didn't tell you.
It would be like if you tried to control someone by saying baseball or pinecone. It just wouldn't work.
This ren, or whatever he'd call it- it was the real deal. I could feel the latent power in the knowledge. I knew deep down, that I could make him do anything from punching himself in the face right now to commanding him out of existence- and he would have to do so without any argument or hesitation. Those two words had the power of an atomic bomb.
"I need your help, Percy," Triton said lowly, his eyes closed. Even though I didn't trust the plan, after seeing and hearing everything I had, I trusted him with everything I had. "I want to end this situation. It's gone on long enough."
"Look…I'll help, but I need your help in return," I replied slowly. "There's someone else working with Oceanus. Someone else out there is giving out secrets about Atlantis and putting the people there in danger. We need to find the traitor and kill Oceanus."
"And you can't do both, obviously," Triton placed his hand on his chin. I nodded. "I get what you're going for. I'll handle the traitor, and you take out Oceanus. He's very weak physically, so you're going to have to overwhelm him mentally and force out his secret name. That…won't be easy."
"Nothing worth doing ever is," I pushed myself off of the sand, brushing my jeans. "Destroy a titan, find a traitor- easy, enough, right?"
"Thank you, Perce," Triton said sincerely, clasping my shoulder. His eyes burned with almost infectious determination. "Let's go."
I went back to pretending I was knocked out, and Triton and I were transported somewhere. Classical music softly echoed, wherever we were.
He placed me on the ground.
"I brought the twerp," Triton said in a biting tone, lightly nudging my prone form with the tip of his boot. I mentally grumbled- that thing must've had a steel toe or something because I didn't enjoy that metallic feeling at all.
"Good," I heard a rather weak voice answer. A couple of hacking, wet coughs filled the room. Ew. "I trust the buffoon is none the wiser?"
"My father is unaware of this, yes. Would you expect anything less from the peace-loving fool?" Triton answered scathingly. I noted that he didn't seem like he was acting much, if at all. "What is the plan now?"
Oceanus snarled, "We wait."
"For what?" Triton echoed my thoughts. This wasn't according to plan! "The boy is here."
"Patience, young one," Oceanus said, his voice holding a dangerous edge. There was an underlying tone of amusement as if Oceanus found Triton's impatience hilarious. "Do not throw away our years of work. We have another visitor. Son?"
"Yes, father," I did a mental double-take as Alpha's voice echoed around the room. Triton's body shook next to me. "Hello, Triton."
"How?" Triton disguised his surprise well, his words barely trembling. "This doesn't…it shouldn't be possible. What about the pact?"
Alpha laughed, "Don't worry about it. You are on our side, right? I would think you'd be overjoyed to see me. Brothers in arms, right?"
"Alpheus," I've got to hand it to him- Oceanus has the bad guy act down pat. His voice sent shivers down my spine. Alpha too, apparently, seeing as he shut his mouth instantly. "It's of little consequence. I'm planning on using my son as a host."
"Then what did I drag Percy down here for?" Triton said, more annoyance seeping into his tone.
"It was a test. A gesture…of good faith, if you will," Oceanus said plainly. "Now, rejoice- a new age is upon us."
"Fat chance," Triton said, nudging me again.
I opened my eyes and shot up, my spear in my hands. I turned to face Alpha and Oceanus, the both of them staring back at me. Alpha looked like he had a few hours ago, but Oceanus- blegh, what a mess.
His skin was gnarled and wrinkly, and his eyes were sunken into his skull. His hair was stringy and thin, with his frail body visible for all of us to see. There was a hidden power somewhere deep in there, but it was barely there.
It was like looking at a flickering candle, almost at the end of its wick. Oceanus was a flame that was just about burnt out.
"Perseus Jackson," Oceanus said slowly, rasping. The blue robes he was wearing hung off his skeletal frame as he raised his hands in a welcoming gesture. "How fortunate…for us to meet…like this. I've been waiting to meet you."
"I'd say I'm charmed," I twirled Malice in my hands. Its tip sparked with green fire. "But I'm not."
Alpha growled next to Oceanus. "You watch your mouth, boy!"
Oceanus slowly held up a hand. "Be silent. You joke with me, child, as if I'm your soft father. Be aware of your situation. You're in the presence…of a greater being. I do not wish to battle. I simply want to…speak…with you."
I turned to Triton, he nodded to me. We couldn't start the fight until I made sure Alpha was the traitor. I ignored Oceanus and turned to the guy next to him. "Alpha, Alpheus, whatever- you were Carcnius' guy, right? That's why you wanted to watch over me."
"Correct," Alpha replied, with a bit of smugness smeared across his silky tone. Man, I was starting to really hate this guy. "My original plan was for the crab to take you out, but he couldn't even do that much. Of course, then, I knew I'd have to handle this matter myself. I was looking forward to this…ridding Triton of another person he'd grown close to. Luckily for you, I don't like little boys- I won't be giving you the full treatment I gave to Arethusa."
Triton tensed next to me. I went to warn him, but before I could speak, Triton disappeared in a green flash and smashed into Alpha, the both of them blasting into the adjacent room. Sounds of battle broke out as Oceanus and I looked at each other.
"Any chance we're going to play cards now?" I suggested to Oceanus, who gingerly stood. "I guess not."
Dissolving. Easy enough.
Oceanus looked into my eyes, and his body disappeared into a fine black mist. I felt my eyes start to roll into the back of my head, and my body gave out underneath me.
"Hey," I heard a voice say, and in front of me, two candles were lit. "You're a weird guy, you know that? We can talk more soon, but…"
I went to speak, but no words came out. I looked down, and I didn't have a mouth, or body, or anything.
The two candles floated in front of me, and all of a sudden, there was a loud hiss and pop, like someone had opened a can of soda. The fire on the candles went out, and instead, mist started forming on the wick. It started pouring out like a smoke machine at a concert, hissing and twirling out tufts of smoke.
Zeus, I don't even know how to describe it.
It was like a dream. A bad dream, yeah, but nothing like a nightmare. Definitely not like any nightmare I've ever had before. It was much more real and frightening. The more I thought, the more time I spent being conscious, existing- I felt myself go weightless. More and more. Every inch of my body just…stopped. Stopped feeling. It disappeared like I'd been wrapped up in an invisibility cloak or something.
I felt like I was watching a show, or something, from the point of view of the main character. It was trippy.
I could see and hear everything in a small radius- it was like a hyper-realistic IMAX movie or something. Smell and all.
I drifted up, turned, and saw my own slumped form below, with Triton and Alpha going at it in the room next door. A glitter caught my eye, and I noticed, with a shock, that I could finally see myself. Not, like, the version of myself on the floor right now, but whatever I was in this moment in time.
A body was forming itself right in front of me, moving outward and spinning out of nothingness.
Upon further inspection, I could tell that I wasn't a ghost, or a spirit, or anything. I had a new shimmering golden form with wings instead of arms. I was some kind of bird.
I knew I wasn't dreaming. Didn't Triton say something about this? It felt so far away, now, my conversation with Triton. I felt woozy.
I can't be dreaming, though. I know it.
The room smelled faintly of jasmine. I could hear the deep-sea bubbles pinging somewhere back in the building, fizzling out like a can of soda left open on my nightstand. I could feel a cold wind ruffling through my feathers, and I realized that the room was going all topsy-turvy.
Inception-style, the ceiling of the room split open and bent backward, churning and bending backward like a vat of playdoh at molten temperature. It gooped and splintered away, revealing the murky depths of the ocean above me.
I didn't want to leave. I wanted to wait and see how the fight with Triton was going- but a strong current pulled me out of the room like a leaf in a storm, the mist following and blasting into the world around me.
The lights of the room faded below me. Triton and Alpha blurred and disappeared as my body was flung through the ocean. I shot through the mist and darkness, strange voices whispering all around me. My stomach tingled as the mist overtook my vision.
I heard voices talking in a subdued voice- suddenly, the mist cleared, and I was in a different place. Much different.
I floated above a barren mountain, my bird form glowing in the darkness of the night sky. Far below, a grid of city lights stretched across the valley floor.
It definitely wasn't New York. It seemed like a kiddie version of it- like Malcolm took a picture of a rather inhospitable part of the Earth and decided to mix in some city aspects to it. Add in a swirly slide or two, I don't know. My brain wasn't working at the moment.
I could tell I was in the desert. The wind was so dry, the skin on my face was like paper. I know that doesn't make sense, but my face felt like my normal face as if that part of me hadn't transformed into a bird. I still couldn't feel the rest of my body- I felt like a floating head that was being shown around.
Below me on a ridge stood two figures. They didn't seem to notice me, and I realized I wasn't glowing anymore. Thankfully.
In fact, I was pretty much invisible, floating in the darkness. I couldn't make out the two figures clearly, except to recognize that they weren't human. Staring harder, I could see that one was short, squat, and hairless, with slimy skin that glistened in the starlight- like an amphibian standing on its hind legs. A toad, human mix. A toadie.
The other was tall and scarecrow skinny, with rooster claws instead of feet. I couldn't see his face very well, but it looked red and moist and...well, let's just say I was glad I couldn't see it better. He made some of the kids at Yancy look good.
"Where is he?" the toadie-looking one croaked nervously. "You said he'd be here!"
"Calm down. You know he doesn't like it when you get sassy," the rooster-footed guy chided. "You better stop talking before he gets here."
"You're sure this is the place?" Toadie said again, noticeably annoyed. He itched away at his slimy skin. "I swear, this is the last time I let you plan these things."
"Yes, fool! He'll be here as soon!"
A fiery form appeared on the ridge. The two creatures fell to the ground, groveling in the dirt, and I hoped that I really was invisible, and didn't just look it.
"My lord!" the toad said, his mood doing a complete 180 from what it had been a moment before. "Welcome! We welcome you! Graciously! Do you feel welcomed?"
Even in the dark, the newcomer was hard to see. All I could really make out was the silhouette of a man outlined in flames. Bright red, billowing flames- almost like a robe made out of fire.
"Where is the staff?" the man asked. His voice tickled my brain somehow. He felt…familiar. I just couldn't quite put my finger on who he was. "Answer now, servant."
"My lord," Rooster Foot said. "I-it's somewhere around here. I assure you! The text was cryptic…but it mentioned a phoenix and camels. T-the mountain we're on right now is called Camelback, a-and the city is called Phoenix. This has to be it."
The fiery man laughed- a booming sound like thunder. "Phoenix. How appropriate! I suppose you don't have any other news for me? I'm not in a very patient mood today. Normally, though- oh normally, I'm a very patient man, don't you think?"
"Oh yes, my lord, the most patient." the Toadie agreed. He whimpered a bit, "But what of the other four?"
"One is already dead," the fiery man said. "The second is weak. She will be easily manipulated. That leaves only two. And they will be dealt with soon enough."
"Er...how?" he asked.
Bad move.
The fiery man glowed brighter. His red flames churned, turning into a poisonous green color that began dripping on the ridge, steaming and lighting up the area, even in the nighttime. "You are an inquisitive little tadpole, aren't you?"
He pointed at the toad and the poor creature's skin began to steam. His face began bubbling and stretching, almost like he was boiling alive.
I could barely watch. I don't even want to describe it. I've seen some pretty fucked up things lately…but that…that takes the cake.
If you've heard what happens when cruel kids pour salt on snails, you'll have a pretty good idea of what happened to the toadie.
Soon, blissfully, there was nothing left.
Rooster Foot took a nervous step back. I couldn't blame him. Lord or not, I'd be a little freaked out of the guy if he dissolved one of my friends like that.
"We will build my temple here," the fiery man said as if nothing had happened. "This mountain shall serve as my place of worship. When it is complete, I will summon the greatest storm ever known. I will cleanse everything. Everything."
"Yes, my lord," Rooster Foot agreed quickly. Unlike his friend, he didn't seem to be inclined to question the man. He moved about, nervously, clearly debating something mentally. "And, ah, if I may suggest, my lord, to increase your power..."
The creature bowed and scraped and moved forward as if he wanted to whisper in the fiery man's ear.
Just when I thought Rooster Foot was going to become fried chicken for sure, he said something to the fiery dude that I couldn't make out, and the fiery dude burned brighter.
"Excellent! If you can do this, you will be rewarded. If not..."
"I understand, my lord."
"Go then," the fiery man said. "Unleash our forces. Start with the longnecks. That should soften them up. Collect the younglings and bring them to me. I want them alive, before they have time to learn their powers. Do not fail me."
"No, lord," I could hear very clearly in the monster's tone that he was scared beyond belief. He scurried away, and the fiery man hummed to himself.
As the monster disappeared into the night, the flames died, and I growled mentally. None of my Gamer powers seemed to be working in this sequence of events. Not that I needed them for this part.
Out from the flames stepped me- well, not me now, but what was clearly an older version of me. It was obvious.
Taller and stronger looking, for sure. A little bit more handsome. I had a samurai-style bun, and my skin was tanned, even more so than usual. I was wearing some weird white shirt and pants. Below the clothes, I could make out markings of a glowing tattoo.
My eyes were both blood red, with some weird, pinwheel-like design. The pinwheel spun as the future version of myself regarded the current version of me in my birdlike state.
"This is what we could be, if we worked together, boy," The older version of me- easily identifiable as Oceanus now- said. He looked down at his arms, flexing and unflexing his fingers. "Powerful. Immortal. Unbeatable. Your power, mixed with my knowledge. We could take over this filthy planet."
I still couldn't speak, so I settled for trying to glare at Oceanus with all of the hate I could muster. I would never, ever want this. Killing minions, being feared, being called a lord- this is something I'd never want.
Oceanus hummed to himself lightly, his face turning to the city underneath him. "You have potential. Allow me to show you."
Black flames twisted out of his eyes, bursting forward. They grappled and swirled in the air, floating toward the unsuspecting city. He raised his hands and moved them in a circle a few moments later, and I felt the wind currents change.
Oceanus raised a finger, just one, and thunder broke open the sky behind us. Every hair, feather- whatever- on my arms stood straight up. Lightning arced down at where he was pointing, traveling through the black fire and smashing into the city with the force of a few artillery shells.
The entire city was enveloped in a dome of black energy, and I heard a loud BOOM before the dome imploded on itself, rubble and flaming debris shooting out in every direction. Smoke and ash plumed into the sky, gaseous chemicals spurting out into the atmosphere with the momentum of a volcano.
When the smoke cleared, and the ringing in my ears subsided, I sat frozen in shock, half-blind, covered in ashes. I couldn't stop staring at the place where the fire had been. Cinders rained down everywhere. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from Oceanus, who hadn't even stirred.
I couldn't even find the words. Thousands, if not millions of lives…just extinguished. In the blink of an eye.
I glared at him with as much hate as I could muster, the feathers on my arms- wings- standing straight up.
I would never join you, I thought angrily, staring balefully into his eyes.
His eyes widened in surprise. After I stared at him, I saw him sink into the ground, just as I was pulled away from the scene in front of me- the last view I saw being the burning city in front of me.
"You have a surprisingly sound mindscape for a mortal," I opened my eyes and found Oceanus and me in a room. We were sitting across from each other, a table with a chessboard between us. He was still using that weird version of me. "I'm impressed."
We were sitting in a completely white room. The only break, the only difference in color besides us was the table and the chessboard. Offhandedly, I also noticed that I was back in my own body.
"Fuck off," The words found their way out of my mouth before I could help it. Titan or not, this man was getting on my nerves- in my own head. It's absurd! "I'm not joining forces with you."
Oceanus hummed softly, moving a pawn forward. He spoke a few moments later, "Play with me."
I glared at him. I'd rather play chess with a hellhound. At least they'd let me pet them. Let being a...generous...term, but you get the point.
"You don't have anything better to do," He pointed out, and I grudgingly moved a pawn forward to meet his. "That's better."
"You won't leave here alive," I replied, still angry about earlier. Having someone use my body to commit mass genocide…yeah, no, it sucked. There's nothing I hate more than being used, and this was literally the definition of that.
"Perhaps," Oceanus commented, lazily moving some pawns between his fingers. "Perhaps not. Normally, I'd discount that as a threat from a foolish demigod. Not from you. You see, I'm beginning to understand you, boy."
My knight captured the first pawn he'd moved up, netting me the first kill of the game. "How so?"
"You won't be swayed by promises of power, or prestige. You won't be moved by offers of women," Oceanus listed off, almost as if he was talking to himself. "Things like that don't motivate you. That's why my approach from earlier was flawed. I'd assumed you'd be more like the other demigods I'd been in contact with. You aren't."
The room was silent for a few moments as he decided what to do next. He moved up another pawn. "You, on the other hand, fight solely for the protection of yourself and your family. Almost entirely. There are very few people I've come across who would do so. Effectively, there aren't many offers I could make you."
"You're correct about that," I replied to him grudgingly. I moved my knight back, opening up a play for him. A ploy, obviously, to capture his pawn if he was dumb enough to take it. It's how I like to do business. Quiet, but solid. Always ready to make a move.
Oceanus smirked at me from across the desk.
"Mm. People like you are either indomitable, and insanely strong, or the opposite," Oceanus said aloud. "My son, that foolish lump, is the other."
"Alpheus?" I asked, unsure where he was going with all of this.
"Yes," Oceanus sighed tiredly as if he'd had this conversation multiple times. "Alpheus was…a trying child. Other than being born blind, he also never showed any signs of combat prowess. He was far from an acceptable child, let alone a great one. As such, he didn't get my attention. In my mind, he didn't deserve it. As a result, I suppose, Alpheus spent much of his time doting after his mother, helping her farm things, clean the home. Behavior unbecoming of a prince."
"Who was his mother?"
"My sweet Tethys," Oceanus grew somber for a moment, his fingers slowly encircling his rook. "We were together for a great many years. She bore many of my children, Alpheus being the last."
"How so?" I leaned back into my chair, staring at him. "Why did you stop with Alpheus?"
A large black crack appeared somewhere off into the distance. Oceanus growled, "The idiot boy. He was born with a complication. Tethys, being the woman she was, argued and bantered with all sorts of people. Titans, monsters, our predecessors. Eventually, though, with no options and no time, she took the sickness onto herself. Despite our best efforts…she succumbed to it; her essence wiped away for good."
Another, smaller crack this time, appeared closer to the table.
For the first time, I saw some true emotion on his face. Although he probably didn't even notice it himself, a stray tear had found its way out of his left eye. He continued, "Before she died, she gave the idiot boy a gift- she gave him the ability to see- with a catch. Given the amount of power she had, she could only give him half of her eyesight- he would only ever see half of people's faces. The rest would be bathed in shadow, with the catch that whenever he'd find the one he loved more than all, he would see clearly."
"I understand she meant a lot to you," I said thoughtfully. "But that seems rather stupid."
"I find myself in agreement with you," Oceanus sighed again. We continued our game as he sat, deep in thought. "But mana conditions are hardly anything but simple, as I'm sure you are aware. She was hoping to take the help of Aphrodite herself, so I'm sure she was hoping that a romantic deal like that would sway her. Clearly, it worked. Beyond that, too, as I had mentioned, Alpheus was absolutely taken with the woman. She wanted to give him some sort of incentive to move on, and that was the way to do it, in her mind."
"So, he fell in love with Arethusa," I realized, Oceanus' story blending into Triton's with almost seamless ease. "But she didn't love him back. She loved Triton. So…"
"There is a condition worse than blindness," Oceanus said sagely, pausing for a moment to make intense eye contact with me. "And that, boy, is seeing something that isn't there. You are correct. My son sought after Arethusa, and when she chose not to love him back, he took matters into his own hands. For this, your gods blinded him. For good, this time."
"Why didn't the gods just, I don't know, intervene when he was in the process of committing the act? It can't have been that much of a secret if Aphrodite herself knew about it- why didn't they shelter Arethusa, or give her some sort of protection?" I found myself wondering. "Why did they wait for something to happen before snapping into action?"
"You begin to see now, child," Oceanus said, his tone surprisingly still. "This is how your gods work. The myths of old would have you believe the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These gifts, however, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly."
I nodded, "I agree- now, I'm sure, this is the part where you'll tell me that you, or the Titans, would make better rulers? Maybe you'll toss some more rewards in there? An island, or a car, or an all-expense trip to Hawaii for me and my mom?"
"Hardly. I despise humans," Oceanus replied, surprisingly honest. His left eye twitched. "But, for your assistance, I could guarantee the safety of you and all those you hold dear. If you'd help me, I'd have no reason to harm you. All I want is to rule the seas once more, maybe the world."
"And your brothers?" I pointed out. "I doubt Kronos would be willing to spare me after how much I've already fucked up his plans."
"My brothers are of no consequence. If I were to rise, they would be dealt with first and foremost," Oceanus replied plainly, his rook wiping out two of my pawns. "This is the way of the world. To destroy a monster, you must become one. To move up a step, you must take another's spot. Everything in life comes with a price. I was on top before, child, and it's not a position I ever sought to part with."
I was beginning to understand Oceanus now, too. Originally, I'd thought he was some ornery old dude, who he is, but I thought his whole motive had just been revenge on Poseidon.
He's a weird, broken man. A man haunted by the past he himself carved out. Despite his hardest effort, things just didn't work out the way he wanted them to- his wife, dead. His kingdom, gone. The children he worked so hard to train and mold into weapons of pure destruction were mostly dead or bonded to his enemy in service. Worse, some even liked their lives without him.
For a guy like Oceanus, that's just too much to handle. He's from the era of heroes and men where emotions never came into play. I'd bet everything in my wallet that he's probably gone his entire life without truthfully and wholly spilling his feelings on a subject. The result? He doesn't know how to come to grips with, well, everything. He's lost more than most people could ever fathom. That chain of events can destroy even the strongest of warriors.
Without any outlets or identification for that kind of emotion, he's trying to seek refuge by living in a complete state of denial- a made-up fantasy where he's still powerful and capable of fighting, capable of beating my dad. In this current state, Titan or not, I don't even know if he's capable of beating me, let alone my Dad.
I've heard people mention that attachment is the origin, the root of suffering. Oceanus is a prime example of that. Aside from the obvious army that my father's amassed, that's another reason why this relic of the past can't touch him. My dad's reached some level of inner peace. Ironically enough, it seems like that's what Oceanus is trying to cling to by taking things over again. Maybe he thinks that if things return to what they used to be, he'll plug that hole left in his heart. That things will return back to normal.
"I feel like I have this conversation often," I mumbled, still aware of the fact that the man sitting across from the table from me was dangerous. Oceanus laughed. "The gods, as a whole may not be the best, but they provide stability. It's much easier and better for everyone overall if they stay in power. Safer. Secure. Titans in general, but specifically quarreling ones like you and your brothers would tear this world apart. For the humans and children, the gods are the better option."
"I see. Well, you can't blame me for trying," Oceanus said, the chessboard disappearing as even more cracks broke through the whiteness. He gestured at them. "I've been taking the brunt of this pressure, seeing as I wanted to endear you to me, but that simply won't happen, will it? I suppose I'll let you shoulder the entire burden of housing an immortal. Perhaps that will help you make a decision."
For a moment, Oceanus and I bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing I'd ever felt. I felt like I was being crushed under a thousand trucks. I wanted to black out from the pain, but I breathed deeply.
I wouldn't fold against him. He chuckled lightly, releasing it fully onto my body.
Every muscle in my body turned to fire. My bones felt like they were melting. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the strength to open my mouth. I began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the weight crushing me. The black cracks started appearing by the dozen, splintering together.
I knew in my hearts of hearts that I was a few minutes, if not moments away from death. I struggled to meet Oceanus' gaze, who watched me intently. He looked a bit confused, too.
"I…knew my presence would be much for you, but your mental state is declining rapidly. Even then, your spirit is impressive, young one," His voice was tender. "I'm sad we couldn't work things out."
No!
I'm not…I can't let this be it. I can't let him win. I can't…
"Join me. I'll save you," Oceanus was telling me, his voice coming in and out of my consciousness. We were touching at this point, his hand on my shoulder, and I was beginning to see flickers of memories as I had with Triton.
I was so close!
Oceanus was…letting his guard down. He was getting complacent. And, he was in my head. He probably didn't even know I was peering into his memories. This is what Triton was talking about. This was how I could beat him.
Not like this, though. His ren was struggling against me. Even with his guard down, his passive attention was enough to keep his secrets safe from me.
Agh- the weight seemed to get heavier. My body sank downward- my face was level with his shoes at this point. If I wanted to do this...I needed his attention off of me. I needed a...distraction. I need…a…needed…
APHRODITE!
I tried mentally calling for her. I thought about her, the…sundress…dinner…please…
PERCY!
My vision turned fuzzy. Everything was tinged with pink for a moment. I caught glimpses of the Aphrodite off in the distance, but I wasn't sure if I was seeing clearly at this point. Her arrival in my head also triggered another cascade of black cracks, and my body began to give out.
Nonetheless, I used the distraction as well as I could- I dove into Oceanus' mind, scouring every morsel of information. It was much easier the second time around. I'm sure I was also helped out by the fact that he was distracted, and we were in my head, but eh.
Every kill, every moment of thought- Oceanus' life played out in front of me like an action movie put on fast forward.
His initial meeting with Tethys, his rise to a great warrior- the birth of all of his children. Baby Delta grabbing a dagger and swinging it around like a rattle. There was a memory of Oceanus beating Alpheus...
Through the memories, I began to notice a distinct pattern- a glint of light here and there that just shouldn't have been around. I narrowed it down rather quickly- most of Oceanus' life was dreary and cold.
Every time he was with Tethys, though, I swear I could feel some sort of warmth, some odd feeling that was noticeably absent everywhere else. Maybe this was what he perceived to be love.
I went to the memory where it was strongest; his wedding day. Right as I entered the memory, I knew I was right. Right between Oceanus and Tethys, there was a glinting light. I focused on the glint, and it expanded into a large yellow string, exploding toward the start of Oceanus' memories.
I followed the thread downwards, and grinned- I'd gotten it. I could see ghostly memories of a woman- a kind of matronly looking woman with curly black hair and a serene smile, wearing a flowing green dress. Her lips were parted- I was witnessing Oceanus' birth!
The world stopped for a moment, as his secret name passed from the woman's lips into my brain, searing into my subconscious. A rush of power filled my body. I climbed back out of Oceanus' mind, the pain of holding now two immortals crushing my body.
Blood began leaking freely from my mouth, nose, and eyes. My shoulders crushed downward, crumpling like paper. My ribs snapped through my shirt.
With my last breath, I did what I had to do.
I feebly whispered, "I…banish you…River Ocean. G-get…the f-f…"
Oceanus turned to me, his eyes ablaze with anger. His form was beginning to fade away, becoming transparent in the light of the room. With his last movements, he roared, and the world around me faded to black again.
This time, though, I could hear faint singing. Was that Triton? Did he make it? I felt like I could hear some more screaming out there, but…but….
CRUNCH!
My body seized up and blasted across the ocean floor. The last thing on my mind was that weird woman I'd seen in Oceanus' memories- why did she seem so familiar?
I met a girl,
She's prettier than the moon,
She has these eyes that look like fields you can get lost in,
And her lips make you want to feel them on yours,
Her smile leads me home.
AN: Welcome back everyone! So sorry about the wait but things got a bit worse after I posted that last chapter. Nothing mental, don't worry, it was a freak physical thing which I have since recovered from. Honestly, long story short, I had a little hospital stint, but I'm back and better now, with a little bit of wrapping up on the Atlantis arc!
As always, thank you guys for holding down the fort. I never anticipate things like this happening, and I greatly appreciate everyone who reached out to check up on me. This is the first story I've written where people actually cared enough to inquire over a long break, and it was very humbling indeed. On that note, the story somehow grew in the time I was gone, so again, I'm in awe of what you guys do. It's crazy. As long as you want me to keep cranking chapters, you better believe I will. This chapter itself is gigantic, so I hope it isn't too overwhelming.
I like to reiterate this because I do get this question a lot. I won't ever be giving up this story. It just isn't ever in the cards for me. So, if I ever go on break, you can rest easy knowing that I will eventually be back. That was one of my main gripes with Gamer stories- how can you just start it and not see it through? I told myself when I started this story, I wouldn't put anyone through that, and I mean it. So, don't worry.
Onto story stuff.
A big thing I've been trying to explore with this arc is the sense of duty and responsibility that Percy feels to be some big game-changer in the war, along with his grappling with his place in the world. The whole arc has revolved around him becoming disillusioned with the idea of being a weapon, even understanding that the Titans he's fighting have their own reasons for what they're doing. They're not good reasons, maybe, but things aren't as black and white as he originally thought, with the arc building up to that, and this chapter being a culmination of that.
Oceanus was a different kind of enemy. Percy couldn't outright beat him physically. He had to understand him mentally, had to see where he was coming from. What mattered to him. Only that could grant him the advantage he needed to beat him.
Even then, as his mother said, the true power he had, the reason he won, was his humanity.
Oceanus didn't have anyone to rely on. Not in the fight, not in general. I mean, maybe Alpheus if you want to get technical, but you know what I mean. He told Percy himself, that if he were to rule, it would be alone. That's why, despite having all of that power, he lost the first time to Poseidon, and the second time to Percy. Obviously, Percy was nowhere near as powerful as prime Poseidon, but it was in his nature to have his friends support him. That's why he could rely on Aphrodite and get the edge he needed. Oceanus could never understand that kind of bond, and that was ultimately his undoing twice.
Speaking of Aphrodite, though, another theme I wanted to tackle with this arc is the decay of Percy's trust in gods. Clearly, he still trusts a select few and will fight for them as a whole, but a major aspect of this arc has been his rose-colored view of the Olympians cracking. Things like the council letting Luke run free, to finding out about how his own father abandoned Triton, to realizing Aphrodite had a hand somewhere deep in all of this- it just goes to show, that even the gods he trusts have proven to be untrustworthy from time to time. It's like Delta said- That's how lying works. People you care about, the ones that you trust- they're the ones who will lie to you the most.
There were some references sprinkled in this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed that, and Atlantis as a whole! Soon, we'll be diving into the Sea of Monsters arc, so that'll be fun too. There will be a chapter or two before that, though, as I'm sure you guys agree that there are some loose ends that need to be tied up.
Beyond that, though, I'm not going to break down every little detail of this arc or chapter, as much as I'd rather like to brag or plug all of the minute details I've packed in here. I'm sure you guys will find and appreciate them, so I won't hold your hand and show you everything, or force you to see something that I intended. It's art, a piece of entertainment- you're supposed to interpret it in your own way. In some ways, that's the joy of reading.
Hope y'all were doing alright in this past month I wasn't around. I want to go back and tweak some things in the earlier chapters, namely Aphrodite, but that can happen whenever. My future plans are to go full steam ahead into the next arc.
As always, let me know your thoughts on the chapter. See you guys in a week or two.
TheFourthFate4Ever: Thank you for your kind words! I hope this chapter answered your question about how Triton could fight him. Or hey, maybe it left you with more. Who knows. Your points, on the other hand, I thought were valid. I appreciate you giving your two cents, and reminding me of stuff I'd forgotten!
Tyufvfv: Maybe. A lot of people want the Game to remain a secret, so, I might evaluate that at a later date.
The Great Omen: Good catch. And maybe…I'll never tell :)
smirks-in-sarcasmic: Thank you! Percy is currently hurtling across the Atlantic like a pebble in a windstorm, but pretty soon.
Psionic108: Thank you! I'm glad to see my changes overall were accepted. Hope you like this chapter!
Han Is DEAD: What's up man! One of my OG reviewers right here…I'm glad the changes were good.
MattWorster: That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?
Posaitan: You know it. Sorry to hear things came up, but hopefully I'll see you on this chapter's reviews. Another day one!
JackBlaze123: Hey! You're one of my newer reviewers and I just wanted to say thank you so much. I really appreciate your insight into Aphrodite specifically, as she's the character I struggle the most with. I have concrete plans for her future, but some of the stuff you said gave me a good idea for how to tweak her some more in the earlier chapters, as well. I also appreciate the level of care and detail you put into your reviews…it makes me feel validated, lmao. Hope you enjoy this chapter.