Welcome to Lord of Alaska! Sorry if this fanfic has mistakes. I will try to revise and edit as much as possible. Disclaimer: The characters and places that you know belong to Rick Riordan, everything else is mine.
This is part two of the second flashback. Thank you so much for all the followers, favorites, and reviews!
Kronos' Stomach
"Brother!" a voice called out from behind him. Perseus took a deep breath and shook his head, ignoring his sister. More out of spite than of actual hate, but he wasn't going to back down. The footsteps behind him quieted down. Thank god she hadn't touched him - the consequences to that were brutal. "Perseus," Hestia whispered.
His heart ached at the somber tone, and he turned around. "What," he said gravelly.
"Hades has had an important dream. If you come over, we can talk about it."
He let out a laugh, looking at his sister incredulously. "And how did Hades tell you? He cannot speak, no, he will not speak. If I come over, his muteness will be taken care of. Otherwise you two can wag your fingers alone."
Hestia took a deep breath. "First of all, his muteness is not a disease that needs to be cured. Our hand signs are a respectable language, Perseus. Will you 'cure' him by torture and harm? I will not let your pathetic parenting skills get close to him."
He smiled. "S you agree that I will not be going to your cave. Bye!"
His sister's lips thinned. She grasped her fists. But as he was itching for a fight, her blazing orange eyes dimmed with a calming breath. Why couldn't Hestia ever let herself be angry? She was always as calm as a stick! Perseus wanted to fight, but she would never and would forbid Hades from doing so.
The light disappeared - just like it did for Hestia and Hades. And it reappeared a moment later, just like it did when Hestia and Hades fell. A new deity, a new sibling was joining them. He looked at his sister, and they both ran to the center of the stomach.
A young female deity had already fallen on the ground, fully alert and conscious. She was not as young as the others when they fell, at least 200 swallowings old. She was carefully grasping a curved blade with golden hands, her brown hair tied into a bun. She looked… beautiful and deadly. Like a rose.
Once the deity looked at the two, she sighed and let go of the blade. "Thank gods I found you! Mother kept telling me that you could have already perished, but you survived! Where is the third one?"
She spoke with a special dialect, or was it just an accent. Weird. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Perseus asked. "And how did Mother speak to you?"
"I'm Demeter, goddess of agriculture and harvesting. My dad's is the piece of shit Kronos and my mom's Rhea. I'm their fourth child, or third if Hades didn't survive. Mother had hidden me in some island, but Kronos found me. I was caught and eaten, but way later than you three were."
"Was there anything Rhea wanted to say to us?" Hestia asked.
Demeter put her hand on her chin. "We couldn't talk a lot, but she did tell you that y'all were going to get out of here one day and that she loved you. But she did make me this beautiful sickle for my enemies. Wanna see?"
Perseus shook his head warily, Hestia doing the same. "Shame." Demeter frowned. "So, what's the plan here? Regroup at your base, gather Hades I think, and then escape using my awesome sickle?"
"I'm sorry, escape?" he asked. "The top is miles away, and nothing can get past these walls! Maybe that sickle can cut through the wall, but our father's skin will heal."
"I know that. But we can teleport out of here."
"Teleport?" Hestia interjected.
Demeter looked at them suspiciously. "I'll tell you later. Do we meet at your base or whatever now?"
Hestia looked at her brother as if to say is it your home? Perseus nodded reluctantly. "Yes, that is what we shall do," he proclaimed.
The cave was different than he had last seen it. It was full of vivid oranges and reds, with colorful hides and covers. It looked homely and comfortable, unlike when he had lived there.
Hades looked up from his bed. He had grown considerably, but his face was still startling white. Noticing Perseus, he got up and stepped away, into the shadows. The god of snow put his hands up in peace, staying close to the entrance. No need to broil into conflicts today.
"Is that Hades?" Demeter asked, her smile full of excitement. She looked ready to jump on his brother, either for food or for joy. She didn't seem that crazy for it to be the former.
Hades smiled and nodded, making gestures with his hands. Hestia said, "He says yes, and which sibling are you?"
Demeter waved her hand. "No, I understood him. I always understood everyone, animals or gods or men." She signed something, and Hades nodded.
"Right, back to business," Perseus said. They needed to stop using whatever signs and actually speak. "What is teleporting?"
"It's moving yourself to another place or dimension," answered Demeter. "A bit like moving objects with your mind. You ground yourself to one place, preferably on the ground, and then move your whole soul and body to another place. Somewhere you remember with distinct images, so you don't get lost."
"I did not know that was possible," Hestia said. "I have moved objects, but never myself. Let me try."
She closed her eyes, and a moment later Perseus was looking at a wall. His sister had moved about twenty feet away. A bright grin plastered her face, and she quickly disappeared and reappeared next to Hades.
"With teleporting, we can leave our father's stomach," Demeter explained. "We can be free, free Rhea of her marriage, and escape to the wild lands of Áyra or Tagarron." At the others' confused expressions, she added, "Lands in the mortal world. I forget that you were not brought up down there. But now that you know how to teleport, we can leave!"
His sister closed her eyes and wisted away for a second, reappearing right where she was.
Perseus frowned. "Did it work?"
"No. Something was blocking me. Let me try again." Demeter closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and left. Her body was back in the same second. "I can't get through! There is a barrier holding me back!"
"Let me try," Perseus said. He held back all his magic and spirit into himself and imagined himself in the Titan's throne room. (It was the only thing he remembered). He forced himself to bring his body away and go there, but a tall golden wall bounced back against him. He tried again, and the wall bounced him away, this time sucking his energy.
Hades signed something, but Demeter put up a hand and signed something back. Could they speak in a real language?! "Let's not tire ourselves of escaping individually," his sister said. "Let's all try together, so that our combined energy will overwhelm the barrier and let us escape."
The others nodded, and the four of them held hands in a straight line. Perseus let his spirit leave his body, seeing the other gods' spirits. He smiled and led them near the stomach's wall. Demeter put her hands out and pulled, combining all of their spirits into one sphere. Less surface area and more power for the wall to block; easier to get through. But when Hestia led them out of the stomach, the wall bounced back hard. They tried again, but even their power was no match against the golden barrier.
The gods' spirits dissociated into four and they returned to their respective bodies. Disappointment ran through Perseus' veins, but he knew that escape would not be so easy. He was not optimistic anyway so nothing would crush his hopes. He looked at Hestia, who looked sad, and at Hades, his melancholic self in the shadows. Was he okay?
He heard a sniff. Demeter turned around, eyes red with tears. "Let's try once more," she said softly, "and this time pool your energy behind me. All of our power should be enough to overcome the barrier, right?"
Perseus nodded. "Whenever you are ready." He gathered his energy and transferred it out of his body into Demeter's and waited for the results. A moment later, his new sister reappeared. It failed, just as he had expected.
A teardrop ran down Demeter's eyes. Then, she started crying, her wails echoing throughout. She fell to the floor and hugged her knees. Her tears wet the pulsing floor. Her golden aura dimmed, and she looked sick. Perseus had never seen someone cry, let alone a god.
Hestia ran to her sister, sitting down next to her. She whispered sweet things and gave a hug, letting Demeter's tears wet her top. Perseus looked away and let them have their moment. He found Hades lying down on the bed.
Maybe he could use this time to bond with his brother. Being mute was not the end of the world compared to his father's stomach prison. And learning those signs would be interesting. Perseus sat next to Hades and smiled. The mute god smiled back.
"I'm sorry," Demeter whispered. "I just thought that it would be so easy to escape that I didn't think we would fail. Rhea told me that I could lead the escape from here. But his magic and wards are too strong for us to escape.
"I should have fought back more when he took us. I could have won and run away to Nubia. They have fertile lands and farming. They could strengthen me to lead a rebellion against Kronos and free you. But I didn't fight. I practically jumped in his stomach."
Demeter coughed, holding out a sob.
"You did the best you could," Hestia said. "We will find a way out of here. And even if it takes us a million swallowings to do so, we will be free. And we will defeat Kronos, with the help of the mortals and gods in Nubia and Tagarron and wherever else. Do not lose hope, sister."
The goddess of the harvest smiled slowly. "What's a swallowing?"
"Perseus, why did you ward the cave from Hera?" Hestia asked. "She is still our sibling. Do not exclude her."
"Because she is a burden on us, dear sister. I was okay with four of us, five was bearable, but six is too much. I have already worked hard for the others, and I will not do the same for a sixth. Especially because Hera had not come from Rhea."
Poseidon had already arrived many swallowings/years ago, had seen Perseus as a role model and was always behind him. Hera was too much for him to bear, and she didn't deserve to be with the rest. No half-breed from a nobody nymph was going to fit in.
"For the last time, dear brother, Hera cannot control the circumstances of her birth. Kronos cheated, we all knew he would do it, but do not fault Hera for the sins of her father."
"I am not changing the ward, Hestia. Only children of Rhea will be allowed inside. If you want to meet Hera, you can, but it must be outside the cave. Bring the others, or accompany Hades who already sneaks out to meet her."
"And why do you get to decide who goes in and out of the cave? All of us call it home, so let us put Hera's acceptance into the cave at a vote."
"It was my home first. I have lived here the longest. And Poseidon will surely side with me. And I do not think Demeter wants Hera here as well. You will lose."
"And I take care of everything. This cave would not function without me. I am the literal goddess of the home, so let Hera into our home!"
"Filth will not enter my home, Hestia. My wards will not be changed or broken. If you disagree with me, you can go ahead and fight me. I am the most powerful here, but that shouldn't deter you from fighting for what you truly believe in. Or create a new cavern for you and Hera, but that means forsaking the cave."
His older sister flinched and stepped back. "That is unfair, Perseus. You know I will never start a fight and that our oath prevents us from being far apart."
Perseus' eyes softened, but he stood firm. "Then you agree that Hera will be left out of the cave."
"You make it very hard for me to love you, brother. You will never gain friends if you act this prejudiced or antagonistic." Hestia turned around and left.
His disapproving sister gone, Demeter entered. Her brown locks framed her angular face, and although her eyes frowned at him, she smiled. Perseus walked forward and planted a kiss on her lips, grabbing her waist. She pulled his head closer and pushed tongue into his mouth.
Demeter stopped. "I do not like what you keep doing," she said, her breath still heavy.
"I know. It makes these decisions worse. I am doing the best I can to protect us, but nobody thinks so. Hestia thinks accepting Hera will make things better. But doing that will not erase this golden wall."
"Why must you think of the bigger picture? Nothing we do will get rid of our imprisonment, so let us live life happily, not grumpily. And Hera is our family, our sister. She is suffering right now, with nobody to comfort or protect her."
"There is nothing she needs to be protected from. There are no monsters."
"Which is why you keep leaving her out. Your heart is not that wicked to leave your sister to fend off monsters."
"I hope not. My heart has led me to be kissing you right now," he said, kissing Demeter again.
She laughed against his nose and pushed him onto the bed. "And my heart is leading me to do more than kissing right now," she purred. Perseus snapped his fingers, sealing the room's entrance, and waited for Demeter with lustful eyes.
The light at the top grew stronger. That's what Hades had signed to them, his respectful ass giving them privacy in the room. After he and Demeter got dressed, they joined the others. Hera was there already.
It wasn't like a new sibling falling down. Then the light would be dimming. If it was shining brightly, did that mean… No, it was not possible. Kronos was too strong for this to happen.
"If the light is bright, is something from here getting sucked out there?" Poseidon asked.
"Right, that's dumb. It would never happen," Poseidon replied dejectedly at Perseus' shaking head.
"No, you may be right," Demeter said. "I can sense the golden walls being weakened. Something has happened to weaken our father."
"I agree!" Hestia agreed. "If the barriers are weak, our power will be able to break us out of here."
We could reach Rhea and the real world, Hades signed. Even his mute self looked optimistic about this. Let's try to escape, he signed.
"Hades is right," Perseus said. "Join hands, and follow the drill about teleporting. Even you, bastard sister."
They all held hands, Hera and Poseidon at the ends. Perseus held all of his body and energy into one spot, and made his soul and energy leave. Seeing his siblings' souls with him, he traveled to the wall and placed the six into a sphere. Less surface area and more power for the wall to try to block; easier to get through.
He pushed. The wall pushed back. He pushed again, with the others. The wall pushed less. The six gods pushed again, concentrating their energy into one spear to penetrate the wall. Finally, the wall did not push back. Waiting for a whoop, the made-up spear pushed again, creating a hole in the wall. They poked and prodded, and soon enough, the magical barrier gave away.
They had torn down the ward.
Perseus was free.
He was free, for the first time in his life! He was no longer trapped inside his father! Now he could roam the world. He could settle wherever he wanted. Whether it be Tagarron or Nubia or the icy lands up north.
Perseus could do whatever he wanted wherever he wanted. He was free. Fucking Free! He screamed and sobbed. He was fucking free! F r e e! Thank Chaos and whoever for this curse now gone!
Testing his luck, Perseus teleported out of the stomach. His eyes closed from the bright light, but he opened them. A yellow object, the sun, glared at him. He looked around, at his father who had collapsed against a chair, at a Titaness and another God.
This was real. "Am I free?" he asked.
The stranger God nodded hesitantly. "Almost. But even though Kronos is poisoned, the other Titans are right behind. We need to leave right now. Tell the siblings to leave now."
Hestia appeared next to him, carrying Poseidon. "Don't worry, they have no reason to stay inside," she said. "Who are you, again?"
"This is Metis, a good Titaness. And I am Zeus, youngest son of Kronos and Rhea. I will lead us to freedom and glory. Mark my words, Kronos will perish."
Who could say no to that?
Here is my fifth chapter of Lord of Alaska!
Summary: An older Demeter arrives with a plan to escape by teleporting. But Kronos is too strong, and the siblings cannot escape. While Perseus and Hestia argue about letting bastard sister Hera into the camp, Metis and Zeus frees his siblings. Zeus promises to lead them to vanquish Kronos.
Why is Hades mute? Because I wrote him to be like that and for different representation and imperfect gods. He has selective mutism and hates talking, but prefers signing (I love ASL). Also, he's just mute, not deaf.
Áyra is an altered ancient name for Iraq/Iran, the origin for the word aryan. Tagarron is the modified ancient name for Spain, and Nubia is modern-day Sudan. Making up names for places is so fun!
Hera is a child from wedlock, yay. If Kronos was that bad to eat his children, cheating on his wife isn't a reach. He still ate Hera because the prophecy said his child (didn't matter if it was Rhea) would overthrow. Hera and Poseidon were swallowed at the same age as everyone else but Demeter.
Have a great day and let's all Mystify!