Perseus - The Forgotten God
Perseus was the oldest child of Kronos and Rhea, the first swallowed and the last released. After a spat with Zeus, Perseus finally returns to Olympus a few thousand years later. He'd limited his contact to a very, very select few people. Now that the heir of Kronos has returned, how will Olympus and the mortal world react to the changes that come with his presence? [Percy x Harem] [Polycule]
Secondary Pairing: Artemis x OC
Well, hello again everybody~ It's been a while eh? Well, anyway, welcome to my very first foray into the Percy Jackson universe, with an idea that is hopefully interesting, and not so cliche. In this, Percy/Perseus, is the oldest sibling of the Olympians, and I have already decided on most of his Domains/Patrons, and hopefully you guys will enjoy them.
For now, I have decided upon the following Polycule for him: Hestia, Demeter, Styx. If you have any ideas—barring Artemis, as she is already taken—please do let me know. Please have a well-thought-out plan for the girls to be in a relationship with not only Percy but also the other women who love Percy.
Also; this is my very first time trying to dabble in First Person. So I apologize if wording is wrong, or if its bad in general. I'll try to improve~
Thank you Reddit user: Husbandofartemis, for being an absolute legend and helping me out with this! It means a lot to me!
Chapter 1 - My Name is… Perseus?
Inside Kronos' Stomach, Unknown
I didn't know how long I had been in here. Keeping track of time was nearly pointless and even more meaningless within the prison that was my father's stomach. A prison that I was forced to call 'home'.
This wasn't a home—it was the opposite. It was dark, sure, relatively spacious, something I had to admit begrudgingly. It wasn't cosy; it wasn't even close to homely… it was just… a space I had to occupy, no matter how much I hated it or wanted to escape it.
Was this what I was destined for? To be forever trapped within this… this disgusting prison, forced into complete solitude? Kept within my father's stomach, at his complete and utter mercy, whilst I was unable to do anything about it?
My memories of the outside world were utterly hazy; sometimes, I even struggled to remember what it was like outside of my father's stomach. I couldn't even remember what the untamed wind felt like against my skin or what the sunlight felt like against my skin. I couldn't even remember what I looked like or what my shadow looked like when it was cast upon the ground.
But worst of all, I couldn't even remember what my mother looked like. All I could remember from her was the sound of desperate wails and pleas as my father ripped me from her bosom and forced me down his throat. Those screams still echoed within the back of my mind, constantly plaguing me with every passing second. But no matter how horrible it was to experience that continually… it was almost comforting.
In a cruel sense, it was almost like my mother was with me constantly in the darkness.
I tried to escape more than a few times, but every attempt proved fruitless. No matter how hard I tried to climb, it was just too slippery; there wasn't even enough space to attempt to dig downwards. It proved ineffective no matter how often I tried to force my way through the stomach walls. Even trying to punch my way through the stomach was useless; my fist would just bounce right off the fleshy walls.
Occasionally, if I focused hard enough, I could feel my prison rattle and shake with my father's movements. Sometimes, they were more violent, and at other times, they were often subtle, subtle enough that one could easily miss it. But with the time I had been trapped within here, I could feel the slightest twitching of the walls. I didn't know what he was doing, but I knew it was… something at least.
When those movements happened, I could also hear my parents' voices. My father's would be the loudest, considering I was inside him. It didn't sound like words; it was more like grunts and groans like he was running up a hill. On the other hand, my mother's voice barely even reached my ears at the best of times.
*RUMBLE*
My hands shot down to the floor of the stomach, the warm, slick and lumpy stomach that was both my bed and prison, and my fingers clenched down on instinct as my prison suddenly tilted awkwardly.
Suddenly, a hiss escaped from my throat as the tiniest little speck of light filtered down into my prison, nearly blinding me from the sheer brightness of this dim light.
"No!"
I blinked in surprise, my brain instantly fighting off the terrible haze lingering heavily, almost threatening to turn my mind into mush.
Was that…
Was that my mother?
"Not Hestia! Please don't, I beg you! You already took Perseus away from me; please don't take my daughter, too!"
Hestia?
Who was Hestia?
Wait a second… Perseus?
Was that… was that my name? I couldn't even remember it… just… how much had been taken away from me forcibly?
I tried rolling that name off my tongue a few times; it was almost like speaking a foreign language or mashing three or four sounds together. But no matter how odd it sounded coming out of my mouth, it felt… right, somehow.
Then, I blinked again, this time my brain finally comprehending what my mother's faint voice spoke out.
Daughter…
That meant… I had a sister! A younger sister!
But… that meant when I was feeling my prison lurch and shake violently…
My body suddenly shuddered; my mind was assaulted with images that I didn't want to even think about seeing… my father and mother…
Suddenly, my body lurched painfully to the side as my prison shook once again, only this time I heard something else.
*SLAP*
Did… did my father just… strike my mother!?
I could feel my heart thrumming against my ribcage painfully, and I could feel—and even hear—my blood rushing throughout my body. I could feel my muscles twitching and spasming in my arms and legs. Then, for the first time in a long time, I felt something other than despair and loneliness.
Rage.
I could feel white-hot rage suddenly sweeping across my mind, almost consuming me entirely.
How… dare… he!
Even if I could scarcely remember anything about my mother, my body still reacted. I wanted to hurt my father- no… he wasn't a father; he was a monster. No father would ever swallow his child, and no father would ever even think about striking the mother of his own children.
"Cease your infernal yapping, woman!"
Suddenly, all of that rage that had simmered within my body was quickly doused as soon as I heard that monster's deep, cold, cruel voice. Even now, it felt like the musty warmth of this monster's stomach was suddenly a raging inferno compared to the sound of his voice.
"Let me enjoy this delicious morsel you made for me~"
My prison shifted once again. This time, even more light slowly trickled down into it, barely lighting it to the point where I could now see the tip of my nose.
Huh, that was weird, seeing a part of my own body again, no matter how small it was.
Suddenly, my ears perked when I heard the sound of something unfamiliar… I listened to the sound of crying, desperate wailing, and frantic jumbles of words that weren't quite making sense.
Hestia…
"No! Please don't!"
*GULP*
Upon hearing that dreadful noise of that monster swallowing yet another child, I couldn't help but shudder, my body feeling cold and my mind instantly delving into the deepest part of my psyche and forcefully bringing forward memories of the time when I was swallowed.
And I just sat there in stunned silence for who knows how long. I felt my stomach prison shift slightly, and the pitiful amount of light graced the prison suddenly faded, once again leaving me in permanent darkness. The sounds of my mother's wailing cries soon faded afterwards, leaving me in complete silence to combine nastily with the darkness surrounding me.
*GULP*
With another sickening gulp echoing all around me, I could feel the goosebumps rising along my arms and legs. I could feel the hairs on my neck standing on end, and my breath hitched in my throat.
Then, it was silence once more.
However, that silence was swiftly broken when I felt something stirring up above, most likely in that monster's esophagus, I thought.
Then, the prison shifted slightly as my little sister, Hestia, continued her unwilling journey down that monster's throat. I can still feel the phantom tingles of that journey, how that saliva clung to my skin for an eternity before finally fading. How the muscles clenched around my body as I struggled with all my might, how it seemed to contort and shift around my body like it was trying to smother me…
I could only imagine what Hestia would be going through or how awful it must feel, especially with her being a woman.
It felt bad enough going through that as a male, but as a female, it must've been sickening and horrible.
As the lurches got more erratic and his stomach shook and gurgled, I suddenly gasped as I felt my prison expand before something dropped down into the prison, joining me in the complete darkness.
Then, the prison contracted tightly, almost squeezing my entire body into a ball. But I stood firm, unwilling to even think about submitting to that despicable monster.
The briefest moments that followed suit were the tensest that I could remember. Then, I heard it.
The sound of sniffling and the sound of uneven breathing.
Then, that sniffling evolved into cries. Cries of absolute agony, sadness, and an untold amount of pain seemed to resonate within my soul, giving me an introduction to another emotion that I didn't like one bit.
"Mommy! Help me!" I could feel the stomach walls wobble as I heard Hestia's broken voice, and I imagined her fist connecting with the walls, trying to get her way out. "M-Mommy… p-please…" Then, there was a moment of silence before the sniffling returned tenfold, and then I heard her start muttering, frantically and wildly, "No… no, no, no…"
Not wanting to let her suffer in silence, I finally made myself known to Hestia, "Hey, it's alright," I groaned lightly, fighting the urge to cough. My hand went up to my throat, and I rubbed it, doing my best to soothe the sudden pain that made itself known.
There was a brief silence, and I heard the subtle shift in Hestia's breathing and in her voice as she called out into the darkness, "W-who, who's there!?"
"It's alright, Hestia," I said once again, groaning as I forced my body to move and shift around in this damned prison, "I'm not going to hurt you," I said, hoping to reassure the girl who was now forced into this prison with me, "Just… keep talking, I'll make my way towards you,"
"Who… who are you?"
I blinked at that question, but that didn't stop me from shuffling around in the inky darkness. It was also surprising that she didn't seem put off by the fact that I knew her name, "My name is Perseus," I answered before chuckling softly, "I only just remembered my name myself,"
"Perseus?" Hestia's voice was faint, but I could still pinpoint her rough location, even if I couldn't see her. I couldn't even see a rough outline in this inky blackness, no distinguishable shapes forming in the slightest, "You mean…"
I had a clue as to what she was going to say before her voice quivered and her breath hitched in her throat, "Yes, Mother did say my name before… well… you know," I trailed off at the end, not wanting to say what had just happened to upset the girl once again.
"You're Perseus," Hestia repeated, a hint of shock in her voice, "Mother used to speak about you,"
"Really?" I questioned, surprised, "Good things, I hope?" I joked, resting my back against the lining of the stomach walls as I continued crossing the tight confinement.
Eventually, I felt something brush against my leg. Something long and supple, and… were those toes?
I was close to her, at least. Just a few more inches, and I'll probably be right next to her… even though I had no clue where she was, I still couldn't see any vague outline in this darkness.
Luckily, my little joke seemingly got a titter from Hestia. As soon as I heard that giggle, it almost felt like everything just… lifted from my shoulders; I felt… lighter and… happier.
It felt… good, in a nearly impossible way to describe in words now.
I decided then and there that I liked that giggle and wanted to hear more.
"Yes," Hestia answered, and I couldn't help but sigh in relief as it seemed like she had lightened up and wasn't wallowing in sorrow - for now, at least -, "She said nothing but the best of things about you,"
Suddenly, a shuddering breath left my throat as I felt a hand come into contact with my body. The hand was small and delicate, and I could feel her dainty fingers against my arm, pressing against my limb lightly. Then, a shudder tore through my body as I felt her hand slowly trace itself down my arm, almost like she was trying to paint an image of me in the darkness, "It's good to meet you, big brother."
Just hearing those two words sent me into a brief moment of shock. Yet, it made my heart thump against my chest, and for the first time in a long time, I could feel a smile forming, "It's good to meet you too, little sis."
Then, I felt my heart lurch once again as I felt Hestia's hand slowly lower onto the back of my hand before her fingers wrapped around the back of my thumb and her other fingers snaked into my palm.
Giving a reassuring squeeze to Hestia's hand, I could feel the warmth oozing between our intertwined hands, a pleasant warmth that was easily overriding the rank warmth of our stomach prison.
"So warm," I couldn't help but mutter, clenching my hand just a little tighter around the dainty fingers that were resting in my palm.
"You too," Hestia replied shyly, not phased by my grip. If she was, she wasn't saying anything about it.
Feeling her heartbeat ease from a panicked beating drum to something more akin to a gentle thrum, I couldn't help but smile again. However, that smile faded ever so slightly when I concentrated deeper, where I could feel her erratic emotions bubbling and festering deep within her. From how her hand shook subtly in my grip, I knew there was still a long way to go before everything was settled.
And that sparked something within me—something that made me feel like… I needed to do something to comfort this poor girl—my younger sibling—to the best of my abilities.
"Hestia," I said, still unused to conversing with anybody. I heard a slight hum, signifying that she heard me, "Lean over slightly," I said to her, gently squeezing my hand down so she knew which direction to lean over.
There was a brief moment of silence before I heard the distinct sound of something ruffling, most likely Hestia's outfit rubbing against the slick walls of our prison.
Then, moments later, a small weight suddenly planted itself right on my left shoulder. Glancing down, I hoped to catch at least something on my shoulder, but once again, I could see nothing, even with Hestia resting what seemed to be her head upon my shoulder.
"Found you, Perseus," I heard her murmur before I hissed softly as I felt her shift her weight around, placing a slight pang of discomfort on my body, simply unused to this kind of contact. Tingles raced up and down my spine once more as I felt her hair, slightly matted down and wet from being swallowed, fall across my chest and past my ribs.
"That you did," I said to her, carefully moving my arm around her back, trying to imagine what Hestia might've looked like to guide my arm along. Feeling her free arm across my fingers, I closed my palm over her arm before slowly pulling her closer.
Feeling more weight press against my side, I suddenly smelt something new.
It was a soft, almost earthy scent with a… smokey undertone. It was a pleasant smell and quite the welcome change from the musty odour that filled this prison.
"Rest for now, Hestia," I murmur, gently running my hand up and down her arm, digging deep into the recesses of my mind. A time where I could vaguely remember my- our mother, doing the same thing to me before I was swallowed, "Sleep and don't worry about anything… I'll be here, and I'll never let go of you. U-unless you want me to, that is,"
Hestia shifted on the spot, seemingly trying to find a more comfortable spot on my body, before her head fell into the crook of my neck, placing pleasant pressure upon my body.
"Promise?" she uttered quietly.
"I promise," I murmured before leaning down to rest my head atop hers, where I could feel my chin gently resting across her scalp, where her hair tickled under my chin and throat.
"Pinky promise?"
I blinked at that statement before I felt her hand slowly slip out of my grip. At first, I thought she would let go of my hand completely, but then I felt a small finger, most likely her pinky finger before it wrapped around my own and gave it a weak squeeze.
I paused for a few moments before reciprocating the gesture, "I pinky promise,"
With my promise sealed with a pinky promise, it didn't take long for Hestia's breathing to slow down, cute little inhales and exhales softly reverberating across the stomach, and I could still feel her body gently rising and falling as she slowly allowed slumber to take over her.
With my pinky finger still tightly wrapped around Hestia's own, my other hand gently rubbed her arm to comfort her even when in her slumber. I promise to keep you safe, Hestia. I'll never let anything harm you. I swear by my name…
Letting out a small yawn, I felt my eyelids become heavy. I did my best to stay awake but quickly accepted it as a losing battle.
Stifling one last yawn, I shifted slightly, trying to stretch out my legs as much as possible, before leaning back along the stomach walls and letting my eyes slowly shut.
For the first time in a long time, I fell into a comfortable slumber, not being plagued by the nightmares of being swallowed by my monstrous father.
END
Well, there you go, there is the end of Chapter 1! I hope you guys enjoyed it, please do let me know what you thought about it! I'm extremely busy with work currently, and in the process of trying to find a house to move into as our current home owners want to move back in :(.
