A GOD's Alternate Paths:
Chapter 1: A Trip To Camp Half-Blood: Part 1.
Camp Half-Blood.
A place where demi-god children born from a Greek God parent and a mortal one could seek safe refuge, protected from monsters and invaders alike, as they were trained to better fight and defend themselves, as well as their fellow campers.
It was home to an archery field, a sword fighting arena, and a climbing wall with lava for training, along with an amphitheater for entertainment, performances and sports, stables, an armory, and what campers knew as the Big House, where all administrative concerns were dealt with.
Located on the north shore of Long-Island, which was in the southeastern part of New York, in America, it was a spot secluded from the rest of the world, via magical means, so as to not be so easily discovered.
Cabins also dotted the place, dedicated to each of the fifteen Olympians, as well as numerous other Gods and Goddesses of comparable or lesser significance, when compared to those most well-known, who ruled upon Olympus. The total, as of now, amounting to a hundred.
Olympus itself, being a magically concealed pocket dimension that changed location with the 'heart' of western civilization, having started out above the mountain of the same name, in Greece, before eventually moving over to where it was in modern day. Conveniently close-by to the camp itself, which was right above the Empire State Building.
Getting back to the cabins, though, they were also another home to the various half-blood children within the camp's borders. Whoever your Godly parent was, that decided which cabin you stayed in.
A few cabins, however, despite being sublimely maintained with their own unique décor, were barren of any demigods to stay in them, and had always been, on account of said deities never having any children with mortals, or in other cases, having not had any with a mortal in a very long time. Long before the establishment of Camp Half-Blood.
This short list consisted mainly of Goddesses that one would expect, such as Artemis, who was a prime example of having never laid with a mortal – though hers did play host to her hunters, whenever they paid a visit.
There was one male God, however, who shared this distinction with them, which made him stick out like a sore thumb, compared to his fellow male deities.
In the ancient past, there were plenty of those who had claimed or been claimed to be his son or daughter through a mortal mistress, all across the world, due to the weight his name carried.
Such claims were either unfounded, demonstrably proven false, or in the case of a select few, considered controversially plausible, due to how much he supposedly favoured them, but were otherwise still contested by those who believed there to be alternate explanations for such favour from him.
This of course was all assuming you believed or knew the Gods were real, anyway. If you didn't think they were, then all claims of descendancy from him were a hard no, for you.
Nevertheless, the first of these names that arose, was Atalanta. The legendary Greek demi-goddess who'd, according to some, bested Herakles and various powerful deities in combat with her unparalleled skill and might, and was stated by a few to be considered so strong that, even in her elderly years where she'd weakened greatly, was someone most deities wouldn't dare mess with. Either because of her dad, herself, or both.
Then there was Alexander the Great. King of Macedonia and conqueror of every region he'd gone to war against with his army, including all of Greece, the entirety of the Achaemenid empire, and all of India. He too, had lived to elderly age, and for a while, had ruled the largest empire in human history, before dying peacefully in his sleep.
And finally, Julius Caesar. Conqueror of Gaul, of Egypt, and of many other territories, including his home of Rome itself, whom he became the first emperor of. The man maintaining a strong rulership over it and all his other conquered territories in an empire that rivalled Alexander's in size for decades before he too died peacefully in his sleep. All after successfully crushing an attempted coup and assassination by his once fellow peers in the senate, all of whom had been executed for their hubris and treason.
It is said that upon each of their deaths, by those who believed them to be the children of this God, that all ascended to full Godhood and took a seat beside him, upon Olympus.
He was considered widely as the mightiest of all the Gods, both feared and respected for his power, as well as adored by many and loathed by others.
He was a complex figure, with sources varying wildly and inconsistently on his character, more so than any other deity in the pantheon, which said a lot.
Depending on who you read from, they could speak of how he was a totally just and loyal being who set a proper example for others to follow.
A setter of laws, with or without his trusted council, Themis, by his side, who sources disagreed on whether she was his wife, a lover at one point, or their relationship was always strictly professional and platonic.
A protector of women and virgins, while a harsh judge that came down without mercy on those who would dare try to defile them. And so good was he at this, supposedly, that even Artemis and her hunters personally sought him out and did everything they could to maintain his blessing, for there was nothing that provided better safety for them.
Someone who punished those who earned it and rewarded those most deserving.
A patron of the refined arts, who sent praises and blessings to those who produced the best.
A gourmet of the finest foods, who also gave similar praises and blessings like the previous, to those who produced the best, while encouraging those who did lesser to improve.
A God who, unlike his contemporaries, was forever faithful to his spouse, who also varied depending on who spoke his tales, never cheating and never laying with anyone else but said wife.
A good father, cherished and adored by his children, and just as good a brother, son, grandson, etc.
Others, on the complete opposite end, fewer as they were, spoke more of him being a force to be terrified of, for he knew nothing of fairness, and would destroy them on a whim, if they so much as irritated him slightly.
They said he punished for flimsy reasons, and rewarded those who stroked his ego, playing favourites with mortals and Gods alike.
They said he was a glutton who gorged himself on food and drink, not hesitating to eradicate those who gave him a poor meal, and threatening those who made good ones that if they didn't honour him by consistently feeding him well and satisfying his palette, he would obliterate them, too.
They spoke of him being incredibly lazy and irresponsible, sleeping through important matters and delegating every duty he should be responsible for, to other deities because he couldn't be bothered to do it himself.
They spoke at length of his perversion. Of how he cared nothing for remaining loyal to one being, and had taken multiple Goddesses, along with mortals, as his wives. All varying, both in who they were, as well as the number, depending on the writer. Ranging from as low as seven, to as high as dozens, bordering around a hundred.
They told tales of how he'd had his way with various Goddesses and mortal women alike, not limited to those he took as spouses, both willing and unwilling, wed or unwed, cucking Gods and men all across the aisle.
His list of lovers, which could stretch obscenely wide, depending on the source, including various peasant girls, well-off maidens, princesses and queens, when it came to mortals.
And for the Goddesses? His own sisters, daughters, cousins, nieces, mother, aunts, grandmother, grandaunts, and even his great grandmother, if counting all of said sources. Not that such distinctions between them mattered, when the Divine lacked DNA, to begin with, but still.
A select few within that pile even asserted he'd had similar relations with Hypnos, the God of Sleep, on account of how much he seemed to adore partaking in slumber, with a passion that only Eros could grant. A few within that few even raunchily asserting that such a union, usually sensual in nature, was what had really resulted in Dreams of every variety existing.
Then there were those who were more in the middle, not leaning towards either side and seeming to just take from both at random, to get what they thought was a more 'balanced' take.
And finally, there were the rarest few of all. Those who went completely off their rocker into places no other side dared go, with either of their cases, speaking of tales so outlandish or out of the norm of popular thought during their time periods, that they could only have come from fringe cults and their personal beliefs.
And considering how absurd the more accepted tales of him were, that really spoke volumes.
This God they all spoke of, was none other than the universally recognized ruler of Olympus, and of all Gods and Man, according to the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
The Usurper.
The Era-Shifter.
The Destroyer.
The King of the Universe.
The one and only, Lord Beerus.
It was his cabin, which Chiron, the immortal centaur who was the activities director of camp Half-Blood, and famed trainer of ancient heroes of Greece, as well as now a trainer of modern demi-gods within the camp, found himself stopping by, in his usual attire. The pathway mostly empty, other than himself, with just a few demigods further off, chatting amongst themselves.
It was a building made of marble that was essentially a downsized version of his palace on Olympus, but with a few added touches on the outside, such as the solid gold double doors as big as the ones on Zeus' cabin, which were seemingly painted mostly black.
Mostly, because when one looked closely, during the day, they could see the occasional twinkle of distant stars within, and during the night, this became much more pronounced, being full of them, with even nebulae and galaxies being visible.
A nod to Nyx, with whom the destroyer was known in most sources to be on good terms with, viewed and respected highly by him, even in writings that painted him in the more negative ways. So much so, that her own cabin was placed right across from his, just as large and majestic.
The outline of his cabin's doors was a pale gold colour, and around the centre, in descending order, were three diamond shapes, the first two white, the last one orange. All of which glittered and shone prettily, when night fell, and the stars within bled through them, lending a cosmic feel to any who viewed them at bedtime hours.
Right by the doors, on either side, were massive, sublimely detailed, bronze statues of seated, prideful-looking, fierce lions that appeared as though they were guarding the entrance. The cat considered most sacred by the destroyer, according to many, out of honour to his mother, Rhea, with whom he was exceptionally close, and who also considered the lion sacred to her.
Above the doors, but below the roof, was a statue carved into the marble surface, of an aggressive and regal-looking, ferocious peacock.
It was fully coloured, with the 'eyes' of its feathers bared as though it was ready to do battle. A way of honouring his youngest sister, Hera, as many knew the bird was her sacred animal. The Goddess who enjoyed the distinction of having more sources than any other Goddess, even if only by a few, agreeing that she was his wife and queen.
On either side of the peacock, one could also make out the small carvings with figures on them, depicting multiple events that happened in the past, all coloured as well, which involved him and his brothers.
These included Beerus and Hades locked in a position that made it clear they were wrestling each other, more for fun and entertainment than anything else, with Persephone seated nearby, watching them do so alongside the toddler that was in her lap.
Then there was Beerus and Poseidon – armed with his trident – arguing about something, it seemed, before right next to them, two horses appeared that were seemingly racing the other. One purple, the other turquoise.
Both were on the lefthand side, leaving room for the last, which covered practically all of the right side by itself.
It was one depicting Beerus and Zeus, seemingly locked in an intense battle, and showed off four different points during it. One where Zeus had Beerus' bent over with his head locked in a standing chokehold by his side, another with Beerus kicking Zeus in the face, the third with the two clashing forearms, vying for dominance, and lastly, the most eye-catching of the lot.
It was one of Beerus in a stance, prepared to swing his blade, whilst Zeus was leapt up in the air, thunderbolt in hand, ready to hurl it down upon him, while the rest of the Olympians off to the side watched in awe.
Along the walls all around, in certain areas, were moss and vegetation, which even from a distance could be smelled, and struck one with an instant degree of familiarity to nature, and of the earth itself. A nod to both his sister, Demeter, and the primordial Goddess, Gaea, who the majority of sources agreed he also was very close with.
Atop the structure, was a resplendent hearth, with painted statues of the God himself and his sister Hestia seated by it, with the latter smiling at him and stirring the contents, and he smiling back at her, with a hand outstretched, as if to bless her.
One of the scant few things all sources agreed upon universally, regardless of his portrayal, was his bond to his twin. Something exemplified wholesomely, with such imagery.
Were this any other day, where Chiron had paused before his brother's cabin, it would be to gaze with a small sense of awe and nostalgia, before moving on to his duties in camp.
This was not any other day, though.
There was a colourless pressure around the building, today. One that made the very air and space around it thrum. And one which had Chiron, who stood several metres away, on-guard, as this had never happened before.
"What in the world…?" The centaur muttered to himself, hooves clacking against the stone path, as he cautiously moved closer, curious and confused, as to what may be going on.
This question was answered soon, though, when the doors to the cabin, which had always remained shut, began to peel open, much to the trainer of heroes' shock.
They made no sound themselves, despite their size, for they were like the vacuum of space itself, where all was silent.
A figure appeared behind it, obscured at first by the doors and the wind, which surged forth with a purple and gold hue, an extension of his overwhelming aura, forcing the centaur to shield his eyes momentarily. It also halted any conversation from the demigods nearby, and forced them to brace themselves a bit, as they were caught off-guard by it.
"What's going on!?" One of them, a twelve-year-old daughter of Hermes exclaimed, as her hair whipped back.
"I don't know, but this freaky wind is giving me chills!" A fourteen-year-old son of Ares replied.
"I-It looks like it's coming from… Lord Beerus's cabin?" A sixteen-year-old daughter of Aphrodite noted in surprise.
When the wind and aura calmed, and the son of Kronos lowered his arm, he was greeted with the sight of a being he'd not been expecting to see in person, any time soon.
He wore the same pure-white, above-knee-length tunic as always over his tall, pale-skinned, incredibly muscular form, with long purple hair flowing down passed his shoulders, which looked well-groomed. His shining amber eyes looking as sharp as ever, piercing through the space between them and striking Chiron with shock, as his mouth fell open and eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.
"L-L-Lord Beerus!?"
His shrill exclamation was enough to not only reach the stunned demigods nearby, who were outside, but also those within several other cabins, who would no doubt be drawn out quickly, hearing Chiron scream so uncharacteristically.
The God of destruction grinned at his elder brother, arms behind his back, as he stepped outside, allowing the doors to close behind him. "Long time, no see, Chiron. Been a while since you and I last saw each other."
He then gave a brief glance down with some amusement. "I must say, I haven't heard you scream like that since you took an arrow to the knee. Did you get shot by one dripped in Hydra blood again by another of Zeus's brats, perhaps?"
"N-No! Not at all! Thank yourself and the other Gods of Olympus I haven't been so ill-fated." The centaur immediately denied with a tremble in his voice and a vehement shake of his head. Bullets of anxious sweat falling from his temple, as he demonstrated this truth by effortlessly moving around with all his legs, without impediment.
Something he could only do now, because of the intervention of the very God before him.
"I-I'm just surprised to see you here, is all." He said, voice still quivering a little, as he worked to calm himself, seeing that his younger brother was thankfully in a good mood. "You usually don't venture out from Olympus, these days, unless it's to visit another country."
And scare the piss out of whatever foreign deity he came across, if he did, in the process, before sitting down somewhere there to enjoy their local delicacies. Highest quality, of course, as he wouldn't settle for anything that wasn't the best they had to offer.
There was never any conflict when he did this, because of the divine non-aggression law in place between pantheons, which Beerus had agreed to. So long as he didn't cause too much of a ruckus, all was fine.
Not that any of said deities from other pantheons would be able to do anything about him, even if he did. They were just lucky he was a God of his word, because he could – and in the past, apparently had – single-handedly dispatch of the most powerful Gods in a different pantheon, if he wished to, without so much as breaking a sweat.
Bottled chaos, he was, at the worst of times.
Then again, that could be said for much of their pantheon.
"Yes, well, I thought I'd pay this place a visit. Never bothered before, despite having my own cabin specially designed for it and that other camp, so I thought, hey, why not? See how everything's going, and maybe get some decent grub, while I'm here." Beerus shrugged.
"O-Oh! I see!" Chiron nodded nervously. "Where would you like to go first, Lord brother?"
"Well, I was planning to just wander around, see what caught my attention, but seeing as you're here, I might as well have you show me around." He smirked. "You don't mind that, do you?"
"Oh, no, no. Not at all!" The centaur shook his head, kneeling on his back legs as he gave a respectful bow to his younger brother. All the while, his ears picked up the sounds of several cabin doors opening and many feet flitting about.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Why is Chiron bowing like that?"
"Who is that guy next to him?"
"Must be someone really important, for Chiron to be bowing to him like that."
"Has to be a God, so I wonder whose dad that is? Because I've never seen him before…"
"Dunno, but he looks super-hot! I wonder if he's single?"
"Well, being a God, I'd imagine he gets around, when he pleases, lookin' like that~!"
The surprised – and in some cases, from Aphrodite's daughters, horny – whispers and murmurs came forth from all over, as many of the demigods flooded out into the open, as the centaur had expected they would.
"Heh. Not the brightest bunch, I have to say. You'd think they'd be quicker on the ball, than this, especially given how you just yelled my name, like that." Beerus commented with some slight amusement, as he swept his gaze around the wide assortment of Half-Bloods.
They came from all walks of life, of just about every nationality and skin-tone, ranging from as young as six, to as old as their early twenties, from what he could see.
And all of them carrying the distinct scents of their Godly parents, making them fairly easy to identify, in case he forgot their names. Which in all likelihood he would, as there were far too many for him to ever bother keeping track of them all.
"E-Everyone, quiet down!" Chiron raised his voice over the wall of mutterings and comments, catching all of their attention. "It's rude to gossip about someone like that, when they're in earshot! Please, all of you, show some respect! Show even more than you would for your Godly parent, when they visit on the weekends!"
The demigods were fast enough to obey, hearing the seriousness in the millennia-old trainer's voice, though there were still some murmurs that could be heard amongst the assembled crowd now surrounding him and the destroyer.
"Oi! What's all the hubbub about, Chiron? Why are all of these brats just standing around and blocking the path?" A familiar male voice piped up grumpily, and Chiron could only groan at the timing, whilst Beerus perked up a bit, with a wider smirk.
Making his way through part of the crowd of demigods, who were wise enough to get out of his way and not annoy him, Dionysus – or Mr. D, as the campers called him – stepped into view. The dark-haired Olympian decked out in his typical leopard-print Hawaiian shirt and blue shorts with purple running shoes. A firm scowl on his face.
And then he saw Beerus and froze in place, almost dropping the can of juice he'd been drinking from unto the ground.
"Ahaha. Look who decided to join us!" Beerus chuckled. "And here I'd thought Zeus was pulling my leg, when he said he'd made you of all people camp director as punishment for that whole Nymph incident!"
"Oh, fuck me..." The God of wine cursed underneath his breath, as he glanced away. "Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse…"
"What was that?" Beerus narrowed his eyes, having heard him perfectly, despite the distance and the lowness of his voice.
"Ack! No-Nothing, uncle Beerus! Nothing at all!" Dionysus suddenly flinched back and stuttered out nervously, as he looked back and waved a placating hand to the destroyer, much to the shock of the onlooking demigods. Comical fear blooming on his face and his widened eyes, as sweat suddenly beaded down his pudgy features, much like it had Chiron's. "Please, forgive me for my rudeness. I meant no disrespect!"
This reaction, so out of the norm of what the Half-Bloods were used to, only reignited their mutterings, now louder than ever.
"Holy shit, did Mr. D really just apologize for being a dick, for once?"
"He looks terrified!"
"Not even Lord Zeus could get him to act like that…"
"Oh man, he's actually shaking in his boots!"
"Wait guys, am I tripping, or did Mr. D just say 'uncle Beerus' there?"
"No, you're right! He did!"
"But, doesn't that mean that guy is…"
"Heh. Took them long enough to catch on." The purple-haired deity remarked with a hint of humour, as he saw realization dawn over the faces of the assembled demigods, with much of them turning their astonished gazes back to him.
"Boys! Girls! What did I just say about gossip!?" Chiron called out, raising his voice louder and more aggressively this time to push out over all the demigods, as he turned and swept his gaze over them.
They all quietened down again, but most couldn't help but stare at the God beside the centaur, whom they were all seeing for the first time, outside of art or statues of him.
"Everyone, please listen. It would do you well to be on your best behaviour today, for a most honoured guest, one I know most of you have heard and read many a tale about, either amongst yourselves or by your parents, but have never met until now, has just graced us all with his presence." The centaur continued.
Damnit. If there was ever a time I'd need a drink, it'd be now… Dionysus thought to himself with a grimace, lamenting his inability to conjure wine, because of his father's punishment, as he let Chiron say his piece.
"I would ask that you do your level best to let all your fellow campers know of his arrival for me, for it would not look good on us to have anyone here disrespect him, because they're unaware of whose presence they are now in!"
The centaur swallowed a nervous gulp, hoping that nothing would occur to ruin Beerus's mood.
Chiron had faith that Beerus wouldn't go as far as to destroy any of the other Gods' children. Not unless any of them managed to really piss him off, anyway, like Tantalus had, which he doubted any would be dumb enough to do.
But still, he wasn't keen on dealing with a displeased destroyer, if things managed to go south, here.
It was like that old saying Apollo had come up with, when last he'd angered him and been punted so far off into the sky, he became the first recorded case of a 'shooting star' to the early mortals of the time, during the middle of the bloody day.
A happy Beerus was a good day for all.
An upset Beerus could fast turn into the stuff of nightmares, if things went poorly.
He was paraphrasing that, as the exact wording escaped him, but the meaning was still the same.
Don't be an idiot and earn his ire. Keep on his good side, and he'll treat you well.
"Please, let all your fellow campers know, that as of this moment, we're playing host to Lord Beerus himself. The King of Olympus!"