After arriving back in Atlantis, Artemis quickly fell back into a rhythm. Most of her time was still spent on being taught on underwater life and adapting to the foreign environment and the remaining time was spent on taking care of her domains. It was much less eventful than her normal life with the hunt but she was busy nonetheless.
While she learned, she noticed Percy and Triton on multiple occasions sparring and from the looks of it they were holding nothing back during those spars. She didn't know why the two brothers were fighting so much, they got along well from what she had seen before but they spent almost every waking hour locked in combat now. Had something happened? She didn't know. What she did know however was that their strength far surpassed what she had expected. Both Percy and Triton were on par with not just most minor gods but even Olympians.
Artemis turned her head to the side as a wave of power passed her, originating from yet another spar between the brothers. She hadn't talked to either of them since she got back, something she was a little upset about. While there wasn't much for Percy and her to do while they were in the hunt, now was different. The clock was ticking and they were ignoring it.
Just when the two princes went for another round, another deity of the sea showed himself. She recognised him as one of the minor gods that Poseidon had on his council and after just a few words from said god, both Percy and Triton dropped their weapons, the training swords almost magically finding their way back to the armoury before the two of them took off. With how secretive this was happening it was probably none of her business but now she was curious.
A pulse of power was all it took for the minor god to also notice her, eyes widening for a second when he realised what she wanted. Even from where she was, she could see discomfort pass through him before he resigned himself to his fate. He swam over to her and, without so much as stopping, lead her into the direction Percy and Triton had just disappeared into.
It took her a moment to catch up to him but as it turned out, that was futile anyways. He didn't answer her questions anyways and their destination was unsurprisingly the throne room of Atlantis so they didn't exactly take long to get there either. When they entered, there was a group of mermen gathered already, Percy and Triton at the front of them and the ruling couple opposite of them, Poseidon himself addressing the gathered crowd.
"...will be difficult and a journey of hardship but we will prevail and we will avenge our brethren that the cruel titan has taken from us!"
From the loud cheering Artemis could only guess that she had arrived at the end of a motivating speech and as if to confirm that, the gathered mermen slowly left the room right afterwards, only a few of them even sparing her a glance. Not that she cared, the mention of a titan was far more important.
Once the room was emptied out, Poseidon quickly put his focus on her. "Artemis, I take it you're curious about what is happening?" Something about his tone was making Artemis feel awkward, like a child on a tantrum. Technically speaking, this was actually none of her business and just involving herself in it was terribly nosy from her. "I'm sorry if I have intruded but I couldn't help but notice the military preparations. What titan were you talking about?"
The harm was already done so she might as well pull through at this point. Not to mention that she couldn't just ignore a potentially dangerous titan even if she wanted to. To her luck, Poseidon seemed to understand what she was thinking, giving in without much arguing. "Oceanus. We found his hiding place not long ago and will lead troops there to defeat him now."
She nodded, her gaze shifting across the room. She could see tension on both Percy and Triton and while she was less sure, even Amphitrite seemed on edge. "I must remain here to protect Atlantis and to ensure that Oceanus doesn't just run away when he senses me approaching. Can you accompany our forces to confront him?"
At this point it almost seemed like Poseidon had expected her to be nosy and had just waited for her to involve herself but maybe he was just good at improvising. At least she hoped that nosy and overly curious wasn't the image her uncle had of her. Regardless, she nodded. Artemis wasn't sure if Oceanus would actually stay to fight if he sensed two gods, one of which an Olympian, and one powerful inmortal approach but Poseidon seemed certain and so she decided to trust him.
She only received a thankful smile before the clatter of weapons filled her ears. The sound slowly gained a rhythm as she witnessed the Atlantean troops clad in full armour marching out of the city. It was their farewell and as if it was a victory parade, cheers came from all sides. She barely had time to react before a current pushed her forwards and to the back of the parade. Artemis wasn't alone either as the royal family went to join her, Poseidon and Amphitrite in the middle and Percy next to her with Triton on the other side.
Now that she was down here, the cheers had grown even louder and there was even a…coral bouquet (?) thrown towards the crown prince as they passed by. The entire procedure was an odd contrast to how she was used to marching into battle, everything being glorious and festive rather than serious and…dark.
When they reached the gates of the city, Poseidon stopped and let the rest of them go on as Artemis felt another current grab her. Together with the other three deities she was transported to the front of the army, now leading the group with Percy next to her. He was probably also the one controlling the current which she unfortunately had to be thankful for. Shameful as it may be, Artemis most likely wouldn't be able to keep up with the elites of Atlantis without his help.
Their march took a few hours, the destination still unknown to her. Percy had told her the name but she had never heard of it before so she simply followed his lead. He had also explained what was going on to her, telling her about the troubles Poseidon's domain was facing and the threat that Oceanus in particular still posed. Eventually though, he grew quiet and shortly after, the entire army did too. Artemis could also feel it, the ancient power that was filling the air.
Apparently this power wasn't what they were looking for though as Triton and Percy were both exchanging frantic looks back and forth, only calmed down when Amphitrite strode forward, taking the lead without further ado and only providing the simplest of explanations. "He cannot be here without leaving her side. All of this is but an intimidation."
Frankly, Artemis didn't know what that meant. She didn't know who 'he' was nor did she know whose side 'he' couldn't leave. But it was apparently an entity even the crown prince of the sea had to fear and so she wouldn't ask for his name. Drawing his attention could be a terrible mistake. Instead she just followed the queen of the sea who was now leading the way until they finally stopped again at the edge of a chasm. It took but a moment for the reason for that to be revealed too as opposite of them two figures rose from the depths and for once even Artemis was perfectly aware of who these two were.
"Oh how wicked fate is for our own daughter to lead the charge against us. Why couldn't that upstart Poseidon just come in person instead?" Even though he was masking it with a mocking tone, Artemis could sense that he was genuinely distraught about fighting his own daughter, even if just a little. She could sense his hesitation, his weakness. The same weakness was present in an even stronger form with his partner, the titaness not looking away from her daughter for even a second.
The same hesitation however wasn't found on their side and even as a goddess Artemis struggled to swim upright. Any Olympian knew that Poseidon's powers rose together with his temper, his emotions and that trait seemed to be something both of his sons had inherited as Artemis right now sensed power of Olympian proportions from both of them, the sea around them churning as their aura was hardly being restrained at all, no doubt also reaching the two titans.
That was when a bad feeling washed over her for the first time. There was no way Oceanus didn't know the extent of Triton's power. He may not know all about Percy but he had met Triton on the battlefield before, surely he knew that he was at a disadvantage here. Yet he still showed himself instead of running away. The titan had some trump card he had yet to play even though for now all they were doing was wordplay.
"Daughter, don't just stay a pawn to Olympus. We can pardon you and your son too, leave you unharmed if you just drop your blade. You don't know what's coming yet but you will die without us and I don't wish to see you die in such vanity. Look around you, you've brought with you not just your son but also a bastard, a result from your husband's infidelity. How can you stay with someone that disregards your love like this?" This time it was Tethys, trying to convince Amphitrite. Artemis could even understand the titaness as Poseidon had long since been famous for his many affairs just like her own father was. That seemed to not be an issue for Amphitrite though as the already strong current was now picking up even more, the anger of the queen of the sea showing itself.
Honestly, Artemis had thought that just like her own step-mother, Amphitrite was also more of a pretty flower than a rose with thorns, a queen to one of the big three that held not much power of her own. That assumption was apparently wrong though as the power she was radiating now exceeded even her own, coming closer to Tethys herself. "You will not speak that way any longer, mother. My marriage was my choice, my family my prized treasure and my citizens my pride. You will not speak against any of them." With every sentence, Amphitrite took a step forward, a terrifying edge in her voice as her power flared more and more until she stood before Tethys as an equal, now radiating as much power as the titaness.
For a second, Tethys stood still, mother and daughter holding a tension between them that was solely stopping a battle from breaking out. Despite them being the only two who were still unarmed, they would be the first to trade blows regardless. Yet something still felt wrong. If Amphitrite could match Tethys then there was no way the two titans would just come out to face them. They would never be so foolish as to just hope for their persuasion to work with no plan B. With how things were right now, neither Artemis nor the army behind her had any place in the battle anyways so she did the only other thing she could do: observe. Even underwater, far away from her domains, her senses were impeccable and beyond any of the beings here.
As she did so, she actually found something weird. Not on Tethys or Amphitrite, the two were still holding their stand-off with neither willing to give in just yet. Instead she found something on Oceanus, something that just didn't fit. It was nothing more than a sliver of aura but that sliver was all the more familiar to her, she just couldn't place her finger on what it was. The more she focused on it, the more it seemed to resonate with her, practically calling out to her. It was an aura she knew, that much was clear but just who? Who had an aura so eerily responsive to her own…her eyes widened as she finally understood, recognising her own domain far later than she should have.
"Stop!" Without a second of hesitation, Artemis grabbed Percy's arm, trying to pull him back with her godly strength. She didn't succeed but for a moment his focus shifted from Oceanus to her and it wasn't just him that she had managed to distract. She had successfully gotten the attention of every being in the vicinity including the mother-daughter duo. "There is another titan here."
It blurted out of her before she could really think it over and in an instant the atmosphere shifted. The troops of Atlantis were suddenly more on edge again, alerted by the supposed presence of a third titan. Triton and Percy were also looking around in high alert, trying to find the hidden immortal. Even Amphitrite seemed hesitant, unsure of how to proceed. Only Oceanus seemed to show the opposite reaction, a deep laughter coming from him instead. "Oh of course you would find her. Your senses really are sharp, goddess of the hunt."
He seemed almost delighted by the situation, glee clearly visible but…her? Surely, it couldn't be…"...her?" She couldn't keep the uncertainty from her voice, suddenly feeling much more insecure than she had just a moment before. "Did you miss her presence despite knowing her so well, Artemis? How cruel of you to forget her…" Oceanus' tone had shifted from gleeful to mocking and at the same time Artemis felt like her world was crumbling. Why did it have to be this way? Why, why, why?
By now Amphitrite was also slowly swimming backwards, gaze fixed on her parents. Three titans were dangerous but four were too much for them to handle. As if on cue, the currents around them changed, pulling them back towards Oceanus and Tethys. From where she was standing, the pull was still weak but she could see the soldiers further back struggle as they were pulled towards them with more force. She couldn't estimate it exactly but Percy, Triton, Amphitrite and herself would probably be able to escape and even bring some soldiers with them but the remaining ones wouldn't be so lucky. They had fallen right into a trap.
As if on cue, two more figures rose up behind Oceanus and Tethys and the moment she saw them, she knew they were doomed. Instead of the two titans she had expected to see, her uncle Lelantos and her mother, the two newcomers were her grandparents Coeus and Phoebe. At the same time she knew that Lelantos was definitely also there as she could clearly sense their shared domain of hunting and that inevitably meant that there were at least five titans here, six if her mother was also with them.
Artemis only had vague memories from her grandparents, having met them only once when she was still a little girl on Delos but even then she had been afraid of her grandmother in particular. From what she could tell they hadn't liked her either, at least they didn't show any affection throughout the visit. What stood before her now was however much more than simple dislike or disdain. Coeus was clad in ancient armour she had seen countless times, distinguishing himself as an archer even underwater while Phoebe was carrying a mace with heavy armour. They were ready for combat and she knew from tales her father and uncles had told her that they were powerful opponents, especially when together.
By now she had also taken out her own bow, aiming it right at Coeus, a gesture swiftly mirrored by the old titan. Next to her Percy also got ready to face Phoebe while Triton squared off against Oceanus and Amphitrite and Tethys resumed their confrontation. She knew from experience that once any of them actually clashed, all hell would break loose but for a moment they were just holding out, seizing each other up. Artemis could feel it as five different auras surged around them, the different deities of the sea preparing themselves for combat while she dove into her domain of hunting. Unfortunately she also felt it as Coeus and Phoebe reached for their domain and as they did so, both of their eyes flashed in a bright glow, their features changing in an instant.
"Brother, halt! Lower your weapon, we cannot fight them!" Even though it benefited them, Artemis couldn't understand what was happening right there. All of a sudden Coeus had turned from ready for combat to pacifistic and she couldn't understand why. She knew that his powers allowed for him to view fate's flow but no future she could think of had them victorious in this fight so his panic was unfounded for all she knew.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one feeling that way either as Triton and Percy mirrored an utterly dumbfounded look from each other while Amphitrite and her mother both were looking at each other confusedly while Oceanus was looking at his brother with something in between annoyance and anger. Most notable however was Phoebe who unlike everyone else seemed neither confused nor angry and instead stood next to her husband, her combat ready posture now relaxed and her arm slightly outstretched to stop Tethys if anything happened.
This also sealed the deal for Artemis as both titans with prophetic ability were in agreement with each other meaning that something about this fight had horrible consequences. Just a moment later, Amphitrite realised the same and also held up her hand, signalling the army to stop, including her son and step-son. It took a moment, none of the gathered soldiers really willing to lower their arms in front of Oceanus but the odd situation seemed to convince them at the end as slowly they relaxed their stances. Percy and Triton also followed Amphitrite's order, lowering their blade and trident respectively even though they kept themselves ready to respond in case of another shift in this situation. This was further aided by the current around them dying down as Oceanus and Tethys also released their hold on the area.
It was only then that Artemis noticed the eye contact between Oceanus and Coeus, realising that the two brothers were conversing with each other right now. She wasn't the only one to figure that out either as the two of them slowly drew the gazes of every other being present onto them until finally Oceanus broke away, swearing in the old titanic tongue that even Artemis couldn't understand. His source of frustration became apparent though when Coeus turned to and addressed Amphitrite in his brother's stead. "Queen of the oceans, please hear our request. We are willing to surrender to you and return as prisoners to Atlantis if you guarantee us an audience with Poseidon in return."
"Why should I believe that? You are known for trickery and intellect, uncle, what reason do I have to trust you?" Artemis couldn't help but agree with Amphitrite, not willing to trust the titan even amidst the current chaos. At the same time his actions were so odd that she just couldn't make sense of them at all, even if she thought of them as some scheme. "Because you should also know that we have no reason to let you leave here alive and there are just some things we know to be more important than our feud with Olympus. Fate promises our doom if not for that granddaughter of mine and her betrothed and we would be fools to throw that chance away."
So he knew the prophecy. She was also mildly surprised that he actually called her his granddaughter instead of moon goddess or Olympian. Just like her, Amphitrite, Triton and Percy also understood what Coeus meant and in a moment of distinctive action, Amphitrite nodded her head. "Very well, follow us then. Though let me warn you, if you attempt anything fishy I will send you to the pit myself, uncle…"
The queen let her words trail off at the end, stopping on a threatening note before gesturing for the soldiers to begin their march back, taking chains of celestial bronze from one of the soldiers right afterwards. "You don't mind us taking precautions, do you uncle? After all, some chains are far preferable to your doom, aren't they?" Artemis was really starting to like the queen of Atlantis. Amphitrite was truly a strong woman in ability and intellect.
So that was a chapter. I know that everything was a little convoluted here but that was mostly intentional too as I figured that Coeus and Phoebe both are known for their insight and being connected to oracles and fate so they would also be able to realise that Percy and Artemis are somehow at the center of the prophecy that foretells a possible defeat of Tartarus. In addition Coeus was in the pit not long ago so he would also know that Tartarus is getting stronger. Secondly it made sense for Artemis' titan side of the family to either hide in the far north where Coeus is strongest or with another titan to seek strength in numbers hence them staying with Oceanus.
Also the titans that Artemis originally expected to see instead of her grandparents were first her uncle due to detecting him through a shared domain and secondly her mother because that is naturally the female titan that Artemis should recognise before any other. I also know that Artemis also has an aunt but she won't be showing up here.
Anyways, this chapter was rather confusing and somewhat anticlimactic since there ultimately wasn't any fighting but I feel like this is more appropriate since both sides here are fairly intelligent and so them getting in a fight when rationally speaking they shouldn't be fighting would just be stupid. I don't really know if that was a good idea or not for the purpose of storytelling but I also don't want to just force events to happen either.
Please give some feedback on how you liked that decision (or didn't) and I'll see you next week!
-M