DA : Chapter 65: To Break a God III
( Percy POV )
Percy formed out of shadows in the throne room of Mount Cartier, named as such to acknowledge their Canadian residence. He sighed as he rolled his shoulders, his hoodie falling back as his hair spilled free while Lamia looked at him curiously.
"Something on your mind?" Percy asked her as he glanced around the otherwise empty room.
"I was just wondering why you went so light on Ares is all?" she asked with a hand on her hip.
Percy shrugged as he looked away for a moment before answering, "I don't know. I've been thinking about all sorts of things I'd do to him but in the end … I guess I sort of pity the useless fool." Seeing as Lamia was still looking at him intently he explained further.
"Of all the gods, Ares was the closest to an animal. He just did what he desired which was either killing or fucking, he didn't have anything else so what could I do? I busted his ego when I was 12 and he mostly stayed out of my way after that.
He was tolerable as Mars but then again, to hurt him in that form would be going after the Romans – something we don't want to do. And hurting his body could only go so far. I guess in the end I just felt he really wasn't worth my time."
"And Tartarus was oh so gracious to handle his torture instead," Lamia said with a small but dark smirk.
"Makes me wonder what he had planned," Percy muttered but then thought better of it. Tartarus had eons of practicing the fine art of torture and breaking one's mind, and undoubtedly Percy was better off not knowing.
Lamia gave a hum of curiosity too but didn't press further as she looked at a small watch she hand on her wrist and gasped, "Oh, I'm going to be late!"
"Orphanage?" Percy called after her as she rushed off … forgetting she could just shadow travel there.
"Yes!" was the echoed reply before she was gone while Percy had a small smile.
In the three weeks that their city had been unveiled, a whole host of new life had been brought to it. Many of the released titans, nature spirits, and minor gods had taken residence, bringing with them their skills and newly instated domains.
For each arrival, divine or otherwise, an oath of citizenship was given to Styx on their domains and immortality rather than an oath of loyalty, to safeguard their new home as decreed.
With their oaths, each deity then went to Phoebe and, in her presence, rejected their ties to the 'West' only to be given new domains by Phoebe, ones not dependent on ancient territories like the Olympians.
However, unlike Olympus or Mount Othrys for the titans before, their city was not limited to only mythical beings, as proved by Leto's Orphanage.
Being a goddess of Motherhood and seeing the rampant need of children, both regular and demigod, Leto had asked the council to help her form an orphanage where she works as the head matron.
They gladly approved and within the week one was built close to the now flourishing market of the second district.
In another week over 30+ children had been brought through the assistance of some minor gods and the protogenoi themselves, some of them even young and forgotten demigods of the Olympians.
He chuckled at the thought of Chiron freaking out when the number of demigods making it to the camp started to fall.
"What's so funny?" He broke out of his musings to look at his sister having just arrived in puff of lavender smoke, her eyebrow raised in question.
"Nothing," he said easily with a teasing smile as Andy huffed before she gave him a concerned look.
"So … did you catch Ares?" she asked softly as she approached him.
Percy gave her an understanding smile, knowing what was worrying her. Even after all was said and done, Andromeda didn't want him to be part of the torturing. Being so connected to emotions, she was one of the few that knew to what extant his hatred for the Olympians went … and how dangerous it would be to let those emotions control him.
"Yes but don't worry …" he said softly as he stepped a little closer until they were inches apart, his hand tenderly cupping her cheek. "… I gave him his due but I'm not doing the torturing."
"Good," she said softly while leaning into his touch contently. They remained like that for a little bit, simply enjoying the rare moments that they had to themselves.
However he knew there was more to do so he let his hand drop and gave her an apologizing look before he turned towards his throne.
As he started walking towards it and grew to his godly height while his clothes shifted to his usual black jeans, shirt, leather boots, and coat of darkness with his wings springing out of his back.
Andromeda followed his example, her previous business attire changing to her skirt, long-sleeved shirt, thigh-high boots, and corset combo. Once seated Percy felt the feedback of his domain along with a surge of energy as usual, his mind quickly sorting through all the information.
Most of it was simply on what was happening anywhere currently in night time or winter, with bits about the world's wolves. 'Hmm … wolf packs in northern parts of Norway seem to be thinning out.
Might have to check into that,' he thought before focusing back on the throne room as he felt a familiar presence approaching. He looked to the entrance to the throne room as a wolf trotted in through the large archway.
She was a beautiful specimen with pitch black fur much like his own but instead of icy blue streaks, she had deep crimson streaks running down the length of her back and at her sides. Her yellow-silver eyes glinted with intelligence as power on par with an Olympian rolled off her.
As she trotted over and once out from under the archway, the she-wolf grew with every step. Soon her shoulders were almost at three stories in height, her sleek and toned body moving with grace even at the casual nature of her walk.
The she-wolf then stopped before him, dipped her head in respect, and then sat beside his legs to his left. Her ears were trained up, form set, and on guard even as he gave a slight chuckle.
"Lupa, I've told you before. You don't need to act like my guard all the time."
Lupa turned her canine head back at him, a mock glare in place before she said, "I'm one of your three Shadows now and as such, one of us should always be close."
'Like you three can't instantly jump to wherever I am,' he mused before saying, "Still, you don't need to be on guard and you are also a goddess. You have a seat in these chambers just like any other god in attendance," he said, gesturing to the rows of seats layered up before them.
They'd re-arranged the thrones from being in a U to a half circle while facing the new seats for easier meetings.
Really, her demeanor had Percy quite curious. He offered her freedom and she took it after some reservation, even going as far as willingly becoming one of his Shadows after he made the offer a few days later.
The odd part was that she wasn't initially this uptight about being around him … though he did note that she had a private conversation with Medusa and Lamia beforehand … wonder what that was about?
"Lupa, relax," he sighed noting the conflicted look in her eyes as she glanced at the seats further down. He then chuckled slightly and leaned forward to scratch behind on of Lupa's ears.
The goddess gave him a warning growl but he knew there was next to no heat to it. If anything, she only growled since Andromeda was there, otherwise Lupa would have happily obliged to a good scratching.
He would know considering he loves getting scratched in his wolf form as well. His sister in fact was giggling slightly while watching on, having probably finished sorting through her domain already.
Percy kept scratching Lupa for a few more minutes before she finally gave up being all tense and allowed herself the enjoyment of his ministrations before she slumped down and laid at his feet, one of her eyes still open to keep a watch.
Percy grinned at that but didn't try to tease her further as he felt the other protogenoi approaching. Each appeared in their preferred methods of teleportation, some a little showy. Once everyone was seated and finished their initial domain checks, he cleared his throat to get attention.
"Alright everyone," he started firmly. "Who would like to begin with their reports?"
Styx raised her hand first so Percy nodded, giving her the floor. "I've finished with the revision of all oaths within my office. Any oath taken before my ascension has been updated and strengthened."
That got a grim smile out of the council, all knowing now what that meant. Before, Styx's oaths were rather straightforward and once broken, voided. She also hadn't been able to drag gods to her river since she'd lacked the power and didn't have a link to the mortal world but now it was different with her lava lake within the mountain.
Now she could review any oath, the terms for which it would be void, and give the punishment she deemed fitting rather than destroyed souls for mortals and physical pain or loss of power for gods.
"So any particular oath you've redeemed?" Nico asked getting a dark grin from Styx.
"The Oath of the Big Three concerning heroes," she answered getting curious looks from the rest.
"They swore to never have an affair with a mortal woman again. With the use of never, it would mean that it can happen repeatedly and therefore the oath remains in place even after each of you," she said gesturing to the once demigods present.
"So, I decided to focus on the intent; no more demigods from them. Originally I considered having any current demigods on the way have their souls attacked by my waters and be still-born." She raised her hands to the shocked gasps she got from several of them.
"Relax, I won't since that's punishing the mortal mothers too so, instead, from now on, any time they try to bed a mortal, their genitals will feel like they're being dipped in my waters."
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
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