Chapter 2

The youngest Hesperide spoke up, "It's simple. Ladon has been assigned by Hera to guard them, yet the purest of souls will be able to garner an apple without any hindrance."

"He does?"

"Indeed, though it has never happened before," another Hesperide answered.

Perseus looked down, glaring at his hands. They were torn, scarred, and bruised. Worst of all, they were shaking. He couldn't keep his composure.

Somehow, he pushed himself up. Perseus shivered against the wind. He felt so weak.

"Try your soul, Hero," she urged softly, guiding his hand to the apple. With her other hand, she stroked one of Ladon's heads. The Guardian calmed under the Hesperides influence.

He regained a sliver of hope.

A steady hum rose in the sky as Perseus reached for the apple. The fruit glowed warmly. The simple light of the apple slowly healed Perseus. He stretched out his fingers, and the apple descended from the tree, inching towards Perseus' outstretched arms.

Suddenly, he touched it.

A flash of piercing light blinded Perseus.

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking rapidly.

Perseus found him gazing into his former home, Athens, in all its former glory. He walked down the streets, reminiscing about his past. It was only a few days ago he was here, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

He walked up the stairs of his house, but when he reached for the door, he simply phased through the door.

Perseus numbly accepted the fact, ignoring how light-headed he felt. He turned, facing the living quarters.

He almost collapsed.

There stood his mother, clothed in all her dignity, breathing, alive. She smiled, and the gentle dimples on her cheeks widened. It brought back so many memories.

"Mother," he gasped, stepping closer to the woman. He spread himself into her embrace, but he simply fell to nothing. He turned, sobbing quietly. This was just a vision. She wasn't real.

"Now, Percy," she chided. Only she would call him Percy. Still, the name was like a whip against his bare back— it was a reminder of everything he lost.

"Stop," Perseus trembled. "You're dead?" It was meant to be a statement, but he sounded so uncertain, so hopeful.

"Yes, you knew it was to come," she said. Her chin was slightly raised. She sounded so confident it just widened the sense of loss inside of Perseus.

"Shh," she breathed, kneeling down to his eye level. "Be strong, like I taught you, but more importantly, be wise." Her warm, hazel eyes flashed with a glimmer of tears. "Your father is proud, more than you'll ever know."

She reached out with her hand, grazing his worn cheek with the back of her hand, but unlike before Perseus felt her touch. The loving, deep touch of a mother. Perseus closed his eyes, letting himself quiver like a child.

But of course, it didn't last.

Suddenly, Perseus was kneeling before an enormous throne. It was gray, slightly lighter than the shadows around it. Two ravens sat on the two individual arms of the throne. They were a dark shade of purple, but more interestingly, their eyes shone with wisdom.

Still, all that didn't compare to behemoth on the throne. His hair was a bright blond, like the men of the north, and his eyes were a piercing gray. They broke through every part of Perseus' soul. Scars littered the man's body, and his hands were calloused.

"Father?" Perseus questioned meekly.

The man frowned, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Did your mother not tell you?" He blinked, cocking his head to the left.

"I am not your father. I am Coeus, the Titan of the North, Intelligence, Farsight, Wisdom, Heavenly Oracles, and the bearer of the Heavenly Axis," his voice resounded in the empty chamber. "One more that few know of, I am the Lord of the Golden Tree. I decide your worth, Perseus."

Perseus managed to bow. "What must I do?"

Coeus leaned in. "Stand and listen. Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt. She is prideful, like the rest of the Olympians. She and her band of followers roam across the forests."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You will do what your father does best. Hunt down Artemis, steal her bow and return to the Garden. The moment your foot enters, I'll bring you back here. If you succeed, you will be my immortal right hand, at the height of glory and power."

He paused, a small smile hinting his lips. "However, if you fail, you'll likely get castrated or simply mauled," he chuckled darkly.

Perseus breathed deeply, it was a lot to take in. One thing caught his interest though. "You spoke as if you know my father, who is he?"

"You remind me of him," the Coeus reminisced, his eyes seeing the days long past. "His name is Lelantos, the Titan God of Air and Hunting. He is my son."

Perseus' eyes widened. "Grandfather, I will do as you command."

"Good, now—"

"If I may," Perseus interrupted. His silver eyes flashed.

Coeus narrowed his eyes but stayed silent.

"Where is he? Where has he been? I don't have the faintest idea of how he looks or acts! Why did he leave my mother?" His voice rose steadily, but it ended in a whisper.

Coeus' gaze softened. "Percy," he said the name like his mother did, with the same compassion, it made Perseus feel weak. "There is so much of the truth that you do not know. One day, you will; I fear you'll learn much too soon of the cold, harsh truth of the world under the Olympians.

"I am proud to say Lelantos fought beside me during many battles, but we still fell. Your father, my son, was imprisoned on a distant island away from civilization and society. Through a shipwreck, your mother found the island. There, she met your father, but of course, she couldn't stay. She didn't have a choice."

"She was the second woman your father ever glanced twice at. The first was his immortal wife, but she passed in the war. He loved her."

"T-Thank you," Perseus choked out. He felt a deep pang in his heart. At least someone out there cared for him.

The Demititan made a silent vow to one day find and free his father.

The Titan exhaled, waving his hands dismissively and instantly, the vision faded.

Perseus fell onto the ground with a soft thud. He was surrounded by tall thick trees, part of his body hidden by the dense grass underneath. Silver eyes darted around as he tried to remember everything that happened.

The Hesperides. The Tree. The Apple.

Except, this time, he wasn't in the Garden of Hesperides and this time Perseus felt no pain. He felt whole, like he was given a second chance.

The Demititan looked down and was surprised to find new attire. He wore a cloak that flowed behind him, and pants that were fitted against his skin. The garb was colored into a mix of forest greens, blending in with the scenery.

Under the cloak, he wore a thin layer of silver armor, but over the cloak it was invisible. It offered some protection while minimally restricting his movement.

He wore a quiver on his back, stocked with numerous silver tipped arrows, but they were limited. Suddenly, Perseus realized that all his mother taught him would become useful.

Perseus reached behind him to find a bow, strung to the quiver. He traced his thumb along the edge of the bow. From his mother, he knew it was a fine bow. It was made of a dark wood, like the trees of the Garden. He placed the bow back upon his back.

In addition, a canteen of water and a few morsels of food were tied onto the quiver. Enough to last two or three days, a little more if he rationed Perseus guessed.

Two scabbards with throwing knives were positioned on his thighs. He drew one of the blades, weighing it in his hands. Perseus smiled softly; it was weighted to his preference. The blades were silver, reflecting his eyes.

Finally, the Demititan found a dagger attached to the side of his shins, just above his ankle. Unlike the other weapons, the dagger was hidden, and if not for the weight of the blade, Perseus wouldn't have found the dagger. Like the throwing knives, arrows, and his eyes the dagger was silver.

Perseus sipped a little water, exhaling. He looked down. I can't do this.

The thought was overwhelming. It was all so overwhelming. One moment he was sleeping comfortably in his mother's villa, another moment and he's serving a Titan, his own grandfather!

Perseus kneeled down in the grass and tried to piece himself together. He breathed deeply, letting everything just sink inside of him.

He picked himself up, took up his surroundings, and began walking up a ridge. First, he needed to find a higher vantage point to locate water and a community. He'll deal with that for now.

Perseus steeled himself, wiping the sweat off of his hands.

Suddenly, from the treeline behind Perseus, someone threw a large stone, hurtling straight for the Demititan. He didn't have to react. Perseus stumbled, falling forward, he ate dust.

A woman stalked out of the trees, tossing a spear between her hands carelessly. She had striking blue eyes and golden hair. Her skin was tanned with many days under the sun. Still, she didn't strike Perseus as one of those townswomen, spending their days flaunting their partner's wealth.

No, she walked like a huntress. Perseus turned pale. She wore the garb of the Hunt. She's coming to finish what they started, he thought.

He managed to stand, but before he could draw weapons, he was sent sprawling to the ground with the end of a spear.

"P-Please," Perseus stuttered, blinking rapidly. He tasted the dirt and the blood.

"What are you doing out here?" The woman asked harshly, kneeling down beside Perseus. She positioned her spear inches from Perseus' neck.

"I was hunting," Perseus gasped, pushing himself into a crawl away from the blue-eyed woman. Thankfully, she pulled back her weapon.

"So was I, but the storm threw me away from my companions." She paused, standing up. "Well," the woman scoffed. "Where's your game? I'm hungry."

"I was forced to drop it in the storm," Perseus lied.

"As was I." The woman's features softened.

It was then Perseus realized how beautiful she was. Her golden hair brought out her blue eyes, and with her no longer being angry, allowed him to notice just how breathtaking she was. Looking down, he remembered the silver attire. "We could hunt together."

The woman raised a perfect eyebrow, making Perseus think she was considering it. "No, you're likely incompetent. A burden. It'll be easier to just kill you," she decided.

"No, wait I've been hunting for years now," he lied. "My father taught me."

"My mother and sister are home by themselves right now." Another lie. "If you kill me, they will starve to death!"

The woman studied him like a hawk. Like she was waiting for him to give off any notion that he was lying. Apparently, she found none, as she turned away and said, "So be it. It'll be much easier to hunt with a partner."

She cringed as she said partner, but it was so stupid that Perseus couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "I'm Perseus," he introduced, extending his hand.

"Atlanta," she answered, narrowing her eyes. They flickered down to his hand before returning to his face, "Drop your hand, Perseus, or I'll drop it for you."

He quickly withdrew his hand. He opened his mouth to apologize but she turned around and returned to the trees she came from. Perseus exhaled, glad to be alive.

"Great. Glad that we know each other," He said to no one in particular. He followed after her, a part of him dreading the next few days to come, but another part of him was excited.

A/N: This is all we have for now. It's already capturing your attention though, isn't it? Yes, this is the same Phoebe from canon, but an AU version. She isn't the pairing. We don't have a list of ideas or anything, so let us know who you would choose to be the pairing. We're not choosing Annabeth, just to let you all know. Also, we're not feeling a Pertemis story either.

Hope you all have been enjoying it so far! Tell me what you think!

-Tech108