The man, draped in dark and heavy cloths, watched the king and queen with disdain. He needed them for a time—a period which was drawing to an end—but now the Basileus was useless now, and he had to be removed. He was powerless over the young priestess and the new demigod, whom he believed to be much more powerful than a slight fisher boy. For once, there were no servants or guards in the grand rooms, not even the head guard Kleitos.

Donoban stepped out of the shadowed hallway and ghosted into the room, eyeing the pathetic mortals and their surprised expressions. Cassandra held a goblet of wine, which spilt slightly when she jumped. Achas, already red in the face from too much consumption of the red drink, stumbled away from the Achiereus. Both royalties were affronted by the priest's unannounced entrance, and only Cassandra knew the power behind the man's unseen eyes.

She quickly drew herself up, a small quiver of fear trembling her hand. "Donoban! What gives you the right to enter the royal chambers without a summon?"

"Be quiet," Donoban ordered, though his voice remained neutral.

Vasilisa's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. Achas grew redder in the face and raised a trembling finger against the high priest, but he was not shaking with fear, simply unable to hold himself with strength from the sickening alcohol. "I order—" the king began to slur, but Donabon whispered a small word and the Basileus choked on his own words.

Again the king tried to speak but found he couldn't speak without intense fire preventing his words. He clutched his throat and fell against the marble table. His clouded eyes glistened with fear.

"I have taken enough orders from you, Basileus mon." Donoban stepped closer to the king, ignoring Cassandra completely. He heard a slight, wheezing gasp escape her lips. "I no longer accept your claims of power, I have come to far to be hindered by a rogue such as yourself."

"Donoban—" cried the queen. She was clutching her heart, like a pain was filling her chest. Half of her weight was relying on the strength of the divan she had previously been occupying. "Don't do this. He mustn't die yet."

Unfeeling black eyes fell on the trembling woman then back on the silently collapsing king. "He mustn't live. Pharmake, anistasthei."

The king's body arched, his previously silent choking became pained screams. He fell to his knees, his limbs twisting grotesquely until even his fingers were broken. Snake-like veins grew from his paling skin, the ink black encircling the basileus's throat. After seconds of uncontrolled movement, the king fell motionless for the last time, and the poison that had been coloring his veins dissolved into a pale pallor of death. Donoban stepped away from the corpse the moment the captain marched into the chamber.

Kleitos fell to a stop as his eyes fell on his deceased king, roaming the room with disbelieving anger. Donoban had continued his retreat to move beside the queen, consoling the shaking woman.

"He is dead," whispered the priest. "I was unable to send Hermes away from this place."

"And how is it," Kleitos began slowly, "that you are here before the inner guards have even heard the news?"

"I sensed the presence of Thanatos, a very unnatural feeling. He was here prematurely, but I did not know why so I merely followed the deity. Sadly, the reaper was here for the king's soul." Donoban glided away from the queen and watched the body of the king, all of his movements reminding Kleitos of a poisonous snake. "I should have known."

"Why?"

"The boy, Perseus, came to me just hours ago. He asked me of herbs." Donoban faced the captain and regarded him with emotionless, black eyes. "Certain herbs that could cause the heart to stop beating. I had no idea he would use the knowledge to commit such a—heinous crime."

Kleitos laughed mirthlessly. "I doubt the boy would be daft enough to ask someone how to kill a man hours before committing regicide. He would have to be more mindless than a cyclops!"

Donoban began to sneer but the movement shifted to a lipless smile. "You yourself have commented on the boy's intelligence. Or lack thereof it seems." The Achiereus moved to the side of the fallen king and dropped two coins over his eyes. "And of course you realize the severity of this act." He faced the captain again.

Kleitos froze and raised his eyes enough to see the queen, who had yet to utter a word. Her cobalt eyes were burning with fear and pain. Her normally poised posture was curled into herself, and every aspect of her body cowered from the cloaked priest who was murmuring the last rites over her husband's corpse.

"With this—dark death, Adonis will be unable to rule until the traitor is brought to the gods." Ileitis rested his hand over his right chest, allowing his head to fall in respect and acting as though he was taking the pain of the kingdom onto himself. "I will rule in the absence of the Cranaus ruler, with the guidance of the gods of course."

Kassandra's head snapped towards the priest, but before the man could return the look, her gaze fell to the marble floor, kowtowing to the man.

"I will summon the guar—" Kleitos began.

"No. My personal guards will find the castaway and dispatch him. I have already given the order."

"There must be a trial! He may not be the killer!"

"Do you doubt me, Kleitos?" The four words echoed in the chamber as the high priest stepped closer to the greying captain. "Perhaps your loyalties are with the wrong family..."

"My loyalties are to the state," Kleitos growled, but he caught himself and lowered his eyes respectfully. "And to its regent."

Alexandra reclined on her divan, servants brushing through the golden, tangled curls. Her hair was wet, her clothes and skin smelling of rosemarinus, but even as the herb calmed her, the voices echoing through her mind did little to satisfy her fatigue. As a child, she had heard them, the whispering leaves from the world beyond. Sometimes they murmured lies to women in order to trick them into a stranger's bed, all for the amusement of a sprite, but sometime they spoke of destinies and the rising sun of the next day. His was the loudest, whenever he spoke, the sky would shake and shout tumultuously.

At that moment, no one was whispering, no voice was breathing the stars or clouds of the following night. They were shouting, screaming the injustices they were unable to prevent, not only in the past but in the future as well. The Princapessa could not decipher the words, which resulted in her pounding headache and the feeling that made her want to mount a horse and ride into the cresting waves of Poseidon's domain.

Her revery was shattered by an old friend's sudden appearance, but instead of a smile of greeting, Kleitos grasped a girl by the arm and threw her into the hall. The other servants scurried out of his way, fearing the old master, and hurried out of the room. Callisti made to leave as well but he caught her wrist as she went by. He dragged her back to the center of the room, harshly, and threw her into the edge of the marble table.

"You stay," he commanded.

"Kleitos, what are you doing?" Alex cried. "You can't just burst—"

"You must go."

The princapessa stopped before a small smile tugged at her lips. "We just got home, Kleitos. Don't you remember? Or is your old age reaching your mind?" She ignored the throbbing pulse that tore up her back, ending at the base of her skull. A child's voice giggled in her ear of the seriousness of the matter.

He growled loudly and impatiently. A small twitch flared in his left wrist, and he grasped the appendage, silencing the movement. He glanced over his shoulder and rushed closer with such movement that was so unlike him, both girls watched him with apprehension. "You do not understand," he whispered. "Donoban. He has poisoned the Achas. The king is dead."

"Kleitos!" Alex said sharply, her golden eyes burning with indignation. He may not like the man, but deriding the priest like that was forbidden. Blasphemous. "Do not speak treason!"

"I am not mistaken. Achas has taken his two coins." Kleitos stepped closer, arms outreached. The motion was more threatening than comforting, not at all like the actions of the man from her childhood. Alexandra pushed away from him, her hand covering her mouth.

"If what you say is true—" and the voices were true...

"It is."

"—then Adonis is—"

"No, none of Kassandra's children sit upon the throne now." He swallowed. "Donoban has declared Perseus the murderer. Achiereus has given his own personal guards the task of killing the boy. They will find him soon."

"No!" Alexandra shouted fiercely. Her outburst startled Kleitos, causing him to step back a pace. "The gods did not decree this. Percy is no ordinary boy."

Kleitos grabbed Alexandra by the wrist, intending to send her after Percy, but instead remembered Callisti cowering in the corner. He grabbed the other girl's arm and gave her a slight shove towards the hall of the chamber, ordering her to collect rations and preparations all the while leading Alexandra to the bed chamber.

He found the last of Callisti's plain dresses: a simple white cotton with nothing but a small rope to fit the fabric. "Put it on." Again, Kleitos rubbed his wrist, moving up his arm.

Callisti returned within minutes with two full packs ready for a long journey. Armed with flat bread and hard goat cheese, blankets, and some coins, the serving girl observed the two exchange last goodbyes.

"Find the boy. Leave the city. I have asked a guard at the wall to look the other way. You can trust Leonos. He is a friend."

Before Alexandra could fully comprehend his words, he drew her into a fleeting hug, pressing an icy dagger into the princess's hand, the coldness prickling the skin of her palm. "Go," he whispered hoarsely.

The serving girl took her mistress's hand, and they raced through the halls, ducking behind pillars whenever guards happen to be patrolling. At first thought, they found Percy's rooms, but he was not there. Instead, the furniture was turned, and what little decor that filled the room was smashed and broken on the marble.

"There's no blood," observed Callisti. "But where is he then? If he is not dead?"

Alexandra silenced her friend with a look and stared out of the palace windows. She knew Percy was not fond of all the pampering and fuss, but he had not been there long enough to establish a known habit. Still, she had an idea of where he would hide when wanting to be alone—or avoid the guards.

"Come."

Again, Alexandra found herself watching her Athenians from behind the marble columns. Keith's had been correct in assuming Donoban wouldn't tell the rest of the guards until his personal army took care of any opposition from Percy. The palace guards were simply patrolling the halls as commanded.

The deeper into the palace the two went, the fewer guards Alexandra saw. The less cared for side of the palace held the untouched gifts, unneeded supplies, and stores of any equipment the royals had ever owned. It was also where a small pool of water had collected to create a shrine of offering to Poseidon, although it was not officially claimed by the priests.

"Percy!" Alexandra shouted as she turned the last corner surrounding the pool. Percy, who had been resting with his hand in the water, jumped to his feet like he had been caught in his most vulnerable moment, but once he saw it was just Alexandra and Callisti, a lazy smile spread across his blushing face.

"You see, there's this thing called knock—"

"Donoban has claimed you responsible for the death of Basileus. His guards were ordered to behead you on sight. You have to leave."

Percy's smile slipped off his face as he registered what was said. He continued to gape blankly until Alexandra snatched his hand and began to drag him back through the stone passages.

"Theoi Mon, move your own feet, ho blaz!"

Callisti stayed ahead of Alexandra and Percy, looking around corners to make sure no one was coming. After all, no one would question a servant roaming the halls late at night. She began to move faster the closer they came to the atrium, and as soon as she dashed into the open, hands reached for her: one clasped her mouth, the other crossed her chest to grasp her shoulder.

In one swift wrenching twist, her neck snapped. The princess didn't even have time to cry out before her friend's body rested on the stone floor. The eleven guards stepped over the corpse and created a semicircle, blocking the grand opening of the palace. From behind the wall of soldiers, the priest, wrapped in black and grey cloaks, stepped through his men and observed the dead servant before the princess still gasping air from her loss

"Alexandra, come away from the boy."

The girl couldn't even breathe, her eyes unmoving from Callisti's form. It wasn't until the voices grew so loud it was as if an entire amphitheater was telling her to forget the child that she was able to draw breath again. Her eyes snapped to the murderer and she drew a level breath.

"What are you doing, Achiereus? This is treason—"

"The only treason here was committed by him," Donoban indicated Percy, and then his finger fell to Callisti. "And her. Aiding the assassin flee the scene of the crime is punishable by death. Now, come away, Alexandra."

"You do not give me orders, murderer!" snarled Alexandra. "And why, pray tell, would Perseus kill my father?"

"You do not seem surprised by the king's death, even as it is not yet known," mused Donoban, with a rancid smile,. "Perhaps you conspired together. Tired of waiting in the shadows of your half-brothers? Wanted power and love?"

"I am a priestess of the Olympians! I have taken vows and would never betray everything I stand for as you have!"

"Oh, but I have not betrayed what I believe in. On the contrary, I have simply acted towards the future this world needs."

Alexandra turned to the soldiers, hoping to play on the fears of the gods. "You all have betrayed the memory of Achas Cranaus. Donoban has turned to the gods of death and darkness. And if you continue to act upon Donoban's orders, you will have betrayed the Olympians."

Donoban's conniving laugh broke through her anger. He took a step closer and whispered, "Poor Princapessa. No power to turn the heads of men." He turned back to his men, "Alexandra Cranaus is a traitor to Hellen and our gods. Kill them—"

Abruptly, Donoban stared fixedly on something behind the priestess, his voice loosing all silk and power. One by one, every pair of eyes fell on the same place, the arm that was extended in front of him. Percy held the leather guard in his hand, grasping the back of his forearm at the same time to promote the rigid scar of a trident that glowed against his tan skin.

"I am the son of Poseidon and Neptune, god of Sea and Storm," he proclaimed loudly. "And I swear upon my father and the sea that I will kill anyone that tries to harm us."

For a moment, no one dared move, until, "curious," Achiereus purred. His black eyes still gleamed with envy and cupidity, the orbs still focused on the trident. "It is true."

The priest backed away between his soldiers and continued, "no matter. The gods will soon perish, their bastard sons with them."

Donoban's men charged, drawing their swords as they crossed the marble atrium. They were ready for Percy's warning, his threat of death, but they were not, however, prepared for the boy to raise a broke sword in defense. The golden blade caught each steel sword in opposition, and each deflection drove the soldiers back in fear. Even Donovan, who stood away from the sword play, watched with mild trepidation and shock.

Alexandra fell to her knees as she avoided a stray guard's sword. Her mind was solely focused on Callisti's body. But she knew the girl was already dead, there was nothing she could do, and she even heard the slight flutter of wings and whispered condolences of the Winged Messenger. The priestess fumbled with the small parcel of coins, dropping more than half of the contents in order to rest two coins directly on the girl's face.

"To Elysium, my friend," Alexandra whispered, hopefully praying Hades would hear. A guard had noticed the exposed princapessa and lunged for her, but Alexandra had rolled away in a second. She grasped the cool knife before her.

"I swear to the gods I will kill you if you touch her!"

"Now, now, Alexandra. What was the first thing I taught you in the order?" Donoban's voice cooed over the cacophony, giving the illusion that he was in every corner of the chamber.

Alexandra continued to retreat, her gaze fixed on the man who opposed her than on the voice that haunted her mind. It wasn't until his hand fell on her shoulder and his voice whispered in her ear that she reacted. "Never make a promise you will not keep."

She was moving before she even realized, and the thin dagger that was in her hand was driven into the priest's gut. The ground shifted beneath Alexandra as she comprehended what she had done. Scarlet water already had begun to flow from the thick cloaks. Blood spattered the white marble floor like drops of rain.

But Donoban's face was not pained. He was surprised and irked, but his expression remained blank when he began to pull the knife from his flesh. However, his attempts were halted by Percy, who brought the hilt of his brilliant, bronze sword down on the man's head. Percy sneered manically at the priest. Alexandra fell to her knees, the marble stinging them harshly.

"We need to go," Percy whispered softly albeit urgently.

"Callisti." Even to her ears, Alexandra knew she sounded distant, weak, pathetic. Her voice was thick, and it was hard to speak through the swollen feeling. Without the immediate threat of Donoban's and his men, the pain of Callisti's death, her father's death, her lost country crushed the breath from her lungs.

"The other guards will have heard the fighting by now. Alex, we have to go."

Alexandra felt an arm lift her to her feet, and she nodded, her eyes still glued to the corpse.

Percy continued to support the majority of Alex's weight, not trusting the girl to keep moving after everything. He even was holding onto the pack of rations, but he was surprised to see Alex wasn't even crying. She only stared ahead of her with steadfast determination and pure hatred, refusal to look back.

They stepped into the courtyard—where only a few days ago he had been welcomed by the king, where now he was being hunted by the acting king. Percy sighed. How times change. Percy looked around wearily.

"Where are all the guards?" He was almost loathe to ask, but percy guessed knowing was better than not. Alex shrugged.

"Maybe the king's death was revealed. They would have been called to the throne room before being sent after you—after us. Those men who killed—they were Donoban's personal guards, but if he can control all of the soldiers..."

They took two steps at a time, stopping every other moment to check if any guards had come from the main palace yet, but it wasn't until they reached the base of the Acropolis that a mass of soldiers flooded out of the castle. They turned to continue down to the lower town, but more soldiers were marching up the stairs uniformly. Percy had the sudden urge to swear profoundly, but Alex snatched his hand and dragged him to the edge of the Acropolis, towards the temple Percy had cursed a couple nights ago. Percy thought momentarily about not wanting to die at the foot of the statutes under their disapproving stares.

"Alex—" He recoiled against her push towards the temple, but her resolute eyes overpowered his resistance.

"Trust me."

Percy believed the journey to the center of the labyrinth was shorter than the first time, or maybe, he pondered, it was the hundred men chasing them with swords. The main chamber was the same as before, with the smell of incense in the air and the looming gods and their shadows glaring at the mortals. The only difference was the darkness that seemed to crawl out of the corners, and the echoes of the hundred men lost in the temple's passages.

Immediately, Alex broke away and placed Percy in the center of the circle on the floor.

"Stand in the circle and do not break the line." She ordered forcefully, a determination that could burn down cities. She grasped something in her palm, waiting and watching the entrance to the temple. As soon as the army cautiously stepped between the pillars, they parted for Donoban, who glided in with his face set in a sneer.

"You have tested my patience enough. There is nowhere else to run."

"I warn you: do not come closer." Something about Alex's voice changed. Percy saw the object she was grasping so tightly was actually the chalice from the night before. She was holding it behind her back, her hand reaching into it.

"You forget I trained you, girl" Donoban spat. "There is nothing you can do that I cannot trump."

"And you forget, Master, that we are not one with the gods. Only servants."

"I am no servant. Maybe Kassandra was right. Maybe the time of the gods is over. Time of the mortals?"

"The immortals will always avail," she hissed, crying an indiscernible hex and casting the red dust to the floor. As the dust spread, blood-red flames licked the marble and engulfed the small worshipping hall. The fire burned cold, the red flames crackling gold, like the laughs of the immortal beings observing from their pedestals. The temple was completely concealed by fire, and his body fell prey to its burning flames.

They were both heaving for breath. Having ducked into a crook to avoid the passing patrols, they were pressed hard against each other in between the stone buildings. Alexandra refused to let her thoughts wander to Callisti, to the horror that had become of the Athenian rule.

Once the light of the guards passed, again Percy and Alexandra were leaping down the millions of steps. It wasn't until after they reached a safer distance from the looming palace that they stopped for a breath. They were just on the edge of the city, the lowest part of the city where there were fewer shops and more houses filling the streets. A dying torch nearby illuminated Percy's form in full, his freshly washed hair gleaming in the firelight, his clothes fairly untarnished from the skirmishes.

"Now you're the one staring," Percy attempted mirthfully.

Alexandra stepped closer to him and breathed in softly, confirming her fears. "You smell good," she stated agitatedly. At that moment, she was not interested in the minor details, although she knew that would be the reason they were caught. Percy, however, did not share her thoughts, as he quirked an eyebrow and gave her a half-amused smirk.

"Is that a complement?"

"No. Rosemary is imported across the Aegean," Alex replied.

Percy stared back blankly.

"It's expensive. Only royals or the richest merchants would bathe in it enough to smell like the plant itself." She explained grueling lay, and mockingly, slow, and finally Percy began to understand. He fingered his tunic, the soft fabric blemished by dried blood.

"So the tunic..."

"Is an obvious sign you are not aloof fisher's son."

Alex glanced down at her worn servant's dress. She figured it would do for the moment—there were no visible blood stains and the only holes would only add to the illusion of a pauper. "We must find you some clothes."

Percy nodded once before sticking his head around the corner of the block house. He motioned for Alex to wait then slipped into the night, returning shortly in a different tunic: a rough looking sheet of brown with a fraying rope.

"I left a coin, don't worry. Besides, the tunic I left should cover the cost of these rags itself..." Percy broke off, tilting his head as if trying to listen to the faintest sound. "Do you hear that?"

Alex mimicked Percy's stance and closed her eyes. At first, she didn't hear anything besides the beat of her pounding heart and the outraged deities, but then she picked up in the rhythmic pounding of drums and the baying of hounds.

"Drums?" Percy asked confusedly.

"They're summoning the laelaps. Run!"

"I've—heard of the—laelaps," Percy gasped between breaths. "They're the hounds who always catch their pray. There is no way we can out run them."

Alexandra held her breath despite the need to gulp down mouthfuls of air. She attempted to level her breathing in order to hear if they were being followed. Satisfied the hounds were not behind them, Alex allowed herself to gasp for breath.

"They aren't the real laelaps. Only some beast Donoban had bred." She responded once she had regained her composure. Alexandra watched as Percy breathed a sigh a relief. "They are more monstrous than the laelaps. They may not have the tracking skills of the hounds, but they have sevenfold the ferocity."

She glanced upwards, the Athenian wall more menacing than the idea of the pseudo-laelaps. Kleitos had told her to find Leonos, but there were always at least twenty guards on the wall at one time. Percy seemed to read Alex's mind as he steeled his shoulders and crossed through the opening in the walls, his hand resting on the sleek object that would transform into his god-given weapon. He vanished for minutes, long enough for Alex to believe something had happened, but before she could move, two men stepped in front of her, their fronts shadowed by the torch behind them.

"Princapessa," the man on the right said.

"Alex," came the other, "I found Leonos." Percy's face was illuminated further, and Alex could see a grin stretching across his face. "Turns out he makes a mean stew," he laughed. Both Athenians regarded him strangely so he shrugged.

"Where are the other guards?" Alexandra asked.

"I slipped this into their food," explained Leonos, handing Percy the thumb-sized vial. "I've ensured there will be no one to follow you, but you have to hurry."

The light was burning from the center of the sky, and Alexandra and Percy had barely put any leagues between them and the now-enemy city. They had elected to follow the shore more closely instead of going up the various mountains. Mostly it was because Percy felt more comfortable close to the ocean, but Alex also knew of a place where they could stop and think of a plan...and of the rumors Alex had heard. They were unsubstantial, most of the news coming from the anemoi, but she was sure the talk of a new generation of demigods wasn't false. She just hadn't mentioned any of the news to Percy.

"Is there a safe place to go? You've grown up here, right?"

Alex nodded, "There's a cavern. It is hidden mostly from view and is connected to the sea so there should be more than one exit."

"Great, lead the way."

...

The cavern was a slight hole in the side of the mountain, the tiny tunnel that led to the deeper half of the cave barely large enough to fit Alex's body, let alone Percy's. But once in, the cave was as beautiful as Alex had remembered.

The sunlight shone through a small crevice in the roof, allowing beams of golden light to enlighten the streams of water that continuously fell from the inside of the mountain. A pool of water collected at the floor, the white sand surrounding white rock. A small ripple continuously disturbed the serene pool, creating a stream that left through the bottom of the water.

Alex pointed to the large rock at the far end of the cavern, "Under the water is a somewhat small cleft that opens to the sea."

"Small as in small but big enough for me to get through or small as in small I'd drown before I'd get through?" he asked. Alex glared at him then stood, indicating he should as well. "What?"

Alex held his forearm in one of the beams of light. "We need to hide that mark," She said while gently tugging him towards the pool of water.

Percy glanced at the trident and furrowed his brow. "I don't see why you have to get rid of it. Plus it's burned in. It's not going anywhere anytime soon."

"You waved the sigil around claiming to be a demigod. Even if we manage to disguise ourselves enough not to be recognized, someone is bound to see the giant scar branding your forearm."

"I can just cover it with the leather guard or…" he trailed off, rubbing his arm unconsciously.

"Percy, clinging to the last remembrance does no good. When it is time to remember, you will not need a brand to define who you are. Even if you are lost." Alex gently tugged him into the pool. Her dress flowed around on the surface, sinking once the water had entered the fabric. Percy took one last look at the mark then shut his eyes.

"Mnemosyne called me the Son of the Sea," mumbled Percy, almost as though he were in a trance.

"Poseidon, theos tes thalassas, na therapeusei tis pueges tes makru parelthov," Alex hummed, drawing her fingers over the ridges in Percy's skin. The slow trickle of water from the ceiling spread over his skin. And as the crystals flowed over his skin, they healed his scars. Soon, his skin was as smooth as any other's.

"See, you're just like everyone else. Ordinary."

I know I haven't updated anything in over a year, but I've hit senior year which meant no free time what so ever.

anyways, I'm trying to update all my stories soon cause, I got into college! So I'm good to be able to spend time on myself and doing stuff I love.