48 FICKLE
The next day, Athos snuck off into the forest carrying a prism and a flashlight. He'd stolen them from the camp store while invisible - more like temporarily borrowed. Once he felt he'd ventured deep enough into the North woods he stopped and placed the prism on the forest floor with the flashlight aiming through it. He turned the switch on and watched as the white light pierced through the prism forming a rainbow.
"This will do", he murmured, turning visible, pulling out a golden drachma from his watch. He then took a deep breath and tossed it into the multicoloured arc. He really didn't want to do this, but he just had to.
"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering", he muttered. "Show me Nereus. San Francisco. Probably on the pier."
For a moment nothing happened, but in the next, the rainbow warped showing an image he was all too familiar with. The Old Man of the Sea was splayed across the wooden floors of the pier - snoring as if there was no tomorrow. Did he even need to sleep?
"Nereus, Wake up!"
"Ah! Who dar-Wait it's you again. Don't tell me you're done with the divine-
"I'm not. I wanted to talk to you."
"Could've talked to me three days back. In person.", Nereus grumbled, scratching his beard.
"Slipped my mind."
"Haaah! This better be worth waking up for. Out with it! What did you call me for?"
"It's about the three things you mentioned...I need a few more details", Athos said.
"How many more details do you need?! Do you want me to give you the objects personally?", Nereus complained.
"Nope. How much blood do I need exactly? Of the Fated one, I mean", Athos questioned. He looked calm but his fist was clenched in anger and disgust. Disgust toward himself. He was being a hypocrite by being a hypocrite. Didn't he swear to himself that he wouldn't waver in his goals? That he would kill anybody who stands in his way? Then he shouldn't be hesitating in killing Luke but he was.
"Huh? I thought you'd kill the demigod no questions asked. Became a softie all of a sudden?", Nereus grinned but got no answer. "Hmmm...If you've had a sudden change of heart I'd suggest you'd change it back"
"Do I have to kill him then?", Athos asked, his heart sinking. He had killed before - if you considered dusting monsters 'Killing'; it wasn't just killing mindless ones too. The Manticore? The Cyclopes Brothers? They had goals and dreams of their own but he'd killed them anyway. He'd desensitized them to...well...monsters. But killing humans who had done nothing but be kind to him? That was something else entirely.
"You see...in most - No- all circumstances, very, very little demigod blood is sufficient. It is more symbolic than anything. Waking my mother herself would take no less than a mere drop, but in your case...", Nereus said, slightly frowning.
Athos tilted his head, waiting for a response.
"Forcibly gaining a divine body goes against the Ancient Laws. It is best to be safe than sorry when you're fighting against the very world", the sea god sighed.
"But if I'm the Fatebreaker-
"The world and the Fates differ slightly and that doesn't mean you can ignore the Laws. You merely have a chance to fight against them - a chance no one else receives. The world won't let you go all that easily. Thus, the best way is to kill the demigod. Blood is most valuable when the owner is dead", Nereus interrupted him and looked him dead in the eye.
"Listen carefully, boy. You may be wise beyond your years and may have gifts that are unique to yourself - but you are a demigod all the same. Do you believe Pride to be your fatal flaw? Anger perhaps? Hubris? Pshaw! You couldn't be further from the truth. Your fatal flaw is that you are fickle. A lack of consistency in your choices - It's no wonder Janus loves you", he continued. "Now begone, do not contact me unless you've completed your tasks."
Nereus waved his hand, cutting off the connection, leaving a troubled Athos standing alone in the forest.
***
"Keep your guard up!", Luke yelled, slapping Athos in the ribs with a bronze sword.
"I'm trying", Athos replied, jumping backwards and raising a similar sword. He was the Son of Herakles, the strongest demigod. He'd even been trained by his father...yet Luke was better than him at swordplay. It was as though somebody had given him a cheat that went - 'You shall always be the better swordsman'. It was baffling. Either Hermes had become the God of swords or it was the perk of being the Fated one.
"You can do better", Luke countered, feinting a thrust before locking his blade with the base of Athos' sword. A grin of triumph appeared on his face and he twisted, intending to disarm, but that smile disappeared quickly.
"What...!", Luke yelped as his blade did absolutely nothing. It was Athos' turn to grin. He grabbed Luke's blade with the two fingers of his free hand and pulled inward before bringing his knee onto the flat of the blade.
*CLANG*
The blade clattered to the floor with a large dent. What use was being good with a sword if one could just smash it?
Athos then pointed the blade at Luke's throat.
"My win", he said.
"No, it's not. You didn't play fair!", Luke complained.
"No. You did"
"Haha! Very clever, Athos", Luke grumbled, picking up his now mangled weapon. "I'll have to give this to Cabin nine to get it fixed. Why don't you pay Chiron a visit in the meantime? He's been wanting to get you in the archery range the moment he learned your godly parent."
"Yeah, he has. It was a good fight. I'll be off then", Athos nodded and walked out of the arena, leaving Luke grumbling something about brutes. He'd been practising with Luke for two days, and his chat with Nereus was still on his mind.
His fatal flaw was being fickle. In a world where life-changing choices could pop up at any moment, it was the worst one to have. When Janus mentioned his fatal flaw making him susceptible to him, he'd not thought much of it; assuming it was nothing but pride or excessive ambition, but being fickle was much worse.
Would he falter when killing Luke? When cutting out a Titan's Heart? Would it compromise his plans?
"Why the long face?", a voice shook Athos out of his trance. He looked to the side, finding Jack giving him a toothy grin. "Worried about the quest?"
"You could say that"
"Well, just don't. Works wonders. Trust me."
"Easy to say, hard to do....and aren't you the Head Counselor for the Demeter Cabin? You were missing for the council."
"Er..Um...Ahem!", Jack cleared his throat, flustered, his tan skin gaining a tint of red. He ignored the question and grabbed Athos' arm dragging him toward the archery range.
"Come on! We mustn't make Chiron wait"
"You were absent during the council. You made Chiron do more than just wait."
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"Nevermind."
***
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