A Calm Discussion (2/2)

//I took my shot at diving into Luke's POV. Granted, this is what I think he might have thought and how I think things might have played out. I did my best for it. Obviously I'll get better as time goes on.

That aside, I'll be posting 2 more today.

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Take a second to imagine the darkest pit known to man, an endless chasm void of warmth and kindness, of love or happiness. Within this bottomless domain, an even darker presence lurked in its depths, an entity that exuded a power and authority that seemed to transcend time itself. The closer one drew to the void, the stronger its pull became, as if the entity within was naught but a black hole, seeking only to draw everything and everyone into the chasm that held it. A presence so sinister and cold that it could send chills into even the cruelest of hearts.

This is what Luke was faced with every time he closed his eyes. No random dreams. No visions. Just endless darkness and a voice echoing up from the chasms innards.

A voice that whispered sweet honey drizzled words of revenge and recompense.

At first, it wasn't much. The first dream had only happened around a week before the Oracle had trekked through the camp to deliver a quest to Annabeth. The voice introduced itself as Kronos, a name Luke was all too familiar with and rebuked upon first instinct, following the natural inclination to see the fallen titan as an enemy. Though possessing an intense grudge against the deities that seemed to care little about their own offspring and more about their own agenda, Luke hadn't been at the point where he would be willing to listen to a being of malice and hatred. For a few days, Luke tried to shut the Titan out and stave off the flow of speeches that promised a fall of the gods that had forsaken him and a father that had seemed to all but forgotten him.

And for a few days, it worked. He resisted the sweet temptations and dove into his camp activities to try and rid himself of the ideas sewn into his head by the Titan of Time.

The dreams never ceased, but he staved off Kronos for a while. At least until Luke remembered everything he had been through up until that point. After he realized what Kronos' words would truly entail, he began to listen to the Titan more, no longer shunning the being to the furthest recesses of his mind. A world under completely new management, where the gods would either win and learn from their mistakes or be put into the ground and learn their lesson from there. Such a prospect was enticing and opened up the door to numerous possibilities and a way to properly smite those higher beings previously untouchable.

Still, despite such offers, Luke wasn't fully on board with Kronos' grand scheme, a small part of him still thinking about the consequences and how it would affect those he cared about.

A part of his hesitation came when the Titan issued a verdict that made Luke feel slightly shaken.

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{{"When you're ready to serve me and prove your loyalty, get rid of Chionothyella Pagos. Do as you wish with the girl. I don't need Jokers in this deck of cards."}}

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This decree came just before Luke and the others were about to begin their journey to the Golden Fleece. It had been one of the many reasons the blonde male had left to go and fight monsters in the woods, a futile effort to clear his head and to properly think straight. Obviously, it didn't help that the same target he had been charged with snuffing out had come wandering into his area, giving him the most optimal chance. With a bit of effort, he could knock the youth unconscious and feed his body to the beasts. He hadn't acted on the idea but that was mainly due to the unknown power the white-haired child possessed, having seen the abilities a freshly poisoned and dying Chion wielded against a giant scorpion. He had killed it within a second, caging it in ice.

Unless Luke could catch the youth while he was sleeping or in a vulnerable position, it would just be trading a life for a life.

Despite his uncertainty about following Kronos, a large part of him was still searching up ways to get rid of Chion while they were on their quest, always keeping tabs on potential ways that would seem accidental. The Clashing Rocks had been one of the ways to do so. Whilst Scylla and Charybdis would have been a much better direction, going along with Chion and following his every move was a better strategy in the long run. Keeping up his amiable energy and friendliness with the young ice mage would build trust and cause him to lower his guard.

It wasn't until he was sitting where he was, chatting back and forth with Chion in the cockpit of the SS Overland that he truly began to wonder about Kronos' orders.

About whether he could actually go through with it or not as well as his own feelings towards the gods as a whole.

Ever since developing his disgust and anger towards the gods, Luke had never actually sat down and talked with anyone before, especially not about his past. However, for some reason, whenever he was within Chions proximity, he felt a sort of comfort course through him, all of his other emotions, namely the negative ones, dulling considerably. With a lot of his own inner turmoil ebbing, he was able to pose questions he normally wouldn't ask.

Though, it worked out in his favor. Because who better to pose his deep questions than to the one who had spent the last month or so interacting with some of the gods.

Chion Pagos, a youth whose memories had been taken by the gods. Yet, a person who didn't seem to vare any hatred towards them for it.

"No resentment for how they treated you? For taking away your memories?" Luke frowned, because he knew if it had been him, he would've been consumed with anger and bitterness.

"I need to know WHY they did it before I jump to conclusions." Chion turned back to the steering wheel and slightly readjusted their course. "Getting mad before properly getting the details or fully understanding is a fools game. A look before you leap type of situation."

"A look before you leap, huh?" Luke gripped his hands together, wanting to reject the very premise of those words. He wanted to feel angry but was only able to feel a slight frustration. "What if you knew deep down that they only cared about themselves and did whatever they felt like as a result?"

"Well, how's that any different from you and me?" Chion rebutalled.

Luke opened his mouth to say something but immediately closed it, unable to form a proper response.

"Humanity as a whole has been reaching towards their own goals and desires since the beginning. Gods and goddesses are the same, but on a much larger scale." Chion tilted his head, neon blue eyes fixated on Luke. "I'd say that within their desire to accomplish their objectives, they make dumb mistakes or decisions, sometimes horrible ones. However, I'd reckon that a number of humans with the same powers would behave the exact same way, albeit with either better or much worse results. When you possess such immense capabilities, everything must seem so fragile. That aside, it's reasonable to put yourself first. It can be excessive to the point of being ridiculous, but you can't fault them for doing what every mortal does."

"They're GODS though," Luke threw out, raising his voice slightly. "They're supposed-"

"To do what?" Chion interrupted calmly. "They don't follow any preconceived notions or morals us humans have. They aren't SUPPOSED to do anything with their powers. It's upsetting, but that's how it works. Take having kids for example. They have them, yes, but I'd wager they're far too busy to actually take care of them, or leave so other gods don't use them as a bargaining chip should said divine parent come to love the child. There are many scenarios involving having children that unless you asked the gods directly, you'd only think yourself into a circle. However, like I said, they aren't SUPPOSED to act like parents simply because that's what we would do. You can't hold them to the same standards. You'll hurt yourself that way."

"And you're okay with that?!" Luke stood up, his voice rising, his anger boiling just beneath the surface. Even in Chions presence, his anger couldn't be quelled that easily. "The pain they cause!! The lives they ruin!! MY OWN MOTHER...."

Luke halted midway, an old vision of his mother in the middle of one of her fits, balling her eyes out over someone's betrayal. It hit him like a truck, causing his passion filled words to become stuck in his throat and a heavy feeling in the pit of his chest. He resented her for so long due to her mental conditions. Resented his father for not attempting to help. Resented the gods for turning their backs on their children, even if he didn't know the reason. He had kept the feelings buried deep for what felt like eons, a growing frenzy eating away at him through the passing years. This was the first time he had ever truly vented, not having uttered a word to even Annabeth.

Maybe it was because of what he was being told, words that told him he had been overreacting and using sheer emotion rather than logic, that he felt so inclined to defend himself.

"What do you expect us to do about it?" Chion asked, his tone now a touch softer, his eyes looking sympathetic. "I can understand your anger, but the gods aren't out to destroy humanity. They don't care about us for the most part. If you're confused about what's on their mind, then do whatever you can to ask them and get the answer yourself. Before you act on emotion, calm down and think about what you can do to change things in your favor."