11 Chapter 11

Well, learning magic is almost as boring as studying any other subject. I just have to memorise incantations and believe hard enough then a magical effect will happen. It was easy and while my spells weren't as powerful as Iliana's, I was happy for the moment.

"So do you know any potion-making?" I asked her after the lesson.

"No, I never had the ingredients for it. It is quite expensive after all and it reminds me of cooking, so I don't want to really learn the art." She replies.

"What's wrong with cooking."

"Nothing, it is just that my father expects that a woman's place is in the kitchen and I would rather not live up to his expectation." She replies. I could understand it, sexism and racism would always be a thing, especially in the past. Sexism even existed in my time, I knew a guy who was raped and the woman got a lesser sentence than a guy would.

"Oh, I get it. I still want to learn it though." While I get it, I wouldn't ignore an entire field of magic because of it, maybe she will grow out of it when she is older and wiser. Still though for someone with a supposed loyalty flaw she certainly shows little loyalty towards her father, maybe he was an asshole. All I can do is suspect and theorise for now.

It is probably a good thing, I wouldn't want someone taking advantage of her naivety. Damn the hypocrisy is astounding. Still, it would be annoying if she were to get attached to every person she met.

"I can get you the potion recipes, it would be nice having someone as a teammate with potion skills. It is expensive to learn the craft though, are you sure?" She asked. I got a decent haul raiding the monster's possessions and I am sure it would be a decent method of income in the future.

"As I said, I will do more quests in the future and the deceased don't need their possessions," I said absently.

"Weird mindset but okay." She replied.

~~~

Aphrodite Pov:

"I am glad to see you made it out alive. Killing not only the Chimera and Hydra but Echidna as well, I am impressed." I told my son, who was quickly making his way to become one of my favourite demigod children. I chose to meet him when he was dreaming, I wanted to congratulate him.

"Thanks to the bident you gifted me, mother." He said with a cute smile. She could feel he didn't love her but at least he didn't dislike her and respected her. While she didn't doubt she could make him love her with her domain, she wanted it to be natural and she could be patient when it counted. "Still though, I didn't actually beat the Hydra, that was mostly the feat of Amelia."

"Yes, Ares chose to bless her at the crucial moment."

"Was he watching the fight?" He asked curiously and warily.

"Not really, Amelia chose to pray to him and when he saw she was fighting a worthy monster he chose to bless her," I replied.

"Good thing too, I was tired and didn't look forward to fighting another monster."

"I have been wondering, Ezra, you have displayed your ability to shapeshift but I have never heard of you using the others."

"Others?" He asked, curiously.

"Oh, you have never tried checking to see if you had charmspeak or the other ability in sensed in you. That makes sense I guess." I said as I took on a thoughtful expression.

"What… What other ability." He asked bewildered.

"This," I said as I picked up a random rock before channelling my divine powers and letting it come alive. It grew a set of eyes, a nose, mouth and ears.

"Ahh!" It screamed in my ears. With a burst of my powers, I destroyed it.

"The ability of life creation. A few of my children over the centuries have had it, it is a good power but I have limited the chance of my children inheriting it since not a lot of the gods liked it when my children created love monsters who lusted on their children." I said and added the last part with an awkward chuckle.

I received a blank stare in return. "Enough talk of that, it brings back awkward memories."

"I can create things, that's cool, what's the limit?"

"My children usually couldn't create something on the demigod level without years or decades of experience," I said and looked at his face to wait for a disappointed look only to see an excited smile at the opportunity. I could feel the desire with my divinity radiating off him and chose to chuckle.

"I see my sister Tyche chose to bless her little brother." He said to himself and I laughed a bit at his attitude. He was adorable, but that may just be my bias and my blood flowing through his veins speaking. "Though mother, can everyone sense my abilities or is it just you."

"Some may use some scrying abilities and it will work if you are currently using the ability. Though I know because you inherit my abilities."

"Expected but disappointing. I can't be a ninja if everyone knows what I can do." He whispered with a dejected expression before perking up. "Mom, can I ask a favour."

"Of course but whether I accept it depends on the request."

"Do you know any potion recipes that I could borrow? I want to learn the art." He asked and I thought a bit about it. I had numerous lovers who were sorcerers, so I could easily get it. I figured he could create potions without being able to use magic. I wasn't the most knowledgeable about the subject but even I knew you just brewed together a few things.

"Sure, honey, but you will have to do a few things for me. I don't want you getting too spoilt."

"What do you need?"

"Keep an eye out for your siblings, I don't want anything bad to happen to them." He was somewhat anti-social from what I heard from my other children. I wanted to change that and also distract him from the death of his friend.

"Deal."

~~~

I am a bit annoyed that she told me only about the power now, but was still thankful she decided to even enlighten me about it. I read about her creating life but I just figured it was classic godlike abilities.

I hoped that she wouldn't know about my charmspeaking abilities but that was a lost cause since day one. Still, I played the part of an ignorant child, I didn't want her to know I sometimes used the abilities on a few of my siblings.

I was thinking about studying blacksmithing from the Hephaestus children but now that I have another project, I will postpone it for another year down the line. I doubt they would deny the son of their stepmother, who frequently cucked their father.

I had to keep my laugh in when Aphrodite said that my siblings created love monsters. I can just imagine a tentacle assaulting a guy and a girl, but to be honest if I could, I would do it too. It sounds hilarious.

I quietly move towards a discreet spot before casting an anti-divination spell, I learned from Iliana. I doubt it would stop a determined god but at least it will slow them down long enough for me to stop what I am doing.

Channelling my powers I focused on my powers on a random rock. "Wake up, you bastard," I said adding charmspeak to help. It barely didn't anything, so I proceeded to try for the next few hours. I was glad my flaw wasn't sloth, otherwise, I would never achieve anything.

By the end I got it to look the same as Aphrodite's rock did. I smiled at my success, I had a lot on my plate but it stopped me from being bored. Now to turn this mild success into a useful ability

~~~

Timeskip:

"Uh, I am tired. Can we take a break from going on quests?" Iliana asked me. She has grown up these past 3 years since she taught me magic.

We just came back from a quest. No one died this time, it meant less money but it encourages people to join us if they don't die and like I said previously I don't want to have to train people up from the start.

I quickly chanted the greek incantation for an anti-divination spell before replying."I have grown tired of this as well, the only reason I am still doing this is to get out of this camp and get money."

"The fame is another positive I guess."

"Not enough, to get you out of the overcrowded Hermes cabin." I teased enjoying the annoyed face she made.

"Three years of having a stellar quest record and still the only headway I made was being granted a bed. It is honestly grating." She said. There were only 12 beds in a cabin, so she had to sleep on the bedrolls on the ground for years.

"At this point, we are only making enemies that will be extremely annoyed when they come back alive, I am not looking forward to Echidna or the others coming back."

"You sound like you want to suggest something." She said. She was right of course, after 3 years of knowing each other, she would definitely pick up on a few of my quirks.

"I want to leave the camp, the only reason I was here so long was that I needed a safe place to learn and it is not like I have to worry about monsters hunting me anymore," I said,

"You're gonna leave?" She asked. Her voice broke mid-sentence and I could tell she wasn't happy with my words. She had a few new friends because of the frequent number of quests she succeeded in, but so far I have been her closest friend. "Why are you telling me this, you're usually more secretive about your activities."

"Simple. I offer you two choices, stay here and fight for a cause that may never happen or come with me and escape this quasi-prison." I offered, I hope she would accept, thriving outside would be better with a dependable partner.

"I'll come with you." She quickly replies, getting an amused smile from me.

"Not going to complain. You sure decided that quickly, though."

"Choosing between a lousy cabin and you would be an easy choice. I will miss Amelia and the others though."

"Amelia barely talks to us unless we are on quests," I said. My gradual use of familial affection on Amelia made sure she would still want to go on a quest with us and protect us but that didn't count for a safe haven. She was three years older than me, and while she liked us, that wasn't enough to hang out with children. Something I didn't mind and understood.

Iliana gains a sad reminder of this fact. "So how are we going to do this."

"The answer to most problems in life. Getting milk and never returning." I replied.

"What."

"Faking our deaths and getting out."

"Seems excessive but fun."

"It is technically not allowed that we leave since we are young but I see no point in staying. While I doubt we will be hunted to rejoin, I would rather avoid people nagging me to come back." I said and received a blank stare and sigh in return.

"I still have no idea how you can go from being reasonable to whatever that is so quick."

"I don't have a lot of fun things to do. So I have to make do." I replied. "Now onward to expand our glorious tale. Now get us a prophecy."

"Why do I have to keep getting it."

"Like I said a million times, I dislike the thought of fate." While I disliked it, I certainly don't neglect the field. That gets you killed and dying is almost the worst thing I have ever experienced.

A/N: You can read ahead on patre,on/ DickMcJones.