Across The Ages (On Hold)

V

The moment everyone stepped off the bus, Apollo took to the skies once more, more than happy to put distance between himself and Riptide. For his part, Riptide cared not what Apollo thought. He'd long ago forgiven Apollo after he found his brother alive. Still, Apollo did attempt to kill him through Paris.

Paris himself was brutally slaughtered by Riptide, but he had let Apollo go because at the time he was in grief and far from powerful enough to take on a god, let alone an Olympian who's sister and father would undoubtably come to his aid. Now, he was sure he could take Apollo, but had no wish to deal with Zeus' arrogance.

If only he could have staid in the shadows just a bit longer. A clopping of hooves brought everyone's attention to Chiron. "Welcome Hunters. I assume your stay will be as...eventful, as usual. Please, do try to avoid burning any cabins down this time, they are a nuisance to rebuild." He looked at Riptide. "And who might you be?" he asked warily, thrown off by the hood.

"Ah, such a nice greeting to from my old mentor. I'd say that I'd expect you to remember me, but then again, it has been a couple millennia, and there is this hood. Maybe we could have a talk in private, mentor to student once more?"

Chiron's eyebrows furrowed as he wracked his brain for any of his pupils that had become immortal. None stood to be recalled other than Heracles, and this man was most definitely not him. "I'm sorry, I do not remember any of my students being immortal other than Heracles. You must be mistaken?"

"No old friend. I'm most certainly not. And wait til you see who I have arriving tomorrow. Hahaha, you're in for the time of your life you old horse!" Riptide laughed. Then his whole attitude changed from playful to serious. "But we do need to talk. Away from prying ears."

With that he walked off, accompanied by the old centaur.

-----

"Perseus! It's not possible! I-Everyone thought you died in the defense of Mycenae. How could you survive that?" Chiron asked, stunned.

"Please, call me Riptide for now. I've only come because there is a new threat. Grandfather, or father in your case, is rising once more. But Zeus clearly refuses to acknowledge this. That...and I finally just got back. I've been away for quite some time. And to be honest, I came to take back what is mine from a goddess who originally only took her in to spite me."

"You don't mean...you wouldn't even be crazy enough to try that Per-Riptide. She is still a goddess and that girl is her best friend now. She would never let her go without a fight."

Riptide laughed. "What fight? Currently said goddess is on her way to hunt down the innocent monster, you know the one. And there is someone hunting her as well. While I did warn her, the Fates probably will punish me later for it. They wouldn't dare punish anyone close to me, for fear of invoking not just my wrath, but the wrath of the five strongest nymphs in existence. They became like mothers to me while I was...gone."

Chiron inspected his former pupil. He was far different than the young man that had left to go fight in the Trojan war beside his adoptive brother. And while the two were forces to be reckoned with alone, together, Chiron wasn't sure that even several of the Olympians together could take them down, let alone kill them without assuming their true forms.

If, somehow, Perseus had achieved immortality without godhood, then it most certainly wasn't from an Olympian. And if he was correct, then only one person had the gaul to ignore the Olympians, while still not being punished. Nereus, the "Old Man of the Sea" whom some mortals claimed to be the son of Poseidon. That was incorrect. He was actually a Titan who sided with the Olympians. His daughter, Thetis, was Achilles mother...which means...