Past Changes

Chapter 16

Kronos decides that all children were born to annoy him.

"Not all," Zeus smirked. "Just us."

It's not even sundown yet and he's already considering just throwing the damned crossbreed out the window and forgetting it. The thing refuses to stop screeching, eyes constantly roving around the room as it wails and occasionally gibbers up at him. It's a small blessing that at least it speaks like a Titan and not one of its wild brethren.

"I don't think he likes you, Chiron," Percy remarked.

Travis Stoll grinned. "Chiron as a baby?" he whispered to his brother. "Imagine the blackmail!"

Word will spread of the centaur he's bred, and while none would dare to comment to his face, there will be rumours spreading. The matter remains that this child does little to help him. It would be a simple matter to snap its little neck or smother it until it dies, and then he can simply forget about it.

All of the demigods and most of the gods stiffen. "How dare he?" Annabeth demanded furiously.

Instead, he makes his way to the table littered with runes. It takes little effort to find the rune he's searching for. He cuts open his palm with a dagger, watching as beads of ichor well up. If one were to use runes, they'd quickly learn that there were many mediums with which to draw them with. Ichor was among the most powerful methods. Kronos put the tip of his finger into the miniature pool of ichor before he turns to the crossbreed.

The rune is one of the simplest. A triskelion. Kronos mutters under his breath in the Old Tongue until he has drawn the rune and it's finished glowing, sinking into the babe's chest. He presses a finger to the boy's forehead to implant some knowledge about the rune into his mind.

Chiron blinks up at him and gibbers.

Poseidon grinned. "Looks like it's your turn, brother," he smirked.

Chiron sighed. "To make a fool of myself?"

Kronos scowls. "Little bastard," he grumbles. As if in response, the baby's hindquarters shimmer a golden brown. Slowly, the horse's ass disappears, turning into actual legs. Kronos prods the baby, causing Chiron to screech and grab at him, but the Titan moves before he can.

"Father?"

Kronos sighs. "What are you doing, Poseidon?"

Poseidon stares at the baby. "What's that?" he asks, his nose crinkling up.

"It's a baby, dad," Percy said with a grin.

"A baby," Kronos says wryly. The boy looks annoyingly alike to Rhea as he stares at Chiron.

"But what's it doing here?" Poseidon demands.

"I'm debating the worth of throwing it out the window."

The boy perks up. "Great. So can we go to the coliseum?"

"Poseidon!" Hestia exclaimed.

"What?" Poseidon spluttered. "It's not me!"

"Where's your mother?"

"In our room," Poseidon says, tilting his head to the side. "Why?"

Kronos grimaces. "I'm assuming she's angry?"

"Angry, upset, furious, sad, pissed. All of the above," Poseidon says.