“It’s not working.” Lela groaned. Staring at the horizon did nothing to lessen her suffering. Nausea relentlessly yanked at her belly, the cold sweat brought a clammy chill, and dizziness had her in a daze.

  The ocean was an endless expanse of surging dark blue, constantly rocking the ship without a moment of reprieve. She had only ever seen it from a respectful distance before, feet planted safely on land while tales of sea horrors whispered warnings in the back of her mind. Now here she was, fingers morphing into claws that dug into the wooden railing of the vessel.

  Another wave of nausea rushed up, causing her mouth to water unpleasantly. Falling to her knees, she clutched the vomit bucket as ugly sounds and bile poured out.

  “Ugh…” Face contorting, she swiped an arm across her lips and rested her head on cool wood.

  What on earth's core am I doing here?

  Light footsteps approached and stopped next to her. Even without looking up, Lela recognised them by the worn leather hem of their deep green robe and the aged, sandaled feet visible beneath it.

  “Mmmm.” Phorcydes drew in a long, refreshed breath. “I’ve missed this.”

  It's been two days and Lela has yet to share the sentiment; matter of fact, she was still in the process of accepting the wild reality of heading to another continent. Where were the monsters and tempests that ripped ships apart? Not that she was eager to witness it, it just felt horrid to be this tense, waiting for the sea to go wild.

  Trepidation, seasickness, and hope had been her companions for days now. Phorcydes said there might be a chance, and Lela would take even the smallest one.

  “I can only begin your treatment after you represent me at the Fate of Heroes. What? You can't go fighting monsters while pregnant. Oh, and there's the part about finding the right man to… you know…” Phorcydes wiggled her brow suggestively and cackled when Lena looked away, shy and embarrassed.

  At eleven years old, the possibility of bearing a child had been taken away. The forced sterilisation was a closely guarded secret that Owls only came to learn after swearing allegiance to Athena. As years passed, what had been a passive longing for the impossible had turned to a burning desire and the seed that birthed her loathing for the goddess.

  Phorcydes said there was a possibility. She was powerful enough to sever Athena’s link, so there had to be a possibility, right? Staggering to her feet, she clutched the railing once more.

  It was a small ship holding no more than six crew members and two passengers—wealthy merchants from what she observed—who remained holed up in their cabins since the start of the journey.

  There was also another curious observation. The crew members acted like Phorcydes was invisible. Save for the time they boarded and they offered reverent bows in greeting, they stayed clear of the hag. Food and drink had been lavishly provided for Lela, but it hardly mattered since everything she ate ended up in a bucket.

  “Horizon staring didn't work.” Phorcydes tutted. “Have this,” she offered a short twig, “it’d take away your dreams though.”

  Lela gave a subtle bow as she collected the stick. She was desperate enough to lose dreams for a little break from the vomiting.

  “Eating the bark will reduce the nausea. Chewing the stick can replace the need for kunca fleece. Look.” She flashed a smile, exposing pearly teeth.

  Lena nodded respectfully. It was still difficult to be at ease around the goddess. She had witnessed her at the end of her negative emotions, and the scariest had been the day her brother returned to take his child. Aether had been unstable around the bog for the three days the hag locked herself in her room. Then she had emerged only to subject Lela to harrowing training to improve her morphing abilities. Well, torturous as it was, there were benefits. She never knew she could go beyond simply turning into an owl to modifying her body. Retractable claws, obtaining night vision, and even sprouting wings. The wing part was still a challenge for her, but all her clothes had been modified just in case.

  Biting off a chunk of bark, she chewed carefully. It was bitter with a minty but sweet aftertaste. True to the goddess’ words, the nausea lessened almost immediately. She itched to ask why she watched her suffer for days before bringing a solution, but wisely swallowed her complaints.

  “Our family owns Saperdon, an island off the Pandorian continent. You've seen it on the map, no?”

  Lena shook her head. The only map she had seen was of Greece.

  “Ah.” Her eyes widened as if remembering something. “Remind me to show you a proper map. Anyway, I changed my plan to take you there. Rich aether vein aside, that place holds nothing but beasts.” Her tone turned thoughtful as she peered at the horizon as well. “When we complete your training, we will head there to—”

  “Ancient one!” The shout accompanied heavy rushing footsteps.

  A thunderous expression clouded Phorcydes’ face as she glared at whoever interrupted her.

  It was the captain, a burly man with a youthful face obscured with a wild beard and untamed mane. He took a knee and bowed. “Forgive me, but we found a stowaway.”

  A pleased smile erased her frown. “You finally found him?” She relaxed against the railing, appearing perfectly grounded on the bobbing sea vessel. “Bring the rat.”

  A moment later, two crew members approached with one clutching the robe of a hooded figure. Their hood was pulled back to reveal a boy with an odd appearance. He was handsome, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, but what struck her was his scar—if she could even call it that.

  The marking started from the lobe of his left ear and, like lines of grey lightning, spanned the side of his face, even seeming to infect his right eye, turning what should be white to black. It wasn't hideous, just… unsettling to look at.

  He mutely stared back at them, his passive expression revealing nothing.

  “He wouldn't speak, no matter how we pressed for answers.”

  “Is that so?” Curiosity lit the hag's face as she held the boy's gaze. He was the first to break eye contact, dropping his head and hiding his face with overlong blond locks.

  “What is your name?”

  “...”

  “Speak, or you'd be thrown overboard.” Though the hag's voice was light and conversational, there was a real threat there.

  “Ha.” His dry laugh showed no sign of obedience. “She says you're the aunt.”

  “Hurl him,” Phorcydes said with a dismissive wave.

  When the men moved to do as she asked, he offered his name.

  “Perseus. I’m Perseus, a carrier of Zeus’ blood.” There was a tinge of desperation in his voice this time. “Will you treat me with dishonour?”

  “Boy, if you carry that vile man's blood—” Lela flinched at the open insult at the ultimate god of Cosmolith “—then my regard for you is even lower. Hurl him.”

  “Athena is after me!” he shouted as they moved to do her bidding. “I beg you, spare my life.”

  “Wait.”

  He was forced to his knees once more as Phorcydes pushed off the railing and strolled over. Grabbing him by the jaw, the goddess turned his face to the side and took in the marking. “This… how did you get this?”

  “I don't know. I was stolen from my family and taken to a school in Tartarus where I was tormented in the name of training; one of those trainings earned the scar.”

  “Hmmm.” The hag continued observing the marking with a narrowed gaze. “How does Athena come into all this?”

  “She is the one.” His face contorted with an enraged scowl. The hate wafting off him, surely that can't be faked. “She sent me to kill a girl… some contender representing the red god at the games. And I… I did as she commanded, but unintentionally ruined things.”

  Phorcydes peered at him for a heavy moment, then cackled to the sky.

  “So it was you who made that mess, you mad boy.” Grinning, she nodded. “Your blow to that bitch is enough payment for your fare.” She waved at the men. “Let him go. Feed him, too.”

  The happy smile remained as Phorcydes returned to her side. She peered at a spot ahead before speaking, “He mixed lies with truth. That marking? Didn't feel like something aether caused.”

  Having nothing to say, Lela nodded.

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  “Brace yourself,” the goddess said while still staring at the same spot.

  “For what—”

  Sudden strong waves crashed against the hull, sending the ship violently rocking to one side. Timber creaked and the sail snapped as salt water sprayed her face. She latched onto the railings, owl claws punching out and digging in for purchase.

  More violent rocking, this time, waves battered the deck, leaving her drenched from the waist down. “What's happening?” She yelled over the roaring wind and loud splashes.

  The hag laughed instead as she raised her staff, crazed excitement burning like green fire in her eyes. “Was wondering when you'd show up, baby!”

  One of the men shouted a warning, but a loud, stretched-out haunting moan drowned it out.

  Woooooooo…

  Terror locked Lela to the spot. That sound… What was that sound? Once calm waters now raged. Waves rising and shifting like something massive heaved beneath.

  Heart in her throat, she found herself mumbling memorised prayers to Athena, then felt instant disgust. But the feeling and instinct to pray were burned away when she spotted it.

  Larger than any beast she had ever seen, a black mound dotted with barnacles pushed through the surface. A hissing sound as water and air sprayed past two blowholes—two blowholes?

  Horrifying realisation came. She had read about this beast, one of the few ones documented in the Beasts of Cosmolith bestiary.

  When its spiny dorsal ridges pierced the troubled water, her fear was confirmed.

  Cetus Diphonos was the main reason sea travel was impossible. Those venomous ridges were honed to saw through wood and sinew, shredding everything in its path. And the fog from its blowhole caused lucid sedation, turning you to an obedient meal, waiting to be devoured.

  The ship swayed dangerously as another powerful surge hit it. The mast creaked as the crew desperately pulled at ropes. At last, the ship turned, managing to navigate away from the troubled waters. But there was no escape; unlike other species of Cetus, the Diphonos were known never to relent until their target was devoured entirely, ship and all.

  As if to confirm her rising terror, more of its massive serpentine form coiled out. Its sleek skin gave off an iridescent glow with a white underbelly bearing furrows. Even more barnacles. Save for the single sighting of its blowholes, its head was nowhere in sight.

  Then something happened that nothing in the book mentioned. Parts of its body that held clusters of barnacles spammed, and with each twitch, the barnacles fell to the water, floated to the surface and shot straight for the ship.

  In the exact moment, a staff appeared before her face, saving her from instant death as the barnacles shattered against an invisible barrier.

  Shards of shell hit the floor along with something goopy that slithered in black blood.

  “She’s in a bad mood today.” That elated expression remained on the goddess’ face. “I’ll be back.”

  With that, Phorcydes jumped overboard, laughing wildly as the waves swallowed her.

  Lela stood frozen, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

  What just happened? Did she just… did she just abandon ship?

  “She jumped.”

  Lela flinched, noticing the boy’s presence next to her. Unlike the troubled ocean and the scrambling crew, he appeared perfectly at ease.

  “I can take it down.” His eyes, trained on the barnacles shattering against Phorcydes’ shield, appeared unimpressed. “If I were in top form, I would have…” his hand wandered to his left ear, then halted as if catching himself in a bad habit.

  “Are you a beast?” He asked, tone casual. “I noticed your hands. The way the claws appear then vanish.” his gaze fell on her clawed fingers still clutching the railing.

  This boy... there was something off about him. Apprehension rising, Lela retracted her claws, hardly noticing that some calm had returned to the ship. “Why do you ask?”

  He met her gaze, and it took every sliver of willpower not to take a step back. His left eye, still blue in the midst of all that black, triggered the urge to flee.

  “Because I am curious,” he answered with a smile that would have been charming if Lela weren’t so put off.

  According to Athena, Owls were dual, both beast and human. But she was no longer an owl. “Are you a beast?” She asked instead.

  He bristled at the question. And Lela saw it, even though he hid it almost as soon as it appeared. That flash of murder in his eyes. For some reason, her question struck a raw nerve enough to make him want to harm her.

  “It seems the goddess has saved our lives,” Perseus said drily as he nodded at something behind.

  Lena looked and gawked. Though the creature's head was still partially submerged, with only the top of its head breaking the surface, Phorcydes stood on it, proud smile in place as she pointed with her staff. Where she suggested, the beast went, its movement seeming to pull the ship along.

  “Control, not kill.” He scowled before shaking his head and walking away.

  As Lena stared after him, a question burned in her mind. Just what did Phorcydes let into her ship?

  ***

  Athena halted when she saw him, then she wiped the surprise off her face and marched over. Poseidon offered what he assumed was a welcoming smile.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Ah, that look of mild panic she thinks she's hiding quite well.

  “Do I need your permission to see our father?” He couldn't keep the sneer from his voice even if he tried.

  “I merely asked because this seems out of character.” She glanced around the garden while wearing a look of false concern. There was no one here but them, and what must have concerned her the most was the location of his meeting with Zeus. Every deity knew no one dared come to the waiting garden if they didn't have information Zeus would find worthy enough for a reward. Now that so-called bright mind of hers would keep spinning, asking questions he would give no answers to.

  Weaving his fingers behind his head, Poseidon rested more comfortably in the stone bench and flashed a toothy grin. “I would have also offered him the blood I harvested a month back, but I gave that to someone else.”

  Athena scowled. “What game are you playing? You gave me the stone in exchange for the helmet. What do you wish to tell him? You wish to say I had a hand in killing Ares’ contender? Will you join the rest of my accusers, forgetting what ties—”

  Poseidon raised a hand, halting her speech. He must admit, it felt good seeing her this frazzled.

  “We are tied with the same string. I hurt Demeter. You hurt Demeter, too. See?” Another satisfied grin.

  “I did not…” She swallowed her words. Surely, she must know it's useless to deny. Both of them were very much aware of the gift Athena wished to give the red god as a contender. The new girl Ares got was an obstacle Athena would never allow to exist.

  “I’m glad you're at least sparing me that false face of innocence.” He stood and stretched. “I've not come to add to the pile of accusations. What? You said something about sinking me into flames or something, remember?”

  She said nothing, only glaring at him.

  “Worry not. I simply wish to speak privately to our beloved father. You're not the only one who needs favour, Athena.” He patted her stiff shoulder as he strolled past.

  Making his way down the narrow cobblestone path cutting across the garden, Poseidon gathered his thoughts. The information he held, he wasn’t too sure of, but knowing Zeus, he wasn't the type to leave the littlest detail to chance.

  Finally, he reached a simple wooden door framed by a wreath of climbing vines. Releasing a calming breath, he knocked twice.

  The door soundlessly opened to another garden. Though smaller, it boasted vibrant flower beds, lush, level grasses with lots of albino hares hopping about as they mindlessly fed on the grass.

  Ahead was a shed where a broad-shouldered man worked at a butcher's table, bare from the chest up with white hair pulled into a bun. Bloodied hare hides lay heaped to his right, while chopped red meat sat to his left alongside rows of spices. A coal burner smouldered nearby, its smoke mixing with the scent of flowers and blood.

  Poseidon sighed internally. Why did it have to be the “young man” who received him? He preferred the child, the most reasonable of the bunch.

  “You said it could be valid information?” Zeus asked, without stopping his chopping.

  Poseidon offered a bow even though his back was turned to him. “Yes.”

  “Hmm.” He glanced at his feet, where a hare had stopped as it munched on the grass. In a speed impossible to follow, the creature ended up in his grip, held by the cuff. He looked into the hare's pink eyes as it kicked its limbs, struggling uselessly to free itself. “Is this about your offspring? Looking for another possible bargain?”

  Instead of scowling, Poseidon wore what he hoped a humble smile should look like. “Yes, I have once again come to see if this will be worthy of an exchange.”

  Zeus took the hare to the chopping block, the animal's death hidden from Poseidon. “Why wouldn't you think of them as hares?”

  Again with this stupid question. In moments like this, he understood Athena’s obsessive goal, but her goal was like changing one madman for another. What mattered to him was who benefited him the most, and going by his gut, Athena’s plan may not be as foolproof as he first thought.

  “I have several,” Zeus continued. “Hundreds over the centuries.” His muscles worked as he easily ripped off the hare’s skin. “What's the allure of a single one? And she won his custody fairly. Do you wish to stain my justice?”

  May swine eat your justice! What's mine is mine.

  He breathed through his mouth, hoping his rage didn't show. “I merely wish for a single meeting. That is all I ask.”

  “Very well, let's hear it.” He retrieved his cleaver and went about his hacking.

  “I was present in disguise at Demeter’s festival.”

  The air grew still. Turning to the side, he exposed his red eye. “Water boy keeps toeing the line.” The voice was different this time—older.

  Leaning forward, he gripped the edge of the table, seeming to press down the version of himself that attempted to leak out. Finally turning around, he crossed his arms and blankly watched Poseidon.

  Like burning needles poking every pore. Gritting his teeth, Poseidon bore the fire of his direct stare.

  “And what did you discover?”

  “The girl. The one Ares took as a contender. I witnessed a shift in her appearance. Her face… she looked like Phorcys’ child.”

  Zeus blinked at him, saying nothing.

  Feeling compelled to continue, Poseidon pressed on. “I asked around about his contender, searched with my resources and found she has no background. I couldn't directly approach Demeter to ask about her origin because…”

  Poseidon looked away as he let his words fade. He felt no guilt regarding what he did to Demeter. Save for the grandfather version of Zeus, his other versions viewed him with a quiet disdain, which Poseidon found wildly hypocritical. Zeus surpassed him in leaps and bounds when it came to pursuing his lust, so what was this relentless, suffocating air of judgment?

  He should stick with Athena to take down this fool. Having to call him ‘father’ was the part that irritated him the most. When immortality hadn’t entered the picture, he had been a year older and even better positioned in the army. Now look at him bowing, scraping, walking on glass.

  Poseidon breathed through his mouth again, allowing the rage to roll off him and fade.

  “I shall look into it.” Zeus finally broke the silence. “If there is any merit, you shall be rewarded.” He turned back to his table. “Leave.”

  With a wave of his hand, Poseidon was back at the garden and slightly out of breath. Collapsing into a waiting bench, he considered the possibility of his suspicion being true and grew heady with excitement.

  “Ah, Ceto.” A cold smile curved his lips. “You may be needing comfort again.”

  I'm out!