Convincing Haidês had been surprisingly easy. After he finished raging against the fates and cursing the council, he had been quite calming. He had even apologized to Thalia for his role in her transformation (though not without cursing Future Zeus and Hêphaistos to the deepest pits of Tartarus for killing his lover and the death of his daughter).
He agreed to be their patron and it was like webbed lines shot from under him. Katie, the twins, and Thalia all shuddered at the feeling of their uncles' power. Wrong. Wrong. Death. Not the sea. Not the sky. Not nature. Bones. Cold. Dark.
It was over as soon as it started.
Haidês had taken one look at their ghost trio and gave them an even more solid form. Nico had given them the power to be able to lift things and move around. Silena was able to knit and crochet whatever she wanted. But what Haidês gave them was as close to a physical body as possible. A small pomegranate tree was added to the grove for the ghosts only.
"The age of the half-divine would come to an end soon," Ariadnê warned. "I know not when it started back, but I do remember not only from our studies but from the gods themselves that at one point... there were no half-bloods born."
Annabeth furrowed her brow, "I remember that, but I didn't think anything of it. I mean look at us."
Haidês stared at the blonde, "I know not of when this will happen, but you are the biggest puzzle of it all. Your very existence is an insult to the chaste goddesses. It would not be a surprise if they were to kill you."
Ariadnê grimaced. "And like Apollôn, Artemis was the goddess who brought sudden death to infants, girls and women, for she was not only the protector of girls, but also by contrast their destroyer." She looked at Annabeth in an almost protective manner, "You will have to be extra careful in your dealings."
"I don't understand. Daedalus was–is–whatever. He's my brother!"
Nico shook his head. "I looked into it when I was sneaking into the underworld. His mother is Alcippe and she is still alive."
Haidês raised a brow, "Alcippe is the daughter of Arês. Halirrhothius had ventured to Athens to cut down the olive that had grown out of the spear of Athena. As he raised his ax, it fell out of his hand and mortally wounded him. He caught sight of Alcippe and deflowered her. Arês caught him at it and slew him. Yes, Arês was put on trial for that. All theoi were in attendance and the Twelve Olympian Major acquitted him of the crime."
"So," Clarisse drawled. "Daedalus hasn't even been born yet."
Nico nodded. "Daedalus will receive the art of craftsmanship from Athena. After years of imprisonment and hiding away in his labyrinth, it's no wonder he would believe that he was her son."
"But—"
Taking pity on her, Haidês said, "While Athênê Koriê had not broken her vow of chastity, there were whispers made by the Moirai of her fostering children born of her head. Maybe Daedalus will be the first."
Annabeth looked a little reassured though not too much. Her mother's pride was strong and they were changing the future. Would she accidentally keep herself and her siblings from being born?
Ariadnê turned back to the others, tapping her fingers alongside her throne, "Zeus cast sweet desire to be joined in love with a mortal man, to the end that, very soon, not even she should be innocent of a mortal's love; lest laughter-loving Aphroditê should one day softly smile and say mockingly among all the gods that she had joined the gods in love with mortal women who bare sons of death to the deathless gods, and had mated the goddesses with mortal men."
She looked at her uncle as she continued: "There will be a mortal man. Uh, Ankh–"
"Ankhises," Silena appeared in a ghastly form at her side. "Zeus will fill Mother's heart with sweet desire for Ankhises who had a shape similar to the deathless gods. Mother saw him and fell in love. She came here to Kyrpos then ventured to Paphos. The Kharites bathed in her with heavenly oil such as blooms upon the bodies of the eternal gods--oil divinely sweet, which she had by her, filled with fragrance. And Mother put on all her rich clothes, and when she had decked herself with gold."
