Blessings from Khaos

|yes, i'm ready (to fall in love)|

Mercurius cackled, joined by Dīāna and Līber as they just about fell over themselves. Apollō had his hands buried in his face in a rare show of embarrassment. On the screen in front of them, Octavian was still crouched before the basilisks allowing them to eat kelp jerky from his hand like a regular disney princess. The creatures rubbed against his hand as he smiled at them. Considering that the boy was of royal blood, it was hilarious.

Behind him, Percy and Medea and Bomon were rushing to the clearing where he was. Percy was carrying a satchel from Îris' store alongside a few things that Octavian had bought while they were in the middle of their top. The two of them paused at the sight of him.

"Iris told us you were out here battling the basilisks by yourself," Percy explained. "And we were like, What? We came as fast as we could. What happened?"

Medea, however, put two and two together as quick as ever because she started laughing also. "Sleeping Beauty strikes again?"

Octavian flushed despite himself, standing up with both of the serpents curling around his shoulders.  "I'll explain later," he said. "Right now, there's a blind man in Portland we've got to see."

Rushing back to the boat, Octavian and Medea traded stories about what happened while the boy kept his new pets safe. The Son of Troy explained about Phīneús that was awaiting them in Portland with the answers that they needed while Medea explained about the failed transmissions to the greek camp because now Iūnō was blocking the air waves.

Mercurius didn't feel so bad about the fact that they could block communications that way instead of using the power to find his Leaneíras.

He didn't feel bad at all.

The only good thing about the scene was the way that Percy blushed when Octavian gifted Percy a panda pillow that he bought for him at Îris' store. Medea snickered at the sight while she tried to charm Octavian's pet to her side using the vitamin-enriched pastries, dried fruit leather, macrobiotic beef jerky that was in Percy's mansatchel.

They sailed in a teasing camaraderie for awhile. Percy fumbling over his words as he tried to flirt with Octavian, Medea teasing him for his attempts, and Octavian being unable to speak without saying an innuendo that made Percy blush and Medea flick magicka at him while covering Bomon's ears. While they were doing that, over at Camp Half-Blood, Drew and Jason were squatted beside Leo as he tried to fix his smoking engine. The son of Hḗphaistos was pounding on the engine with a wrench as Drew looked on unconcerned though she was dressed in an rose-gold mechanic uniform with her name printed across the back.

"You realize it's the solstice," the girl was saying as she looked through the boy's toolbox. "We're supposed to leave today."

"I know that!" The curly-haired mechanic whacked the engine a few more times. "Could be the fizzrockets. Could be the samophlange. Could be Gaea messing with us again. I'm not sure!"

Hḗphaistos frowned as he looked it over. "Looks like the hopper tank."

"How long?" Jason asked.

"Two, three days?"

"They may not have that long," the Champion of Apóllōn warned.

Meanwhile, the three sailing towards Alaska, settled in for a short rest.

Kállos joined Hērmês as they arrived upon Mount Kyllênê in Arkadíā where the rest of his family had gathered. As they appeared together, she waved her hand over her appearance switching from her nightwear. Beside her, Hērmês beamed, and the other gods welcomed her when they saw her, giving her their hands. Each one of them prayed that he might lead her home to be his wedded wife, so greatly were they amazed at the beauty of violet-crowned princess.

Alas, the dreams that she held were not to be for Hērmês planned to make her his wife yet her demands were not possible as the Moirai; who spun the threads of life, and Ζεύς, who have to submit to them, had already planned to make Eleuthia his wedded wife.

Kállos smiled sadly even though the other gods were falling over themselves to sweep her away. She overheard Lord Ζεύς with his plans to marry her off with haste lest the gods go to battle. Hērmês sat at her side, changed into his marriage robes and with him came a small tortoise that made her heart feel heavy.

"My brother, glorious son of Ζεύς, stated that this wedding was a way to please gold-shod Hḗrē," he explained to her.

Kállos kept her sad smile as she gazed out into the mountain plains. "Do you think..." She trailed off.

"Do I...?"

"Do you think that in another world that we are soulmates?"

The god pouted, a petulant look on his face. "If we are, tis not a fair thought for it is this world that I want you."

Kállos smiled at him, reaching for his hand. And when he looked at her, he brushed the hair from her face. "My dear, Kállos, I am sure the stars are shifting to accommodate for the two us, and it may take time, but one day I shall gaze up to the sky and see you there with me, splattered across the night sky."

"You speak sweet words, all-glorious son of Maía and Ζεύς who holds the aigis, luck-bringing genius of the gods, but tis not meant to be."

"All that dwelt in Ólumpos are bewitched by you, glikia mou," he murmured. "They are rivals in love for you, and they search for your Father and some go to Ζεύς who holds the aigis to offer their dowers. You will not be able to return to Neritum in peace."

"How shameful." She smiled wryly. "What ever shall I do?"

"You have the stolen the hearts all around the world including mine," Hērmês informed her, nudging her to which she leaned her head on his shoulder. Her nose brushed against his neck, and she smiled once more. "You smell nice, asteri mu."

"Eucharistō," he murmured, brushing his nose against hers.

Neither of them noticed the soft-lidded goddess that lingered.

And none of them realized that eons later, there would be one quote that would describe the three of them perfectly. A quote by an author named Rose Gordon: A person doesn't know true hurt and suffering until they've felt the pain of falling in love with someone whose affections lie elsewhere.