Do Not Go Gentle

A Golden Flower Duel

Here is a present for you all, from me on my birthday :) Hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for the positive responses that this has been receiving. Y'all are the best readers there are. Love you guys!

oOo

When I was twelve years old, I dueled a god.

I was on my first quest, having been framed for stealing the strongest weapon in the world: Zeus's Lightning Bolt. It was the beginning of a long line of happiness and friendships, but also a lot of hate and pain.

Ares, the God of War, had cornered my friends and me on a beach, just before I was set to deliver the bolt to my uncle. I was young, reckless, and was willing to do whatever it took to make sure my friends and family were safe.

So, I challenged the God of War to a duel.

And I won.

When I was thirteen years old, I fought against a cyclops.

I was on my second quest, one to save the camp where I had found a place where I could fit in, a place where I felt like I could actually be happy. I escaped the camp with my friend and half-brother, and we hurried to the Sea of Monsters where another friend of mine was being held hostage by Polyphemus, the Cyclops that Odysseus himself had dealt with.

And I won.

When I was fourteen years old, I held up the sky.

When I was on my third quest, I went searching for my best friend who had been taken by a monster. It was all my fault. I had to save her, so I did.

And in doing so, I had to hold up the sky.

I did not falter.

When I was fifteen years old, I made a volcano explode.

I was on my fourth quest, to journey into the Labyrinth and stop Kronos from rising again. My best friend and I were surrounded, and there was nothing I could do to make sure the both of us would survive, so I let my friend escape and held them off.

I landed on Calypso's island and was resilient enough to leave eternal bliss.

I proved that I was strong enough to lead my friends to war.

When I was sixteen, I was prophesized to die.

It was a secret that some had been keeping for years, allowing me to believe that there was a chance that I would be able to live a long, happy life. Before then I had hoped to find someone that would make me happy, maybe have a few kids and take them to the same place my mother used to take me on Montauk to see the ocean.

But that will never happen, now.

It was then that I had to lead an army to defend the palace of the gods from being taken over by monsters and the ultimate evil of all: the father of the gods, Kronos. The titan was set on seeing his revenge on his children and desired to take power over the world once again.

I couldn't let that happen.

So, I fought him.

And with help from my friends, we stopped him.

When I was seventeen, I didn't remember my name. I only knew that people called me Persie. Nothing more.

I was brought to a different camp full of demigods and ended up becoming one of their leaders.

I didn't need to remember who I was to be able to lead.

I was born to lead.

Before I was eighteen, I fell into the deepest, darkest pits of the Underworld: Tartarus. The place is run by the titan himself, only to be rivaled by his wife, Gaea. The one that my friends and I were fighting against.