Bab 59: Doubts
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07
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A few days of just lounging around Induk, which mostly included showing Manu some tricks she could practice, and watching over the Andals, I was off to Earth.
Manasi was sad, but she's a big girl now, so she didn't cry. Chhaya.. was Chhaya, and Kali was just glad that Manasi might gain some new friends soon, if all goes well.
And here I was now, after a lot of catching up with mother, just sitting down on a beach chair, with mother lounging next to me.
I sigh, remembering the conversation Chhaya and I had before I left to come here.
"What's wrong now?" mother asks, somehow sounding concerned as well as resigned, at the same time.
"Gee, mother. You sure know how to show your love." I snark at her, barely moving my neck at all. I was comfortable, and I wasn't moving if I could go without moving for a few minutes.
Mother softly says, "Speak, my son."
Sighing, once again, I say, "Chhaya once again requested me for a child. This was 3 times in the last 5 days itself, while usually it is a about 5 times per century."
"And what's the problem in her asking? I know she isn't asking for your hand in marriage.. yet. You want a child, she wants a child. You're both grown up, and you like each other. So what's the issue?" mother asks, like always, seeing through me.
"Of course I want a child, mother! I want to be a father, so badly. And I would love for Chhaya to be the one to give birth to my children. She's strong, beautiful, and most of all, she's a really good friend. But you know why I can't do it yet." I first yell, sitting up on my beach chair, and then say the last part softly, while clenching the chair with my hands.
Sighing, mother gets up from her chair, and comes to sit beside me, on mine. Taking my hand, she says, "Why can't you father a child yet, Theos? Yes, I know the reasons, but I want you to tell me."
I close my eyes, from when I opened to say, 'You already know,' and then taking a deep breath, I say, "Knull, The Horde, Celestials, Dark Celestials, Mad Celestials, One-Below-All, First Firmament, Beyonders," Thanos, I whisper, in my own mind, although he isn't much of a threat to me, personally. The rest, I know from my past, my visions, or because of Sonny.
I then add, "There's too many threats to the Universe, to the Multiverse, mother. Which means they're a threat to the lives of my future children. And as long as they're alive, I cannot rest assured, and raise a family." That's also why I don't have any Demigod children, despite having done literally thousands of women.
And I was not bragging. I wasn't ashamed of it, but I wasn't particularly proud of it either. I was just happy at not getting any girl pregnant yet, as I would have immediately made my child into a God, and then created another pantheon singlehandedly, with the rest of my children.
Kinda what mother did, to be honest, and what Atum almost did.
Feeling a squeeze on my hand, I turn to mother, who whispers, "They are not your responsibility, Theos."
"It certainly feels like I was born for them." I sardonically mumble, not feeling enough energy to speak it louder.
"You think Madonna gave birth to you, so you can defeat these enemies? Just so you can fight her fights?" Mother asks, to which I shakily nod. To be honest, I've asked myself this a lot of times. I know, she loved me, but was love the only reason I was born? Or am I here to fulfil some purpose for the Queen of Nevers?
Patting my back, mother pulls me towards herself, into a hug, and says, "I knew Madonna for half a million years. She knew about dangers that might, and will kill me and you, more than you do, and she worried, exactly like you do. So, she gave you as many advantages as possible, not so you can fight them for her, but so you can protect yourself against them, when they attack. So you can live a peaceful life without worrying about said dangers forever."
As I was listening closely, already knowing it, but not completely believing it, mother pulls me away, and says, "She loved you, Theos. I love you. And I did not raise you to be paranoid, always looking behind your back for enemies that might take centuries to come."
"I can't do it, mother. My visions are almost never on time, and I get no time to prepare for my enemies! Knull could get loose today, and I wouldn't know unless he actually does! How can I give Chhaya a child, a baby, knowing that the baby might be in danger tomorrow, and I won't even know it!" I argue, still not convinced.
Shrugging, she says, "Sure, there will be enemies, and you will have to protect your family from them, and I will help you with it. But being afraid of even procreating is not the way to go, Theos!"
Sighing, as I stayed silent, she says, "You don't have to go and impregnate Chhaya today, Theos. But you're already 5000 years old. Don't you think you've survived enough, and that you should start actually living now?"
"I've lived without worries, mother." I argue, half heartedly, while wiping my eyes. I'm not actually crying, I got sand in it.
Snorting, mother says, "You've lived without worrying for your own life, Theos. I want you to live without worrying for everyone else's lives. Chhaya, Kali, Manasi, I, even your children, whenever they get here. We will all be there for you, help you defeat the threats to our peace."
Pausing, she pulls my head up by my chin, gently, and looks right into my eyes. Glares, more likely, and says, "But for now, I want you to live for yourself. Be selfish for once, my son."
Leaving me with that one sentence, mother pats my head, and starts walking home. For a while, I just sit there, with my head in my hands, the relaxation forgotten.
Have I really been like this? Always training? Always waiting for the next shoe to drop?
For centuries, I've been training, just to stay in shape, and because I enjoy training. I've progressed my strength to the peak of normal Gods, and to the beginning of the peaks of Elder Gods. I've progressed my Celestial height to planetary levels, and I've improved my Magic to be the best I can be without relying on any other Dimensions, and I won't do that either.
And all the Hells would freeze over before I use a single spell not native to this Universe, to this Dimension. Unless the Dimension is mine, but I don't think Celestials are allowed to "Own" Mystic Dimensions. Agamotto hinted it pretty clearly, when we last sparred. Spoiler alert, he still won.
But.. did I neglect having fun? Other than my quarter century bar hopping, I did have a short time affair with Hathor, which lasted 3 centuries before Horus almost caught us. It stopped after that.
Huh.
I haven't done much in the way of fun, other than training and fucking. My previous hobbies are non existent right now, and unfortunately, Sonny did not come with any video games. So, yeah..
I am a boring man. And I have a pretty miserable life.
Sighing, I get up. Mother is right, but I won't give her a grandchild so soon. Don't want her to know that I lost the argument, even if I did.
Slowly, I walk towards the house, smiling at how my mother bluntly set me straight. 5000 years old, and still a momma's boy. I'm not proud of it, but I ain't ashamed either. I have a loving mother, and I am proud of her, though.
~~~
A few weeks of staying on Earth is all it took for me and mother to organise a sort of playground for Demigods.
Gods don't usually give two fucks about the huge list of Demigods they leave behind, and other Gods soon come and fuck them too. But, even after all this, they wouldn't purposefully endanger the demigods, their kin.
Except maybe Zeus and Hera. They're a different breed altogether.
Jokes aside, mother approached those Gods, who currently have young Demigods, and put forth an idea. A place for Demigods to train, for them to interact with each other. No division by pantheons, but a single place where Gods of every Pantheon can send their Demigod children to.
It took just a few minutes of mother talking, to convince every Pantheon that they needed such a place, but they also unanimously agreed, that this place will only be for children. The campers will all have to be younger than 16. After their 16th year, they will have to leave. Can't let the camp get too crowded.
Mother offered to create an Island, about twice as big as her own island, which we will then put protective enchantments around. She did it too, with the snap of her fingers, and up came an island in the centre of the Pacific Ocean.
That island, which I named Camp Half Blood just for fun, will be a safe place for young demigods to train, learn, and just have fun, while learning to survive. Of course, once old enough, they will have the option to either join the Camp as teachers of their crafts, or leave and re-join the outer world. Of course, the joining will depend on vacancies.
These Demigods will then learn how to fight, survive, to protect themselves against demons, monsters, wyverns, etc. And they will also learn how to live in the mortal world without posing a danger to anyone else.
And we even got a trainer for them, in the form of a few heroic figures. Chiron the Centaur was at the top of the list, having volunteered as soon as mother informed him of the camp, while a few Demigod turned Gods offered to watch over the camp. Honestly, it went way better than what we expected.
Within a few days, the island was ready, with all the preparations complete. There was a big forest, with a clearing near the edge of the island. The clearing is where I built a big house for the future campers, leaving the rest to be built by the campers themselves, as a bonding exercise.
There was a fresh water lake, as well as a well that I had dug, so they can get fresh water. Mother made it so that the water of the well is always fresh, and not salty like the water around the island, and so that it won't ever go dry.
My addition to the camp, or for the camp, were spots all around the world, that had a tree with a spiral insignia carved on it's trunk. The spiral was sort of like the Uzumaki clan, with no chance of anyone mistaking it as something else.
If a Demigod needed to get away, the magic around Earth itself will guide them towards the closest Spiral Trees, and as soon as they touch the spiral, they will be transported to the Island, while informing the Camp Leaders of the arrival.
This Spiral will only work for Demigods, or their Children though. It won't work for the Grandchildren of the Demigods, unless all four of the grandparents were demigods too. There has to be enough Divine Blood in a child for the spirals to work. It is a bit unfair on the non-demigod children, but the Gods would never agree on bringing actual mortals to a camp for their children.
If there had to be any modifications, Chiron was going to do them himself, but I will know of any changes immediately.
And now, all of 5 weeks after the talk with mother, and the numerous talks that mother had with the different Pantheons, we were standing in the welcoming spot, awaiting our first arrival to the camp.
Just a few seconds ago, I had been talking with mother about adding a Sorcery class too, so these Demigods can request proper patronage from their Divine parents, or from Mother if they refuse, when I felt it.
Mother and Chiron also felt it, as proved by all three of us going towards the arch, which was supposed to spit out the Demigods. The spiral wasn't just an aesthetic design, it was literally a forceful teleportation spell for Demigods, with it's destination being the wooden arch we were currently standing in front of. And one Demigod was currently being guided towards the Spiral beacon, which informed us of it.
"So, our first Camper?" Chiron asks, trotting in his place. He looked like the Centaurs from Harry Potter, with brown, horse like skin all around. Even the human part of his body was brown, while his hair went from his head, all the way to his back. He then asks, "Do you know what prompted him to seek the Beacon?"
The Beacon is what we've currently decided on, for the Spiral carvings on the trees. You know, because they pull Demigod children towards them.
Mother says, "Why don't we ask him ourselves?"
And just at that moment, the arch glows white, like the Astria Porta from Stargate. As the glow dies down, we see a very confused and scared little boy, barely 10 years old, standing there and staring at Chiron, most of which indicated fear.
Mother, being someone literally everyone on Earth trusts, takes a step forward, and kneels in front of the boy. She asks, "What's your name, little one?"
"Brian." The boy whispers, moving his eyes from Chiron, to mother.
Patting his head softly, mother says, "You're safe now Brian. Whatever you were running from won't harm you anymore."
Brian looks at mother's eyes, trembling a little, and whispers, "Promise?"
And the voice was so fearful, that I can't help but wonder, 'What happened to the children whom we couldn't help? What about those that the Gods refused to help? What about those who refused to get help from Gods?'
Some things really question your spirit, don't they?
Mother nods at Brian, smiling, and says, "Yes. You're safe here, Brian. You don't have to run anymore."
And just like that, Brian jumps into mother's arms, hugging her tightly, and crying until his tears run dry. And I don't blame him a single bit, once we find out what he was running from.
A very minor God from the Greek Pantheon wanted to.. taste mortal flesh. He killed the boys family, took him to a forest, and let him loose, so the God could hunt Brian down, like an animal. Brian was just lucky enough to be find the Beacon.
Sigh, sometimes people really ask to be killed, don't they?
But this just gave me my first error. Even the Billion trees I have working as the Beacons won't be enough. Sometimes, the Demigods might not reach the Beacon before whatever wants to harm them catches up. Sometimes they might not recognise the Beacon for what it is.
I sigh once again, sitting down on the ground as mother and Chiron take Brian, our first camper to Camp Half-blood. Feeling mother's gaze on me, I turn back, and meet her eyes. She simply nods, smiling in encouragement, and joins Chiron in explaining the Camp to Brian.
Smiling at the gesture of faith that Mother gave me, I close my eyes, and focus on the spell on the arch, and change a few things about it.
The wood of the arch digs deep into the crust of the Earth, and splits up. From the Island, each separate part of the arch goes and connects to every piece of land on the surface of the Earth. Every continent, every Island, the Arch connects to.
And then, the Beacons that I had engraved on the billion trees, vanishes. Instead, I engrave the beacon spell into the Arch Bridges that connected the continents and islands to the camp, and change the spell.
Now, whenever a Demigod child under the age of 16 is in danger, they will see the Spiral on the tree they're closest to, and then tell them that it leads to a safe place. And for the places that don't have as many trees, the Arch will grow one for them, so no Demigod child gets harmed.
This is in no way the cure all for the problems of children, but it is a step in the right direction. At least, Manasi will have lots of friends when she gets here. Well, when the camp is filled at least. This was just the first camper, while the Camp can take thousands at a time.
Better bring Manasi here though, can't let the Demigod son of Belenus be a lonely child. But first, I'm off to Olympus, to punish the God Andreas. He might be a God, but eating Mortals is not something Gods do. Damn, I'm gonna have to interact with Zeus, aren't I?
~~~
A/N: I think I spiralled a bit myself, while writing the second part of this chapter, but I like it still.
I won't write him interacting with Zeus, nor killing the God, as I'm already behind schedule for the canon timeline, and I still have another Arc to write!
Wish me luck! Tata!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone