Group RP Ascension of the Eternal - RP thread

Iliad cocked an eyebrow at the god's words and slightly tilted his head.
"Weapons?" he said with a careful smile. "I... I don't wanna fight."

"Oh yes, you will, because..." Apollo began, making a drumroll gesture.
"The next one in line to be the God of the Sun is... You! Tadah! Congratulations, my little Iliad! Aren't you happy?" he cheered excitedly. "Ahhhh, it'll be grand! You'll shine across the sky like your old man... and his bothersome nagging sister!"

"Oh, but you'll need weaponry! Yes, YES!!" Apollo continued before turning to Hephaestus with the biggest grin possible. "Hey, big bro Hephy! Give my boy a looooovely bow, won'tcha? Can't have him go about unarmed, what if a mean ol' Gorgon comes along and tries to kill him? Ah, and a short-sword as well! Any Olympian-to-be needs to be well equipped!"

Apollo clearly couldn't handle the excitement as he was nearly hopping up and down with glee.
"Uhm... You sure know how to make a convincing argument. Not dying would be great." Iliad stated, starting to giggle a little himself at watching his father act so bubbly. "Alright, dad, settle down."

Apollo let out a small squeak. "He called me dad~" he said before hugging Iliad tightly again. "You'll be great, sun. Heehee, get it? Sun? Heeheehee!"

Iliad smiled back gently and grasped his hands. "But uhhhm, dad, what were those powers grandpa was talking about anyway?" he asked.

"Oh, right, those." Apollo said absentmindedly, as if the question was pointlessly trivial. Of course, he cared more about drowning in the apparent joy of being a parent than answering tedious questions. "Hmmm... Well, let me take a good look at you, boy." he muttered and carefully inspected Iliad from top to bottom. "Well, I've been watching you for a long time now. Hmmm, your mom wasn't really nice, and you've surely noticed how delighted you were when you bathed in sunlight, and how the sun would always shine upon you when you played the piano, one way or another? So yeah, you're my little solar deity WIP to be sure, you'll be wonderful, dazzling, radiant, blazing and-!"

"DAD!" Iliad interjected. "Please..."

Apollo coughed a little and regained his composure. "All those little things, as unnoticeable as they may have been to you, just add up perfectly. But you needn't worry. You'll learn to harness the power of sunlight, in due time." he concluded with a serene smile. "And who knows... Perhaps some other traits have passed down as well... But that's all of later concern."

He then looked around sneakily and took off his golden laurel-crown before placing it on Iliad's head. It shone a little for just a split second, before turning into a stylish pair of mirrored sunglasses, resting on top of Iliad's blonde hairs. "Theeeeere we go. Very suave, my boy."

 

"Am I too assume you will be handling my training, father" Danaus spat out, his steely gaze meeting the intense, calculating gaze of his father.

"You should be honoured, you have the King of the Gods teaching you child. With my training you will harness your powers to strike down those who would oppose you, both friend and foe shall come to fear you, and respect you." Zeus boomed down to his child, placing his hand on Danaus' shoulder as he spoke, ignoring the disrespectful tone he was spoken to with. "When it is time, you will be ready to become my successor as the God of Thunder, and perhaps even King." An arrogant smirk appeared on Zeus' face as he spoke, the lust of power still shining clear even if the method is through his son.

Shrugging his fathers hand off his shoulder, Danaus found himself scowling up at the being, "I am your son, not another tool to help you to grasp onto whatever power is available. King of the Gods? I do not see that in my future, and it's for the best you get the idea out of your head."

Snorting Zeus waved his progeny away, "Go then, fool. Get your weapon then prepare for the harshest training you will ever have to experience."

 

"I'd like to know...what I can do..." A quiet voice had finally spoken, addressing the crowd. She was standing up straight, her face aas facing forward, her eyes were wide with determination, despite a flake of worry here and there.

"...even if I don't know if I believe that I am a daughter of a goddess...even if I am very scared of what is to be... want to, at best, be able to provide...whatever I am granted with."

Demeter was both surprised and touched at Willow's brave words. She could only smile and hold one of her daughter's hands.

"Then I am all the more proud of you. I hope you are willing to undertake this responsibility but I know you will do well, Willow. A name fitting for you, for you will bend but not break. Much like the willow tree that will withstand all the elements."

"So that is why...you named me...?"

"My dear Willow Redwood. You are the next goddess of Earth."

"R-really?"

"I noticed, that you seem to hold a high regard towards nature. You begged your father to get that Mateira Medica which would have costed plenty to ship all the way from China, just so you could delve deeper into learning about these herbs and plants. You may not have realised, but the plants around you reflect how you feel."

"...I...wow..." Willow's green eyes sparkled with wonder as she remembered how the plants seemed to flourish when she was happy, and wilt when she didn't seem that way.

"I am not sure if you fancy using a weapon, but you would have to, if you need to fight, little sapling."

"...." The thought of weapons scared her as she was deep in thought once more.

 

If Zeus was trying to alleviate the concerns of the youths, he was doing a pretty mediocre job of it. He'd said it himself: Ben and the others were tools and little more, at least in his eyes. If he had a choice, Ben would've walked away; Zeus acted entitled and arrogant, but he definitely had reason to. Of course, Ben didn't exactly have a choice in the matter.

The mention of training caught his attention. They would have weapons made for them? Ben didn't know how to use a weapon... well, besides his fists and feet, but even then. That, however, wasn't what made Ben's brow furrow. "Powers?" he whispered. "What kind of powers would I have..?"

"Command of the winds," Boreas answered. Ben hadn't noticed the old god approach. How did he move so silently with that heavy cloak? "Well, a wind, technically. You are not the son of Aeolus, after all."

"'A' wind?" Ben looked up, confused. "Aren't the winds all the same?"

"No," Boreas said. "I am the god of the north winds, those that bring winter. My brothers Zephyrus, Notus, and Eurus have dominion over the west, south, and east winds, and Aeolus governs them all." The old god gave his son a weary look. "Do they not teach you these things in school?"

"I didn't-" Ben stopped short, not wanting to admit that he hadn't studied his history (or anything, really, for that matter). "Uh, we don't study that much Greek mythology." And if we did, he thought, I didn't pay attention at all.

"Hmph. I shouldn't be surprised." Boreas glanced around the room again, noting how the other gods were talking with their mortal children. His eyes settled on Apollo and his son, and a small smile crept onto his haggard face. Glad to see some of us enjoying this reunion, he thought. "Zeus has a point, though, Benedict. We will-"

"No one calls me that, it's just Ben," the youth interjected. As soon as he did, he remembered he just interrupted a god and sheepish. "Sorry."

Boreas regarded his son for a moment. "Well then, Ben, we will explore the nature of your powers shortly. To be honest, I am eager to see what you're capable of."

 

Watching his father making his was towards him, Nyke began to emotionally prepare himself for the inevitable. It took him everything he had to not run up to him and giving him a loving hug, but he mannaged.

"Do we really need to do this?" Nyke asked his father once he got close enough. "Will the world be in danger if we don't go through with this?"

Hades got on one knee and placed his hand on Nykes shoulder. "I'm afraid so. Only those with human blood can get rid of the phoenix. Otherwise we would've already gotten rid of it."

Nyke wanted nothing more than return back home and forget all this happened. But sadly there wont be a home to return to with that phoenix around. He didn't really have a choice now did he. There was one thing that kept bothering him though. Not even the gods could defeat it, what hope did a bunch of teens have?

"So I guess you'll be training me then?" He asked his father. He didn't really want to do this, but he saw that it was necesary.

"That's correct, but before we start with weapons, I think it would be in our best interest to start with your abilities."

"What kind of abilities are we talking about?" He wasn't really sold on the whole 'my dad's the king of the underworld' business. He didn't want to accidentally send a bunch of people to the underworld.

"Well as my son, you'll most likely have an affinity with sorcery. But I have a feeling you'll get the hang of it quickly, I mean, you're the next to rule the underworld after all." Hades stated. "And trust me, that place isn't so bad once you get used to it."

He then removed his hands for my shoulder and began making his way towards one of the portals. Once he was in front of the portal, he turned around. "Come on Nyke, we can't practice your abilities here, Zeus will get angry if we accidentaly destroy something. We can practice back in my palace."

Nyke let out a deep sigh before making his way towards his father. Once he was by his father, they both entered though the portal. The first thing he noticed was the sudden change in temperature. Once he took a look around, he noticed that he was in the decorated palace that his father owned.

"Now, let me show you some of the basics." Hades anounced.

 

"Well, let's start with the basics of being a sun-god, then. I doubt that we could destroy much here in this hall anyway..." Apollo said gleefully and extended his arm, opening the palm of his hand. "Ya might wanna put on your sunglasses for this one, kiddo." he announced and Iliad did so hurriedly.

Iliad had only barely managed to put them on before a blindingly bright sphere the size of a basketball appeared in his father's hand. "Wow..." was the only thing Iliad could mutter.

"Daaaaaamn right 'wow', Iliad, my boy!" Apollo let out with a squeal. "Uncle Hades haaaaaaaated it when I used this trick on my visit to the Netherworld back in my younger days. Said it disturbed the spirits, he did. Ah, reminding me, don't use this trick in the Netherworld, your great-uncle Hades won't be happy. Speaking of which, don't share this secret with your uncle Hermes either... His alchemic cult followers have tried to create their own suns for aaaaaages. I remember Hermes went through a phase in which he tried to be a magician when he was a teenager. He called himself Hermes Trismegistus, Ares and I thought it was a hoot. Dad never laughed though, he's got a poor sense of humour. Aaaaaaah, nostalgia..." he said with a chuckle.

Iliad sighed at his father's casuality with these things, but could help but chuckle at his feigned seriousness. "Yes sir! Understood! No Hermes, no Hades!"

"Right on!" Apollo cheered and snapped his fingers. The orb vanished instantly and Apollo gestured to his son. "Well, hold out your hand, and think of the brightness of the sun, its warmth, its central position in our solar system, the rising of the sun at dawn, the setting at dusk! Visualise this marvellously radiant globe, right up in the sky! But don't think with your mind, do it with your heart, with your very core!"

Iliad grinned widely. "That's a bit vague dad, but I get the sentiment. It's more of an emotional kind of thinking, right?" he asked, to which Apollo merely nodded.

Iliad closed his eyes and held out his hand, like his father had instructed. Iliad gazed at the centre of his palm, focussing all of his thoughts and efforts into creating a small orb of light in his hands. Time progressed slowly, and Iliad could feel himself slightly drained as there were no results at all. He gritted his teeth; it shouldn't be this hard to create a small sun, right? But it does sound like an impossible task, maybe he wasn't fit to be... At that point, Iliad felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Now now, a solar deity should never show such a pained face." Apollo said supportively. "Feel the kindness of the sun in your heart, and let it fill your soul."

Iliad nodded, trying his best to recall the moment he escaped from his mother's house, and into the bright world outside. His skin tingled a little from the sudden warmth of the sun's rays at the time, and he just ran without stopping. He could feel all the mental and physical stress leave his body as he pictured a gentle light where his hands were.

"Look, boy," Apollo said warmly. "Open your eyes."

At the moment Iliad opened his eyes, he nearly had to close them immediately after doing so. There was a bright orb floating above Iliad's hands, and although it was far less blinding and about the size of a baseball. But, it was there, nonetheless.

"I... I did it! I did it, dad!" he squeaked in excitement and hopped up and down. The tiny star in Iliad's hands trembled and shook heavily and started blinking a volatile red.

Apollo suddenly yelled. "No! Don't shake it so much, you'll cause stellar-!"

But he was too late. A long and whip-like spray of reddish glowing gas and particles sprayed from the sphere, hitting a nearby pillar and leaving it with a sizeable and charred gap. "-Winds..." Apollo finished. "Whelp, that'll be a scolding from dad."

Iliad turned pale, and the sun in his hands vanished immediately. "Oh no, oh no, oh heavens... I'm sooooooo sorry." Iliad stuttered.

Apollo grinned nonetheless. "Heh, well, this happens sometimes. Gotta learn from your mistakes, and practice makes perfect. Let's just continue with your lessons, no need to worry."

"Are you sure?" Iliad asked carefully. He saw the bad temper that the chief of gods had, and he wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

"Yesssss! Come on, come on, let's keep it up, you were doing so well!" Apollo replied cheerfully, as the two of them continued creating small stars in their hands only to make them vanish; repeating the process while talking about their lives until their meeting.

 

Aphrodite giggled a little, a dignified but cheerful chuckle, "Ah yes, we must get to training!" and snapped, opening her own portal, a bright and pink tinted hole into another plane. "Come along, Lucy." She took her daughter's hand and tugged her through the portal before she could protest. They landed on the outside of a massive looking forge, a little ranch style home right outside, plush green grass comforting their fall.

Lucy looked up at the massive building and then to the small ranch home that Aphrodite had already started walking toward home, the eves decorated with heart carvings. "M-Mom," She gulped down her feelings behind that word, "What is this place?" The goddess smiled at her daughter finally calling her mother, she delicately walked her way to Lucy who was still staring at the massive forge.

Aphrodite thought for a moment on how to tell the tale. "Well, Zeus demanded I be wed to what was considered the most unsightly god as to keep me from sparking a war with my powers. I mean I would not want a war but the others worried I could start one... So I was forcibly married to Hephaestus. So, we share a domain, he has his forge and I have my home out here." Lucy seemed a little surprised at this statement, her blue eyes wide with the thought of the love goddess being tangled down.

Lucy just shook her head, "How awful... No one should be forced into a loveless marriage." A passion to keep talking roared in her eyes like a fire. "No single woman deserves to be pushed down and did he kick you out of his massive kingdom like forge. While you are the goddess of love, even you deserve to find the true love for you!"

Aphrodite smiled slightly, her heart warmed by her daughter's sentiment, "While we were forcibly wed, we both have a mutual appreciation for each other. He does not keep me here and has allowed me to enjoy having a place of my own." She placed a hand on her shoulder, "You really care about the rights of a woman and the maidens life. Perhaps, you are different from me."

Lucy seemed a little confused as Aphrodite walked her back to the ranch home in silence, a smile plastered on her face, her ruby lips holding the smile elegantly. "What powers do you think I could have, I am not... I am not like a sex goddess, I am not you."

The goddess looked down to her daughter, "Well, you may not be one to try to seduce others, your passion certainly made me happy to see. Love comes in many forms, there is passion, the confidence to love or be loved, the pleasure that comes from another. You must hold a confidence in your self, you are a beautiful young woman. You cannot spread love if you do not love yourself, so, have confidence in your own appeal." Aphrodite placed a hand over her daughter's heart and smiled, "Now, the heart is the most powerful muscle, so let us see if you can control it." She giggled again as they entered her little ranch house, a tea set already steaming with warmth for them to sit and chat while learning. Lucy smiled up to the goddess, feeling a bit more confidence to find her own powers now.

 

Danaus found himself startled as a rough hand gripped his shoulder followed by the crack of thunder and his surroundings rapidly changing. Before he could get a grasp on his surroundings, he was shoved forward and his fathers booming voice sounded,

"Your training starts now. I will not teach you how to control your powers, you must teach yourself. I will be your motivator." The way he spoke sent chills up Danaus' spine, and it was only thanks to this he was able to dive out of the way as a bolt of lightning struck where he once stood. Staring at the scorch mark, Danaus gulped. 'He actually might kill me' Suddenly he felt regret about how he challenged the superior being in front of him.

"Well?" Zeus stressed, crossing his arms as he stared resentfully at his child, "Are you too cowardly to fight back?"

Incensed at the challenge, Danaus charged forward at his father with a shout, a shout that was cut short as a crack of thunder sounded, followed shortly by a bolt of lightning smashing into the back of the demi-god. "Agh!" Danaus screamed in pain as his body collapsed, slightly shaking from the aftershocks.

"Tch, pathetic" Zeus scoffed, walking towards his child, lightning beginning to form as a sphere in his hand. "Perhaps I should just kill you now, put you out of your misery, it's obvious you're not able to handle this type of training, nevermind the fight ahead." As he finished speaking, he found himself smirking as Danaus struggled up into a crouched position, "Very well then. Attack me if you wish." Just as Danaus launched himself forward, another bolt struck the blonde haired demi-god, causing him to release another shout of pain.

Amidst the shocking experience, Danaus found himself full of emotions that he never felt cross before. Anger, pain, confusion, all sorts of conflicting emotions but at the centre of it all, despite how much he denied it he found himself feeling one key emotion. Excitement. This was the power he would wield? The ability to subdue all who opposed him with a single strike of heavenly light? A part of him, the godly part, the part of him that took pride in being the son of lightning could not wait for that power.

18 years he walked the earth as a mortal, but now faced with the power of his father, a new side of Danaus awoke. As grey eyes gave way to crackling blue, Danaus gave one last shout. And all that followed was a burst of blue light.

 

As the other gods took their children to train, Boreas guided Ben to a shimmering portal. "Let's find some more suitable training grounds," the old god said, gesturing for his son to enter the portal. "We will have plenty of space here."

Ben stepped through it and gasped not only at the frigid wind that met him, but at the scenery before him. Rolling hills of frost-glazed grass stretched in all directions, and a sturdy marble temple dominated the hill he stood on. Small herds of horses, seemingly unbothered by the cold, grazed leisurely. Aside from the winds, this place was beautiful.

"I see you enjoy the view," Boreas mused, a small smile on his face as he appeared beside Ben. The portal dissolved into flakes of snow, which were promptly scattered by the wind. "You will have plenty of time to admire my home as we practice." He beckoned for his son to follow him away from the temple.

As god and demigod walked, the incessant wind battered Ben's exposed skin. His blue running jacket and pants offered little protection against the cold. "Why do you live somewhere so cold?" Ben whined, tucking his hands under his armpits.

"Cold?" Boreas scoffed. "You will eventually learn to ignore the cold of these winds, just as a blacksmith learns to ignore the heat of his forge." The old god stopped and turned to face his shivering son. "Your lessons begin now. Do you feel the wind against you?"

"If we stay out here long enough, I'll grow numb enough not to," Ben groaned. At Boreas' stern scowl, Ben stammered, "I mean, yeah, I can feel the wind alright."

"Can you feel how the wind moves?" Boreas pressed. "How it ebbs and flows through the air around you?"

"How do I-" Ben cut his remark short as he watched his breath get whisked away. As he watched, he swore he could feel... something. Like a part of himself was outside of himself, and that part of himself could feel the air currents in an area around him. The sensation faded as the cloud of breath disappeared. "...Yeah," Ben said after a moment, confusion spreading across his red face. "I could for a little bit, I think."

Boreas hummed. Something was better than nothing. "Maybe this will help you," he mused. With a wave of his hand, fine snow began to fall and dance in the wind. "Try it again," Boreas said.

Ben obeyed, watching how the snow blew about, and he felt the sensation again, stronger this time. "That definitely helps," he said with a nod, wonder replacing his confusion.

"Good," Boreas said. "You have taken your first step towards mastering the winds."

 

Demeter raised a hand, and just the , a flurry of petals enveloped both mother and daughter, as Demeter quickly pulled Willow close before the petals started spinning faster, like a vortex. And within moments, there was no trace of them left in the Olympian hall.

Instead, what appeared to be the same flurry of petals materialised in what seemed to be a vast garden, with a few broken marble columns, covered with vines. Trees were abound, and so were wildflowers.

"This is..."

"Not essentially a temple I would call my own, but you and I govern the very surface we walk on. Every inch on where our feet meets is our domain. You just need to feel the essence of nature. Take a deep breath."

Willow followed suit and closed her eyes. She could almost hear every other sound around her. The bristling leaves in the wind. She could also feel the surrounding plants. They were brimming with life, which ultimately made her smile.

"Your emotions may affect your surrounding, Willow. So it is very important if you control it well. That is not to say you must forgo all emotions. My emotions got the best of me when my daughter---Persephone, I mean---was taken away from me. I forgot all my responsibilities and my main goal was to make sure she was safe. In doing so, I neglected the state of the earth, leaving everything to wither, and essentially taking the lives of many."

Willow started to tremble. It would never do to anger Demeter in any shape or form.

"I cannot assure that you will be the best fighter on the front lines, but you can help by identifying plants that may be pure or poisonous in intent. Collecting a little of those may help in enhancing the weapons of your comrades, and also to help in healing as well."

"That sounds good..." Willow sounded relieved almost too quickly.

"In a sense, you can grow plants and wither them at your command. But be aware. The stronger the intent of thought and will, the stronger the plant is, but it will also take a toll on your magical strength, so be aware. Some stronger plants take longer time to grow, as you may have known. So let us start with a vine to collect that object on that tree." Demeter pointed to a very familiar looking object atop a fairly tall tree.

"My paintbrush! How--?" Willow was agape. Her paintbox was sitting atop one of the branches of the tree, which would be essentially

"You seemed to have a great affinity for it, for it came along with you when I summoned you here. I am sure the bottles and your paintbrush will be handy in some manner." Demeter pat the paintbox of Willow's art goods beside her.

Willow closed her eyes and focused. She wanted a nice long vine. It did not have to be too sturdy, just enough to hold the item.

Just like that, sprouting from the ground was a thin vine, very slowly creeping up in length. It barely reached a third of the tree trunk when Willow suddenly lurched back, cradling her head and steadying herself. It was barely there, but it was a little progress.

"That would be good enough for now. Take a few breaks every now and then, until you get the brush from the tree. You are not expected to master this over night, but also be aware not to compromise the other plants around you in favour of that one vine." Demeter gestured to the grass around the vine Willow had conjured. They had wilted and turned a shade of brown.

"Oh no---Oh my goodness what have I done---" Willow cupped her mouth in shock and horror.

"The goddess of earth has a dangerous ability. We can provide, but we can also take just as swiftly." Demeter's tone was serious as she herself was aware of the consequences of her ability. "Bear that in mind, my dear. But for now, are you feeling alright to continue?"

Willow nodded her head, and took a deep breath. With a few more tries, the length of the vine grew and she was able to grasp the paintbrush from the branch, which toppled from the tree and dropped. Once that was done, Willow had fallen to her knees, panting slightly in exhaustion.

Demeter smiled warmly as she pat Willow's shoulder. "For a first attempt, that was pretty good a try. Now rest awhile, we will continue when you are better." The demigoddess only nodded as she relished the hold of Demeter, the touch of a mother she had been starved for many years.

 

"Is it finished?" Zeus' voice boomed from behind Danaus, who was looking down at a blueprint in front of him.

"Yes, father." Danaus sighed out, rolling the blueprint up and placing it in the talons of the eagle beside him who flew off instantly, knowing its destination. "You believe Hephaestus has the time to build me a spear like that?" He asked, while taking his position in front of a set of targets.

"Despite all of my son's fault, even I must admit he is an excellent smith." Zeus grumbled out, strolling up to his sons side. "Now, your temper tantrum earlier was an excellent method of gaining access to your powers, but it blinded you. You must harness that power as if it were your own, with a clear mind, or you will destroy everything around you friend or foe."

Grumbling at his use of his powers being called a 'temper tantrum', Danaus otherwise nodded dutifully listening to every word his father spoke. He idly noticed a difference in how he was treated from the god. 'Probably pride in me following his footsteps' Danaus snorted in his head.

"This exercise will help you control your power. You must summon your lightning and strike the center of each target, and at any point if I see you lose yourself to it I will knock you back to your senses. Understood?" Zeus barked at him, a small grin on his face no doubt relishing the thought of picking another fight with his child.

Nodding in agreement, Danaus focused on the targets in front of him as lightning began to gather in his hands, but the more he gathered the less he focused on the world around him. Eventually he was broken out by a large hand colliding with the back of his head.

"Focus!" His fathers voice shouted behind him. Gulping, Danaus went back to the exercise with renewed effort.

 

Boreas was right - after a while of training, Ben didn't feel the cold bite of the wind against his cheeks, nor the cold of the snow that landed on him. He merely felt the push of the wind against him, saw how it scattered the snowflakes. "Are you comfortable with the first skill?" Boreas asked.

"Yeah," Ben said, focused on the sensation he felt. It may have been a trick from the snow, but he thought he could see the air current itself that blew about as a series of dim, curling lines. "Yeah, I think I've got the hang of this."

"Good," Boreas nodded. "Then let's move on to the second skill." The wind calmed slightly as the old god began to speak: "The winds are energy, motion, change. As a god of the wind, they are an extension of yourself. You can change how they blow and even summon them at will, though that will take time to learn. For now, I will teach you how to move them. You could sense the winds in an area around yourself, correct?"

Ben nodded, eager to learn this next skill.

"That," Boreas continued, "is your sphere of influence. Within that area, you can not only feel the winds, but command them as well. All it takes is a push on your sphere of influence to redirect them." He demonstrated by thrusting his palm out to his side, causing the snow to scatter wildly in a plume in that direction. "Try it, Ben."

"Okay." Ben inhaled, feeling his sphere of influence reform around him. The sensation almost felt more natural than going without it. He concentrated on an area in front of him. He threw his hands forward with a shout, pushing on the bubble he felt.

The snow falling before him rippled gently.

Ben frowned, then tried again, pushing harder. Again, the snow rippled, but it didn't scatter as it had for Boreas. "Come on," Ben grumbled, mustering his strength before he shoved on his sphere of influence. The rippling of the snow carried out a little further. "Come on!"

Boreas hummed as he watched his son struggle. Ben needed to struggle for a while, but the god was still intent on giving him some pointers. "It's not a matter of how hard you try to push," Boreas said, "but the way you push. Push on a smaller area."

Ben nodded, brow furrowed, and did as instructed. He concentrated on an area about the size of his spread hand and shoved. The results were more encouraging: snowflakes swirled around the small plume he produced. "That didn't help much," he mumbled.

"Do not be discouraged, son," Boreas said. "Learning these things is no small task; they will take time. I didn't expect you to pick these things up immediately. Now keep trying. That's the only way you will improve."

 

Iliad yawned as he continued to create small stars together with his father. Apollo caught on and asked him if something bothered him.

"Yeah..." he started. "How exactly am I supposed to defend myself with miniature suns?"

Apollo raised his finger and slightly opened his mouth as though he was going to say something, but then closed it immediately as he realised his son had a valid point. Then he had a bright idea, and made a strange gesture with his hands. The suns that he'd created began orbiting Apollo and turned into elongated ellipses, becoming longer and thinner until they were thin enough to resemble arrows. With a snap of his fingers, the arrows launched themselves towards the pillars in the room, striking each one in its core.

"Well, try something like this." the Sun God concluded boastfully. "Change the shape of your energies, turn them into arrows, infuse them with your intent and turn them sharp and sleek! Now, you most likely won't be able to launch them of your own accord as of yet, but that's why I had big bro Hephy make you a bow. You'll never run out of ammunition like this... In theory, at least, since the number of arrows you can create depends on your own strength, boy."

Iliad nodded and tried to mimic his father's actions. His first few arrows didn't come out quite right, but he kept practising vigorously regardless with Apollo's guidance.