Astreona began to drink, accepting the living water into herself, a choice binding her to a destiny far outside the battlefield. From that moment on, Poseidon was appointed protector and mentor of the child, charged with watching over its growth and guiding its power. Astreona, however, was left to face what it's like to be a different type of warrior.
In the months that followed, the pregnancy itself wasn't the issue. In fact, it was the opposite of everyone's thought. Astreona hadn't once gotten sick; she had morning sickness; whatever pain she felt was soothed before she could complain. No, within the months, it was her world that shifted in ways she hadn't expected or wanted. She was forbidden to fight, something Poseidon insisted upon to protect both her and the child. At first, she resisted. Training had been her rhythm, battle her breath. Without them, she felt stripped bare. Still, she trained alone in secret, moving through drills in silence, fists clenched with frustration. Her identity, so tightly woven into being a royal guard, felt like it was being washed out.
Another woman was temporarily named to protect the Queen. Watching someone else take her place stirred a bitterness she could barely hide. But at the same time, she was proud that the Queen allowed her to hand-pick the person for the position. So, when everyday living duties were placed before her, tasks she once saw as unnecessary, she accepted them. Awkwardly, reluctantly.
More times than she can count, she burned food more than she cooked it. She broke tools because she didn't understand how to use them. Cleaning was frustrating, sewing clothing and armor was maddening, and caring for plants made her question how anyone had the patience for stillness. She had trained warriors, defended gods, faced down monsters, and on the battlefield, she had a (DOS) order. Destroy On Sight, meaning if Astreona appeared on the battlefield, all enemies were ordered to stop whatever they were doing. Whether they're mid-fight, giving commands, or even retreating, they immediately converge to eliminate her before she can get the status of the battle and act. The main reason she was appointed to the Queen's royal guard and now she was struggling to sweep the floor.
There were times when she watched her Queen and sisters ride out to war, leaving her behind, which was painful, but small things began to shift over time. She learned to ask for help. She listened more. She watched the other Amazons move through their days, not with glory or bloodshed, but with strength that didn't need a sword. Slowly, the walls she'd built around herself began to crack, and she appreciated her other warrior sisters who fought a different type of war. She wasn't just preparing for a child. She was becoming someone the child could learn from, not just in combat and survival but in compassion and living. She became well-rounded.
The nine months ended, and the being was born as a newborn baby girl. However, the baby appeared odd; she had a physical body, but it was more like a solid mold of water, not ice, but shaped water. It was like the child was in a fifth state of matter. The child remembered how its Amazon mother was shaped as a newborn. So, we may call this fifth state of water 'Memory Form'... no, it needs to be more complicated for science's sake. Let's just say the child was in a non-Newtonian metaphysical state and continue. The child had see-through skin, and her inside was perfectly visible and mimicked human organs. Her blue and green veins carried sparkles like a stream of colored glitter, the Amazonian blood that flooded through her and was infused with the crystal, making it shine like glitter.
Though she didn't stay that way for long, the mimicry became a passive ability that improved; by the time a year rolled around, her body had developed and resembled an Amazon child. However, some things stood out differently due to the majority of the genetic makeup being from her first mother, Thalassa, and then some parts of Selena. The child's hair is super wavy and past shoulder length, colored blue and pink, the perfect fusion of blue waters and pink coral.
The child's skin changed to that of her Amazonian mother, a golden brown, but sometimes, under the moon, there was also a glowing bluish undertone from Thalassa. Like Thalassa, the child had stormy grey eyes but sometimes changed to silver like Selene's bright midnight moon. Even at the young age of one, the child could walk and talk just fine. Poseidon would often come to teach her and tell stories about Olympus.
Poseidon was tall and whore a crown of coral and jewels from the sea. He had the bluest eyes the child had ever seen. He wore no shirt, but his shorts were plated with large scales from a creature used as armor. The scales were thick and strong. The Amazonians couldn't imagine what beast he took them from and how hard it was to defeat it. He also had tattoos shaped like tides that swirled from the center of his chest and down his arms. At night, when he swims, the tattoos glow in different colors, like beautiful bioluminescent.
Lifting the girl, he whispered, "Many mortals risk their lives to climb the highest mountains looking for Olympus. Many do not reach the first; even if they somehow climb every mountain, resting on Giai, they will never find it. Why? You must go down to come up, little on. Indeed, Olympus is at the highest mountain, but in the clouds, and there is a safe passage created. Which is why it's so important for me to guard the sea from dangerous creatures," He would say, tickling the child.
As the girl's appointed teacher and protector, Poseidon was given the honor of naming her, he chose Kaelena. But Astreona had other plans. From the beginning, she called the child Kai, a name she felt fit the child she brought into the world. Poseidon didn't take kindly to being overruled. They had become so entangled in Kaelena's life—scolding, teaching, protecting, fussing—they bickered like an old married couple. Gods and warriors weren't meant to playhouse, yet in this situation, they had.
Whenever Astreona did something he disapproved of, especially when it came to raising the child, he'd lash out. "Don't forget your place! You were a vessel, Astreona. A disguise. Your only task now is to keep her hidden, nothing more."
Of course, Astreona was never one to take insults from anyone. And with her being a proud race of women without men, she wasn't the catering or submissive type. Spending so much time with Poseidon had made her bold, and often, she'd forget she was speaking to a God.
She was always ready to fight and, without a second thought, would pump her chest at Poseidon. "Watch yourself," she'd fire back. "Overconfident watchdog. I'm the one who carried her. Every day, I feed, teach, comfort, and love her. I'm her mother. And I dare even a God to challenge me!"
It was hard to see sometimes, but Astreona had a sweet, motherly side as well, and it was true that she treated Kaelena like she was her own. And every time Poseidon would leave, she would take the child to train with the other Amazon children. A month before age two, Kaelena's power had grown unbelievably; she was now detectable by other gods. No one was on edge, though; they saw it as maybe one of the adult demigods reaching their peak power. "One of Zeus or Poseidon's half-breed mutts," they thought, waving it off, but Poseidon knew and asked Hephaestus to help him secretly. They create two bracelets made from the same crystal to hold some of Kaelena's power as she ages.
A month after Kaelena turned two, her bracelets were finally completed. Poseidon, as promised, began taking her on daily swims to teach her how to harness her power, which is small things, really. During one of these swims, he first noticed Kaelena's hair glowing beneath the water with the same bioluminescent light as the tattoos on his arms.
At first, when they went out, Poseidon was careful and watchful. But as the days passed and nothing happened, he grew careless. Forgetting it wasn't just Kaelena's power that needed hiding, it was Kaelena herself. In addition to that, he started bringing his niece Hebe—HEE-bee, along to keep Kaelena company when they weren't training. The young Goddess of Youth was barely a year older than Kaelena; she was a bit taller with soft golden curls and curious hazel eyes. Hebe quickly took to Kaelena gentle, adoring, overjoyed. The two were inseparable. Hebe never spoke of Kaelena to her parents, Hera and Zeus, not out of fear but loyalty. She had a secret, a best friend, Hebe was a little sister that always wanted a little sister and treated Kaelena as such. It was a bond she would protect with her tiny heart.
It was a time after training that Poseidon allowed Kaelena and Hebe to play on a beach when they first met Medusa— Meh-DOO-sah, a young woman with beauty so radiant it seemed blessed by Aphrodite, the Goddess of beauty herself. Medusa was Athena's most loyal priestess, a young virgin, revered and devoted, never missing a day at the temple. At first, Medusa was wary of Poseidon, but the children softened her. Hebe and Kaelena adored her, and she, in turn, doted on them like a young aunt. She would bring them figs and honey-drenched sweets whenever she saw them. On days she was too busy at the temple, Poseidon would suddenly show up to see Medusa. When the two young girls first saw the temple's well-kept garden, their facial expressions caused Medusa to burst out laughing as they played in the temple gardens, her laughter warm and easy.
Medusa became a part of their days. And somewhere along the line, so did something more: a growing affection between her and Poseidon, quiet at first, then bolder. However, little did they know time was growing short on their meet-ups, and the day came when everything shattered. Hebe had been away for too long, and Hera began to worry. With the girls at Athena's temple, Athena herself was sent to retrieve her younger sister.
When Athena arrived, it was just in time to see them. Poseidon and Medusa stood in the temple beside the garden as the two children played. Hebe and Kaelena were too busy having fun to notice Athena. And Poseidon and Medusa were caught in a quiet, stolen moment. A kiss—not desperate, not rushed, but real. Intimate. Tender.
Athena stood still, gathering everything before she made a move. Her voice cracked through the silence, loud like one of her battle cries. "Poseidon!"
Hebe flinched, and instinctively, Kaelena and her Amazonian spirit jumped in front of Hebe. Though Hebe quickly snapped to reality and jumped in front of Kealena, pulling her hand tighter. "Hide behind me, little sister, Hebe whispered softly."
Athena's golden armor manifested in a burst of divine light, spear in hand, her shield raised high. She took one step forward, then another, fury unraveling with each breath. "Do you truly believe that you are above respect because you are one of the Big Three? Surely, you don't think, because you are my uncle, that you can dishonor me without consequence?"
Poseidon summoned his trident by drawing water from the urns lined along the wall. Paying close attention to Athena's reaction, he was careful not to raise it. He stood his ground, hands half-lifted in restraint. "Athena," he said, low and steady, "Calm down and think for a moment; this isn't what it looks like."
Her lip curled. "Think? I am the Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, and you don't think I have already thought? "Not only do you have my sister, child Goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera, frolicking beside what I once believed was my most devout servant turned fallen. But you brought two children into my home and defiled what was like a daughter to me. Then your foolishness allowed you to say, it's not what it looks like?" Athena put on her helmet, and her stance widened, ready for a fight.
Poseidon hesitated and took a step back; at the same time, Medusa stepped forward, trembling. "Please, my Goddess, I meant no disrespect. It was my—"
"I will hear nothing from you, Medusa!" Athena roared, making the stones quake beneath them. She stepped closer, her spear now aimed at Medusa's heart. And in that moment, whether it was betrayal, heartbreak, jealousy, or the principle of it all that consumed her. It didn't matter. The Goddess of War made her judgment; divine power surged from the radiant light of her spear.
Young Kaelena jumped at the sound of Medusa's scream. Amazonian women never screamed like that; she has all the memories of past events but hearing such a visceral scream up close. It... It was like the scream hit Kaelena like a physical force; it was like the beauty was being scraped off her natural look, and her soul was being ripped from her body. As Medusa's body convulsed. Her soft, perfect skin began to blister and peel, her screams echoing through the sacred halls. Sounds of her skin stretching and ripping and her bones popping loudly.
"Don't look," Medusa cried through tears, her voice shattering. "Don't let them remember me like this…"
Poseidon stepped forward at last, grief etched deep into his face—but the look on Athena's face made him halt. He would not bring war to his niece. To Kaelena. To Athena. Not here. Athena locked eyes with him, the light of her wrath still pulsing at her fingertips. She gripped her spear, readied her shield, and assumed her stance. It was a challenge, a silent dare for him to attempt to undo the consequences of her wrath or show the slightest sign of aggression.
Dissatisfied with Poseidon's refusal to engage in conflict, Athena issued a stern warning. "You would stand still?" she asked coldly. "So be it; I already had a plan B." She kept eyes on Poseidon and called Hebe to come to her. Hebe didn't hesitate and quickly approached with his hand spread out wide. Not for a hug, but in her mind, the tiny frame was blocking the view of Kaelena. Athena towering Hebe saw Kaelena; she stared closely at Kaelena, gazing at her unique appearance, then shifting her gaze to the child bracelets. "That girl has something strange about her… is she a Demigod… Amazonian?" She thought.
Poseidon quickly shields Kaelena with water, recalling Athena's attention. Hebe looked back at Kaelena only once, eyes wide with shock, lips parted but silent. Kaelena didn't move. She was frozen, tears streaking her cheeks, her hands shaking. All she could do was watch Medusa roll on the ground. Athena snatched Hebe Arm and set off.
Poseidon quickly ran over to Medusa, "I will fix this," he said softly, kneeling beside Medusa's mangled form. His voice broke as he laid a trembling hand against her skin. "I swear I'll make this right." Medusa moaned in pain, blood smearing across the floor like ink in water. Poseidon looked over to Kaelena. "Stay hidden," he whispered. "Don't let anyone see you; if they do, you are not to fight.
The child was staring at the once beautiful Medusa, now covered in blood. Her skin peeled itself, revealing a form not yet clear but hideous.
Kaelena," He shouted, catching her attention. "Stay hidden and no fighting, understand me. You are not a warrior but a child." And with that, the God of the sea turned and vanished, racing toward Olympus, leaving behind only silence, a cursed woman, and a terrified child still too young to understand the full weight of what had just been lost.
He wasn't coming fast enough, for the word had already gotten back to Hera about Poseidon and his new thought-to-be half-breed daughter. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been restrained from having any more Halfbreed children, and what was thought to be Poseidon could cause a war. Wasting no time before Poseidon could catch up, Hera sent Athena to tell Zeus and demand action. Meanwhile, Hera headed to Amphitrite—Am-fuh-TRY-tee, to see if she knew what was happening. Amphitrite is a sea goddess and the wife of Poseidon. Arriving at Poseidon's house, Hera walked the halls carelessly, yelling for Poseidon's wife. Once she finally answered, Hera began her devious plan.
"Amphitrite dear, I have a question. Word in Olympus is that Poseidon had a very recent little Demigod born. Of course, our husbands are idiots and need to be put on a tight leash, but has your husband somehow escaped his?" Hera asked aggressively, putting pressure on the woman.
Amphitrite loved Poseidon and accepted who he was long ago. As long as he didn't disrespect her as Queen of the Sea, she didn't care. "Oh, no, Hera, I knew no such thing, and I tend to stay out of Poseidon's little affairs as long as he comes home. My way of controlling the situation. No one can tell me about something I allow to happen. Also, no mortal can compare to my ruling, love, and guidance I give to Poseidon, and he knows that. Besides, he barely even visits any of his other children besides ours."
"Oh, but that's where you are wrong. Poseidon drags this one around wherever he goes, and Athena says she might be pretty powerful for a Demigod. She might even be a full God, and I know... I haven't slept with Poseidon." Hera responded, trying to mend Amphitrite's mind.
"Nonsense!" Amphitrite snapped as her eyes connected with Hera, whose eyes glowed purple as she weaved threads into Amphitrite's mind. Hera wasn't satisfied with a response like, 'I control the situation.' That's not what she came to hear. As Hera's mind control grew stronger, Amphitrite began to second-guess. "Wait, do you think it might be the power we thought was a full-grown Demigod?"
Hera's smile stretched across her face, revealing pure evil intent. "Shall we go see the mother?"