Percy Jackson: The Firstborn

The Hindu and Egyptian delegations remained ready, though neither seemed particularly interested in getting involved unless things escalated any further. Odin, meanwhile, took in the scene with his one good eye and decided to cut things off before it went too far.

”Thor. That’s enough.”

Thor gave no sign that he had heard him. His attention remained fixed on Damon. ”Stand down,” Odin ordered. ”We’re not going to solve anything by acting like barbarians.”

Damon couldn’t help rolling his eyes..... What a bastard.....After spending the entire meeting stirring things up, the old man was now trying to present himself as the voice of reason, acting as if Thor were nothing more than some brute he needed to keep under control.

Thor clenched his fists, but eventually listened to his father and stepped aside. As Hestia’s wall of fire faded away, the goddess remained firmly in front of Damon.

The silence left behind by Thor’s retreat lasted only a few seconds. ”Good show,” Quetzalcoatl commented from Damon’s side, clearly amused. No one bothered playing along with the Aztec goddess, though Amaterasu did give her a quick once-over.

Since when had this woman gotten so close to Damon? The sun goddess let out a quiet huff and kept her composure. She was starting to feel like the last person to learn just how close Damon and the Aztecs had become while she was away.

Quetzalcoatl seemed to notice her reaction perfectly and flashed Damon a broad smile. ”When everyone else’s bad mood gets tiring, you already know where you can hide. The door’s still open.”

A bead of sweat ran down the back of Damon’s neck. What the hell was she implying with that?

Amaterasu said nothing about the obvious insinuation, though she was already going over the exact words Damon would be using to explain all of this to her in private.

Across the room, Hela had followed the entire exchange without missing a detail. The goddess of death leaned against one of the walls with her arms crossed, dressed in black from head to toe with green streaks running through her clothing. Even during the confrontation with Thor, she had never felt any need to interfere. She was here to accompany Odin and Thor, not create a scene in front of nearly every major pantheon in existence.

Unlike many of the others present, Damon’s power wasn’t what had caught her attention most. Anyone with enough divine blood and enough of a temper could be strong. What interested her was the fact that the redhead actually had a good head on his shoulders.

He had managed to keep his patience with Odin throughout the entire argument, something even Hela found difficult from time to time. For a god, falling back on brute force the moment someone got under their skin was far too easy. Plenty of them could destroy mountains. Far fewer knew when not to.

Finding one who actually used his head was almost as rare as it was refreshing.

Michael looked around the hall and let out a long sigh. ”I think...” the Archangel began, pausing as though reconsidering every decision that had brought him to this exact moment. ”I think it would be best to end the meeting here.”

No one objected.... Honestly, Damon doubted anyone had the energy to keep going. And just like that, the Norse gods vanished in a flash. Thor never took his eyes off Damon until the very last second, making it perfectly clear that this was far from over.

The Hindu gods disappeared soon after without even bothering to say goodbye. Damon wasn’t sure whether he felt relieved or simply exhausted..... Probably both.

He was about to leave when movement from the other side of the hall stopped him. Amun-Ra rose calmly from his seat and crossed the room toward him. Horus followed a step behind, while Set brought up the rear several paces back, arms crossed and his attention seemingly focused anywhere but on the Greeks.

Up close, Amun-Ra wasn’t quite what Damon had expected. He wore a simple white robe decorated with the traditional ornaments of Egypt, but what stood out most was the way he carried himself. There was no need for theatrics. No need to remind anyone who he was.

He looked like someone who had spent a very long time at the top. And Damon had no reason to doubt it. The Greek Pantheon had passed from Uranus to Cronus, then Zeus, and now Damon himself. Amun-Ra, meanwhile, had led the Egyptian Pantheon for an eternity, through both its greatest heights and its darkest periods.

The sun god stopped in front of Damon and extended a hand. ”The King of Olympus.”

Damon didn’t hesitate to shake it. The grip was firm and straightforward, without the pointless attempt to measure strength that some gods seemed incapable of resisting. ”Lord Amun-Ra. I thought the Egyptians didn’t approach anyone at these meetings.”

”Usually, we don’t.”

Amun-Ra released his hand before continuing. ”I’ve heard many things about you. Most of them are probably exaggerated, as rumors tend to be. But there is one thing that is difficult to exaggerate, and that is the work you’ve done with Olympus.”

Damon wasn’t quite sure what to say. Of everything he had expected from the Egyptian king, praise had definitely not been on the list.

”During my long reign, I have watched more than one pantheon fall into complete ruin before eventually fading into history,” Amun-Ra continued in the same measured voice. ”And believe me when I tell you that I know exactly what it means to reach rock bottom and stand on the verge of losing everything.”

Some of the warmth left his tone. ”I experienced it firsthand when the Biblical God crossed the desert to free His people and, in doing so, showed our own worshippers that we could not answer their prayers.”

Amun-Ra fell silent for a moment, as if ancient memories had resurfaced in his mind. ”I had enough strength left to pick up the pieces and raise my pantheon again, but it took centuries. So when I see a new king breathe life back into a faction that had been rotting from within for far too long, I do not see weakness.”

His attention remained on Damon. ”I see someone who understands what it means to stand back up after being reduced to nothing.”

Damon remained silent.

”That is why I wanted to greet you personally before leaving.” Amun-Ra allowed himself a faint smile before adding, ”Besides, it has been a very long time since the air coming from Greece felt this clean. Even from Egypt, we have noticed the difference. The Mediterranean itself seems healthier than it has in years, and believe me, that makes the work of my pantheon easier as well.”

”Thank you, Lord Amun-Ra, but I only did what needed to be done,” Damon replied. ”Nothing more.”

”Few do what needs to be done when doing it is difficult,” the Egyptian god answered.

Damon accepted the words with a small nod.

”Horus,” the younger god introduced himself, stepping forward with a far easier smile than his king and offering his hand.

”Damon.”

Their handshake was much less formal. Damon then turned his attention toward Set, expecting for a moment that the third god might do the same. Horus let out a small, awkward laugh. ”Don’t mind Set. He glares at mirrors too.”

Damon gave a short laugh. ”I’ll keep that in mind.”

Set didn’t even bother coming closer. From where he stood, he gave the Greek delegation the slightest dip of his head, apparently considering that more than enough of a greeting. Damon returned the gesture in kind and left him alone. Not everyone needed to like him.

”If you ever get tired of the Norse, now you know where to find better conversation,” Horus said as he began to step back.

”Horus,” Amun-Ra warned, though there was very little bite behind it.

”I’m just saying, old man.” Horus laughed, and Amun-Ra shook his head at his grandson’s antics. Still, a small smile eventually betrayed him, making it clear that no matter how serious he tried to remain, he didn’t actually mind the younger god’s attitude all that much.

Damon took an extra moment to look at Horus. The Egyptian god had the confidence of someone who had never needed to prove who he was, but at the same time, there was a warmth to him that didn’t quite fit Damon’s image of a war god. He was one of the few people in the entire room who had treated Damon like a person instead of a throne with legs.

”That offer doesn’t sound too bad,” Damon said. Horus blinked, clearly not expecting him to take it seriously. ”When I get tired of my own people, I’ll definitely come to Egypt and see if those conversations you keep talking about are really that good.”

Horus’s smile widened into a look of pure delight. ”Seriously? You’ll like it. The desert looks boring until you learn to appreciate it, and the Nile is a completely different story. The hunting there actually makes you work for it too. Greek prey is easy. Ours will at least try to outsmart you.”

”So I’m guessing that was a hunting invitation too?” Damon asked, amused by how easy the younger god was to talk to.

”That and much more. I’ll show you all of Egypt if I have to.” Horus offered his hand again. ”We could use someone new to talk to. Life gets monotonous when you spend thousands of years seeing the same faces.”

Damon accepted the handshake. ”You’re right about that. I might actually have to take you up on that invitation.”

”I’ll be looking forward to it. And if Egypt ends up being too small for you, I can always come up and see what life on Olympus is like now that it finally has a real king.” Horus winked at him before stepping back.

Amun-Ra had watched the exchange without interfering. When his grandson finished, the old king gave a slow nod. ”Come whenever you wish, King of Olympus. The gates of Egypt will be open to you.”

Set was the last to move. He walked past the group with his hands in his pockets and, without even stopping, muttered under his breath, ”If you set foot in my desert without warning me, I’ll personally make sure you get lost in the first dune you see.”The god kept walking before Damon had a chance to respond.

Horus laughed, this time openly. ”In Set’s language, that means he likes you. Out of everyone in Egypt, he takes the longest to accept anyone.”

Damon couldn’t help smiling. ”Don’t worry. Olympus has its own Set, so I’m used to it.” He turned toward Hades, who stood far away from everyone else in a dark corner of the room, wrapped in shadow and displaying his usual complete lack of interest in socializing.

Horus followed his gaze and laughed. The three Egyptian gods began making their way toward the exit, and for the first time since Damon had entered that dimension, a farewell didn’t feel like empty protocol.

Amun-Ra, however, stopped before reaching the doorway. ”Lady Amaterasu.”

The sun goddess blinked, surprised to hear him address her. ”Lord Amun-Ra?”

”Forgive me for not greeting you earlier.” The Egyptian king turned partly back toward them. ”I couldn’t help noticing how close you and Damon are. And one does not need to be a god of wisdom to understand that there is more between the two of you than a simple diplomatic relationship.”

Neither Damon nor Amaterasu tried to deny it.

”I do not say that to judge you,” the old king clarified. ”Quite the opposite. I can understand Odin’s concerns. I would not call them foolish. A union like yours does shift the balance that has kept every pantheon in its place for thousands of years.”

He paused for a second..... ”But that same balance is also what keeps everyone exactly where they have always been, for better or worse. I firmly believe that change is necessary for the future.”

When he continued, his voice was quieter. ”Times change. Humans change. We must change as well. If Egypt had remained where the Biblical God left us, my pantheon would have disappeared like so many others, and I would not be standing here today.” Amun-Ra looked between them. ”Change hurts. But sometimes it is the only thing that ensures we continue to exist.”

He let the words settle before continuing. ”So I admit that I am curious to see what becomes of Greece and Shinto. Two major pantheons attempting to build something this close is not something one sees every day.”

Amun-Ra looked first at Damon, then at Amaterasu. A faint smile appeared on his face. ”Consider this an old king’s blessing to two leaders with enough courage to try something different. I hope what you build lasts longer than my temples.”

Amaterasu inclined her head slightly. It was a gesture of respect Damon rarely saw her offer anyone. ”Your words carry more weight than you realize, Lord Amun-Ra. Thank you.”

Damon did the same. ”I won’t forget this.”

Amun-Ra said nothing more. He turned and resumed his walk toward the exit, where Horus was already waiting against the doorway with a grin stretching from ear to ear. The falcon god gave Damon one final wink before following his grandfather, while Set didn’t even bother looking back.

Once the Egyptians were gone, Damon slowly let out a breath. He felt Amaterasu’s hand slip into his and closed his fingers around hers without looking down.

”I wasn’t expecting that,” she murmured.

”Neither was I.”

Damon looked toward the now-empty doorway. He had entered that meeting as the new King of Olympus, surrounded by gods who still had no idea what to make of him. Now I am leaving with the respect of someone who had spent thousands of years keeping his own pantheon standing.

Not bad for a first meeting.