Once I reached the top, I found a small plateau that surrounded a jagged rock as big as my hut back at the Camp. What was more interesting however, was the man chained to it, and the eagle intent in ripping out his liver."I thought you had been freed by Heracles." I blurted out without thinking.Prometheus gritted his teeth to ignore the pain before grimacing: "No longer, as you can see."

Very much like his brother, the Titan cut an impressive figure, even if in a different way. Seven feet tall, black hair buried under grime and blood, skin completely littered with scars. Even forced to stand against the uncomfortable rock, likely shaped to cut into his back, hurting him almost as much as the eagle that was feasting on his liver, his presence was noticeable. Not imposing like Atlas was, but I felt like I already entered a game I didn't know the rules of. While his brother had at least a loincloth covering him, Prometheus had been stripped bare, his only garments were the thick bands of black metal that held him in place.

Still, while I looked with sick fascination at the eagle busy getting its pound of flesh from the Titan, I noticed there was something wrong: he had stopped his wailing. Without really thinking about it, and with the familiarity born from years of practice, I recognized the not-real and not-actually-there dust particles suspended in a ray of sunshine, changing my focus on them, I recognized them as strands of Mist, and wrapped myself in them, masking my presence.

Under the mass of hair that hid his face, the Titan opened a single eye, and even from where I was, I could see its grey color, and shapes... stones being used to sharpen wood, water directed to keep clay malleable, sparks of warmth, inspiration, planning, light in the dark... "You think I can't recognize what I helped create? No power under the sky can hide a mortal from me, not this close, and not in the middle of my punishment." the words ripped me from the images of... progress and technology that I was seeing, rooting me once more on the promontory where the Titan was being punished.

"It's been a long time since a demigod stumbled upon me, tell me, what do you seek? Perhaps we can help each other." Prometheus suggested as if he was sitting in a comfy chair in a study, evaluating this or that trade, no trace of pain could be heard in his voice, only a honest wish to help and be helped in return. Tilting my head and dropping the Mist, I saw that his expression matched his words, at least from what I could observe, the flapping wings of the eagle made difficult taking in his features.

I knew of Prometheus, but I had the feeling that flaunting my knowledge wouldn't unbalance him as much as it did Atlas, they had two vastly different personalities. He wanted to be freed, like his brother did, however in this case I wasn't at risk of taking his place, from whatever bargain we struck that included his freedom, I could only gain something. Then why do I feel like I am already being played? I frowned.

"You know what, I'll be back tomorrow, I'm too spent to deal with a Titan right now." I recognized that after the storm I wasn't at 100%, Prometheus took his punishment like a champ since whenever he had been returned to his rock after Heracles freed him the first time. He could wait a couple of days.

While walking back to the camp, I considered the headache that Prometheus would be. Atlas had been relatively easy to push into helping me, but I had a simple request and a deceptively simple solution. From the stories, I knew that my last mythological problem was in the information business, after all he had instructed Heracles in how to pluck the golden apples in exchange for his freedom. So, our confrontation would turn out to be a trade of sorts, his freedom for what I wished to know, repeating Heracles steps. It had served me well with Atlas.

While I was walking, a sudden shudder among the undergrowth grabbed my attention. From a bush, an animal came foward, eyeing me warily: it was a bulky, massively built suid with short and relatively thin legs. A short and robust trunk, with hindquarters comparatively underdeveloped. The region behind the shoulder blades rose into a hump, while the short neck held up the very large head, which took up one-third of the body's entire length.

The wild beast measured at least a meter in shoulder height and at least two meters and something in lenght. It was significantly larger than the average boar, and his tusks gleamed sharply in the sunlight that managed to break through the blotched canopy of leaves.

Really, a boar? The 'woods' I was walking in were so more by name than by any merit. But whatever my considerations regarding the situation were, they took the backseat in my mind once the beast charged. I waited until he was less than a meter from me before sidestepping, the natural reflexes of a demigod, furtherly honed by training, more than enough to deal with a boar. Said animal was capable of reaching 40 km/h, and his neck easily upturned weights of 50 kg, but after Ladon, I wasn't overly concerned. So I dodged and took a more adequate stance, following the boar as he finished his charge.

As soon as he turned to have another go at me, the spear I had picked up embedded itself into his flank, biting deep.

Half an hour later, I had managed to drag the boar back to the camp, where I was hailed as Prodigious Captain Hunter, and soon enough, all the demigods were huddled in groups of two or three around several small campfires, eating quietly while each one worked through the death of two of our crewmates. I sat with Charles, Jillian, David and Hailey, slowly thinking about my meeting.

"Strange place to find a boar." Chars frowned: "It's not its standard environment."

Jillian snorted: "There is also the fact that we are on an island in the Sea of Monsters, and that we have met 0 monsters so far."

"At least Hannah will drop off your back about the 'disappearing' food." Hailey joked.

I rolled my eyes: "As I've already told her, I don't eat what she doesn't cook. And besides, I'm lucky when it comes to fishing, we didn't risk our reserves, even if someone among us served itself to an extra meal now and then."

David frowned lightly, his form hinching forward: "Returning to... more relevant matters, what did you find? You are not reacting as the boar was the strangest thing happened since we touched land."

Chars nodded, accepting the reasoning of the demigod: "And coincidentally, the wailing stopped. What agonizing beast did you end the life of?"

"Not a beast." I shook my head, looking deeply into the flames, "A Titan, and I didn't kill him."

Jillian cursed under her breath: "It's Prometheus isn't it?

"Who is that guy?" David frowned, his historical knowledge was a bit lacking, but it was okay, his duties revolved around machines and keeping the demigods on my ship running.

I sighed, pinching my nose. Story time.

"After the gods had molded men and other living creatures with a mixture of clay and fire, the two brothers Epimetheus and Prometheus were called to complete the task and distribute among the newly born creatures all sorts of natural qualities." I started to explain: "Epimetheus set to work but, being dimwitted, distributed all the gifts of nature among the animals, leaving men naked and unprotected, unable to defend themselves, and to survive in a hostile world. To counter his brother's stupidity, Prometheus took the fire of creative power from the workshop of Athena and Haephestus and gave it to mankind."

"So... a good guy?" David rose an eyebrow.

I snorted: "That is only a version of it, another places Prometheus as the creator of mankind. Honestly, take whatever you know about him with a pinch of salt. We inherited scheming from him after all."

"Prometheus is also said to have helped in the birth of the my mother, by keeping open the head of Zeus as a fully-formed Athena issued out of the gaping hole in the King's head. The relations went well between Zeus and Prometheus in the beginning. However, as men on the Earth multiplied and prospered, aided by Prometheus who had given them fire and many beneficial arts, Zeus became concerned about their growing power." Jillian continued the story, looking around skittishly, like she was about to be struck by lightning.

I nodded, surprised by her knowledge: "The anger of Zeus against mankind, and their helper Prometheus, was first aroused when the latter duped the King of the gods into choosing the worst part of a sacrificial bull. Prometheus wrapped the bones of the slain bull in fat while he covered the best part, the flesh, with the intestines. Zeus unknowingly chose the fat-covered heap of bones, while the flesh wrapped in the intestines was given to hungry men. That is why mankind used to sacrifice the bones to the gods."

I rolled my shoulders, thinking again at the image of the Titan chained to the rock: "Zeus, in revenge, withheld fire, the most necessary element of civilization, from humankind, putting them to untold miseries. However, Prometheus soon came to our help. He stole fire from the workshop of Hephaestus, the god of fire and patron of artisans and craftsmen, and passed it, hidden in a stalk of fennel, on to humankind."

"So he is good. Right?" David was reasonably confused.

"He is self-serving. He was the one to tell Hercules how to trick Atlas in order to obtain the golden apples of immortality, in exchange of being freed." I shook my head.

"So..." Jillian frowned: "Why is he still chained if he has been freed before?"

"Chiron died a long time ago, in fact, he is a constellation." I rolled my eyes: "Some shit does not make sense, I'm guessing that Olympus can pull some strange shit sometimes. In any case, I'll go and see if he knows something interesting, keep this for yourselves, nobody is to leave the camp, and everyone is to stay away from the promontory."

Hailey rose an eyebrow while turning towards me: "No offense, captain, but I'm pretty curious to see a Titan in a safe environment."

I leveled her a cold stare: "I met Atlas. I chatted with him, back during the last mission." I rolled my shoulders, trying to untie them from the stiffiness that overcame them at the memory of holding the sky: "There is no such a thing as a 'safe Titan'."

"Now you have to tell us that story!" Jillian ordered, but she had a playful smile on her face, so I didn't feel guilty when I shook my head and returned to my meal.

After the late lunch, I dropped down in the shade cast by the ship, the cool water of the sea submerging me up to my knees with each wave, and fell in a blissful sleep, like most of my crew.

When I assumed was hours later, given the fact that the sun was setting, I awoke to the sound of Hailey calling for me. I left my relaxing spot, ignoring the wet sand clinging to me and the sun's rays that still felt like they belonged to a much more tropical weather: "What's up?" I asked once I climbed back on the deck.

And I knew the answer before Hailey could manage to explain it. With a defiant expression, a ten years old Annabeth was glaring at me. And my headache became much worse.

I can't deal with her and Prometheus both. I sighed: "Jillian!"

When the demigoddess left the hull and her eyes found her sister, her expression soured, her eyes gaining a steely glint. "Take care of your sister, will you? I'm sure you can keep her busy enough that she can't figure out a way to kill herself because of the stupidity born from believing herself too smart for her own good."

Once the sun went down, I saw the eagle rise towards the heavens, its task for the day completed, I left the camp and made my way towsrds the chained Titan.

Under the moonlight, the small plateau and its prisoner looked extremely different from the image of controlled pain I had ovserved during the day. Prometheus, bound as he was to his rock, with the pale light casting misty shadows from his brow which looked almost like a crown, his half lidded eyes giving off a faint glow: he looked like a king holding court.

"Walk forward, mortal, I hope that now you are strong enough to talk with me, even if I fear that I can't properly greet you." He chuckled quietly.

"Hercules freed you. Every story matches it." I wondered out loud.

Prometheus sighed dejectedly, conpletely changing his tune: "In the same way your Chiron is a constellation, perhaps? I only know that there is no easy escape from the judgment of the King of Olympus."

"And you stopped your wailing as soon as I entered your... cell?" I kelt walking forward, before sitting on the ground less than three neters from the Titan.

"How much weight can you put on soneone shoulders before its growth becomes irrelevant? How long can pain overcome ones mind before it becomes irrelevant?" he tilted his head: "Adapting is the heart of progress, I am more than simply acquainted with both."

I sighed, eyeing with mistrust the figure crowned with shade cast by the moonlight: "You'll want to be free, no doubt."

The grim smile I received in return was the only answer I needed: "But what you'll do with your freedom concerns me. Nobody really likes the King of the Gods, but whatever revenge you wish to enforce would surely bring with it calamity and open war, of which I need neither."

"Why are you here then?" his voice wasn't as deep and commanding as Atlas' one had been, it had a... liquid quality to it, almost like warm honey.

Because I'm curious. I suppressed that thought. Becsuse I imagine that chains capable of holding a Titan can be recycled for anooying gods... I pushed that to the back of my mind, choosing instead to redirect the conversation: "Do you know where Pandora's box is? I'm looking for Elpis."

"I could find it." the Titan nodded: "If you were actually looking for it, that is. Why don't you tell me what you're actually looking for?"

I was annoyed by his finding out that I lied in half a second, but transaction worked in two ways... what could I ask for? A way to navigate the Labirynth? A map towards the Golden Fleece? Kidnapping a clear sighted mortal didn't sound so difficult, and if Polyphemus abitualy ate satyrs, Chars would lead us there ecentually. I wasn't looking for anything the Titan could offer me. I chose a shot in the dark: "What do you know of other pantheons?"

I had the feeling it was a topic that the ruling class of gods would have disliked ( for fear of the competition ), and going on my own looking for other cultures' deites sounded a one way tivket towsrds an horrible death.

The Titan recoiled in distaste: "You ask for something not meant to be known,either by God, Titan, Giant or Mortal." I shrugged, not feeling exactly apologetic.

"I can offer my help in your quest, demigod." Prometheus said trying to make it sound like it was some kind of big deal. "As a rule, I don't strike pacts with people trickier than me." I snorted, I was just as surprised as he was, that a demigod had nothing to ask to an immortal... it didn't happen often. Besides, I had a general idea about how to recover the Golden Fleece and how to find the 'last message' of Pan, I didn't want any more help on that front. I wanted Thalia healed, sure, but neither of the purposes of my trip were going anywhere.

"Simple gifts for simple minds." the Titan grumbled, his tone souring a bit: "You are far from being simple." he tilted his head, studying my wary form. "You met my kin before." he stated, and in his words there was no doubt or uncertainity, my lack of reaction apparently egging him on: "And considered the lack of Tartarus' shade over your eyes, the list narrows considerably."

A loopsided grin found its way on my face: "Atlas is well, if that is your roundabout way to ask after family."

The eyes of the Titan widened, a smile that had no business being so carefree answering my words: "Skyholder." he accused me, causing me to bow my head mockingly.

"Yet, you've still nothing to offer." I laid back on the plateau, my weight resting on my elbows, so that my eyes could go from the chained immortal to the cloudless sky: "I won't deny that freeing you intrests me, I'd like to see what events would follow, but for now, the King's benevolence is one of the few things that stills the hand of the Council."

Perceiving Prometheus' curiosity more than actually seeing it on his face, I elaborated: "I kicked Delphi's Oracle, and I've been less than... respectful, with the Queen."

The laugh of the Titan was heart-warming: "We are more alike than I suspected then."

"If what you say is true, then why did you go against his will and gave fire to mankind?" I was actually interested, I sure as hell wasn't the generous, filantropic sort.

The answer came with a decisiveness and certainity that I didn't expect: "Because I could. Because the current King is an upstart who forgot his place a long time ago. And because without many looking the other way, he would have been found while hiding with his goat Amalthea..." he shook his head: "Because for all the immortals' boasting, I could tell the magnitude of what men could build, could understand, could dream. When Coeus confirmed my intuition... I couldn't just let it be."

Because I could. I repeated to myself, finding that the words actually made sense. I stole from mortals for the same reason, for the same reason I hit the Oracle, and I refused to sacrifice shit to Poseidon before our travel because I could survive it, and my crew could either adapt or die.

"Just because you can do a thing, does not always mean you should. Do you have no better reason for acting than follow your impulses?" I snorted: "Coeus represented rational intelligence, he hardly qualifies as someone who knows Fate, betting on his words..."

The Titan laughed: "I am pro-before and methos-learning! Forethought is right up my alley, but you're right, foresight it's not." He glanced at the sky, taking in the countless stars: "I cannot say, I can only imagine consequences of what I see, very much like you do, we both know that the vaster an event see, the clearer the trame of the world becomes, I knew when my brother failed to gift appropriate traits to mankind that I had to do his part, and that it would be too much."

He shook his arms, the chains rsttling against the rock with a dull clang: "Even those who ride the currents of Time cannot see past Time's end... The King's father has always been dangerous, and it's by his design that even those who try to hasten the end, may delay it, while those who work to delay the end, may bring it closer, as he did when he devoured his sons."

Neither of us spoke the name Kronos out loud, but we both knew who we were referring to: "You may have an inkling as why I don't want you gallivanting around, picking up the pieces."

Prometheus was more amused than enraged by seeing his chance at freedom turn into smoke with my words: "So you do have a way to see what is yet to happen. But who guides your knowledge? Surely not the Sun's god, I saw how his rays despised you when you came during the day..."

I blinked, realizing that I had left many secrets out for him to pick up. That's it. While it was undoubtedly interesting chatting with a Titan, I was in no position to help him, nor I was gaining anything from our midnight chat. There was no objective, nothing to gain, no reason to act, or to try and outwit him.

"He took domination as his birthright, after he fell Uranous... his sickle was dangerous for every being, and many feared to fall when time for the harvest came..." Prometheus shook his head: "He was the first cause of his own undoing, be careful, mortal that you not do the same."

With those omnious words, I chose to leave the Titan to his prison and walked back to the camp. Well, it has been underwhelming.

"It would be almost effortless for you to free me. This chains are just strong enough that I can't overcone them alone, you could grant me my freedom with a simple tug, surely it's not too much to ask?" He tried to rekindle my interest, but I kept walking.

"I have much to offer for very little in exchange, if it's not an artifact that you seek, peraphs a gift would interest you more?" His words reminded me that he had an important role in the birth of Pandora, thebfirst mortal woman, Pan-all Dōron-gift, it was... an opportunity? Maybe, but I had the feel that asking for something out of greed would only bite me in the ass further down the line.

23 October 2000

During the past days, David organized the demigods, cutting down trees, drying the wood with an improvised press, shaping new planks to substitute the broken ones, while Hannah, Demeter's daughter, found hersf busy carving vines and leaves out of our new mast. If art was her way to face the almost panic that keeping travelling the Sea of Monsters entailed, nobody pointed it out.

I was trying to not take Annabeth in my own hands, I couldn't be bothered and I was busy figuring out the whys and hows of our situation. Still, I saw her skittering around after Jillian, who was keeping to her task with a zeal I didn't suspect she had in her.

With a sigh, I went back to my thoughts: the rest of the woods was suspiciously devoid of animals. No foxes, wolves, boars, squirrels. Now the real question was: how did the first boar managed to land on the island just in time for me to kill it? The obvious answer was clearly divine intervention, which brought up another query: why would Ares send his sacred animal to be eaten by demigods?

Did he approve our mission? If yes, why? I refused to forget that Ares was the god of War, as such he liked a very specific set of things, none of which I wanted to touch with a ten foot pole.

24 October 2000

The day we were ready to set sail, I was trying to kill my headache with sheer force of will, since once more I had been forced to postpone our leaving the small island. With the dawn, an eagle had descended from the sky, only to fly away immediately after.

That caused me to run to the promontory, where I looked dejectedly at the black chains still hanging from the rock, taking in the conspicuous absence of their prisoner, and sighed.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened, not when Annabeth's smug expression was clearly visible in my mind. I'm surprised I didn't see this coming. I reprimanded myself.

Events didn't happen without cause, not while walking between mythology and reality. Every action was part of a bigger flow that ended up being Fate, it was obvious to me that for all my I am free, the chains around me were still too strict.

Challenges were not random, the sirens tested Ulysses curiosity, forcing him to make use of his wit to listen to them and ensure his own and his crew' survival. My trying to circumvent Luke's choice for his quest ended up with me finding an important part of myself while holding the sky and ended up with Thalia as a tree. Every element had consequences, and they never ended up not causing something relevant.

After the storm we boarded the first island we met, where I found Prometheus, but I refused any kind of exchange. Not freeing him, not giving him earth shatgering revelations nor receiving secrets in return.

I avoided the 'challenge' the 'focal event' of the island, not interacting with the flow of Fate. And Annabeth did it in my stead.

I never really understood the term problem-child until now. I sighed again.