One With Poseidon

Newt was exhausted.

As if holding off the Aeternae after Sharina left wasn't already enough trouble, he had lost control of his ability and brought Jack's home crumbling down. He was aware the youngest of the three of them would count his mistake as a reason for not wanting to throw himself into the mysterious world of gods and monsters, but as of now, there was nothing he could really do to repair the damage he had caused.

Having barely survived a collapsing building, Newt had sprinted off. Staying would have either meant having to face the authorities, assuming anyone reported a house suddenly getting caught in a mini earthquake with about ten unicorns in front of it, or he lost his positional advantage against the bloodthirsty horned beasts. He hadn't expected Sharina to return immediately, although he would have appreciated her support given his current predicament. But Jack was hurt, and he had a feeling if she left him unguarded, other beasts even worse than Aeternae would kill him in his weakened state.

So he had to figure something out himself.

Newt was used to making decisions on the fly. He grew up in a household that required him to think through his problems on his own. His dad being an ex-military captain, and his mother who boasted not one, but three chess championships from the annual competition on the island, no one was particularly surprised by his grades and high analytical ability despite his age. His parents had always expected him to make smart decisions, only requesting their help when he had nowhere else to turn to. As far as he was concerned, making it through the problem at hand was merely a stepping stone.

His initial reaction was communication. The Aeternae resembled horses in many ways than one, so he had tried to draw on his god's ability to converse with the animal he created, but either he had terrible control over the ability, or the Aeternae were simply not classified under the Equidae family, because they had just stared at him like he was stupid. He guessed they had taken it as mockery after one shot a horn at him mid negotiations. He had only managed to piss off the monsters further.

Still being the subject of pursuit, he had burst into a highway and barely avoided a speeding car. His sudden halt led to a sharp pain up his thigh. He winced when he saw the source of his pain. In that brief time, one of the monsters had taken a chance and fired at him with deadly accuracy. Forcing himself to move, he dragged his right leg forward, halting the procession of cars that streaked across the smooth road. Peering through the transparent windscreen of one of the cars, Newt regretted not realizing where he was headed on time. He recognized the area but had forgotten it led to a moderately busy highway. The confusion on the woman's face melted away when she saw the cause of the hole in the bleeding man struggling to keep himself upright. Without needing to think much of it, the cars near him turned off or raced past, none daring to face off against the killer glare of the mythical beings that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Wise choice," Poseidon had commended, not expecting the onlookers to have gone for a swift escape. "Now you do not have to worry about drawing on the earthquake again."

Backing up into a nearly sixty-foot drop, Newt yanked the horn in his thigh out and flung it at the creatures desperately. "There could still be people on their way. Plus we can't be sure everyone has distanced themselves from whatever range the next tremor would destroy."

"You dwell too much on your faults," Poseidon scolded. "I believe you can control this power. You just lack the will and confidence."

"And talent," Newt grumbled, his leg giving way beneath him.

He dropped to one knee, at the mercy of merciless-looking creatures. Desperate for some sort of advantage, he tried to remember any mythical figure who had gone up against them. Like before, the only name that came to mind was Alexander the Great. But there was no record on how he bested them. Neither was there any other record of any hero or individual coming into contact with such creatures. He was completely in the dark.

"Water." Newt dared a look behind him, wondering what the god was suggesting. Far below was land the size of his front lawn, which was moderately large for a small house, and behind that, was the vast sea.

"The water will mend your wounds and fill you with power."

"Okay," Newt nodded. "But I'm not sure if you noticed the drop."

"Better think of a way before they send you flying down then."

Newt wanted to strangle the god but it was something he was used to, only this time, he had less than ten seconds to think. Conjuring his trident, he helped himself to his feet, doing his best to ignore the excruciating pain. He wasn't even sure how he planned to pull off the stunt he had in mind with just one leg.

"This is something Hades' host would pull off," Poseidon laughed. "Come on, my boy. I will lend you my strength for this."

Newt wasn't aware of how the other gods communicated with their hosts, but he loved Poseidon. At least when the god was in a good mood. The concept of being an eye of the gods, the endgame they were supposed to achieve, a perfect fusion between host and god, he had managed to trigger it when they faced the Aeternae at the school. He knew it was barely anything, but at that point, he felt completely invincible as he guarded the other two, his mind in perfect sync with the god. Now, he felt the same comforting, yet unmatched power coursing through his body.

With his trident between his two hands, Newt felt the ground beneath him shifting. He heard a horn whistle behind him before striking a wall of rock. Poseidon had lent him his reflexes and raised up a shield behind him from the sharp horn of the Aeternae. Newt had wanted to crush the monsters, but the thought of accidentally losing control kept flickering in his mind. Even perfectly tuned with Poseidon, he wasn't willing to risk lives. His alternative was creating a series of steps down to the ground by stretching out the cliff walls. Finishing in no time, he leaped from rock to rock easily, gracefully kicking off each one. In less than thirty seconds, he was already at the bottom, unable to recall just how fast his body had moved.

"That's about it boy," Poseidon groaned, severing their brief connection. In his current state and level of power, they could only manage barely two minutes. He wasn't willing to find out what would happen if he dragged it on any longer.

Like a sledgehammer, the pain slammed back into his body, leaving his knees weak. Thankfully, he had ended the steps a step away from the water, so he collapsed face-first in the bank. He had already guessed it, but it was relieving to find out he could breathe underwater with no problem. His body also felt relaxed. It was almost as if just being inside was sort of like a drug.

"Get up," Poseidon said sharply. "It is not over."

Moaning, he got to his feet. He looked up at first, hoping to raise his hand in mock salute at the Aeternae, but he couldn't see them. Shrugging it off, he assumed they had either left him or were just standing not too far off from the edge. But looking down completely put him off.

"How are they down here for Christ's sake."