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Pyrrhos Theristí̱s. The leader of the shadowy organization known as the Καίγοντας κολόνα (Kaígontas Kolóna), or Burning Pillar. Composed of the outcasts and anarchists of Greece, he leads them towards what he says is freedom, and the power to choose their own destiny. But is that really what he offers? Or are his motives something much more sinister?
Pyrrhos was born to a single mother, in one of the richest regions of Greece, Attica. Though his mother's family was well off, he never liked flaunting it, even from a very young age. Pyrrhos was named after his great great grandfather, on his mother's side. Growing up seeing all the decadence of those around him made him very uneasy, even wrathful at times. As he grew, he became known as a giver, a healer, to those in the broken world around him. As he grew, there were also several "accidents."
Pyrrhos' parents met at a summer ball that Hipparchia's parents threw. They quickly fell in love, for, as she once said, "I could not resist the heat of his eyes..... Or his body, for that matter.."
"Mom!" Pyrrhos responded, in complaint.
After many more attempts by Hipparchia to tell the beginnings of his story, Pyrrhos finally learned of it. He was born in the heat of summer, this we already know. However, what we don't know is how his parents fell in love. Stick close, for you shall hear of that next!
After the forementioned ball, Phlegethon started courting Hipparchia. Though their courtship was short, for Phlegethon did not wish to dally long, it was extremely loving and passionate. Hipparchia was more focused on the physical side of things. Though Phlegethon found this surprising, he did not protest, at all really. He was pleased with his chosen partner's eagerness.
Though their courtship lasted only seven months, Hipparchia was enamored with Phlegethon by the end of it. He found himself actually trusting this mortal, and telling her of his 'godhood.' Hipparchia responded in an unusual way.
"Okay. So, where are you taking me next?"
Phlegethon was utterly surprised with this reaction, and a bit uneasy. Nevertheless, their courtship continued. Near the end of their courtship, Hipparchia found that she became pregnant with Phlegethon's child. Knowing that the child would be in danger, Phlegethon left Hipparchia with a gift for the child: a magical staff that would never break, and could extend sharp points on either end.
When Pyrrhos was only seven years old, his mother Hipparchia succumbed to a severe illness. The best doctors that her family could afford tried, and failed to save her. Afterwards, they would not tell him what it was.
After his mother's unfortunate passing, Pyrrhos was taken in by a couple of vagrants. Demigods, but vagrants nonetheless. There two of them, a son of Apollo, and a daughter of Hecate. Though this large of a group of demigods attracted more monsters than if they were to travel alone, they were usually able to fight them off as a team.
However, when Pyrrhos was only nine, the first trio of harpies appeared. The couple were able to fight them off, and showed him how to use nectar and ambrosia in order to cure wounds. It was at this point that they discovered that he could create liquid fire that would heal, though he could only create a small amount at that point.
By the time he was twelve, when he was attacked by a pair of harpies while getting food for the woman to eat, he was able to fight them off using a borrowed sword from the man. Pyrrhos felt them coming, though he did not yet know how he was able to, and quickly hid the food behind some boxes in an alleyway.
The harpies came from either side, in front of him and behind, both at the same time. Pyrrhos decided that he would use the boxes to his advantage, and quickly put a tall one behind him to slow the second harpy. When the first was able to break through his defense and cut his arm, Pyrrhos went mad, slashing and hacking madly. He was able to cut off one of the harpy's wings, and slash its neck. Having wounded it gravely, the first harpy backed off a moderate amount. The second flew over the box and came down at Pyrrhos' exposed back.
Pyrrhos, however, was ready for it. As it flew over the box, the harpy found only the point of a sword waiting for it. Not expecting this, the harpy skewered itself on the sword.
"Ew. Gross. Harpy guts," Pyrrhos said, wiping the juices on his ragged pants.
The first harpy was still nursing its wounds on the far side of the alley. Pyrrhos charged at it, sword held to the side, pointed forwards. The harpy saw him coming, of course, and, though it could not fly, still put up a valiant fight, wounding Pyrrhos twice more before he finally disposed of it.
Pyrrhos sustained five wounds during the fight, two cuts from the harpys' talons on his left arm, a gash on his right, a cut on his right thigh, and a bite wound on his back.
Sighing, Pyrrhos said, "I suppose I should heal these now."
Having no Ambrosia or Nectar about his person, Pyrrhos decided to just use his powers to heal them. Knowing he would be incredibly weak after healing all of them, Pyrrhos decided that he would get a bit closer to their campsite before doing so.
Walking until he was only three blocks from it, Pyrrhos settled down in another ambandoned-looking alley. After settling, he created some liquid fire to heal himself. He drank only enough to heal himself, knowing that any more could be dangerous.
"Blech. I forgot how bad this tastes," Pyrrhos spat out between gags.
Pyrrhos laid down for awhile, and Zachariah, the man, found him a few hours later.
During Pyrrhos' time with the couple, they taught him valuable lessons about his powers, where they came from, and how to use them. They told him that he should just focus on what he wanted to happen, and if he was able, it should happen. This couple, Eretria and Zachariah, also taught him of a camp far across the ocean, called Camp Half-Blood.
The aforementioned accidents were caused by him and... others.
There was once an attack on his school. A nice, private school, founded by his Mortal family, long, long ago. The Mortals saw gunmen but what were they really? Dracaenae, they were Scythian Dracaenae. Pyrrhos was only able to survive by escaping before the harpies found him, and running to where the couple was "working" that day.
Eventually, as Pyrrhos got older, they were attracting far too many monsters, so the three of them said farewell, and parted ways. Pyrrhos remained on the streets of Piraeus, learning what he could about ancient weaponry and martial arts, as well as gathering friends about him. Eventually, he knew enough about combat to open his own martial arts school. From this school came the very start of The Burning Pillar.
When Pyrrhos turned 25, there was a huge celebration within the members of The Burning Pillar. The couple came to it, ignoring his protests that there would be far too much of a chance of monsters showing up. Though monsters did indeed show up, Pyrrhos and the couple were far from the party at the time.
You see, they had gone to retrieve more fireworks from one of the stashes hidden around the city. They each had their weapons, Zachariah with his bow, Eritrea with her throwing knives, and Pyrrhos with his staff.
This staff was a bit different. Pyrrhos used it like a walking stick, faking a limp when people were around. In reality, he was perfectly healthy, and used it as his main weapon. The staff has metal points set into both ends, and, at this point, Pyrrhos was well versed in his learning of his powers. He could create his own weapons made of fire, control fire, create smokescreens, and all other offensive, defensive, passive, and supplementary powers associated with a child of Phlegethon. Pyrrhos did not carry another weapon, as he assumed that he could always just make whatever he may need. However, that night, he learned very well why one should always carry another weapon.
On that particular night, they were attacked by a Scythian Dracanae, and were winning, until another pair came to the aid of the first. Against three Scythian Dracanae, they were vastly outmatched. Pyrrhos began to think, and finally came up with a way to win. He would sacrifice one or both of the other demigods, in order to kill the Dracanae or escape. After all, what did it matter to him if they died?
First they managed to kill the weak Dracanae, and turned to the other two. When fighting the larger, faster one, Eretria went down. Using her body as a way to trip up the last one, Pyrrhos managed to kill it by creating a smokescreen for himself, sneakily dodging behind it, and detaching its head in one strike with a large cleaver made of flames. After such a heroic move (arguably), Pyrrhos and Zachariah were left fighting the last one. Though he was still mourning his lover's death, Zachariah fought bravely. In the end, his arms and legs failed him, and he too was caught by the last Dracanae. Pyrrhos used this distraction to first create a fireball to launch at its head. When this did not kill it, Pyrrhos knew that he had to think fast.
The next time the Scythian Dracanae came towards Pyrrhos, he conjured a small, focused stream of fire at its eyes, burning through them into its brain. After, it was dead, but still twitching, so he went up to it and made sure to cauterize the still burning portions of its eyes.
Not having much energy left for anything, he first looted the bodies of his dead companions, then went back to his home to rest for the night.
After looting the bodies, and sleeping off the fight, Pyrrhos reconnected with his family. Having let his hair grow long after his mother, Hipparchia passed, Pyrrhos had a difficult time convincing them that he was, well, HIM. He had no choice but to show them the staff and recite what he knew of his late mother. Though it took them awhile, they finally believed him, and welcomed Pyrrhos back to his family. Having been welcomed back to his family, and having access to not only his funds from the Kaigontas, but also the family coffers, Pyrrhos booked a flight to New York the very next day.
"Well, they made it hard enough to find, I reckon," he said to himself as he searched the woods off the highway a fifth time.
Having no luck, Pyrrhos gave up after four hours.
Pyrrhos suddenly heard a voice. Female, he thought.
"You won't find anything here. Not anything worthy anyways."
"And where exactly can I find something worthy of me?" he asked of the person.
"Come out to the West Coast with me. I'll show you. Where's that accent from, anyways?"
"Overseas," Pyrrhos replied vaguley.
"Okay. Keep your secrets. Fat lot of good it'll do ya."
"So, how will we get to this place?"
"Either by plane or train or car. You can walk if you REALLY want to. Doesn't matter to me."
"Why should I even consider going to this place? What is in it for me?" Pyrrhos asked curiously.
"Well, given the powers that I can see so far, I would say that you're a child of either Phlegethon, or Acheron. You won't find a home inside Camp.. So why not come where you are wanted? Why not come where you'll be accepted for who you are?"
"That...that does sound good.." Pyrrhos replied.
And so they went back to the airport and booked a flight for two to San Francisco, as that was where this mystery person directed. After unboarding from their flight, they next headed towards a mountain. The peak of Mount Othrys was their final destination, as Pyrrhos' companion explained. As they neared the mountain, Pyrrhos had to watch in wonder as a magnificent tower slowly became unveiled from the fog.
"Is that where we are headed?" He asked of his companion.
"Yes, that's it. Hope you brought your good pair of legs. It's a hike." Pyrrhos only groaned in response to that.
So hike they did. And it was a fairly steep hike. But at the end, there was the tower. Closed door and everything.
"Okay. Now what?" Pyrrhos asked of his companion. She only motioned to the door. Taking this as an invitation, Pyrrhos went to it and pushed on the door. Looking back at his companion, he found her waving him forward. And so, Pyrrhos stepped across the threshold.
"Oh good. He's taken the first steps. Great. My job is done here. Bye!"
"Wait! Let me give you something for helping me!" Setting his staff down, Pyrrhos reached into his jacket, and withdrew 300 American dollars.
"Here. You have my thanks. Now to find another useful person around here.."
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