A/N: So, here we go for another round. Miss me? For my long time readers, thanks. You guys and gals are wonderful and patient and I'll try my best to not disappoint. For the newbies, stick around a bit. I think you'l find something you might like eventually. In this story, I'm taking new devices and it my get risque from time to time so...ratings may vary. Without further ado, enjoy! (I'll try not to pepper A/N within the story anymore)
Chapter One: How The Fire Yearns
It was the rain drops that woke Percy up. They were light and gentle like brushing kisses; just enough force to register his senses. It hurt to open his eyes and so he left his vision to the darkness. His eyes were ringing; a high pitched whine. It stung like in a tune like a rusty song grinding on a chalkboard with rusty nails and chipped glass. He grit his teeth and tried to muster out something audible. He knew he was alive. Everything hurting, that meant he was alive right?
A sound, caught between cry and cough, finally escaped his lips and fresh air entered his lungs. The air was cool and humid. Percy coughed a bit more as his chest painfully expanded to intake more living sustaining gas. It was as beautiful as it was painful. It was necessary. His respirations finally calmed and he could hear more than his own breathing.
The sounds were faint, nearly muffled, but not distant. The pain that racked body stopped him from focusing too hard. He felt every muscle in his body contract violently and sharply. He cried out in pain once again and found, through the blazing pain, the ability to curl up and roll onto his side.
The rain drops continued.
Finally, after a sharp intake of breath, the pain subsided into numbness. Hot tears crawled out from beneath his screwed tight eyes. They rolled down his nose, to his cheeks, and fell to the ground. He clenched jaw hard and his hands grasp the ground, squeezing hard. It was grass, cool and wet. His fingers dug into dirt, loose dirt; also cool and wet.
With effort, some audible, Percy opened his eyes. Construed light filtered down through a lush canopy before across the forest floor. Although the light came from a single source, the pathways it took varied and colored it into new strands of vibrant and muted hues. Though, for all the light that proliferated through the tree line, the forest was dark and deep. Then, he heard the rumble.
It was felt rather than heard. He felt it deep inside, like a perverse bass line sustaining one horrific note. It awoke something inside of Percy: primal fear. He jolted from the grass to his feet. His body felt foreign to him and his legs like wet noodles. The darkness of the forest was encroaching, the deafening bass growing stronger, growing hungrier. For once, Percy's survival instinct and sense agreed on one thing. He needed to run. And so he did.
The rain drops continued.
Percy wobbled at first, his steps uneasy and forced. Suddenly the bass rumbled stopped. Percy ran even faster, breaking into longer and longer strides. The silence consumed him like a rogue wave. The forest had turned into the barrel of a grand wave. Silence so still it pressured him on all sides as he ran, trying to force him to the ground.
The dark lanced out around him like tendrils of abyss and stretched beyond, further down the forest. The darkness enveloped every tree turning the towering pines into gnarled black teeth. This was it. This was the maw of some ungodly-or perhaps epigodly-monster.
As Percy felt his lungs were going to burst, a grand orange flame erupted ahead of him. It was autumn leaves caught in a gentle gale; scant and dying but brilliantly hued and refusing to give up. The sudden flame caused the shadows to balk, stall for a critical moment.
Just as the rumble had awoken something in his, so did the orange flame. His body found a second wind and he stretched his stride further and further until he barreled through the orange flame and into a shallow pool of water. It was clean water and helped Percy refresh himself. Half submerged; he let the water flows around him, healing minor nicks and cuts he didn't realize he acquired. It stung a bit but he finally felt like he could breathe normally.
Percy yanked himself up for the shallow pool of water, thoughts finally clearing. By instinct, he reached into his pocket for Riptide. After a moments rummaging, his gut felt hollow. In the running, he must have dropped it or something of that nature. It was only after he stopped looking for Riptide did Percy noticed he wasn't alone.
A young girl, perhaps 10 or 11, was sitting by a dying fire, gently prodding the embers with a small stick. She had long, mousy brown hair that curled just above her shoulder blades. Her eyes seemed to reflect only the fire that she watched, deep ebony with hints of orange. She sat as a little child would; one leg tucked under, resting her chin on her knee. Despite the fragility and innocence portrayed, the depth and power she exuded brought Percy to only one conclusion. He was in the presence and debt of a god. He had a firm idea as to who this one was.
Standing in a shallow dip of water, looking like utter trash, Percy offered an awkward bow.
"Lady Hestia," he tried to muster reverence, "Thank you."
"Ah," the little goddess, "Perseus Jackson." She didn't sound surprised or upset; rather warm to honest. "Would you please get some twigs for me? They should be in that brown bag, right next to you."
"Y-yes Lady Hestia," Percy stuttered in surprise.
He looked down at the rim of the water and saw the brown bag. It was a heavy leather satchel with a silver buckle but otherwise nondescript; very ordinary and mundane. He'd expected as much from the most down-to-earth goddess. Just as she asked, twigs strewn about the bag with room to spare. Percy grabbed a handful and walked them over to the little goddess.
"If you could," she smiled warmly, "Place them. The flames won't bite. I promise."
It struck Percy as odd such a goddess would seal with a promise rather than an oath but this was a trivial matter. With a care, Percy placed each and every twig on the ember pile, allowing each to cross only at the middle. When his hand escaped the area, the flames shot from the embers and consumed the twigs in a brilliant orange flame. However fiery and dangerous the fire appeared, it was gentle and warm; nearly caressing his fingertips.
"Thank you Perseus Jackson," the little goddess smiled once again, "Would you like to sit?" Her eyes seemed more alive, vibrancy in themselves.
The Son of Poseidon saw no threat and found himself endeared to the mundanely cordial behavior of one of the eldest gods. He sat to the right of her and waiting for further instructions. She gave none.
Instead, she merely tended the flames as Percy watched in gross interest. The fire cackled with glee as Keeper of the Hearth let it crawl around the stick and dance along her short arms. The orange blur raced along her outstretched limb and rushed around her torso before settling on top of her mousey brain hair and jumping back into the main flame. Percy didn't notice he was smiling until after the fact.
"Ah, lovely isn't it," she sighed, "All mortals have souls and souls depart but some things have a spirit, far from a soul but not lacking character. Archetypes I believe." She blinked suddenly, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm rambling once again. How are you faring Perseus?"
He was taken slightly aback and took a moment's pause before responding. "I-I think I'm fine. I'm a little confused; what was chasing me?"
The flames shrunk down for a moment and the little goddess took a deep breath. The various gods Percy interacted with had, despite their grandeur and might, had terrible poker faces. He could see the worry cross her face, a brief flash of uncertainty in her eyes. However, she her worry wasn't placed on what was chasing Percy; rather, he was more concerned with telling him what it had done.
"It was," she winced, "an ancient god; older than the titans. Erebos, literally the darkness that dwells, he has stirred with Gaea's awakening."
"S-So we have to stop both of them?" Percy flinched internally.
"No," the Keeper of the Hearth hesitated, erred like mortal, "Perseus, what do you last remember before arriving in this forest?"
It was now the Son of Poseidon's turn to hesitate. His brain felt fuzzy and obscured like when Hera wiped his memories. Hera, yes he was on a quest to stop Gaea. Annabeth was there, she was always with him. Leo, Piper, Jason, Hazel, Frank. Yes, they were all together again. Greece, he was in Greece; Athens to be exact.
"The acropolis of Athens," Percy finally answered in a hushed tone, "I was fighting in the Parthenon with Annabeth and my friends." His heart felt hollow and words lodged themselves in his throat. "I'm dead aren't I?"
"In a way, you are. I cannot explain how nor why but you are not completely deceased. Your soul would not have come here. Elysium would have been your destination for you success and loyalty. Gaea has been laid to rest thanks to your effort so please Perseus take heart in that."
"So, why am I here?" he asked as a heavy weight pressed his chest harder and harder. "What am I then?"
"In word, hollow. I can sense a spirit inside of you but no soul. No earthly bounds, you are your godly essence. Not a full god, but without your mortal status. I'm aware this does not explain much but this is the best explanation I can offer."
"My friends, my family, can I see them? Where am I? I need to see them." Percy jumped to his feet and looked around, fear apparent in his eyes. "Please, I'll do anything; just let me see them one more time."
He heart was palpitating; beating through his chest. His pupils dilated and his breathing increased. His mind was frantic and raced like a man on fire. The goddess watched worriedly and leveled her voice.
"Perseus," she said with some hints of authority, "Please sit down, you are far better than that. We still have matters to discuss."
Percy's body suddenly felt like lead and he gave in. He fell to the grass once more and took a steadying breath. A wave of shame washed over him. And he found sudden interest in the intricacies of the ground.
"Thank you Perseus," the little goddess sighed, "This forest, it's domain for many gods, refuge really. This area, it's not really mine but it's a nice alcove. The fact that you are here is evidence enough to me. You killed by unconventional means. Someone tried to steal your soul. They tried to consume your very essence and integrate your power with theirs. By the some twisted Fate, you did not succumb to this entity. Instead, you or this part of you is left. I can only conclude, you are as immortal as I."
Percy felt a whirlwind of emotions stir inside him and suddenly died. He felt hollow. The emotions he had were conjured, unnatural if there was such a thing. He looked to the flames for guidance and to his relief, he saw someone that stirred genuine emotion.
"Annabeth," he whispered, a hopeful smile played on his lips.
"Perseus," the Keeper of the Hearth said in a low voice, "Please, control yourself."
"What?"
A palpable silence lingered for a fraction. Another genuine emotion stirred: fear.
"Your friends at rest," the Fire Keeper said, "Please, control yourself."
"She's gone?" Percy fell backwards into the grass. "They're dead."
"They are at rest," she corrected. "If you wish for them to remain undisturbed, you will help me us deal with the approaching threat."
He sat up so fast, Percy nearly toppled into the fire. "What?"
"Erebos, whom I believe to be the one responsible, trying to consume anything to regain strength. You, Perseus, are possibly the most powerful demigod in existence; how escaped the knowledge of the gods is beyond me but I believe in our disarrayed state he found you and tried to consume you. As it seems, he succeeded into separating your soul and spirit but could not intake them for some reason."
"Wait, please," Percy said, "How can I help? Can I be fixed? I mean, I forget myself, I'm sorry Lady Hestia but I can't understand this all at once."
"Please, Perseus, calm yourself. You can only understand in time," the little goddess said sagely, "For now, I must ask a great deal of you. Would you please right yourself, asses your capabilities and clear your mind?"
"Yes, Lady Hestia," Percy bit his lower lip, "How ?"
"Close your eyes," she instructed, "Breathe and concentrate. Let all that you are flow like water and your passions burn like fire. See who you are as you would in sunlight and moonlight. This is how we gods determine our forms. It's how we find comfort in the vastness of all that is."
At first, Percy saw only the inky black. It was unsettling but from it grew a singularity of light, so concentrated it burst. It all flew past in him moments, fragments of all he was; Mom, Annabeth, Blue Food, Grover, Thalia, Nico, Riptide, Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, Poseidon, his cabin, Blackjack, Mrs. O'Leary. Each and every piece culminated into a sheet of reflective material, glaringly bright and potent. He didn't shield his eyes from the alarming brightness, he simply focused.
Before him, the glowing subsided and shone like a mirror in the sunlight. He found himself; cool green eyes under messy black hair, tall and well tanned. Although he was not built, muscle tone was visible and a number of minor battle scars. There I am; that's me.
He opened his eyes and was greeted by a green flame. It leaped at him like a puppy and Percy threw himself backwards in surprise. Instinctively, he reached for Riptide and found it. He uncapped the ballpoint pen and swung by sheer reflex. The green flame clung to his blade instead and didn't let go. Regaining his sense, Percy looked to the nearby goddess for an explanation.
"You tended the flame," she said with a warm smile, "Now it serves you. It can do more but only with the right circumstance."
"Um, thank you," Percy smiled sheepishly, "Lady Hestia, what would you have me do next?"
"Perseus," she let out a short breath, "I can other no orders, merely suggestions. You are of your own will. You can return to the mortal word as you please but I do ask you consider helping us."
"For all you've done for me, it'd be my honor," Percy dipped his head, "I'd do anything to stop Erebos."
"That's what I'm afraid of," the Fire Keeper winced, "Perseus Jackson, swear loyalty to me, as you patron and I will guide you to the best of my ability. If you so ever wish to leave my service, simply ask and it shall be so. Do we have a promise?"
"Yes," Percy felt a bit awkward and dropped to a knee, "I do. Lady Hestia…I uh…swear my loyalty. T-to be the defender of your honor and…?"
Percy could have sworn he heard the most angelic sound in the world and it would not be as pleasant as the laugh of a goddess. It was like winds chimes breezed by flowery air on a spring gale while honey bees…it was nice. He looked up to see a twelve year old girl, in place of the younger one, with the same muted clothing, mousy brown hair, and brilliant brown eyes with hints of orange. THe Son of Poseidon felt his face heat up from embarrassment.
"Thank you Perseus," the little goddess giggled, "That was more than enough. I'll I asked for was a simple promise."
"I promise."
"Perseus Jackson," the goddess sighed, "For a powerful demigod, you are quite humble. That is a good quality. Ares could learn something from you."
"Yes milady," Percy chuckled, "As you say."
"Please, do not say 'milady'. I'm just your patron, Hestia, if you would."
"Of course, and it's Percy, if you would," he smiled and dipped his head.
"Honestly Percy," the little goddess chided playfully, "Who in their right mind says 'milady'? Even my priestesses never referred to me as such."
"Hunters of Artemis," Percy shrugged. He got to his feet once more and looked to his patron. "La…Hestia, is there any task you need me to do? Because I want to visit Camp…"
She was looking at him but her eyes seemed defocused, looking elsewhere in the world. It wasn't quite thousand-yard but like a
"Percy," his patron looked to flame with sudden alarm, "Erebos, he's after one of my priestesses. I need you to save her."
"Okay, a bit soon but I can do." He pulled out Riptide and swung it in his hand experimentally. "Send me in."
A/N: What do y'all think? I tried some newer techniques, characterization, etc. Some weren't as flawless but I think they served well. Yeah, I'm pulling a wacko12 and using primordial deities but there more on that at a later date. I've got no pairings in line as of late but patron/champion is a fixed point so no touch and go there. I will be using an OC as a support but nothing too out there. This is Percy's story to make up for Blood of Olympus. Seriously, you read that yet? So much to discuss...
Alright, thanks for reading, leave review; remember, think critically, write with purpose, and tell your truth. Adios...