Hey again! So to everyone who've read this series I've only read the first book so I'm going off of that...hope you like it and please review!
Aliya arrived at Camp Half-Blood without incident. This was unusual in itself, but it was even more unusual because she did not have a Satyr with her. She did not have a hoard of monsters chasing after her, in fact not one of the teachers had ever heard of her. What she did have was a hair full of wild flowers that seemed to be woven in with no beginning and no end, clothes made entirely from the softest fur and a cloak of wolf fur. The strangest part of her ensemble was not the extra clothes of all black, the silver shoes or the fact that she had a small two headed dog with her; no the strangest thing about her was her staff.
The staff was made of the toughest wood and stained black. Starting at the center and wrapping it self around the rest of the staff was a snake. At the very top of the staff where the head was glared two piercing rubies. The staff also had a secret that not even the teachers knew about, during combat Aliya could pull apart the two ends of the staff and two swords tinted gold would be waiting for her to use.
Aliya's hair was the color of a raven's wing. It was straight and cut to give it an almost impish quality. Her skin was as pale as a fresh snow all year, unless she spent longer than a few hours in the sun then it would almost immediately become tan. Aliya's eyes changed with her emotion, but when she felt no strong emotion they were a deep amethyst.
At the moment Aliya had been at Camp Half-Blood for three days. She insisted that until her father came to visit that she'd remain in Hermes's cabin. Most of the children including Percy believed that she was actually a mortal playing at being god. After-all no monsters, no hint of powers and she didn't resemble any of the other children here. That was until she first came to spar with the others.
"Hello Percy, do you mind if I spar with you?" Aliya said. Like everyone in the camp she knew who Percy Jackson was, she'd known even before that.
Percy stuttered and then fell silent. He was about to tell her to go home with her own kind but that would have been rude. 'Perhaps,' he thought to himself pulling out his pen and uncapping it, 'she may just be a god, but no match for me.
"Alright Aliya, what is your weapon of choice?" Aliya smiled at the sword knowingly.
"Seeing as you're using you're father's sword, I'll use the staff my father gave me." Percy rolled his eyes and prepared for Aliya's attack. She sat staring at him for a moment and then with a swift movement she was gone. He searched around him, no sigh of her. He looked to the air and saw her just before her stroke struck his shoulder.
Percy fell to the ground and quickly recovered his footing. With just that one blow his entire arm had gone numb. He looked at Aliya, her black hair was slightly wind swept but she was not breathing hard she was just standing and staring at him as though she hadn't moved at all, he did happen to notice that her eyes had turned crimson.
"So I guess you aren't just a mortal." Percy said rubbing his shoulder and switching his sword to the other hand.
"You're finally getting it, and my father said that until I defeat you in a sparing match he won't come and publicly claim me." Percy wiped the sweat from his eyes. He smiled thinking that she was a daughter of Ares, that wouldn't be to hard after all his father was one of the Big Three.
Percy dove at her and she blocked his blow with her hand, as though she was flicking at an annoying fly. Feeling a rage boil up inside him he jumped and aimed a shot at her chest. She flew away; when she landed again he could see a tiny slit in her black shirt. She smiled.
"So you have some spunk in you, and here I was thinking that you half bloods didn't have it in them." Percy was taken aback, she was a half blood too, wasn't she?
"What do you mean by that?" She leaned on her staff and smirked, where had he seen that smirk before.
"What I mean by that is exactly what it sounds like, but you'll find that out soon enough Percy Jackson." He say her flick her wrist swiftly and then he was one the ground two blades pressed against his neck.
"Do you submit to me Percy, or do I have to draw your blood to make you admit defeat?" He could see it in her eyes that she meant business.
"I Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon submit to you Aliya." At once she got off of him and helped him off of the ground. She put the two blades back together to once again form the staff. He smile was radiant and her eyes turned turquoise.
"Does your arm still hurt?" She asked him suddenly looking at the sky. He nodded and she walked over to him. Slowly she put both hands on his shoulder and applied pressure.
Warmth flooded through his arm and it regained its feeling. Looking at Aliya her eyes had once again changed color, this time to a pale gold. She looked to be straining herself and when she took her hands off Percy caught sight of purple sparks still jumping around on his arm.
"Thank you…but how can you do that?" Aliya smiled and then pointed to the sky which was now black and stormy.
"My father is coming, his brother doesn't like him coming up here but he just uses the excuse that he's visiting his wife. Oh look here come the teachers."
All of the counsellors were gathering they looked ill at ease; following them were the students and the Satyrs. Some of them pointed at the sky and muttered others, looked ready to wet themselves. When a black rain began to pour many gasped or cried out, Aliya only looked out expectantly.
A form then appeared on the horizon and with him came an aura that Percy knew. The man wore all black and had a helmet made of silver in his hands. He wore a guise of a biker complete with a leather jacket.
"Daddy!" Aliya screamed and flung herself into the man's arms. Percy was surprised when he lifted her into the air and then hugged her close to him.
"Lord Hades we didn't expect to see you…" Mr. D began before he fell silent at the scene before them.
"I am surprised that you did not believe that she was my daughter, she looks like all the other children I've had…"
"All of your other children were males, every last one…" Chiron stated from the back of the crowd, Hades threw him a look and then hugged Aliya closer to him.
"Well, perhaps we should go inside, somewhere dry so that I can explain to Master Chiron why I have a daughter."
All of them followed Hades and Aliya into his cabin, it was large and oddly cheery for belonging to the Lord of the Dead.
"Where should I start? Hmmm…"
"Starting at the beginning of tale is often best Daddy." Aliya quirked up as she rested her head against his form. Percy was surprised that his uncle would allow this, or in fact that he had violated the pact he and his brothers had made.
"Right you are Aliya. So for years I followed the pact that my brothers and I made. Then when young Thalia appeared I was furious.
It was spring and my wife had just returned above ground to be with her mother. I was so lonely that I decided to go above and have one night of fun. While I was out I met many attractive and amazing mortal women but the most beautiful was a woman named Adora.
Adora and I spent the night talking about life and how much she wished she lived a normal life. She was drunk so I asked her why didn't she live a normal life. Adora told me 'You may not believe this but my father Kael was a son of the god Ares and he enticed his own goddess out of Olympus.' I asked her to tell me more, after all I was fascinated.
'My father was a man who lived off of the land, he never killed unless he had to. He was very handsome, almost a part of nature itself. Well one day he comes across a beautiful white stag in a hunters trap.
Instead of taking the shot, he let the animal free. He didn't even regret letting it go because he felt that he'd saved a life. Anyway the next day a woman knocks on his door. She says 'I am Artemis, goddess of the hunt and it was I you saved yesterday.'
My father could only stutter as she told him of her longing to find the right man. He was even more perplexed when she said that she finally had in him. So they made love and nine months later I arrived on his doorstep wrapped in baby's breath in a cradle made of sunflowers.'
I was surprised that no one on Olympus had noticed Artemis's pregnancy or the fact that she had in fact walked with a limp for quite some time.
'So' I say to her 'You are only one fourth mortal.' She smiled a seductive smile at me. 'Yes…' She slyly said and then added under her breath 'Lord Hades…' I was under her spell, a half god the first and only child of Artemis, and she was mine."
Needless to say I took her, but seeing as my daughter is here I will not go into more detail. I continued to visit Adora for the rest of the spring and summer. You must know that it was like Helen of Troy reborn, Adora was perfect.
During the fall and winter months I told my queen about Adora. She was hurt that I could not wait for her, but she was even more hurt that I had betrayed my brother's trust. I told her not to worry Adora had not conceived a child.
The next spring I returned to find Adora and found out something terrible had happened to her. It seemed that all the months we spent together she hid the fact that she was carrying my child from me. After I left monsters and terrible beasts began attacking her more than they ever had, she had in her desperation to protect the child moved in with her father and Artemis who still came by from time to time.
Adora stayed with her father and gave birth in his house on December 13th, a Friday if anything could be more ironic. Sadly, even with the help of her mother, Adora weakened after the birth, soon after she took sick and died within three days.
When I asked Artemis to see my son she looked me straight in the eye and said "Hades you have no son, you have a daughter whom Adora named Aliya." I smiled at the name when I first heard it, a strong name for a strong child. The man Kael, brought out Aliya to me and it was then that I truly understood.
Why had Adora taken ill after the birth? It was because Aliya was almost a pure god, only an eighth mortal, it would have killed anyone with mortal blood.
I vowed from then on to protect Aliya, my only daughter who I knew could do great things. Daughter of Hades and of Artemis, what a better title?" Hades stopped to look at Aliya, now that they were together you could see how much she looked like Hades, but also subtle differences that must be her mother.
"Lord Hades, why care for this one child so much?" Grover asked. Hades smiled at the Satyr, which was not a frightening sight as one would imagine.
"Aliya is the only girl child I've had out of all my children. She's also an heir to Artemis, the last remaining bit of her on Earth. For your question earlier, I understand that it is part of Artemis's mystery to only bear girl children, it must have even dominated my own make-up to only produce male children." Aliya stood up and ruffled Percy's hair.
"So you see Percy when I say you half-bloods, I mean it in a good way, my grandfather was one but since I am not one myself I can not be included in the statement." Percy stood and was about to leave when Annebeth grabbed his arm.
"Look Percy we all know that you're used to being the best, you shouldn't act like this towards Aliya, just because she has more godly blood in her." Percy shook her off, a look of anger on her face.
"It's not because she's almost godly, its because her father loves her…protects her, treats her like she was wanted. None of our parents have done that, none of them will love us unconditionally, they don't even care unless we accomplish something great.
I may be jealous of her but not because she's more godly its because she has a loving father who is a god, something none of us have." With that he walked out of the room leaving his distant cousin, Annebeth, Grover and the others behind.
He heard footsteps behind him as he neared his cabin. He turned around to see Aliya. She was dressed differently, she wore a dress of silver silk, with a lavender sash. She wore no shoes and her hair was now pulled into braids. He had to admit that she was lovely in the moonlight.
"Percy please let me explain…" He sighed and let her come into his cabin with him. She took the bed opposite him and hugged her knees close to her body.
"I'm sorry I stormed out cousin, it was rude of me. It also dishonours your father, I apologize." Aliya smiled weakly.
"So formal Percy? We're both young still, no need to act so. Look, you feel jealous because you're father will not openly take you into his arms? I'm jealous because even though I may come to camp Half-Blood, for safety like the rest of you, I'm still set apart."
"How so?"
"My senses are like a god's. I don't need the ADHD or ADD like the rest of you, I'm not even dyslexic. In every way except for one I am a god." She covered her face and Percy knew she was crying.
"What way is that?"
"I'm not immortal. I just age slower than everyone else, Daddy says that once I reach sixteen mortal years I'll most likely age one year every one hundred. Do you know what that means?"
"No," Percy answered dumbstruck.
"It means that all of you will be dead by the time I look seventeen." She flung herself on the bed and wept.
"That isn't all that's wrong is it?" Aliya shook her head no and Percy stood up to comfort her. He rubbed her back. "What else is wrong?" Aliya looked at him.
Aliya stood up and smiled weakly at Percy and then hugged him close to her. He could smell her now, she smelled like lavender, so fresh. Her aura soothed him, and made him forget about his troubles and her troubles.
"If only you could understand Percy, if only you knew how hard it is to be like me and not like you." She walked out of the cabin and the air hit her like a ton of bricks. She managed to make it to the forest before the overwhelming smell of sulphur caused her to collapse.
In a few moments she opened her eyes, a man dressed in skin tight black leather pants and a red shirt stood before her. His eyes were dark brown and he had black hair, the look he gave her was not kind.
"Hello Ares." Aliya tried to stand and but the air weighted her back down.
"Aliya, were you trying to irritate me? Hiding from me? Coming to Camp Half-Blood where my own children are, and calling your father? It makes me think that you don't like our agreement, that you didn't want me to find you." He used his true voice, causing her ears to ring. She screamed in pain when he spoke as it caused her to feel as if every fiber of her being was being torn apart.
"I never agreed to anything Ares!" Ares quickly smacked her across the face. He glared at her and then got close to her ear.
"True, you never signed our little contract, but I have Zeus's permission. He has even given me orders to take you away from this camp and your father. You will never see your father again once we are wed."
"Ares, you know as well as I that Hera will not allow my marriage to you until my seventeenth birthday, and if I find my soul mate by then you lose me." Ares chuckled evilly.
"You know as well as I do that as soon as you leave this camp my monsters will hunt you down. If I have to I will hold you hostage until your birthday. You will be mine Aliya, and then not even Zeus will be able to stand against me."
He then vanished as if he was never there, in his wake he left a bouquet of hauntingly beautiful roses. Aliya glanced at the roses and then quickly engulfed them in flame. Shuddering at her loss of self control she ran back to the camp.
Percy glanced at his watch when he saw Aliya run back to her cabin. It was midsummer and the only dance Camp Half Blood had was in only a few days, as such Hades had decided to stay at the camp until then. It was three in the morning, all the other campers were asleep in their beds, it was assumed that Aliya was with Percy.
Percy made his way across the camp. He noticed that the moon shone brighter now that Aliya was here. He knocked on her door. Percy heard a rustling and then the door opened slowly.
"Who is it?" Asked Aliya, her voice was raspy as if she'd been screaming.
"Aliya, it's Percy…" The door shut and then opened again. Aliya let Percy come in and he finally got a really good look at the cabin.
The walls were a deep blue, so deep that they were almost purple. They seemed to soothe you the moment you walked in. In the far corner was a fireplace, the wood burned with a blue light and radiated a lot of heat.
There were flowers everywhere, it seemed that Persephone had a hand in making the cabin. All the flowers were exotic and looked as though they could only survive in the heat.
Aliya lay on a bed of crimson. She looked almost like a vampire with her pale skin and black hair. She was curled into the fetal position, and her shoulders shook. Percy felt a wavy of nausea roll off over her and unto himself. He fought back the urge to blow his dinner on the black carpet.
"Aliya what's wrong?" He asked coming up behind her. At his touch she flinched away, as though it had burned her.
"Please, Percy, I can't stand your touch at this moment." Aliya rolled over and Percy saw that the exposed skin was covered with dark fresh bruises.
Percy covered his mouth so he didn't cry out in shock. A tear rolled down Aliya's face causing her to look less like a powerful demi-goddess and more like a helpless mortal woman.
"What happened to you?" Aliya shook her head and then winced, as if even the slightest movement caused her pain.
"If I tell you, you might die…he'll kill you."
"Who?" She sighed and then took a deep breath.
"You probably know that a god's touch when they want it to be is as soft as mortals, but when they're exerting force it gets rough especially when they're angry." Percy looked at her confused.
"But I thought Hades…"
"Not Hades, Daddy would never harm me. Ares, it was Ares." She hid her eyes behind her hair, ashamed.
"What would Ares want with you?"
"When I came of age at fifteen I loved being around the god's. Father reveled me to only a select few, Ares being one of them. At first he was nice to me and I was swept into a romantic affair. He treated me like I was a princess.
It was when he wanted to take things farther that I put my foot down. We were in New York at Central Park, he told me that he wanted to be my first and take me as a bride.
I refused and ran away. After that his minions came after me I wasn't safe anywhere. Then when I turned sixteen and had my first mortal boyfriend he became enraged, killed the boy and I fled here." Percy stared at her stunned.
"So the god of war wanted to get jiggy with you?" Aliya frowned.
"It was more than that. You see, he thinks that if I bare a child of any god, that child will be able to overthrow Zeus. Zeus thinks that we should be together, just because he wants Ares to settle down.
So Zeus said that unless I found my soul mate, my true love, before my seventeenth birthday I must marry Ares. Ares wanted me then but Hera stepped in and said she would agree to no marriage where the girl was not seventeen." Percy shook his head.
"Let me get this straight, Ares wants to marry you to over throw Zeus, Zeus doesn't know this so he wants Ares to marry you because he thinks it will settle Ares down. Hera will marry you against your will but not until you're seventeen and you won't marry Ares because he isn't your true love."
"That's me in a nutshell."