Hello everyone! How are you?
Well…I have been working on this story for some time now. Actually the idea was someone else's, who take the credits but choses to remain anonymous! So, yeah, I just put his ideas into action!
Anyway, I want to ask for your support on this new project, and we will see how it goes!
More in the end of the chapter!
Hope you like!
Percy
The war was finally over and I was happy with the love of my life, Annabeth. We would spend most of the day together, helping wherever we could. The last battle had left a lot of both Greek and Roman campers injured. Those from Camp Jupiter who decided to stay and help became fast friends with many from Camp Half Blood, and we learned a lot from each other. The days went by quickly and today I felt like seeing my mother. After all that happened I missed her and I just wanted to visit her. Annabeth would join me, she wanted to see her too and she knew that I needed her by my side. I was a little worried about my mother's reaction…you haven't met an angry Sally before, and trust me - I didn't want to face her wrath, especially now that I've been gone for a whole year. We decided to take a cab and enjoy the ride.
Soon afterwards, Annabeth and I were outside my doorway, at once a familiar and unfamiliar sight.
"Come on, it's not the scariest thing you've faced. After all, it's your mother we are talking about, Seaweed Brain." commented Annabeth as she saw me wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans for the fifth time in three minutes.
"Yeah, but-" I started only to be interrupted by the door opening. There was a sharp pain to my cheek and when I looked up, my mother was glaring at me.
"A year, Perseus Jackson! An entire year has passed! And only one voicemail!" she snapped, trying to look mad, but I could tell it was mostly out of obligation. . She immediately hugged me and starting crying on my shoulder. I was relieved to see her. Suddenly, I caught a scent of chocolate. She was baking my favorite food! I couldn't even bring myself to imagine what she's been through this year. But I had to. She deserved to know I was alright, and I was dying to know how she was. The worst part was telling her what we had been through, well… Annabeth and I had come to an agreement. We would not mention everything that's happened. There were some things that we didn't want to talk about. The Tartarus incident was still too recent for us to comprehend and deal with, the wound too fresh.
As she left my arms we studied each other. She seemed tired but she was still as beautiful as I recalled. Her long brown hair had more grey streaks than before, but her blue eyes were just as bright. For a moment I was terrified by the fact that for some time I couldn't remember her because of Hera. Yet now she seemed happy, and so was I.
"Annabeth!" she said as she hugged my girlfriend, too. "Come inside. We have so much to discuss, I have cookies!" she said after letting the girl go. We all went in, my mother first, then me and Annabeth holding hands. Paul came after an hour or so, interrupting our conversation, but unfortunately just in time to hear the most terrifying parts of the story.
We left a lot of details out. By the time we were done talking, my mother was crying silently and Paul was holding her. She stood up and came to hug us, and I felt a pang of regret that I would never be able to tell her the whole story.
"We're okay now, mom, that's all that matters. We're fine," I said, trying to calm her down.
"And together," added Annabeth and smiled at me.
For the first time in weeks, I didn't suffer from any nightmares for some reason. And neither did Annabeth, since she didn't wake up thrashing and screaming, like other nights when even my embrace couldn't keep the nightmares away.
The next morning the smell of coffee woke me up…to the sight of an empty bed. I took a quick shower and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast with my family and Annabeth, something that I had missed so much. Instead of a crowded kitchen I found Paul drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.
"Good morning Percy," he greeted and filled a cup for me.
"Where is mom and Annabeth?" I asked as I took a sip.
"They left early. Your mother said they were going shopping." and that got me thinking. First of all, my mother doesn't like shopping and secondly, it was Saturday which meant more people on the stores, something she also hates. They were up to something.
While drinking my coffee, Paul filled me in on how things were going back home. The routine, school and so on. We were interrupted by the door opening.
"Honey, we're home." I heard my mother saying and Paul and I went to greet them.
"Hey, where were you?" I asked Annabeth after I hugged her.
"I can't tell you, it's a secret." she responded and kissed me on the lips.
Oh, come on. Tell me already," I begged. I could never resist secrets.
"Well, two things," said Annabeth, as she looked my mother and smiled.
Before finishing her sentence, an Iris Message appeared before us.
"Percy, Annabeth, I am sorry to interrupt your days off," said Chiron. "Ms. Jackson, Mr. Blofis" our teacher greeted our parents as well. "We need you back. A small group of monsters has attacked and chaos ensued. One of them is the Chimera with Echidna," he continued and shivers ran through me. I had faced her before and I could understand the situation. Annabeth and I exchanged looks.
"We're on our way," I said and dissolved the IM. "Don't worry. We should be back in a few hours," I said to my mom as I hugged her.
"Be careful," she said and Paul nodded.
"Always," Annabeth replied as the door closed.
We threw a drachma and a familiar taxi arrived.
"Where to?" said one of the sisters.
"Half Blood hill, and fast," I answered and we were on our way. During the trip Annabeth glanced at me nervously. "It's going to be difficult, but we can do it together" I said, taking her hand in mine.
When we arrived, Annabeth bolted out of the taxi and I followed her-but not before I heard a weird comment from one the Grey Sisters: I like him more as a boy. Ok, I admit I should have stopped and asked what she meant, but in my defense, I had a camp to save.
When we reached the hill, we saw the group that consisted of two Cyclops, some empousai and the Chimera.
"You take the Cyclops, I'll take Chimera, I have a score to settle" - and I sprinted towards the lion headed goat with a snake tail,Riptide already at hand.
"Echidna, it's you and me" I said, and the mother of all monsters turned her attention to me.
"We meet again, Perseus Jackson. It's been a long time since your skydiving adventure from the arch." She commented and laughed.
"This time I'm not afraid of you. I've faced so many monsters, Titans, Giants and Primordials and you pale in comparison. It's high time I sent you back to the void." I was deadly serious as I charged at the Chimera.
The snake head tried to bite me while the head breathed fire but with one movement I evaded the fire, deflected the bite, cut of the snake tail. But before I could drive Riptide into the head, the Chimera kicked me, sending me flying to a nearby tree. The air left my lungs with the collision, leaving me dazed. The lion head breathed fire, and my leg got burned as I rolled away. When I stood up, wincing, I scanned the area and saw that from the other monsters only one cyclops remained. So I ran after the fleeing Chimera and Echidna.
I caught up them in a glade when the Chimera stopped dead at its tracks and turned to me.
"This ends here," Echidna said and leaped towards me. I stepped back trying to evade its claws, but the monster managed to claw my hand, sending Riptide flying away.
I stood defenseless in front of the deadly monster, believing this would be the end.
Thankfully, I was wrong, as two silver arrows came flying from behind me and hit the monster straight in the eyes. Before I could blink, the Chimera was nothing but dust.
"Damn you," I heard Echidna growl as Artemis emerged from the woods.
"Good job, for a boy," she said to me. "But not good enough, it seems." the immortal huntress smirked.
"You will pay for this!" Echidna yelled and did something I didn't see coming.
She exploded into a bright light, so bright I was forced to close my eyes. An explosion followed, and then I was falling, falling, falling.
The next thing I remember after opening my eyes was Annabeth screaming and passing out.
So…that was it! For now!
I hope you liked it!
Please tell me on the reviews, I would be happy to read them!
Also, an update on hero of the hunt, for whoever know it, all the others please check it out! The new chapter is under beta so I await for it! I hope it is published soon!
Anyway, again thanks to anyone who read this!
That's all from me.
Bye