Percy Jackson and the Rise of the Sixth Age

Chapter One: The New Demigod

Percy Jackson just knew that something was wrong. He didn't know how or what it was, but something was very wrong. He ran his hands through his hair as he walked up to the Hades cabin.

He knew he should probably go see his girlfriend Annabeth first, but being a daughter of Athena she would probably want facts and figures before feelings. Besides, he though that if anyone else would feel the negativity it would be another child of the Big Three.

The black obsidian building loomed out at him, green fires casting warped reflections off the black stone. He knocked on the door, trying not to look up at the skull that hung above it. He didn't know what it was but he was really creeped out by it.

Nico di Angelo opened the door. He smiled at first when he saw Percy, but after seeing the expression on his face decided to drop it.

"'Sup," Nico said raising an eyebrow. Percy scratched the back of his head before replying.

"I've been getting these weird, well, feelings," he said. "I don't know what it is but I know something is wrong on Olympus."

Nico nodded slowly.

"You're not the only one Percy," he said. "I feel it too. I thought after all we've had with the giants that would be the end of it."

"Me too," Percy muttered. "But if not the giants, then what?"

"Maybe we didn't put Gaia asleep as good as we thought we did," Nico suggested.

"I doubt it," muttered Percy.

A conch shell blew in the distance.

"I think that's our call to food," Nico said. Percy nodded and turned to go, but Nico grabbed his arm. "I don't think we should mention this to the other campers. We've just recovered from all that giant stuff, the last thing they need is something else getting them worried."

Percy nodded and turned to leave.

The food was as good as usual, but for Percy it just didn't taste the same. He couldn't shake off the feelings of foreboding that plagued his mind. He looked back at Annabeth every so often, sitting laughing with the rest of the Athena cabin.

She might have felt her glances at her as she turned around. She waved at Percy, still laughing. Percy smiled and he waved back. The smile faded around Annabeth but returned as soon as she turned around to her cabin mates.

The camp soon finished their meals and walked up to the camp fire. Annabeth looked back at Percy, who was lagging behind, talking to Nico and Jason.

"Something is definitely up with those three," muttered a voice beside Annabeth. She looked and saw Piper walking beside her. Annabeth hummed her agreement.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Piper shrugged.

"If A: the three children of the Big Three are talking about it, it's definitely big," she said, "And B: you can't work it out, what makes you think I can?"

Annabeth shrugged.

The camp fire was already high in volume and energy, the colour a rich red. Annabeth sat with the Athena cabin and looked down, seeing Percy, Jason and Nico sitting together by Chiron and Rachel, muttering amongst themselves.

She frowned, but the rest of the camp didn't seem to realize that there was something wrong with the three most powerful demigods of Camp Half-Blood.

The singing however was broken by sounds like thunder from the other side of the hill. At once Percy had Riptide in his hands and Jason had a Roman Gladius twirling in his fingers.

The two demigods ran straight out of the pavilion before Chiron could say a single word.

Percy and Jason topped the hill at the same time, looking down straight at whatever was happening. Lightning blazed, and creatures of lightning lay at the bottom of the hill and a smaller, more slender figure dancing about dodging the blasts of thunder.

Jason whistled.

"That is a huge amount of ventus," he muttered.

Percy had to agree that he was right. The storm spirits were thirty in number, and lightning crackled from their hooves. Percy flicked Riptide, and nearly set off down the hill. Nearly.

The figure quickly dispersed with two of the storm spirits with apparent ease, dodged a blast of wind and thunder from another and lopped the head off another.

"Now whatever he's using is a blade," muttered Jason.

"Don't you think we should be going to help?" Percy asked.

Jason shook his head.

"Look at those storm spirits. They're running for their stormy lives."

And it was true. The ventus were turning to flee. The figure stood still watching as the ventus thundered away, lightning flashing in their wake.

As he turned around Percy dropped to one knee, hand pressed to his forehead. Jason was undergoing a similar reaction, bent double and gripping his stomach.

A crushing emptiness bulldozed its way into Percy's head. A voice, deep powerful and empty of all emotion pounded into his skull.

"Perseus Jackson," the voice boomed. "Time is running out! The reign of Olympus will end soon!"

The emptiness dropped out of his head so violently that Percy nearly emptied his stomach onto his foot. Jason, didn't have Percy's luck. Percy instead opted for dropping to the ground. He lay there, spread eagled, panting heavily, until a voice spoke.

"Hey, are you two ok?"

Percy looked up.

A tall boy stood there. He looked concerned, at least that's what Percy thought was reflected in the boy's silver blue eyes. He raised his left hand and ran his fingers through sleek blonde curls. In his right hand he held a coin, though Percy didn't recognize the currency.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Percy muttered.

"Well he isn't," muttered the boy, gesturing to Jason.

"Yeah, well it's kindda' hard to explain," Percy muttered. "So, what's your name?"

The boy smiled.

"I'm Eric, son of Hermes."

Percy stuck out a hand.

"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

Eric shook hands with Percy, with his left hand, right hand flipping the coin over and over in his fist. As soon as the two touched hands Percy blacked out.

Olympus

Athena stumbled. Her breathing became heavy. She pressed a hand to her temple.

"Athena?"

She looked up. Apollo stood beside her, hand on her shoulder. The goddess attempted speak, but nearly collapsed.

"What's wrong?" Apollo said. This was the first thing that sent alarm bells ringing into Athena's mind. Apollo was the god of medicine, and if he couldn't understand what was wrong with Athena…

A darkness greater than anything Athena had experienced blasted its way into her mind, shattering all calm that had remained. She gave a gargled groan as she fell to the floor.

"Athena!" cried Apollo.

Laughter spiralled around Athena's skull. It sounded echoed. Then she realised it was. The laughter came from the voices of a thousand demigods, a thousand of her own children, roll in her mind.

They couldn't all be laughing at her. She could feel the laughter echoing into a single young, male voice. She had no idea what this voice was, but she could guess who was laughing.

An entity Zeus had ordered her to seal away. A power greater than even Athena knew.

"Cosmas," whispered Athena.