A/N: Hello every one. Hope you like this fic and stick with it. If you have time to read, you have time to review. I am looking for a good, reliable beta reader, so if anyone's interested, PM me.
KEY:
Narrator
Specific thoughts
(In story informational A/N)
Dust swirled in the barren wasteland. The yells of his friends echoed throughout the battlefield. "So, Perseus Jackson, you have come to face me. You will lose and die, like your friends will." A deep, evil booming voice came from everywhere and nowhere. It was Porphyrion.
"No. I will kill you. And even at the cost of my life, I will protect my friends." Percy shouted at the pile of sand materializing in front of him. Porphyrion laughed.
"Keep talking insect." He turned his head and saw occupied Artemis firing arrows into the Earthborn. Porphyrion grinned and lifted his spear, charging lightning on the end.
Percy's thoughts raced, He couldn't think of any way to save Artemis without getting himself killed. GOT IT! Percy rushed forward, but not fast enough. With a loud yell, he felt a tug in his gut, and he shot forward, propelling himself on water from who knows where.
He rammed into Artemis, knocking her away drenched, and then Percy tapped into that power again and formed a wall of water just in time. Porphyrion's lightning crashed into the water with a mighty thunder, and the water crackled with electricity. With a grin, Percy put his hands together, and pushed. The water formed a spear and shot towards Porphyrion. It covered the two hundred metres like, well, lightning and he just barely raised his spear in time to block the bolt.
Percy grinned again and split his hands, raising one and dropping the other. The water spear split in half and formed two smaller ones, both still electrically charged. Porphyrion screamed and tried to dodge, but was too late. The spears sunk deep into his body and released their charge with a loud explosion. One shot through his stomach and the other tore through his neck, catching the spine and pulling it partially out. Golden ichor waterfalled from Porphyrion's wounds and he crumpled to the ground.
Leaving nothing to chance, Percy quickly sprinted towards the giant's nearly dead body and jumped, pushing himself up with that surge of control. Spinning in the air, Percy rushed towards the ground and Porphyrion's neck. He twisted and swung Anaklusmos down with enough force to completely sever Porphyrion's head from his shoulders. Milliseconds later he slammed in the surface, creating a crater.
The gods and demigods stopped in shock and stared at Percy, as all the Earthborn fell to dust. Gaea screamed and a spine of rock sprouted from the ground and pierced Percy's chest.
"PERCY!" Poseidon and many others screamed his name. Apollo began to flash towards him to heal Percy, but was stopped by an invisible barrier several hundred feet away. Two figures appeared right next to him, and Poseidon began to pound the barrier with all he had, tears gathering and a fierce expression frozen on his face.
The two figures picked up Percy and with a soft glow of darkness, they vanished. The barrier evaporated, and Poseidon fell to his knees, sobbing.
"We are here to discuss the disappearance of Percy Jackson." Zeus said solemnly to the Pantheon. "Two beings came and took his body away, but to where, no one knows?" He made it a question.
Hung heads shook, but Poseidon raised his head and spoke with a quiet anger. "I blame you Hera. This is your fault. You caused this. Without you interfering, we could've fought and won without losing so many of our children." A snarl ripped across his face.
Hera sniffed haughtily and spoke. "I do not know what you are so concerned about, you can always conceive others." Disdain was not concealed and displayed openly on her expression.
Poseidon's eyes lit with anger and he rose from his throne and growled at Hera. "Like you would know what it's like. You are a maiden. You don't have children and all you care about is yourself and killing Zeus's children." He stood up straight and ignored the many shocked stares.
"Consider this my resignation." With that he flashed out of Olympus and into his realm.
Zeus glared at Hera who looked away disinterested. "We will meet again in the winter solstice. I wish you all well."
The gods all teleported away, but it is one particular story we are interested in.
Artemis teleported herself to her camp, where she found her small group of Hunters, now only fifteen in numbers, practicing various skills. Archery, swords, knife-work, and she walked over to Thalia. Artemis's eyes widened as she heard soft sobbing from her. She rushed over and sat down next to her. "What's wrong, Thalia."
Thalia wiped her eyes and whispered out. "I miss him my lady. I know he saved all of us, but why is he dead." With that, she burst into tears again and threw her arms around Artemis.
Artemis froze for a second, but tenderly returned the embrace. The other Hunters stared at them with confused gazes. One walked her over, her name Elizabeth the oldest of the group now. "What is wrong, Thalia. We are all here." Elizabeth smiled warmly and the other Hunters walked over.
Artemis looked down at Thalia's tear streaked face. "They don't know, do they?"
Thalia jerked her head. A weak, "No." came out. Artemis grimaced and turned to face her Hunters. "Do you know why we won the war?" As she expected, they all shook their heads. Artemis sighed. "Porphyrion was killed, but I assume you all know that. The person, man, who killed him… was Perseus Jackson… But he was slain in the attempt."
All the Hunters gasped and fresh whimpers came from Thalia.
The Gods and Goddesses, Artemis and her Hunters in particular, all searched tirelessly for five years, as they did not know for sure whether he was actually dead. Hades claimed he was not, but had said that souls could fade automatically into the Netherworld. For the next four years, they searches were tired and eventually stopped on the tenth year on the winter solstice, December 21, 2013. (Let's pretend that the story was set farther back in time, and the great battle happened in 2003) This is where we pick up our story.
Snow was falling in great amounts, gathering thickly on the already deep snow high in the forests of Colorado. Artemis and her Hunters were packing up their tents, getting ready to move to a new location, when a guttural chuckle came from the trees around them. The Hunters quickly dropped what they were doing and made a circle around Artemis, raising their knocked bows. "So sweet. What a great treat. And a prize in the middle, oh yes." The voice was evil and dark.
A blur of smoke rushed out of the trees and the Hunters drew their bows, sharp eyes watching for any movement. Artemis had pushed her way into the ring and stood in similar positions to her Hunt. Something rushed out of the forest and knocked all of the Hunters out, and grabbed Artemis, quickly silencing her like it had the others. Then the monster was gone as quick as he had appeared.
He ran through the forest and stopped as he got to his camp. He laughed again and grinned evilly. He set a huge fire and lit it, and began to work on a spit, when there was a rustle behind him. He turned around and noticed nothing, then turned back around to continue, and saw that Artemis was gone. He stood up and grabbed the large club on the ground next to him. He searched the surrounding underbrush, and saw a figure walking through it.
"Hello." The man said quietly, but clearly. "I believe… you were about… to eat someone. Sorry I had… to steal her."
The monster roared and charged the man, swinging his club super fast, faster than it could be possible to dodge. But he did. "I'm sorry, was that supposed to hit me?" The voice was mocking this time, and also behind the monster.
The monster roared again and swung his weapon at the figure, and laughed in victory when he saw the man didn't move. But he did, and the monster realized this when the club just swished through the figure. "Rawr." The man said, his laugh becoming more distinct and clear.
"Who are you, anyway?" The monster asked. The man calmed down and his voice was cold and unforgiving.
He tossed back his hood, revealing a wolf's head. It was still slightly human, but midnight fur covered his head and body and he had a muzzle. "My name… is Faolán… Layla." With an unnoticeable movement, Faolán flicked out a long katana on his waist and sliced the head of the monster off. The head and the body of the monster exploded into dust. He flicked his hood back onto his head, covering all but the muzzle.
"Now… the hard part." Faolán said despairingly.
He turned and walked towards the place where the Hunt was ambushed. He saw that the girls were still knocked out, but Artemis was quickly waking the others up. "My Lady, what happened, who was that?" One girl, Phoebe, getting up and helping Artemis.
"I do not know. He had taken me, but I'm here. I don't know how, though." Artemis tried to clarify.
"My Lady, watch out!" One of the Hunters shouted and drew and fired an arrow straight at Faolán's face.
Without flinching or moving his body, Faolán snapped an arm up and grabbed the arrow inches before it hit him. The Hunt had shocked expressions, and he dropped it and quickly dodged behind a nearby tree as more arrows flew at him. He could've stopped them all, but he didn't want to freak them out. He heard them stop firing, and stepped around the corner, only to find Artemis loosing an arrow at his face.
Artemis grinned and looked away as she saw it sink into his head. The Hunters congratulated her, but a voice came from next to them. "That was… close. If I hadn't moved… I would've died."
Surprised, they all spun around and stared in astonishment at Faolán. His hood was pulled down and a silver arrow was stuck in it. Silver-gold eyes looked at them, empty of emotion. "That wasn't… nice. I saved… Lady Artemis… and this is how… I'm repaid?" His voice was slightly hurt, and definitely masculine, which did not improve his predicament.
"Why should we believe you? You're obviously a man," Phoebe snarled, staring at Faolán's muscular build. "And how can you prove it?"
Faolán sighed and stepped forward, but stopped as all the arrows were pointed at him. "What are you doing?" Phoebe again.
"I'm proving it." With another step towards Artemis, all the projectiles were released. Faolán dodged to the side and jumped forward covering the long distance in one bound. Before any more arrows could be shot, Faolán touched on finger to Artemis's forehead and dodged back to where he was standing before. Artemis collapsed to the ground and Thalia rushed to help her, while the other Hunters focused on killing Faolán.
He kept leaving after images and willed that Artemis's vision ended. On cue, Artemis sprung up and called out, "Stop! He is telling the truth. He did save me. Stop!"
She quickly jumped in between her Hunt and Faolán, stopping the barrage of arrows his way. "I order you to stop. He showed me a vision of what happened. He did save me."
The Hunter's immediately protested. "But my lady, he is obviously not a human, he may be lying and using trickery."
Artemis's eyes widened and she whirled around and tackled Faolán who wasn't ready for it. With a warp of the air around them and a flash of silver light, they teleported to Olympus.
Artemis stepped away from Faolán, his face hidden completely and his vest now covered his arms with black gloves, and grew in size to sit on her throne, joining the rest of the Pantheon, minus Poseidon. "Well now… I have heard that you have quote-un-quote saved my daughter. How do we know you are telling the truth." Zeus said, not making the latter a question.
"I showed… Artemis a… vision with the… truth." As always, Faolán's voice was honey smooth and clear. "I swear on… creation and the… blood of myself… and my Sensei's… that is the truth. What other proof… do you need?"
Apollo glowered and sniffed, "I am the God of Truth. You are lying. You threatened my sister, and will pay." With that, Apollo leaped out of his red throne and rushed towards Faolán with a sword materializing in his hand. Faolán calmly took a single step back, just enough to dodge, and lashed out a fist. Apollo crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
"Know this… if I wanted… Lady Artemis or… any of you… dead… you would be." Several of the gods were half out of their seats in shock and wariness. "I am here… back on this… Kiol forsaken… planet because a new… threat has arisen. One you cannot… face alone."
Zeus sat down as did the other deities. "Fine. We will abide your presence. In fact, I worry for my daughter, and I have a proposition for you."
Artemis jumped up. "No! I will not have this in my thing in my camp!" Her eyes were glowing with anger and her face fierce with protest.
Zeus's face lit with curiosity. "Thing?"
"Yes! He isn't even human!" Artemis's all but shouted. She pointed at Faolán imperiously, silently commanding him to remove his cowl.
Faolán sighed resignedly, and lifted his hood off his head revealing the piercing silver-gold eyes and black fur. The gods stared at him with interest and a slight horrific curiosity. "What are you?" Athena asked, her voice not leaving anything to the imagination.
Faolán gazed deep into her eyes, as if he could see everything she hid. With a sad sigh, and in a solemn tone, he said, "I am… life and death. I am the… balance of all. I am… the savior of your world… and the others."
The gods were silent for a moment. "If you say you are the savior," Zeus asked angrily. 'What are you the savior of?"
Faolán was again quiet. "I am the… savior of yourselves. You will… collapse and destroy… yourselves. With that in mind… the Titans and Giants rise again… to raze Olympus… and crush civilization."
Open shock all around. Not one god, not even Athena, could have ever thought that they could ever rise again. Apollo stirred on the floor and stood, leering at Faolán before returning to his throne. "Zeus…" He said. "You would… have me… stay and… protect your… daughter from the… harm that has arisen?"
Zeus nodded uncertainly. "Yes, I would."
Faolán smiled softly and chuckled. "I hardly think… that she needs… it. She is more than… capable of defending… herself." He flicked his hood back up and long sleeves appeared again from his vest. He placed his arms together behind his back and spoke with finality. "I leave you to ponder this decision: Do you accept the help of myself, my Senseis Navve and Kitsun, and the praise of Kiol?"
With those eerily powerful words filling the silence with a coldness never before felt, Faolán raised his hands and placed the index and middle finger straight up next to each other while leaving the others folded. He stood stock still for a few seconds, then disappeared completely from sight, leaving shocked, puzzled, and speechless gods in Olympus.
And so, this mysterious Faolán Layla has appeared to help the gods from a threat they cannot hope to take on alone. But what has happened to the powerful Perseus Jackson? And what role does he play, if any, in this soon to be tense story? Is everything Faolán Layla says true? Or does he hold many secrets?