The second chapter in, a bit later than originally planned because I went to see my baby cousin freshly liberated from the womb today! So that's why there was a little delay.
Aside from all the personal details, I'm really excited to continue taking the story to the next level and producing something that's hopefully interesting that rocks this fandom up a little.
This chapter is going to be an interesting one to read for sure… There are a lot of heavier themes that will be in play, but I hope I do a good enough job evening everything out. Leave a review and let me know.
Warning: There will be some very heavy themes and mentions of suicide, mainly in the opening scene, so read at your own discretion.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, but I own the plot
Third Person Pov
(Two Years Later)
A cool breeze floated through the leaves, gently brushing the green foliage of a dense forest as it flowed. The winds sharply shifted direction, lofting over a small hill; its melodious song enticing the blades of grass in a wild dance.
As the winds reached the height of its crescendo, it blew over a dark haired teen who sat solemnly against a pine tree. The young man released a sigh, which joined the winds on its never-ending journey around the world.
"What's the point?" muttered the young man, his face hidden in the palms of his hands. His raven black hair bounced as he suddenly jerked his head up, allowing his sea green eyes to stare blankly at the pinkish evening sky.
He sighed again as he pulled his eyes from the beautiful scenery, instead opting to look at the glistening object to his right.
A bronze pen sat deliberately in the well-cut grass, offering it no escape from the young man's sight. He grabbed the pen before he ripped the cap off yet instead of a pen tip; a blade elongated. The phenomenon was marginalized by the dead gaze cast unto the exposed blade by the young man.
"If only you'd be as willing to kill me as I am willing to die, old friend." The teenager chuckled as he reversed his grip on the sword, holding the tip towards his chest for a few moments before pulling it inwards with minimal effort.
The sword quickly collapsed back into a pen the moment he began to pull it upon himself.
He sighed before he placed the well concealed blade, again in pen form, back at his side; instead choosing to return his broken gaze to the sky.
The clouds drifted lazily, filling the now orange sky with spots of wispy white as the glowing ball of light could only peek back at the young man over the horizon.
Another soft breeze rolled over the hill, starting his hair, and the greenery alike, into a crazed dance. The young man sighed again, his body sinking further into the hard wood behind him while his right hand moved to tame his black locks.
As the winds died down, his eyes fluttered open. His green eyes peered curiously over the hill, yet the curve of the earth prevented him from seeing anything below the incline. His eyes brightened slightly as he seemed to be reminded of what he had waiting for him over the hill. A soft smile tugged at his cheeks before it became corroded with a sense of agony which gleamed conspicuously in his darkening eyes.
As the light of the day passed, so too did the light of innocence in the young man's eyes.
His eyes became concealed yet again as their curtains shut themselves tightly. Dusk slowly rolled into night, yet he remained unaware of the transition as his chest began to rise and fall rhythmically.
'Are you really going to give up hope?" A soft voice called, yet it was still enough to penetrate the silence which had presided over the area.
"What do you think awaits you on the other side?" The voice continued, yet the teen kept his eyes closed, as though the subtle whispering of the unknown person were familiar to him. Instead, he tilted his head to the right as he shrugged his shoulders; another defeated sigh escaping his lips.
"Are you sure that it is better than the life you live now?" A dry chuckle parted the young man's lips as these words floated away with the breeze; their impression however, remaining firmly planted in the young man's head.
"With all due respect, Lady Hestia." He replied just as softly as the now identified goddess had; his eyes still closed.
"Hope is a fickle fantasy which resides in the heart of the innocent..." He continued, his green irises beginning to peek through their veil "Where is there place for hope in a heart which beats only in tune to the pain of loss?" He paused; his fully opened eyes staring inquisitively at Hestia as he let his eyes familiarize themselves with her for the first time.
Her brown hair rolled over her shoulders and down her back; it provided a glow comparable to that of a low camp fire. Her unblemished skin shone with a regal aura as her soft brown eyes held his gaze with animated concern. The eight year old took a step to the young man, suddenly maturing to a sixteen year old as her, now, slender arms reached forward; her soft and gentle hands holding his right cheek as he leaned his neck further back to accommodate for the sudden increase in the girl's height.
"When all that greets you upon self-inspection is a cold, empty void; it feels like everything else would be better than the inner nothing that coils inside." Percy whispered softly before he pulled his face away from the gentle embrace her smooth palms provided his cheek with.
As his eyes drifted over the crest of the hill, he could see the rising form of the moon; glistening with its ethereal beauty. He closed his eyes again as he gripped tightly at his hair, his face scrunched as though he were drowning in an atrocious memory; one that had plagued his mind, haunting him into depression and igniting a lust that could only be satiated by the loss of his own life.
Percy wasn't often one to regularly give into what he dictated as his own weakness; but even the most resilient could only hold out for so long.
Silence tantalized the two, drifting in and out between the gentle whistling of the breeze. The goddess sat beside the boy elegantly; her orange legs folding under the cover of her long orange dress which splayed over the grassy floor.
A sigh escaped the boy's lips, drawing the attention of the goddess back to him as he let his hands fall to his knees; his green eyes shining as they focused on the silver moon above.
"It's a beautiful night tonight, huh?" Percy nudged Hestia lightly with his shoulder, relaxing further with each deep breath which filtered through his body.
"It is… Though it would've been a little bit better if you didn't push an Olympian goddess," Hestia huffed indignantly, a sigh escaping her lips once she saw the way Percy tensed under her words "but I suppose that is another mortal gesture I don't quite understand."
Hestia's gaze drifted into the path of Percy's; their eyes locking in a beautiful dance of green and orange.
After a few moments Hestia tore her gaze from Percy which prompted him to return his eyes, which held a slightly larger amount of vibrancy in them, to the horizon.
"Have you already forgotten about the two siblings your mother has entrusted you with?" The melody of her voice rung through the air, yet the choice of words stuck Percy with the harshness of a symbol crashing to the floor. He winced as he let his gaze drift further away from the goddess beside him.
"All things considered," The goddess spoke again, a smirk on her face as she rose to her feet; garnering the attention of the boy who stared at the retreating source of his warmth. "It doesn't seem within your character to not at least be tempted by the prospect of being a part of their lives."
"There are moments where I find myself weaker than others, my lady." Percy sighed, his green eyes fascinated by the orange tint in the goddess' brown locks. "It is very easy to look at a broken man and judge him in his weakness, because he has not the will to stand firm in that trial." The young man then pushed himself to his feet, taking a few moments to dust the backside of his jeans.
"I've felt the weakest I've ever felt in these last two years and I've wanted nothing more than to be free from this curse," Percy shook his head as he let his legs close the distance between himself and Hestia, who peered inquisitively back at the boy. "But sometimes the easiest answer becomes very tempting; no matter how wrong it is."
Percy stopped by the goddess' side; the pair allowing their eyes to roam over the crest of the hill in silence. After few moments slipped away, silence gave way to the soft voice of Hestia.
"Patience and pain is a combination that is hard for mortals. Like there is time for pleasure, there is time for pain; yet you mortals are always so ready to alleviate pain but sustain joy." Hestia shook her head in amusement.
"Have patience with and in suffering, Percy. Have patience and confidence in the fact that with the appearance of pain, the path to joy has been opened and the road is full of little treasures. If you walk the path with your head down, you will miss them. Embrace your pain, fight through your suffering and be patient in your journey to joy." Hestia paused momentarily, shifting her eyes to fall upon the young man beside her.
"When you find your joy, you'll know that there is no pain without pleasure," Hestia kissed his cheek lightly "and no pleasure without pain." She concluded, hitting him lightly in his shoulder.
"I appreciate the wise words, but did you have to hit me so hard?" Percy moaned, gingerly rubbing his shoulder while Hestia giggled lightly.
"You've fought my father and won, I don't think you have the right to complain about a small tap." Hestia chided, poking in between his fingers and into his sore shoulder muscles, causing the son of Poseidon to flinch.
"I really am grateful for your presence and wisdom, my lady. There is only so much I can help myself with before I need the help and wisdom of someone else." Percy smiled as he continued administering gentle circles into his afflicted shoulder.
Hestia presented him a smile "It was all worth it to get a good hit on you for shoving an Olympian goddess."
"Wow, a few years back in power and already your ego is brimming." Percy chuckled, his green eyes growing lighter as they held the orange orbs of the goddess.
"That was a pretty hefty hit though," Percy continued to joke, raising his offended arm in display as he rolled up his sleeves "Look at the bruis…"
His words got caught in his throat as he eyes fell on his marked skin. His eyes widened slightly at the magnitude it, before they darted back to Hestia. Hestia's own eyes widened in shock as they both returned their gaze to his shoulder; upon which was engraved a beautiful wave tattoo.
The wave seemed to have reached its crescendo though instead of tumbling down, the crest evaporated into a fine yet visible mist. At the base, ice spread across the ocean's surface, scaling the first few centimetres of the wave where it was met with the liquefied center of the wave.
The entire image seemed alive. The ice crackled on his skin, portions falling off as the frozen water met the liquefied center which swayed in and out of the ice's reach; fighting to remain liquid while the misty crest rose and shimmered into the regular sun kissed skin of the son of Poseidon.
Percy's hand subconsciously traced the tattoo. As soon as his finger brushed the outline of the wave, a familiar icy katana reassembled in his hand. The inner layer was now crystal clear instead of the midnight blue which had previously tinted the water, and the temperature seemed unaffected by the presence of the weapon.
Percy stared silently at the blade in his hand, gliding his right fingers along the frozen back of the blade. The water bubbled under his contact, the air momentarily growing humid while the goddess hummed lightly in recognition of the beauty of the blade.
"What a beautiful blade; I'm surprised you recreated one in such brilliant resemblance to the one we saw on Olympus however." Hestia commented, her face scrunching lightly in confusion. Percy looked up at the goddess, his astonished green eyes catching her brown orbs momentarily before he let his eyelids shield his eyes.
A second later, the sword deconstructed into mist and snaked up his hand, pressing into his bicep where it transformed back into the beautiful tattoo.
"Well that is certainly unexpected." Hestia stated in shock as she stepped closer to the young man, gently tracing her finger over the stained skin. Percy let his eyes fall to the tattoo as well.
"It isn't a replica; it's the exact same, but the tattoo feature is new." Percy muttered softly to the goddess, who nodded her head; reclaiming her finger from the son of Poseidon's bicep before stepping back.
A stunned silence filled the air as the pair listened to the whistling of the wind, the barest trace of waves lapping against the shore could be heard every so often.
"As you may know, I've been watching over you for these past two years." Hestia once more broke the silence a few minutes later "I've seen you mature and the ways you've dealt with a lot of hardships; even now hope still whispers in your heart. More than that, you have earned my interest more with every interaction we've had and I believe now is the perfect time for me to offer you my patronage."
Percy remained silent for a few moments, shifting lightly on the balls of his feet as he pondered.
"Why do I have a feeling that there is a lot more to this than meets the eyes?" Percy inquired, turning to face the goddess beside him.
"Perhaps it is your intuition. Perhaps it is your instincts. Whatever it may be, I can only offer you my patronage." Hestia sighed as she glanced briefly at the camp "If you want to know more, you'd have to accept the offer…" The goddess returned her eyes to the boy.
The burning orange of her eyes locked with the cool green of Percy's.
"Perhaps the path to joy begins in the face of a stupid blind decision; but I'd rather choose to walk blindly for a while than not walk at all. I accept, Lady Hestia" Percy's crooked grin was radiant, enticing the lips of the goddess to twitch upwards in response.
Hestia let her bright eyes peer deeply into his own for a moment longer before she eliminated the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him as he held him close to her body. Percy was momentarily disoriented as the closeness of her body sent shock through his brain. He quickly caught himself however, and let his own arms snake around the slender waist of the goddess.
The young demigod felt his eyes grow heavy as an orange glow surrounded him and the goddess, slowly seeping into his pores.
"Relax my champion. Your boy will need to sleep for the process to work effectively." Hestia's soothing voice caressed his ears "Now rest."
The weight of Percy's eyes grew too much, his body falling limp in the strong hands of the goddess.
Chapter One: Unravel
Third Person Pov
A gentle breeze rolled through the forest, rustling the greenery with its soft whispers. The winds flowed silently through the grass and past a big blue house, softly caressing the face of Percy Jackson as he moved fluidly with the motions of the rocking chair beneath him. The barest trace of a smile was etched onto his lips as the breeze passed; his eyes to fluttering open.
The lively sounds of the camp began to resonate as the wind left, stretching Percy's smile further as he readjusted himself on the chair; sitting further up to let his head rest against the top of the pristine oak which provided him his luxury. His eyes closed again as a content sigh escaped his lips while he let his ears relieve his eyes from their duties; his mind drifting.
Percy had awoken once since accepting the role as Hestia's champion. The moment he abruptly awoke, he found Hestia beside him singing a soothing song in ancient Greek which he couldn't quite understand in his state of grogginess. The goddess then spent a few moments to help him adjust to the fact that he was in a rocking chair on the veranda of the big house, before she provided a brief explanation of the drowsy effect of the process which would last a few hours while his body acclimatized to the new power.
She was soon after called away for a meeting with the gods; to which she sarcastically thanked him for getting her involved in again. Percy chuckled lightly once more at how annoyed she had been.
He had also managed a few moments to speak with his old mentor, Chiron who, despite being preoccupied, spent a few minutes with him to find out what he had been up to over the past couple of years.
That conversation was also short lived as Chiron was also called back to his responsibilities; leaving Percy alone with the gentle currents of the wind and the swaying chair beneath him.
Percy smiled to himself as he shifted again, settling once he found a particularly comfortable position on the chair.
Another swell in the air current danced over the hill, drowning the sounds of the camp, as it accosted the son of Poseidon. The scent of fresh air partnered with the barest hint of pine, from its adventures through the forest, filled his nose. His wide smile grew lazy as he folded his arms across himself, allowing his body to be soothed by the gentle breeze and the calming motions the chair as his breathing grew steadier…
Time continued its unending flow as Hope's Champion slept, the perpetual swaying of the chair entrapping him in comfortable slumber. His unconscious state left him ignorant to the attention he had garnered.
Campers snuck out of their chores or came in their free time for even a glimpse at the infamous hero of Olympus. Their curiosity peaked by his recent absence immediately sated by his swaying presence on the porch.
Some grumbled as they lost bets and were forced to hand over denars or cash to their companions; while others came merely to stare in awe at the young man who held the title of titan slayer.
Soon the number of Percy's uninvited visitors began to dwindle, the son of Poseidon ever peaceful in his quiet motions.
Abruptly, Percy's body began to emit a dull orange glow which seeped from his pores. The mass of dull light went unnoticed by the remainder of Percy's audience, though it tumbled from his body and covered the entirety of the porch before it trickled off the edges and down the stairs.
The orange light grew thicker and became mist-like as it shrouded the unaware campers. The mist crashed against an invisible barrier, about four meters from its source, though its density continued to increase by the second.
The oblivious demigods, now covered with the orange glow, began to relax as they hid at the edge of the veranda. Their looks of awe shifted to that of determination as confident grins drew their lips apart.
They began to disperse, one by one, purpose clearly evident in their movements as they briskly walked away. As they left the barriers however, an orange tint clung to their bodies, slowly being absorbed into their pores, causing them to stand even straighter as they moved to complete their tasks.
The Champion of Hope remained unaware in his slumber as his small field of mist continued to crash against the barrier, it increasing density never waning.
(Time Skip- Dusk)
The gentle winds began to whistle sharply with ferocious intensity. They raced over the crest of the hill and flew through the veranda, stinging Percy's face as they passed. The demigod shifted under the scrutiny of the winds; his gentle smile shifting to a small frown as he shifted to away from sharp winds and towards the door of the big house.
A young woman stood at the crest of half-blood hill. Her short croppy black hair billowed in the gusting winds as her blue eyes shone with unspoken power.
She stood at about five feet seven inches, a scowl etched onto her black lipstick painted lips as she stared over the hill. Her eyes narrowed, the gaze made more intimidating by the black mascara that covered the edges of his eyes.
She dusted her black torn jeans before she roughly pulled her black leather jacket to reposition it on her shoulders. She walked forward, her black steel toed shoes barely making a sound as her aggressive features failed to take away the graceful strides which propelled her towards the big house.
Percy's frown deepened as the warmth of the veranda slipped away; the shadows thickening from within the house. He shifted in his seat again as he repositioned himself to face the ceiling.
The doorknob twisted slowly under the gently ministrations of a young teenager. The boy took a cautious step from the door, scowling lightly as the sharp winds whisked through his neat black hair. He let his right hand linger on the outer doorknob, his dark brown eyes roaming the porch.
His brown orbs lit up in recognition upon the sight of the reclined and swaying Percy Jackson. His grip loosened around the doorknob for a split second, caution momentarily forgotten, and the sharp winds pounced on his carelessness; slamming the door shut.
The teen winced, letting his gaze linger on the door as he prayed the older boy hadn't been stirred by the noise. Taking a breath, the younger boy slowly returned his gaze on the, fortunately, still sleeping figure of the hero of Olympus. The boy ran his right hand through his now messy black hair, sighing in relief.
He all but held his breath as his slow, deliberate movements led him to one of the other vacant chairs. Sitting quietly on the edge of the patio chair, the boy began fiddling with the skull ring which sat on his right ring finger.
He sat quietly for a few moments, the sharp wind drowning out even his thoughts as he tried to let his mind wander.
He was quickly broken from his serenity when the sound of creaking stairs obnoxiously filtered in with the already bold howling of the winds.
The blue eyed girl stormed up the stairs, her one track mind remaining oblivious to the all-black clad teen at the side of the porch as she marched directly to Percy's sleeping form. The girl grabbed either side of the rocking chair, abruptly bringing the gentle sways to a halt.
She raised her right hand, intent on swinging her flattened knuckles to connect with the well-presented right cheek of the unaware boy.
Percy's eyes fluttered open, the vibrant green of his eyes flickering orange upon seeing the raised hand of his aggressor. His aura flared dramatically, resulting in the mist thickening tremendously. The girl stumbled back as she felt her anger drain from her, tears replacing the snarl on her lips as she threw herself into his chest.
Percy blinked rapidly, his eyes flickering back to green while a yawn parted his lips. He let his mouth close, his arms wrapping around the sobbing girl.
"Hey Thalia." He lazily uttered. A pair of hands wrapped around his torso from his right, sending a wave of confusion and light panic as Percy's green eyes darted to the second source of affection.
"Hey Nico," a chuckle escaped his lips upon seeing the pale skinned boy. "I missed you guys too."
"I thought you were dead for so long." Thalia sobbed quietly, untangling herself from Percy as the harsh winds began to die down. Percy smiled up at her while Nico returned to his feet beside the older boy. Thalia acknowledged the second boy with slight surprise.
"It was only because of this one that I knew you weren't." The girl added, motioning to Nico while sniffling before she wiped her tear stained face.
"It's good to see you again after so long Percy." Nico smiled at the older boy, while Thalia nodded lightly; her black mascara absent.
Percy rubbed his neck with his left hand, his grin mimicking Nico's.
"I suppose I should've at least called or left a message." Percy admitted sheepishly. Nico chuckled at the response while Thalia scoffed.
"You think?" She asked rhetorically, shaking her head at the boy.
A weary silence filled the air, none of the demigods knowing what to say. Instead, Thalia found a vacant chair while Nico reclaimed the one which he previously sat on, before the pair returned with their respective seats and placed them on either side of Percy.
The three sat there, staring over the camp for a few moments more in silence.
"What have you been up to for two years, Percy?" Thalia broke the silence. The mentioned son of Poseidon sighed, running a hand through his hair and leaving his eyes to roam over the camp grounds.
"I've been around." Percy shook his head, letting his eyes fall onto the floorboards. Thalia and Nico glanced at each other for a few moments.
"What do you mean by that?" Thalia pressed while Nico nodded. Percy allowed his eyes to linger on both his companions for a few moments before he let his green orbs resume their inspection of the floor.
"Apollo and I became closer," a smile pulled at his lips "he wanted to get back at Artemis for something and I wanted to let out my anger and frustration at everything."
Thalia stared at Percy in suspicion.
"Were you the one that hunted down a bunch of monsters before the hunt?"
Percy chuckled, nodding lightly.
"Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?"
Nico stared at Thalia in confusion before turning to Percy, awaiting his response.
"Apollo and I had a deal of sorts. I would go to him and he would give me the lead to a monster to vent." Percy shrugged nonchalantly, quickly continuing before Thalia could respond.
"It was a simple arrangement, except Apollo may have been giving me leads to monsters which Artemis and company were hunting. But I didn't know that."
Nico nodded to himself, seemingly content with what he heard, though curiosity was still etched into his face as he stared off vacantly as he mused.
"Oh" Thalia stated "You didn't know?" Her voice soft and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Percy shook his head.
"As soon as I found out I stopped; about a few months later."
"But Lady Artemis told us that the person had died!" Thalia quipped back.
"When she realized Apollo had a part to play in it, she stalked him and waited until she saw us meet to confront us." Thalia leaned back into her chair, defeat written on her face "When she did, I confessed I didn't realize that the monsters were connected to her and she sympathized with me; offering to alert Poseidon so I could hunt sea monsters instead; which is what I've been doing ever since."
"Then you must be the death of the sea I've been hearing about!" Nico snapped his fingers, grinning as he sat upright. Thalia and Percy turned to the younger boy, surprised at the title.
Upon seeing the confused looks from his companions, Nico elaborated.
"Every few months a group of particularly vicious mortal pirates would appear in the fields of punishment and their punishments would all be the same, to live their last moments over for eternity." Percy grimaced at hearing their punishments while Thalia looked fascinated.
"Well what was it?" Thalia inquired.
"The consistent theme to each punishment is that they're on their ship and then a man springs up from the ocean and lands on the deck. He raises the waves on either side to swallow the ship but everyone can still breathe." Nico paused, staring at the floor for a few seconds.
"That's where it changes per person. It's always fitting however; their punishment would always equate the crimes they were most known for. Murderers were murdered, torturers tortured and so on; but it would all be done so gruesomely it was truly something else. But the most horrific is always the captain."
"I think that's enough Nico." Percy interjected though Thalia huffed, a look of morbid fascination on her face
"I really want to know what you did to the leader of these scums." Thalia grinned morbidly. Percy was about to comment on her sadistic nature, but paused once he remembered her status as a hunter.
"I said that's enough." Percy's voice hardened as he spoke, the air humming dangerously as Thalia and Nico held their breath. Percy sighed, collecting himself as he shook his head.
"I'm not proud of what I did, even though they deserved it. I don't like going back to where I was; so let's just leave it with knowing I'm here now." Percy stated finally with a lighter tone as he flashed an apologetic smile at them.
"Well, I suppose they're lucky the hunt never got them." Thalia supplied as she grinned half-heartedly, trying to lighten the mood.
"I think they would've preferred that." Nico muttered, his brown eyes staring blankly onto the floor for a few moments, an uncomfortable silence washing over the veranda.
A soft swell of air floated into the faces of the three, causing them to relax slightly.
"What have you two been up to?" Percy asked gingerly, his eyes rising from the floor to shift between the younger pair.
"Hunting as usual," Thalia was the first to respond "things don't really change in the hunt."
"I've had a few errands for Thanatos, but not much else out of the ordinary." Nico supplied subsequently.
"Wait, why were you doing things for Thanatos?" Percy queried.
Nico smiled easily at Percy. "Well I'm his champion."
"Wow, when did that happen?" Thalia asked.
"About three years now?" Nico replied, though he seemed unwilling to input more on the topic.
"I've been Artemis' champion for about two years now; I thought I was the only one." Thalia frowned.
"Well I guess I'm the third to join the club." Percy breathed out as he tilted his neck to the left to stretch it.
Thalia whipped her head to Percy's direction "Who's your Patron?"
"I very recently became Hestia's champion," Percy bowed mid forward motion of the chair. "And I actually haven't had the time to talk to her about the whole system thing that we got ourselves into. So what do you guys know?"
Nico and Thalia glanced at each other for a few moments.
"Well there isn't much to it really…" Thalia began, her eyes slowly lingering to Percy's direction, though were quickly forced to refocus on Nico as the younger boy spoke up.
"Actually, there is a lot to it." Nico held Thalia's gaze while Percy simply stared curiously at the younger boy.
"I'm not sure it's as complex as you make it seem." Thalia began while Percy smiled as he eased back into the chair "I mean I'm only Artemis' champion and always by her side." Thalia chided, brushing off Nico's comment, though she still stared at him with narrowed eyes; awaiting his response.
"I spend most of my time in the underworld." Nico began, leaning forward in his chair as he smirked confidently "While we can make up history in the realm of the living, my father has libraries worth of history from the men and women who lived through it all."
Thalia held his gaze for a few more seconds before she sighed, reclining in her chair.
"Now I'm interested," Nico's smirk transformed into a giddy smile which Percy chuckled at "what do you know?" Thalia huffed, rolling her eyes as she conceded defeat.
"I'll give you both a warning," Nico said sternly, his hands rising in a placating motion "This is going to be a lot of information so we may be here a while."
"We have time Nico." Percy replied, shifting to sit a little more upright.
Nico nodded before clearing his throat and taking a breath.
"Patronage is the system by which the gods infuse some of their very own essence into the essence of their champion. While the benefits include being able to adopt the abilities of the god as though you were their child; the major drawback is death." Thalia coughed harshly, her eyes widened while all traces of humour drained from Percy's face.
Nico continued before either of the older demigods could interrupt him.
"Godly essence is very potent and if the demigod receiving the blessing doesn't have the raw power to handle such an overload, well the demigod would be susceptible to spontaneous combustion…"
The son of Hades paused, glancing at the elder pair who stared blankly at the floor and the wall, respectively, for a few moments. Thalia and Percy slowly returned their gaze to the younger bow before acknowledging each other.
"I'm not much of an expert on power," Nico continued, drawing their attention back to him "but what I do know is that having a high amount of power equates to having large reservoirs to hold it. Without big enough reservoirs, the essence simply doesn't have any place to be stored, so rather it begins to eat away at the demigod to return to the god."
Nico paused, a wry look on his face as he took a quick breath.
"It's very similar to how a monster dies. Except, we don't go to Tartartus to reform; we don't even reappear in the underworld to be judged or waiting in DOA. No, the escaping essence of the god would take with it our own essence, forcing our very being to be assimilated rather than allowing us a chance at an afterlife."
"Wait a minute!" Thalia finally interjected, waving her hands and shaking her head incredulously. Nico presented his grim expression to her, while Percy's eyes returned to the camp; his right hand rising to his chin.
A sardonic laugh escaped Thalia's lips.
"You're telling me that if we weren't this strong we could've been absorbed!"
"I believe it would've been relatively similar to the way Kirby does it…" Percy supplied; his thin lips and narrowed eyes belying his attempt at comedy.
Nico stared uneasily at the pair, fiddling lightly with his skull shaped ring.
"Please continue, Nic." Percy replied after some time, to which the younger boy nodded and resumed.
"With these huge risks, the gods let the system fade into near nonexistence in an attempt to preserve the lives of their children. However, a few millennia ago after the ancient rules had been set; the gods realized that there had been one loophole which would allow them to see their children. Whichever deity had instated the rules either did it on purpose or faded before they finished creating the laws, because the section marked Patronage remains blank to this day."
"But there still remained the blatant flaw of essence overload. To counteract this, the gods began to train demigods in the art of increasing their natural power. The techniques varied between the gods but the practice became widespread as the gods attempted to bridge the gap between their legacies and themselves."
"Now able to become patrons without the risk of essence overload, the gods exploited the system. The gods had champions with reckless abandon; training their children in camps similar to ours to insure their survival."
Nico stopped for a moment and Thalia quickly sat up.
"Let's let him finish Thals." Percy quickly interjected causing the girl to deflate and lean back into her chair. Nico shot Percy a grateful smile to which the older boy responded with a gesture for him to carry on.
"There were two reasons why the practice died again. The first being; the gods realized that demigods who became champions grew too powerful to remain demigods. This period was dubbed the Age of Godlings. There were such an abundance of budding gods that Zeus grew fearful that he couldn't control them all. His first response was to limit the amount of champions a god could have. While disgruntled, the elder gods abided by the rules. But the newer godlings did not. The reason behind their anger was never clearly stated; but their disapproval grew to the point where they rebelled." Thalia drew closer to the edge of her seat, her eyes widening while the gently rocking Percy remained stoic in his chair.
"To put it short, the godlings created one of the most heinous events of godly history. They went on a rampant spree of raping mortals and kidnapping demigods, forcing patronage unto them in order to grow strong enough to face the major gods."
"The godlings were discovered after one of their own grew bold enough to kidnap children from the council and the war was short lived with the still grossly underpowered godlings being enslaved by the Olympians. Their punishment is never stated and the events were ripped out of mainstream history, but the previous separation between the underworld and Olympus meant a few scrolls evading destruction."
"Patronage fluctuated ever since those events, with it becoming very frowned upon for any god to have more than one champion without the council's consent. The decline reached its lowest point in centuries when the gods found out about the great prophecy. Athena had anticipated large amounts of treason and so Zeus declared that Patronage would be banned, alongside the big three oath, to prevent any demigods growing too strong and betraying Olympus."
Another gentle breeze blew in their faces, leaving a hush behind it as it drifted away from the porch. The moon glistened in the sky as the three sat silently.
Percy rocked quietly in his chair, his green eyes glazed as they stared over the camp; his mind reviewing the information he had received.
Nico's brown eyes were drawn to the shadows in the corner of the veranda.
Thalia shook her head, her electric blue eyes shining with confusion.
"Why didn't Artemis tell me about this?" Thalia pondered aloud, her voice caught the ears of both the boys, though none shifted their eyes to her.
"It was wiped from history. If she went around telling her hunters, it wouldn't really count as an Olympian secret now would it?" Nico replied distractedly.
"Yes, but I'm her lieutenant! She would've told Zoe! Why didn't she tell me?" Thalia muttered, shaking her head.
"Watch your ego there, Thalia" Nico scoffed under his breath, his eyes still focused on the shadows.
"What'd you say?" Thalia called, her electric eyes snapping to him with a fierce glint in them.
"He said to watch your ego," Percy said easily, his shining green eyes shifting to her, flashing orange for a split second "And he's right. Zoe was member of the hunt for millennia, which just so happens to coincide with the time period of that event."
"Miss me with that ganging up bullshit!" Thalia cried huffing as she reclined into her chair, her blue eyes glaring at both of the boys.
"Not our fault that you're so prideful." Nico absentmindedly shot back, his eyes lingering on the clump of shadows.
"I'm sorry," Thalia began chuckling; shaking her head lightly for a second before refocusing her eyes on the son of Hades "What was that?"
Percy shot a warning look to the son of Hades but Nico was too focused on the shadows to notice.
"Prideful and deaf; the list just goes on…" Nico muttered softly.
Thalia simply laughed for a few moments. It was a dry yet booming sound, similar to thunder clashing in the sky.
"So the gothic outcast wants to grow a spine against the people who was there for him now?" Thalia taunted dryly, lightning dancing across her pupils.
"Guys, let's just calm down…" Percy's eyes shifted between green and orange as he stared nervously at the two, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture.
An ominous pitch black mist began oozing from Nico's pores as he slowly ripped his eyes from the corner of the room. The black mist thickened, warding off the orange mist as an inky black filled the irate eyes which glared at Thalia.
"At least this outcast could find information that little Miss popular wasn't even trusted with by the mommy figure filling in for her-"
"Don't even think of finishing that fucking sentence!" Thalia seethed as she interjected, a sky blue mist seeping from her own pores as her electric eyes held the harsh gaze of the younger boy.
The two stared heatedly at each other for a few tense seconds; their seeping mists coating them from the thickening orange.
"Or what? You'll tell your dead drunkard mother to hit me?" Nico sneered "Or maybe you'd get past your daddy issues and ask old thunder pops to do it."
Thalia body quivered as a wry laugh parted her lips.
"Let's just drop this whole thing," Percy called, rubbing his forehead as the orange mist poured out of him now. He sent a withering look to Nico "That was fuc…"
"Well my daddy sent a bolt that turned your mommy to ashes and not even your death daddy could stop her dying!" Thalia hissed, her aura flaring as the mist around her began to spark silver lightning which zapped away the orange mist.
"Fuck me!" Percy muttered, placing his head in the palms of his hands.
The black mist burst outward from Nico, his aura burning away the orange mist around him as he shot to his feet.
Percy let his head rise out of his hands, his flashing eyes staring as the blue and black auras of his friends formed islands in his misty sea of orange.
"You want to talk about a god's wrath?" Nico cried, tearing a path through the mist as he stepped towards the daughter of Zeus "Let me show you!"
Shadows rushed from onto the veranda, slithering up the stairs and from under the door in the big house.
"Okay, that's enough!" Percy demanded, slowly rising to his feet as he stared cautiously at the build-up of shadows.
"And I'm the egotistical one? Hah, please!" Thalia sneered back as she shot up from her chair, storming through the orange mist towards the son of Hades.
Thalia and Nico were a few meters apart, their auras clashing and forming their own growing sea of black and blue mist.
Percy was pushed back slightly by the force of the collision of their raw power; his own orange mist could only cling close to him now.
The shadows collected at Nico's feet; a devilish smile exposing his ivory teeth before the shadows snaked up his body. Thalia took a nervous step back as the boy vanished in a shroud of shadows, before Nico extended his arms and the shadows shot off his body.
Darkness encompassed the three as the shadows blocked all the sources of light. Thunder rumbled in the distance, muffling the cries of Percy for the pair to stop.
Percy could feel his tattoo responding to his annoyance, the wave raced down his arm, crashing against his wrist begging to be used. Percy took a small, blind step forward, choosing to refrain from summoning his weapon which had begun to swirl around his wrist like a whirlpool.
The thunder settled just in time for the shrill scream of Thalia to resound in Percy's ear.
The misty base of the tattoo began to form in Percy's hand, the temperature immediately responded to the forming blade by plummeting to just below freezing. Percy's eyes flickered brightly before settling on a piercing glowing green which shone so brightly it cut through the darkness for a brief second.
The momentary flash of light drew Thalia's attention and the girl quickly squeezed her eyes shut.
Not even a second later, a bolt of lightning struck the grassy floor a few feet away from the big house, the brilliant flash of light piercing the darkness and sustaining for a few seconds as the powerful rod of energy dug into the earth.
Percy's glowing green eyes shifted to where he last saw Nico and, in the exact spot where he remembered seeing the son of Hades was a floating skull.
The ivory figure slowly turned to Percy, its hollow black eyes latching onto the green of Percy's before a red flame began to ignite from back of the empty eye sockets. The vague image slowly grew nearer and nearer as the flame grew bigger.
A loud crack drew Percy's attention from the image in the flame as a second bolt dug into the earth, the brilliant flash of light bringing Percy's sense back to him as his aura flared dramatically.
"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" he roared, his now green aura swallowing the black and blue mist before it suddenly shifted back to orange.
The shadows were suddenly reabsorbed into the floating figure before they began to snake away from the body, revealing an ashamed Nico whose eyes were fixed on the floor.
The orange mist retook its place, though it continued to rapidly pour out of Percy rather than simply seep from his pores, as the shadows retreated under the door and into the corner.
Thalia slowly peeked out from behind her slightly opened eyelids, the rigidness of her body relenting in relief as Percy was quickly upon her, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace.
Thunder rumbled in the sky once more as Thalia buried her head in Percy's shoulder.
Nico stood rubbing his left elbow awkwardly for a moment before he began to pick up his toppled chair. The back legs scraped the floorboards, startling the embracing pair who stared warily at the nervous boy.
Thalia and Percy slowly untangled themselves from each other, righting their chairs nearer to each other and away from the sitting Nico who refused to meet their eyes.
The three sat in silence; the dull glowing of the moon seemed to shine so brightly after the total darkness, and was welcomed graciously by Thalia and Percy.
"First of all," Percy's icy voice broke the silence "You both do realize how fucking immature that was, right." The temperature slowly began returning to normal as the tattoo slowly reappeared on Percy's wrist.
Thalia and Nico shivered involuntarily as they felt warmth suddenly return to them.
"Secondly," the tattoo slithered up his arm, unnoticed by the other children of the big three, before resting on his bicep. "What the fuck was that, Nico?"
The younger boy sat with his head bowed, his hands tangled in his black locks as he remained silent.
Percy chuckled darkly, this mist turning green as he leaned forward, holding the rocking chair in place.
"Don't make me repeat myself." the son of Poseidon's icy voice coaxing the younger boy to slowly raise his head.
"I used my powers to create some nightmares." Nico breathed out shakily, closing his eyes and gripping his hair tighter.
"Look at me Nico," Percy called out to the boy, who opened his brown eyes and stared back at him. "Do you remember why you called me the death of the sea?"
Nico shivered while nodding.
"Good, then start making sense soon or you won't just have heard of why I got that title… you'll have first-hand experience." Percy's green eyes held the shaking brown eyes of Nico for a few seconds longer before the old boy leaned back into his seat, once more swaying at the will of the well-crafted chair.
Even Thalia shivered at the threat, wrapping her hand around Percy's; letting out a breath of relief when the green mist gave way to the returning orange.
Nico too sighed, leaning back into his seat before sitting upright.
"When a demigod with a lot of raw power becomes a victim of forced patronage; our potent essence allows us a chance to fight the god for control." Nico's brown eyes watered as he began.
Thalia slowly untangled her hand from Percy's as she pulled her gaze from the silver moon and to the son of Hades.
"It doesn't mean that we aren't assimilated… it just means that our essence and the god's essence begin to fight for dominance."
"Meaning that; if your essence, wins you'd assimilate the god into yourself, essentially becoming that god." Percy whispered, his eyes falling to the floor while Thalia shook her head.
"I don't get what that has to do with him being such a dick." The daughter of Zeus stated crossly, shooting a half assed glare at the younger boy.
"He means he was a victim of forced patronage, Thals." Percy whispered gently, planting his feet firmly on the floor to halt the motions of the chair.
"He defeated a god?!" Thalia exclaimed, earning a couple of empty chuckles from the boys.
"Technically I didn't beat him," Nico supplied, "Our essences fought for what felt like a lifetime, but in the end my father realized that my life force was being drained in an odd way and immediately came to my aid."
"Wait wait wait," Percy shook his head, gesturing for Nico to relent. "Which god was responsible?"
"Epiales was a minor underworld god of nightmares." Nico responded before noticing the confused expressions on their faces. "He was one of the gods who rebelled but he escaped and was plotting another rebellion; a minor god who grew very strong." Nice explained with a wry smile, earning two nods from a stony faced Percy and a muddled Thalia.
"So… you didn't beat a god?" Thalia asked with her lips pursed.
"Technically I didn't," Nico replied, earning a satisfied nod from the girl "But in a way I did." He furthered, confusing the girl again. She huffed and motioned for him to explain.
Nico sighed "I did successfully defeat his essence and absorb him, but if it wasn't for my dad, I don't think I would've been able to."
"Alright," Percy drew the focus on himself "If you were fighting his essence, how exactly did your father help you?"
"He told me that he began attacking his body, which distracted him long enough for the battle to sway in my favour."
"But why was Epiales' physical form still there if he needed to absorb your essence? Why did he use his physical form?" Thalia inputted, earning a nod from Percy while Nico shrugged.
"Hades said that the essence of demigods with more raw power is harder to siphon properly."
"But how does that relate to him using his physical form?" Percy questioned.
"He never said," Thalia and Percy's shoulders slumped under the revelation "But I think it has something to do with wanting to remain undetected from the law. I'm really not sure though." Nico concluded apologetically.
"It's really alright man, what you went through was…" Percy trailed off shaking his head while his knuckles whitened as they gripped the arm rests of his chair.
The breeze picked up momentarily.
Thalia stared at her right knuckles as her left hand gently caressed them. She sighed into the breeze, letting her eyes close as she basked in the feeling of her natural domain.
"So you're essentially a god of nightmares?" Thalia spoke up just as the wind fled into the distance.
Nico raised his eyes from his ring, chuckling as he spoke "Not essentially, but that was a good pun."
"That does raise a great question," Percy let his eyes abandon the camp to refocus on the curious pair "How are you Thanatos' champion?"
Thalia nodded while Nico fidgeted slightly.
"It's a bit of a complicated process…" Nico hesitated, letting his eyes flicker up to his companions.
"Then make it uncomplicated for us." Thalia scoffed, folding her arms while Percy chuckled lightly.
"My father was, obviously, livid at the events that had occurred," Nico shifted upwards in his seat "but he was more concerned than anything. He knew that if I were to become a god of nightmares, I wouldn't have freedom to come and leave the underworld as I pleased."
"I thought he'd want you to stay with him to do more work for him." Thalia admitted, astonished.
"Contrary to popular belief, most of my work for dad is done in the real world; I am the ghost king after all." Nico gloated mockingly, earning a round of laughter from the older demigods.
"But Hades, actually hated the fact that I'd be an outcast like him and he was hoping that one day I could eventually escape the shadow of his legacy; that's actually why he used to work me so hard." Thalia and Percy frowned slightly at the realization of how difficult it must've been to be in his shoes.
"So he contacted Thanatos, using one his favours to ask him to become my Patron."
"But you aren't a god?" Thalia queried.
"I have some of the abilities, but right now I'm now really a god." Nico admitted, confusing the older pair. Thalia shook her head and was about to respond but Nico raised his hands while chuckling, gesturing for her to be patient.
"I'm actually on the brink of death."
"Well shit." Percy's stunned voice broke Thalia out of her speechlessness.
"What!" the huntress exclaimed.
"Thanatos has a part of him slowly extracting my soul at a rate that forces my godly essence to constantly work on keeping me alive rather than converting my mortal half."
"You don't seem basically dead to me." Thalia stated blandly, though her eyes were still widened slightly.
"Part of the reason I had to become his champion," Nico responded quickly "No matter how close I get to death, I won't feel its effects."
"And you're using that to buy time to become a god through the championship?" Percy inferred, nodding to himself while a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Precisely," Nico smiled, though the downtrodden way his eyes fell to the floor didn't escape Percy "And I'll most likely obtain domains that pertain to outside of the underworld seeing as I was recognized for having a role in the war."
Percy held Nico's gaze when the younger boy's eyes finally rose up from the floor.
"What was the real reason for the way you reacted, deathbreath?" Thalia's question broke the unspoken conversation between the boys.
"One of the perks of the domain of nightmares is that I'm sometimes haunted by them in the shadows." The son of hades shuddered as he stared at the corner of the room once more.
"Wow…"
"Can't you do anything about it?" Percy questioned the younger boy.
"Accept the domain." Nico stated plainly.
An awkward silence rose as Percy and Thalia were at a loss for words. The older pair stared at each other for a few moments before they took to staring at the sky and camp respectively.
Time shifted the silence into a comfortable one as minutes drew by, the demigods deep in their own internal musings as they found their own way to process the large amount of information shared.
A few minutes later, Thalia chuckled lightly while stretching her arms; ignoring the inquisitive looks from the younger boys before rising out of her seat.
"All things considered, I guess I forgive you Nico." The hunter closed the distance between herself and the son of Hades, leaning to embrace the boy.
"If there's a next time," she whispered into his ears "god or not, I won't hesitate to electrocute you."
Thunder rumbled overhead before she withdrew from the embrace, smiling evilly at Nico who shuddered lightly under the threat. Her smile softened as she turned to Percy, holding the older boy a little longer as they embraced.
"I think we can finish catching up tomorrow." Thalia began as she walked to the edge of the stairs, pausing to face Nico "Keep my dreams safe, will you?" She quipped before jogging down the stairs, a lively laugh springing from her lips as she gracefully walked away from the big house.
The moon seemed to dull slightly as Artemis' champion strolled away from the big house. Percy and Nico allowed their eyes to accompany the moon goddess' in protectively staring after the daughter of Zeus until she was out of sight.
Percy continued rocking slowly, his fingers tracing along the wooden armrest.
"You lied, didn't you?" Percy's words were soft and his eyes lingered over the camp as Nico let his own brown eyes fall to the ivory skull which lay imbedded in his obsidian banded ring.
"Yeah…" Nico muttered as he let himself become heavily invested in twisting the ivory skull around his finger.
"It's a daemon not a god right?" The questioning words were marred by an undertone of foreknowledge.
"Right again." The younger boy sighed; leaving his ring to sit on his finger as he instead took to letting his eyes stare at the piece of jewellery.
"And you're becoming a god to avoid being stuck as one of them, not just being stuck in the underworld?" Percy's green eyes seemed to shine under the soft glow of the moon as they were busied by the self-assigned task of observing the camp. Nico remained oblivious to this as his eyes were instead fascinated by the dull glow of the ivory skull instead.
"And there's the third right answer." Nico cheered sarcastically, letting his hands rise and wave theatrically, before dropping them limply on his armrests.
Percy's eyes drifted to the hill which he had descended nearly twenty four hours earlier, his mind suddenly captivated by how the fluid motion of time slipped so effortlessly through his grasp.
It almost seemed like Apollo was racing across the sky to avoid him.
Percy chuckled lightly at the thought before he let himself refocus on the conversation at hand.
"I know this is a path you have to go alone," Percy shifted his full attention to the younger boy "But you're like my little brother, Nico. I don't have much family left and I will do whatever I can to make sure I don't lose any more for a long time."
Nico offered Percy a small smile, before sighing and letting his eyes fall to the floor again.
"What's actually going on Nic?"
"I have two more years in this near death state." Nico admitted, letting his eyes rise to hold the powerful green of Percy's "After two years, my essence wouldn't be able to recuperate at a fast enough rate. The immediate effect would be my essence being sucked into the nightmare realm where I become the king of Nightmares in a kingdom where everyone wants to be on top."
"What if you accept the domain before that?"
"I'll still be pulled into the nightmare realm." Percy leaned forward, clearly confused.
"What's the point of the two years then?" Percy let his right hand hold his chin
"There was a price to pay for my father interfering the way he did. He used a stygian iron sword to attack the essence of Epiales and the blade absorbed some of his essence; which I then inherited."
"The fates really did a number on you didn't they?" Percy huffed indignantly, leaning back into his chair.
"They have something against us hero types for a strange reason." Nico joked, casing the pair to laugh.
"But that's my situation, my essence is too damaged for me to claim the domain without combusting from the strain and it'll take me five years to regenerate an acceptable amount."
"Is there a way to speed up the process?" Percy questioned.
"We spent the last two years trying to find a way; there isn't any." Nico sighed dejectedly, letting his hands pass through his hair.
Percy swayed lightly in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he went through every possible way to help.
"Have you tried training your raw power?" the elder boy asked after some time.
"I don't get it," Nico let his hands fall to his side "Why would I train my raw power instead of focusing on regenerating my essence?"
"Because if you train your raw power you can better manipulate the domains you have now. You'll still enter the realm but as the king. You will have ultimate control inside that realm, so there wouldn't be any restrictions on what abilities you can use. Also, if your control over your raw power is strong enough, it will be easier for you to adopt and adapt to the powers over nightmares and claim better control over the nightmare realm."
Nico seemed shocked at the idea, before a smile slowly crept up on his lips.
"Stop running from being a nightmare, and become the nightmare feared even by nightmares."
Percy rose from his seat, the gentle swaying of the chair slowly halting. The son of Poseidon walked to the edge of the veranda, breathing in the sweet strawberry tinted air before turning back to Nico.
"Stop running from your demons Nico; become the strongest one and rule them all!"
Yep, there was a lot going on in this chapter. I'm excited for you all to see what I have in store for you actually; it's going to be great!
A review would be very much appreciated, let me know what you think of the story, whatever questions you have and if you are enjoying it; I'd love to hear more from you all! I am going to be doing my best to reply to all reviews from now on, mainly in private chats unless it's a really good question that I'm answering.
Seeing as this chapter was all about patronage… would you please do me the honour of becoming my Patron on Pa/tr-eo.n? My page name is Justyn Pierre.
You have to admit the delivery was great; but I'd appreciate anything you do to help my page grow and I also have a free poem up already, one more is going up later today in honour of mother's day; so feel free to at least check those out.
Have a great day!
-Zed