Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.
My mind went racing with fear. The Kraken is just a myth, a part of me said. Yeah and so are the Greek Gods, another part of me said.
"Have any of you tried to defeat him?" I said hoping for some pointers.
"I tried once," Hephaestus said raising his hand. "It's my dream to forge a celestial steel sword. Did not end well. He ended up crushing every immortal bone in my body and I lost so much ichor I almost faded away. After that whole experience I just left it alone."
"I tried to hunt it once." Artemis said shaking her head. "He took 15 of my best hunters out in one swipe and then 20 more by allowing the sea to swallow them up. Only 15 came back."
I started trying to figure out how many she had initially which is pretty embarrassing when you're doing it in front of the gods, especially Athena.
"She had 50," Athena said and to finish she muttered, "seaweed brain."
"I've faced the Kraken before," Ares said with a mad look. "I hacked away at his mantle but it was too thick. Soon enough beat me back. Imagine me being beaten by some fish!"
"Well how am I supposed to beat the Kraken?" I exclaimed. "I'm not a god!"
"Not yet." My dad said with a look of pride on his face. "The council has decided that a demigod cannot surpass the might of the Kraken."
I just looked at them with a blank look my face. About a year ago, I turned down this very offer for Annabeth, now it looked like I had no choice. I just didn't know how to react to this. I'm going to become a god!
"Tyson also said he wanted to help," My dad said with a glowing face of pride. "Anemoi and Aeolus have enrolled in this mission too. Apparently you'll need all the help you can get. Now about the becoming a god."
Now a word about the two. They are complete opposites. Aeolus is loyal and humble, while Anemoi is always boasting and bragging. Aeolus is not a god but he is an immortal. He is the king of the winds while Anemoi is the god of the winds. So Aeolus has to serve Anemoi's need whenever he's around. While Aeolus was trying his hardest to keep Kronos away, Anemoi had it easy riding in Zeus's chariot just redirecting wind so to keep Typhon from going over the speed limit. I guess you could say Anemoi did a service to the gods, but Aeolus actually faced Kronos with all his might slowing down the destruction giving us heroes. Half of the gods agree that Aeolus deserves to be a god.
Zeus, Hades, and my dad stood up stretching like they were going for a 50k run. All of the gods, except Artemis and Apollo, left me and the Big Three.
"Remember our initiation?" Apollo said.
"How couldn't I," Artemis said as she brought out two cases of ambrosia and handed one to Apollo. "You were screaming like a baby who was about to get a shot."
"Was not!"
"Were too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too!
"Was…"
"SHUT UP!" Hades screamed over the two bickering twins.
"Wait why was Apollo screaming?" I asked suddenly afraid of this initiation.
"Was not," Apollo screamed again. "And you're about find out."
Before I could say anything the Big Three started to chant. After five minutes of chanting they abruptly stopped. I could barley tell because the chanting was now etched into my brain and kept going on. Each of them looked at me with hot red eyes.
Zeus came to first saying, "Perseus Jackson the council has decided to make you a god!"
Then my dad spoke in the same booming voice, "But to cross over from demigod to god you must accept the ancient rules."
Then dear Uncle Hades spoke, "and suffer the consequences if you don't obey our rules. Do you accept?"
I spoke in a quivering voice, "yes," Was all I could blurt out as the Ancient Laws ran through my head.
"Here it comes!" An excited Apollo said.
Zeus stepped forward, "then prepare for your mortal body to die!"
He literally reached through my invulnerability and grabbed my heart. You know how I was complaining in River Styx on how it was most painful ever? Well I was dead wrong! I felt like I someone took Kronos' scythe and slowly ripped every piece of flesh, muscle, and bone right off of me as my soul was reaped right out of my body. And as this was going on they poured all of River Styx on me.
He twisted at my heart and took it right out. I screamed as I looked down to see me falling apart. Yup Apollo was definitely screaming. When it was all said and done I was somewhere in space, just looking at stars and the Earth. It looked so puny and so venerable from this height. Then I wondered where did Mount Olympus go? Where did Apollo and Artemis go? Suddenly a feeling of power came to me. I looked down to see a golden heart beating, not protected by a rib cage or and muscle or flesh, but it was beating and giving me power. Ichor I realized was the reason my heart was gold.
Slowly my body started to rebuild itself, starting with my bones, then my muscles, ligaments, tendons and then another layer of golden bones which I assumed was my true godly form. Finally, my flesh wrapped me in warmth.
"What shall be your domain?" A voice said that I could recognize as Hades.
My mind went racing with excitement. What should I do? A part of me just wanted to help people by calming the sea. Then another part of me remembered how I lost Beckendorf because of my inability to sink the ship. I realized I wanted to hurt my enemies too.
"I want to be the God of the Fortunes of the Sea." I said not really sure who I said it too.
"Nice choice." I heard my dad mutter.
"Then so it shall be!" Zeus roared.
"Here it comes!" I heard Artemis squeal out of nowhere. Wait Artemis isn't supposed to squeal!
I realized what exactly she meant by 'here it comes'. I plummeted towards the earth at what felt like 2,000 mile per hour. I screamed myself hoarse as I reached Earth's atmosphere. I inched ever so closely to land. By the time I was a minute in I could see the Empire State Building. I plunged right through the antennae and got shot right back up to Mount Olympus.
My face was now a look of horror as Artemis and Apollo clapped and laughed as they took pictures of my face. Zeus, Hades and my dad collapsed right out of thin air gasping for air as if it were sweet as ambrosia.
"Well I'm pooped." Hades said. "I'm not doing that for another 1,000 years."
"Well that was fun." Artemis said nodding to her brother.
"Yeah we should spend more time together." Apollo said smiling.
"Yeah."
"And maybe you could bring that hunter Thalia."
"Don't push it Apollo." Artemis said finishing off ambrosia square.
As the rest of the Olympians filed in my dad came up to me with a happy face.
"I would say congratulations," He said. "But you still have to defeat the Kraken first, and that is no easy feat."
"Dad," I started. "I don't want to be a god. I still want experience junior year. And I still have things I care about too much."
"I understand Percy," My dad said shaking his head. "But there is too much to do here on Olympus. Besides Annabeth could visit you every day, she is the architect here."
My dad's sly smile told me he knew everything. I blushed so hard I looked like a cherry.
"Go to Camp Half-Blood," My dad said. "Enjoy your time there. Spend time with your friends; try out your new powers. In three days time Tyson and his Cyclopes Army will arrive on the Long Island Sound at precisely 7:00 AM to pick you up. You do know how to air travel, don't you?"
I realized I did, as everything I needed to know flashed through my head. I nodded and stepped back as I revealed my true godly form, which was a body made out of ocean water solidified by pure celestial bronze and with a green tint. I disappeared in blinding flash, rushing through the air at 800 miles per hour. It was like shadow traveling but it made me feel powerful instead of scared out of my mind.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
I materialized in front of the camp's border and assumed my old demigod form. It's weird saying that because I still feel like a mere mortal. Mere mortal? It's definitely going to be weird seeing everyone again. It feels like it has been years since I've been here but in truth it's only been a couple of hours.
Travis Stoll just walked out of the Big House when he saw me.
"Percy," Travis said ecstatic. "You're alive! You just earned me 50 dramachas and 300 dollars in mortal money!"
Now before I go on, before I left and news got out that I was going to Olympus the Stoll Brother ran a betting circle. Travis and Connor said I would live, most of the Ares cabin, said I would die.
Travis frowned and said "You look different. You are Percy, right?"
"Yes Travis," I said. "I am Percy. See the thing is…
"Wait, let me guess." He said stopping me. "I give up."
"Well I…"
"No I got now. You're on a diet."
I had to keep my annoyance under control so I wouldn't incinerate him.
"Yes Travis." I said. "I'm on a diet."
Alright let's get one thing clear. I want more reviews. Please! Anyway the next chapter will be about Percy's last few days with his friends and Annabeth. Soon we'll get to the action, with some surprises on the way!
