The Hunters of Archer
Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me.
Chapter 4
The journey back to the hunter's camp was arduous and tedious. It wasn't so much the fact that it was a long journey, but when you have a child that was very energetic and that wouldn't close his mouth, you begin to rethink things. Ridley the newfound demigod, kept asking Altair questions and would continue pestering Percy about the new world he belonged to.
"So my parent is a god?" Ridley asked rather unbelievingly.
"For the hundredth time, yes you are a child of a god. I know it is hard to believe. But the life of a demigod isn't a happy one. The life you will live is full of hardships, death, and of course unappreciative parents" Ridley seemed to deflate at the mention of hardships.
"Well do you know who my parent is? I never knew my mother nor my father. So it could be either." Ridley not too long ago was desperately trying to go back to his adoptive parents. But he started to simmer down when he realized neither Percy nor Altair were threatening him.
"Silence child you speak too much. You will learn more when we take you to the camp you truly belong to." The walk to the hunter's camp was silent after that.
Percy and crew had to navigate through the city during the nightfall. New York City was the city that never slept. Seeing crowds of people was a common sight. People walked and walked, so they blended in with the crowd to continue to their respective destination. They ran into some sketchy people along the way, but one good look into Percy's eyes made them rethink on what they were trying to do.
Soon enough, they had walked through the city and were heading into the wilderness near the Hudson River. Navigating through the night was easy for Percy. Since his mother was the Titaness of the moon he apparently had inherited some sort of night vision which didn't hinder his vision in the darkness. Altair was trained by Percy to be able to navigate in utter darkness and to use his other senses to decipher his surroundings. Ridley however, was very clumsy. Ridley was hindered by the utter darkness and would continuously run into trees and trip over branches and rocks.
"Ow" Was all that was heard over the silent noise in the wilderness. Percy turned to look what the noise was and sure enough it was Ridley sprawled over the floor.
"You are a clumsy child. You will learn how to be alert when you train with your teacher." Percy kept walking towards camp while Altair helped Ridley back onto his feet.
Altair took a coil of rope he had packed into his bag and quickly tied a knot around Ridley's waist. He then proceeded to tie the other end of the rope around his torso.
"Perhaps this way you don't fall or run into anything concrete." Altair couldn't see Ridley's reaction but he was rather annoyed that they were teasing him for his inability to navigate through the darkness.
Altair made his way through the walkways of the woods and forest. He felt the weight on the other end of the rope as he was guiding Ridley through the darkness. It took some time but they had finally made it to camp. Percy had arrived to camp first. He awaited for Altair and Ridley at the entrance of his camp. Percy once again took in the look of his camp that several centuries ago hadn't existed. Much less, it had never occurred to him that it could be a thought that would become a reality.
Surrounding him were torches that created light to their circular structured camp. Brown camouflaged tents were neatly arranged around the border of the clearing. He saw his hunters come in and out of their tents wearing their olive green colored cloaks that hid their faces. He saw the scouts perched up on trees on lookout duty. Ready in case of any impending monster attacks. In the center of the circular clearing was their bonfire that glimmered bright with rare white flames. It gave a black and white outlook around the camp but the fire gave them reassurance, that they were safe.
"Wow. This looks amazing" Percy was broken out of his admiration for what he had created, by someone behind him. When he turned around he realized it was Altair and the new demigod.
"Welcome to our base of operations. Normally we are on the move. However, New York has become our temporary location for the past century. Once again I welcome you to Archer's Point." Altair said as if he practiced those lines so many times.
In hindsight, he did. Altair would constantly repeat those practiced words whenever a hunter was recruited within their ranks. Ridley would've made a fine recruit but both Percy and Altair knew that this boy was out of their hands. He was a part of something greater.
"This is awesome. Do I get to become one of you guys? Or is this something exclusive?" Altair took a look at Percy's face and understood immediately. He was needed elsewhere. Probably to roast the meat they had caught earlier that day.
"Follow me young Ridley. We have much to speak about." Percy turned towards the direction of his tent. He didn't bother looking back to see if Ridley was following him. He focused his concentration to his other senses and he could feel the vibrations of Ridley walking behind him.
He neared his tent that was no different from his hunters. He quickly tossed aside the covers that covered the tent. Ridley closely followed behind him. There was a mutual silence between the two, as if they both knew something serious was going to be addressed.
Ridley proceeded to take a seat on a small wooden stool. Percy had handcrafted the stool years ago during his free time. Percy quickly swiped his cloak away finally revealing his face and his full body.
Ridley took note of Percy's appearance. In a startling realization, he saw that Percy's eyes were a sparkling unnatural silver color. His eyes had no emotions in them, it felt like he was staring straight into nothingness. Percy's height was above average. He was tall, but not statue tall. Nobody knew but he could change his height at will, but he felt the most comfortable at his current height. He never changed his height ever during his lifetime, he just knew he could.
Ridley continued to Percy's build. He had a slender frame with a bit of muscle added on to it. He looked strong even though he wasn't bulky. But that's not what caught Ridley's attention. Ridley looked directly at Percy's arms and hands as he saw the markings on his skin. They were perfect in the way that they fit in harmony with each other. No marking looked out of place and it was just aesthetic in nature.
Percy could feel Ridley's eyes on him. He was never uncomfortable with himself, but he had a feeling that Ridley was scrutinizing his markings. "Staring is impolite. I suggest you say something if anything is bothering you."
"Oh no. It just the markings look amazing. Where did you get them?" Percy visually tensed. Ridley was starting to regret asking the question. But a few seconds later Percy deflated and relaxed.
"They were bestowed onto me by my loved ones. Before they faded into oblivion." Ridley didn't understand what Archer meant when he referred to his loved ones fading.
"What do you mean fading? Where did they go?" Percy eyes darkened a bit. They were no longer sparkling, they were absent of any shine or happiness, it was just utter darkness.
"That is something that I have no knowledge of. Even for someone as old as I, I have no comprehension of where they went." Percy was trembling, but not out of sadness or fear. It was anger.
"Okay. Well what do your markings symbolize?" Percy was still lost in his own thoughts.
He lifted up his right arm. "These markings on my right hand and arms are the stars in the universe and the crescent moon. They were bestowed onto me by my mother Selene, Titaness of the moon. She was the personification of the moon." Percy was surprised how easily his words came out his mouth. He felt that Ridley was someone he could trust.
Percy lifted his left arm. "These markings on my left hand and arms are the sun and eyes bestowed onto me by my adoptive father Helios, titan of the sun. Some say that he was all seeing, hence why I have eye markings." Ridley seemed fascinated by Percy's story.
"But enough of myself. You are the one we need to speak about." Ridley was shaken out of his admiration for Percy immediately.
"Why me? I'm just a demigod. I'm not important." Percy shook his head, poor boy.
"You my dear demigod are more important than you think. You will play a crucial role in the great prophecy. You were chosen by the fates like myself to turn the tide in the upcoming war. My role is great in this prophecy but your role is greater than mine. That is why you must reach Camp Half-Blood, not only to survive but to learn how to protect yourself and fight for your cause." Percy's revelation hit Ridley like Greek fire exploding in the tent. He was speechless.
"How? I just learned about this world. To tell you the truth I don't even believe in it. How can I be important?" Ridley was still young and naïve. He still did not understand the severity or destruction he could cause if he isn't lead onto the right path.
"Those questions are not for me to answer. Tomorrow when we take you to your camp everything will be explained. Now rest young one you have a long and treacherous journey ahead of you." Ridley's eyelids felt heavy. Percy was amazed how determined he was to stay awake.
"What is your real name? I know Archer is a code name." Percy frowned. He was debating whether to tell him or not. In the end he decided to reveal his name.
"My name is Perseus. It is time for me to finally reveal who I am. I will do so when we arrive to your camp." Ridley nodded. His eyelids were already closed. He succumbed into his sleep.
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Grover frantically roamed through the City of New York. He was nearing the Queensboro Bridge where Chiron had told him the demigod would be located. Chiron sensed something terribly wrong was going to transpire. So he sent Grover in fast haste to retrieve the young demigod named Ridley.
It was late at night and he was afraid he would get ambushed by a group of monsters trying to find the boy. Grover didn't believe in himself ever since that incident some years ago. He was more timid now and definitely more afraid of the world. But this was his job and he had a duty to complete.
Thankfully he didn't run into any monsters. But he slowly started to realize the chaos that was apparent on the street the demigod lived on. Cars were tossed aside, the sidewalk and the concrete street was cracked as if something had physically cracked it. Grover sniffed the air and noticed a monster scent. It was strong, it was here not too long ago. Maybe an hour or two ago.
He quickly approached the apartment complex where the demigod lived and knocked on the apartment door. He heard footsteps from behind the door and then the door opened. Standing at the doorway was a short and pale man. His hair was gray and he had brown eyes.
"Umm sir how can I help you?" He said rather sleepily.
"I've come to pick up Ridley on behalf of Mr. Brunner. We feel he isn't safe anymore." That seemed to wake up the pale man immediately.
"What?! Someone picked him up about two hours ago saying they were taking him somewhere safe. I thought they were sent by Mr. Brunner. So I let them take Ridley." Grover felt his heart sink. Could it be that a monster took Ridley captive and devoured him already?
"What did they look like? The person who took Ridley?" The man began pondering, trying to get all the details from the back of his brain.
"Well the person sounded rather young. He had a deep voice but I felt his voice hadn't matured fully yet. He was wearing a dark cloak. That's all I can really tell you. The cloak covered his physical features." Grover stomped his hooves on the carpeted hallway. He was too late.
To make sure the adoptive parents wouldn't panic, Grover came up with a lie. "Okay that means one of our other campers came to get him. Sorry for the disturbance sir." Grover was turning away before the man spoke.
"Ridley is safe right?" Grover turned back to the man.
"Of course he is. He's in safe hands." Grover said as he gave a fake smile.
The man smiled back and closed the door right as Grover turned around and began sprinting out of the apartment. He was too late. He needed to advise Chiron immediately. Maybe they can still find him. Maybe Chiron could send a search party and hopefully find him safe and alive. Grover quickly journeyed back to Camp Half-Blood.
PAGE BREAK
Morning had finally come and Ridley awoke. He realized Perseus was not in his tent. At first he began thinking that what happened the previous night was all a surreal dream. But that thought quickly faded away when he realized he wasn't in his room or in his apartment. Ridley could smell an aroma of food being cooked. He quickly got out of his cot and went outside of the tent.
Ridley once again admired the base of operations Perseus had created. It looked like a safe haven for young males. Various males roamed around the camp. Their ages varied from twelve to about eighteen. Nobody seemed to pay attention to him as if his appearance was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Come Ridley we must eat. Then we must be off on our journey towards Camp Half-Blood." Everyone gathered around the tables that seemed to appear out of thin air. The food that was set upon the table was scrambled eggs with some bacon. Everyone seemed to have an appetite as they ate their food in record time.
Ridley then followed Perseus back to his tent. He tossed Ridley a blue tunic so he could put on. He then threw him a pair of black pants with some hiking boots. It was time for them to set off on their journey. He could tell from Percy's eyes that this was probably the last time they would see each other, before the great prophecy begins.
"We must go now. We must travel there during the day so we do not look like enemies. You will pass through the camp's barrier easily, however we cannot. Once you are inside you must formally invite us in. That way we can proceed through the barrier. It is time for me to finally speak to Chiron." Percy tossed Ridley a canteen of water and a backpack stuffed with some food and a small golden dagger.
Only Perseus, Ridley, and Altair were the ones to set off onto the journey
PAGE BREAK
Grover had gotten side tracked a few times on his way back to camp. He had stopped to grab some enchiladas that were on sale. It was an opportunity he couldn't possibly pass up. He made his way through the forest before reaching the clearing on Half Blood-Hill. He quickly sprinted and jumped over rocks that were in his path as he crossed the barrier.
It was still early in the morning. The sun was still rising. So when he crossed the barrier he was lucky not to be shot or decapitated by the demigods on lookout duty. Grover quickly made his way to the Big House where Chiron spent most of his time in.
As soon as he crossed the door he realized that Chiron wasn't alone. Annabeth, a demigod he had saved, was there conversing with the centaur. They seemed to be in a mini argument. From what Grover could tell it was definitely a grave matter.
"Don't you understand Annabeth? Someone stole something from Zeus. He obviously is going to blame his brothers because he's paranoid of being overthrown." Chiron looked older than he had the previous day. As if the weight of the world had been put onto his shoulders.
"But how? Everyone knows another immortal can't steal a symbol of power from one another. Which means it had to a demigod." Annabeth was beginning to figure out what was going on.
"Yes child. Which means the demigods at Camp Half-Blood are at risk. Zeus won't stop until he regains what he lost. You can already sense the storm that is brewing. But without lightning. Which means what he lost was his master bolt. If it were to fall into enemy hands, the gods would certainly be in trouble." Chiron finally realized that Grover was standing at the doorway eavesdropping on the conversation. Annabeth saw the centaur's line of sight and followed them to Grover.
Chiron stared at Grover waiting for him to talk. Grover shook his head slowly. "Someone got to him before I did. The parents said the one who took Ridley was a hooded figure. He was wearing a dark cloak. I've never heard of anything like it. Have you Chiron?" Chiron began to ponder. He went to a specific memory from years ago. He remembered Annabeth had told him about the hooded figures that helped them get to camp. Could they possibly be the same people?
Before Chiron could say anything, Luke frantically opened the door. "A new demigod has crossed through the barrier into our camp. But he's accompanied by two people in dark cloaks. What should we do?" So they were the same people from all those years ago.
"Tell everyone to get into defensive positions. We don't know if they're enemies. But do not fire or engage unless we know they are confirmed enemies." Chiron motioned for both Grover and Annabeth to go into the armory to prepare themselves.
As Grover walked out of the Big House he could see three figures from the distance. They were too far away to describe any physical features. One thing was for sure, he could see that two of them were wearing dark cloaks. They looked formidable…
A/N Sorry for the short chapter. But it's the only thing I could come up with right now. Assignments have been piling up and they are kicking my butt right now. So apologies in advance for the short chapter. I kind of hurried the timeline because I felt it was going a little bit too slow. By the next chapter the quest to retrieve the master bolt will be given. The beginning of the quest will also take place next chapter. The capture the flag game will be short because I want to get the lightning bolt quest in as fast as possible. Remember to review so I can hear some of your ideas and possibly implement them into my story. Last thing, please be kind and review of what you think of the chapter. It may take longer for me to update so please bear with me.
P.S Sorry for the grammar mistakes. Also tell me if you want Altair to participate in the capture the flag game. If I see that many of you want him to participate I will include him as well. Also vote for Percy's love interest by the next update the poll will be closed.
