Point of view: Perseus Jackson "Did he appear glad to see you?" Artemis asks.
"He complimented me on growing up. I just told him the truth. I lost my childhood before it even started." I say. "What's this surprise you guys conveniently planned?"
"We are taking you out for awesome food!" Phoebe exclaims. Thalia finally got her to use the word after my second year in the Hunt. A constant arguement.
"As long as it's not fish. I'm all for it." I smile.
"Why?" Jade asks from my shoulders.
"Son of Poseidon, Jade. I don't do dead fish." I shiver.
"Oh, does it really effect you that bad?" She asks.
"Yeah, someone put a dead fish in my cabin one year and I didn't come out of the infirmary for three days. Lets just say they didn't get out for a week when I felt better and got my hands on them." I tell her.
The hunters and Artemis giggle. "Why were you in the infirmary for three days?" Artemis inquires.
"Vomiting. Fever. Then after I had nothing left to vomit, I ended up almost coughing out all my blood. The fever just made me hallucinate. Not the greatestthing to have a severely angry, completely sick, hallucinating demigod trying to kill the eople who pulled the prank. Guess who did it." I say.
"Hermes?" Atalanta guesses.
"Apollo?" Thalia asks.
"Nope. Wrong both times." I say.
"Ares?" Phoebe tries.
"Athena?" Joslyn chimes in.
"Not even close. You guys, it was Hephaestus' cabin. They were all in the infirmary for a week." I say.
"You sound like you're good at pranking too. From what the big sisters tell us." Jade says from my shoulders.
"Learned from...the best." I sigh. "I like it in the Hunt better. So much more peaceful and caring. Not as stressful or demanding." I admit. "I love the feeling of being free."
"Yes, I still get that feeling after all these years." Phoebe agrees.
"Contenment." Atalanta sighs.
"A family." Thalia adds.
"And an awesome one at that. Pretty much perfect." I say.
"I couldn't agree more." Artemis says.
"We're here!" Thalia announces excitedly.
We are standing in front of a really fancy, super expensive restaurant. Just kidding. It's a Burger King.
"Oh my gods...you guys know me so wel!" I beam at them and laugh heartily.
They laugh along with me and we walk in. Problem number one: I have a kid on my shoulders. Problem two: I'm the same height as the feaking doors. Problem three: I have to duck really low so neither of us hit out heads. Problem four: There are two doors, so I have to remember to duck twice.
We all order and sit down in the back area. We take up the entire space. The manager comes over and he wants to say something, but I speak before he does. "Sir, we won't cause any trouble. I promise. Unless someone hurts one of my sisters, of course. We are gathered for a rare occasion. We will behave appropriately to the situation, do not worry."
He nods and smiles a little. His body relaxes and he holds himself in a less tense position. " Thank you for understanding. I have to check on large groups. Regulations can be tedious, but must be followed. May I ask the occasion?"
"My birthday." I state simply.
"Why is it rare?" He tilts his head. "It's not a leap year."
"Lets just say I've come close to dying a few times and my sisters wanted to spend time me in case it actually happens." I reply.
"Why did you pick here, of all places?" He continues.
"They figured out I like cheeseburgers. Or just burgers in general. Either way, they chose a place that was great for that qualification." I tell him.
"I see. Well I wish you luck with the rest of your life. Hopefully you live long." He says.
"Thanks." I smile and he walks off.
"How are you so nice?" Atalanta asks.
"Uh...I don't know. Talking in public isn't my strong suit. One on one is preferable. What I find ironic is being able to lead a mass of people against another one. Blame the fatal flaw." I say.
"Loyalty." Thalia says. "Don't very little demigods get that flaw?"
"Not to mention so strongly." Phoebe adds.
"Normally most demigods have power flaws. Greed, you know." Atalanta says.
Phoebe, Thalia, Atalanta, Artemis, Jade and I are at a table, while all the other hunters were as close to us as possible. Everyone was chowing down hungrily on the food the waitress brought out.
"How are you feeling, Percy? Honestly?" Thalia asks.
"Much better, Thals. And all because of my sisters and mistress. Oh, but Apollo helped the most." I say in a false tone in the last sentence.
The hunters and Artemis snicker at that and I smile. Phoebe playfully punches my shoulder. "Seriously, Thals. I've never felt this happy in all my life. I can't imagine life outside the Hunt anymore. It'd be like ripping my soul out." I tell her.
"Good to hear." Artemis smiles at me and I return her smile. For some reason, she turns red. "It's also nice to see you openly smiling again."
"Great." I finish off my second and last Whopper. I was taking my time though.
"And you've gained a much better apetite." Phoebe points out.
"Yeah, well...it's nice to be able to eat again, without the contents coming back up because of my stomach." I say.
"Nightmares?" Atalanta inquires, finishing her last nugget.
"All but extinct. I barely get them now. For some reason, Apollo didn't believe me. I wonder if maybe sometimes I just black itout and only my subconscious remembers. So, really it's a blessing." I answer.
"Dreams?" Jade asks. Of course, she's such a sweet little girl. Always on the bright side of things.
"Hunting and running in my human and wolf form. Lying next to a lake now that I've stopped fearing water completely. Thanks to Phoebe." I clear my throat.
She smiles sheepishly. "Well, you were still a little frightened, so I fixed it."
"Throwing me into the lake and attempting to drown someone with PTSD over water is not the best solution." I cross my arms.
She sticks her tongue out at me. "Well it worked."
I sigh and she grins. "Thank you, Phoebe."
"No problem, Percy. My pleasure to frighten a boy, even if you're the only good one out there in the universe." Phoebe replies.
"Yes, I don't get scared much. Sometimes I wonder though." I run my hand through my hair, lean back into the booth, and gaze out the window thoughtfully.
"About what?" Thalia implores.
"If I should really be thanking her. She gave me my life in the Hunt, even if it was a consequence of what transpired." I sigh.
"I see where you are coming from Percy and that you've put a lot of thought into this, but no one deserves what they did to you. And we all know you've got everything bottled up and that you still haven't let it out. We are worried about you snapping if someone says something that sets you off." Artemis puts her hand on my arm.
I sigh again and look at my family. "I know. I've come close several times. When I get angry, my reflexes take over and I have no idea what happened until the rage goes away. I haven't done that since the Giant War though. But I can still get so mad I'll blow up everything within a ten mile radius with Hestia's blessing. I don't want to hurt any of you. So I contain it. It's best directed at objects rather than loved ones."
"How many times?" Jade asks.
"Only five." When I got over my shock because Phoebe threw me into the lake, when a hellhound attacked Lucy, when that idiot boy was harrassing Thalia a few months ago, at my own stupidity over that seamonster incident a couple years ago, and when Poseidon came to speak with me last year, the day he reclaimed me as his own. I almost killed him for coming near me in my mother Hera's palace a while back that day." I reply.
"You know you can let it out, right? We'd be alright. I could put up a shield so you can vent. Without harming us." Artemis offers.
"I'll warn you next time my emotions are too high to keep in check if I remember. Thank you. Apollo doesn't really...know how to talk to me, so he sends me into my mind to let my anger out. Not helpful. My physical body feels the need to rip something apart without hurting anything living. I calm myself with Hestia's power." I tell her.
"So..." Thalia begins.
"Eventually, I will blow up. A 'ticking time bomb of Greek fire' as Apollo like to call me." I shrug.
"It's true in a way." Joslyn comes over and scoots next to me as Jade crawls into my lap. "You have it all stored up and with Hestia's blessing, you can control and make Greek fire. We should take you to a mountain range. Provoke you and let you feel better."
"One word, Joslyn. Earthshaker." I say.
"Oh, good point. Maybe one where there isn't any civilization." She suggests.
I chuckle. "If we ever have time. Right now, I'm enjoying time with my family."
"I have some news for you all tomorrow. Good nights sleep for everyone before we leave for a newdestination." Artemis announces loud enough for everyone.
They started to get excited at the prospect of hunting in a different area after a couple weeks.
"Alright. How about we get to bed?" I say.
There was a collective 'aw!' from the hunters. Artemis and I laugh and smile at them. "Can you tell us a story, Percy?" Tiffany asks.
"I guess. Lets get out of here." I say and rise.
They all brightened at my acceptance of the story time they loved to have. We normally have it twice a week, but this would be the fourth time. Jade grins and yells, "Yay!" As she hops onto my shoulders again.
Artemis pays the bil and I frown, she just rolls her eyes and flashes us to the campfire. Artemis makes me sit in a chair now instead of on the ground. She insisted until I gave in and Thalia tied me down to the chair. I started freaking out until she untied me. She immediately started apologizing and Artemis looked frightened at how I reacted. I sit in the chair, but if anyone tries to bind me to it, nope ain't sitting down.
Jade runs off to her fellow little ones and I start a fire. As I tell the tale of my third quest and exaggerate my late friends Zoe and Bianca. They deserved it and in my eyes they were wonderful people and heroes on that quest. The fire shows every detail as my voice regales and carries throughout the clearing we settle in about everything my mind remembers.
Phoebe, Thalia, Atalanta, Artemis, and the rest of the older hunters have tears in their eyes. Everybody wishes each other good night when I finish. I sit in my chair and stare into the flames.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and watch as Phoebe and Thalia come back and slide into the two chairs next to me.
"I miss them." Phoebe says.
"Me too, so much. And they died saving her, but they did it mostly for Artemis. If they were here, they would be furious." Thalia adds.
Both hunters have tears leaking out of their eyes and rolling down their faces. I wipe them off and tell them, "You should know, while one may be in the stars and the other in Elysium, they both reside here." I point to their hearts. "Like I said, they both fought bravely and would do it again because the prophecy needed to be fulfilled. 'A child of the eldest gods, will reach sixteen against all odds.' I had to face life and death every year until I fulfiled the Great Prophecy and the quest's prophecy needed to be completed before I could. 'One will be lost in the land without rain,' that was Bianca. 'And one shall perish by a parent's hand,' that was Zoe. Aphrodite was meant to order the Stoll brothers to poison that shirt they gave you, Phoebe. The prophecy had to include me. I had to be there to take the sky from Artemis. Whether shewas in danger or not, I had a gutfeeling and I knew what I had to do. It's one of the reasons I followed them on that quest, not just because of Annabeth. Just remember, you never truly lose someone. They are always there to watch over you. It was Bianca's last wish that I protect her little brother and I have. I still will, to keep my promise. He just hasn't found me yet and I don't plan on going to camp any time soon. You girls should get some sleep. I'll guard over the camp tonight."
They both hug me and bid me good night. I watch the fire for a little while longer before turning into a wolf and running a perimeter around the camp a few times before coming and laying outside of the younger hunters's tent. My main duty is to protect the young of the Hunt. Artemis insists. I switch back to human and bring one knee to my chest and lay my other leg spread out. One arm on my knee and the other on a dagger at my side.
~Six Hours Later~ I've been up all night, waiting for any threats. None have come or made themselves known that I could not sense. I turn into a wolf and howl as the last of the moonlight is lost behind the sun. Artemis also insists on this new wakeup call now. The hunters actually like it. The young ones come out first and pet my fur. Which I figured out has streaks of the different colors throughout it because of my patrons. Pink is for Aphrodite, Red is for Ares, Orange for Hestia, Pale yellowish gold for Hera, Royal blue for Zeus, Silver for Artemis, Sea green for my original powers being the son of Poseidon, and Gray for Athena. My dominant fur color however is midnight black though, my original hair color. My eyes have settled on being a swirl of colors because of my powers, but they are still mainly sea green. If you think as the streaks in my fur as highlights, it's close enough. They took a picture of me so I can look at it, but they made me look in a mirror as well. The highlights are more like continuous streams running all the way into my tail fur. I sketched it out from the picture and unfortunately, the girls found out I could draw. I drew Zoe from memory for them and Bianca too. Then I drew them shooting together when we battled the Nemean Lion. I drew everything from all my quests that did not include Annabeth. I never drew her, except when Apollo wants me vent by drawing and makes me draw her. I asked Artemis to give me memories of what all her late hunters looked like and I would draw them for her. WHen I finished she wouldn't stop crying for two hours and the older hunters were in much the same state. They all thanked me and they hung them in the dining tent. They still hang there today. Artemis told me she would put them in her cabin at camp if we ever go there again. Apollo makde me draw every scene from Tartarus as therapy once he figured out I could draw. Effective I'll admit, but it was all kept in a 'classified' file in Apollo's palace on Olympus. They were super vivid and he discusses them with Hera and Hestia.
Artemis walks upto me and I shift to human form. I lead everyone to the dining tent and I summon food for them to choose from. When I sit down, Artemis presents me with two silver-wrapped presents and one gold-wrapped present. I take them gingerly and realize no one is going to eat until I open them.
I open the smallest silver box first and find a scrapbook of pictures of the Hunt with me in most of them. The other silver box holds a sketchbook and utencils to use with it. The gold one contains pictures of my mortal mother and Paul, living happily together before they died. There are also pictures that I never knew were taken from when I was a kid, that was of me or my mom or both. And for the first time, in a long time, away from that awful place, a tear slides down the side of my face as I look at my beautiful mother and her husband.
"You don't know how much these mean to me." I whisper quietly, trying not to cry for their sakes.
"Oh, Percy." Thalia says.
I lift upthe pictures to find a letter from my mom and Paul. There is another set of papers underneath that, but it looks like a document. I pick up the letter and realize that Paul took the time to write in his hand in Ancient Greek. Just so I could read it easier. The envelope had Perseus written on the front in the same language. It read:
Dear Perseus,
If you are reading this, then your mother and I are most likely gone from this world. We knew this might happen and we prepared for it just in case. We both want you to know that we are proud of you and we cherish you as our son. I may not understand as much as I should, but I do know that you are a great kid who can survive in this world with or without us. Even though I never got to spend much time with you, I think of you as my own child. I'm glad I got to spend some of my life with you and your mother. It may be the happiest I've ever been. Your mother wishes you to know that she will haunt you from the Underworld if she finds out you blame yourself for our deaths and I will personally find a way to come back to life to knock some sense into you, young man. If we were ever to be buried, we were to be buried somewhere in a graveyard near the apartment, so you could always find us. The document you will receive is our will. We love you so very much, my boy. Take care of yourself for our sakes and please remember us.
Goodbye son,
Paul and Sally I stare blankly at the letter and my hands are shaking slightly. I set the letter down and pick up the document that is supposed to be the will. It's in English and it's in the smallest print I have ever tried to read. My dyslexia gets in the way. I shake my head. "I can't read this. Can someone help me? It's in English."
One mortal hunter, Crena, comes over and sits by me. She gently takes it out of my hands.
She stares at it for about ten minutes, then puts it back in my hands. "Brother, they have left you everything. Including an apartment, all their life savings, and whatever possessions you all owned. It should be in a storage unit somewhere in upper Manhattan." Crena says slowly.
I set the will down and put my head in my hands. "Oh gods...it's all my fault, but they told me it's not. Last year, Hades came to me and told me that they went straight to Elysium once he found them. But he had to get them out of Asphodel because of King Minos. He was put in the Fields of Punishment. I can't even tell them how sorry I am. Not even good-bye. I miss them too much. It wasn't their time to be ripped so cruelly out of this life." I say, not crying, but my voice is strained.
Crena puts her hand on my back. "It'll be alright, Percy. I'm sure they don't hate you. If your mother is as kind as you tell us, then she would never hold a grudge and neither would Paul." She rubs my back. "May I read the letter to the others?" She asks.
I nod my head and Crena reads the letter to everyone else. After a few moments silence, I speak.
"Thank you all for the gifts. They mean everything to me. You have no idea how much you have done for me, an unpayable favor. I will never be able to get out of your debt. I would give anything for you to know that." I tell them and put my quivering hands on the table.
"The golden one was from both Apollo and I. We thought it was time for you to have it. The girls wanted you to remember the best times we've had together so far and th book will add any memories as pictures and will grow to hold them all. We hope it will grow to become really big. The drawing supplies are from the younger girls, but I think they just enjoy what you make. Just add them to the scrapbook with the other pictures. Percy, you don't owe us a thing and it wasn't your fault." Artemis informs me.
"Thank you." I whisper.
"You're welcome. But I must bring upon you more sadness. I do not wish to go either, but Zeus says we need to train them. We leave for Camp Half-Blood at midday. The roman encampment will be there as well. Eat your breakfast and pack up." Artemis pats my shoulder.
"Yes, my lady." I say and smile at her. It's a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.
After we eat, I tell the hunters to go relax and that I'll take care of packing up.
Point of view: Artemis
"He complimented me on growing up. I just told him the truth. I lost my childhood before it even started." I say. "What's this surprise you guys conveniently planned?"
"We are taking you out for awesome food!" Phoebe exclaims. Thalia finally got her to use the word after my second year in the Hunt. A constant arguement.
"As long as it's not fish. I'm all for it." I smile.
"Why?" Jade asks from my shoulders.
"Son of Poseidon, Jade. I don't do dead fish." I shiver.
"Oh, does it really effect you that bad?" She asks.
"Yeah, someone put a dead fish in my cabin one year and I didn't come out of the infirmary for three days. Lets just say they didn't get out for a week when I felt better and got my hands on them." I tell her.
The hunters and Artemis giggle. "Why were you in the infirmary for three days?" Artemis inquires.
"Vomiting. Fever. Then after I had nothing left to vomit, I ended up almost coughing out all my blood. The fever just made me hallucinate. Not the greatestthing to have a severely angry, completely sick, hallucinating demigod trying to kill the eople who pulled the prank. Guess who did it." I say.
"Hermes?" Atalanta guesses.
"Apollo?" Thalia asks.
"Nope. Wrong both times." I say.
"Ares?" Phoebe tries.
"Athena?" Joslyn chimes in.
"Not even close. You guys, it was Hephaestus' cabin. They were all in the infirmary for a week." I say.
"You sound like you're good at pranking too. From what the big sisters tell us." Jade says from my shoulders.
"Learned from...the best." I sigh. "I like it in the Hunt better. So much more peaceful and caring. Not as stressful or demanding." I admit. "I love the feeling of being free."
"Yes, I still get that feeling after all these years." Phoebe agrees.
"Contenment." Atalanta sighs.
"A family." Thalia adds.
"And an awesome one at that. Pretty much perfect." I say.
"I couldn't agree more." Artemis says.
"We're here!" Thalia announces excitedly.
We are standing in front of a really fancy, super expensive restaurant. Just kidding. It's a Burger King.
"Oh my gods...you guys know me so wel!" I beam at them and laugh heartily.
They laugh along with me and we walk in. Problem number one: I have a kid on my shoulders. Problem two: I'm the same height as the feaking doors. Problem three: I have to duck really low so neither of us hit out heads. Problem four: There are two doors, so I have to remember to duck twice.
We all order and sit down in the back area. We take up the entire space. The manager comes over and he wants to say something, but I speak before he does. "Sir, we won't cause any trouble. I promise. Unless someone hurts one of my sisters, of course. We are gathered for a rare occasion. We will behave appropriately to the situation, do not worry."
He nods and smiles a little. His body relaxes and he holds himself in a less tense position. " Thank you for understanding. I have to check on large groups. Regulations can be tedious, but must be followed. May I ask the occasion?"
"My birthday." I state simply.
"Why is it rare?" He tilts his head. "It's not a leap year."
"Lets just say I've come close to dying a few times and my sisters wanted to spend time me in case it actually happens." I reply.
"Why did you pick here, of all places?" He continues.
"They figured out I like cheeseburgers. Or just burgers in general. Either way, they chose a place that was great for that qualification." I tell him.
"I see. Well I wish you luck with the rest of your life. Hopefully you live long." He says.
"Thanks." I smile and he walks off.
"How are you so nice?" Atalanta asks.
"Uh...I don't know. Talking in public isn't my strong suit. One on one is preferable. What I find ironic is being able to lead a mass of people against another one. Blame the fatal flaw." I say.
"Loyalty." Thalia says. "Don't very little demigods get that flaw?"
"Not to mention so strongly." Phoebe adds.
"Normally most demigods have power flaws. Greed, you know." Atalanta says.
Phoebe, Thalia, Atalanta, Artemis, Jade and I are at a table, while all the other hunters were as close to us as possible. Everyone was chowing down hungrily on the food the waitress brought out.
"How are you feeling, Percy? Honestly?" Thalia asks.
"Much better, Thals. And all because of my sisters and mistress. Oh, but Apollo helped the most." I say in a false tone in the last sentence.
The hunters and Artemis snicker at that and I smile. Phoebe playfully punches my shoulder. "Seriously, Thals. I've never felt this happy in all my life. I can't imagine life outside the Hunt anymore. It'd be like ripping my soul out." I tell her.
"Good to hear." Artemis smiles at me and I return her smile. For some reason, she turns red. "It's also nice to see you openly smiling again."
"Great." I finish off my second and last Whopper. I was taking my time though.
"And you've gained a much better apetite." Phoebe points out.
"Yeah, well...it's nice to be able to eat again, without the contents coming back up because of my stomach." I say.
"Nightmares?" Atalanta inquires, finishing her last nugget.
"All but extinct. I barely get them now. For some reason, Apollo didn't believe me. I wonder if maybe sometimes I just black itout and only my subconscious remembers. So, really it's a blessing." I answer.
"Dreams?" Jade asks. Of course, she's such a sweet little girl. Always on the bright side of things.
"Hunting and running in my human and wolf form. Lying next to a lake now that I've stopped fearing water completely. Thanks to Phoebe." I clear my throat.
She smiles sheepishly. "Well, you were still a little frightened, so I fixed it."
"Throwing me into the lake and attempting to drown someone with PTSD over water is not the best solution." I cross my arms.
She sticks her tongue out at me. "Well it worked."
I sigh and she grins. "Thank you, Phoebe."
"No problem, Percy. My pleasure to frighten a boy, even if you're the only good one out there in the universe." Phoebe replies.
"Yes, I don't get scared much. Sometimes I wonder though." I run my hand through my hair, lean back into the booth, and gaze out the window thoughtfully.
"About what?" Thalia implores.
"If I should really be thanking her. She gave me my life in the Hunt, even if it was a consequence of what transpired." I sigh.
"I see where you are coming from Percy and that you've put a lot of thought into this, but no one deserves what they did to you. And we all know you've got everything bottled up and that you still haven't let it out. We are worried about you snapping if someone says something that sets you off." Artemis puts her hand on my arm.
I sigh again and look at my family. "I know. I've come close several times. When I get angry, my reflexes take over and I have no idea what happened until the rage goes away. I haven't done that since the Giant War though. But I can still get so mad I'll blow up everything within a ten mile radius with Hestia's blessing. I don't want to hurt any of you. So I contain it. It's best directed at objects rather than loved ones."
"How many times?" Jade asks.
"Only five." When I got over my shock because Phoebe threw me into the lake, when a hellhound attacked Lucy, when that idiot boy was harrassing Thalia a few months ago, at my own stupidity over that seamonster incident a couple years ago, and when Poseidon came to speak with me last year, the day he reclaimed me as his own. I almost killed him for coming near me in my mother Hera's palace a while back that day." I reply.
"You know you can let it out, right? We'd be alright. I could put up a shield so you can vent. Without harming us." Artemis offers.
"I'll warn you next time my emotions are too high to keep in check if I remember. Thank you. Apollo doesn't really...know how to talk to me, so he sends me into my mind to let my anger out. Not helpful. My physical body feels the need to rip something apart without hurting anything living. I calm myself with Hestia's power." I tell her.
"So..." Thalia begins.
"Eventually, I will blow up. A 'ticking time bomb of Greek fire' as Apollo like to call me." I shrug.
"It's true in a way." Joslyn comes over and scoots next to me as Jade crawls into my lap. "You have it all stored up and with Hestia's blessing, you can control and make Greek fire. We should take you to a mountain range. Provoke you and let you feel better."
"One word, Joslyn. Earthshaker." I say.
"Oh, good point. Maybe one where there isn't any civilization." She suggests.
I chuckle. "If we ever have time. Right now, I'm enjoying time with my family."
"I have some news for you all tomorrow. Good nights sleep for everyone before we leave for a newdestination." Artemis announces loud enough for everyone.
They started to get excited at the prospect of hunting in a different area after a couple weeks.
"Alright. How about we get to bed?" I say.
There was a collective 'aw!' from the hunters. Artemis and I laugh and smile at them. "Can you tell us a story, Percy?" Tiffany asks.
"I guess. Lets get out of here." I say and rise.
They all brightened at my acceptance of the story time they loved to have. We normally have it twice a week, but this would be the fourth time. Jade grins and yells, "Yay!" As she hops onto my shoulders again.
Artemis pays the bil and I frown, she just rolls her eyes and flashes us to the campfire. Artemis makes me sit in a chair now instead of on the ground. She insisted until I gave in and Thalia tied me down to the chair. I started freaking out until she untied me. She immediately started apologizing and Artemis looked frightened at how I reacted. I sit in the chair, but if anyone tries to bind me to it, nope ain't sitting down.
Jade runs off to her fellow little ones and I start a fire. As I tell the tale of my third quest and exaggerate my late friends Zoe and Bianca. They deserved it and in my eyes they were wonderful people and heroes on that quest. The fire shows every detail as my voice regales and carries throughout the clearing we settle in about everything my mind remembers.
Phoebe, Thalia, Atalanta, Artemis, and the rest of the older hunters have tears in their eyes. Everybody wishes each other good night when I finish. I sit in my chair and stare into the flames.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and watch as Phoebe and Thalia come back and slide into the two chairs next to me.
"I miss them." Phoebe says.
"Me too, so much. And they died saving her, but they did it mostly for Artemis. If they were here, they would be furious." Thalia adds.
Both hunters have tears leaking out of their eyes and rolling down their faces. I wipe them off and tell them, "You should know, while one may be in the stars and the other in Elysium, they both reside here." I point to their hearts. "Like I said, they both fought bravely and would do it again because the prophecy needed to be fulfilled. 'A child of the eldest gods, will reach sixteen against all odds.' I had to face life and death every year until I fulfiled the Great Prophecy and the quest's prophecy needed to be completed before I could. 'One will be lost in the land without rain,' that was Bianca. 'And one shall perish by a parent's hand,' that was Zoe. Aphrodite was meant to order the Stoll brothers to poison that shirt they gave you, Phoebe. The prophecy had to include me. I had to be there to take the sky from Artemis. Whether shewas in danger or not, I had a gutfeeling and I knew what I had to do. It's one of the reasons I followed them on that quest, not just because of Annabeth. Just remember, you never truly lose someone. They are always there to watch over you. It was Bianca's last wish that I protect her little brother and I have. I still will, to keep my promise. He just hasn't found me yet and I don't plan on going to camp any time soon. You girls should get some sleep. I'll guard over the camp tonight."
They both hug me and bid me good night. I watch the fire for a little while longer before turning into a wolf and running a perimeter around the camp a few times before coming and laying outside of the younger hunters's tent. My main duty is to protect the young of the Hunt. Artemis insists. I switch back to human and bring one knee to my chest and lay my other leg spread out. One arm on my knee and the other on a dagger at my side.
~Six Hours Later~ I've been up all night, waiting for any threats. None have come or made themselves known that I could not sense. I turn into a wolf and howl as the last of the moonlight is lost behind the sun. Artemis also insists on this new wakeup call now. The hunters actually like it. The young ones come out first and pet my fur. Which I figured out has streaks of the different colors throughout it because of my patrons. Pink is for Aphrodite, Red is for Ares, Orange for Hestia, Pale yellowish gold for Hera, Royal blue for Zeus, Silver for Artemis, Sea green for my original powers being the son of Poseidon, and Gray for Athena. My dominant fur color however is midnight black though, my original hair color. My eyes have settled on being a swirl of colors because of my powers, but they are still mainly sea green. If you think as the streaks in my fur as highlights, it's close enough. They took a picture of me so I can look at it, but they made me look in a mirror as well. The highlights are more like continuous streams running all the way into my tail fur. I sketched it out from the picture and unfortunately, the girls found out I could draw. I drew Zoe from memory for them and Bianca too. Then I drew them shooting together when we battled the Nemean Lion. I drew everything from all my quests that did not include Annabeth. I never drew her, except when Apollo wants me vent by drawing and makes me draw her. I asked Artemis to give me memories of what all her late hunters looked like and I would draw them for her. WHen I finished she wouldn't stop crying for two hours and the older hunters were in much the same state. They all thanked me and they hung them in the dining tent. They still hang there today. Artemis told me she would put them in her cabin at camp if we ever go there again. Apollo makde me draw every scene from Tartarus as therapy once he figured out I could draw. Effective I'll admit, but it was all kept in a 'classified' file in Apollo's palace on Olympus. They were super vivid and he discusses them with Hera and Hestia.
Artemis walks upto me and I shift to human form. I lead everyone to the dining tent and I summon food for them to choose from. When I sit down, Artemis presents me with two silver-wrapped presents and one gold-wrapped present. I take them gingerly and realize no one is going to eat until I open them.
I open the smallest silver box first and find a scrapbook of pictures of the Hunt with me in most of them. The other silver box holds a sketchbook and utencils to use with it. The gold one contains pictures of my mortal mother and Paul, living happily together before they died. There are also pictures that I never knew were taken from when I was a kid, that was of me or my mom or both. And for the first time, in a long time, away from that awful place, a tear slides down the side of my face as I look at my beautiful mother and her husband.
"You don't know how much these mean to me." I whisper quietly, trying not to cry for their sakes.
"Oh, Percy." Thalia says.
I lift upthe pictures to find a letter from my mom and Paul. There is another set of papers underneath that, but it looks like a document. I pick up the letter and realize that Paul took the time to write in his hand in Ancient Greek. Just so I could read it easier. The envelope had Perseus written on the front in the same language. It read:
Dear Perseus,
If you are reading this, then your mother and I are most likely gone from this world. We knew this might happen and we prepared for it just in case. We both want you to know that we are proud of you and we cherish you as our son. I may not understand as much as I should, but I do know that you are a great kid who can survive in this world with or without us. Even though I never got to spend much time with you, I think of you as my own child. I'm glad I got to spend some of my life with you and your mother. It may be the happiest I've ever been. Your mother wishes you to know that she will haunt you from the Underworld if she finds out you blame yourself for our deaths and I will personally find a way to come back to life to knock some sense into you, young man. If we were ever to be buried, we were to be buried somewhere in a graveyard near the apartment, so you could always find us. The document you will receive is our will. We love you so very much, my boy. Take care of yourself for our sakes and please remember us.
Goodbye son,
Paul and Sally I stare blankly at the letter and my hands are shaking slightly. I set the letter down and pick up the document that is supposed to be the will. It's in English and it's in the smallest print I have ever tried to read. My dyslexia gets in the way. I shake my head. "I can't read this. Can someone help me? It's in English."
One mortal hunter, Crena, comes over and sits by me. She gently takes it out of my hands.
She stares at it for about ten minutes, then puts it back in my hands. "Brother, they have left you everything. Including an apartment, all their life savings, and whatever possessions you all owned. It should be in a storage unit somewhere in upper Manhattan." Crena says slowly.
I set the will down and put my head in my hands. "Oh gods...it's all my fault, but they told me it's not. Last year, Hades came to me and told me that they went straight to Elysium once he found them. But he had to get them out of Asphodel because of King Minos. He was put in the Fields of Punishment. I can't even tell them how sorry I am. Not even good-bye. I miss them too much. It wasn't their time to be ripped so cruelly out of this life." I say, not crying, but my voice is strained.
Crena puts her hand on my back. "It'll be alright, Percy. I'm sure they don't hate you. If your mother is as kind as you tell us, then she would never hold a grudge and neither would Paul." She rubs my back. "May I read the letter to the others?" She asks.
I nod my head and Crena reads the letter to everyone else. After a few moments silence, I speak.
"Thank you all for the gifts. They mean everything to me. You have no idea how much you have done for me, an unpayable favor. I will never be able to get out of your debt. I would give anything for you to know that." I tell them and put my quivering hands on the table.
"The golden one was from both Apollo and I. We thought it was time for you to have it. The girls wanted you to remember the best times we've had together so far and th book will add any memories as pictures and will grow to hold them all. We hope it will grow to become really big. The drawing supplies are from the younger girls, but I think they just enjoy what you make. Just add them to the scrapbook with the other pictures. Percy, you don't owe us a thing and it wasn't your fault." Artemis informs me.
"Thank you." I whisper.
"You're welcome. But I must bring upon you more sadness. I do not wish to go either, but Zeus says we need to train them. We leave for Camp Half-Blood at midday. The roman encampment will be there as well. Eat your breakfast and pack up." Artemis pats my shoulder.
"Yes, my lady." I say and smile at her. It's a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.
After we eat, I tell the hunters to go relax and that I'll take care of packing up.
Point of view: Artemis
put a hand on Thalia's shoulder and hold out my other arm to silence everyone else as Percy works on all the tents.
"Leave him be. He is finally venting, no matter how small. Let him take his time and let his mind settle. He will be fine after working. It's how he is. He needs work to keep his mind off things while he focuses on the task at hand and one thing in hishead at a time. Let him grieve in peace and prepare for the journey ahead." I tell my girls.
They all nod and whisper their agreement. The younger hunters sit and watch Percy with Thalia and Phoebe, while the others go off to practice their archery.
~Hour Later~ Point of view: Perseus Jackson I finish packing up all the equipment and tents. I pack the little squares into my own bag. I heft the bags of the little hunters onto my back and bear the weight for them.
"Thanks brother!" The little ones yell their gratitude and run around me giggling away like they should be able to.
"My pleasure." I say and flip up my hood. We all gather around Artemis and she flashes us to camp a little early, since we had nothing else to do.
The place I never wanted to come back to.
The place that reminds me too much of her. Reminds me of my betrayal.