A/N: Overwhelmingly positive reviews on last chapter. Thank you, guys, SOOOOOOO much.
Chapter 7
3rd Person POV
He was going to live…
"Emergency council meeting. NOW!" Zeus thundered out making everyone flinch. "Bring the heroes of the seven. Artemis, bring Thalia." Zeus said before disappearing in a bolt of thunder. The seven of the prophecy grouped up together and disappeared in a flash of light along with almost all the other gods.
Apollo snapped his fingers and a stretcher appeared under Percy. Together he and Poseidon flashed to the throne room with Percy.
The campers all just stared in shock at the spot where Percy had been lying. The events of the past few minutes was a lot to digest. Eventually they broke apart, heading to help with the wounded and clean themselves up. Of the 350 odd campers and hunters around one hundred had lost their lives in the battle. Many more were grievously wounded and were quickly rushed to the infirmary.
Chiron galloped from camper to camper to hunter giving as much aid as possible, un-caring of which pantheon they descended from, healing and giving those who couldn't walk a ride down to camp. Even the hunters of Artemis sent their best healers to aid, though they wouldn't go anywhere near the boys, it was a relief to the campers as many of their own healers had fallen in battle.
Chiron called an emergency meeting of the camp counsellors as well as Reyna to assess the damage and discuss arrangements. They met in the big house rec room around the ping pong table. All the campers were silent, exhausted after the day's events.
"Where is Will?" Chiron asked walking in. He looked as if he'd aged a thousand years, he had deep bags under his eyes and they were rimmed in red. "He wouldn't leave the infirmary." Connor Stoll answered. He was sat next to his brother, Travis, who was quietly comforting Katie. "Ah..." Chiron responded plainly.
A few moments passed before Chiron spoke up again. He had wanted to avoid the subject all together, but he knew it couldn't be.
"Do we know how many?" he asked gently. It was a very sore subject and nobody truly knew the answer. Many of the campers flinched, whilst some started a new round of silent tears.
"Close to one hundred in total Chiron, not including the wounded." Clarisse answered blankly, standing from her seat. Clarisse was never one to shy away from an ugly truth, and would step up when she knew others couldn't. She also had red-rimmed eyes, but like Reyna, refused to show emotion. All the heads in the room fell and a heavy grief set upon the campers.
"And Gaia's army?" Chiron asked, wanting to quickly change the subject of their fallen comrades. "Most were killed when P-Percy…" Reyna spoke up with a little sob escaping her lips. She had been very fond of Percy. She loved him for his courage, bravery and honour. Markings of any true great leader. But what most stuck out to her, as it did for almost everyone else, was his sense of loyalty. She had had a crush on him since he appeared at Camp Jupiter, which had only further developed when she saw what he was capable of. Someone she could depend on to lead at her side.
"And the rest fled." Reyna said clearing herself up, not wanting to show any weakness. All the campers noticed it, but none remarked on it. Chiron winced at the name of one of his favourite students. He had seen what Percy had done on the hillside, although he was too far away to see the aftermath.
"That's enough for one day, I believe. Rest and lend aid where you can." Chiron said before turning and walking out through the door. It had been a tough day.
Percy POV
Well that sucked.
As I slowly regained consciousness the first thing that hit me was the mind shattering headache. It felt like someone was knocking on the inside of my brain with a pneumatic drill. I could vaguely hear talking around me.
I hoped that my friends are okay and that I'd injured Gaia enough for one of the gods to finish her off. I was hopeful, though I knew it was unlikely. All I could remember was thrusting my sword into Gaia's heart before a vaguely similar red haze took over my memory and a massive explosion turned my world black.
"Moooooooooo." An animal to my left said a little contently. I slowly opened my eyes expecting to see a blue sky above but was met by a starry sky covered in constellations. I narrowed my eyes at the sky. I hadn't been asleep that long had I? It was just before mid-day when we had arrived at camp.
Then I noticed the white marble walls and columns of the structure I was laying in. I tilted my head to the left and saw an old friend with big brown eyes staring back at me. Bessie gave me a half-hearted moo before swimming in a circle.
"And let us not forget the bravery of each God and demi-god who gave their lives to stop Gaia." Zeus announced from the other side of the room. I slowly turned my head to face the rest of the throne room. All of the Olympians and Hades were gathered in council. My mind began racing, we must have won the war. Gaia must have been put back to sleep.
I looked down at my body to find myself in a white linen t-shirt, my blue jeans and a pair of black combat boots on. I was lying on a stretcher in the corner of the throne room next to Bessie the Ophiotaurus. I quietly sat up from my bed. My bones were aching but other than that I felt alright. I quickly checked myself for injury and to my surprise, found that they had all been healed.
I slid off the bed and quietly made my way over. All of the Olympians were sat in their respective thrones. Jason, Leo, Piper, Frank, Hazel and Nico were all stood before the council. Thalia was sat at the foot of Artemis's throne. All the gods were so focused on Zeus and his speech that none of them noticed me approach. I quietly sat down next to a young girl with brown hair, who was tending to the hearth.
I sat quietly watching Zeus, not wanting to interrupt. I know how much he loves his speeches after all. "Thanks to these heroes before us, the rift has been healed!" he bellowed receiving a few blushes from the seven as the attention was turned to them.
I moved one of my hands up to wipe some of the sleep out of my eyes. As I did Hestia's head snapped towards me with wide eyes, a startled look on her face, which was quickly replaced by a warm smile. She looked straight into my eyes with a small frown on her face. A few moments later she put a hand on my shoulder and I felt a warmth seep into my body from her touch.
Suddenly images rushed through my mind.
The Argo II,
The ocean,
The city of Rome,
The coliseum,
Twin giants with snake for feet. One wearing a pink tutu,
A gaping hole in a carpark,
The Athena Parthenos,
Me holding on to a cliff edge looking up at Nico,
Arachne,
The alter of Hermes,
Akhlys perched on a rock,
Annabeth's face,
The gaping Abyss,
A small hut in a muddy swamp made of bones and leather,
A bowl of drakon stew,
The deep purple eyes of a tall woman, her skin black, covered in tiny white dots,
A set of golden eyes boring into me,
A ring on my left hand,
Spider-rat creatures ripping a corpse apart,
A mountain, the screams of tortured souls escaping
Thousands upon thousands of monsters surrounding a set of elevator doors,
A deep, powerful voice flowing through the ground,
A tall man with purple skin, no face, a black swirling vortex instead.
Three faces, Koios; pushing me into an elevator, Damasen; smiling and hugging me, Bob; vowing to aid me.
My mind snapped back to reality as Hestia jerked away from me and off the step we were sat on. A look of fear, awe and sympathy was mashed across her face. I gave her a watery smile as tears began to escape my eyes.
She had been attempting to ease the burden I was carrying, and at the same time she had seen my memories, and knew what had happened. I was terrified of what she would think, but the look on her face made me relax. Like she knew my fears. She gave me a small warm smile, a smile of reassurance.
The sudden jerk of movement drew the attention of everyone else in the room, who's eyes widened when they saw me sat quietly by the fire.
"PERCY!" my dad yelled before leaping from his throne and crushing me in a hug that could rival one of Tyson's. Moments later I was swamped by my friends who all delivered their own hugs.
"I'm glad you're okay, Kelp head." Thalia said pulling away and wiping a tear from her eye, before giving me a smile. "I'm glad you're okay too, Pinecone face." I retorted, earning an even bigger smile and a small punch to the shoulder.
I heard someone clear their throat from across the room and turned to see a wide-eyed council waiting expectantly.
"Sorry, Lord Zeus." I said quickly before bowing and returning in line with my friends. "Well young Perseus. It is good to see you have recovered so quickly." He said with a smile. I raised my eyebrows at him. I was really not expecting Zeus to be so accepting of me, much less smile at me.
"Great heroes stand before us!" Hera stood and announced to the rest of the council. "And I believe we are all agreed in their rewards." All the Olympians nodded their heads in agreement, sending smiles down at their respective children.
"Jason Grace, Piper Mclean, Leo Valdez, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque and Nico Di Angelo!" Zeus bellowed hushing any chatter within the room. "Step forward." He said gesturing in front of him. They all looked at each other before turning and giving me a worried look. I gave them all a slight nod and smile before they turned and stepped forward, kneeling before Zeus's throne. "Rise heroes! For your honour and valour in the war and your aid in the great prophecy, we the council would like to bestow upon you the gift of Godhood…" Zeus said earning some shocked gasps from a few in the room.
They all looked at each other with shocked expressions. Frank looked ready to pass out, his face had turned completely white. Nico turned around to me and winced, he looked a little sad. I was also curious as to why I hadn't been called up with them. Maybe they were going to offer me something else? But what else could they offer me? I gave him a smile and a thumbs up, before he turned back to the others. A moment passed before Jason spoke up. "We graciously accept this gift, father." Zeus smiled down at his son.
"Do you swear by the River Styx to fight and defend Olympus whenever called upon, do you swear to uphold the wishes of the council whenever called upon, and do you swear to protect and serve as immortal Camp leaders, to defend and train the demi-gods at both camps for eternity?" Zeus thundered out staring down at his son. "I do." They all spoke in unison.
All the council members stood and summoned their respective weapons of power. The room began to fill with a bright white light and I was forced to turn away. When the light died down all of my friends were surrounded by a golden aura. They had grown to suit their bodies and all their features had been enhanced. I turned to look at Thalia who wouldn't meet my eyes. She was looking down at the ground.
A flash appeared behind the 6 and the three Fates walked out.
"All hail Lord Jason Grace; Minor God of Winds and Lightning. God of Heroes
All hail Lady Piper Mclean; Minor Goddess of Beauty, Passion, and Romance. Goddess of Heroes
All hail Lord Leo Valdez; Minor God of the Forge and Craft. God of Heroes
All hail Lord Frank Zhang; Minor God of War and Weapon Mastery. God of Heroes
All hail Lady Hazel Levesque; Minor Goddess of Riches and Wealth. Goddess of Heroes
All hail Lord Nico Di Angelo; Minor God of Death and King of Ghosts. God of Heroes!"
They thundered out in creepy unison. "Thank you, Lady Fates." Zeus said bowing his head slightly. They responded with their own bow before one of the fates then turned their head towards me. I raised my eyebrows at her. A smile crept up her face before all three disappeared. A smile noticed by everyone in the room. I looked around the room to see everyone staring at me with wide eyes. Zeus cleared his throat a little nervously. This erupted hushed whispers from most of the gods and goddesses.
"PERSEUS JACKSON!" A booming voice projected across the room hushing all chatter. I turned to look at my dad who was staring down at me with pride. I stepped forward and bowed to him before kneeling before Zeus.
"Perseus Jackson, you have done it again. Defied all odds and earned the respect of this council. He must be rewarded above all else for his service. And for.. uh-" he coughed out a few words. Which nobody heard. Everyone stared at him expectantly before he finally caved. "And for single handily, saving us once again." He said. I could tell he must have swallowed a lot of pride to say that. But I wasn't too sure what he meant. I raised my head and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"My lord, Zeus, I do not mean to offend, but what exactly do you mean?" I asked him, looking around at the rest of the council. Zeus narrowed his eyes at me. "For single-handedly killing Gaia." He said through clenched teeth. My mouth dropped open and just hung there. "I do not know how you did it, but you did." My eyes quickly darted to the ring on my left hand. Kronos's blade. It actually worked! I… Killed her. I turned my head and met a knowing glare from Hestia. She raised her eyebrows at me. Oh shit. I am in deep trouble.
I turned back to Zeus who was still glaring down at me. "Whilst I had my doubts about you at first Perseus, you have proven yourself. And the council has agreed. We would offer you a place among us in the Olympian Council." He said a little begrudgingly, telling me he didn't exactly like it. My eyes shot wide and my mouth fell open. I turned around to see all the Gods staring at me expectantly, Poseidon with a massive smile plastered across his face. "There's no way he won't accept." I heard Apollo whisper to Hermes. I looked over to the Goddess of the Hearth, who cocked her had at me curiously. I bowed my head for a moment and thought.
"Well? Will you accept?" Zeus asked in a more irritated tone. I looked up and cleared my throat. My mind was already made up. "I will not." I said simply. Everyone in the throne room gasped. "Percy, think-" Poseidon cried out before I turned my gaze and effectively shut him up. Zeus summoned his bolt and slammed it down, quieting the entire room.
"My Lord Zeus, I would like a wish however." I said with determination. He looked at me a little curiously, clearly happy that I hadn't accepted. "As long as the council swears on the Styx to at least hear out my reasoning for it." Zeus began stroking his beard and nodded. "Firstly, I would like the thrones of Lady Hestia and Lord Hades restored. Lord Hades has more than earned his place for aiding in both wars, and in my opinion should have always had a throne being of the eldest Gods. Lady Hestia is the Goddess of the Hearth and Home and would provide a more peaceful side to future council meetings." Zeus narrowed his eyes but nodded, gesturing for me to continue.
"Lastly, I would like to hold up my promises to a few friends of mine, whom I owe my life to." I received a few queer and curious glances from the council at this. "Iapetus, Damasen and Koios." I stated simply. Zeus's shot up, thunder crackling around him. "Ahem." Poseidon said staring at Zeus. "We swore to hear him out." He said with a little anger. Zeus scowled before settling back in his throne.
I gave my dad a nod of appreciation before continuing. "I would not have made it out of Tartarus, without their help. I owe them my life. I promised Iapetus and Damasen their freedom, once the war was over. They do not wish for war and would happily swear to never move against Olympus again. They wish to only live in peace on the surface. When Iapetus and I reached the doors of death, he killed his brother Krios, and asked Koios for aid. Koios said he would only help if he and his wife would get the same deal. I agreed and the three defended me from Tartarus and a large army of monsters whilst i made my escape." All their eyes widened at the name of the Primordial of the Pit and Zeus visibly paled. "Yes, he attacked us and all three gave their lives to get me out."
Zeus gave out a heavy sigh and sat back in his throne. A few moments of silence passed. "All in favour of granting Perseus's wish?" All hands shot up other than Ares, Athena and Zeus's. "Very well Percy, your wish shall be granted." He said a little sourly before snapping his fingers. Two new thrones erupted from the ground, one pure black filled with precious gems, skulls decorating the armrests. The other a warm brown colour, decorated with swirls of fire. Hades and Hestia both gave me grateful smiles and moved to their new thrones. "Thank you." I said to the council before returning to my friends who were all staring at me with shocked faces.
"Brother, do you have access?" Zeus asked hades through gritted teeth, still clearly unhappy with the result of the vote. Hades nodded before disappearing in a flash of darkness. A few minutes of uncomfortable silence passed, where most of the gods just stared at me. Finally another flash of darkness brought all eyes to the centre of the room. Five figures were stood there whilst Hades was back in his throne with a smug look on his face.
Bob, Damasen, Koios and a young woman with long auburn hair and silver eyes, who I can only assume was his wife Phoebe, Titaness of Radiance. And finally Thanatos. Thanatos snapped his figures and the four animated, as if they had been frozen in place before.
They all had bewildered looks on their faces. Zeus cleared his throat and then gestured towards me. They followed his motion slowly before they saw me. Bob instantly rushed forward, shrinking down with every step and crushed me in a hug. Damasen gave me a massive smile, along with Koios, while Phoebe was as confused as ever.
Zeus cleared his throat again a look of irritation stretched across his face. Bob moved from me and returned to the line infront of Zeus. They all respectively bowed. "It appears… Young Perseus here has vouched for your freedom. Any other and it would have been denied, but his voice carries a lot of weight in this council." Zeus said in an icy tone. Koios and Phoebe's mouths dropped open in shock.
"Do you, Iapetus, Damasen, Koios and Phoebe swear on the River Styx, on your own immortality to never move against or aid the enemies of Olympus and live the rest of your lives in peace under the rule of the Olympians?" They all swore, and stepped to the side of the throne room out of the way other than Bob. "My lord Zeus, I ask to no longer be recognised as Iapetus." Bob said with a little fire in his eyes. "Young Percy here has given me a chance of a new life. I am no longer Iapetus. I am now Bob." Zeus narrowed his eyes before nodding. Bob then stepped off to the side of the room along with his brother, sister and Damasen.
"Now to the fate of the Augur... Apollo, your legacy near caused the destruction of Olympus. Not only did his actions almost cause our downfall." Zeus bellowed, a cold glare directed at the God, who only shrunk under the intesity. Zeus snapped his fingers and in a flash of light a Goddess I recognised appeared before the council. Lupa with a set of celestial bronze shackles on the floor infront of her. "But managed to imprison a Goddess. However thanks to the decisive report of Praetor Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano we were able to free Lupa from her bindings."
Zeus then stood from his throne, the air beginning to crackle, a distinct smell of ozone taking over the room. A look of rage coming across the Thunder God's face. "WHERE IS HE!" Zeus roared out, a massive boom of thunder shaking the room. Most of the council flinching under his gaze.
"Father, he was present at the beginning of the battle, but... he's just gone." Apollo called out, not meeting Zeus's eye.
Zeus turned to look at Hades who only shook his head, indicating the Augur was infact still alive.
"Lupa, you have the councils bessing to hunt down the Augur. Do not kill him. Bring him before us so that he may pay for his crimes." He announced, his anger beginning to simmer off.
"And Lupa, I care not for his conditition. As long as he is alive." Zeus said, a serious look in his eye. If wolves could grin, Lupa was doing an incredible job.
"Are there anymore matters to be discussed?" Nobody answered. "Then I ask that the rest of the council remains, along with Perseus. The rest of you are dismissed." Zeus thundered before summoning his bolt and slamming it down.
Thalia, walked over to the new gods and teleported to camp with them. Bob, Damasen, Koios and Phoebe all disappeared in a flash of silver. Lupa disappeared in a burst of grey and Thanatos melted into shadows.
I turned expectantly back to Zeus with a confused look. "It appears we are all curious as to how you had the power to single handily defeated a Primordial?" I scanned the faces of all the Gods and saw them all lean in expectantly. I turned and looked at Hestia, who gave me a small smile and an encouraging nod. I sighed, this was going to be a long story.
I told them of the events from My and Annabeth's decent into Tartarus, to the point of her death. Many of the gods faces paled when I described her fate. Athena began visibly crying. Hestia flashed over and gave her a warm embrace. I lowered my head and approached her throne.
"Lady Athena…" I looked at Hestia who gave me another nod before flashing back to her own throne. Athena looked down at me with puffy red eyes before shrinking down to human height and standing before me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small picture. I took one last look at it with a sad smile before handing it over to Athena. "This was given to me... I'd like you to have it." I said with a watery smile. She looked down at the photograph for a few moments before raising her head back to me. "You truly have a heart of gold Percy." She whispered, loud enough for only me to hear. "Thank you, Lady Athena." I whispered back before returning to the middle of the room.
I continued my story, waking up in Damasen and Bob's care, I avoided my dream with Chaos. But when I told them that I had received a visitor in Tartarus, they all curiously perked up.
"He came in under a flag of truce, once being an enemy of ours, and told me that he didn't want Gaia to rule, because it would end with the death of everything on the planet. He then presented me with a gift. A way to fight Gaia. He then faded, due to the severity of the wounds he had received." I said mysteriously. Many of the gods looked confused, Zeus narrowed his eyes, whilst Athena's eyes widened and mouth dropped open. Of course she would figure it out… She is the Goddess of wisdom after all.
I reached down and twisted the ring on my left hand. A 3-foot blade appeared in my hand, an exact copy of Riptide, however half the blade was mortal steel. The entire council gasped. "Kronos has faded, and he passed his immortal weapon down to me before he did." I said showing the weapon to the gods. The room began to grow dark, and thunder crackled. Zeus stood up from his throne, his bolt appearing in his hand. His eyes, a once electric blue were now almost black with anger. He raised his bolt ready to smite me. Oh crap... this is probably the end. Not a second later the throne room began to shake, and a trident impaled itself around Zeus's throat, as a swirl of darkness forced him down into his throne and a whip of fire wrapped around his arm and ripped the bolt free. I looked over to see my father stood from his throne, his own eyes swirling with anger. Next to him Hades, and surprisingly Hestia had mirrored looks.
"YOU DARE ATTACK ME!" Zeus bellowed in rage struggling against the bindings of darkness and the trident at his throat. "We will not let you take his life, after he saved us again." Athena said standing from her throne. "Yes, he may have the one weapon that can truly kill a god. But if he was a threat, would he have risked his own life over and over to save us?" Athena yelled. "You forget. His flaw is loyalty." I was surprised enough Athena had jumped to my aid. Zeus's eyes widened at his daughter's response. She left no room for argument in her words. I looked around the room and saw all the gods staring daggers at the King of the Gods. His face contorted into one of pain, but he nodded. The darkness evaporated off him and my father's trident flew back into his hand. I sent grateful smiles towards those who had stood up for me.
"Perseus, I have one last question, that the rest of the council may have forgotten." Artemis spoke up from my right. She had been almost silent through the entire meeting. "Yes Milady?" I asked a little curiously. "You said Tartarus, took enough interest in you to form a physical body and attack. I would like to hear of your encounter with him. None of us have ever seen him in a physical body." My face darkened at the thought of it. It was easily one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Not to mention the army of tens of thousands of monsters.
I described the events from, my leaving Damasen's hut, to escaping the doors. I put heavy emphasis on the fact that there were no monsters anywhere along our journey until we reached the doors. When I told them of the number of monsters ready to exit many of the gods paled. I described every detail of Tartarus, from his black armour, to the swirling vortex on his face. I saw Athena almost taking notes with her eyes, intrigued at the first sighting of the primordial. I finished with the doors sliding shut, as Damasen fought his father, Bob the army and Koios defended the doors. Many of the gods had troubled looks. A few moments passed where everyone was deep in thought.
"Well I belie-" Zeus started only to be interrupted by Apollo, who stood up straight and rigid from his throne. His eyes began glowing a reptilian green colour and green mist began to pool around him. He opened his mouth and a raspy voice sounded;
The twice saviour of Olympus shall fight,
The Blackness, The Darkness, The Eternal Night.
The sword and the bow must come together,
Or fight alone, an endless terror.
The prison's walls have begun to break;
The end of Olympus in its wake.
(A/N: Was going to end there, but I won't because I'm nice)
With that Apollo collapsed, falling straight forward, smashing onto the marble floor. We all just stood in shock staring at the unconscious god. After a few moments he woke up and stood. He looked around the room wildly, everyone's face were pale and nobody said a word.
I felt like I wanted to be sick. I was in another great prophecy. I turned around and slumped to the ground near the hearth, which was now little more than embers and coals. Hestia flashed down from her throne and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"It appears… Another Great Prophecy has been issued… And from what we can decipher, Perseus will be part of this third prophecy." Athena stated sadly. Apollo turned to me with a sad look. I knew it wasn't his fault. A memory sprung to the front of my mind; One of the Fates smiling at me. Curse them, they must really hate me to have me in another great prophecy.
"The Prophecy may not be about you." Athena said with a little hope. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Athena, but I doubt that the line Twice saviour of Olympus means anyone else." I said dejectedly. I gave a heavy sigh and stood. "Let's just hope it isn't for many years, I'd like a bit of peace for once." Many of the gods cracked a smile at that. "If that is all then?" Zeus announced narrowing his eyes dangerously at Apollo, who held his hands up in surrender. "Then I announce this meeting adjourned."
With a crash of Zeus's master bolt all the gods stood up. "All hail Perseus Jackson, Saviour of Olympus!" My father bellowed. I rolled my eyes as many of the gods teleported out, most likely to join the festivities on Olympus. My Dad, Hades, Hestia, Aphrodite and Artemis stayed behind, obviously wanting to talk to me.
Aphrodite jumped off her throne and walked towards me first. As she shrunk down to my height, she also readjusted her age, to that of an 18-year-old girl. She batted her eyelashes at me. "Percy, I want to personally thank you for saving us again." She purred seductively, tracing a hand up my arm. A pair of grey eyes flashed across my mind and I grimaced a little at the goddess before stepping back. "No offence Lady Aphrodite, but no thanks." I said before stepping a little further away. She slinked a little closer to me, obviously displeased that she had been rejected. "Oh, it wouldn't be any trouble, I'm sure it would actually be quiet fun." She whispered grabbing my shirt and pulling me against her. "Ahem." A loud voice rung around the room. I turned to see my dad standing a few feet away.
"As I said Lady Aphrodite, no thank you." I said before untangling myself and moving towards Poseidon. He shot her one last glare as she disappeared in a puff of pink smoke. My dad turned towards me and pulled me into a hug.
"Percy… I want you to know how proud I am of you." He expressed with a smile, breaking off from the hug. "I know dad… thanks." I returned with my own smile. "Do not be afraid to ask for anything, my son." He stated before disappearing into a fine sea breeze.
Hades then approached me and to my surprise pulled me into hug. "Perseus, I am forever indebted to you for giving me a throne among the council. If you ever need anything, you need only ask." He said, before disappearing into shadows. I gave a small smile at the spot where he had just disappeared before turning to the last two Olympians present in the room.
Artemis stepped down from her throne and approached me, shrinking down to her human form. I stopped a few paces infront of her and raised my eyebrows. "Perseus… I.. Uh.. never got… to." I cut her off by raising my hand. "There's no need for that my lady." I said with a small grin. She was trying to swallow an enormous amount of pride to try and thank me for saving her. She stared at me astonished for a moment before a smile graced her own lips. I gave her a slight nod before she vanished in a flash of silver light. I inwardly chuckled before turning to meet a pair of burning eyes staring at me. Oh crap.
"Do not think you can avoid this coming conversation Perseus." She said with a glare before erupting into flames and disappearing. I slowly walked over to the door and pushed them open. The second the doors split, the sound of music and laughter filled my ears. As I stepped out, I stepped into one of the largest parties I had ever seen.
The Nine Muses were playing music on a massive stage while an array of gods, nature spirits, hunters and demi-gods were dancing infront of them. There were banquet tables spread throughout the area filled with everything from Mac & Cheese to cake. Many of the Olympians were dancing with either their children or each other.
I spied Jason, Piper and Leo dancing near the edge of the dance floor. I was tempted to go and dance with them, but I really wasn't in a party mood. I slipped round the edge of the party avoiding eye contact with everyone. Many nature spirits and Minor God's eyes widened as a walked past them but none tried to talk to me.
The sun was setting off in the distance as I continued down the streets of Olympus, further from the party. I reached a small park near the edge of Olympus and did my best taxi cab whistle. I really hoped it would work, although I didn't know if he would be able to hear me. A couple of minutes passed before I saw Blackjack descend from the clouds and come to a stop beside me.
"Hey boss." Blackjack said in my mind giving me a nudge with his head. "Got any doughnuts?" He asked while sniffing my pockets. "Hey Blackjack. Mind giving me a lift back to camp? I'll get you the next best thing when we get back. Sugar cubes." I said while cracking a grin. I stood for a few moments stroking his fur thinking about the prophecy that had been issued. I wish Annabeth was with me, she would have known what to make of the new prophecy, and she always had a way of cheering me up.
Blackjack gave me a gentle nuzzle bringing me back to reality. I climbed on and he raced off, diving off Olympus and heading east towards Long Island.
The sun had long set when I saw a familiar pine tree on the crest of a hill. Camp was quiet, many of the campers had gone to the party on Olympus, other than the wounded. They were using the party to forget the traumatic events and stress of the day. I couldn't blame them.
I landed blackjack near the stables and promised him I'd be back with his sugar cubes. I slowly trudged towards the big house. I had to tell Chiron what had happened. A couple of campers gave me wide eyed looks, but I was mainly left to myself. I walked up the steps and opened the door. I stepped into the lounge and found Chiron, sat in his wheelchair form, staring at the fire. The old horse's face looked eerie in the red light of the roaring fire. He turned to look at me when I entered and his face lit up.
"Percy, my boy!" he exclaimed as I walked over and gave him a quick hug. Before sitting down on the sofa opposite him. "Hey Chiron." I said staring into the fire. "I thought you'd be up on Olympus with everyone else?" He asked with a little concern in his voice. I turned and looked him dead in the eye. "Another great prophecy has been issued." His eyes dropped at that as he looked at the floor sadly. It had been only a year since the last prophecy was issued. "I was hopeful we may get some lasting peace. It appears not." He looked back at me and furrowed his eyebrows. "That isn't the only reason you came here, is it?" He said, wheeling himself a little closer to me. I knew what I wanted to say but the words were stuck in my throat. "Chiron… A-Annabeth, she… didn't make it." I choked out, a barely audible whisper.
I looked up at my mentor, who's eyes were now hollow and almost brimming with tears. Chiron had been Annabeth's fatherly figure for almost ten years. She came to camp when she was seven, a scared little girl with no family. Chiron had been her new family, and she really looked up to him.
We sat for a few minutes in silence before I stood and left, giving Chiron one last sad smile, knowing he needed some space for his grief. I left the big house and walked quietly through the camp to the last place I knew could relax me. I trudged through the soft sand to the edge of the water and sat down with a sigh. It had been a long war.
-Line Break-
A few weeks had passed since the end of the war. The campers had returned to their usual activities, though none were into it. The war had left scars on all, and we had lost just over a quarter of our camp.
On the night of the burial shrouds, the Romans and Hunters had come to Camp-Half blood to mourn alongside us. 103 was the total number of combined demi-gods and hunters who had lost their lives. I quietly watched from the back of the amphitheatre as a beautiful grey shroud caught ablaze, silently weeping. The immortal campers stood at the front, to light the shrouds. I didn't want to be the one to light the shrouds, even though I was asked by many different people. So I just sat in the shadows and watched.
Even though the hearth was little more than a small black flame, all bad blood had been eradicated between the Greeks and Romans, and now we treated each other as one big family.
Another week or two passed and as such I found myself without purpose. The immortal campers of the seven were leading both camps, tutoring new and old half-bloods in all their skills. Sure, they were my friends and I loved them, but they were all always extremely busy. I had planned to spend the rest of my life with Annabeth. And with her gone, I had no idea what to do.
New demi-gods were popping in through the border every day, sometimes two or three in a day. And although I was still the only child of Poseidon, camp started to feel cramped. People would come up to me every day and ask if I was the 'Great Percy Jackson'. I hated all the attention I was getting.
I trudged back to my cabin after dinner one evening, not wanting to go to the sing along. I walked in and sat down on my bed and stared at the opposite wall. I needed to get away from camp for a while, just to blow off some steam.
I quickly grabbed some paper and a pen and scribbled down a letter to Chiron, informing him that I was leaving camp for a while, and that he shouldn't come looking for me. I grabbed my backpack, stuffed it with some ambrosia, nectar, money, mortal and immortal and a spare change of clothes before slipping out of my cabin.
I saw everyone at the amphitheatre, happily singing along with the Apollo campers. I quickly walked up to the top of half-blood hill and pulled a small knife out of my combat boots, a practise that both Thalia and Annabeth had taught me, before pinning the letter to the tree. I turned and took one last look at camp, before descending down the hill and away from camp.
A/N: Erm sorry about lateness of update. I plan to update a new chapter every week. I hope that's often enough :). This chapter is mainly a filler. Tell me what you guys think? I'm sure many of you guys could pull apart the new prophecy and figure out what is going to happen. (That would be interesting, seeing as I have no idea).
The votes have taken quite a leap forward since last chapter.
Thalia: 10
Zoë: 7
Annabeth: 6
Artemis: 5
Aphrodite: 1 (ew)
Till next chapter
Ciao
