Chapter 9
(Percy)
Riptide in hand I trudged towards the intruders only to stop when I noticed that Thalia had stopped to stare. I looked towards Anna and saw that she was doing just fine running to the shelter, turning back to the problem at hand I resumed my advance towards the hunters. Thalia finally unfroze and notified the hunters of my approach. Thalia stood up strait and looked me in the eyes "Percy we need to talk" she stated clearly through the slight wind that was picking up around me. "What do you want?" I yelled back in response already holding an idea as to why they could be here sulking around my house. "Zeus wants you back, we all do" she replied hoping that she could play my emotions to help her cause, to no avail. "I'm not going back" I replied knowing that they would only want me for another war. "I have a family now; I have to protect them first" I stated knowing that this wouldn't stop the Gods. The wind started to pick up around me as the melting water around me joined in. The small hurricane surrounding only the bottom of my legs in a wide birth. "I'm sorry Percy, but Zeus ordered you to be returned, dead or alive" Thalia stated regretting every word as she saw the hurricane pick up speed.
Thalia signaled to the hunters to make a wide circle around us. She drew her spear and shield waiting for my approach, I didn't keep her waiting for very long. I charged using the hurricane to speed my movements and block the incoming arrows. Her spear darted forward, slowed down slightly by the battering winds, until Riptide crashed into its side sending the weighted spearhead way past me to be carried off by the winds. Switching to one of her knifes she tried to shove me with her shield, but only succeeded in setting herself unbalanced. I slid my foot out from the speeding winds and tripped her sending her sprawling onto the floor. I stopped the last of the arrows and pinned down Thalia with the tip of my sword letting the hunters know they needed to back off, well that was until I heard a scream coming from the woods. Recognizing the sound, I broke into a sprint in the direction of my little girl.
I finally reached Anna after what felt like an eternity of running, only to find her pinned in front of a tree being menaced by a small pack of hellhounds. I charged into the fray with only the safety of my child in mind. Stabbing the first one in the neck I turned and slid to the exposed underbelly of the next slicing through its stomach. Raising out of the golden dust cloud I charged the last hellhound only to find out Riptide had fallen from my grasp. Tackling the beast, I fought for control until I felt nothing bellow me only to find Anna holding Riptide scared out of her mind. Taking the sword from her I patted her on the back and walked her back to the house.
I reached the house and opened the door. Taking off Anna's and I's boots, I called out into the house "Honey I'm home" hoping she would be here too, not hearing a response I imagined she was sleeping or was out. I walked into the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee and Anna a Hot chocolate, waking upstairs to find a quiet place to just sit and think I found her sitting on the edge of our bed looking out the big window showing the wide forest before the house. "Percy" she said turning to me "The God found us". She indicated a direction out of the window, following her gaze into the forest I saw what she was looking at, Artemis was walking up the yard followed by a bruised and downtrodden Thalia, the rest of the Hunt waited off the obvious property line. I turned to my love, "I will fix this, don't worry about anything" I said looking into her brown eyes. I kissed her forehead and walked back to the front door.
"Percy Jackson" a very pissed Goddess called from the porch. "You know most people just ring the doorbell" I replied through the still closed door. I waited for them to do something while they did the same, until Thalia gave in and rang the bell. Opening the door, I greeted them "What can I do for you guys?" giving them the smirk that I knew would piss them off. "Perseus you are called to the Olympian counsel" Artemis answered. So I did what any reasonable person would do, I shut the door. I turned around back to the end of the hallway ready to leave only to stop at the feeling of heat followed by the flash of light that followed a God flashing. Knowing she was almost powerless here I knew she had decided to leave. Turning back to the door I opened it and addressed Thalia "There is nothing you can do to change my mind. You can't come between my family and myself. I'm sorry but you need to leave." I stepped back to close the door but before it locked her out she stuck her foot in stopping me. "Percy, this is for you" she opened her bag up and took out a slightly faded hat. After handing it to me she called the hunters to go and turned and left. I looked at the hat, the familiar colors sent shivers down my spine. Anna came down the stairs slowly and looked at me and then at the hat, "Dad what's that?" she asked. "A present Anna, this is for you, she wanted you to have it" I placed the hat carefully onto her head and watched as she ran to look at what the Yankee hat looked like on her. I walked back to the kitchen to grab the forgotten coffee and sat down questioning their motives.
