A/N I do not own PJO or HOO
24 POV
Thame told me to head out and I was more than happy too. I gave one last glare at my "mother" and ran off into the forest. I saw the portal Thame opened for us a little farther ahead and jumped right into it.
When I came out the other side, I quickly spotted a medium sized group of the Earthborn. They were sitting around a campfire roasting what appears to be a wild boar. The 13, 15, and one of my mother's hunters reach their vantage points and we begin to watch.
After the earth born finished eating, they buried their firepit and left the extra meat out to dry into jerky. These earth born were already acting smarter by building a fire, knowing how to handle food is another step towards civilized for monsters, which could be good or bad for demigods. The biggest one of the bunch stood on a rock and began to give a speech.
"We find Yay-son, we kill Yay-son, we eat Yay-son. Dark man pro-mi-ses this. We serve him." He-who I decided to call Matt-announced to the group. They clearly were far off from normal speaking seeing as he broke all the multi syllable words into pieces. But this dark man intrigued me. He was clearly trying to make it seem like Gaea was rising by favoring the Earth born over what ever creature he would normally use.
I signalled for my group to go to the clearing a little ways away so we could discuss this development and what to do next.
I leapt from tree to tree until I reached the small plain and waited as the others came running. Only Cal, Thame and I could tree jump. I guess me because of my mother. Cal had so much ADHD, he was jumpy enough to keep from snapping the branches, and Thame was on a level all his own. The guy was a complete mystery to me, but he was loyal and had saved everyone at least five times. I would fight to my last breath beside him.
When the others arrived, the huntress was staring at me dumbfounded.
"How did you leap from tree to tree like that. I have only ever seen Milady do that, and even she struggles sometimes." she questioned, clearly upset a male could do anything better than my mother.
"I practiced." was all I told her. Truth be told, I never had trouble in a forest, everything just came naturally to me.
"Well whatever" said 15, "We need to decide what to do now. Do we go back and tell Thame and the others about this "Dark man" or do we wait here at the campsite?" He asked, more to me than everyone else. Aside from 27, Cal, Thorn and of course Thame, the others considered me the most powerful.
"You three go tell Thame about this, I will continue to spy on the Earth born and try to see if this 'Dark man' shows up or not." I ordered them
"But I am to accompany you on this mission." argued the hunter.
I turned to her and gave her a harsh glare, "And you have, I am doing my own off the books mission now so you do not need to follow me. I work best alone anyway." I answered sharply
She looked mad, but just turned on her heels and took off down the path we came on, closely followed by 13 and 15. They were great hunters, but I was the best.
I snuck back up to the earth-born and found them all asleep. I stole some of the jerky hanging from the trees and fell asleep in the tallest pine.
~~The next morning~~
I awoke to a roar.
"Who touch meat" came a great shout from below me. If it weren't for the rope I used to tie myself to the tree I would have fallen out of the tree. I guess the Earth born found out I took some-cough all cough- of the meat they were trying to preserve.
They all started shouting and pointing finger until it turned into a brawl. It was funny to watch actually.
"Wait" Matt called and all the earthborn stopped fighting among themselves, "I smell half-blood, FRESH MEAT" He yelled the last part while pointing up at where I was hiding. So much for secrecy.
I lept out of the tree to make my grand entrance.
Artemis POV
The next morning, when we were almost halfway to the campsite in the mountains, Atlanta and two of the pack boys ran into sight.
"Where is the third male?" I asked Atlanta when she was close enough to hear me
"He sent us to report that the earthborn are reporting to someone calling himself the dark man. Then he said he was going to do an 'off the books' mission." she responded
"Do not worry about 24." said Thame from behind us. "He is one of the best fighters we have, he is just going to make sure only the one pack of earthborn is in the area, then he is probably going to kill them."
"How can you be sure that he is not working FOR the monsters, or is their leader. You should be worried he is going alone." I told to Thame, I finally had the upper hand on him, maybe he will spill some details about his pack, maybe even who my son is.
"He runs these "off the books" missions by himself all the time, he enjoys solitude and works best alone. While he does hate most of the Olympians, he is loyal to them by my word. Percy turned him off a dark path, a dangerous path. If you trust Percy, you should trust us." He retorted.
"How can you be sure, you said he hates the Olympians, how do you know he is not setting up a trap for us ahead?" I asked, quickly losing my confidence.
"Because we are here with you. He would never hurt his family, if you were alone, I would actually bother to watch most of the people here. None of us would do anything to potentially harm a brother. Loyalty to family id the other thing Percy taught us. You Olympians may have forgotten how loyal he is, but he, any of us, would lay down our life for one another. Do not doubt my pack, we are a family." He yelled at me. I felt terrible now. The last time us Olympians doubted Percy's loyalty, it was the biggest mistake we ever made.
"Fine, fine. Lets just hurry back so we can to the campsite, I don't want to leave 24 alone with Thalia when she gets to the campsite." I told him, "he may be loyal to his family, but I trust no man alone with a maiden."
"Fine, double time men" He called to his pack and they all sprinted off into the woods, leaving the hunt far behind.
~~Line break- back to 24~~
24 POV
I swung down from the tree while chewing of some of the meat I stole.
"Sup guys, you don't mind that I ate your meat, do you?"
They all roared and started picking up stones in their six hands as they glared at me
"U Yay-son" Matt yelled at me
"Hmmmm, Am I, I don't remember. You guys tell me. Do I look like Jason?"
With that I flipped back my hood for the first time since I joined the pack. My long shaggy auburn fell across my face. My deep forest green eyes shimmered in the sunlight. My skin is a deep tan from all the years with the pack and my mouth is set in my perma-scowl.
They looked at me curiously, "No Yay-son. Who are you?" Matt questioned.
"I am the traverser of Tartarus. Slayer of Perses. Champion of the Arena of Tartarus. The slayer of Gration, bane of Artemis. I AM DOMINIC! english for διαρκώ the mighty one who endures all forces. Spread my name through the pit when you return, now be gone.
I sprinted through them fast as lightning, stabbing each one. they all dissolved in a matter of seconds.
I walked back to the campsite whistling a little.
Cal POV
When we got to the campsite, 24 was waiting for us. He was whistling a little which meant he had just killed a bunch of monsters, again. He sometimes went on little killing sprees that only Thame, Thorn, 27 and I could stop. I have only had to do it once, but he is scary good with his knives.
I saw Thalia walk out with the hunters as they came crashing into the clearing about a half hour after us.
"How are you males in such good shape" Phoebe questioned us.
"We got extreme endurance training." answered 26
"Where can my hunters get similar training?" asked Artemis to 26, great, now they are ganging up on him.
"Percy." I stepped in. "Percy is our trainor."
"oh, then would he care to come back to help train one of the few who didn't turn on him?" Thalia asked, great, now they are ganging up on me, just what I wanted
"Probably not, he is retired now, he only helps train new recruits." Thorn jumps in.
"Where is he now that he retired? Surely the mortal world is not safe for someone with as powerful scent as he has?" questioned Artemis
"He is at Mirage, our city for injured, those who are retired, and for new recruits to be trained. and no, you cannot go there to see him. It is banned to all those outside the pack." finally, Thame stepped in to save our asses
"Where is this city, and how come I have never seen it from my chariot at night?" Artemis shot back.
"It's location is one of the most closely guarded secrets to the pack. It is heavily enchanted so it is invisible at night, specifically so you cannot see it Artemis." He told her, Star growled as she started to reach to reach for her dagger.
"Fine boy" she spat "24, boy, get over here and do a report NOW" she shrieked, I think it is her time of the month.
"You do not order my men Artemis. And for you to know, I am sending 24 out in the morning to hunt the remaining monsters on our list alone, none of the hunters are to be sent with him, they would slow him down.'
"NO!" Artemis yelled at him. "You do not tell my hunters what to do. I will send someone with him or accompany him myself."
I knew Thame was smirking under his hood, he had wanted her to say that. He had tricked her into leaving, which means her hunters would have to go back to camp half-blood and leave us in peace. It would also be funny to see 24 stuck with his mother who threw him into Tartarus as a baby. I still want to know what man finally got to her, but that answer would come when we were forced to reveal ourselves.
"Go with him then." Thame told her. "I also swear on the River Styx that if you do, He will make no advances on you." he added.
"Fine, girls, pack everything up again. I am sending you to camp."
All the hunters groaned at this. They had just finished unpacking and were planning on falling asleep. To bad for them.
Once they were all packed up, Artemis flashed them to camp.
24 was standing at the edge of camp, seething mad at all of us. He now had to go on a mission with the god who threw him into Tartarus, not fun for him, funny for us.
"When I get back, No party." He called to 23 who just shrugged.
He turned to Artemis, nodded at her, and sprinted off into the woods, Artemis quickled followed.
"Back to Mirage everyone." Thame called out. He opened a portal and we all stepped into it. When I got to my room after letting Orcala into the stables. I wondered if this darkman who was rallying the monsters was keeping all the immortals from reforming. Maybe it was the gods themselves.
"I will find you again Calypso, I will never stop looking." I said for the millioninth time.
24 POV
I am fucking pissed.
Thame is making me go on a hunting trip with my MOTHER! The same bitch who threw me into the pit, when I was two! It took all of Percy's calming methods to keep myself from attacking her. SHE deserved a trip to the pit.
We wiped out all the wandering monsters on our way to the cyclops lair, well I killed them while she said that the "Ancient Laws" kept her from interfering. Bull shit.
When we got to the cyclops lair, I felt a presense much greater than any I had felt before.
"What is that presense" I asked Artemis,
"I don't know, I will assist more this time around since it seems very powerful." she told me confidently
"Great, more help than a disapproving glare. Exactly what I always I always wanted. Thanks mom." It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop my self. SHIT, this is not going to end well.
And a good old fasioned cliff hanger. sorry for not posting for so long, I usually write the bulk of my chapters on Saturdays, but I have had long drives to Lax games the past Saturday and another one tomorrow. This has taken me forever to write, finals are coming up as well so posting may come less than once a week, sorry, I am commited to this story, I just am extremely busy these days.
Happy reading -Centurion Africanus