Never had Zoe felt so confident. Knowing thy enemy was but the first step which she felt the hunt accomplished. Cecilia had taken time to observe the biggest obstacle, of course finding him irritating among other things but she stated he was relaxed and confident.
Zoe couldn't help but look forward to how hard he would fall. The look on his face when he lost would be one of many but still very amusing.
Unfortunately things had not gone as planned, the campers were weary of their strategies from the beginning. The boy in question even found out her plan and stated it in an infuriating tone right in front of her. The arrogance just screamed for her to rip it to shreds but in the end it was she who fell. An arrogant confidence was well founded when the skill they spoke of was evidently present as they fought.
In a few moments two hunters were down, she had cursed herself at their own overconfidence leading them to lose numbers but it did little. All her preparations, with hunters hiding in the forest and the two she sent ahead were seen through. Even with arrows aimed at him he still managed to avoid them and pose a difficult if not insurmountable challenge.
The horn sounded to put a close to any hope she held. His words were accurate, they rushed forward to get the flag as soon as possible but left their own poorly defended. In the end it was her first loss as a lieutenant of the hunt. The first loss of the hunt as a whole against the campers.
More than that she had lost many things to this male. Pride being the most notable but the most valuable was the sword in his hand. It was a fleeting glance, so close to her throat, close enough for her to admire the blade and loathe it with every fibre of her being, and for far longer than she thought she could bear.
Harsh memories were refreshed, the kind she loathed. The memories of a profoundly disgusting male that showed her how cruel the world really was. A male that left her wandering around the forest for days, eating whatever she could, hoping it wasn't poisonous while pining for solace.
Artemis brought salvation with the hunt and her view changed, one of solace was changed to unconditional retribution against the disgusting male. She never quite received it but she followed her mistress to forever save maidens from the grasp of traitorous males.
Such unfulfilled revenge left Zoe in turmoil. Always she saw the piercing blue eyes and the rueful smirk adorned upon the disgusting male's face as a constant memory that would never fade.
"Unexpectedly it was a satisfying game Ms. Nightshade. I look forward to another."
Zoe's eyes snapped to attention at the male's voice before her. As her eyes rose she expected to see a disgustingly familiar visage but she was left surprised to find no rueful smirk nor indignant eyes that looked down on everything. It was just a pleased if not sincere smile.
It was an odd change and Zoe grudgingly nodded her head. Perhaps her mind was clouded in constant hatred but the male before her seemed as clear as glass. She could only re-evaluate her view or else there would be no way she could explain her thoughts.
The male proved to be a suitable challenge, the likes she hadn't encountered since playing this boring game. Artemis would definitely be interested.
Everything else became a blur as the world came crashing down around her. Pleasantries left her mouth but she paid little heed.
Artemis. She had entirely forgot about worrying for Artemis and instead desired to crush an arrogant male. Now everything just came back and she barely registered what happened around her.
The world seemed to spin and her thoughts ceased to exist under the unbearable choking atmosphere that presented itself. Minutes appeared to pass as Zoe's mind attempted to regain clarity.
The standing corpse with glowing green eyes didn't help.
"This is impossible," Chiron said incredulously. "It… she has never left the attic. Never."
The creak of the mummified corpse adhered to Chiron's statement in more ways than one.
The invisible pressure increased as the mummy turned, creaking from its neck as flakes of skin fell to the ground. The sounds ceased when the glowing green eyes settled on Zoe, the eerie dead but somehow living eyes.
I am the spirit of Delphi, the voice said, the mouth moved and cracked but no sound actually came out of it. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.
Zoe flinched at the raspy voice emanating from her mind, echoing about as if her skull were a cathedral.
Approach, Seeker, and ask.
The opportunity came, oddly enough the corpse went out of its way to come to her. Only with Apollo's will could such a thing happen. Still she was anxious of the prophecy she desired. Swallowing the saliva on her tongue, she spoke. "What must I do to help my goddess?"
The form of Artemis vaguely appeared, semi-transparent and suffering from some unknown force, her face scrunched in anguish as she attempted to defend herself. Chains on her ankles bound her in place. It was an eerily similar vision to the one in her dream.
Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
The Titan's curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent's hand.
Zoe's breath paused at the end. Such an action was lost as her mind strayed over the words and felt the morbid ending like a vice constrict upon her throat. The prophecy she wanted was not good at all, two would be lost and she had a feeling that one would be her.
Taking a step forward, Zoe tried to say something, anything, but found herself at a loss for both word and thought. It mattered not anyway as she soon found out. The oracle, or maybe just the corpse, lay on the ground collecting dust once again as if it had never moved.
Zoe remained in a trance as the campers left back to their cabins, barely noticing the mummy being carted away.
"Come on Zoe." The world focused at the solemn voice of Chiron. His tall figure cast a long dark shadow upon the snow and herself.
"Tis not good Chiron" she mumbled darkly.
Chiron shook his head slowly. "No it is not" he whispered. She knew what he meant by his grim expression alone, if he went then he would likely die from Kronos.
o - o - o - o - o
Zoe stalked into the big house with a calm facade, one honed through years of service under Artemis. Five hunter, just five hunters including herself could get there faster.
Choose your members wisely. The thought was abrupt and prophetic. Words a male had said no less but Hestia insinuated she should listen to him. Perhaps it wasn't best to go on instinct but she had misgivings about the campers.
Zoe slowly took a seat, being careful to remain composed and hide the fragility she felt. Across from her sat Percy and Thalia. One empty seat for Hera's cabin leader along with the rest of the campers Zoe didn't know nor care about.
Many were males unfortunately, still she noted the daughter of Aphrodite but discarded her as unsuitable for the hunt due to age. The daughter of Demeter looked interesting but Zoe's gaze fell to her own clenched hands and banished all thoughts of new hunters from her mind.
Glancing at those present her gaze kept coming back to the male, Percy. She had to take note of his name now that he defeated her. Though arrogant his mind was sharp, or at least sharper than other males.
Percy sat with both arms on the armrests while examining everyone around him and looking completely relaxed but there was more to it than his expression. Just the way he was seated gave off an impression of absolute calm and control though barely noticeable, not like an Olympian would but similar.
The sea green eyes noticed and caught her gaze but she didn't feel like he was seeing her but something else, a different world from everyone else. The sight gave her a profound feeling of calm and security. Quickly she admonished herself for ever appreciating a male in anyway and turned her attention back to the others.
As per her blessing, Zoe naturally knew the time and it irked her how it seemed to escape from her grasp while Artemis suffered. An entire night flashed by and now minutes ticked by unhindered by her actions. "We hunters will leave right now" she said confidently.
"We're supposed to do this together, campers and hunters combined prevail" Thalia said.
Zoe hardly paid attention to her and glanced at Percy to see his reaction. A raised brow and a smirk of amusement was all he did which indicated that she was probably making a foolish mistake but it was her quest. She silently marvelled at the ability to put forth his point without saying a word but she doubted it would work on the unobservant.
"I am sorry Zoe, the prophecy says you do need our help lest the quest fails" Chiron stated warningly.
Dionysus took a longer than needed sip of his soda that grabbed everyone's attention.
"What if you fail because you do cooperate?" Dionysus began, the mischievous look that reminded Zoe so much of Zeus except more useless appeared on his lips as he placed his drink down on the table.
"Mr. D, whose side are you on?" Chiron grunted.
"Who knows what could happen." Dionysus shrugged dismissively and sipped his soda again. Zoe glared at the useless wine god, all he managed to do was antagonize everything which thoroughly annoyed herself and her mistress.
"We must work together, or do you want to fight a prophecy?" Thalia said stubbornly.
Artemis' life is more important. It was another abrupt thought from last night, one that assuaged Zoe's misgivings quite well. She was being childish and so she reluctantly agreed. "Very well" she said neutrally but she was quite irritated by the sway Percy's words had over her decision.
Zoe gestured for Chiron to continue.
"We must hurry, the winter solstice is in five days" Chiron warned.
A quick thought arose in Zoe's mind and she craved the momentary distraction. "Artemis must be present to make further actions against the monsters" she stated. "Without her they would do nothing."
"Are you saying that we do nothing without her?" Dionysus asked.
If he wasn't a god Zoe was absolutely certain she would have killed the male for saying such a ridiculous statement.
"Sorry Dionysus, but I must agree with Zoe" Chiron stated unapologetically to which the god shrugged. "Artemis' presence is important, we must locate her and the monster she was hunting."
"Take three hunters and two campers." Zoe's eyes snapped to Percy as she judged him, his eyes still had that indifferent but comforting look. She wondered if he desired to come along and more surprised that she felt relieved when he spoke. Almost as if she had been waiting for him to break his silence.
"It's your quest so it does make sense" Thalia commented with a noticeable calm. Much too calm for Zoe's liking, almost rehearsed but the surprise that followed in Thalia's eyes denied that thought.
"Artemis would say that too many hunters would spoil the scent… the bane of Olympus shows the trail. So you are hunting the monster and it would be best to be discrete." Chiron added.
It made sense, perfect sense to Zoe, as the words were consistently repeated by the hunters and even Artemis herself. Reluctantly she nodded her head in agreement.
"That's some serious danger you're facing" Connor said with a hint of anxiety. "It sounds like at least two are going to die."
"Prophecies can mean many things, lost does not always mean dead" Chiron said patiently. Zoe noted he did not mention the end, obviously not willing to mention that at least one will surely die.
"Still if I were you I would stay out of any deserts" Beckendorf muttered.
Everyone muttered in agreement but still looked disbelieving at the idea, to defy a prophecy was impossible.
"What about the titan's curse that one must withstand?" Silena asked.
Zoe shivered and met the eyes of Chiron, both expressed a feeling of discomfort. Zoe looked back to the campers, many looked confused or lost but Percy had his eyes shut as if he was in thought.
Percy's eyes opened with a complex look and stared directly at her making the hairs on her neck stand on end. "And one shall perish by a parent's hand" Percy said coldly, almost as if he was cursing the very words he spoke.
Zoe looked away, she couldn't bear to hear them, they were exact and undeniable and they gave her a cold feeling. Nobody said a word, giving a moment of silence that was heavy and awkward.
The silence was broken by the serious tone of Thalia. "Chiron, do you know what the monster is?"
"I do not, there are many larger monsters that were considered the bane of Olympus, such as Typhon. Even some of the titans are considered banes of Olympus. Many more that roam the waters could cause destruction the likes of which the gods haven't seen in millennia but we have heard nothing about them" Chiron sighed. The centaur's fists clenched when he mentioned the titans knowing full well that Kronos considered himself a bane of Olympus which many would agree upon.
"Very well, I will take Phoebe and Bianca with me" Zoe said. Bianca had promise, though she was frustrated to receive help from a male on potential recruits, the quest would be of great value to Bianca.
"Me? I am so new" Bianca gasped from behind her.
"You will be fine, I trust you." From the corner of her eye Zoe saw the slight nod of Percy's head, though her feelings were still undecided about his opinion on which hunters she took. Being judged by a male was quite displeasing no matter how much meagre respect she held for them.
"I would recommend taking Grover, he knows tracking magic" Percy said.
Zoe was inwardly pleased by it, he would be useful to help find the monster Artemis was hunting though the present expression on the satyr's face was disturbing.
"I'll go as well" Thalia said.
Zoe blinked for a moment before she noted five quest members accounted for. Percy did not make a sound, he said nothing as if he was expecting it and she was slightly disappointed that he was not joining them. Shaking the inappropriate thoughts from her head she thought of his actions when they first met in an attempt to bolster her certainty and accepted Thalia's offer. Leaving the big house, she went straight to Artemis' cabin to brood.
o - o - o - o - o
For the dozenth time that night, Nico's eyes opened to stare at the darkness of the ceiling above. Small flashes of bronze metal glinted in hidden corners under beds and pillows. Celestial bronze. He still had trouble dealing with the sharp change in his perspective.
He was a demigod. An unclaimed demigod but a demigod, a son of a god.
Presently he was in the Hermes cabin, attempting to sleep but the action failed him. Turning to his side, he winced in pain. The bruise on his shoulder throbbed, who would have thought he would get a sucker punch from an arrow. A bright red gloved fist on an arrow.
An arrow from a hunter, a group his sister felt more at home than with him. He was lonely though he didn't show it. His sister barely talked to him and his cabin mates, if he would call them that were fun to a point. But they always reminded him that not even his godly parent wanted him.
Bianca.
Nico was terrified for her. She wasn't just going away but on a quest. But one that entailed the death of at least one.
Only someone strong could protect her but he knew few but one. Percy. A demigod of Poseidon and unbelievably strong. So much so that Nico could even tell how everyone else venerated him.
Nico couldn't help but hate Percy for breaking apart himself and his sister but now he could only look from afar.
Reaching for his cards beside him, he flipped through until he came across Poseidon. God of the seas and the earth shaker. One of the big three as everyone else called it. Percy was strong and what was he?
Perhaps he could just ask his sister to not go?
Nico stumbled over the thought. It always came down to asking his sister. Not that she would listen to a word he said anymore. He didn't want Bianca to go on the quest but she had already refused his plea. It was her choice and now he couldn't even make a decision.
What did he want? For Bianca to not go on the quest or for… Bianca to survive?
Nico was aware his skills were lacking but a demigod who had more than enough strength was there, one who owed him for taking his sister away.
o - o - o - o - o
Percy looked over camp as he walked to the stables, he had one last thing to do before he left and that was to go meet Blackjack. Walking towards the stables, he found the winged horse to be gone. It was expected as Blackjack hardly ever stayed in the stables anyway. From what he remembered they were apparently beneath him and they didn't serve donuts but he still came in to flirt with the mares.
Bringing his fingers to his mouth, Percy released a low piercing whistle over the sandy beach and waited until he heard the flapping of wings in the cold air. A black Pegasus hidden in the dark night took shape frantically flapping his wings, eager to please his master.
Percy smiled wryly as Blackjack abruptly landed and skipped around him.
"Boss, you're alive!" The same old addressal was heart-warming, only Blackjack would have this kind of devotion. "Man I thought you would have died, not that you really would have but word travels fast."
Blackjack rushed up and peeked close to check. "Meh, they must have been lying, I mean you are number one."
Percy chuckled. "Yes I am alive Blackjack, but enough of that, do you think you could give me a ride."
"Really boss?!" Excitement laced the Pegasus' voice, it seems he had missed the company. "Is it to the donut shop down the road?"
Perhaps not.
"No, I need to go down the beach and back here before we head to Washington."
Blackjack paused in thought before clacking his hooves on the ground and buffeting the air with his wings. "Really boss, finally a long trip. We should stop at that donut shop on the way."
"Is donuts all you care about?"
"Well no of course not, it's been like a century since you've been here! We finally get to go on a trip!" Blackjack all but screamed. Somehow Percy got the feeling Blackjack was lying, he took note to bring a little extra cash if he could find any in his cabin.
The Pegasus' body shivered in anticipation as Percy mounted, almost to the point that Percy believed Blackjack would bolt right now. "Let's go!" Blackjack cantered forward and his muscles bunched together before releasing the energy.
Immediately they took off in a frenzy fuelled by Blackjack's excitement. Percy enjoyed the feeling of flying once again until Blackjack interrupted it.
"What are we looking for boss?"
"A… sea cow" Percy said, still he was unsure what exactly the Ophiotaurus was classified as.
"Cows can swim in the sea?"
"No, it's like a cow but has the body of a snake."
Blackjack went silent in thought, almost like a human would but then it was over. "A mutant monster then? Like Frankenstein."
Percy stared at Blackjack wondering how a horse even knew of Frankenstein. "The Stoll brothers?"
Black whinnied incoherently keeping his sources hidden. Percy shook his head and focused on the sea.
Flying down the beach, he pushed his senses outwards over the sea and deep into the water to find the little beast. Eventually he sensed three hippocampi swimming in circles in the water around a fourth long snake like monster.
"Over there" Percy pointed it out and Blackjack swooped down to hover a metre from the roiling sea.
"Wait here Blackjack."
"Yes boss!" Blackjack said.
Swinging his leg over the side, Percy slid off Blackjack's back and fell into the cold black sea. The water flashed past him like a gentle breeze while Percy sank down by his own will. The light from the stars and the moon waned until the sea was almost pitch black but Percy could still make out the Ophiotaurus.
"My Lord!" the hippocampi whinnied. The hippocampi swam circles around him chanting my lord. "Free it."
Percy nodded and the smallest hippocampus came to rub against him affectionately. Percy rubbed the hippocampus' head and drifted closer to the Ophiotaurus. The monster was trapped in the net under a boat with rings of fishing net wrapped around its entire length leaving Percy clueless of how it even got stuck in the first place.
"Bessie" he chuckled. The little cow serpent was wriggling in the tangled net furiously but to no avail.
With a flick if his wrist the boat was lifted from above and thrown tens of meters away, smashing into the coral and shattering into pieces. The action frightened the Ophiotaurus but Percy placed his hand upon its head and rubbed it to soothe the monster's worries.
"It's okay Bessie" Percy said slowly.
The black beady eyes previously filled with worry got wide and affectionate, basically the cow version of puppy dog eyes. The Ophiotaurus whined as it leaned forward to get closer only to be restrained by the net.
"Stay still" Percy murmured gently.
The net was more annoying. Percy began to untangle it by hand to avoid frightening the animal any further and after what seemed like an hour later the little sea cow was free.
Bessie nuzzled up against him before swimming away, quickly vanishing in the darkness for another body of water.
Surfacing slowly, Percy lifted himself up out of the water and climbed onto Blackjacks back. Percy gestured for Blackjack to go but he didn't budge an inch.
"Blackjack?"
"I want a dozen donuts." Percy blanched. When did his Pegasus become so greedy?
"A dozen?"
"Two dozen" the response was monotone but was followed by a whinny.
Percy rolled his eyes, he never thought a day would come where Blackjack would attempt to get the better of him. "One dozen."
Blackjack acceded to his request and made haste back to camp while naming all the donuts he wanted. Percy meanwhile grimaced at the thought, he didn't have any money nor could he summon any.
o - o - o - o - o
Nico shivered and pulled his old coat tighter around him. Before he was a little disgruntled about borrowing someone else's old jacket but he soon realized he didn't have any of his own. It was the best he had, in fact better than the others he had before.
Having knocked on the cabin behind him, he received no answer and could only sit on the porch to wait. He didn't dare walk in after Connor told him outright to never enter another god's cabin or risk being smited.
"Nico?"
Nico glanced up at the voice and sniffed, his nose was starting to tingle from the cold. His eyes widened at the sight of Percy walking towards him in a light sweater.
"Were you waiting for me?" Percy asked with concern
Nico nodded stiffly and his eyes couldn't help but darken.
"Give me a minute, I just need to get some things."
Nico followed him with his eyes until he disappeared into the cabin. It was a brief moment before Percy came back out with a small bag hanging over his right shoulder.
Percy took a seat on the stairs beside him. His form was much larger than his own, only impressing on Nico that he was making the right choice. "So…"
Nico grimaced at the easy smile on Percy's face. "I want your help."
The son of Poseidon slowly gazed at him, taking in everything before he shook his head with dissatisfaction. Percy still had some pride from being a god and Nico had not understood his previous words. "No."
Nico shook in surprise. He couldn't help but wonder what more this person wanted from him. "You owe me" he growled.
There was a change in the atmosphere that Nico finally became aware of. It was getting colder and he felt his jacket wasn't up to par anymore. The chill up his spine scared him, like someone was watching him, someone well above him.
The cold sea green eyes that seemed to pierce through his very being appeared to be the cause. "Do I? Do I owe you anything Nico? How could I owe you something Nico?" Percy said coldly.
Nico shivered and grit his teeth. It was the power of someone stronger that blatantly told him he was weak. Maybe if I was stronger, Bianca would have stayed. "You took my sister away from me. You made her join the hunt."
Percy chuckled callously and again shook his head. "Nico, if your sister asked to join the hunt of her own free will, would I still owe you?"
"She didn't! You made her join them! You tricked her into leaving me!" Nico shouted and clenched his fists in his jacket's sleeves. "You took my sister from me and now she is in danger."
"But it is what she wanted Nico. You haven't listened to a single thing I said. She would have joined the hunt sooner or later and you would have been angry with her for leaving you. Instead now you hate me for telling her about the hunt early."
Nico stood, he couldn't bear to be near someone so infuriating. He couldn't help but question his previous decision. "She wouldn't have! She would have stayed with me!"
The cold green eyes were back and Nico shivered again. They looked inhuman again, the eyes of the strong.
"She would have, you are just too blind to see it Nico." Percy paused and removed the callousness from his tone. "She made her choice, now you can answer me. What do you want to do? You have your life here at camp but you have made no attempt to make it better. All you have done is hope your sister will come back to you but she will remain in the hunt. So tell me… what do you want?"
Nico snarled, he balled his fists and swung wildly.
Before Nico knew it, his fist was twisted back painfully and he arched his back to alleviate the pain. Percy hadn't moved an inch though and gave him the same disappointed stare.
"What do you want?"
Nico huffed and writhed but he was too weak. "I want- I want you to save her. I don't want her to die on this quest!"
"Why?"
"Because-" Nico found he didn't really know. Having stopped moving he could only think of why he wanted Percy to help her. "Because you are strong, I'm not strong enough to do it."
Percy stared deeply into his eyes before his grip loosened. "So now you have your answer. Bianca made her choice to seek strength in the hunt. She tempered her resolve and sought freedom as well. You also seek strength to protect her but have done nothing so far, still camp is the perfect place to learn how to fight."
Nico cradled his shoulder and stared in shock at the abrupt change in attitude. There was no hint of coldness in Percy's voice anymore. Neither did Nico care because he found his answer staring in his face.
"Will you protect her… until I can?" Nico stuttered.
Percy stood coming shoulder to shoulder. "Campers aren't allowed to leave without permission, besides they already have their quest members."
"But you're going aren't you?" Nico pointed to his bag. "You are leaving."
Percy smiled, it was a lot warmer than before and friendly. "It's true."
Taking another step, Percy passed him impassively.
Nico's heart stopped and dread overcame him. "Please protect her."
"I never said I wouldn't protect her Nico."
Nico spun around hopefully. "Will you really? Can you swear on it? Travis said you all take oaths seriously."
Percy nodded and turned to face him, eyeing him speculatively. "I swear to protect her."
"You won't forget will you?" An idea popped into his head and Nico rifled through his cards in his pocket. "I have this card, it talks about oaths and I want you to take it with you to remember to protect Bianca."
It was the river of Styx, forcing the opponent to only place face up cards while in play. It was one of the few his sister bought for him as well.
Percy eyed it curiously and smirked. "Nico, your cards are more real than you think. The river of Styx is real and the oath is very real as well. These are a gift from your father no doubt."
Nico trembled, my father? He didn't know it was his father that was a god.
"I swear on the river Styx to protect you sister on the quest and bring her back."
The words were spoken before Nico knew it and the sky seemed to roar to life. There were no clouds which left Nico puzzled by the rumbling.
"There, I don't need your card Nico, I made the oath and am bound to it. If your sister doesn't come back then I won't either." Percy said solemnly as he handed back the card.
Nico stood in a daze after he read the final words on the card. If it was real, failure for a demigod in upholding the oath on the Styx meant death. Styx would claim their soul for herself and shred it in her river.
Nico shivered at the thought and looked back up to find Percy gone. His view had changed much in a short conversation with Percy but he saw something in him. It was boundless confidence that could overcome anything. It was strength that could overcome adversity and something Nico admired greatly.
For a short moment Nico smiled childishly before he went back to his cabin.
Well I would like to thank everyone for the reviews. I do appreciate all of them and read them all when I had the chance. I do hope everyone will continue to enjoy it, no promises though as I have had stories where at some point the outside of the box is too abstract for me to bear with. In all honesty when I reread the story, some parts I really like (unsurprisingly not this chapter), and other are just meant to narrate that some key point has been taken care of so there are fewer plot holes later on. God those are annoying to deal with, I swear I looked at the map of America and summed up miles to see if stuff was possible.
May as well address DarkGamer159 too cause that was quite a review, admittedly it gave me an idea of something and I had to add it in because it suited where I wanted the story to go, so thank you. I do try to go for realistic story in the context of what Rick Riordan has written.
Percy's relationship with Artemis previously will be further explained later on in the story. Though it isn't anything profound, it's more interesting letting Percy discover the odd traits Artemis will have, or I hope to illustrate, which is quite funny to write. Most of that will occur between the books, I intend to write new content for those to narrate some back story for some things as well as develop some characters and their relationships.
The struggle of Percy coping with being mortal, well this was the part that gave me an idea for a much later chapter. Though admittedly I could have done more, something significant won't really appear for a while. Percy is kind of aware he is significantly weaker though, well I hope i indicated that, I have had to edit stuff quite a lot and keeping consistency became a challenge.
The Percy and Apollo thing, well this is a very abstract topic, which will be elaborated later on but well Percy is not exactly all there. I'll leave it at that because it is a very big topic that is a significant plot and explains some of Percy's character.
Anyway, poor Nico, he has his embarrassing moments, but they only appear super far later on.