Sacrifices
The Island of Delos, where infidelity and lies stay. Home to many stories, the island has certainly seen its days of heartbreak and happiness. It's the birthplace of two Olympian gods and the safe haven for a wronged Titan. The island was the second important site for the Ancient Greeks, second only to Delphi.
It was a beautiful piece of land, the nature making the beauty literally breathtaking. Nymphs love to plant their trees there, flooding the island with large, full, and thick oaks, maples, and willow trees. A lake near one end of the island, the water blessed to be pure by the King of Atlantis himself. There is a brilliant mountain on the other end, with a cave carved out near the base, where the mistreated master of the island lays.
Of course, the dark history shrouding the island was because of none other than then the King of Olympus himself. Lusting after a woman that wasn't his wife, Zeus approached Leto in an attempt to seduce her. The Titanide was not as informed as the rest of the Greek world was of Zeus and his wife, though she denied any relations with the Sky God anyway, feeling it wasn't right. Zeus, however, was persistent and eventually got what he wanted.
When the Queen of the Gods learned of Leto's pregnancy, anger was more than what was felt by Hera. She dramatically banished Leto to the ends of the Earth, and when the Titanide turned to her lover he was nowhere to be found. Poseidon frowned upon the cowardice of his younger brother and decided to take responsibility for Zeus' adultery.
Taking pity on her, Poseidon brought some of his kingdom's builders and constructors to fashion a home out of the base of the mountain on Delos. As Leto lessened her grieving on Amphitrite's shoulders(at this time the sea goddess has yet to feel the pain of being cheated on), the Sea God provided the island as a refuge from Hera's wrath and a safe place to give birth in peace.
One day Leto laid under a palm tree to give birth, but couldn't as Hera forbade her daughter, who was a goddess of Birth, to aide her. The goddesses started to feel bad and convinced Hera to pity Leto. Hera agreed, but to only help one child. The goddess was there to help Leto give birth to Artemis, and quickly briefed the newborn godling on how to be a midwife. Though it took an entire day, Artemis was successful and helped her mother give birth to her younger brother, Apollo.
The twin gods stayed upon Delos for one decade, before their father finally decided to make an appearance. Though there were many protests, Zeus took them to Olympus where they received their domains. That marked the end of the mortal-known history of the ancient island, but not the godly-known history.
Once they received their domains both, Artemis and Apollo, flashed back home. There were no protests that time, only tears. Not from Leto though. The Titanide was extremely proud of her children and the domains they received. Even so, she wanted them to visit as much as possible, and both accepted the compromise immediately. Only one of them kept their promise.
Until today that is.
Near the lake side of the island, Silverlight submerged everything around it. Once the light dimmed, two dozen females came into view. The one in the front bore gleaming silver eyes and rich auburn hair. The air of superiority that normally radiated off of her was nowhere to be found, which would be normal. Not keeping promises to your mother, and not showing up for over two millennia would do that to anyone.
Zoe watched as Artemis took a deep breath, and allowed nostalgia to take over her mistress' mind. The day was out of sync with her mood, but the beauty of nature was slowly calibrating it. The trees surrounding her and her hunters towered above them but only making them feel more at home. The familiar whizzing churrs of crickets grasped a hold on the moon goddess' nerves, threatening to jumble them up or smoothing them out.
Zoe was in awe of the scenery around her, and of the tranquility of the forest in front of her. She turned around swiftly to view the basin behind her. It was dazzling, the lake wasn't connected to the ocean, yet there were waves dousing the grass alongside it. The color was a skyline-silver, akin to her mistress' eyes but the same as her brother's. There were deer and does drinking from the lake, and trout dive bombing into it.
She slowly returned her gaze to her mistress in took in the forest in front of her. It took a moment for the demititan to realize that this was where Artemis was raised, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. The Daughter of Atlas grew up on a mountain with the only thing holding beauty was the garden she was born to guard, whilst the Daughter of Zeus grew up with never-ending forests and deep blue lakes. Seems to Zoe that no matter how you are born, being the King's offspring meant a life of luxury.
She leaned on the balls of her feet, hearing the twigs crunching under her. There were all types of animals to hunt, but unlike normal creatures, they didn't run away. Hares were scampering around the trees, squirrels fighting over acorns. It was morning time, and the forest's smell was fresh and natural, more so than ever before. It wasn't hard for Zoe to notice just why Artemis loved doing what she did.
"Lady Artemis," Zoe turned to the owner of the voice: Floria. "If you don't mind me asking, where are we? I've been following you for a long time, and not once have we ever been to a place as amazing as this."
The Lieutenant of the Hunt focused her gaze on her superior. Artemis' shoulders were slightly slumped, head just barely dipped, and hand twitching. The maiden goddess was nervous and Zoe couldn't figure out why. Artemis took a deep breath to steady herself and said, "This… is Delos. This… this… this is my childhood home."
Gasps were heard throughout the clearing, and the demititan didn't need to look over at her sisters to shock was painted on their faces. The murmurs and whispers came just as quickly, but with a quick glare from Zoe, all was a silent as the forest around them.
"Milady," Zoe called out, her tone hidden with something angry, "Why did you bring us to the island of Delos?"
She watched as Artemis flinched at her tone, and a sliver of guilt wormed its way into Zoe's heart. Sure, Artemis was an Olympian goddess while also being a Daughter of Zeus, but she was more in tune with mortals than anyone else on Olympus. And when the goddess' best friend of over three thousand years can't even look at her without glaring, anyone would flinch as well.
In all honesty, the goddess hasn't been the same for over a year now. It's June now, and last month marked a full year without Percy. What's worse, no one has the slightest clue on where the Son of Artemis was. No tracks or anything. It was affecting everyone physically and emotionally, including the newer hunters. After Phoebe clearly showed she would no longer tolerate any smack talk about Percy, everyone eventually turned over a new leaf. At least, when the Daughter of Ares was around.
The stress was most evident on Artemis, though. Her eyes, for the first time in Greek history, had bags underneath them. Her hair and appearance looking as if a mortal mother's child was kidnapped. Zoe could recall when her mistress went a full month without showering. Some of the kinder hunters at the time had to coax the Olympian into cleaning herself and taking a minor break.
It didn't help, but it did lower the intensity Artemis had them running at. They expected to go at full speed all over again today, but instead, the goddess told them to circle up and here they are now. Artemis took another breath, with time a little shuddering, and started, "I have to meet someone. I thought it was about time that I take you all to go see my mother."
She didn't wait for anyone to speak and started to move forward. The hunters followed, too entranced by the forest to start gossiping to one another.
Their trot lasted the entirety of five minutes before singing was heard. It was angelic, melodious, and appealing. The words were in Ancient Greek, and as Zoe listened she was able to pick up on the lines of the song. The song that was being sung was so beautiful that the hunters found themselves being drawn to the voice as if it was hypnotizing them. Artemis' shoulders were slumping down more and more as she followed the voice, like a child expecting a horrible punishment.
Soon a woman came into view, with shimmering gold hair. Her body swayed with the song she was singing, as she was tending to flowers of a rather large garden. At the approach of the hunters though, came the abrupt end to her hymn. As the lady looked up, the hunters couldn't help the sound of surprise that came from their mouths, including Zoe. As the gardener in front of them had deep amber colored eyes and a face that was alike to Artemis.
"Hello, mother." Artemis was suddenly shy, childishly digging her feet into the ground. Suddenly her body was jerked backward, as slender arms were wrapped around Artemis' body.
"My little Aura," she whispered, combing her fingers through the Goddess of the Hunt's hair.
Phoebe nudged Zoe's side to get her attention, her eyes asking a silent question. When Zoe mouthed her answer, the Daughter of Ares' eyes widened in shock. This was Leto, Titan goddess of Modesty and Kindness. Also known as, the mother of the twin gods: Artemis and Apollo.
Leto held her daughter as close to her as possible as if it was all a dream and she was trying as hard as she could to make it into a reality. Artemis, though, was a wreck the moment she touched Leto, sobbing into her mother's chest(she was still shorter than her mom, even as a twenty-year-old adult.), making said mother pull back.
"My little Aura," she repeated, "Are you well? Why are you crying?"
"I have done wrong by you!" Artemis was all over the place, falling to her knees, tears falling all over the flowers below her like a storm. Some of the Hunt began to shift their bodies' nervously, not feeling comfortable about being around this intimate moment.
Leto looked her child with confusion, "Artemis, I'm afraid I don't understand." Her tone was soft and innocent like she wasn't used and taken advantage of in the past.
It only served to make her daughter cry harder, "I promised, Mother. I promised! I was supposed to visit you and not be sidetracked with my duties. I broke my promise… I'm sorry."
Never once has any hunter seen this side of their mistress. Even when a fellow hunter dies. Artemis was screaming hysterically before transitioning into sniffing softly. There were times where the Hunt has to pick one another up when feeling down, but no one was equipped to aid Artemis. Thankfully, Leto wasn't just any huntress.
The Titanide knelt down to be level with her daughter, and once again brought her into another tight hold. "Oh, Artemis. You must have been busy with your domains to think about me. Don't worry, I completely understand. Even so, I have missed you incredibly. It is such a blessing to have such caring children."
Artemis positioned herself in her mother's lap and looked at her hands, "What do you mean?"
"Apollo visits often, and when he does he complains about you a lot. He gets so worked up when he wasn't even the one stuck on Delos. And you, getting so worked up because you forgot to visit. You know I would never hold something so trivial to you. You're my baby girl, my only daughter, I love you too much to be angry with you."
Artemis eyes were wide but she nodded nonetheless. Always forgiving, never holding a grudge. Forgive and forget. Leto didn't even want an answer to the reason of her disappearance, just automatically knowing it wasn't her fault, even when it was. Why couldn't I just follow her example?
Leto didn't know why, but the sadness radiating from her daughter was strong. From kind to stern, the Titanide moved Artemis off of her lap to look at her, "Now you have to tell me what's the problem."
If possible, Artemis eyes grew even wider, "N-no mother. Nothing is the problem, just scared of seeing you again is all."
"Yes, I know. Yet, there is still something amiss. Call it mother's intuition." Leto stopped looking at Artemis for the audience around them. "How about you start with beautiful young ladies behind you."
Leto gave each and every hunter a once over, noticing Artemis' aura all over them, but also noticing the different facial features of every one of them. With a small glare, Leto turned back to her daughter, "Artemis, you haven't been sleeping around with random gods, have you? You are still the Goddess of the Chaste, correct?"
That woke the moon goddess up, and Artemis was on her feet in front of the Hunt as quick as her feet could move her. Her face was flushed red and her hunters' faces were look-alikes. "No, no, mother. As a deal, Father would let me have a group of followers if I agreed to be a maiden. Obviously, I agreed."
Leto's face was contorted for a moment before softening into a small smile and Artemis realized she just revealed the reason why she never visited. She started stuttering out random excuses, before her mother quieted her down, "Hush my little Aura. I told you are already forgiven, I'm just glad my daughter is here. Now come on, introduce me to all these lovely young ladies, and then we'll speak about whatever is bothering you later."
Artemis wanted to protest that she is fine but knew it was pointless. So instead, she looked over to Zoe with a pleading look. They had a small stare down, but before Leto could notice she took a step forward. Artemis took a deep breath and turned back to her mother.
"Mother, allow me to introduce Zoe, the Lieutenant of my Hunt…"
Out of all the places hidden in the Underworld, Elysium had to be Perseus' favorite.
As being the Ambassador of Hades, he is allowed to explore almost every inch of the Underworld, except for the Isles of the Blest. It didn't faze Perseus, as he enjoyed voyaging into the Elysian Fields all the same.
There wasn't any way that anybody could enter Elysium and hate being there. A place reserved for good mortals, heroes, and demigods who fought for Olympus and died a hero's death. Sometimes mortals or demigods can be chosen and marked by a god for Elysium, where they can live a blessed and happy afterlife. They could even take up any job they enjoyed in life, or just lay about in peace. If you made it, you could direct your life whichever way you chose.
Made by Chaos herself, the beauty of the Isles and Elysium make even the city of Olympus pale in comparison. Only the Lord and Lady of the Underworld may enter, and those that they chose. Hades, not being very fond of Zeus and his children, never let Athena see the grand city, annoying the goddess to no end.
It was a shame though, as it was one of the smallest realms in the Underworld. The size couldn't be any larger than Italy, while Asphodel was the size of Russia and Europe combined. Isles of the Blest were hidden on a small island in Elysium, and it wasn't all that occupied. Most heroes who try for the Blest, don't really make it. Their second life not fulfilling enough, they were unfortunately sent to Asphodel. Not every time period called for warriors, and sometimes an entire generation of mortals can only go to Asphodel.
With white stone marble lined with the purest of gold and silver, Perseus couldn't help but visit. It was a great valley, surrounded by walls taller than the ones that were built around Troy. There is no day or night cycle and no reason for sleep, so there is never a moment where laughter could not be heard. The smell of barbecue wafted far beyond the gated community into the Fields of Asphodel, enticing the mindless souls for an eternal tease.
What lied inside Elysium was even more enchanting. Large neighborhoods filled to the brim with beautiful houses, yet still being spacious enough for running around and playing. The houses varied from multiple time periods, from Roman villas, medieval castles, Victorian mansions, and even modern condos. The gardens could make Demeter weep, which they did when Persephone showed her everything, with glowing flowers, and sparkling lawns. The grass was the only thing that caught Perseus off guard, as the rippled in rainbow colors.
Of everything though, Perseus enjoyed the children. If under the age of twelve and are killed, Elysium is where they go no matter what. Perseus envied them slightly, as they were stuck as children and the Ambassador of Hades enjoyed his childhood greatly.
"Bye Percy!" The children yelled out in unison. They ran out to the den mothers, respected women who were deemed Elysium or chosen by a god for Elysium.
Perseus waved as they all scampered off, their never-ending excitement rubbing off of him. Once they disappeared around the corner, he looked around, seeing where he could explore to next. It was only his third visit and he wanted it to be special. Three was the lucky number when it came to the Greeks.
He had already visited the dead hunters, which was an experience in itself. It was probably the first time he had been at the receiving of silver arrows. I guess introducing myself as Artemis' child wasn't exactly helpful. The ancient heroes, heroes of old, whatever you want to call them, was a definite no. Perseus has only known them for a week, and will only see them when he needs to see them.
It was a breath of fresh air for Perseus, there was even a forest. He couldn't help but think about how it was a such a wonderful resting place. And he couldn't help but think that he would've been here had his mother been successful in giving him up to Zeus. That he would've been here, and not able to leave. Dead, by his own mother's hand.
Perseus fell to his knees clutching his head, as it was throbbing uncontrollably. It didn't last long, only for a few moments. When the pain died down, he felt someone pulling him up by his arm. His vision was still a little blurry as he felt himself be seated onto something, most likely a bench as it was littered everywhere across Elysium.
When his vision cleared he was met with the sight of a concerned lady. She was quite beautiful, with deep, wavy ginger-brown hair. Her eyes were… well, eye-catching, with luminous sapphire orbs. Her beauty was astounding, and she couldn't be any older than twenty.
"Are you alright? I saw you fall and helped you up to the bench. You couldn't be sick, this is Elysium." Her voice was kind and soft, and Perseus didn't know why, but her voice captivated his entire attention. He knew she had to have died recently, as morbid as that sounds, but no one from the Victorian era spoke her dialect.
Perseus shook his head, "No, no, I'm fine. Don't worry about it, it happens more times than I can count."
The woman nodded but still had a frown on her face. He didn't like that, for whatever reason making him feel like he did something horrible. Perseus just didn't like that look on her face. She sat down next him and gave him a once-over with her eyes, "Really? Why?"
"I don't really know."
"Alright, then. Well, I've never seen you around here before. Did you just… pass away or…"
Perseus wanted to laugh at how hesitant she was but felt it would be rude. "I'm actually still alive. I'm the Ambassador of Hades, the house not the god."
She shook his hand that he held out, not hiding her surprised look. "Oh, well that's nice."
"Yeah, it's an experience. Right now it isn't actually all that nice. But, how about you? What was your life before you ended up here if you don't mind me asking of course."
He thought she didn't. That was the thing with these dead heroes and demigods. Even the mortals, they all just seem to accept the fact that they died and have no trouble talking about their past life. As quick he said it though, the woman in front of him began looking down and playing with his fingers, making Perseus add in the last part.
"It's fine, it's as if I'm going to cause any problems by telling my past life. For the majority of life, there isn't anything worth telling. I didn't have a lot family, I grew up with my uncle for most of my teenage years. Even then, I had to take care of him."
Perseus raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I don't mean to be rude, but how did that get you into Elysium? Did you help your uncle out of a funk or something?"
"No, he died during my senior year in high school. It was the summer after when the highlights of my short life came. I… I met someone."
"And was this a good someone?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Perseus bit his lip as he thought, "Did, whoever you met, lead to you arriving in Elysium early?"
"...Yes. Wait, No! Actually, indirectly he is responsible for my death. But I know it wasn't intentional. Just the hand of the Fates, nothing anyone can do about it."
The Ambassador of Hades noticed her word choice: Fate. When he thought about it, she never questioned his position, and plenty of the residents of Elysium were surprised of him talking of the gods. "Just who exactly did you meet?"
She opened her mouth but no words came out. She rushed out her words when she tried again, "Look, you may not believe me. But, the someone was Poseidon, as in–"
"God of the Seas," Perseus breathed out, also feeling his heartbeat at a million times per minute at the prospect of who he could be talking to. "Sally? Sally Jackson?"
Sally had a sharp intake a breath before nodding her head. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously however and said, "Yes, that's my name. How do you know?"
"Because my name is Perseus. As in Perseus Jackson."
Sally physically stopped. Her eyes were comically wide, with an open mouth covered by her hand. Her sapphire eyes began to water as she began to eye him. Perseus didn't know what to do, he never actually expected to meet this woman, only knowing her name from his mother.
Sally did, however, and rushed forward to bring him in for a hug. He returned in full, and just held the woman close to him as she dug her head into his chest. He knew what he should then without words being said. After a while, her shoulders began to shake and Perseus' eyes widened in alarm.
"Sally? Are you alright?"
She didn't respond and just kept him close. When he repeated the question again, she jumped out of his hands as if he was on fire. "I'm sorry. It's just that… I mean, when I came to Elysium, I thought… I just never expected that…"
Something broke inside Perseus at her attempts to speak. All the setbacks and heartbreaks in her life, and for him to show up when he, quite literally, shouldn't have… It was surreal. Then again, he didn't want her to feel like this.
"I feel the same way. I always have known about you but I never thought I would meet you. I mean… you're my birth mother, my actual true mother and–"
"Wait, wait, wait." Sally stopped the waterworks momentarily and grabbed his hands. She looked him dead in the eyes and whispered, "I'm not your mother Perc‐ Perseus. I left you with Artemis, she's your mother."
Perseus felt his world crumble, and suddenly the laughter stopped. The land around him lost his shine, and he could only hear footsteps. The silence was deafening, crowding his thoughts and overtaking his emotions. He started breathing heavily before returning his focus to Sally. He sat there for about thirty seconds until he found himself in Elysium again.
The Ambassador of Hades licked his lips, "What are you talking about? Of course, you're my mother. You gave birth to me, not her."
"And that's it Perseus, I am- breathe Perseus," Sally shuffled closer to him and began to pat the back of the hyperventilating demigod beside her. "Now you listen to me. I am the woman who gave birth to you, and that is as far as I go."
"How can you just say that?" he tried to pull his hands away but she somehow kept a grip on him, "Doesn't it hurt at all?"
"More than you could ever imagine."
"Then why would you–"
"Because that's the way it is supposed to be!" Her outburst scared Perseus right down to his core. She shoved his hands away but kept her angry gaze directed at him, he began to watch her with the fear of a four-year-old watching his first horror movie. "That is the way everything was supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to keep you. I didn't deserve you! Not after all my life mistakes, but I'm fine with it. Do you want to know why?"
He nodded numbly, "Because I got to partake in the birth of a beautiful baby boy and leave him in the hands of a better-equipped woman. I was the one who protected you in my womb to later give birth to you, but Artemis was the one to live through the experiences. She had the pleasure to watch you grow and grant me Elysium when I only deserved Asphodel. Speaking of, why are you down here?"
"I uh…"
"Speak up, Perseus!"
With a defeated sigh at the hands of a woman tried and scorned, he began to tell his story. Everything and it took so long that the kids came back to play again, but he had to send them off to continue speaking with Sally. She instantly became his newest favorite female, to accept such a harsh face with an upturned head, he couldn't help but admire her strength.
"...so you see, that's why I'm here now."
Sally pushed a strain of her hair behind her ear and looked up in thought. "Zeus was paranoid, so he sought you out because you were an anomaly in the Greek world. Artemis with a son? Forget about it. Doesn't surprise me at all. I'm glad Lady Hestia brought you to Hades though, Artemis is wrong for what she did, even if her reputation and pride were challenged."
Perseus nodded in agreement but kept his mouth shut and his mind blank, fearing another migraine. "Yup, that's my life."
He ran a hand through his hair and let out an exaggerated breath, before noticing Sally looking at him weirdly. "What?"
"Say 'Yes', not 'What'. It's more respectful," she scolded.
"I'm sorry. Umm… yes?"
"Nothing, it's just that you look so much like Poseidon. You have his hair, and his eyes to some extent." She noticed his sour look and gasped, "Don't tell me you have a grudge against him as well."
"Well, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in this mess."
"Okay, now you need to listen because this is a conversation we are not having. No matter how you feel, you are the Son of the Sea God. Your inheritance is worth as much as two-thirds of the entire planet. You disown your father, and you die. Simple as that. Capeesh."
Perseus looked down at his lap, being verbally beat down without even giving a chance to fight back. "Fine, I understand." Didn't mean he would accept the god so easily.
"That's all I ask. Now, you can stay here for as long as you please. Right?"
"Yeah," Perseus answered, noticing her smile. Looks like I finally know where I got my mischievousness from.
"Great," she stood up and began pulling him through the glades of Elysium. "There's someone I want you to meet."
"Another someone, Sally?"
"Oh, be quiet, Perseus–"
"Call me Percy."
She stopped and looked at him, deep into his eyes. Sally couldn't help the bright smile that bloomed on her face. "Alright, Percy. This man was one who was actually there on the day I gave you to Artemis. Funny thing is he's actually a school teacher and was only being a taxi driver for the summer."
"Really. Not to be rude, but that doesn't sound very special. Actually a little bit sad."
"Yes but, he's actually quite charming."
Percy was broken out of his memories as he felt movement next to him. He turned his gaze from the campfire to see Hylla leave her tent, with a backpack filled with supplies.
She hadn't noticed him but Percy wasn't in the mood to play games. He called out, "Going somewhere?"
He expected a snarky response, as that's all he's been able to get out of her. She was so headstrong and stubborn, that she forced herself to take the lead, leading the trio away from Camp Jupiter. After seeing a sign that basically told them they were going the wrong way, it was too late. The sun was beginning to set and they needed to camp.
Reyna was another story altogether. She was quiet but Percy knew she was observant. Always speaking when she needed to, the Roman demigod watched his every movement, making sure no funny business was going on.
Instead, Hylla seemed to be acting differently. She was suddenly shy when she was bold. Her grip tightened on her backpack, and she began shuffling her feet. "I need to go, Perseus."
He raised an eyebrow at her soft tone, "I know that. We can all go tomorrow. Tonight, you should rest."
"No, that's not what I mean," she shook her head softly. "I took lead because I'm not supposed to go to this camp. I'm sure Circe told you I was better acquainted with the mythological world than my sister."
Percy thought about it for a moment and responded with, "Yeah, she mentioned something like that. But where are you going, and what about your sister?"
She was silent, letting the crackle of the campfire sound throughout the forest. Crickets could be heard from the shadows of the trees, their chirping sounds like a heartbeat. After awhile Hylla spoke up, "I'm going to join up with the Amazons, the female warrior race. They are here, and I was trying to find them."
Percy digested her words and looked at the tent she exited, thinking of the snoozing girl still inside, "Okay, say you do find them. What about your sister? Does she know that you're leaving?"
"I-it doesn't matter! It's my destiny, the way my life is supposed to go. Reyna should go to Camp Jupiter, that's where she belongs. I love her, from the bottom of my heart, but this has to happen. You wouldn't understand."
"I wouldn't understand?! How do you even know that this is your destiny? What makes you think I would abandon my own family for destiny?"
"Shut up!" Hylla yelled, before panicking and looking at her tent. She continued in a softer, but very much harsher tone, "As far as I can see, you have no family Perseus. I'm a woman, capable of my own decisions, so you'll just have to live with it."
Percy stood up quickly, ready to retaliate, but found a gold sword on his throat. "Hylla?"
"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Hylla Ramírez-Arellano, Daughter of the Roman Goddess of War, Destruction, and Devastation: Bellona. My goal is to become an Amazon and become their Queen. As for my sister, we daughters of Bellona tend to be strong, brave, and independent young women. But she will not gain these traits with me, so you will travel with her to the Roman camp."
"She'll hate you, resent you for leaving her like this. At least, leave a note, tell me something to pass along to her, something."
"Coward," she hissed, pressing the blade harder against his throat, "Suddenly agreeing with me just because I hold your life in your hands."
"I'm only–" Perseus eyes went wide and his hands rushed to his throat.
Hylla sheathed her blade, and stared at the fire with an angry gaze, hiding the sadness. "Shut. Up. You want to help me Perseus? Do you really want to help me? Be what I can't, be an older sibling figure to Reyna. She still needs the relationship, but it will be better if it's with you. Got it?"
She turned around and began walking, while Percy tried to grasp the situation. This all feels like deja vu. "Wait! I still need to figure out something."
The Daughter of Bellona stopped just moments before being cloaked by the shadows of the forest. She turned around slowly, and Percy found himself slightly intimidated. When she finally made the one-eighty degree turn, her eyes spoke multitudes. Needless to say, Percy got the unspoken message.
"How can you just accept all of this so quickly? Don't get me wrong, I'll help Reyna. My excitement about seeing the camp is more than enough motivation to guide her. Yet, this all seems a little too fast. Isn't this hard for you, even a little?"
She was silent like she was becoming one with the environment surrounding her, and Percy was slightly afraid of her attacking him. But with a single deep breath, he watched as all her walls crumble down. He saw the anxiety. He saw the exhaustion. He saw the guilt. Most of all, he saw just how much leaving Reyna was killing Hylla emotionlessly.
"Everything I do," she started voice lower than a whisper, "everything I do is for my sister. We were born in Puerto Rico, and it's extremely violent there. My mother came to me in a dream, and she led us to Circe. I took Reyna with me so I always know she was safe. So know that even though I yell at you, and glare, and sneer, you're more important to me than you know. Because I'm leaving my little queen with you."
The pain was so utterly visible in her voice, that deja vu couldn't help but make its way to his mind. "I still don't understand. Why leave her with me?"
"Because in every life there are sacrifices, Perseus. I was the one to protect her this far… and now I'm leaving it up to you to grow with her. I love her more than anything in the world, Perseus, so please take care of her."
He watched as she disappeared into the forest, leaving him with the dormant sister. Percy studied the fire, recollecting his thoughts before they were interrupted again. The sound of leathery flapping invaded his senses, and Percy groaned the minute he heard them.
"Lord Perseus," Alecto hissed in a croaky voice, "Might I ask your purpose for being here, when you should be following the quest in the Sea of Monsters."
He rolled his eyes and looked over to the fury perched on a tree. It was probably a funny picture, a thirteen-year-old boy staring at a campfire, with a tent next to him, and a bat-looking human looking down at him. The thought made Percy laugh, "I found a lost Roman demigod, decided that I will help her to Camp Jupiter."
"You know of the Roman camp?"
"Growing up with millennia-old preteens means you get to know a little more than the average demigod, Alecto. Now, why are you here?"
"Hades demands your presence, you were not supposed to deviate from the quest."
Percy felt like he was slapped in the face, He would find out this quickly. He could already feel the ferocity of his training heightened. "Oh gods, I'm in trouble. Alright, well Alecto, watch this demigod for me."
"I am no guardian, Perseus. I will call Lupa and she will take in the demigod."
"...Lupa?"
"The Roman Maiden Goddess of Wolves, Guardian of Rome, Trainer of Roman Demigods."
"What's her Greek form?"
"There is no Greek form."
"Aha, you were just trying to scare me." Percy waved his hand in triumph, "All gods have a Greek and Roman form."
"Do the the Ancient Rivers have a Roman form? No, they do not." She was getting aggravated if the showing of her claws meant anything. It wasn't Percy's fault, he still had ADHD. "Do you understand now?"
"Yes… so basically a female Chiron. But instead of a centaur, a wolf."
"Enough!" She screeched, flying down from her tree. The wind conjured up from her wings blew out the campfire and she landed on top of the burning coals. "You will go the Underworld now Perseus!"
Percy was quiet, staring into her black eyes and weighing his options. "Fine, but even if I leave, I am still your ambassador. Watch the demigod, Alecto."
He left no room for argument, as his voice held tremendous authority. He ran into the forest, jumped into a shadow, and willed himself to enter Hades' throne room.
A/N: Chapter 12, hope you all enjoy. Everything isn't going my way as of late. This chapter was due on Monday, but my family decided to get involved in my life all of sudden. I mean after years of them not caring what I did, why would they bother me now? That's a question that'll never be answered. The plan was two chapters this week because I have a school break, but it probably won't happen now. I have homework, which annoyingly requires my full attention, and then there's now the unpredictable variable of my family. Honestly, I'm ready to graduate high school and leave.
There were problems with the last chapter, and I know some of you all might be surprised to see two chapters. I did update a week or so ago, Fanfiction is weird. What are ya gonna do about it? *shrugs* This chapter was about sacrifices, and hopefully, it's acceptable for all you readers. I like it for the most part, but there will be one more chapter before entering the Titan's Curse Arc. Two, if you want a Reyna and Percy introduction into New Rome. Hylla was super deep, and Percy is getting lessons from everybody lately.
The last chapter, I answered the common questions surrounding this story. Piper is coming during the Titan War, but won't be heavily involved until the Giant War. I'm still having fun with writing. I've come in contact with some really great writers and supporters and so on. If you like Wattpad my story is up there. Frankly, it's kinda more professional there than here, but that's only because Fanfiction still has many, MANY, wrinkles to iron out of their shirts.
Now let's get something clear, you wanna slack on reviews. I'm gonna slack on my updates. School is super important, for me especially, and I won't hesitate to forsake you all. I write long and meaningful chapters! You write long and meaningful reviews! CAPEESH!
We have 525 follows and 355 favorites! We cracked 50,000 views and I couldn't be more excited. Don't forget to follow and favorite the story if you have not, it's helpful to keep track of it. I never imagined even hitting 50 favorites, so over 500! I'm gonna cry. We're slowly creeping up on the 1,000 mark, and making it into the top percentage of PJO writers. But don't forget to FREAKING REVIEW! Just so you remember:
REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
All right. I think I got everything. See you all later, don't forget to review! (I'm not repeating it to be funny!)
Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.
You won't regret it.
