So here is the next chapter. Sorry that it took a little longer than expected, but typing with only one hand is kind of annoying. And it will take some more time before I regain full control of my right arm again, so better get used to the slower updates.
First up, there have been two big events for this story. We have finally passed both the 200 Reviews and the 25k views for this story. I want to thank all of you for your continued support. The story is far from over and will continued until the end of Titan's Curse, so there is still much ground to do.
And finally there have been three people who have realized who Percy's mentor really is. Though the lions were admittedly a very big sign. So yes, Percy's mentor is Rhea, the Titan Queen and wife of Kronos. Her reasons and plans will remain a mystery for some more time though. And I hope that this will finally end the ceaseless questions wether Chaos is in this story. Once again, he is not. This is not a chaos story.
Okay, on with this chapter. As I have said before, this chapter will follow Apollo's kids, Will and Ariadne. But there will also be an old friend showing up, so... have fun...
"Can we take a break? I'm tired!" The young girl whined for the umpteenth time that day, as she followed the older huntress through the forest. They had already been running for days, making only short stops, to get rid of their pursuers. But to no avail. Wherever they went, someone was already hot on their tails... either monsters or other demigods.
"No. I've told you, we have to be careful. Especially tonight. It's a new moon, absolute darkness. That stupid beast will have it much easier tonight." Ariadne said wearily, as she fought against her own fatigue.
"But its just a nice doggy?"
"No it isn't. The Cerberus is dangerous. Don't go near it." Ariadne ordered sternly. She tried hard not to smile when suddenly memories of her past resurfaced. Of a time when she was just like Diana was now. When she followed Zoe around like a lost puppy and insisted that she would one day cuddle the Nemean Lion, because it was just a big kitty... But their situation was far more dire now and this was not a game. There was no goddess nearby to help them, should they somehow get into more trouble than they can handle on their own.
"But with you here nothing will happen!" The girl insisted stubbornly. "You said you will protect me. And Deianira said the same. What could possibly go wrong?"
Ariadne sighed, before she stopped and turned around towards her young charge. The dark haired child meant nothing bad with her words, but she just did not realize how dangerous their situation really was right now. Ever since she had appeared in that clearing next to Ariadne, the girls had been constantly followed by the Cerberus. Not to mention Deianira and her ilk, the servants of Kronos, that were on the hunt on this island. At least for Ariadne this was a very dangerous place to be.
"A break?" Diana asked hopefully. She didn't wait for an answer, instead she just plopped down on the ground where she stood. "This is so unfair. Your legs are far longer than mine."
"That's because I'm older than you. And you are a midget, even for a ten year old." Ariadne said teasingly.
"Am not! When I'm older I'll be taller than you! Then you will be the midget!" The girl huffed angrily. Ariadne couldn't help herself but laugh. Diana had a habit to see everything as a challenge. And this girl just wouldn't allow herself to be outdone by anyone. She wanted to win.
"Still. We need to find a safe place for the night. Out here we are easy targets for the monsters."
"But you are strong!" Diana insisted. "I saw you defeat those giants that wanted to eat me. You defeated more of them than even Deianira!"
"But that was in broad daylight. I'm stronger when the sun shines... or the moon." She knew she had to thank her father and aunt for that. Her father's domain strengthened her. As did her aunt's, thanks due Artemis' blessing. "But tonight I will have neither the sun nor the moon to draw power from. We need to be careful." Oh how she hated feeling so powerless. When she was new to the hunt she was always afraid of moonless nights. She was but a child, but even then she felt as if something was missing, when the moon would not shine down on her.
"But why not wait for Deianira and Ethan? Together we could beat the bad doggy!"
"That's not possible. Deianira and I... don't see eye to eye." How to explain to a ten year old that she had somehow managed to get herself involved with a brewing war. That her usual guardian and her current companion are enemies. She had problems getting used to this herself. Ariadne could still remember those days, when she was still with the Hunt. Though she and Deianira had never been particularly close, they still had shared some adventures. And all Hunters saw each other akin to sisters in some way... though Ariadne had never really been a true Hunter.
Diana pouted as she heard that, clearly not happy with this particular answer. "But Deianira has told me so much about you. She said you are really nice and that I could trust you, because you are her savior. She likes you."
This surprised Ariadne greatly. She couldn't remember ever saving Deianira. The girl was far more skilled than her, a seasoned hunter who had followed Lady Artemis for decades before she was even born. Just why would Deianira say such a thing? To Ariadne this was a big conundrum. But she had not time to ponder this now.
"Come on. Time to find us a place to rest." She offered her hand to the sitting girl and pulled Diana up, before she resumed walking.
But they would not get far. The sun had fully set by now and the darkness around them had grown in leaps and bounds. At least Ariadne could still see at night, due to her aunt's blessing, but Diana had no such luck. The girl almost stumbled and fell, as she tried to keep up with her companion.
"Here, take my hand. I will guide you." She said, as she grabbed Diana's hand once more and started to pull the girl along.
"This is fun!"
"To you everything is fun." Ariadne muttered, before she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She paled, as she hoped that she had heard wrong. But there it was again. The growling. "This sounds like..." She had no time to finish her sentence, as suddenly the large beast jumped out of a shadow and towards them.
"Diana, down." She yelled, as she pushed the girl out of the monsters way. "Oh why do I always have to be right!" She cursed. The Cerberus had found them again. And it was clear who it was after. But why would it hunt Diana? Because she was younger and an easier target? It didn't matter, Ariadne wouldn't allow the monster to get the girl. She wouldn't allow an innocent child to die.
"Come here, doggy. Let's play catch." She willed her silver bow to appear in her hand and notched an arrow, just as the Cerberus had turned around and charged towards Diana once more. She released the projectile and immediately readied the next. She noticed with grim satisfaction that the beast roared in pain when her arrows penetrated its pitch black fur. "That's right. I'm your opponent, not the little girl." She released a few more arrows, before someone else interfered.
She stumbled a few steps back, as suddenly a sword crashed against her silver bow, forcing Ariadne to abandon her attack on the Cerberus. The daughter of Apollo looked in anger for the one responsible and she quickly found her new attacker. A girl. The same girl she had seen with the Cerberus before. All of this girl was black. Her armor, her hair... even her eyes. But her face was as pale as a ghost's. And devoid of any emotions.
"Stay out of this, sun child. You have no idea what you are meddling with. You are messing with fate here. This girl was supposed to die months ago, no one can defy fate forever." The girl said emotionless.
Ariadne looked at this girl in concentration. She had seen her before, but she could not remember where. But she was sure of, she knew this girl. But no matter, she wouldn't let Diana die here.
"Don't tell me about fate. I won't let you kill this girl. Not as long as I can prevent it." She put her bow away and pulled out her hunting knives. She could hear the girl mutter the word 'foolish', as she attacked her with fervor.
The other girl blocked her blows, but it was soon obvious that she was not as skilled as Ariadne. Not that it would have mattered. This darkness was obviously her domain and defeating her in it was no easy task.
"Why fight for this small girl? I watched you these past days. You barely know her and she is a servant of your enemy. So why fight for her sake? You are not on the list, you won't be harmed if you leave now!" The girl asked insistently, as she blocked another attack with her sword.
"She is an innocent girl. What good are my powers if I can't use them to safe one innocent child?"
"But fate cannot be defied. Only one ever did and this girl is clearly not Percy Jackson." The way she said Percy's name implied that she knew him. At least in some way.
"Percy? You know Percy? Where is he?" Ariadne demanded urgently. She pressed her attack, but her enemy withstood.
Diana screamed nearby and the Cerberus roared loudly. Ariadne knew that she would have to get to the girl, but she couldn't. Her opponent blocked every path, every possible way. Whenever she pushed the girl away, she would reappear from the shadows, right between her and Diana.
"Get away from her you rabid monster!" Someone yelled loudly. The Cerberus howled in pain. And there, next to Diana, stood Deianira and Ethan, the latter with a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, while Deianira was armed with her bow. At this moment Ariadne wasn't sure whether she should be concerned or happy about this. Those two were her enemies, but at the same time they would save Diana...
"Deianira!" Diana said giddily.
"Get back, Diana. Let us handle this beast." The huntress ordered sternly and surprisingly the young girl obeyed immediately. "Ariadne, keep that little bitch busy, we will take care of the furball."
The fight continued on for some more time, Ariadne fighting against the black haired girl, while Ethan and Deianira struggled against the Cerberus. But it was a loosing battle for them. The beast was strong, too strong in this utter darkness. Ethan could barely see at the moment and the huntress by his side did not fare much better after loosing Artemis' blessing and her immortality. And Ariadne's enemy was unnaturally strong in the darkness and used the shadows to her benefit. The few times she would have hit the girl, her knives passed through nothing but darkness, as if the girl had disappeared in a shadow. It was frustrating, tiring. A futile struggle.
Suddenly an arrow passed by Deianira's head, it's tip glowing golden even in this dark night. It had nearly hit her, missing only by a few inches. It was obvious that the archer was not on their side, but in league with the dark haired girl and her dangerous pet.
"Another ambush. There are more enemies hiding in the trees." the elder huntress yelled in rage, as she realized how outgunned and outnumbered they truly were in this fight.
Ariadne was shocked when she saw the arrow. She knew these golden projectiles. She knew that there was only one demigod with such weapons at his disposal in the Sea of Monsters. These arrows... and the bow that goes with them... gifts from her father, weapons from Apollo... gifted to her half-brother, Will Solace. But why would he stand on the side of this girl and her monster?
She was so distracted by this, that she did not see her enemies next attack. She only felt the numb sensation, when the other girls blade slashed across her belly, leaving a long, red gash. It happened so fast that both girls seemed surprised and even the dark girl hesitated and stepped back, as she watched the blood. Both could see it, both could see in this darkness.
"Bianca, don't!" Will appeared out of the darkness, like the sun after a moonless night, glowing lightly. He seemed golden, warm. At least to Ariadne who felt the coldness creep up in her bones. He stood next to his sister, shocked when he saw the blood. "Ariadne..." He sounded helpless, beaten...
Several arrows passed them, as Deianira had switched targets. With Will glowing like this, he was a prime target for her and she obviously wanted to kill them when she realized that Ariadne had been wounded. The Cerberus had abandoned its attack at the moment when Bianca stopped fighting and allowed the other combatants a short respite from the ceaseless fight.
"I..." Bianca hesitated, shock still visible on her face. "We... we need to leave... quickly..." She looked frightened and even paler than usual.
"But..." Will was about to object, but Bianca had already grabbed his shoulder and both of them disappeared in the shadows. And with them disappeared all light and warmth around Ariadne. All she could hear before she collapsed was the shocked voice of Deianira and the frantic screams of little Diana, as both hurried over to her.
Unbeknownst to all of them, two Titans had watched the tragedy unfold. Both looked displeased with how this fight had ended, but both for different reasons.
"The dark child could be a nuisance, if not handled properly. Don't you think that we should act before she can do even more harm?" Tethys asked, as she watched the scene with a displeased frown. Though her interest was mostly centered on Percy, it did not mean that she would not care for his companions. After all, it would have a large impact on the boy's life, should Ariadne die here.
"She is of no importance to us. Thanatos is playing his games, using her as his pawn. But he cannot see that the Fates are using him just like he uses Hades' daughter. Their interference is of minor importance." The other Titaness said calmly, as she watched the situation unfold. "The girl's wound is only a minor setback, but she will recover quickly."
"Of course."
"Do not look like this, Tethys. None of this will have an impact on Perseus' fate. Everything has been set into motion, even my dear children cannot stop it now."
Tethys looked less than convinced, but did not voice her doubts. They had worked for a long time, to set up their plans. But now their success was depending on a hand full of demigods, who could all possibly die before they would reach their full potential. But at least she had a trump card left.
"I know that look, Tethys. You want to leave and continue your own game with the sons of Poseidon. Perseus will be an asset to our cause, but be wary of Triton. None of us can say who he would support, should our own war become inevitable. He is one we cannot influence like we would like to."
A smirk spread on Tethys' lips, as she thought about the godling. He was stubborn, yes, but even he would be tempted, one way or another. "The demigod is still not even ready to survive on his own, but with him in our hands, Triton will surely be more open to see reason. And with both sons of Poseidon on my side, I will finally put an end to this incessant war that slowly destroys my domain. Soon the balance will be restored, just like it used to be. And my children will roam the sea without fear of getting killed."
"If it were that easy, Tethys," the other Titaness said with a sad sigh, "I spoke to Lelantos this morning. And his news have been most unsettling. Kronos' influence has already spread and those fools Krios and Atlas have joined forces with him. Word has it that Prometheus will join them soon, but I sent Asteria to convince him otherwise." She shook her head as she thought about the folly of Kronos and his fellow Titans.
"And Coeus? He and Phoebe would usually follow you, rather than that husband of yours." Tethys asked. She did not look at her companion though, her eyes were still fixed on the demigods, who struggled to help Ariadne.
"He is still trying to free his daughter. So much time and he has yet to find a way to release poor Leto from her curse. I can understand his resentment for my son, I truly can. But I hope that it will not turn him against us in the end. It would be a sore loss, to see him on Kronos' side in the war. Phoebe though is never far. Always watching Selene's legacy. She knows that she cannot interfere until the girl has found her own way to us, but that does not keep her from watching."
"We should interfere now, though. The girl still needs help and the only one who could heal her wound right now, without raising questions would be her brother." Tethys said.
The other one nodded, before she said, "Yes, but he is still with Hades' daughter at the moment. But that can be rectified. I will have to use one of your daughters though."
"Of course, choose one, I've got plenty of them."
"Good. Now return and tend to Perseus' training. We will need him soon. He has less than a month, the other group will come here soon and with them Zeus attention will shift to this place. I don't want him to see our interference... not yet at least."
Tethys knew that she had been dismissed and that she had already lost the attention of her fellow Titaness. But it did not bother her much. She was used to it by now. "But of course, my queen." With a mocking bow she disappeared in a cloud of mist, not seeing the smirk on the other woman's face. So far everything was going according to their plan. Their dream could be achieved soon.
Back on the island Will felt torn. He wanted to yell, to rage. He wanted to scream at Bianca for hurting his sister, though they had agreed that she would not be harmed and only Kronos' servants would be treated as enemies. But on the other hand he was worried. He had seen the blood and his sister's pale face. The shock.
Bianca at the same time sat nearby, her back against a tree, as she mumbled something that Will could not understand. It shocked her, that she had nearly taken a life. That she had nearly killed a person she knew. She remembered Ariadne from their short time together after they had left Las Vegas. They had not talked much, mostly due to the fact that Bianca had stayed closer to her cousin than to anyone else during that trip. But they got on well enough. And now she had nearly killed that girl... she had never killed anyone or anything. She had her Cerberus for that... The giant three headed dog, which was nearby, snoring loudly as it slept next to its mistress. The monster that her father had given to her as a gift, to keep her safe...
"Bianca... I have to go. I cannot stay here, not with you. Not after this. You will have to fulfill Thanatos test on your own. I cannot..." Will said, as he paced in front of the girl.
"But..."
"No buts. We had a deal. Only Kronos' servants. You said that your target is one of Kronos' pawns... Instead you have been hunting a small girl... and you nearly killed my sister. I can't stay."
"But my test..."
"It is over!" A stern voice interjected suddenly. Will turned around, his hand already on his weapons, when he saw him. A winged man, with skin as dark as teak wood and a cold expression on his face that unsettled the demigod greatly. Will also saw Bianca's reaction. She was on her knees in front of the man, a fearful look on her face. "You failed, child. I gave you one simple task, to proof that my training has not been in vain, but you fail me."
"Master Thanatos, I'm sorry, but..."
"No excuses, child," he interjected harshly, "You were meant to do this on your own, but you enlisted the help of this..." he looked disdainfully at Will, before he continued, "and failed to kill your target."
Will gulped when he realized who was standing before them. Thanatos, the god of death... and apparently Bianca's master. But it still did not stop him from voicing his opinion on this matter.
"Why? Why does the god of death wish to see one small child dead. Aren't there others, much more deserving than this little girl?"
"Do not talk about things you don't understand, demigod. The girl was never meant to live this long. Her death should have come months ago. We are merely cleaning up the mess that the Fates have left for us to handle." Thanatos snarled, before he grabbed Bianca's shoulder and both disappeared in another shadow. Even the Cerberus had disappeared now, leaving Will alone with his thoughts.
"How charming... now I pity the girl." Will said. Bianca was clearly afraid of her own master. It saddened Will, to know that he had been angry at this girl, when the blame should solely rest with Thanatos. The god of death was clearly as heartless as one could expect him to be. And this poor girl had to suffer as his pawn. Not all demigods were as lucky as Percy, who served Apollo. And Will was sure, that maybe his own life was much better, not being a direct servant of any god.
"As you should. Be glad that we serve a much more forgiving mistress," another newcomer. But a voice he recognized.
"Nede. Can't say that I expected seeing you again." Will commented, as he saw the Nymph approach him. There was mirth in her icy blue eyes as she looked at him. Compared to Thanatos she was a welcome sight. To see her smiling at him and the warmth she seemed to radiate in comparison to that god helped to ease at least some of the tenseness from his mind. Not to mention that he remembered a certain sight that he could enjoy not long ago...
"You are thinking of something perverted again, aren't you?" Nede accused him with one eyebrow raised in question. But the playful smile was still there. She approached Will, until she was so close that he could smell the sea from her hair and feel the warmth of her skin. She leaned forward, until her head was next to him and she whispered into his ear, "I might be more forgiving, but Amaltheia is still convinced that you don't need your manhood to fulfill your destiny. So better behave or else she might take offense."
Will backed away from her until he nearly stumbled over a stone. Nede laughed at this sight, much to his annoyance. "Your sisters are here as well?" He asked carefully.
"No," the smirk on her lips widened with every moment she saw his reaction to her words, "but they are never far away from me. One word and..."
"Okay, okay. I get it." Will said.
"Good or else I would have to throw you into some cold lake or back into the sea, so you can calm down. Don't get me wrong, such attention is flattering... in some weird way. But you are still a little boy and we are not interested in children."
"I don't have time for this... I need to get back to my sister. She needs me."
"Yes, she does. You were supposed to help her, not aid her almost killer." Nede scolded him playfully. The situation was not as grim and his sister's wound not as serious as he thought. But he did not need to know yet. "Come, I will bring you to her."
"Thanks... but why are you helping me?" Will asked in confusion.
"Don't get your hopes up, I'm not interested in a little, immature boy. But I want to help you. That is all you need to know for now." She could see that he was even more confused now. It amused her greatly. Maybe she would even enjoy this assignment from her mistress. Maybe. "Come now, sun boy. Your sister is waiting."
A/N: So, there first complete chapter without Percy. I hope it did not disappoint.
Bianca's appearance had several reasons. I simply wished to show her in some way, to show her fans what she is up to. With her being Thanatos' apprentice there have been questions how she will act in this story. Now you all had at least a small glimpse. And she was also a good way to show that the world is not just black and white. That we cannot say that the gods and their demigods are good and that the Titan's and their followers are the bad guys. Oh well, you will understand later in the story what I meant with this. But Bianca herself will not make another appearance until later in the story, when we move on the Titan's Curse.
To answer another question that has come up several times now. Yes, Clarisse will make another appearance soon. She is still part of the canon quest from Sea of Monsters with Annabeth. But I have not yet decided whether she will join Percy's side or Thalia's later on. But I really like her character and she will appear more often in the future.
Next chapter will have both Percy and Ariadne, so we will see both storylines continue. But the next chapter will also feature a small time skip, simply because people wouldn't want another 4 chapters about Percy training and the others fighting against monsters and each other. We also had a small timeskip in this chapter. It has started about a week after Percy's fight against Zoe, but the next time skip will be several more weeks. Not too much, but enough to explain a realistic improvement in Percy's skills.
Okay, that's all for today. Hope to see you all soon...