Percy talking

Percy thoughts

Adamos talking

Adamos thoughts

Characters are owned by Rick

(Except Adamos he's mine)

Chapter 26

Uncharted: Percy's Fortune

"AAAGGHHHHH—OHFF!" I groan as I lay face first on the ground. The taste of dirt fills my mouth as I spit out the dust, snow, and grass. "Any reason why I was transported fifteen feet IN THE FUCKING AIR!?" I snapped.

"You missed a few ticks and dashes on the y axis portion."

"And you didn't think to mention this because…?

"I can't give you all the answers. Otherwise you'll never learn."

I felt my irritation rise and I had to resist the urge to start shouting. "You have a very shitty timing for these lessons." I ground out as I picked myself up and dusted myself off. I just felt him shrug at my complaint and I decided to drop it all together. He has done this learning thing enough now that I shouldn't be too surprised.

I reached into my pocket and unfolded the map. The ink shifted on the page zooming in and showing me a smaller scale version of the map. Rather than showing most of the northern east coast, the map was now showing an island at the tip of a peninsula.

I turned around to get a good look at where I was and saw behind me was the vast ocean with three smaller islands in the distance. Below me was a stony cliff face that sloped down to a beach. "I guess I must be closer to the center of the island." I muttered as I switched between my surroundings and the map.

"What to do, what to do…" I muttered. A small X blinked on the map like a signal. I felt my senses pointing north, meaning that the mark was to the west. "According to the map it's across the sound."

I turned west. "I guess it's near that mountain…Adamos? Hey Adamos?" I called out.

"The number you have dialed is currently out of service. If you have any grievances; Press 1, if you would like the Spanish version; Press 2, if—" I ignore the rest of the stupid polite automated message. I knew that he was still there. I could feel that he was still there, but for whatever reason he was staying silent. It was…weird, but not totally uncommon. Sometimes he just goes silent for whatever reason and starts up a while later, but it was usually during down time or something and this seemed like something pretty important.

I shrug my shoulders. I mean if he was going to not take part than that was his problem. This quest seemed simple enough.

X

Me and my giant fucking mouth!

I hid behind some rocks near the surf, half my body submerged underwater while the top half was pressed against the rocks as far as I can. I willed whatever shadows to try to conceal me as best as possible.

The reason for why I was hiding?

"I told you I sssmelled ssssomeething good." A raspy female voice echoed through from the forest above me.

"I guesssss you were right. If it's a demigod than you can have firssssst choice." A second voice hissed.

"Yessssss." The first one hissed in what I assumed was an excited tone. "Letssss tell the othersssss. I don't want them trying to ssssteal whatssss mine." I felt my heart beating in my chest as I listened to them move away from where I was hiding. I let out a breath that I was holding.

The reason I was hiding was that there was a platoon of Dracanae searching the area along with something else they brought. I found this out when I nearly stumbled into a group of ten of them when they were apparently on patrol, but I wasn't as good at hiding myself as I thought I was since one of them was able to discover my tracks through the woods.

What happened next could only be described as thirty minutes of hide and seek. With the snake women following the misleading trails that I made when I was wandering through the forest.

I managed to overhear their conversations, which mostly revolved around their dislike for demigods and apparently this 'giant oaf' that they are being forced to work with. I had no idea what this 'giant' thing was but if the sound of distant crashes was anything than it wasn't something I wanted to meet, especially since I was still on my own.

I pulled the map out of my pocket and looked it over. The mark was blinking even faster than before, meaning that I'm getting much closer to the treasure. The mark was sitting between the mountain in the middle of the west side of the park and a long stretch of water.

I slowly move myself out of my hiding spot and take a quick look around. Nothing seems to be there so I take a chance and rush straight back into the forest as quietly as I could.

The sound of the brush rustling forces me to take a dive as two dracanae slither out from the foliage.

"The ssscent isss sssstronger than before?" One of them hissed.

"The demigod might be closssse. They can only run for ssssso long before we catch them."

"Them?" I frown at what they just said. If they are speaking in the plural than that means that there's someone else here. I couldn't just let them die out here. The treasure could wait. It wasn't going anywhere, but these snake ladies were.

I burst from my spot in the bushes and uncap Riptide. The bronze blade shining in the sun as I swung it in an arc, bisecting the closest dracanae by the waist. She didn't even realize that she had died as she turned to golden dust. Her compatriot however jumped and reached for the sword on her waist, but she wasn't quick enough as I thrusted my hand towards her face, just shy of contact. A smirk slightly spread on her face, but it was quickly blown away as a single word escaped my lips.

"Aard."

A blast of concussive force slams straight into her unprotected head and I hear the sickening crunch of her nose being smashed. I had to suppress the urge to wince as her head slams into a tree and she crumbles to the ground.

I let out a deep breath and look down at the barely coherent monster woman. When I had read about the dracanae I was a bit curious as to what they how monstrous they looked in person and honestly? I was a bit let down.

Don't get me wrong, she looked like a legit monster but I was kinda expecting more snake than woman. Her upper half was the same as any other woman's, bar the green skin, fangs, tongue and slit eyes…okay maybe she was more monstrous, but I was kinda expecting lots of scales. The bottom half however was not disappointing as she had two massive serpentine tails for legs.

I wonder if there's a species of dracanae with rattles?

"Ugghh."

The low groan breaks me out of my thoughts. I didn't have time to be thinking such things at the moment. There was a demigod to find.

Using my abilities over the earth I concentrate on the spot around her snake legs. There's a sharp pull in my gut that makes me groan. I had never had to do this level of control, but I push past it as I watch her legs sink into the earth almost like she's being submerged in water. I stop once her waist is submerged and wipe the sweat from my brow.

The dracanae blinks wearily, her eyes were hazy and unfocused, obviously supporting a concussion or at least close to one.

"Heyo." I said, drawing her attention. I had to try not to stare to much into the snake like eyes as they were a kinda unnerving to look at.

"Demigod!" She spat and I had to resist the urge to ask if it was actually venomous.

"That's what I am yes."

"Releassssse me at once!" She snarls as she reaches for her sword, only to find that it was no longer at her side, but a few feet behind me. Instead she settles for clawing at the air a couple feet from my position.

I squat down so I'm somewhat eye level with her. "You gonna keep clawing the air or can I start asking questions?" The only response I got was her attempts increasing in ferocity. It was kind of pointless since she couldn't reach me. I mean it would be smart to dry and dig her way out, actually I think that just leaves an opening for me. Wait I need to stop getting off track.

I look back at my captive and see that she's tired herself out. "You done?"

"What… do…you…want?" She rasps, her glare not letting up.

"Answers." I let that sink in until I think she's ready. "What's your name?"

She blinks. She clearly wasn't expecting that question, but then again, I did watch those cop dramas with my mom. So good cop was a very good way of getting answers.

"Why do you care?"

"Just wanted to ask." I said with a shrug at her suspicious look. "Couldn't hurt."

"…SSSSarah."

"alright SSSSarah. I wan—"

"ITSSS NOT SSSSARAH! ITSSS SSSSARAH! Are you making fun of my lisssssp!" She snapped.

"Oh, um. Sorry. My bad." I apologized as I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "I just thought with the whole snake thing and documents on dracanae…"

"Tsk," She clicked her tongue and I swear I heard her mutter 'typical demigod racists' but I didn't say anything. Mostly because now I feel like an ass.

"So 'Sarah'," I put emphasis on her name. "Tell me what you know about this demigod that you all are looking for."

"Why don't you go die in a hole?" She spat and I had to dodge the flying saliva.

My eyes narrowed on my captive. "If that's how your gonna be." I feel a sharp pull in my gut and she slowly get pulled into the earth.

"Eh? What'ssss going on? What are you doing? Oye, let me out!" By this point her stomach is submerged. "This isn't funny! Stop it!" One of her arms was caught. "All right! All right! I'll talk!" She screams as her chest is now halfway underground.

I stop her sinking and resist the urge to wipe the sweat away. After all I can't show weakness in front of an enemy. "So, what are you going to tell me?"

"Just away north of here there's been sightings and scent trails of a female demigod. We've been trying to locate her for the past few days but with no luck!" She belts out.

"Is that all?" I said and I swear she looked ready to piss herself in fear. I mean I can sorta understand why Adamos likes this position of superiority… at least a little bit. The rest of me feels a bit bad for bullying the monster.

"I—I ssstill can't sssleep without my sssstuffed animal collection." Oh yeah, now I totally feel bad. I internally cringe as the snake woman looks like she's about to start crying.

"Well, uh? Thanks?" I say and then get up and walk away.

"Wait! You can't jussst leave me here!"

"I mean… you're still a monster—and this is better than dying right." And like that I took off into the forest, not bothering to pay attention to her cries of help and resignation. After all she's a monster. And it's a hero's job to defeat monsters. So, I didn't do anything bad…right?

"Of all the times I want that asshole's encouragement." I say with a sigh as I move farther away.

X

One good thing that I've learned about monsters is that they have terrible coordination. Not hand-eye coordination, but rather terrible teamwork coordination.

I was currently sitting up in a tree, watching as groups of dracanae overlap their guarding routes multiple times. I've seen the same group wind up in the same area three times from seemingly different entrances. Its like they were just wandering without rhyme or reason. Entire areas were left un scouted and I was honestly kinda embarrassed for them.

One of the many classes that Adamos had taught me was a course on leadership and strategy. I wasn't the best with the whole strategy portion and I was having a bit of trouble trying to be a confident leader, but I knew basic structure and orders to perform and if Adamos was watching he would have probably failed them on the spot.

I hop down from my perch and creep in between the patrols. Sticking to the shadows and allowing the domain of night to cloak me. It wasn't as effective as a true child of night and might not have all the powers, but it does keep me from being spotted so long as no one looks at me directly too hard.

I make my past the monsters, avoiding their senses until I come across an abandoned cabin. Kinda like the ones at Montauk except it was twice the size. Normally this wouldn't be anything, except that the dracanae were avoiding the place completely.

No. Not avoiding, it was more like they weren't even noticing the place.

I narrow my eyes for a moment, and I swear I saw the cabin flicker between it and a massive rock.

"An illusion?" I whispered as I sneaked my way to the entrance.

Cautiously I open the door and poked my head in. I didn't see anyone and slowly pulled my self in and quietly closed the door. As soon as it shut with a click, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I instinctively leaned back as a frying pan swung down out of nowhere, nearly braining me.

Shit!" I leapt back as a kitchen knife was flung across the room and imbedded itself into the wall and nearly nicking my ear.

I kick a chair into the air and grab the back rest and holding the legs toward my invisible opponent. "Uhhh, the power of Christ compels you?" I ask and only got another knife thrown my way and hitting my chair shield.

The entire room erupted into flying kitchen appliances and even the table at the center of the room is shoved at me. Whoever is here is clearly panicking and just throwing with reckless abandon.

Finally having enough after another knife nearly hits a rather special area if I hadn't blocked it, I held out my hand.

"Aard." I cast the spell, and everything is pushed in one direction. My assailant included as a rather heavy thud hits the opposite wall before a young girl flickers into existence.

Her eyes widen as she realizes that she is now fully visible. Her breathing turns to hyperventilation as she snags the nearest object to use as a weapon, which happens to be the frying pan she nearly bashed me with and tries to hold it threateningly.

"S-Stay away! I'm armed." She trembles as she looks at me.

I finally get a good look at her. Her black hair was disheveled yet looked naturally wavy. She had familiar narrow cheek bones, and rather luminescent green eyes. I wouldn't call then striking, but mysterious seemed the more appropriate word.

Her dirt grimed skin still looked rather pale and her clothes, which consisted of a purple shirt, black and white stripped leggings, and a black skirt, looked tattered and dirty. All in all, she didn't look much older than nine or ten.

"Woah, woah. I'm not gonna hurt you." I hold my hands in the open, trying to look as least threatening as possible.

"Liar!" She shouted and threw a handful of spoons at me. I didn't even bother dodging and just gave the girls a 'really?' look. I mean come on. Spoons were the least threatening utensil. The girl at least had the decency to look a bit embarrassed if the slight reddening of her cheeks meant anything.

"Look, I'm not a monster. See?" I did once over on myself for emphasis. "My name is Percy. Percy Jackson. What's your name kid?"

The girl eyed me suspiciously as I moved, never once letting me out of sight. "My name is Lou Ellen, and I'm twelve. I'm not a kid."

"Nice to meet you Lou." I had to push away the feeling of embarrassment at mistaking her for a nine year old when she was actually just short.

"No! Not Lou. Lou Ellen is my first name. Blackstone is my last name." Well currently I was now 0-2 in the name department today.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm Percy. Are you hiding in here from the monsters?"

"You can see them?" She asks and for a brief moment her guard lowers before shooting up again. "Do you know what they are? If you do explain."

"All right. Tell me. What do you know about Greek mythology." I asked and she had a slightly confused expression. I had to wonder if I looked similar to her when I was first told all of this. I then spent the next few minutes explaining about the gods and monsters and all of that as best as I could. Lou Ellen seemed to soak up the knowledge like a sponge and asked questions that I tried my best to answer some of the questions and I knew for others it would have been better to have Adamos help me explain things, but he was still silent.

"So, I'm the daughter of a god." She whispered. "Do you happen to know who it is." She said with a hopeful look on her face. I had to suppress a wince as the image of the Hermes cabin flashed into my mind.

"Um, maybe we can narrow it down." I replied though I was already running through demigod traits in my head. "Who's your mortal parent?"

"My dad."

"We can strike Athena off that list." I say as I give her a once over.

"Wait. Isn't she like a maiden goddess?"

I was about to say that she was married but fortunately stop myself. Those few moments when I would hear Adamos pine after the wisdom goddess kinda nailed that matter into my head. "She is but she still has children. They are just born from her mind like how she was born." Lou Ellen opened her mouth. "And yes, they do have belly buttons. I asked." She nodded in acceptance.

"So why isn't she my mother?"

"The Athena kids are all blonde with grey eyes." She gives in 'ahh' of understanding. "Maybe Demeter? You do have green eyes, but I don't think any of them have black hair."

"No. I kill any plants I take care of."

"Aphrodite?"

"Can't stand makeup. Irritates my skin."

"I guess we can strike the Olympians off the list, so that only leaves," I sigh. "An insane amount of major and minor deities. Maybe we should just hold off on this until we get somewhere safer than this monster infested forest."

"You mean like that camp?" Lou Ellen says excitedly. The idea of a safe place must seem like a godsend to her. Pun intended.

"Yeah for now I ne—" Thoom! I was cut off as the sound of something crashing echoes through the forest. And judging by how the ground was shaking it was close. "Quick! Hide!" I ordered as I flipped the tables and chairs into a normal position as fast as I could before joining her inside of a closet in the room.

And not a moment later as the door is broken open by a trio of dracanae that burst into the cabin.

"I smell them." One of them rasped, making her cohorts give venomous smiles. They wasted no time searching through the cabin, opening every cabinet and overturning furniture, leaving nothing to chance.

Lou Ellen and I watched through a crack in the door as the dracanae tore the room apart, but that wasn't what I was looking at in particular. What I was looking at were the massive pair of blue legs that I could see through the door. I could only see a bit above the waist, but that was all I needed to see to know that whatever that thing was it was probably around ten feet tall since doors are generally almost seven feet in height.

"Are. You. Done." Whatever was outside spoke and its voice was like grinding stones.

"Tch. Mind yourself." One of the dracanae snapped. "We're the ones searching. Your just here to sniff out our other objective." The blue person grumbled but didn't say anything else.

"The other objective? What else could they be here for other than Lou Ellen?" I thought.
"But if they were only here to hunt a demigod than they wouldn't hire help. Could they be here for the same thing as me?"

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the floorboards creaking louder as they came closer. It would only be a moment before they were upon us. I uncap Riptide and hold it up, ready to stab the unsuspecting monster in the throat as soon as she opens the door, but a hand rests on my blade.

I look over at Lou Ellen to see her face contorted into intense concentration. Her green eyes seemed to move like a rolling fog.

The door suddenly swings open and the face of a snake woman peer into the closet we were hiding in. I immediately had my sword at the ready but didn't attack.

Why?

Because she wasn't attacking us. Rather she was looking everywhere but us. Her face contorts into a snarl as she slams the door shut and Lou Ellen almost collapses in exhaustion and I have to catch her to avoid making noise.

"No one's here!" The dracanae shouted.

"Impossible. This place reeks of demigod. There's no way they aren't here."

"Well they must have left before we got here."

"Raaagghh!" There was a loud crashing sound as the dracanae screamed. "Let's go. Were already on a timetable as it is. We can no longer be side tracked."

"Awww but I was looking forward to barbeque." One of them spoke dejectedly.

"And I just learned a good recipe from the harpies." Another of them clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Well tough. Now let's go."

The sound of creaking floorboards lessens and after a few moments its nothing but silence, and even then, I wait a few minutes to make sure they were really gone. I cautiously exit the hiding place with Lou Ellen in my arms.

I set up a chair for her to sit in from the newly flipped kitchen furniture. "What did you do?" I asked softly. Not accusing or anything, just pure curiosity.

"I can make… things… invisible." She speaks in deep breathes. "Never had…to do it…for another person. Christ I'm tired."

I reach into one of my jacket pockets and pulled out a baggie with bread squares. Adamos really hammered into me the benefits of having an emergency ambrosia stash for outings, "Here. Eat this." I hand her the bread and she looks at it skeptically before popping it into her mouth. I bit back a chuckle as her face seems to light up in pure bliss as she snacks on the divine food. She immediately begins to look better than she did a moment ago.

"Can I have another one?" She asked with held out hands and a smile. "Please?"

I snort in amusement and hand her another piece. "Just this one. Anymore and you might burn to ashes." Cue choking sound and I had to try not to burst out laughing at the look on her face as I pat her back so she can finally swallow all of it. "It's ambrosia, godly food. Mortals can't eat it or they'll spontaneously combust."

"Would have been nice to know beforehand." Lou Ellen mutters.

"But then you wouldn't have eaten it." I countered. The only response I got was a pout. "How did you do that invisibility thing anyways?"

She shrugged. "I just figured it out one day."

I just left it at that. Demigod powers were not something that needed to much understanding. Some demigods were just able to do things that others couldn't simple as that. "Well for now I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I was in the middle of a quest of sorts before I found you." I said and I saw her eyes widen in awe. "But I don't know if I can take you with me. Your untrained and you could get hurt."

"Or I can help!" She shot up out of the chair. She was practically shaking in excitement. "I can help you on the quest. Like—like those old RPG's my dad plays. You're the swordsman and I'm, uh…"

"The thief?" I supplied.

"No. I'm the mage." She said with certainty.

"I don't know. It could be dangerous for a nine-year-old."

"I'm not nine! I'm eleven!" Lou Ellen glowered at me and I backed off. So, it turns out that she's just short for her age.

"Ok, ok. If I leave you, are you just gonna follow me anyways?"

"Yes." She says as if it were the most obvious answer. The palm of my hand met my face and I sighed.

"Alright, come on." I waved her over and she followed with a gleam in her eyes. I mean it's not like I could stop her since she could turn invisible and leaving her alone was just an accident waiting to happen.

"By the way I never asked who your godly parent was." Lou Ellen asked as she matched my stride.

"Poseidon." I said simply. I didn't want to make a big deal of it because it wasn't that big of a deal. At least in my eyes it wasn't.

"So that means you must be pretty important if your dads on of the main gods."

"I guess." I said noncommittally.

X

"I don't see anything." Lou Ellen spoke as she dug through some foliage. The two of them working for around forty minutes to find wherever the entrance to the vault.

"Its gotta be around here somewhere." I called out as I flipped the map in random positions, trying to figure out if I went wrong somewhere or needed to look at some kind of different angle. We were at the base of the mountain where the X was located.

"Are you sure that it's here?"

"Yes. The map doesn't lie, and I know how to read maps."

"Maybe you were just pun—WOAH!"

"Lou?" I call out, not bothering with her full name. It just made calling out her name so awkward.

"I'm ok!" She called out but I couldn't see her.

I walked over to where I heard her. "Lou?" I called out only to fall on my ass when her face came out of the side of the mountain.

"What are you doing sitting on the ground? She asked with fake innocence if that small smirk meant anything.

"What happened?" I asked, pointedly ignoring her question. Her face was the only part of her that was coming out of the rock.

"I leaned against this rock and fell through." She said as she stepped out. I raised my brow at that and looked closer. The thing looked solid and normal. I picked up a stone and threw it at the hidden entrance, and to my surprise the rock hit the entrance and bounced off as if it were a physical object.

"A physical barrier. Maybe it opens up when certain requirements are met?" Lou mumbled as she looked closely with a gleam in her eyes.

"Probably to keep the mortals and other things out." I shrugged but Lou didn't seem to be paying attention to me as she poked and prodded the entrance with fascination as she muttered more theories.

THOOM

THOOM

MY eyes widened as I felt the ground shake. "Over. Here." The stone like voice called and I made an executive decision to grab Lou and bolt straight into the entrance.

"Hey!" Was her cry as I dragged her by her arm. But I didn't answer her and just pulled on my powers of the earth and forced a massive slab of stone to rise and block the entrance. The effort was massive, and I found myself on my knees breathing like I had just run a straight mile.

"Woah." Lou whispered as she looked at what I did. "How did you move it like that? I thought Poseidon was a sea god?"

"Magic." I gasped out and luckily that seemed to satisfy the young girl, unfortunately however it busted down the door for a slew of other questions.

"Enough." I groaned as I pushed her face away.

"Come on. Jush ansher the queshin." She spoke as my hand was currently shoving her face away and smothering her words

"No." I said with a bit more force as I started to feel better.

"Pleash?"

"No." I left it at that and just walked down the hall. The darkness of the hall was made null as my eyes adjusted to the near pitch blackness. "Are you having any trouble seeing Lou?"

"Not really. I can see about…ten feet. And don't call me Lou!" She snapped.

"Tough. Lou Ellen is wat too clunky to say." I said not really caring about the defiant shout she gave. I walked over to the wall to see if there was anything on there until my hand hit an uneven patch on the wall. I frowned at it as the rest of the wall was perfectly smooth. Against every instinct that I had from watching Indiana Jones, I pressed the uneven portion.

Luckily, I wasn't speared or darted through the face and it just turned out to be a light switch. The hall glowed dimly, not enough to allow a normal person to see completely fine, but rather the dim soft glow of purple lights that kinda reminded me of some kinda haunted house scenario. Of course, that was made useless since both me and Lou had varying levels of night vision.

"A mystery tunnel." I could practically hear the excitement in Lou's voice. And I had to admit that this was pretty exciting and mysterious. Say what you wanted about Adamos; he had a natural talent for presentation.

Even if the entrance and the lights were a dead giveaway than the length and such were obviously magical in nature. The hallway inward seemed to go on forever. The map obviously had a distance chart on it, and the national park was a little less than two miles in length, and that's not even considering the bodies of water throughout the park.

I had to roughly guess that they had walked a bout three quarters of a mile in a line and as such they should have hit ocean at some point since the path didn't dip or rise.

"Percy when are we getting there?" Lou whined

Internally I agreed that this was taking far too long and I was about to respond with just that, but as if the entire place followed Adamos's sense of timing and humor, the kind that pushes you to the point of near anger and irritation, we found ourselves at the end of the hallway and at a large set of arching door. Not bigger than the doors in Hades's palace or on Olympus, but pretty big by mortal standards.

"Mystery door. So cool." Lou squealed. I honestly think that she's more excited about this than I am.

We pushed open the surprisingly light doors and found ourselves in a large dome like room with a bunch of limbs, torsos and head on sticks sticking out of the ground, some limbs even held weapons. The walls of the room were decorated in murals of different scenes. Some of heroes fighting beasts, some of farmers tilling the lands, depictions of disasters. On one side of the room was a depiction of a man with his sword swinging down. At the center of the room a single scepter lamp thing stood.

"Huh!" Lou gasped. "Is this a puzzle. It totally looks like a puzzle." Lou began to run around inspecting all of the limbs.

I however just walked over to where the rod with some kind of lamp was standing. The lever was as tall as my chest and seemed to be in the middle of a pedestal. A small brass plate was embedded in the bottom of the pedestal and written in ancient Greek. My brain already shifting and translating the writing.

'The quality of man isn't in their strength or power.

But rather their ability to overcome.

Beasts are nothing more than living testaments of strength.

Nature is a constant test for survival.

But what really pushes humans forward?'

I read the message over and over again in my head. It was some kind of cryptic second-rate puzzle problem that I couldn't figure out for the life of me.

"Hey Percy, check it out. These things move." I looked over to where Lou was and nearly chocked on my own spit as I saw her swinging back and forth on one of the random legs. Her face one of concentration as she swung and then tried with all her might to fling herself to the adjacent arm only to fall short. I immediately rush over to see if she's okay. The fall was pretty high, and I was worried that she hit her head or something.

"Lou! Are you okay?" I looked her over for any broken bones or other injuries.

"I'm fine." She groaned as she sat up. "And I told you not to call me Lou." She said but with no actual bite. "Where there always holes in the ground?"

The statement confused me, and I was wondering if she hit her head in the fall. That was until I saw the numerous holes in the floor. They weren't random holes, rather they were equal distance apart from each other.

I looked at the limbs and the staff. The poles on the limbs seemed to large for the numerous ones on the floor, but the lamp rod…

I walked over to the rod and picked it up. The metal pole easily sliding from the ground with a satisfying sound, like it was a perfect fit.

"You think this'll fit?" I turned to Lou with a raised brow. She merely shrugged. Deciding that I had no better options I walked over to the nearest hole and placed the lamp rod in the hole. Lou stood behind me, half watching me and half reading the riddle. The lamp rod slid easily into the hole until a thunk told me I had hit the bottom.

For a second nothing happened, and I thought I was wrong until all at once the assorted body parts moved in sync.

"Hey Percy! Did you see the riddle?" Lou yelled as she eyed the limbs.

"Yeah. Got any idea of what it means?" I asked as I thought over the riddle. I'll be the first to admit that riddles weren't my strongest point.

"Got a light?"

I raised my brow but complied. "Ignis." I focus and reduce the flame to the tip of my thumb, almost as if I have a lighter. Lou picks up the rod and angles it over my thumb, igniting the lamp. The flame reflects in the lamp and brightens into a large flashlight.

Lou begins to wave the lamp around slowly as she wandered around the room. I watched with a bit of skepticism until something caught my eye. The shadows of the limbs. Some of them lined up. "They make a person." I speak aloud.

Lou must have heard me speaking my thoughts as she turned to me with a grin. "Exactly. These things," She motions to all of the body parts. "Are basically giant shadow puppet."

"Beasts are testaments of strength. Nature a constant survival. What pushes man?" I mutter.

"It's man."

"What?" I look over at Lou who is busy eyeing the body parts.

"The last part of the riddle is man."

"That's…so dumb." I couldn't help but sag in exhaustion. I mean seriously, Man?

Lou shrugs off my comment. "I don't know. The set up is pretty cool." She tries another hole making an incomplete shadow on the wall. "Damn it." She mutters.

My gaze scans the walls of the room. The murals spanning across their surfaces. One however catches my eye. The mural of a single man swinging his sword. "Hey Lou!" ("Don't call me Lou!") "Bring the lamp over here!" The young girl complied, and I walked around a bit before I came to where I wanted. Using the light, I shined it on the limbs until I got what I wanted. A massive shadow of a man standing against the mural. Now completing the image of two warriors clashing.

I drop the rod into the hole and watched as the limbs moved. Now however the figure on the wall moved, stabbing the figure painted on the wall. The sound of grinding stone echoed through the room. On the side opposite to the entrance the stone wall opened up like elevator doors.

"UUUGGGHHH. More walking." I groan. Luckily this walk was a much shorter distance. The bad news?

Stairs.

Lots of stairs.

It takes a full five minutes before the two of us manage to crawl past the top step. Internally I was swearing unholy retribution on Adamos with the same level of rage and hatred that he reserves for satyrs.

"Stairs…The bane…of my…existence." I groan aloud. Lou however was faring much worse since she didn't have the physicality that I've developed nor was she as tall as me.

"Uggggghhhhhh."

"You…okay…Lou?"

"Uggghhh."

"I can't feel my legs either."

Brriing-Brriing! "Welcome, Welcome!" A voice that sounds a lot like Michael Buffer echoed in the room. The two of us tiredly looked around from our prone positions.

At the end of the room was a large slot machine. Its sides were a shiny gold with lights at the edges. At the top was a flashing sign that said, 'HERO'S REWARD!' in big bold white letters on a black background.

"Congratulations hero! You have reached the end." The slot machine announced. "As is accordance with all quests given by the patron of heroes, a reward is deserved!" The red bulb on the lever shines. "Now step right and. COLLECT. YOUR. REWARD!"

The two of us just blink and stare at the flashy machine in front of us. Not really comprehending it. This cave had to have been decades if not centuries. So how in the world is there a pristine looking slot machine in here. "I'm tempted to move it to see if there's an outlet." I whisper.

"I kinda wanna bust it open to see if there's a bin of coins inside."

"Let it be known that any intentional damage done to this machine will result in a VERY painful experience."

Deciding to ignore that warning I walk up to the machine. The flashing lights were kinda blinding but it wasn't anything that I couldn't just ignore.

"Are you really gonna do this?" Lou asks as she gives the machine a distrustful look.

"Come on. Where was that attitude earlier?" I tease and pull the lever. The machine starts tolling out game sounds as the slots begin to roll. Then one by one they begin to stop.

7

7

7

7

"Winner! Winner!" Digital confetti floats across the screen as the it flashes the words LUCKY over and over again. I felt a smile on my face as I watched the flashing lights. A large bin in the base of the machine opens up with a loud Ka-Ching!

Lou and I look at what's in the bin.

Inside is a silver shield with golden trim on the edges. The silver portion was bright and reflective like a mirror but seemed to softly glow, so it resembled a full moon. It was clear enough that Lou and I could see our faces in its surface. It was easily big enough to hide half my body behind it yet was much lighter than one of the similar sized shields at camp.

"Oh, Oh! My turn!" Lou pushes past me almost making me drop my new shield but making me hit a secret button on accident. The shield shrinks in on itself until it takes the form of a silver watch.

The game sounds ring out until there's four distinct dings. I slap my new shield watch onto my wrist and walk over to see that Lou has scored four cherries. The same digital confetti and signs flow across the screen and the bin opens up to a sickle like sword. It wasn't as long as Riptide, being at maybe two feet in length, but the handle was meant for one hand while the blade was curved so that it looked like a sword version of a karambit knife. Its blade glowed in what little light there was much like my shield, however her blade resembled a crescent moon.

"Awe yeah!" Lou squealed with a massive grin on her face as she eyed her new blade. I have to laugh as she starts play swinging the blade around.

"All right try not too hurt yourself—WOAH!" I had to duck as a particularly nasty glowing slash flies from Lou's new blade as she shouts, 'Flying Slash Attack!' and comes close to my general location.

The two of us look with gaping mouths at what just happened. The flying attack didn't really do any damage other than kick up some dust. The part of the floor that it hit didn't even have any scuff marks on it.

"So cool." Lou whispers dumbly, but the empty room makes it echo. I couldn't help but nod at that and internally gush with jealousy. I mean c'mon! It's a flying sword slash! It's so damn cool!

"Hey you wann—"

"Nope."

"But you didn't ev—"

"Nope."

"Whatever." I grumbled as I fiddled with my shield, getting used to switching between the forms before setting it back on watch mode. "Lets just find away out of here." Then as if the universe was listening, we hear a ding and a portion of the wall opens up to an elevator car.

"At least we don't have to walk anymore." Lou shrugged as we stepped inside the elevator and pressed the single button.

X

Lou spun her curved short sword by the small ring on the pommel of the weapon. All it took was a bit of concentration for her to transform it into a ring on her finger and a vice versa. I however was leaning against the wall of the elevator, trying to stay out of her way.

"Have you thought of a name?" I asked. The question getting the young girl to stop twirling her blade and I let out an internal sigh of relief now that my life wasn't in danger of accidental impalement.

"A name for the blade?" I nod at her. Lou adopts a speculative look at the ring on her finger. "What's the name of your sword?"

I pull my own blade out of my pocket and uncap it. "Anaklusmos, or Riptide of you prefer." With a flourish my sword it goes back into pen form.

"How about…" Lou gazes at her ring for a moment. "Moonlight."

"Any particular reason?" I ask. It wasn't because I thought the name was bad, but more out of simple curiosity.

"It just reminds me of the moon." She then breaks out into a massive grin. "And that sword wave was silver like moonlight."

I click my tongue in irritation. She was obviously being cheeky and rubbing it into my face. I mean just a few hours ago she was trying to kill me with kitchen utensils and now she's acting like a cheeky little cousin or sister.

Ding~

The elevator doors open before I could say anything. The first thing that we see however wasn't the forest but rather a system of piping and wiring.

"Never thought I'd see plumbing in a national park?" Lou says as she pokes her head out and looks both ways.

"That's because it doesn't." I say as I look around. My brows furrow as I try to figure out where we are. The only exit I see however is a metal door that says 'authorized access only' while its just a long hallway in the other direction.

I go over and turn the handle on the door, opening it easily. A bright light hits me as we shield our eyes and step through the door and into…Central Park.

I don't really know how but for some reason the elevator transported us from Maine all the way to Central Park. Yeah. Because that completely makes sense.

I turn to Lou who is looking around with wide eyes. She was obviously trying o figure out how we made it to New York, but just couldn't figure it out. "Lou? LOU!?" I say slightly loud, making her snap out of her thoughts. "The elevator was magic. Just except it."

"Fine." She sighs.

"So, you wanna come home with me?" I ask and she gives me weird look. I check my new watch, seeing as telling time is the only other function of my shield, and see that it's close to 7:30 pm. "My mom should be done with dinner. I'm sure mt mom has dinner ready and she wouldn't mind an extra person." The moment I said dinner her face light up like a Christmas tree. She had probably been surviving off of stolen food and whatever she could find. The prospect of a meal and probably a place to sleep, since I know my mom would offer, must be too tempting.

With renewed vigor she grabs my arm and drags me out of the underground utility line and into central park. "Lou." I pull back on my arm and she gives me an impatient look. "My home is that way." I point in the opposite direction. She at least had the good graces to blush at her mistake and let me lead from then on.

X

I was right when I thought that my mom would welcome Lou to dinner. Rather she seemed overjoyed at the thought. I actually think that she wants a daughter in the future.

She insisted that Lou take full advantage of our amenities and take a shower and sleep in her bed for the night while she sleeps on the couch. At first Lou refused, but then she learned just who my mom was. She was the woman who wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to her hospitality.

I laid in my bed with my eyes closed. Sleep was so close that I so desperately wanted it after a tiring day like today.

"HEY PERCE WHATCHA DOIN!" Then this asshole ruins it all and I end up falling out of my bed at the volume.

"Fuck." I groan as I pick myself up. And lay back on my bed. "Oh, hey Adamos glad your back." I mentally say in the most blatantly sarcastic tone as possible.

"Geez what bit you in the ass?"

"Oh, you know just a bunch of dracanae and some kind of blue giant person. Probably would have if it weren't for Lou turning us invisible."

"Yeah I saw that. Hecate's kids were always naturally skilled in magic and mist manipulation."

"You saw wha—wait? She's a child of Hecate?" I forget about berating him and focus on that bit.

"Yeah. She looks a lot like Hecate when she was younger. With a few minor features being different, but otherwise very similar." I feel him shrug.

"Well that's… good to know. But where did you go? You just up and left me!"

"This was your quest. I wasn't going to just run it for you." I hear the tone in his voice, as if what he was stating was the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus wasn't it more fun doing it yourself."

I didn't want to admit it, but he was kinda right. I did feel good when I snuck past all the dracanae and when Lou and I solved the puzzle. "Yeah, but…That doesn't change the fact that you left me hanging."

"I was trying to figure something out." I felt Adamos turn serious. "That blue giant that you saw. I swear it gives off the same signature as a troll."

"And?"

"More specifically, it was a Norse troll." Now Adamos had my full attention. Adamos said that the pantheons don't mix. They stay out of each other's way. And that should include monsters not working together. The only reason we interacted with the Egyptians was because Adamos knew them and even then, our interaction was brief. But this troll seemed to be actively working for the Dracanae. Adamos obviously coming to the same conclusion nodded. "Even under extraordinary conditions this shouldn't happen. Not unless they are actively trying to work together for a common goal."

"You think they could have been looking for your vault?"

"It shouldn't be possible. My vaults exist on a constantly moving plane. Even if they found its location it would move without the proper key. In your case it was the map that let you both enter. If anything, the trolls have a keen sense for hidden treasure, and it smelled some of the protection magic nearby."

Adamos seemed confident in the security of his vaults but I wasn't so sure. They were obviously after Lou, but she seemed to only be a side objective. The monsters were actively looking for something and I think they knew what they were looking for, just not where. "So, I got the shield. What does it do?" I ask, changing the topic. Adamos seemed to take great pride in his defenses. I could tell that he was worried about it and would probably want to look into it, but his pride wouldn't let him out right admit that his hidden vaults weren't completely unknown anymore.

"It's a mirror shield. Its good at absorbing, storing, and expelling damage. Especially kinetic."

"Uh, can I get that on a fourth to fifth grade reading level?"

I hear Adamos sigh. "You take a hit with the shield and it stores damage done so you hit back harder with the shield." I just nod in understanding as that makes sense. I mean it looks like a mirror so it should function sorta like one. I guess I'll just have to come up with a new name for it tomorrow.

Right now, though it's a school night and I was dead tired and wanted to sleep. Potential threats on my life can wait till tomorrow.

A/N: Hey all you sexy beasts. I'm not dead. I'm right here. I've actually been combing through fanfiction to find new stories to read. 'This Bites!' by Xomniac is amazing and though its pretty long the chapters are masterfully done. At some points I was laughing myself to tears. And even a few fates stay stories caught my attention. Anyways I do in fact take suggestions for the story. If it seems good, I might add it or mention it. In fact, I have already been in contact with some reviews that have helped me come up with a few ideas. And to Jason wu, I appreciate your ideas and some of them are actually apart of the future of this story while others can be considered. Also, someone asked if Adamos stole Horus's seat of power. The answer is no. No seat of power was stolen. Rather Adamos snuck into Horus's temple and stole his own personal throne as well as the throne that the pharaoh sit on. He did replace the pharaohs throne with a less comfortable identical replacement. You know because he's a cheeky bastard and it's funny as hell. Also if you can identify the reference for a part of the quest you get a cookie.

Anyways stay safe all you sexy beasts and if you have any ideas for the story, I'm at least willing to consider them.

Momentei, Over and out.