Chapter 9

A/N: hey guys, sorry it's taken so long. I had hoped to have a different chapter out but it's not yet completed. It's been a busy month and the next couple of months look busy too but hopefully should be able to keep uploading fingers crossed.

I wrote this in a couple of hours as a filler chapter sort of a continuation of the previous chapter. I wanted to get something out for you guys to read so hopefully you guys find it okay. Hopefully the other chapter will be out sometime soon!

At the end of the previous chapter, I said I wasn't overly satisfied with the chapter but I think it did the best in terms of a response from all of you so I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. Might not have to change that chapter then lol. To all those who nearly cried in the last chapter, I have made it my aim to make you do so in the Percy "Death" chapter. Anyway, on to the chapter.

Usual disclaimer etc.

There were many whispers surrounding the fire. The events of the morning had set the demigods on high alert.

The Stoll brothers, despite their many warnings, had continued in their personal quest to unearth the secret behind the mystery story teller for the evening. They had managed to sneak into the Big House and hide inside a large cupboard. They had only been caught by Mr D because Connor had accidently tripped and elbowed Travis in the face, causing Travis to slap his brother on the back of his head.

Mr D had looked rather bored as he had opened the door to the sons of Hermes who at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. The entire camp knew Mr D loved to mess with the campers, the most obvious way being his refusal to call any of them by their proper names, except his kids of course.

It was because of this that the Stoll's were not entirely trusting the God when he said that the story teller was already present at camp and that it wasn't him or Artemis. That was until he had sworn on the Styx. He had then promptly thrown them out and told them to never disturb his pinocle game otherwise he would have them hanging on vines via a wedgie in the middle of the camp for everyone to see.

In the next hour or so, everyone knew that the storyteller was already in camp. The head counsellors had held a quick meeting and had come up with a plan to cover the different areas. They had systematically covered ever square inch of camp and had not seen any sign of their mystery guest.

The cabins had scoped out the big house, scanned the canoe lake, traversed through the dining pavilion. Nothing. The campers were sure that Mr D was messing with them. An Athena cabin member had proposed that the oath to the Styx may have just been done for the sake of it. The camper went on to say that the Gods never seemed to take those oaths seriously, citing Thalia as an example. The daughter of Zeus took that the wrong way and it took Annabeth and Clarisse to hold back the furious teen.

The night had fallen, the campers had gathered and there was still no sign of an arrival at camp. Lady Artemis and her hunters were sat off to one side. Chiron sat in his wheelchair next to Mr D, who was sat on a rocking chair, diet coke in hand and a smug expression on his face.

The camper's attention was brought towards the fire as they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. A young girl with brown hair was stoking next to the hearth and poking the coals with a stick. She would've been mistaken for a younger camper had her eyes not given her away. There were flames where her eyes should be. There were confused looks and gaping mouths all around the campfire.

The young girl frowned slightly at the reaction her seemingly sudden appearance had on the campers. She snapped her fingers together and her appearance shifted into an older form. Her brown hair transformed into black and her faced aged to show the regality that all Goddesses seemed to possess. She blinked and the flame eyes shifted into warm brown ones.

She gave off a comforting, warm aura. Those around her calmed in her direct presence. It was similar to being lovingly embraced by a mother. She smiled warmly at those present, and even Mr D seemed to smile softly in return.

"Hello my dears. I am Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth. I will be telling the story tonight." There were many confused looks. Most did not know of the goddess and others were seeing her for the first time.

"Tonight's tale is one from Perseus's life that I admire the most. It is not one of his many achievements on the battlefield. It's not one of those stories that is told in Atlantis. It is a tale that exemplifies who Perseus is as a person. The sons of Poseidon have a very interesting fatal flaw." Everyone had a fatal flaw. To know that even legendary heroes had one was comforting to some.

"Sons of Poseidon have the fatal flaw of personal loyalty. Or excessive personal loyalty if you will. You must be wondering how personal loyalty can be a flaw. He will risk his life and even the world for his family and friends. It is what ultimately caused him to fall in battle. It can also cause one to become predictable. Take one of the people close to Perseus and you could guarantee he would come without hesitation."

Some of the Athena cabin had pulled out notepads to write down Hestia's words. This was interesting information for the cabin that thirsted for knowledge.

"But that did not mean that his loyalty was a bad thing. In fact, it was the opposite. At times it was both beautiful and inspirational. The fact that he acted in such a way was astounding. This is one such tale. It was the first time our paths had crossed. I shall admit, we only met because I was curious, yet I am glad my curiosity won out that day."

The Goddess took a breath as she looked around. She had been at every single campfire story of Perseus and it was finally her time to tell her tale. She looked at everyone staring straight at her, she had their full attention. The Goddess felt strange. She was usually unnoticed, but for her now to be the centre of attention was a foreign feeling.

"It was just after Apollo's men had fallen. Zeus had ordered Artemis and her hunters to track down Prometheus after he had escaped from the battlefield. Zeus had asked the council what to do with Perseus. Apollo had not known what to do with the last remaining member of his army and suggested that he should accompany Artemis and her hunters on their mission. As you can guess, this had not gone over well, and Perseus endured a tough time after the death of his friends." The campers noticed Artemis and some of her hunters grimacing as they remembered that time.

"This is the story of how Perseus formed a bond with a mortal village."

Line Break

Perseus sighed as he woke up in his tent at the crack of dawn. It had only been three days since his brothers had died in front of his eyes. He didn't remember much of the council meeting that took place afterwards. He had been mentally and physically drained after unleashing his wrath on the monster army.

He hadn't even been able to grieve properly after burying them. Zeus had sent him to the hunters' camp so that he could join them in tracking down Prometheus and the rest of the monster army. He could tell neither Artemis nor her hunters were happy with this arrangement. They were a girl only crew and he was quite obviously not a girl.

They were not outright rude to him. They pretty much just ignored him. He had to do his chores separately, he ate separately and he slept completely away from their tents. That last one he understood. But he couldn't help feel more alone than he had ever felt.

The hunters were relentless in their pursuit of Prometheus too. They travelled fast and frequently, something that Perseus struggled with at times, having not done anything like this with Apollo. He was holding them back at times, he knew it, and the hunters definitely showed their disdain at this.

The night before, Artemis had declared that they would be using today as a rest day. They were approaching a mortal village, and as such would rest and restock any supplies that they required. And Perseus definitely needed his rest. He was incredibly fatigued and he hadn't been sleeping well either. If his condition continued like this he would fall from exhaustion, hurt himself in a fight, or even worse, delay the hunt. That last one would be the worst possible outcome.

Perseus dragged himself out of bed and made his way towards Artemis. He had been planning to ask for the day away from the hunt, just to relax and rest and do nothing. He needed rest, but wanted to be away from the stares of the hunt. Some were judging him, some scoffed as he passed and some looked on in pity. But most of all, he had to get away from their closeness. It reminded him too much of his brothers.

He reached the tent that housed the Goddess of the Hunt. He knocked and waited for her permission to enter. The Goddess was clearly busy, looking at letters and sorting through weapons and medical equipment. She looked as she always did. Long, auburn hair, piercing silver eyes and the most noticeable quality, the young twelve year old appearance. He took a couple of steps forward before bowing.

"Milady. I was wondering if I could have your permission to go into town on my own as we have a day off." The busy Goddess waved him off and Perseus took that as a yes. He made his way down towards the small, quaint village. Right on the edge of the sea, the breeze calmed him down. He found a nice, cosy spot underneath a large tree to sit. Barely seconds had passed before Perseus drifted off.

Perseus felt himself being shook awake. He opened his eyes cautiously. In front of him stood an old man in a worn-out robe. Behind him stood many people, around fifty, ranging from older generation to younger, all looking at him wearily. The old man, who seemed to be the leader, sighed in relief.

"Thank the Gods. We thought you had died." Perseus looked down at his appearance and realised that he probably should have freshened up. He was still wearing the clothes he had worn the day of the battle. They were torn and caked in dry blood. He had no spare clothes and the baths in the river had done little to improve the state of the garments. Perseus realised that the bags under his eyes probably didn't help either. "My name is Kostas and I am the village chief. What is your name?"

It was now mid-morning. The sun was already beating down and Perseus found his lips were dry. He had not eaten this morning and he was half asleep and, in his sleep-deprived state, he found that he could not reply. The old man seemed to take his lack of response as result of not knowing who these people are. He turned around and called out to a lady who seemed to be his wife, asking her to bring a cup of water and some bread. The lady looked like she wanted to argue, but seemed to stop herself before she entered a small house and returned with the water and bread.

The old man handed over the water and bread and Perseus took it gratefully, muttering a thank you as he did. The villagers seemed to understand that he wasn't dead, and decided to head back to their homes.

Perseus looked around properly this time. He noticed that the houses were small. The people weren't well dressed, and yet they seemed content. He knew immediately that this was a poor village. He had lived somewhere similar in his childhood, before he had been brought to Atlantis. He would never forget the conditions and the way they lived in poverty. Always worrying about how to feed the family. Villagers in places like this were usually overworked and underpaid and the result was that many people usually had very little to eat.

Perseus realised that the old man's wife probably wanted to argue that the food and water was limited and that there may not be enough for them to eat for their next meal. He slowly rose to his feet feeling guilty. When he was younger, his foster mother and him would seldom have large meals. They could only afford a couple pieces of bread and at rare times, meat. Sometimes there would only be enough for one piece of bread. He looked at the village chief. Despite all of this, the man had offered him water and bread. To give away potentially all the food that they had to a stranger was a huge gesture, and a testament to the character of the village chief.

His heart swelled up in appreciation. These people could have just ignored him and gone about their day, yet they made sure he was okay. They had quenched his thirst and offered him some food. He felt he had to return the favour.

"Will you please allow me to return the favour?" The village chief made to refuse, but sighed when he saw Perseus's pleading face. He nodded briefly, causing the demigod to smile. "If you could please inform the villagers, and any homeless people you know in the area, that tonight I shall sort out their dinners. Tell them to gather here, at dinner time so that we may eat together and so I can repay you all for your hospitality." Before the chief could respond, Perseus turned and ran towards the nearby city.

Perseus was lost in thought as he trekked towards the city. He would need to purchase bread, meat and fruit for tonight's meal. He only had a few drachmas on him. But he knew that the merchants only accepted coin that was from their city. He would have to resort to the barter system where he would trade his service in return for either money or the food. Luckily, he was in his prime so had no issue lifting, and he had some knowledge of fixing things from the sons of Hephaestus that were part of Apollo's army. He was sure he had enough time to work in the day to ensure that he had enough for the villagers.

As he reached the city, he scanned the streets to gather his bearings before planning his steps. He spotted a bakery close by and decided that first he would purchase the bread first, then the fruit and lastly the meat so that it was fresh.

It was a hot day and the jobs that Perseus had to complete were not easy in the slightest. His clothes were drenched in sweat by the time he had finished. The baker had made him move bags of grain, grind the wheat as well as tend the front of his stall when the baker became busy.

Perseus had then approached a farmer, who had put him to work on the fields. Ploughing and watering the fields, feeding the animals, herding the cattle, amongst other things. He had helped a nearby blacksmith to bring in the metals that he had purchased and had done other odd jobs around the city. Fixing furniture to running errands, Perseus had done it all from the morning to the late afternoon.

On his walk around the city carrying out his jobs, Perseus had heard chatter that the nearby villages had been hit hard with the taxes that the ruler of the area had set upon them. His determination to ease the suffering of those people, even if it was just for one meal, grew even more.

As the late afternoon heat started turning into a cool early evening, Perseus decided that he had enough food to feed them all. He had used some of the coins he had earned to buy two large cooking pots. One for the meat, and one to purify the water so that it was drinkable. Placing the food into separate sacks, he placed them into the cooking pots and hoisted them on his shoulders as he walked back to the village.

In an open space close to where he had been sleeping this morning, Perseus lit a fire. He would have to boil the water and the meat so that they would not get diseases from either. This was going to take a while, so Perseus decided that he would bathe in the sea that was close by to remove the sweat and to freshen up in general. Once he had cleaned himself up, he started walking back to the two cooking pots that he had placed on the fire.

As Perseus approached, he slowed at the sight of a little girl tending the fire. He ambled forward, ready to warn her that children shouldn't be playing with fire, when he saw her eyes. Or rather, the flames that were in place of her eyes. His cooking area now had been graced with the presence of an Olympian Goddess.

"Lady Hestia," Perseus greeted. The Goddess seemed surprised to be addressed by the demigod.

"You can see me?" Now it was Perseus's turn to be surprised.

"Do people not usually see Goddesses in child form sitting in front of them?" His response was met with a warm, tinkling laugh from the Goddess that caused the fire to rise, and a feeling of warmth and comfort washed over Perseus.

"This is a fine deed you are doing Perseus." If Perseus was shocked that she knew his name, he didn't show it. "Not many would act in this way. Is there anything I can do to help?" If Perseus wasn't shocked before, he was now. It wasn't every day that a Goddess offered their services.

"No Milady. I feel like it would be cheating to accept your help." The Goddess seemed to hum in acceptance. She looked like she was about to say something else, before it looked like something had caught her eye behind him. Perseus turned around, but saw nothing except the trees that made up the thick forest.

"Very well Perseus. I shall take your leave. It seems as though I have somewhere to be." The Goddess stood and walked away towards the forest behind him. Perseus hesitated, then picked up a piece of bread and put it in the fire and prayed to the Goddess of the hearth and home. Please Lady Hestia, make sure that there is enough food for everyone to eat their fill.

The Goddess turned around to face him once again. There was a soft smile on her face. With a nod and a wink, the Goddess vanished, leaving Perseus to sort through the food preparations for dinner.

Hestia reappeared just inside the treeline in the forest. She looked up and waved her hand, causing the hunters, Artemis and Apollo to fall on to the floor in front of her. She smiled knowingly at all of them. They had all been spying on Perseus since this morning, watching as he interacted with the villagers. Watching as he worked hard under the sun in the Grecian summer heat. And even now as he cooked for the fifty or so villagers. Hestia turned towards Apollo.

"What a fatal flaw your Flagbearer has Apollo." Apollo looked questioningly at his aunt. Hestia was silent for a moment before she answered. "Personal Loyalty. Look at what has transpired here today. Have you ever seen anyone repay another in this way? They gave him a cup of water and a piece of bread. Your Flagbearer knew that this may have probably been all they had and yet they gave it to him out of concern for his wellbeing. And he, with his heart as pure as it is responded in such a way that he is feeding the entire village as though they were his own people." Hestia took a breath before she continued.

"One interaction and he has formed some sort of loyalty to these people. Now imagine his loyalty to you Apollo. You gave him a home, a purpose, a family. You helped train him, you nurtured him, you believed in him and appointed him as your Flagbearer. He was not just your companion, but rather a brother. His loyalty to you is as strong as it could be." The flames in Hestia's eyes now burned intensely. "And yet, unlike these people, you've shunned him. I understand that you've lost your men recently, and that seeing Perseus is a constant reminder of what you lost, but he is going through the same grief you are. In fact, it might even be more. You are immortal, this is only part of your life, but for him, he has lost almost everyone he cares for. When he needed you the most, you have brushed him aside and sent him to Artemis. Do you not think that putting him with Artemis and her hunters, who are still together and act as a family is making it worse for him?"

The Goddess looked at Apollo. The Sun God looked away ashamedly, unable to look Hestia in the eyes. The Hearth Goddess then turned towards Artemis and her hunters.

"And Artemis, it is not his fault he has been placed within your hunt. But he is grieving and is lonely. Do not isolate him more than he is feeling now. If it was the other way around, and one of your hunters was in his position, he would have been the first to welcome them and made them feel comfortable. I am not saying that treat him like one of your hunters. But I am saying treat him like you would want to be treated by somebody else."

With that, Hestia vanished from the forest leaving Apollo, Artemis and the hunt to ponder her words as they watched the villagers gather and watch Perseus curiously as he finished the preparations for dinner.

Perseus invited them to sit, handing them all a plate and encouraging them to help themselves to the bread, meat and fruit that was in front of them. Perseus politely waved away the chief who was trying to show his gratitude. Perseus assured him that he was just repaying the favour he owed them. He looked around at the villagers and cleared his throat, causing the villagers to look at him. The night had well and truly fallen. The moon was in full view, flooding the area in its glow. Perseus took a shaky breath.

"I had asked Kostas, your chief to call you all here tonight and I am glad you could all make it. The reason is to repay you all for making sure I was okay. I know that times are tough, and yet you offered a stranger water and bread, despite the troubles the chief may be going through. I know you don't know me, and I am yet to tell you my name, but just know me as a lonely traveller, whose family has just been killed in front of him. Apart from this food, all I can offer is words of advice." Perseus cleared his throat to stop himself from tearing up.

"A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to redeem them from starving. They all have food in their own houses, no matter how much. When we gather in the moonlight at village ground, it is not because of the moon. Everyone can see it in their own house. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so. Therefore, let us enjoy each other's company and enjoy the power of togetherness. Let's smile, not because we don't have problems, but because we are stronger than the problems. Alone I can smile, but together we can laugh. Alone I can enjoy, but together we can celebrate. Alone I can talk, but together we can speak. Unity is a great strength. Me and my family went through some tough times, but we got through them together. And I'm sure you all will too.

Apollo smiled sadly as he watched the villagers eat until they were content. Perseus was known for his speeches that motivated everyone. He had a way with words. He was smart and passionate and eloquent. All traits that had been taught by his mother. He was Amphitrite's child alright. The Sun God watched as the villagers ate until they were content; there was more than enough food for them all. It reminded him of his army, how they sat and ate together. Perseus had recreated that environment and Apollo was overcome with guilt, swearing that he would apologise to Perseus.

But for now, he allowed himself to watch as he saw his Flagbearer sit amongst the villagers, a semblance of a smile starting to etch itself across his face.

Line Break

A week after Perseus had been turned into a tree.

Hestia walked back towards the village chief Kostas's house. Perseus had revisited this village on numerous occasions whenever he could after the first incidence. Hestia had often been there, tending the flame as she conversed with the son of Amphitrite as he prepared the food for the meal.

She had taken it upon herself to notify the village of Perseus's passing; the villagers becoming fond of the son of Amphitrite. She didn't want the village to think that Perseus had forgotten about them. The hearth Goddess had become friends with the young demigod and she wouldn't let his memory be ruined.

She knocked on the chief's door. She waited a few moments, until the door creaked upon, revealing the old man. She stood, notifying the old man of the passing of Perseus and she watched as the chief teared up, before the old man grabbed his cloak and exited his house.

Hestia watched as the old man knocked on the other houses in the village, passing on the message and telling them to meet at the same place as Perseus used to gather them all together in the evenings when he came by.

The villagers had congregated pretty fast upon hearing the news. Some were teary eyed as they sat together, reminiscing about the young teen. Hestia watched unnoticed as the chief rose to address his people.

"Perseus never asked us for anything, nor did he ask anything of us. Everything he gave us and did for us was from his heart. He didn't say much when he was with us, nor did he complain about anything. Everything he gave us, he gave with a smile. A smile that made you know everything was going to be okay. He was like both the sunshine and the shade. He was one of us, yet he was a stranger to us. And I may not know a lot, but I know one thing for certain. He was like a God for us. I saw what a God is like through him. There was something about him. I hope he knows that we appreciate everything he ever did for us. We hope you rest in peace Perseus. Know that we will always remember you fondly."

Hestia smiled as the tears fell down her face. She vanished, feeling content that Perseus would never be forgotten. His memory would live on.

A/N: Another chapter complete! Let me know what you all thought. Review, even if it's to say something needs improving etc. As I mentioned earlier, it wasn't the chapter I wanted to put out, the other one still needs to be finished. The reason is because of the fight scene in the next chapter-those are in my opinion the hardest to write so I wanted to get it right so you guys enjoy it rather than it being lacklustre. I hope you did enjoy the chapter. Bit of a filler but we now see Percy is with Artemis and her hunters. I'm trying to keep a balance between action and storytelling and character development and plot so hopefully it's reflected in the story.

I tried the whole Percy gives a speech that a leader would give. Let me know what you thought. Review, I accept criticism too so let me know if anything can be improved etc.

See you in the next chapter where we will see a Percy fight scene!