Chapter 2: Three Lousy Crossroads

Words: 4,527

Recap: Nightmares aren't new to demigods. Tartarus nightmares? Well, that's another thing. Although I like to put on a brave face and say the dreams don't scare me. I would be lying if I say it didn't start to mess with my head.

"So, how's this?" Lily copied the stance I made with her wooden sword. I looked up and down her form, tapping my chin in thought before making my way behind Lily. I wrapped my hands around hers as I straighten the sword to make sure it's parallel to her head, the blade resting just above her shoulder, in a way it's easy for her to block or stab anyone who came after her. My leg urged her left foot forward, making her weight evenly match.

I was so busy lecturing; I didn't notice the deep blush on her face that would rival her hair when I guided her waist to face forward and that she had her head tucked down as a result. I then let go and struck her sword with my wooden one. She wasn't too prepared, and the sword fell out of her hand.

"You lost focus," I said to her sternly. "Make sure always to keep your grip firm else your sword will easily get knocked out of your hand, so no letting your guard down. Don't let your back be too tense. Let your sword guide you, not let it throw off you."

Lily pursed her lips and took the fallen sword before switching to a basic sword stand I first taught her. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she faced off with me, and I smiled at how eager she was to learn this with me.

Okay, so you all might be wondering along the lines of: "What the Hades is Percy doing teaching swordwork?" To answer your question, it just so happened that a few weeks ago and after dealing a bad encounter with an Amphisbaena, a serpent that has a head at both ends.

I know what you're thinking, how do they crap looking like that. But it's a question I didn't ask in fear of what I might find out.

It was when we were recuperating on our favorite spot of the park that I noticed how intently Lily was looking at my sword with a strange glint in her eyes. I asked her what was on her mind, and she looked at me straight in the eyes before she asked me in a flat but serious tone. "Can you teach me how to fight with swords?"

It was a question that got Sev and me whipped our heads at her with wide eyes, as if we just saw her grow two heads. Lily look offended by our surprise and shoved us back. "Come on, is that so surprising?"

"Yes...no...it's just, why all of a sudden?"

To my surprise, Lily only shrugged, "I just thought learning how to wield sword would be useful...and they looked interesting to learn." I scratched my neck and looked away in thought, not sure if I should. But then Lily but all pleaded me as she kept repeating: "Please, please…!" to me until I gave in.

Sev had commented on why she should even try learning to use a sword when she could have magic on her side. The argument between them somehow led to Sev joining the swordsmanship lesson with her. He showed us while he has a knack in magic, he has zero coordination with a sword on hand, and a few spar lessons easily got him to yield to Lily more times than I could count. Lily seemed to relish the fact she was good at something better than Sev. It didn't take a week for Sev to give up "playing sword" as he called it and is now reading his book on the side while I trained Lily. She was positively excited at learning how to use the sword, though it worries me a bit, I thought there's nothing wrong teaching her a few tricks.

"You know, for a guy who sleeps in class most of the time. You're pretty stern in teaching," Severus commented on the side as he looked up to us from his book.

I shrugged my shoulder. "Hey, she asked for it. If Lily wants to be any good at it, then I plan to give her the best lesson I could muster." Sev rolled his eyes and continued reading his book. To be honest, I thought after the few hard session I gave her, and she would have given up like Sev. Surprisingly, the harder time I gave her, the more she bounds up and worked harder.

When it was almost evening, we packed our things and walked Lily to her home. It was one of the few routines we had over the summer; Enjoying each other's company throughout the day. We meet up at the park, play or talk or maybe even practice magic knowing there's barely anyone around most of the time, even working on our homework, which thank the gods I have them to help me or I'd scarcely done anything.

Sometimes though, like that day. There would be an unwelcome encounter that just made me want to groan. We were minding our own business when a beggar came from a dark alley, blocking us on the silent street. He was a hunched man that made it hard to know if he was short or not, wearing a dark blue beanie hat and wearing multiple coats that send alarms in my head since the summer weather doesn't encourage one to wear heavy clothing.

"Would you please spare a penny?"

Lily shook her head and sent a sad, wistful smile. "I'm sorry, but we don't have spare change."

"Oh it's no problem dearie, it's not like it matters anyway since you'd be dead."

Immediately Sev made to pull Lily further back and me shielding those two with Riptide pulled to my hand. A hissing sound emanated from him, which I recently learned that it is the universal reptile language of an amused laugh. The hat flew off, revealing a snake with four horns looking down on us. It moved like a worm, eyes glimmered in neon green, and its scales shone in yellows and reds.

"There seemed to be a snake-themed monster this week," I couldn't help but mutter at the sight of a new species of monster I'm facing. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am the magnificent Cerates," he said with his snakehead tilted up with pride. "Bear my name to your soul, for I shall sink my teeth through your skull, Half-Blood."

"I've read about you," Sev piped up, "You were featured in the book 'Notebook of Leonardo da Vinci'."

Cerates hissed again and showed an evident smile that even exposed her fangs. "Ah yes, Vinci was a dearie. Though he did cut my lovely horns and my head off, and he was such a cutie pie like you," she commented, looking at me and making me squirm.

"Umm...thanks?"

"Oh, don't mention it. Vinci was also a sweet thing. He even mentioned me in his book. It's too bad I never get to taste what his young flesh would be in my mouth."

"Probably for the best, he probably doesn't appreciate having someone drooling what he tasted like." I murmured.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"Umm...I said you must have made an impression for da Vinci to write about you," I tried distracting her.

"Aww, thank you. You are such a sweetheart. I'm starting to feel bad of wanting to eat you."

"We could skip the meal and just talk about you, maybe even what Vinci has to say for you, Sev do you remember what the book had said?"

Sev frowned at the question before a glimpse of wide eyes flashed in understanding before he tilted his head in faux thinking pose. "You know, as I recall, you are a creature so swift and so flexible, you were said to have no spine."

Cerastes nodded, feeling glee at her description, "Yes, yes. I do have a flexible body. What else does dear da Vinci say."

Sev looked he was having trouble recalling and glanced pleadingly at me when I was in the middle of sneaking behind her. I gestured my hand to force him to go on, but when nothing was said from him, Lily stepped forth and took reign of the conversation.

"That you have nice skin!"

"...scale!" Sev whispered harshly.

"SCALE!" Lily immediately corrected herself, "Very nice shiny red scales, you must have taken good care of them, and your horns are just gorgeous!"

"Yes, horns!" Sev exclaimed, "He praises your horns a lot too. Said that you used it to bait birds around aside from being a majestic point of yours, is that true?"

Cerastes was about to answer, but suddenly she turned her head in 180 degrees, proving her spineless body and gritted her teeth against the swipe of my sword. The grin on her showed she relished my surprised look.

"Nice try, Percy Jackson, but do you think I have forgotten about you and your sweet, sweet smell of your blood?" She pulled me along with my sword and threw me to the nearest wall, and my air was knocked out from my lungs.

I struggled to get up and watch in horror as Cerastes edged closer toward my two friends, "You know...I was going to spare after your lovely compliments, but since you were being such naughty children and conspired to kill me, I suppose I have enough room for two mortal children."

Her words struck me worse than the blow she gave me, and I saw red as my teeth bared in a growl. Ignoring the pain, I dashed toward her, and she flipped at lightning speed. I made a split-second decision and sidestepped to her side, grabbed her horn, and pulled her down to the ground before I stabbed her neck until the pavement cracked from the force of my sword. Cerastes screamed and gurgled out blood and slime from her mouth.

"What's the matter?" the corner of my mouth tugged into an amused smirk, but my tone had lowered dangerously, "Didn't you say you wanted to taste how sweet I am? Or did you choke in your own blood?"

I slashed at where I presumed her back would be. "Huh, looks like 'Vinci-dearie' may be right! You don't have a spine," I cocked my head and looking at her with faux curiosity, "Or do you?"

I began cutting her open with my sword in non-fatal places, relishing in her pained gurgles and half-shrieks.

"Stop! Stop! Alright, you win. Just get it over and send me to Tartarus already!"

The name of that place triggered something in me. My mind became clear, clearer than it ever been as I pinpoint solely only the monster under my foot. Nothing matters than to have her plead and beg for mercy for thinking she could get away from me the easy way. Nuh-uh, she doesn't get to decide when I'm finished.

I made another slash by where her neck was supposed to be, pretending to look disappointed, to find no bones there. "Looks like I won't be proving him wrong today. Just like how you must be disappointed not tasting my 'sweet' blood either. Too bad I wasn't sweet in the first place, hm?"

"Please…" I heard her gurgle. "No more...kill me...make it stop…"

"Hmm…tempting. I might have considered it a year or two ago. Sadly I'm not that naive little boy anymore, and next time you should think twice before you even try to look at my friends. So bare in mind when you go back to Tartarus, tell your friends anyone who even tries to go against me, make sure they know your story how I make you suffer."

"PERCY!"

I jolted to awareness, and my whole body tensed. It wasn't my name that did it. It was the underlying tone of fear being used, and that got me realized what I was doing. The haze in my head seemed to part. My mind began to race as I looked back at my words and action. My hand reached out to my face, feeling the cruel smile planted on it before dropping it. Quickly, I lopped out her head, and the rest of its body disintegrated, leaving a horned snake.

I found myself breathing hard, the calm glee from her pain being replaced by shock and realisation. I hesitatingly looked back at my friends, my gut dropped when I saw the mix of shock and horror that greeted me. I wasn't sure what I had looked like at the moment, but I was sure they saw the same thing. I hope they saw the same thing.

I wasn't even sure what to say. "Uh- I...I-" I stopped, looking at the ground covered with golden monster-dust. I felt shame for my actions and couldn't quite look them in the eye for too long, but then Sev snapped out of it first and made an audible clearing of his throat.

"You know...for a beast they can surprisingly be chatty sometimes," he said in an effort to break up the tension. It was ironic since he was an awkward guy and usually the cause of tension. I smiled, grateful for his effort.

"Don't complain, Sev. They're usually the easy one to handle."

The usual banter we had somehow managed to shake whatever shock Lily was in. "Percy!" Lily ran to my side and wanted to hold me up but hesitated. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Tell me- I mean us, tell us if you need anything."

I was about to say I may have cracked a bone but shut my mouth when I remembered the last potion I drank for fixing my bone up. That got me to hesitate from saying anything. Besides, it wasn't so bad. All I need is to take a quick shower, and I'll be good as new anyway.

"Nope, I'm fine," I said with a bit of too much cheer in it. Making the two of them glare in sync, which was multiple levels of scary. "No, seriously, I'm fine! I think I'll hit back home first and rest though, you guys don't mind, right?"

They hesitated but finally shook their head slightly and let me go to walk my way back home. It was after taking a few steps did I hear Lily called out to me once more. I turned to find her mouth opened, and she stood still like that before biting her lips, looking unsure of herself.

"Are...are you alright?"

She wasn't talking about my wounds, I was pretty sure of it. I smiled that even I felt was weary and forced but didn't stop me from answering. "I'm always alright."

We knew I was lying, but none said anything to point it out. I didn't feel much guilt because honestly? I didn't know if I was alright. But I like to think that I am.

Finally, I felt my shoulder sagged when I saw a glimpse of my apartment, bit back the pain as I took the stairs up. Only after did I manage to step inside my room did I slumped down and groan in pain, hoping my shoulder wasn't dislocated or anything.

"I see you have a hard battle this time."

The voice surprised me enough to make jolted into a stand and pulled out Riptide in record speed, but I couldn't help the sharp pain that shot out horribly. I could only relax when I realized the one sitting in the living room with a tea on hand was Hecate.

"I wasn't expecting you," I said at least while capping Riptide back into a pen before pocketing it.

The polecat walked to rest on her lap, and Hecate patted with fondness. "Come and sit Percy, I brought you some Nectar. It would help with your wounds."

The mention of godly food got me perked up. It's been a long time since I had any healing foods or drinks that don't smell like fried roadkills from Sev's potion. I sat on the sofa and pulled the mug to my lips, sipping it slowly as I savor the taste of homemade chocolate chip cookies my mom would often make. A pang of nostalgia hit me hard, but I squashed before it could take its toll on my heart.

Once I finished, I tried moving my shoulder and found the pain was gone. "Any chance you could leave me some Nectar and Ambrosia?"

"I could, but then can you make sure you could hide it from your friends, so they don't accidentally eat it and burn away from the godly power in them?"

Well, if you put it that way, now I'm too nervous even to carry one. Hecate sighed and pulled out a small see-through box that I noticed had a packed Ambrosia in it. "There's a limited amount of it, so make sure you only use it for an emergency."

I nodded and said my thanks to her. "So, any reason why you would be here?"

Hecate took a sip of her mug before gently placing it on the table, stretching out the silence between us, convincing me whatever she has to say won't be good.

"Please stand up, Percy Jackson, and I will tell you the three crossroads from the choice have to make."

I groaned before resting my head on my hand, "Can I choose not to know about my most likely lousy future full of death threat and pain?" Hecate didn't say anything but gave me the look, which I presumed that I had no choice in the matter. "Alright, just hit me with it and get this over with, what do you get for me?"

Hecate gave me a pitying smile which I so didn't need right now, the mug on her hand turned to a torch, and smoke-like mist began to fill the room from the burning fire. Thankfully it wasn't one that I could choke on or else that would be a pathetic way to die. Hero of Olympus defeated by smoke, trying to listen to yet another of those damn prophecies.

Hecate raised her pale arms. Three gateways began to materialize—north, east, and west—and swirling with Mist. A flurry of black-and-white images glowed and flickered. A brief static came across the pictures before flickering back with colors.

Three crossroads that led to three different futures.

The first was enough of a shock. The western doorway showed Lily screaming in fear, alone, at a shadow of a monster that I knew was at least the size of a giant. Severus and me running desperately but was too far, and at the corner of that image was James, but he was being held up by someone with a knife on his throat.

The gateway to the north was a vision of a broken sword amidst the background of gold and fire. The concrete wall shattered, and the floor colored with blood. The significance was lost to me, but it must have been worse than it looks if Hecate was showing this to me.

But the images of third, last, and the eastern doorway was the worst, showing me the courtyard of Hogwarts being overrun with cloaked men shooting out green spells. There was no sound but the crowd of students were all shouting, crying, and running. In the middle of it all, I saw the back of a bald man laughing in triumph and Dumbledore on the floor. Dead.

Well, saying that it looks bad is an understatement.

"This is the path that laid in the crossroad before you. From different points of time. The choices will not come now, but when it does, it'll impact your entire quest."

"Which means, the choice I'll make this year will either decide my success or downfall of my quest. Great, nothing new there."

"Do not take this lightly, Young Half-Blood."

"I'm not," I growled at her, not caring if I did it to a goddess, "I spent enough quest in my lifetime to know when to take things seriously, so don't treat me like a child and let me get through this situation with my coping mechanism or else I'll just freak."

Hecate blinked and looked slightly taken aback but said no more, without even chastising me for my rude tone and turning her attention back to the crossroad laid out before me. "When the time comes for you to make the choice. Four choices will stand before you."

"Three." I cut her in, now Hecate was looking annoyed at me. Her polecat and dog growled and hissed at me, and I became sheepish. "Sorry, but like I said, there's three. I don't have any intention to back away from the choice."

"So you are familiar with how my prophecy plays out. Very well, three choices will stand before you." She aimed her torch to light the nearest doorway, the eastern gate. "One choice will lead to the rise of the Death Eaters in Britain. You will live the rest of your life fighting the war against the Dark Lord and leading the insurgent, more or less live a content live despite the fighting, moving on from your past and have a family of your own, your friends you have now will live past their time, and the Prophecy Child was never-were."

"Well, I certainly am not going to choose that. Who would want a life of never-ending war?"

"You'd be surprised by the answer." Hecate walked and light the image of the northern doorway next, "Your second choice will lead the death of your friends far too early before their time and-"

"Pass."

Hecate sighed, her annoyance was audible, "My patience is wearing thin from your interruptions Percy Jackson and I don't like being interrupted when I'm not finished talking."

"No offense Lady Hecate, but a choice where my friends died isn't an option at all. We could skip to the third one, please."

Another sigh escaped her, sounding a bit weary before she kneaded the bridge of her nose. But then she looked back at me and was a bit surprised at the tenderness in her dark eyes. "Right then, then I supposed that leaves you to the third option."

I gulped, feeling nervous at the choice I had set myself into, "Which is?"

"The last choice will not make you a hero." Oooookaaay, I did not expect that. "Instead, you will lead them to their chosen path, a path of a hero, of sacrifice and lost, of raising hope and shedding tears of perseverance. The choice of letting go when needs to be."

"So...you're saying my last choice is essentially to "Back off" and let others handle it?"

"In simple terms, yes."

I had my fist clenched until my knuckles were white and my teeth grinding at each other as I seethed, glaring hard at her, and I wonder if my eyes were showing a storm that reflected the bubbling anger inside me, "In other words, you want me to be like the gods. To watch but not interfere."

"Watch your mouth, boy, you have no idea what it's like to a god, but just as you carefully put it, yes. Though it is more likely, you couldn't interfere after the choice you made."

I didn't know if it was possible, but the choice had almost convinced me to back up from choosing altogether. It was one thing to be thrown into danger and fighting it out yourself, no matter how much you became tired and despise the fighting. It's another thing just to let others do it and not being able to help directly. It reminded me too much of what the gods do all the time, giving orders and make requests and manipulating our choices. Some might lend a hand or two but never directly, and The Second Giant War doesn't count. I knew they have their reasons, most of them were suckish reason, but still being put into their shoes in any way is one of the last things I want to do. Guess this is one of those times where I'll just have to bear it.

After thinking long and hard, I breathed out an insufferable sigh, squashing the building anger and exasperation from the choices, "Who will I let go?" I asked in the end.

Hecate smiled, one that I dare say was sympathetic, but I try not to read too far, "You will know when the choice will be made."

I huffed again, rolling my eyes irritably, "Yeah, that's helpful."

Knowing her work is done. She waved her hand, and the fog and gateways disappeared as the scene changed back into my living room. "If it's any consolation Percy Jackson, your trust will not be misplaced. It's time for me to say my farewell." Hecate was about to leave through the door, rare of her to do that, I know, but paused when her black eyes gazed at my wrist and my own green eyes darted down at the wristwatch that wasn't working. "What is that?"

"It's a watch... or at least I think it is. I doubt that Hermes and Hephaestus would work together to make a normal watch… I'm just not sure what it does yet."

"Let me see," she ordered.

I was confused by her reaction but shrug and gave the watch to her. She looked back and forth at the watch before sighing exasperatedly, muttering "Idiots" under her breath.

"This is a magical item," she finally said. "I don't know much of what it will do, but I do know that they forgot to put in some batteries."

I blinked, surprised at the revelation. "Wait, so all this time it hadn't work because they forgot to put some magic batteries in it? That's pretty-"

"-stupid? I know."

"I was going to say careless, but if you say so. Please go ahead."

She flicked the back of the watch opened and on her hand, materialized was a small pair small golden circular batteries, put it in, before tossing it back to me. I caught it in one hand and while I looked down.

I observed, apprehensive, while the clock's hand began twisting and turning until it stopped at the appropriate time. Other than that, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary of it. I even waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

"Does it do anything besides telling the time?" I asked Hecate.

She shrugged her shoulder, her mouth curved in detached, "You'll have to figure that out on your own. I'm not much help since even I'm unfamiliar with most of their work. I don't have the best relationship with most of the Olympians, you see."

My mind ran back at the Second Titan War and that Hecate had sided with the Titan. It somehow made me wary of her, but I put that aside since I don't have the energy to be suspicious of the only goddess on my side. Pursing my lips, I thanked her as she went through the door before disappearing.