Percy snorted. Do they not think I can control water?
As he and his new friends descended from Temple Hill, Percy could make out the built fortifications on the so-called Field of Mars. There was a large fortress at one end, the shade of the valley edges providing shade to the defenders. The fortress was guarded by a series of cannons placed on top of the walls, numerous embrasures for archers to fire through, and a central watchtower looming over the imposing walls.
The most egregious of the mistakes the defenders set up, however, was the moat.
Of water.
Percy facepalmed.
He could tell a traditional frontal attack from a typical group of soldiers would fail immediately. But did the first and second cohorts, supposedly the best and brightest, really forget to account for his arrival? Did they not realize he was a son of Neptune? Or did they simply not bother accounting for him, given his status as a supposed bad luck charm?
Frank sent a questioning look to Percy, one that admittedly looked hilarious on his pudgy face. Percy let out a chuckle. Frank looked out to where Percy was looking, before letting out a laugh of his own.
"A moat? Yeah, this might actually be a win."
Hazel facepalmed. "Oh, this could get embarrassing."
The trio laughed.
"I was wondering," Percy volunteered, "Is Reyna the official leader of the camp? Or is she like a military general?"
"She's one of them," Frank answered. "Rome has always had two praetors, and it's the same here."
"Who's the other?"
Hazel looked down. "Well… it was Jason. Son of Jupiter."
Percy stopped short. "Was?"
There was a tense silence. "He's… missing. Been gone for months, since October I think? No one has any idea where he is."
"If he's still…" Frank added. "Never mind."
A heavy silence fell on the trio.
Percy trudged on, his hands in his pockets, right hand fidgeting with his pen. There was a calm in the air, but not a pleasant calm. It felt like he was on the edge of a storm, like the universe was reloading their guns before firing on him simultaneously.
And the shooters held all the answers Percy desired.
Percy's thoughts strayed to his dreams. His dream with Aika was extremely worrying, but he didn't think that things could've changed so rapidly in the time since he last explored her world. It could have been a false vision trying to trick him or manipulate him. Or perhaps it was something that was going to happen, and hadn't yet.
It was in her own future. But Percy could see it.
He could change it, right?
Percy was struggling to understand exactly why he had this ability to, essentially, travel through time. That's what it was, wasn't it? That's why his injuries came about in multiple timelines.
It was a working theory, but it was the only convincing one he could come up with.
So, if Percy knew Aika might one day be tortured by an unknown entity to figure out her father's identity, then that likely means she found her father. And someone didn't like it.
It also meant she would eventually draw the attention of the immortals, or at least some aspects of them. Percy needed to brush up on his mythological figures, because he couldn't think of anyone that violent or shrouded. The shroud could have been simply part of the dream, but it could have been Nyx? Erebus? Hecate? Maybe even an Underworld god like Hades or Thanatos?
Was Jason somehow involved?
He did not have nearly enough information.
And Percy was at a loss trying to figure out exactly how to get more information. He needed a quest or a prophecy or something.
Alas. He'd talk to Aika next time he saw her.
He also really hoped Hestia's hearth was just a possible future, and not an inevitability. Hope being snuffed out was a terrible sign.
They finally reached the Field of Mars, the grass green and the air warm. The armed legionnaires were milling about in their cohorts, while Reyna hovered on her pegasus above their heads. A tent had been set up nearby the fortress, and Percy could see medics rushing about, making sure everything was stocked and ready. He wondered how often people got seriously hurt.
Percy could see a selection of swords, bows, shields, and armor in a pile, ready to be claimed by anyone who needed them. He had his sword, and he briefly weighed grabbing a shield or a helmet, but decided against it. Good practice was good practice, and relying on shields or armor that he may not have access to would hurt him down the road. He needed to get back into full-on fighting confidence, and using both his powers and the environment was key.
Reyna noticed them first, swooping down to greet them. "Good to see you here, Perseus. You can grab armor and whatever you need over there."
Hazel and Frank went to get suited up, but Percy stayed immobile. "I'm all set."
Reyna raised an eyebrow, but nodded nonetheless. She wheeled her pegasus around, before addressing the cohorts. "Defense, you may enter the fortress! Offense, feel free to meet up and plan. We start in five minutes."
Two campers walked up to Percy, hands extended and helmets off. Percy recognized them as the two leaders of the Fifth Cohort. He probably should've introduced himself before going off to scream during his dreams.
"Welcome to the Fifth, Percy. I'm Dakota." He wasn't terribly fit, and he seemed to sway on his feet. He had a red stain on his lips, messy hair, and a generally unkempt appearance. It seemed like he had just woken up.
"And I'm Gwen. It really is good to have you. I hope you didn't let the snickers get to your head at all." She had a bright spirit in her eyes, Percy could tell - it was a spirit of sympathy and friendship. She gave off a positive energy, almost infectious.
Percy smiled. "It's nice to meet you. How exactly does this work? Is the goal just to get inside the fortress?"
Dakota snorted. "You can try, sure."
Gwen slapped him upside the head. Ignoring the indignant "ouch!" from Dakota, Gwen answered the question. "It's just to capture the flag, but just one-sided. They hide their flag inside the fortress, we try to get it. We have an hour allotted, but good luck. We barely ever even get inside."
The fortress was imposing, but Percy had a feeling many of the fighters were either not using their full potential, or hadn't unlocked their true demigod powers. There was no chance they barely ever got in, right?
Whatever. Percy would tip the balance.
"If I break the wall down, will y'all be ready?"
Dakota snorted. "Yeah, sure, bud. Got the ol' pilum right here." He lifted a spear up off the ground, slapping it like you would an old baseball bat.
A horn sounded, and Dakota and Gwen rushed back to the front lines. The cohorts immediately formed ranks, closing into three separate units. Percy scoffed - no coordination between cohorts whatsoever. No wonder they barely ever won.
Reyna's voice grew clear over the sound of footsteps. "Attacking cohorts! You have one hour! Your goal is to take the flag - as soon as someone touches the flag, the game is over! No maiming, no fatal strikes! Senatus Populusque Romanus!"
There were cheers from the attackers, and scoffs and laughter from the defenders.
Once more, a horn sounded, and the legion advanced. Arrows began to rain down from the battlements, while the water cannons swiveled to target the front lines. Shields raised, doing their best to deflect the incoming projectiles. Percy could tell they had quite a bit of experience in raising and lowering their shields, but they also didn't do much.
Arrows began finding chinks in the armor of some of the fighters. The water cannons began sending concentrated jets of water, carving trenches in the soft dirt and knocking people off their feet. Chaos reigned, and it had barely been a minute.
Percy decided to enter the fray.
He walked forwards, before breaking into a run, rushing down the gap between the fourth and fifth cohorts. He saw Frank, bow out, taking shots aimed at the embrasures. He noticed one's stream of arrows stopped after a well-placed arrow from the unclaimed archer. "Nice shot, Frank!"
Hazel and Frank whipped their heads towards him. Hazel cursed. "Percy, what are you doing?"
Percy didn't respond. He was sprinting now, and the defenders started turning their attention to him. He juked around an incoming arrow, before raising his left hand, deflecting an incoming water jet to his right. A spear was thrown at him, and he just let himself go.
His right hand curled around the spear mid-flight, before Percy spun his body, twisting around a full 360 degrees before launching it - the sheer momentum and power behind the throw permanently shut down a cannon.
The stream of arrows halted for a moment, before continuing, now fully focused on Percy. He could hear Gwen yell "Forward!" at the top of her voice, and the cohort surged, momentum on their side for the first time in forever. The Third and Fourth cohorts realized what was happening, letting out triumphant yells.
Percy continued his run, almost at the moat's edge. Reaching his hands out in front, he felt the water, a rush of excitement and power coursing through him. He commanded the water like a third arm, letting out a yell as the water surged.
The entirety of the moat raised up high, like a tidal wave hanging in the air. Percy himself hovered in mid-air, surfing on the crest of the wave, brimming with power.
He felt it.
He was whole.
Percy had felt fractured since he woke up. Not just his memory, but his power. He felt it when fighting the Spartans, the Gorgons, and the Mare. All three fights, he had felt like he was handcuffed - like he should've been able to tap into a vast pool of power, and was only able to access a small tub. Not anymore.
This was his return to not only the world, but his divine half. He was whole again.
Percy Jackson had finally woke up.
He grinned.
With a thrust of his arms, the water surged forwards, a massive deluge headed straight for the front gate. The wave smashed into the stone, the sheer force of it blasting apart the front wall of the fortress. Stones went flying, a massive opening created. He could see the panic evident in the defenders, especially on the lower levels of the castle - half of them could be seen without full armor even on.
It was a sign of over-confidence to the point of cockiness. It was embarrassing for a Roman.
Percy stayed in the air, a frozen platform of thin ice holding him aloft. He held his sword up, and commanded the three cohorts.
"Charge!"
A roar of approval greeted him back from his comrades. Frank was first across the now-barren moat, beating everyone to the wall, followed closely by Hazel. Percy smiled, seeing his friends lead the charge.
Percy leapt from his platform, landing with a roll on the top battlements of the fortress. He landed almost gracefully, sword out, threatening the defenders, five in total. They seemed scared shitless.
"Hey!"
They readied their weapons. He rushed one, pretending to step left but throwing himself to the right, dodging the spear thrust. Bringing Anaklusmos up, he hit the back of the kid's helmet with the pommel, a satisfying thud the only sound from the now-unconscious legionnaire.
A second challenged him, stabbing his sword with a thrusting motion. Percy sideswiped his sword, the power behind the swing sending the enemy's sword over the wall. He sent a quick punch to the nose, before whirling to deflect an overhead strike from the third soldier. The blades met with a clang, Percy looking into the other kid's eyes. He seemed new.
The practice regimen at Camp Jupiter needed some updating.
Percy pushed his weight into the kid, pushing him backwards until they reached the end of the wall. He swiped his leg, knocking his legs out from underneath him, before dropping an elbow on his helmeted head - the impact sent him to Morpheus. Percy turned, his sword coming back up in a defensive posture.
The three stood in a line. Like they had a chance going one at a time. Percy got an idea, and smirked.
His fist came up.
The three stood there confused, before the sound of the rotating water cannon behind them was apparent to their ears.
A jet of water sent all three into unconsciousness.
Percy laughed, looking over the wall. It was mayhem - no longer was anyone in organized cohorts. Now, it was one on one, no holds barred combat, as his allies poured into the hole. The sounds of clanging swords and yelling drifted up from the ground.
Just had to find the flag.
Before he headed down the staircase to join the fray, he chanced a look at Reyna. She hovered there on her pegasus, observing the proceedings. She had a look on her face of concern, and she was staring right at him.
He was a wild card, a powerful one - she didn't appreciate wild cards.
Percy shot her a smile, hoping to put her at ease, before charging down the staircase.
Given the flood of invaders on the ground floor, the defenders weren't ready for an assault from above, clearly.
Percy leaped down a flight of stairs, his knee colliding with a helmet, sending one guard to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He charged down the staircase, parrying blades and using his altitude as an advantage. One guard got a kick in his chest, sending him into the wall, before a well-placed sword tap knocked him out. Another guard didn't even notice the son of Poseidon before he had been thrown over the handrail.
Anaklusmos shined in the shadows of the fortress.
The first and second cohorts stood no chance. They folded quickly, not even remotely prepared for this kind of pressure, especially internally. Percy found himself at the bottom of the staircase, surrounded by the final individual battles of the siege. Frank saw him first, who greeted him with a smile.
"Percy… you son of a bitch, you did it! That was insane! " Frank swallowed him in a bear hug.
Frank's words echoed around the main room of the fortress, and slowly a victory cheer rose from those still standing, a cry of success and relief. A battle cry of exhilaration.
Percy raised a hand as Frank released his grip, and the soldiers quieted. "Where's the flag?"
"In here!" It was Hazel. "There's a room behind this door, just a couple soldiers, we think. I assume it's in there."
Percy scoffed. "Cocky, huh." That got some snorts. "Who wants the honors?"
The fifth looked at each other, before Gwen spoke up. "Come on, Percy. You, obviously. You're the whole damn reason we're in here."
The crowd roared in agreement.
Percy smiled. "Alright. For the Fifth!"
The sound deafened the previous roar as Percy walked up to the door, raising his leg, before kicking the door with all his might. The door tore off the hinges, collapsing to the floor. A few senior officers of the First and Second sit there, playing cards. The flag, an unassuming purple banner, was haphazardly propped up against the wall behind them.
Octavian sat to the side, reading an ancient-looking tome. He had a dark look on his face, one of fear and anger, while one hand held the hilt of a dagger.
They looked up in shock as the door came down, before throwing their cards down and hands up. Percy stepped over the threshold, sword raised, and marched down the center of the room before grabbing the flag. Cheers rang out through the hallway.
Percy grinned. That was awesome.
A whoop rang out from Frank, and Hazel did her best attempt at a taxicab whistle. He could see Gwen and Dakota, grinning as well. This was the first step towards redemption.
He was vaguely aware of Octavian closing his book and standing up, but he didn't think much of it - that was, until he started walking back towards the hall.
Octavian's fingers had curled around the hilt of his dagger. "For Olympus," he whispered, a look of determination on his face. As Percy neared him, he struck.
Struck to kill.
"Percy!"
Frank barreled towards Percy, knocking the wind out of him as he slammed him to the floor. Octavian's stab whiffed, but he didn't stop. With a crazed look in his eye, he tried to stab downwards, putting all his body weight into the stab.
This time, Octavian was body-slammed, Dakota charging him like a raging bull. But Octavian had readied his dagger, holding it out in front of him, stabbing Dakota through his chest as Dakota pushed him to the wall.
The tip of the dagger ripped through the back of Dakota's shirt. Actual blood stained Dakota's lips, not just kool-aid. He tumbled off Octavian, dagger still poking through his torso, as his breathing became labored.
"No!" Gwen shouted. "Dakota!"
Hazel and Gwen rushed forward too, restraining both of Octavian's arms. Dakota took some deep, wheezing breaths, each growing weaker than the rest, until the air left his lungs for good.
He was dead. Octavian was a murderer.
"NO! YOU IDIOTS! YOU'VE DOOMED US!" Octavian screamed.
"Dakota!"
Frank got up from Percy, kneeling at Dakota's side. He felt for a pulse, but his face fell, and he shook his head. He collapsed to the ground, stricken with grief.
"He's gone."
"YOU KILLED HIM!"
Gwen slapped Octavian. "You're the murderer here, you fucker!"
"Someone go get Reyna! And medics!" Hazel called out to the legion. Multiple people ran out of the room.
"HE IS OUR ENEMY! HE NEEDS TO DIE!" Octavian struggled against Gwen and Hazel, trying his hardest to get back up, but he was pinned effectively..
Gwen slapped him again, before stuffing his mouth with the fallen victory flag.
Frank looked back. "You good, Percy?"
Percy gasped, his breathing finally returning. "Yeah… yeah, I'm good. I'm good. Thanks Frank."
He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. Today wouldn't be the grand turnaround he hoped it would be, would it. He capped his sword, putting it back in his pocket.
"What the actual fuck, Octavian."
Dakota's corpse lay still, the room silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Reyna stormed in then, an absolutely livid expression on her face, followed by two medics. She saw Octavian detained against the wall, his dagger laying still on the ground, and she cursed.
"Fucking hell. Medics, look at him."
Gwen was crying, repeatedly slapping and punching Octavian.
Hazel was holding Dakota's hand, squeezing it like she was trying to resuscitate him from an air pump. A look of panic was written on her face.
Frank sat on the floor, a forlorn expression on his face, hands flat against the cold stone. A lone tear trailed down his cheek.
Percy collapsed into a chair, one now abandoned by another first cohort legionnaire. This came all too suddenly.
And then a breath.
"What the fuck, Octavian?"
All heads in the room snapped to the dead man.
Dakota was propping himself up, elbows driving against the stone. "Why the fuck did you try and kill Percy?"
"Dakota?" It was Gwen, her voice barely a whisper over her tears.
The stabbed man looked around the room at the pale faces surrounding him. "What happened? Guys?"
Shock filled the room.
He had been dead.
Dead.
Percy broke the silence. "Dakota… you were dead. We all watched you die. The dagger in you should have killed you."
Dakota looked down, seemingly noticing the dagger for the first time. "Huh." He reached down, grabbing the hilt of the dagger, before pulling. It slid right out of the wound, with barely any blood.
One of the medics, a son of Apollo, sat there in shock. "The wound, it's closing. No blood. Like it never even happened."
Hazel glanced at Dakota, her hands shaking. "Dakota… what did you see? Did you see anything?"
A nod. "Yeah, there was a guy asking for a coin or something, but there was an open door behind me - I just left."
Hazel inhaled through her teeth. "Something isn't right. That should never happen."
Reyna stood up abruptly.
"We will figure this out later. Everyone out, except for Percy. Now." Her tone was glacial.
A room had never cleared out faster. Hazel helped Dakota get to his feet, but he didn't even need it. He practically jogged out of the room, like he wasn't dead three minutes prior.
Reyna went to shut the door, but had a double-take when she saw it laying on the floor, disconnected from the hinges. "Really, Percy?"
He shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry."
Reyna lifted the door up, leaning it against the doorframe, blocking most of the doorway. She turned back to Octavian, an icy look in her eyes.
Here was a man who betrayed Rome. Her city. Her people. She had every right to be livid.
She marched up to him, ripping the flag out of his mouth, and punched his temple. He collapsed to the ground, blood starting to leak from a new cut on his head. He started laughing.
"O, Praetor Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, you have no idea what you're getting into." The laughter was incessant, breaking up every word, like he was losing his mind. But the laughter wasn't just of hilarity - there were notes of despair hanging on.
"Try me." Her tone had only grown frostier.
"Kill him, and save Rome. Keep him, and kill it. Use him, and kill others. What'll it be, glorious leader? What will you do? What will you do!?" Octavian was screaming at this point, cackling like a hyena over a fresh kill.
"Will you follow the will of Olympus, or die trying to justify your own mistakes? For the will of Olympus is to kill this sea spawn! Do this, and reclaim your dignity! For Rome!"
Reyna grimaced. "You're a madman. The auguries drove you insane."
Octavian only cackled. "Quicumque emerit tempus, occidet mundum!"
Another punch shut him up for good.
Reyna took out a pair of handcuffs, bringing Octavian's arms in front of him and locking his hands together.. She called in a couple guards, who ran in and secured Octavian. "Take him to the cells. I'll hold onto the key to his cuffs."
Percy had since moved to where Octavian was sitting. Next to the seat where Octavian had been sitting lay the book he had been reading. It was upside-down, but it looked positively ancient.
His gut sank. He turned around, trying not to show any emotion.
"Hey Reyna?"
The sole praetor of New Rome looked over at him.
"What did he say in Latin?"
She rubbed her forehead. "He who buys time, will destroy the world. Any clue?"
The son of Poseidon shook his head. But inside, his emotions were running wild. How did Octavian know about Aika? What did he mean about buying time?
Percy's gut sank.
What book was he reading?
"Go get some rest Percy." Reyna said, a dour note to her voice. "We all need it."
As she walked out of the room, Percy bent down, grabbing the book. It wasn't even paper, but papyrus - the pages seemed like they had been cut into book pages. It looked positively ancient.
He turned it over and read the title.
HERACLEIA
BY PANYASSIS
Huh.
Ok, that could've been worse.
A history of Heracles' labors wasn't what Percy had assumed an attempted murderer would be reading moments before he tried to stab someone with a dagger.
Percy grabbed the book, stuffing it into his back pocket. Percy would be lying if a part of him didn't expect Octavian to be reading some manuscript detailing Aika's life, or something that incriminated him as being essentially a time traveler.
He'd scan it later. He wondered if there were any hints or clues that Octavian had marked in the text.
He walked outside, met by the throngs of confused legionnaires. He imagined the tale being told was nonsensical to most. Dakota and Gwen were hugging, while the Fifth couldn't decide between being exuberant or depressed. Nothing made sense right now.
DEATH LOSES ITS HOLD.
The voice echoed from everywhere, rumbling across the valley. Weapons were drawn as conversations were cut off. An existential dread took hold in the legionnaires - a being that powerful should not be able to intrude into Camp. This place was safe.
But Percy knew that voice. That voice… he hated that voice.
PREPARE YOURSELVES.
Ares.
He had a gut feeling he didn't like Ares, and that Ares didn't like him back.
A small mushroom cloud erupted in front of the legion, the heat singing the clothes of those who happened to be near. Out of it stepped a soldier.
The soldier loomed over the legion. He looked like the stereotypical soldier, dressed in Canadian Armed Forces camouflage and holding an oversized M-16. He had short, black hair cut high and tight, angular facial features, and muscles that almost strained his shirt. He had scars criss-crossing his face. A utility belt hung on his waist, and Percy wondered what weapons he had stored there.
But more than anything, he radiated power and confidence.
This wasn't Ares. This was Mars.
Percy saw Frank walk forwards, kneeling at the war god's feet. The rest of the legion followed suit. Mars gave out a laugh.
"Ah, kneeling. That's good. It's been too long since I've visited Camp."
a flash of a massive longsword, slicing downwards
"This is my field, is it not? Yes, yes."
a spray of ocean foam over sand, slamming into Ares
Percy remained standing.
Anaklusmos striking down, slicing through his Achilles tendon
They had fought. That was clear. Percy wondered if he had won or not.
But whatever the result, it would be a cold day in the Underworld when Percy Jackson kneeled to an enemy.
Mars pointed at him. "You there, kneel."
Percy uncapped Anaklusmos instead. He didn't trust the god at all. "What do you want?"
Cue the gasps from every single person in the legion. The heads of many of the legionnaires swiveled around to face him, each and every one with disbelief or shock written on their faces. It would have been funny if Percy wasn't standing up to a god.
Mars laughed. "Oh, you got a fire in ya! That's cute. Take a knee, demigod."
Percy didn't move. "We've fought before."
Mars quirked an eyebrow. "I've fought many, many people. You're still standing, so you've never fought me as Mars, that's for damn sure. Now, kneel, before we fight again."
His aura flared out briefly, for nary a second, and yet Percy could feel the sheer power level Mars possessed.. The air had a red haze, the oppressive nature of war bursting into the atmosphere. It wasn't as wild as the aura Percy felt at Aegospotami, though - this aura had a level of intelligence behind it. This was controlled.
Reluctantly, he kneeled. Mars smiled and shot him a thumbs up.
"Romans! I come with a message from Jupiter! I only have a few minutes, and I will only say this once, so open your ears."
He pointed at Dakota. "This one should be dead. Clearly she isn't. This isn't a fluke - monsters no longer head to Tartarus when they are slain. Mortals are discovering the idea of returning to life. This is the start of a terrible age, an age without death - unless you," he gestured to the crowd, "can prevent it."
Spreading his arms, Mars spoke with a commanding tone. "Thanatos has been chained. The Doors of Death are chained down. The Earth Mother is bringing her armies to our world, and her Giants are forming once again for their revenge. You can't kill any of our enemies until Thanatos has been freed. Thus, a quest must be ordered!"
Reyna spoke up, taking her leadership to heart. "Lord Mars, we are honored you have chosen us. What is the prophecy to lead us?"
Mars let out a full-blown belly laugh. "A prophecy? Here you go: go North and Free Death! You have ten days - return by the Feast of Fortuna. What you seek will be found in the land beyond the gods." Hazel let out what Percy described as a frightened squeak. "We all remember how the Legion lost its honor - you may just rediscover it there. If you fail, Rome may well be overrun. So don't fail."
The praetor bowed. "Of course, your honor."
The god put a finger on his chin, tapping it. "I had something else, too… oh, right. Come here, kid." He gestured towards a wide-eyed Frank, who shuffled forwards.
"Hell of a job there kid. First to the wall, first inside. Saved a kid from getting decapitated. That was a special performance. Real MVP stuff." He looked at Reyna. "You the ref?"
She nodded.
"Yeah, he deserves some recognition here ref. Mural Crown, even. Wouldn't you agree, ref?
Reyna swallowed. "Of course, my lord."
He nodded, a smirk on his face. "Happy late birthday, kid. Your mom, she was a hell of a woman. Up to you to honor her legacy. You're gonna need a better weapon. Here, kid." He tossed Frank his rifle, which transformed into a spear. The imperial gold shaft glinted in the waning sunlight, while what looked like a tooth sprouted from the top.
"Frank, you have a lot to learn. You'll know what I mean on your journey, but that'll give you some time. Only have three charges - use them wisely." He saw Frank's questioning look. "Oh, by journey, I mean the quest. My kid is gonna lead the quest to free Thanatos. For sure. You get two companions, per the rule. One of 'em has gotta be this dipshit."
He pointed straight at Percy.
"You pick the other, I don't care who. But he's gonna learn some respect for Mars."
Lightning crackled as thunder boomed directly overhead.
Mars grimaced. "That's my cue, bud. Good luck. Rome's fate falls on your shoulders." With those final words, he erupted into a ball of flames, disappearing from the Field of Mars. Silence reigned.
Reyna broke it, a baffled look on her face. "Ave, Frank Zhang, son of Mars." The legion repeated it.
Percy shook his head. Today had been absolutely wild. Meeting Octavian, Reyna, and Nico. Exploring Camp Jupiter. Finding a link. Octavian tried to kill him. Dakota died, and then woke up. Frank was a son of Mars. And they were going on a quest. He shook his head. This was messy.
He also failed the do not draw divine attention idea. Hopefully Mars wouldn't go around Olympus talking shit about a demigod who wouldn't kneel immediately.
He needed some rest.
It would probably only get crazier from here on.
"...belike the dream was a true dream, sent thee through the gate of horn."
E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros
The blonde girl was back. The one from his earlier dream in the hospital, and the one from the photograph.
Annabeth Chase.
The two were walking together amongst the wreckage of what he assumed was New York. Dust and blood covered the street. Cars were pushed aside, spiderweb cracks sprawling across their windshields. People lay strewn about the scene, some on sidewalks, some behind the wheel. An unearthly silence hung in the air.
An endless sleep.
Annabeth had blood flowing from a cut across her forehead, but she barely seemed to acknowledge it. Her face - well, really her entire body - was covered in dirt and golden dust. She stood with her weight leaning against Percy, her left leg having been impaled by a sword or dagger at some point in the battle. Her orange t-shirt was in tatters, the orange color barely even visible.
They clung to each other. Like they needed each other to make it to tomorrow.
In many ways, they did.
A girl ran around the corner, black hair and electric-blue eyes standing out against the silver parka and tiara. She wildly swung her head around before locking on the duo, a smile growing across her face. She ran towards them. "Annabeth! Percy!"
She was in the photograph too. Thalia Grace.
Annabeth grunted as Thalia embraced them in a hug. "Hey Thals."
Thalia stepped back. "Is it over? We won?"
Percy nodded. "We won."
The hunter grinned, but it was more of a relieved smile than anything.. "Hell yeah."
Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand. "Let's get back to camp. I need to get some sleep."
The three continued walking, exhausted from the world. The fight had been long, gruesome, and unrelenting. This was the first rest they had had in days.
Percy walked. His right hand twirled Anaklusmos in pen form, fidgeting. He had the -
Perseus Jackson.
Said hero whipped his head around. Where did that come from?
Remember what really happened.
A white flash ended the dream.
"Lighting-blind, you, tempest-torn / At the poles of our condition, did not confuse / The Gates of Ivory with the Gates of Horn."
Derek Mahon, Homage to Malcolm Lowry
Percy was shaken awake by someone. He groaned.
"Hey, Percy. Wake up."
He could feel the warm air on his skin. The bark of the tree behind him dug into his back, while the forest buzzed with activity. The dirt underneath his palms was -
Wait, forest?
His eyes shot open.
"Aika!"
A/N: Thanks to everybody who took the time to like, follow, and even leave a review for this story. It makes writing it that much easier. Y'all are wonderful. Hope you enjoy the latest installment!
To 7ove: Your comment made my entire damn week. I hadn't started writing this chapter yet, and put 3,000 words on the page after you reviewed. You are an absolutely incredible human. I hope you have a fantastic week.
Also - for those who are incredibly knowledgeable about ancient Greece, you'll notice a bit of an issue in regards to the years of certain events and publications. I am taking some creative liberties, for sure - both with years of events, and the actual events themselves. Hope that doesn't take too much away from your enjoyment of the story!