Authors Note:
My grammar may not be the best considering English is not my main language so please bear with me! Complete AU of the Percy Jackson Universe. Please click away if you don't like what you are reading, or give me some feedback in the review section! Spelling, grammar, and historical mistakes are all appreciated in my private messages!
Story Full Description:
His stepfather tormented him, bullied him, and assaulted him. At a young age, Perseus Jackson was left alone to fend for himself. This was all about to change when a specific goddess and her followers discovered the small child, injured and battered, confined in a cabin with his mother. Follow Percy on his journey as the Son of Artemis, the one and only male hunter. Perzoe.
Chapter 1 - A New Beginning | September 18th, 1999.
In the dead of night, a group of young maidens explored the silent woodland with the dexterity of skilled thieves and the precision better than Olympic Archers. All of their clothing had silver linings that glowed weakly, allowing light to travel through the darkness. In the silent forest, only one noise emitted throughout the night. The girls were drawn in by a low but piercing cry. A loud male voice was heard inside what appeared to be a small broken-down wooden hut as they neared it, followed by screams of pain.
Every single one of the girls' expressions had turned to one of rage and hatred. A 12-year-old goddess, on the other hand, had finally had enough. With one powerful kick, the door flew off its hinges, revealing a large man beating a woman. All but one pair of eyes widened in shock at what they were seeing in front of them. Silver eyes pulsed with so much power making everyone's skin itch. With a snap of her fingers, the man transformed into a little hairy animal in a swirl of silver smoke. Before the creature could flee, Artemis drew her bow back and shot it with pinpoint accuracy, instantly killing the once-human. If the situation had been different, the hunters would have laughed at the stupid male, but this one was much more serious than any other.
Beautiful ocean blue eyes and flowing brown hair adorned the gravely injured woman. Her face was crimson with pain, and her clothes were smeared with blood. The skin that used to be tanned and smooth had turned pale, lacking the usual color. A droplet of blood trickled off the left corner of her mouth.
Artemis approached the woman with the intention of healing her wounds, but it was too late. She could already feel the life force draining from the young lady's body. The rest of the hunters rushed in and came to a halt when they saw the pale woman in front of them.
The woman's voice had become hoarse. "Please take care of my son, Lady Artemis," she says, alerting the Moon goddess, "he's only six and has been beaten for much of his life by his step-father." Artemis looked at the small boy passed out in the corner, bruises lining his skin. She felt pity for the woman and child.
Artemis' silver eyes widened as she weighed the woman's plead, contemplating whether this was the best choice. She could see this was no ordinary child. He was a demigod, based on the aura he radiated. Her mind was racing with questions, making her second-guess what she was about to say.
Before speaking, the goddess gave a slow nod. "I'll look after your son for you. I'll see to it that he becomes the world's sole acceptable male." Gasps could be heard behind them coming from the hunters.
The woman smiled as she slipped into the world of the dead, where she would await judgement on her eternal fate. Artemis gave a sad smile as she saw the mother happy. When she turned around, she was confronted with her lieutenant's inquisitive expression. The young girl wore a silver tiara and had copper complexion, giving her the appearance of a Persian princess.
With a cautious expression on her face, the girl asked Artemis. "Are thee sure this is the best option, M'lady? After all, he is still a male."
Artemis paused for a moment before responding to her query. "Yes, Zoe, I believe I've made the best decision possible. We can raise him to become an acceptable man, notwithstanding his gender."
Along with the other members of the Hunt, Zoe gave a tiny nod. She swung around to confront her sisters. "Set up camp here; we'll be staying here till' daybreak tomorrow," she said authoritatively.
The hunters scattered out rapidly to pitch their tents and get ready to sleep. Zoe followed them out of the wooden cabin to give Artemis some space with the small boy.
With a sigh, Artemis approached the bruised child. She emitted a faint silver glow, causing the woman's son to awaken. He cowered into a corner when he noticed Artemis standing right next to him. Artemis frowned, attempting to show that she was not a threat. "Hey, tiny one, what's your name? Mine is Artemis." She took a step forward. "I'm sorry for frightening you, but I promise I'm not mean." Artemis signed off with a small smile.
After a few moments, the boy looked up at Artemis with sea-green eyes that pierced her soul. She only knew one god with those eyes, and he was a powerful one. Artemis quickly recovered from her surprise before casting a worried glance towards the boy. His body had been horribly damaged, with scars strewn across his chest.
However, the child spoke in a frail voice before she could heal him. "Percy. My name is Percy."
"Well, Percy, are you familiar with the Greek Gods and all of their tales and legends?" He was questioned by Artemis. She had hoped he knew some of it so she could convey it to him more easily. Fortunately for her, Percy simply gave a small nod. She pondered about the best way to put this to him. "Well you see, the myths are all real and you are a demigod. Born to one god and one mortal."
Percy looked at her like she was crazy before trying to speak. Percy coughed up blood as he attempted to talk. His throat was dry from all the screaming he had done a few moments ago. Percy's mind felt like it was clogged as he started to lose balance from blood loss. His vision was fading to black rapidly.
Before he could fall face-first into the ground, Artemis snatched him up. She conjured up some ambrosia and water, which she fed to Percy in small portions. His face gradually began to regain some of its original color.
"How are you feeling?" Artemis asked, with a worried look on her face as she handed him another cup of water which Percy drank almost instantly.
His face contracted in pain once Artemis had put him back on his feet. This time, his voice cooperated with him allowing him to speak slightly. "My chest hurts and my legs." He said with a shaky voice.
Artemis poured a pulse of silver light into his body, instantaneously healing all of his wounds and pain. Only agonizing discomfort could be felt in the regions where Gabe had assaulted Percy. However, he could only think about one person. His mother was that one person. Percy adored her and had been attempting to protect her since she married his despicable stepfather. He had completely forgotten about the fact that Artemis had told him that he was a demigod meaning his father was still alive.
"Can you tell me where my mother is?" Percy asked. He noticed Artemis' eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
Artemis froze, oblivious to the fact that she had not prepared for this topic, despite that she should have expected it. Artemis made the decision. The decision to be completely honest with him. "Your mother well... She passed away," she said after a moment of hesitation. Artemis glanced sadly at Percy's tear-streaked eyes.
Artemis drew him into a close hug before he could start crying, surprising even the goddess herself with her actions. She whispered soothing words into his ear as he sobbed uncontrollably. They drew apart after a few minutes, her shoulder fully saturated in his tears. It was time for Artemis to ask him if he wanted to be a part of her family.
"Percy, I would like to adopt you and make you my only son?" In the end, what was supposed to be a statement became more of a question. Fortunately, Percy was distracted by the startling sensation of a family flooding through his mind. Losing his mother was too much for him, having another motherly figure in his life would mean the world to him.
"Mommy, I'd love to be your son!" Percy squealed with excitement making Artemis laugh.
Artemis gave him a wide smile before speaking in Ancient Greek. Percy was entirely engulfed by a silver mist. Percy looked radically different after the mist had dissipated. His right eye had turned silver instead of sea-green, and he had auburn threads in his hair. Artemis smiled at her son before recalling that his father, was Poseidon. It would be an understatement to say she was a little uneasy at the prospect.
Both of them had large smiles on their faces as they hugged each other once more. Artemis had long desired a child of her own, but she would've never been able to have one due to her oath and hunters, plus she was a maiden goddess. After all that she had witnessed throughout the thousands of years of her life, Artemis still detested the male gender.
"Mom?" Her thoughts were interrupted by a little voice. Artemis scolded herself for becoming engrossed in her own musings. When she regained control of reality, she found herself in the presence of her now-adopted son.
"How long has that man been attacking you?" Artemis said this with a look of rage in her eyes. She had to make certain that the man was punished in the most uninhabitable places of the underworld.
"Smelly Gabe has been attacking me and my mother since I was about three years old," Percy said, his voice weak and pained.
Artemis' eyes pulsed even brighter with pure silver energy if that was possible. The problem was that she couldn't just go to the underworld and force the man to suffer in the fields of punishment. No, that would alert Hades to what was going on, and he would learn about Percy. If Hades discovers that Percy is the son of Poseidon, he will most likely torture him for eternity.
Artemis attempted to change the subject, deciding to ponder about it later. "Let's get you introduced to my hunters first," Artemis said, trying to lighten the mood by smiling at her son.
Percy returned the smile. He'd learned a lot about the Hunters of Artemis from his original mother as well as history books and classes. As he remembered his first mother, tears welled up in his eyes. They had fond memories of walking around Montauk Beach and playing board games in their cabin. That beach was the only place where they could escape from Gabe and his abusive ways. She'd even thrown him a surprise birthday party on her day off from work.
Artemis seemed to notice his sadness and decided to cheer him up a bit. "Hey, after, I'll take you exploring the woods and I can even teach you how to shoot a bow."
Her words managed to lighten the mood as Percy smiled. "I would love to explore with you, Mom!"
They exited the dilapidated wooden hut, where everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face them. The hunters snickered as Percy anxiously hid behind Artemis' leg. Some of them gasped when they saw his two eye colors.
"Hunters!" Artemis announced herself, pulling everyone's attention away from Percy. "I'd want to welcome your new little brother to you all." Some of the hunters smiled at him, while others regarded him with suspicion. Even if he was just six years old, Artemis knew some of her sisters wouldn't trust him. They'd all had horrible experiences with males, and he was a man the last time she checked.
Artemis decided to describe what they could accomplish with Percy in order to persuade some of the hunters. "I know most of you girls have had awful experiences with men," some of the hunters nodded, "but we can raise Percy to be the only acceptable male on the earth," she said.
Almost all of the hunters' suspicious expressions turned into smiles as a result of this. Artemis beamed at her girls, bringing a smile to everyone's face.
Percy had been hiding behind his new mother's leg the entire time. He couldn't help but smile as he listened to all his mother had told the hunters. Artemis observed this and made Percy chuckle by whispering something in his ear. Before he could respond, two hunters approached them.
One of them was a ginger-haired towering muscular girl. "My name is Phoebe, welcome to the hunt, little brother." She expressed her delight at the thought of having a younger sibling.
Percy looked a little to the left of Phoebe and recognized the girl as the one who had spoken to his mother earlier. "My name is Zoe." She said, a little cautiously when Percy stared at her.
Percy gave her a warm smile before realizing something that made him chuckle. "Hello, Zoe, why do you have the look of a princess?"
His remark made Phoebe and Artemis burst out laughing. As they rolled around on the ground gripping their bellies in pain, Zoe threw them both a death stare. Zoe then turned around and glared at Percy, who flinched, giving her a triumphant smile. She then approached Percy and pinched his cheek, making him blush. "Let's take you around the camp and teach you some archery, little brother!" She said happily while the others chuckled at his embarrassed expression.
Artemis smiled as she saw how well her two best hunters got along with her new son. If only it could be this simple in the future, Artemis lamented. She recalled the great prophecies and for some reason, she just knew Percy would be the one who either razed or saved Olympus. If her father continued to ignore her warnings of more dangerous monster attacks, the titans might as well destroy Olympus themselves, she thought bitterly.
Line Break
Percy gained a variety of new acquaintances within the hunt as the group steadily made their way around the hunters' camp. Percy had a great time until they arrived at their next destination. The archery range. Now, Artemis was well aware that the children of Poseidon had poor bow aim, but no one should be this awful at archery. Percy couldn't even get the arrow to hit the target, no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't aim the arrow at the target even after gaining the powers from Artemis because he was her son. As an addon, it certainly wasn't helping with the number of hunters passing by and laughing at him. Artemis thought it was just because he was only six years old. She noted her son's terrible archery skills and decided he needed to improve on them drastically in the future.
Percy had eventually managed to skim the target after a few hours of struggling, making everyone around smile; except along with smiling, Percy was jumping up and down like an idiot.
He saw Artemis and Phoebe speak to each other before heading towards the other hunters. Zoe snickered at Percy before dragging him towards a different place in the hunters' camp. Swords and long hunting knives lined the walls of this one. Percy's jaw dropped in awe when he saw the arena. He dashed towards a long silver sword with moon symbols on the blade's leather hilt. When he went to pick it up, the word 'moon' was engraved into one side near the front, while another word 'prince' was carved into the handle. Percy stared at the weapon and smiled. The design and size, it felt perfect for him.
When Percy turned around, he noticed Zoe behind him, removing a small hairpin from her dark lavish hair. In the blink of an eye, said hairpin transformed into a full-out celestial bronze sword shining in the moonlight.
As Zoe chuckled, his jaw dropped once more. "Percy, close thy mouth before thou begin catching flies," she teased him, causing Percy to blush in embarrassment, only for Zoe to laugh at his face. "Let's see how good thy swordsmanship is little brother!" She exclaimed before swinging the sword at Percy before he could even ready himself.
Surprisingly, Percy deflected her blade with his own before launching his own barrage of attacks. Zoe went wide-eyed before narrowing her eyes and defending all of Percy's swings. Percy kept up with Zoe, matching punches for blows, much to Zoe's surprise. This continued onwards for a long time until Percy's sword latched onto hers and threw it out of her hands with a strong launch. Zoe gasped as she witnessed the scenes unfolding in front of her eyes. She'd just lost a sword duel to a six-year-old child. Sure, she'd never handled a sword before and was untrained, but her opponent had no prior understanding of how to fight at all.
The sound of metal collapsing on the ground drew some hunters' attention to them. When the hunters turned to face them, they anticipated to find Zoe with a blade at Percy's throat, but they were shocked to see their thoughts reversed.
Percy was panting heavily, while Zoe was just softly breathing as a result of the battle. He withdrew his sword from Zoe's throat and returned it to the stand where he initially discovered it. However, as the blade made contact with the wall, the entire sword was enveloped in a silver mist. After the mist had faded away, Percy felt a small necklace wrapped around his neck. The small bit of jewelry had a tiny moon charm on it whilst it was entirely silver. When Percy turned around to find his mother, he found her smiling at him with a mischievous look in her eyes.
Artemis spoke, "Zoe," drawing the attention of the huntress who was flushing in embarrassment. "It seems like you have just lost to a six-year-old boy." The goddess laughed, making Zoe's red face even redder.
Before any of the other hunters could poke jokes at Zoe, Percy stepped in. "Zoe didn't lose to me, I asked her to go easy on me." He interjected.
Zoe turned to gaze at him in surprise, an appreciating smile on her face. Except for Artemis, his statement had deceived practically everyone around them. She was perplexed by her son's modesty. She, too, grinned as her confusion subsided.
Phoebe was the one to talk next, "Percy, what are you going to name the sword?" She asked him.
"I will name it… uhh… I'm not actually sure." He said sheepishly whilst the hunters chuckled.
Artemis decided it was time for sleep and sent Zoe and Phoebe, as well as the other hunters, back to their tents. She motioned for Percy to join her at the center of the camp, in a large silver tent. The tents themselves were magical, they were larger on the inside than they appeared from the outside. The tent was strewn with animal furs, and stars adorned the roof. Artemis snapped her fingers causing both of their garments to transform into pajamas.
Before Percy could climb onto the bed, Artemis asked him a question out of curiosity. "Percy, why did you lie about beating Zoe in a sword fight?"
Percy paled before trying to look away. However, Artemis managed to grab his face making him face her. "Answer me truthfully, Perseus." Artemis glared at her son daring him to lie.
"I felt sorry for Zoe, mommy," Percy murmured nervously, before saying, "and I don't think I even won that fight fairly. It felt like the sword was in command of the duel, rather than me." Percy remarked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Luckily for Percy, Artemis just smiled at him. "You are truly the only male worthy of being my son. Let's get a good night's rest, we have a long day ahead of us." She said before tucking Percy into the bed. She climbed onto the bed as well.
Artemis felt little hands grip hers as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a few words in her mind that made her heart melt.
"Thank you, mommy, I love you," Percy spoke in his thoughts before drifting to the realm of Hypnos.
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading the first chapter. I have about three chapters pre-written so updates could be scheduled allowing me to write new chapters and release others. This way, I can give you guys something to read at all times. For the story length, I am planning to have a few different conflicts stretching the story to more than 80000 words or so. If the story does well (favorites/followers) a sequel would be highly possible. As always, for grammar and historical mistakes, please private message me and I will correct them as soon as possible. Suggestions are always appreciated in the review section as well as criticism. Updates may come out slightly slower since I am writing three stories at once!
Last Updated: 2022-01-04