Knowledge is everything to Aaron, not power since he is human. He will never have Percy's Opness... he needs lots of little skills and spells to thrive and be useful.
This chapter solidifies Aaron's four main skills...
Nature, Necro, Warding, Healing.
Hestia was shaken, sitting hidden at her place by her Sacred Hearth. She, under the veil of invisibility, rushed to Aaron's side while he spoke to his patroness and Hades. The boy was being kissed on the nose by Persephone, who was saying. "You brilliant, sweet, wonderful boy! I am so proud of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping get us more respect even if slightly with a shrine at camp."
Hades nodded, his eyes bright with excitement that Hestia had not seen in decades. "You are a kind boy, thank you. You will be rewarded for this, isn't that right Hestia?" he said to her, turning to her and seeing through her aural magics.
'Of course, he can see through it, he is the master of darkness...' She undid her veil and stepped towards Aaron, her eyes filled with fear. "Why did you suggest I get a cabin, dear boy?" She knew he could not know why she was so afraid, but there was a good reason. "It is not my way, you know." She pushed, using her magic to subtly make the boy more open, more honest, she needed to know why he did this to her.
"You are the goddess of Family, your family includes all demigods including the unclaimed." Aaron said, his eyes and tone shockingly dark as her magic took effect. "To be honest, part of my reason for doing this is to make you do something for once." Hades hissed, but the boy moved on, her magic compelling his words. "You are an incredibly powerful force, influential and gentle, but you do nothing to help the world."
Hades was close to boiling but Hestia stopped him with a hand. "I forced his words, brother... and he is not wrong." And it hurt her, in ways she could not express, to admit the boy was right.
"But, Hestia, you-"
"Do little but tend the hearth, I am the so called Guardian of Family but have failed my own." Her resolve grew in that moment. "I have no children, Aaron, nor any more Priests in your world, my sway is far less than it should be. To act, to hold sway once more, I need a vessel for my power, for my words, my voice... I do not have that, and I am not sure how to get that. It has to be an unbiased soul, one pure and strong, one unswayed by greed or evil or the powers of others. A rare combination."
Persephone beamed. "Aaron can be that, he can act as that for you. He cares for others, he is not swayed by bloodlines or history, he is eager to make a difference! He can be exactly what you need, dear aunt."
Hestia froze, as did the boy, they stared at each other for a long moment, before the boy bowed. "I would be honored to help you, Hestia. I honor your power, I honor your message, I just do not honor your method. You could make such a difference but have chosen to do nothing... evil only wins when good people do nothing."
She smiled, and leaned in, kissing his forehead, pushing just the tinniest bit of magic into him "I bless you, child, with this spark of power. It is not a blessing of strength, or might, it is a spark. It must be fed by your own means, and it opens you to a whole new aspect of magic that must be directed or taught. Fail to do so and it will fade, but respect and honor it and it will allow you to tap into a power that you have sought but would never have managed without divine help."
"What does it do?" he asked.
"It gives you control, not over fire, but over sight through the veil. Fire will be your focus, to see through time and space...for in this moment, and in this place, I proclaim you Aaron Mathews to be my Prophet, the speaker of my voice, as well as my Champion. Use your magic and my gift to see through time and guide the world with my blessing and Persephone's guidance." She summoned her knowledge and created a grimoire, one infused with the knowledge to use her unique brand of power, one that no other god had even the slightest clue to tap into. Handing this to the boy, she said. "My power in not like Persephone's, Nature and Necromantic powers are tied to natural forces. Yin and Yang if you will. My power is domestic, a pure expression of humanity. It will be wildly different for you to use, my dear boy...and it may not be easy."
With shaky hands, the boy took her book. "I am honored, my Lady... but are you sure?"
"Yes, I do believe I am. You are right, it is time I took a stand, for my people, for my family. This is but the first step. The Cabin is the second. With our combined help, we will create a better world, or so I hope..."
Aaron nodded, holding the book close to home. "What else does this book contain?"
"Better warding spells, for my power is tied deeply toward wards. Empathic magic, fire spells, some minor healing spells, more advanced potions, domestic spells, advanced scrying, prophetic spells as I mentioned earlier and several other things. If you intend to make a shrine to my brother and Niece, you will like some of those advanced enchantments. Oh, and there is a fire spell you will love to create camp fires that ward off all but the strongest monsters! You will need that if you aim to save demigods and take them to camp. Your powers will take years to advance, but your skills will not, you need all the advantages to survive."
He nodded. "The spark, it is not a power but a key to open the door to a skill that I should have a witch, right?"
"That is another way to put it, yes. Prophetic powers, if you are not born to them, you require divine help to access them. That has always been the way, no matter how skilled a witch is. Even Hermes needed Apollo's blessing to tap into that power, and he is a strong god."
Aaron beamed. "I hope you do not regret this..."
"Nor do I child, but I have this feeling I will not." She sighed. "I will inform Zeus of my choice, he is likely to be displeased but should not take it out on you... I hope." She stopped. "Aaron, fire purifies, anything actually. Wild fires are needed to heal forests. Perhaps Medusa can be better helped with some of my magic, the book I gave you might have some things that could help. There are ways, in my form of magic, to strengthen rituals with sacred fire... just a thought."
Aaron's smile was radiant.
Hestia hoped it would be worth it, she had never gone against her family or attempted to make ripples. She feared them, that one day their love would turn to loathing as it so often did. What would happen to her then, she knew of their evils and could only hope she had made enough love to protect herself when things went sour...
As she knew it likely would...
It always did in her family.
"""
"He apologized. " Leo said as they returned on the van to Camp. "He said sorry for my mom... he gave me this." Leo gestured to a toolbelt, one that Aaron could sense a strong blessing on. "It lets me access anything I might find in a workshop. Said it was the least he could do, he was right."
Aaron held his adoptive brother's hand, squeezing it tight. "I am glad, is it spelled for resistance to theft?"
"Not sure."
"I can do that for you, my new spell book... it has enchantments for domestic things, including antitheft."
Leo beamed. "Awesome. Oh and I started some sketches for the new cabin and the shrine, this is going to be awesome!"
"Yes, yes it will." And so, for the rest of the day, Aaron and Leo worked on the sketches for the two new projects, readying the camp for the Underworld Duo and the new campers...
Travis and Connor Stoll both hugged him, as did half of the Hermes Cabin, everyone happy he was getting them a place to live outside of the Hermes Cabin. There was a wonderful celebration that night and not a single person seemed displeased.
It took the fear Aaron felt and burned it away, he had been a bit arrogant and was lucky to not be blasted to dust. He took a calculated risk and got a lot of out of it, but he knew that there was more risk to come. Getting the Demigods to camp would only be a risky endeavor, and one he may not survive... but to stop Kronos, save kids and make a name for himself...
Well, it would be worth it...
Or, so he hoped.
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was so much fun, I love this.
Also, Aaron is getting grimoires since he has to learn magic from someone and the gods are the only options since Hecate defected. Knowlege not power are the gifts given...
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.