(Chapter uploaded: November 6, 2022)
Chapter 33: I get Blessed by the Starbucks of the Ancient Greek world
(Author's Note)
Hey guys, gals and non-binary pals! Welcome back to the last and final chapter of Daughters of Olympus Book 1! Well, well, well, we're finally here. It took a long time, but I hope the wait was worth it. Today we finish Book 1, but don't worry, the story isn't over yet, not by a long shot. The adventures of Astraea, Aurora, Sacniete and others will continue in "The Daughters of Olympus Book 2: Gods love, Men kill". To be released sometime eventually. No set release date yet, as I want to fine tune the timeline again while I work on a personal project.
I know you all want to get into the chapter, so let's begin…
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Chapter 33: I get blessed by the Starbucks of the Ancient Greek world
[Recap: Ch31: Sacniete increased her speed, how could she have been so stupid to leave Astraea to die?
Shaking her head at herself, she poured on the speed even more.
She dodged rocks and cacti that were barely more than blurs in her vision. She didn't know how she was moving so fast, let alone how she was able to perceive anything at her speed, but she ignored it. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered but telling Astraea-
Faster.
"I'm coming, Astraea. Hold on, just hold on."
Faster.
"I'll be the one to protect you this time…"
A cone of air formed in front of Sacniete, and the air rushing past her was deafening, but she increased her speed none-the-less as she slipped into the darkness around her.
"Because I…"
She was running so fast now that she couldn't even feel her feet touching the ground, it was like she was gliding over the rocky earth. Her legs begged her to stop, and her lungs threatened to fail, but she increased her speed anyway.
She could barely make out Gilgamesh now; he was over a half kilometer away and had his fist raised to strike Astraea-
-But Sacniete was there a heartbeat later, emerging from the shadows, and kicked his face with everything she had.
Gilgamesh flew a dozen meters back, rolling like a boulder going down a hill until he hit a cliff wall. Sacniete landed on all fours like a jaguar between Astraea and the giant, bearded man.
"You didn't let me finish," she said to Astraea, keeping her yellow feline eyes on Gilgamesh as she rose from the dirt. "Astraea, I love you."
Recap: Ch32: As Astraea lay there, accepting and expecting death, she thought of Sacniete. Of the girl who was now no longer just her best friend, but someone she cared for more than her own life. And, if it wasn't a pain-induced hallucination, Sacniete had told Astraea she loved her…
Astraea would have given anything to hear that before, but now, seconds from death, it only brought her a sense of being robbed of love by the Fates.
But, Astraea thought, knowing Sacniete loved her would be enough to console her on her boat ride down to the Underworld. She was content and at peace, if it weren't for that slow pounding in her head. The low, slow, rhythmic pounding that was steadily increasing, and that she could feel throughout her entire being. A beat… like a drum.
No, she thought, like an Ancient Greek war drum. Despite not knowing how she knew that.
The steady drum beat increased in speed.
It was like there was something, something deep down, down in her blood, that knew what was coming, but Astraea couldn't tell what it was.
The beat grew faster still.
Was it death? Was her body coming to terms with her dying like her mind already was? Or… was it something else?
Faster.
The very heavens were vibrating from the force of the beating drums now, drums that were now striking with the speed of a train. And, far above her in the only direction her hazy eyes could look, Astraea could see the countless stars swirling around like they were caught in a hurricane. And…
Gilgamesh raised his fist for one last attack-
…Were the stars falling?
-Gilgamesh threw his arm down at her, it was only a second away-
A bellow shook the cosmos.
"BWWRROOOAAARRR!"
Something clad in the night sky and stars burst from the swirling heavens and struck the earth with the power of a crashing planet. The earth shook with every drum beat, the sky vibrated as a man rose to his towering height. The very world trembled with every step the giant man took towards them. Then, like the increasing speed of the Ancient Greek war drums that deafened the heavens, he ran at them.
The star-clad brobdingnagian beast of a man struck Gilgamesh with a mighty fist, sending him flying out of Astraea's field of vision.
Through swollen and bloody eyes, Astraea stared up to the giant man above her. Her heart stopped. With the very last of her strength, she whispered.
"...Dad… you were listening to me…"
Then, everything went black as the starless sky above them. ]
~Recap End~
[April 30, 2026 - Olympus]
Astraea's head was killing her— scratch that, everything was killing her. If a single part of her body wasn't in pain, it was being overshadowed by everything else.
Cracking her heavy eyelids open, she had to immediately squint to shield her eyes from the obscenely bright golden light around her. Taking a few moments to adjust to the gaudy gold hues in the room, Astraea took in her surroundings.
She was in some sort of hospital room, but one she had never seen the likes of before. There was no IV, no state-of-the-art medical technology, no heart beat monitors, or even controls for her bed to move it up and down.
She tried to move her neck to look around more, but found the action extremely painful. She could only twist her neck a few degrees without wincing.
Unable to look around her, she took stock of her injuries. The arm she had punched Gilgamesh with all her strength with was still wrapped up and hurt like Hades. And the sharp, jolting pain in her chest whenever she took in a breath of air wasn't fun either. She tried to sit up, but was hit with an intense wave of nausea and dizziness that made her stomach churn like she was about to throw up.
"Please don't try to sit up," a voice said from somewhere beyond her range of vision. It was a musical, male voice. "Your body is still recovering, and I would rather not fix ribs I already replaced."
The man stepped up beside her bed, and Astraea realized that it was no man at all.
"A-Apollo?" She said, though her voice was barely audible and so dry it hurt.
"Shh." He ordered kindly, summoning a glass vial of amethyst liquid from thin air and holding it up to her lips. "Don't try to speak, Astraea. Conserve your strength. Here, drink this." She tried to reach for the drink with her good hand, but found it too shaky. "No no," he said softly. "Lie still. Let me."
So Astraea let him pour the amethyst liquid down her throat. It had the consistency of liquid metal, but was warm and soothing to her savaged throat. After ensuring she drank the entire vial, Apollo stood up straight and began going over notes on a scroll like a doctor on a bad romance hospital show.
"Alright," he said after a minute of reading, putting the scroll away and looking her over. "I'm sure you have a million questions for me, and, despite my wish that you rest and don't speak until you recover more, you will not be able to do so until I answer them. So, go ahead and ask me anything, and I'll answer as best I can. That's why I gave you that medicine, it should help soothe your throat and relieve the pain enough for a few hours. So," he gave her a reassuring look. "Ask away."
"Are Aurora and Sacniete okay?"
The god smiled. "I should've known that would be your first question. Rest assured that both your sister and Sacniete are alright. Both woke up and were cleared to leave a few days ago."
Astraea's heavy eyes widened slightly. "D-days?"
"Yes," He said. "You've been asleep for nearly a week, Astraea. I'll be honest, Asclepius and I were worried you might never wake up. We feared you would slip into a coma…" He hesitated for a second. "...And surely die."
His words hit Astraea with realization. This wasn't like any of her minor injuries before, she had nearly fallen into a coma… and died. As a kid, Astraea had always felt strong, powerful, invincible even, but after moving to Camp, fighting Monsters, being so easily beaten by Olympia and Isolde, and now nearly being killed by Gilgamesh, Astraea realized the truth: despite her incredible strength, she was only mortal, just like everyone else.
She wasn't strong enough to protect the people she loved more than life itself. She hadn't protected Aurora, hadn't protected Olympia, or Isolde, or Jacquelyn, or Takeko… and, she realized with a chill that ran down her spine…
She wasn't able to protect Sacniete either.
And with the realization that she had been unable to protect her friends, and the fact that one of them had died in order to protect her, she cried.
She wept, head in her hands. Apollo, somehow knowing what she needed in that moment, looked away and busied himself, letting her preserve her dignity.
Astraea didn't know how long she cried for, but she didn't stop until she felt like she had no tears left.
Once she was done, Apollo was at her bedside again, holding out a box of tissues, giving her a comforting smile. "You were lucky," he said once she cleaned herself up. "If you weren't a Legacy of Heracles and Zeus and a daughter of a Titaness, you would have certainly been killed. Zeus might be dead, but his blood still runs strong. If you would have had any different godly blood, you would most certainly be dead."
Astraea's eyes shot up to his golden own. "Y-you know about my-"
"About your real parents?" He asked, noticing her surprise. "Yes, I do. Don't worry though, that secret is one of the best kept on Olympus. Only myself, my sister, Hera, Athena, Heracles and Hebe know. Your dad- Percy- made us swear on the Styx to never tell a soul."
"Why?" She asked. Astraea had always wondered why her heritage was so forbidden to talk about, so forbidden that even she didn't know why it was. But her dad had never told her. It made her wonder why her dad had only told a few Olympians the secret, and why he kept it from the rest. Including Jason and Piper, the new King and Queen of the gods.
"That," he hesitated. "...Is unfortunately not for me to say. I'm sorry."
Astraea wasn't at all surprised to not get an answer, but she was still disappointed. She frowned, looking away.
"I know something that should cheer you up, though." He said, a dazzling smile on his lips.
"And what is that?" She asked, moody.
"Just some people who have been dying to see you." He said casually. "Come on in!" He yelled towards the door. The door burst open and Astraea immediately screamed.
"Aurora! Sacniete!" She tried her best to sit up, ignoring the stabbing pain in her ribs. "Are you okay?"
"Don't worry about us." Aurora chastised. "Look at you, you look like a mummy. Are you okay?"
"It only hurts when I laugh," she said, smiling for the first time since she woke up. "Or breathe."
"...Astraea…" Sacniete's voice was so soft, Astraea barely heard it. She had to do a double take, and found the shorter girl staring at her with an unreadable expression. "Astraea…" she said again.
"Sacniete." Was all she could say in reply. Everything had come rushing back to her. How she told Sacniete she loved her, telling her to run away and save herself. And then Sacniete had come back for her, and, not only that, but had confessed her feelings too.
The two girls stared at each other for what felt like hours, not knowing what to say or do. With their hearts and feelings laid out, what was supposed to happen now? Neither of them had been in a relationship before, so neither of them had any experience. So they just stared, blushing all the while.
It was Sacniete who spoke up first.
"I was really worried," she admitted. "You didn't wake up for days."
"Eh," Astraea said, feigning nonchalance. "You have to try harder than that to kill me. I'm fine-"
"No you're not.," Sacniete cut in. "I was really worried you were going to…" She looked lost for words. "I… I was so desperate I prayed to my mother, and… she told me you would live." Sacniete had a pained look on her face.
"Your mother?" Astraea asked, knowing how much Sacniete seemed to hate her. In the almost year of knowing each other, Sacniete had only spoken of her mother once or twice.
"She's a goddess of death." Sacniete explained, looking away. "Awilix, the Mayan goddess of Night, the Moon, Sickness and Death. Out of my entire life, she's only talked to me twice. First when I ran away when you were fighting Gilgamesh, and a few days ago after I woke up and heard you might not wake up…" She let out a breath through her nose. "In fifteen years, she only talks to me twice in one week, and both times were about you…." She looked down to Astraea, her features calming. "But I'm glad you're okay, Astraea. I… I don't know what I…" She trailed off, but Astraea knew what she wanted to say, because she felt it too.
Astraea opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off when the door flew open again.
"Astraea!"
Her parents burst into the room with inhuman speed, and were hugging and kissing her before she realized what was happening.
"Mom, dad," She croaked. "I'm okay-"
"No," her mom cut her off, tears in her eyes. "You nearly died, Astraea. We were so worried."
"We thought we were going to lose you…" If Astraea expected her dad to be more composed, she was dead wrong. He looked absolutely terrible. He had heavy bags under his eyes, his skin seemed to have lost his usual color, and even his voice seemed subdued. But as he leaned in and crushed her with a hug, life seemed to flow through him. And when Astraea realized the drops on her cheeks were tears, she found herself crying as well.
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After a lot of hugs, kisses, and assurances that she was actually okay, Astraea's parents told her that the Olympian Council wanted to see her, Aurora and Sacniete. And, just like that, Astraea's smile faded. She knew what was going to happen: she would have to tell them what happened and relive everything she had been through. The very thought sent a chill through her body.
Her dad helped her to her feet, and, after arguing with Apollo for five minutes, Astraea was able to avoid using a wheelchair, and instead hobbled her way to the Throne Room, occasionally supported by Sacniete.
As the slowest members of the group, they lagged behind, but Astraea didn't mind, in fact, she enjoyed it. Because with them at the back of the group, neither her parents nor Aurora saw how she and Sacniete were holding hands as they walked. It made Astraea whole for the first time since waking up.
"Astraea," a familiar voice called from behind them. "Thank the Fates you're awake."
Astraea hobbled around slowly on the spot to see a face she never expected to see again, and one she had already begun to miss.
"Grover!" Before she knew it, Astraea was hugging her uncle as hard as she could, but considering her current condition, it wasn't that much. "Bubba said that he had killed you! He said that he had drained all of your life force. How- how are you-"
"He almost killed me," the satyr admitted, pulling back after the hug. "But a satyrs' life force is based on ancient magic, unlike mortals. So he wasn't able to completely drain me." Grover rubbed the back of his head. "He did knock me out for a few days, though, and if Lady Artemis hadn't found me and brought me to Apollo, I would have eventually died."
"I'm just glad you're okay," Astraea said with a grin, hugging him again. "When he said he had killed you…"
He returned the hug again. "I understand." Grover then addressed Sacniete who had been standing off to the side awkwardly. "So, this is the young lady who saved my honorary niece?"
"Y-yes." Sacniete squeaked despite herself.
Grover offered Sacniete a appreciative smile. "Welcome to the family."
Sacniete gave a self-conscious smile. "Thanks."
"I'd love to talk more," Grover said sadly. "But you two are needed in the Throne Room, and I for one don't want to keep the gods waiting."
"We'll talk to you later, uncle Grover." Astraea gave him one last hug before heading to the Throne Room once again with Sacniete.
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Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete entered the Olympian Throne Room for the first— and Astraea secretly hoped last— time. Walking in, Astraea felt a dozen eyes land on her, and she could physically sense the tension in the room like a shot of electricity going up her spine.
Her parents wordlessly stopped by the door where a few godly sentries stood guard. Astraea wanted above all to face the gods with her parents, but she knew she had to do this alone.
Well, alone with Aurora and Sacniete.
Silently, the three girls took their spot at the center of the circular hall, in perfect line of sight of all twelve Olympians who sat on their wild thrones, each in their twenty foot godly form. Astraea felt like she was being scrutinized and judged under a microscope.
Nico, the last to arrive, sat down, and the session began.
"Before we officially begin," Lord Jason, King of the gods said, looking down at them from his stormy throne. "Apollo informed us that you had finally woken up and were well enough to see us, Astraea, but we would like to ask you ourselves how you are doing. Are you alright?"
It wasn't nearly like anything Astraea expected to hear from the King of the gods, but she figured that while she never knew the previous King, Jason was no Zeus.
It was, however, not a question Astraea was comfortable with. If she and Lord Jason had ever met or talked before, she supposed she would have felt it more natural. Like if aunt Thalia, or if uncle Nico or Will had asked it. Or even grandma Athena. But Lord Jason? Someone she had never met? She wasn't sure if it was genuine or merely courteous.
And she was a million miles away from ever being 'alright' again.
Feeling Sacniete and Aurora's eyes on her, Astraea decided to answer. "...It only hurts when I laugh."
This, it seemed, made all the former-mortal gods in attendance smile, and Astraea felt the tension in the room lighten, if only barely.
"We are all relieved to hear that." He said, his smile then faded. "Unfortunately, we all know the reason for this meeting, and, I will not lie, it may affect the safety of the entire world." His words added to the tense atmosphere of the room. "An ancient— no, the most ancient — hero has been reborn, and seeks one of the most powerful artifacts in the cosmos. And, with it, he could do unfathomable harm to not only the mortal and godly worlds, but to the universe as a whole." Lord Jason nodded to Malcolm, the god of Wisdom.
"The artifact in question is one we admittedly know very little about," he said, looking bothered by his admittance. "It is called the Tablet of Destinies, an ancient and thought-myth treasure of unfathomable power, both destruction and creation. It hails from the oldest myths and pantheon in existence, one thought long to have Faded countless millennia ago.
"The Mesopotamian pantheon," he continued. "A conglomeration of several gods, myths and pantheons that have been lost, altered and added to throughout the years. And one that we have little to no true knowledge of, as by the time our pantheon was created, the Mesopotamian gods had left the mortal world to a realm we know not. We do, however, know who seeks this Tablet of Destinies, it is none other than the first and most famous hero in the world; Gilgamesh."
"How Gilgamesh has returned to the world," Lord Jason continued this time. "Is, as of yet, unknown, but we will be investigating every possible means of his rebirth and, will also be researching a way to kill him."
"In the meantime," Queen Piper spoke up from her husband's right side. "With the Tablet once again missing and thought to be moving locations as it has for millennia, Gilgamesh in hiding, and no sign from the Fates, we are left to wait."
"The Hunters have been searching for him since we found you," Thalia, the goddess of the Hunt said. "And we will not rest until he is captured, interrogated, and killed."
"You can't kill him!" Astraea said suddenly, and all eyes fell upon her.
King Jason eyed her. "...And why is that?" He asked, his voice level. "He is an enemy to not only our pantheon, but the entire world. He nearly killed the three of you-"
"If you kill him," Astraea cut in. "You'll kill Bubba too!"
"Bubba?" He asked, repeating the name like he had never heard it before. He looked at Malcolm questioningly.
"The name of the mortal whose body was taken over by Gilgamesh." He explained.
"Ah, yes. Him." Jason said, his jaw set tight. "I'm sorry, Astraea, but Gilgamesh has the potential to be the greatest threat to the world in history, we cannot afford to play nice with him. For all we know, he could be in league with Gilgamesh and helping him-"
"Bubba is being held hostage by Gilgamesh!" She cut him off again. Astraea didn't care if Jason was King of the gods or King of dumpster fires, she wouldn't let him or anyone else kill Bubba. "He tried to warn me! When he and I were armwrestling at my party. Gilgamesh had taken over his body in order to figure out who I was, and Bubba had let me see Gilgamesh's true form." She felt like she was rambling now, but she didn't care. "I just didn't realize what it meant at the time because I was drunk." She took a brave step forward. "Bubba is not in league with Gilgamesh. He is not helping him. And he is not to blame!" She yelled, eyes ablaze and fists shaking even in her cast. "I won't let you kill him!"
The Throne Room was silent for what felt like an eternity.
Astraea, united only with Aurora and Sacniete who stood on either side of her, stared down the twelve Olympians, daring them to say anything. She didn't care if she could barely stand and could only clench one fist, she would fight all the gods right now in order to protect Bubba from them.
She could see her mom and aunt Thalia exchange uneasy expressions and a silent conversation with just their eyes. She thought she saw aunt Thalia mouth the word 'look', or something like it, but didn't catch it in her anger.
"Astraea," a deathly calm voice from behind her drew her attention, and Astraea felt herself turning. It was her uncle Nico, god of the Dead. He was clad in his Helm of Darkness and adorned in swirling shadows, and, by far, looked the most godly out of the entire assembled council. He continued, his voice low and slow, and so real that it sent a chill down Astraea's spine. "I understand your dedication to your friend, but you must come to accept the possibility that his mind is too far gone. You must accept the chance that Bubba is forever trapped inside the mind of Gilgamesh, and, you must accept the likelihood that we must kill him as well in order to stop Gilgamesh."
"No," Astraea Astraea practically yelled, throwing her arm to the side, causing her to wince at the pain of the sudden action. "I refuse to give up on Bubba! He is my friend! And I won't just leave him trapped to be used by Gilgamesh to destroy the world! No!"
"I will not abandon him," Sacniete said, speaking up for the first time since entering the room. "I do not care what the gods want, I will protect my friends."
"Neither will I." Aurora said boldly, with no sign of her old stutter. "Bubba is our friend, and we will protect him, from Gilgamesh, or, from you." Her stormy gray eyes swirled with power like whirlpools, and Astraea could feel the energy rolling off of her little sister.
"I see you have inherited your father's loyalty." A new voice said from Astraea's left. It was a soft and kind voice, and belonged to the only person on the Council who had already been a god before the Promised Day; Lady Hebe. The new goddess of Marriage and Forgiveness stood from her throne and took a step towards the three of them, eying Aurora. "That loyalty can either be an incredible shield, or a deadly weapon. So you must learn to control it." She took another step towards them, nearly in front of them now.
"As the gods sworn to protect this world," she said softly. "We must do everything in our power to protect the delicate balance of the cosmos. All life is sacred, the Fates tell us this, but, there are times when we must eliminate one life in order to protect many-"
"Then you'll have to eliminate me, too!" Astraea yelled. "If you want to kill Bubba, you'll have to go through me, too!"
"And me." Aurora said, held up high.
"And me." Sacniete chorused, dark energy swirling at her feet. Astraea saw a few gods tense at that, but none more than her uncle Nico, who looked both shocked and terrified.
"We will do no such thing, and neither will you." Lord Jason said, rising from his throne, but the action had none of Hebe's calming effect. Instead, it made Astraea want to take a step back, but she fought through the primal warning and faced him down. "We will hunt Gilgamesh down. We will interrogate and question him, and, then, in order to ensure he can not harm the world nor anyone else, we will kill him. And," his electric eyes narrowed on the three of them. "You three will not interfere."
Astraea wanted to do a hundred things in that moment: scream, yell, insult, threaten, curse, declare her decision to track Bubba down herself, and so many other things. But she knew this wasn't the time. Knew it would be no use. Knew she wouldn't be able to change the Council's mind. Knew there wasn't anything she could do right now…
"I will save Bubba." She declared, her voice like ice.
…So she stormed out.
Slamming the golden doors of the Throne Room behind her and ignoring the protests of Jason, Piper, Thalia and her parents, Astraea left, running down the golden streets of Olympus.
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Astraea didn't know where she was running to, and she knew that running her her current condition was stupid, but she didn't care. She continued to run.
She didn't stop until her lungs threatened to fail and her muscles seized up, making her collapse to the golden road. She panted, taking in deep breaths in order to quell the fire in her lungs, and found herself weaker than she had ever been.
Then she sensed someone behind her.
"N-not right n-now," she wheezed, assuming it to be her dad. "I don't care what the Council says, I'm not going to abandon Bubba, and I'm not going to let them kill him. I'm going to save him."
"I know you will."
It wasn't her dad, it wasn't her mom, or Aurora or Sacniete, or anyone Astraea knew. Heart leaping, she spun around to stare up a giant of a man, clad in a lion skin.
"D-dad…?" She croaked, her throat tight. "Is- is that you?"
The man was huge and muscular, dressed in a lion skin and clad in shimmering armor bearing a lions' face. The man's face dropped, sadness filling his deep brown eyes. "I am sorry, little one, but I am not your father."
"Heracles." She mumbled, knowing there was no one else it could be. Heracles' face dropped even more.
"Yes, I am Heracles…" He hesitated. "I am your grandfather, and I am so sorry that it took me this long in order to come see you. I have been guarding the Gates of Olympus since your father…" He cleared his throat, changing topics. His eyes glimmered. "If I would have known what danger you were in, I would have traveled to you and fought Gilgamesh myself."
"It's alright," she said, not really knowing what to say to a grandfather she had never met. "My parents always say the gods are really busy-"
"No." He interrupted softly, taking a slight step forward that Astraea barely noticed. "This is the exact kind of neglect that caused your father, my son, so much pain." He spat, his face wracked with pain and anger. Anger, Astraea suspected, directed at himself. "It was that pain that sent Leonidas down the path that took so much from him… and what took him away from me…" He was facing Astraea, but his eyes were glazy, like he was looking somewhere else.
"You… I have done it again," he almost whispered, ghostly. "I have failed my family by ignoring them in favor of my duty…" He took a full step forward and cupped Astraea's bruised cheek with one giant hand. "But never again. You are family, Astraea, and I will not fail you like I failed your father. I swear it on the Styx." Then, the god of Strength, Bravery and Courage, cried.
And Astraea found herself crying too.
"You are the last thing the world— and I—have to remember your father." Heracles said after a moment. "You are the one thing he cared about most in the world, and I failed to keep you safe…" He pulled back, clenching his fists in anger. "I should be ashamed."
"Did you know my father?" She asked softly.
"Only at the end of his life," he admitted, with pain on his face. "I-"
"Then I think you know that he wouldn't want you to beat yourself up." She cut in kindly, and took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle but reassuring squeeze. "Everyone says my father was a great man, and that he loved his family, so I don't think he'd like hearing you talk like that."
And Heracles, for the second time in five minutes, teared up. If the situation were any different, Astraea would find this funny, seeing Heracles crying and holding a teenage girl's hand.
"Did-" Her grandfather hesitated. "Did you meet your father?"
"Yes," Astraea said, thinking back to the sight of him falling from the swirling stars in order to protect her. "He saved me."
"Did-" he said again. "How was he? Leonidas? Did he say anything? A-" he hesitated again. "About me?"
Astraea shook her head slowly. "Sorry, no. He didn't say anything."
Heracles' chin fell to hit his muscular chest. "I have yet to talk to or see him," he admitted. "The stars and constellations are out of my Domain of control, and I have yet to…" he hesitated again, something he seemed to do a lot to Astraea. "I have yet to muster up the courage to ask Artemis or Thalia to let me see Leonidas and Eos. But I also fear talking to you father, since I have failed him even in death, from not being there for him, and now for almost letting you get killed."
Astraea rudely snorted at the thought of the god of Courage and Bravery not being brave enough to ask a favor of a goddess, but understood that it had to be incredibly hard for him to not only come to terms with his feelings, but admit them.
He apparently heard her snort, however, and the first smile she had seen spread across his lips. "Hey," he said, jokingly. "You don't know how terrifying Artemis and Thalia can be when they want to. Besides, I'm honestly not that good at talking to women."
Astraea snorted again, not even bothering to hide it this time. "Neither am I," Astraea joked. "But I really think you should see about talking to my dad, even if he can't respond, like it'll be good to get everything off your chest, y'know? Even if it's just to tell him that you're sorry and that you love him."
Heracles grinned. "You're surprisingly wise for someone so young, Astraea."
"Nah," she disagreed, shrugging. "I'm an idiot most of the time, but I'm bound to say something half-clever from time to time after being raised by the wisest and smartest demigod to ever live."
"Don't sell yourself short, Astraea," he said, placing a ginormous hand on her shoulder. "I have full confidence that you will grow up to be one of the most accomplished demigods— or should I say demi-titans— in history."
Astraea could help the enormous swell of happiness rush into her, it felt like her own father had said those words. "Thank you."
"Always remember that you are the child of two of the most heroic beings to ever live," he told her. "Your parents saved this world, and I know they love and are proud of you for what you did on the Quest. Always remember that."
"Thanks." She said, not being able to subdue the smile on her face.
"I have something to tell you, Astraea, something important." He said, his voice level. He continued before she could say anything. "Bravery and courage are more than not showing fear or being afraid, but being willing to protect others despite the risk to oneself."
"What?" She asked, confused as to where this was going. "What do you-"
"And you showed unshakable bravery in the face of unfathomable danger," he said, continuing. "You, despite the risks and dangers to yourself, risked your life in order to protect the lives of your family and friends. You never gave up. You never relented. You never forsook them. You acted as a true hero, and a true friend." He held out a hand to her, a hand that was shimmering with radiant energy.
"That is why, Astraea, I deem you worthy— just like your father before you— of receiving my Blessing. The Blessing of Heracles."
Astraea was shocked and stunned, and completely against the idea of accepting the Blessing, not believing she was worthy at all. How was she, someone who failed to protect her friends and family at every point worthy of anything? Much less worthy of something her father once received?
"I-" her voice croaked. "I'm not-"
"You are more worthy than any other alive to receive my Blessing." He said, somehow knowing exactly what she was thinking. "You showed unshakable bravery, courage and strength when you stood up to Gilgamesh and protected your friends. And," he said, a fatherly look of pride swelling in his eyes. "I know my son would agree that you are more than worthy of becoming the second person in history to receive my Blessing."
Astraea thought of Aurora, of Sacniete, of Isolde, Olympia, Jacquelyn, Takeko, everyone at Camp, her parents… and of Bubba. Of how she wanted to protect and save all of them from Gilgamesh. And how she was nowhere near strong enough in her current state to do that. So, she thought, there was no other choice for her to make.
She would accept the Blessing in order to be strong enough to protect the ones she loved.
"I accept."
Heracles smiled, and, with a silent nod, he waved his glowing hand over her head.
Power. Power like nothing Astraea experienced before surged through her body. She fell to the ground in extreme pain, it felt like every muscle in her body was on fire, and every bone was being drilled into by dental drills. She could feel her skin thickening, her strength doubling, her height and weight increasing, and her body being filled with incalculable strength.
With shaking knees, Astraea rose to her feet, inspecting her new body with widened eyes, finding herself a few inches taller and noticeably more muscular.
Looking up, Astraea's breath stopped when she saw the glowing hologram of green energy flaming above her in the form of a roaring lions' head that rumbled Olympus under her like an army of men charging at her. The heavens boomed and shook, and Astraea felt the presence of someone else with her, someone besides Heracles.
"I am proud of you," the voice whispered in her soul. "I know you will do great things with your strength. We love you, Astraea."
"Dad…" Astraea broke into tears, and let herself be pulled into a hug by Heracles.
"I told you he would be proud of you." He told her, a smile on his face that she could imagine on her fathers' face. "You more than deserve it."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, little one." he said, before looking behind her and smiling. "I think we have company."
Astraea followed his line of sight and found Aurora and Sacniete standing there, looking at her in awe. Astraea opened her mouth, but Sacniete dashed over and was in her arms before she could get the first word out.
"You're even more beautiful." She said, looking her up and down, before pouting cutely at the fact that Astraea was now nearly two feet taller than her. "But you're way too tall…" She let it hang.
"Too tall for what?" Sacniete suddenly kicked her in the shin, making Astraea wince and bend over in pain. "Ow! What was that-"
"Too tall for this-" Sacniete said, before standing up on her tip toes, pulling Astraea in, and kissing her. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time."
Pulling back, stunned, Astraea mumbled, "Well, you don't have to kick me in the shin every time. We can-"
"Then how am I supposed to kiss someone so tall?" Sacniete grinned. "Jump? Get a ladder? Stand on a wooden crate?"
"You can just ask for me to lean over." Astraea said, face flush with a deep red and totally not convinced she wasn't just imagining this whole thing. She had to be imagining this, because there was no way she would be this calm after being kissed by Sacniete.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"I'll buy some shin guards, then."
"You better."
"While you two are adorable," Aurora said, stepping in for the first time. Astraea was glad she had given them privacy, even if they were in the middle of Olympus. "But mom and dad are coming. They said they need to talk to you."
Astraea thanked her sister for the early warning, before looking back up to her grandfather. "Thank you, Heracles, for the Blessing. I swear I'll make you and my father proud."
He pulled her in for one last hug. "You already have, Astraea. You already have. And it's the least I can do for my favorite granddaughter."
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After learning that Astraea had received the Blessing of Heracles, Percy and Annabeth let their daughters and their friend talk on Olympus a short distance away, but always keeping them with eyesight. Percy had always been paranoid with their safety, and the fight with Gilgamesh had reinvigorated it. He knew that his girls were Half-Bloods, and that as Half-Bloods that they would always be in danger, but he worried nonetheless.
"You should be proud," a voice told him. "You raised them well." Percy turned around to see Heracles and Hebe standing before him. It was almost painful to see Heracles because of his resemblance to his late son, Leonidas. "I told Astraea this, but I will be taking a more active role in ensuring she's happy and safe, for my son." He held out a hand. "So make room at the Christmas table next year."
"I appreciate that, Heracles." Percy said with a smile. "We'll save you one right next to the ham."
"Astraea is family," Hebe said, watching Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete talking and laughing despite everything they went through. "And as family, we will do everything we can in order to protect her."
"We appreciate that." Annabeth said. "And, as your family, we will do everything we can to protect you as well."
"With the Zealots running around and more dangerous than ever," Heracles said. "We will have to be more careful. Astraea and Aurora will be in the mortal world, and there they will be most vulnerable. And, now with Gilgamesh out there somewhere, the mortal world will be even more dangerous."
"I know that." Percy said, watching his girls with a distant sadness. "I'll try to keep them as safe as I can, but they're not kids anymore, and as much as I don't like it, it's their time to achieve their Fates and protect the mortal and immortal worlds."
"And we will be there to protect them as well." Heracles said, his wife Hebe nodding along. "For Leonidas' sake."
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Several days passed, and the Jackson family was spending time with each other for a few days before Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete— who was staying with them at Astraea's insistence— were to go back to Camp for the summer. Artemis, Athena, Heracles and Hebe, Thalia, Nico and Will visited them during that time on different days, and the Jackson household welcomed every godly relative with open arms and an invitation to dinner.
It was on the last day before they were to go back to Camp, however, when an unexpected visitor arrived at their front door.
"Lady Hera." Astraea said, shocked when the former Queen of the gods appeared at their front door like a regular mortal. She looked like a normal woman, vaguely mid-thirties, curly brown hair cut short to her chin, with a modest amount of make-up and dressed like she just stepped out of a Parents magazine, or like she spent half her life on the sidelines of pee-wee soccer field next to a minivan in her sporty bottoms, jogging shoes, modestly low cut top and jacket with a pair of stylish sunglasses on her head. She was even holding a cup of I kid you not Starbucks iced coffee in her hand. There was a four letter word that perfectly described the goddess, but Astraea didn't think it was exactly appropriate to describe Hera. And if Astraea didn't already like girls before, well… "Um…"
"Hello, Astraea, dear," she said, a kind smile on her face, acting like this was no big thing.. "And, please, just call me Hera. Or June, as I've been going for the past few years in the mortal world."
"Um, okay. Do you want to come in?"
"Please."
Showing the goddess inside, Astraea's parents entered the room at the sound of the door.
"Oh, Hera?" Her dad said, sounding as surprised as Astraea felt. "To what do we owe the visit?"
"Can't family just visit for the sake of visiting?" She asked, but upon seeing Percy's humorous look of doubt, she sighed, sagging her shoulders and looking not at all like Astraea expected. "I have come for a few reasons, but first, I must ask how my honorary grandchildren are doing?"
"I'm doing okay. Not good, not bad, just… okay." Astraea said In truth, she felt like a failure, despite what anyone told her.
"Same." Sacniete said after a moment, watching Hera with questioning eyes, having never met her before.
"Ditto." Aurora answered.
Hera regarded them all for a moment. "You are all so strong and brave and courageous, but you are all still children, and it is alright to feel sad, remember that." She said kindly. "You don't have to go through anything alone, so, if you ever have need of it, I offer my ear, okay?"
"Okay." Astraea mumbled.
"Thank you." Aurora said.
Sacniete didn't say anything.
"So, Hera," Percy said after a moment. "What's with the mortal get-up?"
Hera looked down to herself like she was wondering what he meant. After a moment, she smiled. "Oh, yes, I've been in this form for so long I nearly forgot I used to look like something else. After Zeus died and I renounced my throne, I left Olympus and lived on the mortal world for some time, just enjoying my freedom and living as a mortal.
"I took the name June and eventually settled down in Ohio. And, after a few years, I met a kind man and, after a while, we fell in love, got married, and started a life together."
"Congratulations." Annabeth said.
"Thank you," Hera/June said kindly, a sad look on her face. "He is, sadly, no longer with us, but he left me something precious." Hera said, standing up straighter and looking more like the Queen of the gods she used to be, despite her soccer mom appearance. "Percy, Annabeth, Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete, I have come here with a request, a selfish request."
"What is it?" Astraea asked, hesitantly.
Hera snapped her fingers and someone flashed in behind her. "I would like you to take a very special demigod back to Camp with you tomorrow, and to look after him for me there." She motioned and the person stepped out from behind her, stopping next to her. She put a perfectly manicured hand on his shoulder, saying, "This, is Božidar Dimitrovski, my first and only mortal child. Please, look after him at Camp."
Astraea, for one, was absolutely flabbergasted at the reveal, and it showed on her face, as well as on the faces of everyone in the room. Her parents looked like they didn't believe it, Sacniete looked like she was weary of this new boy, and Aurora, well, Aurora was blushing.
The boy named Božidar was about fourteen or so, same as Aurora, but was as tall as she was short and was as fit as she was thin. He wasn't actually muscular, but had an athletic build. He had a sort of regal face, with high cheekbones and a well-defined, square jaw and rectangular head. His eyes were a dark coffee brown and his hair was about the same color and kept short and styled with a curl over his forehead. All in all, to Astraea, he looked like a prince from a fairytale.
As Astraea studied him, he seemed to do the same to all of them, his eyes lingering for just a second longer on Aurora before looking back to his mother.
"Where are your manners, Božidar?" Hera softly chastised him. "Introduce yourself properly, now."
"Yes, mother." His voice was like warm chocolate. Astraea didn't know what that meant or how to describe it any other way, but that's what it was like. She just wanted to keep listening to it. "Hello, my name is Božidar, it is a pleasure to meet you." He spoke so formally, Astraea almost had to do a double take. But with someone like Hera as his mom, Astraea didn't think it was very unexpected.
He held out a hand to Percy, who shook it after a second. He did the same to Annabeth. Then he turned to Astraea and, before he was able to offer his hand, Astraea held out her fist. "I don't shake hands, dude. Fist bump?"
Božidar smiled at that, and gave her a fist bump. "It's nice to meet you, Astraea."
"You, too, uh," she hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck. "How do you say your name?"
Božidar smiled again like he had been asked the question a thousand times before. "Bowzhee-dar." He said. "It's Macedonian, and don't worry if you can't say it, I had a teacher last year that could never say it right and gave up after the third month of school."
Astraea considered this, then shrugged. "Imma call you Bo."
Bo smiled. "Works for me." He faced Sacniete who had been standing slightly behind Astraea. "And you are?"
Sacniete merely regarded him with a cautious eye, looking at his outstretched hand like it was a deadly snake. She looked between him and Astraea, and, apparently deciding that if Astraea greeted him, she should too. "Sacniete." She said, not shaking his hand or giving him a fist bump. "My name is difficult for people to say too."
Bo smiled at this. "Ah, someone who knows my pain. We'll get along swimmingly." He smiled again. He sure liked to smile. He didn't have a bad one, in fact, he had a mouth full of bright white teeth like a model in a dental commercial.
He looked from Sacniete to Aurora, the last person in the room. He held out a hand to her. "Hello, my name is Božidar, but you may call me Bo if you like, or something else that's easier to say. I haven't had the pleasure of making your acquaintance."
Astraea thought Aurora was going to pass from the amount of blood rushing to her head, she was so red. Giving her sister a nudge with her elbow, Aurora stepped awkwardly forward and took his hand. "A-Aurora."
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He said, flashing a dazzling smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Aurora."
Aurora squeaked and went an even darker shade of crimson. "I-I it-it's um, I-I mean-" She began to stutter with no sign of stopping.
Bo released her hand and took a polite step back next to his mother, Aurora's hand stayed in the air where he left it. Astraea nudged her again and Aurora snapped her arm down to her side. Their mom looked like she was greatly amused.
"Now that you have all been introduced," Hera said, absent-mindedly fixing Bo's already perfect hair. "I hope you girls would be willing to befriend my Božidar and make him feel welcome at Camp when he arrives tomorrow."
"Yeah, no problem." Astraea said. Bo seemed cool and nice, if not a little too formal. He was charming and handsome, but not flirty or at all gross like other boys she knew at school. He seemed like a decent dude. "We'll show him around and keep him from getting his head shoved in a toilet on his first day."
Astraea had intended it as a joke, but Hera took it like a threat on her son's life. Her face went dark with fury. "If a single hair on his head is harmed, I will personally send the person or persons responsible to Tartarus."
"I'll be fine, mother." Bo said, reassuringly, not at all fazed by her overprotectiveness. "You heard Chiron the other day, they don't do that anymore there."
"Well, I would still like you to be careful-"
"I will be careful, mother. I promise."
Hera considered him for a moment, before smiling, bending over and kissing him on the cheek. "I just can't believe you're already old enough to attend Camp. Just promise me you'll let me know if you have any problems-"
"I will, mother. Don't worry."
"Alright," she said, before facing the Jackson family and Sacniete. "I will drop Božidar off at Camp tomorrow morning, and you three can show him around then. I would do it myself, but Chiron said something about helicopters that I don't understand, and told me I should let Božidar do it alone."
Astraea had to stop herself from snorting at Hera's lack of knowledge about helicopter parents despite clearly being a textbook example of one. Instead, she cooled her face and smiled. "It's no problem, Hera." She said, "We'll show him around Camp."
"Thank you, Astraea." She gave Astraea an appreciative nod. "Now, Božidar," she said to her son. "It is time for us to go. You still need to finish packing-"
"I've been packed for a week, mother." He cut in kindly.
"Well," Hera wore a 'worried mother' expression. "I would still like to recheck your bags again, dear. Just in case to make sure you didn't forget anything."
"Of course." He said easily, knowing he wouldn't win. To Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete, he said, "Well, I'll see you three tomorrow at Camp. I can't wait to get to meet you more." He said the last part to Aurora, who blushed again.
Hera and Božidar left through the front door like normal mortals, leaving the Jackson family plus Sacniete wondering what on earth just happened. Out of everything that had happened recently, Astraea wasn't expecting the former Queen of the gods to show up with a mortal son asking them to look after him at Camp. But Bo seemed like a nice guy, so Astraea had one more reason to wish tomorrow came faster.
She had a lot of plans for this year at Camp. She wanted to spend more time with Sacniete, hang out with Ketevan and Kala, and, above all, train her ass off so that next time she was in a fight like the one with Gilgamesh, she was able to protect the people she loved.
She would get stronger, no matter what. Do whatever it took, even if it killed her.
To be continued in Daughters of Olympus Book 2: Gods Love, Men Kill
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(Author's Note:)
Welp, there's book 1 of Daughters of Olympus done and dusted. It took a while, but it was a fun journey, and I hope those of you that made it to the end liked it. Please, let me know what you thought of this story in a Review/Comment. I will reply to all of them in honor of the ending of the first book.
I have a Twitter HephaestusBuild where I post updates, background info, concept & commission art and generally nerdy or geeky stuff. Gimme a follow over there!
I also have an Instagram (Hephaestusbuilds) where I post all my art, commissions and random pictures I take of my life along the way. I hope to get a better camera and to start uploading more nature and animal pictures as I work in the woods and have beautiful views every day.
Concerning DOO Book 2's release date: I don't have one yet, sorry. At least none I will share here as I'm bad with keeping my word and I don't want to promise anything if I eventually don't follow through. This story WILL continue, don't worry, but I've been wanting to work on a few personal projects for a while now, and with DOO Book 1 done and my other projects either finished or dropped, I finally have free time.
I will always keep writing/coming up with story ideas, but I've had an idea for my first original story and I want to go through with it to see what I can do outside of fanfictions. I want to be a published author, so the sooner I start writing original stories, the better. If/when I start publishing said original work, it will be posted on Ao3 and maybe Wattpad if I can remember my login.
I don't wanna spoil anything for the original work, but it WON'T be fantasy like practically almost everything else I've written, but Sci-fi. And it'll have aliens(cue Ancient Aliens meme). Enough of that for now, it's late and I need to edit, post this and go to bed.
Fun Fact: This story has 33 chapters, and this word document for this last chapter has 33 pages, weird coincidence, but I guess it qualifies as a fun fact(and no, I just couldn't think up a real fact).
Question of the Day: What is your favorite moment/scene from this book? Who is your favorite character? Which character(s) would you like to see more of in Book 2? Lemme know!
Next time: Daughters of Olympus Book 2: Gods Love, Men Kill