Chapter Seventeen: The Will Of Fire
Comment Responses:
Guest: It's possible, Again I'll leave it up to you guys to decide and I'll keep an eye on the comments over the next few chapters for suggestions. And thanks for the compliment about the OC's! Enjoy the chapter oh nameless guest! And let me know what you think of the OC's in the next chapter, I'm interested what can I say?
Member: Sure thing, keep an eye out later tonight or early tomorrow morning there's another one coming; time to visit the lands of Nihon.
RAZE643: I'm so glad to hear that you found the story so interesting! I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Icefire99: I can positively tell you that there is a vague possibility that I may or may not have already planned that. But I guess you'll have to wait and see haha! Enjoy the chapter!
Ariacrimsis: Fastest comment in the west over here. This comment made me laugh so hard, cause when I posted chapter 16 it was like 1:15am my time and I was tired as all hell. Literally planned to post the story, turn off my screen and go to bed. I put the story up, and was like "I should check and make sure I didn't post the wrong chapter, I'm tired as hell". In the thirty seconds I was on another tab you commented. It made me laugh so hard I didn't fall asleep till like 2am. But I'm super happy to hear that you are so excited for chapters to drop, it really means a lot! Enjoy the chapter!
Leo Valdez, 3 Days and 4 Hours After Eripus
Leo had to admit, so far his experience on Olympus had sucked.
He had pretty much spent the entire time in the hospital room or in the hall during the last two days or so, sleeping on chairs or the floor. Not to mention, If Piper wasn't glaring at him, Thalia was, and vice versa. Which had of course made him nervous, which led to him making a few jokes that may have been a tad bit inappropriate. But who could fault him really, everyone was stressed and this was just how he dealt with it. Unlike punching a wall and breaking your hand, which Jason had done twice now, or electrifying everyone around him like Thalia.
However, as usually, he had been running when he last left the hospital room in Apollo's palace. Right after Piper had whipped a glass at his head. Leo was wise enough to know when it was time to move it or lose it so to speak, and Piper scared the daylights out of him almost as much as Thalia, she could charm speak him into anything, that was a big fucking nope for him. However Leo had failed to take into account how large the palace actually was, and before long he was lost.
Wandering the golden halls almost aimlessly as he looked for a way out, which didn't seem to matter. No matter how many doors he opened or staircases he climbed and descended all he ever saw was more bright gold painted rooms and statues of the Sun God.
"Gotta say it man…. The gold naked statues of yourself is a bold statement, not really my thing" Leo said casually as he patted the cheek of a kneeling statue of Apollo.. Taking a quick breather as he was actually out of breath after climbing that last flight of stairs, which had been only one of the many he had climbed in the last few hours navigating this confusing temple to vanity.
Leo sighed and then stood up cracking his back as he did so before he headed off down the hallway still searching for the exit.
However, eventually more by accident than intention he had stumbled across a balcony that overlooked a large garden in the rear of Apollo's palace. He seized the chance, knowing he had been wandering around the massive golden building for several hours now. He could only imagine the punishments Piper, Thalia and the others were gonna cook up if he was gone for too much longer. After All, the gods had requested to speak with all of them, he really didn't need Zeus or the Gods mad at him either.
Wasting no time, beside a moment in which he offered a quick prayer to Tyche as he closed his eyes, then he moved towards the edge of the balcony.
Leo climbed over the railing, and lowered himself as far down as his arms would go, leaving him dangling fifteen feet in the air. Which would have been fine, had one of the most violent storms Leo had ever had the displeasure of experiencing while outside appeared from nowhere.
Wind and rain battered at him as he clung to the railing and desperately tried to scramble back over into the relative safety of Apollo's palace.
Then of course, he slipped. Losing his grip on the gold banister which ringed the balcony.
"Oh fuc-." Leo started to say as he immediately plummeted down to the ground, landing awkwardly on his ankle as it made a funny popping noise.
Leo had laid on the ground cursing his luck for several minutes, however by the time he managed to stand up and bear the pain his ankle was in. He was soaked to the bone, and shivering as freezing rain hammered the ground in waves.
Another half an hour later and he once more stood on the paved roadway of Olympus, covered in mud and several cuts and scrapes from a tumble he had taken down a hill in the garden. Leo was exhausted and he had never been to Olympus before, but he could see in the distance at the very peak of the mountain there sat a massive marble palace which seemed to pulse with energy.
He assumed that was where he was supposed to be right now, seeing as Annabeth was awake and the Gods had been going on for the last two days about wanting to talk to her the minute she awoke.
With a sigh, Leo began to trudge his way up the long hill, marching as fast as his legs would carry him. Grumbling all the while about the ridiculousness of his entire situation.
He was alone, lost and hurt. Wandering about the city of the Gods with little to no clue as to where he was actually supposed to go, all in the middle of a storm. Add that to the list of his current problems and Leo was one stressed out Demigod.
Piper hated his guts at the moment, mostly because Jason was mad over the whole Thalia situation, which Leo understood, Piper and Jason were dating and Jason and Thalia were family. But Piper blamed Leo for the fact that Jason was mad, which Leo didn't get, and even more than that Leo counted Piper among one of his closest friends, and to know she was this angry with him hurt.
Because as far as he could tell Jason wasn't mad at him, they had been friends long enough that Jason would have said something. No, Jason was upset, sure, but not at him and instead he got to take the brunt of the shit from Piper for it Leo thought to himself angrily.
Leo didn't even want to think about Thalia, shortly after the Gods had brought them to Apollo's temple Leo had made the honest mistake of telling Thalia "Don't worry, it'll be fine now. Apollos a God, he's got this" Thalia and hit him so hard Leo had practically flown out of the room.
He could still taste the burnt copper on his tongue after she had zapped him with what was quite possibly a near lethal amount of electricity.
Now Annabeth was awake and okay again, which was great, but Leo had an even bigger problem.
How in Hades was he going to tell Annabeth that her and Percy falling into Tartarus had been his fault? That everything they had to go through was because he had opened a fortune cookie given to him by Nemesis. Hell if Thalia and Piper scared him, then Annabeth terrified him.
The girl had survived Tartarus, almost killing him in a split second with a scalpel, as easily as one might take candy from a baby while she had been half dead and bleeding all over the place.
This is immediately after, she had absolutely dismantled both Frank and Jason who were much better fighters than he was, One kick and one punch each and she had laid out two of the strongest demigods he personally knew. All while having woken up midway through an operation to stitch shut the gaping wounds on her abdomen and chest.
Leo was pretty certain that if he told Annabeth, and she was mad, Leo wouldn't live to see the next sunrise, let alone his next five minutes. But the guilt of knowing that this was all his fault was eating him up inside, and no amount of jokes or pranks could make up for that.
The wind howled down the main avenue, rain making the cobblestone road slick as Leo struggled to move forwards against the blinding rain and lighting. Stumbling as he walked, leaning into the wind in an attempt to stay upright he realized that quite rapidly this was becoming dangerous. His left ankle wouldn't take his weight fully and the cobblestones were slippery and uneven.
This was further cemented when a particularly strong gust of wind lifted him off his feet and sent him hurtling backwards down the hill with a shout of panic. Tumbling head over heels, bouncing off urns and planters as before he ended up in a fountain in the market square at the bottom of the hill.
"Fuck…" Leo groaned as he rolled over, wiping water from his eyes and wiping the blood from his chin, from where he had bitten through his lip.
Leo was just about ready to give up, crawl into a corner and find a place to lie down until this storm blew over. Then he was provided with the pleasant mental image of Annabeth laying on the cot in the huntresses tent. Half dead, but her body twitching as her eyes moved around the room she had refused to simply give in, no matter the pain she was in.
He felt white hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes as he stood up and hobbled towards two of the houses along the edge of the market square. Reaching the relative safety of an alley between the two buildings as the wind cut down immediately.
Why couldn't he be like Percy, Annabeth or Jason, hell, why couldn't he be like anyone but himself.
Leo was too weak to fight like Jason or Percy, he wasn't smart enough to save his friends with his mind like Annabeth. And sure he could light shit on fire, maybe he knew his way around an auto shop. But so far those achievements and skills felt fucking useless, he thought to himself bitterly. Percy and Jason both outdid him in the Powers department, and Frank could shapeshift so he was up there as well.
If anyone in the entire group could be called a third wheel, it was him. Leo thought to himself miserably as he crouched in the cold shivering, tears trickling down his cheeks as they mixed with the rainwater. He wished that the false bravado and smiles could hide that from himself as well as it did from others.
He knew once the rest of the seven found out what he had done, he was finished. What he had cost them all and inadvertently caused Annabeth to have to experience. Fuck, if Annabeth herself didn't kill him, he was certain Thalia would.
That was the best case scenario, because what would be worse was if they shunned him, his own family had done the same when his mother died. All the blame being shifted towards the trouble making son. The one who didn't fit in, the weird loner.
Already small flames were beginning to lick the edges of his clothes, Leo was struggling to control his emotions and to his complete horror, his hands exploded into flames, but he hadn't wanted them to. He started to shake his hands wildly as he looked for somewhere to douse them, even going as far as to shove them into an empty urn filled with rainwater.
The urn boiled for an instant and then the whole thing shattered as boiling water splashed Leo's face and arms while he looked down in disbelief. Panic setting in as he remembered the last time he had let his powers escape his control.
His shirt billowed around him as fire exploded out of the sleeves. His entire body wreathed itself in white hot fire instantly as he started to lose it, screaming and shouting in anger and fear. Leo backed away into a marble wall trying to stay away from anything flammable, only to watch in horror as his hand sunk into the marble slab foundation of the house he was leaning against. The fire burning so hot the marbles finely polished surface cracked and shattered like glass.
He cried out in rage as the fires around him burned even hotter, surrounding him in a hissing swirling steam cloud as any water that came near him vaporized in an instant. What kind of useless demigod couldn't control their powers.
Visions of Olympus burning, the gods and his friends blaming him rushed through his mind as he frantically tried to will the fire out.
Leo looked around in a panic, for anywhere he could stand that was completely free of anything he could possibly set on fire. The only problem was that he couldn't see anything between all the steam and the rainstorm itself.
He felt absolutely hopeless, he was a freak. All he could do was burn things, even the prophecy had stated it: 'To storm or fire, the world must fall". Deep in his heart Leo knew that it meant him, that he was going to burn it all down and lose control just like he did with his mother.
Slowly he collapsed, falling down to the ground as tears escaped his tightly clenched eyes, evaporating nearly instantly as they did so. A low moan escaped his lips as he tried his best not to break down and sob.
That's when he felt a sudden release, the negative emotions, the grief, anger, guilt and sadness just lifted from his soul in an instant. Only to be replaced by a content happiness as he stopped his sniffling in shock.
The maelstrom of rain and wind around him had stopped, and if anything the alleyway between the two houses was quiet and peaceful at the moment. The whole place radiated a gentle warmth, so unlike the roaring inferno that surrounded him at the moment.
Leo opened his eyes to see a small brown haired girl with brilliant amber eyes staring at him sadly from several feet away. Immediately Leo panicked, he couldn't be responsible for another soul in Hades realm. "Get away from me!" He shouted out as he scrambled to his feet and backed away from the stranger.
"You need to calm down, Leo Valdez… or you will do exactly as you fear. Fire is a dangerous domain to have access to, very few would understand that beyond your father and I." The girl said as she stepped forwards even closer to him now.
"What do you mean?" Leo asked in a quiet voice as he stopped backing away from the girl.
"You have no idea who I am? That's not surprising I guess." She said half heartedly as she reached out with her hand. Placing it on Leo's forehead as he went to shout at her again to stop.
Only he didn't react fast enough, as he winced, shutting his eyes as he prepared for the scream from the girl as the flames around him seared her flesh to the bone.
However he was surprised when instead of a scream, the flames around him simply sputtered out at the girl's touch. A sense of relief and calm flooded his entire body at the same time.
"Now, isn't that better?" The girl said with a half smile.
"Yes… how… who are you?" Leo asked in confusion.
"My name is Hestia Leo, Goddess of the Hearth, and like your father I possess a domain of fire as well." Hestia said with a half hearted grin.
Leo kind of wished he could sink into the puddles of rainwater at his feet. His godly education had taken a backseat to building the Argo II. But to think that he had not even recognized the Goddess of the Hearth, Leo's face was red from his neck to his forehead as he stammered out a reply.
"I-IM sorry.. I didn't mean to, I got lost in Apollo's palace and then I fell. I really hurt my ankle and then this storm picked up and….." Leo stopped talking as he saw the smile splitting Hestia's face.
"How about we keep this a secret between you and I? The meeting will be over soon, of that I have no doubt" the goddess said darkly, a look of sadness flashing across her face briefly before she turned back to Leo and smiled warmly.
"How about we fix your ankle? I can fill you in on what you missed, and you can explain to me why you carry such a pain in your heart, my little demigod" Hestia said warmly.
"What?" Leo said, quickly averting his eyes from the goddess as he wiped away any possible tears on his face. "I don't really know what you're talking about, but I'd love to have my ankle fixed if that's something you can do…" Leo finished as he looked away from Hestia.
"You can lie to yourself if you want to Leo, but not to me, I could sense your despair the minute I left the throne room. It was so powerful it drew me right to you, the raw guilt and sadness almost outweighed that of my brother Poseidon. And this entire storm is his fault, So perhaps once we look after that ankle you will take me up on the offer to talk about your other problems?" Hestia smiled knowingly at him as she held out her hand for him to take.
Leo looked at her in shame, his face burning red. Knowing that this Goddess could read him like a book as he limped in her direction and gently grasped her hand in his.
In an instant both he and Hestia were enshrouded in a wall of fire as Leo felt his stomach drop out the bottom of his legs. For a second he felt like he was free falling before he stumbled as his feet impacted solid ground.
Landing rather ungracefully on his stomach, right at the foot of a roaring bonfire, the flames soaring nearly five feet high, but it seemed small in comparison to the large depression obviously designed to contain the flames.
Leo glanced around him as he scrambled to his feet and backed away from the roaring fire. He stood inside a large building, clearly a Greek styled temple of sorts, and while it was massive. It was nowhere near as ostentatious as Apollo's Palace.
Instead here the building was decorated with marble columns with hanging braziers that burned various herbs and produced a sweet smelling smoke. Benches were clustered in alcoves along the walls, surrounded by large curtains which added splashes of red orange and amber to the otherwise white whole place gave off a warm and hospitable feeling, Much like the Goddess herself.
However what captivated his attention was the large domed ceiling over the bonfire. Each section of marble was polished to a sheen, and various panels of gold had been laid across its concave surface. The end result were these brilliant rays of red and orange light which shone around the firepit.
The flames appeared to be encased in a golden halo of light as they roared away.
"Welcome to my home Leo" Hestia said from behind him as she casually gestured around her. "It's nothing much, compared to some of the Olympians but i never understood the fascination with material objects" Hestia said casually as she walked towards the Bonfire.
"I uhh, can't say the same. You know what they say 'boys and their toys'" Leo said with a nervous chuckle as he tried to avoid putting too much weight on his left leg. "It is beautiful in here though, and its waaaay better than Apollo's Gold plated vanity project.." Leo finished with a half grin.
Hestia almost smiled before a somewhat stern look appeared on her face, which for a goddess who looked about eight years old was more funny than it was scary.
"Sit" Hestia almost commanded as she waved her hand and summoned a simple couch behind him, then the Goddess walked up to him and gently shoved him backwards. Unfortunately for him his left leg wouldn't take his weight, and so he fell. Right onto the couch.
"Better, Right? " Hestia said with a smile as she quickly summoned a small tray of drinks and set them on the edge of the couch. The rich smell of chocolate and cinnamon filling the air as Leo was practically drooling.
Hestia then knelt down and grabbed his left ankle tenderly, her hands glowing with fire for a moment as Leo watched in amazement. His ankle made a few clicking noises before a loud pop was heard and the pain in his foot disappeared.
"Fire heals me? Is that like water for Percy?" he shouted almost instinctively as he looked at his ankle, twisting it around so that he could test its range of movement.
However Leo knew the second he mentioned Percy's name something was wrong, Hestia's childlike features was warped with anguish, as tears dotted the edges of her eyes in an instant.
"...no… the flames of the hearth have both the ability to harm and heal, while not dissimilar they are different in nature." Hestia said quietly.
Leo awkwardly fiddled with some parts from his toolbelt as he sat on the couch in front of the obviously upset goddess.
"You said you left the council meeting, and that Poseidon was upset?" Leo asked hesitantly, swallowing nervously as he continued. "I would ask what made Poseidon this upset but based on your reaction when I said his name. I'm guessing we got some news about Percy, and it wasn't good…"
"I wish I could give you an answer like the one you no doubt desire, but it appears as if Perseus sacrificed himself in order to save Miss Chase." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the ground. "I fear we have lost the greatest among us, and even if we survive Gaea it appears as if my past sins are coming back to haunt us all" Hestia said with a choked sob.
Leo was shocked, unsure exactly what he should do as the Goddess of the Hearth sat on the ground in front of him, crying quietly as she stared into the hearth.
"What do you mean, your sins? And how is it even possible that there could be a greater threat than Gaea?" Leo asked incredulously.
"By my sins I mean just that." Hestia said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "My naivety cost me greatly once before. The only person I ever truly loved was ripped from me as were many of my friends and family."
Hestia swallowed and cleared her throat, "And now, those same beings who I so wronged have broken free of the prison we placed them in, and they will come looking for revenge. Thousands are going to die, and Olympus itself may fall and it will be my fault…The Greek oracle unveiled a new prophecy, and with it Hades delivered some rather unfortunate news out of Tartarus. It appears as if an enemy from a bygone age has risen once more to threaten Olympus." Hestia said mutedly.
Leo looked at her and knew something about this entire situation was just wrong, the Goddess who embodied the hope of Olympus sitting on the ground sobbing quietly after having tended to his wounds, and stopped him from making a mistake he would have regretted for the rest of his days.
He might not be able to do anything about the guilt he felt over Annabeth and Percy's fate. But he could do something about this.
"Listen, first off. I don't care who they are. I know I speak for the rest of the seven when I say that it doesn't matter. All of us will fight just as hard for Olympus against this new threat as we will against Gaea." Leo said definitely as he stood and looked at Hestia.
"Not to mention there's no way Percy is dead." Leo said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Leo, I wish I could share your belief but I watched as Nyx stabbed him in the chest." Hestia said with a half sob, "No mortal survives that" she finished as she hung her head in her hands.
"Did you see a body?" Leo asked confidently.
"W-what do you mean?" Hestia replied in confusion.
Leo took a deep breath to calm his nerves, he needed to be confident, he needed to be strong for someone else for once. Not that he was lying to himself either, he genuinely refused to believe that Percy was dead.
"You know I didn't get to spend a lot of time there, at Camp Half-Blood I mean. But while I was there all I got to hear about was the great, the legendary Percy Jackson." Leo said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"Percy killed this, Percy saved that, and I won't lie. It sucked, to know that the campers were so concerned about him, someone who was apparently missing, but at the same time was the most skilled and capable Demigod of his generation. At the time I felt like Piper and I, who had just been thrown into this life, could have used that kind of support from the campers.." Leo held up his hands defensively before Hestia could say anything. "Just hear me out"
"Everyone at camp looked up to him like some sort of un-killable God, and I thought the rumors were exaggerated, that the stories of him killing Titans and surviving volcano eruptions were all just a little too fantastical to be true." Leo said as he looked into the roaring bonfire. "Then I actually met him, and I found out that I couldn't have been more wrong"
Leo rubbed at his eyes furiously to ward off the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks as Hestia listened to him with rapt attention.
"I'm honored to say that Percy Jackson IS my friend, and that's because there isn't anything in this world that will keep him and those he cares about apart. If Annabeth is here then Percy is going to be right behind her, and you can put money on that. That's a Valdez guarantee!" Leo said with a grin as he turned back to look at Hestia who was staring at him in open mouthed shock.
"He cant have died because I still need to apologize to him for getting him thrown into Tartarus. I met someone, while I was separated from the rest of the seven. She explained so much about him to me, and it cast him in an entirely new light." Leo said as he started to pace back and forth.
"He gave up happiness, a life free from the pain of war and death. He gave up Love from the way she told it. All so that he could go back and risk his life on the slim chance he could save you all" Leo said with conviction.
"So it's true, Percy might be gone right now, but as long as one of us has faith in him. As long as we believe it, I know he will come back to us. According to Chiron and the campers he's never let you Olympians down before. Why start doubting him now?" Leo asked.
Hestia didn't make a sound, simply staring at him in shock as Leo sheepishly shrugged in her direction, turning to look into the fire again.
"... How…. How do you have such blind faith? How can you be so hopeful for a future that seems so dark?" Hestia asked quietly as her voice wavered.
"It's actually Percy's fault," Leo said with a soft chuckle. "I promised someone I wouldn't leave her alone ever again, that at all costs I would come back to her '' Leo almost whispered.
"So now more than ever, I can understand how Percy always had faith that he would do what was needed. Not because he thought he could, Or because he really was that confident. Percy was capable of doing all those things because he needed to, because he was the only one who was willing to make the sacrifices needed and the alternative of failing was too horrible to even consider for a moment."
Leo turned back to Hestia "He could make anything happen just by willing it to be so, the price he paid be damned."
The firepit behind him was starting to glow as the flames leapt higher and higher into the sky.
"He brought that out in all of us, gave us the courage to fight against hopeless odds, the courage to rise up again, no matter how many times we were beaten. Because we knew, deep down, that Percy Jackson was there, and how could we fail with the greatest demigod ever to live on our side?." Leo continued to speak with growing fervor.
"So how can I let that fall apart? How can I not have faith in him now? He's where he is because of me. If I give up on him then I didn't just kill him, I killed his legacy, and I might not be strong enough to fight like Jason or Frank, I can't out think my enemies like Annabeth. But I won't fail here, I refuse to. I will carry on his legacy for him until he comes back to take it, because that's what I need to do." Leo finished with passion.
Hestia looked at him in shock before a brilliant smile broke out across her tear stained face as she stood up. "You are full of surprises Leo Valdez, you remind me so much of them…" Hestia said with a far away look in her eye.
"Ummm, who do you mean Lady Hestia?" Leo asked, happy to see the Goddess was no longer sobbing, but he knew one wrong move might send her spiraling into an emotional breakdown to rivla his own.
"Percy Jackson, and by extension Tharros… a dear friend of mine from many lifetimes ago" Hestia replied sadly.
"Who is Tharros?" Leo asked curiously.
Hestia looked at him, her childlike form only slightly shorter than he was meaning she had to look up at him slightly. "Tharros was the God of Courage, and my closest friend for many of my early years… when I was young and impetuous"
"He passed, fighting the enemies I spoke of earlier, He tried to save Zeus. Who had led us into a battle under false pretenses. He was killed in an act of vengeance, in order to make Zeus and I pay for what we had done." Hestia closed her eyes as a pained look crossed her face.
"Then even after all of that, you would think I had learned, after all that I had lost you would think that I the Goddess of Hearth and Home would show compassion. Instead I burned an entire nation to ashes in my grief" Hestia hung her head in shame, tears beginning to work their way down her face gently.
"I'm every bit the monster that we ever made the Tartarii out to be. Zeus and I as well as the rest of the Olympians deserve the punishment that the fates have decided to place upon us when the Tartarii escaped their bonds." Hestia finished her voice filled with emotion.
Leo sat there for a moment, unsure of what to do or say. He could understand the grief of killing anyone with his powers simply because he lost control. He knew exactly what it was that felt like. "It's not your fault you know, you might be immortal but you aren't perfect. Everyone can make mistakes and unfortunately for you and I, mistakes with fire tend to be pretty lethal for everyone who isn't fireproof" Leo said with a half grin on his face, if only to hide the pain in his voice from saying that aloud.
Hestia turned to look at him, a look of disgust on her face, "I murdered them in their own homes, the air burned in their lungs and their died screaming for mercy, and in my rage I saw all of this and wanted them to suffer more" Hestia all but sobbed out as she looked at the fire.
"So I swore never to fight again, no matter the cost. Nothing, and no one being is worth an entire nation. To this day I regret that I was ever foolish enough to trust my brother, that I ever believed the Ardwyrians had been the aggressors in the conflict." Hestia turned back towards Leo, "And I swore never to love again, to remain a virgin goddess out of reverence for Tharros, my foolish pride and anger cost him his life far too soon, and I don't deserve another chance at happiness like I once had with him" Hestia finished miserably.
Leo looked at her sadly, understanding the pain she was going through, at least to some extent.
"I burned my mother to death, because I lost control. My entire family blamed me for it, and for a long time I did too, in fact I guess I still sort of do. I only stuck around at the start because I wanted vengeance for my mother, but that's not why I'm here now. Even if it took me this long to realize it" Leo said with a dry chuckle.
"I'm not the only Demigod with a shitty past, and I certainly won't be the Last. There's a good chance I might die in this war, but If that's what's going to happen I'm going to take Gaea with me. Because it's what my friends and family need. They need someone to save them, and since Percy isn't here to do it. I will." Leo said, firmly.
He honestly believed every word he said, from the bottom of his heart. He may have said it as much to himself as he did to Hestia, but the emotions behind those words were real. Percy had inspired an entire generation of Heroes, he had given them Hope for a better future. Leo had made a single mistake and had taken that from them all on the eve of war.
But he wouldn't let that be the end of it, he would do what he had to. He would do what needed to be done so that one day, maybe, just maybe. There would be a new generation of Demigods who would have hope for a future, one where another war wasn't waiting around the corner.
However as Leo was thinking all this to himself he began to notice an intense heat filling Hestia's Temple. It became hot enough he actually turned around to look at the bonfire which dominated the room.
It had become a massive twenty foot tall roaring fire, shimmering with various gold, red and yellow hues.
He heard footsteps approaching him as he turned back to see Hestia, no longer appearing as a child but instead as a mature woman. Her hair completely aflame as she looked at him with glistening eyes.
"To think, after all this time…. That he would find his way back to me like this.." Hestia said with tears pouring down her face, However these did not appear to be tears of grief.
Leo was incredibly confused at this point as he looked himself up and down self consciously.
"Me?" he said, gesturing to himself as Hestia laughed loudly, a sound Leo had to admit was one of the most pleasant and beautiful laughs he had ever had the pleasure to hear.
"Yes, you." Hestia said as she dried the tears from her face and looked down on Leo, as in her adult form she seemed to tower over him.
"You share the same goals that he did, Tharros was brave, courageous to a fault, But above all he wanted desperately for a time when the fighting would end. He didn't want to fight another war against anyone after the Titans. But he did, and he did so because he hoped that he could win that war, and finally with that victory there would be generations after who would experience peace as a result." Hestia said softly.
"Many of the Gods of the time thought it strange that a warrior as skilled as he was would be so cowardly." Hestia's eyes glowed with rage for a moment. "But those gods were the first to flee when the Ardwyrians began the massacre in Anatolia. Instead it was Tharros who stayed to fight an unwinnable battle, trusting the future of the world to those he died to protect." Hestia finished as she calmed down.
"I'm flattered you think we're alike, but I don't see the resemblance. From what you're telling me Tharros was this brave courageous warrior who died so that others could live. He sounds like Percy sure, but I haven't done any of those things….." Leo said lamely
"But you will, I can sense the Will of Fire in you Leo Valdez, and it burns brighter than many I have felt before. You single handedly just restored the hearth within my temple, You inspired me to believe in you the way you believe in Perseus." Hestia said confidently.
"Now allow me to return the favor, the Demigods need a symbol, someone they can rally behind like they would have behind Perseus. If you think you can be that Firebrand then what kind of Goddess of Hope would I be if I failed to aid you in this endeavor?" Hestia said as she rose to her full height.
"Leo Valdez, Do you accept my blessing, so that you may go forth from here as my Champion? Will you take an oath to act as the guardian light of hope for the demigods under my care?" Hestia said as her voice rang out across the temple.
Leo was stunned for a moment.
Hestia Goddess of the Hearth and Home had just asked if he would be her Champion, she had given him a chance to accomplish what he had to do. A chance at redemption for what he had done to Percy.
He was going to take it, Gaea and the Tartarii be damned.
Dropping to one knee, albeit clumsily Leo looked up at Hestia and Nodded his head.
"I will Lady Hestia"
The Goddess smiled in response, looking down at him as she placed a hand on his forehead and the entire room erupted into flames.
Leo felt like he was breathing in hot sauce extract as he felt an innate connection to the flame within the braziers and the hearth itself.
"My blessing will give you a greater control over fire, as well as give you the ability to instill hope in those around you. But you must also know that Fire is a domain closely tied to Emotions. Just like a wildfire you cannot contain them by hiding your emotions, instead you must embrace them. And remember My Champion, the flames of the Hearth have the power to both Heal and Harm…" Hestia finished as she stopped glowing and removed her hand from Leo's Forehead.
"Now I believe it's time I filled you in on what you no doubt missed from the council meeting, before I send you to meet your companions, Hazel and Thalia." Hestia said after a moment's concentration.
"Wait what!?" Leo said in panic.
"It was determined after I left the council meeting that the Demigods who comprise the seven as well as those from the Prophecy would be splitting up to accomplish several tasks at once. It appears Athena and the other Olympians are trying to find a way to avoid civil war between New Rome and Camp Half-Blood." Hestia finished thoughtfully.
"How do you know this?" Leo asked in confusion.
Hestia tapped the side of her head and smiled at Leo, "Demeter just filled me in on what I missed…"
"Oh" Said Leo
Leo sighed… if he was traveling with Thalia he had best pray to Tyche that he lived through the Journey. But in the meantime he settled in to listen to Hestia's breakdown of the council meeting up until she left.
Thalia Grace, 3 Days and 8 Hours After Eripus
Thankfully the Gods were willing to flash Thalia, Hazel and the Huntresses to Camp Half-Blood, where they had been assured by Demeter that Leo would join them, as he was currently speaking with Lady Hestia.
Thalia was just hoping that Leo didn't somehow manage to upset the distraught Goddess any further. After hearing what her own father had put his sister through, Thalia resolved to beat Leo into an unrecognizable lump of flesh if he so much as hinted at having upset Lady Hestia.
Thalia knew it wasn't really Leo's fault, but the entire course of events seemed to be completely out of her control. She felt, for the first time in several years, the same dread she had once felt knowing she was the Child of Prophecy.
Like she had been dropped into a rapidly moving river and was being swept up in the current and dragged onwards to some unknown destination.
It wasn't a feeling Thalia appreciated.
So needless to say when she arrived at camp and was met by the spear of some rookie camper, she reacted a little poorly.
The crack of thunder rang out clear across the area surrounding camp Half-Blood, followed by a gong-like reverberation as Thalia stood sheepishly on the hill. Looking at the smoking and unconscious Demigod on the ground in front of her.
Her fellow huntresses were snickering quietly amongst themselves as Thalia waited for one of the more senior Demigods to arrive. She wasn't too keen on being mistaken for an invader by the over stressed demigods in camp.
"Hey Sparky… been a while since you've decided to show your face around here" Came the familiar voice of Clarisse as the daughter of Ares marched up the hill, her heavy armor clanking loudly as she marched towards them quickly, flanked by two other demigods who were struggling to keep up with her large strides.
Clarisse spared a moment to look at the unconscious demigod before snorting with laughter and gesturing to the other two Demigods. "Get him outta here, serves him right attacking a Huntress, specifically the lieutenant." Clarisse said as she turned to look at Thalia with a grin.
"Glad you came though, those Roman pricks have been camped out there for a few days now. They keep sending scouts closer to camp, but don't worry the Apollo cabin has been giving them exactly what they deserve." She finished with an evil grin as she gestured towards the two archery posts that had clearly been constructed in the pine tree.
Thalia's eyes narrowed, if they were already in open hostilities then making peace between the two camps was going to be more difficult than Thalia had anticipated.
"Who's the girl?" Clarisse asked in confusion as she pointed at Hazel.
"Her name is Hazel, she's a daughter of Pluto '' Thalia responded carefully as her hand clenched the can of mace tightly.
"Good, a prisoner or two would help us figure out their patrols a little faster," Clarisse said with a look of flat hatred in her eyes as she looked at Hazel.
"No, she's off limits, in fact Olympus has called for peace between the two camps." Thalia said in frustration as she saw the flash of anger cross Clarisse's face. "That's why we're here now."
"Bullshit, have they been watching what's going on down here?!" Clarisse shouted back at Thalia as she pointed a finger at Hazel.
"Thanks to the Romans, Katie has third degree burns on half her body and Travis might be blind in one eye now." They launched pots of burning pitch into camp during dinner, and they targeted the mess hall specifically" Clarisse said in anger. "And those are just the injuries, not to mention the few that actually died." Clarisse said, her face locked into a dark scowl.
"And you come here to tell me the Gods want us to make nice?" Bullshit, my father would never call for something like that." Clarisse said.
"Listen, it's not my call Clarisse, things have changed. We just got back from Olympus, there's a new Prophecy and some other … news. You need to call the cabin heads together and have them meet me in the Big house with Chiron." Thalia looked at the Huntresses, "Give me twenty minutes to get things sorted here, and then I'll make my way to the big house and meet you there, Hopefully with Valdez. Hazel will be joining me and unless you want to upset Lady Artemis she will be treated with the same respect her Hunters are." Thalia finished dangerously.
Internally Thalia was raging at the thought that some of her friends had been injured so seriously in such a cowardly attack, but even she knew that the only chance that they had against the threat of the Tartarii and Gaea combined was to join forces with the Romans. As much as she hated to admit it.
Clarisse glared at her before simply walking away, visibly shaking with rage as she headed back to camp, the other two demigods hesitantly following her back down the hill, while carrying their unconscious companion.
"Phoebe, Atlanta…. Set the girls into a watch rotation, I want the lake, the Forest, Here and the strawberry fields under constant surveillance by us." Thalia said as she turned back towards the Huntresses. "The Gods want peace, they want the camps to cease fighting and work together, so let me be clear" Thalia said as she began talking.
"Do not, under any circumstances, fire a lethal shot, anything you do here is a direct reflection on Lady Artemis and Zeus himself ordered this ceasefire. We CAN'T be the ones to break that, do you understand?" Thalia finished as she looked at the two eldest Hunters.
"Understood, we can use blunted arrows easily enough." Phoebe answered quickly, "One of those to the groin will still drop any male who tries to get too close to camp" she finished with a laugh.
Thalia groaned quietly, already knowing exactly how this was going to go if Phoebe had her way.
"Atlanta is in charge while I'm gone." The huntress in question nodded in Thalia's direction while several of the more eccentric huntresses groaned. Atlanta was quite the stickler for the rules, so it meant that unlike if Phoebe was in charge, with Atlanta they would be on an extra tight leash.
"Hazel we need to make one stop, before we go anywhere else" Thalia said quickly as she waved off the huntresses who immediately flocked to Atlanta for assignments.
"Where?" Hazel said quietly as she stood right behind Thalia.
"Percy's cabin…" Thalia replied without emotion as she walked towards the camp at a brisk pace.
Hazel seemed about to ask a question but seemed to think better of it herself before she simply closed her mouth and followed behind Thalia, who was making all speed towards the Poseidon Cabin.
However she couldn't help but look at the changes the camp had undergone since she had last seen it.
Large constructions of metal and wood had been erected between many of the buildings, forming a low wall of sharp pointed objects between the buildings. Effectively turning camp half blood into a large walled compound.
Even from this distance she could see the camp was busy for this early in the morning, with demigods hustling back and forth, carrying weapons or armor. Camp Half-Blood was preparing for war and she had very little doubt the Romans would be surprised by the response of the hornets nest they had just kicked.
As Thalia and Hazel approached the front gate, which was really just an entrance between two of the demigods saw them and one even went so far as to throw out a sloppy salute as he looked at the two of them. The other demigod stepped forwards and it took Thalia a moment before she recognized Malcolm Pace, one of the eldest Athena children.
"Gods, it's good to see you and the huntresses Thalia." Malcolm said as he stepped forwards and literally crushed her in a hug.
Thalia was a little shocked by the reaction but before she could say anything Malcolm let her go and stepped back to take off his helmet. The look in his eyes hurt, Thalia recognized it well, she had seen it dozens of times during the Titan war.
A look utterly devoid of hope, the look of someone who had the pleasure of watching those close to them die before their eyes while they were helpless to do anything about it.
Malcolm looked around her for a minute as if trying to spot someone, and then he seemed to deflate like a balloon, the wind taken out of his sails as he physically hunched over for a minute.
"... Malcolm?" Thalia asked cautiously as she looked at the normally stoic demigod. "What's wrong?"
"I… I had kind of hoped Annabeth would be with you" He looked at Thalia with a weak smile, his eyes full of pain. "I don't know what to do anymore…we need her back" he said in a half whisper as he looked at Thalia.
Thalia wasn't quite sure what to say in response besides looking at Malcolm and nodding firmly while adding "She's gonna come back Malcolm she just had some personal business to take care of."
Malcolm looked relieved as he glanced at her, "she better. The camp needs her and Percy right now, things are bad…. Real bad Thalia.." he finished as he quickly rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve before replacing his helmet on his head.
"Clarisse just came through here and told me to meet her at the big house for some kind of meeting, so I guess I can thank you for getting me off sentry duty at least temporarily." Malcolm said dryly as he followed beside Thalia.
The Camp was a mess, she could see several large areas where Dryads and Nymphs were attempting to fix the blackened grass and trees. No doubt the result of the burning pitch the Romans had used.
The Big house which normally served as a meeting point for senior campers had clearly been converted into a command post. She could see patrols of demigods moving around in Greek armor, eyes peeled as they watched the camp.
Even the youngest campers marched around with fierce looks on their face, clutching weapons and wearing armor. However the looks on their faces all matched, the same look that Malcolm had, and with every step she took Thalia was beginning to realize that Athena had been right.
There was a full blown civil war on their hands here, and it was going to take more than some flowery words to put a stop to it. There was already blood spilled, and if the looks on the campers faces had anything to say about it. There was more coming.
The three of them reached Percy's cabin, at which point Thalia walked up to the door and looked at it, trying the door handle for a moment only for it to be locked.
She sighed and walked around to the window before turning her can of mace into a spear and jamming the blade underneath the edge of the window.
Then while holding onto the handle she used it like a crowbar, and leaned onto it until with a grinding crack. The window popped open, and Thalia flipped her spear back into its can of mace form and quickly leapt into the Poseidon cabin. "Wait out here for a minute, I'll be right back" Thalia called out over her shoulder.
Ignoring the spluttering confused mess that Malcolm and Hazel had become upon witnessing her blatant B&E.
Thalia knew exactly what she was looking for, and hopefully the seaweed brain hadn't hidden them anywhere. Thalia's eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and she spotted the glint of glass in the early morning rays of sun that were sneaking in the open window.
Walking across the room she reached his dresser, spotting several picture frames set on top, each of them holding a picture.
There were a few she was interested in, one of them was a picture of her and Percy, shortly after the end of the Titan War, both of them were covered in cuts, blood and dirt but they were grinning ear to ear.
It was right after everything had been finished, right after Percy had saved her from her fate as the child of prophecy. She still remembered that feeling in her chest. Freedom, she had lived knowing she would be the child of prophecy for a while, dreading it all the while she tried to hide from her own family who wanted her dead.
The end result had been her own father turning her into a tree, an existence which had kept her alive but not truly living.
But then Percy had exploded into her life, not only had he saved her, but then he had taken on the weight of the prophecy to allow Thalia to live her life as she had wanted, without the fear of being some destined child. She stared at the picture frame in shock as several tears splashed off the glass. Only for Thalia to realize she was crying silently.
It felt like there was a lead weight on her chest, as she slowly sank to her knees, just a few hours earlier she had watched her friend die, stabbed in the chest by Nyx the Lady of Night. That seaweed brain had done the most seaweed brained thing of all, he had sacrificed himself to save Annabeth. Thalia wasn't sure if she should thank him or curse him, sure her best friend was safe, Annabeth was back among the living.
But the cost? The cost was that Percy wasn't. He was gone. She had lost one friend in order to save the other.
There wouldn't be a body to burn with his shroud. Percy Jackson, the greatest demigod of their generation, her best friend and someone she loved like a brother, maybe more. Was gone.
For a few minutes Thalia crouched in the dark room, out of sight of the window, struggling to not break down and sob her heart out. She knew that if she did, not only would she not be able to stop, but no doubt Hazel and Malcolm would hear and that was something she had no desire to allow to happen.
Even so she struggled to not cry out in pain as she clutched the picture frame to her chest and tried to keep her breathing level.
This was all her fault, she could have taken on the Prophecy all those years ago, she could have done what she was fated to do. But instead she let Percy save her from that destiny, but who had been there to save him? She would give everything with the hunt up, just for one more minute with him. Just to hear him laugh again, or call her pinecone face she thought to herself as she choked back another wave of sobbing.
It went on like this for a few minutes, with Thalia crouched against the wall in the dark, clutching the photo and frame to her chest like a lifeline as she mourned her friend, and did her best to grieve in private.
Unfortunately for her, it appeared as if she had finally taken long enough for Malcolm and Hazel to grow concerned as a short rapping sound was heard on the door. "You okay in there Thalia?" Came Hazel's quiet voice.
Thalia furiously rubbed at her face with her sleeve, blinking away the remaining tears as she grabbed whatever photos were left on the dresser and swept them along with the one she currently had into her backpack.
Then with one last look around the darkening room of her best friend Thalia reigned in her emotions and vaulted back out the window. A dark look on her face, as she immediately began to walk towards the Big House.
She could hear the hurried footfalls of Hazel and Malcolm as they followed behind her.
"What was all that about?" Malcolm asked curiously as Hazel looked down at the ground.
"You'll find out soon enough," Thalia said without emotion.
She heard Malcolm stop walking, as Hazel and Thalia continued towards the Big House. However she heard the sharp intake of breath followed by the clang of a dropped weapon as she turned to look back at Malcolm.
"...no…" Malcolm said softly as he looked at Thalia, she could see the look of horror in his eyes.
Hazel just shook her head sadly as she refused to meet Malcolm's eyes, Meanwhile Thalia simply turned around and walked away. She knew that if she started trying to explain it now she wouldn't have it in her to do it a second time.
So with a heavy heart Thalia marched up the hill towards the big house, leaving Malcolm standing at the base of the hill staring after her in shock for several moments. Before he slowly began to make his way up the hill after them.
As Thalia drew nearer to the big house she could hear the arguments from inside already, easily making out Clarisse's raised voice as well as that of Will Solace and Miranda Gardener.
Two demigods were on guard duty outside the big house and they went to cross their spears and block her path. But the look that Thalia shot the two of them probably would have dropped both if looks could kill.
They almost scrambled back away from her as she blew right past them and practically threw the door to the Big House off its hinges as she strode inside.
The room was just like she remembered it, Everything from the Ping pong table, and Seymour the stuffed leopard's head. A dozen soft comfy chairs ringed the Ping-Pong table and already a dozen Demigods were gathered inside.
Almost as one their heads turned to look at her, and she saw a range of emotions displayed.
Hope, Anger, Confusion.
All that and more as she stood at the front of the room and noticed the absence of a particular centaur.
"Where is Chiron?" Thalia asked in Confusion
"Chiron hasn't left his study in the last twenty four hours, he went in there after the fire attacks by the Romans and hasn't been seen since…." came the reply from Will Solace as he looked at her sadly.
"Where the fuck were you!?" Came the angry voice of Miranda Gardner, whose eyes were red and tired looking as she glared at Thalia. "The camp has been under siege for days now! Where were you and the other Huntresses?! We needed you! Fuck Katie needed you!" Miranda all but raged as she stood up from her chair shaking as she pointed a finger at Thalia.
"Hey Miranda, don't go throwing blame at anyone but the Romans for what happened to Katie…. Thalia wasn't here, it's not her fault that the Hunters go where Artemis does …" Will said tiredly as he looked at Miranda.
The blonde son of Apollo looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, his blonde hair a mess, and his normally vibrant blue eyes were pale and clutched a cup of coffee in his hands and sent a weak smile in Thalia's direction after he spoke.
"It doesn't matter! The Huntresses are supposed to protect us from 'monsters' and as far as I can tell the only real monsters are camped on the other side of the valley, less than a mile from us. So why aren't she and the rest of the hunters doing what they do best?" Miranda said with a sneer on her face as she looked at Thalia.
"Because we have more pressing concerns" Hazel responded meekly from behind Thalia, as her and Malcolm walked into the big house. The latter looked shell shocked as he stared at the floor wide eyed.
"Who the fuck is she?" Came the angry voice of Connor Stoll. The demigod had several bandages over his arms and face but otherwise seemed okay, however the anger in his eyes told another story.
"She's a roman, and according to Thalia she's off limits, not to mention our parents want us to play nice with the Romans." Clarisse said, turning her head to spit on the floor as she finished speaking. "Not a chance as far as I'm concerned, we have a blood debt to repay…."
"Your Gods dammed right we do! Those fuckers lit the mess hall on fire! No way they get out of this with a slap on the wrist, Travis lost a fucking eye!" Connor all but roared out as the normally jovial and happy demigod's face was twisted in anger.
One of the counselors made a move as if to step forwards and grab Hazel, Thalia recognized him as Butch, the child of Iris. "Sit down… or I'll make you sit down butch." Thalia said dangerously as the Demigod looked between Clarisse and her worriedly.
However, Butch seemed to decide that perhaps going after Hazel was still a good idea.
Thalia set the record straight by punching him in the face as he tried to walk past her, a jolt of electricity knocking him unconscious.
All at once a dozen demigods started to shout out angrily as she heard weapons drawn.
However Thalia wasn't in a mood to play around.
Her eyes crackled dangerously and suddenly a roaring crack was heard as a lightning bolt struck the weathervane atop the big house. Causing the whole building to shudder as every counselor froze and looked at her in shock and perhaps a little bit of awe.
"ENOUGH!" Thalia shouted out as she looked around the room, all of whom had frozen mid action and were staring at her wide eyed.
Thankfully she had their attention and could perhaps begin to explain what was going on, that would have been wonderful.
Except it was at that moment that a certain problem decided to stumble into the big house.
Leo Valdez.
Leo walked into the Big House and almost immediately walked right into Thalia, nearly knocking her off her feet as she glared at the counselors.
A quick shove sent Leo flying in the other direction, as he stumbled, funnily enough right into his sister. Nyssa Barrera, Daughter of Hephaestus.
"Woah, shit, fuck sorry!" Leo said as he was ping ponging around the room between Demigods.
Another round of confused shouting filled the room as Thalia groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand. Willing the incoming migraine she could feel to just fuck off, along with Leo Valdez and the other problems she currently had.
More voices continued to shout at each other as Will and Nyssa shouted at Miranda who was trying to draw her sword and run at Thalia for knocking butch unconscious. Meanwhile on the other side Clarisse was talking angrily with Lou Ellen, of the Hecate Cabin and seemed to be mid plan on something.
Clovis was asleep in his chair while Drew Tanaka stood there angrily, staring daggers at Thalia and Hazel. A new round of shouting erupted as Nyssa had tackled Miranda to the ground and was basically fighting off Will and Leo while still trying to punch Miranda.
"ALRIGHT I SAID ENOUGH!" Thalia screamed as she slammed her hand onto the ping pong table, only for it to crack and collapse under the slight use of her powers. But once again the Bang and the flash of light had been enough for her to seize the room's attention.
"THE GODS HAVE CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE" Thalia explained quickly, not wanting to waste a moment of time.
"A new prophecy has been issued, one that could be even more dangerous than Gaea, The Gods have come to the decision that we need to unite with the Romans in order to even have a chance at surviving what is coming." Thalia finished as she looked around the room.
"What do we even need the Romans for!? We have the Bane of Kronos on our side!" Clarisse called out with a grin from the far side of the room. She seemed to be enjoying the show as she watched Nyssa struggle against Will and Leo, almost throwing the two male demigods off her in a fit of rage.
Thalia practically felt Hazel stiffen up beside her as she grit her teeth in frustration, why did she have to be the one to explain this to the campers. Why couldn't the Gods get off their own asses and explain how badly they had fucked things up.
"Not anymore…." Thalia said quietly.
For a moment there was complete silence in the room, Malcolm didn't even seem surprised, he just continued to stare at the floor in shock.
However the rest of the room did not react so calmly.
A low whisper of panic broke out amongst the counselors at Thalia's remark. With many of them glancing at each other in confusion.
However nothing could have prepared her for the reaction from Clarisse.
She looked at Thalia in open mouthed shock, slowly walking around the ruined table until she stood in front of Thalia. "... no, no it can't be… there is no way prissy…." Clarisse stuttered out as she stared at Thalia her eyes wide.
Thalia just nodded silently in reply.
The fight just seemed to leach out of Clarisse as she collapsed into one of the free chairs, staring off into the distance as she and everyone else in the room processed the news they had just been given.
"... what do we do now…?" came the quiet voices of Holly and Laurel Victor, the twin daughters of Nike.
Silence filled the room, with no one seeming to have the heart to break it.
That is until Leo started to speak.
"Exactly what we were doing before." Leo said calmly but with a stern tone. "Gaea is still a threat to the Gods and there is a Second Prophecy that was issued. We have work to do and we can't fall apart right now" He finished.
Thalia turned over to look at Leo, Will had somehow restrained Nyssa with some sort of headlock and the girl's face was slowly turning purple as Will quietly whispered in her ear before the girl nodded frantically and Will let her go. Taking a step back as he did so, careful to stay out of the range of her fists.
"What did you just say?" Clarisse said as she looked at Leo with bloodshot eyes.
"There's no change, Percy or no Percy we still have a job to do…" Leo said as he stared down Clarisse.
However Thalia wasn't quite ready for what came next as Clarisse practically exploded from the chair and rushed across the room. Grabbing Leo by the shirt and lifting him clean off the ground. "Shut your fucking face Valdez, he's dead Show a little fucking respect or I'm going to beat you into tar you little shit." Clarisse threatened as her eyes glowed red briefly.
"This is what I mean" Leo said defiantly as he looked down at Clarisse.
"Is this what he would have wanted? For all of us to turn on each other? To give up?" Leo said as he looked around the room.
Thalia had her mouth open in shock, Leo was standing up to Clarisse, and not just a little either.
No one in the room seemed to be breathing and Thalia was certain that if a pin had dropped a mile away she would have heard it.
"Well then, what do you suggest?" Lou Ellen asked calmly from the other side of the room, "And for God's sake put him down Clarisse… he's right, Percy wouldn't have wanted us fighting amongst ourselves."
Clarisse glared at Leo for a moment longer before she released her grip and dropped him back to his feet. Storming over to stand beside Lou Ellen, her expression dark and stormy.
Thalia noticed the exhale of relief from Leo as Clarisse put him down and grinned slightly, apparently Valdez had a set on him, most people didn't have it in them to stand up to Clarisse. Thalia was content to see what Leo wanted to say before she continued.
Maybe the little elf could surprise her, and after all. It's not like it could get any worse.
"We fight, there isn't a change to our plan just because Percy isn't here to lead us." Leo said confidently. "Annabeth is alive and the other members of the seven are as well."
"Okay, and who is going to kill Gaea? Because as far as I was concerned it was going to be Percy, you know, the Bane of Kronos and all that" Miranda said with a note of anger in her voice.
"Yea! He's the strongest Demigod in our entire generation…. Who the hell is going to fight a Primordial if it's not him!?" Came the voice of Pollux, Counselor of the Dionysus cabin.
"I don't know who is going to fight Gaea." Leo stated flatly as the room erupted into shouts and screams of anger.
However in the same instant Leo's eyes seemed to swirl with an inner fire as he looked around the room. "But it doesn't matter, If Percy were here, would he have let that stop him? Would he have waited for someone else to take on the challenge simply because it was hard?" Leo called out over the noise as everyone turned to look at him.
"No." Leo said firmly, "Percy would have done what needed to be done, that's just the kind of person he was. And that is what made him the strongest Demigod of our generation. Not his powers or his skill with a sword. He was the greatest because he refused to sit by and let others suffer if he could try and do something about it."
The room was quiet as Leo spoke, even if the faces of the demigods showed how angry they were, the group hung on his every word. Drinking it up as if it were an oasis in the middle of the desert.
"Percy fell into Tartarus to save Annabeth Chase, and they say he died to make sure she would be here to help us against Gaea. The Gods think he's dead, but I don't." Leo said loudly as he looked around the room.
"How many times has he been dead? How many all powerful beings have wanted him dead? Zeus and the Gods tried to kill him, Kronos and the Titans tried to kill him, Hell he fought Tartarus for Annabeth and won!" Leo cried out loudly as shouts of alarm rang out for others around the room.
"It's true, we saw it…." Thalia said, backing Leo up as the little demigod continued to speak.
"When has Percy let us down? Let you down? I haven't known him for long, but I have no doubt in my mind that he is going to fight his way back to us, even if he has to move heaven and hell in order to do so." Leo declared.
"So I don't know about all of you, but I'm not going to spit on his legacy by going to war with Rome. Instead we need to find a way to bring us all together, so that we can fight against Gaea, and show Percy that perhaps he doesn't have to be the one to bear all the world's problems. We owe him that much." Leo finished as he looked at the gathered counselors in the room.
There was dead silence in the air for a moment.
Then Thalia watched in Open mouthed shock as Will Solace, Pollux, Lou Ellen, Holly and Laurel Victor and Nyssa of all people stood up from their chairs and looked at Leo.
"THAT is what I've been trying to tell you all, at this point we are just playing into Gaea's hands " Will said with a shout as he pointed at Miranda. "What is killing the Romans going to get us? What is that going to do for Katie or anyone else who suffered?" Will said, the exhaustion in his voice clear.
"They deserve Vengeance!" Miranda cried out angrily as she looked at Clarisse and Drew Tanaka, both of which were nodding fervently alongside her.
"At what cost Miranda? The Gods want peace, what do you think they'll do if we start a war!?" Nyssa said, the concern in her voice quite clear.
"How many of your brothers and sisters died in the mess hall Nyssa? How many of you fireproof freaks walked out of there with so much as a single scratch!?" Drew Tanaka said with venom in her voice as she looked at Nyssa.
"I-" Nyssa tried to say before Drew cut her off.
"I lost six Nyssa, so before you open your fucking mouth, just know I don't give a Flying fuck what you or the victory twins think. None of your sisters or brothers died." Drew all but hissed out as she finished.
Thalia bit her lip unconsciously, things had been going well, but now it appeared as if things may be taking a slight turn for the worse as she could see Drew, Clarisse, Miranda and Connor Stoll working themselves into a bloodlust filled frenzy as they basically called for outright war against the Romans.
"Fuck the Peace accords, when they go back to wherever the fuck they came from we can talk peace. As of right now they are in Greek Land, and they killed Greek Demigods. We can't just let them walk away for free!" Clarisse called out angrily.
"Percy spent time with the Romans! You think he would want you to kill them!?" Leo said back as calmly as he could. "Half the members of the Seven are romans for Gods sake!"
"I think that maybe if Percy had been here to watch a dozen of his friends burn to death he might think differently" Connor said in a deadly tone of voice.
"Well maybe it's a good thing you're not the Leader of the camp then Connor" came the sarcastic reply from Will as he leaned on the edge of the table.
"With Percy gone we don't have a fucking leader Will, that's the damn problem…." Connor added miserably as he looked at the rest of the counselors.
Everyone knew what the next topic was going to be, but no one had the heart to say it.
Thalia could see the looks of pain in everyone's faces as the reality set in. They were leaderless and divided on what they should do next. Unfortunately Thalia wasn't even sure who was in the right anymore, On one hand the ceasefire was called by the Gods, on the other; The Romans had killed a dozen campers in an act of aggression. A cowardly one at that, not even a real fight.
The rage Thalia felt inside at the thought that the Greeks were going to be made to set aside that grievance and work with the killers of their brothers and sisters sat in her stomach like acid.
She wasn't sure what to do, if she was too heavy handed they would all turn on her and by extension the Gods. She could practically feel the anger in the room, and all of it was currently directed at the Gods and their insane demand for Peace.
It was a hopeless situation and Thalia couldn't see how she was going to convince the others when she could barely convince herself to follow the Gods mandate.
That's when Clarisse stood up, walking into the middle of the room and stepping on the broken pieces of the Ping Pong Table.
"We need someone to guide us, and I think that person should be-" Clarisse started to say before she was cut off by none other than Leo Valdez.
"Annabeth" Leo said with finality as he looked around the room.
"She's not even here! How the hell is she going to lead us!" Miranda called out from the corner as Malcolm's head whipped up at the mention of his sister's name.
"Annabeth is currently speaking with Percy's family, she felt that she had to tell them personally" She should be here by tomorrow morning at the latest." Thalia called out over the noise of everyone else talking.
"She is the most experienced Demigod after Percy" Lou Ellen called out.
"AND she knows Percy better than any of us! So if anyone was going to lead us like he would have wouldn't Annabeth be the first choice!?" Will shouted out as he and Miranda glared at each other.
"And is she a warrior like Percy? Or is she just going to sit in the back lines telling us all what to do exactly like the Gods are right now?" Connor Stoll called out angrily, but even as he said it Thalia could see he regretted those words.
However he was going to regret them more when she was done, Thalia thought grimly.
"She fought her way out of Tartarus beside Percy, she's alive to tell the tale. Now if any of you want to claim you could do the same then perhaps you are in the position to question her abilities. However, a word of advice to a certain daughter of Demeter who has never even been on a quest: 'I think you should shut your mouths before I do it for you'." Thalia growled out as sparks leapt off her skin.
"Annabeth Chase is the clear choice…" Malcolm called out from his seat in front of the ruined Ping Pong table. Nervously avoiding the glare Thalia was throwing across the room at Miranda.
"Well then, a vote?" Pollux called out as he stood up and raised his hand, "All in favor of Annabeth Chase to lead us for the foreseeable future?" He said loudly.
Pollux, Will, Nyssa, Lou Ellen, Malcolm and Clovis all raised their hands, and in an Instant Thalia noticed that not only was Clovis awake, but he was actually paying attention for once.
Miranda, Connor and Drew Tanaka and Clarisse stared at the rest of the councilors with open dislike as they shook their heads angrily and stormed out of the big house.
For a moment there was silence and then the talking resumed, with several of the counselors walking over to Leo to congratulate him on defusing the situation so well, and for standing up to Clarisse.
Leo was practically lapping up their praise as he blushed bright red.
Thalia smirked for a moment before she looked out the door and sighed, she had seen the looks on the three Demigods faces, they had lost friends and family. They were Hurt, Angry and Scared, and she knew for a fact that they were not going to let this drop.
So despite the seeming success of voting in Annabeth as the Camp's Leader, Thalia couldn't help but wish her friend would arrive just a little bit faster. Before the inevitable happened and something set off the loaded powder keg of Anger that was camp Half-Blood at the moment.
Authors Notes:
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
First off, sorry for the lack of a post on friday or over the weekend, something shredded my power cord and my computer basically caught fire. It's all good I was due for a new one anyway. But it took a few days to get it all set up and start writing again, because no way in hell am I writing these monstrous chapters on a cellphone.
I'm also starting to realize that it's not that my last few chapters were overly long, it's that my first few chapters were really short. I honestly trimmed this down by like 2000 words and I still could have written more for it.
Aside from that we got some new developments, Leo is now the Champion of Hestia? I feel like I'm gonna get some hate for that one hahaha.
Thalia possibly having feelings for Percy? I somehow feel like that one might go over better.
But most importantly, what are Clarisse, Connor, Drew and Miranda planning? And how will it affect the Peace Accords mandated by the Gods and how will Leo and Thalia stop them?
I hope you are all extra hype. You get this chapter which was supposed to be posted Friday as well as an additional chapter later tonight or tomorrow which I have been SO EXCITED TO POST YOU HAVE NO IDEA. And as long as my computer doesnt catch fire again, you should get your regular update on friday haha!
As always I thank each and every one of you who reads, comments or follows. I love writing and this project has really made me feel excited to not only finish this first book but to get started on the next one. Yes i said first, because I have enough content planned out so far for 2 possibly three books all following this same storyline.
So again i really appreciate everyone who reads, and for those of you who have been here since the start yall kick ass for supporting this. For anyone new reading yall kick ass just as hard for giving this fanfic a chance. So as always, Until Next time!