Prepare for some time skips. Not a lot happens during the year between the summers, so I can only make up so much.
This was a lot of filler, helping with the pass of time and ended with a huge change. I loved it.
Three days past and Aaron finally was able to start practicing magic once more, and boy was he happy to start again, There was just nothing like magic, just studying it through books like he had been the last few days was not enough. He almost ached for it, for the power to practice this art. He sighed happily while he settled back into his room, ready and willing to get back to practice. All he he had been able to do over the last few days was meditate to recover his magical power and read grimoire, making countless notes as always.
To start with, as he always did, he reviewed the notes he wrote on various spells, concepts and properties of metals, herbs and minerals. Like how Silver and Gold channeled magic best, how music was the best medium for healing, how water was best used for divination along side fire and both could be used for purity spells. It was a lot and he never wanted to forget anything. This usually took half an hour and really helped to reinforce his knowledge.
Next, to the joy of Meg, he practiced his powers on a basic scale. The none spell related magics like channeling fire and moving objects with his mind. Today was sort of special as he wanted to reassess himself as did Agnes. They both wanted to see what was the maximum weight he could lift, how much fire he could make and so on. That it would make a good show for Meggy only added to his joy.
Agnes' voice echoed in his mind as he grabbed a bowl of decorative rocks. "I want to see how many you can lift, this will test you weight limit and you concentration. Really try here, we need to see what you are capable of with your weaker magics before we even try our greater power." Nodding. he raised his hands and lifted, not drawing from the earth but focusing on the magic stored in his blood from practice and his daily mediations. Shakily six rocks rose, together weighing a full pound or so he guessed. "Is that your limit?"
"No... not even close."
He focused more and slowly about two dozen rocks rocks, floating at different levels above the bowl. Aaron started to sweat then, a headache forming from the sheer concentration. The weight was easy, he could lift ten times that much easily... but the thirty rocks, each requiring a different level of power to rise... that was harder. It was like splintering your focus into dozens of pieces and expecting each to have an equal amount of focus. If he was lifting them up at once, as one unit, it would be easier, but he was lifting them each up separately and that took focus he just could barely manage.
He managed to hold the rocks up for about another minute before his magic started to fail, each dropping back into the bowl like drops of rain. He was shaking a little though not quite gasping as he held his head. " That focus is painful."
"That was fun!" Meggy said, clapping happily. " Do it again!"
"Sorry luv, but I can't just yet."
"Not bad, you could be better but you have a decent level of focus and control for you level of education. We are going to start a new grimoire, I want you to write this exercise in it. It is best to record our knowledge in case you are one day cut off from us."
He nodded once more. " Sounds fair." He reached out, calling to him an empty leather bound book from his desk. "I actually bought a few of these so enchant and make into Grimoires, I figured I would add to them as I learned regardless of whom was teaching me. So... what's next?"
"Let's see how much weight you can lift. Try to life your sword, it should be a good measurement." Summoning his blade, he closed his eyes and focused, willing the headache to pass as much as he could. Then, using his hand to guide the motion, he pushed out with his power and felt it latch onto the blade like a magnetic hook. Slowly it rose with his hand, shakily and slow but manageable. "Your blade is about three pounds, that is a good measurement to start out with. Move onto something heavier, much heavier. Stack your books onto each other, then try that."
The tests went on for a while. As it turned out the max weight he could lift was about twenty pounds, more then that and he started to get too severe a headache to focus. He could hold the weight for about a minute too, and move it easily in each direction at decent speeds. It was fun to really test his powers out like this, he rarely had the chance to show off what he was capable of.
They moved onto fire next, which was much harder magic but he managed. Without a spell, he could summon a tiny blaze in his hand though it took a lot of focus. He had to close his eyes and breathe into it, allowing the power in his body to convert to heat and vibrate enough to make a blaze. He couldn't control it much though, for whatever reason that was beyond him.
Agnes hummed. "Alright, first lesson. Fire can add power to your magic, as it too is an element to draw upon. Reach out and feel it's senses. It is not everlasting like the Earth, but it can add waves of strength to you. This is the beginning of channel and it is the secret to becoming magically powerful. Especially for you, without divine blood. You can channel the power from other things like water, fire, the sun, the moon, the Blood of Demigods, even enchanted objects."
Aaron nodded. "I figured that out early, that last part. I sensed that I could channel my brother's blade, Riptide. It draws strength from the ocean, and it felt like my talisman."
"OOH!" Meggy called out. "Can Meggy make objects for Aaron to draw on? To conserve his power and strength and to make his spells better? Can he put spells into my creations?"
Agnes actually made a huh sound, clearly as impressed as he was with the girl's logic. "Yes, you can, and I would advise you do. That way you can ready dozens of spells for combat and not have to waste your power while in combat. You could make artifacts to heal and harm , to dissuade or mask and a million other things. Tell the girl she is clearly fated to be around you if she is such a good fit for your path."
Aaron did as Agnes requested, getting a thick blush on the girl's face. "Meggy just wanted to help, she is glad she... I, managed to help."
"You definitely did."
Satisfied, Aaron turned to the fire and reached out with his senses. He could feel the heat and something else, something that ran deeper. It was like a spark, a shadow heat cast by the fire that was beyond the physical. He hadn't noticed it before...
Pulling on that power, he felt his cells fill with subtle magic, not on par with the earth but still decently potent. "So I can use Fire to make my ritualistic magic stronger... what can I do with it by itself?"
Deciding to try, he flicked his fingers at the fire, which shot up three feet filling the room with heat before fading away entirely, leaving nothing but cold.
Agnes laughed at their stunned expressions. "That, among a great deal other things. Oh and just so you know, for the most part, your Necromantic training will be repeats of your daily lessons so you can develop a resistance and control with our power. It won't be for quite some time that we teach you to touch the dead, control spirits and do anything involving death. Just so your aware."
Aaron sighed. " I am."
"""
The days passed quickly after Aaron could start practicing magic. His days were filled with lessons with Will, Sword and Archery training and Magic both Earthen and Necromantic. He worked on channeling a lot, seeing as it was his current lesson and he was doing well enough, Channeling was the only to way to avoid magical drain and the effects of pulling too much on the Earth. For a mortal like Aaron, it could be the difference between life and death.
Meggy spent her days in the Forge, Training or watching Aaron practice magic. She started to give it a try herself, Agnes was a blessing here as she knew how to teach someone with divine blood how to cast spells. Through notes Aaron wrote for her, Meggy started to practice with telekinesis, controlling fire and unlike Aaron... controlling the Mist. It was kind of annoying but Meggy figured out how to at least fool mortals with the Mist almost instantly, her will was strong and she said it was like using her voice to hunt or escape predators, it was all about making her prey see what it wanted. She learned very, very quickly.
Between the two of them, they started considering experimenting with his arrows seeing as they were the easiest thing to enchant. They hadn't done anything, bar having Meggy learn how to carve arrows with Beckendorf, but they were thinking about it quite seriously. Meggy came up with dozens of ideas, her little Cyclops mind excelling at creative solutions to Aaron's problem of mortality and the inherit weaknesses that came with that.
They spent hours and hours creating different ideas, like an arrow that releases poor smell to dissuade enemies, or one that let out a horrible sound or even one that released something to stick to enemies. Of course they also had other ideas, like an object to heal others with a simple spell or at least relieve pain. One to mask people entirely, to make them hidden with the Mist or just garden variety invisibility like Annabeth's hat. It was quite fun really.
Eventually August past and September started, the scent of fall started to pass through the camp. It was distracting really, in the best way possible. The twenty or so kids seemed to enjoy the fall feel, relishing in the cooler weather instead of the sweltering heat. Aaron was no different, he enjoyed the change in the leaves colors, He finally learned how to swim with Silena's help as did Meggy. Life was just nice, a nice transition into more peaceful days, days that he knew to enjoy as they could easily be his last one day.
It was towards the end of September that something changed in the air, though only Aaron seemed to notice it. He felt different, he couldn't explain. Something felt... odd in the air, like something was missing. He could not explain it past that, and he did explain it to his friends and to Meggy. Neither of them had any idea what was happening, or what he was feeling but they kept themselves sharp just in case something was going on.
Then, around the first day of October, everything hit a head.
Aaron went to sleep, never expecting a damn thing, but the moment he closed his eyes, he found himself in an all too familiar throne room, facing an all too familiar god.
He kneeled. " Lord Hades... what can I do for you?" He tried to hide his shaking or the slight pleasure that came from being around such a potent force of magic.
The man before him looked different then before, dressed in sexy dark purple and black shoes. The man had short black hair but the same mad eyes as before. He still radiated power, madness and intensity. "It is time you fulfill the debt you owe to me when I allowed you access to the Spirits of Asphodel."
He gulped. "What do you need?"
"I need you to go to Las Vegas and retrieve my children, born before the Oath, and gather them. Take them safely to a safe place I have arranged for you in Washington D.C.. Then, you are to make regular visits to my children, to teach them what you can in secret. Can you do that?"
"Of course, but why and can I bring Meggy? She can be sworn to secrecy if you need it."
The man nodded. "That is fine, child. As for why... that is hard to say. I cannot share too much with you, the Fates and my own discomfort will not allow it. What I can tell you is that my children have been locked away for Seventy years. It is time for them to be free. Zeus can no longer be a threat to them, now that the Prophecy is in motion. They are protected by divine power, that of the Fates. That is all I will say for now."
"Where am I to go to gather them?"
Hades smirked. " Why the Lotus Hotel and Casino, the very place your magical senses warned off your Brother from entering before. But be warned, that place has an allure that captures even the strongest of minds. If you are to enter, you must keep your goals firmly in mind. Find my children and retrieve them. Their names are Bianca and Nico Di'Angelo... and oh and boy. you will never, ever speak of them or their heritage until i give you permission. Are we understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. There will be no need for a prophecy, you have my permission which is enough. Reveal that a god ordered you onto a secret Mission but do not reveal my part in this."
"I understand.
"Be sure that you do. Now, be off with you." Hades waved his hand and shadows took Aaron once more, sending him adrift back into the realm of sleep, the knowledge of his new mission clear on his mind even while dreaming.
He really only had one question...
'Why me?'
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a fun story, one I really enjoyed writing.
Love, you Ninja Overlord,
Mika.