Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: Symphony of Tempering
Chapter Seven: Family Departures Suck
Beta: ShadowofAxios
Rhode was just getting out of the bathroom after her morning post-run shower and was still drying her hair when there was a knock on the Cabin Three door.
"Percy, mind getting that?" She asked her brother who was already showered- she'd forced him to join in her run- and was just lounging around as he waited for her to be done so they could head off to breakfast together.
"Sure," the son of Poseidon said, already walking to the door.
He opened it to reveal Lee holding a copy of the Daily Prophet and fidgeting impatiently.
"Rhode, I need to talk to you." Her friend said rather urgently.
"Sure, I'm drying my hair so come in." Rhode called out to him, as Percy stepped aside to let the son of Hermes in.
Lee promptly whispered a quick prayer to her Dad for permission and stepped into Poseidon Cabin.
"This came in after I got back from our run," the wizard said, smacking the rolled up newspaper into his palm. "The wizards know you're alive. It's the headline on the front page."
"You'd think they'd have something more interesting to write about," Rhode declared disinterestedly as she continued drying her hair with her towel. "Anything defamatory?"
Percy being unfamiliar with the ways of Wizarding Britain boggled at the question, but Lee was all too aware of their bullshit.
"Nothing this time," he said with a shrug. "Guess the new regime over there has finally reined in their yellow journalism."
"Will wonders never cease," Rhode said with a disbelieving shake of her head as she finished with her hair and tossed her towel into the laundry basket back in the bathroom. "So since you're here, I'm guessing there's something I should follow up on ASAP?"
"Yeah," Lee said with a nod. "Unfortunately, there were plenty of comments in the article asking for you to go back to Hogwarts-"
"Not going to happen." Rhode said emphatically.
"I feel you. And so does the new regime. They're saying it's up to you, but they want to hear your decision. But the public-"
"Are being their usual selves and demanding people do what they want, I'm guessing I should make things all official soon?"
"It's for the best." Lee agreed with a grimace. "Before someone does something stupid."
"I'm betting someone does it anyways," Rhode said with a sigh. "But I'll write up a formal letter dropping out and borrow Wright from Bethy to send it over to the British- They're still calling their government the Ministry of Magic?"
"Yup."
"Right, I'll send it to the Brits' Ministry by the end of the day."
"What's with all this Owl mail?" Rhode asked, as what seemed like the hundredth post owl dived bombed her at the Poseidon table in the Dining Pavilion to drop off its letter before flying off at top speed.
"My guess? It's gotta do with your withdrawal from Hogwarts. It did make front page news on the Prophet." Su informed her as she put one of the letters she was helping Rhode look through into the pile designated 'threats of death or gross bodily harm if she didn't return to Hogwarts'. "And that's the eighteenth death threat that I've read."
"Making the total such threats number forty seven." Bethy said as she marked the latest letter on the whiteboard she was using to tally things up. "These wizards really have nothing better to do, huh?"
"Especially this Sirius guy," Percy said. "This one's from him too. He's switched back to begging in this one. How many do we have from him alone?"
"Six." Rhode informed him as she took a bite of toast with jam.
"At least the formal letter from the new Ministry of Magic looks legit," Lee said as he finished reviewing it for Rhode. "Like you said Rhode, there isn't anything that's designed to trap you. At least nothing that I can see. They're just requesting a formal meeting with their rep. I know Percy Weasley, he's the twins' older brother. A bit of a stuffy bloke, but a decent guy. I think we can trust him."
"If he has your vote of confidence then I guess that's good enough for me." Rhode said with a smile for her friend. "I'll write them back and set up a time. That's alright right, Chiron?"
"Of course, Rhode." The centaur said distractedly as he looked up from one of the more inventive death threats that Rhode had received. "Just let me know what time and date you settle on and we'll have Argus drive you into the city. On another note, can wizarding magic really do what this letter threatens? A disemboweling curse?"
"Yeah, it exists." Lee confirmed. "It's considered a dark curse but it's real."
The non-wizards all looked a little disgusted at that. Well, most of them anyways.
"How wonderfully creative of those wizards," Mr. D complimented with a gleeful grin. "Be sure to leave the death threats over here, Rowan. I think I might have them framed!"
"Sure Mr. D," Rhode said with a shrug, used to the god's casual hatred for half-bloods.
"I'm so glad you're not going back to that school," Percy said, still looking disgusted at the idea of a disemboweling curse.
"You and me both, Percy. You and me both."
Rhode had to say it was nice to see New York again. There were some bad memories, but others were nice. The hustle and bustle just felt nice to see.
As she alighted the Camp van, she turned to Argus, the many eyed giant that worked as Camp security, and offered him a smile. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you in an hour?"
The giant nodded and started pulling out of the parking spot to drop off the shipments of strawberries the Camp had produced to some of the open markets in the city.
Walking through the crowd, the brunette felt normal for perhaps just a few moments until she reached the cafe where Percy Weasley was waiting for her. Standing in front of the establishment in his wizard robes, he was getting a few odd looks, but it was New York.
There were plenty of weirdos.
To his credit, he seemed pretty uncomfortable dressed up like he was in a muggle city. Though if the very official insignia on his robes were any indication he didn't really have any say in the matter. It was his uniform and since he was here on duty, he was likely required to wear them.
"Hey Weasley." She waved as she stepped up to him.
The ginger looked at her, a professional look on his face as he offered a nod. "Miss Evans, a pleasure to see you hale and hearty."
I guess working in politics has really helped that flowery speech of his. Rhode smiled crookedly. "Yeah, sorry for dropping off the map like that. Stuff happens."
"Of course. I have reserved us a table, shall we?" He offered and Rhode nodded.
He smiled and led them inside the small cafe where a waitress promptly showed them to a table. They ordered some drinks and waited in silence for a bit for them to be delivered before he waved his wand subtly. Whatever spell he cast created a small buzzing noise in the distance that Rhode just barely heard.
"An anti-eavesdropping spell. Say what you will about my sister-in-law Hermione, but you cannot deny that she is truly brilliant." He smiled and the daughter of the sea looked surprised.
"She and Ginny got hitched?"
Weasley nodded.
"Good for them." Rhode said sincerely. "Your mum went nuts about it, I'd reckon."
"She may have, but I like to think I'm more tolerant than my mother." He smiled with a warm look.
"Well, like I said, good for them. It was a hell of a time, but I'm glad they're happy." She said and was honest about it. Granger could be annoying, but if marrying her was what Ginny wanted, then good for them.
"Yes. Now, let's not get into my family's business. I am here on behalf of the new Ministry of Magic to speak with you about your situation."
Ah, time for politics. At least it isn't divine politics. That was a death trap in the making.
"Now before we get down to the specifics, I need to make it clear that the new muggle-led regime is nothing like the old Ministry. They aren't as biased for one. For example, despite my deep connection to the old guard, I seem to have gotten on rather well as a bureaucrat. I guess father's lessons on muggle studies helped me more than I thought." He said with a wry smile. "Between that and the host of new policies that have been introduced, things have honestly been improving in Wizarding Britain."
"I guess out with the old, in with the new really helped. Starting to clean up the dusty old coggers in the old Ministry was probably a good thing too." Rhode snorted as she took a sip of her soda.
"You have no idea." Weasley said with an exasperated look. One that Rhode shared and the two had a good laugh.
"And I believe you. My friend Su's dad is an Auror and he's got nothing but good things to say about the new guys in charge."
"Good," Weasley said with a relieved sigh. "I was worried I might've had to spend longer trying to convince you that we're not up to no good and that you could trust us."
"Well, you don't have to. So why don't you move onto what you really came over the Atlantic to ask?"
"I see you're as hasty as I remember you being from my time at Hogwarts," Weasley said with a shake of his head. "But if you insist."
"I do."
"Very well," Weasley said with a sigh. "The Ministry would like to know how you survived the attack on Hogsmeade and where you were? Many were of course worried about their Champion of Light and the Ministry is hoping that you can shed some light onto the matter, possibly with a formal statement, so we can reassure the masses."
"Ugh, I still cannot believe they get away with calling me that. It's so, so pretentious!" She fumed and took a long sip of her soda.
"Sadly, yes. What can we do? So are you willing to elaborate?"
"Let's just say I got whisked away by some people I trust before I got killed and that they made sure I healed up."
"And who are these people?" Weasley pressed.
"None of your business," Rhode hissed, a dangerous look in her eyes. "Besides, considering everything that keeps happening to me, keeping an ace up my sleeve is just smart isn't it? You think I'd just out my allies like that?"
"That I suppose is fair." Weasley said with a frustrated sigh. "Can I take it that the time you were missing you were actually recuperating under your allies' care."
"Something like that," Rhode said evasively.
Weasley frowned and with a shake of his head chose to change the course of the conversation.
"Let's move on to my other order of business shall we?"
"Sure," Rhode agreed. "So what else did you want to meet with me for?"
"Basically? The second thing I needed to do is to inform you on behalf of the Board of Education that since you never finished your O.W.L.s at Hogwarts that you'll be obliged to do so and that until you attain such or an internationally recognized equivalent, you won't be legally considered an adult wizard."
Rhode blinked in confusion.
"Then what about people like Hagrid or beings like the goblins? You saying they're not considered adults by the wizarding world?"
"Not adult wizards," Weasley said. "There is a distinction."
"And what's the point of becoming an adult wizard?" Rhode asked, crossing her arms as she rebelled at the idea of needing to conform to the wizarding world's standards in any way. Considering how they treated her in the past, she was inclined to ask them to take a hike to be honest.
"Mainly? It revolves around magic use. Basically, unless you're a recognized adult wizard, any use of wizarding magic is still governed by restrictive child magic use laws which basically limits it to use for educational purposes only."
"So I just don't use wizarding magic." Rhode shot back defiantly.
"That's possible. Quite a few wizards like muggleborn who left the wizarding world before completing their education have successfully done so." Weasley allowed. "Though I'm sure it'll be quite an inconvenience."
"I'm sure I can manage."
"Of course," Weasley agreed generously. "Might I make a personal recommendation though?"
"Sure," Rhode nodded.
Weasley had been straight with her so far, it was only fair she heard him out. "It's probably easier for you to either enroll in a school in the States or self-study and sit for the exams as an independent candidate. It'll save you a lot more trouble in the long run."
He has a point. Even if between the Mist and the Trace not working on demigods, I'd have an easier time hiding my use of wizarding magic… Having to even do so is needlessly troublesome. Rhode had to concede. A good chunk of the magic she knew was wizarding magic and she couldn't just give up on using it, not when she might need it in a fight against a monster someday. That and I think Aphros and Bythos would literally come up from Camp Fish-Blood to kill me if they learned I gave it up just to avoid taking an exam.
That said, Weasley didn't need to know she'd already decided to follow his advice.
"I'll consider it." She lied smoothly.
"That's all I can ask." Weasley said with a polite grin.
A week after the shocking news that Rhode was dropping out of Hogwarts, Sirius Black found himself in a forest somewhere in New York state. At least that's where he thought he was. He honestly knew next to nothing about geography over here in the former colonies. All he knew for sure though was that he was in the general vicinity of the mysterious compound of the Delphi Youth Group where Rhode lived.
If he wasn't… Well, that peddler over in Knockturn Alley who sold him the Portkey would have a very unpleasant appointment with his wand. He'd honestly preferred going to someone more reputable but the damnable creature - He was sure she wasn't human. No human had flaming hair and a donkey leg. - was the only one he could find which even knew where the Delphi Youth Group's compound was located.
And risky as Morgana's Tits or not, he was not missing out on the chance to convince Rhode to stop with the foolishness and go back to Hogwarts. And he tried convincing her via letter already and got nowhere. That meant he had to go talk to her in person.
He couldn't fail!
He simply couldn't afford to. Not when it seemed like Rhode was completely slipping away from him. He didn't want to lose this last connection to the only time in his life when he was happy, his days as a Marauder. If he did… It would kill him!
Which was why he was busy rehearsing his speech to Rhode for the thousandth time as he walked aimlessly through the seemingly never ending forest when a strange scuttling sound caught his attention. Spinning in its direction, Sirius was momentarily stunned to find himself looking at a giant ant-like creature that was the size of a full grown German Shepherd.
Acting on panic and instinct honed from the First War against Voldemoert, he reacted as was ingrained in him when facing an unknown creature and immediately drew his wand to go on the offensive.
"Incendio!" He belted out with a twitch of his wand, sending a gout of hot flames at the magical creature that engulfed the giant ant before it could do more than turn to look at him inquisitively.
It died with a monstrous squeal and Sirius felt himself sigh in relief. That unfortunately lasted only a moment before the bushes parted to reveal several more ant heads the size of his chest peeking out and glaring at him with obvious anger.
Before a second spell could leave his lips, the massive ants swarmed him.
It was never fun having to explore the woods when strange reports came in from the dryads. Last night, the Myrmekes had acted up. Usually that meant either some other monsters were worming their way into the nest's territory or some unfortunate soul, either a half-blood trying to make it to Camp or an idiot newbie Camper, crossed paths with the monster ants and foolishly attacked them.
Rhode was honestly hoping it was just monsters vying for territory.
Leading a small scouting party of Campers, Rhode headed to the area marked on the map by the dryads as being the place where the Myrmekes had gone crazy. At least the forest wasn't twisting itself again, the woods had a mind of its own during the worst of times. This excursion was bad enough already without adding that to the mix.
"Darren, what did I say about staying close?" Rhode shouted at the same boy for the tenth time as she led him and the rest of the squad of newbies she'd been assigned to lead on what Chiron described as a 'chance to help familiarise them with the woods'.
"Um, to stay close?" The unclaimed boy smiled sheepishly.
"If you know, then stay close!" Rhode said, growling in frustration. "Or do you want to be eaten by one of the monsters prowling the woods. Because make no mistake, we might be within Camp's boundaries but the woods' monsters will not hesitate to eat you if they catch you."
"Sorry."
"Idiot." Sherman, her second in command for the trip, snorted as the son of Ares continued on marching with the rest of the scouting party. Or more like herded the rest along.
I already wish this was over. Rhode thought as she grabbed Darren by the arm and dragged him to the front of their little party where she could keep an eye on him.
It took an hour, along with a small dragon issue and Darren almost wandering off another dozen times, but they finally arrived at their destination.
Sadly, the grisly scene they found there wasn't an improvement. At the center of a small clearing was a body that had clearly suffered an unpleasant meeting with plenty of Myrmeke acid.
Of course, some of the newbies freaked out at the sight and Rhode had to calm them down. All the while making a mental note to make sure they got put through some desensitization training. Being a demigod meant they would be seeing a lot of death. Better that they got used to it ASAP.
As such, she left it to Sherman to examine the body.
"Doesn't look like a Camper," Rhode said as she added her two cents from where she was helping a girl hold her hair back as she finished vomiting. "Think they were a latecomer half-blood?"
"Maybe," Sherman said consideringly even as a couple newbies gasped at the possibility that the corpse was a fellow demigod. "Don't think so though. Very few half-bloods get as old as this person probably was before learning about Camp and making the trip."
"Yeah." Rhode concluded and proceeded to explain her reasoning for the sake of the newbies. "He looks like an adult. Most of us realize who we are as kids. My bet is that he was just an unlucky mortal with resistance to the Mist that keeps them from wandering into Camp and its surroundings. Judging by those acid burns, he pissed off a Myrmeke or two whilst lost."
"Myrmeke?" One of the newbies asked.
"I explained this earlier. They're giant acid spitting, gold loving ants. I'll go over them again as we head back. But for now let's pick this poor fellow up so we can give him a proper pyre back at Camp." Rhode said, pointing to two of the other Campers who looked the least shaken up.
They nodded in reply and without a word moved to pick up the corpse.
"Unfortunate mortal or fellow half-blood," Rhode continued as she turned her little group around to head back to Camp. "This fellow deserves a decent funeral."
Back in Camp, a little over an hour later, they were preparing the pyre for the Myrmeke victim when an owl appeared out of nowhere and dropped a letter right on top of Rhode's head.
"Argh," Rhode groaned as she picked up the letter from the ground where it'd fallen after rebounding off her skull.
"Watch where you're dropping these things." She shouted at the already departing owl absently as she opened the newly delivered letter.
"It's from Weasley?" Rhode said aloud as she blinked in surprise at seeing who the letter was from. "What's this about?"
Dear Miss Evans,
This letter is about a matter of great urgency so pardon me for the lack of any courtesies. I have just been contacted by the goblins at Gringotts informing me to contact you and to let you know that you've just inherited the Black accounts. That is to say, that your godfather, Sirius Black, is dead. Considering that the man was last heard saying he wanted to find you, I am obliged to inquire if you know anything about Black's death. Do you?
The letter continued on from there outlining what Weasley knew but Rhode couldn't bring herself to read it, instead she froze in shock as she made a horrified realization.
The Myrmeke victim… He's Sirius Black!
"Stop!" She shouted at the Campers working on the pyre. "Stop!"
"It's all my fault," Rhode said as she looked down at the urn containing Black's ashes sitting on the floor of Cabin Three.
In the end, they had still cremated the wizard's body. It had been so ruined by the Myrmeke attack that it was just the better option.
"No it wasn't," Percy said as she squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. "You weren't the one who called him to come here."
"No, but my decision to not talk to him motivated him to do it." Rhode countered with a twinge of regret.
She struggled with how to deal with this. While the two didn't get along well, Black still tried his best. Rhode didn't and that felt like a failure to her.
"I think… I'll save some of the ashes out of respect. The rest I'll spread along the Sound. I-It would be nice, right?"
"I wouldn't do that, Rhode." Dad said as an IM formed in the fountain at the center of the Cabin. "That would be an insult to the man's traditions. Wizards bury their dead. Bad enough that he had to be cremated because of the state of his body, but separating his ashes… That would be very disrespectful."
"...I'll write to Weasley then. See what can be done." Rhode wiped her eyes and felt tired. She stood up and headed to her drawing table.
"Why don't I handle that," Chiron said as he trotted into the Cabin and leaned down to pick up the urn. "You should talk to your father. How about that Rhode?"
"Thank you, Chiron. And yeah." Rhode looked back at her father. "Maybe that would help."
She glanced at Percy. He seemed very eager to speak to Dad, but out of respect for her, he was keeping quiet. "It can be a family talk. All three of us."
Chiron smiled and carrying the urn, he left the Cabin.
"Rhode, Percy is correct, you know?" Dad insisted. "This wasn't your fault. You might've contributed to his death but ultimately Black was the one who made the decision that led to it."
"I know, but I still didn't do my best and now a man is dead, Dad. That feels pretty shitty for a supposed hero." Rhode confessed as she moved to sit on a beanbag chair. Picking up one of her old plushies, a pegasus, she held it tight for some comfort.
"Listen to Dad, Rhode." Percy said, sitting down on the floor next to her.
Rhode offered them both a wan smile.
"I'll try." She said, tiredly. "It'll take time to accept it, ya know?"
"We do," Dad said with a nod. "And we'll be here to support you while you do."
"Yeah, we'll be here for you." Percy echoed.
"We are as well." Amphitrite said as she shoved Dad aside in the IM and another materialized to show Triton nodding in agreement with his mother.
"Thanks guys. Thanks." Rhode said, tears pricking her eyes. "I really appreciate it."
"So you're leaving too, huh Lee?" Rhode said with a sad smile. "It's like everyone is leaving."
"Can't help it. We all have to grow up sometime." Lee said as he patted Rhode's shoulder reassuringly. "Besides, it's not like I'll totally be out of touch. I'll always be just an IM or firecall away."
"Fergus and Atlanta said pretty much the same but now they barely keep in touch with me at all." Rhode said with a frown.
"I don't think that applies here, Rhode." Su countered. "The circumstances are totally different."
"I know, it's just-"
"I know, Rhode." Lee said, giving Rhode's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But I promise I won't drift away. And if you ever feel like you miss my voice, you can just tune into my timeslot on the Wizarding Wireless Network. After all, who wouldn't swoon to it?"
"I still don't know how you managed to get a job with them as a DJ. Really, you!?" Su said with a disbelieving shake of her head.
"I'll have you know my charisma is so great that if I was on a TV network, the girls would riot for me! I need to protect myself from my fans, Su."
"Wasn't it because most of the other hosts retired in protest of the new management and how that opened up plenty of positions?" Rhode asked with a teasing grin.
"That is merely a coincidence!"
The three former Hogwarts students all shared a laugh at that.
"Whether you stay in touch or not- and you better- I'll miss you Lee." Rhode told her old friend as she pulled him into a final hug that the son of Hermes happily returned.
"Same Rhode, same." He said as he pulled back.
"I'll miss you too Lee." Su said, offering Lee a hand.
Lee rolled her eyes at that but nevertheless followed her lead and shook Su's hand.
"Like I said, same with me."
The three of them stood them in silence for a moment, etching this moment into their memory. As much as they all talked about keeping in touch, being demigods, this could totally be their last time together and all three of them were thus determined to remember the moment always.
"You better go," Su said, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Or you never will."
Rhode nodded. If they dragged this out longer, she was liable to stop Lee from leaving.
Lee nodded and turned towards Camp's central hearth, its flames turning into the familiar green of floo magic as he did.
"DJ Jordan, stage left!" The wizard said with determination as he stepped into the flames and towards his working life.
While Lee had made the decision to leave Camp full of determination, Percy was a stark contrast to the older boy as he paced back and forth in Cabin Three, plagued by indecision as he faced the choice between becoming a Year Rounder at Camp or going home at Summer's end.
Watching him do so for the last hour non-stop had been a deeply frustrating experience for Rhode. He was being so bloody distracting that she couldn't even just ignore him. She'd tried by doing some drawing but she'd barely managed working for a few minutes before Percy's pacing caught her eye.
"Do you love your mom?" Rhode asked bluntly when her patience finally ran out, too fed up with Percy's indecision to be tactful
"Huh!? Of course I do!" Percy shouted indignantly. "Why do you even need to ask?"
"'Cos most Year Rounders are here for two reasons." Rhode explained, unfazed by her little brother's anger. "One, they either have no other home to go back to or their home life sucks. Two, they live too far away from any site of Olympian power."
Percy blinked in confusion at that, the feeling visibly displacing his earlier anger.
"Okay, I get the first part but what does the second part have to do with anything?"
"Simple," Rhode said with a roll of her eyes. "You live in New York City which means that if you run into monster trouble, you can realistically expect help from Camp or, if you're very lucky, Olympus itself in a speedy manner. But if you're too far from a site of Olympian power you're outta luck."
"But the gods can teleport-"
"And the Ancient Laws stop them from interfering."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh." Rhode said with a tired nod. "So I ask again, do you love your mom?"
"Yes," Percy said with conviction.
"Then go home." Rhode urged. "And spend some quality time with her. Camp, grandfather rising, everything? It'll be there for you next Summer. Just remember to train when you get the chance. Oh, and a hint, you might wanna stop by on the weekends if you can too. Training on your lonesome can only do so much."
Percy nodded along.
"Thanks Rhode," he said, offering her a grateful smile when she was finished saying her piece. "I think that's the best advice anyone's given me about this."
Rhode just shrugged. "It's my job as your big sister to give you advice ain't it?"
"I just hope it's all full of wisdom."
"You cheeky brat!" Rhode laughed.
Rhode was training in the arena a couple days later when Luke suddenly stopped by for a visit.
"Hey Luke," she greeted him enthusiastically.
Unlike usual, she was training alone today. She usually would be training with Percy, but her brother was currently busy packing his stuff in preparation for Summer's end. So even if it was Luke, she appreciated the company.
He had been… distant, more so than he already was lately, after their talk during her birthday and Rhode was happy that he was approaching her but she still felt a need to be wary in his presence for reasons that she just couldn't quite pin down.
"Hey, Rhode fancy a spar?" Her old friend said as he put down the duffel bag he was carrying at the stands.
"Sure!" The brunette smiled, glad to see there was at least something about the blond that hadn't changed. "But, um, before we start, what's with the bag? Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking of leaving Camp for a while." Luke confessed as he drew his sword. Rhode felt her spine tingle as she saw the blade. Tempered steel and Celestial Bronze fused together in some twisted, unnatural amalgam of a double edge sword.
It was a blade she remembered well. A cursed blade that she had once quested for so that the gods could destroy it.
"Where did you get that sword?" Rhode hissed as her grip of Spellbound became so tight that her knuckles turned white.
"It was a gift," Luke said as he suddenly charged.
He was so fast that within seconds, he was already at close quarters.
Since when was he this fast!?
"That's not a gift, that's a monstrosity!" Rhode shouted back as she barely managed to deflect the slash.
Luke recovered incredibly quickly too and ducked under Rhode's sweeping counterattack, darting past her guard and lashing out with a powerful slash that should have cut deep into her flesh. Thankfully Luke held back and it only left a shallow cut on her arm
Yet the wound burned, it burned worse than anything she had ever felt before. Worse, just having the blade so close to her caused goosebumps to run up her arms. It was a weapon that was made for nothing but killing. It was like it wanted nothing more than to spill her blood.
"Phew, this thing has a bit of a mind of its own. Glad I managed to hold it back." The blonde said, flashing her a devil-may-cry smile but the daughter of Poseidon could see darkness dancing in his eyes. "But I guess that means I win."
"Luke," Rhode said as she skittered back from the young man. "You need to get rid of that thing. It's dangerous."
"No. I think it gets me, Rhode. It wants to reap the blood of the gods. I agree with it and my new lord." He said, his voice soft and sure. Like when they were younger and he had a crazy plan to save the day.
"Luke-"
"I was hoping to avoid this," Luke said suddenly with a sigh. "But I guess my lord was right, you aren't ready to join us yet."
"Your lord? Who are you talking about?"
"You've met him, at least, in your dreams." He shrugged and with a flick of his wrist, he threw a fistful of a powder at Rhode's face, making her cough and blink her eyes.
"Don't worry, Rhode, just dream of a better world. You know I am." He smiled, kind and reassuring as her vision blurred and she collapsed under the influence of whatever drug he'd just dosed her with.
"Damn you, you tra-" Rhode slurred as she finally blacked out.
When Rhode regained consciousness after her fortunately dreamless visit to the realm of Morpheus, she found herself inside the familiar confines of the infirmary in the Big House.
"Luke! Where is that traitor?!" Rhode roared as she jumped off the bed she had been laid down on.
"Escaped," Chiron informed her from where he was tending to a sickly looking Percy.
"What the fuck happened?" She hurried over and cast the Aguamenti to create some water. She put it against her brother whose skin had taken on a deathly grey pallor in a bid to boost his healing. Terrifyingly, it did nothing.
"Luke summoned a Pit Scorpion and had it attack Percy as he fled." Chiron explained.
"Shit, I'll keep his heart pumping and you focus on the wound Chiron. Thank Dad we have a hardy constitution or he'd be dead already." Rhode stated as she got to work, nudging the water in her hands to focus solely on Percy's weakly beating heart.
"Yes, some help would be greatly appreciated." Chiron said with a distracted nod as he moved his glowing hands to Percy's hand where there was a patch of blackened skin, presumably where her brother had been stung.
Rhode nodded and conjured even more water, which she used to cover her hands before she placed them over Percy's heart. The moment they were in place, she began channeling her power using the water as a catalyst and flooding her brother's body with healing energy.
It was roughly two hours later that Chiron finally succeeded in drawing out all the deadly Pit Scorpion venom from Percy's body and his condition stabilized. Following that, Rhode had conjured a whole tub of salt water and submerged him in it so as to accelerate his healing. The venom having done a number on his body while it had been coursing through his system. She had wanted him moved to the ocean, but Chiron had insisted he stay in the infirmary where he could better monitor his condition.
Through it all Rhode hadn't left Percy's side. Annabeth had joined her in her vigil. As they nursed and fed the boy Nectar and Ambrosia to speed up the recovery, a solemn mood hung heavy over Camp as everyone processed Luke's betrayal.
It was a dark mood that both Rhode and Annabeth felt especially deeply.
"Ugh, Luke!" Percy shouted as he finally regained consciousness.
"He's escaped." Rhode said as she pinned her brother so he wouldn't raise out of the tub. "And you need to stay still. Bethy, get him some Nectar."
"Sip slowly, Seaweed Brain. You need your strength." Annabeth said, offering him a cup and straw to sip from. He did so, his pained expression easing as his skin gained more color.
Rhode watched him down the Drink of the Gods for a moment, relieved that he was recovering. Breathing a sigh of relief at his visibly improving condition.
As he pushed the cup away, Rhode couldn't resist her curiosity anymore.
"Percy, what happened with Luke?" Rhode asked. "He beat me in a spar and then hit me with some kind of sleeping drug. What about you?"
"He called me to talk," Percy said with a frown. "Tried to sway my loyalty to Dad by saying you were his favorite child."
"That's nonsense," Rhode snorted. "You know that, right?"
"Yeah, I do." Percy agreed and even Bethy nodded. "I told him as much and then he drew this strange sword-"
"The one which mixed Celestial Bronze and Steel?" Rhode asked with a shiver. "Yeah, I know the one."
"I reacted about the same to it. It had this weird aura-"
"Yeah." Rhode agreed with another shiver.
"What happened next, Percy?" Bethy asked, pushing the conversation along.
"Then he asked me to leave Camp with him and I said no, then he caught me in a pit trap and then summoned the Pit Scorpion. I guess you guys know the rest."
"Yeah," The grey eyed girl said with a nod. "We found Rhode passed out in the arena first. Ares Cabin had a class. We raised the alarm after that. A few dryads found you shortly afterwards and Chiron brought you up here where he and Rhode, once she got up, healed you."
"You're not fully healed yet by the way," Rhode informed and gestured to the tub of seawater he was floating in. "So stay in that tub until we give you the go ahead."
"But Luke-"
"We'll handle it," Bethy reassured him with a weak smile. "Rhode, me, the rest of the Campers. We'll stop whatever scheme he and his mysterious Lord have planned."
"He's working for the Crooked One." Rhode told Bethy and Percy nodded in agreement.
"You're both probably right," The blonde agreed, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly. "But until we have confirmation, we can't make assumptions."
"That's smart I guess. Just what I'd expect from you Wise Girl." Percy teased with a warbled chuckle.
"Why of course, Seaweed Brain." Bethy shot back. "And don't call me Wise Girl!"
"Only if you stop calling me Seaweed Brain."
"Never!"
Rhode's lips twitched, threatening to giggle at the little pet names they had for each other.
"Should I leave so you can smooch? Or would you like to flirt some more?" Rhode couldn't help but ask the two.
Both younger teens blushed and whined, "Rhode~!"
That did it. Rhode couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out into laughter. Her little brother and sister were just too cute!
"Everyone really does seem to be leaving Camp this year, you know that?" Rhode observed to Annabeth as they waited at the top of Half-Blood Hill for Mr. Chase to come pick up his daughter for the first time in years.
"Yeah, I'm kind of nervous myself really." The young blonde admitted to her as she held her duffle bag tightly.
"You shouldn't be," Su told her from where she was seated in what Rhode could only describe as a walking throne made out of an animated tree. One of the results of Demeter Cabin's latest experiments with crossbreeding magical plants. "If you run into trouble, either with your family or monsters, we're all just a call away."
Leave it to Su to go mad scientist with nature. What would she think up next?
"Did you have to bring that thing along to intimidate Mr. Chase?" Rhode asked her friend with a raised eyebrow.
"It's a show of power." Su insisted. "Besides you nixed me using Helel to scare him."
"I think Dad would be more likely to be intrigued by how that plant works than be scared by it." The daughter of Athena snorted. "He's weird like that. And Su, two words completely explain why Helel is not an option: Tentacle Porn."
"How do you know about that?!" Rhode asked, shooting the young girl a stunned look.
"I am a healthy teenage girl," Bethy said with a roll of her eyes. "And I have access to the internet. I have to find something for when I, uh, need some release. Found it by accident once."
"I did not need to hear that." Percy groaned as he joined them.
Annabeth looked ready to die in a hole. In fact, she looked to Rhode, begging for death. Rhode just looked away, denying her a warrior's death. Or more accurately was too busy stifling her giggles to help.
"If you tell anyone, Percy, they'll never find your body." Su said in defense of Bethy's, er, maidenly honor. "A lady's alone time is her business, no one else's. Not unless they want it to be."
"Su, for the love of the gods, stop halping!"
Deciding that Annabeth had suffered enough, Rhode changed the topic of conversation.
"You're late Percy, packing up took longer than you expected?"
"Yeah. And mom should be here soon. You want to meet her?" He asked, looking unsure and awkward.
"Sure," Rhode said with a careless shrug. She honestly had no feelings either way about meeting Percy's mom. Sure, she must be a wonderful person to have got Dad to fall in love with her, but beyond that well… It kind of felt weird to talk with a 'mistress' when Amphirite had all but adopted her.
But she was going to be taking care of her son while at Camp, so she should at least introduce herself to Missus Jackson.
"But for now, let's handle the Chases." Rhode said as she pointed to a group of blondes that were getting out of a car at the foot of the hill. "I think that's them."
"Yeah," The blonde agreed as she waved at her father who was climbing up and waving back enthusiastically.
She heard Su's plant titan's bark creak and she shot her friend a quelling look.
"Best behavior," she warned her friend and she pouted but stopped her minion from doing whatever she had originally planned.
"Annabeth." he smiled at her, looking nervous in an awkward dad kind of way. "Ready to go?"
"Just about," Bethy said, sounding just as nervous. She gave him an awkward hug that he returned. "First, some introductions. You know Rhode from the photos I sent."
"Rhode! Yes, you've told me all about Wonder Woman come again." The handsome, athletic, middle-aged man, with intense brown eyes and sandy-colored hair that he had passed on to his daughter said as he smiled at her.
"Dad!" The girl blushed, clearly embarrassed.
Mr. Chase just laughed at Bethy's whine, causing Rhode to smile. It was only a first impression, but it seemed like he was a good dad. She hoped she was right.
"Yeah, it's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Chase." Rhode said politely, she could threaten him after all the niceties were done.
"And the girl with the Ent throne is Su Li," Bethy said pointing to the daughter of Demeter and her minion.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Same." Su said with a nod, before she narrowed her eyes into a glare. "If you hurt Annabeth, there won't be a body to find."
"Pardon her, she spent all of last night practising being menacing to intimidate you with one of our friends."
"Gaige?" Percy asked curiously and Rhode nodded distractedly even as Su pouted.
"Yeah, that girl is crazy." Percy said with a shake of his head. "Glad she and her family aren't usually around anymore."
"It wasn't that bad." Annabeth hedged.
"It really was. Sometimes." Rhode admitted. As much as she loved Emily and her family, and would miss them dearly once they went back to school in a week, they could be a bit much at times.
"You have to tell me all about it Annabeth," Mr. Chase said with an amused, intrigued grin before turning to look at Percy with a sharp look. "Now who exactly is this young man? Your boyfriend?"
"S-Sure." The youngest girl sputtered. "And he's not my b-boyfriend. He's just a f-friend. His name is Percy. He's Rhode's younger brother. We did a quest this summer, it wasn't a big deal. He's not my boyfriend!"
"Denial is the first stage," Su said with a teasing grin. "Oh, it'll be fun to see how this all plays out, won't it Rhode?"
"Totally," Rhode agreed as the two older girls and surprisingly Mr. Chase chuckled at the expense of the two madly blushing younger children.
"Let's just go!" Bethy said, grabbing her father's arm and pulling him down the hill. "Bye Rhode! Bye Percy! Bye Su!"
"Bye Bethy!" "Bye Annabeth!" The remaining Campers shouted in reply as they waved goodbye.
They stood there watching as the Chases drove off and as if by clockwork, or some god's meddling, a cheap rented car pulled up where the previous vehicle had been and a strikingly beautiful woman with a smile as warm as a quilt, sparkling blue eyes and long brown hair with a few streaks of grey stepped out.
"Mom!" Percy shouted excitedly as he waved at his mother and she walked up the hill, waving back and eying Su's minion with amusement.
"You have interesting friends, Percy." Sally Jackson said as she pulled her son into a hug.
"Yeah. Don't mind Su, she's just trying to be weird and scary on purpose. She's usually very nice."
"I don't know whether to be offended or pleased." Su said with a pout and Rhode had to resist the urge to giggle at her.
Missus Jackson turned to Rhode with a stunned look as she looked between her and Percy. "And this is?"
"Uh, my sister, Rhode Evans."
"Sup?" Rhode waved a hand casually.
"So you're taking care of Percy in Camp?" Missus Jackson asked. "Percy mentioned it in his call the other day."
"Yep. He's pretty good with a sword, but I've still got some tips and tricks he can learn." Rhode smiled, hands in her pockets. "I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble, but well, it never worked out for me. Still, I can only promise to try."
"Thank you." Missus Jackson said, giving her son who she had not released from her side till now a squeeze.
"So no comment on me being Poseidon's daughter with another woman?" Rhode asked, curious.
"Is there anything to say?" The older woman said with a shrug. "He's a god. And married to a goddess. If he cannot be faithful to Amphitrite, should I expect him to be faithful to his mortal mistress?"
"Mom." Percy said, looking grumpy at the word.
"Oh hush sweetie, I'm not ashamed. Far from it. The love I shared with your Father was magical and it gave me you. That is what's important. Nothing else matters."
"That's a good attitude," Rhode said, blinking in shock. "Most women can't have that about their lovers."
"Tell me about it," Su said, shooting a glare at the Big House's infirmary.
"As good as meeting you two and talking with you has been, it's getting late." Missus Jackson said apologetically. "It's best we get going."
"We understand." Rhode said, as she and Su both nodded. "Percy you've got everything?"
"Everything that I wanna take with me, yeah."
"Then say goodbye Percy," Missus Jackson encouraged her son as she finally released him from her side.
"Alright, once you got school set up, give me a call Percy and I'll come pick you up for training on the weekends." Rhode told the boy, ruffling his hair with a soft smile.
"Yeah, sure. Only if you help with my homework."
"Hell no, I just finished my time at wizard school! Homework gives me hives."
Percy snorted and laughed as he grinned and walked off with his mom. "See ya soon!"
Rhode stood with Su watching the Jacksons' departure until they completely lost sight of their car.
"So ends another Summer, huh?" Rhode said wistfully.
"Yeah," Su agreed. "It was an eventful one, wasn't it?"
"It certainly was." Rhode nodded.
"I know you're worried about people leaving you, Rhode," Su said, causing Rhode to spin to her in shock. "First Nils, followed by Viridi, then Fergus and Atlanta, and now temporarily Emily, Gaige, Penny, Lee, Percy and Annabeth. The less said about Luke the better-"
Rhode growled at the mere mention of the name but otherwise let Su continue.
"-but I want you to know that I will never leave you. Ever."
Rhode felt a tear trailing down her cheek at that declaration and soon was crying freely.
"Thank you. Thanks, Su." She said through her tears. "I didn't know how much I needed to hear it, but, I... Just, thanks."
Su's only reply was to jump down from her seat and pull Rhode into a hug.
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
And so ends book 1 of canon, the Lightning Thief. It was certainly a fun chapter to explore the aftermath of the quest and just how things were set up. Honestly, my favorite part was just how twisted Luke was. While he'd rag on Percy, he was more… tender with Rhode, which I hope sent up all the wrong flags as it was read. It was certainly a shiver to write (Axios: It was an uncomfortable read for the beta, at least).
Nameless: Personally, my favorite part of the chapter was at the end. That last scene between Rhode and Su just had a ton of emotional impact for me. And it revealed something about Rhode that has been building for some time, a fear of abandonment. It's not a major defining trait of hers, but it's definitely something that she feels especially with everyone seemingly leaving her behind at the moment.
And yes, Sirius is now gone. Icarus flew too close to the divine sun in this case. Unsure if he will be missed, but we'll have to wait and see how this will affect Rhode down the road. The ending was very sweet to me too. Ah, praise Su. Such a patient girl for her waifu it seems but man does she know when to strike for points.
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!