Rage of a Demigod
AN: Hello there, my dear readers! Here's another fast upload. I don't know what motivates me, I guess I just want to get this arc done or something like that. But regardless, here's another chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy!
Now to reviews.
Gamelover41592: Don't get too worried. The contents of this chapter might surprise you.
The-God-Of-War-Kratos: Um, why? Because it told in a more Percy Jackson style for this arc? Sorry, but there are still enough GoW elements in this story to be considered a crossover and I'm not taking the tag off for a single arc.
Guest: True, but at least in Riordanverse there are monsters in Greek Mythology that resemble Nagas so I'm just calling them that. Besides, considering how many mythologies are real is it really so hard to believe that some Nagas would end up at the Sea of Monsters.
trollpatrol117: And so far it isn't stopping.
RedHood001: I am so glad that you understand. And I again thank you for all the praise. I also hope you noticed one little bit of foreshadowing in the previous chapter.
And if you like the changes I made to Orion, then I hope what I do with him in this chapter doesn't ruin it.
Smaug666: Yeah, I guess I can see that. A fun movie despite the mythological inaccuracies.
17 Through a Giant's Eyes
Orion's eyebrow arched as he looked at the bowman of the group in front of him. "Zoe? Is that really you?" he asked as his mechanical eyes looked over her, the bronze segments moving about as the red pupils flickered. "I could have sworn you were shorter the last time we saw each other."
Zoe responded by pulling her arrow back and aiming straight at Orion's head before firing, only for the giant to snatch it in his hand mere inches from his face.
"That is nothing more than a waste of silver arrows, Zoe," Orion said as he dropped the arrow on the ground. "Last time I checked, I'm a giant, not a monster."
"Okay, I get the dude is tall but calling himself a giant is a bit too much," Percy said.
"Well, in Greek mythology, Orion is from a race of giants spawned by Gaia," Annabeth said, her dagger still at her side. "I think that like the gods he can control his size."
Orion chuckled. "You seem pretty clever, girl," he said causing Annabeth to look surprised as she didn't realize he could hear her. "I guess that you are a child of Athena."
"What are thou doing here, Orion?" Zoe asked, her glare not receding.
"I came here looking for a good hunt, though I only found disappointment," the giant said. "And will you stop glaring at me like that? It's unbecoming of you."
The two demigods looked at their companion and wondered why she was so angry with him, and while Annabeth did have some ideas she wasn't sure about them.
"Listen, we need to attack him together," Zoe said as she took another arrow.
"Ok, Zoe, what's the big idea? What did he do to make you so angry?" Percy asked.
"Your friend has a misplaced anger towards me," Orion answered, slightly freaking Percy out since he was also sure Orion couldn't hear him. "And before any of you look anymore surprised, these eyes were given to me by Hephaestus after mine were destroyed by king Oinopion. Reading lips is easy even from this distance."
"What do you mean misplaced anger?" Annabeth asked curiously, feeling more confident since Orion didn't seem to be ready to attack them.
"Enough! This man is a monster, and he will pay!" Zoe exclaimed before charging at Orion, who simply stood there and waited.
When she was close she let loose her arrow causing Orion to dodge, a move she expected causing her to unsheathe her hunter knife in a reverse grip and slash at him, only to be met with Orion's own knife with a clang.
Annabeth and Percy were confused about what to do, but decided to follow Zoe's lead and went on the offensive. Just as Orion pushed Zoe away, Percy slashed at Orion's side but the giant parried the strike with his own knife before kneeing Percy in the stomach, which made the demigod double over in pain.
Orion then moved away from the stab on the back Annabeth planned before putting up his elbow and slamming it down on her head, making her drop her knife and slamming face-first into the ground.
"This is ridiculous," Orion said before deflecting an arrow that was shot at him by Zoe. "And you should stop before I actually get serious!"
Zoe ignored him and shot another arrow at him to which Orion jumped over it, reaching over twenty meters into the air before taking out his own arrow. Zoe reacted quickly and shot two arrows at him, but Orion twirled midair with surprising grace while simultaneously letting loose his own arrow at Zoe as the two of Zoe's passed him.
The former Huntress's eyes widened as she saw the projectile coming at her but had no time to react as the arrow reached her and she was forced on the ground when it struck. Instead of the huge amount of pain that she expected, she only felt some strain on her shoulder. She saw that the arrow didn't hit her, but only struck the cloth of her shirt, with the arrow shaft sticking out of the ground where her shirt was pinned.
Thanking the gods the arrow missed, she went to remove the arrow but a 'twang' sound follow before an arrow struck through the cloth of her shirt on her right arm, pinning it to the ground. Her left arm got the same treatment, and her legs soon followed. Zoe tried to move but the arrows pinning all her limbs and upper body to the ground.
Percy and Annabeth got up as they saw Orion land on the ground, and their friend pinned down with arrows. Worried, they brought their weapons up.
"Well, since she is immobilized for a moment I think we properly talk now," Orion said before hoisting the bow on his back and his knife back in his sheath. "Don't you two agree?"
The two mentioned did not move, unsure what to think. Orion had incapacitated Zoe and now he put his weapons away and wanted to talk with them.
"Don't listen to him!" Zoe warned as wriggled on the ground. "He's a giant, an enemy of the Olympian gods, one made to be a rival to Artemis and Apollo! He betrayed Artemis' trust and killed many of her Hunters!"
"Perhaps I should have also put an arrow through your lips as well!" Orion said in irritation before turning back to the demigods. "As I said before, her hate is misguided. I am blamed for crimes I never committed."
"Thou lie!"
"ENOUGH!" Percy exclaimed. "Ok, seriously! Can we all calm down for a moment?!" As he spoke the waves behind him subconsciously became more aggressive. "I have no idea what is going on here! What did he do to have you so pissed, Zoe?"
"Hmm, a son of Poseidon, eh? Haven't seen your type in a while," Orion commented as he crossed his arms. "I am willing to tell you what happened, provided that I am able to tell my side of the story without any interruptions." His mechanical eyes moved in Zoe's direction.
"And you won't attack us?" Annabeth asked.
"I swear on the Styx." The moment Orion said that thunder rumbled in the distance which relaxed the couple.
"Okay then," Percy said before letting out a sigh. "Will you let Zoe go?"
Orion glanced back at her. "I will if she herself swears on the Styx not to attack me." That got the daughter of Atlas to narrow her eyes in anger.
"Zoe, he swore and you know he cannot break the oath. We should play fair," Annabeth said trying to convince the stubborn huntress.
Zoe didn't say anything as she continued glaring at Orion's artificial eyes. How she wanted to free herself and stick two arrows right into them and watch him scream.
But… she couldn't argue against Annabeth's point. The giant swore on the unbreakable oath of the river Styx, and there would be consequences if he broke it.
"Fine," Zoe said. "I swear on the Styx I will not attack thee."
After another rumble of thunder, Orion smiled before walking over to Zoe and pulling out the arrows pinning her down.
"I'm sorry about your clothes," the giant said. "But it's better to have some holes in them than through your body, wouldn't you agree?"
"You mean like thou deserves?" Zoe grumbled out making Orion look at her unimpressed.
Robotic eyes gazed at the setting sun. "Well, looks we will need some fire unless all of you have night vision," Orion said. "Would you three help me gather some wood?"
Percy and Annabeth honestly didn't know what to think with how friendly Orion acted just now. Sure, they weren't in danger since he swore on the Styx but he acted way more… normal than what they expected someone like him would act.
After a bit of uncomfortable gathering of wood and Orion starting the fire, the two demigods, the former Huntress, and the giant were gathered around the fire located near the base of the mountain. Zoe still didn't soften her gaze a little bit.
The sun already set, bathing the sky with numerous stars among the dark blue infinity.
"So, can we now know what's going on?" Percy asked.
Orion glanced at Zoe, still annoyed that she continued staring angrily at him, but smiled before gesturing towards her. "Ladies first," he said in a somewhat teasing voice.
Zoe let our grumble, seeing this as a sign of mockery.
"Zoe, please," Annabeth said. "Tell us what happened."
Zoe let out a sigh.
"Millenia ago, not too long after I became a Hunter and a lieutenant to Artemis' hunt, our goddess had gone to bathe alone, but when she came back she had a man with her. Thou can guess who it was," Zoe said as Orion smirked. "Orion at that time had no eyes, and Artemis told us she was helping him, something we found baffling."
Orion scratched himself with his index finger at a spot just next to his eye, as if he was recalling a bad memory and wanted to make sure the eyes were there.
"She brought him to Hephaestus and he made him a new pair of eyes. After that Orion made an offer to join her Hunters, of course being rejected, but he challenged Artemis to a hunting competition. He wins, and he joins the Hunters. Artemis wins, he keeps away from her and her Hunters forever."
Orion gave a grin. "Guess who won?"
"Be quiet! Regardless, Artemis underestimated him, and in the end, he joined us, much to the dismay of almost all of us."
"Wait a minute, a MALE Hunter of Artemis?!" Percy exclaimed.
Orion gave a friendly shrug. "Not gonna lie, I am pretty special."
"Are thou going to continue to interrupt me?!" Zoe asked, her anger almost making the vein on her head pop.
The two demigods were caught off guard by her outburst. They never saw Zoe as angry as she was now. Orion was right, in a way he was special.
"As I was saying, Orion joined the Hunters despite our protests and stayed with us for a while. But of course, as any male would, he made a terrible mistake of falling in love with our mistress."
Percy gained a look of surprise, not really seeing that one coming. Annabeth on the other hand was more familiar with the myths and knew of versions where Orion fell in love with Artemis. It was fascinating to hear which one was true.
Orion just continued staring, his face a small scowl at hearing that him falling in love with Artemis was a 'mistake'.
"Of course, nothing came of this 'relationship' despite Orion's pestering. Then one day, he and our lady went on a hunt for a special monster, a giant scorpion. Our lady returned alone, saying that Orion was killed during the hunt, and his image now in stars gracing the sky."
At that Orion's gaze went upwards, along with Annabeth and Percy's who saw that he was looking at the constellation Orion, the bronze segments in his eyes slightly spreading around the crimson ruby.
"But that wasn't the end. One day when I and my lady went alone for a hunt, we returned to our camp, and much to our horror, we saw many of our sisters dead on the ground with slash marks and arrows embedded into their bodies." Zoe's voice became more strained as if she was holding herself back from doing something horrible. "Phoebe and others informed us that it was Orion, who came back for vengeance but ran off when he heard the two of us coming back. I spent centuries trying to hunt him down after that."
"And here we are," Orion said in a teasing voice. "Me sitting next to you, and you can't do anything to me. I can only imagine just how frustrating that must be."
Zoe's fists clenched so hard that there was a popping noise. "Do not push thine luck, Orion?"
"You are the one who also swore on the Styx, so you're the one pushing your luck," Orion said before turning to Annabeth and Percy. "Well, you've heard her side of the story. Are you willing to listen to mine?"
The two nodded, though when they heard the story they felt somewhat tense around him despite his own oath.
"Then let us begin. To confirm some things she said, yes there was a contest that made me a part of the Hunters, and yes, I did fall in love with Artemis. However, despite what she and the others claim, it wasn't that one-sided. And the way the two of us met was somewhat funny actually." Orion's smile began rising when he said the last part.
"You see, I was actually bathing in this river, and then Artemis came to bathe and entered the river not knowing I was there."
Orion sighed as he splashed some cool water on his face. With the loss of his sight, he felt a lot more appreciative of the senses he already had so this pleasant feeling of water was incredibly welcome.
He chuckled to himself. Orion, the mighty hunter, a rival to the gods themselves, was now nothing more than a useless wreck. Without his eyes, there was no possibility of him even using a bow and arrow, much less hunting.
Taking a deep breath, Orion submerged himself below the river's surface and let his entire body feel the current flow. And boy was the feeling pleasant.
His trained ears then picked something from behind him. Somebody else also entered the river.
Slowly he began rising until his head and shoulders were above surface level.
"Finally," the voice said it belonged to a female from what Orion could deduce. From the splashing he heard, he could tell the person was bathing. "I swear if I have to endure my brother for another mo-"
The woman suddenly yelped, no doubt finally noticing Orion was there.
"Who are you?! How dare you spy on me!" the woman exclaimed frustratingly.
"Spy on you?" Orion said confused. "I was just taking a bath! It's not my fault you didn't notice me!"
"I swear," the woman spoke in a threatening tone. "If you even attempt to turn and look, I'll kill you in the most painful-"
"As much as I hate to interrupt you," Orion said as he turned around. "But in case you don't know, I'm blind."
The woman was silent after that.
Orion gave a slight chuckle. "I bet the reaction she had was priceless."
The two demigods actually did find this to be amusing. Zoe didn't change much in her reaction.
"After I told her who I was, she took a pity that such a great hunter suffered such fate, so she took me to Hephaestus to make me new eyes. And I have to admit, these are pretty incredible."
"By the Fates, this itches," Orion said as he rubbed the eyelids around his new eyes.
"That's pretty normal," Hephaestus said as he looked at Orion with a smile. "You will get used to them over time."
"Are you able to see?" Artemis said as she looked expectantly.
Orion glanced around the forge, taking in all the images of tools and machinery inside, happy that he was once again able to do so. Despite the red rubies in his eyes, everything was in natural color, and he could perceive the objects in better clarity than he ever could before.
"Well, I must admit that-"
He stopped himself as his eyes landed on Artemis, and he was rendered speechless. This was actually the first time he was able to see her, and what saw... By the gods, the bronze segments that made his eyes began moving almost frantically at the sight.
The goddess of the hunt was the image of beauty itself. Beautiful auburn hair, strong yet elegant face, toned and supple limbs. Not to mention those enchanting silvery eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Artemis asked as she blinked in confusion at his sudden halt.
"N-no," Orion said. "Nothing at all."
"And from that moment, I knew that she was the one," Orion spoke with a voice that held nothing but admiration. Even Annabeth and Percy found it to be somewhat touching despite how cheesy it sounded. They knew that if any of the girls from Aphrodite cabin heard this there would be a lot more squealing and romantic proclamations.
"Of course, after that, there was no way I would just go away so I proposed to Artemis that I join her in her Hunters. She was against the idea, but I decided to prove my worth to her and challenged her. The two of us would hunt for a flying boar, and whoever catches it, wins. I ended up winning, and I have to admit that Artemis did somewhat underestimate me but in the end, I won the bet.
"And so I spent a good part of the year with Artemis and her Hunters, and what Zoe here failed to mention was that I and Artemis would often go alone on a hunt, and actually have a good time. Though, not that good time I admit.
"I had the time of my life with the Hunters and Artemis herself liked having me there. We even grew closer than she and Zoe."
"I thou thinks that-!"
"You said you didn't want us interrupting you, so you don't get that privilege either!" Orion cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. Like I was saying, Artemis and I spent a lot of time together, and I could tell she was slowly falling for me despite her vows. Her Hunters saw that too, though like Zoe here they didn't accept it. Her brother, Apollo did not accept it either. Artemis moved past me being her and her brother's opposite, but Apollo never did.
"Then came the time where Artemis and I hunted and killed that scorpion, after which I went to take a bath. I dived in the water and soon after I emerged something struck me in the head."
Orion's hand moved to the left side of his temple, and Annabeth and Percy saw something they didn't notice before, a diagonal scar with the width and length of an arrowhead.
"It turns out that Apollo didn't want his sister possibly falling for a giant, so he made a plan. He told Artemis he wanted to see if her skills hadn't dulled. I was far enough for Artemis not to notice where I was, and Apollo tricked her into shooting me after he secretly doused the arrow he gave to Artemis with the scorpion poison."
Percy and Annabeth's faces turned into one of shock since not even Annabeth knew about that part.
"Of course, I only found out about that later, and when I did end up waking up I was confused and dazed. I went to search for Artemis, and when I found her camp she wasn't there, but when the Hunters saw me they began attacking me. I defended myself of course, which is why those Hunters ended up dead. I never intended to kill them, but they left me no choice."
Zoe scoffed. "A likely story."
"One that is true, I swear on the Styx!" Orion proclaimed which was followed by a rumble of thunder.
Zoe's finally abandoned the scowl she had into a look of shock. Orion has sworn on the Styx without hesitation, indicating the truth in his words.
"And now comes the moment," Orion said. "You've been chasing me for so many centuries. For what? A misguided sense of vengeance because you believed someone biased against me. You and your Hunters didn't approve of my relationship with Artemis, and you would rather see me dead before it ever came to fruition. That is why they attacked me, not because I was your enemy. Tell me, Zoe. Am I wrong?"
Zoe wanted to retort. By the gods, she wanted to retort. But she held her tongue, knowing that what Orion said was true. She and other Hunters would often speak against Orion behind Artemis' back, saying how a man like him was just corrupting her.
The former Huntress would have believed that, but after her recent experience she wasn't really that sure.
"Well, congratulations, you and your little group succeeded! I was never able to see Artemis all these centuries because you lied about me! And you have the gall to judge me for falling in love with someone I 'shouldn't' have," Orion berated. "Tell me, why were you kicked out of the Hunters?" Despite Zoe's shocked face, he continued. "I'm not an idiot, Zoe. The Hunters stop aging when they take the oath to Artemis, and your body has obviously almost matured to full adulthood. And you were Artemis' friend, which means you must have broken your oath to her, and fallen for someone. Tell me again. Am. I. Wrong?"
"She has," Percy said after seeing that Zoe's eyes were almost in tears, getting the attention of all three on him. "And that is why we are here. The one she loves has been captured, and is somewhere in the Sea of Monsters."
This actually came to shock Orion who looked back at Zoe, his mechanic eyes reading her reactions. Zoe didn't say anything only looked somewhat embarrassed and flushed. Percy spoke the truth.
"Is that so?" Orion said. "Love is a funny thing. I honestly thought that you would have done everything to avoid your feelings just to return to the Hunters. I guess I was wrong."
"Look, Orion- I mean, lord Orion- no wait-"
Orion put his arm up to stop Percy from embarrassing himself further. "Just Orion is good enough."
"Um, right. So, could you help us look for him?" Percy asked.
Orion raised a curious eyebrow. "And why would I do that? I was kept from my love all these years because of her. Why should I help her find hers?"
"Well, I'm sure you know how Zoe feels, and I'm pretty sure this could help her make her relationship come to fruition. And since what happened to you was a misunderstanding, she could also explain to Artemis your situation and you two could at least come back to speaking terms."
Annabeth sometimes admired Percy in how bold he could be. She herself wouldn't so easily make those promises considering how touchy Orion was about the subject.
Orion looked at Percy for a few silent moments before looking back at Zoe who looked like she was feeling conflicted about the thought.
In the end, Orion just laughed slightly. "That is quite a promise you have made, Percy Jackson. And are you sure that Zoe would do that for me if I helped you?"
"Well, I… I… I honestly can't tell," Percy admitted.
"Of course you couldn't," Orion said. "It doesn't matter if she could talk to her anyway. There is no guarantee that Artemis would be convinced."
"So, you won't help us?"
Several more moments of tense silence followed.
"I will help you," Orion said shocking the whole group, even Zoe. "My predicament is unfortunate, but if Zoe felt what I felt, then I will help those feelings come true." His gaze went back to Zoe. "Tell me, did you believe my story?"
Zoe looked back at his metallic eyes before looking down on the ground, her long hair covering her face. "I… I find it hard to. But you spoke the truth, and I cannot deny that."
"Then you know I'm not your enemy." He then looked back at the demigods. "Tell me, what do you need?"
"We are searching for Cottus of the Hecatonchires," Annabeth said. "Do you know where he is?"
"Cottus, at the Sea of Monsters?" Orion before fingering his chin. "I… I honestly didn't know he was here. I don't know where he is?" The three of them then looked disappointed. "However, I think I know the way you can find him."
All of them perked up.
"Really? How?" Percy asked.
"In that cave over there," Orion said pointing behind them. "In there is a lake that might hold a way for you to find your friend. I'm not completely sure but that's the best clue I can give."
"What's in the lake?" Annabeth asked.
"Nothing life-threatening, at least from what I've seen. And I suggest you wait until morning to go in there, but don't worry, there are no more monsters on this island." Orion then got up. "Well, if you would excuse me, I have to go."
"Wait, maybe you could help us look for him," Percy suggested.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not your babysitter," Orion said dismissively. "Your quest is your own, and it is up to you to complete it. I gave you all the help I could, and now I must return to my own thing. And don't worry, my eyes have night vision." He then walked away, leaving the three alone.
"At least we have some sort of direction," Annabeth said before lying on her back.
"That we do. Better than nothing," Percy said. "And that was one hell of a story. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah, I have to admit, from what I've heard, I never would have thought of Artemis as a romantic type," the blonde demigoddess said. "Zoe, what do you think?"
The former Huntress didn't respond, only looking at the fire in front of her. All of these revelations were too much for her. She spent so long hunting for Orion, thinking, no believing he was a traitor and liar.
After this, she felt very conflicted.
A cough then got their attention and they saw that Orion was back.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted you in anything, but there is one thing I need," he said before walking over to Zoe and kneeling next to her. "Zoe, I know we haven't been on the best of terms, and you probably still don't believe everything I said." He then took out something from his pocket, an envelope. "But regardless, if your quest succeeds, and you find the man you love, then give this to Artemis when you return. If your longing is anything like mine, then you know how much I want this. I won't have you swear on the Styx to do it; it is all up to you to accept."
He held the envelope in front of her, and the daughter of Atlas just stared at it for several moments. Her hand shakily rose, and her fingers touched the envelope. Orion let go of it, after which Zoe stared at it for a few more seconds.
To think that only a little while earlier, she wanted to tear this man apart. And now she saw a different side of him, one she refused to see before. It is also no wonder how Artemis so easily detected what Zoe felt since the virgin goddess herself felt the same before.
"I… I will take thy letter to her," Zoe said before putting the letter in her pack.
Orion gave her a smile, a happy one, and the look in his artificial eyes held gratefulness like Zoe had never seen. She felt somewhat sad that this was probably the only friendly interaction they ever had.
"You have no idea how much this means to me," he said before rising up. "I sincerely hope you succeed. And not just for my letter. Farewell."
Orion then once again walked away and shortly found himself at his boat. Putting his weapons in it before getting in himself.
He then cast one last look at the campfire, seeing the small light in the distance. "Then you know I'm not your enemy," he repeated out loud what he said to Zoe before sighing and rubbing his face. "Why do I feel like I will regret those words?" he asked himself, knowing what is to come in the future.
Orion pushed his boat into the now-calm sea and took one of the oars there. After a while, the island became small in the distance, and the fire that was there had been extinguished.
He looked up at the full moon, seeing it was still as beautiful as ever. He wondered if Artemis could see him, but he had his doubts. If she did, she would have hunted him down a long time ago.
He may have come here to hunt monsters, but he found something that he hadn't felt in years.
Hope.
With a smile on his face, he kept rowing, deciding to get out of the Sea of Monsters.
AN: And that is the end, for now, my dear readers. As you saw, not only did I change Orion's look I also changed his backstory.
The reason for such changes is simple. Tell me, have any of you thought that Orion had wasted potential in the Heroes of Olympus books? I mean, Rick Riordan included a version where Orion and Artemis were in a good relationship and that Artemis could have indeed fallen for him. Think of all the drama and tragedy it could produce by having him and Artemis still have those feelings, I mean the books aren't strangers to those. And despite the fact that he was supposed to oppose Artemis and Apollo, he doesn't meet them once in the story. Does nobody feel like that was a set-up without a pay-off? Instead, he gets killed by people completely unrelated to him. Look, I like Reyna, but I don't think that just turning Orion into a sexist asshole was the best he could do for Reyna's character development.
Okay, I think all of you got the point.
Anyway, I implore you to check out my other stories. Trust me, they are worth it. And leave a review, they are great motivators.
See you next time!