A/N Surprise! I am indeed still alive. The school year is done, all of my classes' grades are finalized, and I have free time again. Shoutout to AtomPrime for the reminder this time. I legitimately thought I had posted a new chapter in April at least, but nope, it's been since January. Whoops...
Character rights belong to RR
20 - Hazel
As they entered the park, Hazel looked at Annabeth. "Where are we meeting your other friends, exactly?"
"Well, Magnus said there was an access point for Yggdrasil that usually hung around here somewhere," Annabeth answered distractedly, "and Sadie mentioned something about a project installing portal anchors around the world in major cities to facilitate traveling."
"Portal points?" Hazel asked.
"Magicians need an anchor for their portals," Percy answered. "Nico needs at least some shade for shadow travel, they need something like a pyramid or an obelisk."
"Like that one?" Hazel pointed ahead to where a cluster of short pillars clustered around a fountain.
Percy blinked and laughed. "Yeah, exactly like that. Good eye," he praised.
"Right on time, too," Annabeth added as she checked her watch. "Sadie should be coming through any minute now." As if summoned by her words, a swirling vortex of sand suddenly appeared before one of the obelisks and grew in size until it was roughly twice Hazel's height. The monument flashed once, and Sadie stepped gracefully out of the sand, shaking it out of her hair and clothes as the portal closed behind her.
"Oh good, you found it," she said in greeting. "We tried to make them out of the spotlight but not super hidden."
"You did well, then," Annabeth replied. She smiled and gave the younger girl a hug. "I see you've cycled back to blue highlights?"
Sadie laughed and fluffed her hair. "What can I say? I like the color."
"I knew you were the better sibling," Percy crowed. They high fived as Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You remember Hazel?"
"Of course." Sadie smiled warmly. "How's New Rome been?"
"As busy as always," Hazel responded. "Frank and Reyna are thinking about training some of the centurions on how the praetorship works over the next few years so that their replacements won't be totally unprepared when we all finally retire."
"I'm surprised you're all still serving; it's been what, five years since I met you all now? Don't most legionaries only serve for ten years?"
"Most, yes," Hazel agreed. "Frank and I only have six years under our belts, though, and Reyna would probably stay on for life if she could. Getting her to quit when we do was the best we could do."
Before the conversation could continue, a ripple appeared in the air off to their right. With a plop, Magnus appeared and stumbled onto the grass, Jack hovering around his head as Hearth stepped gracefully out behind him.
"That was better, amigo! You didn't faceplant that time!" Jack cheered. Hearth nodded with a grin.
"Gee, thanks," Magnus grumbled. He looked around for a moment before spotting his cousin struggling not to laugh. "Aaand you guys saw that, didn't you."
Annabeth finally let her laughter loose as the others grinned at Magnus' faux offended expression. "It's good to see you, cousin," she greeted. She hugged Magnus as well. "Good to see you too, Jack, Hearth."
"It's been too long," the sword agreed. "I don't suppose you brought Riptide?"
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I go anywhere without her?"
"That's still so weird," Sadie whispered to Hazel, who nodded her agreement.
After another couple minutes of greeting and catching up, Annabeth clapped her hands. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."
"I thought we were taking a boat?" Hazel asked. Annabeth shot her a look and Hazel grinned.
"You know full well what I meant," she complained. "We've got a lot of distance to cover. We can plan on the way." She led the group back to the boat Hazel had taken up north with them, anchored in a small cove just outside of the city. Once they were all settled along with their gear, Percy maneuvered the boat out to open water and let loose. The boat shot across the ocean, the water smooth ahead of them and the breeze splitting around their pocket of air.
"So, we've told you all we're planning a town of sorts as an escape and meeting point for all of our pantheons and any others we run across. I'm hoping there's a good way for us to mix all three of our magics to build the barrier around wherever we set up. I know Egyptian and Greek magic can be mixed, though it's a bit of work. Roman and Greek magic is practically the same, so if I help Hazel I should be able to cover that."
Hazel blinked. "You can do magic now?"
"Well…" Annabeth trailed off and glanced at Sadie. "Yes? It was supposed to be a temporary thing to defeat Setne, but the year before Percy and I got married it came back. I can do a few spells using divine words, and I've been experimenting with Mist magic a bit with mixed results."
"I had wondered what you did at your wedding," Sadie murmured. "You set up an anti-god shield after Percy beat Athena."
"That would explain why they didn't come back," Percy added.
"Regardless," Annabeth redirected, "I don't know how rune magic works, much less how it interacts with the other two kinds of spells." The elf made some gestures and motioned to the bag tied to his belt. Annabeth nodded. "Interesting."
"Um," Hazel interrupted. "I'm sorry, I don't understand sign quite yet. What did you say?"
"Sorry, my bad. Hearth was saying runes are a lot more open to intent than Egyptian spells, but not quite as much as Mist magic. They need to be tied to a carved anchor to be maintained, though."
"Ooh, experiment time?" Sadie's eyes gleamed.
"Right now?" Magnus asked, alarmed.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. If we do blow up, Percy will fish us out of the water," Sadie dismissed.
"Gee, thanks for volunteering me," Percy said drily.
"Hush you." Sadie turned to Hearth. "Is there a rune for translating or communicating?" Hearth nodded. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a stone carved with a symbol that looked like a slanting F. He turned to Magnus and made a few more signs.
"This one is called Ansuz," Magnus translated. "It can symbolize communication or speech, among other things."
"Perfect!" Sadie grinned. "We've got one too. If I cast it and blend it with the rune, it should hold out longer than normal and be able to translate non-verbal language as well." Hearth blinked at her and then grinned. He picked the rune stone up again and held it for a moment, eyes closed in concentration. He blew on it and opened his eyes, setting it back on the table. The rune now glowed a bright green. He nodded at Sadie.
"Med-wah!" Sadie cast. Hazel jumped as she heard an echoing translation of "Speak!" A yellow hieroglyph flared into existence above the rune. After a moment, the rune's color changed to orange, and the hieroglyph faded. After a moment of examination, Sadie looked back at Hearth. "Did it work?"
Hearth flinched violently. Magnus immediately reached towards his friend, hand already glowing with healing power, but Hearth shook his head and Magnus paused. Hazel noticed the elf had tears in his eyes. "Yes," he said with his hands, "it did." His voice echoed in Hazel mind more than out loud, richer in tone than she would have guessed but not super deep. "Thank you."
"I'm glad it worked," Sadie replied softly, a small smile on her face. Magnus stared at Hearth with wide eyes, while Annabeth intently studied the glowing rune stone.
"Dude," Magnus started slowly, "Blitzen is going to be so jealous." Hearth laughed and shoved Magnus' shoulder. The demigod started laughing as well, hugging Hearth fiercely as tears ran down his face. Hazel shared a watery grin with Sadie.
"Interesting…" Annabeth muttered to herself. "It looks like two magics is all that's needed for complete translation. Could need a third for dead languages, or languages the participants don't speak, or maybe it would just lengthen the effects…" she trailed off again, eyes unfocused as she thought.
"There's a quick way to test that, hun," Percy interjected. Annabeth blinked and turned around to focus on her husband. Percy pointed to a large shadow in the water off to port. "Fancy trying to talk to a whale?"
Hazel blinked in surprise. "You think that's possible?" Percy shrugged.
"No idea, but it'll test at least one of her theories," he answered. Sadie, however, had gotten impatient and was leaning over the side of the boat.
"Hey, can you understand me?" she called. Annabeth huffed in pretend annoyance as Percy's shoulders shook silently. After a few moments of silence, she turned back around and sulked. "Guess not."
"Well, he did understand you," Percy supplied, "most animals understand the languages they're around, but apparently you can't understand whale back. Sorry." Chuckles sprang up at the expression on Sadie's face before Annabeth refocused the group for a few more experiments. Hazel quickly was sucked into the work, and was startled as she felt Percy call for their attention. She looked up to see the sun had long passed its zenith and was on the way back down, the late afternoon light shimmering on the waves.
"We're almost to neutral waters, but it looks like we'll have company first," Percy said solemnly, pointing to a small island a bit ahead and to starboard. Hazel could make out four figures obviously watching and waiting on the beach, but not many more details.
Jack had returned to necklace form towards the beginning of their journey but now sprung awake. "Is this a fight first ask questions later kind of meeting? Those are my favorite."
"Depends on the gods," Annabeth muttered, drawing her bone sword. Hazel shivered at the look on her face before readying her own sword. Percy grimly steered the boat to landfall, earth rising around the edges to prevent it from drifting out to sea and stranding them. Hearth pocketed the rune stone as the group disembarked.
As they got close enough to recognize the group, Percy suddenly froze. "You," he snarled, Riptide springing to life from his hand as he stalked towards the trio of old ladies passing yarn between themselves. Hazel shivered violently as she studied them, the sense of dread at odds with their grandmotherly appearance. Annabeth looked similarly affected, and while the others were clearly uneasy, they looked more uncertain as to why Percy was so upset.
"Are those…?" Hazel choked out.
"The Fates, yes," a voice answered from their right. Percy froze in place. Hazel tried to whip around in alarm and found herself stuck as well. Panic rose in her, along with a grim determination. "Calm yourselves," the now revealed goddess said and she came around them to stand slightly afore the Fates. "The news we have to deliver is for once in your favors. Besides, even you would struggle against us currently."
With a sound like crackling ice, Percy stumbled forward half a step before raising his sword. He glared at the new goddess. "And you are?"
She quirked and eyebrow. "Most impressive." With a wave of her hand, Hazel felt herself free up. "Do you really not recognize me? After all, you held my blessing for some time. I thought you foolish for giving it up, but perhaps it was for the best."
Percy narrowed his eyes. "You're not here to collect payment of some sort, then, Styx?" Hazel breathed in sharply, though Styx just scoffed.
"Not at all. You have broken no oaths to me; we have no quarrel." She smiled cruelly. "In fact, you have been helping. Your incident on Olympus gave me the last bit of power I needed to break through Zeus' banishment."
The demigods exchanged stunned looks. "That explains a lot, actually," Annabeth mused. "Why they didn't even seem to fear repercussions." With a decisive nod, she sheathed her sword. "Why are you three here, then?"
The Fates shifted, loose yarn coiling with Mist around their feet. "To give you a warning," they rasped in unison, "and to give what guidance we may." Percy sighed before sheathing his own sword. At his signal, the rest of them relaxed, though their wariness remained.
"Last I saw you, I was shown Luke's fate," Percy bit out. "What could possibly be important enough to show yourself to me twice?"
"The warning first, then." The sisters paused and stared at Percy. "She who controls our loom gives us less and less. Soon, we will be reduced to only the Final Weave. Your fate is your own, and we are left naught but to create our tapestry around your knots. Many seek foreknowledge on what is to come, but the specifics are shrouded to even us. This is why Pythia heeded your request and withheld her prophecy. She wishes you to know she awaits your request for what little knowledge she can grant, though know that it shall be her last."
Heavy silence descended on the group. Hazel shuddered at the weight of what she heard. Annabeth stepped up to Percy and took his hand while he took a shaky breath. Jack hovered silently behind Magnus and Hearth, who were exchanging meaningful glances, and Sadie shifted uneasily beside Hazel herself.
"As for your current plans and what we know of them," the Fates continued, "they are well thought out. Continue and you will help a great many. The final threat will soon awaken, and others will depend on you as they always have." With that, the sisters gathered up their loose yarn and turned to Styx.
"I came only to thank you and to give you this." Styx held out her hand, and a glass orb full of bubbling water materialized in her palm. "Water your guardian pine with this once planted, and it shall be protected from all harm, much like you once were."
"No weak spot with this blessing?" Percy asked sarcastically.
"Only those that are mirrored in yourself," Styx replied evenly. "The strength of this blessing will depend on the strength of your convictions. Uphold your oaths." Percy stared at her a moment longer before reaching out and taking the orb. The goddess tilted her head. "It appears the Olympians are finally waking. I shall give them one last warning. Until next we meet, Union." With a crack and a splash of smoking droplets, she vanished. The Fates nodded to the heroes as well before simply vanishing.