Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.
Consul of the Underworld: Grinding Phase
Chapter Fourteen: Twisted Fae Cruelty
Beta: ShadowofAxios
"Well, now that that's been settled, let's move onto the next bout shall we?" Oberon asked in a cheerful voice, as if the unpleasantness of Martin's death had never happened. Judging from the cheers of the Sidhe crowd, they agreed with him.
Are they all that heartless or are they just doing that to not offend him or curry his favor?
"Her remains." Pyrrha demanded.
"Yes, yes." Oberon said as with a snap of his fingers Martin's body disappeared and a urn appeared in Alkaid's lap. "Miss Potter can take care of it while you fight your next match."
The daughter of Hades quickly grabbed it before it slid off and broke. Putting it carefully down on the ground next to her, she turned to face Pyrrha down in the arena and nodded in acknowledgement that she'd received Martin's remains.
"So who's my next opponent? Another little kid you want me to kill for you?" Pyrrha sneered.
Oberon just smirked a bloodthirsty smile in return.
"No, just the main event for today's festivities. Don't die too quickly, Miss Branwen."
With that, the High King of the Fae returned to his seat.
"Still didn't tell me who-"
"Impatient little girl aren't you?" A frustratingly familiar voice said as no less than the Goblin Queen appeared in the arena in a shower of glitter. Unlike her appearance yesterday at the High Monarchs' court, Morgan wasn't dressed in an overly elaborate ball gown. No, she'd come dressed for the occasion in a leather catsuit with a pair of pistols holstered on a belt at her waist.
Silent curses slipped from under Pyrrha's breath. "Of course you'd show up. Man, my luck is shit."
"Of course it is, child. You made the mistake of tying your life to the accursed Potter girl." Morgan shot back. "Do you know how many powerful forces in the world are determined to see her suffer for the humiliations she made them endure."
Alright, that there is an exaggeration! I do not have that many enemies. That are alive at least. Alkaid thought dryly.
"I have an idea." Pyrrha shot back.
"Do you now?" Morgan asked sounding genuinely surprised. "Well, you're more the fool then. Oh well, I guess I'll be doing the world a favor by trimming its population of idiots today."
Hefting her labrys in both hands, Pyrrha shot the fairy a defiant look. "You can try."
"Oh, I'll do more than try." The overconfident changeling said with a mocking smile. "But I'm feeling generous. I'm going to give you the first shot. Come and show me what you've got."
Bristling, Pyrrha roared as she charged.
She barely made it ten feet when she abruptly stumbled and fell to the ground. She struggled to get back to her feet but for some reason failed to do so. Each attempt resulting in her comically collapsing into an increasingly disorientated heap.
Naturally, the Sidhe laughed at the display. Alkaid however just felt her heart constrict in fear at what had happened.
"Is that really the best you can do, daughter of Ares?" The Goblin Queen asked in faux surprise. "All I did was take away a little of your balance and you're unable to even move properly? How pathetic."
Grunting, Pyrrha struggled to even rest on her knees. Clearly frustrated, she snapped at her opponent, "If we're fightin', you should at least fight. Let's see if you can at least put one up."
Morgan actually laughed at that, a beautiful but cruel laugh.
"Strong words from a girl who just helped brutally execute a girl for no crime but being unable to control her powers. Did you let the banshee girl put up a proper fight? No, you didn't, you hypocrite."
Pyrrha flinched at the truth in the barb.
Don't let her shake you Pyrrha. If your resolve is shaken, then you've lost.
Alkaid really wished telepathy was allowed in the arena, because she dearly wished to encourage her lover. She needed it, after the last match and especially now when facing someone who was determined to push her buttons.
"Don't worry though, all of this will be over soon."
"What-"
"Hush. Soon, you won't have to pretend anymore. You can stop acting like the person you've never actually wanted to be. I can help you, you know. But only if you let me." Morgan cooed as she bent over the redhead's prone form, a malicious smile on her face.
Pyrrha looked at the changeling like she'd grown a second head, but there was something else in her look too. Something that had Alkaid deeply worried. There was fear and more importantly longing in Pyrrha's eyes.
It seemed to escape the notice of the Sidhe though as they laughed at the pitiful punch Pyrrha threw at Morgan's face.
"Now now, no need to pretend, child." The woman said soothingly as she gently pushed the redhead's fist to the side. "I am the Queen of the Lost Season. I know loss. All loss. Including yours, even the ones you refuse to admit."
Glaring at her in utter contempt and defiance, Pyrrha spat in her direction. But it missed terribly.
Alkaid had enough and jumped to her feet ready to intervene. Unfortunately, Fowl's massive bodyguard moved faster than she thought possible for a man his size and restrained her.
"Release me. Now." Alkaid said in a bone chilling tone.
"Calm down." Fowl said without any hint of urgency. "You should have known from the start that any fight between your lover and the Goblin Queen would come down to this battle of wills. I know you researched her powers last night, knowing full well that such a fight would be highly likely."
"That's different."
"Yes, seeing the actual fight is a lot more stressful than just hypothesizing about it." Fowl agreed. "That said, it doesn't change the fact that if you intervene before the match is called, it'll mean an automatic forfeit for Pyrrha. Is that what you want, Alkaid?"
The daughter of Hades growled in frustration but relaxed. She couldn't interfere and jeopardize this chance to get Jane the protection she needed. But if Pyrrha came in real danger… Then consequences be damned, she'd step in without hesitation.
In the arena below, Morgan just looked at Pyrrha with amusement as she circled around her. "You don't need to act so tough. It's not who you are after all."
"Lady, you don't fucking know me. So shut your trap and fight!"
The fae gave no intention of doing so.
"What was it you first lost? Oh right!" Morgan said in mock astonishment. "The first thing you gave up to be a warrior were your dolls. All pretty, all clean, all girly. You loved them, such simple times, no?"
As Butler finally released her and she took her seat, Alkaid frowned.
I never knew Pyrrha had dolls.
"It seems Williams really hates you." Fowl observed with a frown. "She rarely ever uses the power of the Lost Season. Not like this. For her to do so, well, she must be highly motivated to ensure you lose."
Alkaid just grunted in agreement.
"What's the power of the Lost Season?" Dio asked innocently.
"It's a power that allows Williams to stir the sense of loss in people. If used skillfully, this power can break even the greatest warriors." Lus explained patiently to his daughter.
It was frustrating, ever so frustrating to not be able to just blast away the damned Goblin Queen. Yet, Alkaid could only stand there and do nothing. If she tried to do anything they'd simply lose.
Especially when Pyrrha was visibly reeling from the vindictive woman's words.
"How?" The redhead said in a shocked whisper.
Ignoring her victim, Williams continued her torture. "The day your mother finally told you who your father was, you walked into your playroom and looking at all the dolls you so loved… You threw them one by one into the bin. All while crying. Did Barbie, Blue Belle and all the rest really deserve that? Didn't they bring you years of fun as a little girl? Why did you discard them just like yesterday's rubbish all because your father was Ares? Why Pyrrha why?"
As she spoke, ghostly figures formed around the Goblin Queen that slowly coalesced into dolls. From the way Pyrrha flinched back from them, Alkaid could guess that they were in the image of the childhood dolls that Pyrrha discarded.
As one the spectral dolls kept asking Pyrrha a single painful, heart wrenching question, "Why?"
"Because children of Ares didn't play with dolls?" Morgan added, her voice accusing yet somehow still sweet and inviting. "Because it wasn't what warriors did? But the dolls wasn't the end of it was it? Next came all your pretty clothes, makeup and every little girly thing you owned."
Again spectres of the things Pyrrha had tossed aside as she embraced her legacy as a daughter of Ares appeared around the Goblin Queen and asked their single plaintive question.
"You gave them all up! Everything that had previously made you who you were! Why? To please an absentee and abrasive father?"
"Stop it." Pyrrha said, the lack of heat in her voice was startling. Her fists shook as she tried her best to glare at the fae, but… it was lacking.
"It wasn't just things though, was it?" The Queen of Loss pressed on, unfazed by the redhead's plea. "You'd never had many friends, but the revelation of your parentage took those you did have away too. No playgrounds were safe for you after you knew you were a demigod. Not that it mattered. Not when no children could understand you. Especially how you'd changed so much overnight. So all your friends drifted away from you. Even Emily."
Pyrrha gasped as a single ghost of a little girl appeared out of nowhere to look at Pyrrha with vacant, dead eyes. She did not speak, just stared at the redhead in silent accusation.
In the stands, Alkaid gasped. That wasn't some illusionary spectre. That was a genuine spirit of the dead.
"Did you ever even bother to find out whatever happened to Emily? Your childhood best friend who you used to share everything with? A girl that at one time was so close to you that you regarded her as your sister?"
"Stop it. Now. Just stop talking."
"Did you know that she died in a car crash the year you went to Hogwarts?" The Goblin Queen added with a accusing smile on her face. "Or at least that's what the mortals think happened. You want to know what really happened? Hmm?"
"...Yes."
"In truth, your lingering scent stuck to her like a cloud. It faded over time, but it was still more than strong enough to lure in a monster. She was just out on a drive with her family one day, minding her own business, when out of nowhere a cyclops decided it wanted some demigod flesh. It smashed the car open with its club and then plucked her injured, squirming body out of the wreckage."
Pyrrha' s reddish brown eyes grew misty. It was taking all she had to look at the tiny specter that was once her friend and not break into tears.
Rage blossomed inside Alkaid. She hated this, she hated watching the dead be pranced around like a show especially so because it was being used to torment her lover.
"It didn't just eat her there you know. It roasted her alive." At this the ghost of Emily transformed into a gruesome thing. There was a spit running through her body from her mouth and out her behind, and her whole body was cooked. "By then he'd realized he'd made a mistake, but he wasn't about to waste fresh meat so he ate her anyways."
Pyrrha broke down into tears. "Emmy, I'm sorry! Please, please don't hate me. I didn't mean for it to happen! I did everything I could to stay away and keep you safe! I'm sorry!"
The spirit in turn just looked down at her with dispassion.
"Your sister in all but blood and you left her to a gruesome death. A death you never even bothered to find out about." The Goblin Queen said judgingly. "And you call yourself a hero?"
"Are all demigod's stories so sad?" Dio asked in a horrified whisper.
"Sadly, most of them are." Alkaid confessed with a painful weight in the pit of her stomach. She knew her story thus far was luckier than other half-bloods.
The little pixie hugged her comfortingly, but Alkaid felt little relief. Not when Morgan seemed hellbent on continuing to torture her girlfriend.
"I am a hero." Pyrrha insisted with what must have been the last of her strength.
"Perhaps," The damnable woman allowed. "But is a hero of Olympus really something that's worth being? Isn't it just a mold you've been forced into? Aren't you just another mindless grunt for Olympus, who lives and dies on the whims of your Fates?"
The daughter of Ares made to reply, but the fae queen was relentless.
"Will you die a glorious death? Or will your passing be due to something trivial like a car accident? Or perhaps something embarrassing like being killed by a hobo monster? Will your death be glorious or humiliating? Most of all, would your daddy, who you're trying so hard to please, even care?"
"Stop," Pyrrha begged, tears rolling down her face uncontrollably. "Please just stop."
The goblin queen's smile was twisted in sick pleasure.
"I can stop, my dear. Though, you need to do something for me first~"
"Anything! Just, just please stop…"
"Forfeit and all this pain goes away, you poor, poor child."
Shaking like a leaf in the wind, Pyrrha replied with a hollow look in her eyes. "I forfeit. Just make it stop."
"Of course, dear girl." The changeling said with a sickening sweet smile as she looked towards Oberon for confirmation of her victory.
"This fight goes to Queen Williams." The High King declared with a frown on his face as he floated into the air and he eyed the Goblin Queen's spectres with distaste.
Said woman gave him a bow in thanks even as she dismissed her summons and jumped back just in time to avoid Alkaid as the demigoddess shadow traveled into the arena.
As the brunette gently lifted her paramour, she leveled a pointed glare at the Queen of Loss which would have had lesser beings quaking in fear.
"All's fair in love and war, Potter." The Goblin Queen said in response, while sporting a malicious smirk.
"I know."
With that, Alkaid shadow travelled back to her seat in the stands.
As she gently laid Pyrrha down on her seat, the daughter of Hades tried her best to calm Pyrrha down.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The redhead whimpered, her miserable look fanning Alkaid's rage at Morgan.
"Let me." Lá Glan said as she leaned over and cast a number of spells over the defeated child of war.
"Is she-"
"She's fine." The Merrow said reassuringly, as she cast a sleeping spell on the exhausted demigoddess. "She'll be fine after some rest."
As this was going on, it seemed Morgan was getting some measure of comeuppance.
"Now then," Oberon said suddenly, just as the Goblin Queen was about to vacate the arena. "Are you planning to forfeit Goblin Queen?"
"What are you talking about, Your Majesty?" The changeling asked in confusion.
"Why your fight with Miss Branwen's second of course." The High King said matter of factly, as if this was how things had been intended to play out the whole time. Which it certainly was not. The concept of seconds in this tournament was news to Alkaid. Judging by the shocked whispers of the spectating crowd, she wasn't the only one caught by surprise.
"Who? Potter?"
"You're in luck there, Your Majesty." Fowl said with an apologetic nod in Alkaid's direction and stood. "You won't have to contend with facing an experienced sorceress with an axe to grind, but merely my humble self."
Morgan hissed like a viper at her fellow changeling, "You never declared yourself her second!"
The High King smirked at the declaration.
"I don't believe there is any stipulation that seconds need declare their status."
The hushed whispers of the crowd silenced at his statement. It was clear this was a ploy of the High King, possibly the real reason behind this whole tournament. Alkaid was sure she was missing some context here, but her instincts were telling her that for some reason Oberon had set this all up to create a chance for Fowl to fight in this tournament.
Possibly so he could fight Morgan specifically. Alkaid noted as her mind scrambled to make sense of the situation. Despite her anger at Pyrrha's condition, her curiosity was piqued and she was immensely interested in figuring out just what was going on.
Whatever it was, it seemed to infuriate the Goblin Queen. As her features twisted in rage.
Seeing Alkaid's confusion, Dìo smiled at her.
"Do not worry, Lady Potter. This is all part of the plan." The princess informed her.
And of course I wasn't informed of it. I had thought I would be filled in if needed. Alkaid sourly huffed. Still, seeing how stiff Morgan is at the moment, perhaps this is a better alternative.
"Would the combatants please both enter the arena?" Oberon said with a faux frustrated expression and gesturing at Fowl to hurry up.
With a shower of glitter, the genius teleported into the ring.
"Apologies, Your Majesty." Fowl said, offering the High King a bow.
Turning to his opponent, the Irishman gave her a bow as well though this one was mocking.
"May we have a fair fight, Your Majesty?"
"Of course. May the best Fae win." The Goblin Queen replied with a mocking smile on her face.
"Indeed," Oberon agreed. "Begin!"
Neither combatant moved. Instead they just stood there staring at each other and sizing their opponent up. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Fowl smirked.
"Would you like to continue the mind games you used earlier, Your Majesty?" Fowl said tauntingly. "Or are you perhaps too scared of using them against someone who is sly to your tricks?"
Morgan laughed at the suggestion. "You should know better than to goad me, Fowl. I'm not like the other Sidhe, I understand the concept of pride goeth before the fall. As if I would risk mind games with one of the most twisted minds in the world."
"Oh really? Then what exactly do you intend to do instead?"
The woman's reply was to draw her guns and fire off a pair of shots at Fowl.
He was prepared for her though and the bullets deflected harmlessly over a screen of hard light which shimmered at the impact of the bullets.
She was undeterred however and with a smirk vanished from sight.
Fowl tensed as a roar had him turn around just in time to see a massive grizzly bear appear behind him. Before he could react, the beast swiped one of its large paws at him. The strike went right through the young Changeling, however instead of an explosion of blood and gore all that occured was his appearance flickering.
It was nothing but an illusion.
Without any fanfare, Fowl appeared out of nowhere on the opposite side of the arena from where he'd been standing earlier.
"You aren't the only illusionist here, Your Majesty." Fowl said with a mock bow towards the queen.
Seeing this, Alkaid turned to Lus with a question. "Who is the better illusionist of the two?"
"Well, Williams is leagues better than Artemis. In fact, she is his better in nearly every aspect as a magician and a fighter." The King commented, a smile still on his face.
"I'm sensing a "but" coming on."
He chuckled. "Yes, but Artemis' wits have pulled him through much worse than an irate queen."
Lá Glan giggled at the display below. "I must say, Artemis has gotten better. To have tricked Williams into locking down her illusions and mind games, all based on playing to her expectations that she wouldn't be able to outwit him. A masterful stroke as always."
"Don't let him hear you say that." Short said with a roll of her eyes. "I know I wouldn't hear the end of it. Still, if Queen Williams played to her strengths, Artemis would be dead a few times over."
Even as Alkaid and her royal allies spoke, there was a major development in the fight. Apparently deciding to switch to a more direct approach, Morgan shifted from the ursine form she had taken into the shape of a gigantic serpent that immediately lunged at Fowl with its mouth open wide to swallow him whole.
Looking completely unflustered, the Irishman pulled out a grenade from his pocket and tossed it towards the monstrous snake's gaping maw.
The shapeshifter reacted to this new threat immediately and her form fluidly transformed into that of a large rock golem that walked through the grenade's violent detonation.
Still seeming calm, Fowl fished a scroll out of his pocket and pointed it at the rapidly approaching golem. With a burst of magic, a jet of highly pressurised water shot out of the scroll at the golem.
Morgan raised her arms to defend herself against the unexpected attack. However, despite the earthen construct's high defense, the water proved too much and the the jet began to cut deeply into the golem's body.
Lus stroked his chin, "It seems Artemis is full of gadgets today."
Just before the water jet could finish cutting through the golem, Morgan abandoned that form and with a burst of immense magical power transformed into an ethereal form. She looked like she normally did, that is to say she returned to her standard humanoid form but was oddly transparent and literally glowing with power.
In this state, the water just shot through her dealing no damage whatsoever but that was hardly the end to it.
"Shit." Fowl cursed as he threw the scroll aside and burst out into a run.
Even then he barely made it as in a literally explosive teleportation, Morgan's ethereal form translocated to where he had been standing moments before in a burst of raw power that left behind a massive crater and unleashed a shockwave of magical energy.
Caught up in the extreme edges of the powerful attack, Fowl was sent flying by the force of what Morgan had unleashed.
Even sitting in the stands, Alkaid paled at the awesome demonstration of raw power that her nemesis had just shown herself capable of.
Thankfully, it seemed that the Fae queen was unable to maintain her empowered ethereal form for long and soon reverted to her physical state. She swayed on her feet for a few minutes before collapsing to her knees.
"Done with your trump card?" Fowl said as he shakily pushed himself back to his feet.
Morgan shot him a dark look. It lacked her usual bite though, largely because she was looking quite worse for wear. She was sweating profusely and her arms were covered in deep cuts that were weeping blood, presumably wounds that she had sustained from Fowl's pressure jet while in the guise of a golem.
"Look at you, Your Majesty. Will you happily surrender to save some face?"
Morgan's face twisted into a vicious sneer.
"Silence boy, I will not have you get in my way!"
With a furious yell, the Changeling Queen shifted her form once more. In a blink of an eye, a large mass of muscles and scales stood before Fowl, with multiple heads filled with rows of razor teeth that glowered down at him with a plethora of yellow reptilian eyes.
In her last ditch effort, Morgan had taken the form of a Hydra.
"You're a bitch, you know that?" Fowl cursed as he once more broke into a run as the monster took in a deep breath and unleashed torrents of flame at him. He barely escaped the front edge of the intense flames the hydra breathed at him. The firestorm followed after him unrelentingly though and with a scream of pain, he was consumed.
As the flames cleared, a charred corpse was all that remained.
"No." Alkaid grit her teeth at the loss of their Second.
Morgan didn't seem to agree though, much to the daughter of Hades' confusion, as the hydra barely gave the body a glance before scanning the arena as if searching for something.
In a shimmer, Fowl appeared upon the Hydra's back and placed a sticky note of all things down on it.
"What is tha-"
Alkaid's curiosity was satisfied as the post it exploded just as Fowl leapt off the monster's back, the blast charring and tearing a good chunk of the beast's back clean off.
Lá Glan winced at the sight while the young princess Dio cheered excitedly at the big boom.
Lus held his head in his hand, mirth in his words. "An explosive rune on a sticky note, really? Only Artemis would come up with such a bizarre combination."
Short snorted at that. "Artie's always thought outside the box. Or in this case, a box from Staples."
As the smoke cleared, it showed Morgan laying on the ground. She was in bad shape. She was covered in blood from a vast number of wounds. In contrast, a winded Fowl was leaning against a far wall, cradling a twisted arm that he probably sustained from a poor landing from his leap off the hydra's back.
Short giggled at the sight and turned to Butler. "Looks like he needs some remedial fall training."
Butler released an exasperated sigh, but nodded nonetheless.
"I declare this bout is Artemis Fowl's victory!" Oberon loudly proclaimed as small polite claps filled the stands.
Not everyone was satisfied though, as Morgan's husband, the Goblin King, teleported into the arena. He appeared next to his wife's mangled body and holding his hand over her wounds, he crushed a glass orb that he'd conjured from thin air. This released a stream of glitter and lights that proceeded to cause her wounds to rapidly heal. This done, he turned to glare at Fowl with bloody murder in his eyes.
"I challenge Artemis Fowl to a duel!" The incensed husband demanded, his body glowing with raw power.
"Now, now, Jareth," Oberon said placatingly as he flew in between the incensed Goblin King and Fowl. "The tournament is over. If you want a duel you'll need to find another occasion for it."
The lesser fae king growled in frustration but nodded in resignation.
"Though this victory was twofold!" Oberon smiled brilliantly as he turned to Fowl. "With your defeat of a Sidhe in combat, Artemis, you have finally met the full criteria. You have now ascended to full Fae status. Congratulations."
As the High King's words finished, Fowl was surrounded by a cocoon of magical power. It lasted for only a few seconds, but as the cocoon faded it left him fundamentally changed. He was largely unchanged physically though he had gained a pair of elvish ears, but magically he'd gained an aura of inhumanity.
"Joy."
After the tournament, Alkaid returned with the Wyldwood royalty and Fowl's retinue to the former's cabin.
After making sure Pyrrha was being taken care of under Lá Glan's care, Alkaid immediately spun to glare at Fowl.
"You used us. I don't enjoy being some pawn, Mr. Fowl."
"I won't deny that I did exploit your situation to my benefit." Fowl agreed airily. "Nevertheless, I did help you get what you wanted didn't I? Something that our initial agreement did not even cover. That this assistance developed in a direction that benefited myself is just icing on top of the cake."
Alkaid's glare lessened, but she did not relent just yet. How typical of a fae, even if he was once human. He was blending in quite nicely it seemed.
"I agree with Artemis on this, Miss Potter." Lus chimed in. "Things turned out positively for everyone involved and that's what's important. Though, Artemis old friend, may I know whether you planned this from the get go? I knew you informed us that you would step in as Miss Branwen's second should the need arise, but did you plan this all from the start?"
"It was not difficult to predict how things would play out in Titania's court when we appeared. There was no doubt that Williams would attempt to interfere and everything else was simple conjecture from that point onwards. Her husband would support Williams, likely suggesting you run his labyrinth. The idea of a challenge would appeal to Oberon even as he would chafe at the idea of letting it be run by a lesser fae. As such, he would proceed to suggest that the challenge take the form of something else."
"And the idea of a tournament would appeal to his sense of poetic justice." Lus said with a nod. "He would find it an appropriate challenge for a daughter of Ares to face such a martial challenge."
"That much I've followed." Alkaid said with a frown. She might not appreciate being used by Fowl for his own ends but she could easily follow how he had set things up so far. There was however still one point she wanted more clarification upon. "But what was the purpose of becoming Pyrrha's second?"
"That was the whole point for Artemis' involvement in all this, I presume." Lus cut in. "You wanted the chance to face a Sidhe did you not? Knowing that Williams would almost certainly chose at some point to join the fighting?"
Artemis shrugged.
"It didn't exactly require a genius to figure out that would happen." Short said with a snort. "Williams is so obsessed at getting back at Miss Potter that she simply can't miss out on the chance to pick a fight with her or in this case her lover."
"Yes, yes, that's not exactly a surprise." Alkaid said dismissively. "What I would like to know is why it's so important to you to fight a Sidhe?"
Fowl fidgeted slightly, clearly uneasy at explaining himself.
"It was the last requirement for Artemis to formally ascend into a proper Fae." Lus explained. "Before now he was a changeling, yes, but they aren't accorded full status. They are essentially second-class citizens. However, if one meets all the necessary criteria, they can be ascended into being a Ascended Changeling and formally become equivalent to a full blooded Fae."
"Ascended Changeling? I've heard Morgan be called that before."
"That's because she like myself was once human." Fowl explained. "She and the Goblin King fell in love and proceeded to get married a hundred odd years ago. She proceeded to spend the next three decades going through the trails, like I have, to ascend."
"You've beat her record on that front, Arte." Short noted with a sigh. "Something you're never going to let anyone forget are you?"
Fowl's smirk was answer enough.
"So far all this sounds like all of you thought it inevitable that Pyrrha would lose at some point." Alkaid noted with an angry frown. "After all, your whole plan hinged on Fowl getting a chance to fight in her stead."
"We have Oberon to thank for that," Lus said with resigned annoyance. "He would never have let Pyrrha win on her own merit. It would make us Fae look bad, and that's something he would not be able to stomach."
"Yup," Short agreed. "Which is why he'd have kept throwing opponents at her if necessary until she exhausted herself and lost."
"Plus he hates losing and as host of the tournament, if Pyrrha won it'd be tantamount to his loss." Fowl added his two cents. "So there's no way he'd have let that happen."
"But he let you win."
"Because he figured out my plans from the get go." Fowl told her with a shrug. "The whole concept of a second is an obscure and rarely used relic, but did you notice him saying anything when I made my declaration? He knew my game and was more than happy to play along. It made it seem like he'd pulled a fast one on the courts."
"You didn't inform him of your plans beforehand?" Lus asked Fowl with genuine surprise.
"No," Fowl replied. "The High Monarchs might have wanted to allow my ascension for some time but it's no secret that the rest of the Sidhe were very against it. Filling them in on the plan beforehand would open the door to certain political ramifications down the line that are best avoided."
"How considerate of you," Alkaid noted dryly.
Fowl winced at the barb at his hypocrisy. He might have been considerate to the High Monarchs' political situation but he had completely forgotten about doing so in reference to Alkaid and Pyrrha.
"I apologize for the duplicity Miss Potter." Fowl offered with sincerity. "In hindsight, there was no real need for it beyond my own paranoia."
Alkaid still wasn't happy about being made a pawn in someone else's games but she was level headed enough to acknowledge that everything had worked out well for all involved.
"Apology accepted." The daughter of Hades conceded grudgingly.
The cabin descended into a somewhat tense but not overly hostile silence as everyone waited on news about Pyrrha's condition.
Alkaid's worry made her perception of time slow down to a crawl and what must have just been ten minutes at most seemed to drag into an eternity before Lá Glan entered the room, a patched up Pyrrha with her and a cheerful Dio trailing behind her. Before the daughter of Hades could give her lover a quick relieved peck on the lips, the redhead pulled her to the side.
The redhead uncharacteristically immediately pulled her into a hug.
"Pyrrha?" Alkaid asked, her voice full of concern. "Are you alright?"
"No," the daughter of Ares admitted. "But I will be. I just need some time."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No," Pyrrha said with a breathy sigh. "Maybe later, but I need to process it first. Like I said, just give me a while."
"Take as much time as you need." Alkaid reassured her.
Pyrrha nodded and changed the subject.
"So yeah, I just heard a wonderful tale on how we were nothing but a set up for Fowl there to get a promotion." The daughter of Ares said with a mostly successful attempt at her usual tone.
Grimly nodding, Alkaid said. "Yes, he just admitted as such. Though remember, we've got what we came for. That's all that matters and that you're safe also."
Her pale hand stroked Pyrrha's cheek. Relief in her emerald eyes that at least her lover was fine. Still, she was worried about what she went through mentally. Hopefully they could talk more later once they got home.
"Yeah, it's pretty much the only reason I'm not beating his smarmy face in."
With a soft kiss on the lips, Alkaid nodded.
"Now, let's go say goodbye and go home. I'm sure Jane and Mina are worried about us."
Lacing her arms around Alkaid, the daughter of war nodded.
"Yeah, I just want to head home after this."
The welcome that the demigods received as they returned from their trip to the Fae Courts was warm indeed. The moment they had stepped foot into their California home, they had been all but ambushed by Jane and Mina. The older redhead had embraced the two tightly with Mina quickly also jumping onto the hug wagon.
That was days ago and since then they had focused on getting some rather needed rest, especially for Pyrrha. This included a great deal of talking about the hidden truths that the daughter of Ares' fight with the Queen of Loss had unearthed and a trip to her childhood friend Emily's grave.
Now though, the family was finally ready to travel to the Branwen estate in Wales to oversee the installation of the finishing touches of the security system that Wyldwood was offering Jane.
Pyrrha was, of course, not anywhere near one hundred percent yet. But she was feeling good enough to do this and was determined to be join the trip. Alkaid and Jane would have preferred she took more time to recover, but both knew how stubborn the daughter of war was and had acquiesced.
As the family portkeyed onto the Branwen property, they were greeted by Lus Nam Ban and Fowl who were supervising the project.
Their presence wasn't what was most intriguing though, that honor went to the clan of gnomes -conical hats, little tunics, boots and all- that were in the last stages of moving into the garden.
"They're cute!" Mina noted excitedly, before turning hopeful eyes to her parents. "Can I play with them?"
"Maybe later." Pyrrha replied distractedly.
"Gnomes?" Jane asked looking at the diminutive earth fairies that were supposed to be her new security system skeptically.
"I assure you Miss Branwen that the Rockwells are an elite clan from the Wyldwood that I personally selected for this task." Lus offered the older redhead with all the pride of a monarch speaking of his subjects. "They have my absolute confidence."
"While Gnomes aren't known for their fighting prowess," Fowl added. "They are a sign to any would be attackers that this area and its inhabitants are under the protection of the Fae."
"Beyond the Rockwells," Lus continued. "We have also set up a fairy circle in the depths of the garden that connects to Wyldwood. It can serve as an escape route and/or a means to rapidly send reinforcements should the need arise."
"Sounds good." Jane said with an impressed nod. "So in exchange for all this, you want me to put you in contact with some arms dealers? That seems kinda cheap for all this."
"You underestimate how much of a help that would be to us, Miss Branwen." Lus assured her. "While we have some magitech weapons, they are generally expensive and reserved for our elite troops so access to much more economical mundane weapons is greatly appreciated."
"I'll be able to add a few layers of my own wards correct?" Alkaid asked Lus curiously.
"Of course, though do let the Rockwells know the set up. It'll help in the long run."
"Do keep me in the loop as well," Fowl said. "I've installed some of the most advanced security systems available, with a few magitech extras of my own creation and I'd like to avoid any clashes if possible."
Alkaid nodded.
"Beyond that I've also spoken to my associates in the local criminal underworld and they'll discreetly keep an eye out for Jane from now onwards as well."
"Thank you. And once this is all done, your payment will be delivered to your home." Alkaid informed him. "The Hermes Express will make sure of that."
"It is a pleasure doing business with you." Fowl said as he offered her his hand.
Begrudgingly, Alkaid accepted his hand and with gritted teeth, she shook it.
"It appears that we are done here for today." Alkaid said as she released Fowl's hand and fought the urge to wipe it against her clothes.
"One more thing before you go, Miss Potter." Lus said as she made to go collect her family who had wandered over to chat with the gnomes. "A warning actually."
"Let me guess, Morgan is even more infuriated with me than ever before."
"On the nose with that. Be wary if you visit any Fae lands or wherever those two have influence. At this stage, Sarah would gleefully escalate things to the point of outright attacking you."
"Good luck with that." Pyrrha snorted as she walked over. "Next time, we'll be ready."
I certainly hope so, because I have a feeling that we'll need to be.
Alabaster groaned in pain as Luke wheeled his wheelchair into the suite on the Princess Andromeda where their mutual Lord's slowly reconstituting body resided. As they passed the threshold into the well-appointed room, the son of Hecate couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine at the oppressive aura that emanated from the golden casket that dominated the room.
An aura that writhed with displeasure.
He really wished Luke would just throw him overboard. It would have been better than facing the felled Titan king. At least all he had to worry about there was Poseidon's wrath, which usually meant a shark or three. With the lingering effects of the blessing of Pontus that had saved him after his fall from Eris' palace, he had a sixty percent chance of surviving that.
Facing the Crooked One's ire? He'd be lucky to have a twenty percent chance.
The ominous silence in the room stretched on and Alabaster's throat tightened in fear as he awaited the inevitable rebuke for his failure and its accompanying punishment.
Finally though the tension got to him and he couldn't hold it in any longer.
In a voice that was barely above a whisper and which fit his current mood quite well, he spoke. "I apologize for my failure, my Lord."
The Titan king didn't even respond to his words as unbridled pain assaulted every nerve in the son of Hecate's body. He screamed in utter agony. It was as if burning needles dipped in acid were being poked into his brain.
He was on the verge of passing out, but was deprived the blessed release by whatever foul magics his lord was using to punish him. Instead, he was forced to remain conscious and in agony as the Crooked One and Luke conversed.
"Is this really necessary?" Luke questioned gesturing to Alabaster's twitching pained form, seemingly ignoring his pained cries.
"You question whether failure should be punished? You forget yourself, boy."
"No, simply whether debaliting one of our best warriors over being outmatched by a superior foe is good for morale."
"As far as I am concerned, he ended up as nothing but fodder. He couldn't even defeat someone in a magical duel." The sarcophagus quivered as it released a scoff. "So much for being a son of magic."
Luke frowned and seemingly decided to change tactics. "Well, he was moderately successful wasn't he? While he might not have permanently neutralized Potter as a threat, at least he's proven that where direct conflict with the troublesome daughter of Hades is too costly we can still rely on distraction to stop her from interfering with our plans."
The Titan king seemed to take this into consideration and the pain eased up a little. It was still intense and Alabaster was still hovering on the verge of unconsciousness from the pain alone, but he would take any relief offered.
Unaware, or possibly just uncaring, that his words had convinced their lord somewhat Luke continued speaking without pause.
"Though I still don't see why we need to go to such lengths to do so. Even if she's a child of the Big Three, she's still only one person and not even a child of the Great Prophecy at that."
"You underestimate her power, boy. You are an insect to her. Only our strongest allies would be enough defeat her. In addition, with her new position as Olympus' diplomat she may be able to call in aid from other pantheons. Zeus would never do so, but the girl isn't hindered by such hubris."
"Would anyone heed her call?"
"I will not take such a risk! With her power alone, she could derail our plans. The more distracted she is, the better our chances grow."
"It will be as you command, My Lord."
"Of course it will, boy." The dismembered Titan said with a scoff. "Now get that failure out of here and get back to your duties. We have a war to fight."
Offering Kronos' casket a respectful bow, Luke began pushing Alabaster out of the room.
As they fully exited the room, his master's spell finally lifted and the son of Hecate finally lost consciousness.
Omake: Visiting Graves
The sun peaked out through the cloudy sky as Pyrrha walked through the rows of gravestones in a rural Welsh graveyard. Sadness filtered through the daughter of Ares' heart and poured out of her every pore. As much as she loved her girlfriend who she knew as a daughter of Hades would appreciate the scene around her, such a dreary atmosphere was just plain depressing to her.
Despite that she had come here alone. Alkaid had offered to come with her, as a means of support, but Pyrrha felt she needed to do this alone.
Eventually she reached the grave of her childhood friend Emily. A friend that she had failed and doomed to a horrible death.
She swallowed heavily as she reached the headstone and her eyes lingered on the date of birth and date of death, "1987-1998". It was too short. Far too short. Eleven years was nowhere enough for a wonderful girl like Emily. These thoughts had her hands gripping the bundled flowers in her arms all the tighter as she let out a shaky breath.
"Hi Emmy, it's me, Pyrrha." The redhead said softly. She knew this wasn't how death worked. Talking to a gravestone didn't help much but pleading at her friends' grave was the best way to get closure she could think of. Apparently Emily wasn't in the Underworld, which meant she was probably in some other afterlife and beyond Alkaid's ability to summon. And honestly she couldn't face her again, even if she had been.
With tears welling up in her eyes, she laid the flowers before the grave.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. It means nothin', I know, but I… I didn't want this. You didn't deserve this. No one does, but life… it sucks, right?" Pyrrha hiccuped as she wiped her eyes. "Look, I just wanted to promise ya something alright? As long as I can still breathe I'm going to make sure nothin' like this happens again as long as I can stop it. I don't, no one should have to die like you did."
Her fingers ran over the name, feeling each letter as her hand passed over it.
"I'm just so freaking sorry, Emmy. I hope you can forgive me someday."
Hidden in the shadows some distance away, Alkaid stood beside the spirit of the dead girl, Emily. In leaden silence, they watched as Pyrrha offered the grave a last, lingering caress before she stood up and left. It was clear from the sad atmosphere that still clung to her that the trip was not as freeing as the daughter of Ares had hoped.
The little girl turned to look up at Alkaid, tugging harshly at her sleeve.
Looking down, the girl issued a demand to Alkaid. "You will do something for me."
"Yes?" The demigoddess could see the anger and resentment swirling in the young girl's ghostly eyes.
"You'll tell that dummy I can't forgive her. I'll never do that. Not completely at least. But! I'll cut her a little slack since it wasn't entirely her fault. You got it?"
The daughter of Hades actually had to fight to not take a step back from the raw anger that the spirit suddenly began emanating. It was surprisingly intense, even for someone with plenty of experience with angry spirits. Not so much about the aura itself but by the fact that a little girl would be the source of it. It was deeply unsettling, it was to be expected but still uncomfortable to see. The ground around the spirit was literally becoming scorched by the high temperatures that the spirit's rage was producing.
Nodding in agreement, Alkaid asked the angered spirit, "Would you rather tell her yourself?"
"No! I don't want to see her ever again, alright?! You just make sure she keeps her promise, the big stupid head. Or else!" The spirit said, her eyes turning blood red and her whole body bursting into flames as the spit that the cyclops had run through her materialized in her body. It gave her a terrifying appearance, not that Alkaid hadn't seen worse. It was just objectively scary.
Wonderful, another temper tantrum spirit. Alkaid sighed. "I'll be sure to do so."
"Good!" And with that, Emily spun around to face a trio of pitch black crows that sat on a low branch in a nearby tree. "Hello, Lady Morrigan. Can I leave now?"
The three cawed as one, and immediately Emily's spirit transformed into a swirling cloud of mist and disappeared.
The crows turned to Alkaid, their plumage puffing up in agitation, much like Rhip would do when she didn't give him enough attention.
"You were disrespectful and dismissive to that spirit." The goddess said in an ominous voice. "Treat one of the dead under my care like that once more daughter of Hades and you'll not enjoy my retribution."
"Of course, my apologies." Alkaid said, flustering in embrassassment.
With one last dark look, the Morrigan took to the air and quickly flew off into the distance.
Alkaid waited for the goddess' three avian avatars to completely disappear before she allowed herself the freedom to sigh in relief. She didn't look forward to having to fix this now. She leaned back against the tree and shot a sad look towards Pyrrha who was still slowly snaking her way out of the graveyard.
I really hope there is a way to fix this. Alkaid thought sadly. But I'm really worried that there might not be.
With one last sad sigh, the daughter of Hades shadow traveled home to hopefully do something to help the situation.
Done and done!
Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always.
Well, that was a cruel fight that Pyrrha had to deal with. And I'm just going to say this now, all demigods, no matter how much love they got for their parents, resent them to a degree. I mean, come on. You are literally born with a death sentence on you unless you're strong enough and even then, you don't get much of a chance to die of old age. It struck Pyrrha and that's why she faltered in the fight along with the revelation of her childhood friend's death because of her. Dark, yes, depressing, yep, needed? Oh sure, we don't get much talk about mortal associates of demigods and what happens to them. This is a clue at the possibilities.
Nameless: I don't necessarily agree about the resentment bit. Because it's not true that demigods are born with a death sentence. That's a myth they tell themselves. The fact that so many of the Riordanverse's most famous people were demigods and adult demigods at that proves this. Essentially, like with many things in life the "death sentence" is something people, in this case demigods or their mortal parents, created by the reckless decisions. For example, not going to the safety of Camp Half-Blood or Jupiter as soon as possible. Do the gods deserve some blame for putting them into a position where such difficult choices need to be made? Certainly, but that doesn't absolve the demigods and their mortal parents for their own parts in making their own lives miserable. It is with this in mind that I chose to show that Pyrrha had consciously chosen to give up everything that defined who she was and become a stereotypical daughter of Ares. She was as complicit in the loss, heck she was more so arguably than anyone else. And now she's got slapped in the face with the full weight of the consequences of her choice.
So, with the depressing stuff out of the way, Jane's place just got pimped out with security. Good for her. Hopefully no one will be stupid enough to attack her again.
Nameless: If they do they'll have our Kirito expy, yes that's who Lus is based on, in their face for harming someone under his protection. Considering how OP Kirito is... Yeah, it's not going to end well for them. XD
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