Nice and big chapter for all of you! Loving the reviews and ideas or thoughts. Shits about to get real baby and more is ah'coming!
ps. sorry for the late update but damn, I got three jobs and work seven days a week so finding the time for writing is tricky (bank account is getting phat though so ... worth it!) Anyways, please enjoy.
Updates Ideally are every two weeks, usually on Sunday or Thursday.
Disclaimer; Only plot is mine.
Two Days Later
Her eyes narrowed as they set upon her targets, irrelevant of the miles separating them. Her bow softly crackled in her hand, as if eager to begin. Her eyes shifted off the silhouettes of the four ships as they landed and drifted from the skies above, watching as dusk approached overhead. The clouds started to gathered and darken to cast further shadows, reflecting her will as the briefest of battle jitters entered her veins. Tonight was the beginning.
"How you holding up Thals?" a slightly deep and smooth voice asked to her side.
She glanced there, meeting the flaming black eyes of her king, his stance looking relaxed with arms crossed even if she could tell he was wound up and ready to burst into action. He stood next to her as she crouched on the battlements along the sides of the Prime Gate, the first entrance into Mount. Cartier's city, their home.
"I'm fine," she sighed as she returned her gaze to their enemies.
She watched as more than a thousand demigods, legacies, and Amazons joined by battalions of satyrs still loyal of the likes of Mr. D and Artemis, along with even the Party Ponies having arrived by land close to the same time. And dozens minor gods, many of which she couldn't even name or recognize, hovered above in their war chariots with the Olympians left being apparent. Even from here she could make out faces, hear the veritable roar of mixed voices, commands, and marching carried through the winds. They were unaware, even if they could see the sole mountain amongst the forests and plains around them.
All bunched up together, in one location. Just one of her stronger bolts, perhaps shot from their house above the very atmosphere. With more power than a nuclear bomb, it would guarantee to vaporize that army with only the stronger of the minor gods and Olympians surviving such an attack. Such simple slaughter with the overwhelming power at her finger tips. It was at times like these that her hands shook as she realized how lucky they had been that Gaea had been silently fighting against her own siblings, keeping Tartarus and Nyx restrained to the Pit and forcing her consciousness into slumber to recover.
If it hadn't been for such a silent Cold War, Gaea would have crushed Olympus, the demigods, and civilization as a whole. And now each and every member of the council could do the same … and so could Pontus. Thalia knew he was out there with Thalassa, watching, waiting for the moment to strike out at them and those they cared for. He held no qualms about stepping on the mortals and demigods in his pursuit of revenge, to see his mother's goal of conquest completed. And worst of all, they couldn't even attack him on his own turf, not with entire kingdoms and ancient monsters at his back, and now the likes of Oceanus and Poseidon with him as well.
She shook her head though, banishing those thoughts and focusing on the now. Now she needed to prepare because her role was vital in dividing the Olympian forces, to keep them pressured and unable to react before Rhea and Percy did their parts. Glancing again at her king and friend beside her, she noted that his eyes were intently focused as well, the growing shadows around him stirring in excitement.
"How's everyone else?" she asked while still looking at the setting camp of the Olympian forces.
"Ready," Percy said shortly before he sighed and turned away, his right hand lightly resting on the blade sheathed to the right hip, Sin, his Viking short sword.
"Are … are you going through with it?" she asked, wondering if it was finally time for that battle.
Percy only nodded, the grip on the hilt of Sin tightening as well.
"I see …" Thalia said softly as she looked up, smiling sadly at the cold, full moon slowly appearing above them.
Neither said anymore as Percy walked away, the shadows responding to his presence as he disappeared into the embrace of darkness, no doubt to prepare for his part.
"For what's it's worth," Thalia said as she looked back to the army too far away to hear or even see her. "I'm sorry for what you're about to face…"
With Allen
The demigod sighed as he set down another crate of supplies into one of the storage tents, having completed his tenth trip as such. They'd landed several hours ago in a rather large clearing of the forest spanning around them for miles and miles. Allen wasn't a stranger to nature, his father being a bit of an outdoors enthusiast, not to mention being a resident of Oregon but even then, the sheer sight from the Argos had been almost mystic in nature. As they flew Allen could just tell that the forest beneath them was different, full of a life and vitality that would fit better in some lost, untouched world.
Hell, only a few hours after landing, the Hunt and many other tracking groups formed of either Hermes or Apollo's Vanguards had caught game to supplement the food of the army. And not just any old deer and other local wildlife but animals significantly bigger, healthier, and if the hunting parties were to be believed, tougher. After all, a deer needing more than two arrows shot from bows meant to fire against monsters was no simple matter. Even now Allen would glance at the trees at the edges of the camp and feel as if the forest itself was watching them and a sense of danger flowed with the very breeze.
Even the night had been oddly quiet and subdued with only ominous, dark clouds overhead. No lightning, no crackle of thunder, not even a hint of rain. They were just there, heavy and tense above the camp with a forest so quiet that not even crickets sung and that worried Allen. After the first rounds of catching game, the animal signs trickled out until none could be seen close, not even damn squirrels. Allen wasn't the only one that was alarmed by all these signs though, with several of the older and especially veteran demigods reacting on trigger fingers to the slightest sudden movements with patrols around the camp border using white-knuckle grips.
They all could look in the same direction, seeing the single mountain cresting far above even the tallest trees of the forest. It had been visible for some time as they flew, making several gawk at the sheer size of it and several to proclaim their shock when on board telescopes had been used, allowing sight of the walled and gated city resting on it. Even now, as he stepped out of the supply tent his gaze turned towards that very mountain, spotting the dull glow in the distance marking the very top and vibrant city.
And if the Olympians had their way, they would march on it and raze it to the ground.
Allen's blood curled at the thought, even if he doubted they could possibly storm such an obviously well-defended fortress of a city. He'd read history accounts, both of mortal description along with some godly accounts throughout history provided by their mother for their cabin soon after 'Umbra' made a show of executing Ares in the throne room to prepare them for what might come. Armies clashing was one thing, but a completely different beast was unleashed in siege warfare with the mix of civilians thrown in. He'd read some hand-written accounts of old soldiers and even lesser known heroes and demigods from even the times of Trojan War. He didn't understand why both his mother and Annabeth had forbidden the younger demigods from reading the accounts until he read some passages himself.
He had wretched the first time.
He remembered reading the old and faded notes, stained with dried blood as some professed their glee at breaching cities under siege. To be 'blood drunk' as adrenaline surged through their veins with the taste of victory, releasing all manner of frustration and desire in equal parts through wanton violence, lust, and abuse to their would-be victims. Siege warfare made monsters of men and under the leadership of gods such as Zeus, Allen held no delusions that the very demigods around him would respond differently.
And if it came to such, Allen would honestly rather see his fellows slaughtered before they could breach such a city and become those very monsters … after all, with no actual monsters here, someone had to fulfill the role. Shaking his head of such thoughts he moved on, grabbing his spear and shield and beginning his own rounds. Being a cabin counselor and a chosen officer for Athena's Vanguard, he had to make sure those under his command were safe and resting.
So far the gods made plans to attack in the day, taking away Percy's advantage though Allen doubted there would be much difference. Like many of the demigods brought to the camps after the 'Golden Generation' as some called them, marking the key veterans of the Second Titan and Giant Wars, the skill level was simply beyond scope. Allen had been a full timer since his tenth birthday. He'd traveled between both camps to familiarize himself, met several of them including Jason, Nico, and even Thalia in passing once while seeing their training and sparring matches between some of them, including ones like Reyna and Clarisse to name a few.
The way they moved, reacted, tested and probed their opponents until swiftly taking them down. The current demigods and Amazons simply could not compare. And now some of those demigods had ascended to godhood and were their enemies. And even now they weren't fully informed, unsure of what others were with these new primordial gods and that especially didn't bode well for them. And yet, Allen could see it whenever he glimpsed the gods among them such as Artemis, Zeus, and Hera. Those three were all almost foaming at the mouths to fight and tear apart the primordials, especially Jackson from what he could tell.
Thinking of Jackson, Allen's gaze drifted to the central command tent where several of the gods were now with his sister at the center of it. She had flashed to them just yesterday, while they were still in the air much to the alarm of those patroling the decks at the time. Her disappearance had not been missed and only Allen had been aware of her intention, luckily he had only been asked in passing and not by Apollo, otherwise he would have been forced to tell about Annabeth's visit to the new mountain.
Luckily she had managed to get to him before she was pulled along to be questioned at her sudden departure and return. She hadn't spoken a word but simply left a note in his back pocket as she hugged him and moved on, her attention brought to some of the other worried demigods that had been around Allen at the time before a minor god appeared and took her to speak to Bellona, the major goddess in charge of the ship at the time. Landing had only brought the other Olympians together where they continued as the camp was set up.
He'd checked it when he got the chance to be alone and read the simple, yet so relieving message. 'Mother is safe. Offer is real.' He didn't need further explanation and with it, breathed easier before slowly spreading the news amongst his siblings within Athena's Vanguard. Given the current tensions, trust was rare and with the disappearing act of dozens of demigods right after Ares' execution, most eyed each other with suspicion. Some wondering whether the very ally guarding their back wasn't in fact one to have turned on Olympus, or if they were actually loyal and would cut you down because you were hesitant in turn to fight for the Olympians.
At least his own siblings were of similar mind, not wanting to fight but more worried about their mother and now, reassured with the return of their sister. Now his only goal was to keep them together in the coming battle, and if given the chance, willingly surrender with them. Their safety was his real concern, to a lesser extent, the demigods in general. Still, at the moment he need to—
Crack!
Allen jumped as an earsplitting thunderclap boomed within the camp, followed by cries of shock and commanders barking orders. His heart raced as he followed suite, calling Athena's Vanguard to him even as he ran to their command tent. His vision sometimes blurred as lightning strikes came at random, seemingly hitting nothing even if at times the bolts landed close enough to almost graze tents or demigods near them.
With the strikes came hurricane winds, the very howl of it rumbling the entire camp and drowning out voices. Allen ignored it all as he finally arrived to the head tent for Athena's Vanguard, making quick work of donning his breastplate, helmet, and grabbing his weapons. The sound of feet stomping and muttered curses clued him in to the arrival of several of his siblings along with other demigods of his squad hastily fastening their gear. With his own finished he turned his steely grey eyes on his peers and noting their armor formed of mixed bronze and leather, their weapons and shields sadly being the only implements of celestial bronze due to their sheer numbers, drawing their attention as they completed their assemble.
"Alright," he started, nearly shouting over the wind and pitching tent. "Form ranks of 1st through 4th in front lines and the rest a boxed formation. We don't know if there is a sole direction of attack or not and enough trees haven't been clear in the perimeter of the camp to allow for proper phalanx rows. We'll gather at the north end facing the mountain. Stay close and don't break rank or so help me, I'll hand feed you to the next bear I see. Clear!?"
His last shout was met with a 'yes sir!' as they stood at attention. He nodded in approval and immediately ran out, his nine captains breaking off slightly to assume command of any of their forces and bring them to the northern sect of the camp. Some panicking demigods saw them already in uniform and already moving with a directive allowing their training to kick in as they reigned themselves in and looked for their own commanding officers.
Allen took it all in, his mind racing with plans and strategies as some of the demigods under him joined up, some only partly dressed for battle given the signs of missing helmets or breastplates but at least everyone had a shield and sword or spear on hand. 'Okay, once gathered it will be best to keep the stronger lines facing the forests and our lighter back kept to the camp. Others should be gathering as well, let's just hope they do before whoever is attacking shows up,' he thought as he paused to grab one fallen demigod and hoist him up before promptly shoving him in the direction of the nearest weapons tent.
'As long as no one does something stupid and tries to be a hero thinking they can make a name for themselves. Not like they stand a chance on single combat anyways,' he thought morbidly before his eye caught one demigod having jumped onto a pile of crates. He was a large dude, dressed in thick armor and hoisting a golden war hammer proudly in the air even as some lightning stroke around him and the wind thrashed about making quite the imposing image.
"Is that all you got!?" he roared to the heavens. "Your time is over you so called heroes and soon you'll fall to our blades! My name is Darius Mc'Olgen, son of Mars and I will—"
Crack!
Whatever was going to be said was cut short as another bolt came and stroke the demigod right at the chest. In a grizzly show of gore he popped like a water balloon, splattering his charred inside around him while leaving his smoking pelvis and legs upright where he had been.
Thunk.
Allen almost robotically tilted his head to the side and down, eyes staring at the smoking hammer that had landed beside him, his reflection shining for a moment as another strike of lightning came from somewhere behind him. Now he knew there was blood splatter on his helmet as well, soon joined by the smell of charred flesh. The sound of throwing up came off somewhere to his side and he was pretty sure someone was screaming in hysterics but at the moment he just felt numb.
He'd already fought monsters on extermination runs and retrievals, seen the aftermath when they arrived too late, and consoled other for their loses. Yet none of it compared to seeing the moment another human, not monster, was killed. It was quick and simple. No fighting to your last breath, struggling and pushing forward in your efforts, perhaps consoled with the thought of having your actions remembered and name praised. No honor, no glory, and if Allen lived to see tomorrow, he knew he wouldn't even recall the name.
Shaking his head and swallowing the bile that rose up, he soldiered on and even with the winds, he could tell those following had gone quiet. As he ran he saw more groups form up, all sorts of unique emblems and manors of armor appearing as some of the gods started to show. He spotted Apollo for a moment, shining with golden light as his Rangers gathered around him.
"Duck!"
He looked up at the call, timing seeming to slow as he spotted a bolt heading right in their direction. His body moved on its own, hunkering down as he raised his shield and not a moment too soon. The bolt landed less than a foot in front of him, the static of which struck his shield and numbed his arm as he barely braced himself while someone held his back. His ears were ringing as he slowly stood up, looking at the small, smoking crater just a bit in front of him. Suddenly he couldn't help but picture himself going out the same way the roman demigod did earlier.
"Keep moving!" he ordered after a moment, slowly regaining feeling in his arm and glancing back.
Several of his captains were gathered again and now dozens of demigods followed along behind or in rows parallel to his own. They moved closer as a unit, almost jogging as they traveled through the camp with the great mountain in view beyond the forest canopy. Sometimes they had to stop or outright jump out of the way as centaurs ran past, the rather disorganized Party Ponies falling into disarray with the sudden lightning storm. A thunderous boom and nearly white glow drew several of their eyes, Allen included as they looked to see Zeus floating a few meters above the camp, Master bolt in hand.
His eyes glowed with power as the very air hummed in response before small spheres of lightning formed around him. With a wave of his wrist they launched around, intercepting the fired bolts and lighting up the night in blinding displays. 'At least he's helping to protect the army,' Allen thought even if he wondered why more demigods hadn't been hit before remembering his sister's note. 'So if elimination isn't the goal, then what?' he wondered as they finally arrived at the northern edge, the only side to have had a good chunk of forest cleared.
"Form up!" Allen ordered over the wind.
The demigods followed, lining up shoulder to shoulder with shields locked, the thickest line of four rows while the sides at three and back with two. Allen stood near the center space left, constantly walking back and forth as his captains dispersed within the ranks to keep order, catching the slight mutterings when close. His heart sank as he noticed some of the youngest within the ranks shaking in their armor. He tried to steady them while idly noticing as other groups formed up near them including their sister-group, Bellona's Cohort with said goddess barking her orders.
Allen could already see minor gods mobilized above them, trying to keep their chariots steady. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder making him jump and almost pull out his sword. Luckily he looked in time to see a familiar set of grey eyes and blonde hair through her helmet. His sister, Annabeth, had finally joined them. She gave him a reassuring nod before turning her attention to the other demigods that had noticed her, her very presence already causing a calm as the demigods steadied themselves.
With his sister back in proper command he turned to checking the lines and noting where the forces of their allies were and what was being covered. So far several lines and clusters had formed around them with attention generally aimed at the mountain and forest leading to it. The winds seemed to be calming and with Zeus diverting the lightning, order was being restored … until one demigod shouted out.
"Contact! North side!"
At once most of the attention was turned their and Allen could here several gasps and hitching breathes as they all saw what was before them. Just over a hundred meters away, right at the edge of the cleared trees stood one familiar hero. Percy looked at them, standing alone and almost blended with the darkness around him, only his icy blue eyes glowing from within the shadows with the occasional lightning strike making him more visible.
Tensions rose and Allen could feel a pressure gathering making him glance to the side to see a not so surprising sight. Artemis' Hunt had gathered closer to the edge of the clearing and the goddess was at the head, her eyes glowing silver as she held her bow and snarled as her gaze remained locked on the one who almost wiped out her hunters.
"Steady," Bellona's voice carried over the dying winds as she stood next to Annabeth, spear at the ready as all eyes remained locked on the most dangerous of their opponents.
Then, as if intentionally timed with the next lightning strike, Percy smirked for all to see before he slowly started to step back, his figure dissolving into the darkness with only his glowing eyes still visible. Then, with a blink he was gone even as a deep chuckle echoed throughout the clearing. Allen felt like ice water had been poured into his veins as he listened to it, his nose scrunching at the smell of piss wafting off some of the demigods before chaos broke loose.
With no signs or warning the earth started to shake causing cries of alarm and surprise. Then Allen cursed as the very ground under him shifted and moved as if it was alive, nearly making him fall as their formations were literally pulled apart. Entire rivers of mud and soil formed separating the demigods and Amazons in random directions even as the grounds continued to shake. Then the ear-racking sound of metal groaning and being torn rung out as he looked to see one of the Argos being tied up.
However, what was truly worrying about the sight was that it was by several massive trees. Trees that weren't there before as they loomed over the ships with branches acting like serpents, tangling the ship along the masts and any other foothold. Even from a distance he could tell the main mast of the ship being tied down as breaking meaning the power of those branches was enough to easily kill a demigod.
"Pull together!" he heard Hera order from within her units of Amazons though it seemed in vain as the earth simply shifted again and again.
Screams and shouts started to fill the air as some demigods suddenly found themselves being tugged by trees rapidly growing right out from under them, the branches tying around necks or legs before hoisting them into branches. Dread took an icy hold of him as cries and shouts for help were suddenly silenced following as demigods were dragged into the darkness of the trees.
"Come out you cowards!" roared one Craceus Orelous as he stood near some of his romans, his praetor cape billowing behind him as he spun wildly, his Imperial gold blade glinting with a faint glow in the darkness. "Fight us like proper Romans! Or are you too cowardly to dare face us directly!?"
His challenge drew some shouts of agreement as split up cells gained courage while brandishing their weapons calling out similar challenges, as if to goad the new primordial gods into facing them head on. Brave and courageous, openly defying what were obviously superior warriors using any and all tactics available to them, instead wanting to face them in tests of skill with their blades. That's why they were called heroes and remembered but Allen had another word for them.
Fools.
There was the momentary low in movement as the earth settled and everything settled for a split second. Then like vipers, five branches sprung from the trees around the praetor and his unit. Before he could react all five were tangled around his neck, wrists, and ankles, hoisting him above their heads as he struggled in vain, unable to swing his sword to cut himself free.
Then they started to pull.
All the demigods that could see could only star in shock as they watched, and heard, as the demigod was pulled in every direction. The popping and cracking of bones, the shrill screams of agony, before there was a final tug and he was ripped apart in a shower of blood. Silence took hold as some demigods fell to their knees, in shock as they stared at the headless, arm and legless body left of the challenging demigod as some possibly realized something Allen had himself come to terms with only days after the first attack and kidnapping of his mother.
They were not fighting Greeks or Romans, irrelevant of divinity. These weren't arrogant and boastful gods that preferred to lord their apparent victory, an action that had led to many of their defeats in the past. Allen had seen how they attacked and fought already, using weapons of completely different cultures, fought with unique styles that only hinted at differing origins. They were facing completely new enemies, unknowns aside from identity and even that was limited. They were opponents that couldn't care less for honor or glory but opponents that could and would cut them down without hesitation.
Skilled. Efficient. Lethal.
And it was that realization the truly started the breaking of morale as some demigods simply fell to their knees, weapons left forgotten at their sides. A minor god sped over them upon his chariot, trying to rally them … only to be shot out of the skies with a bolt. Allen watched as he fell, part of his breastplate and left leg looking charred as his chariot splintered, plowing into the shifting grounds. A groan drew some eyes as the god shook his head to ward off the dizziness, slowly getting up on shaky legs.
"What in the damn Pit," he growled as he looked to his large celestial bronze sword that landed just some feet away, miraculously still in place despite the churning earth around them.
He made a step towards it before suddenly the ground beneath his foot opened up. He cursed as his leg fell under and he was about to pull himself up but then tendrils seemingly made of roots and soil shot out, wrapping around the god much to his alarm. He started thrashing and shouting as the tendrils pulled into their abyss, uncaring of the struggles and curses. He lunged forward, falling flat with his hand inches from his blade before his eyes shifted to them, a furious glare becoming prominent even as his other hand clawed for purchase against the pulling roots.
"Help me you ungrateful bastards!" he roared before suddenly crying in pain as a root punctured through the back of his calf.
Whatever anger had been was replaced with fear as the god's struggles became desperate, grabbing at the soil only for it to give out between his fingers. Allen's eyes shifted to the ground as it writhed and molded, his knees shaking as it rose up and formed the upper half of a lion's head causing many of shocked demigods to move back, those of which having fallen to their knees earlier crawling backwards. The god noticed and looked back, his face going bone white before it turned to them.
"HELP M—"
Crunch!
He was silenced as the earthen jaws clamped down, the head melding back into the earth as if it was never there and the god along with it. All that was left behind was a severed wrist dripping ichor, having just managed to grab ahold of the sword. Allen heard someone throw up. Another one, likely one of the young ones going by the pitch of the voice, broke down crying and wishing to leave this war right then and there.
He couldn't blame the young one. Even if he knew the primordial gods' offer to safety if they surrendered was true, at the moment this was an attack meant to deal crippling blows to their moral, something made obvious the moment Allen noticed the lightning strikes mainly ran them out of their tents and corralled them in the open. Percy's appearance, the taunting chuckle, the way they were being picked off and made to watch as anyone who fought was brutally executed. Allen doubted this was random killing but a deliberate choice of who and how.
Laying down his weapon would probably see him spared but it wouldn't get him out and he had no doubt those seen as willingly surrendering would face wrathful Olympians tomorrow. So for now he steeled himself, going as far as biting the inside of his own cheek to focus on the pain rather than the fear encroaching on him. He needed to get his siblings together again and prepare to weather this storm…
Lola Jefferson, Same Time
Lola was panicking. Her chest was heaving as she pressed her back against a tree, her hands holding a shaky bow. Never before had she been so utterly scared as she was now, almost alone as she watched several of her peers, the hunters, get picked off one by one along with the occasional Amazon that happened to have split with them. Ever since the earthquake began, the Hunt had been collectively pulled further away into the thick of the trees. All of three seconds had passed before Percy appeared again, almost tauntingly close and predictably, Artemis had pursued the moment he dashed off.
With both their patron goddess gone and separated from the larger army, they'd been left with new opponents that stepped out of the shadows. Lola had instantly recognized two of them, having seen their projections in memories from the first attack in the Hunt.
Medusa and Lupa.
She'd watched as they drifted in and out of shadows, toying, probing, and testing out the Hunt as they were forced apart. Then it would happen. A wolf, smaller than Lupa, had lunged out of one shadow and bitten into the shoulder of an Amazon turned hunter and within the split second, dragged her into another shadow and disappeared with the hunter screaming in agony and panic the whole time. That had been the start and Lola couldn't do a thing but watch. Pitch black arrows would come at random, never missing a mark whether it was something as simple as hand or foot to some arrows being buried up to the feathers in someone's neck.
They'd been over a hundred with Artemis recruiting them, plenty not willingly either such as Lola herself. She was raised to care about family after all, and was even a bit of a daddy's girl. The thought of being pulled away from her father, her mortal side of the family, and her siblings in the camp horrified her. At the very least two of her sisters had joined as well but only after Lola had already been all but forced to join after Artemis saw her talents with a bow. She could only hope she was allowed to leave once this was all over … if she survived that is.
For now though all she could do was rapidly looked around, heart racing as screams and shouts rung out throughout the forest. There were also the sound of massive collisions farther off, savage shouts, and momentary sparks showing that several of the gods were fighting right now. The Hunt was already down a dozen at the very least, some of them sporting various injuries on their person. One hunter had even managed to react in time and stab a wolf through the head as it bit into her leg, instantly killing it. It was an empty victory though.
Not even ten seconds later a black chain had come from the canopy of trees and wrapped around the hunter's neck. With a violent pull it tugged the hunter up and swung, colliding her body with a tree causing a sickening snap before the chain released and the hunter's broken body fell back to the earth. Lola had watched as the hunter took a last, agonized breath and then fell still. Some had panicked at that, turning tail as they tossed down their bows and strangely enough, they were left unmolested in doing so.
"MEDUSA!" the enraged voice of Artemis roared from somewhere within the trees, doing more to scare the remaining hunters and few other demigods amongst them.
Lola's eyes turned in the direction she thought it came from as another shockwave exploded from that direction, buffeting her hair as some of the trees groaned in protest around them. Another lightning strike made Lola jump as she glanced up, seeing Zeus through a break in the trees as he struggled to divert the onslaught of bolts. It was next to useless though, given how widespread the army was now. Though, from what she'd seen, most of the bolts had been near misses or struck the chariots of the minor gods clean out of the skies, but very few demigod casualties. Had she been calmer she would have put that inherent wisdom to use and figure out the purpose of such attacks but at the moment she was strictly limited to observance and reaction.
Suddenly there was an explosion and shockwave behind her, sending her flying as dirt buffeted her before she landed on some shifting soil. She shook her head as she got on her hands and knees, looking back only to see Hera getting up out of the crater, her shield slightly dented but otherwise she looked unharmed even as she directed shaky eyes towards something. The close hunters and demigods looked in the same directly only to blink in confusion.
There stood a woman, a goddess by the air of power around her, dressed in a very dark green, nearly black, battle chiton with a green and golden sash around her waist. Golden-hazel eyes with emerald pupils, emerald bracers reaching up to just shy of her biceps, and similar greaves over closed leather boots. Her weapon was strange though, being a large staff made of a black metal mixed with the emerald held at the goddess' side as she stood at a ready stance, eyes trained on Hera.
"So even you stand with that council … mother," Hera said in a resigned and bitter voice as several of the demigods gasped, now knowing who the goddess was.
"You're no child of mine," Rhea growled back making plenty of the demigods to take a step back. "And that's Queen Rhea to you."
"Queen …?" Hera murmured before her eyes widened in disbelief which then made Rhea give a fanged grin with a faint nod.
In that moment a set of beautiful wings of earthen and golden tones burst from her back accompanied with the sound of shifting gravel.
"Another primordial," Aria, the lieutenant of the Hunt, muttered in distaste as she readied an arrow in her bow while others pointed various weapons at her.
"Do you honestly want to fight, demigods?" Rhea asked as she glanced around, getting several to shakily glance at their weapons while others only took more aggressive stances. Rhea sighed before almost whispering, "So be it."
Then she exploded into action, covering the distance between herself and Hera within a second while lunging with a thrust of her staff. Hera narrowly ducked, bringing up her shield enough to partly deflect the hit even as it grinded against the shield edge. Hera responded in kind, her sword blurring towards Rhea's neck but the winged goddess barely glanced at it as she slapped it away with the back of her covered hand much to Hera's obvious surprise. In that opening Rhea pivoted around, the other end of the staff being pulled around and before Hera could close her guard, slammed into her breastplate.
With a collision like a cannon shell meeting solid stone Hera was sent careening back through several trees and out of sight. In that moment some hunters attacked with a few demigods charging in, thinking the goddess wasn't paying attention.
How wrong they were.
A hail of arrows flew towards her but Rhea merely spun as her wings flared out. Arrows that weren't buffeted away with the sudden gust collided with metallic clangs against the wings without leaving so much as a scratch.
Then she attacked them.
Lola's eyes could barely even track her, at most catching a blur of emerald and those golden eyes. Rhea appeared before two demigods, swing already in motion as they brought their shields up but it did them no good. The staff collided with the shields and the bodies behind them, sending both demigods soaring into the trees in boneless heaps before Rhea turned and like a lion, swiped at the head of a hunter that hand lunged at her back. Like a hammer slamming into a watermelon, grey matter exploded around, the crude decapitation leaving a twitching body behind as Rhea turned her feral eyes on the rest.
None dared attack, eyes on the goddess' right, clawed hand still dripping blood before she snorted. Turning her back on them her wings minutely extended before she dashed off in the direction she'd previously sent Hera, another collision soon coming from the distance. Lola felt as if she could finally breathe as she sank to her knees, her knuckles almost bone white as they gripped the silver bow in her hands.
This was too much. She didn't want to be here, she didn't want to serve Artemis, or even be in this war. She didn't want glory or fame. She just wanted to go back home with her family, to see her mother safe and sound before taking her usual year in her mortal home with her father and cousins. Tears started trail down her eyes as her entire frame shook. Everything simply stared to get tuned out, only the sound of her own sobs reached her as the world became blurry through her tears.
Faintly she heard a scream and orders followed by more screams. Something wet hit the side of her face making her blink and wipe at her face through her sniffles before she turned to look. All she saw was the bloody tiara of the lieutenant before muffled steps drew her gaze forward. Leather boots were what she saw first before she looked up. Black jeans transitioned to a dark blue shirt and a black leather jacket that seemed to radiate darkness until finally her grey eyes met a pair of writhing black flames and icy blue pupils.
Percy stood before her, the Viking short-sword drawn in his left hand as he looked down at her without a trace of emotion. She started to cry right then and there, nothing but dread filling her as the legendary hero stood before her, knowing that her nine, nearly ten short years were up. Her bow dropped and forgotten, she waited for the end even as she wished she had gotten to say goodbye. However instead of feeling the cold sting of a blade, she felt something grab onto the back of her parka and lifting her.
In a moment she was dropped onto something furry. Her cries stopped in surprise as she looked down to see she was sitting on a pony-sized wolf. Looking to the side she was met with the back of the dark god, seeing him glance back with softened eyes before he looked away. She didn't get to utter a sound as the wolf suddenly leapt, making her squeal slightly as she gripped the thick fur while darkness surrounded them. She closed her eyes in reflex, hunkering down against the wolf.
Second passed with absolutely no sound, not even her own breathing as a cold stillness surrounded them before it abruptly ended. Where once was silence and darkness was now vibrant light and a chorus of voices. She blinked her eyes as she tried to adjust, slowly getting a clearer picture as she looked around. It was a camp of some sort with several large bonfires lit around, all manner of nymphs, satyrs, and mortals if she had to guess running around with blankets, medical supplies, and other such items.
Getting a better look she realized they were tending to numerous demigods of all sizes in various states, some looking shaken to the core and covered in dirt, blood, and grime while others merely looked merely surprised to the point of shock. She was shaken from her observations though as a pretty woman with auburn hair in a bun and cream chiton sped up to her.
"Oh dear, another of Athena's," the woman said as she quickly picked Lola up and off the wolf which soon disappeared into a shadow.
In a flurry of motion Lola found herself divested of the parka and small breastplate leaving her in a simple shirt and her stained jeans before a warm blanket was wrapped around her and a clean cloth was trailed over her cheeks. A cloth that she absently noted came off caked with blood and dirt.
"Lady Leto," a nymph said as she ran up to Lola and the woman currently cleaning her up. "Another one just arrived but she's unresponsive. Total shock."
The now named Leto clicked her teeth as she pulled back from Lola. "Really, needing to go this far just to keep the Olympians and anyone watching unsuspecting." The goddess looked at the demigoddess with a sad smile before she gently took Lola's shoulders and turned her away. "I think there's someone that would be happy to see you," she said as Lola's gaze zeroed in on a familiar head of blonde hair.
She gasped and before she knew it she was running, tears of sheer relief spilling down her cheeks as she covered the distance in seconds.
"Mama!" she cried as she threw herself at the goddess who'd been tending to what appeared to be one of her siblings judging by another head of blonde … not that Lola could really focus on that at the moment.
The blonde goddess caught her, engulfing her in a hug out of simple reflex as Lola held on tight. She didn't hear what her mother said at the next second, didn't care for how they drew attention with how loud she'd been, or even that she had just been on a battlefield. All she cared about at the moment was that she was with her mother…
Annabeth, Same Time
The goddess raised her shield before shoving it aside, slamming an oncoming wolf back into the darkness. She huffed as she shifted around, her sword arm swinging as she sliced through several assaulting branches. Demigods milled around her, back to back and moving in tandem to fend of the onslaught, her presence creating a pillar of control and efficiency within the storm. Her eyes scanned every demigod, their position, and predicted oncoming attacks within minute seconds, her training and experience naturally falling into play.
With a twitch her wrist flicked and she barely looked as a smaller wolf was lopped in half as it had tried to make a go at her blind spot. She glanced at her bloodied sword before passing over the dead wolf, scrunching her nose in distaste of the action even if she wouldn't hesitate to do it again. She understood the intention of the attack within moments, watching as the morale of the entire army was systematically dismantled while dealing crippling blows to the leadership, especially those heading more aggressive stances against the new protogenoi.
The separation and scare tactics, using hit-and-run at key points, and making a gory show of certain kills. It was all guerilla tactics, the very aspect of her domain and something she'd naturally mastered. She'd already picked out who their targets would most likely be, understood where and how they would attack … and she let them be. She'd already decided to turn against Olympus and now was doing nothing more than going through the motions, keeping her own safe and watching as certain individuals were picked off like that praetor that got pulled apart.
She grimaced at the sight and dearly wished many of the demigods didn't needed to see this but there was no avoiding it. Percy and co didn't want to fight this army in the first place and what better way to stop an army that take away the very will to fight? Although, it was guaranteed that when this was all said and done, plenty of demigods would be terrified of them and want nothing to do with them but they were willing to bare it. Better alive and living somewhere away from the primordial gods then fighting a losing battle and dying pointlessly.
Intentions and consequences regardless Annabeth rolled to the side as she avoiding getting impaled by a branch of a low tree, silently cursing that Rhea seemed to be a little eager to mess her up along with this attack. At least Hestia wasn't part of the attack, otherwise Annabeth was sure she would have been charcoal by this point. She glimpsed a few moments of combat and was actually surprised to see Rhea actually present and combating Hera, the pair moving from collision to collision with anyone trying to help Hera being turned into red stains.
Most of the minor gods were still trying to retain their control of the chariots but were being shot out of the sky even with Zeus intercepting so many shots. She'd also barely noticed the appearances of Medusa and Lupa as the pair picked off demigods through the shadows, the black arrows tipping her off that Lamia was supporting from within the trees as well. The rapport of a rifle fire made her look off to the southern direction nearest the camp, probably being one of the newest gunman taking a shot from a higher vantage point. Green sparks within the darkness also meant that some demigods, of those supplied anyways, had resorted to using their improved Desert Eagles to kill off attacking wolves.
"My lady!" called one of the roman demigods as he ran to her from the east direction.
Her gaze shifted to him even as she blocked a large tree branch, grunting slightly as she shoved it back. Just her look alone already got him talking, sparing her the energy and focus.
"The Hunters, over half are gone!" the demigod shouted before cursing as another shift in the soil tripped him up.
Annabeth's heart skipped as she heard that, dread building in her gut as she thought about some of the unwillingly drafted demigoddess within the group, especially her three sisters. A part of her mind remained calm and reasoned that they'd been taken, already knowing that the council had stated they would try to pick out those surrendering but at the same time remembering that in this chaos, picking them out and taking the time to transport them away wasn't easy. Still, she steeled herself as she put some faith and hoped that at least some had only been taken.
Still, she could see why the demigod who'd reported was panicked. The Hunt was their main offensive force suited to long-range considering Artemis' blessings and teachings were intended as such rather than strengthening archery and gave more towards Healing and Theft/Stealth for Apollo and Hermes respectively.
"What about the remaining?" she asked as she cut through veins trying to tangle a demigod beside her.
"Scattered," the roman demigod breathed as he backpedaled from a rising root. "Some were running as if the devil was on their tail back to the camp, others joined up with other groups," he continued before suddenly pausing as he looked directly at Annabeth and took a shaky gulp. "Some spotted Jackson near where the largest group of Hunters were."
'No wonder the Hunt was cut down so drastically,' Annabeth thought with a grimace, having been informed by her mother of the exact details of that even over a decade ago and how Percy saw the Hunt. 'Still, I hope Lola, Arianna, and Mia are okay,' she thought silently before looking back to the demigod.
"Where is he no—"
Crash!
She was cut off as she ducked down behind her shield on reflex, feeling all manner of wood chunks and dirt pelted at her before a voice roared out.
"Jackson!"
She lowered her shield along with the other demigods nearby to see Artemis pulling herself out of a pile of crushed trees. Her silver helmet was gone leaving her auburn hair to flow, her silvery eyes glowing with cold fury as ichor dripped down her busted lip.
Across from her stood Percy, his own face pulled into narrowed glare while only one of his blades remained drawn. His stance looked at ease even if Annabeth could see he was coiled like a spring, his focus never leaving the feral goddess. Annabeth along almost any who were close enough to see hunkered down and went silent as the two major fighters confronted, knowing that even getting caught up in their fight would spell doom. Annabeth was also wondering how long it would be before Apollo came, knowing he wouldn't leave his sister to fight alone.
"Artemis," Percy growled slowly, his voice dripping with venom as the very darkness around him seemed to pulse and writhe.
All was still for almost a minute, some not even daring to breathe before, by some hidden signal, both shot at each other.
Clang!
Annabeth's ears were ringing with the explosive collision as the shockwave knocked over trees and demigods alike with the two fighters stalemated at the center. Her eyes watched as they suddenly blurred into motion, their blades only wisps of silver and black with spark after spark. Annabeth was sure only the immortals present could even really see some of the arm movement while the demigods could barely track as Percy and Artemis moved back and forth between the clearing their first collision created.
"M-monsters," she heard a demigod behind her whisper and looked back to see his panicked eyes desperately trying to follow the fight even as he shook like a leaf in a storm.
'Monsters is right,' she thought as she returned her attention to the combatants, seeing them move with a savagery more expected of beasts yet with a precision and mastery befitting of immortal warriors. Each swing intended to kill, every block or dodge instantly answered with equally deadly counters. She watched as the greatest of heroes fought with the currently strongest goddess of Olympus. Then Artemis used a dual strike and seemingly caught Percy by surprise, his guard opening just enough for Artemis to follow with a crushing kick.
The blow landed against Percy's hastily placed forearm even as he grunted, his feet gouging out earth and wood as the force bled off but he wasn't down by a long shot. She squinted as she barely saw Percy suddenly close in and enter Artemis' guard before he lashed out with a vicious right hook, slamming it into Artemis' half-placed guard and blowing her clean off her feet. The goddess barely even had time to impact the ground before Percy blurred next to her and punted her through several trees.
"Is this it, goddess?" Percy's voice wrung out as he lazily held his Viking sword at his left side. "So much for the elite of Olympus."
The words only infuriated the goddess more as she got up, backhanding a large tree that nearly fell on her and turning it into mulch. Annabeth started to get worried as she felt the pressure build as the goddess' frame started to pulse mixes of silver and god. She could see the rage frothing and rising with every blow, feel the intensity of the moon's glow above them as the bitter adversaries assaulted each other. 'She isn't going to …' she thought in horror before she realized she was going to.
"Artemis don't!" she shouted but it fell on death ears.
"Jackson, after everything you've done, I'm going to make you pay!" Artemis roared, shaking the very forest around them as she started to grow and glow.
"Eyes away!" Annabeth shouted over the suddenly billowing winds even as she planted her feet firmly and only just barely noticed Percy's sudden smirk.
She couldn't contemplate on it as not a moment later something akin to a miniature, compressed warhead exploded before her. Even being immortal, the harshness of the sudden glow forced her to look away and to her horror, she heard a few short screams meaning some demigods had in fact not looked away. The heat and light faded quickly and she looked to see the Olympian goddess in all her glory.
Standing at nearly thirty feet, she was adorned in silver body suite fit to practically resemble a second skin and matching her cascading silver hair and solid silver eyes lacking sclera or pupils. She could also make out the lines and grooves of small, scaled sized plates within the body suite covering her torso, abdomen, and most of her back. Over the suite were celestial bronze greaves and bracers along with some plates along the outer thighs and shoulders. Lastly were the twin silver knives in her hands, each as long as her forearms and an extended guard passing slightly over her knuckles.
Even in the thick of battle Annabeth had to commend Leo and Hephaestus for their redesigned armors used by the Olympians in their divine forms. Each had been restructured and refitted with more in mind that the standard warfare of ancient Greek times. Still, she didn't have time to admire the craftsmanship as a dark chuckle drew her gaze to Percy only for her eyes to widen. He stood at the same size as Artemis but only constructed of darkness with his glowing icy blue eyes and that same smirk.
"Now we're getting somewhere," he chuckled before rushing the goddess at a speed that Annabeth barely followed.
In a blink he was there and even as Artemis made a swipe at him, he ducked and twisted around her limb, rapidly tangling the enormous goddess until he stood right behind her. His lips of shadows drew near her ear as he had one hand wrapped around her neck, the other holding the back of her left hand, her right left immobilized by tendrils of darkness even as the goddess rapidly pulsed silver trying to break the grip.
"How about we go somewhere a little more private?" he asked before giving a fang grinned as Artemis paused in her struggles for just a moment, gritting her teeth.
Before she could retort though there was a sudden glow from across the battlefield and a familiar voice.
"Artemis!" shouted Apollo as he blazed through the forest, burning the trees and shadows alike away in a golden fury as he grew to his godly height of fifteen feet and looked ready to assume his divine form as well.
Annabeth wasn't sure what to do at that moment as Apollo quickly closed the distance, his sword already primed to stab right where Percy's head was, the master of darkness narrowing his glowing eyes at the approaching Olympian. But, before Apollo could get within striking distance, a white blur suddenly collided with him after having burst through the canopy.
Crash!
A cloud of dust and ash was blown into the air as the ground shook from the impact though both Artemis and Percy seemed completely unbothered by it as the goddess resumed her struggles as the pulses of power coming off her started to increase in intensity. 'I have to get the demigods back or they'll be vaporized if they're too close!' she thought in alarm as she prepared to command them back but her attention was turned again to a choked gasp.
Her eyes fell to the crater only to see her husband held in the air by the throat as Jason, now at fifteen feet as well, glared at the choking god.
"Get out of here Percy, we got it covered," the second winged god said almost coolly as he kept his eyes locked with the struggling sun god.
Without warning or preamble Jason suddenly let go of Apollo only to deliver a forward kick, sending the god barreling back. Without a glance back a white longsword appeared in the winged god's hand before he chased after the sun god, ignoring everything else. With those two gone her eyes shifted back to Percy only to see even more shadows covering Artemis, suppressing the pulses of her power and keeping her shackled.
"Hope you said goodbye," Percy whispered before the darkness expanded around them, swallowing them into a lightless void before it collapsed with no sign of either god.
Annabeth scanned around and expanded her senses but she couldn't detect either of them. Her hands were shaking as she kept hearing the echo of his last words and nervously swallowed at the implications. She had no doubt of the results … or the chaos that would follow with the army.
Luckily she was shaken of such thoughts as fell back on her training and role as commander in place of her mother. "Form up!" she hastily ordered, some of the demigods shakily responding and closing ranks as they kept wearily glancing in the direction of white and golden flashes along with the occasional sound of metal colliding.
Seeing them all together and noting that more than just demigods from her unit were with her, she nodded and quickly started jogging, the demigods soon following. Thankfully the ground seemed to be settling making the movement easier and soon enough they managed to join up with more cohesive groups already reforming. She spotted her brother and made her way to him, seeing the relief flash in his eyes as he recognized her though she briefly hoped the blood on him wasn't his.
"Status," she ordered as the demigods quickly started to form ranks, weapons aimed at the few directions of noise marking immortal combat.
"A good chunk of the Vanguard is back together and I saw Hermes' Scouts grouping up again. Amazons are trying to support Hera," he said while gesturing further north before scoffing, "At this point they're just adding to the body count. As for Bellona, it looks like she ran off in the direction of Apollo and Jason to try and turn the tables. I can't say for the other gods or the rest of the army but I'd assume more than just Jason and Percy are attacking."
"Jackson disappeared with Artemis in toe," Annabeth said curtly, neither seeming too worried about the fact nor as if to dismiss it as unimportant.
The demigods present that had not witnessed the savage exchange and departure looked at her in shock and she could practically hear their morale dropping by the second. Taking Artemis was a two-fold blow, taking away a source of confidence due to her added power and also taking away one volatile goddess scaring a good chunk of demigods into fighting or else. She just knew tomorrow was going to be all sorts of messy, to speak nothing of what Apollo might do.
"Well …" Allen continued after a pause, looking as if he'd eaten something questionable and didn't know whether to like the taste or not. Considering what he knew about Percy's concern for them along with his own distaste for the goddess after she drafted Lola, Annabeth could understand why. "… Anyways, Hephaestus is with his Smiths and they're forming up closer to the camp itself but Leo is gone."
"What!?" she asked in surprise. Why would he leave?
However before she could begin to form up any plan or properly form up the demigods near her, she paused as she felt a buzzing, specifically in the breast pocket of her shirt beneath her breastplate. She went noticeably rigid causing several of the demigods to look at her in concern but she didn't pay them any attention. With almost robotic movement she sheathed her sword before reaching over the top of her armor and digging around. 'Please no, please no,' she recited almost religiously as she soon found source of buzzing, lifting up to show a little red button connected to her necklace.
As big as a nickel and made of celestial bronze surrounding the enchanted red plastic, it buzzed and blinked in her clammy fingers. Her heart started to race as she stared at the device that not only had her attention but of the surrounding mortals. Now she knew why Leo had left … and just how much worse the night had just gotten.
In her hands was a buzzer linked to a panic button … a button that went off if a certain being wasn't within five meters of it or intentionally pressed. Built and programmed by Leo assisted by herself and Athena over a year ago, water and fire proof, capable of standing pressure levels meant to crush steel, and all the while discreetly hidden in plain view. Regardless of what was going on around her, this took priority as her body and mind reacted instantly as a warning flash came off her. Not a moment later she was gone in a flash, heading straight for Ogygia with only one goal in mind.
Get to Cloelia as soon as possible…
Now things are picking up. I believe the coming fight is something everyone was looking forward to and like one reviewer (you know who you are) said in a previous review; "Let them fight!"
A collision of titans(pun intended) is about to begin!
A pleasure, Jbubu
