Okay, it has been some time, but as promised I will now resume this story. Seeing so much interest in my story, especially in the third installment, made me quite happy. It is nice to know that your work is appreciated, so thanks to all of you who have followed, faved and reviewed the story so far.
So this chapter will reveal one big secret. But keep in mind that what you learn this time will only be a small fraction of the bigger picture, so there will be more to this secret that has yet to be revealed.
Alright, have fun...
"You've sent for me, father," the girl said, as she knelt down before her father's throne. The entire room was dark, except for the few torches that dared to shed light. But she was not bothered by the darkness, ever since she had come under her father's care, she had thrived in the darkness of his realm. She had become one with the dark shadows, hidden from sight to all but death itself.
"You taught her well, Thanatos. I am pleased," Hades said, a smirk spreading on his face.
His daughter showed no sign of surprise, as she had well known that Thanatos would most likely be present as well. Her mentor was one of the few that eluded even her senses. But his presence also meant one thing. Her father had not called her here for sentimental reasons. Not that she would have expected that. She was assured of his affection for her as his child, but he was not the kind of man to show this openly. No, with Thanatos here as well, this could only mean that her father had a quest for her. The first quest she would undertake in his name. She could hardly wait!
"Bianca has been a very attentive student. She thrives in the shadow like no other of your children, my lord. She will serve you well..." Thanatos stopped abruptly, as if he weighed his next words very carefully.
"But what?" Hades demanded.
"But her retained humanity will always be a hindrance. Her mortal soul stays her hand in certain situations. As does her affection for the boy. Her will always be a mortal weakness for her."
Nico! They were talking about her brother... her little baby brother. She has not talked to him in over a year. She had gone to Camp Half-blood, always hidden in the shadows, as she knew that she was not allowed to show herself to him. Her father's orders regarding this were absolute. But why did her mentor call Nico her weakness?
"Hm... this is, exasperating." Her father replied simply, as he leaned on his throne and rested his chin on one fist. "My daughter must not allow herself such weaknesses."
"Father I can assure you..."
"No, you cannot." Hades interrupted her harshly. "I have great plans for you, my beloved child. There is true greatness in your future. But as you are now, you will fail and you will perish."
"Command me, father, and I shall serve." Bianca replied quickly. She would do whatever it was for him. Thanatos had taught her so much about her father and about what she truly meant to him. He had encouraged her to form her own opinion of the god of the Underworld and she did just that. Admiration and love for her father had grown in leaps and bounds, as he had provided her with a future she could have only dreamed of in that dreaded casino.
"I do not doubt your loyalty. Our world is at the crossroads, Olympus' power is slowly crumbling and my brother is too blind to see it. He still craves power and I need someone to keep this power away from Zeus' power addled hands. Can you be that someone, daughter?" Hades looked intently at her, his black eyes never leaving hers.
Bianca had no doubts, as she jumped up and spoke with conviction, "I will not disappoint you father! I will do your bidding or die trying."
An amused smile appeared on Hades' face, as he regarded his daughter. Her conviction was quite amusing to see. He would have to reward Thanatos generously for instilling such fierce loyalty in the girl.
"Die trying... that can happen more often than you would expect." Hades told her calmly.
But as her face showed only confusion, Thanatos stepped forward to explain it to her, "Death means nothing to you, girl. You are of the Underworld. You are my champion, a champion of death itself. Dieing is nothing but a minor setback for you. They may kill you, but you won't be here for long, before you return to get your vengeance."
"I am immortal?" She asked, shocked by this revelation.
"No. Not yet, at least. You will age and you will decay, but as long as we will it, death will not be the end for you." Thanatos explained to her.
This was still quite the shock for her. How was she supposed to react to this? How many times would she die, before her father finally decides that she has done her duty? What would it be like, to die and return, again and again?
"It is not your own death that worries me," Hades told her stoically, "But how you will react to the death of someone close to you. Someone like the boy..."
"My brother?"
"Yes, him," Hades said with quite a bit of distaste. He had obviously not yet deemed Nico ready to learn about his heritage. Bianca knew that her brother was still too young, too innocent for this... but her father's cold refusal to even say his name was quite disturbing.
"Nico will not be an issue, father," She lied. And he knew that she lied. Her brother was never far from her mind.
"Are you willing to prove your conviction and your loyalty to me?" Hades asked her sternly.
"I am. Command me and I shall obey." Bianca replied quickly, readily.
Again the smirk returned to Hades' face. "Then you must leave your past behind. Everything that has happened in the past. You will be only my child. My beloved daughter, a servant of the shadows. A true Harbinger of the Underworld."
"I will do as you command, father," Bianca replied, though for the first time she could not hide the hesitance that grew inside of her. Again her thoughts strayed to her brother. Whatever her father had planned, it could mean nothing good for her relationship to him. But she knew her duty was to her father. Only to him.
"Thanatos, you know what to do. Prepare my daughter for her task, then send her on her way. There is much to be done," Hades commanded the other god, who only nodded in consent, "And Bianca," he called out to his daughter, "Make me proud and you shall taste true immortality."
She left him with a smile on her face, ignorant of what would be done to her soon. She was assured of her father's affection for her and in return she would do anything to make him proud.
Apollo knew that something was amiss, the very moment he had entered his house in Miami. Though most of the demigods there were asleep at this late hour, there was a feeling of dread that seemed almost chocking. Something had happened in his absence. But what? He hoped that Athena had no made her last mistake. If she even dared to show her face here... He had not forgotten her threat against his children.
But as far as he could see, his children were not hurt or otherwise troubled. They were sleeping peacefully, unaware of his presence. He could not prevent his sad smile, as he knew that their peace would soon be shattered by the harsh reality of Olympian politics. Oh how he cursed his father's paranoia and his siblings' schemes.
He continued on his way through the house, until he found the only room that still seemed lively. It was illuminated brightly and some people were arguing loudly and heatedly. One he recognized as Percy, but the others... Will, maybe. Or Lee.
"I don't care one bit about Zeus and his stupidity. He sends his minions to abduct my friend, he will pay." Percy shouted angrily.
"Who has been abducted?" Apollo demanded to know, as he burst into the room.
"Father!" Will, Lee and Michael all said at once, as they saw the sun god storm into the room.
But Apollo had no need for answers. Besides his sons there were only Percy, Zoe and another one of Artemis' hunters. One was missing. Ariadne. Someone has taken Ariadne. His most precious daughter.
"Who has taken Ariadne? Was it Athena?"
"No. It was someone else. I have never seen that woman before. She was young and she had wings. It happened so fast, we barely saw her coming. And she seemed confused." Percy told him. "At first she thought that I was someone else, but then she called me an imposter. But it was obvious that she had come for Ariadne."
Apollo's mind reeled as he tried to figure out which goddess had dared to abduct his child. Who had the gall to challenge him.
"I will go to Olympus and demand her return! They can't just run around and take people!" Percy said heatedly.
Zoe slapped him on the back of his head, her face marred by a deep frown, as she spoke with utmost disapproval, "You fool. They would kill you the moment you leave the elevator. You are a demigod, demigods don't go around and challenge the king of the gods. You stand no chance."
"Doing nothing! Is that your wise decision? Dammit, Zoe, I thought Ariadne is your friend! She would fight for you, but you won't do the same for her!" Percy replied.
Apollo watched his champion with worry. Rarely had he seen Percy this angry. He knew that the boy and his daughter had gotten close, as close as siblings even, but in this case it was unwise to allow emotions to overrule common sense.
"She is right, Percy. You can't just challenge Olympus." Apollo told him.
Percy deflated visibly, as he had to acknowledge Apollo's decision.
"But we have to do something. Zeus has Ariadne!"
"He does not," everyone in the room suddenly turned towards the door, where someone new had entered. The demigods tensed up, some even reaching for their weapons, as they did not recognize the man. But Apollo did.
"Uncle, why are you here?" Apollo asked, as Lelantos slowly walked up to him.
"Our queen has asked me to prevent you from doing something stupid, Apollo. The girl's abduction is unfortunate, but we must adhere to the plan, lest we will loose control of the situation." Lelantos spoke calmly.
"Apollo, who is this guy?" Percy asked, as he watched the newcomer warily.
"This man is Lelantos, son of Koios, Titan of Air and Hunting Skills... and my maternal uncle." Apollo introduced the Titan. But of course this only caused the demigods to tense up more. Well all but Percy and Zoe, the only ones who had contact with Titans before. But to the other four Titans had always been nothing but enemies.
But Percy was undeterred by Lelantos Titan heritage, other questions were much more pressing. "You said that Zeus does not have Ariadne. Then who has her?"
A secretive smile appeared on Lelantos face, as he stood next to Apollo. "Eos."
"Eos?"
"The Titaness of Dawn, daughter of Hyperion, sister of Helios and Selene," Lelantos clarified.
Apollo looked surprised as he heard this. But not like someone who has heard something entirely unexpected, but more the 'why did I not see this coming' kind of surprised.
"Is she working for Kronos then?" Percy demanded to know.
"No. As far as we know her reasons are her own." Lelantos replied, still as calm as ever, despite the volatile atmosphere in the room. "Apollo, maybe it is time for you to tell some of your secrets, don't you think?"
Apollo hesitated. Never before had Percy seen the god so at odds with himself. What was the sun god hiding? And how was this secret connected to Ariadne?
Zoe on the other hand narrowed her eyes in suspicion, as she watched both god and titan on the other side of the room. Her instincts told her that there was a big secret, just about to be revealed here. But what and how would it change their situation.
"Tell them, Apollo. Tell them why Eos' search for her sister has lead her directly to your daughter," Lelantos said, his tone demanding now. He spoke to Apollo like an adult who ordered a child to admit his wrong doings.
"I... she is... Oh damn it all." Apollo cursed. "Ariadne is not what you think." This only confused the demigods even more. "What I mean is, Ariadne is not a demigod."
"Woah, hold that thought for a moment. What do you mean she is not a demigod? What else is she supposed to be? The fucking Tooth Fairy?" Percy said. Had they all lied? Had Ariadne lied about her true origins? But why?
"Ariadne is my daughter. But her mother was not mortal, though at that time she had given up on all of her powers and lived a quiet life among the mortals." Apollo said.
"Her mother was Selene," Zoe concluded. "Why else would Eos hunt for her."
"Now that is a sharp one. Curious, most of Atlas' kids are simple minded cannon fodder." Lelantos said with a laugh. "Choosing her as her lieutenant speaks highly of your sister."
"Wait a second here. So you are saying that Ariadne is the daughter of a god and a titaness? So she is a goddess herself?" Percy asked. He had to sit down by that point, as the shock of this revelation was almost too much to bear. Her brother's fared no better.
Apollo sighed, before he continued. "It is not that simple, Percy. When I met Selene, I was very much sure that she was a mortal woman. An exceptionally beautiful woman, who managed to trap my heart. It was only later, when I visited her briefly before Ariadne's birth, that Selene told me the truth. You have to understand, that Selene and Helios both suffered greatly when the Romans stopped believing in them and attributed most of their powers to me and my sister. Helios accepted his fate and knew that he would fade. So he transferred his powers to me, before he disappeared from this world for ever. But Selene was not as willing to depart. She loved this world too much to do that."
"What a sad fate. Even the almighty are unable to prevent their own demise. In the end nothing stops death." Zoe muttered. And she was right. What a sad fate had befallen the Titaness of the Moon.
Apollo nodded, a sad smile on lips as he heard Zoe's words. "Selene decided to cling to her life, but she got weaker and weaker, as the people simply stopped believing in her. In the end she was forced to part with her powers, so she could live on with the little moon worship that was left on the world. But unlike Helios she did not pass on her powers to her successor."
"But Lady Artemis is the goddess of the Moon. Of course she has Selene's powers!" the other Hunter in the room, Phoebe, interjected arrogantly.
Lelantos laughed loudly, much to Phoebe's ire. "Foolish child. Your goddess is nothing but a warden. She has never been the incarnation of the moon as Selene had been. No, as long as Selene had lived, the moon had continued to exist."
"But she is dead now and the moon still shines brightly." Percy said.
"Yes. And it has become even stronger recently. Which means that Selene's powers have not left this world as she has perished." Lelantos told them.
"But Ariadne does not have her mother's powers. She is little more powerful than a demigod." Apollo said, "So they are still hidden somewhere, waiting to be claimed."
No one realized it, when Will suddenly started fiddling around with a small silver bracelet, which he had pulled out of one of his pockets. He stared at it in disbelief, as the others around him focused on Apollo and Lelantos.
"So Eos has kidnapped Ariadne, because she thinks that she is actually her mother?" Zoe asked.
"Indeed. Eos is in denial, both of her siblings have faded, so she remains alone. She is not ready to accept that. She has desperately searched for Selene, which lead her to the last child of her sister." Lelantos looked thoughtful for a moment, before he continued, "Maybe there is more to your girl than we had anticipated, nephew." Or maybe there was simply more than Rhea had told either of them. Surely the queen would not have missed this. She had proven again and again that she was quite able to unravel most secrets with ease.
"This is unbelievable." Percy muttered. He was sure that Ariadne had no idea about her true parentage. She would have mentioned it, they keep no secrets from each other. "But wait... can Ariadne gain her mother's powers? Can she take Selene's place?"
"Doubtful," Lelantos answered, "Her mother's powers have disappeared and none of us know where Selene might have hidden them. Or maybe she has passed them on to someone we don't know... or maybe Hyperion has taken his daughter's powers, though that would be a worst case scenario."
"Worse yet, should my father find out that Selene has not passed her powers on to Artemis, he will hunt for it." Apollo said, his face a distasteful grimace. "He would never allow for anyone out of his control to gain any power, especially not the powers of a Titaness."
"Has Selene never said anything to you, nephew?" Lelantos asked Apollo critically, "For all we know you were her last lover, her last contact with anything godly."
"I... we never talked about Olympus and the Titans... we just enjoyed the time we had together..."
"To Tartarus with you, you lovesick fool." Lelantos cursed.
Apollo looked angrily at his uncle, as he retorted, "What do you know, uncle. What do you know about love. Selene... never before have I loved anyone like I had loved her... But my love alone was not enough to keep her from perishing."
Grief overtook him, as he almost whispered the last part. In this moment Percy remembered what Rhea had said about him. Apollo was a broken man, hiding behind fake smiles and his playboy persona. The sun god was good at hiding it, for it was apparent that not even his twin sister had realized that the man she scorned for his habits, was merely running from his own ruin.
"But how does any of this help us get Ariadne back?" Percy asked, as Lelantos and Apollo had settled for glaring at each other.
But neither of the men spoke for a long time, as they had no idea where to start looking.
"I will search for her!" Percy snapped, as he got no answer, "And if it takes an eternity, I will find her. She is my friend and I won't abandon her. You two just get back to bickering." He stood up and went to leave the room.
"I'll come with you, Perce" Will said immediately.
"As will we," Lee said, as he and Michael stood up to follow Percy. "All of our siblings will follow you. Olympus may have abandoned us, but we won't abandon each other." It was obvious that their recent exile had only lead the children of Apollo to stick even closer together.
"You cannot go, Percy." Apollo stopped him, held him back with a hand on his champion's shoulder.
"Just try and make me stay. If you don't help me, maybe others will! I just go and ask Triton for help, surely my brother will aid me!" Percy felt great anger at Apollo, when the god tried to stop him. Why would he do this? Why would he disallow him to rescue Ariadne? Had the god lied about his affection for his daughter?
"You can't go, Percy, because you have a different path ahead of you."
"I can't believe this! Why would you..."
"A quest has been issued, Percy. A quest to save Artemis, who has been captured by unknown forces. And Zeus himself has ordained that you have to lead this quest or else he will have you and all who have helped you killed." Apollo told his champion through barely contained anger. His father had gone far. Too far. But so had his grandmother. Rhea knew very well where Artemis was, but she forbid him to interfere. Percy had to save her. It was the only way to deescalate the situation at hand. He hated it, but he couldn't deny her logic. Nevertheless, he would keep a very close eye on his sister and step in, should Atlas take things to far. But with Ariadne missing now... he felt torn.
"Fuck him! I won't..." Percy started, but stopped when Zoe was suddenly beside him and slapped him again.
"Don't be a fool, Percy. This is not a game and you are playing with more than just your own life." She told him.
"So you want me to abandon Ariadne as well?"
"Sometimes we have to do what is necessary and not what we want. You concern for your friend does you credit, but just about everybody in this house is a potential target for Zeus mad revenge. Don't sacrifice all of them for one life." Zoe insisted.
"I..."
"Leave Ariadne to us, Percy." Will told him, "We children of the sun watch out for each other. We will find her! You save that prude huntress, we..."
He suddenly stopped when an arrow passed between his legs, dangerously close to his most sensitive areas. Zoe just stood there, bow still in hand, a cold glare leveled at the demigod.
"Do not insult my mistress or you will part with some essential parts of your anatomy," Zoe hissed.
Phoebe was almost immediately by he side. The belligerent girl would have pummeled Will, had Zoe not forbidden her from harming any of the boys in this house. But she would meet him again one day, outside of this building. She would remember every slight.
Percy sighed, as he had to admit that his choices were very limited. Oh how much he began to despise Zeus. All of his problems seemed connected to the king of Olympus. Kronos seemed almost none existent next to this constant threat from the paranoid god.
"Alright. Alright," Percy stepped between Will and the huntresses. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice. We will split up. One group saves Artemis, the other one will hunt down Eos to get Ariadne back."
"Just don't stand in the way of the Hunt, Jackson," Phoebe spat at him. There wasn't even the hint of a doubt that she would attack him, should she see him as a hindrance to Artemis' rescue. Oh the joy of traveling with Artemis' girl scouts. He had almost forgotten how much Phoebe despises him. Now he really wished that Clarisse was here with them. She had done a marvelous job at keep Phoebe's attention away from him.
Lelantos watched the entire scene with a bored expression. Either he was guarding his true thoughts very zealously or he was just not in the mood to humor the youngest members of his family.
Apollo on the other hand quickly intervened, to prevent any further trouble that might be sparked the animosity.
"Stop this. Focus your anger on those who will try to stop you on your quests." Apollo barked angrily. "Only a hand full of demigods will go with Percy. The rest of the Hunt can either stay here or help finding Ariadne."
"We don't take orders from you, sun god!" Phoebe hissed angrily.
"But you take orders from me. In our lady's absence I am in charge. You will do as I command you," Zoe looked coldly at Phoebe, as she saw first hand how the man hating tendencies of some of her hunters had obviously gotten out of hand.
"But, Zoe, I..."
"No, Phoebe. Do as I tell you or I will need to replace a hunter."
Phoebe could only look at Zoe in disbelief, but no matter how much she tried to find a sign that her friend was joking, she found none. Zoe was serious. Deadly serious. She just stood there, arms crossed in front of her chest, a deadly glare on her face. Zoe would do it. With Lady Artemis' and Ariadne's lives on the line, the lieutenant of the Hunt would get rid of her in an instant, should she become a liability.
"Gather the others. We need to get ready." Zoe told Percy, before she left the room herself, to find her hunters. She took Phoebe with her, as she pulled the shocked girl out of the room.
"So off we go, down the yellow brick road," Will tried to sound funny, to lighten the mood.
"No, son. Now we are heading to war, I fear," Apollo told his child somberly. "The awesome times are over, now we have to earn our future. Both paths, that to find Artemis and the one to find Ariadne, both will lead you into conflict with Titans and Olympus.
"So would you run that by me one more time? My hearing must have gotten faulty," Clarisse said angrily, as she looked at Thalia Grace.
Zeus daughter had just returned from wherever Ares had brought her. Now she was armed with a new spear, a gift from her father to celebrate her return from the trees. And she had a quest. Not one given by the oracle, but one from the king of the gods himself.
"We go and find the traitors, then we keep a very close eye on them on this quest to find Artemis. And should they show even the slightest sign of treason, we are to end them." Thalia replied.
She did not look at Clarisse the entire time, instead she was was busy training with her spear, stabbing at invisible targets.
"This is madness," Clarisse muttered. "I have told you that Jackson is probably the least likely candidate for treason. He is too dumb for that!"
"I have heard all Annabeth had to say about this. From her point of view there is only one true threat to Olympus and that is Jackson and his new private army of demigods. My father is not willing to take any risks. Not with that dumb prophecy hanging over our heads."
"Prophecies... everyone keeps talking about this shit, but no one tells me what it really entails."
"I only know the gist of it, but what I know is that one of the children of the Big Three will destroy Olympus. My father told me that himself. And right now there are only three known children that fit the job description. Hades' daughter, Jackson and myself. I have no intention to betray my family, so that leaves us with only two options and one known traitor." Thalia replied stubbornly.
Zeus daughter stopped her stoic training with her spear and tensed up, as she heard someone else coming. She knew that her own group was rather small, with the few campers, who had volunteered to free the goddess Artemis. Except for Clarisse and Malcolm, there were only a hand full.
"But why did you bring the kid?" Clarisse asked, as she pointed at one of the boys, who talked animatedly with the rest of the group, though almost all other demigods ignored him. Their annoyance was plain visible, nevertheless the boy continued. Or maybe he just did not know.
"He is eager... and he volunteered. Can't say the same for any of your siblings," Thalia replied. She, too, looked slightly annoyed by the chipper boy, though not as much as the rest of her group. She only wished that more had volunteered. But most other demigods were either not ready to fight or not willing. "Had I not been trapped in that tree for so long... Luke would still be with us and Jackson would never have gotten this far..." She clenched her fists tightly, as the anger welled up inside of her.
"Well your little boyfriend abandoned us for the Titans quite some time ago. He and a whole merry lot of other idiots."
Clarisse had not forgotten the time when Luke's minions had attacked the boat she had been on. They had come for the Golden Fleece. Luckily they never got their hands on it. It only irked her, that it was Jackson who defeated them all on his own. She would have to get a whole lot stronger if she ever wishes to defeat him.
"Watch out! Attack!" Someone yelled.
Thalia and Clarisse had their weapons out within moments and looked around, searching for the threat. Not that it was that hard to find. A group approached them, armed and ready for combat. There were six of them, three dressed in the silver outfits of Artemis' hunters, the other three...
"Sherman? What the fuck are you doing here?" Clarisse blurted out, as she saw her brother among the group. Then she realized that they were lead by none other than Percy Jackson. "Jackson!"
"So this is him. The traitor!" Thalia said.
The daughter of Zeus slowly approached Percy's group, closely followed by her own comrades. Under other circumstances some might have considered the scene almost hilarious, as the two groups faced each other like gangs in a cheap wild west movie, yet the situation was too tense for any of them to even crack a smile.
"You spared me the chase, Jackson. Surrender now and my father might show mercy on your sorry traitorous hide!"
Silence was her answer at first, before Percy's stern mask cracked and he started laughing mockingly. "Your father does not even know how to write the word mercy. I pass. But maybe you should surrender, seeing as you are in no position to resist."
Thalia frowned, as she tried to decide whether Percy was just plain mad or over confident. The fact that he had Artemis' hunters on his side was disconcerting, yes, but not enough to warrant such lazy disregard of her strength.
"Drop your weapons. Please," Percy said one more time. "I'm here to talk, but I don't trust Zeus' minions enough to allow them weapons anywhere near me or my friends." But none of Thalia's group seemed willing to comply. Percy could only sigh. "Guys!" He called.
Thalia's eyes widened, as more than a dozen other demigods revealed themselves. All of them were archers, their bows ready and their arrows aimed at her group. She growled angrily, as she had to admit defeat for now. But she vowed silently that she would get Percy back for this humiliation.
"Drop your weapons. For now we stand no chance." Thalia ordered, albeit begrudgingly.
Nevertheless, it took some more prodding for the rest of her group to comply with her order. But in the end they knew that they stood no chance.
"So what now?"
"Now we talk." Percy replied. "Come with me, daughter of Zeus. We will talk. Alone." Percy motioned for her to follow him. He walked away from both groups, so Thalia followed him. But she was far from happy about this.
When both of them were a good distance away from the other demigods, Thalia's patience had reached its limit and she lunged at him. But to her shock, her had both anticipated and deflected her attack with ease.
"You definitely are your father's daughter. The same unrestrained temper." Percy muttered. "But perhaps we should start correcting some misconceptions here, Thalia Grace."
"What do you know about me, traitor?" Thalia spat.
"Enough. And you should quit calling me a traitor, lest I might take offense and really turn against the tyrant you call a father. In the end it was him who antagonized me without a reason, not the other way around."
"You are a traitor. You conspire against Olympus. You build your own army of demigods, to help your patron seize the throne!"
Again Percy laughed loudly. "You really believe this shit? Apollo has no interest in your father's position. All men who had gained that power have turned mad sooner or later. Why would anyone want that?"
"Don't lie, Annabeth told me..."
"Ah, yes. Athena's daughter. I should have let her die. I saved her sorry ass and that of her idiot brother and this is how they repay me. By creating further conflict. How very wise they are, the children of the goddess of wisdom." It had been on more than one occasion now, that Percy had come to regret his decision to let Athena's children go. Not always is kindness rewarded in kind.
"Annabeth has no reason to lie..."
"But neither has she ever bothered to understand. She saw a fraction, before she painted a bigger picture by herself. Listen closely, Thalia, I am not your enemy unless you give me a reason to be. My enemy is Kronos, though your father does anything in his power to add his name to that list. But for now we have a quest to finish." Percy said.
"Artemis."
"Yes. The goddess has been taken, but unfortunately the quest requires the children of the Big Three to work together to face this threat." Percy told her, his disdain for Zeus and those who follow him blindly undisguised.
Thalia snorted, as she heard Percy. "And you expect me to believe that you will free the goddess? A goddess who is absolutely loyal to my father?"
"I do my duty, whether I like it or not. You should try the same."
"The hunters in your group, the moment Artemis is free they will be on our side once more. You will loose a powerful piece in your game, Jackson."
"I am doing this mainly for the hunt. More precisely for Zoe, Artemis' lieutenant, whom I consider a friend. I would have helped her find Artemis, regardless of your father's threat to murder my friends and their families should I not comply."
Thalia was taken aback by his words. Had her father really threatened to do that? When she had met him, he seemed like a genuinely good ruler. Stern and emotionally cold, perhaps, but he is a just ruler.
"And what now?" She asked, as she regarded Percy critically.
Her gazed roamed once more, as she waited for the answer. She could see the other demigods not far from them. They were still on the edge and ready to fight. This madness... demigods fighting each other. This was not how it was supposed to be.
"Now... now we will choose a group to come along. Three demigods for each of us. We will be on equal footing here. And once Artemis is safe, we hopefully won't see each other ever again." Percy replied. He could already guess that Thalia would be the cause of many headaches in the future.
He really hoped that this was worth it. Though he had told the truth, when he told Thalia about his intention to help Zoe, his mind was still focused on Ariadne's kidnapping. His closest friend was far more important than the spiteful goddess. But he had no choice. Time was running out and he was tired of wasting it on those who would only betray his trust in the end. He had learned his lesson from the Athena children. Kindness is not always the best course of action... sometimes you have to get your hands dirty, in order to secure a future for those you love...
A/N: Okay, that is all for today. I know that everything is quite intense at the moment, but that is how it is supposed to be. They are at the brink of war, but against the wrong enemy.
Apollo's backstory with Selene will be a topic that recurs quite often in this story. It is his and Ariadne's main back story this time. There is still much that has not been revealed yet, so stay tuned for more on this.
And finally Percy, Bianca and Thalia. All three will play their big roles this time. Nico will only play a minor sub-part to Bianca's story. Sorry to all Nico fans, but to me Bianca was always more interesting and he is actually quite annoying...
Good so far, at least I hope so. I can't give you a definite ETA on the next chapter, but it should take less than a month. If things go well it will happen this month or early next month. My time to write is currently very sparse and I am actually one month early with this chapter, so please bare with me until I can arrange quicker updates for the story. Maybe I will write shorter chapters, just so I can give you at least something every now and then. I am not sure yet.
Okay, have fun and hope to see you again...