Hi guys! Sorry for not updating in a while but getting back into a proper job after two years of unemployment is more taxing than you'd think, especially mentally. Even if said job is just sitting in a chair and rewriting old documents in Microsoft Word. I am still working on new chapters but they are going to come out more slowly now that I actually have a job to go to.

With that said, I am going to reply to what quite a few reviewers have inquired about by saying that this isn't going to be a story where Percy is going to stand alone on top of the world with nobody from his past getting a chance to redeem themselves.

It is just not in my nature to write like that, I sure can if I really wanted to but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth afterwards.

Don't worry, punishments will be served and I have had to get creative with some of them. Hard times are coming for Olympus and plenty of characters are going to get what is coming to them. But there will still remain some people from his former life hanging around after his revenge is complete, you will just have to wait and see what I have in store.

With that said, enjoy your read!

Of all the places that Annabeth had been to throughout her life, she could definitely say that the palace of frost that she was now within might be one of the most somber places she had ever seen.

The towering structures of ice and the detailed murals on the walls would have been incredibly beautiful if it wasn't for the feeling of death and loss that constantly lingered wherever she walked.

In spite of the dour atmosphere and the unsettling eyes of her watchers following her every step, Anna pressed forward.

She couldn't leave these shores without having gotten her answers and there was only one being who could give them to her.

The monsters mostly left her alone and only ackowledged her existence by snarling in her direction when she veered off the straight path. It was clear that they didn't want her to venture further into the fortress beyond her journey towards the throne room. Part of her wondered why they didn't strike her down for entering into their stronghold but every time she thought about asking it aloud, she always answered it herself.

The Lich King ordered them to let her through, he wanted to see her.

She shivered as a skull crumbled into fragments beneath her boots, in spite of being shielded from the freezing winds the inside of the fortress somehow felt even colder than outside. No doubt due to the power of the king of this particular castle.

Perhaps he truly was some kind of god after all...

The young goddess suddenly came to a stop in front of a massive set of doors that were sealed by a powerful spell. She could feel an incredible power beyond and realized that she had reached her destination, she was about to knock when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Ah...you are here."

She almost jumped as another undead floated in front of her. His elaborate robes indicated authority and Anna couldn't help but to feel a strong sense of unease in his presence.

The undead outside were already a step-up from typical zombies and this one was even more powerful than them, most likely a general or commander of sorts.

"My king is expecting you. Please wait a moment."

He floated up to the door and gently put his hand on the door. The door glowed and then swung up on its own accord.

She took a few careful steps inside, enraptured by the sight that awaited her.

Even though he now possessed a much more frightening and imposing visage, she knew in her heart that her lost love was in front of her. He looked incredibly majestic as he rested on his throne of ice, his posture straight and proud as he gazed down at her. A freezing sensation traveled down her spine as their eyes met and his glowing eyes seemed to see right into her soul.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied her voice as much as she could. Still uncertain of how much humanity there still existed within him, she decided a formal approach was the smarter move.

"Greetings, Nothern King. I come seeking answers, answers that only you can provide."

He leaned foreward, seemingly intrigued by her request.

"And what are the answers you seek, goddess?"

The king's voice was surprisingly gentle in spite of its inherent coldness, like light snowfall softly brushing against her cheek instead of the raging blizzard she had heard previously out on the frozen shores.

The words almost got stuck in her throat, but nonetheless she spoke her request.

"Are you truly Percy Jackson, the lost son of Poseidon?"

The silence begun to settle, only interrupted by his shallow breathing. She heard him rise from his throne and walking over to her as his armored boots clinked with every step. Annabeth was terrified to look up, unaware if she had offended him in some way.

A hand was placed on her head and his ribcage rattled as a deep chuckle made its way past his lips. Incredibly confused, she looked up to see a pale familiar face giving her a sad smile.

"It has been far too long, Anna. I have so missed you so much..."

-line-

'Goddamit Anna, can't you see that he is gone!?'

Davos was cursing up a storm as he was blindly running through the icy corridors, cutting down anything that tried to stand in his way.

Him and Annabeth may not have always had the best relationship, but he would be damned if he was gonna leave anyone behind on this crazy island!

Finding one person in a complex this big was going to be a major challenge, especially since the corridors all looked the same, but he wasn't going to give up.

He came to a sudden stop as an undead of a much higher stature than the other dregs that littered the halls stepped in front of him at the end of a long hallway. Davos was about to cut him down like the others but the power radiating from him made the hairs on the back on his neck stand up.

He gripped his sword even tighter, this was going to be a much harder challenge than what came before.

The undead then surprised him by speaking, the sound of his raspy whisper chilling him to the bone.

"My king is speaking to an important guest and does not wish to be interrupted. I would advice you to wait here, they will be finished soon enough."

Davos gritted his teeth, he didn't have time for this!

"Like hell I am leaving her alone with that monster! Now let me through or I will cut you to ribbons!"

A sinister gleam entered the milky eyesockets and the god felt the powerful magic in the air around him. He made himself ready for battle. His opponent was floating a few inches of the ground, gathering strength.

"Is that so? Then I have no other choice..."

Before Davos had a chance to react the lich slammed his staff into the ice-floor, causing it to break apart under the godling's feet. He lunged forwards only for the spellcaster to float out of reach as he plummeted down into the abyss below.

The fall was incredibly lengthy and the impact with the ground almost knocked him unconscious, he looked up towards the ceiling and saw a incredibly tall shaft that he had fallen through as well as the floor reforming itself above him.

He groaned and then rose to realise that he was standing in the middle of a massive boneyard that must have contained the remains of an entire army all by itself. He ignited his sword using the power of the Thunderbolt within it as he tried to see, he could make out shapes in the darkness that scurried away from the light of his makeshift torch.

They were probably the vermin of the castle. Nothing to worry about.

The sounds of bones shifting and clicking confirmed that he was no longer alone in the chamber. Davos waved his lightsource around wildly as he tried to spot the beast that was no doubt laying in wait, ready to pounce the second he let his guard down.

The ground trembled beneath his feet and Davos only barely had enough time to jump out of the way as the bonepile he had been standing on shattered and the largest insect that he had ever seen emerged from the depths. He turned his sword to it partially for intimidation, partially to get a better look at it.

It was absolutely enormous, larger than an adult elephant, and covered in an armored exoskeleton that he could just tell was going to be a huge chore to try and cut through. The shell was a combination of gold and purple with azure shell pieces that protected its back and lower body. It moved around on four powerful legs that were thicker that wooden logs and a third pair had developed scythe-like blades that were positioned in front of its face in a manner similar to a praying mantis. A curved horn was present on its head and its eyes were bottomless pools of hatred and loathing that made even the normally fearless young god take a few steps back.

It took a step towards him and Davos felt beads of sweat run down his forehead, with how exhausted he was from fighting the enemies outside he wouldn't stand a chance against this thing.

"So child, you intend to fight me with that? Don't make me laugh."

The sinister voice that came from the creature's mouth was unlike anything that he had ever heard. It had a buzzing quality and almost sounded like multiple individuals were speaking at once.

A voice in the back of his head whispered to Davos that he wasn't going to make it out of this fight alone. That he was going to die down here where nobody could hear him.

"It has been long since I have seen one of your kind down here, let alone tasted the flesh of the gods. You may not be that one, but you are similar enough that this will be immensely satisfying..."

His legs shaking, his eyes never left the creature in fear that glancing away for a mere second would invite it to attack. Yet still, there was something about its words that unsettled him...

"Who is 'that one'?"

The beast chuckled, a horrible sound.

"Another boy of godly blood that fashioned himself a hero, just like you. And just like you, he was rather wicked underneath that exterior of gold and marble. He banished my entire people to this wretched place we now call home many centuries ago, merely due to our refusal to bow before him."

Something about the tale sounded incredibly familiar, and not just because of the ugly stain on his own family-tree. He tried to recall where he had heard this particular story before as the insect drew closer and closer, eagerly rubbing the scythe-blades against each other.

It hit him like a lightning-bolt from a clear sky.

Davos looked at his adversary in absolute horror, suddenly realizing who the monstrosity in front of him was.

"By the Gods, you are Anub'arak."

The crypt was filled with the crazed laughter of the monster as the young god realized how screwed he was.

"Indeed, I am the King of Spiders and the Keeper of the Sacred Crypts. Long ago, my people loyally guarded the tombs of the great warriors and heroes throughout the ages. A truly honorable duty, even if perhaps not the most glamorous one. And before we could fully comprehend what happened, we were robbed of everything. All because a spoiled brat couldn't accept that my people only bowed before the Lord of the Dead. But enough talk of ancient history..."

The towering cryptlord let loose a chilling roar that shook the stonewalls and forced Davos to shield his face from the flying dust and debree. Three other large insects of the same brood as their king emerged from the darkness and Davos was letting loose every foul word in his vocabulary.

"Let us see how long you can last before you draw your last breath..."

-line-

Percy thought that he was as prepared as he possibly could be for the reunion with the woman that he once loved.

Yet as she bowed before him, having blossomed from a developing teenager into a beautiful woman, there were some old feelings that stirred far inside of his frozen inner. He put a comforting arm on her shoulder as he temporarily removed his helmet, he wished for them to truly speak face to face.

She looked up at him and her breath hitches, his probably would have as well if it wasn't for his self-control. Nonetheless, it was the past and it didn't matter to him now. Or at least, it shouldn't...

"Annabeth, rise. You are not here for pleasantries. You are here for answers, are you not?"

Somewhat shaken but still maintaining composure, his old flame rose from her kneeling position and moved to stand before him. Her eyes were full of pain and longing, clearly wishing to embrace him but too fearful to do so.

"There are so much that I'd like to ask you. What happened to you, Percy? How did you gain such incredible power?"

Percy smiled softly, for an undead at least.

"As you have surely noticed by now, this island is quite a special place. Having served as a prison for those banished by the gods for millennia, this land has gradually absorbed the power of the wandering souls until it has almost become sentient in a sense. And as any necromancer would tell you, souls are one of the most potent magical powersources that you can get your hands on. It just requires rather twisted ways to access it. I am certain that my loyal arch lich Kel'thuzad can explain it in more detail if you wish to know more."

Percy's eyes grew distant as he begun to recall the painful moments that changed his life forever.

"When I arrived here all those years ago, it was inhospitable. One of the undead wounded me and as I was near death, the island itself and all the souls trapped here led me to this throne-room. I took up the mantle of king not necessarily with the intention of ruling, but rather to keep living. I was encased in ice as the power that rested within this desolate frozen wasteland merged with my own. As such, the entire landmass and everything around it responds to my will."

Annabeth was enraptured by his tale, suddenly understanding the deeper layers of Percy's power. The former halfblood was not merely controlling the ice and snow, it was a part of his very being. His voice was carried by the frozen winds because he willed it to do so.

"But as you know all too well, everything has a price."

The shift in tone of Percy's voice put her on edge, it had an almost underlying tone of sadness but it was buried far beneath layers of cold acceptance.

"As Northend's king, I am now bound to the island for the rest of eternity. I can leave it for a limited time in order to support my troops but ultimately I still have to return one way or the other. And let us not forget that I am no longer amongst the living."

He gently cupped Anna's head in his hands as the young goddess felt a tear run down her cheek, having understood what the frozen monarch was trying to say.

"I don't belong in your world. Let go of me and move on, it is for the better."

Annabeth wiped her eyes, feeling her heart break in two. She had tried to deny it for so many years, but there was still a part of her that loved Percy Jackson. And although she understood his reason for keeping his distance, it didn't soothe the pain.

But there was still one last question that had yet to be answered.

She once more looked up at Percy, bringing out her golden scales. The undead ruler gave her a questioning look and she felt slightly embarrassed.

"I have to be sure that my following question is answered truthfully."

She was met with a raised eyebrow.

"And you didn't take it out until now?"

Sorrow was evident in her voice and her voice trembled slightly.

"This answer is more important to me than any other..."

Percy's eyes closed and he took a deep breath. He understood what came next. Anna steadied her voice as much as she could, finally voicing the question that had plagued her for so long.

"Percy, why? What possessed a man like you to seek something that wasn't yours to claim? Why did you assault Naomi?"

Cold eyes looked at her and Anna felt like she was one that was being judged rather than the other way around.

The words that came out of his mouth made her heart skip a beat.

"I never did."

The scales remained motionless.

Percy was telling the truth.

Percy was innocent.

Anna collapsed to the floor as her life fell apart before her very eyes.