Author's Note: This is my first time writing a fan fiction, or a story for that matter, so I know that I won't be the most experienced writer, nor will I have the most interesting story and as such, I'll gladly take both praise and constructive-criticism alike. This is my take on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, starting from The Mark of Athena. Hope you enjoy!
Full Summary: Despite the combined efforts of both Greeks and Romans, the seven heroes have been broken. The Great Prophecy has failed. Gaea has awoken and begun her assault on Olympus. The Titans have risen, the Mist dispersed, and the world, including the realm of mortals, was shaken asunder. Percy once again finds himself stranded on Ogygia but Calypso, along with her invisible servants, are nowhere to be found. As he heals and regains his strength, many others, as well as a certain someone, find their way to the island. The remaining forces of humanity, demigods, and Gods alike pool their powers together in a last ditch attempt to reclaim what was once their reality. Will they have what it takes to salvage the Great Prophecy... and the world?
Genres: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Tragedy | Fiction Rating: T, Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.
Chapter VI | Percy
One moment he had been picking red fruits for Artemis and the next, he was on a cliff overlooking the horizon, 200 feet above the sea. He backed up quickly. As far as Percy knew, a fall from that height into the water would not kill him, but the enormous shadow circling slowly under the waves at the base of the cliff might have other ideas.
What just happened? he thought. And how did I get here? Only a being of power was capable of summoning a mortal... with a chill, his mind drifted to Gaea. His hand inched towards his pocket. She had finally found him-
"Do not worry, Perseus Jackson," a voice behind him called, "For I am neither Gaea, nor have I summoned you with ill intent."
Percy turned so fast, he nearly slipped and fell off the edge. He had not sensed the speaker's presence. The voice came from an old man, his face weathered with age, wearing a tropical t-shirt and shorts. He reminded him so much of-
"Posei- Dad?" he said. "How are you here? How did you find me? Are you alright? How much time has passed? What's happening outside? What... what happened to Mom?" the questions rushed out of his mouth. The old man calmly smiled.
"I am not your father, Perseus. But I do not fault you for it. We are... " he scratched his head, "Quite similar, you will find."
Similar? What did he mean? Maybe distant relative? Or another child? Percy guessed. No, he didn't think so. So then who was this person really?
"To answer your question, I am called Pontus. I am a Primordial. It was I who reigned over the sea in the age before the Gods, before your father," he said. Percy stumbled. He hadn't even said that out loud, how did he know what he was thinking? He caught himself and straightened up.
"But you have no presence and how... how did you know what I was thinking?" Percy asked suspiciously. He figured if this old man was telling the truth, he should at least have an aura. All immortals did, even the minor gods. His father emitted the scents of the sea and quiet power, calm on the surface, yet raging uncontrollably inside. He felt none of that from the old man, he felt like... like just an old man. A mortal.
"Do not be so quick to judge, young child," Pontus said, "We Primordials have ways of concealing our presence. It was the only way to stay hidden from Gaea after all."
At the mention of Gaea, Percy's fist clenched. "What do you mean? What does Gaea want from you?" he said through gritted teeth.
If Pontus noticed his anger, he did not seemed concerned. "Gaea has been searching for the Primordials for eons. We did not... agree with the way she wished to rule the world. She found it more appealing to kill us. She has no future in diplomacy," he chided.
Gaea? Diplomacy? Those two words existed on the opposite sides of the spectrum. If he hadn't been so confused, Percy might have laughed. Boom. Percy stumbled again. The cliff they were on quaked, and loose rocks scattered down and splashed into the water. The shadow in the sea had hit the base of the cliff. "What is that... thing down there?" Percy asked while pointing down at it.
Pontus replied quietly, "That was a gift from Gaea. While I have managed to remained hidden for quite some time, much longer than my brethren in fact, like all things hidden, there comes a day when they're pulled back into the light. It was only a matter of time." Percy examined Pontus. He looked weary, and then Percy noticed that some of the wrinkles on his face weren't just from old age. It was exhaustion. Fine, Percy thought. I think he's telling the truth, but why did he call me here?
"We will get to that, son of Poseidon. For now, let us talk about... your goals," said Pontus.
He knew, thought Percy. He knows that I want vengeance. It was his sworn oath, he couldn't tell anyone about it. If word reached Gaea's ears, even the smallest chance he had now would vanish. Percy thought for a moment, should I... silence him? Can I even do that? Sure, he's a Primordial, but he seems... weak right now.
"Yes, I am aware," Pontus said, pulling Percy from his thoughts. Percy cursed in his head. Of course, how could I forget. Pontus could to read minds. He looked cautiously at the Primordial, but found that he was only smiling at him wearily.
"So... how do you do that freaky mind reading of yours?" Percy asked hesitantly, "No offense but it doesn't seem like a sea power, if you know what I mean."
Pontus answered, "If you have lived for eons, eventually you learn to read people. I am not doing it intentionally, I just happen to pick up on things." Seeing Percy's suspicious eyes, Pontus explained, "It is like when you read. If you see a word, your mind will automatically read it. It's a similar thing, but I can read faces, posture- the likes."
"Well... I'm dyslexic actually, so I don't know," said Percy.
"Hm... then how about this. When someone swings a blade at you, your mind automatically sees the pattern and understands what to do next, yes?"
Percy nodded. Now that he could understand. Pontus continued, "It is similar in that regard. I am not purposefully peeking into your mind, Perseus. It is just as if you are screaming your thoughts to me. Of course, if I focus, I can see exactly what you are thinking about, but I rarely do so as I understand most people find this uncomfortable." Percy nodded again, but he tried to shield his thoughts, imagining a barrier surrounding his mind.
"Yes, now you aren't so much as screaming your thoughts. It is more like you are... whispering them."
"Ok," Percy sighed, "Why, exactly, have you brought me here?"
Pontus studied his face and seemed to find what he was looking for. "I brought you here for two reasons. The first of which concerns the monster down there. While it is circling here now, soon it will head towards your island. If you do not prepare, you will not be able to survive."
"What?" Percy asked nervously, "Why would it do that? When's it coming?"
Pontus replied, "The monster seeks the aura of the sea. It will go after me because my aura is that of a Primordial, but once I am gone... make no mistake, it will set course for you. As for the latter, that is part of the second reason. It will come for you once it finishes what it was called for."
"And what's that?"
The Primordial seemed to sag and he looked sadly at Percy, "It was called for my demise. Gaea has left it here, brought from the darkest depths of the sea, to swallow me. It is only a matter of time."
As he said this, Percy's eyes noticed things he'd missed before. The base of the cliff, where the shadow circled, was dented and covered in huge cracks that were slowly climbing up to the ledge. The cliff was simply a jutting rock that extended out from the ocean. Each time that monster smashed the base of the cliff, the whole island shuddered and the cracks grew bigger. Like he said, Percy thought with a chill, it was only a matter of time. He was surprised the rock hadn't already split in half and fallen into the sea.
"So, you called me here just to warn me?"
Pontus looked at him carefully, "There... is a third reason though it will be a matter of choice. Whether you decide to accept or decline, I will honor your decision."
"What is it?" asked Percy cautiously.
"I have been watching you for a long time. You are powerful, yet humble. Your determination, your will, is as unwavering as your loyalty. You have accomplished many heroic deeds in your life, yet you did not seek fame, nor money, nor any of the worldly desires of man. You simply did what you thought was right. Your future, should you manage to survive this ordeal, will be rewarding."
Percy opened his mouth to protest, to say he had only ever been able to do any of the things he did because his friends had been with him, but Pontus raised his hand and continued on.
"My time is short. I've no children, no heirs, to pass my power down to. This is an unfortunate result of my time spent hiding. Once the monster swallows me, it will possess all of my divine power. Your chances of surviving its attack will be zero then. If... if you so wish it, I am willing to bestow my divinity upon you."
Percy was silent. He thought back to the time when he'd been offered godhood on Olympus. That time, he'd declined, mostly because of Annabeth, but also because he'd had another wish he wanted fulfilled. But this time, thought Percy regretfully, Annabeth is gone. Besides, he would need this power if he was to continue to survive. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and said, "Lord Pontus, I will shoulder your burden and carry your will. I... accept your offer."
Pontus nodded, satisfied, "Good. You will need my power for... various things." Percy knew that Pontus was talking about his oath, but he also understood that he wasn't criticizing him. The Primordial stood and closed his eyes. As he exhaled slowly, a blue wisp of smoke poured from his mouth. It pooled into a sphere the size of a ping pong ball and hovered in the air. It began to rotate, spinning faster and faster, and as it did, it seemed to pull at its surroundings, sucking the air around it into a fray and even pulling the pebbles on the ground. The area around it vibrated with power and Percy could feel his heartbeat reverberating throughout his entire body. It was beautiful, thought Percy, and then suddenly, it flew into his mouth. Instantly, he crumpled to the ground, his nerves on fire. He gasped for air, trying to control the pain, wishing it would stop, and then as quickly as it had appeared, the pain subsided. Pontus helped him up and said, "I apologize, but I could not simply give you my divinity without conditions. It is not that I do not wish it so, but because I simply can't. Your mortal body would not have been able to withstand the sudden surge of pure divinity, especially Primordial divinity. While it is possible for a God's immortality, the blessings of a Primordial are much more ancient. More powerful. You would have been reduced to ashes instantly."
Percy thought of the pain and nodded slowly. He believed him.
"I placed my blessing upon you like a sealed box. The power of a Primordial will remain dormant until you call for it, but be wary. Do not forget the limits of your current strength. Should you call for more power than you can handle, you shall die. As time passes, you will eventually be able to wield the full extent of my blessing at will- only then will you become a Primordial. You will not be a demigod, nor a God, but something else. This will be the first in time in history that a mortal has accepted a Primordial's blessing. Even I am not aware of the full consequences," warned Pontus. "You will age more slowly, heal more quickly... and your aura will be much stronger. Gaea will be able to sense you now, so you must first learn to conceal your presence."
Percy nodded again, "How do I do that?"
Pontus answered, "Imagine a barrier, much like the one you formed in your mind earlier, covering your body. It will serve as another layer, one purposed to keep the aura of the sea within. It will not be easy, the sea does not like to be restrained. It is largely the reason for my... my weariness. Keeping your power in check is a conscious effort, and it will be very taxing if held for a long period of time. I managed with my divinity, but you are not yet a divine. You are somewhere in between, partially immortal, but not fully so. Eventually, given time, you will inherit all of my powers, and then you will become the next Primordial. But know this, with as much power as you've attained, the more enticing you will be to monsters. You must be careful, more careful than I." The cliff trembled again, this time it seemed to tilt a few degrees. "Our time is up. I must send you back. The Goddess with you searches and I cannot keep you here any longer. Go now, and remember, do not kneel to your own anger. You must be its master, not the other way around. Good bye Perseus, and... good luck."
With that, Percy felt the world tilt and his vision went dark. He woke to cold water splashing on his face.
"-rcy. Percy!" said a voice, shaking him violently. He groaned. "Lady Artemis, please stop shaking me. I- I feel sick." He promptly turned over to his side and vomited. He felt a little better after and slowly opened his eyes. He was next to the pond in Calypso's garden. They were near the beach and when he looked at the horizon, he could see that the sun was slowly setting, casting orange-red hues against the darkness of the sky. Silver eyes watched him in concern. "Are you... are you alright? Where were you- you were gone for days!"
"What? Days? I was with- no. We need to leave that for later," Percy said as he remembered Pontus' warning, "We have to get ready."
"Ready for what?" asked Artemis. She was slightly peeved that he would not answer her questions, but judging by the look on his face, there was something else bothering him. She would ask him later, but for now, she would listen to what he said. For now.
Percy turned towards the horizon, his face grim. "A monster is coming, one powerful enough to swallow a deity. I was told- I mean, I know that without preparation, we won't be able to hold it off."
Artemis watched him closely- she'd noticed the pause. Who told him what? And something, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about Percy seemed different. It wasn't as though she suspected him of not being Percy, but something had changed. She just wasn't sure what. "Do you know what this monster is?"
Percy looked at her, and for a moment, she thought she saw a swirl of blue, like the waves of the sea, within his sea-green eyes but then it was gone. She must have imagined it. The light probably reflected off his eyes, she reasoned, but still not quite sure. Percy said, "I don't know what it is, but what I do know is that it is a monster summoned from the darkest depths of the sea." He looked at her grimly, "It is powerful and in our current state, I don't think we have much of a chance."