Hello! It is me Fires That Heal with another short chapter. As always I don't own PJO, anyway enjoy, suggest or review! I appreciate it all. :D
Percy POV ( 4 Days Later )
Never would I have imagined that I would be fighting the Kraken. It swung its tentacle at me one more time and sent me flying through the water to the edge of a trench wall. I closed my eyes in pain and focused on healing my broken ribs.
How many times had I healed myself already? I wasn't sure, maybe a few thousand? The situation sounds grim but I have been very slowly wearing it down by cutting one of its dumb tentacles. Like me, the creature could heal itself whenever injured and its tentacle grew back by the time I cut off another one. I coughed up blood and spit out what remained in my throat.
Defeating this behemoth seemed impossible. I couldn't tell how much time I've spent in here, my perception of time was warped but at this point it was a battle of attrition, whoever gives in first losses and it's not going to be me.
I ducked right before another tentacle crashed in on me and dodged the falling debris, with my reach I managed to slice of its tip angering the creature. Two more tentacles came at me at once while another two-followed right after. Dodge one, and another one. I swung my two swords and sliced off one of the tentacles simultaneously. I instantly changed direction and swung the other way to cut off the other one.
The tentacle crashed at my face and sent me back to the wall of hardened rock. The giant slap to the face hurt like crap. Blood dripped from my nose and spread through the water, driving the Kraken into a frenzy. It roared and shook the ocean floor, probably celebrating that it had spilled my blood. I wiped off the blood and grabbed my swords tightly, they weren't effective against a being that could regrow limbs but it probably hurt like crap when I cut them, another tentacle came at me and hit me straight in the chest breaking further into the trench wall.
I found myself resting in what seemed to be a cave floor. Maybe I could have a small rest here to regain my strength. No, that's stupid, if I do what the Kraken will also regain its strength and I will be back to square one. Damn, I've been spending too much time here fighting this Kraken, I should be heading back, not only am I starving I'm not sure how to beat a monster that regenerates rapidly with just my sword.
The Kraken forced one of its tentacles through the cave entrance and crashed into the trench wall. Shit, I grabbed the swords and slashed through the tentacle blocking my entrance. The cries of the monster made themselves known and it put more effort into breaking down the cave. With the place collapsing I shredded the tentacle before me and dashed towards my escape. I spotted a small crevice between the tentacle and the trench wall and use my powers over the mist to turn myself into water for that moment to ensure my escape.
I had to end this now, the Kraken was resting on the trench wall, it literally had its back against a wall! This was my chance! I made my blades grow to epic proportions by tripling their size and with one clear swoop aimed for the core of its body, if I could just cut that creature in half it might die on the spot.
A tentacle hit me from behind and another immediately wrapped around me. I guess the Kraken must have known what I was trying to do, no more playing games it seemed to say. It tightened its tentacle around me and soon another one joined in. I could feel the combined pressure accumulating and reinforced the Ethereal Reftate surrounding my body. Dark water increased in volume around me and pushed against the immense strength of the mythical octopus.
I did not want the battle to end up like this, I expected an end by blade or tentacle but now it was no longer glorious. Two more tentacles joined in and pressed even tighter against the reftate. The strength this creature had was incredible, I wouldn't be surprised if it could crush a modern sub with a single tentacle. The remaining tentacles seemed to have regrown and I felt them come closer.
This has been the furthest my dark water has ever been pushed but this material was a gift by the god of the forge and was as incredible as I willed it to be. I gathered more dark water around me and pushed back against the Kraken.
"You think that you can crush me." I told the beast. Whether it understood or not I didn't care.
"If you think you can beat me you're even dumber than I thought." I felt another tentacle join in and the Kraken pressed on. The monster growled and squeezed tighter.
You fought well godling…
The Kraken! It spoke!
But you will be crushed.
Another tentacle joined in and he squeezed even tighter. The dark water around me faltered and started to give in.
But before that… tell me, did you actually think you could win?
"I will win!"
So, you're a delusional mortal, I understand now…
The seventh tentacle joined in and I could feel the dark water crushing my bones. I summoned more around me and pushed back as hard as I could.
"I battled against the titan Kronos and defeated the giant Polybotes … I wandered through the hellish pit known as Tartarus and survived against numerous primordial gods … I was blessed by Himeros, Athena and Aphrodite… and my weapon was a gift by Hephaestus himself." I struggled to catch my breath and continued. "I was trained by Ares and serve Nemesis as her champion." The Kraken growled. "I am a warrior that has survived everything the fates have thrown at me. And I will not die to you…"
I see your conviction is strong … but your fate is sealed idiotic godling. You die here!
The remaining tentacle joined in and the Kraken unleashed its full strength. The tentacles crushed my armor and I could feel its power completely overwhelm my armor. I wasn't going to last like this, I need to kill it now!
"But over all of that, I am the son of Poseidon! I'm the Prince of the Seas, slayer of monsters and I will kill you in the name of the Kymopoleia!" From my armor sprouted a giant blade that cut straight through all the Kraken's tentacles. The sliced creature roared in agony and with the little power over fire that I had gotten from Hephaestus I lit a small fire in the palm of my hand.
The sea of darkness lit up and before me stood a giant eyeball. The hideous creature looked at me as I regained my breath. It was a huge monster, very powerful, probably as strong as an Olympian maybe even stronger; however, before me it stood defenseless with a look I had seen plenty of time in monsters that I've beaten, now it was just a head of a mythical creature who was experiencing terror for the first time.
I reflected on what I had just done. I killed the fucking Kraken, how awesome was that? I am a real force to be reckoned in this world and this isn't even the full extent of my potential. I can get so much stronger, the more and more that I kill and the creator himself only knows how strong I will be once I send this beast to the afterlife.
"I will now slay kill you in the name of Kymopoleia," The eye of the Kraken widened and looked at me intently with fear,
I have killed monsters, demons and even gods. What even are you…
I turned my dark water into a single blade and swam straight at the creature. With a single movement I stabbed the Kraken and let the magical metal suck its life force dry. He made it too easy.
"My name is Percy Jackson, I'm the Kraken Slayer." With a lopsided grin I saw as the one of the most feared creatures to have ever lived, disappeared into nothingness.
Thalia POV
"Is there something that concerns you milady? You've haven't uttered a word today." Artemis looked up at bright sky and stared at the sun. A slow scowl formed on her face and she angrily shook it away, she tried to look angry but most of all, she looked worried.
I wanted to talk to Artemis for the entire day but these girls made it difficult to have a real conversation with her. I ordered them to scout ahead and give us estimates on the strength of the enemy around us while a few stayed back. I then made those go out to hunt for food to prepare for dinner. The rest of the hunters rushed up ahead and I finally had a good chance to talk to Artemis.
"There's going to be a Super moon tonight Thalia," she finally said, breaking the long silence. That should not be much of a problem, on Super moons Artemis just gets a bit more powerful and violent. She goes back to her home island with Apollo and it's no big deal. So why was she worried?
"I understand, I will guide the Praetor and the rest of the Romans to the camp then. The past four days have been light, at this speed we might get there by tomorrow at noon. Don't worry about Lycaon and his mutts, we'll be fine."
"I don't think you can grasp the full extent of the situation Thalia…" What?
"Tonight, there is also going to be a Blood Moon." The fuck, why is she barely telling me this now! Wait, there shouldn't be a problem. Apollo should have enough to power to restrain Artemis if he takes the necessary precautions, things should turn out fine.
"As you know, a regular Super moon is nothing to laugh at, my power grows restless and it enhances my Roman form and characteristics. Apollo's' power over the sun can usually suppress it enough so that I don't get completely engulfed by the immense power of the moon but tonight it's going to be different." No shit, a Blood Moon is terrifying by itself already. Artemis can lose control over her power and seeks to kill anything in her path to satisfy her bloodlust. If lucky Artemis can destroy a few hundred monsters that get on her way that day in seconds, if unlucky innocent people die as collateral damage to her fury.
"Apollo should know about your condition, he should know the best way to handle it. Right?"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible today Thalia. There are massive solar flares disturbing the power of the sun as of right now. The sun's energy is not gentle and reliable right now, it's most raging and unreliable, much like the storming seas.
"You mean-"
"Yes, Apollo can't help me or get anywhere close to me tonight. If he even tries to help me, we could resonate and a cause irreparable damage to our power. Chances are the power of the moon will be unrestrained and because of this, it will become a battle of our own domains as well as each other's opposing powers. The other gods won't be able to interfere without breaking the ancient laws and losing their power. And with the war looming over our heads, we can't afford anyone breaking the laws."
"How can this even happen? Why both of you at the same time? What the hell is going on and why didn't Apollo see this coming? Is there anything you can do it about it? Maybe Athena and-" Shit, the other gods can't do anything.
"I think we are being targeted, the celestial bodies that we represent, doing something this unprecedented on the same day, right after a few recent events is inconceivable. Something of great power is influencing our domains directly and it is all probably part of a greater plan of most evil. I was trying not to worry you but with everything going on I feel you should be made aware of what's going on." Something that can influence the celestial bodies? That's stupid, Apollo and Artemis embody their domains. For something to be able to do this they must be much more powerful than them, their domains must be greater and their divinity even higher. There are only a few beings with this kind of power and it took all our effort to get rid of one. What kind of bullshit is this.
"The primordial of darkness made itself know to us a few days ago Thalia." Another primordial, what the fuck does this one want? Vengeance on Olympus? Haven't we been through enough?
"This is going to take a while Thalia, why don't you sit down." I reluctantly sat down on the ground and looked at Artemis. She explained how dad was commanding the army of Olympus, how Thanatos and Percy were involved in this huge mess from when Demeter took him away and how the camps were being kept in the dark about it by my dad's decision to protect us. That for some reason, the primordial of darkness decided it was prime time to ruin our lives.
"And you think that other primordial gods have joined his cause?" I asked Artemis.
"Both my moonlight and Apollo's sunlight fit within the domain of light. There is a high chance that his son the primordial of light is helping his father by targeting us. All of this going on with Lycaon is troubling me as well and I think I figured out what their plan is, unfortunately there is nothing that I can do about it." Could Lycaon be in league with the primordial gods? What does he have to gain if Erebus plans on destroying the entire world?
"The answer is simple, Thalia. There is only one thing that he could promise Lycaon and even though he is doomed to die, if he sides with him, it will still be most worth it."
"He wants vengeance on us." I said as my brain put the pieces together. That god had the cunning and the means to destroy us, all he needed was a lapdog and Lycaon was all too happy to be his pet if he could destroy us.
"Vengeance, that which changes most. Even the kindest of souls would sacrifice just about anything to obtain their sweet revenge, even if it means dooming the world." That's why he was turning people into werewolves, that's why he was amassing such a huge army with even stronger and more feral werewolves. And the Blood Super moon, it will not only affect Artemis but also … no fucking way.