Disclaimer, I don't own any of this. Or these characters as much as I would love to.
Development and Elemental Training
Previously…
Artemis nodded her head, but looked at the pale Percy in concern when she saw how pale he was.
"Percy? Are you alright?" She asked worried.
Percy was about to nod his head, but his vision suddenly blurred. The adrenaline rush from the fight faded and he was hit with pain from his wounds and overwhelming exhaustion. He pushed his powers to far and now he was paying for it. He collapsed to his knees and fell to his side. He heard Artemis calling his name in a panic and felt Thalia kneeling by him, gripping his hand.
The last thing he saw, was his cousin's worried face and Artemis's silver eyes filled with panic as she called for Apollo.
He then succumbed to the blackness of unconsciousness.
Now…
Percy POV
I don't know how long I was unconscious, all I knew was that my little stunt healing Thalia took every bit of energy I had left after going through three fights with some really tough monster and now I was paying the price for it. Seeing the look of pain on her face and the state of her leg filled me with a burning desire to heal her and then go to Tartarus so I could torture the Chimera and its ugly mother for the pain it brought on my cousin. No one hurts my cousin like that and gets away with it. I don't regret healing Thalia, not one bit. If I had to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I just wished I thought things through and maybe had like a portable healing device on my person. That would have been very helpful over the years considering how reckless I am.
Pushing against the darkness, I felt my senses be brought back to the world of the conscious again. I felt a pounding in my temples, throbbing throughout my head like the forgers on Olympus. My body felt stiff and unresponsive, just a dull throb running through my limbs. Opening my eyes, I surveyed the room I was in. I was in a medium size tent that I knew was the healing tent. Medical supplies were strewn across the floor; bloody bandages and towels were in a pile in a wastebin. Whatever happened in here, it looked like a tornado blew through.
I heard a soft snore off to my left, drawing my attention away from the chaos in the tent. My eyes landed on two figures and I couldn't help but smile when I saw them. Sleeping in a chair, with her head on the side of my bed, was Thalia. Her spiky black hair was splayed all across my mattress. I didn't realize how long she grew it out, but with the amount around her, it had to be well past her shoulders. Her sleeping face looked calm and peaceful, not an expression that I see much from my ass-kicking, rock solid cousin, but she looked very young and innocent. I felt a brotherly affection rise up in me, seeing her sleeping form. I reached out and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, making her smile slightly and shift a little.
The other person that was a little bit away from me, sleeping in her own chair was Artemis. Her head was lolled off to the side, her hair framing her face like it was an auburn wave. I realized that she was in her sixteen, possibly seventeen-year-old form, making her beauty only grow. I felt a little like a creep, but I couldn't help but watch her as she slumbered. Seeing a peaceful look upon her usually stern face was breath-taking to look at. I felt a flutter in my chest as I watched her sleep. Seeing the two, normally stern, confident, and serious (in Artemis's case) huntresses sleep was an interesting sight to behold and it made me want to protect them all them more.
Turning back to Thalia, I softly shook her. She shifted in her sleep, trying to get comfortable again.
"Unnnnn…. Five more minutes Percy." She mumbled. That's when her eyes shot open as she starred at me in disbelief.
I smiled my traditional lop-sided grin at seeing her expression. "Hey Thals. How's your leg?" I asked cheekily.
'PERCY!" She shouted, lunging at me, wrapping me in a bone-crushing hug. Her shout woke up Artemis. She jumped out of her chair, already alert, scanning the tent for potential enemies. Her silver eyes landed on me and they widened in disbelief as well.
"APOLLO! HE'S AWAKE!" She yelled, head pointing to the Heavens. She was by my side immediately, her expression one of concern and worry. Something that both confused and delighted him.
"Hey Artemis. Are you two alright? Are the hunters ok?" I asked, feeling a little panic rise in me. I had no idea if anyone was injured or not.
Thalia and Artemis just looked at me in stunned silence and a little bit of awe.
"You come back to the hunt, fight off a virtual army of monsters, expending major firepower of your powers, fight off the Chimera AND Echidna, get five deep lacerations to your chest, heal my severely mangled leg, pass out for two days, and the first thing you ask when you wake up is if we and the hunter are ok?" Thalia said, shaking her head in amusement.
Artemis looked at me with something akin to slight affection. She offered me a warm smile. "You are truly something else Percy. You truly are different from other men. And the hunters are just fine for your information." She said.
"Oh, that's good." I said, relaxing a little bit before jolting upright in my bed, hissing in pain from my chest. "I was knocked out for two days?!" I yelled out shocked.
They reached out to me, concern plain in their eyes. "Careful Percy, the wounds on your chest are still not completely healed." Thalia said, pushing me back onto my back slowly.
A bright flash of gold light up the room, signalling a god just travelled into the tent. Apollo appeared out of the flash, wearing stylish jean shorts, a golden V-neck and golden sunglasses.
He smiled, his white teeth blinding us, but his blue eyes were dead serious. "Little sis! I heard that the patient was finally awake! Did the princess give the prince a kiss to wake him up?" He said mischievously, his eyes wagging at Artemis.
To my surprise, Artemis blushed a slight gold, but immediately covered it with a harsh glare at her twin. "ONE, stop calling me little sis. I am older than you gods dammit! I helped mother birth you! TWO, I did not kiss him. I am an eternal maiden so you should no better. And THREE, heal him before he bleeds out. We want our breakfast." She said, ticking of her reasons on her fingers.
Apollo held up his hands in placating manner, his smile never wavering "Alright alright, don't blow a gasket sis." He said good-naturedly. Artemis pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.
He turned to me and got real serious. He walked over to my beside and examined me with a critical eye. Lifting his hand over my form, his hands emitted a soft, golden light that covered my entire body. Oh, my gods, the light felt incredible! It was like Ambrosia, and Nectar mixed with sunshine. It washed all pain and stiffness from my body. I could feel my wounds closing up on my chest until they were fully closed.
Apollo took his hands away from me, the golden glow retreating back into his body.
"There you go cuz. All expense paid medical treatment from your friendly god of healing, Apollo." He said in his usual cheery tone.
Artemis and Thalia rolled their eyes at Apollo's antics, but offered him only a half-hearted glare.
"Thank you, Apollo, for healing me." I said, giving him a sincere smile.
Apollo offered me a smile in return. "No problem little cousin. Just be careful next time alight? A few more inches and your heart would have been hit and that would have been trickier. Also, try not to overuse your powers like that again. If you use too much power you could burn up and I don't want to lose my favorite cousin." Apollo warned.
"No promises cousin. With my luck, you'll be here every other week. Which is something I'm sure your sister would love." I said cheekily. Artemis and Thalia were shaking their heads no vigorously; glaring at me that would make monsters flinch. I just laughed as Apollo laughed and looked at his sister with a twinkle in his eye.
"I would love that! Gives me more of a chance to test out my poetry!" He said in enthusiasm. He held his hands up in a wait for it motion. "Percy in the hunt…"
"That enough Lord Apollo! I'm sure it's quite good, but go over it a little and turn it from good to awesome! Thalia said hastily.
Apollo smiled brilliantly. "What an awesome idea! I'll see you around little sis! Oh, and Percy…" He looked at me in complete seriousness. "Remember that promise you made me?"
I smiled and nodded my head. "I remember. See you around cousin."
Apollo gave me a quick, one-armed hug before smiling one last time. "See you around guys! I got a prank to do with Hermes!" He said excitedly before flashing out.
I laughed before looking over at two annoyed huntresses.
"You just had to invite him back, didn't you?" Artemis said, hands on her hips.
"What? So, his poetry is not that good, but he's alright." I said.
Artemis just shook her head in annoyance, before softening slightly. "Well, I'm glad to see you are alright. If you didn't show up when you did, some of my hunters may not be alive right now." Artemis said in gratitude.
I smiled slightly. "Did you just compliment a male?" I asked playfully.
She mocked glared at me. "Don't push it, Perseus."
"Oh, come on! Again, with the Perseus? You called me Percy not five minutes ago!" I said.
"I did no such thing Perseus. Now let's go, you have some chores to make up for and some cooking to do. We had to go to days without any meals." Artemis said.
"Alright. But do I still have to do archery?" I said, hopeful she would say no.
Artemis just gave me a wicked grin. "You know, I forgot about that, but you just reminded me. You'll train with me tonight after dinner. I will see you at the dining area." She said, laughing a sweet laugh as my eyes widened in horror.
I face-palmed myself. I really am a seaweed brain. Thalia chuckled, making me jump. During mine and Artemis's little banter, I forgot she was there.
"You really are a Kelp Head sometimes. Most people would have kept their mouths shut, but you go and defy all logic once again. Are you sure that blessing of Athena took hold?" She asked, smirking at me.
I mock glared at her, before smirking too. "Yeah I'm sure. Coming up with an explosive entrance and slicing and dicing up that army was a pretty good strategy." I retorted.
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You call that a strategy? I think all the blessing did was enhance more elaborate ways for you to improvise." She teased and I blushed slightly, knowing it was probably true.
"Yeah yeah yeah. Maybe some of my genius will rub off on you Thals." I joked, making gasp in mock horror.
"Oh gods! That would be horrible! I would catch the most deadliest disease of all: Kelp-Headitis!" She cried out in mock fear. I just laughed at her antics. Man it felt so good to laugh with my cousin. It made me feel like the good old days before I was betrayed and carried all this pain inside.
"Percy Are you ok?" Thalia said, worried. I didn't realize that my face sombered and was now one of longing and sadness. I quickly shook my head and plastered on a fake smile.
"Yeah Thals, I'm fine." I said, trying to get her mind of what I was just thinking.
She scrutinized me in suspicion before nodding her head. "I just want you too know Percy, that you can tell me anything. You're like a brother to me and I care about you. So if you are dealing with something, you better tell me before I shoot a lighting bolt at your ass." She threatened.
I just chuckled. "Same old Thalia." I said before looking at her seriously. "I promise we'll talk when I'm ready, but for now…I just can't yet. It still hurts you know?" I said, my voice strained.
Thalia came over and wrapped me in a hug. I pulled back and realized I never told her about what happened to my mom.
"Thalia, I want you to sit down for this. I won't tell you everything, but I need to tell you about my mom. And…it's not good Thals. It's not good." I said, my voice filled with pain and dread.
Thalia looked worried but nodded her head. Over the next 30 minutes, I told her about my parents death and adoption by Hestia. Thalia was so angry and yet so heart-broken. She sobbed as I described my mother's death. I knew it was hard for her and it was hard for me to talk about it. But I knew she deserved the truth. My mother was like a second mom to Thalia and mom took to her after moments of meeting her. Thalia's own mother was an alcoholic and wasn't the best of mother's so when mom unofficially adopted her, I knew she took over the mother figure in Thalia's life. And even with her tough girl act, Thalia loved and cherished that she now had a woman that was willing to take up the mantle that her own mother wouldn't.
We hugged each other, mourning over our collected loss. After a couple minutes, we pulled away and wiped the tears from our eyes.
"I will miss her so much." Thalia whispered, wiping the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
"Me too. More than you know." I said softly.
I gave her a watery smile. "Did you know mom made it to the Isles of the Blest?" I asked and Thalia looked shell-shocked but also unbelievably happy.
"That's wonderful! If anyone deserved it, it was her." She said, a joyful smile crossing her lips.
"Well, I bet the hunters are waiting for us, so we better head out. They may be suspicious of what's happening, so I'll most likely get shot at." I said.
Thalia just laughed. "Nah…ok maybe once or twice, but they know that nothing would happen between us. They know we're cousins and have a close sibling bond, so there's no worry there." She said reassuringly.
I nodded, but was still uneasy about going out there. We walked to the door of the tent before Thalia stopped me.
"Percy," She said in a small voice. I turned around, curious as to why she sounded so vulnerable.
She stood on her tip-toes and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for healing my leg. If you didn't, I would probably be out of the Hunt so thank you." She said sincerely.
I looked her dead in the eye. "You're welcome Thalia. Though it was a little foolish after all the power I used, I would do it again in a heartbeat. You don't have to thank me though, We're family and that's what family does." I said honestly.
She smiled before punching me in the shoulder. "Ok, enough of the sap. Let's get going before I have to put an arrow in your back." She pulled out her bow to emphasize her point.
I chuckled. "You need to get some new threats, Lightning Bug. Starting to get a bit cliché." I teased.
She narrowed her eyes at me, her hands flickering with electricity. "What did you call me, Kelp-for-Brains?" She asked in a deadly tone.
I back up to the door slowly, as to not set her off. "You heard what I said Thunder Thighs." I grinned at her. Her eyes widened before they narrowed and she screamed.
"JACKSON!" I ran out of the tent as fast as I could, spreading my wings and launching myself into the air. I had an irate hunter hot on my heels, with me laughing all the way to the Dining Area.
LINE BREAK
Artemis POV
I couldn't explain these emotions, rolling around in my stomach. I know I should be focused on other things; the state of the Hunt, my moon duties, how to get back at my annoying brother, but my mind kept going back to a certain black-haired, green-eyed winged son of Poseidon. He is defying every single rule that I apply to the word 'man'. Men are greedy, disloyal arrogant, lying, deceitful, selfish pigs, while Percy is the complete opposite. I have never met a man with so much loyalty in them that they would put themselves in a coma just to heal someone.
He is so different from other men. He has an amazing capacity for loyalty; he is incredibly kind and understanding to people, even if he is a little dense sometimes, and the selflessness he displays is unreal. Giving up godhood twice so tat demigods and minor gods could be respected and recognized and for my uncle and aunt to be placed back on the council is something that no other hero, no other person would have ever done.
But he did.
Not only are his list of characteristics the exact opposite of what men are, but he is so incredibly handsome with his untamable, silky black hair, his gorgeous eyes swirling with green and orange that seem to pull you in. Not to mention his lips. His beautiful lips that I want to kis-SNAP OUT OF IT!
I had to mentally slap myself. Why was I thinking of his lips? Why was I thinking of him at all? Him with his perfect muscles, handsome features and caring nature. I groaned and slapped myself again. Aphrodite, if you are putting these thoughts in my head, I swear I will shoot you so full of arrows that your looks will rival Echidna! I threated. I just heard a tinkling laugh in my head, which just infuriated me more.
"Milady?" I turned my head to my hunters, who were all looking at me strangely.
"Yes girls, what is it?" I said, trying to focus and forget about what was going on in my head.
Phoebe looked at me strangely before speaking. "It's just that you had this weird look on your face. You looked like you were talking to someone and you blushed a little." She said skeptically. Curse my hunters for being so perceptive.
I cleared my throat and tried to think of a good excuse. "It's nothing girls. I was just thinking of an errand that I need to run soon up on Olympus." I said, leaving no room for argument.
They stared at me before nodding their heads, accepting my excuse.
"So, milady." Atalanta started. "How much longer is a useless guardian going to be?" She asked, looking like she at a lemon when she said guardian.
Phoebe sneered. "Probably still laying on his ass like the lazy male he is. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he was faking the whole thing."
"He will be here in a few moments girls. And he just woke up and got the go ahead from my brother, so he most certainly not faking." I said, feeling like I should defend Percy. I really didn't like how my girls were talking about him as if he has done nothing to help them at all.
"Why do you defend him milady? He is a man and they are all swine and vermin! He shouldn't be in the hunt to begin with!" Erica snapped. I glared hard at her, prompting her to pale and sit back down hastily.
"Forgive me, milady. I did not mean to…" She tried to apologize but I held up my hand to silence her. She fell silent and looked at the table, all my hunters feeling the tension in the air.
I rubbed my temples, trying to get rid of a headache that was forming.
"Listen girls, I know how you all feel about men. I have taught you that the male population is a bunch of deceitful, lying, hypocritical, cheating, and worthless scum. But Perseus is non e of those things." I said. They all looked like they wanted to protest, but I cut them off with a stern look.
"Hear me out girls, think about what he has done so far in the Hunt. Has he flirted with any of you?" I asked. They all slowly shook their heads.
"Has he tried to get out of any job I have assigned him or even complained?" I implored. Again, they shook their heads no.
"Has he shown any of the traits that other men have, beside him being a male?" I asked. Once again, they all shook their heads.
"I'm not telling you to like him or even accept him. But he IS different from all other males out there I do consider him worthy of my respect. He befriended Zoe, who was arguably the biggest man-hater aside from me, and he helped her pass on peacefully. He did save us from that monster attack and healed Thalia's leg. All I ask is that you try and give him a chance and at least be civil around him. Understand?" I said.
My hunters looked like they were struggling with what I was asking, especially the older hunters who have been with me for over millennia. But they all nodded their heads in acceptance.
"We will try milady. It will take time, but we will try." Susan, a daughter of Demeter said.
I smiled at them warmly. "That's all I ask for girls." They all still seemed a little down so I decided to throw them a bone.
"But…that doesn't mean you can't prank him every now and then." I said with a wicked smile. Their previous sullen looks were replaced with excited and evil grins that mirrored my own.
"Oh this is gonna be fun." Phoebe said. I could already see the gears in their minds turning, trying to think up fun little punishments for our guardian. I almost felt pity for him. Almost. Just because I'm trying to sort out my emotions concerning him, doesn't make him any less male. He's still gonna need to earn his place in the hunt, I thought smirking slightly.
"So where is our…Guardian? For that matter, where is Thalia?" Atalanta asked, fumbling of the word guardian.
I was about to speak, thinking the same thing before I heard a loud scream.
"JACKSON!" Followed by laughter and rustling in the forest.
I raised my eyebrow. "Speak of the devil."
I watched in amusement as Percy burst through the tree line, with an angry Thalia throwing lightning bolts at him.
"You stupid Kelp Head! I'll get you for calling me that nickname!" She yelled as he just laughed.
"Calm down Pinecone Face! It was a joke! OW!" He yelled as one of her bolts finally hit him. He fell down spasming and groaning on the floor. All the hunters laughed at him while I smirked in amusement. Thalia was standing over him victoriously.
"What was that Kelp Head? I didn't here you over all that groaning." Thalia smirked.
"Alright alright. No more Thunder Thighs." He groaned.
She zapped him one more time for good measure, making everyone laugh at his misfortune one more time, before getting off of him. He pushed himself off the ground, mock glaring at Thalia.
"Thanks Thals, I feel the love." He said sarcastically. He then looked over at the laughing hunters who were glaring at him. Some of the younger hunters who just joined weren't glaring at him, just sizing him up and looking at him in curiosity. The older hunters were sneering at him, but I could see that they now had a twinge of grudging respect in their eyes.
"Hey. So what have I missed?" He asked. I wanted to face-palm myself but also laugh at the same time.
"Nothing much. Just a hunter-to-hunter talk. Now make us breakfast. We're starving." I demanded.
He shrugged and snapped his fingers, making a breakfast buffet appear on the table. The hunters dug in with the ferocity of rabid wolves. I know that they wouldn't admit it, but after going for two days without Percy's food was not fun and they missed the deliciousness.
All the hunters were virtually fighting over every morsel of food. They acted so much like sisters that it brought a smile to my face. I then noticed that two of my newest and youngest hunters weren't getting any food. They were too small to get into the mass of the older hunters and wouldn't be able to get anything. Looking at the table hungrily and sadly, they backed off and sat in their seats without any food.
They were twins of Hermes, named Lisa and Lora. Both were about eight years old, had long brown hair and slightly tan skin. The only way you could tell they were different was that Lisa had blue eyes and Lora had brown eyes. The Hunt and I rescued them from their abusive uncle and aunt a few months ago, and we killed them brutally. It was one of the times where I saw a woman act like a man and it infuriated me to no end. I offered them a place in the hunt and they immediately accepted. I allowed them to continue to age until they decided they wanted to stop, so they were still growing.
I was about to go over to them, and shout at my hunters to let them have some food but someone beat me to it.
Percy also noticed the two girls and frowned. He walked over to them, kneeling down next to them so they were eye to eye. The twins looked at him a bit fearfully. He noticed this and frowned but looked at them softly, not making any sudden moves around them.
"Hello." He said softly, his voice calm and soothing, erasing the fear in their eyes. "My name is Percy. What are your names?" He asked.
The twins looked at him curiously before Lisa spoke. "My name is Lisa Lyre and this is my sister Lora Lyre. We're twin daughters of Hermes." She said quietly.
Percy chuckled a little bit and had an amused smile on his face. "That's a nice name. Funny how Hermes had daughters with the last name Lyre. Sounds like Liar and you're dad being god of Thieves and Liars, it's pretty funny. Reminds me of the…Stolls." He said catching his name on the name.
He shook his head and smiled at them again. "I noticed that you didn't get any food. What would you two like to eat?" He asked.
They looked at him in surprise that he noticed them at all and even asked what they wanted to eat. Lora, who was the shyer of the two, spoke in a timid voice. "Could I have some scrambled eggs and toast please?"
Percy clapped his hands together and a plate of scrambled eggs and toast appeared in his hands. He held them out to her and she took them gingerly from him. She took a small spoonful and at it timidly. Her eyes lit up at the taste and she began to shovel that food into her mouth as fast as she could.
Percy chuckled at her antic and turned to her sister before asking the same thing. "What would you like?"
Lisa looked at her sister before asking for the same. He summoned up the same plate of food and gave it to her, where she promptly scarfed it down. He laughed at the two before summoning up seconds for the twins, who ate just as quickly as before.
After they were finished they looked at Percy in happiness. "Thank you Percy. Those were delicious." Lora said. Lisa nodded her head in agreement and Percy just smiled at them.
"Your welcome. If you ever want any food, just ask me and I will summon you some, ok?" He said sincerely. The twins nodded their heads in earnest, happy smiles on their faces.
They then had nervous looks on their faces as they stared at him, fidgeting slightly.
He looked at them concerned. "What's wrong?" He asked gently.
Lisa looked at the ground before speaking. "We were wondering…could we touch your wing? They look so soft and cool." She whispered and cringed, expecting to be laughed at.
Percy gave them a soft smile, extending his right wing out to them. They stared at it in awe and began to pet and stroke the flying appendage.
"It's so soft." Lora marvelled. After they were done petting his wing, Percy pulled it back. He then surprised them and me by pulling out two black feathers and handing one to each of them.
"Here, these are for you two. They are unbreakable so they will always be soft and intact." He said. They just looked at the feathers in amazement, before stunning me and him by rushing forward and hugging him.
"Thank you, Percy. We've never been given gifts before." Lisa said.
"Why not?" He asked curiously.
They looked sad before speaking. "Our Aunt and Uncle never bought us gifts. They said it was a waste of money and we didn't deserve them." They said, tears gathering in their eyes. He reached out slowly and brushed the tears away.
"Well, let me tell you something, you have a family here in the Hunt and I'm sure when you're birthday comes around, there will be a huge party and you'll get bunch of gifts. I'll make sure to get you two an extra special one from me." He said honestly.
They looked at him, blue and brown eyes wide and shining. "You promise?"
He nodded his head. "I promise." They smiled widely and gave him one last hug before returning to their seat. He rose from his crouched position and turned back to the table, all the hunters staring at him in stunned silence, Thalia looking proud of her cousin.
"What?" He said in his usual Seaweed Brained fashion, looking confused.
They quickly shook their heads, finished eating and left to go do whatever it is they needed to do.
The emotions in me intensified. I was in awe and felt very warm seeing him interacting with the youngest and quietest members of my hunt. Damn you Percy Jackson. Stop doing stuff like that and making me feel this way! I thought.
He walked up to me and did his special bow. "So, milady, what do you have for me today?"
I just stared at him. I finally snapped out of it. "Well Percy, you still have all your chores to do, but today you get to feed the wolves and clean out their pens." I said, smirking internally.
He groaned a little but nodded anyways.
I smiled at his discomfort before turning serious. "Percy, that was a really nice thing you did for the twins. They joined a few months ago and have been so quiet. We have been trying to get them to open up for a while now and you do it in under five minutes." I said, still awed at his easy-going nature around children.
"They just needed someone to get down on their level and just talk to them. What is their story anyway?" He inquired.
I clenched my fists tightly at the memory. He noticed and became concerned. "It's not a happy tale. A drunk driver killed their parents when they were three and were sent to live with their aunt and uncle. The uncle and aunt were heavy alcoholics and they abused them for five years. It was a horrible time for them, but we were lucky to get them out before anything permanent happened to them."
Percy's eyes darkened at the mention of abuse, but I could see something hidden in their depths; like an old pain that he knew and tried to bury.
"Percy?" I reached out and touched his arm, prompting him to look at me. His beautiful sea green eyes starred into my silver eyes and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by their beauty. The orange ring of flames swirled around the pupil, making the waving motion in his eyes have a hypnotic affect. I had to force myself from getting lost in them.
He snapped out of his daze and looked at me in slight surprise, like he forgot I was here. He offered me a weak smile. "I'm okay. Just an unpleasant memory is all."
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked. What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be concerned about any male, but here was this man, having me all concerned and worried about him, making me want to make him feel better. I wanted to talk to him and help him relieve his pain. He managed to break all my walls that I have surrounded myself with and he wasn't even trying.
He shook his head. "I'll be fine. But tell me you killed the aunt and uncle." He said, anger coming back to his eyes, wiping away all traces of the old pain.
I was surprised at the steel in his voice, but smiled wickedly at him. "Very slowly."
He nodded his head, satisfied with my answer. "Well, I'll take my leave then milady. I have a lot of chores to do." He said turning around, about to walk away.
He then turned back to me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Oh, and did you just call me Percy, Bambi?"
My jaw dropped and eyes widened before they narrowed. "Stop calling me Bambi!" I shouted at him.
He chuckled. "But Bambi is such a great nickname! And if you start calling me Percy more, I MIGHT stop calling you Bambi." He said playfully.
I glared at him in anger, but blushed at the nickname. Truth is, deep down, I liked being called a nickname. It meant that someone is close to you and cares for you, going so far as to give you a special name that is for you and you alone.
He laughed but stopped and looked at me seriously. "Artemis?" He said.
I stared at him in surprise for using my actual name. Looking at him curiously, I motioned for him to continue.
"Thank you." He said before flying off.
I stood there stunned at his comment. Did he thank me for telling him about the twins? About staying with him while he healed? Or just for being there and wanting to help him relieve his pain? Ugh he was so confusing and the affect he was having on my emotions weren't helping.
Damn you Percy Jackson. Stop making me feel this way! I shouted mentally, but it was half-hearted and as much as I hated to admit it, these feelings were not going away and I was actually starting to like it.
Percy POV
I set to work on my chores, the hard labour actually giving me time to think over what happened at breakfast. I couldn't help but feel butterflies in my stomach at feeling Artemis touch my shoulder and that beautiful smile on her face. She looked so beautiful smiling, it was so different than seeing that hard mask that she wears most of the time.
Also, when I saw the twins not getting any food, it made me kind of angry that they were being disregarded like that. And when I found out that their aunt and uncle had abused them? If they weren't already dead, I would have sought them out and sent them to my uncle the hard way.
Every day I spend in the hunt leads to more and more surprises. Meeting the twins was actually one of the highlights, not to mention hanging with my cousin, and Artemis. Seeing her was the best part about being her. The more time I spend with her and Thalia, the less pain. I can feel the heartbreak mending from the betrayal. I was in no way any more forgiving and any less angry about what they did to me, but it didn't hurt as much and now I'm getting on with my life.
After hours of gruelling labour, I decided to head to the training area to work on my powers and skills. I walked in to see a few hunters there practicing wielding hunting knives. They moved with such grace and speed it was astounding to watch. I'm pretty good with hunting knives, but I was a little rusty.
Walking in, the older hunters gave me sneers and glares, but the younger hunters actually looked at me curiously. I smiled when I saw Lora and Lisa there. They smiled and waved at me. I waved back and went to the other end of the training area, wanting to respect their space. I set up a few dummies and some of those targets that popped up randomly that was made of wood with a picture of a bad guy on it, before going to the middle and getting into a fighting stance. My legs were shoulder width apart, my knees bent, with my fists touching each other over my chest.
I decided to work on my fighting forms with my elements first. I took a deep breath, clearing all thoughts from my mind, which was pretty easy now with the blessing of Athena. My ADHD wasn't so bad anymore.
With my mind calmed and my breathing steady, I focused on the power of fire that burned within me. I suddenly lashed out my right fist forward, a fireball projecting from it. I began to perform a bunch of aggressive stances, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks, each having a ball of fire shooting from each strike.
My form of fighting with fire is an aggressive tactic, using swift kicks and punches to overwhelm my opponents before striking a fatal blow. Strong movements and swift, direct manoeuvres are a key part to this fighting style. While this style is mostly offensive, I can perform a variety of defensive moves, like walls of fire, or grabbing hold of other fire streams and ripping them apart. Works great on Dragons and Drakons. Don't ask how I know that, long story.
I spun around, my left leg stretched out in front of me, crouching on my right leg, an expanding circle of fire shooting out from my outstretched foot, hitting targets all around me. I launched myself of my right leg, performing a somersault, with my left foot extended, projects a narrow blade of fire that sliced right through a dummy. I didn't stop there as I aggressively shot more fireballs at my remaining targets.
I then clenched my fists and two fire daggers shot out of my fists, resembling miniature blowtorches. I swiped my fire daggers across the throats, heads, arms, chests, and legs of a few dummies, completely demolishing them. I then extended my daggers until they were eight feet long and whip-like. With my fire whips, I could attack long distance opponents. I lashed out with my whips, cutting through another four dummies, all in less than a second.
After all dummies were demolished and destroyed, I chucked a massive, singular ball at the remains, burning them all to ash. No use cleaning up. I performed a few more stances before coming back to my original stance, extending my arms up over my head before bringing them to my torso, palms down. This was my finishing move and it calmed and settled any lingering power of fire in my body.
My mind came back to me and I looked at the destruction I unleashed upon the dummies. All of them were burnt to ash, a few severed limbs here and there. A good start to my training. I must be getting better at this. Time to start on my water training.
I then assumed a much calmer, more graceful stance. One leg extended in front of the other, arms loose around my chest and one extended in front of my palm up. Closing my eyes, I focused on the endless power of the ocean; the pounding waves, the winding currents, the push and pull of the tides.
Shifting my stance, I began to shift and flow from one stance to the other, moving gracefully, despite my bulky frame. I summoned a stream of water from within myself and twisted and flowed that stream around my body. Moving in wide circles, I circled my arms around my body, the water mimicking my movements. I thrusted my palm outward, directing the water to wrap around a target. Circling my fingers, I willed the water to wrap around the dummy and with a sharp pull, I squeezed the dummy and launched it into the air. I then directed the water into a thin water blade and sliced the dummy that was air-born.
Working with my natural elements felt so natural, smooth and graceful. I could perform these moves by just standing in one place and concentrating, but with this style, it was easier to fight and seemed to strengthen my water based attacks. Also, it's fun to punch my enemies in the face while dousing them. This style was more about defensive maneuvers, redirecting attacks and using one's opponent's strength against them. But I could also form a very aggressive style with water, summoning violent bursts and blasts right into someone's body.
Bringing the water stream back to me, I worked on controlling the phase of the water. I will it to freeze to solid ice, watching as the crystal formed. I made a bunch of ice shapes and weapons before willing it back to water. I then manipulated it into water vapor, which is very useful if you want to blind your enemy behind a smoke screen.
Deciding that was enough elemental practice for the day, I willed the water to turn into three separate, frozen knives and chucked them at a dummy, hitting it in the heart, throat, and forehead; all kill shots.
I channelled my breathing and calmed down, making sure to focus and keep a calm mind. Opening my eyes, I turned to see a flabbergasted hunt, staring directly at me. The entire hunt was here and they all looked stunned at what I just did. Even Thalia and Artemis had wide eyes.
I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment, walking over to them.
"Um…Hey guys?" I said, but it sounded more like a question.
Thalia snaps out of her shock and began yelling at me. "Hey guys? HEY GUYS? That's all you have to say after what you just did? By the gods Kelp Head, that was AMAZING! Where did you learn to do that?" She asked in awe.
The entire hunt voiced their agreement, wanting to know where I learned that. I blushed at the attention and tried to play it off as no big deal.
"While on my travels, I decided to pick up a few fighting styles of mixed martial arts and decided to incorporate it into my elemental manipulation. The one style with the fire comes from a Northern Shaolin Style of Kung-Fu and the water style comes from the Yang style of T'ai chi ch'uan. They really helped develop and control my powers." I explained, trying to play it off the whole thing.
The hunt just looked wide-eyed at my explanation, before Thalia broke the silence.
"So you actually researched something?" She asked in disbelief.
I rubbed the back of my head, something I seem to be doing more of nowadays.
"Actually, mom got me into. She said it would hone my powers over fire and the rest is history." I said
Thalia looked wide-eyed before laughing. "Man, Kelp Head this is great. Maybe you could help me on my powers." She said playfully.
I could tell she was kidding but that got me thinking, maybe I could help her develop her powers.
"That's not a bad idea Thals. I think they may have a form of fighting for manipulating lightning and air." I said thoughtfully.
She stopped laughing and looked at me curiously. "You know I was just kidding, right?" She said.
I smirked at her. "But I wasn't." She paled at my comment, knowing that when I had my stubborn mind set on something, I wasn't going to let it go. Much like her. She groaned and buried her face in her hands.
'All right girls, And Perseus." She added as an afterthought. "Time to go to bed. We have a big day tomorrow." She shooed the hunters off to their tents, who were murmuring about my training.
I bowed my special bow to her. "Goodnight Milady. See you tomorrow." I said softly.
I walked to my tent, but I heard Artemis whisper something so softly, I almost missed it.
"Goodnight Perseus. See you in the morning." I grinned like a fool all the way back to my tent, before I settled into my bed, taking one last look at my picture of me and my mom before falling asleep.