VII
ARTEMIS
The gods had no conscience. The gods had no dreams. There was no explanation for this; it was just there—accepted as a fact that was never opposed. But the Fates seemed to have made an exception for Artemis.
She slept and she dreamed. For the first time, Artemis dreamt mortal dreams—random visions that shifted and changed every so often. Almost with a life of its own. Like Daedalus' Labyrinth—not living yet living at the same time: a sentient machine.
The images were so impulsive and revealed what only chance willed it to show—flashing scenes with glimpses of the possible future and the concrete past clouded over her mind's sight like steam over glass. They were there one moment, then gone the next. Elusive and Alluring.
The past was in front of her one second then behind her the next and she couldn't turn back as she faced the oncoming future. Like trying to capture the winds, these images fluttered and flew with its spread wings from her desperate grasp.
It was rather disconcerting to her as if she was in a world with no solid substance—only ever changing landscapes and realistic illusions.
It was rather confusing for her with all the clustering images like densely packed stars that swirled about in a galaxy's maelstrom of thoughts and dreams and nightmares all alike with each of them overlapping the others. Dreamscape scenery swirled in and out of focus and gathered before spreading, accumulating then dissipating like morning dew.
And she was taken aback—taken aback that a goddess could sleep and dream like any other mortal. Yet here she was—consciously aware that she was in this realm of mystery and dreams. And she continued through dreamland's mazes to see what was to come, waiting half-interested for the story to unfold.
She wasn't quite sure why the Powers that Be had chosen her as the special case. But she had a feeling that even the Fates would have to pull some strings with something higher up the food chain to accomplish such a feat as to affect a goddess—to make her feel so much more than a goddess should feel and sleep with dreams when a goddess should not be able to either sleep or dream at all.
She just didn't quite know what to make of this. It was a blessing and a curse—so intertwined together it was hard to differentiate one from the other. Sometimes Artemis felt torn between the good and bad side of the Fates' gift. But whether the goddess of the Hunt actually felt cursed or blessed was something that was subject to change from time to time.
Sometimes she felt the emotions that swelled within too much to bear. At times, they were so overwhelming that it drove the goddess off the wall. Everything just seemed to push her over the edge, close to the brink of tears as she tried to hold it all in—her inner turmoil, her feelings of confusion…
Then sometimes she felt her new experience was wonderful. The clarity of her thoughts and feelings were so clear and dazzlingly brilliant like a full moon reflected on the calm waters of the sea—the happiness, the joy, the contentment, the peacefulness. She'd wander through the meadows of her mind, euphoric as she thought of all moments in her life that had led her to this.
Those overpowering torrents of emotion followed her wherever she went like a giant shadow—always there for the better or for the worse. The feelings seemed to overload one's senses at times, but all in all, Artemis didn't really mind. So what if she was…different from the other gods? It was all for the best in the end. She was tied with Percy and her hunters now more than ever before. She'd fall asleep and all the stress seemed to just slip through her thought—slipping from her mental fingertips like sand.
She was dreaming what she imagined a demigod would dream—dreams with more meaning and seemingly more lasting impression than normal visions through slumber.
She saw the vast expanse of the Roman Camp and its Seven Hills—the prelude to the Roman Empire inevitably approaching, rising even now as it took shape, forming slowly, growing from the city-state to the vast empire like water cascading throughout the lands when it rained. The first century BC Rome was rising—the horizon bridged the two tenses of time, from present to future
She saw the Graveyard of the Fall outside the Province's walls, darker than black and as unsettling as a haunted dwelling. And she saw the dark shadowy figures running across its bleak, grey landscape. As she looked on from above through the moon's eye, the forms seemed to change, transforming into a thousand shapes like all the unsubstantial matter of her dreams.
The figures became hawks streaking close to the ground with their black cloaks fluttering in the fierce and howling winds like wings. They were birds of prey with claws outstretched and almost touching the earth as they flew in a formation of a spear.
Then, they became dark angels, discarding their guise of birds to reveal their true nature with their faces hidden by their ebony wings, making them faceless. And they swooped low over the land as if in search of lost souls.
Then, they were sleek black wolves, trailing tendrils of black fire that were their cloaks. Their feral fury expressed by the way their paws punished the land as they ran on with inhuman speed. They ran through the rough terrain with no delay, no stops, as they skillfully weaved through the Grave's many obstacles. They bounded over the thousands of weapons sticking from the ground and the shields scattered about and the bones of countless monsters and still armored skeletons of fallen heroes.
In the skies, dark clouds gathered about the vicinity, swirling and ravening wisps that roiled overhead in angry patterns as it seemed to climb higher and higher, spreading wider and wider with the aid of the furious winds. These insubstantial wraiths—these airy overhangs of unease—collected into one entity, becoming a blackened hand—a claw of some demon from gods knows where—stretching to seize the whole world and crush it.
Darkness descended over all, over everything, like a black blanket had fallen over the high heavens, shielding it from the light. The landscape became nothing but a scene of black and white with shades of grey like all the color had been drained away. What light was left in the world dimmed to a flickering spark—a timid ray of hope—that had no effect on illuminating the lands. Those silvery rays became almost nonexistent with the darkness pressing in from all sides like the light was surrounded by dark phantasmal Legions of ghosts. It was like embers from a dying campfire fading to black—a candlelight that burned ever lower, soon to vanish.
The setting, already bleak and grey, became sinister. And the eerie silence only heightened the apprehension—that heavy anxiety—as Artemis stared in despair at the running figures. It was twisted irony, a warped humor that was harsh and bitter. Because now she saw the hawks—natural born predators of the skies—being hunted themselves. They were being hunted by an invisible enemy that loomed ever closer ever nearer and only primal instincts allowed them to sense the approach of their doom which was at their heels, breathing its cold breath down their necks.
From her moon's eye view, Artemis could see the earth move, distorting and contorting with ethereal spirits threatening to burst from its surface. The earth continued to rise and flex its muscles as if it were in the stages of awakening, rumbling and groaning like a yawn. Then, the spirits rose from their cage and soared about in the air around the fleeing figures as if attempting to stop them in their tracks with ghostly walls of the dead.
All the silvery slither of light became evanescent phantoms of phoenixes, fading to nothingness only to be reborn from its ashes out of the Dark, rekindling its light, and then fading once again as Darkness and Light fought on.
All hope seemed to be a mere concept—a myth invented to soften the hard truth. It was so far away—in the distance, upon the dark grey horizon that was out of light's reach.
It was a wild goose chase. The figures continued on, determined to see it through, stubbornly shaking away the oppressing atmosphere. The shadows flitted forward, the rough silhouettes of the seven dancing across the dance floor of the ancient battlefield as they ran on like an unrelenting force—a fierce wave that was not to be deterred.
Then the earth opened up—like the time it had swallowed its own undead Legions during the attack on New Rome—and took the heroes within itself, into the black depths of the abyss.
Then the scene changed and just as Artemis thought that the story was over, she was falling with the Half-bloods, free-falling down, down, and down to nowhere it seemed. Out of the gloom, a sleeping lady in black could be seen at the bottom, smiling contentedly as she slept on smiling in triumph. 'I win, mortals. Heroes of Olympus—and the changed goddess that looks on with them—meet your doom.'
With a jolt of dread, the goddess realized it was Gaea, the primordial goddess of the Earth. But how could the earth goddess sense her? Dreams weren't supposed to be dangerous. Dreams weren't supposed to hold that much reality—only a twisted version of it.
One of the figures falling beside her drew out a gladius. It was Jason Grace. Another figure drew a bronze blade with crashing waves etched on it. She felt her heart flutter as she recognized the second person: Percy.
There was laughter, the laughter of many beings—giants—and with them Terra/Gaea chuckled. 'This is what is to come, goddess of the moon. This is the inescapable end. But it doesn't have to be this way…if you cooperate, no one you care about will come to harm.'
Artemis looked on and shook her head. No. no, she wouldn't accept this. She wouldn't let this happen. And she wouldn't side with the earth goddess either. 'Come.' A hand seemed to be outstretched toward her invitingly. 'Do we have a deal?'
Then light consumed everything. It was the same feeling Artemis had when Percy—Noctis—descended from the temple of Diana: that horrible yet wonderful aura that washed over everything and everyone, breaking them or healing them. But this time, it wasn't coming from Percy. It was shining down from above. The light of the night sky became blinding as day, piercing through the ground, penetrating the crust and downward.
'No, Gaea. No, Terra.'
The light bathed everything and the sleeping Gaea frowned. 'You!' she was cut off by the sudden rise of howling winds. And then—
Artemis woke with a start. Her heart was pounding so hard it seemed to want to leap from her chest. She made to sit up but couldn't. Rubbing her eyes, Artemis looked around, trying to figure out why she couldn't move. Then she looked down and blushed, embarrassed and flustered as a wave of heat swept over her cheeks. Someone had drawn the covers over Percy and herself. They were so close, only inches away from each other's face that she could hear the demigod's soft breathing as he slept on.
Before she had met Percy, she would have probably cringed at the very thought of being this close to a guy. But now…
The goddess put her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and sighed. What had happened? She had been dreaming the most horrible thing. The running figures. The land rising and moving. The spirits blasting through the surface. The maw of the earth opening to take them all in. All of this came back to her in such vivid detail. She shuddered and touched the son of Neptune's cheek, making sure that he was here with her.
Then there was that other being from the sky. She felt she should know who it was but something prevented her from remembering it. What was wrong with her? The gods couldn't sleep. Gods couldn't dream. Gods couldn't tire for that matter. But here she was: a contradiction to these very beliefs. She could sleep now. She could dream dreams. And she could tire from battle like any other.
Artemis shifted slightly, suddenly tired. Eyes drooping, breathing slowing, she drifted off to sleep again but this time stuck in a world between reality and wonderland. She didn't dream of that nightmare again. No more grey lands with the seven running figures. No more spirits. No more sleeping Gaea and that terrifying light of the sky.
She didn't dream anything significant now, only fleeting images of Olympus—of home. There was only a trace of longing that was quickly erased by elation. Sure, she missed her brothers and sisters and all. But compared to being with her hunters and Percy, Olympus was worth giving up. It was boring up there anyway with all the gods forced to sit around 24/7 and twiddle their thumbs just because Zeus and a few of them couldn't get over Percy showing them up. They just couldn't accept the fact that sometimes even gods were wrong, that sometimes they needed demigods—not only for quests but also guidance.
She was pulled from her slumber by the sound of footsteps. Artemis got up. Under the covers, it felt so comforting after her dream. But it couldn't be helped. If Thalia saw her, then it was as good as the whole Hunt had seen her. And then it would spread from there to one of the gods and reach Apollo or even worse Aphrodite—if the goddess of love didn't know it already.
Artemis sighed and checked her reflection. Not that she cared how she looked. Really. Except with Percy here…
Thalia bounded into the large bedroom just as Artemis made to leave. "Oh, you're up already…" her second-in-command looked disappointed as she hastily stashed the camera away into a jacket pocket. "Gwendolyn just ran by to tell us we had to get to the Curia and meet up with the rest of the camp heads." The way she said Curia held some distaste for some reason and as Artemis glanced over at her second-in-command, even Thalia seemed taken aback at her hostility. But she quickly dismissed it.
Looking over at the still unconscious form of Percy, her lieutenant shook her head, exasperated.
"Hibernation time, I tell you." she grinned. "Luckily for Seaweed Brain here, he doesn't have to be there. Lupa said that it was better for him not to go anyway." Thalia laughed and flicked the sleeping demigod's forehead. Percy frowned in his sleep, but didn't wake, just as Artemis glared at Thalia, annoyed for some reason.
"Okay, okay." Thalia waved both hands in surrender. Then she smirked, "So…how did you sleep, my Lady?" and ran out of the room before Artemis could get a hold of her.
Artemis stared at the open doorway of Percy's bedroom, with a mixture of feelings coursing through her. Annoyance. Embarrassment. Bemusement. All of them went through her frame of mind, intermingling until she couldn't quite figure out what she felt the most. She turned to Percy, still sleeping soundly under the covers. His innocent face was sad and confused even in slumber, Artemis noted. Like even in sleep, he knew he was lost, that he did not yet belong, that he was missing something…
She crossed over to his side and touched his face. "You don't have to feel so lost and alone. You've got other people here who care about you." She missed that smile, that idiotic grin Percy always wore when he was with his friends and having a good time. Not like she purposely stared at the young Half-Blood. It was just one of things she caught when he was around with her back then…
"Hey, we really do need to get to the Senate House," Thalia peeked through the door. "Lupa's asked us to be there by 7."
"You seem a little too hyper today, Thalia," Artemis muttered, steering the daughter of Zeus out of the room as she made to flick Percy on the head again. "Oh, I forgot to tell you." Thalia looked over at her, suddenly nervous at the change of tone. "Don't call him Percy here. The Roman campers think he's Noctis—that's his new name."
"What's wrong with 'Percy'?" Thalia asked. "Doesn't seem bad to me."
"It's Greek. They're Roman. The two don't mix." The goddess said simply. "The other campers wouldn't bother listening to someone Greek. And he's supposed to be their leader—our leader."
"Understood, my lady." Thalia saluted, still puzzled.
You'll soon find out, Artemis thought. And I hope you don't kill each other when the time does come.
"Artemis? Earth to Artemis." Thalia waved her hand. "You're not telling me the whole thing, are you?"
"You see," The goddess sighed, "Have the other hunters guard Percy. I don't really trust the camp's stability at the moment or its security for that matter." Thalia nodded, still smiling at both Artemis and the out-cold demigod behind her, and went to the others.
The goddess continued to contemplate the outcome of Hera's gamble. It was like a story or movie building up to its climax. The tension and the stress grew with time. She couldn't shake off the thought of the future Roman and Greek confrontation. How can two opposite sides of the coin cooperate?
She stared at Percy for a minute longer before walking out the room and closing the bedroom door behind her. Whatever was to come, the Fates held the paths in their hands. Or did they? Artemis had a feeling that something greater was at work here. Something even more powerful…
She stopped in front of her hunters who had all gathered at the pavilion. "You know what to do, right?" she looked at each of them in turn. "Protect Percy if anything happens."
"Don't worry, Lady Artemis," Phoebe, one of her hunters, said, smiling. "We can take care of him." The way she said it didn't leave the goddess all that reassured but she didn't have time to think up any alternative.
On their way out, Artemis and Thalia met with Percy's new friends. "I hope Noctis is alright," Reyna said, concerned, after Thalia reported Percy's current status. "After everything that happened yesterday…"
"And just when he had settled into the Camp…" Gwendolyn murmured, twirling a lock of golden hair as she gazed at the sky. "That's a lot to take in."
Bobby laughed. "Oh my! Gwendolyn actually has a soft side!" he said in a singsong tone of voice. Artemis bit her lip at that but said nothing. Thalia looked on amused. "Fallen in love again? For the umpteenth time?"
"No, I'm not!" Gwendolyn replied, hotly, a little red faced. "I would never do such a thing to Lady Diana!"
"Wait, what?" Artemis exclaimed, flustered. "What are you talking about?"
Thalia was laughing now, so hard that she was gasping for breath. Gwendolyn looked equally startled before she blushed, too. "Oh, wait. That was a dream. Darn, Venus!" she threw her hands up in defeat.
Dakota spoke up. "Why were you dreaming this again?"
Reyna kept silent, staring at them all with a raised eyebrow as if to say: Are you crazy?
Gwendolyn crossed her arms. "Don't look at me like that! It isn't my fault! I'm the daughter of Venus for gods' sake. And mother's always messing with me…" she added, fuming. The others let it rest at that. Gwendolyn seemed close to the point of hitting somebody.
"Oh yeah by the way, I found this…" Bobby took out a silver coin and flicked it in the air. It changed into a slim sword. "Been looking for it?" he lifted it high over his head so Gwendolyn couldn't reach it.
"Hey, give me that!" she punched him in the gut and he recoiled, laughing. "You didn't find it, you stole it."
"Anyway…back to Noctis," Hazel said, helpfully, changing the subject and taking away the awkward silence. The demigod turned to Artemis. "You sure he's alright? We could postpone the meeting and get some medics from Apollo's Legion…"
"He'll be fine. All he needs is rest." Artemis assured them all. She sounded confident—or at least she thought she did—but she was just as worried as the rest of them behind the mask. She'd never heard of any demigod going on autopilot before but that was just what happened during the surprise attack yesterday.
That time, Percy didn't seem to be Percy. He didn't seem to be Noctis either. He was someone totally different, someone ancient and powerful. No demigod could cause the stars to fall, much less do it multiple times—hero of one of the Big Three or not. It was unthinkable. Unimaginable. It just couldn't possibly be. Only the gods had that kind of power…
Artemis was shaken from her train of thought by Thalia. "His body's probably recovering from all that beating he took. Fighting and more fighting for hours upon hours on end can do that to people," her lieutenant supported, siding with Artemis. However, she, too, seemed a bit anxious as she took a peek back at the villa of Neptune. "Seaweed Brain will up and about in no time." She added, seeing Artemis look over her shoulder as well. "Then we can all get know each other properly." She smirked, glancing pointedly at Artemis who faltered slightly in her step.
Roman campers milled about, talking excitedly as they roamed the streets, going about their daily business. Artemis took in the camp with quiet admiration. The place was beautiful. Like paradise. The buildings that had been destroyed just yesterday had been rebuilt overnight. The streets that had been littered with weapons and blood and a few bodies were now clean. It looked as if there had never been a surprise attack on the camp at all.
"Wow," Thalia exclaimed. "Half of this place was in ruins yesterday and now…"
"Our campers are dedicated," Reyna explained, proudly. "We usually get things done in no time. Construction is a piece of cake. Get the Vulcan and Minerva teams on it and they'll work wonders." She glanced up. "We're here."
The Curia was huge, almost as big as Artemis' temple. It was breathtaking like all the Roman architecture. Three stories high, the building rose above the shops and villas, situated at the center of the entire Province. Huge statues of the Roman gods that stood upon tall pillars of ivory marble surrounded the structure, almost level with the roof of the Curia, like giant guards towering over would-be troublemakers.
Inside, the Senate meeting room seemed to have been modified to hold more campers. It was as big as those rooms professors used to teach hundreds of students—those huge lecture halls in universities. The leaders of each Legion were already present. The generals of the Twelve Olympian Legions sat in the front while the leaders of the minor gods' Legions sat in the back. The hierarchy was clear as day but there didn't seem to be any resentment between the two groups. Everyone was lounging about, chatting amiably with one another as if nothing had happened yesterday. Yeah, we have to fight undead Legions and rebuild half the camp every day. No big deal.
At the end of the room were the seats for the magistrates or consuls in this case. Octavian was already there, sitting rigid, straight backed, and at attention. His eye twitched as the noise level grew with more and more people coming in but he didn't say anything as he patiently waited for everyone to gather in the huge room. Reyna hurriedly seated herself beside him. Lupa sat in the center of the room, resting her head on her paws in a very human-like character.
"You called," Artemis stated more than asked.
Lupa sat up. 'Yes, an important matter has come to our attention.' She made her way to the goddess of the Hunt, staring up into her eyes as gold met silver. 'No doubt you've already heard.'
The she-wolf's eyes flickered bright gold with unease like the flames of the sun for a second. The room quieted almost at once as all eyes fell on the two of them. Thalia shifted uncomfortably behind her as Artemis stared into the eyes of the patroness of Rome. Then she broke eye-contact, having seen enough through the wolf-goddess' mind. 'So you do know…'
"Terra is awakening…" Artemis said, musing over this. A murmur of disquiet passed through the leaders, senators of Rome, who gathered about. "Yes, I've known this. I saw it in a dream." And she explained her disturbing vision. When she finished she found Lupa staring at her weirdly. "What is it?"
"Gods don't dream. They're not supposed to have a conscience either." Octavian replied, staring at her closely. "I've noticed that you are a bit different." He shifted in his seat. "Something's happening that's changing you. But what?"
"That isn't the current problem." Reyna interjected. "We need to know what to do now. Terra's made her move." The two consuls looked at Lupa, questioningly.
The wolf goddess seemed taken aback at Artemis. 'A dream?' the she-wolf's gaze pierced through her, and Artemis let the goddess into her mind.
The recent nightmare came back in full detail, images so vivid that Artemis felt she was there with the running figures once again. The nightmare replayed in her head for the wolf goddess to see. And the experience was just as daunting, just as exhilarating as the first time.
She saw the figures running from the unknown forces that pursued them. She saw again the spirits and their earthy chains being shattered as wayward souls tore the world asunder like bubbles exploding on the surface of boiling water. She saw once again the maw of the earth closed over the heroes. And she saw their descent into Terra's world, down into the black chasm.
Then the feeling was gone and Lupa was staring at her with a mixture of wonder, bewilderment, and apprehension.
"What's going on?" Thalia asked as she grabbed Artemis' arm, shaking her. "Artemis!"
The goddess took a shaky breath before exhaling slowly and glanced up at her lieutenant's piercing gaze that was filled with concern. "It's okay." She turned back to the wolf goddess. "Are you satisfied?"
Lupa continued to stare at her, surprised. 'Moon goddess, you've changed.' The she-wolf prowled about, pacing now, agitated by this phenomenon. 'You sleep and you dream and you feel so much more...'
She turned to fix her eyes on Artemis once again. 'It's almost like you're a…' She trailed off, pondering over this. But even though Lupa had left her statement unfinished, Artemis knew what the patroness of Rome was about to say: It's almost as if you were a mortal.
"But how can this be?" Octavian said. "Gods don't have a conscience. They don't dream either. When I gained my immortality, I realized this."
Artemis shook her head. "I don't know either. But it's not that bad…"
Suddenly, the she-wolf's power flared, gold streams of light engulfed the room. The wolf's ears perked as if picking something up from a level of sound mere mortals couldn't hear. Lupa let out a snarl and Artemis realized why. Just barely audible, the sound of whispering from deep within the earth could be heard through her sharp senses. It resonated throughout the floor of the Curia. Then just as suddenly as it came, the voice faded.
"Spies." Octavian breathed, hearing the voice of Terra himself. "Di immortales! Even within our walls, it is unsafe. That explains how the enemy got through all our new defenses so easily."
Artemis whipped her head around the assembly, mentally attacking all of them in succession, searching for the traitor. "The spies are hidden from me." She muttered, frustrated.
Thalia stepped to her side, bow already drawn. "Artemis, we need to get to Percy." The goddess nodded, drawing out her own bow.
An explosion broke the quiet atmosphere and the light of it was illuminated through the stain glass windows. 'It seems subtlety isn't the only way Terra handles things.' Lupa growled, almost irritated rather than angered this time.
There was a moment of confusion before Lupa brought order. This time the Romans were ready. Then arrows broke through glass and rained down on them all. Never mind about prepared then.
Outside, the forces of New Rome clashed with unseen forces of Terra. Arrows seemed to just whizz from every direction and spears thrown here and there. "Amazons." Artemis murmured. "Terra's brought back the Amazons. An arrow streaked past her, inches away, and cut her cheek.
She brought her bow out of thin air and notched half a dozen arrows, Thalia mimicking her. There was a rustle toward the canopy of trees that stood right outside the Curia and a slight shadow of someone crouched under the shadows of a hedge. Through the moon's eye, Artemis homed in on the rest and let loose. Arrow after arrow left her fingers and her bow sang like a harp.
Amazons dropped down, bleeding profusely. But their wounds seemed to heal, their bodies regenerating in milliseconds from regular attacks. Artemis' arrows did more pressing damage. They struck like bullets, blasting the targets through.
Then just as suddenly as the attack had begun, it faded. And the enemy disappeared like mist. Leaving several wounded in its wake.
Artemis glanced around and in a flash. Lupa appeared beside her, looking at the mess. 'Is Noctis alright?' Thalia was staring between the two curiously and Artemis realized that Lupa was talking only to her now within the confines of her mind where no unwanted listeners could hear. Artemis searched through the moon and found Percy's villa undisturbed. She could see her hunters playing Frisbee outside.
'He's fine. He just needs some rest.' Artemis paused for a second before, 'You can't be planning on sending him on a mission so soon.'
'We will train him. In one week's time, he will set forth upon his conquest.' Lupa spoke with a note of finality.
Artemis nodded reluctantly in assent. She turned to leave, Thalia and the rest with her.
'You will be accompanying him on this mission so prepare yourself.' Artemis stopped and looked over her shoulder in surprise. 'The Oracle says so.' Lupa said simply. Artemis could've sworn she heard the thunder in the background as if this were some dark Shakespearean script played out in the real world with the dramatic effects.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Thalia and the Hunters were invited by Gwendolyn and the rest to go around the camp, buying souvenirs and all. Artemis didn't have anything against it so she let them.
Now, sitting next to the sleeping Percy, Artemis faced the window surveying the lake and the mountains in the background. There was the sound of a muffled sigh as Percy stirred. Artemis glanced at him for a second and met his half-closed eyes.
Percy sat up, slowly and looked out the window with her. The sun was setting below the mountains and the lake shimmered and red as the light of the sunset cast its rays on the calm surface of the water. "Where am I?" the son of Neptune looked around the room then back at the window.
Artemis stared at him for a second, watching as his bright green eyes caught the light and flickered golden. "You're at the villa of the Sea god, Neptune." She watched as Percy flopped back down. "My name is Artemis. But just to be safe call me Diana here. The Romans don't like the Greeks that much."
"Artemis…" Percy trailed off and the goddess' heart leaped. "Diana." He amended, tasting the sound of it. He stared at her a minute longer. "You've got a cut on your cheek. What happened?" he touched her cheek where the arrow had cut her and withdrew revealing ichor. She blushed.
"Oh nothing, just took out a couple of Amazons at the Senate," Artemis brushed her hand across the wound and healed it. She told him what had happened. "I don't think this was meant to kill anyone. It was more like a terror attack—something meant to instill fear. And to show that even behind the walls, nowhere is safe." Artemis echoed Octavian's words, concluding her account.
"Like a message," Percy said. "Terra's way of telling us: You can die but you can't hide."
"And a way of goading the camp to do something." Artemis added, a sudden thought crossing her. She looked at Percy with apprehension and dread. "Terra wants us to go on a quest. I don't know why." She answered the demigod's questioning look. "But Terra's been trying to get us to do something. Maybe mess up on this mission or something."
A few moments passed as they sat there, absorbing all this. Then Percy scratched his head. "This is too much to take in all at once. Too many things are happening all at the same time." He muttered, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Speaking of a lot of things happening at once, how are you now?" Artemis asked. "Yesterday was something, don't you think? Fighting gladiators then fighting undead armies must be exhausting."
Percy frowned. "Wait, what undead armies…? The last thing I remember was beating the giant wraith and falling, then someone catching me and saying it's alright." Artemis flushed a minute at his recollection before fully understanding what Percy was saying. "You mean…you don't remember Terra's Legions overrunning the place. Mark Antony. Dragons. Light. Your crystal weapons…"
Percy looked at her for a moment, contemplating this. "No…what happened?" Artemis told him everything. About Pompey flying with his Legion in an aerial attack on New Rome and about Mark Antony leading the ground forces. About how the Romans had been pushed back to the Aventine Hill where he was sleeping in the temple of Diana and how he came into the midst of battle and pushed them back.
You don't remember anything?" Artemis asked again. She didn't know what to think now. She had been right. He hadn't been Percy. He hadn't been Noctis. Whatever had come over him was strong. Not even gods could take control of demigods personally. They could order them around but never inhabit their bodies.
Percy mumbled something unintelligible, brow furrowed as if he was straining to remember all this. Finally, he sighed. "I don't know." he looked at his hands.
Artemis stared out at the skies. "I believe you. I had this dream." She explained the seven figures running over the Grave of Rome. She told him about the restless spirits and the earth opening up. And Terra. And the other voice from the sky. "And I felt this aura—that same presence that was within you when the light came through the earth."
Percy stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. His expression was concentrated and his eyes revealed the conflicting emotions within. "I guess that settles it then. I got possessed by…something. But what was it?"
There was an awkward silence as Percy's question hung in the air. Artemis bit her lip. She knew who it was…or did know at least until now. The name was at the tip of her tongue. But no matter how hard she thought over it, there was that memory block standing in her mental path.
Finally Percy shrugged. He didn't seem to want to know. He looked almost agitated by the thought of him being controlled by someone without his consent. Not that Percy would allow anyone to take over anyway, Artemis knew that.
He broke the silence. "About dreams. I've just remembered something…" he rubbed his temples as if trying to recollect everything.
Artemis held her breath. What did he remember? Camp Half-Blood? His previous quests? Annabeth?
"This whole time I was asleep, this dream just kept playing over and over in my head. I don't know what it means. But I feel that it has something to do with what I can do…" he paused. Then, looking up to meet Artemis' confused expression, he explained, "My new powers." he stretched out his arm and focused on the palm of his hand. Slowly, a sliver of the air condensed and formed a crystalline gladius.
Artemis exhaled sharply, "That was what you did while you were possessed! At the time when you led the counterattack on the Legions of Terra." She touched the solid weapon and quickly withdrew. "It's ice cold."
Percy released his grip on the blade and fell back onto the soft plushy pillows. "This…I got this at the old haunted house. It was in the woods and it looked like it had been recently torn apart by a bunch of giants. There were bloodstains all over the place."
A chill ran down Artemis' spine as she realized what house Percy was talking about. This must have been the time right after Jason and the others had freed Hera. That explained Percy's long absence.
Percy twirled his silver charm bracelet around, wondering. He continued, "I woke up there. That was where I started out. That was my new birthplace—at least that's what Lupa said anyway. She was in it. She told me to survive and then left." He went on to describe his dream and Artemis lay there beside him, listening.
Apparently, this house was the last thing Percy remembered about his past. Anything else beyond that was still beyond him. The only places Percy could go were the woods and the house. The house was out of the question. There were werewolves there—Lycaon's pack, Percy said—and they seemed to be searching for him. He stayed in the woods for weeks, trying to find a way out. But every time he tried to run away from the house, he would always end up back at where he started. She saw a shadow cross over him as he talked about how something happened back at the House—except he didn't know what. He had been exploring the place one day when the wolves had left and found something…That was all Artemis could get out of him. Then he found a way out and ran for what he was worth. He ran and ran and ran until he couldn't run anymore. Until he collapsed.
Artemis stared at Percy as he looked up at the ceiling, not meeting her eyes. Something was off. Something he didn't want to talk about at the moment.
"Juno must be at work here," Percy stated suddenly. "In another dream, my father, Neptune, told me that the Queen had made a risky gamble. It sounded like an exchange." He drew out Riptide. "I remember this blade, too. Back at the House, it was bronze. But now it's gold." he scratched his head. "None of that makes any sense to me."
Artemis took the pen from the demigod's hand and examined it. "There has been word of Hera's plot. I can't say a lot about it. But if this works out, we might be able to defeat Gaea once and for all."
"That's what Neptune said," Percy recalled. "But what is Juno's gamble?"
Artemis put the pen back in his hand. "I don't know about everything else. But I have a feeling we'll soon find out."
Silence fell once again. This time Artemis spoke up. "Just to tell you. Lupa's going to start your training tomorrow. In a week you'll be on your first quest for the Romans…" she glanced sidelong at him, seeing how the Half-blood would take it. "There are spies within the camp. Lupa and the consuls seemed to think that the faster we move the better off we'll be."
Percy stared at his hand as he created a crystal orb that pulsed like a heart. "Spies…" he grimaced, closing his eyes. "This total déjà vu…" he strained to remember, clenching his hands. He played with the orb of light for a while before letting it vanish into the air. "As for training…Tomorrow sounds better than today. I'll be ready." He looked out the window. The Roman demigod yawned. "It's almost sun set. I guess we should go to dinner." He stood up and held out his hand to help the goddess up.
They'd have to deal with other matters later. But for the moment, Artemis forgot all about Percy's possession and Hera's gamble and the coming Great War and everything else. Overhead, the sky swirled in pinkish red and purple hues. The moon was already visible. Its crescent seemed to her like a sleepy eye in the process of waking. The sun was sinking over the horizon now. Its golden orb sending streaks through the skies.
Noctis looked up at the heavens and opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it, looking thoughtful. Outside, campers were already making their way to the Mess Hall. Everyone was chattering away cheerfully, joking, laughing, and talking.
Artemis could see Thalia and the hunters in the crowd of people talking to Percy's new friends. When they caught sight of them, they made their way over. Before the two parties met, Noctis turned to Artemis, "I just thought of something. When you told me about that voice in the sky and about the same presence inside me, I was wondering…" he stared at her, his gaze piercing her to the soul—if she had one—and looking inward. "Do you think the one who possessed me was…"