THE SWORD
THE SWORD
Disclaimer: Only own (main characters) Pierce, Enella and now Valerie. Everything else belongs to Rick Riordan.
The next morning, during breakfast, I told Percy about the sword that I had gotten last night.
"Let's show it to Chiron. Even though Pierce said that it's from Hades, it couldn't hurt to find out more about it." Percy said.
We finished our breakfast and then we went back to Cabin 3 to get the sword. I fished it out from under my bed and found that someone wrapped it up and placed a note on it. It wasn't English, for sure.
"That's Greek. I think it says... Ghost Girl's..." Percy looked up at me.
My eyes opened wide with fear and I felt for the pommel, feeling for the skull. I sighed. It was the right one. "Same one," I stated and picked it up. We brought the sword to the Big House where Chiron was.
"Chiron," Percy said. Chiron looked up at him- he was in his wheelchair- and greeted us. "Enella found something."
"What is it?" Chiron asked and moved closer to us. "A sword?"
I nodded and unwrapped it.
Last night, when I had found the sword, I only felt the shape of it. I couldn't tell what the metal was or anything else- besides the diamond eyes, and the shape, I didn't know any other fact.
Therefore, you can expect that I was surprised when we found out what it was made of.
Solid gold, silver, and bronze excluding the diamond eyes.
"Strange, very strange indeed." Chiron muttered. "Most swords aren't made of this. If they are, which is rare, they would probably be for show, not battle." He took a chunk of wood (probably a foot thick) and, sure enough, it sliced right through. "This is one for battle, not for show. I can tell you that this is new. No hero - or heroine- had a sword like this." He inspected the pommel. "Impressive, very impressive indeed. Silver skull with diamond eyes. It actually looks like real bone. Besides the color," Then he came across the engraved words on the back of the skull. "'I am your father, Enella.' So it's from Hades, correct?" I nodded. "Explains why there's so much precious items. He dwells under the ground where all the jewels and precious metals are found." Ah. "Now, how did you get this sword again?"
I told Chiron that I just found it after a cold draft blew next to me. "Then Pierce told me what it said on the back of the skull."
"Pierce? You mean Percy?" Chiron referred to Percy.
"No, she means her brother. Or at least his ghost." Percy stated.
"Oh." Chiron paused. "So you couldn't tell what it said because you are dyslexic?"
I shook my head, forgetting that no one knew I couldn't read yet. "Never learned how. I know a bit." I stated. "Pierce and Mother always read things to me."
Chiron nodded. "Annabeth and Percy can help you with reading Greek and maybe English if you wanted." He thought for a moment. "You might as well name your sword, Enella." He gave it back to me. I thanked him then we left.
I opened the door to our cabin in order to put the sword back. As soon as I looked up at him, I dropped the sword.
"Now, why does my little girl have a weapon?" He said.
You can cross out Hades and Pierce right away. I don't think Hades calls anyone "my little girl" and Pierce calls me En and Enella. So, it has to be...
"Jacob." I whispered.
"'Jacob'?" He repeated. "Why are you acting like I'm not your father?"
"Because you're not her father." Pierce said. He appeared next to Jacob. "And you're not mine either."
"What are you talking about, son? Of course I'm your father! And I'm Enella's father too!" Jacob countered.
"What's going on?" Percy asked me. "Who are you talking to?"
"Jacob and Pierce are here." I told him. "Jacob didn't know he wasn't our father."
"Who's this youth you're talking to, Enella? Never saw him before. He a new neighbor?" Jacob asked me.
"No, he's not a neighbor, Jacob. He's my cousin and Percy's half-brother. In fact, 'this youth' has the same nickname." I replied. I was trying to give Percy hints on what the two ghosts were saying.
"Cousin? Half-brother? What in the-" Jacob began.
"What in the world, in the name of Hades, in the name of Zeus or in the Underworld?" I offered. "We're not your children, Stepfather. Have you ever heard of Greek mythology?"
"Well, yes. Percy told me about the Big Three..." He said. "Stepfather?!"
"Yes, I said stepfather. Pierce's father is Poseidon, as well as Percy's here. My father is Hades, the Lord of the Dead. Lord of the Dead!" I practically yelled. "I'm not your child!"
Now, I know that the last part was a little harsh, but he had to know the truth. He can't spend his entire life-, which he already had- thinking that we were his children and spend his dead life thinking that too! My mother had kept everything a secret from him, yet she had the guts to tell her children. He should know... He should know who he is to us...
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
He warned me about this. Hades had told me himself this would happen. He knew that Enella was his child and Pierce was Poseidon's. Why didn't I listen to him and stay in the Underworld instead of facing this? And then Percy warned me about this too. He said that he might actually do this to me also.
"I am not your child!" Enella yelled at me.
Do you know how it feels when someone you believed was truly (place your relationship with them here) and then he or she yelled at you that they weren't? It hurts. Oh god does it hurt.
I shook my head. "No... No, no, no..."
Pierce placed a hand on my shoulder. "You were as good as any real father." He stated.
But my heart was already broken. And once hearts are broken, most of the time, you can't mend them, like mine. I walked to Enella and touched her cheek. Tears formed in my eyes and I turned away from her.
No. This was not my Enella H. Jackson. My Enella would never yell at me in anger. Enella was a sweet, kind, loving person who hated the sight of battle like the rest of our family. Not the girl in front of me that entered the room with a sword, fire dancing in her eyes. This isn't she. This was the complete opposite of my Enella.
"Then you're not Enella." I whispered then left this impostor.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
Enella stormed out of the cabin before Percy could stop her and after Pierce left to follow Jacob. She grabbed a quiver of arrows and a bow then put them on. She took a shield that was undecorated. She went back to the cabin but only to get her sword and the drachmas that were given to her the previous night.
"Enella-" Percy began.
"I'll write to you about myself. Tell Chiron that I'm leaving." Enella interrupted. She turned to leave.
Percy grabbed her wrist. "It's not safe for you outside of camp now that you know that Hades is your father. The monsters will get you!"
"I'm supposed to be dead, Percy. I should have died two centuries ago. Yet here I am. I think I can survive some monsters." Enella told him as she twisted her hand free from his grip. "Besides, I should feel at home in the Underworld." She left the cabin.
"You're impossible." Percy muttered then headed for the Big House.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
"Then you're not Enella..." The words repeated in my head repeatedly. I know that I am Enella. I'm still the same person.
Sorta.
I know I was harsh on Jacob. But he had to hear it from someone.
"Enella," Pierce asked me. "Where are you going?"
Ignoring him, I walked faster. Talking to him would just slow me down. I'm not letting anyone stop me.
Pierce sighed. "We can do it the easy way, where you just tell me where you're going, or the hard way, where I posses you and make you stop."
I scoffed. Pierce would never do the hard way to someone. I just started to run- the best I could while carrying what I grabbed, anyway.
Hooves. Percy must have gotten Chiron to try to stop me. Or someone was using a Pegasus. Or it was a satyr.
"Where are you going?" A female asked me. Yup. Definitely someone riding a Pegasus.
"None of your business," I muttered. The tree was just ahead...
"It will be once you get out of camp." She muttered and then the hooves faded.
What in the world did that mean? I thought then shrugged. I was at Thalia's tree now. Now, all I have to do is climb down the hill and then I can go to wherever I pleased.
Man, do I sound like a person who is breaking out of jail. Well, who cares about that.
I turned around to face the camp once more. "So long." Then I left the place for good... Well, I thought it would be the last time.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
My name is Valerie. I am a younger sister to a certain pair of Demigods. I was told that my mother died the day after I was born because of some illness that my foster parents were worried that I had gotten. Luckily, I didn't.
My foster parents, Raelyn and Tobin, weren't human. Raelyn was an ash-tree nymph and Tobin was a centaur- one that wasn't a wild party animal- that appeared human because of the Mist. I believed them when they told me this. Course, the only reason why is because when I was fourteen, I was claimed.
Before I tell you who claimed me, let me tell you who I am sister to.
My brother died in the Civil War. The letters CP are related to him. My sister is still alive, like I am, and the letters CH are related to her. My brother is Pierce, aka, Percy Jackson and my sister is Enella Jackson.
I bet you're thinking, "Three times Cassandra gave birth to Demigod children! Why did she even marry Jacob if all her children are going to belong to gods?" I don't know. I don't even know what my own mother looks like so how do you expect me to know why she did what she did?
Anyway, back to who my god parent is. If the pattern continues, I would be a child of one of the Big Three. Not Hades and Poseidon if Cassandra didn't want to repeat.
But, sorry Thalia, you don't have a half sister. And Enella still has half-siblings.
I'm a full sister to Pierce. Hopefully, the Poseidon cabin won't get as crowded as the Hermes cabin. Percy is gonna have to get used to sharing the cabin for a while.
Chiron doesn't know about me yet. The gods besides Poseidon don't know either. My ghost brother never knew. So far, the only people who know about my existence are/were Raelyn, Tobin, Cassandra and Poseidon. I talked to Enella briefly this morning when she was running away from camp.
I came to camp right as Enella was leaving. Riding a horse. Don't ask me how I got my hands on a horse. It just came to me as I left the now Lotus Hotel and Casino. Right now, I'm watching my sister run down the hill. "You'll be back." I stated. She would. Somehow, I knew she would.
"You're new." Someone said. I thought I heard another voice with his.
I turned around and got off. I ended up staring at a male that had the same sea colored eyes that I had. "Just got here. Name's Valerie. I'm 142 years old."
That got him gaping. "Lotus Hotel and Casino?"
I nodded. "Who are you? Am I in the camp for Demigods?"
"Camp Half-Blood? Yeah. I'm Percy." He stared at the gray mare I had brought in.
He saved Blackjack, Mistress. The mare told me. The black Pegasus.
"The Pegasus that keeps on calling me 'Boss'." Percy answered the mare. "You got a name?" He said, scratching between her ears.
Ira. My name is Ira. She neighed.
"A daughter of Poseidon?" Percy asked me as I asked him "A son of Poseidon?" I smiled and nodded.
"CP." I said. Percy stared at me.
"Cassandra and Poseidon?" He guessed.
"How did you...?" I began. "Are you Percy Jackson? The ghost of my brother?"
Percy shook his head. "No. I'm no ghost. But I know who you mean. Pierce, right?"
"Yeah. Died during the Civil War." I stated.
"Took control of Enella last night- well, her voice anyway. Told her to never lose her necklace that says CH. If he was here right now along with Enella, he would probably be saying don't lose whatever you have that says CP." Percy told me. "I didn't know Enella had another sibling. She only said that Pierce was her half-brother."
"Half-siblings. Seems to be common these days. Well, Enella doesn't know about me either. I know about her, but not vice versa. That's 'cause I was born the day before Cassandra died and left in the hands of Raelyn, an ash-tree nymph and Tobin, a centaur- one that wasn't a wild party animal. She was 13 when I was born."
"I suspected that Chiron was the only decent centaur," Percy replied.
"I dunno. Either way, Tobin died. Don't know how. I guess Chiron is the only decent centaur." I shrugged and combed Ira's mane.
Riptide, Riptide! Ira suddenly said, nudging her head towards Percy's pocket.
"Riptide?" Percy cocked an eyebrow. "Why would she possibly want Riptide?" He pulled out a pen.
Riptide! Ira repeated.
Percy shrugged and uncapped the pen. Nothing happened. Then he turned his pockets inside out. Some drachmas fell out. But no other pen. "Riptide's gone." He said, staring at me.
Thinking I may have gotten it by mistake because I was also a child of Poseidon, I checked my pockets too. Nothing but the things Raelyn had given me before I left.
Great. A weapon that should return to Percy automatically is missing. My sister is probably gonna die from a monster even though she has all those weapons with her. We can't use a plane if someone took across the country. Hades and Percy don't get along well so who would expect me to? Just great.
I started to the Big House.
"Where are you going?" Percy asked me, following me and being followed by Ira.
"Oracle," I replied. "You're missing Riptide, and Enella will need help. Even though she's 155 and looks barely 15, and I'm a 142 year old that barely looks 13, I need to help her." Then I added, "Who knows how long she can survive on her own."
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
The Big House was deserted, surprisingly. Chiron and Mr. D weren't there at all.
I followed my half-sister up to the attic where the Oracle was. She seemed to know where everything was even though she was new.
The mummy was pretty much the same as the past times except it seemed to have more cobwebs on it than I remember.
"What is my Fate?" Valerie asked it.
It sat up straight and green mist came out of the mouth.
Remember when the mist had formed into Gabe and his poker buds? Well, it seemed that the Oracle thought the mist should form Pierce.
Now that I know what Pierce looks like, I know how Enella mistook me for him. He could have been me when I was 20... Minus the Union uniform... And the gunshot hole in his chest.
"Pierce..." Valerie whispered. She kept her mouth shut after saying that.
"You shall find something that has gone,
"And find an enemy in the person with a golden sword drawn.
"You will fail to save who you wish to most.
"You shall meet someone's ghost.
"With Life gone and Death here,
"The rest of your Fate is unclear."
The mist figure of Pierce gave a faint smile to the both of us then recoiled back to the Oracle, which went back to looking how it was before.
"We have to start now." Valerie said.
"What about telling Chiron?" I wondered. "And when did the prophecy say anything about me going?"
"Didn't you have people come with you on the Quests you've had? Well, you're coming with me." She stated. "Come on. The prophecy said that we would find something that has gone. It must be talking about Riptide."
"Who knows what it could be talking about," I said but she had already gone down the ladder. Man, that girl is quick. I sighed and followed her.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
You would be surprised with how much ground I was able to cover with all the stuff I had taken with me. I was able to get far away from the camp. Well, it took me about two or three hours before I was at least a mile away but I manage to quicken the pace.
Maybe I should have talked to the Oracle before I ran off so I would at least know what might happen to me. But then I probably would have been talked out of it by someone and would be back at camp. And I wouldn't want that to be what happened.
"Hello, child." A woman said.
I turned towards the voice, ending up staring eye to eye with a young woman with long brown- blond?- hair and snake-skins draped over her shoulder like a shawl and one for a belt. "Who are you?"
"Lamya." She stared at the weapons I held. "Why does a young teenager need all of that? They still use swords and arrows in the army? Or are you going hunting?"
"It's none of your business. Now, excuse me." I turned to leave.
Lamya chuckled. "Two follow the one with Elysia,
"And someone will suffer amnesia.
"One may perish by a parent's hand,
"Another stumbles into No Man's Land.
"A god will turn against someone,
"But His reign has only begun." She narrowed her eyes and laughed- an evil sounding one to be precise- then left me alone. I kept my eyes on her shadow and I swear it looked like she took out an eye and started throwing it up in the air.
What Lamya told me seemed to be a prophecy but it didn't make much sense. Wasn't Elysia a place in the Underworld? Where is No Man's Land? And who is this who's "reign has only begun"?
Well, if I want to get to the Underworld before any of that weird prophecy happens, I better get going.