Book Three: Drastiriortita, Emmeno and Fishies

Lucy looked up at me with her glittering eyes as they had done for years. My turtle, my stuffed turtle, held my life. That sounds weird, doesn't it? It sounds weird, even to me. I mean…gee.

You see, my philosophy is that everything on Earth—or Mother Gaea—has a soul, inanimate or not. I believe a rock has as much feeling and thought as a cat, a dog, or a human. So I believe that Lucy, my Lucy, will take care of my life well. She would be one of the first ones I would trust to hold my life in the first place. Unfortunately, the way Alex explained it, it seemed as if I wasn't going to hold Lucy in my arms ever again.

"You see, Lucy will be your Vessel," he had explained earlier.

"And that means what now?"

We were still seated on the roots we were previously on—neither of us had bothered to move.

"When someone like you has a Vessel, it means that something else has your life in their hands. In your case, your Vessel is Lucy. Your Vessel is very important. I can't stress this enough. It will hold your life and your power. Your power will be molded into it, and it will be your medium to exert your power. No matter what form your Drastiriotita may take, your Medium will always be in it. Your power will grow over time, and with your Medium, your power will always be in check. "

"Pardon?"

"Drastiriotita. It means "energy" in Greek," Alex explained further.

"Oh. Why couldn't you just use that then?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Oh shut up."

"Bite me."

I groaned and decided to switch the subject. "So what's out next step?"

"You have to get your Emmeno."

"Stop with the Greek!!" I said, exasperated.

"But it is what they're officially called, Kalle."

"So how do we get it?" I asked as I stood up.

Alex stood up with me, even helped me to my feet. He was still my big brother after all. He knew that I was clumsy, and being quick of temper sometimes, like my mom, didn't exactly help me. But I was calm when I wanted to be, just like my mom. People even ventured to call me the "Mini-Annabeth", since I looked and acted almost exactly like her, minus the blond hair.

"This is your first step. You have to climb to the top of the mountain."

"What mountain?"

"That mountain." Alex pointed to a mountain that wasn't too far off. It seemed to suddenly appear. I guess mountains can suddenly appear out of nowhere now. This place never ceases to amaze me.

"And that's it?"

"Without dropping your turtle."

"And…?" I knew something bad was coming. Alex's face didn't betray any emotion, but there always is something bad at times like these.

"You'll just have to see," he replied.

"How ominous," I replied sarcastically. "How do you know all this?"

"The Gods sent me."

"But…" I started to say worriedly, but my voice caught in my throat.

"Kallie, I'll answer that when you come back down." Alex smiled reassuringly.

I admit, grudgingly, that when those words escaped from his lips, fear pierced through my heart. "You…you…you're not coming with me?"

"No, I'm not," he answered calmly. "I'm not allowed to help you get through your tests; I'm just here to watch over you."

"My own special paladin," I laughed nervously. I clutched Lucy closer to my chest. "Alex?"

"Yeah?" I ran up and hugged him. Or should I say slammed into him? "Oof!"

"Wish me luck?"

"Good luck."

"……"

"What?" he asked, then laughed. I smacked him on the arm and went on my way. He smiled and waved. Smug bastard.

I walked and walked, Lucy reassuringly by my side. As I kept walking through the forest, the scene drastically changed from lush forest to dry and rocky. It was still beautiful, but not in the popular, traditional sense. Rocks were plentiful more here than ever. Dry underbrush could be seen for miles. Random sprigs and dry twigs were plentiful as well.

I looked at Lucy dubiously. "What do you think Luce?"

Lucy winked at me. I stared incredulously back, and then shrugged. Stranger things have still happened. (Take being hacked up by a giant liquid mouth for example. Add the fact that the mouth had rotten teeth and gingivitis. Doesn't that just make you all fuzzy inside?)

I just wish Alex gave me some encouragement. I mean, he is my best friend and all. Not even a little tiny word from the silent one. Although, the Gods probably didn't permit him from spilling anything, so he would have gotten punished for telling me anything that wasn't absolutely necessary or something. I've heard that could happen…maybe he'd get chained to a rock…and every day he'd get eaten by this mean looking vulture and….and my mind was straying again. (Besides, that was Prometheus.)

"I'm hopeless, aren't I?"

Lucy looked at me with determined eyes.

"Your right, Luce, I've got to do this."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I proceeded to climb the treacherous hill that I really, really hoped was the right hill. I think I was right, since I found a cave not far off. I walked in to the dark dank cave, straining my eyes to see, to penetrate through that veil of darkness. With the little light struggling to make it into the cave, I thought I saw shimmering, reflecting off some foreign substance.

"Princess," a tinkling voice sounded, echoing inside the cave. When I didn't respond, the voice tried again. "Princess," it called, voice flowing like music.

"Who are you?" I hoped my voice sounded brave.

"I am Neriel." The voice steadily grew louder, getting closer. It came out of the water, walking upon land with astonishing grace, beckoning me. "Do not be afraid, young one."

"Who are you?" I repeated.

"I am a spirit element."

"What is a spirit element?"

"It is what you hold within your heart, the force of your power, the natural element you hold within your grasp, which will bend to your will."

"So…what are you?"

"I am a guiding spirit, young one—I am your guide. I am the nearly physical form of what power you hold, the Guardian Element," she said. (I'm guessing it was a "her". I'm not calling her an "it". Besides, her voice sounded extremely feminine.)

"Are you the Vessel Alex was talking about?"

"I will help you and help train you, Akantha, to achieve your full potential."

"But what about Alex? I thought he was going to help me!"

Okay. I'll admit. Losing Alex a second time is not my favorite past time, you know. He's my big bro and I love him, in an oh-gosh-I-love-him-but-the-totally-traditional-brother/sister-kind-of-way thing. Either way, he was important to me. If Neriel helped me, what would Alex do?

"All will be explained, Akantha," she replied.

I groaned. "You sound just like Alex."

Neriel laughed. Her laughter was beautiful, like the soft bubbling of river. "All in due time, young one." She paused. "But first, you must prove your worth. Prove yourself as a hero so you may be worthy of my help."

She sounded like nothing you've ever heard before. It sounded wise and knowing, ancient knowledge always gathering in her mind, always twisting to the sound of rushing lakes and the crashing of the ocean—depending on her mood, I'm guessing—and her voice was vibrant and solid, but without a form to bind, as free and flowing as the water itself.

"What must I do?" I asked, determined.

She came up to me, and took my hand. I gasped. Her hand was freezing cold, I could tell, but it felt oddly warm. It was then did I faintly see the being that was speaking to me.

The most astonishing part was that she looked like a ghost—half formed, half not, almost threatening to fade into the shadows. She seemed to be made of flowing water, hair moving slightly as if the water currents followed her wherever she went. Her hands bore gloves made of flowing ice, pure white and frozen. Her eyes were a dazzling light sapphire, speaking volumes for Neriel even when her lips never moved. Her whole body seemed to be a light, transparent-but-solid baby blue. The beautiful being of energy started to pull me towards the little lake from which she emerged and I started to protest.

"Wait, wait! Neriel, I can't breathe under—" I couldn't speak anymore, I was fully submerged. I started kicking and screaming, trying to breathe in air. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the choking image of water.

Princess! A voice sounded inside my head.

I stopped trying to scream for a second and looked wildly around.

Yes, that is it, my lady. Be as calm as the water. I heard Neriel tell me.

"Neriel?" Did I just talk? Woah.

I am here. Neriel answered.

"I'm talking."

Yes, you are. She laughed, and the lake seemed to move with her.

"But…but…how?" I asked, bewildered.

My clothes weren't soaked. They were in fact, very dry. I could swim with ease, and could see everything in plain sight. And I mean everything. My glasses weren't fogged up, and it securely stayed on my face. Even then, I could see everything, even to the tiniest fish. I saw it and it looked at me, momentarily stopping in its tracks, and waved its fin. I waved back, albeit a bit slowly, out of astonishment. I felt stronger, faster, braver. I felt like I could do so much in the water.

The power of the water is with you, my lady.

I saw some more fish and they swam around me, doing a little dance of happiness. They were different colors, each of them. They looked alike enough, but one was solid blue, one had a rainbow horn, another spots.

Welcome Princess! one said while swimming.

Yes! Yes! Welcome!

Finally, you have come!

Now, now. We still do not know, Neriel said, gently chiding them. But her eyes glinted brightly, suggesting otherwise. She then turned to me. We have work to do, Princess.

I nodded, unable to speak. I started to follow Neriel, who was swimming towards something. I turned to the little fishes and waved goodbye. (They waved back, and cries of Good luck, Princess! rang in my head.)

She led me to a wall. I looked at the water creature confusedly.

Forgive me.

That was all she said before I realized anything. She had pushed me into a hole I didn't notice. I fell quickly, the darkness not surprising—I had no time to process it. As I was falling, I spotted Neriel's face, looking devastated, tired, apprehensive and proud all in the same instant. I clutched Lucy until I felt that I landed. Unfortunately for me, I didn't—I just kept falling.

I felt a wave of feelings after that. First I was mad that she pushed me. Then I wondered why. Then I was a total blank, and then so on and so forth. It was weird. I had time to think. I should be at the bottom at the hole by now. Why wasn't I hitting the floor and becoming a mere splatter? At this rate, increasing velocity, increasing momentum, with little air resistance, I should become a pancake by now. Now why wasn't I? (Did I just think that? Woah. Brain power.)

After the fact that I was scared, I started enjoying it. It was exhilarating! It was as if you were in a wind tunnel, although I have never been in one; I supposed it was like this, except you were falling down. And just when I was getting used to the feeling of the tunnel/hole, I started falling. I mean, falling, falling. I began to see the end of the tunnel. I screamed and held on to Lucy for dear life, suddenly remembering what Alex said. I kept on falling until I fell, a crumpled heap on a rocky, terra cotta cave floor. Great, another cave.

I studied my surroundings. Everything looked the same. I groaned, partly from the pain my arm was in, and then from not knowing what to do. I looked at Lucy for more inspiration. She looked about as blank as I was. I maneuvered Lucy around to try rubbing my sore elbows. As I swiveled around, was when I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. My mom and dad were right there; right there not far off into the cave when I knew there were hundreds of miles away. I almost cried when I saw them, I had no idea I missed them so much. I started to run towards them, with Lucy in tow, until I heard them screaming.

"Percy, let me go!" Mom screamed.

Tears were streaming down her face. Dad was holding around her waist, trying to pull her away from that gaping hole that they were so perilously close to; her right arm out stretched trying to reach the mysterious hole. She tried to pull away from dad, screaming hysterically and crying incoherent noises. Dad looked like he was in so much pain, but was refusing to cry. It seemed as if he was internally debating weather to let her go and jump in with her. I wanted to help Dad pull Mom away, since the hole looked so dark and foreboding.

"No, Annabeth! Don't do it! I can't lose you too!" Dad screamed back, trying to reason with Mom. "Annabeth!"

"No, Percy!! Percy! Let me go!! Let me get in there! Percy!!!" Mom cried shaking her head, unrelenting in her drive.

"Annabeth! You can't do it! The gods wouldn't let you! You wouldn't be able to! Once you get into that hold, you'll never be able to get back! Annabeth, I can't lose you!"

Now Mom was on her knees, begging for Dad to let her go. She was still screaming and crying. Dad now had tears on his face. Dad was on the ground with her, tightly and a bit forcefully holding Mom close. She finally gave in, collapsed and cried on his shoulder, sobbing and sniffling; wailing for all that was worth.

They weren't the Mom and Dad I grew up with. They weren't. They just aren't! Mom isn't like that! She's calm and thoughtful. She wouldn't do this. And Dad…Dad is dad. He isn't the type to scream out feelings. He just isn't. These aren't my parents. These aren't my parents. My parents are different. They are. They are different. Happy. These aren't my parents.

But I knew they were.

I went up to them and stepped in front of Dad.

"Dad?" I asked tentatively.

He looked up oddly, eyes alight with a strange hope—one that knows what cannot be true, but still wishes it to be, so much that one hopes for it anyway. He saw me and then looked at me with pained eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. Not "Dad". I-I'm-I'm not…" His voice broke. I took a gulp. "I'm not a dad."

Mom looked up now. Her face was red and she was struggling to take breaths. She looked at me oddly, even through puffy eyes. And like the Mom I knew, she stood up. Dad helped and supported her, like he always did, and Mom him.

Then she looked at me with slightly glazed eyes, a bit different then before, but not much. She took two slightly wobbly steps and came over to me. I hesitated, grasped Lucy and took an uncertain step back. She gazed intensely at me. She was around my height, about an inch taller than me. (Mom at home was about two inches taller. Young Dad was four.)

"Mom?" she asked.

At this mention, Dad slowly turned to look at her. "Annabeth. That's not…That's not…" His voice broke again. Now his eyes were slightly glazed, out of place, mind off in another world.

"Then who is she?" Mom looked as if she was about to cry, all her guards were down. She looked betrayed, guilty, and everything else you could imagine when the words "hopelessness" and "despair" come to mind. She was so uncertain. She wasn't the strong mother I admired so; and it was the same thing with Dad. It was…unnerving.

They didn't know me. I knew they didn't know me. I don't think I was born yet. But…not being recognized by your own parents…it's…saddening. But I knew they needed help. I took a deep breath, rationalizing to myself, trying to not let more tears fall. I wasn't born yet. Mom and Dad are married. But I wasn't born yet. They don't know me. It's not their fault. They're younger, about twenty-five. I am not born yet, I kept repeating. I braced myself for what I was about to do.

"I am Akantha. People call me Kallie," I said, introducing myself to my not-yet-parents. I gestured to Lucy in my arms. "This is Lucy."

"Annabeth," Young-Mom said. "That man over there is Percy."

"Hi," Young-Dad managed to croak. "Nice to meet you."

I nodded. "Are you two married?"

Young-Mom looked pained. Dad stepped up and cradled her close to him. "For six years. We're both twenty-six," he explained while gently rubbing Mom's back.

I looked at Young-Mom and Young-Dad and found my eyes looking away or at my feet. Then I saw my favorite messenger bag on the floor. It was completely gray, with an emblazoned with a fanciful letter "A" on the bottom right on the front, threaded with the color of sea blue. I ran towards it and picked it up. Young-Dad saw me.

"Hey!" he said, fire returning slightly to his eyes. "That's Annabeth's!"

I held onto it tighter. "Oh, I'm sorry." I walked over to them. "Here," I said, handing Young-Dad the bag. "Is it important?"

His lips twitched up slightly. "Yeah…Remember, Annabeth?"

Young-Mom turned her head to look at the bag. She managed to slightly smile as well. "Yeah. You gave that to me for my sixteenth birthday. I screamed at you for ten minutes and wouldn't talk to you for an hour." Both of them laughed a little. "I was so angry that you gave me something so impractical for a demigod. And it was my sixteenth birthday! I thought that was all you gave me, and since it was the week before we waged war against the Titan Lord, I thought you would give me something better." She smiled again and reached down into her shirt and pulled out a necklace.

It was almost completely blue. The beads were strung together by a strong but thin silver chain. On the chain were tiny porcelain beads, light blue in color, all nearly a centimeter apart. At the middle hung a larger, medium sized bead, a darker blue, wound with gray. Hanging from the larger bead were three small blue chains that lain on her skin and then u-turned to be attached to the part of the chain near her collar bone.

"And that night…by the river, I gave you that necklace," Young-Dad said while Young-Mom fingered her necklace. I recognized that necklace. Mom wore it every day, even to non-special occasions, never seeming to take it off.

She hugged Young-Dad tightly, managing to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Seaweed Brain."

"You're welcome, Wise Girl." He kissed her cheek back. Mom smiled and sniffled a bit.

Then they turned their attention to me.

"What are you doing here?" Young-Mom asked suspicious, brain beginning to move like clockwork.

"How did you even get in?" Young-Dad asked in disbelief.

"I…uh…it…" I struggled for words.

"We absolutely must bring you to Camp," Young-Mom continued.

"Yes, we must. See what Chiron thinks."

"Maybe Thalia will be there."

"Yeah. Get her opinion too."

Honestly, I wanted to bolt right from there.

x-:Luu:-x

A/N: I was so surprised! When I posted the second Book, the hits doubled! And then it doubled again!! I'm very thankful to you all!

And thank you to tobey6194, hogwartsgirl52, and bloomingauthor7 for three more marvelous reviews!!

tobey6194: More of Alex will be revealed, just you wait and see!

hogwartsgirl52: Thank you for the review!!

bloomingauthor7: I'm so glad you liked it that much!!!!