Percy sighed and shook his head solemnly.
"I think I found the next prophecy. It's been playing over and over in my dreams."
Artemis frowned. "What is it?" she asked.
"A half-blood of the eldest god,
Shall reach sixteen in total awe,
And see the world in endless sleep,
The hero's soul, blessed blade shall reap,
A single choice shall end his days,
Olympus to preserve or raze."
Artemis paled but refrained from saying a word. The moon seemed to dim as the goddess grew pensive. The trees cracked and groaned in the breeze. The fire cackled, and the crickets chirped a melancholy tune in the bushes. The hunters remained asleep by the fire.
"What are you thinking?" asked Percy, quietly. Artemis shook her head as if to clear her mind.
"It seems as though the prophecy was tailor-made just for you. A half-blood of the eldest god. That can only be you, Gabriel." She paused. "It's the next part that worries me. The hero's soul, blessed blade shall reap, a single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze."
"We have a year until then, Artemis," said Percy. "Let's not worry about that now. We can think about it more after we finish with our task." Artemis nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"What are your plans, then, when we get to Camp Jupiter?"
Percy stared into the fire. "I will have to go in alone. I have watched the Romans over time and they are very wary of the hunters. It would not be a good thing to have all of us waltz in there, ordering all of them to New York."
"You're saying I should be scared of demigods?" hissed out Artemis. Percy shook his head.
"No. I'm saying that the Romans respect you, but their allegiance is with their senate and their people. If their augur does not tell them they can help, they will not. Even if the augur gives the green light, so to speak, they still require a vote in the senate."
Artemis nodded but was irked that the Romans didn't seem to respect the Olympian's authority.
"How do you know so much about the Romans?" she asked him. Percy smirked.
"Because," he said. "I was the one that led them into battle to conquer Greece."
[TIMEBREAK]
Corinth 146 B.C.E.
Steel clang against steel. Sparks flew as the cries of man rang out. The city of Corinth was in ruins. The Archaean League in Greece had openly rebelled against the Roman Republic. Gabriel grimaced as he plunged Isorropia into the heart of a Greek warrior. It killed him to have to fight his old people, but the balance of the world came before his feelings of nostalgia. In order to maintain the prosperity and longevity of the world, Rome had to defeat Greece.
"Consul Mummius," called out a centurion. Gabriel pulled back from the line and turned.
"Centurion, report." The soldier bowed respectfully before standing up straight. The other legionnaires formed rank around their commanders to protect them from the Archaean forces.
"Our spies claim that the Archaean League has reinforcements on the way." Gabriel frowned.
"How many?"
"10,000 infantry and 400 cavalry, milord."
"Send a messenger to Scarpheia. Have the rest of our forces join us here by tomorrow afternoon." Gabriel dismissed the centurion who immediately rushed to find a runner. He looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. When darkness came they would be forced to retreat and make camp outside of the city.
The battle waged on for another hour before the sky grew too dark to see.
"Sound the horn," said Gabriel to a centurion. The soldier pulled out a conch and blew into it. The deep noise tore through the city. The Roman forces pulled back from Corinth. They quickly made camp outside of the city. Gabriel placed a hundred men on guard around the camp as well as two archers on top of a hill to serve as over watch.
"Report," he told a centurion.
"We lost 500 men and 200 horses."
Gabriel grunted. "And the Archaeans?"
"Scouts believe they lost at least half of their forces."
Gabriel nodded and dismissed the centurion. After making sure that the guards knew their duties, Gabriel retreated to his tent. He pulled off his armor placed it beside his makeshift bed. His sword lay on the ground in easy reach. He lay down on the mat and closed his eyes.
The night was cool. The sky was dark from the new moon. The wind blew loudly through Corinth. A lone figure crept through the city, around the Roman encampment. He moved silently up the hill. The two Roman archers sat talking quietly on two large stones. Their bows were resting on the ground by their feet, and their quivers lay casually beside them. A small fire, hidden behind a stone so as to not reveal their position, gave them some light and warmth. The man crouched low and stalked towards them. He pulled out a dagger from his belt, and held it firmly in his hand.
"… I've never seen a man like him before," said one of the archers. "He fights like a demon."
"Have you seen his eyes? It's as if they glow gold…" said the other. The man stopped. Golden eyes? He thought to himself. Impossible. He shrugged off his confusion and crept closer.
"They say he's a god," said the first archer. This stopped the would-be killer cold.
"I've heard that too," said the second. "It makes sense. I've never seen anybody land a blow on him. His sword is nothing like I've ever seen before. It feels like it pulses with power."
The man took a step back and slipped slightly. He bit back a curse.
"What was that?" asked the first archer. He grabbed his bow and notched an arrow pointing it into the darkness. "Who's out there?"
"Give it a rest, Claudius. It was just the wind," said the second archer. Claudius kept the arrow notched.
"I don't think so, Drusus. It didn't sound like the wind."
The man looked around wildly. The shadows were keeping him hidden, but he was forced to remain still. Drusus grabbed a torch from the ground and held it to the fire. Once it was lit he walked over to Claudius. He held the torch high. The light just came up to the man's feet.
"See?" said Drusus. "Nothing." Claudius kept staring into the darkness for another minute before he joined Drusus back at the fire. The man let out a sigh of relief. He carefully crept closer. Time was running out. He clutched the dagger. The archers were just sitting down when he sprang into action. He plunged the dagger into Drusus' back, killing him instantly. Claudius jumped in surprise which the assassin took advantage of. He kicked hard at the archer sending him over the side of the hill. Claudius landed on his neck, snapping it quickly before he could cry out. The man yanked his dagger out of Drusus' back and wiped it clean on the dead man's tunic. He grabbed the torch that was still alit and held it up in the air, waving it around in an intricate pattern. Not long after, he saw a torch mimic him by the Roman encampment. The message was received and was being passed along.
Soon, he heard the clattering of war horses riding down the hill from Corinth. Fires lit up within the Roman encampment, but they were too late. The Archaean cavalry was upon them in minutes. The man grabbed a bow and a quiver from the ground and slid down the hill. He rushed into the encampment and began firing arrows at Roman legionnaires. The Archaeans had the advantage of surprise, but the Romans were quick. They recovered from their shock and rushed to fight the Greeks. The entire left side of the encampment was up in flames and men, Roman and Archaean alike, lay dead and wounded. The assassin stalked through the encampment avoiding Roman troops. He came to the center of tents and found one much larger than the rest. A Roman soldier in praetor armor rushed out with a golden sword. His armor was different, however, than what the assassin was used to. It still had the typical plumes on his helm, but the actual armor itself seemed to be a mix of Roman and Greek. The sword, too, was very different. It was a longsword, at least two feet longer than the Roman gladius, and a foot longer than the Greek sword. What made it even more unique, was that it was gold.
"This must be the so-called god," murmured the assassin. He notched an arrow and trained it on the praetor's back. The gods would be pleased with him for killing a blasphemous heretic. He fired the arrow. It traveled through the air cleanly, like a hot knife through butter. Suddenly, the praetor was gone. "Fucking hell?" asked the man incredulously. Before he could look around, he felt a sharp pain through his body. He looked down and saw a golden tip protruding from his chest. The sword was yanked out of his body and the assassin collapsed to the ground. The praetor stood above him, his eyes swirling pools of gold. The assassin's eyes widened, but the praetor plunged his sword once more into his stomach, killing him.
The battle was over soon. The Romans had recovered much too quickly for the Archaeans. The Greeks had been pushed back to Corinth where the Romans surrounded them. Two days later the battle of Corinth was over. The Archaean reinforcements had been killed by the Roman reinforcements which had attacked the Greeks' flanks. Lucius Mummius Achaicus was hailed a hero in Rome. The Roman Republic had won complete dominance over Greece. Lucius mysteriously disappeared some time later. In reality he had never left. He had simply taken on a new identity.
[TIMEBREAK]
Colorado Present
Artemis stared at Percy in awe.
"You really were the one that defeated Greece?" she asked. Percy nodded.
"It was necessary. Greece had become too powerful, the Olympians too arrogant. Rome needed to conquer them."
Artemis nodded before shaking her head.
"And all this time we've still been wondering about who the mysterious golden-eyed Roman praetor was."
Percy flashed her a toothy grin before he heard a loud groan. He looked over at the fire and saw Phoebe and the hunters slowly waking up. Percy and Artemis quickly rushed over to them.
"Take it easy, Phoebs," said Percy. He gently pushed her back down on the ground when she tried to sit up.
"W-what happened?" she asked groggily. Percy looked at the others. They weren't faring much better. All had some cuts and scrapes, but thankfully, no serious injuries.
"Got hit by a large stone. Bus fell over the side of the cliff. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt," he said. He obviously 'forgot' to mention that his leg had been pierced. There was no need to worry everyone. Zoe glared at the cliff above them.
"Do you think someone caused that stone to hit us?" she asked. Percy stared up at the cliff. He hadn't thought about that.
"Actually," he said slowly. "You may be right. We'll need to keep watch from now on."
They girls were eventually forced to go back to sleep and get some rest. Zoe and Phoebe tried valiantly to stay awake before Artemis knocked them out. It was still several hours until dawn. Percy stoked the fire till it was burning brightly.
"Get some sleep, Percy," said Artemis. "I don't need sleep. I'll keep watch." Percy nodded at her thankfully. His mortal body still needed to sleep. He crawled into a sleeping bag beside the fire and fell asleep.
The next morning Percy woke up to see the girls all sitting around the fire eating some meat. Artemis was nowhere to be seen. He got up and sat next to Rachel and Atalanta. He grabbed himself a plate and began to eat.
"Where's Artemis?" he asked in between bites. Atalanta rolled her eyes at his lack of manners.
"She went to scout the area to make sure we aren't being followed and see if she could find something to drive to California in," she said. Percy nodded. He finished eating and got up.
"What's the plan when we get to California, Percy?" asked one of the hunters. The rest voiced their agreement.
"I will be going in alone. You all will wait with Artemis outside the camp."
The hunters began shouting their disapproval.
"You think we're going to let you go in there alone?" asked Phoebe incredulously.
Percy said, "yes. The Romans are nothing like the Greeks. The Olympians do not hold as much sway over them. They are very wary of Diana and her hunters. Only I can go in there. Trust me. I've spent time in Rome. I know how it works." Zoe glared at him. Percy sighed and recanted everything he had told Artemis earlier… except for his past life as Lucius Mummius.
"Fine," said Thalia. "We'll let you go in, but you'd better come out alive." The others nodded firmly. Percy just smiled.
"I wouldn't dare leave you all alone again. The last two times were painful enough."
The hunters smiled predatorily at him, but before anybody could say anything, Artemis walked back in.
"We need to go," she said quickly and firmly. The hunters knew that tone and immediately rushed to get their things together. Percy had, had the wisdom to put their bags together from the bus wreck. They were packed and ready in less than five minutes with the fire just a single burning coal.
"What did you see, Artemis?" asked Percy. She turned around and stared up the cliff.
"I found tracks. I believe that we are being tracked by two different people."
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Two?" he asked.
"One set I found only around a cluster of stones. Someone tried to kill us. I'm sure of it," she explained.
"And the other?"
"Someone has been following us. It's a different track. I think it might be a hellhound."
Percy's eyes widened. He had a feeling he knew who it was.
"Did you by chance come across a means of transportation?" he asked her. Artemis gave him a look and snapped her fingers. A new bus appeared, shiny and new. Percy rolled his eyes but turned to the hunters.
"Alright, load up. We need to get to California by tonight."
The hunters hurried and got into the bus. Artemis climbed in but Percy stopped at the door.
"Percy," she said. It was a question.
"Give me a second. I think I know who's been following us."
Artemis glared at him but he didn't notice. He walked towards the end of the bus and stared into the trees. The sun still hadn't come up high enough and the shadows were deep and profound. Percy's eyes glowed and he slowed time down enough so he could see clearer. The wind was slowly billowing through the trees and grasses. The shadows moved with the trees. All, that is, except for one. Percy sped time back to normal and walked up to the shadow.
"Nico? What are you doing?" he asked. Silence. Percy began tapping his foot impatiently when he heard a quiet voice.
"Hey Percy," came a whisper. From out of the shadow stepped Nico DiAngelo.
"Nico. Answer the question. I'm not fooling around," he said. He glared at the boy.
"I need to come with you, Percy. You need my help."
Percy stared at Nico. "Why?" he asked. It wasn't meant to be harsh but it must of come out that way because Nico flinched.
"Because I've been to Camp Jupiter," he said, finally looking back up at Percy. "My father placed me as his ambassador to camp."
Percy's eyes widened. "So you can actually help me get into the camp?"
Nico nodded.
"Alright. You can come," Percy said. "But you listen to me. You can't ride with us. Meet me right outside the camp tonight. We'll figure out how to get in when we get there." Nico's face brightened immensely.
"Th-thank you, Percy!"
Percy placed a hand on the small kid to keep him from bouncing.
"Don't make me regret this, Nico."
Nico didn't say anything. He jumped back into the shadow and disappeared. Percy let out a deep sigh and returned to the bus.
"You find whoever it was?" asked Artemis. She was staring at her nails as if she had nothing better to do.
"Yes. It was Nico. I told him to meet me at Camp Jupiter."
Artemis' head snapped to him so quickly that the crack could be heard through the entire bus. The hunters quieted down immediately.
"A boywas stalking us?" she sneered. Percy glared right back.
"Yes, but only because he wanted to join us. He's Pluto's ambassador at the camp… or so he says. I need his help to get into the camp."
Artemis glared at him before she relented.
"Alright. I'll trust you. But if he so much as looks at my hunters the wrong way, I'll kill him," she said seriously. Percy rolled his eyes.
"Ourhunters," he said. The hunters smiled. "And if he does, I'll kill him myself."
That seemed to appease Artemis for she smirked and let Percy onto the bus. It took a while for them to drive to the road, but eventually they finally got out of the dense Colorado tree line and onto the road. Percy sat in the back, eyes closed, trying to remember everything he could from his time in Rome. He had learned and taught a lot in those days. The hunters sang songs and told stories about men and monsters they had killed. Artemis laughed and joined in every now and then.
All too soon for Percy's liking, they arrived just outside of San Francisco. Artemis pulled over to the side to let everyone take care of hygienic business before they went into the city. Percy went off into the woods. He was just about to unzip his jeans when he heard a growl. He reached into his pocket for Anaklusmos, but didn't pull the sword out.
"Who's there?" he asked firmly. The trees rustled and he could hear the growling get louder. He pulled his hand out from his pocket and reached for Isorropia. He yanked the sword free and pointed it's golden edge into the trees.
"Show yourself!" he commanded. He had expected a hellhound or a wolf. What he saw was not what he expected. A man walked out of the woods. He had the body of a well-toned man, as if he had been chiseled out of marble. His head, however, was not human at all. It was the head of a dog. A fierce dog, foaming at the mouth. The man carried a large spear.
"Cynocephalus," whispered Percy. He lowered his sword, but didn't put it away. "What brings you here?" The cynocephalus didn't speak. It continued growling. "You were the one that tracked us through the mountains. Weren't you?" The monster barked this time, its mighty jaws snapping sending saliva everywhere. Percy wiped some off his cheek and glared at the dog-monster… thing.
It raised its spear and charged Percy. Its attacks were fluid and strong. Percy parried the spear and spun to his right. He stabbed upwards and almost clipped the cynocephalus' ribs but the warrior lunged out of the way. It spun the spear in a wide circle in front of him. Percy crouched into his typical fighting form. He held his sword up by his head, poised to strike. He sprung his shield free from his watch and held it up defensively. The monster twirled its spear and lunged forward. Percy blocked the spear with his shield and swung his sword. The cynocephalus brought the butt of its spear up and parried the sword away.
Before Percy could react, it stabbed at Percy's sword arm. The leather jacket kept his arm from being impaled, but the strike caused Percy to lose his footing. The monster took advantage and swung the spear at Percy's feet knocking him to the ground. Percy groaned as his head hit the ground but he managed to roll to the side before he could be impaled. He jumped back to his feet and crouched behind his shield. The monster stalked towards him quickly, but this time, Percy was ready. He feinted to the right as if he was going to strike with his sword. The cynocephalus went to block, but Percy spun quickly to the left smashing his shield into the dog head. The monster fell to the ground, dropping its spear. Percy wasted no time in plunging Isorropia into its chest. It exploded into dust.
Percy wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead. Wait. Blood?He asked. He put his sword and shield away and reached up and felt in his hair. It was wet. He pulled his hand away and found it covered in blood. Must have been when I fell,he reasoned. It surprised him. He hadn't even really felt anything. He reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulled out an ambrosia square, and popped it into his mouth. Instantly, he felt his head feel better. He heard the rustling of trees behind him. He whirled around, Isorropia in hand. It turned out to be Artemis and the hunters.
"Percy!" cried out Artemis. She looked at his blood covered hands and face and at the golden dust on the ground. "What happened?" The hunters stared at him in horror.
"Found out who was behind the stone back in Colorado. It was a cynocephalus. Damn strong one too," he said rubbing his sore arm. "Someone must have ordered him to do it. I don't remember the cynocephali siding with the Titans though."
Artemis shook her head and rushed to his side throwing her arms around him. Percy hugged her back.
"I'm alright, Artemis. I promise," he said into her ear. She hugged him tighter before she pulled away.
"Next time, call us. We would've loved to have killed that monster," said Thalia. The hunters laughed and nodded. Percy just smiled.
"Duly noted. But, uh… could you, you know?" He gestured to the tree. Artemis smirked but sent the hunters away.
"Hurry up. We're almost there."
Percy rolled his eyes and turned back to the tree.
A/N: I'm back. I'm SO sorry for the long wait. This was a crazy week but it's finally Fall Break for me so expect a week of multiple updates. I was honestly a bit put out that I only got a few reviews to the last couple of chapters. I'm five away from 100 reviews so please let me know what you guys think!
Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following!
New Update: I'm sorry everyone. I know I said I would finish the next chapter during break but it turned out that I was extremely busy. I am even more sorry to say that the next two weeks will be extremely hectic for me as I finish the semester (I have three massive papers and two projects) so I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out. Expect chapter 21 no later than December 17th!
Thanks for reading and I'm very happy to say I'm past 100 reviews so thanks to everyone!
DECEMBER 21 - I'm am very, very sorry to all of you who are waiting for the next chapter. It is currently in the works. Unfortunately, real life decided that now would be a fun time to keep me insanely busy, so I haven't had much time to write (I'll admit that Star Wars has taken a fair share of that time... don't judge me). Chapter 21 will be a little while longer but I promise you it WILL come out sometime soon!
Thanks for sticking with me this long!
Happy holidays to everyone and may the force be with you!
JANUARY 16 - I'm, once again, sorry to everyone that chapter 21 is still not up. I have been incredibly busy lately and haven't had time to sit down to actually write. Plus, chapter 21 has proven to be a fairly difficult chapter for me to write so I'm taking extra time to get it just right so it flows with the story. Sorry for the wait!