Chapter 4: Faded Memories

Disclaimer: We do not own PJO or HOO.

We woke up in the forest unaware of where we were, I looked up and saw a dilapidated, old hut. The wood was rotting and the roof was completely torn down. Without a doubt this place was wreck. Something happened to Forge though. He fell down, clutching his head in pain. I swung him over my shoulders and found a secluded place near the hut but far enough so that I could still see it. I started a fire and cooked a stew for Forge if woke up. I gathered my pack and walked towards the hut.

This place was somehow very familiar and as I walked in memories of my childhood flooded back into my mind. I saw images of my mother and Forge and I causing all kinds of mischief at the exact same place where I stood. I remembered the warm embrace in our mother's arms and when I made a promise to her that I would protect my younger brother even if it meant sacrificing my own life, she made me swear that I would never let anything happen to him. I smiled. A tear threatened to fall but I held it in.

Our mother use to take us here all the time when we were little and we would stay here for days. I quickly walked back to the campsite to see Forge eating the stew I prepared.

"Damn, this tastes good," Forge said with an emphasis on damn.

"What happened?" I asked in concern.

"Well all I know we need to find the hut that our mother used to take us to."

"We're already here."

Forge grunted and hefted up Westenra. I summoned my sword Celestial. I can summon Celestial where ever when there is light or hope but I can also change it into a sword pendent if I like. We slowly trekked to the house and entered it. In the hut and saw pictures of Forge and I with our mother on some of the dusty shelves. The rest of the shelves were stuffed with books written in some ancient language.

"Forge, we need to go back to that shrine in the forest," I said.

"I don't know Tacitus. It seems that we were teleported here and it also it seems that is was a one way portal," Forge hesitated.

"Then why did it teleport us to this particular spot? There has to be a another shrine/ruin thing to teleport us back, right?"

"Maybe your right-"

"I know I'm right," Cutting him off rudely.

Forge and I left the hut and started searching deep in the forest. We gave up and went back to the hut, trying to remember if there was a portal that our mother used to teleport us back. I remembered that there was another shrine but I couldn't remember. Forge yipped. I jumped in fright not expecting that. He quickly told where it was. I saw the shrine ahead of us. It wasn't in ruins like that we went through but it was in mint condition.

We walked into the shrine and inside was a massive library with ancient books lined up against the walls. The same patterns ran along the walls of the shrine as the one before. In the centre of the library was a raised platform with a desk on top with a pile of books on each side and an old fashioned lamp, with a leather chair on the end of the desk. Behind the desk was a staircase leading upwards but there was no support beams. The staircase ended with an abrupt stop in the middle of the air with a smiler portal as before but with a wooden door in front of the portal blocking our vision on what behind it.

We stalked silently towards the door full of curiosity. Every step we stepped was accompanied with a creek.

"Who are you and what do you want?" we heard from behind the door.

"I'm Tacitus and he's Forge and we came here to ask questions about our mother" I spoke with hesitation.

The door opened and an old man with a long, white beard, wearing black robes (A/N Imagine Gandalf the Gray) and holding a cane walked out. His eyes suddenly widen as he saw us. He mumered something like "great resemblance … mother's eyes … Forge … father's audacity..."

"Get out," he demanded suddenly,

"But we need answers," Forge pleaded,

"I don't have the answers you need,"

And he immediately took us outside and teleported us to another mysterious place, it looked like an old temple with tree branches reaching out from the windows and ceilings. He took us in and pointed us in the direction of a man standing at an altar.

"He has the answers you seek," the man said slowly with a bit of hesitance, and disappeared.

The man standing at the altar slowly turned around, he looked surprisingly familiar. Like someone we once met but I couldn't figure it out. He looked at us with a sense familiarity.

"It's been such a long time since I last saw you, you've grown up so much."

Forge and I were surprised as he continued to tell us about our childhood and stories about mother and father.

"Your mother, Leanna, used to come here often. She passed away five years after you were born." He said subtly,

"How did she pass away?" I asked remembering that was age when I ran away.

"I don't know, she disappeared suddenly and no one ever heard of her again."

"So she might still be alive?"

"I don't know."

"But I keep hearing a voice in my head telling me where to go and what to do."

"Me too," Forge said feeling left out.

"I was afraid that you might say that, that voice that you hear might be your mother trying to communicate with you ." He muttered something under his breath "demons … angels … power and resemblance..."

"Why would she want to communicate with us?"

"This commonly happens with demigods."

"Wait, we're demigods?"

"Yes you're demigods but you're a special case my boys. You're Prime demigods. Offspring of a primordial. You would've been immortal unless one of your parents have faded away and I fear that was your mother."

Forge and I exchange glances.

"So our mother's been dead for eight years?" Forge asked,

"Yes," the man standing at the altar sighed, "it was such a tragic loss for everyone."

"Everyone?"

"All of my students, they all left,"

"Why did they leave?"

"I taught them all they needed to know about magic."

"Why would you teach magic to humans?"

"Only a few people are able to learn magic on this world."

"Did our mother know any of your students?"

"She was my best pupil," He's eyes got glassy,"Do you know Greek mythology?"

We nodded.

"Remember when Hera was sent away to Oceanus because of behavioural problems. Leena was sent here because her powers were erratic. They were too hard to control. I helped her with her powers. She did the world so many wonderful things. But what did the humans do. They left her. They forgot about her. It might've been she rewinded time far too much to stop Kratos. But that was a pondering."

"Kratos?" We asked in confusion.

"Well... Damn it. You have to go now. Here," he handed us a bag full of supplies and all," this bag will replenish your resources every time you take from it in ten minutes but I warn you it will take a toll from your energy so don't take too much. You can also put anything in there and will hold onto it. It can hold an infinite amount of items. Go! She's coming."

"Who is she." I ask in concern.

"There is not enough time. Go! Take this. If you need me use this but use it sparingly I can't be known to be helping you." He handed my card with details and instructions on how to use. We exited the building and ran as fast and far as we could. When we stopped we were drenched in sweat and panting as hard as we could. We set up camp using the bag. We didn't start a fire in fear if we ran into "her".