Chapter 3
Calypso sighed when they made it into the street. Hunters, she thought. Maybe her half-sister Zoe could stop them from fighting.
She looked down at Anita and hoped that the meeting would not dissolve into a battle. She gave a quick glance at Nikolai; he was glaring at the hunters and gripping the stock of his crossbow with white hands. She knew if the hunters attacked him this night would end in a bloodbath.
Percy started forward; she knew things would only get worse when an arrow whipped through the air and buried into the ground at Percy's feet. Anita screamed, but Jacob silenced her.
Calypso watched as Percy started towards the girls that appeared near Jacob when two more arrows whistled past him. She snapped her crossbow up and took aim at one of the offending huntresses. Hunters. Zoe restrain your people before you lose them, she thought again.
And as if things couldn't get any worse, Artemis decided to show up. She watched as Percy stopped Artemis from killing Jacob. She started in rage as one of the huntresses backhanded Percy. She started to shoot the girl, but her crossbow was ripped from her hands. She considered charging the girl, but suddenly the girl froze. It took her a moment, but she figured out why, there was a red dot playing its way across the girls face. "Tammy," she muttered gratefully.
She watched as Percy flicked his hand and the red dot disappeared. She knew Tammy still had a bead on the huntress, but it was a nice peace offering.
Artemis challenged Percy and started to take off his hood. "No," she muttered. "Not now. Please not now."
She watched as the two stumbled back in shock. No, no, no, she thought. Not now.
Nikolai started towards Percy when the hunters raised their bows. One of the younger huntresses snapped off a shot at him. NO, she wanted to yell as the arrow nicked his ear.
She discarded the idea of getting her weapon and dove at Nikolai. She wrapped him up and started whispering fiercely in his ear. "Don't do it. It will be a bloodbath. Keep him under control," she said in a not so quiet whisper.
"Listen to your savior boy. Wouldn't want to get hurt, would you?" one of the nearby huntresses spat.
The fury in Nikolai's eyes had started to fade, but Calypso shot away when she saw the new look that entered his eye.
"PERCY, YARGESH IS IN CONTROL," she screamed causing several of the hunters to step back. They hadn't realized she was a girl, but now wasn't the time to look smug.
The second the words left her mouth she heard Percy mutter a quick apology to Artemis and charge at Nikolai. The demigod saw him coming and kicked him in the chest at the last second. "No, no, no," she said none too quietly. Percy was thrown into a nearby wall and he didn't stir.
One of the older huntresses raised her bow and took aim at Nikolai when he turned towards the one who had shot him. Her arrow head glinted bronze in the moonlight. "No, no, please..."
The hunter released the arrow and Nikolai's head snapped back before he fell to the ground. "YOU IDIOT," she exploded at the hunter as Nikolai's form stirred. "YOU'VE PISSED OFF YARGESH!"
"I'm not scared of a little boy," the huntress laughed. "I put him in his place."
"Idi..." she started to say, but was cut off when Nikolai stood up.
"Impossible," the girl stuttered. Artemis started forward when Nikolai began to glow. "He's a god," she gasped.
Calypso laughed. "You don't recognize him my lady? You and your huntresses should remember." She laughed.
Artemis and her huntresses looked dumbfounded. A huntress opened her mouth to berate the girl when the glow around Nikolai faded. In his place stood a pitch black wolf the size of a VW Bug.
The huntresses and Artemis stood speechless. "You don't recognize me, My Lady," the wolf growled, throwing contempt on the last word.
"What, are you monster?" One of the older hunters demanded.
"Of course, disgusting people like you wouldn't remember your cruelty," the wolf growled.
"Don't speak as if my Huntresses are monsters Wolf," Artemis spat dangerously. "My huntresses aren't disgusting like boys like you."
The wolf made a low choking growling sound and Calypso realized that Yargesh was laughing. "I'm the monster. You really don't remember me, My Lady? Perhaps this will remind you," Yargesh said lifting an enormous muscled forepaw. There, seen clearly by the light of the moon, was an imprint of a shackle on a bare patch of jet black skin.
Several of the Hunters gasped at the print. Calypso had already seen it, but the burn was still brutal. Burned into the bare skin around his forepaw was the Greek words for 'I am a disgusting male; I am hunted by the Hunters. I am dead.'
Artemis stepped forwards, a look of sympathy and pain in her eyes; surprising Calypso.
"Nikolai," she said in a tender voice. "We are so sorry."
"Sorry. Sorry," the wolf growled its voice dropping even lower until the words were barely audible. "You're Sorry," it spat, venom lacing its words. "I saved all of your lives, and how did you repay me. By hunting me like a wild animal. And you're sorry?"
Artemis took a step forward, but the look in his eyes stopped her.
"I saved your life from Lycaon, I saved your hunters. I saved you when you fell unconscious from your wounds. You'd think your hunters would be grateful. You think they would have said thank you. No. Well I have news for you Deary; they are the monsters. When you were unconscious they came upon you and attacked me. I understand why they did that; you had wounds from a wolf and they thought I was a wild animal. When I explained what had happened they listened, but when Nikolai took control and returned to his human form your hunters became violent. They refused to believe us, we submitted ourselves in hopes they would listen, but your hunters were cruel. They denied our story on the account we were male. You wouldn't wake up so they decided to make 'The monster' pay. Nikolai was confused so I took over and returned to our stronger form. They tricked us into putting on that cursed cuff. Your 'never at wrong' hunters released the power of the cuff. They shocked us, they turned us out to the forest and hunted us," with every word Yargesh spoke his voice got lower and colder. Shaking with rage he continued. "Every time we stumbled they would shoot us. Every time we escaped or hid they would shock us out. But no, your 'perfect female' hunters are not monsters," he said with venom. The hunters looked around some furious others sheepish and scared. Artemis opened her mouth to defend her hunters when he continued. "They hunted me for half a day, until you woke up. They had us cornered; bloody and exhausted and burned, but we still had not hurt the huntresses. No; we didn't touch them, but we knew that we would need to defend ourselves soon. There was a brief scuffle and in the end we had a hunter pinned, but unharmed when you came to us. We were relieved, you would save us. You would explain what had happened. But no, you lost sight of the truth. Your hunters couldn't be wrong, could they? You attacked us; after all we did, you hurt us. You overpowered us and cursed us. You gave us this fucking mark to remind us that huntresses are evil, that your prejudices gave you permission to be monsters."
He spat onto the ground. "You preach about the vileness of men when your hunters are the most sexist, the most prejudiced monsters in the world. You give them free reign to torture males for what they do to women, but you judge before you know. You are what you hate. You are fucking monsters." When Yargesh finished his last words his voice had changed, it still held the pain, but most of the anger had faded. The wolf began to glow again and in his place stood Nikolai.
Calypso went to the boy and pulled him into an embrace. She knew that he was too proud to cry, but he was raw on the inside. He allowed her to comfort him for a moment before he pulled back. Calypso took a step back, "It's ok Nik, you have us. Thank you for reeling Yargesh in."
He shuddered for a second, his shoulders dropping as pain seemed to roll off him in waves.
"Disgusting boy deserved what he got," one of the huntresses muttered none too quietly.
Calypso snapped. She didn't know what came over her, but before she knew it the girl was doubled over in pain. She smiled in satisfaction, her knife had smacked hilt first into the offending girl.
"Silence or the next one goes point first into your eyes," she seethed, another knife in her hands.
She turned back to Nikolai, but he didn't seem to have heard the girl. He was too focused on something else.
Calypso looked to Percy who was beginning to stir. He shot to his feet in an instant looking around in horror. He relaxed when he saw there wasn't a massacre going on, and his face took on a confused look until he saw Nikolai standing with a look of pain on his face. Calypso watched as he started forwards, but a silver blur knocked him on the ground. She thought for a second that one of the Hunters had shot him, but it was just a joyous hunter.
"Percy, Oh my gods you're alive. Thank goodness," Thalia said hugging Percy.
Calypso smiled to herself. She's taking things rather well, she thought. Before Calypso knew it Thalia was rearing back and backhanded Percy across the face again. "Where in the fuck where you!"
"Um, around Thals. I couldn't tell you, and I promise I'll explain, but first I need to help Nik," Percy said quietly.
Thalia nodded causing Calypso to smile. There was just something about Percy, she thought as she rubbed her paracord bracelet. His nature just made people want to love him, the great bumbling hero.
Yes, Calypso thought. He was the same bumbling hero that she had fallen for that week on the beach. She remembered back to the crisp clean waters of her prison home.
She had been tending her gardens when a streak of light had lit up the sky. At first she had thought it was Hephaestus coming to pay her a visit, but the streak was headed directly towards the water. The water had come up and grabbed the falling boy, cushioning his fall.
She had been hesitant to approach the boy; so many heartbreaks had left her shattered on the inside. She had half a mind to leave the body, but her inner compassion chastised her for even thinking such things. She was a different person than the girl who had supported her father in his horrible war.
She had been shocked at the damage to his body. The fire had burned almost a third of his body, but even more to her surprise those wounds were already healing from what looked like contact with the water. What worried her though were the pieces of stone sticking out from his body.
She had spent a day straight caring for the boy. She had removed the jagged stones from his body, cleansing the wounds with Nectar and water. Salt water seemed to have the most effect on the boy so she would lay his body in the sea for a few minutes every hour or two.
As she cared for him and his wounds healed, she started to do what she hated. She started to fall for yet another hero. Cursing the fates she brought him into her cave home and, exhausted, she collapsed in her bed.
The next few days passed and she came to love his face. When he had woken up she had sworn not to ask him, but the fates were cruel and she broke that promise as well.
The day had come for him to leave her, and that had broken her spirit. He had been so apologetic, but his fatal flaw required he go to his friends.
He had floated away on the raft and she had broken into uncontrollable tears. For weeks she was heartbroken, the loss of Percy had hurt her more than most others she had met, but she didn't know why.
Weeks had turned to months and she had slowly begun to recover from her ordeal when another streak lit up the sky. She had been immersed in her garden, the flowers growing around her. The plants calmed her down.
She almost screamed in rage when she saw the flaming mass. If it was another hero to break her heart; she would kill the fates herself.
The flaming ball had struck the island, sending out a shockwave of power. There stood Hermes, god of messengers. She had been relieved, it being a god and not a demigod.
Hermes had told her about Percy's accomplishments and his wish, that she could be free once more. She had nearly broken down into tears of joy, he hadn't forgotten her.
Hermes and she had talked for a while; eventually he had left the island, while she chose to stay behind for the time being.
She sat stunned in her garden. Percy had freed her from her prison. It finally began to sink in, free. She could just get on a raft and go anywhere. After countless years imprisoned here, she was finally free.
In those moments she had made up her mind, it was time for her to leave.
She went to her cave home, and for the first time ever she had to decide what to pack. She worked fast, putting clothes into an enchanted bag given to her by Hermes years ago. She looked around her home for a last time and set out towards her garden. She hadn't touched this part of the garden in years. She knelt down in the bed of dormant moonlace and dug her hands into the soil. She fumbled for a moment, but brushed against the handle she was looking for and with a few moments of struggling she brought the case to the surface.
The case was a plain wooden box, a four feet long by 2 and a half feet wide. She reached into her shirt and withdrew a key attached to moonlace charm. She hesitated with the key in her hand. She hadn't touched the box since Achilles had stayed with her. That day, the first time she had truly been scared in countless years of her Imprisonment.
...
A hero, son of Ares had washed up on her shore. The boy had been badly hurt, but with tender care she had nursed him back into health. The boy had woken up, but when he saw where he was and she made her offer, the son of Ares had grabbed her with lust in his eyes. She had tried to struggle, but grip on her wrists was too strong. She had given up hope when a crack in the ground had opened and out climbed a man dressed in combat armor.
The man had grabbed the son of Ares and thrashed him. Beating the boy soundly, raining blows all over the son of Ares body. The boy had cried out, but the warrior silenced him with a few more blows.
Dumping the body into a crack in the ground the warrior had turned towards her and gripped her wrist, lightly, but still immobilizing her arm. He had gripped her where the boy had grabbed her, causing her to tense again. She was worried that she had just traded one villain for another, but the man had just made shushing noises and her bruising slowly healed.
The second they were healed, the man released her wrist and stepped back; he grabbed his helmet and pulled it off. "Lady Calypso, It is a pleasure to meet you," the man said stepping back. "I am Achilles."
She was shocked, wasn't he supposed to be dead? "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Achilles chuckled. "I am dead, but a long time ago Hades gave me permission to leave the Underworld for a week after I saved one of his sons from the Styx."
"I didn't know Lord Hades allowed souls to leave the Underworld." she had said, shocked.
Again he had chuckled and she remembered her manners and offered they could go to her cave home.
After the initial shock wore off she had asked how he had come to save her. He had said that Odysseus was alerted the moment she was endanger and had asked Achilles to go save her.
She had been honored by his choice to give up some of his time for her.
They had talked for quite a long time before she remembered that he was using up his time. He had laughed and explained that he had promised to protect her for as long as he could. She had been shocked and demanded that he return to the Underworld so as not to waste his free time on her, but Achilles had explained that he wanted to spend time with her after all the stories Odysseys had told about her. At this she had blushed, but Achilles had rushed on, explaining that he was referring to the company they kept, not what they did in the bedroom, causing her to blush more. As the afternoon progressed they had grown closer, but the fact that he would have to leave at the end of the week pained her greatly.
The fates were cruel.
The next day she had been shaken awake by rough hands attempting to be gentle. Achilles had explained that his promise meant that he would teach her to protect herself. For five days they had trained and she found she had lost her touch during her imprisonment. Her skills since the Titan war had grown rusty, but she trained hard. She had improved greatly with a blade and was progressing exceedingly well with throwing knives and by the last day she had been able to hold her own against Achilles for a few minutes.
The last day they spent resting and relaxing, she had fallen for yet another hero that would have to leave her, and it had crushed inside. It was her curse, just as Achilles had his, she was cursed to never find lasting love.
They had said their goodbyes, and Hades himself had personally come to bring Achilles back. He had been incredibly apologetic to the two, but ancient laws bound him.
The day after he left, she had taken her sword and brace of throwing knives and put them in a case; burying it in the ground. She had promised that she was a changed person from the Titan wars, and she was still sickened slightly by what she had done during that time. So that day she had vowed not to touch the case unless her life was endanger, or she was released from her prison.
...
She remembered being crushed by her loss of a new love, and yet she had not learned from it.
She had squashed the memories and turned the key in the lock. The box faded into shadows for a moment, but reappeared moments later open. A sword lay next to a plain scabbard. A golden blade, shining brightly. She fingered the handle and pondered. This was not the blade she had left in the case. Noticing a slip of paper inside the scabbard, she pulled it out and read;
My sword has chosen a new owner and morphed to their style. Carry her with honor, Dearest Calypso
-A
She looked at the sword with tears in her eyes. Achilles had given her his sword, he still cared.
She picked up the blade and shadows gathered around it. Again, fading once more the shadows revealed a new blade. The blade was shining silver, a line of gold around the edge. The middle was indented lightly in a blood runnel, giving the blade function and a little design, but what really pleased her was the hilt. Before it had been simple, lettered to spell the blade's name, but now there was a moonlace, with vines wrapping around the crosspiece.
As she felt the blade's weight in her hand she noticed two things. First, the blade was perfectly balanced in her hand and second, new words covered the note.
The sword needs a name, Calypso.
She thought for a moment and then said aloud, "Redemption, for the second chance that Percy Jackson has given me." The blade had glowed softly and when then glow faded, there lettered into the blade was a glowing phrase;
Είμαι λύτρωση. Τραγουδώ εκδίκηση και τιμωρία για Calypso κυρία μου. Είμαι μια δεύτερη ευκαιρία.
"I am Redemption. I sing vengeance and retribution for my Lady Calypso. I am a second chance," she thought aloud.
She whispered a thank you to Achilles and sheathed the sword. The sheath had glowed a moment, and when she looked down she saw a dark beige and dull green-paracord bracelet on her wrist.
Inside the case was still a brace of throwing knives, when she picked these up light flashed and then died down, and the five throwing knives had split into several sheaths. When she checked the blades they were the same design as her sword. She smiled to herself and thanked Achilles again, secreting the blades around her body.
She took to the raft and stole one last look at her island, her prison, her home. She sighed in contentment and set sail. "Percy Jackson," she said knowing the raft would take her to him.
A low chunk-chunk sound brought her out of her memory. She thought she had imagined it, but there it was; clear as day. The rotors of several helicopters coming in fast.
She looked to Nikolai who stood rigid, still in the center of the street. "Four, Blackhawks by the sound of it. Coming in low and fast," Nikolai said.
He started running for the nearest building, scooping up and tossing Calypso her crossbow before grabbing his own and diving through one of the doorways. Percy and the rest of the group knew nothing good would be coming so they headed for the nearest buildings.
Some of the hunters tried to stand their ground, but Artemis sent them into cover. Something bad was going to happen; she just knew it.
She blinked to adjust her eyes to the darkness. She was in a small one room building with Nikolai one of the older hunters. She felt a presence behind her and stepped through the door. Artemis came in and Calypso watched as Nikolai stiffened. This was not going to end well.
The roar of the choppers was deafening as they came overhead. She waited for them to pass by, but if anything the noise got louder.
The house that they were hiding in shook as the helicopters came overhead. Calypso looked up at the ceiling. I wonder when they'll pass over, she thought.
Nikolai started flashing his hands at her. "They're right overhead. I can't hear their conversation, but they aren't leaving. I think they're looking for something," he signaled.
"Alright, give it a few seconds and we'll do something," Calypso flashed back.
Nikolai nodded and gripped the stock of his crossbow tighter. Calypso knew the strength he possessed and wondered how the stock didn't splinter from that force.
A new sound brought her back to reality. "What's that," she signaled.
"Don't know," he signaled back.
The huntress in the room was glaring at us because she couldn't understand our signals, but her face took on a note of fear as she heard the new noise.
She shot to her feet and suddenly her bow appeared in her hands. "Cords! They're dropping in," she said as the door got kicked in.
Calypso hit the buckle on her bracelet and her sword appeared in her hands. She stabbed the first thing through the doorway in the face, but the sword just passed through. "Mortals," she shouted.
She dropped her sword and it disappeared; her bracelet reappearing on her wrist.
Artemis grinned and snapped her fingers. "Mortals are not allowed to witness my hunt."
Nothing happened. "The mortals are protected by an incredibly powerful immortal," she gasped.
Three more soldiers rushed into the room. Seven! Calypso wanted to scream. Then just as suddenly the soldiers were covering them with their guns, there would be no escape.
The two at the door stepped to the sides and in walked a new being. This one reeked monster, Calypso thought.
"Ahh, lovely Artemis. I told you I would be back and make you pay. You and your little brats."
"Thorne," Artemis spat. She started to drawback her bow, but the soldiers shifted their guns towards the demigods. "Uh uh uh," Thorne tutted. "Wouldn't want your lovely half-bloods to get pumped full of lead, would you?" Artemis glared at him, but there was nothing she could do.
She let the bow go slack and sighed, defeated. "Gather the half-bloods and the hunters," Thorne said to the soldiers.
Calypso and the hunter were forced outside. She looked back to the main room to see Artemis being clasped in chains by Thorne, but Nikolai was nowhere to be seen.
She stumbled forward when one of the guards hit her with the butt of his gun.
The demigods and hunters were forced against a wall and cuffed with plastic ties. There were so many soldiers, Calypso worried. Calypso heard one of the hunters mutter something about a firing squad; she didn't understand, but everyone else looked like they were about to start freaking out.
The soldiers stood nearby, several actually covering them with their guns, while the others seemed to be searching the houses. Calypso looked down when she felt a small hand grab her ankle. The tiny Middle Eastern girl, Anita, had crawled out from her hiding spot under the house.
Calypso quickly pushed her foot backwards. "Go back under and hide, don't come out till I tell you honey," she whispered to the small girl. Anita nodded and scurried back into her hole right before one of the guards came over and hit Calypso with the butt if his gun. "Shut up," he shouted.
Calypso and the others stayed up against the wall as Thorne and Artemis exited the small house. "I thought you might want to watch your lovely huntresses die before we leave," Thorne mocked. Thorne opened his mouth to speak, but he exploded into dust before the words could leave his mouth. A crossbow bolt clattered to the ground amongst the dust.
The soldiers started scanning the area, fearful of their lives. A soldier put his gun barrel to a hunters head and growled something vulgar to her. She spat on him and he started to pull the trigger, but a black streak took him down. There was a scream and the soldier's body started twitching. Just as quickly the black shape was gone. The soldiers started sweeping the alleys near the kicking corpse for an enemy, but they were empty.
Another soldier on the other side of the corner went down screaming. A soldier snapped off several shots into the alley, but he too went down and the black shape shot off again.
Calypso and the rest of the half-bloods in their squad began trying to escape their bonds; Nikolai wouldn't be able to kill all twenty remaining soldiers on his own.
Calypso succeeded in freeing herself from the ties with only some minor cuts. She started to pull off her bracelet, but realized it wouldn't do anything to the mortals. Growling she scooped up one of the downed soldiers guns. She tried to figure out how it worked, but instead just threw it to Jacob when he got free.
The black shape returned and took down several more soldiers and Jacob began firing at a group of them. Calypso quickly hurried the bound hunters into cover behind the house and started back to be with her people. Pops of gunfire could be heard in around the corner.
When she returned to the street there were only a few soldiers remaining, but Jacob and Percy were down. Jacob had a leaking wound in his shoulder and Percy was clutching a large spike in his side.
Calypso ran and dove to the cover they were down behind and grabbed one of the guns. She pointed it over the edge and started firing. Hearing screams and the sound of bodies hitting the ground hard, she knew she had hit them.
She continued firing until the gun in her hand clicked. She pumped the trigger a few more times, but just heard more clicks. She threw the gun down and looked over the edge. The remaining soldiers were lying on the ground not moving. Artemis and Nikolai were gone she started forward again, but a grunt behind her turned her around.
Jacob was tending to the wound on his shoulder, but Percy was completely out. He was leaning up against the corner of the house with a limp hand on the spike jutting out of his chest. "Percy," Calypso cried lunging towards him and examining the wound. "Jacob! What happened?"
"Thorne, he just reformed and shot the two of us and grabbed Artemis before heading towards the choppers over there," he grunted, pointing past the street.
Calypso nodded and shot off in the direction he pointed. She needed Artemis' help; Percy's wound was too severe. It needed a goddesses touch. She turned the corner and gasped at what she saw unfolding.
In the middle of the field; Thorne was dragging a stunned Artemis towards the waiting helicopters, but a black streak took him down.
Thorne stumbled and his tail started lashing back and forth. Spikes flying everywhere. Thorne continued dragging Artemis, but Nikolai hit him from behind again. The wolf started tearing at the Manticore's tail while Thorne attacked him with his talons.
Calypso ran to Artemis and started fiddling with her bonds. Grunting in exasperation she took off her bracelet and slashed the chain with Redemption.
The chains split and Artemis snapped out of her daze. She took in the scene around her and snapped her fingers. Thorne was thrown off Nikolai whom he had succeeded in pinning.
The second Thorne's weight was gone, Nikolai shot after the Manticore. Artemis made her bow materialize and shot the downed Manticore. The combination of Nikolai's teeth and Artemis's rain of arrows was enough to kill the Manticore again, but the dust was already swirling to reform.
"Um, Calypso you might want to back off to the village," a voice crackled over the radio.
"Why Tammy," Calypso demanded. "Thorne's about to reform."
"I know, but those helicopters are about to take off."
Calypso looked to the helicopters and smiled. A red dot was playing its way across the lead choppers engine.
"MOVE NOW," Calypso shouted. Grabbing the still slightly dazed Artemis, she yelled to Nikolai to hurry up.
They just made it to the first building when Thorne reformed and launched a volley of spikes at Artemis. Calypso tried to push Artemis down, but the spikes were still on a killing path. No, Artemis can't die, Calypso thought as she was shoved aside by a black streak.
Nikolai took the six spines that were going to hit Artemis right in his flank. Enraged Calypso threw a knife towards Thorne right as the first helicopter exploded. Her knife hit the gloating Thorne right in the forehead, disintegrating him.
Another loud crack was heard and Calypso watched as the second helicopter exploded. Incinerating some of the dust and throwing the rest to all corners of the field. Tammy, Calypso thought. Thank you.
She watched in disbelief as the third and fourth helicopters took to the air. Two more cracks rang out and the lead helicopter exploded; its rotor flying into the remaining helicopter, killing the pilot and forcing the helicopter into the ground below.
A whine brought her back to reality and she ran to Nikolai. His wolf form was starting to glow, when the light faded Nikolai lay on the ground with several spikes jutting out of his gut and legs. He was still bleeding like crazy, an already largish pool gathering around his legs.
"HEAL HIM," Calypso yelled at the dumbfounded Artemis staring at Nikolai's body. "NOW!"
Artemis shook her head and knelt down next to Nikolai. She put her hands on the first spike in his gut and slowly withdrew it, eliciting several weak curses from a fading Nikolai. Artemis hands glowed silver as she healed the dire wound. She did the same for the rest of the spikes until she collapsed from exhaustion.
Calypso sighed and sat down next to the two of them and fiddled with Redemption's pommel.
She flipped off her hood and returned Redemption to her wrist. How did Thorne reform so fast, she thought. Something was really wrong and she realized that it was only going to get worse.
Something really bad was going to happen, and they had two days left away from their return to Camp Jupiter.
PERCY! She shot up, grabbing the goddess and shaking her awake. "Artemis Percy needs help. Now!" With help from Calypso, the two of them made it back to the street where several hunters were tending to Percy under the watchful gaze of Thalia.
Artemis stumbled to Percy's side and put her hands on his stomach. She started to glow silver, but the wound wasn't healing. Right before collapsing, she sent a silent plea to her brother.
The hunters gasped as Artemis fell unconscious.
"P..P...Percy...no..." Calypso stuttered as she watched his chest rise and fall before becoming scarily still. "N..no," she pleaded. The hunters stood up and turned silently away. Percy had earned their respect and for possibly the first time ever, all of them were sad by the loss of a male.
Calypso started crying onto Percy, they had gotten so close over their sentence. Though she had been released from her prison; the Fate's punishment was still haunting her. The man she had fallen for was dead. Another hero lost, another love gone. She was broken once more.
Calypso laid her head on his chest, oblivious to the burning light approaching them fast. Percy, she thought. "I'm sorry my love. I should have told you," she whispered. And then she heard it. No, it couldn't be real. And then she felt it. Yes there it was, his chest had just moved upwards.
She shot to her feet and yelled for the hunters when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. "Step back babe, this is gonna take a while."
She took several steps back as Apollo knelt down and laid his hands on Percy's stomach. He began to glow so brightly that everyone had to turn away, for fear of being blinded.
Minutes passed, hours, lifetimes; Calypso didn't know. All she was doing was praying that Percy would be ok.
The glow faded from Apollo and he collapsed next to his sister. "I'm...gonna take a nap," he said softly before passing out. Calypso was overjoyed, they were safe and Percy's face had returned to a healthy color. She watched him sleeping peacefully as Jacob and Tammy came to stand by her side. She nodded at their support and started to say something about getting Nikolai when a black wolf limped into the street and lay down.
Calypso ignored the hustle going on around her as Thalia and the hunters set up camp and started making sure the area was safe. She sat down next to Percy and watched the rise and fall of his chest and right before she drifted off to sleep she felt the small form of the young middle eastern girl snuggle up to her. Things were going to be okay.
Deep in the earth an ancient being stirred.
It had begun. It was finally time for the gods to pay. "Wake my children. It is time to destroy the gods."
The waking entity growled as it felt the life force of one of its servant's re-enter Tartarus. That demigod was turning out to be a real thorn in the side. But she would not make the same mistake as her son and underestimate the half breed. "I will have my fun with you yet Percy Jackson. Go to their home. Kill them all," The Entity ordered as a large group of monsters closed in on their "base of operations" somewhere in Europe. "You won't ruin my plans little hero," Gaea said as she drifted off to sleep. "Soon I will be able to wake, and then the world will tremble."
A lone figure sat upon its throne watching the scenes unfold on earth. Gaea was waking. The gods were enacting their plan to switch the leaders of the camps.
No, Gaea would fail. That was certain, but the demigod worried him. This would be an interesting time.
An: Sorry for the late update, I had to study for a final. I have more finals and Anak's out of commision for a while, so the next chapter might not be till Saturday or Sunday and even then it will be without Anak's grammar checks so there migh be a few more mistakes than normal. Thanks for all the reviews I got and viewers, I really want to hear what you all like and dislike, so you can message me or drop a review. I respond to all reviews.