There was a small mix up last chapter. The two kids that Artemis and Percy have are Sally and Jake. Not Jack. I accidentally wrote Jack when I was telling you all how he looks. Whoopsie. Oh and Sally and Jake are twins.
. . .
Percy's POV:
It felt as if my soul was sucked back into my body. Instead of seeing pitch darkness I saw light. I saw colors. Red, peach, orange, silver, gold. I looked down, to see myself standing in a red puddle. I stepped off the little mud-like substance and looked around me. Everywhere I looked, there were empty helmets on swords that were struck into the ground. Blood leaking from the eye holes of the helmets. Blood on the floor. Bodies strewn and twisted on the ground as if making some type of sick artwork.
I looked down at my feet, and I saw auburn hair. My heart stopped and I looked at my hand, seeing Riptide in my hand, facing the ground as if I had just finished stabbing someone from underneath me. I looked back from where I felt my consciousness come back.
I screamed and fell to my knees.
On the floor, with her eyes open and lifeless, was Artemis.
I had killed her.
. . .
Third Person:
Percy sat up, panting and sweating as if he had run a marathon. When he looked around and found himself back in his cell, he sighed with relief. So, he thought, it had been just another dream. This is not the first time the Guardian of Artemis had dreamed of killing his wife. These nightmares are what ultimately push him to stay awake all night and day. Unfortunately, one can only stay awake for so long before the body shuts down to try and regain its rightful energy.
"So? Have you made up your mind?"
With a bloody face, Percy looked up remorsefully at Tartarus. "I have, Father."
_|M.M.J. 16|_
"So, Tartarus is going to use my son as his next host? There is nothing we can do about that?"
"There is, but we believe it would be best to let Tartarus do so. It is the best plan that has a higher probability to allow your son to not fade."
"And you," Poseidon started, turning back to Artemis, "you of all people are okay with this?"
Artemis nodded her head defiantly.
Poseidon slumped deeper into his throne. "Okay, but if my son dies, and is not brought back to me, Olympus will never be able to seek aid from the seas ever again!" With that, the god of seas flashed away to his underwater kingdom.
"Prepare the demigods," Athena said, facing Hermes. "I feel the war shall begin at anytime. Send the message to all demigods and camps. Olympians, it is time we lead our children home. Every child of every God and/or Goddess shall be lead to their haven, where they will be protected from war. Have the veterans up front, and the lines of defense sorted by experience and skill. Prepare," and she flashed to Camp. Artemis turned to face her Aunt Hestia, "Um, will you please take care of them while I am gone?"
"Do what you must, child. I shall protect your children with the power of the Hearth."
"Thank you. Brother, I feel you will be needed at camp, safe journeys."
"Safe journeys."
"Safe Journeys," and one by one, the gods bowed to and hugged one another as a family should, and they all wished each other luck with the war. Hestia smiled. Now this, is what being a family is all about.
. . .
"I don't like it," Thalia said as she entered the resting tent. Her, Artemis and the Hunt were set up between every line of defense, to enable archer support for each and every line. Thalia watched as Artemis hunched over a map of the battle field.
"What is it?"
"It's been absolutely silent for three days now! Why hasn't at least a twig been snapped yet?"
"They are preparing— Building suspense. They have Perseus's mind on their side, surely they will be waiting for the right moment to strike."
"Yeah well the only action we get is when new demigods arrive."
"Good. What are our numbers?"
"Five thousand of us in total. A few hundred Greeks have arrived since Athena threw the order. Two-hundred-and-thirty-two Roman demigods have arrived. Together we are five thousand. And half of the demigods are either too young or not trained enough. What should we do?"
"Have the last two lines and one hundred Romans train the ones who are old enough. That should leave us with three defense waves, and more than half of the Romans to help keep guard. Also, check on Hephaestus and his cabin and how they are going with the traps and new 'Guardians' he has planned."
"Yes, Milady."
"Oh, and for the younger ones, have Apollo's cabin teach them the basics of medicine," with that last order, Thalia was dismissed.
Roughly fifteen minutes after Thalia left, the conch shell was blown, signaling the first line of defense and the ½ line (the Hunters that are between lines 1 & 2) to prepare, and the second line to build a shield wall. Artemis stepped out of her tent as demigods and archers ran back and forth, some climbing trees, others crouching on the ground. Her bow was in her hand, an arrow already drawn, and her quiver filled with 52 arrows at-the-ready. In the distance, she heard Annabeth shouting orders, and telling the demigods to not attack yet and to hold their ground. The demigods hesitated, but followed the orders of one of the Immortals. She watched as—with a white flag—Annabeth stepped forward with two "body guards" dressed up in armor. Not even their faces were identifiable. With one hand resting on the hilt of their sword, and the other swaying helplessly on their side, the two guards marched one step ahead of Annabeth to ensure no harm comes to her. Artemis took this as her cue to step up, behind Annabeth.
All their hard work for negotiation was lost when a spear was thrown by one of the monsters. The guards were quick to block the attack with their shields, and pulled out their swords. The four retreated quickly back behind the borders of camp, and commanded the army of demigods to charge and attack at will, but to keep the line together. On her way up a tree, Artemis wondered how long this war will last. Surely, this was just one battle of more to come. This is the battle that will help test each other's strengths. She began to robotically aim and shoot, none of her arrows missing their target. Artemis was about to shoot another arrow, when she noticed something.
Far away from where the battle was taking place (which the defense line was not wavering at all. Monsters are losing, for now) five Cyclopes carried a huge silver/black cage with barely enough room for a developing young man. There were spikes that pointed inward, keeping whatever it was in there contained. The Cyclopes used their metal club to poke at the caged victim, pointing and laughing. Artemis narrowed her eyes, using her godly vision to try and see what could possibly be their key to winning. She pointed it out to one of Hermes's children, who spread word to the others to try and assemble a team to keep an eye on "the prize."
Artemis continued firing, but the thing inside the cage raged in her mind like a plague.
_|M.M.J. 16|_
"What are you doing?" Asked Artemis as she backed away from Percy.
Percy stepped forward, a dagger in hand. "What I should've done long ago . . ."
(Percy that is not italicized is real Percy. Not dream one) Percy watched as Percy (his dream self, that is) struck the dagger right into his wife's heart, dragging it down and sinking it more in, twisting when he reached her navel. He pulled the dagger out, and thrust it back in. Her limp body leaned into him as he continuously stabbed her in her abdomen. Percy watched in utter horror as he himself killed her. He took a step back in his shock.
Why am I dreaming of this? he thought. And why now?
Percy turned around, as if he could not watch and try to block out the sound of ichor rushing out of his beloved's wounds. Wounds, that he—or his dream-self, whatever—made. His hand balled up into a fist, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
. . .
Percy sat up, drenched in sweat and in a wave of nausea and exaggerate pants. He placed a spread-out hand over his heart, as if he could keep it from pumping out of his chest. His eyes were wide as dinner plates, and his sweat made a thin layer of gleaming armor over his skin. Although he doubted with all he could that mere sweat could protect him from anything. He was stuffed into this cage and placed to watch a battle unfold for days now, and he wished he could do anything to help out his family.
"Tartarus," he said, gripping the bars. Soon, there was an awful and incredibly strong stench of burning flesh, and Percy tried his best to not so much as flinch. He did not want to give the monsters satisfaction. "I request a presence from the King!"
"Ah, shut it. And hands off the bars!" A cyclops whacked Percy's hands with the wooden end of his spear. Percy growled, but obeyed nonetheless. He pulled his hands back to the sides, and tried to move to remove his boots.
When Tartarus offered him the deal, he had made a mistake and had given Percy a nice cool bath, ambrosia and nectar, and all his Guardian clothes back. Although, the weapons were helpless against the bars, they did help keep him entertained. He would smack the hilt against the metal and try to make a tune to sing along to. When the guards would tell him to shut up, he would make a sarcastic comment about "treating their Prince with respect." The guard would just scoff and return to his post. Percy looked back and forth.
"Pssst. Pssst!"
A guard turned around to face Percy. "Listen, I know I just went at 'home', but I really gotta go. Do you think you can do your prince a favor? If you do, I'll convince Tartarus to raise your. . . pay?"
"I don't get payed."
"Well then, you uh, you will. Yeah, if you do me this small favor I'll convince him to raise the amount of demigods you're allowed to eat." Percy felt like vomiting everything he's ever eaten with just that one sentence. The guard took a step forward, then a step back, before he grumbled under his breath and pulled out some keys.
Percy grinned. Stupid cyclops.
The door of the cage swung open, and Percy had to fight the feeling of punching the monster in the eye and making a run for it. The cyclops pulled him to the side of the cage, and held him there.
"Go." He grunted.
"What, here? Listen, I don't know how you monsters think of privacy, but I don't want any of you or your buddies watching me," he leaned in. "It's embarrassing." The cyclops groaned in frustration and pulled him to a secluded area, away from the borders of where the Dark Army was camping, and where no one would be able to "watch Percy 'go'."
Percy stood in front of a tree, his legs spread apart, ready to do something he didn't tell the guard he'll do. When he took a while playing with his zipper, the cyclops came over to check why he was taking so long.
"Sorry. Having technical difficulties. Can you help me?" He tried to get the cyclops even closer. The cyclops obliged. He took a step forward, and almost immediately, Percy flipped the dagger in his hand and pulled it into a semi-circle behind him.
The cyclops's head rolled on the floor as it turned to dust.
Percy took this as his cue to sprint forward and into a tree, where none of the patrolling guards will find him. He jumped from tree to tree, aiming for Thalia's to get past the border line. He took his final jump, using all his strength, and missed the branch by a centimeter. He fell to the ground on his side, and started to roll to allow his body to absorb the shock. He rolled past the border line, and into the feet of a demigod. Almost immediately a spear was pressed against his throat.
"Who are you?"
He felt the tip press against his Adam's apple. He only said one name. "A-A-Artemis," and then, he was gone.
_|M.M.J. 16|_
"Where is he?" Artemis stormed into the infirmary. Will Solace shooed everyone out of the room and allowed Artemis entry. "The last bed to your right," he said, and left. Artemis marched forward, and when she found a man with a black cloak sitting up, hunched over a cup he had lazily in his hand, she struck.
SLAP!
The cup—most likely nectar—was dropped to the floor and the man sat straight up. "The Hades was that for?!"
"For making me do that! Don't ever make me go through that again. Am I clear?" She leaned forward and pointed a finger at him. He looked into her eyes and nodded. She nodded her head and hugged him tightly, as if she were holding herself together.
"How-how did you get free?"
"I had to pee," Percy shrugged. Artemis raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"How are the kids?"
"They're with your mom Hestia."
"Oh." Percy slumped into the bed.
Artemis gasped. "We have to get you to Poseidon before he declares war."
"What are you talking about?"
Artemis grabbed his hand and gave him a kiss on the lips. Holding a hand on his cheek, she looked at him in the eyes, "I'll explain on the way."