PLEASE READ

Yeah the world didn't end, it just begun anew. Always wanted to say that for some reason.

This is in Percy and Reyna's third-person POV

Sorry it is shorter then the others.

Disclaimer - I don't own PJO or HOO

Warning - May contain cursing, sexual references and gore in later chapters. Don't forget OOC-ness is common so don't complain.

ENJOY THE CHAPTER! or don't. Your choice.

Chapter 4

The Eternal Battle-mage

Percy

CHINK!

ROAR!

Those were the most common sounds that echoed through the early morning sky as Percy Jackson futility tried to defend an injured Fable with two bent and broken swords.

These past few hours have been Hades for the duo, sometimes literally. In the last fight that Percy and Fable had Fable was overwhelmed by a dozen or so hellhounds and was reduced to limping until his wound closes up naturally. Despite being a magical creature he cannot use Nectar and Ambrosia, much like Satyrs.

As of this moment a bruised, cut and burnt Percy was facing off with an equally injured Drakon. If you include a missing tail and claw equal. The only way he managed to remove those bodily parts involved a serious amount of hacking and cursing.

By now Percy was getting tired and his swords were little more than a blunt metal poker. The Drakon, despite how dumb and blood crazed it is, could see that he wouldn't last much longer and howled in victory.

This wasn't much of a Nobel Prize winning idea; especially when it leaves you open to an attack from any direction from a person that has no qualms about killing you. Running behind it he jabbed both of his pokers into the gaping wound where the tail used to be.

It screeched in pain and turned with speed that it shouldn't have without one of its claws. Using the stump of it leg it swatted Percy through the air and into the severed tail.

His head thwacked against something harder than the scales and much narrower. As his vision cleared he saw the Drakon thrashing about trying without purchase to dislodge the blades from its tail.

Turning his head around to see what he hit his head on he saw a midnight black three feet blade stuck half way in a chink in the armour. It's a Stygian iron sword.

He knew the effect of anyone that isn't a child of death touching a Stygian iron weapon is your soul being reaped by the blade and sucked out of your body. He almost had it happen to him a few times during practice with Nico.

Despite the risk he grasped the hilt tightly and pulled. It slid clean and he didn't feel the obvious negative effect that would've normally taken place as soon as he touched the handle.

The voice that he has been there since the end of the Giant war spoke, at a rather unconventional time, but spoke nonetheless 'It is because' it paused slightly, like giving a dramatic speech or life changing words of encouragement 'Magic is everything and everything is magic'.

'What the Hades does magic have to do with anything!' he mentally shouted back as he charged the wailing Drakon. Dodging the flailing limbs he managed to scratch its underbelly a few times before being pushed back.

The voice, though it was in a very unconventional fashion, like a little kid that got in trouble and tried to make up an excuse, argued back 'Like I just said 'magic is everything'. That means that you are spiritually linked to everything in the world' the voice held surprising wisdom and power for someone that seemed so childish.

'I am not childish' the voice said as Percy hacked at the Drakon's hindquarters 'I just have a unique outlook on life' the voice paused before adding 'and death' in a morbid, yet still obnoxious and childish tone.

Percy contemplated signing into a mental asylum as soon as he found one but quickly dismissed the idea. What's the point in being mentally health when your only companion is a talking wolf?

'You know people help them…' Percy decided to get his head back in the game and ignore all distractions, including the voice that seemed to be stalking him.

By the end of his 'battle stupor' as she used to call it he was pinned to the ground by a large claw with an organic cannon known as a Drakon loaded with green acidic bullets commonly known as spit.

What happened next would be incomprehensible to the human eye and very difficult to follow, even for demigods. Percy jerked to the left as it spat, effectively moving his body out of the way of the falling acid but his right arm was still clamped in the Drakon's grip. In a matter of moments his arm was saturated with dangerous chemicals and golden monster dust.

The chemicals are obviously the caustic saliva of the large lizard and the dust is the remains of said lizard. In the next second the dust and spit were consumed in green flames. 'Greek fire' thought Percy.

His body was numb and he saw a shadowed figure crouching over him. "Wh-" he began to say but was interrupted "All will be explained in due time hero" the voice was soft and melodious.

"Now, sleep" he felt the power in her last word and his desire to close his eyes grew stronger, despite the panic because of the loss of body functions. "Sleep" she repeated, more forcefully this time, and Percy felt his eyelids droop till they closed completely and, thankfully, dreamless sleep overtook him.

Reyna

She was shocked. Well they were all shocked, if not giddy and a tad bit jealous.

Thalia read the journal, more importantly that one part that showed his numerous loves. They each reacted differently to the information. Athena and Artemis remained stoic but slightly teary eyed if anything, Aphrodite and her daughter were openly crying.

Thalia had no reaction because she read it before and Clarisse and Reyna, like Athena and Artemis, remained as stoic as possible. It didn't really work but they made an effort.

After a few minutes someone spoke "We have to find him" they all turned to a composed and determined Aphrodite.

"We have to find him" repeated her daughter. Reyna sighed, she knew Percy and she knew that he isn't easy to find if he doesn't want to be found.

"You know Percy as well as us but he won't be easy to track. Unless he wants to be found and I doubt he wants to be found" she spoke out loud. Most slumped in their seats but a few had determination glinting in their eyes.

"It won't be too hard for me" Artemis stood up "I am the goddess of the hunt and no one has ever escaped me if I want to find them before" she said proudly, head held high.

Their hopes rose only to be dashed by one thought. One single thought that was probably right, just disconcerting 'He'll find a way to do the impossible. He always does'.

"We have to at least try" said Clarisse, determination flashing dangerously in her eyes. Everyone knows that a determined Clarisse is a dangerous one.

"We'll discuss more on this later. For now though we should get back to our duties" said Athena. All the discussers nodded in agreement and left to do their duties. Whether it is to command the demigods/gods, oversee the design of building New Athens and Rome and the acquisition of the materials to do that or to lead small groups after the remaining monsters.

Reyna had one thought playing through her head as she left to supervise her fellow Romans as one of their two new Consuls 'I'm not going to give up on you Percy. And I know the others won't either'.

Percy

Darkness and a ringing in his ear was all that accompanied Percy as he awoke an hour or so later. His first instinct was to grab his sword, well one of them, and get in a stance.

But he remembered the state of them and was depressed, the only gifts from his friends, destroyed. Right then he face palmed and looked at his watch with a reproachful look.

Indestructible and untarnishable Tyson told him. Then why didn't he use it to fight against the Drakon? Simple, he forgot he had it in the first place. He activated the shield and looked around the dark… tent?

It was a simple clay color with multiple colored runes from different ethnic backgrounds. Like Norse, Greek and Egyptian to name a few. How did Percy know where these symbols came from and what they meant? He had no clue but, as per usual, the voice did.

'I told you "magic is everything", language has some part in magic so remember that phrase, it is vitally important to your life from now one… if you accept their offer' Percy had a lot of questions like 'Whose offer?' to less important ones like 'Are you bi-polar?'

The voice 'hmmphed' and Percy felt a slight headache 'Ok, ok' he thought 'You're not bi-polar' it may seem weird to have a conversation in your head to most people but Percy isn't most people and he has experienced weirder things.

He walked outside, ignoring the internal blabbering, with his shield poised like a glove/disc that will break anything it touches. Most would think that is a stupid notion, to use a shield as a weapon, but Percy created a fighting style that is fought with a shield and no weapon.

He designed the style mainly for defense but it can cause major damage similar to that of a large club or hammer can do. He calls the style 'Tornado'.

Exiting the tent he saw a lit fire with two twenty year old women around it. One had tanned skin, warm blue eyes and glossy black hair. The other had pale skin, similar black hair and mysterious emerald green eyes. Percy met both these women before, one was Hecate, goddess of magic and the other was Hebe, goddess of youth.

He never had a problem with either of these goddesses; I guess you could call them acquaintances. "Sit, Perseus" he didn't have any reason to hate them so he sat at the command of Hecate.

He noticed as he sat down of a sword lying by Hecate's foot, next to it was a similar sheath. If he remembered correctly it was a one bladed oriental Katana. The strange thing though was that it was made from three metals.

The blade was split, blade and flat, the sharp side was golden, Imperial golden, while the back part was midnight black, Stygian iron, with golden runes from numerous languages inscribed from the base to the tip. Some runes Percy somehow recognized as 'Strength' and 'Durability'.

The handle was made from a black wood wrapped tightly with a white cloth, perfect for gripping. The pattern it made was checkered with black diamonds at regular intervals along the handle.

The cross guard was bronze and styled like the yin and yang symbol. The pommel was a simple bronze emblazoned cap merged, somehow, with the wood of the handle.

In total the blade was four feet long while the handle was thirteen inches.

The sheath was the same black wood with a bronze cap at the end and the top. Running down the black wood was a white carved oriental dragon.

"I see you see the blade" Percy looked up startled, he had forgotten he had company while he was studying the strange sword. He actually felt a pull towards it like he did with Riptide, and was curious.

"If you will accept our offer this blade, along with other things, will be yours" he was still staring at the sword, even when Hebe spoke. "How?" seeing their unasked question on what 'How' is he clarified "How did you merge the metals. As far as I know not even Hephaestus knows how to do that without causing an explosion".

They giggled "Full of questions aren't you" said Hecate "Magic is everything and everything is magic" Percy's head snapped up with wide eyes but she ignored him "The only limitation to magic is your imagination. Knowledge is useless when you can't think of how to use it in any situation that the fates may cause to come that you can't predict and make a plan for… improvisation for short".

Hebe continued from where she left off "Zeus' power over lightning, Hades' power over the dead, Poseidon's power over the seas" she listed off "They are all products of elemental or other magic, not natural powers".

"So does that mean you can do anything Lady Hecate? That everyone completely underestimates you?" asked Percy.

Hecate grinned and answered "And that is only my domain over magic. I have domain over many things like the moon and doorways".

"So at night I am much more powerful and combining magic with my power over doorways I can make… doorways through the ethereal plane of magic to another place" she added the next words so quietly that Percy barely heard them "Or I can travel through the temporal rift".

Temporal? Percy knew that he heard that word somewhere before… his head jerked to a nervous Hecate "Y-you c-can travel-l through t-time" he stuttered.

"Yes. That's a secret that only my close friends, like Hebe, know and I don't want you to go spilling it around, got that?" she eyed him from her place across the fire.

He nodded quickly and warily. She has a lot of secrets up her sleeves, most that he probably wouldn't want to know. "Now the offer" said Hecate "We offer to be your patrons and you our champion" they finished in unison.

"Y-your ch-champion?" he stuttered out "I mean why would you want me to be your champion. Wouldn't you rather Blake or Jessie" they scowled into the fire and Percy got the idea that they don't like them.

Finally Hebe spoke "You shouldn't blame Jessie, she was tricked" he ripped his eyes away from the calm orange flame to look into the warm eyes of Hebe. "What do you mean tricked?" he demanded, forgetting that he was in the presence of two goddesses and adopted the brotherly side he held in.

"I'll show you" Hebe leaned in and placed a hand onto Percy's forehead. Images flashed through his mind. Percy's little sister talking with him, him leaving with Annabeth, her going to her brother for help, her twin convincing her to sleep with Jason and the recent confession.

He had to do something. He couldn't just let her think that he hates her. After a moments of thinking her turned to Hecate but she just smirked and said "I already did it" before he could ask.

He would've asked her to add a part to the note they read for her but he underestimated her abilities… like everyone else. "Now do you accept our offer" asked Hecate.

"I accept miladies" he spoke without hesitation and the utmost confidence.

"Now you are going to be the first champion either of us has had so we don't know how that may affect your body" said Hecate as she stood in front of him, sword sheathed in her hands.

Hebe walked behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her touch brought a feeling of euphoria to his body and mind. It also brought to mind that his body was healed completely, even his once battered arm.

Hecate held up the sword in one hand while she summoned a six foot tall gold capped and brace, black wood and rune/dragon engraved staff and spoke in sync with Hebe "Do you, Perseus Jackson, descendent of Miyamoto Musashi and Merlin Effigy, take up the swordsman's blade, Tribune, and the staff of the wizard, Yggdrasil, crafted from a branch of the world tree itself, as your weapons on your path to serve your patrons, Hecate and Hebe, in whatever deed they require, for as long as your eternal youth shall last".

Their voices held ancient power and Percy felt a burning sensation cover his body "I do" he said and grasped the sword in one hand and staff in the other. His eyes flashed green before a dominant blood red color took hold and Black-red marks, not unlike his legion tattoo, seeped up his pale arms into a tribal/runic pattern. Eventually his entire pale body was completely endowed with markings but the goddesses kept a firm hold on him.

The tattoo of his legion shifted so the symbol wasn't a trident but crossed torches with a chalice underneath it. A similar, just larger, pictograph appeared on his back.

He staggered and collapsed onto his knees gasping for air. The staff and sword shimmered and disappeared. Only for the sword to reappear on his back with the staff nowhere to be seen.

In a matter of moments his patrons were by his side holding the half-naked boy steady. His T-shirt burned to a crisp during the claiming of the parentless as ones champion but, thankfully, Percy's pants were just scorched and patchy.

He mumbled something they couldn't hear "What did you say Percy?" asked Hebe.

"Don't call me Percy. This is a new start for me, a new life so that means a new name" he stopped to think, which was surprising seeing as how he should've been incapacitated after the ritual.

"Call me… Erin. Yeah I like that. Erin, Erin Effigy" he paused and chuckled "After my famous ancestor" his face grew confused and slightly disturbed.

"I can't believe I'm Japanese" he murmured before collapsing.

Both women sat stunned before giggling away at his adorable face and the drool leaking out of his mouth.

"A new life, huh?" said Hecate as she teleported Per- sorry Erin into the tent.

"So Erin Effigy, huh? Erin Effigy. Hmmm… Erin Effigy" Hecate gave her a pointed look.

"What are you doing?" she asked, agitated by her friends antics.

"It rolls off the tongue easily doesn't it? Erin Effigy" Hecate nodded. It did sound rather nice.

"Let's get back to Olympus, we'll talk to him tomorrow and who knows what Zeus might do if he finds us out of Olympus" said Hecate. She didn't seem pleased from hiding away her powers but she knows that they have numbers and power on their side while she may be much more versatile.

They flashed off to the city in the sky without another word.

But sitting in the heart of a star was a cheery, not to mention bi-polar, ten year old girl.

She giggled "Sleep well my student, sleep well" and in a flash of light brighter than even Gaea could do, she vanished.

What did you think?

Same questions as last time with ones like 'Did you like the weapons and their names?' and 'Did you like how I went with his ancestors?'. And don't forget to review, I always like to know what people think of my work. Even if it is only one word.

Here are Hecate and Hebe's domains for this story.

Hecate - Magic, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, gates, walls, doorways, childbirth, crossroads, light, herbal knowledge, fire, change. nurturing the young and trivial knowledge.

Hebe - Youth, kindness, innocence and forgiveness.

I got these with mixed sources (Wikipedia, Percy Jackson wiki) and I made up a few for Hebe.

I did research on the worlds greatest swordsman and Miyamoto Musashi came up and I did the same with wizard but it sucked so I just did Merlin and gave him the last name Effigy.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter.