Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.
Story: Champion of Olympus: Child of the First One
Chapter5: Plans and Revelations
The Black Fortress – Mount Othrys
ThirdPerson POV
Ethan Nakamura stepped through the dark and quiet corridors of the black fortress as he made his way to the throne room. Ethan pushed open the large wooden doors to reveal the dark inside of the throne room. Atlas was at one end of the room still struggling under the weight of the sky. His groans echoed through the throne room making the boy shiver with dread.
On the other side of the cavernous room were the Titan thrones. They were all made out of the same black stone as the fortress. Torches lit the area around the thrones. The torchlight made the room even more creepy to the son of Nemesis. Ethan walked toward the thrones and the only deity there was his lord and master, Loki. Loki sat on his throne as he marveled at the shining scythe in his hand.
Ethan walked to the foot of the stairs that led to the thrones. He looked agitated, like the very prospect of talking to Loki put him on edge. Beads of sweat ran down his brow. The boy was clearly nervous and knelt on one knee and looked up at the god of evil. Ethan cleared his throat. Loki turned his attention to the son of Nemesis.
"Ethan, please report," Loki said. His voice sounded calm, but there was always a hint of danger when he spoke.
"I have fifty demigods, most are children of minor gods," Ethan said.
"What about the monsters?" Loki asked curiously.
"Recruitment is difficult since most have been sent back to Tartarus, but we have about two hundred ready for the assault," Ethan explained.
"It appears that the enemy will outnumber your demigod force, slightly. The monster force is not sufficient to make that much of a difference, especially if the satyrs, nature spirits and the Hunters join the fight. Which of course they will," Loki reasoned.
"My lord, what about the gods? Will they help their children?" Ethan asked nervously.
Loki's forehead creased in thought. "Most likely they will, especially after so many died in the last battle," Loki said.
"What shall we do?" Ethan asked.
Loki smiled down at the young demigod before him. "I will have to even the odds," Loki said. "Go assemble your forces my boy, I will find reinforcements.I'll also provide a distraction to the gods."
Ethan bowed before his master, and then stood up and walked quickly out of the throne room. He never took his eyes off the ground.
A few moments later, a dark haired woman stepped out of the shadows. She wore celestial bronze armor. Her coal black eyes shined in the torch light.
"Your boy serves me well," Loki complimented.
"Thank you my lord," Nemesis said. "Where do you plan to find reinforcements?"
Loki smiled at his ally. "I have some old friends ready for the fight." Loki's body glowed with dark energy. He raised the scythe into the air. He spoke in the ancient tongue of the Norse. A small tear in the air erupted in front of the god of evil. A blue and white face peered through the portal. The creature had glacial blue eyes.
"My lord," the creature said.
Loki smiled at the creature in the portal. "Ah, King Aurgelmir. It has been a long time, my old friend."
Aurgelmir smiled; his teeth were sharp like icicles. "Loki, what tricks do you have up your sleeves now?" the giant asked wryly.
Loki's smile widened. "How would you and your brethren like to come to Midgard for some fun?" he asked amusedly.
King Aurgelmir smiled fiendishly. "My subjects and I would love to teach those miserable humans a lesson."
"Good, but I want you to take care of the Olympians as well," Loki added.
"It would be our great honor to deal with those fools as well." Aurgelmir's ice blue eyes seemed to glow with anticipation.
"Good, I will transport you and your army here when the time is right. Be ready, my friend," Loki said as the scythe in his hand glowed and the image of the frost giant faded.
"Frost giants. Are you sure they can be trusted?" Nemesis asked skeptically.
"Of course, they will cause destruction, but they will leave. They only wish for some payback against the Olympians and the puny mortals that they protect," Loki explained.
"Is that the main part of your plan?" Nemesis asked.
Loki's smile grew as he stared into the eyes of the goddess. "No, I have many more surprises in store for the champion and his friends. By the time we're done with them, they shall beg for death," Loki declared. His evil laugh echoed through the throne room.
Camp Half Blood
Percy was flying over the open ocean as sea creatures large and small swam below him. The cool sea breeze chilled his skin, but that only served to increase the thrill. He flew towards a dark fortress on top of a windswept mountain.
He flew straight towards the black stone walls of the fortress and passed through them. The fortress seemed familiar. He entered a dark passageway that looked like a dungeon. The sounds of water dripping in the background echoed off the stone floor. The movement of chains and the groans of someone in pain sounded down the dark passageway. Percy walked through the dark cell block until he reached the end of the room. Two small cells sat on the ground facing each other.
Percy stepped closer to the cell on the left; he was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. He touched the celestial bronze bars as he peered into the darkened cell. He saw movement along the back wall of the cell. He chanted his usual Norse prayer before Mjolnir appeared in his hand. He placed the weapon against the bars and spoke in the ancient language of Asgard. The hammer began to glow and the cell lit up. Along the far wall of the cell was a woman. She looked to be in her forties and she wore a green dress. Her skin was light brown and her eyes were a fluorescent green. Her dark brown hair was the color of mud with flecks of green in it. Her eyes glowed with intense power, but they never blinked, almost as if she was in some type of trance.
"Who are you?" Percy asked cautiously. The woman didn't answer.
"She is Gaea, my mother," a pained voice said from the cell behind him.
Percy turned to see a beautiful dark haired woman. Her eyes were a vibrant blue like a mountain lake. Her skin was pale, but healthy. She was chained to the far wall of her cell. Her wrists were red from the celestial bronze shackles that held her in place. She made Percy feel at ease, as if she was a long lost grandmother or something.
"You're correct, my child," the woman said.
"You read my mind. How?... Who are you?" Percy said with a shocked tone.
The woman smiled at him. "I am your grandmother; I'm Rhea, the Titaness of home and family." Percy stared at the wife of Kronos and the mother of the eldest Olympians. "My daughter received her mantle from me. She inherited her powers over the mind from me as well."
Percy nodded. "Why has Loki imprisoned you?"
"He wants to use my mother's power. He believes that he can bend her to his will by using me as a bargaining chip."
Percy frowned at the idea. "Can he?"
"I'm afraid that my mother is loyal to her children. She will do what she must to protect me." Rhea looked down at the ground sadly. "Unfortunately, her loyalty may destroy the world."
"What do you mean?"
"If Loki gains her power, he will be able to destroy Earth. She is the persona of the world. Many of her powers have been divided among the gods and Titans, but she is still the spirit of the planet. He can use her to destroy everything."
"Loki is destroying each realm. With each destroyed realm his powers and magic increase. He wants to take over control of the universe from Chaos."
Rhea's eyes widened with fear. "You must stop him. Loki cannot be allowed to gain that much power. He will destroy all life. He is too evil."
Percy nodded. "I will do what I can, but he plans to attack Olympus."
Rhea frowned. "Olympus is part of his goal. To destroy the world he must destroy the thrones of Olympus and then complete his ceremony using my mother. You must stop him at all costs."
Suddenly, Percy's vision began to blur. "Don't forget, child. You are the only hope for our world." Rhea's voice faded as the room went dark.
Percy woke up in his bed in the Tower of Asgard. He sat up quickly and looked around frantically. He sighed in relief. It was another dream from the Odin Sight. However, his relief was short lived. The memories of his conversation with Rhea played in his mind. Loki had the power to destroy the world, but he still needed Olympus, and Percy would do everything he could to prevent that.
Percy got dressed and rushed out the door. He had to talk to his friends and family. The final battle was near; he could almost feel it coming.
This chapter is updated with Starlit Reader's review. I hope its a little better. Stay tuned, always more to come.