Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.
Story: Divided Soul
Chapter 33: Family Secrets
Mount Olympus (original)
The giant spear flew through the air toward the son of Hephaestus. Time seemed to slow for Leo; he was frozen in place as he watched the spear sail towards him. Suddenly, a flash of movement from across the cave broke his attention away from his pending doom. A flash of silver moved in front of him. The spear hit the silver figure and pushed the person away from Leo. Leo heard someone yell Percy's name. He turned to the cave entrance; Jason stood with a horrified look on his face. Leo turned in the direction that Jason was staring to see Percy clad in his silver armor lying on the floor with the spear sticking out of his abdomen. He rushed to the son of Poseidon's side. He turned over his friend. The diamond tipped head of the spear had penetrated the armor. Leo felt sick to his stomach.
"Percy," Leo said. Percy opened his sea green eyes and saw the concerned face of his friend.
"Leo, are you okay?" Percy asked.
Leo stared at his friend strangely. "I'm fine, but the spe… spear," Leo stuttered.
Percy looked down at his stomach. The spear head was stuck in his armor. Percy smiled up at his friend as he pulled the spear out of his armor. Leo's mouth fell open when he saw that the skin under the broken armor was completely unharmed.
"Leave my friends alone," Jason yelled at the giant. Percy and Leo turned to look at their friend. Jason charged the giant with his gladius stretched out in front of him. Alcyoneus was taken aback by the boy's ferocity. Jason sliced the left ankle of the giant cutting a deep gash into the monster's leg. The giant stumbled and fell backwards. Nico froze as the giant tumbled towards him. Nico concentrated on the nearest shadow. He fell into it just before the giant crushed the throne he was hiding behind.
Jason stood proudly above the giant. Percy helped Leo over to their friend.
"Where's Nico?" Percy asked.
Leo looked down at the broken throne with a frantic look in his eyes. "He was behind the throne," he said.
Jason and Percy looked at each other with panic in their eyes. "What did I do?" Jason exclaimed.
Percy and Leo looked around the debris of the throne. Jason just stood there with his head in his hands. None of them saw the giant stir until the monster sat up. He raised his huge hand made of rock and precious stones. He swatted toward Jason, but Percy pushed his cousin out of the way. The giant's hand struck the son of the sea with full force knocking Percy into the cave wall and causing the wall of the cave to collapse on top the hero.
"Percy," Leo yelled. Leo's eyes caught fire as anger boiled through his blood; he glared at the giant before unleashing balls of flame toward the monster. Alcyoneus screamed in pain as the flames burned into the rock and ore that made up the monster's body.
Jason stood up; he looked around trying to figure out what hit him. He smelt smoke and turned around to see Leo throwing balls of fire at the giant. Jason walked up to his friend, careful not to startle him. As Jason approached his friend, he stopped in mid-stride; Leo's skin was smoldering. Jason looked at the giant; the monster was being pushed back by Leo's fire. Jason couldn't break Leo's concentration, but he couldn't let his friend spontaneously combust either. Jason looked around for Percy, but his friend was gone. He couldn't dwell on that; he could feel the heat radiating from Leo, he had to act now. He looked around for his gladius, but he couldn't find it. He saw something glittering on the ground just a few feet from where he stood, he looked closely, and it was the giant spear with the diamond tip. He ran to the weapon and lifted it with both hands; it was heavy, but he could throw it, if you used all his strength. He turned toward Leo and the giant. He aimed at the monster and threw the spear with all his might. The spear flew through the air; Jason willed the air to propel the spear towards its target. The spear struck the giant in the chest breaking a giant ruby embedded there. The ruby cracked open and a red mist began to pour out of it. Alcyoneus yelled in pain and anger as he staggered back from Leo and Jason.
The impact of the spear snapped Leo out of his angry attack. He blinked a few times and the fire dissipated from his eyes.
Alcyoneus screamed in rage as he fell into the cave wall behind him; a massive section of the wall fell on top of the giant.
Leo turned around and looked at Jason curiously. "What happened?" Leo asked.
Jason smiled at his friend. "Your eyes started to flame and you started to hurl fire balls at the giant, it was pretty awesome, Repair Boy," Jason said with a smirk on his face. Jason looked around. "Where's Percy?"
A frown crossed Leo's face. Jason stared at his friend expectantly. "He saved you. The giant hit him and…" Leo looked at the mound of rocks that fell on top of Percy.
"No," Jason yelled as he ran to the pile of rocks. He started to pull rocks off of it. Leo limped over to join his friend.
Suddenly, the giant broke free from his rocky prison. He staggered to his feet as he limped toward the two surprised demigods. Jason and Leo were frozen. The giant held a boulder the size of a small car over his head. Jason and Leo stepped away from the pile of rocks that held the son of Poseidon captive.
Alcyoneus stalked toward the two heroes. "I…I'll destroy… you," the giant said through the pain of his injuries.
The ground began to shake; the giant looked around worriedly. An explosion rocked the cave; the heroes and the giant looked in the direction of the explosion. Percy stood where the pile of rocks once laid, his silver armor shined in the torch light of the cave. Percy's green eyes glowed with power; he stared at the giant. Alcyoneus dropped the boulder on the ground, totally ignoring Jason and Leo. The giant walked slowly toward the son of Poseidon.
"Get out of here, now," Percy yelled toward Jason and Leo.
"We're not going to leave you," Jason yelled back. Leo nodded.
Percy frowned. "Go, that's an order," Percy growled.
Jason and Leo looked at their friend and leader. The giant was ignoring them; it was their chance to escape. Jason grabbed Leo and pulled him toward the exit.
"We can't leave him," Leo said angrily.
Jason looked at Percy again before staring into Leo's eyes. "He knows what he's doing," Jason replied, but he didn't look convinced. Jason pulled Leo one more time before the two demigods raced out of the cave.
Percy glared at the injured giant. Percy's head hurt. His skin may be invulnerable, but his insides weren't. The falling rocks really rattled his brain inside his head. His brain hurt and his vision was blurry. "I won't let you win," Percy said confidently.
"I'm going to kill you Jackson," Alcyoneus said.
The giant moved toward Percy. Percy held up his hands and used what little concentration he had left to focus on the ceiling of the cave. He felt the familiar tug in his stomach as the powers of the Earthshaker coursed through his body. The cave began to shake and the rocks began to fall from the ceiling.
"What are you doing?" the giant asked.
"Destroying… you," Percy stammered.
Jason and Leo stood outside of the cave. They could feel the tremors running through the earth. Jason knew that Percy was the cause of the earthquake. Suddenly, the ground shook violently. The two demigods stared at the cave entrance helplessly as the opening to the cave collapsed sealing their friend and leader inside with the son of Gaea.
Annabeth and Piper
The daughter of Athena led her friend in pursuit of the Titan. They reached a clearing and came to an abrupt stop.
"What's going on?" Piper asked.
Annabeth looked around as her mind raced with possibilities. Could this be a trap? "Something's not right," she said.
Piper looked around and she had the same feeling now. "What's he got up his sleeve?" Piper asked.
Annabeth looked around. Her brow furrowed in thought as she analyzed their surroundings.
Prometheus stepped out from behind a boulder; a broad smile stretched across his face.
Annabeth pulled out her dagger. She held it out and pointed it at the Titan. "I'm going to cut you to pieces," she said. Piper stepped beside her with her own dagger in hand.
Prometheus laughed. Annabeth and Piper walked into the center of the clearing. Prometheus's smile widened. The ground shook around the clearing; ten Earthborn erupted from the ground in a circle around the two demigods. "I'm not worried," he said.
Annabeth growled. She hated that damn Titan. Piper put her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. The daughter of Athena turned her attention to her friend. "What?" she asked harshly.
Piper frowned. "I'm your friend, don't bite my head off," Piper exclaimed.
Annabeth sighed. "He just makes me mad," she replied.
"I know, but we need you thinking clearly, those monsters mean business," Piper said.
Annabeth nodded. "I know; I'm sorry," she said.
The Earthborn moved toward the two demigods. Annabeth and Piper stood back to back. The Earthborn moved closer; they formed daggers and spears made of rock in their hands.
"Don't worry children of the gods. It will be over sooner than you think," Prometheus said.
Mount Olympus – Throne Room
The throne room was empty except for two inhabitants. The Ophiotaurus mooed as it swam around its tank. The other inhabitant was an eight year old girl with fiery eyes that sat around the great hearth near the edge of the twelve thrones. The goddess Hestia watched over her fire she seemed lost in thought as she stoked the flames with a celestial bronze poker.
A woman in a black dress with dark blue eyes stepped through the doors of the throne room. She looked around at the newly created throne room; she marveled at the architecture and smiled knowingly. She walked up to the goddess of the hearth. Hestia looked up at the woman before her; a happy smile stretched across the face of the child-like goddess.
"It has been a long time, my dear friend," Hestia said.
The woman looked down at the goddess; she towered over Hestia's small form. "I know; I'm sorry for the delay. I've been very busy," she said.
Hestia smiled at her friend. "Yes, seventeen years is a long time," Hestia informed.
The woman looked down at the ground sadly. "You know why I am here?" she asked.
Hestia nodded. "The time grows near; you will have to give up your secret soon," Hestia replied.
The woman stared into the hearth as a tear flowed down her cheek. "They'll hate me for it; he'll hate me," the woman said.
Hestia shook her head. "He could never hate you. You've saved his life more times than he will ever know," she reassured.
"I know, but the cost will be high. I will lose so much. I could lose everything," the woman challenged.
Hestia frowned at her friend's pessimism. "Maybe, but the world will be saved and he may have a chance to live happily," Hestia said.
The woman sat on the marble floor next to her friend. She touched Hestia's small hand. The goddess latched onto the woman's hand and held tight. "I'm always here for you and so is the hearth. As a smart young man once taught me, hope survives best at the hearth," Hestia said.
The woman smiled. "You're a good friend Hestia," the woman said.
"You like your sisters will always be my friends. The fate of the world rests in the hands of those heroes that call this world home. Therefore, the hearth will always be there to give warmth and comfort," Hestia exclaimed.
AN: Any guesses on Hestia's mysterious friend. A big surprise awaits Percy and his friends as well as the world of the Olympians, so stay tuned more to come.