Here's Chapter 13! I hope you guys like it. I used some minor gods as some characters in this chapter because I am a complete nerd about Greek mythology. They are tweaked up a little to fit the story and stuff, but they're still pretty close to their originals.
Please review the story and leave a comment on what you thought about it. Reading what you think is fun and I love your guys' feedback!
He slowed to a jog and halted several feet away from them. The four girls eyed him weirdly and realized what he must look like. After that fall, he must be covered with mud and dirt.
He swept his hands across his hair and shirt, trying to make himself even the slightest bit more presentable. Artemis looked at him amusedly, "It looks like you had an interesting run."
Percy scratched at the back of his head and his hand caught on a twig. He quickly pulled it out of his hair and threw in on the ground behind him. "It seems I did," he replied, letting out a light chuckle.
Artemis looked him up and down again and then motioned to the circle of silver tents behind her.
"Welcome to camp, Moiraides."
After Percy arrived at camp, Artemis was kind enough to give him one of her extra tents. She said that it was much better than that 'piece of pegasus shit tent' that he had at his old camp.
She also demanded that he live on the outskirts of the camp away from all of her hunters. He didn't mind that part though. He actually liked the silence of being by himself. It gave him time to think.
It was one of the first times he actually reflected on his life. He thought about his life before knowing he was demigod, how it was utter hell living with Gabe, how he switched schools every year, and then when everything changed.
After he found out who his father really was, his life flew past him. He was always fighting a new monster, a new evil. But all these things made him who he was, or what he used to be before he died. He felt like he lost his memory all over again.
That was another thing he also thought about a lot. How much of his old self did he lose? He knew he lost his eyes and his powers, but what about his personality? Was he still loyal to a fault? Was he still the guy who would never go back on his word? He didn't know, but he hoped he hadn't changed too much.
Another reason why he didn't mind setting up his tent outside of the hunters' camp was that it gave him the freedom to practice his new powers. That by far was the best part of his arrangement.
He practiced with his fire. He created balls of fire that flew from his hands like bullets and giant walls that incinerated anything that tried to pass through them. He worked on letting his entire body become a torch, without lighting his camp on fire this time. Then his greatest show of his control was lighting things on fire, but not burning them.
Percy thought of this while practicing lighting himself. He wondered why he never burned himself even though fire covered every inch of his skin. And when he tried to light something on fire without burning just like he did to himself, it worked.
At first he had to start small, using leaves and branches as targets, but then eventually, he had a circle of fire thirty feet wide surrounding him. It crackled and popped like a normal fire, but when touched, the flames gave a soft caress instead of a burn.
Although it looked magnificent, Percy couldn't see the usefulness of a fire that didn't burn. The silent fire could be used as a threat at best.
He also started to understand the way his visions came and went. They no longer hurt as much and even better, they didn't cause him to pass out anymore. Now when a vision comes, it starts with a cool sensation flowing across his mind, like a river, and then he blacked out.
He tried timing the blackouts. Since he didn't have a timer or even a phone, he decided to do it the old fashioned way; a sundial in the ground. And even though it could only be used during the daytime, it still worked pretty accurately.
Now the second he felt a rush in his head, he would run to his sundial, wait till he was about to blackout, place a stone where the sun's shadow was, and then mark where the sun's shadow was he he came back.
Out of all of his blackouts, the longest he had was around seven minutes. It was so nice to only be gone for seven minutes instead of the hours he'd be passed out before. He felt stronger, more in control, like he had found part of himself again.
So that was his life. Wake up, eat, practice, eat, practice more, eat, and go to sleep. Artemis hadn't called him into camp at all. Maybe she didn't care about what he did. And if she didn't care, well, then neither did he.
He didn't care whatsoever. He didn't care after three days. Or after a week. Or after two weeks. But on the eighteenth day of his isolation, he demanded to know who the hell she thought she was.
That morning he woke up demanding answers. He threw his clothes on and tossed some breakfast together. As he sat violently grinding his wild bird eggs into practically liquid form, he played out his plan over and over in his head.
He would march into camp, ask his questions, and leave victorious. It would be simple, quick, and he would leave as a demigod, not an animal.
After he finished his eggs, he strapped a few knives to his belt and put Riptide in his pocket. He wasn't going to Artemis for a fight, but it was very likely and he wanted to be ready for it.
He strode up the trail to camp, trying not to look to arrogant. He definitely did not need one of the hunters thinking he was a pompous and stupid man and decide to put an arrow in him.
Once he was near the center of the camp, girls started to stare at him, probably wondering just who the Hades he thought he was, but he didn't have time to deal with them. The ones who did dare to aim their bows at him received glares so stony, they gave Medusa a run for her money. After that, they stared after him, but let him pass.
He made his way to the tent in the center of the camp. It didn't look different from any of of the other tents other then the faint glow it gave off. It must be Artemis's. He was about to raise his arm to open the tent's flaps until he heard an arrow whiz through the air. He threw himself down, but before it grazed his forearm.
A hiss escaped from his mouth and he looked for the hunter who had shot him. His gaze met green eyes as fiery as greek fire. Cassia. The hunter who was furious that he travelled with the Hunt.
Percy's nostrils flared in annoyance. He was so not in the mood right now. The girl only smirked in response and pulled another arrow to her bow, ready to shoot at him again.
"What do you think you're doing, boy?" she scathed and then mocked, "Did you get lost?" She fired a warning shot that landed right between his feet. Percy's hands trembled and he squeezed them into fists, trying to contain himself.
"I just need to talk to Lady Artemis, Cassia. Move or I'll move you myself," Percy threatened, his voice hard as he stepped around the arrow in the ground. He readied himself to leap at her and physically move her and then another arrow shot towards his head.
He dodged it, but it still caught the edge of his ear, earning a grunt from him. A second one that he hadn't noticed scratched his cheek, leaving a shallow cut along his cheekbone.
This time he growled at her. She had the guts to smirk at him again and let loose a third arrow. This time he was ready. His hand shot out like a snake and plucked the arrow from the air.
He heated his hand and melted the silver arrow into a ball of scrap metal. He dropped the mess onto the ground with a thud and gave Cassia his own smirk. The only sign that she gave that she was nervous was furrow of her brows.
She let even more arrows fly at him, but they all dropped out of the air melted and useless. Percy grabbed a knife from his belt and sent it cutting throughout the air towards her face. Her eyes widened as she saw it, and before she could dodge, it grazed her cheek, giving her the same mark she had given him.
Even with blood dripping down her face, Cassia still pointed he bow at him, but this time her entire face was wrinkled in concentration. She was scared, you could see it in her shaking hands. She knew that he was nothing to be trifled with. He was not a kind and merciful enemy. He would step over her smoldering corpse if they actually fought.
You have to power to take down anyone in your way. You are Perseus, the destroyer. You will destroy your enemies.
Percy laughed at her realization. How had she thought she'd even stand a chance against him? He could raze the camp if he wanted to, all with a simple snap of his fingers. He wanted to do it too. He could feel the fire in his veins roaring, feeding his anger, urging him to just do it.
Let the fire burn through you. Lose control. Let go. Forget yourself.
He could see the camp in flames, the tents caving in on each other, the hunter's stupid silver bows in puddles of useless metal, their bodies just piles of ashes on the ground. Percy lost himself in his mind, letting the flames show him visions of a crimson-stained battlefield, a man standing on top of mounds of lifeless bodies with eyes that swirled with greys and whites.
This is what you will become, Perseus. A savage killer with no heart. A wildfire that will raze the world. An unstoppable force of destruction.
Screams brought him back to reality. His eyes snapped open to a camp engulfed in white flames. He was lying on the ground with Cassia knelt down at his side, bathed in fire and desperately trying to get him to wake. The white flames raged across her clothes, her skin, her hair. What had he done?
Don't panic, Perseus. This is what you were meant to do. A born killer. Just like with your mother. With Reyna. Beckendorf. Zoe- "Stop," he gasped. Cassia looked down at him. Cassia, the hunter, the girl he was burning alive.
He quickly pushed himself onto his knees. She had to be alright. She needed to be. For his sake, she had to be.
"Are you alright?" he asked desperately. She stayed frozen, staring at him in shock, tears running down her face. He grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. Her terrified eyes met his.
Kill her. It would be so easy, Perseus. Let out your true nature.
Percy screamed, drowning out the voice in his head, willing it to go away. He screamed so loud his throat became raw and tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes. He screamed until his thoughts went silent and all he could hear were his ragged gasps for air.
He felt someone shake his shoulders and he looked to the side, finding Cassia's scared face. "Moiraides! Moiraides, I'm fine. It doesn't-" she stumbled, "It doesn't hurt." She blinked at him as if she was baffled at that fact.
Percy let out a relieved breath as he looked at the hunter, letting his fingers run over her face, checking for any burns or injuries. Percy's shoulder slumped in relief. She's fine. Perfectly fine. But why? Why wasn't she screaming in agony as the flames danced through her hair nor when they licked at her cheek. Her cheek.
His eyes narrowed on the cut that was supposed to be on her cheek, the one he gave her with his knife. It was barely a scratch now and as the flames went across her skin, they washed away the blood that had been there. They glowed brightly when they touched what was left of the cut and left clear, unblemished skin in their place.
Cassia looked at him in shock and touched her fingers to her face. Wonder filled her eyes. His silent fire healed.
Percy's thoughts were interrupted by a twang and instantly Percy ducked his head.
A cutting blow of air passed across his hair and an arrow sunk into the tree behind him. He scrambled to his knees and then to his feet and faced Artemis. She stood in the entrance of her tent, bow ready to fire again. Angry was too light of a word to describe her face. She was enraged, vehement, livid.
"What the fuck is going on?! I went to take a quick nap and I wake up to the camp on fire," she seethed and then gave him a lethal glare, "Care to explain, Moiraides?" The way she hissed his name made his spine want to leap out of his back and crawl into the underbrush. Gods she was definitely going to kill him.
"Uh, well, I seem to have lit the camp on fire-"
"I can very well see that. Would you mind putting the damned thing out?" she said harshly, her voice disturbingly quiet. Percy winced and willed himself to calm down. He took several deep breaths and after a couple heartbeats, the flames had gone out.
"Good. Now clean up this mess," Artemis said as she motioned to the melted arrows in the ground. "Oh, and a month's worth of arrow sharpening duty for the both of you." Percy could hear the lilt smile in Artemis's voice. She was enjoying this.
"What?! But it was his fault, milady," Cassia sputtered, astonished at the punishment.
"So those aren't your melted arrows on the ground?" Artemis asked and Cassia looked at the ground in shame, "That's what I thought. If you two want to bicker like children, I will treat you like children."
"Yes, Lady Artemis," Cassia mumbled before she got on her knees and began to pick up the lumps of silver that used to be her arrows. Percy started to lean down to help her until a hand grabbed the neck of his shirt and dragged him away.
"Lady Artemis what are you-" Percy began until he saw the need to talk in Artemis's eyes. He then quickly clapped his mouth shut and follow her into her tent. She closed the flaps behind them, pushed him into a chair, and stood before him with her arms crossed.
"What the hell was that, Perseus?" she whispered angrily, "Do you think you can just waltz in here and burn the entire fucking camp to the ground?"
"Of course not! I needed to talk to you. I haven't heard a word from you for weeks!" Percy whisper-screamed back at her.
"I was on a hunt, idiot," she said and a coolness started to pour into the back of his head, "I just got back this morning, hence the nap." Oh Hades, not now.
He blinked and tried to keep his mind from scrambling. "What were you hunting?" he barely pushed out. Artemis gave him a funny look at his slurred speech, but continued.
"There's been an odd lack of monster attacks lately. I've been tracking them, seeing where they're going, what they're doing." The more she spoke, the farther Percy drifted away, her words getting quieter and quieter. It was like being swept away by the sea and he couldn't stop it.
Soon he couldn't hear her anymore, he only watched as her mouth moved. His head was ice, so cold it almost burned. A few seconds later he was gone.
He was standing in a forest and then by a clearing near the base of a large waterfall. He could see all kinds of monsters everywhere. Empousai, drakons, the Chimera, telekhines, everything. It was a small army.
In the shade, he could see that under two very tall aspen trees, there was a black tent. He blinked and he was inside of it.
There wasn't much in the tent. Only a desk, a chair, a bed, and a weapons rack full of dull and rusted swords. Percy mulled around the room, leafing through papers on the desk and twirling the old swords in his hands.
There was nothing interesting in the room. The papers were written in some code which made them completely useless to Percy. The only convenient document he found was a map of Maine.
While reading he heard the tent flaps rustle and quickly shoved the paper into his pocket. He looked for somewhere to hide, but the room was too open. He settled for standing in the corner. Hopefully in his vision he was invisible.
A man walked into the tent just as Percy got into place. Percy held his breath and let his eyes roam over the man. He was one of the strangest people Percy had ever seen.
He was built like a warrior. Thick muscles all across his body, legs as thick as tree trunks, and arms that could tear a man's head from his neck with one simple tug. The muscles weren't the strange thing about him though. The strange part was his skin.
Even though this man had the body of a young warrior, his skin was sallow, wrinkled, and covered in liver spots. The man's hair was even thinning on his head. His eyes were the worst. They were a gray as dull and old as the swords on his weapons rack and when they met his, Percy suddenly felt heavy.
It was like the man was drinking the life out of him, eating away at his energy. The tent flaps moved again and the man's eyes tore way from his. Percy let loose a gasp, glad to be free from his stare.
He watched as another figure walked into the room. It was a woman covered in blood. It coated her skin like warpaint and he could even see the shapes of red hand prints on her torn dress.
Percy guessed that it used to be white, but now it was covered in dirt and dried blood, making her look corpse-like. Even her hair was a mess of broken arrows and twigs. As she walked closer, Percy noticed that some of the red marks on her skin weren't bloodstains, but scars and bruises.
There were long scars that ran up her wrists and across her neck along with purple and blue bruises that circle her arms and throat like jewelry. None of them looked clean or quick. They were all a mess, jagged and sloppy.
She looked like she had died a thousand times, but never stayed that way for long. She terrified him. The way she moved promised that she could give a long, agonizing death and Percy wanted to be far far away from that.
But he need to know a few things first: who they were, what they wanted, and if they were enemies. Percy closed his eyes and names swirled around in his head as he tried to think of who they were. An old/young man and a lady who looked like death.
All at once two names hit him, bouncing around in his skull. Geras. Keres. He had no idea who those gods where, but at least now he had names. He smiled and opened his eyes. His smile quickly faded.
Both of the gods were now in front of him and staring directly at him like they could see him. Keres grabbed the broken and bloodstained sword that was at her hip and held it at his throat. Oh they definitely could see him.
He needed to out. Now. He blinked his eyes hoping he would be taken somewhere else, but nothing worked. Geras smirked and grabbed a sword from him rack. He swung it around, testing its balance. Then faster than Percy's eyes could follow, the sword was in his chest.
He felt the energy get sucked from his muscles and veins, making him slump down. He looked down at his skin to see that it had become just like Geras's, old and wrinkled.
Percy could feel the life being pulled out of him. He felt his lungs start to fail and his heart beat faster in a frail attempt to keep himself alive. He was dying and not from the wound the sword gave him, but the sword itself.
He looked back up and saw Keres grinning wickedly. She ran her hands through his hair and then tugged his head up, exposing his neck. She let her blade run along the sensitive skin of his neck and drew a crooked, bloody line.
Percy could see that her eyes screamed for blood and he opened his mouth to tell her to stop, to let him go, but he couldn't breathe anymore. He was suffocating. His mouth gaped open like a fish, trying to suck in even the smallest bit of air.
He could feel Keres push the blade harder against his neck. "Let me put you out of your misery, demigod," she hissed.
And then before he could blink again, she slashed her sword across his neck. He was thrown into darkness.
He fell and fell until he started to hear a voice. The more he listened, the clearer it got. "So I followed it to Maine and it lead to this waterfall. That's where I found all the monsters."
He started to see more than just darkness. There were smudges of silver and brown. And then fuzzy images came to his head. A desk, a bed, a woman.
"It's a small army and they're all gathering there for something. I didn't see any signs of their leaders."
His vision became completely clear. He sucked in a breath of air as he remembered where he was and why he was there.
"I have a hunch though. I think it's-"
"Geras and Keres," he confirmed as he looked up and locked their eyes together. Artemis's face scrunched up in confusion.
"How did you know?" she asked suspiciously. Percy glanced away, now wasn't the time to tell her about his visions.
"That doesn't matter. All I know is that they're coming and that we'd better be prepared."
So there you go. Hope you liked it! The gods if you want to look them up are Geras and Keres (technically it's the Keres because its a group of spirits, but writing about a bunch of extra people would be confusing).
Don't forget to review and give some feedback!