Hey everyone,

I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.

Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.

I'm starting a bad habit of rushing a part, and then outstretching another part, before adding in a whole bunch of subplots that makes chapters so utterly long, confusing and messed up. But it works, apparently. Here's the next chapter that I have laboured over for a couple days. And for those asking how I can update so quickly... it's summer. Once fall starts and school comes into effect, I will update much less. Also, to regard those who read "Into the Darkness," I am not stopping, just taking my time. I don't want to turn that story into a blubbery mess by making it almost exactly like "The Battle of the Labyrinth."

Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you.

With best regards,
SharkAttack719

Chapter 21

The Everlasting Hero

Mount Olympus, on the mortal side, looked dangerous. Sharp rocks and steep drop-offs and cliffs marred what could have been a nice triangular shaped mountain, sending a message of warning to anyone who tried to head up to Olympus.

On their way, a couple sons of Dionysus had told them that there was once an arrogant hero who believed he could make his way up onto Mount Olympus riding his steed, Pegasus. The gods sent a small creature to have Pegasus irritated to throw the hero, Bellerophon, off his back. The hero hadn't been found since he left to go to Olympus.

Percy knew that heading up to Olympus would be dangerous, so he purposefully saved the fruits of his labours for this moment, at least, Lamia's teeth and the bear-twins' heads. The gorgons wouldn't be so easy to sacrifice considering they were immortal.

Zoë peered up the side of the mountain up to the very top, where clouds swirled and an obvious layer of Mist floated. "Where is the entrance to Olympus? How are we supposed to get up there once we do the sacrifice?"

Percy hadn't really thought about that. Not many mortals knew of the entrance of Olympus, simply because those who had been up there had all tested the gods' fury... and all of them had tasted it. Percy wasn't willing to take the risk of travelling into the Underworld.

But he was fairly confident that the gods would answer to their sacrifice and prayers.

"Just set up the flame and it will show our path, whether we can enter or not," he told her. "Grab the sticks from the pouch. I have the flint and steel."

"All right." Zoë reached for the Infinity Pouch that she carried on her waist belt. She opened it up, stuck her arm in and grabbed the sticks out of it. For some strange reason, they thought sticks would be useful to keep with them. They had a good hunch, too. The forests were quite a distance away, and Percy wanted to get up onto Olympus as quick as possible.

"Grab some stones to act as a pit as well, and pass over the pouch," Percy ordered.

Zoë nodded and went over to pick up some rocks so that the fire wouldn't blaze out of control. As she did that, Percy took the Infinity Pouch and reached inside. He pulled out Lamia's tooth, and placed it on the rocky, snowy ground. There was no worry about losing the tooth because after years of eating children, they were yellow and stained with red. After that, he took out the heads of Agrius and Oreius, the spoils of war that they had received from beheading the bear-twins. He placed them next to Lamia's tooth. He wished he still had part of the manticore's tail, but it had been sucked up by the flames entirely. Percy still hoped that the gods would still remember that as a part of their sacrifice to get to Olympus.

Zoë came back with some rocks and circled them up in a pit-like formation. Then, together, they set up the sticks in a mountain-like shape before they brought out the big log that was hiding in the Infinity Pouch. It was pretty long, long enough to be taller than Zoë if she were standing on top of Percy's shoulders.

Then, Percy took out Anaklusmos and took advantage of its half-bronze half-celestial bronze qualities. He chopped the log in half before cutting the halves into half creating quarters. Then, he carefully slid one of the four into the bottom, under the thinner sticks. Taking another one of the quarters, he split it into three parts and placed it over top of the sticks, creating another layer for the ship to eat off of.

"That looks good enough," Zoë said, "though it won't last for long. Do you have the kindling?"

"Yes." Percy reached into his own personal bag and pulled out his papyrus scroll that he had held onto so dearly for years. It had all of his adventures with the Argonauts written on it, along with some of the adventures after, including the Calydonian Boar Hunt and a few days with Zoë.

"Wait, isn't that the scroll you wrote your adventures in?" Zoë asked, recognizing the item. "Why are you using that as kindling? If you preserve that, your family can pass it on through generations and you will be known across Greece as the hero of the Argonauts!"

"That's exactly why I'm sacrificing it," he replied. "I don't want all that glory. What's the use? My name will be up there with Jason and Heracles and Bellerophon, basically all of the bad heroes. Only Perseus and Theseus are decent ones to be amongst. Plus, this is basically sacrificing my future glory to the gods."

"You don't want glory?" she asked seemingly not surprised. "Well that's a first for a man."

"I only want those who really know me to pass on the true stories," Percy said. "Although, I hope you don't praise me too much in front of the future Hunters and Lady Artemis. That wouldn't bode too well with them."

Zoë laughed, in turn, causing Percy to laugh along with her. When they calmed down, Zoë looked at Percy apologetically. "Listen, about that kiss that was so long ago—"

"Forget about it," he said waving her off. "It's not important. We've both moved on from that, right? Admittedly, I did fall in love with you for a little period of time, but in the end, we're just really close friends."

She gave him a relaxed smile. "Exactly what I was thinking. I loved you too, but... for a period of time, I wanted us to actually stop with the 'going to Olympus' thing and just live our lives out together. You could almost say, I was doing the exact same thing I did with Heracles, except this time, I know who I'm falling for. But it was never really there, was it? That Aphrodite love."

"You mean marriage love, or affair-like love," he said.

"Yeah... yeah, like that. I don't know. It felt to me like we loved each other more like siblings, don't you think? Or really close friends. Do you know what I am talking about?"

He nodded, the barest smile on his face. "Of course I do. You are like a sister to me. It seems as though that's why I want you to become the first Hunter, so that no man can ever touch you again. Besides, you've seen enough of the ways of men to know that there aren't many like me out there, and that there are still few who are like Theseus or Perseus."

Zoë and Percy stared at each other, looking into the other's eyes, reading the messages they were sending through the eyes. Then they hugged tightly, enjoying the brother-sister moment as if it was going to be their last.

They broke apart after what was, to them, seconds, and looked back up at the mountain.

"Well, it looks like this is the end of our long journey," Zoë said.

"Four years since the Argo docked in Iolcus," Percy said.

Their eyes met again before Zoë nodded at Percy. "Let's do this," she said.

Percy turned around and began tearing up his papyrus scroll. The dry material was scattered all around the circular pit that the two had made before Percy began using the flint and steel. Sparks flew from the clashing minerals as he smashed and scraped them together. It didn't take long for the papyrus to ignite. Zoë threw more papyrus into the pit as the wood began setting aflame.

The two continued growing the fire until they could throw the logs it and keep it going without it dying too much. Zoë fed the fire some of the air that it needed to feed off of, and Percy took the job of throwing more papyrus in to feed the fire.

Once the logs started being eaten up, Percy took the heads of the bear-twins and the tooth of Lamia, and brought them to the fire.

"For the gods and goddesses of Olympus," he muttered. "This fire, a sacrificial flame to the gods, in the form of a hearth that the virgin goddess Hestia tends to. We sacrifice four very special items."

Percy grabbed one of the heads of the bear-twins and placed it in the fire. Then, he muttered an offering to the gods. Zoë also muttered a short incantation in an ancient language Percy couldn't understand. Instead of burning into ashes like anything normally would in a fire, the head glowed golden before slowly disappearing into the air.

Percy took that as a sign that the gods accepted the gift. He took the other twin's head and placed it in the fire. "And the other twin, to complete the duo."

Like with the first head, the second dissipated into the air with a shimmering of golden light. Next, Percy brought the tooth of Lamia to the fire and dropped it in. A soft hiss emitted from the fire, and for a second, Percy thought the gods weren't going to accept the gift. When he looked closer, he saw that the tooth was melting into the fire. Before he could do anything, though, the melting tooth dripped into the heart of the fire, making the flames turn gold.

Percy glanced at Zoë, who was staring at the fire in awe. He turned back to the fire and went on one knee. "And I give you my glory, to sacrifice so we can come atop Olympus."

The fire was suddenly swept away in the wind and its roar became a distant echo in the back of Percy and Zoë's minds. When they looked back at where the fire used to be, nothing was there but rocks. Zoë looked at Percy expectantly, but he didn't have an answer. Nothing happened.

"It didn't work?" she asked him after seeing nothing happening.

Percy looked up at the clouds hopefully, hoping that something would happen. Just as he was about to give up hope, the side of the mountain suddenly shook and at the foot, a perfect hole opened up in its side.

Percy quickly grabbed all of his things and rushed ahead, calling for Zoë to follow him.

In the side of the mountain opened a tunnel that led, well, into the mountain. Further in the tunnel, torches magically lit so that they could see where they were going. Just as Zoë, who was following Percy, stepped into the tunnel, the rocks suddenly shifted and grew back to fill the hole that had been magically created after the pair's sacrifices.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Zoë asked after the wall had shut behind them.

Percy swallowed. He hated tight and cramped spaces. "You know that I like being in the open and being free. But this is the only way we can go Zoë, otherwise we're stuck out there. I am certain that being a Hunter will benefit you."

They continued further into the tunnel until they reached a dead end.

"Great, there's nowhere to go," Zoë muttered. "Now we're trapped in here."

Just as she said that, a carving in the wall began glowing an electric blue. It was a letter, a very simple letter that Percy had learned so long ago.

"Omicron," he said. "Omicron for... Olympus! Grab my hand Zoë."

"Wait, what?"

He didn't want for her. He grabbed her hand and tapped the omicron engraving in the wall. It flashed a brighter blue before everything went dark.

At first, Percy thought he was dead as he was in darkness... but he could still feel. There was a faint wind blowing at his face, making him feel like he was being sucked up onto Olympus, even though he couldn't feel his own body.

Then, with a blinding flash, Percy fell forward, landing on top of a fluffy white cloud. He heard Zoë groan next to him and he followed suit. Slowly, he pushed himself up and blinked. He stretched out and helped Zoë up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Zoë stretched her neck before looking out behind Percy, beyond their little cloud. And her jaw dropped.

"What?" he asked.

All she did was point. Percy turned to see what she was pointing at and his brain melted.

The gates of Olympus opened up to them and the most magnificent looking city came into their view. From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rose bushes. They could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other.

"Wow," Percy breathed.

Zoë seemed to finally catch her breath and was able to speak. "It's beautiful."

Their trip through Olympus was hazy, as if they were in a dream. As they passed through, hawkers in the market offered to sell them ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece. The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered—satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses.

As Percy and Zoë passed, all of them turned to watch, whispering amongst themselves.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.

It wasn't really a room, so to say, but it was a room for the normal inhabitants of the place. That was mainly because the room was made for fifteen-foot tall gods and goddesses. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. Twelve thrones built for the massive figures were arranged in an arced formation, each of them with their own special decorations and designs.

And in every single one of them sat an Olympian god or goddess.

Percy could almost feel the powerful auras radiating off the immortal beings smashing into each other, making him wonder if their combined power could destroy the entire city of Olympus.

He and Zoë made their way to the foot of the head throne and both went on one knee. "Lord Zeus," the two seventeen-year-olds said.

It was silent for a moment before Zeus' voice rang across the room. "Stand up and state your purpose here."

Percy stood up and looked around at all of the gods and goddesses in the room. He felt a scary sense of nervousness rise up in his gut. "I am here to offer and suggest something for Lady Artemis."

"Offer and suggest something for me?" questioned the goddess.

He turned and met Artemis' eyes. He didn't hold it for long. The goddess was giving him a stern look that made every fiber in his body feel like getting up and running away. Her bright silvery yellow eyes pierced him as if they were spears trying to kill him, and her auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail, as if she were ready to go hunting.

"Yes, Lady A-Artemis," he stuttered. "Ever since I heard of stories and tales of hunters, I have been wondering about why there are male hunters if you... aren't as welcoming to males as you are females? I asked an old friend, Atalanta, years ago about this and she said that a lot of women in this world are not chaste and usually follow Aphrodite's standards of love."

"They choose wisely," Aphrodite said.

"Wisdom and love do not belong together, Aphrodite," Athena said in a cold voice. "Then again, it is unlike you to know such things..."

"And it is not a wise choice," Artemis growled. "Go on, boy."

"Atalanta took an oath of virginity to you, right Lady Artemis?" Percy asked.

The goddess nodded. "Until she broke that and mated with a man in one of Zeus' temple this previous year. They are now lions, never to mate again, a suitable punishment for breaking her oath to me."

"And for having sex in my temple!" Zeus grumbled.

Percy and Zoë shared a look. They hadn't known that had happened to their former friend. Uncomfortably, he said, "Yeah, suitable punishment. But what I got from that conversation with Atalanta was that if I could find a girl who was willing to give up sexual life and become an eternal Hunter of Artemis, I could come to Olympus to suggest that to that certain goddess."

"Hunters of Artemis?" Zeus asked. His rainy blue eyes glowered into Percy and seemed to flicker with lightning.

"Yes, eternal maidens who vow to turn their back on men and forever live in maidenhood, or if they have been raped, live hating men for the rest of their lives," Percy answered. This seemed to spark an interest in all of the immortal beings in the room, and his confidence grew. "But the girls whom Artemis invites to join the Hunt do not have to, and no punishment can be granted on them. For example, if a woman who was betrayed by a man and left alone on a deserted island, she can choose, not to join the Hunt, but to marry an Olympian god." He gestured his hand to Dionysus.

"But why would you do that?" Apollo asked. "You're a man? Why hating on the men of the world?"

"Because I have seen what a man can do to a woman," he replied. He looked around to every single god and goddess in the room and said, "May you all swear on the River Styx that you will not cast me or Zoë down from Olympus no matter what we say next, no matter how outrageous it sounds, no matter who we are?"

"Swear on the River Styx?" Hephaestus grunted. "You don't trust us?"

"To be brutally honest, no."

Hephaestus' face morphed into one of thinking, which pretty much made Percy want to puke. It wasn't to say Percy hated ugly people... but Hephaestus' appearance was just too much for him.

The first to agree to the terms and conditions was Percy's father, Poseidon. His green eyes glimmered mysteriously as he said, "I swear to the River Styx that I will not harm either of you two in any such way while you tell us what you need to tell us."

Athena was next, her grey eyes swirling darkly. Then Artemis, and then Dionysus, and so on until Zeus finally agreed to swear to the Styx. Then, Percy hit them with a damaging uppercut.

"Zoë is a daughter of Atlas and was formerly a Hesperide," he said.

"What?!" exploded Zeus. "You bring a child of Atlas to Olympus! How dare you!"

"Calm down, brother," Poseidon said soothingly. "I am sure Perseus has a reason for bringing her to Olympus."

Artemis gave Zoë a curious stare. "What do you mean, formerly a Hesperide?" she asked Percy, not taking her eyes off of Zoë.

"She was abandoned by her family when she helped a male hero, a hero that promised to marry her before forcing her into sex and raping her," Percy said. "A hero that received her help but gave her no credit when leaving with his prize."

Artemis' eyes flashed dangerously. "Who is this so called hero?" she spat.

"He's dead."

She blinked, her anger temporarily disappearing. "He's dead?"

"To mortal eyes," Percy finished. "I spoke to Lord Hades and Lord Poseidon through sacrificing meals, and they have told me that the hero had been resurrected, had been risen from the dead."

Artemis' anger returned. The rest of the gods and goddesses eyed Percy, anxious to hear the hero that had disgraced Zoë to her family and caused her to become (or at least, hopefully, will become) the first Hunter of Artemis.

Zeus growled. "Hades is not doing his job properly? Letting souls escape back into the over world?"

"No, have you not listened to what I said?" Percy snapped, not believing the Olympians could be so dense. "Which famous hero has recently gotten raised to godhood by completing famous tasks, one that including stealing the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides?"

"Heracles," Athena answered immediately.

Immediately, an argument broke out between Hera, Zeus and Artemis. The rest of the gods just leaned back in their thrones absorbing the information.

For a while, wife and daughter attacked husband and father, respectively, shouting threats at him and telling the King of the Gods off.

"Silence!" Zeus shouted at last, silencing the two women, both returning to their thrones with harsh glares directed at him. "Heracles did that to her?"

"Yes, Lord Zeus."

He grunted, obviously disgruntled by his own son's doings. "Hermes, go send Heracles to his own pillars. He will have a wonderful time guarding the edge of the known world."

"Yes, father." Hermes stood up and bowed before turning to the two demigods (rather demigod and demi-titan) and saying, "Avert your eyes."

The two did as he said as the messenger god flashed out of the throne room. He was back merely ten seconds later, walking back to his throne and sitting in a relaxed position. "The favor is done, father."

Percy was impressed that Zeus actually punished Heracles for his wrongdoings, but he figured it was just to make Hera and Artemis satisfied. It wouldn't last long.

Artemis, who was still glaring at her father, spoke up right after Hermes finished. "So, you say Hunters of Artemis are just any women who want to join the Hunt who have had their hearts broken by insolent men like my brother? Is that it, just Hunters that I will get close to for them just to die off?"

"Hey!" Apollo exclaimed. "I take offense to that!"

"Not exactly, Lady Artemis. Like I said earlier about eternal maidenhood, the Hunters of Artemis will be immortal but—" He added the 'but' before anyone could say anything. "—not minor-god-like immortal. They will be able to live forever; however, they can fall in combat in a brave fashion. I assume Aphrodite is going to make it so that you don't get too many recruits, therefore, it would be great for you to get accustomed to long-time friends and family."

"And Zoë will be the first."

He nodded earnestly.

Artemis turned to Zeus and asked, "May I speak with you, father?"

He nodded and listened when Artemis made her way over. As they deliberated, Percy turned to Zoë. "Are you going to be okay? This will be perfect for you?"

"Exactly the way you said it, Percy. Eternal maidenhood as a seventeen year old. I figure I'll probably be the oldest by a long shot."

"Yeah. And have a good time with the Hunters, Zoë. I can't believe this is my final goodbye. There is no one else left in my life."

Zoë's expression softened. "Listen, Percy. If necessary, you can always find a way to communicate to me. I'll even talk to Artemis about seeing if she knows a way to communicate that we don't."

"I'm not so sure about that," he said warily. "Artemis isn't too fond of men and last time I checked, I am one."

"Then I'll remind her that you came up with this idea," she said with a ton of confidence. "I'm never going to forget what you've done for me."

He smiled, nodding at her determination. He clapped her shoulder and patted it a couple of times. "I would say that for you, and then some."

She smiled back.

"Zoë, daughter of Atlas," Artemis announced. "Would you please step forward?"

Zoë gave Percy another grateful grin before turning to Artemis and approaching the goddess. Artemis glanced at Percy and thought he saw a flicker of thanks in her eyes before they flickered back to the normal stern glare that she wore.

"Repeat this after me," the goddess told Zoë. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis," the girl repeated.

"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

Zoë repeated the lines. Artemis gave her a smile, and the hearth behind Percy brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. An image of a young girl flickered in the hearth and gave Percy a wink. He thought he was imagining things when he saw that she had flames for eyes, but realized that it was Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home.

"The oath is binding," Artemis announced. "Welcome the very first Hunter of Artemis, Zoë Nightshade."

"Nightshade?" Zoë asked, her eyes widened. "A second name?"

"Let my Huntress' name ring out, her second name to ensure that people know who she is," the goddess said. She gave Zoë a kind look. "Come, take a seat next to my throne. And let us change your clothing a bit."

In a quick flash, Zoë's clothing turned from white to silver.

As Artemis and Zoë sat down, an very tense silence filled the room. Many were staring directly at Percy, making him feel like they wanted something from him. He glanced at his father, who wasn't looking at him at all. He was glaring at somebody across the room, seemingly having a stare-down. Percy followed his father's line of sight when he saw that Athena was on the other end, glaring just as hard right back.

Percy ignored the two and awkwardly said, "Well, I guess I will be going now. I did what I came here for. Zoë will finally have a happy home."

Zoë looked like pretty much the only one (aside from Athena and Poseidon, who seemed to be having a personal argument) who wasn't surprised or curious to his request to leave.

"You want to leave?" stuttered a shocked Zeus. "Without anything?"

He gave the King of the Gods a confused look. "What do you mean, without anything."

"He means that the Olympians are expecting you to ask them for something, you idiot," Zoë said rolling her eyes. "Don't forget about what we've experienced."

Percy stared back up at Zeus, who kind of looked relieved that he didn't have to grant an incompetent demigod who wasn't his son a gift. In a daring manner, he gave the god a brave laugh. "Why would you expect me to ask you for something? Didn't I already sacrifice my glory to you?"

"And sacrifice his glory he did," spoke a voice from the hearth. The girl that Percy had just seen in the hearth stepped out as calm as ever, as if the flames didn't affect her. Her voice was calming, much different than the voices of the other gods and goddesses. "I have seen it here. The boy speaks the truth. He could have become a hero of the Argonauts, for the ones close to truly accept Percy have all perished or have disappeared from the mortal world, and their tales could not be told to future generations. The journal he wrote could have made him famous, brother."

"He sacrificed glory?" a stunned Artemis asked.

Dionysus shook his head in disbelief. "To wonder that I thought you wanted something when you summoned me to take Ariadne. That was just out of your heart, wasn't it."

"Of course, though Theseus resents it now, Ariadne didn't deserve being left alone and I knew that someone had to help," Percy said. "I just called for an Olympian, hoping someone would answer the call. Zoë, too. You came and we gave her to you in hopes you would make her eternally happy."

"Did you offer her the idea of the Hunt?" Artemis asked.

"She rejected, my lady," Zoë said politely. "She continued calling out for Theseus."

Ares grunted. "Glory is for the brave. The cowards don't get anything."

"Because you totally know that," Hephaestus growled. "You're a coward yourself. A tiny little cut in battle and you go home crying for Mommy. I thought you're supposed to be the god of war, not the god of pansies."

The god of war stood up from his throne and pointed an angry finger at him. "At least I wasn't thrown down a mountain because I look hideous. And I so good-looking that I won over the most beautiful woman in the world."

"She only likes you because you seem confident," the god of the forges retaliated. "You look like a chicken run over with stupid."

"That's a stupid insult."

"You're a stupid god."

"Says the one with no life."

"Least I actually help people."

"I help people!"

"By fighting them and killing them... oh wait, you don't win because you're too cocky and too—"

"Why don't both of you shut up so we can get this meeting over with?" Hera screamed. "Both of you are ugly, stupid, cowardly disgraces!"

The two of them sent glares at their mother before slouching back down in their thrones. Aphrodite hesitantly patted Hephaestus' shoulder before looking over at Ares with complete pity. Percy just stood there, watching the scene unfold before Hera suddenly came in and folded it back up.

"I think we should give the lovely little boy a gift," Aphrodite said, still looking at Ares. "He's done so much that I think it would be selfish of us to not give him anything at all."

Athena, who had stopped mind-arguing with Percy's father, curled her lip in distaste. "I never want to agree with this nut job ever again, but he deserves at least something."

"And what makes you want to give my son something?" asked Poseidon.

"In case you haven't noticed, I have watched over what he has done and I know that he has done good things," she said. "A couple of bad things, but mostly good things."

Zoë looked up at Artemis from her spot next to the goddess. "Percy deserves something. He was the one that rescued me from my father's mountain and he is the true creator of the Hunters of Artemis. He did give you the idea, even if you obviously should have thought of it first."

Artemis frowned but agreed, though somewhat reluctantly, that Percy deserved a small gift.

When the rest of the gods and goddesses agreed that Percy deserved a gift, after much discussion, deliberation, arguing and persuasion, the son of Poseidon grinned. "Okay, fine. I'll have one gift. Can you all give me a good meal to eat so I can get on my way?"

Zeus gave Percy a withering glare. "You stop playing with us, son of Poseidon. I should cast you down from Olympus for being so impudent. Thinking you can come into my palace and jokingly ask us for food?"

Demeter frowned. It was the first time Percy really paid attention to the goddess. She had wavy black hair and brown eyes, like the color of fertile soil. She was a much more earthy goddess, dried grass braided in her hair. "The boy looks rather skinny for a hero. He ought to eat something. He may not be lying." The goddess gave him a look. "Would you like some bread?"

Percy, surprised that one of the Olympians was actually offering him food, graciously accepted. "Anything, Lady Demeter."

Out of thin air, the goddess of the harvest summoned some bread before getting up and handing it over to Percy. He began eating, definitely hungry from the long journey. Zoë looked jealous that he had gotten some food, giving him a lengthy glare. He gave her a sheepish smile in return.

Hera, who was looking rather impatient, said, "This boy helped Jason on his quest for the Argonauts. I wonder what it would have been like had the boy not gone on the quest. Along with that, he has also hunted for years for the bear-twins, Agrius and Oreius, who were created by a dispute between Aphrodite and Artemis; the beast Lamia, who devours children; the manticore, a forgotten creature of the far east; and the gorgons."

"The gorgons?" Zeus asked. "What gorgons? He never gave us any gorgons."

The reminder bell went off in Percy's head. The gorgons were still inside the Infinity Pouch, and Percy had completely forgotten about it. He took the Infinity Pouch out and knelt at Zeus' feet. All eyes were trained on the bag. "I forgot, Lord Zeus. I also sacrifice the gorgons to you. They are Medusa's sisters, the immortal ones. Quite stupid those ones are, but it was easier than we expected. It turns out, Athena didn't turn them all into murderous beasts who turned their prey into stone. That was just Medusa. The other two are quite feisty and might be a little mad at Zoë and I for our little trick."

"You caught the immortal gorgons?" asked an astonished Poseidon.

"It was all Zoë's idea, of how to catch it. All I did was stand there like a stupid oaf and watched as she executed the plan perfectly. I'm quite glad the beasts are stupid."

Zeus picked up the pouch as if it were a tiny bead. He opened it and hovered his hand over it. The two gorgons came flying out and hit the god's hand with a loud smack!

Zeus squeezed the gorgons in his fist as they writhed around.

"You'll pay for this, girl!" Euryale shrieked. "We'll have our revenge."

Stheno, however, was glaring at Athena. "And for you. For turning us into this when it was our sister. You will regret turning us into these horrible creatures. You will pay for what you have done, goddess of wisdom."

Athena glared back with a cold, harsh stare. "Please deliberate with the rest of council about Percy's reward for doing a hero's duty without meaning for it to be heroic while I speak with Percy about a personal matter. I am sure you already know my answer. And shut those gorgons up, will you?"

Before Zeus could utter a word, Athena stood up from her throne, shimmered down into a regular sized human before leading Percy out of the throne room and into the courtyard.

Percy, who had no idea what was going on, followed reluctantly.

Athena, in her human size, was shorter than Percy, yet she held the same demeanor as she did in godly size: bold, prideful and wise.

"I assume you will want to know why I have decided to speak to you out here instead of in front of the council," she said briefly.

"Well, yeah, pretty much."

"Remember that dream you had a long time ago, about someone coming to your mortal ancestor's house holding a baby, a woman, correct?"

He blinked and nodded.

Athena snapped her fingers and her appearance suddenly changed. Now, a brown cloak grew around her, covering her head and shoulders and torso. Her face became engulfed by a dark shadow. Then, a roll of blankets grew in her arms until it looked like she was holding a baby.

It took a while for Percy to realize what she was showing him. "You're the woman. You're my ancestor, my great-great-great-great-great-great—"

"A certain amount of great's grandmother, yes," Athena replied, snapping her fingers once again. She morphed back into her normal self, long white dress with an uncovered and proud face. "You need not search for your ancestors in an impossible journey. No one will be able to lead you to me, as your great-grandfather never told anyone of my true identity."

"But..." Percy focused hard to remember the dream. "He said you two never—"

"Eloped? Quite right. I have not broken my oath of virginity, instead created a child out of my pure thoughts. It is what you would call a brain-child."

Percy soaked in the information. "So what you're trying to say is that... you had a brain-child with my mortal ancestor and that I'm a descendant of a goddess as well as the child of a god?"

"Precisely."

He sat there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He felt as though his mind and just been blown into a million pieces. It was an outrageous thought, to be a descendant of a goddess and a child of another god at the same time. Yet he knew it was true, not because Athena said it... but in a different way, as if he had always known it.

Athena sighed. "That was easier than I thought it would be. Come. Let us see what the Council has decided."

As they arrived back into the throne room, there was dead silence inside, as if everything and everyone had frozen. All of them were staring at Percy and Athena, waiting for the pair to return. Athena, whose calm look was still strong, acted as if she'd done nothing but threaten him. He, on the other hand, looked completely mystified, as if his world had been turned upside-down. And it had!

He guessed that Athena was trying to be calm because she didn't want to feel so greatly affected about having a descendant. When Athena returned to her throne, she gave him a look that said, I am proud of who you are... even if you're the child of Poseidon.

That, and the warm smiles of Zoë and Hestia, gave him the confidence to approach Zeus' throne without any fear for whatever was about to be bestowed on him.

"The Council has decided," Zeus announced immediately, "that, to repay you for your duty to Olympus, by killing four of the world's remaining and dangerous monsters, and capturing two, you shall be granted the immortality of the caliber of the Hunters of Artemis."

Percy went wide-eyed.

"Don't look so surprised," Zeus grumbled. "I'm surprised I actually agreed to this."

"Immortal?"

"Yes, you dim-witted nuisance." Zeus stretched his hand out at Percy before muttering an incantation. Then, he said, "Repeat after me. "I pledge myself to serving Greece."

"I pledge myself to serving Greece."

"I shall become the assistant of Chiron, a trainer of heroes, and accept eternal life."

Percy repeated.

Then, every Olympian, and Hestia, muttered in synchronization. Percy suddenly felt a powerful sensation fill him up, as if he had been injected with some energy-increasing magic. He suddenly felt more powerful, and certain thoughts in his head cleared up. He no longer felt like a seventeen-year-old. He felt... timeless.

"Honor Perseus," said Zeus, "the Everlasting Hero."

Hey everyone,

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Apologies for the rush at the end.

I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.

With best regards,
SharkAttack719