Chapter 6: Wings and Reluctant Family
A feminine figure towered over Artemis' human form. She stood nearly seven feet tall, clad in a flowy dress decorated with the moving form of the universe. Every god and goddess in the throne room dropped to a knee in the direction of the figure, none faster than the King of the Gods. But Percy still stood, transfixed by the shifting cosmos before him, watching supernovas give birth to nebulae and new stars. He tilted his head up, finding himself staring into kind, immeasurably powerful eyes.
"You're.. you're Chaos," he whispered, processing the beyond ancient being standing just inches from him.
Yes.
Her voice seemed to come from all directions. She spoke softly, but her gentle tone did little to hide the power she possessed. Percy finally caught up to the gods and went to kneel, but was stopped by Chaos, who signaled for the Olympians to rise as well. After returning to his throne, Zeus began to speak, an unfamiliar timidness in his normally firm voice.
"Lady Chaos, it is an honor for you to appear here. But, may I ask, why have you come to accept a promise personally? It is foretold that your sacred vow is sealed with a light shake of the world itself."
It is. But it has been millenia since anyone of this world has sworn on my name, and this vow was taken by a demigod that I have had a unique interest in since what you call the Second Titan War. And with the war now coming to this universe, it is the ideal opportunity for me to bestow a gift as well.
In hushed tones, the council speculated about the gift Chaos could be referring to. Were they about to gain the creator of the universe itself as a wartime ally? Ares especially seemed to think so, giddy with excitement as he wondered what kinds of weapons she had available at her disposal. Artemis held her doubts, but decided there was no harm in asking.
"My Lady, will you be on our side in the battle against your son?"
She felt strange asking that to the most powerful being in the universe, as if there would even be a "battle" if Chaos herself decided to intervene. The woman smiled sadly at the Goddess of the Moon.
I imposed heavy restrictions on myself long before I created this universe. I am incapable of directly enlisting on any side of a conflict, or my own contingencies will wipe this universe from existence.
Ares groaned from his throne. He ignored the potential erasure of everything, mainly dejected that he wouldn't witness any impossible feats of power. Artemis and most of the other gods simply nodded at the foreboding explanation.
But as the Creator, I am always on the side of life. Although I am very limited in my ability to contribute to a cause, what I may do is select a champion that I consider worthy of my favor.
Her eyes shifted to Percy, as did the rest of the room. He stood dumbfounded.
"Wait, what? With all due respect, I-I don't know if that's the best idea, Lady Chaos. There are a bunch of other people that would be more worthy. Just in this room, too. Like Lady Hestia or Lady Artemis, they would both do a better job than I could," he stammered.
How can you be this way, Perseus? Artemis thought to herself.
You only make me certain of my choice; your character alongside your prowess is what moved me to my decision. You will be my champion.
Percy considered protesting again, but Chaos locked eyes with him. His body stiffened involuntarily as her eyes glowed a blinding white. The gods had to shield their vision from the shine, and Percy panicked as he felt his body shift. Several seconds passed before the light dimmed. The demigod's sight readjusted to the room's lighting while the gods awaited the results of the transformation.
Looking down at his arms, Percy felt newfound strength coursing through his body. The gods around him took notice as well, a few sending apprehensive looks at his elevated aura. Percy felt a heavy pressure in his back, and he stretched his lats. The demigod gritted his teeth before wings, twenty feet across, unfurled themselves from his body. The entire council was taken aback, none more than Artemis, who had to physically hop away to avoid getting hit by the massive extremities.
Percy whirled his head back and forth between his wings, on the verge of fainting from shock. The new appendages were a metallic silver, and they gave off a soft glow. Thalia jumped up from her seat on the floor to feel them as Percy felt the feathers between his fingers. For how strong they felt on his back, his new plumed additions were impossibly soft. He closed his eyes to focus on controlling his wings and gave them an experimental flap. The demigod rose a dozen feet in an instant, serving himself with whiplash before he crashed back to the ground. Several of the gods chuckled at his tumble, overcoming their initial shock of a demigod with wings.
"Oh man, they're powerful. I'll need to get used to flying and walking around with these, I guess," he said with mixed emotions. His comment elicited a light laugh from Chaos.
Retract your shoulder blades, Perseus.
He obliged, and the wings folded into his back with none of the pressure from before. Though pleased they weren't a permanent addition, Percy felt embarrassed that he hadn't immediately realized they could be pulled back in.
Unsheathe the weapon at your belt.
Percy's hands went to his waist, and he felt the hilt of a blade on his left side. He drew it to find that it was a small dagger, only about six inches long. The blade was a black metal that he'd never come across before, and neither had any of the gods. Before any of them could ask what it was, Chaos answered.
It is made from hardened Void Ether: the most versatile substance in the universe. In its liquid form, it has millions of applications, but I have seen it best used to forge weapons or apply in medicinal techniques.
Apollo's ears perked up at the mention of medicine. Immediately, he wanted to get his hands on some of the foreign substance.
The dagger may be instrumental in your fight against an enemy as powerful as my son. As for this, Chaos said as she produced a vial of liquid the same color as the blade, I will leave it with you, God of Medicine. Do with it as you please.
She drifted it to Apollo, who reached out and held it gingerly as he thanked her.
This is the limit of my contribution. Perseus, with my blessing, you have latent powers that will manifest as you become stronger. I wish all of you good fortune in this war, and I am certain we will meet again.
The room bowed to Chaos, and she vanished in a blinding flash. As the light died down, Percy took a mental note of the reference to his future powers. He then turned to Artemis, returning to his kneeling position when he'd made the vow.
"I guess we got a little off track again. Oh, and I'm sorry for almost hitting you with my wings when I took them out. Will you accept my promise and let me join your Hunt?" he asked, jumbling through his words.
He wasn't sure why, but he felt a little nervous whenever he spoke directly to Artemis. The goddess held a stoic expression.
"Yes. We will be heading back to Yosemite Park. Do not be late," she commanded.
"Understood, My Lady."
Percy didn't catch on that they would be traveling separately until Artemis and Thalia disappeared in a flash of silver light. Zeus dismissed the meeting, believing they'd had enough developments for one assembly. All but one of the gods flashed out of the throne room. Hestia still sat in her throne, smiling warmly at the demigod.
"I appreciate you mentioning me as someone you believe worthy of Lady Chaos' gift," she said.
"How couldn't I? Especially after how much you've helped me these last two years…" he trailed off.
"Please, I am grateful she chose a hero like you. But what are you still doing here, keeping your mistress waiting? Get going, Percy!" Hestia exclaimed before disappearing in a spark of embers.
The demigod laughed to himself as he spread his wings, excited to test the limits of his new ability. He rose high into the air above the throne room and out into the night sky. Fighting to maintain his balance midair, he adjusted in the direction he guessed Yosemite was. With a flap of his wings, Percy propelled himself towards the Californian landmark.
It was only a couple hours before Percy crossed the park border. He soared over Yosemite's granite monoliths and zigzagged between the famous, hulking sequoia trees. He laughed as he spit out twigs that he'd accidentally caught in his mouth. To the son of Poseidon, flying was a feeling like no other. His birthright had denied him access to the kingdom of the sky for most of his life, and he couldn't believe what he'd missed out on for his first 20 years. From his aerial view, he spotted the clearing and the hunters' camp. Percy dove down outside the encampment to approach on foot.
Unfortunately, the hands-on lessons in his flying skills between Olympus and Yosemite hadn't yet covered landing. He crashed face first into the dirt after failing to slow his descent quickly enough. Brushing himself off and retracting his wings, Percy made his way towards the nearby camp. As he got within a dozen yards, still hidden by the forest, the demigod noticed all of the hunters had gathered in front of Artemis.
"–and we have a new member in our hunt," Artemis finished.
The girls looked around confused, not noticing a new face among them. The goddess breathed deeply, knowing they weren't going to be happy.
"It is a man; there is a new Guardian of the Hunt."
Immediate uproar followed the idea of a male joining their ranks. Thalia tried to calm them, but it wasn't easy to be heard over the clamor of thirty voices shouting variations of 'death to the newcomer'. Percy watched aghast at what he realized he'd gotten himself into before piercing silver eyes trained on him through the concealing underbrush. Thalia had finally had enough and ripped down a bolt of lightning behind her, silencing the crowd.
"Calm down! It's already done. Do you think Lady Artemis made this decision lightly? That she just brought some random, stupid man into her Hunt?" she asked warningly, daring them to question the goddess' judgment.
None of the huntresses said anything for a moment, acknowledging their Lieutenant. At the end of the day, nobody distrusted men more than Artemis did. Finally, one of the older hunters, Atalanta, spoke up.
"Alright then show us. Who is he? Or has the cowardly boy already abandoned the job?" she sneered.
Artemis just smirked and turned directly towards the hidden demigod, beckoning him forward. Pushing through what he'd thought was his cover, Percy looked sheepishly at the goddess. He made his way towards the group and bowed to her.
"My Lady."
Artemis simply nodded.
"I suppose hiding behind those shrubs would make him a bit of a coward, Atalanta," the goddess added.
The huntresses were shocked at the sight of the infamous demigod they'd been assigned to pursue. Percy realized that they had no idea he was the one that had fought the monsters; it must have been only Thalia that'd patched him up. He waved to the group and was surprised when he got a handful of dismissive waves back. It was an unpopular opinion, but some of the hunters held a little respect for their only unsuccessfully captured target ever. Their admiration came in the same way a fox may respect a particularly elusive chicken it was about to kill.
Okay, maybe this won't be as bad as I expect, Percy half-thought-half-wished to himself.
His dream was cut short by the next voice he heard.
"Alright, boy. If we're going to be stuck with you, make yourself useful. Carry the camp equipment," Phoebe said, doing nothing to hide her disapproving tone.
She gestured behind her, and Percy couldn't believe what he saw. The Hunt had somehow condensed all of its folded tents, excess firewood, training supplies, and any other necessities into a very tall bundle on a platform no larger than a supermarket pallet. Thalia looked at Percy apologetically, telling him that it was normally split up and carried between a dozen hunters. He just shook his head and grabbed the rope that secured the massive package together.
"We'll see you at Sequoia National Park next. Kinda seems like we're sightseeing, huh?" Thalia said, making sure Percy knew what direction to go.
Phoebe laughed. "You are making him travel separately from us? Good, I worried you had gone soft for this one," she snickered to the group, blissfully unaware of his method of travel.
Percy ignored her comment. He quickly bowed to Artemis and waved to Thalia before the demigod spread his wings and took off, towing along the anchoring bundle. Thalia laughed at Phoebe's raging red face as the huntress shut her dropped jaw. She yelled after the demigod quickly shrinking into the sky,
"Everything better be set up before we get there!"
Artemis had chosen to remain a bystander for the entire exchange. She didn't like the way Phoebe was already taking an aggressive stance, but knew it couldn't be helped for the moment. Though the goddess hadn't planned to allow it to go on as long as it had, she'd been curious of how Percy would react facing the unprovoked hostility. In her eyes, he passed with flying colors by choosing to say nothing at all. But considering that he was already on the way to their next campsite, Artemis couldn't let her hunters fall too far behind. They began their trek south towards Sequoia.
(Line Break)
Percy, having already been flying for half an hour, needed all of his concentration to not lose his grip on the rope. His forearms burned like fire from holding up the hulking pallet for so long. In the near distance, the demigod made out the trademark trees of Sequoia National Park, and a sense of relief flooded his body. It gave him the final push he needed, and he thrust his wings harder towards his nearing destination.
Hovering over an open area he'd chosen as the campsite, the demigod slowly lowered the rope until the package touched down safely. Percy quickly unraveled the cords and got to work setting up camp. Even though the whole Phoebe situation wasn't ideal, he wasn't going to let her get under his skin and land him on Artemis' bad side.
Well over an hour passed before Percy finished setting up camp as accurately as he could, recalling the spread he'd briefly seen before Artemis had taken him and Thalia to Olympus. The tents took up three quarters of a circle around the campsite, and four campfires were spaced evenly between them with one at the "exit" of the arc. Percy lastly set up the somehow-foldable long, wooden table that he figured the hunters ate at. Realizing he hadn't eaten since before the Minotaur had showed up, the demigod decided to cook some food.
Panting hunters eventually trickled into the campsite, having no choice but to follow the incredible smell of grilled burgers and mac and cheese. They trudged past their tents that had already been set up and found Percy laying out the final plate on the table. The girls filed into their surrounding chairs and looked on at the feast prepared for them.
Lined down the center of the table, within reach of everyone, sat a row of plates and bowls stacked and filled with burger patties, buns, mac and cheese, and duchess rolls. Artemis entered the clearing to see the exhausted hunters sitting quietly at the table, licking their lips while staring at the food in front of them. The goddess looked to Percy, who just smiled back while he pulled out her chair at the head of the table.
She took her seat, and the demigod promptly ran off to fetch something. He returned a moment later, holding a plate of goat meat and broccoli that he placed in front of the goddess. Percy had dedicated extra time to her meal, hopeful that she'd like it. Thalia spoke up before Artemis had the chance.
"Percy, you know you didn't have to do this right?" she asked him, nearly salivating at just how good the food in front of her smelled. Percy waved his hand dismissively.
"It's my first day; just wanted to make a good impression," he said. Phoebe scoffed from next to Thalia.
"Maybe if he cooked like this for that daughter of Athena…" she said, expecting a laugh from her sisters.
Instead, she received a fist in the face courtesy of Thalia. Several of the hunters looked distastefully at Phoebe sprawled on the ground.
"Watch your mouth," the daughter of Zeus said through gritted teeth as the other huntress righted herself.
Percy had no idea how Phoebe or any of the others seemed to know about his past relationship. His eyes hardened, but he again said nothing. The demigod turned to Artemis as she shot a disapproving glance at her oldest huntress.
"My Lady, can I be dismissed for the night?" he asked.
Strangely, the goddess felt the need to ask him to stay, but she understood that spending two years isolated would make dealing with things alone more comfortable. Artemis nodded.
"I hope you all enjoy the food. Also there's some vegetarian patties; I didn't know if everyone ate meat. I'll be back in an hour or two," he said as he vanished into the night sky.
After he'd gone, the hunters dug in and were amazed to find that the food tasted even better than it smelled. They ravaged the dinner table as Artemis tentatively took a bite from her custom dish. She dropped her fork. The goat, her favorite kind of meat, had been cooked to perfection, maybe some of the best she'd ever had. Though the goddess had never been partial to broccoli, even that looked and tasted like it'd been made with the utmost care. Artemis tried to savor one of the most appetizing meals she'd had in a very long time, but she ended up mirroring the hunters in her fervor to finish it.
The only huntress not actively tearing through her food was the group's newest and youngest recruit, Anna. She just so happened to be the only vegetarian in the hunt. Used to it being a little harder to find tasty, vegetarian meals when traveling with a group of hunters, being catered to by their new Guardian was something she felt especially grateful for.
"Thank you, Percy," she said as she bit into the best burger she'd ever had, happily falling into banter with her sisters around the dinner table.
(Line Break)
Artemis tapped her foot impatiently. The hunters had swiftly emptied the entire table of food, cleaned up the mess they'd made, and packed it in for the rest of the night, contentedly resting in food comas. Artemis was the only one still awake. It had only been an hour since Percy left, but the goddess was already on edge. She wasn't going to have the demigod disappear on her just hours after joining the hunt. Figuring he must be somewhere in the park, Artemis decided to track him down.
Maybe Perseus will try to run and make this more enjoyable, she thought to herself as she stalked into the forest.
The goddess closed her eyes and sent out her senses, attempting to detect his presence or find any trace he may have left behind. She was unsuccessful, which she'd expected considering Percy had evaded her hunters for two years; he was no sloppy prey. Following a deep breath, Artemis launched into a run. The goddess all but teleported through the park, moving quicker than the human eye could follow, scouring every area she tore through.
She eventually covered the entire footage of Sequoia, over six hundred square miles, with no success. Standing at the edge of the park, Artemis was panting and wholly frustrated. After catching her breath, she closed her eyes again to focus on Percy, who'd quickly become a point of irritation. The goddess cleared her mind and imagined herself reaching out in all directions in search of the nuisance of a demigod.
"Chasing after a boy, niece?" a voice asked in her head. Artemis' eyes shot open.
"Hestia? What are you talking about? Why are you watching me?" she snapped, her face reddening. Hestia just laughed inside her head.
"Percy is not in the park. He is where he always is when he wants to be alone, but please, go to him," the Goddess of the Hearth said wistfully before she revealed his location.
Artemis raised an eyebrow before she disappeared in a flash of silver, reappearing on a shore of Alcatraz Island. She stood on a surprisingly serene beach of the famous mortal bastille, looking out at the Pacific. The prison itself was far behind her on the opposite side of the island, a forest standing between it and the beach. A bit to her right sat Percy, and he hadn't yet noticed her presence. The goddess silently drew closer but stopped in her tracks when she realized he was speaking.
"...I really hope she liked it. Do you know how hard it is to find goat meat near a national park, dad? If California were any less weird, I wouldn't have run into that eccentric dude just a town over trying to get rid of the goat he'd bought, and I would've been a little stuck," he laughed, seated on the sand and fixated on a spot in the ocean.
"Who are you talking to?" Artemis decided to make her presence known, and Percy jumped up from his position on the beach.
"Lady Artemis!" He paused. "Oh, did Lady Hestia tell you I was here?"
"Who are you talking to?" she repeated.
He sighed and sat back down but tapped an adjacent spot in the sand, requesting the goddess to join him.
"My dad," he said.
His answer intrigued Artemis; they both knew Poseidon wasn't there. Unconvinced, she took a seat beside him and waited for him to elaborate.
"This is where I feel closest to him, so I come here to talk even if I don't expect a response," he explained.
"Because it is near a prison, and Poseidon is likely in one as well?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the crude connection.
Percy laughed ruefully at the newfound irony he hadn't even realized.
"No, I've been coming here for more than a year now. Way before we discovered it wasn't my dad on the council–"
"Before you discovered that it was not Poseidon," she corrected, interrupting him for not taking credit where it was due.
"Sure, but I know you had your doubts; you pointed that arrow at him instantly. Anyways, look," he said, pointing to the spot he'd been staring at earlier.
Artemis didn't see what he was referring to, so he leaned towards her to guide her eyes in the right direction. She followed where his finger pointed, and a shining, circular object caught her eye.
"What is it?" she asked, not having taken her eyes off of it.
Percy turned to look at her and realized he was barely an inch from her face. When she shifted, he quickly leaned away and looked back out to sea. The goddess smelled like pine and grass and everything else he loved about the forest, and Percy couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. In his eagerness to avoid her gaze, he hadn't noticed her similar but calmer reaction.
Artemis had allowed him to lean in so close because of his intoxicating scent of the sea. When she'd felt him turn towards her, she made sure not to do the same to avoid even the fractional chance of a decisive mistake. But she'd stirred, and he'd looked away, decompressing the situation. Percy cleared his throat.
"Uh.. um, I'm not sure actually. But I know it's my dad's; I feel the same way looking at it as I do when I see his trident or his throne. It's a part of him somehow, even if it's not actually him. For now at least, this is the closest I can get to actually talking to him," he said, grimacing as he wondered where his father could be.
Artemis looked at him sadly before she straightened her back.
"We are Hunters and you are now a Guardian. We will find Poseidon, Perseus, and he will return to Olympus," she said definitively. "But he is not the only Olympian you are close with anymore, is he? Tell me about you and Hestia."
Percy smiled widely at the mention of her name. Artemis slightly cocked her head, unsure what to make of that.
"It may sound weird, but she's become a bit like a mother to me. She found me when I was in a really dark place, and she just emerged from my campfire to talk. We quickly became close, and she sort of became my support system during a time I felt more lost and alone than I'd ever felt before. I really don't know where I'd be without her. Oh yeah, she's also who taught me how to cook basically everything I know, so the hunters have her to thank for dinner today," he said, the smile never leaving his face.
Artemis was surprised to say the least, and ever so slightly relieved to have cleared up the nature of the relationship between the pair.
"Oh yes. The hunters enjoyed your dinner spread, as did I. How did you know about my affinity for goat meat?"
"Lady Hestia told me. I was nervous about what to make for a goddess, so I prayed to her for some help."
"And the broccoli?"
"Just so you'd have a balanced meal. You can't maintain a body like that without proper nutrition."
The demigod's hands shot to his mouth, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he realized what he'd said out loud. His face burned and, in an instant, Percy accepted that his eternal fate would be to walk the earth as a jackalope. But the goddess was merciful.
"I will allow that to go ignored. Once. Because I want to apologize for my huntress' words and my inaction during. Phoebe is a strong woman, perhaps the strongest of all the hunters, but she is just as distrustful of men as I am while not yet having seen the traits that set you apart."
Artemis surprised herself by admitting the last part to him. Percy scratched his face to hide himself blushing at how the world's most fabled man-hater maybe didn't hate him so much. He then remembered what Phoebe had said.
"How did she even know about that?" he asked Artemis.
The goddess told him that, during their trek to the new camp, there had been some open distrust of Percy joining the Hunt. To remedy it, Thalia had caught them up on what had happened to him to lead him to the hunters, and told a handful of stories of Percy's other quests over the years. The demigod just nodded, glad that he wouldn't have to be explaining anything anymore.
"This place is quite beautiful," Artemis remarked, watching the moon paint tides over the drumming ocean. Percy looked at her.
"Yeah, it is," he said quietly before turning forward again.
The two sat in silence admiring the view in front of them. Percy realized that it'd been a long time since he'd also smiled with his eyes while talking to anyone, and Artemis had noticed it as well. They continued to stare ahead, both silently wishing the sun would be late to rise.
A/N: I decided to be nice and not end it with a cliffhanger today because you guys have been so supportive of the story. Hope you all continue to enjoy it.
Gonzalji: I think you are doing a fantastic job twisting the "guardian of the hunt story" just 2 things please don't make percy be weak in the hunters presence as in don't make him a little "bitch" and don't have chaos bless him to be all powerful. those are the 2 things that everyone always uses and you so far are adding originality to the story
Thank you so much, this was a really helpful review. I had the same thing on my mind when writing this chapter. I'll let you all know now that this will be largely the limit of Percy being "bitched" by any hunters, I just didn't want them to accept him immediately because I don't think that's realistic. But yes they won't be physically abusing him until he eventually snaps or anything. And as for Chaos, I think you'll really enjoy the powers he ends up getting. The stakes will be VERY real for Percy and he won't be anywhere near as overpowered as some of the other stories I've seen make him.
PokemonAndPJOFanboy: wow firstly, I have to say amazing plot twists, very well executed. I am excited to see what you do with Chaos entering the story! Are you going to be giving Percy and big power ups soon? Also props for making Erebus the BBEG, usually with these guardian of the hunt stories the Big Bad is Tartarus. I can't want for your next update, I'm hooked on this story and am on the edge of my seat waiting to see where it goes!
This review made me feel so good, thank you so much. I hope you liked my handling of Chaos, and stay tuned for the power ups he'll be getting over time. As for the thing about Tartarus, I won't reveal too much but don't completely forget about him just yet! I think Erebus is so cool and underutilized in these stories and deserves time to shine as THE big bad.
Thank you all for the reviews and I'll catch you in the next update!