A/N: Well, hello all and welcome to chapter 18 of the Dissonant Notes of Fate. You already know what to do lol. Also, the Mortal Instruments is *Chef's kiss*. Happy reading. Special thanks to Rezurex for beta-ing.
-TripleHomicide.
THALIA woke up with a jolt, feeling as though her skin was on fire. Her throat stung and her eyes burned, but she could see the blue sky through the high treetops above her. She heard the gurgling of a fountain, smelled blueberries, cedar and sweet-scented plants in the air and picked up waves crashing against rocks. She, for the fragment of a horrible second thought she was dead.
"Don't move," A familiar voice said. "I thought you would know better, Thalia." She looked up, glancing around. But her vision was too blurry and she was still aching all over. She felt a cool cloth on her forehead and then a spoon was being placed in her mouth, soft sweet liquid—nectar—going down her throat. Thalia's eyes cleared and she looked up, blinking in surprise.
She had been right, the voice was familiar. Percy was crouching above her, holding a bowl of water and a cloth in one hand. He was wearing his usual grey chiton with a brown belt and sandals. A quiver full of arrows was slung on his shoulder, alongside a bow. For a second, shock made a home on Thalia's face. She was astonished, and she faintly wondered if she was dreaming. How could she possibly be seeing Percy? Maybe this was one of those near-death induced illusions. Thalia drank in his visage then. His face was creased in worry, and deliriously, the black haired demigod thought that the small downward curve of his lips as he attended to her made him look cute. His earth green eyes were full of apprehension. He blotted out the sun and she found her eyes roaming his figure, lithe, chiselled and tan.
Percy smiled at her, the whites of his teeth almost blinding her and then began to speak, "I am not the best at healing magic but I'll be able to whip up some herbs to make you feel better and treat your wounds. I also have a couple of tricks up my sleeve, so…do not worry." He murmured the last part, voice going soft and his eyebrows scrunching up as he ran a hand through his hair in what seemed like anxiety. The Titan, after taking a deep breath, turned to her, smiling. "Don't fret, Thalia. You must rest. I'll take care of you." He paused.
"I promise."
XMX
THALIA woke up once again, but this time in a cave. She expected the common musty smell of one, but to her surprise a near heavenly aroma hit her straight in the face. Like wet earth after a light rain. It smelled like forests and leaves, something she had come to associate with Percy.
The ceiling glittered with crystals and she was lying on a mat, piled with pillows, the most comfortable feeling she'd ever had. The cave was divided by what seemed like silk curtains and against the wall were jars of fruit and vegetables. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling, many of which Thalia could not recognise as she had never bothered to learn them. A sword leaned on one wall, one which the daughter of Zeus recognised as the weapon Zoë had handed to Percy to help him fight her father.
There was a fireplace in another wall, with a pot bubbling over the low orange flames. It smelled heavenly, like the rest of the room. Thalia sat up and instantly cried out when she felt the stabbing pain in her head. She clenched her jaw, and examined her arms. They were, as expected, free from burns—which meant her father had answered her prayers to protect her when she had been airborne. She was still wearing her jeans, and her t-shirt, though her jacket had disappeared. Her clothes seemed fresh, clean even, and for a second she felt uneasy, but Thalia knew that Percy was too decent to have touched her while changing them. So she pushed the thought aside.
Her feet were bare but her bracelet was stillstrapped to her wrist and her mace canister took up space in her pocket. Thalia gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand. She hobbled towards the daylight and made her way out of the cave. The blue eyed girl gazed around her in wonder. The cave opened up into a green meadow. On the left stood trees, and on the right, a huge garden, full of plants of all sorts. Fountains gurgled in the meadow, each shooting water. Straight ahead, the grass faded into a rocky beach. The entire place was a forest of sorts. The waves lapped against the shore. The sun sparkled, and Thalia's eyes narrowed as she tried to get used to the light.
She looked around once more, smiling slightly when she spotted the black haired Titan. He stood at the beach, talking animatedly with someone. She couldn't see very well, but they were shaking hands, and the man said something to which Percy threw his head back in laughter. Thalia squinted, seeing the red face and the golden brace glinting in the sunlight. It was Hephaestus. She began to move towards the two deities, but then Hephaestus erupted into orange flames and was gone.
"Well, the Dreamer finally arises," Percy said, turning. His lips pulled up in a smile. "I was starting to get worried. I thought Hypnos would never let you leave his domain."
Thalia tried for a laugh, but her voice sounded as though sandpaper had been flung down her throat.
"How long have I been asleep?" She asked instead.
Percy looked towards the trees, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. "I don't know. Time is different on Ogygia. I've tried to keep count of the days since you fell, but I'm not sure it's accurate."
"How long?" Thalia asked again, unease filling her.
"Three months," The son of Gaea said quietly. The demigoddess blanched. She stiffened, and practically shouted, "Three months?!" Percy grimaced and tried to apologise, saying he had tried everything to wake her, but Thalia waved it aside, overcoming her shock.
Millions of thoughts raced through her head. Three months! Luke, Clarisse, Grover, Bianca and Nico. What had happened to them? By now they surely thought she was dead. Despair set in. How could she have been asleep for three months? Kronos would have made his move by now. They could all be dead. She tried to still her erratically beating heart, and calm herself. She couldn't break down. Not in front of Percy. She pushed aside her distress and asked a question that suddenly popped in her head.
"How did I get here?" She looked around.
The Titan shrugged. "You fell out of the sky and when I saw you coming I formed a cushion out of the earth to stop your fall."
"The others," Thalia finally managed, unable to hide her worry. "Luke—" A brief look of annoyance flashed on Percy's face but then he smiled and it disappeared almost as quickly as it had come, making Thalia think she had imagined it.
"You're no good to them until you're fully healed," He said. "And like I said, time is different here. Although it has been three months on the Island, it might be a couple of hours in the real world, or maybe even years."
"Oh, gods," Thalia ran a hand through her hair. "Kronos—"
"Hasn't tried anything," Percy assured. "And as for your friends, Hephaestus informed me they got to your Camp safely."
Thalia let out a sigh of relief. She smiled wearily at Percy. "It's just—"
"You were worried for them, I understand," he said, moving for her. Thalia watched in mild shock as Percy ran a hand through her hair, something she found oddly soothing, to her surprise. "You sustained a lot of injuries. You're still weak." He looked her in the eyes, his green ones meeting hers. "Rest."
She felt her eyes roll back in her head and the darkness, peaceful and silent, engulfed her.
XMX
THALIA woke up once more, and this time it was night. She wasn't sure how long it had been but she was in the cave. She rose and hobbled outside, like she had done before. The stars were out, shining brightly, and making the sky seem as though it were dancing. She could see some constellations, recognise some of them, even, and for a second, her mind flashed to Annabeth, and then the line in the Prophecy, the Child of Athena's final stand. She could guess exactly what that meant.
"You're up," Percy's soft voice came from in front of her. She looked down. In the light of the moon and the stars, he looked ethereal. Beautiful. Thalia shook her head. Why was she thinking such things? Maybe it was because of that blast from the volcano. Maybe it had messed with her head, somehow.
Thalia hobbled over to him, and asked, voice low, "How long has it been?"
Uneasiness pooled in his eyes as he answered, "Another two months." Thalia let go of her hope then. By now, Kronos had surely attacked Camp Half-Blood and everyone probably thought she was dead.
"Hey," Percy held out a hand, reaching for her shoulder. He squeezed, reassuringly. It wasn't the action that surprised her. It was her, thinking that it was nice that did it. Thalia barely heard him as he said, "Don't worry too much. Kronos hasn't tried anything. Hephaestus keeps me up-to-date. Everyone is still alive." Thalia let out a sigh of relief, and he pulled away from her.
He motioned to the garden which stretched out behind him and said, "Do you want to help me plant?"
Thalia snorted slightly. "I didn't take you for a Demeter fanatic." Percy laughed slightly, throwing his head back and Thalia smiled slightly.
"I'm the Titan of the Earth," He said, smiling at her. "And if you didn't know, gardens and plants are all connected to my domain. Besides, apart from hunting, gardening helps me while away the time."
Thalia arched an eyebrow in question and shrugged. He began moving, picking a hand trowel from the ground. Thalia followed him, and when he finally stopped and bent, she copied his movements.
"And what's this?" Thalia asked.
"Moon-lace," Percy tilted his head to the side, and said, "Watch it bloom." And so Thalia watched. And the night passed, in the comfortable silence and peace that came with helping the Titan of the Earth plant and tend to flowers.
XMX
PERSEUS dodged a strike from the spear, nimbly backtracking. She had asked him to teach her some skills, and he had decided that it would be a good way to heal her body and get it back to its former state. His opponent didn't slow her movements. She yelled as she came for him, jabbing at the Titan with the business end of the weapon. Perseus sidestepped once more and swung his sword.
Thalia scoffed and leaned back, making the sword slice off just a strand of her hair. "You're holding back," she said, accusingly.
"I don't want to cripple you for life, Thalia," he said, letting out a laugh.
"Fight me like you fought the gods in the war," she ordered, breathlessly. The son of Gaea stared at her in doubt. He was about to reply when she hurled her shield and if it hadn't been for his quick reflexes he would have gotten a face full of Medusa. Thalia was on him in an instant, swinging at his head with the non-business end of her spear.
He dodged once more, and said, "You asked for it." And then he went on the offensive.
He attacked her in a flurry of strikes and well-thought jabs, and without the protection of her shield, she was unbalanced, which he took advantage of. Perseus slid his foot in the earth, sending dust into the air and temporarily blinding the black haired girl. She was good though; recovering quickly and backing away from the reach of his sword.
"Come on, then," Thalia called. "Give all you have." She gave him a smirk, and started running. Perseus laughed and followed her lead. They met in the centre, sword against spear, demigod against Titan, lightning against the earth. They fought ferociously, jabbing and slashing at each other, hacking and attempting to injure the other.
If Perseus hadn't known better he would have thought it was a real battle, and that Thalia was definitely trying to dismember him. She swung her spear, and he parried, then pushed her back. The demigod spun on her heel, swinging once again and Perseus flicked his wrist, causing the earth to rise up and block the strike.
"Hey!" She yelled. "You said no powers!"
He threw his head back in laughter. It had been a while since he had gotten into a fight this exhilarating and invigorating. "I'm a Titan," He called. "I lied."
Thalia swore at him and raised her spear. Perseus jumped aside as a large bolt of lightning slammed into the ground. He was on his feet in an instant and they clashed once again, this time, Thalia held her shield. She jabbed at him with her spear but he withdrew a short knife and caught the ranged weapon in the hold of both his sword and the knife. He twisted it, causing the spear to fall and Thalia to loudly curse.
She swung at him with her other hand, the one holding the shield and he ducked and rolled to avoid another serving of Medusa.
Perseus jumped up again and laughed. "You're good," He said. "For a demigod."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The girl asked, mock-hurt. He simply chuckled once more and they clashed, for what seemed like the fourth time in a row. They fought, but he was still holding back and she knew it. She attacked him, giving the battle all she had and Perseus dodged her strikes, before delivering attacks of his own.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Thalia feinted a thrust at his side. Perseus sidestepped, not seeing the trick for what it was, and got a chest-full of bronze shield. He let out a strangled sound and collapsed onto the beach.
"I wi—" He cut her off by swinging his foot, sweeping her legs from underneath her. Thalia fell with a shout of surprise, slipping in the sand and collapsing, face first into his chest. He stiffened almost instantly, eyes widening when he realised how close they were. Thalia looked up, groaning in annoyance and cursing him under her breath. After a few tense minutes, she spoke.
"I still won," She said, breathlessly. Her hair fell on either side of his head, breath fanning his face and her eyes electric and filled with mischief.
"You did," He responded, in a low voice. He could feel all sides of her, pressed up against his form, making heat flare in his face. Emotions stirred in his chest, warmth erupting all around his body.
"Thalia—"
"Do you want to go again?" She turned red, cutting him off. Perseus watched her peel herself away from him, disappointment filling him. He pursed his lips as Thalia stood, and dusted herself off.
Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he followed her lead.
-X-
THALIA shivered involuntarily as Percy reached forward, wrapping his hand around hers. He was close—so close she could feel his breath on her neck and ear as he whispered, "Most people would shut one eye—the non-dominant one— to take aim, but that just makes that eye unfocused in the occasion that you'd need to give chase to the monster while firing an arrow. Just train your gaze on the antelope's neck." He paused. The animal they had been trailing was currently taking a sip of water from a lake. It stiffened, as though it could sense their presence, and Thalia went still with bated breath.
Percy's fingers brushed the back of her hand and she knew that had he not been holding on to the arrow feathers and bow string, she would have dropped them both. He had positioned himself behind her, in the shadows of the trees and leaves, his head close to hers.
His left hand was wrapped around her shoulder, and then it was travelling down her hand holding the wooden frame of the bow. He let go of her hand then and Thalia felt unexpected disappointment fill her. But then his hand was on her elbow, pulling her arm back, raising it and helping her take aim for the animal's neck.
She felt his feet push hers apart as he whispered, "Your stance matters. Distribute the weight on your feet evenly." She followed his advice quietly, her chest rising and falling in silent breaths. The antelope still drank.
"The arrow must be perpendicular to the arrow rest," He instructed in a low voice, positioning her hand. "You must take note of this or your shot will go wide."
His hand was over her arm now as he positioned it well once again. "Rest your chin on your forefinger and make sure your elbow is parallel to the ground."
Thalia did what he asked, inhaling and taking in his distinct scent. "What now?"
"Let the string roll off your fingers. Right towards the neck." She followed his advice and she watched in mild awe as her arrow pierced through the neck of the antelope, making it drop dead immediately. She hadn't known she could do that. She dropped her arm then, and the Titan of the Earth pulled away from her fully and she suddenly felt the warmth leave her. She didn't understand why she longed for it. It was unrecognisable and she hadn't ever felt it before. It was foreign, but in a good way. He was smiling, eyes alight with pride and amusement, and Thalia couldn't resist the urge to smile back. "How was that?"
"You're a quick learner," He commented. "In a few months if you keep training, archery will definitely be one of your strong-suits."
She turned red at the praise and cleared her throat. The daughter of Zeus tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "What next?"
As Thalia waited for him to answer, she drifted away in her thoughts. She didn't know how much time had passed since she had woken up that night. The daughter of Zeus had spent almost all her time with Percy, on the days that she wasn't waiting expectantly for the raft he had said would come. She trained with him, she gardened with him and they each traded stories of the worlds they had grown up in. He taught her skills he had used to best the gods in the first war. And now, finally, he had decided that she was ready to hunt alongside him.
The Titan was good, and spending time with him made Thalia feel all jittery although she could never explain why. She felt safe with him, on Ogygia and they often spent hours talking to each other, gardening or simply watching the ocean. She had thought it would get monotonous after a while but it hadn't.
She had told him things of the modern world, and things of her life before she had discovered her heritage. Things not even Luke or Annabeth knew of. Percy was a good listener.
He made her laugh, which was a welcome occurrence to draw her thoughts away from Kronos and the others. He regaled her with stories of the war and times of old, and tricks the gods had played on him while on his Island, like that spell which prevented him from shifting forms and kept him confined in a teenage body. He told her whatever he was thinking at any given moment, and how much he missed the members of his family who he hadn't seen in millennia, mainly his sisters.
Co-existing with Percy was easy. He respected not only her, but also her views and values. He was decent, for a Titan, and over the weeks and months that passed, they hardly spent time without each other.
His voice jarred her out of her thoughts. "It's finally time for you to learn how to skin an animal." She snorted. "And what would I use that knowledge for?"
Percy laughed, and shook his head. "You never know when you might need it."
She sighed exaggeratedly. "I don't suppose I have a choice. Lead on, then, Oh, great Titan of skinning animals." Grinning, he reached out and grabbed her hand, and then he was pulling her towards the dead antelope.
Thalia smiled behind him, already jumpy in anticipation of what was to come.
-X-
PERSEUS sat on the brown sand next to Thalia, underneath the glow of the giant moon in the sky. It had been roughly a year since she had fallen onto his Island, and although it hadn't shown up yet, he had been waiting for the raft in apprehension ever since. He didn't understand what was happening. Usually, the raft came in a month or two. The gods never allowed the heroine to stay past two months.
He stared at the water, a frown marring his features. He could hear Thalia, breathing, and he smiled faintly. Over the past months they had gotten so so close and every day he spent with her, he tried to push back the thought that one day she would have to leave, like the gods dictated. His lips pulled down once more. He hated his curse and he hated the gods for giving it to him. He could never be happy. Just because he had followed his mother's instructions and helped his family. He scowled.
"Hey," Her voice was soft as she sat up. "You've got an 'I want to murder someone' face on."
He scoffed, a smile lighting his features. "I don't have one of those."
"You do," She insisted. "What's on your mind?"
He glanced at his side. Her hair was longer than ever, silky and black and he fought the urge to run his hand through it. Perseus was silent for what seemed like hours, then finally he said, "I've just been thinking a lot lately."
"About what?" The demigod pressed.
The son of Gaea pursed his lips, then turned to face her. "My family. And yours."
This time it was Thalia's turn to frown. She turned to the fire they were sitting beside, and the orange glow reflected on her face. She looked subdued, and he cursed himself for bringing it up. She didn't show it often but he knew she worried about what was going on in the outside world. He knew she was worried about her friends. And same as him, she was just waiting for the day she could finally be able to go home.
"I try not to think of it, you know," She said softly. "The prophecy, Kronos, everything else."
"I shouldn't have—"
"No, it's okay," She shook her head. "I know that I would be free from the prophecy here on Ogygia. But I can't help but think that I've left everyone else to die when I could easily make a choice to save them all."
"You're just a child, Thalia," He said sadly. "You shouldn't be forced to make a decision like this. It isn't fair."
"Olympus isn't fair. Neither are the Titans," She stared back into the fire.
"If I wasn't a prisoner on this Island," He murmured, staring into the flames. "I would probably remain neutral in the war this time round. Sure, the world has prospered under Olympus' rule. But they're no better than my family. They use mortals for their personal endeavours. They sire demigods who die before they come of age. They make children fight their wars for them because of stupid ancient laws your father made."
"The Titans aren't any better," He continued. "If given the choice Kronos would wipe out any who would not follow him. All mortals would be given an ultimatum—die or serve him. And those who choose the latter, they'll be like gerbils to my family. Just a source of amusement and people to torment when they're bored." He turned back to her, reaching out hesitantly, heart pounding as he brushed a stray strand of dark hair out of her eyes.
"No one should have to go through any of this," He said softly. He knew what he was about to say wasn't proper of him. But he had to offer, at least once, even if she ended up refusing him. "And you can remain neutral. You can stay on Ogygia with me forever. You can be immortal." His heart thumped. "And you'd be free of all obligations Olympus and Othrys have forced on you."
She smiled, but it was a sad one. "I don't know what I want, Percy. All I ever hear is that Olympus is the lesser of two evils. But they give birth to us demigods, abandon us and leave us to fend for ourselves. We either die or we get to camp. Kronos is getting demigod allies by convincing them that the Titans aren't like that." She sighed. "I'm tired of being regarded as some weapon by both the Titans and the gods. They just see me as a means to an end. An avenue to bring down their enemies. And it feels like they're breathing down my neck, forcing me to make a decision."
"You don't have to," He said again. "My offer still stands."
She was quiet for a few seconds, then she said, "I'll think about it." He nodded. That was the best answer he would get.
The Titan of the Earth turned back to the orange fires and said, "I was used by Gaea and my family for years and years, to fight for them and cut down the resistance. I was a weapon of war. I was a warrior. I was literally born to defeat the Olympians; my purpose was pre-determined by my family before I had a say in it. But now, when I sit and think, I realise that I could have made a decision. Many of my sisters stayed neutral. I could have done the same, but I was so scared of disappointing my mother. I wanted to prove myself to her and Kronos. I wanted to make them proud."
Thalia was quiet. Then, unexpectedly, she leaned down, placing her head on his shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel," He murmured. "Whatever you choose I'll stand by you. Just—remember, you're not alone."
And then silence reigned once more.
A/N: So this chapter was originally longer but I was advised to divide it so as to not make the Ogygia scene too hurried and rushed. Sorry if it's too small. Expect another chapter in about two or three days. Also, the entire ARC is done, and after editing them all, they'll be released daily. For now, I'm working on Perseus: Excidium Troiae and Hunters of the Sun simultaneously. I'll write ARC II and III of those stories respectively and release them immediately after this arc of DNOF is completed.
Thanks for reading!
-TripleHomicide.