"Do not throw and hope. Aim and fire."

It had been two days since they arrived at this lake of paradise. The group had managed to finally be able to wash their clothes and take a bath, separately of course which really disappointed Leo. Percy had also led them to the cave he found earlier and had managed to make it into a homey den. With the supplies available to them, they were able to make small cots made out of leaves and grass, torches out of dried branches and a firepit out of the small stones around them. It was something straight out of a survival show but it was all they had, considering there were no towns nearby to give them the luxury of modern survival kits. None of them complained however, instead taking it all in stride and working together as a group to get what needed to be done in order for them to survive. The phrase from Percy "Sit and suffer or stand tall and suffer" really driven into their minds as they completed the strenuous tasks.

Right now, the group was separated into small teams each with a task assigned to them. Katie's group consisting of Hazel, Piper, Connor and Travis were tasked with looking for any fruits, animals and firewood out in the woods behind the lake. They needed the extra source for food as fish from the lake would eventually disappear if they exclusively ate from only that. Next was Nico's group consisting of Will, Leo and Jason. They were assigned to scout the forest around them to look for any roads or trails that might lead them to civilization. Although this was a good spot for them to settle, supplies were beginning to run thin, and it was only a matter of time before they needed to get more. Lastly was Percy's group consisting of only him and Frank. They were in charge of fishing and building up their so-called settlement. Frank, with his ability to transform into any animal and acquire its strength, was able to drag large trees and stones in the form of a bear, providing much needed materials for building eventual structures.

Percy, who you would think would be able to fish with no problems whatsoever, was the only one in the group struggling with his task. He had managed to catch some fish with his makeshift fishing rod, but it wasn't enough to satisfy the group. The fish weren't falling for the bait and oftentimes would just curse at the son of Poseidon underneath the safety of the water. The demigod, although extremely annoyed with the fish's audacity, refused to use his powers to capture them. They were still children of the sea and as such deserved at least the respect to be captured fair and square. His patience was wearing thin, however.

"Hey, Percy! Mind helping us out over here!" Kaite's voice called out as she and the rest of her group appeared out of the treeline, dragging what looked like to be a small deer. Percy immediately raced over to them, happy to escape the torture of trying to catch fish that would only curse profanity at him.

"What'd you catch?" He asked, watching as the Stoll brother plopped onto the ground in exhaustion after carrying the deer.

"Black tail deer." Katie replied with a smile. She explained that there was a pasture two miles to the northeast which was where some deer grazed and bedded at. "Perfect for hunting." She exclaimed, twirling her makeshift bow.

"Not good for walking back though if you actually manage to catch one." Connor breathlessly said, laying on the ground in exhaustion. It turned out the girls had made the two of them carry the deer all the way back to camp which would have been no problem if the terrain was a straight shot instead of rocky with many challenging hills. Travis, who wanted to impress Katie, refused to let anyone besides him and his brother carry the deer back which was something the younger one despised. He was always getting caught up in Travis's ambition to impress Katie which only led to his suffering.

"Well, looks like we'll have some good dinner tonight." Percy said high fiving the group in thanks as he effortlessly picked up the deer and brought it over to the lake to get it cleaned and prepared. The two brothers watched in exasperation as the son of Poseidon walked away with the deer slung over his shoulder.

"Guess that's a child of the big three for ya." Travis grumbled as he got up from the ground and began to make his way over to the pool that Percy had built for them to bathe in. He wanted to get the deer blood off of him before it was time to eat. It was an ingenious innovation Percy had built where the water in the pool would be exchanged for new, fresher water every day so that way they weren't bathing in muck. They also didn't have to worry about it being cold too as the son of Poseidon could simply wave his hand to make it the perfect temperature.

"Need me to help?" Katie asked as she watched Percy set the deer down next to the water. She had grown up hunting deer before and as such knew how to gut and skin one as well. There were so many things you could acquire from a deer and she wanted to make sure they capitalized on that. Percy nodded his head as he brought out a small knife from his pocket. He knew how to skin one but taking out the guts was a much more difficult process. One bad cut could make the meat tainted and the efforts of Katie's group wasted. Getting a good grasp over the body, Percy began the process and made a small incision just below the neck before beginning to cut down. He cut all the way down just until the genitalia before peeling back the skin, revealing the insides of the deer. The smell was rancid but nothing that the two of them couldn't handle. This was a walk in the park compared to the smell of Tartarus.

"Now the guts." Katie said, taking the bloody knife from his hand. "You don't really have much need of them, but you could always use them as bait for predators or fish." She explained as she began taking out the guts of the deer and laying them at its side. Percy paid close attention as he watched the girl quickly but precisely cut out all the innards. It seemed like such a simple process, but he knew that one small mistake could spell disaster.

"And we're done!" She happily exclaimed. "Now we just take the rest of the skin off before cutting out the meat."

"Damn. I didn't know you were that good." He said, causing Katie to laugh with a small blush on her face. It wasn't often that she felt useful, so it was good to hear him say that. The two demigods continued to converse as they dealt with the deer, happy that they had something else besides fish for dinner tonight.

It wasn't until the evening before the remainder of the group arrived back at camp, however this time they didn't bring back any luck.

"So nothing within five miles." Piper sighed as she sat back against the cave wall. Jason was the first to break the news that they were pretty secluded out here in the wilderness. They had climbed mountains and walked through numerous fields, hoping to find some sort of evidence of civilization.

"Trust us, we tried to look for any sign of people but there's absolutely nothing. It's like we're in another world with only us living in it." Leo replied, his mouth full of the cooked deer meat Katie and Hazel had prepared for them. The group gave a collective sigh as they ate the remainder of their meal in silence. They were disappointed at the news and slightly worried what would happen if they weren't able to find a town. Winter was coming soon. That meant no warmth and scarce animals for food. They didn't have the supplies to survive that type of weather, so they desperately needed to find civilization and fast.

"We'll find something. I know we will." Percy tried to reassure his group as he tossed his stick into the fire. The fire's orange glow gleamed in his green eyes, determination filling them. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we're successful for this journey, guys. We've taken too many risks and gambles to just die off in a winter." The group laughed at his remark. That wasn't even half of it. They escape the Gods and are now labeled traitors with a kill-on-sight order above their heads. If that wasn't a risk, then they didn't know what was.

"You're damn right we've gambled!" Nico said from the darkest part of the cave, with only his face being illuminated from the fire. "We've literally ran away to the most deserted place on Earth, filled with so many unknowns. It'll be a miracle if we survive and actually make a camp for demigods." He joked.

"We will." Percy evenly replied as he stood up from his seat. "I still have the artifact Hecate gave me. That's our only hope in giving us an actual safe space to make a camp." He revealed the small pouch the Goddess gave him which held the seed.

"Do we know what that thing even does?" Will asked, eyeing the pouch suspiciously. Percy shook his head as he put the most important item they had back in the safest part of the cave. Whatever it did though was something only time would tell and clearly Hecate thought it would work for them. He had no reason to not trust her instincts.

"You guys' rest. I'll take first watch." The son of Poseidon announced before making his way out of the cave. The cool night air and soft wind bellowing against his face, a stark contrast from the warm, cozy inside of the cave. He didn't mind it, however. Alaska was pretty warm in the summer and the weather reminded him of just another night at camp Half-Blood. His heart clenched at the memory of his old camp. It felt like years since he was last there but in reality it had been only two weeks.

"I hope you're doing ok." He whispered, looking up at the same stars Annabeth was hopefully looking at. He missed her deeply. It was a surprise at how far he actually made it without her there to help him along the way. He was so used to her being at his side over the years that it felt like some part of him was missing now. "Soon." The son of Poseidon reassured himself. He'll soon have Annabeth back at his side once his new camp is completed. She'll see just how far he had come without the Gods over his shoulder and relent, hopefully bringing his other demigod friends with her. It would be amazing if they could bring the entirety of camp Half-Blood here so that they too could live a life free from the Gods. Smiling at the possible future to come, Percy sat down on a rock that overlooked the lake that was brightly reflecting the light from the moon and stars.

It was certainly a surreal sight, something he rarely saw where he grew up. He wondered how Artemis was doing as he looked up at the moon. It was a bright full one tonight, maybe she was in a good mood. He wondered how she was doing. The Goddess was always good to him after their first encounter all those years ago. He held no ill will towards her unlike most of the Gods. As the son of Poseidon silently sat on his rock, he heard the snapping of branches to his left. The battle-hardened reflexes he acquired over the years immediately went into alert mode as he pulled out Riptide. During his tenure in Alaska, he has heard many animals trek their way through the woods. Bears, moose, wolves, you name it. This however was no ordinary animal. It sounded too heavy with tree limbs loudly cracking like a cannon. No, this was a monster. This question was what was it?

A huge, dark, silhouette emerged from the wood line. The figure looked to be a man ten feet tall carrying some type of weapon. Percy did his best to stay hidden, not wanting to reveal his location. He wanted to shout out to the others so that they could be prepared for a fight, but it would be bad if there were even more monsters nearby. The son of Poseidon stealthy made his way into the still water, not even making a ripple through it as he tried to get closer to the silhouette. If he could gain the upper hand through a surprise attack, then maybe he wouldn't have to risk the others to join in. A head-on battle with this huge beast of a monster would only spell disaster.

Only Percy's eyes were above the water as he watched the unknown figure get closer and closer to their camp. It seemed he would have to fight. Finally, to confirm his suspicions, the pale moonlight reflected off the figure's face revealing it to only be a one-eyed cyclops.

"Thankfully just that and not some God." Percy thought, glad it wasn't someone like Ares since his physic could easily resemble a cyclops. Waiting like a predator, he let the cyclops get closer to the water before quickly and accurately willing a tendril of water to wrap around the monster's legs, dragging it into the water. Without hesitation, Percy stabbed it multiple times in the head. Monster dust and ichor filled the water as Percy kept furiously stabbing before giving the final blow, slitting the monster's throat. Reveling at his kill, the demigod hopped out the water before making his way back towards the cave to alert the others just in case.

Before he could move though, his ears picked up more trees cracking and falling, revealing that there were more monsters out there coming this way.

"Shit!" Percy thought as he tried to get back to the cave as quickly and quietly as possible. Judging by just how loud the limbs snapping were, there had to be at least five cyclops out there. A number they could take on but not right now. Arriving in the cave where everyone was already fast asleep with the campfire dimly lit, the son of Poseidon quickly ran over to Jason.

"Wake up! Wake up!" He furiously whispered, starting the blonde demigod awake in an instant.

"Wha-"

"No time. Get the others ready to move out now. Monsters on the perimeter heading this way." He gave the command, hoping that Jason knew what to do before starting to head back out of the cave to stall for time. If he was able to take out at least two cyclops, then maybe they would be too disorganized and simply flee. Odds are, however, that won't go as planned.

"Need help?" Nico asked from the darkest corner in the cave. Percy nodded his head before running out with the son of Hades in tow. The footsteps were getting louder and closer. He estimated that they would be in the camp no less than a minute. Gods, he hoped the others would be ready to flee.

"Go towards the lake and I'll go into the woods. With my shadow travel I might be able to take down one or two without them noticing." Nico said, disappearing without confirmation from him. Deciding that what Nico suggested was the best plan, Percy ran back into the lake where he laid in wait for the monsters to reveal themselves. He didn't have to wait long when the first four appeared out of the woods which made his adrenaline spike through the roof. Four was just too many for them to take on and there seemed to be even more still in the woods.

"Phil!? Phil, where'd you go!?" One of the cyclops called out, looking for his friend Percy presumed was the one he had killed in the water earlier.

"Great, now they're going to be pissed that I killed Phil." Percy groaned as he prepared for a fight. The four cyclops continued to walk towards the camp, looking everywhere for their friend.

"Maybe he's in that cave over there." A different cyclops said, pointing over at the cave that the group of demigods occupied.

"Yeah, it seems that scent we smelt earlier is stronger there too." The leader said, quickening his stride with the others in tow. Percy mentally cursed as he realized there was no time left. They needed to get out of here now before it was too late. Percy watched as another cyclops came out from the dark woods but as soon as it did, Nico jumped out of a shadow, slit its throat with his sword before disappearing into the darkness once more. Percy watched all of this happen without so much as a sound coming from them nor did any of the other monsters notice.

"He's fucking Batman!" Percy said with a chuckle before realizing that was the signal for them to fight. He wouldn't let these dirty fucking cyclops get any closer to his friends. Willing some water into the air, he solidified it into deadly, sharp ice sickles and sent them flying towards the monster's head. Two hit their mark, instantly severing the cyclops's head but the other two had only managed to be hit in the chest. While it was a disabling hit, it wasn't enough to take them out of the fight.

"We're under attack! Sound the alarm!" The leader ordered his remaining cyclops friend who immediately blew into a horn, signaling the rest of his group to come this way. The leader, who was a couple feet taller than the rest, cut off the protruding edge of the ice lodged in his chest with his club before looking around for their attacker.

Deciding it was best to stay in his element, the son of Poseidon used his powers to continue sending more projectiles towards the cyclops. He noticed from the corner of his eye Nico flashing in and out from shadows, doing his best to stall the remainder of the cyclops from coming this way. He just hoped their efforts wouldn't be fruitless and their friends could get out in time.

"It's coming from the water!" The cyclops yelled before charging at Percy's position.

"Looks like I gotta get up close and personal!" The demigod called out before sending a blast of water towards the monster, sending him crashing backwards into a rock.

"Oh, a demigod! You're going to be a delicious meal!" The leader proclaimed as he watched Percy walk out of the water, slapping his club eagerly against his hand for a fight. Percy smirked slightly at that remark. How many times has he heard that from a cocky monster? Too many to count but it was always funny to see the light die from their eyes when they realized who exactly he was. Without another word, the demigod charged at the cyclops leader, weaving in and out from the large club the size of his entire body.

It wasn't difficult to time the strikes from big monsters such as cyclops. All you needed to know was when they raised their club but other than that it was simple. The son of Poseidon, after dodging another attack, ran up onto the wooden club quickly as the monster tried to rear back for another strike.

"What the-" The cyclops' last words were as Percy jumped onto its torso before dragging riptide through its stomach, all of its guts and monster blood falling onto him in the process. Percy almost puked from the smell but had no time when the remaining cyclops, encouraged by his friend's death, tried to fight him too. Reacting purely out of instinct, Percy raised a half-clenched hand and sickly watched as the cyclops's neck was twisted by an unseen force. The son of Poseidon's heart dropped as he realized what he had just done. He had just broken a promise he gave not long ago. With no time to access the situation, Percy looked over at his cousin who was yelling as he ran out of the woods.

"Fucking run!" Nico called out as he stumbled. Percy didn't have a chance to respond when he saw what the son of Hades was talking about. About thirty cyclops, all taller than the trees around them and each carrying their own weapons, ran out from the woods behind Nico. Their war cries almost splitting his ear drums. Without hesitation, Percy ran from the fight with Nico at his side. They both ran up to the cave that they had been staying at and almost head butted the rest of their group, who was packed and ready to go.

All of them held a face of pure terror as they watched with wide eyes the army of cyclops running at them, stampeding like a herd of bulls. Immediately, they all ran into the woods to their right. That was their best chance to lose the army of monsters, but their demigod scent didn't help them at all. If they even had the slightest whiff of them, the cyclops would stop at nothing to find them.

"Leo, make a wall of fire! That should hinder them for a bit!" Percy ordered his Latino friend who without hesitation, threw massive fireballs from his hands. Thankfully, it was summer which meant the grass and wood was dry causing the fire to quickly spread throughout the area. The burning blaze lit brightly behind them as they ran away. Percy looked behind for a moment as he looked at the scene they had caused. The cyclops's silhouettes behind the wall of flames, making it look more like a nightmare than reality.

"Where we runnin to!?" Connor asked.

"Anywhere but here!"

And so, the group of friends ran off into the dark woods with the bright stars being their only source of light as they got further and further away from the fire. The yells and screams of the monsters behind them being a motivator to not slow down in the slightest.

While the cyclops continued to search in the woods for their future meal, a couple miles away from the fiery scene sat a muscled God, scared from years of combat. His broadsword lazily sat on his shoulder as he peered out at the orange blaze with an eager smirk plastered on his face.

"Found you."