"He who has lost everything is a dangerous man, for he has nothing to lose."
"Annabeth. Hey, Annabeth, get up. It's time for breakfast."
The daughter of Athena groaned as she rolled over to her side. Her body ached and she had one massive headache. It seemed to be like that every day since he had left. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up to find the very man she was just thinking about looking at her with those entrancing eyes and that signature smirk on his face.
"Percy?" Her raspy voice called out as she stretched out her hand. Closing her eyes once to make sure she wasn't dreaming, she opened them once more to find her younger sister, Ashley, staring at her with confusion and pity written on her face. So, it wasn't him she thought to herself as she rolled back into her bed, hoping to sleep to make the pain go away.
"Do you want us to go without you?" Her sister asked but didn't receive a response. With a huff, the younger daughter of Athena walked out of the cabin with the rest of her siblings in tow. Annabeth could feel their glances of worry lasering into her back as they walked but she didn't care. She didn't really care about much nowadays.
Letting out a sigh, Annabeth looked up at the ceiling as she reminisced about the old days. On the run with Luke and Thalia, the first quest she did with Percy and Grover, their first kiss, the battle against Kronos. She thought about it all and couldn't help the tears that inevitably formed in her eyes. She wanted to go back to those days which was a terrible thing to say considering just how bad they were. She meant it though. At least in those days she had everyone at her side still. Percy, Luke, Thalia, Grover, the seven, all of them. Back then she never felt alone but now it was the complete opposite.
She rarely talked to her siblings. They were all so young except Malcolm. She could never really relate to them, their eyes full of curiosity and innocence almost sickened her. They were experiencing a completely different world compared to her. She knew in the back of her mind that it was jealousy. She was jealous of her siblings for getting to grow up in a time without war and get to experience all the things she couldn't. That made her hate herself even more for feeling that way towards her brothers and sisters.
Deep in her thoughts, Annabeth failed to realize someone walked back into the room and stood beside her bedside. Clearing their throat to draw her attention. Annabeth looked to her side to find Malcolm, her younger brother, staring at her with a look of expectancy on his face.
"What?" She asked.
"When are you going to stop this?" He asked, tapping his foot against the floor. Annabeth groaned once more as she realized Malcolm came back to only scold her for her actions, or lack thereof.
"I'm serious, Beth. You've been like this for two weeks now. We've let you have your moment but now we need you back. I need you back." He pleaded, clenching his hand against his chest.
"Why? So that you all can just sit back and relax while I do all the work."
"You know that's not what I mean." Malcolm replied with a soft chuckle. Annabeth always loved to work on whatever task was given to her no matter how small. He, along with the rest of their siblings, would always come to her and try to help but she would always say no every time. She liked the satisfaction of completing the work by herself and say that she and she alone accomplished it. It did put some unnecessary stress on her shoulders though which was something Malcolm wanted her to avoid from here on out. He could tell she was at her limit and one small push could definitely end up disastrous.
"C'mon, get up. I'm not asking you to do anything serious today. Just come eat with us. I'm sure everyone would like to see you again."
Although she really didn't want to deal with anyone, she knew that she should eat. She hadn't been doing that often ever since he left, opting to eat just enough so that she wouldn't starve to death. With a groan, Annabeth reluctantly got out of bed and made her way out of the cabin with her brother beside her. The two opted for silence the entire way to the pavilion as Annabeth looked around at camp. It felt like it's been years since she's truly taken a good look at the only place she called home. It had changed so much over the years since she'd been here, almost unrecognizable from when she first arrived.
"We're building temples now?" She asked Malcolm who nodded. That was weird, she didn't hear about that being under construction. She was the lead architect who supervised all buildings here at camp and on Olympus. To have temples being built without her knowing was shocking and somewhat upset her that she wasn't told.
"Apparently Hermes came down here two days ago and told Chiron that the council decreed that temples should be built to honor the Gods." He replied, looking over at the biggest temple made out of marble dedicated to Zeus. Annabeth's eyes narrowed in suspension. They already honored the Gods through food offerings. What was the point of building temples now? Deciding it was best to think about that later, the two finally arrived at the pavilion where it was filled with demigods. She spotted Chiron at the head table, subtly nodding at her while drinking from a cup. She tried to give a smile in reply before sitting down with the rest of her siblings.
"Wow, you actually came out of the cabin for once!" Her twelve year old brother Alex said, chewing a huge piece of bacon. Ashley, who overheard his annoying remark, slugged him across the shoulder before handing Annabeth her plate of food which held way too much for her to fully eat. Picking up a piece of bacon, she opted to eat in silence as she listened to all of the conversations going on around her.
"They all left her! Can you believe it?"
"Well, when you act like her, I would leave too. I couldn't deal with all the moping she does."
"I thought they loved each other. Why would he leave her?"
"He's a traitor. That's what he is."
"Traitor!"
"Traitor!"
"He loved her? I don't think so."
"Traitor!"
"Traitor"
"I actually agree with why he left. Wonder why she didn't go with him? To me, she's the one that left him."
Slamming her plate against the table, Annabeth held her hands to her ears as she tried to block out all the voices. Why? Why would they say those things? After everything they've done for them. After everything he's done for them. It wasn't fair for these people to have opinions when they don't even know half of what they've done in the name of Olympus. She felt a hand on her shoulder which caused her to sharply look up, ready to attack anything that threatened her.
"He's not a traitor!" She said, her words coming out furiously. Meeting the familiar grey eyes of her brother, she began to calm down. She forgot where she was for a moment and probably was only hearing those voices in her head. That was beginning to be a common occurrence.
"No one said anything about a traitor." Malcolm replied, careful to avoid the obvious name of that man. Annabeth set down her bacon as she couldn't taste it to begin with. Deciding it was best to avoid the obvious sideways glances from the others, she got out of her seat before making her way out of the pavilion. She let her legs guide her as she was lost in thought.
"Should I have gone with him?"
That question played in the back of her mind over and over like a broken record player. At the time she felt like she made the right decision in staying, stupidly thinking that things would stay the same and Percy wouldn't leave her. She should've known though. She should've realized Percy was gone back at the throne room during the ceremony. His attitude, his body language, and his eyes that almost seemed to radiate poison were exactly the same as Luke when he decided to leave her too. Maybe if she wasn't so naive to think that things would get better with time, then maybe things would be different. Maybe she could've convinced Percy and the others to stay. Her heart clenched as she thought of all the different ways things could've played out.
Tears began to fall down her face as she realized where she was. Thalia's tree. Where everything in her demigod life began. Dropping to the ground in mental exhaustion, Annabeth laid against the tree as she let the dam break.
"Why does everyone leave me? Luke, Thalia, Dad, Percy, the seven. Everyone that I've ever loved in my life has left, leaving me behind to fend for myself."
The daughter of Athena watched as the other campers came out of the pavilion and began with their daily activities. She wished she could go back to doing that with her friends. Such a simple time where she didn't have to think about anything else. She glanced over at the tree, wondering how her friend was doing with the hunters. She never really understood why she joined them. She was always annoyed with them and the whole concept of hating men wasn't really Thalia's thing considering how she felt towards Luke.
A gentle breeze caressed her cheek as Annabeth felt a presence behind her form out of seemingly thin air. She knew who it was without turning back and was relieved and somewhat annoyed about them being there. She just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts at the moment. But Athena never really cared about others' feelings.
"Mother." She greeted the Goddess who walked up to her side. Athena, who held a face of indifference towards her child who was crying, silently looked over the camp. Specifically eyeing the temples that were currently being built. Satisfied with the progress, she looked down at her daughter with a sort of annoyed gleam in her eye.
"Do not cry over the son of Poseidon, especially in front of me." She said in disdain at the mention of Poseidon and Percy. Annabeth wiped her eyes as she stood up. It seemed Athena wasn't in a particular good mood today.
"What can I do for you?"
"You're wondering why you weren't informed of the new temples." Athena answered, noticing the way her daughter perked up. "It's because of your emotions clouding your ability to think properly. I've taken care of the foundations for now because of your…sickness, but your time of self-pity is over. It is now up to you to complete it."
So that's why she wasn't informed. Athena was disappointed in her and didn't want her daughter to embarrass her if she screwed up the construction of the temples over a son of Poseidon. Athena was very prideful; Annabeth knew that but to not even consolidate your own daughter in her time of need was harsh. Maybe that type of inconsiderate way of the Gods was what Percy was talking about.
"Why are we building the temples?" She asked the question that had been plaguing her since the morning. They already had food offerings to the Gods. What need did they have for temples? Every answer she tried to come up with as to why just didn't make sense. Athena pinched the bridge of her nose and gave an annoyed sigh. Annabeth could tell that her mother had a lot on her plate. Her regal posture seemed slouched, almost as if she was tired.
"It seems Zeus wants the Gods to gain more power." She answered, leaning against the tree as she gazed upward.
"More power!? You're already the most powerful beings in the universe." Annabeth answered with a disbelieving laugh. She knew Zeus was power hungry and always wanted more power but to have all the Olympians garner more was unheard of. Zeus never liked rivals so to make his fellow council members stronger was very concerning.
"As to the reason why, you can thank your ex-boyfriend for that." Athena said, already seeing the question forming on her lips. Annabeth did a double take when her mother said that. Percy!? What role did he have to play in this? He left Olympus and doesn't want anything to do with the Gods anymore. And ex!? Annabeth didn't think of them that way. They were just…on a break? She internally groaned in frustration at the lack of closure the two of them had before he left.
"And why's that? Percy wants nothing to do with the Gods anymore. What possible reason does Zeus have to garner more power because of Percy?"
"I hate to admit it but that son of Poseidon is the strongest demigod Olympus has ever had. Do you know the consequences of that?" Athena asked, some sort of edge to her tone. Annabeth knew why her mother seemed so anxious. Percy, being the most powerful demigod in all of existence, brought a number of consequences with it for Olympus. The influence he had not only on demigods but also Gods was comparable to an Olympian. Percy was basically seen as a God to other demigods that didn't know him as well as the older campers did. To have that sort of influence would certainly tick Zeus off.
"Don't tell me that Zeus feels threatened!" Annabeth mocked but immediately regretted her statement when a huge arc of lightning struck in a clear sky. Athena rolled her eyes at her father's antics.
"That should tell you your answer. . ." She said before continuing. "Zeus doesn't like Perseus collecting demigods and leaving Olympian rule. He sees it as a declaration of war."
"But that's the last thing Percy wants!" Annabeth yelled in exasperation. What in Hades's name is Zeus thinking? Was his paranoia that prominent? Did he truly think that war against the demigods that left was the right thing to do?
"I know. I know." Athena replied in an exhausted tone. She already had to deal with so much regarding Olympus. A potential civil war on top of that made her want to fade in nothingness. "But Zeus thinks the prophecy told to him long ago about his throne being taken over by his own children is finally coming into play. He wants to stop the potential threat before it gets worse."
"But what about the Fates!?"
"They don't even know what the outcome of this conflict will be. Zeus said that Chaos was blocking their sight. So everyone in this pantheon is blind of the possibilities of what will happen if a war does break out."
Annabeth's heart dropped as she began to realize just how bad this situation was. If war broke out between demigods and Gods, the mortal world would be decimated. The question was who would be the last one standing in the middle of that destroyed battlefield? Zeus or Percy?
"So that's why you're building temples. To build up your power for a war against your own children." Annabeth said, dawning on the realization. Athena sighed as she stared out at the camp, wondering if this place would soon turn into a battlefield because of one demigod.
"I hope it doesn't come to that. I truly hope it doesn't."
~LINE BREAK~
"Let's rest here." Percy said, collapsing against a tree as he watched his rouge team of demigods follow his lead. The group was exhausted from all the running they've done the last two days, trying to get as far as they could from the army of cyclops trailing them. From climbing mountains to walking through the plains, they've traveled far and wide throughout Alaska to escape those monsters. The cracks were beginning to show though. Supplies were low with very little food and water left. They were in desperate need to wash the only clothes they had and to take a bath themselves.
As for morale, it was shot. They all felt miserable, tired, weak, you name it! Maybe they shouldn't have done this risky journey. It seemed that nothing was going their way. They couldn't find civilization for more supplies and the places they wanted to settle would always be overrun by monsters. It seemed like fate didn't want them to succeed so what was the point of even trying.
I'm sick of this." Leo muttered as he emptily gazed out at the mountains ahead. The son of Hephaestus was trying his best to think of all the good things this journey could bring but right now his imagination was dim. It felt as if nothing would go in their favor anymore. Make a camp for demigods!? Yeah right. They'd be lucky to even find the supplies and tools to build a camp. And what demigod in their right mind would want to come all the way out here in the middle of nowhere to live.
"Don't say that. You're just tired and not thinking straight." Jason replied to his friend as he searched in his bag for more food for him and Piper to share.
"No, I mean it. I'm tired of this. There's no point. Fate is not on our side nor is anyone else clearly. Running from monsters constantly seems like a way to live to you?"
"We were already doing that before we came here." Jason retorted.
"But at least we had some sort of safety!" Leo yelled. "At least we had the supplies to defend ourselves! At least we had a home to go back to and had others to rely on! What do we have!? Absolutely fucking nothing!" By the end of his rant, the entire group had hung heads as they realized he was right. They used to have all those things and now look at them. Jason, who knew how important morale was in a group, quickly shot up from his seat and confronted Leo.
"We know that goddamnit!" He yelled, spit flying from his mouth. "Trust me we do! Starving with no place to rest and constantly on the run from monsters! I want to give up too but we're already this deep into the journey. There's no way we can give up now."
"Why? So we can just continue to suffer more until we eventually die from starvation or a monster raid." Leo clapped back.
"No, like Percy said, we push on because we're demigods. That's what we do. Everything will work out. We just have to keep moving forward."
"And what if it doesn't work out?"
That question ended their little spat as Jason got silent. What if it doesn't work out? Well, he didn't know. Would he even still be alive in that case to answer that question? Sitting back down against his tree, he felt Piper rub his shoulders as she watched him silently contemplate their problems. Leo huffed in annoyance as he too sat back down, eyeing the group that all had down casted looks on their face. Was Leo right? Should they just give up instead of continuing what seemed like an already failed journey."
"Have any of you had a dream since arriving here?" Percy randomly asked out of the blue, gaining many annoyed and confused looks. Why ask a question like that at a time like this? One by one however, they shook their heads no. Percy nodded in satisfaction. It seemed they were so far away from any godly influence that they weren't able to even have demigod dreams.
"Why?" Nico asked.
"Because Leo said that fate wasn't on our side. But I believe that they're giving us clues to help us."
"What makes you say that?" Leo stubbornly asked, crossing his arms. Percy gave him a reassuring smile as he stood up and walked to the middle of the group.
"Guys, I know." He began. "We're tired, hungry, ill and just sick of constantly fucking walking."
"Damn right we are! Who in their right mind would make a lady such as myself walk so far!" Katie interrupted, earring a few laughs.
"Lady?" Travis asked before being slapped across the face by said lady. Percy smirked at their antics before continuing.
"I know and I'm sorry to put you all through this. It's been a long journey and I hate to say it, but we haven't even scratched the surface of what is to come. We still have a long road ahead of us."
"Percy, what are you trying to say? I'm sure a pep talk isn't what you had in mind?" Piper asked as she rubbed her tired eyes.
"I'll get right to the point then. I think the Fates gave me a clue in the form of a dream when we first arrived here." Percy said, drawing wide eyes in his direction even Leo's. If what he was saying was true, that changed everything! They could actually have a shot at surviving and building a camp.
"How? What'd they show you?" Will eagerly leaned up. Percy shook his head as he tried to remember his dream he had when they first arrived here in Alaska.
"I can't remember most of it but I do remember seeing a valley of sorts with a waterfall and mountains surrounding the area." Percy replied as he scratched his head. Everything else was a blur but he had feeling most of it wasn't good considering how anxious he felt when he woke up. He wouldn't tell the others that though. They already had too much on their plate. They needed to feel reassured and know that they still had a chance.
"So they showed you where we should build our camp." Leo answered, excitement feeding his emotions which was a stark contrast to how he was feeling moments ago. Leave it to Percy Jackson to do that to him.
"That's what I'm thinking but you never know with those old bitches." The son of Poseidon replied with a shrug. He knew that they liked to play tricks and give double meanings. This could be no different which was why he was keeping his hopes low.
"Do you know where that place might be?" Hazel asked in which he shook his head. He only saw the image for a fleeting moment in his dream. He couldn't possibly know where it might be nor have any gut feeling leading him there. It was all up to them to find it. Or die trying.
"I can't promise you that we'll find it. All I can promise you is a chance. We can take that opportunity and continue like we have been doing or we can stop now and return back to camp. We'll be in deep shit, but we will be alive…I think." Percy said, giving them the option of returning back to New York. He didn't want his friends to feel like they were stuck or trapped. If they wanted to leave, he wouldn't stop them from doing so. He wasn't like Zeus or the other Gods making people serve them. They had their own free will and could choose to do whatever they wanted with it. Judging by the looks on his friends' faces though, it seemed that knew their answer.
"Fuck that! Travis yelled.
"I'm not going back. Do you know how embarrassing that would be?" Piper joined in.
"New Rome wouldn't even let me into the tunnel." Jason groaned with Hazel and Frank nodding in agreement. Percy smiled at their renewed vigor. It seems they will push on into uncharted territory, hoping to build a new life for themselves. The son of Poseidon looked over at Leo who still had an hesitant look.
"Leo. What do you say?" He asked his friend. Sighing, the son of Hephaestus scratched the back of his head.
"This is fucking crazy. You know that." He replied, looking up at the taller demigod.
"Wouldn't be a journey to tell without a little bit of craziness." Percy replied earnestly. Leo groaned but nodded his head. He wouldn't want to be the only one left behind. He didn't even know how to navigate back through these damn forests anyway.
"Alright. I'm in. But can we please go get some damn food. I'm starving over here." He said, earning some laughs. Percy slugged his arm over his shoulder as he ordered his group to pack up their things.
"You got it bud. How about some fish?"
"Dude, I want a burger."
"Sure. I'm sure there's a McDonald's in this tundra somewhere?" Percy said sarcastically as he mockingly looked out towards the miles upon miles of empty hills.