To the most recent guest review let me state that I don't care if you hate the story. You're free to leave and I wouldn't care in the slightest. However, when you start spouting dumbass opinions and try to tell me how my version of the characters should be, that's when I get annoyed. You clearly didn't understand that when I last wrote a A/N. So with kind regards, go fuck yourself :)
"Perseverance is key to success"
"Another day, another disappointing reality check." Connor sighed, throwing a small twig into the blazing fire in front of him. There was a pathetic murmur of agreement from the others as they silently gazed up at the embers from the fire flying off into the night sky. It had been three days since the night where Artemis and her hunters had rescued them. Three days since the death of their friend, Hazel. Three days of endless walking with no sight of the valley Percy saw in his dream.
They had walked through treacherous mountains and rocky slopes that with the slightest error sent them tumbling downhill. They walked through seemingly endless forest with trees that towered over them. And they walked through the plains where nothing besides grass grew. It was a beautiful yet exhausting experience of exploring Alaska's terrain. The group of both demigods and hunters were beginning to tire though. They could only travel so far until their patience began to wear thin. It didn't help that supplies were beginning to dwindle. They would soon have to resort to rationing if they didn't find a town soon.
"I know. It seems like every day we're just walking and walking with no end in sight." Leo grumpily responded to his friend, stroking the fire to keep it ablaze. The son of Hephaestus looked to his left over at the hunters who had their own fire going. Judging by the looks on their faces, they too were beginning to tire from the expedition. He couldn't blame them. They all have lost something or someone during this trip.
"Guys, we can't think like that. We just gotta keep on pushing." Jason drew Leo's attention back to their own little circle. He almost rolled his eyes at that statement. How many times has he heard that over and over again? "Keep on pushing" "Have a positive outlook" He was getting sick of hearing it. And he was tired of walking, seemingly looking for a place that probably didn't exist. There was only so much he could handle before something popped loose. Whether it be his patience or sanity, that was yet to be known.
"You sound like Percy saying that crap. Jason, can we just for one day wallow in our feelings. I'm tired of holding onto this false hope." He replied back to the son of Jupiter.
"No, you can't. Because that'll lead to a lack of motivation. And a lack of motivation will surely lead to death in this place." Jason responded, gesturing to all the mountains and woods surrounding them where who knows what animal or monster awaited them. He looked around at his friend's downcasted faces, the hope and enthusiasm nowhere to be seen on their features. He couldn't blame them. Even he was starting to feel that way, but he was doing his best to hold on. Not just for them but for Hazel as well. He couldn't let her death be in vain. He wouldn't let that happen.
"Speaking of Percy. Where's that fucker even at?" Nico asked, looking around for his cousin. Last he remembered he was talking to Artemis in her tent. He faintly remembered seeing them walk into the woods together after that, but they haven't been back since. He knew Artemis wouldn't try anything like capturing him and taking him back to Olympus. She was too weak thanks to Alaska's influence over the Gods, but it still worried him. She was still a Goddess who had years of experience and could easily take on a demigod even without most of her powers.
"Dunno. But let them be. Maybe they're out scouting or something." Thalia answered Nico's question while sitting down next to her brother. The group continued to converse about the uncertainty of their journey, trying their best to keep their spirits alive. Meanwhile, deep in the woods probably ten miles away from the campsite, Percy and Artemis were hidden in the darkness provided by the forest surrounding them. The two sat quietly in the trees while overlooking something they definitely didn't expect to see.
"How many you think?" Percy whispered to his left, not taking his eyes off the awe-inspiring sight laid before him.
"At least three hundred. Maybe four." The Goddess replied, losing count of all the brightly lit torches that littered the monster campsite. She nor Percy didn't expect to come across this when they had agreed to go scout ahead before morning. The only reason they went out in the first place was because the demigod had claimed he had faintly felt a water source nearby and wanted to check it out. He had hoped it was maybe the waterfall he had seen in his dream.
"That's too many even for us." Artemis tried to reason with the son of Poseidon. There was no way in hell they could take on all these monsters without losing a couple of demigods or hunters. She didn't want to take that risk. They had already lost six people. They couldn't afford to lose anymore. Not to mention that supplies were running low. The girls only had a few arrows left, not enough to take on an army of this size.
"We have to, Artemis. Look around you. This is it! This is the place I saw in my dream." Percy fervently whispered, gesturing to the landscape around them. A valley surrounded by mountains, a waterfall cascading down a rocky slope, a green pasture, she could see it all even through the darkness that blanketed the landscape. Indeed, this was the place, but it was too risky. The army of monsters was just too large and at any moment could catch wind of their scent. If that were to happen, then they would be on the run once more through the mountains. It was a lose-lose situation whichever way you looked at it.
"I know that, but you can't possibly believe we can take on that army! We'll be exhausted before we even put a dent in their ranks if we choose to fight. And it's not like I can use my powers to obliterate them. I'm still too weak thanks to this godsforsaken place!" Artemis replied, outstretching her hands that felt so weak. She couldn't wait to get out of this place that made her feel so…vulnerable, something she hadn't felt in a long time.
"We can figure something out. I know we can." Percy said, looking around for something that could help them, but nothing was coming to mind. Artemis was right in that regard. There was no way they could fight all those monsters with such few numbers. They'd be destroyed before they had a chance to put up a fight.
"For now though, we need to head back and let the others know. Maybe they can think of something." He said before quietly disappearing into the woods. Artemis followed before eventually the light from the campsite completely disappeared. It took around an hour and a half for them to reappear back at their campsite where the others were still sitting around the fire, silently resting as they awaited for their leader's return.
"Hades! Oh, it's just you two." Jason jumped to his feet with sword in hand but quickly relaxed seeing it was only Percy and Artemis. He hated to get snuck up on like that, having a few bad experiences with being blindsided. The two newcomers sat down next to the fire as everyone crowded around them, eager to know what the two had seen while out scouting.
Well?" Katie was the first to ask. Percy was silent, giving the air an almost dramatic feeling, which caused everyone to eagerly lean in closer. Finally, he gave an answer that everyone had been wanting since the very beginning of this journey.
"We found it."
Immediately, there was an uproar of cheers, mainly from the demigods, as they all clapped and hugged each other. They had finally done it! They persevered for so long and now fate was awarding their sacrifices!
"No fucking shot! Are you for real, Perce?" Will asked with a huge smile across his face. If he was for real, then now things could start to get rolling. They could finally start building a new camp for demigods and he could finally accomplish his dream of running his own hospital.
"Yes, it's true. We saw it with our own eyes." Artemis responded to her nephew as she chewed on a protein bar that Thalia had handed her. With her powers drained and a fight against a monster army most likely on the horizon, she needed all the strength and energy she could get.
"There's a problem though." Percy continued, which drew all eyes back to him. The way his tone and demeanor changed meant that whatever he was about to say next wasn't good news. "There's monsters surrounding the place, specifically in the valley." He said, which caused the group to initially wave off his concern.
"C'mon, Percy. We can handle a few monsters. So, what are they? Some harpies? Or a few Dracaena?" Leo asked with all the confidence in the world. Now that they had found the location the Fates had shown them, his spirits were sky high. They could take them on. They had to if they wanted to have success in this journey. And not to mention the need for revenge they felt for Hazel's death. They would make them all pay for the suffering they caused. But his along with the rest of the group's bravado quickly diminished when Percy gave his answer.
"Try like three to four hundred."
Silence enveloped the area as both parties tried to comprehend what Percy had just told them. Three to four hundred monsters all in one area!? What the actual fuck! Was Kronos resurrected or something? Monsters never convened to that size unless they had a strong central figure like Kronos leading them.
"W-What!?" Katie was the first to voice her concern, almost not believing what Percy had said. Instead, to her dismay, the son of Poseidon only nodded his head to confirm that he was indeed telling the truth.
"Well…that's ok. We got Artemis and the hunters to help us out, right!?" Travis was next to speak while throwing his arm around a hunter. Immediately, he yelped in pain as the girl violently twisted it, almost breaking his arm. "See! Viscous as ever and ready to fight!" He said, backing away.
"It's not that simple. I'm down to the last bit of my power and our supplies are running low." Artemis answered, shaking her head as she looked to her girls. "And why should I risk my hunters? This is your battle not ours."
"But you agreed-"
"I only agreed to help you search for the place Perseus saw in his dream! Not fight an army the size of which Kronos had two years ago." She interrupted, her eyes glowing a harsh silver. Once again, silence fell over the group as they began to rethink their options. If there truly was an army of that size just down the road from them, then what chance did they have to succeed in defeating them. There was only so much they could do. But then again, it was the place that the Fates had shown Percy. There surely had to be a way to win if even the three sisters were giving them clues.
"My lady, that's being a little too harsh. We've come all this way, mise well finish the job." Thalia said, looking over at her immortal half-sister with concern in her eyes. Although she was worried herself taking on such a large number of monsters, she couldn't just leave her brother and cousins behind. It would eat at her heart if she left them to deal with it themselves, knowing that she could've helped. The Goddess wasn't listening however as she crossed her arms defiantly.
"I've kept my end of the deal in helping you here, but I can't risk losing any more of my hunters. You understand, Perseus?"
The man in question only nodded his head in reply which was good enough for her. Standing up, she announced to her girls that they would be leaving at daybreak and finally heading back home now that their mission was accomplished. The demigods could only watch in a mix of emotions as the hunters went back to their tents for the night, leaving them sitting by the fire in silence.
"Well…What now?" Jason asked aloud, leaning back against a log. His facial features looked as if they aged by twenty years. The stress was eating at all of them and now it was even worse that they didn't have the hunters. Percy knew that the odds were now lower than they were before, but he was still trying to think of ways to defeat that army in the valley. They couldn't give up now in the face of defeat. They had come too far and had lost too much to simply give up. Standing up suddenly, the group watched as the son of Poseidon broke off a branch from the tree before bringing it over to them. Drawing in the dirt next to the fire, they watched as he formatted the entirety of the valley that he had come across earlier.
"This is the valley where the monsters are currently at." He said, drawing dots in the middle to symbolize the army. "These are the mountains and slopes that surround the valley and here is the waterfall that eventually turns into a river right in the middle of it."
The group of friends all silently watched as Percy worked his magic until eventually, they had a makeshift war-map laid before them. Now, all there was to do was to formulate a plan to wipe out the monsters in the center.
"We need to figure out a way to use the terrain to our advantage to take out the army. That's going to be our only chance at having a shot to win this battle since our numbers are so low." He concluded as he looked up to the gang for ideas. Jason, who was next in line with the most experience at coming up with a plan, took the stick from Percy as he pointed at the mountains that surrounded the valley.
"Did you see any large boulders or rocks sitting at the cliff side?" He asked in which his cousin nodded his head.
"Yeah, tons of 'em." Percy answered.
"And were the monsters situated near the water?"
"Yeah."
"What about trees in the valley? Were there any?" Once again Percy nodded in affirmation although confused as to where the son of Jupiter was going with this. He wasn't following along exactly. He knew what Jason was suggesting with the rocks on the cliff side but why did the water and the trees in the valley matter? That's what he didn't understand.
"Jason, get to the point. You know I can't follow along with plans well." Leo complained while stretching his legs out. They were all beginning to tire as it was getting late out, and they all desperately needed sleep if they were to take on this army.
"Alright. Alright. So, what I'm thinking is we attack at night. First, we'll light the trees in the valley on fire. Hopefully, that'll draw the monsters' attention and get them to use the river to put it out. While they're all piled up trying to get water, we'll push the boulders on the cliff down onto them. It won't take out most of them, but it'll be a start. Then Percy and I will use our powers to bog the ground, make it harder for them to move. That's where bows come in hand. While they're bogged down, we'll rain down arrows to lighten up the numbers-"
"And once the numbers are taken care of, it's all easy pickens from there. I like it Jason, good thinking." Percy clapped him on the back.
"How would we even get bows? Piper asked. Jason's eyes glanced over at Artemis's tent which made Piper's mouth form an O in understanding.
"But they're running low on arrows. How would we get those?"
"We'll make them from the trees and stones. It'll be a lot of work but it's all we got." He replied. The group contemplated the plan before one by one agreeing with it. It was worth a shot because it was all they got. If they failed, then that's the end of the journey and they'll either end up dead or going back to Olympus and stand trial.
"Let's add some more twist to this plan." Nico was the next to speak, the fire reflected across his bruised, smiling face making him look just like his father. The group could feel their spines tingle as they wondered what sick ideas the son of Hades could come up with. And so, the group continued to converse and brainstorm more ideas for their upcoming battle for almost an hour until they noticed that some of them had passed out from exhaustion. Percy was almost on the brink too, so he decided to wrap up this little meeting of theirs.
"I like it. We got the plan down so memorize it. We only got one shot. We'll get the bows from Artemis before she leaves tomorrow. Then two days from now we attack, so prepare yourselves." Percy said before standing up and going to their tent for some much-needed sleep. Even though he was anxious about the upcoming events, he somewhat felt calm. Maybe it was because they had finally found the place in his dream and the anxiety of never finding it dissipated or maybe it was because he was about to fight, something in which he had been doing for years. He hated to admit it but fighting had always calmed him or more accurately put him in a trance of sorts where nothing else mattered besides swinging his sword.
"I'll be doing that a lot here in a couple days." His final thought was before his head hit the pillow and immediately passed out.
Line Break
"You be safe, kelp-for-brains." Thalia said, hugging him one last time before she and the rest of the hunters departed.
"You know me. I'll probably be at death's door before you even get out of Alaska." Percy responded, hugging her back just as hard.
"Probably." The daughter of Zeus laughed before releasing her hold, giving one last wave before beginning to walk away. Percy watched her walk to the rest of the hunters, idly wondering when he would see her again. He supposed it wouldn't be for a long time considering just how remote and far out they were from any semblance of civilization. And considering he was now labeled an enemy of Olympus; he had a feeling he wouldn't be stopping by in the mainland U.S to have a chat.
"Eyeing up one of my hunters, Jackson." A stern voice spoke out from behind him. Turning around, the son of Poseidon was met with the silver gaze of Artemis staring directly into his soul. A long time that look would have scared him out of his mind but now it had no effect whatsoever. Guess he could thank Tartarus for that.
"Do you honestly believe I would take the chance to flirt with your hunters with all that's gone down? I'm already an enemy of most of the Olympians. I certainly don't want to be one with you, one of my only allies."
"Smart man." Artemis replied, clapping him on the back. "Well, you got our bows, and you got a game plan. So, what now?"
"Prepare for tomorrow. That's all we can do." He replied, already feeling the anxiety pulsing through his veins. He really wished the hunters would stay and help but Artemis was right. This was their fight, not hers. There was no need to risk more lives especially since their supplies were already so low. The Fates gave them a clue on how to succeed in this journey and now it was up to them to accomplish it.
"Jackson. You're the strongest demigod I've ever witnessed in all my years of existence. If there's anyone that can defeat that army in the valley, it's you. I know you want my help but sadly I can't deliver that and I'm sorry for that."
"Stop, my Lady. You've done more than enough for us. If it weren't for you and your hunters, we would've died the night Ares found us. And even though you can't help, I understand. All I can say is thank you for helping us out." Percy interrupted, stretching out his hand. Artemis looked down at it for a second before returning the gesture, shaking hands with the son of Poseidon. Behind them, the group of demigods voiced their thanks to Artemis and her hunters, waving at them as they disappeared through the trees.
"Best of luck, Perseus. May Fate be your favor." Artemis said before quickly running off into the woods, disappearing with the rest of her group, leaving the demigods standing there in silence as they realized they were on their own once again. Percy was the first to break as he walked back to his log and began to make arrows.
"Guys, let's get this done." Was the only thing the son of Poseidon said as he sharpened the small piece of wood. The group of friends didn't say a word as they prepared for their upcoming fight. Sharpening swords, making arrows, preparing makeshift bombs. That was the only sound that could be heard coming from their camp as they silently worked. And even though they were nervous for the next day, not once did they think of running away. The need for revenge of Hazel's death and the need to take land that was rightfully theirs overpowered their fear and anxiety. Frank especially felt this way as he sharpened his sword, his fingers beginning to bleed from the excessive amount of force he was putting on them. But he didn't flinch nor even blink. He was too locked in thinking about all the terrible things he would do to these monsters. He would make them pay, one by one until they were all back in hell, the place they belonged.
And so this was what the group of demigods did until night overtook the sky above them, signaling the end of the day. Safely putting away their supplies, the demigods went into their tent as they all prepared to rest. Some immediately went to sleep, some ate a light dinner, and some took a shower. They did whatever they could to keep their mind active and not think about what was to come. The atmosphere certainly felt like one of impending doom. It felt like they were a small, sacrificial army being sent to fight a much larger enemy to try to hold them back for as long as possible. Almost like the Spartans against the Persians all those years ago.
"You ready for tomorrow?" Jason asked from his side. Looking over, he could see the son of Jupiter fidgeting with his golden coin as he idly twirled it in between his fingers. Truth be told, he was nervous for this upcoming battle. Not because he was afraid to fight or die but he was for his friends. He's already lost too many to count, and he would like to not expand that list.
"Yeah. I am." Percy responded, which wasn't a response Jason had expected. Noticing his cousin's look of astonishment, he continued.
"I'm ready for us to start a new chapter in our lives. And if we are to do that then we must get this job done. No matter how hard it is, we must succeed. We can't be second-guessing ourselves when we're out there fighting, Jason. That'll only lead to failure and our deaths."
"You think we can do it?" Leo asked from his bed across the room.
"Absolutely." The son of Poseidon replied. "With our combined strength and the strategy, we put in place, we can do this without losing a single person."
Everyone took his words in silently as they tried their best to relax. Seeing that no one wanted to talk anymore, Percy elected to sit back and try his best to fall asleep. Somehow, he was able to without even needing to sit for an hour. Once his head hit that pillow it was lights out. Sadly, however, with demigod sleep comes demigod dreams.
Opening his eyes, he was greeted with the streets of Olympus. Unlike his last dream of the place, Olympus wasn't burning. In fact, it looked to be in better shape than ever. Pristine golden streets, beautiful, big temples and pure, fresh air. It was paradise to just be standing there in the street taking it all in. Percy didn't have time to experience the beauty of heaven on Earth however as he was harshly dragged by an unseen force towards the throne room. Closing in at darting speeds, he could hear voices behind the grand doors get louder and louder. Phasing through them, Percy was greeted with the sight of the Olympians, except Artemis who was still in Alaska he presumed, sitting on their thrones in all their glory. Something was different about them, however. The power in the air seemed more…dense? Almost as if the Gods's aura had grown stronger. He was amazed that he could feel it even through a dream. He couldn't imagine what it must feel like if he were to be there in person.
"We must prepare for the next step!" Zeus yelled, which drew Percy's attention away from his thoughts. Looking closer at the immortals, he could notice that it wasn't just their aura that had changed. It was also their physical appearance. It seemed they had all gotten younger. Even Zues who no longer sported a long grey beard and hair. Instead, he appeared to be in his early thirties with long, shiny black hair and a trimmed beard the same color. Looking over at his father, Percy was amazed and slightly shocked at just how similar the two of them looked. If he were just to age a couple more years and grow a stubble, then he would be an identical image of the sea God. He was always told throughout the years that he looked just like his father, but he never expected it to be this similar.
"And what next step do you refer to, father? The temples are already completed. The demigods pray to us every day now. Our power is restored." Athena asked.
"All those things are good, but it isn't enough. I want Olympus back in its glory days. And that means I also want the camps back in their glory days. I've already ordered Dionysus to let the satyrs search for any remaining demigods throughout the world."
"Yes, thanks for that. Now I gotta deal with countless more vermin running throughout the camp. Do you know how packed it is now since you've made it to where they can't leave? I can't even play a game of poker in peace without having one of those buggers coming up to me." The God of wine replied with a groan.
"How many would you say are at the two camps now?"
"I know Camp Half-Blood has over a thousand now. With Camp Jupiter, the legion has accumulated to a thousand as well. With the way things are going it seems the Romans are about to have to make a second legion."
Percy's heart pounded heavily as he tried to take the information in. A thousand in each camp!? How was that even possible? Camp wasn't big enough to house that many demigods. New Rome was a different story but Camp Half-Blood? No way.
"Good. Our numbers will only continue to grow larger." Zeus replied with a smirk plastered on his face. "And since that's going to be the case I want both camps to expand their borders and continue construction for housing and other things like that."
"It shall be done." Athena said, already knowing that she would be put in charge of this endeavor. With the help of her children, this shouldn't take long at all.
"And what of the demigods already at camp? Are they being trained and provided with supplies?"
"Per your orders, I've already arranged to have some of my elder sons train the demigods. By the time this war kicks underway, they'll be well armed and prepared to take on Perseus." Ares replied, electing to ignore the deadly glare coming his way from Poseidon. The Sea God wanted to respond, saying that his son did not want a war, but it seemed his words fell on deaf ears. No matter how many times he says it, Zeus simply wouldn't believe that Percy didn't want to go to war. Maybe it's because he wants to get rid of the demigod before he becomes too much of a threat or maybe it's because he thinks Poseidon is using Percy to avoid the fact that Atlantis might be preparing their own attack.
"And the first batch of supplies have already been delivered to both camps. There'll soon be more next month." Hephaestus was the next to respond, making Zeus nod in satisfaction. By now Percy's eyes were the size of a bowling ball. Supplies? Expand camp? Training? Gods, Zeus was actually treating this seriously! He actually thought he was trying to amass an army to take out Olympus! That thought was absurd in its own right, but this is just fucking crazy! He wondered if the demigods at the two camps knew what they were training for. If they knew why they were getting all those supplies and expanding camp. He was sure the more experienced demigods might have an idea but even then, did they have any say if they wanted to go to war again. Especially against one of their own.
Annabeth must be super busy under all that pressure to get camp organized and ready. Not to mention the expansion of camp. Did she know that Zeus wanted to go to war against him? Surely not because even though she didn't come with him to Alaska, she didn't want to be on the opposite side of the battlefield against her friends. Could the same thing be said though for the younger demigods who perhaps didn't know of them? That's what worried him greatly. If things continued to escalate like this, then there would truly be a civil war on their hands.
A clap of thunder signaling the end of the council meeting broke his train of thought as he looked back up to notice that all of the Olympians had flashed away. Now all that remained was the eerily sound of silence and the occasional crackle from the hearth.
"Amazing isn't it that my brother is so paranoid of you yet didn't even feel your presence right under his nose." A soft voice of a woman said to his left. Turning, the demigod was greeted by the sight of Hestia crouching down by the hearth, idly shifting the fire with her stick. Immediately he felt more relaxed in the presence of the Goddess as he walked over to her, the warmth of the fire softly embracing his body.
"How do you know I'm here?" He asked Hestia, sitting down next to her.
"If you're trying to speak, it's no use. I can't see or hear you. The only reason I'm even able to feel your presence is because you are close to my domain of the hearth." The Goddess responded without looking up from the fire. He slowly nodded his head at her words as he took a closer look at her. Her body was pale and hunched over. The fire in her eyes wasn't as bright the last time he had seen her. And her mood wasn't as cheerful as it used to be. To be frank, this sight of Hestia scared him more than anything else. She was always so cheerful and hopeful. To see her like this clenched his heart.
"You must be wondering why I look like this." She asked him, sensing his gaze. "It's because of you."
"M-Me!?"
"You. Zeus. Poseidon. The demigods. All of us." She continued. "We're all interconnected in some way and when things start to escalate to the point of war, it reflects back to me. Your feelings, emotions, the fighting, the deaths. All of it I feel."
"Because it's family against one another. Brother against brother. Sister against sister. You're the Goddess of family and when something like a civil war breaks out, your domain gets interrupted." Percy answered more to himself than to her, finally realizing just how rough Hestia must've had it these past weeks. She always cared about her family and to see it on the brink of falling apart…who knew just how badly she was feeling. Hestia, who didn't know Percy was mentally conversing with himself, let a lone tear streak down her face.
"Perseus...Please, whatever you do, don't provoke Zeus any further. If a civil war between our family were to break out it could spell the end of our world. Countless deaths, ruined landscapes, the untold damage that would incur would be unfathomable. The only way to stop this is for you to avoid Zeus and the others that want to destroy you at all costs." She said, already shivering at the thought of all the deaths of her family. The streets paved red with blood, homes destroyed, Olympus in ruins, she could see it all.
"But how can I avoid him!? He sent Ares after me! He even killed my friend!" Percy let an outburst of emotion rush out of him. It was easy for Hestia to say that but she didn't know what was happening out there in Alaska. She didn't know the pain and fear they had to go through to be where they are now. To say avoid Zeus is easier said than done when he sent search parties out for their blood.
"I realize that's a difficult request considering he sent Ares after you all. Perhaps it is already too late in avoiding this war considering what you did to Ares." Hestia continued, remembering the mangled form of Ares that limped into the throne room screaming that Perseus did that to him. She realized that Ares nor Zeus wouldn't simply give up their pursuit of killing Perseus. And after what he did to Ares, there could be a case of saying that the demigod was too powerful to be left alive. If he were to grow even stronger, Olympian rule could legitimately be under threat.
She felt bad thinking that and even worse when she realized just who she was referring to. Perseus was perhaps the most loyal demigod out there who didn't crave power unlike most of her family. He cared little for it and really only cared for the well-being of his friends and family. But there was only so much he could take until he snapped. Until the dam broke and he swung back at all the punches coming his way. If that happens then all is loss of any hope of a war not breaking out.
"Lady Hestia, I hear what you're saying but I can't simply avoid Zeus. He'll do whatever he can to find me. And I can't just run away from helping my friends at camp if you can even call it that anymore. The forced prayers, the forced training, having to stay there year-round now, it's insane! It's more like a prison than a camp!" He exclaimed, remembering what was spoken during the council meeting. It really sounded like they were ramping up for war! But as he continued to think about all that was going on back home, he couldn't help but be thankful for this dream. Now that he knew just how bad things were there, he can start to help demigods escape the eyes of Olympus and bring them to Alaska where they don't have to worry about being forced in a war. That thought alone pushed his determination further. But first there was one last thing they had to do in order to achieve that goal.
"I'm sorry, Lady Hestia." He said while forcing himself out of the dream to awake himself. If he is to bring the demigods peace, then it all relied on taking the valley for themselves.
"But I'm going to do everything in my power to protect the demigods. That has and always will be my number one priority."
Hestia only continued to stare into the fire with a somber look. After he had said those words, the fire seemed to dim even further, only producing a little bit of light left. Percy closed his eyes as he felt his body begin to awake. It seemed it was time. Time for them to take their new home. He felt a mix of emotions race through him at that prospect but the one above all was hope. Ironic considering that the Goddess of hope didn't have much of that left. Before he fully awakened, however, he heard one last message from the Goddess still watching the fire. What she said shook him to his very core.
"Then it is war."