Imagine if I just randomly inserted patriotic Kaiserreich stuff Ort Napoleonic chants into the story lol
Back to serious stuff, Story reviews and comments are greatly appreciated, helps me know how you guys actually see the story and how to improve it. Guest readers and all other people who read this, don't be afraid to leave a review-it helps, even if you don't wish to follow or favorite (which you don't have to)
Anyway, enjoy the story.
One way or the other, she was going to get her Persia back.
And then everything would be okay again.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Artemis, wet and battered, lowered her head as she walked into the oncoming wind.
Rainwater fell in sheets, and the winds buffed and slammed against her, nearly tossing the goddess off balance. Behind her, her hunters were huddled together, trudging forwards in a group against the wind and rain.
"Milady! Do you know what's causing this?" Thalia yelled out as hailstones began falling all around them. Hunters shrieked and yelled, desperately rushing towards cover as the chunks of ice pelted their bodies.
"I don't know, it doesn't seem like father though!" She yelled back through the howling wind. Somehow, it felt like the storm was gaining strength, and the combined efforts of both daughters of Zeus were unable to halt the storm.
"It isn't! This is out of my control!" Thalia yelled back as a hailstone narrowly missed her head. Slapping her bracelet, her aegis shield spun out in a spiral motion and blocked some of the incoming hailstones. The younger hunters ducked under the shield and huddled with Thalia as they slowly moved towards cover.
The rain fell even harder now, pelting the group of immortals with stinging water droplets. Lightning crackled and flashed, nearly hitting the group of immortal maidens. Still, they forged on, powering through the he storm.
Anything for Persia, Artemis chanted in her mind, anything for Persia.
Powering through an especially powerful gust of wind, she placed one foot in front of her other, her body tilted to reserve balance. The ground turned into slushy mud beneath her, pushing against and washing over her combat boots as swathes of ground were pushed by the wind. Behind, her, she could hear hunters slipping and sliding, their wet bodies smacking audibly against the muddy soil.
Next to her, Zoë stumbled and fell. Quickly, she stabbed her hunting knives into the ground, holding herself in place, before getting onto her feet again.
"Zoë? Are you alright!" Artemis yelled over the wind, and Zoë paused for a second to digest what she heard before nodding her head firmly. "Do not worry Milady!" She yelled back, "I'm good!"
Gritting her teeth, Artemis pushed against the winds, struggling to reach the tree line that was just a few hundred meters away. Once inside, at least the girls would be safe from the winds and rain.
Well, maybe not rain.
Still, as she pushed against the foul weather, throughly drenched, one thought popped into her head.
What is Persia doing now?
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Persia knew she, Annie and Piper, the recently rescued daughter of Aphrodite, were in deep shit when they ran into the storm.
And she meant deep shit.
The sunny, cloudless sky had shifted in mere minutes into a cloudy, dark sky. Thunder rumbled in the still air and lightning flashed, illuminating the dim streets. Everyone looked up uneasily at the sky, baffled by the sudden weather change. Some ducked into malls, while others like the trio walked at a brisk pace.
Then the rain fell.
Fat, cold droplets began raining down on the trio as mortals nearby scrambled for cover. She cursed as the other two demigoddesses instinctively ducked and wiped rain out of their eyes. "Fuck!" She cursed, a drop of sweat rolling down her forehead as she forced the water to part in front of them. It was already taking a toll, but luckily both demigoddesses understood what she was doing and didn't break her concentration. Silently walking forwards, they strolled down the street, her breaths getting more and more laboured and hard as she concentrated on parting every single raindrop that came flying at them.
Soon, the win began pushing against them. The other two girls didn't have much trouble pushing against the wind when it was…well, just on it's own, but she nearly collapsed, straining against both wind and water as she felt her concentration slip.
"Just a bit more to the bus stop," she grunted, "just…a…bit…more."
Her knees were turning to jelly, her vision getting hazier by the minute. Whatever was controlling this storm was definitely doing it to target her and her demigoddesses. A worried Annie noticed her struggles, and she tugged at Piper's sleeve. Both of them stopped, and Annie gestured to her worryingly.
"Valerie." Pipers voice cut through the howling wind, "do you need us to find shelter?"
"Y-yes." Her breathing was laboured, and she couldn't even move without risking herself collapsing onto the ground. Sweat poured down her brow, and it felt annoying to know that she couldn't even use her powers to a great extent.
Months, hell, weeks ago, controlling water was as easy as wiggling her pinkie. Now, it took every ounce of concentration to do it, and even then she felt like she was being held back. This was already way beyond her limits, stretching her internal power locks beyond their maximum capacity.
Oh yep-her power was being limited.
She didn't know what was going on other than being able to feel like a part of her was being locked away. That, unfortunately, included her powers.
Straining against the unrelenting rain and wind, she felt her control over the storm slip. Barely able to get a warning out, her invisible shield that parted the rain finally broke, and she was instantly knocked on her back, muscles screaming as her vision swam.
"Valerie! VALERIE!"
Great. Even Annie's voice sounded far away and echoey. Just what she needed.
Struggling onto her knees, her hair blown back by the wind and pelted by the sleet, she ssomehow staggered over to the alleyway the other two were using as a shelter, before promptly collapsing onto the gravel.
"Shit, Valerie! Hang in there, you-oh fuck, she's burning up."
"No..shit." She managed to rasp out, and piper shot her a stern glare. "Shut it you idiot, you don't get to talk after stretching yourself way beyond your limit. You should've warned us, Valerie." Both concerned girls knelt besides her, one pouring the contents of her water canteen over her face.
The last thing she felt was the cool caressing of the water on her skin before her vision gave out and went black.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Three figures sat at a bench in an otherwise empty white space, knitting away.
"Interesting," one of them said, feeling her pocket heat up. Rummaging around, she pulled out a small ball with hints of fiery orange, silver and sea green swirling within, which immediately expanded into a large ball of yarn.
The surprising thing was the ball was glowing in an ethereal fiery golden aura.
"She's straining against her seals." Another spoke up.
"Indeed she is. She will not break them though-"
"She very well can. Remember, we didn't account for the night's blessing when she returned."
"Night is under our jurisdiction-"
"Primordials are out of the question, Athropos."
The three figures stared intently at the glowing ball of yarn. "It's getting hot," the one holding the ball of yarn said. "Really hot."
The other two figures seemingly shifted to worry, creases appearing at the corners of their eyes and foreheads.
"Is it possible?"
"Not…likely. But this child has never been firmly in our grasp. If she were to serve her purpose and fall out of our jurisdiction…"
"All will fall to chaos. This planet, us, everything would cease to exist."
The ball of yarn glowed brighter still, before with a final flash, the glow faded and the yarn returned to normal.
"That-that was too close for comfort."
"Indeed it was."
"You two, of all beings that exist, should have been prepared." One of them snapped, "she is known for defying our will. I suggest we cut her string-" they said as they pulled out a pair of shining silvery scissors.
"No." The other two immediately said, "Lady Ananke and grandmother chose her for a reason."
"But she is too great of a risk! If she awakens her true power too soon, if she is driven by the wrong choice-"
"Which is why we should issue a new prophecy to warn the gods. Persia faces many more challenges to come, and if she finally blows from one wrong choice, or because Zeus decides she's his next playtoy, what we've worked on for centuries would be fruitless."
"Yet, the ending of this tapestry could be a new beginning." A new voice said, and the three figures immediately stood.
"Lady Chaos."
"Yes, it is me, so sit down. Let me ask you something-you've knitted this taspery for millennia, yet I know you weren't able to weave anything past a certain point which is rapidly approaching by the second. Pray tell, why is that?"
The three figures glanced at each other, before they sighed. "We do not know," they answered as one.
"Well, let me tell you why. When this tapestry finally ends, it will be when she makes her choice, to preserve or begin anew. This is why Ananke and I chose her, as she is powerful, yet hidden by you, and serves a far greater purpose. This will be a time where everything can continue as it is, or everything can start with a blank slate. All of the gods, you three, removed, replaced by those who have suffered under your hands, your directions." The newly named Lady Chaos said, her voice turning venomous near the end.
"We-but-we are the fates. We lead everyone to their fate, we maintain peace and order-"
"And tell me, how many have died to maintain peace and order? How many have suffered to maintain your visions? How many have simply ceased to exist because you decreed it, so your Tapestry may continue?"
"My lady-"
"You have abused your power, your hold over fate, for far too long. This is your final warning-not by me, by her. If you don't change, if you keep putting heroes, mortals, demigods through unnecessary suffering, you will soon be judged by me in my realm. Do not take this as an idle threat. Let fate run its course, as it was meant to be."
"But fate isn't supposed to be free! Someone has to guide it, someone has to handle it, otherwise this world would have-"
"I must admit, you three are stubborn. There is a reason why the strings of fate and the sands of time flow in every direction from everything and everyone. You have, however, twisted and manipulated fate. Some events were not meant to be. Take, for example, that fateful quest where two huntresses died, while she could do nothing but watch. You single handedly altered everything by changing everyone's fate for the worse. Now, those events are coming back to bite you three on your rears. You will cease to be if you do not learn. It was not the nature of fate to be manipulated, guided, planned and controlled by a single thread. Your predecessor, the titaness Phoebe, knew that. So, consider this as your last chance."
The three immortal beings bowed their heads as Chaos spoke once again.
"All Primordials except Gaia stand on the sidelines. As the creator, I too will not intervene, as always. A word of advice to you three stubborn beings, do not attempt to sway her choice. The more you do, the quicker you fall. Now shoo, and go knit your beloved socks when you still have the chance."
With that, the three figures remained in solitude once again as Lady Chaos disappeared, as if she hadn't been there at all.
They looked at each other, fear evident in their eyes, before one spoke.
"We must issue a new prophecy."
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Artemis was glad the rain finally subdued.
Her hunters were drenched, miserable and battered. Some were knocked unconscious by the sheer velocity of the hailstones that rained down onto them. Most sported bruises on their bodies.
The minor clearing behind them resembled a Warzone. The lush green grass that covered the clearing was nowhere to be seen, muddle soil and hand-buried hailstones instead took it's place. Her sisters in arms were battered and bruised, muddy parkas and pants seen everywhere.
The clearing sky was beginning to dim, and Artemis knew that her counterpart would soon be up.
"Girls, set up camp here for tonight! We'll move out in the morning!"
A chorus of "Yes"s and "Milady"s rang through the air, before hunters broke off in pairs to set up their tents. Some of the older hunters marched off the the sides of the growing circle of silver tents to keep watch, while younger hunters set up camp and ducked inside, exhausted beyond belief and covered in mud and melting ice.
Of course, at the worst possible moment, thunder rubbed and a web of lightning spread across the clearing sky. Others looked in alarm, fearing another storm, but Artemis knew what this was.
"Hunters, continue setting up camp. Thalia, Zoë, you two are in charge. Father called for a meeting, and I must attend."
Receiving two fire nods in confirmation, she ordered all the girls to close their eyes before assuming her divine form and flashing away in a streak of silver.
Reappearing in the throne room of Olympus, she noticed that some gods were already present. Athena, Poseidon, Hestia and even Demeter were present, as was her brother, Apollo.
One by one, the remaining gods flashed in as she grew into her godly form and took her seat on the council. "Father, you have assembled us all here today. What is the matter?"
"Apollo has called for this gathering, daughter."
All the gods immediately perked up as they glanced at Apollo, who was unusually quiet.
"He has foreseen a new prophecy."
Zeus stared at Apollo, who nodded shakily before shutting his eyes. A moment later, they snapped open again, revealing glowing, green ones. Green mist spilled and pooled from his throne and mouth, forming into the shape of three wispy figures.
A trio of raspy voices spoke, the horrid sound causing many winces within the ranks of the 13 gathered Olympians.
"The child of the hearth must join the call,
Her final choice will decide it all.
In glory or shame will Olympus stand,
Shall be decided by the eldest god's hand.
The flames of love shall guide the way,
A choice will reveal Destroyer's final say.
Maiden, hearth, huntress, lightning intertwined,
Fate revealed when strings combine.
One wrong move, to become mortal,
Shall cause the king's throne's upheaval.
To win a war, to protect them all,
Reborn three times and placed in Olympus' hall.
In times of fear,
Do not despair,
For the savior will return and all shall hail.
Master of fate,
To love or hate,
To preserve the old or start with a blank slate."
The mist dispersed, and Apollo nearly fell from his throne, only holding on by shaky limbs. Steadying his body, he stabilized himself before righting his posture.
She noticed Athena's eyes glinting, slightly glazed. She's thinking, she thought, before a small smirk spread across her half-sister's lips.
"Well, does anyone wish to interpret the prophecy?" Zeus thundered, and Athena raised a hand. "Father. I have figured out some points that the prophecy mentioned."
"Go on."
"First, I believe we all remember the prophecy of nine?"
Every god glanced at the snoring Dionysus.
"Aside from Dionysus."
The wine god surprised every immortal in the room by snapping his eyes open and sitting up straight.
"I'm very much aware, thank you for your concernes."
Moments later, he was snoring again.
"Very…well. In that case, I shall proceed."
"Go on, daughter," her father rumbled, and Athena spoke.
"First, there is the first line. A child of hearth shall answer the call, meaning someone born with lineage tracing back to…lady Hestia will be part of the nine."
Zeus' expression darkened considerably, but he motioned at Athena to continue.
"'Her final choice will decide it all', meaning hearth's child shall have a choice that may change the outcome of the possible war mentioned in the prophecy. 'In glory or shame will Olympus stand, shall be decided by the eldest god's hand', meaning that father shall have a say in this as he is the eldest. 'The flames of love shall guide the way, a choice will reveal destroyer's final say', this may relate to Perseus, who's name is literally 'the destroyer'."
"He hasn't been seen for nearly 9 months though!" Her uncle, Poseidon, yelled out, "He's still banished by you because of false evidence!"
"Then we shall revoke his banishment, diminish his scent once again before locating him. He will fight for us again." Zeus said confidently, but before he could continue, a quiet voice spoke up.
"Who said he was going to fight for you, brother?"
"Excuse me, sister? Who are you to question me when you have, judging by the prophecy, broken your oath?" Zeus spat at the figure occupying the hearth, and she grimaced. Her father was blatantly disrespecting lady Hestia…who was the rightful holder of the title 'eldest god'. Of course, her father was too blind to see the flaw in the prophecy's interpretation provided by Athena.
Regardless, her father's yelling brought her back to reality.
"Perseus will fight for us AGAIN! He will have no choice! If he doesn't he will be a traitor to Olympus and cast into Tartarus!"
"And what will you do after the war has ended? Force him into godhood? Label him a traitor again and cast him down? Face it, brother. With your treatment, he is not fighting for you. He fights for a specific few. Hades, whose son is like a little brother to him, Poseidon because he is his son, Apollo because he has helped him out in a time of need, and Artemis because he respects her and her beliefs."
"Then I command him to fight for us as well."
"She won't fight for you, brother-" Hestia began, but immediately noticed her own slip-up and shut up. She widened her eyes, as did Poseidon, and they both shared a look.
"She?" Athena immediately inquired, jumping at the chance to obtain information.
"It-nothing, a mistake on my behalf."
She tuned out Athena's inquiries about this mysterious girl as she sunk into her throne. 'Child of hearth', the prophecy had clearly referred to.
And she had a sinking feeling she knew who that was.
"-HER! WE WILL DESTROY MY SISTER'S SPAWN BEFORE SHE DESTROYS US!" Her father's maniacal screaming jolted her back to reality. The words sunk in, and she widened her eyes.
They're going to kill Persia!
"Father! Think about this, if you fail you'll be turning a powerful being over to whatever enemy we have," she interjected, but this only made her father's glare turn onto her,
"And why should I not destroy her? If she does not have faith in us, we might as well get rid of a potential enemy."
Sweat formed on her brow as she realized that she might never be reunited with Persia.
"Father, listen. You did say she was a girl, we just don't know who. I will seek her out, and see if she can join my ranks. After all, she is female, and by doing this she can swear loyalty to Olympus."
"Very well. Seek her out at once, I will be watching-"
Schist! No, he cannot!
"Father. When I do find her, I will bring her here personally so you can ensure her allegiance. For the time being, I'd prefer the privacy of my hunters' day to day lives be unmonitored."
Zeus harrumphed, but nodded. "Fine, have it your way. As for Perseus-"
"We will seek him too."
"Very well. I'll remove his banishment, inform the camp of his innocence and reduce his scent. Report back when you find him."
With that, Zeus dismissed the council and flashed out in a massive bolt of lightning. "Ever the drama queen," she muttered under her breath, before she noticed Apollo's eyes looking directly at her.
"Artemis."
By now, most of the gods had flashed out, leaving Hestia and Poseidon, who were quietly conversing, and her brother.
"Come with me."
Without waiting for a response, Apollo hopped of his throne and walked away, leaving Artemis scrambling behind him.
Once they were out of the throne room, they kept walking away, and away, and away, towards secluded areas of the city of the gods.
She felt growing unease in her gut as she walked with Apollo.
Twiddling her hilt of her hunting knives, she nearly bumped into her brother as he stopped in a garden, on the edge of Olympus.
"Brother, what have you brought me here for?"
For once, Apollo was completely serious. "Sister," he began, "I believe you know of the child of the hearth's identity."
Her breath hitched in her throat. No, no, not him of all people.
"I do too."
She exhaled lightly, releasing the breath she momentarily held.
"I know of your relationship with her-rather, them, since she's a male soul in a female body…though I must say, she's adapting quite well."
"Brother. You are not to try and judge-"
"I'm not, for I know of her fate."
"Apollo." She said slowly, dread building in her heart. "Don't tell me…"
"She'll die. She'll suffer horribly, and die. Something happens later, but I cannot say for certain what it is-one moment she's alive, as if she didn't die, the next she is again."
Tears well in her eyes. Her fated lover was going to die. And she could do nothing about it.
"B-but-"
"There isn't anything to change, sister. As a brother, for once…distance yourself from her. Shut yourself off. Keep your emotions to yourself. Don't let her death hurt you like Zoë's. That huntress is back now thanks to your little…ritual, but I fear there will be no returning for her," Apollo said, a neutral expression plastered on his face.
"But-"
"Don't 'but' me. There's no changing fate, and you know this. Just accept it and…move on. Don't let your emotions get the better of you. You're the goddess of Chastity, of maidens, of the hunt, an eternal virgin. You aren't supposed to love, sister. Just…let it go."
"At least tell me where."
"Outside camp half blood, something to do with rocks and earth, maybe a year or so."
She looked at her brother, mouth opening and closing, at a loss of words for once. Tears welled in her eyes, and her brother's neutral mask broke off into a sad face.
"Arty," he said, the nickname not getting any response for once, "I know it's hard. I lost many I chased, when I knew of their fate. I was blinded by selfishness, jealousy. Don't become another me. Let this end, put a closure to this. At least she can die, knowing you don't associate with her anymore."
"But she-"
"Deserves happiness, affection, after what she went through? Think about this. She'll be even more unhappy, knowing she will never reunite with you if she dies, no closure, no nothing. She'll go for rebirth, and you'll never see your love again. It'll hurt you, and it'll hurt her. She's lucky, being a mortal, she can just try for rebirth and forget everything, but you can't. You're immortal. It'll weigh you down, and someday…someday you'll break."
Silence.
"Artemis, listen to my words. Don't be selfish, don't be convinced that this will work. It won't, and I'd hate to see my sister being down and sad her entire life. Just…give it up. Explain. She'll understand if she truly loves you."
Tears flowed down her cheeks freely at this point, but she couldn't care less. All the could feel was a gut wrenching pain in her heart. Glancing back as he turned, her brother gave her a sad smile before he looked away and disappeared in a golden flash..
A sob escaped her throat as she cried, crying for her doomed love, crying for her cruel fate.
Crying in sadness, crying in anger.
"Why…" she sobbed, "why is it always her? Haven't you fucked around with her life enough?"
"Just WHY!"
She screamed, tears falling into the soil and onto the plants in front of her as she cried her heart out for Persia. She was hurting, mentally and physically, as if her heart was being torn apart by her very act of having to reject her love towards Persia.
She knew Persia didn't deserve this. She deserved happiness, she deserved love and affection, she deserved a new family.
She had failed to provide a new family for the demigoddess, instead driving her away. She knew the demigoddess rarely experienced happiness, having been abused by her stepfather as a child and then thrust into the 'mythological' world just when things seemed to turn slightly better. She witnessed death, betrayal and destruction at every turn, and she knew how it felt.
To have experienced it all in just seventeen years, when she had millennia to build up the same amount of regrets and painful memories…
And now, she was ripping away the final thing Persia could cling onto. Love and affection.
She didn't know what Persia would do at this point.
It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do. She chanted in her mind, desperate to convince herself.
It's the right thing to do.
Deep down, she knew it wasn't.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Persia panted hard, her breathing labored as she sprinted through the dark forest, the two other demigoddesses on her tail.
They hadn't had a break since they stepped off the bus.
Behind them, stomping and crashing sounds could be heard. Trees were felled, grass was trampled, and the very soil they ran past soon shook and churned.
Next to her, Piper tripped on a tree root and went flying.
"Fuck!" Persia yelled, stopping to drag Piper up onto her feet. "Go, Go, Go!"
Straining her ears, she could hear the sounds of cars.
Next to her, Piper cursed as she began sprinting, Persia following close behind. "We're almost there, I can hear it! If we get to the tunnel, We'll be fine!"
Of course, that sentence jinxed their luck.
Out of nowhere, another group of monsters crashed out of the foliage, cutting them off. One cyclops made a grab at Annie (by the way-she's a daughter of Athena/Minerva. Her backstory will be further explored, and the reason she's a daughter of both is due to a special…erhm, reason that I will not spoil. I had mistakenly typed 'Apollo' in the last chapter.) but she nimbly dodged it, all the while unsheathing her celestial bronze blade and slashing it at the cyclops. A pained roar confirmed that Annie hit her intended target.
Meanwhile, she and Piper dashed towards Annie, hoping that the demigoddess wouldn't be overwhelmed by the monster force. Her own karambits appeared in her hands as she twisted the rings, the curved, shining silver edge glinting dangerously in the moonlight. At her side, Piper drew a sharp, pointed dagger-she smirked, finding it funny that a trio of dagger wielding demigoddesses were stuck together. Just like the triangular blade of Piper's dagger.
Wasting no time, they both reached the monster force ahead of them and began hacking and slashing away. Hellhounds, dracaenae, cyclops, even the occasional satyr wielding weapons, all of them fell under the deadly blades commanded by the three demigoddesses.
That was…until the rear monster force caught up to them.
Sandwiched in between, she understood their dire situation. "Piper! Annie! Push forward, I'll hold them off!"
"Don't be too much of a heroic rear guard!" Piper yelled back, and Annie yelled back in affirmation.
She grinned as she spared a look back at both demigoddesses. Piper's tanned skin and rough haircut fitted her warrior appearance as she weaved in and out of the monster's ranks, slashing and stabbing. Annie on the other hand…
She looked regal, her blonde wavy curls shimmering like gold as she danced in this deadly game, her normally warm and soft gray eyes steely and harsh. Her slim, lithe figure earthed back and forth with power as she effortlessly decimated monsters.
Annie reminded her of Annabeth…the same nickname, the same hair color, the same eyes.
Still, an aura that screamed 'fighter', 'commander' radiated from Annie. Annabeth…she was fierce at best, but she didn't even come close to how Annie was in battle.
She was snapped out of her admiration by a claw that narrowly missed her face. Slashing wildly, her right blade cut a hellhound across the snout, killing it instantly. Cyclopses barrelled forwards, and even a few dracaenae shot arrows and drew swords. What interested her were the hellhounds, though.
Upon the death of the first hellhound, the others slowly stopped their advance. Some made half-hearted swipes at her, but most began snarling and retreating. Still, she was too preoccupied by the other monsters to even care.
Slash. Dodge. Dodge again. Slash. Slash and jab. Kick. Her body was on autopilot as she methodically and skillfully fought off the monsters that swarmed her. Sidestepping arrows, leaping over cyclops clubs, daring forwards and killing Dracaenae swordswomen, it all seemed easier for her with her increased agility.
Of course, nothing lasts forever…except this army of monsters. They kept popping out of nowhere, and Piper and Annie were really groaning tired. Minor cuts and wounds marred their arms, and a shallow paper cut lined Piper's cheek just below her eye.
She had to end this soon…but how?
Call on the hounds. A soothing female voice said in her mind.
What hounds?
Wait.
She spared a moment to think as she slashed at a cyclops and barrelled into it, creating a small window.
"Hellhounds…creature of night. My blade….would it work?"
The cyclops that she knocked down charged at her, club raised.
She had to try.
"HELLHOUNDS!" She roared, stabbing the cyclops as she did so, "DEFEND US!"
She expected them to just look at her, determine that she was insane and attack.
Even Piper and Annie looked at her as if they were being ridiculed.
To her surprise, the hellhounds actually listened. Their half-hearted attempts at attacking stopped-well, not exactly. Instead, they attacked in earnest-just not at the trio.
She wanted, amazed, lowering her guard as hellhounds turned and began tearing at their monster comrades. Cyclopses bellowed and fell, dracaenae shrieked and turned into dust.
Of course, she just had to lower her guard at the worst moment possible. A shriek brought her back to reality, and she turned, hairs in her neck raised, just in time to get a stomach full of cyclops club. She felt her ribs crack and felt as if her intestines turned to mush as she soared past Piper and Annie, fear and concern filling their features. The cyclops who hit it's home run instantly collapsed and disintegrated as a hellhound ripped through it, but it was too late.
She watched, vision blurred as Piper and Annie ran to her side. She watched as the hellhounds howled, distraught, before then began retreating, forming a protective barrier around the trio.
Of course, the battle quickly turned against them. Hellhounds began to fall, howling and shrieking as they went. She staggered to her feet just in time to parry a strike aimed at her by a snake woman. Piper and Annie fought with renewed vigor, but she knew it wouldn't last long. She felt physically exhausted and drained, as if commanding the hellhounds taxed her…
Which it did.
Soon, every hellhound had fallen and no new ones came forth. Monsters assaulted them in droves, and gold dust was piling around them as they forged a path through the sea of moving limbs and weapons.
"THERE!" Annie yelled, spotting a break between the trees. In the distant break, they saw cars and asphalt.
"GO!" She yelled, attacking with renewed vigor as the demigoddesses cleared a path behind her towards the highway. The sounds of cars got louder, and limo light began breaking the dense foliage cover and hone down brightly on them. She felt rendered, rejuvenated-
And then a sword found its way through her midsection.
She stared at it for a split second, before Piper screamed and stabbed its wielded, causing the dracaenae to dissolve into golden dust as it collapsed.
Of course, it was much too late.
Her vision blurred as she stumbled, barely dodging weapons as she retreated. Annie smashed her way through the final monsters, and she noticed a break in the tree line. Making a mad dash towards the highway, she stumbled and coughed as flecks of blood coated her lips.
She could care less about her own wounds. Right now, her first priority was escorting both demigoddesses towards the tunnel.
"G-GO!" She yelled, and both demigoddesses took of in a sprint. In the distance, she saw the service tunnel. However, unlike previous encounters, two individuals standing in front of it…
Dressed in Roman helmets and hauberks, while leaning on oval Roman shields?
Whatever. Her mission was to get them there, and she would either succeed or die trying. Or succeed and succumb to her wounds.
Slashing at some monster nipping at her heels, she dashed across the highway, grabbing Piper's wrist along the way-that idiot girl had the gall to be standing in the middle of the highway, screaming at Annie to follow. Which Annie did, but still.
Her vision was getting blurrier by the minute. She felt a warm liquid slowly rise within her, and she began to have breathing problems. Her field of view swam, and light-headedness was beginning to show. She stumbled, narrowly missing a car.
Meanwhile the two Roman idiots were panicking-well, one was. He yelled at the other person dressed in Roman armor-a girl, to do something, before he ran inside.
"Fucking dick," she scoffed "abandoning your partner," before coughing violently, blood coming up her throat and into the grass. The Roman girl ran forwards, and she took a good look at her features.
Dark skin, sharp onyx eyes, braided hair under her Roman helmet, which had a horizontal plume on it that ran across from one side of the helmet to the other.
"Are you alright? Never seen you here before," the girl said, "who are you, and do you need entry-"
"No, not me, them," she gasped out, pointing at the two demigoddesses that accompanied her, "I don't think I should be going in, something feels weird around here…something forbidden."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you need immediate medical attention with that sword wound right there, not to mention you're coughing out blood."
Annie and Piper ran past her, shooting her worried glances and grateful smiles that didn't reach their eyes, and somewhere within the tunnel, the sound of perfectly synchronized footsteps began echoing throughout the tunnel.
"I'm fine, girl, I'll live-" terrible hacking ensued, and blood spilled out of her mouth, the warm, thick liquid spilling past her lips and splashing onto the grass. The girl looked on, alarmed, as she fell to her knees. Blood trickled down her gin, but she managed a pained grin at the girl who knelt besides her, attempting to tend to her wounds.
She wondered why no monsters were attacking yet, but they all seemed to be nervous, as if this wan't some place they were allowed to enter. Every time one tried to cross, a car would magically appear and hit the monster hard, causing it to disintegrate into dust as it went soaring. Some were able to dodge the cars, but arrows flew from the tunnel entrance, killing them, while more people dressed in Roman combat attire stepped out and formed into some formation.
She grinned at the victory, but grimaced as she coughed up more blood. Her knees felt like jelly, and with another hacking fit, she collapsed on the ground. Those weird reenactors who could see monsters rushed forwards as she saw her vision contort and dim.
Her eyes focused on the starry night sky above her, somehow finding Zoë's constellation as everything else dimmed.
The last thing she heard was the sound of clanking armor and crunching boots freezing up as the sound of a hunting horn rang out, clear and crisp through the night air.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
A/N: chapter 10….done?
Holy shit, 6k words. I am evolving.
Physically drained after writing this. Hadn't started ever since I finished chapter 9, and wrote this staring from 8 pm…now it"s 1am, and I'm dying inside.
There's bound to be.p A shit ton of mistakes. My hands are tiring, and my eyes are blinking.
No, tiring too.
I'm gonna go to bed-legit unable to continue. This writing high was really, reeelly fun though.
Review responses will be done tomorrow-
Before my head hits the pillow though, I'll make a very unpopular decision. Zoë won't be involved in the relationship. Yes, I understand the wording of le prophecy I wrote, but think of her and Persia's 'bond' as a sisterly one-all but in blood. After all, I didn't say that Zoë had a bond with Artemis, and I don't think said goddess would be happy if she was forced into a relationship with someone she wasn't attracted/held feelings towards (There's no proof that Zoetemis, Zoe x Artemis, ever existed in canon, and Artemis explicitly states that she's a sister, so it would feel odd if you suddenly found yourself in a relationship with someone who has served you for millennia).
Thalia will remain, but it'll be one-sided…up until a certain plot point in the story.
Anyway, Gute Nacht.
(Tomorrow me)
Review responses!
Guest: (on chapter 8-) Oh shit indeed!
Ryan Fowler: She'll technically have a Roman form… when she becomes a goddess (which you will know WILL happen if you read the lines of the prophecy)? BUT-she isn't a goddess at the present. Yes, she's made holy from the hearth and contains Artemis' immortal essence (as well as Hestia's immortal essences), but she's locked in the form of a demigod due to…well, the fates. They precisely 'sealed' her away for this reason, but don't worry-she'll have a Roman form when she does ascend into godhood. I plan for her Roman form to be called 'Valerie' which is the name she takes up when rescuing demigods.
Guest: Did I write that? I really should proofread my works more. I really couldn't think of an analogy, since lightsaber wounds look one-of-a-kind, so…for now, let's just pretend that there's a "Tartarus cinema" where they screen star wars (and most monsters watch mortal films).
Or, maybe Nyx just likes visiting the mortal world in her mortal form. And watched star wars. Along with her husband, Erebus, and her brother Tartarus. That'd be a sight to see-three primordials sitting in a mortal cinema, chowing down on popcorn and soft drink watching a mortal sci-fi film.
Sh4d0wz: Okay, I'll respond to your reviews in two parts too (lol). So first off- I didn't know the old linebreak format would appear as just this: —
The new linebreak format is just…well, adding spaces in between the horizontal dashes. In Google docs, they form a neat little line (and you can see it on the Wattpad version), but for some reason it doesn't appear as a line on FFN. So…yeah, new linebreak format because the old one really, really sucked. (Plus I can't be arsed to sit there and enter single line breaks on FFN's document editor. Okay, I'm just lazy, don't kill me)
Next-Persia's obedience over Artemis. Artemis is essentially a slave owner if you put it that way…except the bond runs much, much deeper. Persia, whose fatal flaw is (remains as) loyalty, will not be inclined to disobey orders given by Artemis, plus they're matched soulmates which will make disobeying orders even harder (since people will do insane stuff for their loved ones). Yes, Persia CAN disobey orders, but it's very unlikely given her personality and the nature of the bonds with Artemis. So if Artemis orders Persia to go on a suicidal attack, she will, but she'll be angry at Artemis. If she's ordered to kill herself, she might hesitate or even not carry it out depending on the circumstances.
Anyway, next part-you assumed the wrong thing lad :-: you might notice that I did include the prophecy of seven (now nine) in the third chapter (genuinely forgot what it was). So, Gaia will exist, as do the Giants and everything Percy goes through in canon. But you do bring up a valid point-Persia isn't a camp leader by any means, so she won't cross over…right?
In this case, who's the camp leader for CHB? Not Annabeth, she's being punished for siding with Kronos at the last moments of the titan war, not Malcolm, not anyone from the Athena cabin. Chiron is a centaur so he can't be sent over (and he's not a leader, only a trainer). With Thalia in the hunters, and now Persia there too, there's only one child of the big three left who just happens to be mature enough to take up said mantle.
Without spoiling too much, I guess you can read between the lines and find out the answer for yourself. I plan for Persia to be sent to the Roman camp too, just not in the capacity canon Percy was in.
Anyway, if you're disappointed that I decided to include HOO…well, sorry, but I plan to have it rewritten to a certain magnitude and skip TLH entirely (since it's just Jason existing in CHB which is unrelated to Persia's adventures). I also plan to gloss over some stuff and instead focus on relationship building (since I'm trying to improve that part), but be warned-there will be major rewrites about events in ole tarty. This won't spoil much, as it's my initial draft and things are very much subjected to change, so take it with a grain of salt.
Final point-Persia and Artemis content will come. Sorry to say that Zoë won't be involved, and Thalia will come in quite late. Though I'll attempt to avoid lemons because some people might not like them, and honestly I'm not the best when it comes to writing them. For now, I'll stick to earnest relationship building.
And just like that, I have spent a further 1k words on my authors note.
Review and comment if you have any feedback and/or suggestions. Again-guest reviews are also appreciated, don't be afraid to voice your opinions, I won't snap at you or anything.
Anyway, see you in the next chapter!