I decided to write a Percy Jackson fanfiction, so welcome to The Wolf! I have a plot figured out, and I really liked the idea. I'd like to thank everyone in the Emerald Library Discord for giving me inspiration to write this.
The cover of this story is album art from a Billy Talent song called "The Wolf." In the unlikely event that the band contacts me and asks me to remove the cover, I will comply and find another image.
Feedback is greatly appreciated, because I haven't ever written a story for this fandom. It has admittedly been some time since I read the books, though I still hold them in a fond place in my heart. Enjoy the first chapter of The Wolf!
I stood in the lobby of the Empire State Building in New York City. The city that never slept sure seemed quiet today, though; perhaps it did sleep sometimes.
My hair was a mess, and I'd allowed some beard scruff to grow. When facing what I was about to experience, it made no sense to shave beforehand. It felt to me as though nothing after today would matter at all.
"Good morning" the young female receptionist announced as I staggered up to her desk. "What can I do for you?"
"Six hundredth floor" I told her, wiping some of my bangs off my forehead. "I need to go to the six hundredth floor."
The blonde woman frowned. "We don't have a six hundredth floor, young man."
"I don't care," I replied, sighing. "I wish I didn't have to do this. I'd love nothing more than to pretend none of this happened, but it did. Please."
The receptionist narrowed her eyes. "You're that guy? The one they want to take to?"
I grimaced. "Who's this they you speak of?"
"Lord Zeus, for one. They don't see anyone unannounced, but if you have an engagement with the Olympians, I'm sure they will let you in."
"That's me" I replied, wishing very much that the words I was saying weren't true. Unfortunately, they were.
"Then get in the elevator, and it'll take you to the six hundredth floor" she promised me. "It should work."
I did as I was told. Once in the elevator, I saw the doors shut, and I knew that there was no escape. Of course, there would be nothing to stop things from going wrong even if I had tried to escape, so it might have been better this way.
The elevator ascended agonizingly slowly. In some ways, this was a good thing, because it delayed the inevitable. However, that's all it did for me, and I still felt certain that what awaited at the top of the building would be anything but pleasant.
Maybe the elevator will break down, I thought to myself. And then I'll be stuck here, or else it'll just fall and I'll die. Indeed, that may be a less terrifying prospect than what happens at the top of this building.
Eventually, the digital counter reached six hundred, and the doors opened onto a narrow bridge made of stones. New York City lay far below, spread out the way one might see it from an airplane.
I sighed. It would have been a wonderful sight if not for my nerves. The height was one thing, but I knew what waited for me at the other end of this bridge, and it was nothing good.
With much trepidation, I tiptoed along the path towards a mountain capped with snow. Palaces, mansions, and bustling open-air markets were built on a series of terraces, which were built into the mountainside like giant steps.
It was easily the most spectacular city I'd ever seen. It was certainly a stark contrast with the city miles below; whereas that one was drab, dirty, and overall built more for function than fashion, this place was the opposite.
While Manhattan was a grid, Olympus was a morass of roads leading in various directions. While Manhattan had its gritty parts that one shouldn't wander in at night, every part of Olympus looked pristine.
I can't believe this is real. Even after all this time, this feels like a dream.
I took a deep breath. The dream would have to turn into a nightmare at some point, and denying that reality wouldn't stop it from becoming a reality. As I walked towards the city of Olympus, as well as the largest and grandest palace of the bunch, my heart felt heavier and heavier with each step.
Every so often, I did pinch myself so that I'd remember how incredible it was. Even if my visit to Olympus was under undesirable circumstances, it was still an experience many would kill for. Even the mortals far below, those who didn't believe in the Greek pantheon, would be stunned to discover that high above them, in the clouds, there existed a city far more spectacular even than Paris.
The city was bustling with activity. All sorts of creatures, such as nymphs and satyrs, were shopping in the marketplace, gleefully chatting with one another. It was as though they didn't know about why I was here.
Most of them didn't pay attention to me, but a few did turn their gaze towards the morose young man walking along the path. They had to wonder why I was hanging my head, why I didn't seem excited to be in Olympus. Surely, most people would think, someone in Olympus would be excited by definition?
The palace of the gods stood before me. Even calling it a "palace" doesn't do it justice, but there isn't really a stronger word to use. Suffice it to say that the building was much grander than a cathedral. It put any human work of architecture to shame, because ultimately, the gods weren't human.
And what terrible luck I have, I silently lamented. I have to see this place for an unfortunate reason, rather than one that I can be excited about.
No, it's not luck, Brandon, another part of my mind reminded me. You chose this. You didn't have to put yourself in this situation, and yet you did.
The interior of the palace consisted of an inverted U of thrones, all of various colors and materials. Each throne, I reasoned, belonged to a specific Olympian, themed off of that deity's domain.
The ceiling was too high to make out, but it mimicked the sky above. It was a sunny day, so that's what the ceiling showed.
My solitude in this room was unnerving. Some might argue that it shouldn't have been, because it was better to be alone than in the company of an angry god (or in this case, a dozen gods and goddesses.)
But the absence of deities made this hall feel hollow. As beautiful as it was, the palace could be very ominous indeed when it was empty.
They wanted me to be here, and yet they're not here themselves. It's much like a doctor's appointment, in a way. They always tell you to come at a certain time, but you still have to wait. Can't they just tell me to come LATER?
However, I wasn't alone in the throne room for long. With a sound akin to the snapping of one's fingers, only much louder, a man materialized into being.
Of course, the word "man" is hardly sufficient to describe what I saw on that throne. Were I to call Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, a mere man, I would be struck down with the master bolt faster than I could say my own name.
The Lord of the Sky stood twenty feet tall, with a dark gray beard and steel blue eyes. There was no warmth in those eyes, not that I should have expected it.
"Good morning, Brandon St. Lawrence" Zeus announced curtly, beckoning for me to come more closely. "I see you have arrived on time; that is good."
I frowned. "Does it really matter for me to be on time? Don't you have all the time in the world?"
Zeus narrowed his eyes. "I'm not the Lord of Time, and neither are any of my fellow Olympians. Excuse me if that's a sore subject for us, given our past with the true Lord of Time."
It was then that I knew I was in dangerous territory. If I wasn't careful with what I said, I would meet my end in a highly unpleasant manner.
One such manner would be Zeus assuming his true form. I remembered learning that if a mortal viewed the true form of a god or goddess, they would die a painful death. Even if Zeus didn't go this route, there were plenty of other ways he could make me suffer.
"I understand, my lord," I said. "Please forgive me, I…I won't make that mistake again!"
"Given the reason you're here, you will surely understand if we don't have a good first impression of you. Of course, compared to that, this is a relatively minor transgression."
Suddenly, a different Olympian snapped into being. She was just as tall as Zeus, but had long, flowing golden hair and a chartreuse dress. There was even a flower in her hair.
Suffice it to say that the goddess's presence was almost soothing. When I looked at her, it's not that my worries melted away, but they did not seem so acute as they had been before.
But when I glanced back at Zeus, that relief was gone.
Zeus turned to the goddess in the light green dress. "Demeter. I see you're on time, just as always."
Demeter raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be, brother? This is an important engagement, after all."
Zeus shrugged. "I'm merely saying that because the other Olympians aren't here yet. They don't seem to care about punctuality one bit."
"Can you really blame them? I'm sure they'd rather be partying rather than dealing with Mr. St. Lawrence."
"I mean, sometimes in life, whether it be a mortal lifetime or an eternal one, you have to do things you don't want to. You would think that a deity would understand that, but that doesn't seem to be the case."
Something about the way Zeus and Demeter spoke made me feel very uncomfortable. They were talking about me as though I weren't here; in reality, I could hear everything they were saying.
"Uh, g-guys?" I asked, my teeth chattering. "Would you mind showing me some more respect? I'm right here, you know."
Zeus' eyes glinted, and for a moment, I was convinced he'd electrocute me. This didn't happen, but he still clearly wasn't happy.
"Brandon St. Lawrence, you are the one who should be showing us respect. After everything you've been through, you need to remember that you are a mere mortal, and we have control over your fate. Indeed, one reason you're in this predicament to begin with is lack of respect."
I sighed. "My apologies, my lord. I didn't…I should have thought about my words before I said them."
"Indeed you should have. But it's too late, now, for some of your actions to be remedied. From your perspective, the next few hours are all about damage control."
"There is no need to antagonize him like that, brother," Demeter said to Zeus. "He is a young man, after all. A mere mortal."
"So?" Zeus replied indignantly. "Mortals have been capable of heinous acts before. It doesn't matter what blood runs in Mr. St. Lawrence's veins; what matters are the decisions he makes."
"Can we begin?" I blurted out. I knew I should probably be talking as little as possible, but sometimes my impulses overrode what I knew to be the wisest move.
Zeus cleared his throat. Then, he turned away from Demeter and glared at me.
"The other Olympians should trickle in eventually. Of course, we can start now with the beginning of the story, and I'll fill the others in with what they need to know. So yes, Brandon St. Lawrence, we may begin once our scribe arrives."
Demeter couldn't even look at me. Her brother, the Lord of the Sky, glared down at the mortal who stood before him. That mortal, of course, was me.
I knew immediately that if I told a lie in front of Zeus, he'd be able to sniff it out immediately. There was no hiding the truth from him, not if I valued getting out of this situation alive.
The sky god cleared his throat again. He conjured a scroll out of thin air, along with a quill pen. "Hestia?"
Immediately, a teenage girl walked into the building. Perhaps she had been here this whole time, or maybe she'd just been teleported here by Zeus. Olympians work in mysterious ways, after all.
"I'm right here," she said. "And I'm ready."
Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth, normally had a reputation for being welcoming and helpful, but not today. She gave me a look of loathing immediately once she saw me.
When even Hestia hates me, that's how you know I'm in trouble.
"My apologies for being late, Zeus," Hestia said to the Lord of the Sky.
"You are forgiven, Hestia. Indeed, you are not the one who should be apologizing today. That honor belongs to the young man standing before us."
I gulped. Hopefully the Olympians couldn't tell that I was nervous, although the chances of hiding emotions from them were slim to none, and Slim had just left town.
Zeus scratched his beard, then motioned for Hestia to grab the scroll and quill. After Hestia did so, the Lord of the Sky faced me again. I saw the lightning in his eyes, that sheer determination to force a confession out of me.
There's no point in lying, I reminded myself. Telling the truth will make this as painless as possible.
"Okay then, Mr. St. Lawrence. Let's go back to the day of the symposium."