~A/N~ PLEASE READ! As I'm currently writing this chapter has been down for quite some time. I can't access stories, reviews, or stats. I don't know if I can even upload chapters but I suppose I'll find out once I'm done with this one. In case this ever happens again, I implore you to go to my Wattpad which is IIAPOLLYII. I upload new chapters there simultaneously with FFN. I'm also more active with the community there too. However, I have been made aware of a Discord for fanfiction and I'm trying to be even more proactive on there. If you'd like to join and hangout here's the link-
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Enjoy the chapter!
~End A/N~
He didn't know how long he had slept. He didn't care really. He needed the rest, paperwork be damned. Three weeks of endless searching throughout the continental U.S. and a day of civil unrest inside of camp would have anyone wanting to just lay in bed and forget about all the shit in the world. Yawning, he stretched his legs and sat up in his seat, looking around at the dimly lit office. It seemed it was evening time which meant dinner would be served soon at the pavilion. He probably should go there and try to eat something since he didn't remember the last time he had a proper meal in the last three weeks. Sadly, however, he couldn't bring himself to it. Although his stomach growled for warm food, his heart wouldn't allow it. A broken heart was strange, foreign to the body, and did things you wouldn't think it could but here he was, sitting in his chair staring blankly out the window.
He wished Athena had never shown that video to him. He wished he could just erase it from his mind and still think of Annabeth in a favorable, unfiltered light. He only wanted to remember the good. But a small part of him, that he kept deep inside and didn't let out, was glad that she had shown the video. He was glad to finally get closure, something he rarely ever got in traumatic situations. Now that he knew Annabeth wasn't waiting for him, he could move on. His loyalty to her and the Gods was gone which was something he never thought possible.
He remembered Athena telling him years ago that his fatal flaw would bring the end of the world. He didn't know what she meant back then considering he thought his flaw was a good thing. But now, after everything that has happened, he understood. He would give up everything to save a friend which was exactly what he did. He gave up a luxurious life as the hero of Olympus because of his friends. And now because of that, the world would soon be thrown into peril. Destiny sure was strange.
"Percy, you in there?" He could hear Jason ask from behind the door. Making sure that he was presentable and there weren't any tear stains on his face, he called out for his cousin to enter.
"I showed the girls around camp. They freakin love it." The son of Jupiter said as he took a seat across from him.
"Artemis is now showing where they'll stay at. They don't like living with other demigods, especially the guys, on the same floor as them but they'll just have to get used to it."
"I'm sure that'll bring even more problems into camp." Percy said, rubbing his temple. He would have to have a conversation with Artemis later to make sure that the hunters would act accordingly. He knew just how riled up they could get.
"But that's a problem for another day. For now, we need to focus on your problem."
"M-My problem?" Jason questioned, putting a hand on his chest.
"Yes, your problem." Percy nodded. "Although I know that Luther was a spy, his words are still true. You aren't giving these new campers a shot at assimilating with the others."
"W-What? Percy come on now." He scoffed, causing the son of Poseidon to raise his hand to stop any excuses.
"I saw you that night when I offered them to join our ranks. You, along with others, left without saying a word to them. You didn't welcome them. You didn't even give them a glance."
"That's because we just fought each other!" Jason shot out from his chair. "Those people killed our friends! They killed my unborn child! And you just expect me to greet them with open arms! You want me to forget all that they've done!"
"Jason, you know-"
"No, Percy! It's my time to talk! You don't understand because they haven't killed anyone you love! They killed my child. They almost killed Piper. They put us in chains and dragged us to Olympus! I know you saved us and I thank you every day for that but you have to understand that some of us just can't ever forget what they did."
Percy stayed quiet as Jason finished. Breathing heavily, the son of Jupiter tried to sit back down but was unable when his cousin shot out from his chair, grabbing ahold of the collar of his shirt.
"They haven't killed anyone I loved?" Percy whispered, tilting his head in an estranged way.
"Do you have any fucking idea of what they've done to me? They killed my mother, my sister, my stepfather. They killed Hazel, Ashley, Carter, Bella, Evan and so many more. So don't you tell me they haven't killed anyone I love because I loved all those people!"
Letting go of his shirt, both demigods sat back down, electing to stay silent and contemplate each other's words. Both of them didn't want to fight with each other. They didn't want to have a competition on whose had it worse. They were just in a predicament at the moment, believing that they were right and the other was wrong.
"We've all lost people, Jason. I'm not denying that." Percy sighed. "And yes, what they did to you all should never be forgotten. But when can we look past that?"
"I'm not forgiving them."
"And I'm not asking you to." He said easily. "I can't forgive them either. But I can look past it so I can focus on other things. I look past their wrongdoings so I can look to the present and the future."
"And let me tell you, Jason. The future does not look good. More battles are coming, mark my words. And we won't be able to win any of them if you won't work with them."
Jason rubbed his face tiredly, realizing that his cousin was unfortunately right. He didn't like it one bit but after everything that's happened to him, he couldn't risk losing the war all because of his unwillingness and pride.
"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll work with them."
Percy thanked him, glad that his pride didn't stop him from doing what needed to be done. He knew that it would take time for everyone to get along but when that did happen, who knew what the possibilities could be?
"The others might not agree with you though. They'll be stubborn." The blonde demigod pointed out.
"That's why we lead by example. They'll soon follow." Percy replied before changing the subject. There were other reasons as to why he asked Jason to come here.
"Before we can do that though, we need to figure this out." He said, pulling out the knife Luther had used against him from his drawer. Jason eyed the blade curiously, leaning in to see that the green poisonous residue still stained the tip.
"Will couldn't identify the poison which led us to believe that it isn't man-made. We think the nature spirits in the woods could help us solve it."
"They could probably help." Jason replied, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. "That's if they'll even give us an audience. You know how they are. They rarely ever come out."
Percy was about to open his mouth but a sudden kick on his door stopped him, causing both he and Jason to jump out of their chair, ready to fight
"That's where I come in!" Lyah bursted into the office, smiling at the two men with glee. The demigods gave a sigh of relief as they sat back down, realizing it was only the dryad.
"Were you listening in this entire time?" Percy asked her, causing Lyah to give a nervous laugh.
"No…maybe…ok yeah but I can help you, Percy. I know what this poison is!"
The two demigods look at one another in silent contemplation. They wanted all the help they could get to solve this problem but Lyah was known to say things just to appease people.
"Guys, I'm telling the truth!" The little girl pouted, crossing her arms stubbornly. "This is elven fire grass. Turns your blood black and makes it feel like it's on fire. It'll kill a demigod in less than five seconds."
"Elven? As in like…elves?" Jason questioned.
"Yup!" Lyah replied, popping the P.
"Do elves even exist in our Pantheon? He asked his counterpart.
Percy shrugged his shoulders but wouldn't be surprised if elves lived in the woods outside of camp. He knew other mythologies existed outside of their own so it was only natural for other mythical people to be walking about. Alaska would be a prime spot for them to live too. If he knew anything about elves it was that they loved nature and the northwest frontier was the epitome of that.
"I know someone that can help. I can take you there so you can ask some questions." She said, jumping onto Percy's lap. The demigod gave a glance at Jason, silently asking him if they should go visit the council.
"It's worth going there to make sure they're not turning against us." The son of Jupiter shrugged his shoulders. Percy had to agree with that. If the poison really was made by the elves in the woods or even the spirits, it could pose a serious threat. There could be more instances of what Luther had done later down the line or even a full-scale assault against Camp Freedom. The demigods and the spirits weren't on bad terms per say. They just kept to themselves and promised not to interfere with their daily lives.
They were helpful at first when the demigods had cleared out the monsters living in the valley, even offering them some timber from their forest. But when more and more demigods kept flooding into the valley, not to mention the battles that had taken place on the land, the spirits wanted to stay far apart from that mess. He couldn't blame them.
"Alright let's do it. Go find Will and I'll go find Artemis."
"Artemis? Why do we need her?"
"She's the Goddess of nature, Jason. We're dealing with nature spirits. If anything, they'll deal with her more than us." Percy replied matter-of-factly before walking out of the office with Lyah climbing onto his shoulders.
"I heard that the knife bounced right off your skin, is that really true? Do you really have the curse of Achilles again?!" The dryad girl asked excitedly as Percy walked through the camp.
"Um-"
"Come on Percy. Everyone saw it. They're just too nervous to ask you."
"Nervous?" He questioned, looking up at her.
"Yeah! I mean who wouldn't be? You have the curse again which means you're back to how you were during the Titan War! You were crazy strong!" Lyah said, flexing her arms. Percy held in his laugh as he continued to walk to where Artemis and the hunters were staying. He remembered why Lyah was so excited about him having the curse again. She had been told the stories of his exploits from her parents who had fought in the Titan War. Those were a bit exaggerated for his taste but he wouldn't ruin her fun. He was like Superman to her and he'd prefer it to stay that way.
"Yeah, I have it again but I honestly wished it was kept a secret. Do you think anyone would believe that I didn't have it?"
"Not a chance!" She said, leaning her head upside down to look him square in the eyes. "Everyone saw you get hit with that knife. Heck, there were even sparks when it bounced off!"
He sighed in defeat at her remark. It seemed his situation was past the point of no return. If what she said was true about everyone being too nervous to ask him if he really did have the curse, he supposed he could tell the centurions. It wouldn't hurt to tell them considering they were his close and trusted friends. He knew though that his secret would be spilling from the mouths of the Olympians if it already hadn't. Athena had nailed him square in the chest, a strike that would've killed him in an instant had it not been for the curse.
"You cannot win."
That statement from the Goddess echoed in his head as he remembered their earlier encounter. He wished things had gone differently, mainly just leaving before Athena could've done anything. If he'd known she was going to frame him even further, he would've never given her the time of day. The look on Annabeth's face along with the demigods behind her broke his heart. If he could've just had a second to explain, maybe things could be different. But no matter how much he wanted to change things, it was in the past. There was nothing he could do about it except focus on the present. Focus on helping camp, training new campers, and preparing for the next battle. Maybe later down the line, there will come a time when he can explain his side of things.
Walking up the steps of the building where Artemis was currently residing, he was about to turn the doorknob when suddenly it was flung open by the very person he was looking for.
"Woah." He said, taking a step back from the Goddess who had a bow and quiver strapped to her back. Behind her were the hunters, all carrying the same thing as their patron.
"Where are you all going?" He asked.
"You need help with the elder nature spirits, right?" Artemis questioned with a tilt of her head. "Well, here we are."
Percy opened his mouth but promptly closed it. He didn't know how Artemis knew he needed her help but it was probably best not to ask questions and just to roll with it.
"Come on, kelp-for-brains. Let's head out." Thalia slapped him across the shoulder as she walked down the steps.
After meeting up with Jason and Will at the edge of the woods, they delved deep into the vast forest, letting the young dryad lead the way. There wasn't much light to illuminate their path since the sun was behind the mountains now, but there was a full moon tonight which would soon help them see. Lyah seemed to not be bothered by the lack of light which didn't surprise him. She had lived in these woods her entire life. This was her home and it was only natural to know every nook and cranny of it.
"So when you'd get it?" Thalia nudged his stomach as they continued to walk behind the group, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Percy wanted to ask what she meant but he knew that game wasn't going to fly by her. She saw the knife bounce off him just like everyone else did. Sighing, he realized that this question would soon be a recurring one for much of the week.
"Three months ago. Nico and I went down there to convince Hades to join us in the war." He replied, causing Thalia to scoff.
"Bet he didn't give one shit about it."
"Oh he did, trust me." Seeing her confused look, he continued. "Hades was furious that Hazel had died when we got here. He mostly put the blame on me which I can't fault him for."
"You know it's not-"
"I know." He interrupted quickly. "I know but that doesn't mean some might think differently which he clearly did. We fought one another and had it not been for Perspheone stopping us, who knows what might've happened."
"If he was so angry, how come he joined our side?" The daughter of Zeus asked. She knew her uncle well enough despite only meeting him a couple of times. He is a very very stubborn God. He wouldn't simply join Percy just because he asked him to.
"Because he made a deal with me. I had to become more powerful in order for him to join. He knew that was a lot to ask considering there's not many options for me to grow more powerful. I'm fully grown now and my powers have hit their limit as far as I'm aware."
"So this was his way of stalling. Hoping that you wouldn't become more powerful but not outright saying no as that would make him look scared to fight Zeus." Thalia finished, shaking her head in disbelief. She knew Gods were prideful but Hades was just on another level.
"Exactly. He just didn't realize I had a plan for that."
"That was dangerous, you know. Artemis said that no one in history has ever gotten the curse twice." She said a little shaken. If Percy had died, things would've been a lot different for her right now. She'd probably be back in that arena with that weird guy. The thought of that sent goosebumps across her entire body. She wished she'd had gotten more information about the man but he was mostly quiet during their time together. The only things he would mention were red vials and someone named the Lord. She didn't really know what he meant but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. She had originally wanted to discuss it with Percy and Artemis but things had just been so hectic since they'd arrived in Alaska. Making a mental note to discuss it later, she tuned back into reality.
"Well, I figured if we couldn't get Hades on our side and if I couldn't get more powerful, then there was no point if I lived or died. If I couldn't do it, Olympus was going to win no matter what. " He said nonchalantly, causing Thalia to give him a worried look. A look that went unnoticed by her cousin. She didn't like how he said that without a care. Like potentially dying wasn't a big deal. She knew Percy had had it rough these past three years and it was starting to show. The wars, the deaths, Tartarus, fleeing from the Gods, Annabeth, it was all starting to take a toll on him. It used to be where he could've hidden how he was truly feeling behind a mask but it was starting to crack. She could see it in his eyes. The hate, the rage, the insanity. It was all there, inching forward slowly. It wouldn't be long now until he was past the point of no return. The video of Annabeth might've been the breaking point but she could tell that he was holding onto hope that it was fake. She personally didn't think it was real considering the Gods had always played dirty and would do whatever it took to get inside the heads of their enemies. Plus, Annabeth doesn't seem like the type of girl to do that.
But the image of the Annabeth that Thalia remembered was two years old. She hadn't seen the girl for two whole years which was a long time for a demigod. Annabeth could've changed during that easily. In fact, she most likely has. No one can stay the same. People age, mature, and think differently from how they did when they were younger. Annabeth and for that matter Percy were no different.
"We're here!" The young dryad girl suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Walking to the front alongside him, she was confused to see Lyah standing in front of a hollowed-out tree. It wasn't anything special and actually looked dead considering there were no leaves on its branches.
"Come on!" She said, walking inside the tree without waiting for a response. The group looked at one another before following her lead, Percy being the first after the dryad to enter. Close behind, the daughter of Zeus stepped in before immediately plummeting downward. Her heart felt like it was in her throat, preventing her from breathing along with her stomach twisting into knots. Letting out a primal scream she didn't think was possible to come out of her, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, feeling the wind blast against her skin as she continued to descend. Thankfully, it ended as quickly as it began, with her landing smoothly onto the smooth dirt beneath her feet.
"Might want to get out of the way." Lyah said to her, causing Thalia to look at the dryad with confusion before she felt her entire body be crushed by another person who landed on top of her.
"That was fucking awesome!" Jason said, not realizing who he was on top of thanks to the adrenaline flowing through his veins.
"Get…off." Thalia groaned beneath her brother, her face squished into the dirt.
"Oh shit, my bad Thals." He said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. Getting off, the others conversed with one another about how cool that slide was while she sulked in a corner.
"Still afraid of heights, I see." Percy nudged her, causing lightning to flash in her eyes angrily.
Once everyone else had arrived wherever they were they continued to follow Lyah. She seemed to be leading them through vast tunnels that had some sort of fluorescent vines on the walls, giving the dark tunnels an eerily but pretty light.
"One labyrinth after the next, huh." Percy said from her side. She nodded in agreement. This place was definitely like the labyrinth except these tunnels didn't feel dangerous. There wasn't a killing intent to them compared to the labyrinth's cold, stone walls.
"These tunnels are meant to confuse invaders. We obviously don't want them to just walk into the city without some trouble." Lyah explained. Thalia nodded her head. It made sense but wait…
"Did you say city?" She questioned but it was soon answered when the dryad had led them to an opening that had light seeping through it. Walking out of another hallowed tree, they found themselves standing on a hill overlooking a vast city of nature. Trees as tall as skyscrapers filled the cavern and waterfalls surrounded the entirety of the cavern. Everyone was stunned beyond belief and at a loss for words as they stared at the beautiful city that honestly looked like it was from another planet.
"W-What is this place?" Artemis was the first to speak, her tone filled with admiration.
"This is Pangea, the City of Nature. Pan built it millennia ago for all nature spirits whose habitats had been destroyed." The girl said with a giggle. She was obviously proud of her home and was happy to see it being appreciated by others.
"Look, they live in the trees!" Atalanta said, pointing to the hundreds of meters tall trees that had doors, windows, and bridges built and connected to them.
"We live across all of the cavern, not just the trees. There's probably over one hundred thousand citizens here. Come on, I'll explain more along the way." Lyah said, leading them down the hill.
"So you're telling me there's been an entire city beneath our camp this whole time?!" Will exclaimed, drawing laughs.
"Yes, but I didn't want to tell you about it because there's never been any demigods, Gods, or mortals down here before. This place is meant as a sanctuary for nature spirits and no one else. I hope you can understand." She said, directing her apology more towards Percy who was now carrying her on his shoulders. The son of Poseidon, however, completely understood why she kept this a secret for so long. If this place were to be discovered by Zeus or anyone with ill intentions, it would be devastated. Nature spirits were strong creatures and had formidable numbers but still were not a match for a proper demigod army or Gods. After Camp Freedom was initially burnt to the ground along with some of the surrounding forests, the spirits probably wanted this place hidden even more. Demigods and all the carnage they wrought were now living on their doorstep. He was sure there were some upset people about that. He just hoped Lyah's uncle and the elder council could understand and help them.
As they walked through the streets, there were many eyes boring down at them. Hushed whispers could be heard around every corner. Dryads, Nymphs, and other nature spirits alike avoided them like the plague. Even to Artemis, the Goddess of nature, they were standoffish, surprising both her and Percy.
"Lyah, are you sure we're ok to be here?" Percy asked.
"Nope but if I'm with you, we should be ok." She replied with ease, causing the son of Poseidon to sigh. If things went south, he really didn't want to fight these people. Although they were standoffish, he had never had a problem with them. Some of them had probably helped in the wars like Lyah's parents. Plus, Grover would have his ass if he destroyed this place which was something he did not want to deal with. Thinking back on his oldest friend, he wished they could've talked more. The last time they had spoken to one another was when he asked Grover to send all new demigods to Camp Freedom. He almost laughed aloud remembering just how nervous he was to do that but thankfully he had agreed.
"Princess Lyah. The king awaits you." A man's voice interrupted Percy's reminiscing. Looking for where the voice had come from but finding nothing, he turned to the others.
"Did you hear that?" He asked. The others nodded as they too looked for the source but with no such luck. Feeling a slight pressure on the top of his shoulder, Percy turned to find a hummingbird standing on it. The bird's eyes bored into his own causing the son of Poseidon to tilt his head in confusion. This bird seemed different somehow. Its eyes had what could only be described as sentience in them.
"The king also requests your presence, Perseus Jackson." The bird suddenly said, causing the group, except Artemis, to gasp in astonishment.
"It speaks." Jason said, walking up to the bird that was still sitting on his cousin's shoulder. Raising his hand to touch it, he was quickly bitten by its beak, causing the son of Jupiter to jump back in fright.
"Hi, Maxrill. It's good to see you again." Lyah giggled at the bird, petting its head.
"As to you, Princess, but please make haste. The king's meeting mustn't be delayed." The bird apparently named Maxrill said before bowing its little head and flying off into the air.
"Princess?" Percy questioned, craning his head to her.
"Surprise." Lyah replied with abashment.
The demigod could only roll his eyes at the number of surprises he had experienced today before walking off in the direction the girl had told him to. Should he even be carrying her on his shoulders right now? She was a princess of this kingdom after all. It was probably why so many odd looks had come their way. Deciding that the damage was already done, he continued to carry her as they made their way to a palace that was at the center of the cavern.
Surrounded by beautiful trees, fountains, and architecture that reminded him of fantasy books, they walked through the gates that had the same fluorescent vines from the tunnels wrapped around them.
"Do you live here, Lyah?" Thalia asked, looking up at the towering buildings that surrounded them.
"Yeah, but it's so boring. That's why I'm always up on the surface with you guys!" She replied. Percy couldn't help but feel kind of bad for her despite being a princess. She must've been lonely living here without any friends her age. And having that persona of royalty to always maintain must've been tiring which was probably why she was always at Camp Freedom. As corny as it sounds, it was a sort of freedom to be there instead of the palace.
Weaving left and right through seemingly endless nature-themed hallways which were filled with artifacts and pictures alike, the group soon found themselves in front of two huge wooden oak doors. At each side were burly warrior dryads, equipped with spears. Their glowing eyes, both green and blue, stared down at them with no emotion. That was until they saw Lyah sitting on Percy's shoulders.
"Hail, Princess Lyah. Your father awaits you in the throne room." They both said in unison before opening the doors, allowing them to enter. Walking past the towering warriors, he was surprised to note that the throne room wasn't exactly a room. It was more of a garden for lack of a better term. The area that was no bigger than the Olympian throne room had every type of plant you could think of along with animals Percy had never seen before in his life. Noticing a small pond in the middle of the garden, he began to make his way there, drawled by it for some reason. Before he could, however, he heard the familiar shriek of metal weapons behind.
"What the hell?" He heard Thalia yell out. Looking back, he saw the two Dryad guards had crossed their spears over the entrance of the garden, preventing anyone besides Lyah and him from entering.
"No one must enter except the Princess and witness of Pan." They again said in unison. Both Thalia and Artemis looked at him with concern but he waved them off. There was no need for any trouble because there wasn't going to be any. Lyah had brought them here and he was sure the king, her father, would honor that. If not, well, he'd just take the king hostage in case he hurt any of his people. Watching the two sisters groan in annoyance and reluctantly back off, the guards closed the oak doors, leaving the demigod and young dryad alone in the garden. The witness of Pan, huh? It had been a long time since his encounter with the God of the wild but he remembered it vividly. It was such a sad moment, especially for Grover. How they knew he had met Pan was beyond him since he never really mentioned it but it seemed to be a big deal if he was the only other person allowed to meet the king.
Sitting down in front of the pond, Percy was fascinated by its calmness. It was still like a blanket on top of a soundly sleeping person. Not even a ripple flowed through it. It was a stark contrast to the ocean despite them both being his element. With the light reflecting off of it, it looked like a portal to space, drawing him in to explore the vastness of the unknown. Wanting to touch it, he was about to dip a finger in when a voice stopped him.
"I see you're fascinated with the water of calamity."
Turning around, Percy found himself staring at a six-foot-tall man no older than thirty with pale white skin, long blonde hair with a beard to match. He wore white robes as white as his skin, making him look more like a ghost.
"Hi, Daddy." Lyah greeted, running up and giving him a waist-high hug which he equally returned. The demigod was somewhat surprised that this man was Lyah's father. His features were a stark contrast to Lyah's who had a green tint to her skin along with brown hair and eyes. Looking closer at the man who was still smiling down at his daughter he realized the reason why. He was an elf. His long ears symbolizing that. Percy was amazed to actually be looking at one. Before today, he never knew they existed and probably wouldn't have if it weren't for Luther Lexington trying to kill him. Funny how that works.
"Perseus Jackson. An honor to finally meet you." The king said, bowing his head in respect.
"To you as well…?" He replied but stopped when he didn't know his name.
"Haleth. I'm King Haleth of Pangea." The elf finished as he walked up to the demigod. Both were the same height and carried the same aura of power and importance about them. They were royalty in their own kingdoms after all.
"Thank you for having an audience with us." Percy said, shaking his hand.
"When The Perseus Jackson comes to my kingdom, I must speak with him. Your stories are legendary. I remember you flying on your Pegasus during the Battle of Manhattan, striking down at Kronos's forces from above. For lack of a better term, it was fucking awesome." The king replied with enthusiasm much to the demigod's amusement. It was now evident to him which of Lyah's parents were telling the stories about him.
"Your daughter tells me that you and your wife fought in that battle as well. I'm assuming you fought with the other nature spirits in Central Park?"
"Yes, we did. We held that line the best we could. Many lives were lost that day." Haleth said with sadness.
"You and your kingdom helped us out greatly that day. Grover and I really appreciate you coming to our aid." He reassured, causing the King to give a pearly white smile.
"Lord Grover, a good Satyr he is. I'm glad Pan made him his successor before his passing. And I'm glad he gave you some of his essence as well, witness of Pan."
"What does that mean? The Dryad guards outside said the same thing." Percy questioned. It had been years since that had occurred and not even Pan himself had made any mention of that title.
"It's a significant title given to those blessed by the God of the wild. As you know Pan had hidden himself away for millennia which meant only the blessed ever got to speak with him. His subjects and all of nature must abide by the witness of Pan's will since a piece of him lives on within you."
Percy whistled, not realizing what the God had given him those years ago was such a big deal. There were a lot of possibilities that came along with it as Haleth had mentioned. Possibilities such as the Kingdom of Pangea siding with them in the war. If he could get them to join, their combined armies would be in the hundred thousand and fifty range. A formidable force against Zeus.
"I am sorry, Perseus but I cannot join you in this war. Pan's blessing does not allow his successors to subjecticate war on their followers. No matter how much I want to join you, I cannot let my people experience another war like the last. Families and this kingdom have still not yet fully recovered from the consequences of the Titan War. I hope you can understand."
Percy sighed internally but knew that he couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't right to force these people to join. If he did, he was no better than Zeus.
"I understand and respect your decision. You're a king only looking out for his people. I admire that." He replied before changing the subject.
"That isn't why I'm here though. Do you know anything about this?" He said, pulling out the knife from his backpack. The king didn't seem afraid by suddenly having a weapon in front of him and instead took it from Percy's hands and inspected it.
"Where'd you get this?" He asked with a grave tone.
"A demigod tried to kill me with it. We couldn't identify the poison it had on but your daughter did. She said it was called-"
"Elven fire grass, yes I'm aware." He interrupted, carefully setting the blade aside. "This poison is the most dangerous in all of our alchemical history. One drop of it entering a person's body would kill them in five seconds. Only the elves have been able to procure such a deadly essence."
"So does that mean an elf would've had to make it?" He asked to which the king nodded his head.
"It is the only answer but for now, we must cleanse this blade. The poison is already killing the air in my garden." Haleth said, picking up the blade once more before bringing it to the pond Percy was interested in earlier.
"I saw you looking at this earlier. It's called the water of calamity. It's a pure body that cleanses any impurities of one who steps into it."
The son of Poseidon watched as the king dipped the green goated blade into the water. It wasn't anything grand and the water didn't turn a different color but he did notice that when the blade was sunk in, it wasn't disturbed. Like it was a portal rather than a body of water. Waiting a few moments, the elf pulled the blade back out. The green poison was now gone and it had a perfect bronze glow to it as if it was just polished.
"Wow." He exclaimed, feeling the aura of the blade radiate throughout the air. It felt like a new weapon blessed by the Gods.
The king walked over before handing it back to him.
"It is now given a new purpose to serve the very one meant for it to kill. May the blade serve you well, Perseus."
The son of Poseidon thanked him before stuffing the weapon back into his backpack, promising himself to look at it later. For now, there were more pressing matters to attend to like finding the elf that made this poison. Exiting the garden, the king made his presence known to the others waiting outside. Giving them the same respect he had given Percy, he greeted them all. Artemis, in the middle of the group, looked over at him, silently asking what had happened inside. She would soon find out when Haleth had asked them to accompany him. It seemed he knew exactly where to go to find the elf who made the poison.
Walking out of the palace, they, along with a squad of Dryad warriors Haleth had summoned, were following the King to the outskirts of the kingdom. Arriving at one lone building that stood in front of a waterfall it looked like a medieval house with stone bricks and even had a waterwheel on its side. It was a beautiful home but for some reason, he could feel an unsettling aura surrounding it. The Dryads seemed to realize it as well, becoming restless as they prepared their weapons.
"I should've realized something wasn't right when she hadn't been answering my summons." Haleth solemnly said, walking closer to the house.
"Is this it?" Percy asked.
"It is. An elf named Elanor lives here. She's an alchemist who delivers me potions for my plants and animals but she hasn't for quite some time."
Looking back at Jason and the others, he gestured for them to stay back. He didn't know what was about to happen but the last thing he needed was to worry about them getting hurt. He had never dealt with elves before and really didn't know what they were capable of. If this alchemist was out for him, he wanted to make sure that no one was caught in the crossfire.
Stepping up to the door, the elven king tried to open it but was stopped by the son of Poseidon. It was better if he entered first. The last thing they needed was a dead king after just arriving in the city. Twisting the knob slowly, he opened it and peeked inside. It was dark and couldn't really see much besides dusty old furniture. The air was heavy and smelt of morning dew. Stepping inside quietly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness to find that no one was inside. With the Dryad warriors behind him, they soon scoured the entirety of the house but were able to come up with nothing.
"Nothing here." Percy announced, shifting an old chair to the side.
"She must've known we were coming. She was always so paranoid about people entering her house." Haleth clicked his tongue, running his hand over a bookshelf. Making contact with a random book, they all heard a resounding click echoing into the air. Looking at one another, silently asking if they had heard correctly, Percy walked over to the shelf and began to push it to the side.
"Whelp, I think we know where she is." He said after he was done, looking down at the dark staircase that led down to Gods know where. Uncapping Riptide to give them light, they began their trek down to the basement. The air was even more stuffy and hot downstairs, weighing down his lungs. The smell was unbearable as well, reminding him of rotting corpses on the battlefield.
"Stay behind me, my king." A Dryad guard whispered, stepping in front of Haleth. With Percy leading the way, they soon found themselves at the bottom of the stairs and in the basement. Raising Riptide to illuminate the room, Percy almost gagged at what laid before him. Hearing footsteps behind him, he tried to stop them from coming down but it was already too late.
"What the…" The king whispered, fear leaking out of his voice. Percy couldn't help but share that sentiment as he looked around. Countless corpses in various stages of decay littered the room. Chained to the floor, walls, and ceiling, there wasn't a spot where a rotting body didn't lay. Taking a few more steps inside, he put his shirt collar over his nose as he searched the room. It seemed to be some kind of laboratory with various scientific instruments scattered about on desks in two corners.
Stepping over a rotten corpse of something, he couldn't tell if it was human or monster, he looked over the desk that had the same red vials he had seen Ares and Antaeus have. Leaning down, the son of Poseidon noticed a book opened. The pages were covered in blood but thankfully he was somewhat able to read it. Picking it up, he began to read its contents.
"Stage 5 -
The subjects seem to have stabilized after five minutes of the growth period. One vial of the Tarteric lifestream seemed to have raised the levels of the subject's hormones by fifty percent. However, certain subjects had different side effects and outcomes after taking the element. Subject 115 was the first to develop such traits that I believe the Lord would find to his liking. Subject 115 was the first to…"
That was all Percy could read as the rest of the pages were soaked in blood, turning the pages soggy and unreadable. Setting it down, he turned around to find himself staring at what he could only describe as a zombie. The woman's eyes were blood red and her skin a sickly shade of white. Her lower jaw was missing, leaking both blood and saliva. The son of Poseidon felt his heart leap from his chest as he watched the women lunge at him. Ducking under, he watched her sail over him, crashing into the desk like an animal.
Hearing the commotion, the king along with his Dryad guards, swiftly made their way to Percy.
"What's wrong!" Haleth yelled out. He couldn't see anything as there was no light in the basement besides Percy's sword. Looking at the demigod who was breathing somewhat heavily, he watched him raise his sword, illuminating the ceiling above him. Looking above, they all watched the woman crawl on the ceiling like a spider weaving a web. No sound came out of her besides the strangled gasp of her breathing.
"Think we found Elanor." Percy said, watching in fascination as the zombie suddenly turned her head in the direction of him. He could hear her bones snapping as she contorted her neck like a confused dog.
"She seems to still have some sentience left in her judging by how she reacted to her name." Haleth said, fascinated. Watching the woman attempt to escape by pounding her head repeatedly against the walls, he ordered the guards to fire a stun lock arrow to prevent the woman from damaging herself any further. If they could get her back to the palace, there was plenty of information they could uncover.
"What's wrong, Perseus?" The king asked, looking over at the demigod who was staring wide-eyed at the woman who was now being strapped down by the dryads.
"I've seen these red vials before. And I keep hearing people mention the Lord." The demigod replied, his hand on his chin.
"I think there's a new player looking to join in on the war."
