LAST TIME:
As I walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert. People and satyrs and naiads all turned toward me, their faces filled with respect and gratitude, and as I passed, they knelt.
I was about to descend the steps towards the elevator when my path was intercepted by a regal looking raven-haired woman with Grey eyes. She was wearing a modern attire and looked at me with a stare that only the strictest teacher could muster.
#Athena.#
I bowed to her. "Lady Athena."
She fixed me with a cold, calculating stare. "Perseus Jackson." She said. "We need to have a talk."
Ch 12. An Interrogation and the Enemy
My mind immediately whirled at what Athena, my father's arch rival, would want from me.
#Probably wants to interrogate you so she misses nothing of importance. She is Olympus's master strategist. She will want to know everything. Be polite to her. Athena doesn't take well to rudeness... At all. And she dislikes you because you're Poseidon's son and sees you as a threat because of the prophecy.#
I gave Alexander a mental nod.
"Yes Lady Athena. What do you wish to talk about ma'am?"
"Not here boy. Too many ears. Close your eyes."
#She is going to flash you. It isn't going to be a pleasant experience. Close your eyes#
I nodded and closed my eyes. I felt Athena put a hand on my shoulder and then felt the worse sensation I had ever felt. It felt like my body was broken down at molecular level before being reformed. I felt nauseous but held myself from vomiting. The fact that I hadn't had breakfast yet did help a lot.
I opened my eyes and looked around.
Unsurprisingly, I was in a Office-Library. The room I was in was as big as my school campus. Three walls were completely covered with book shelves filled to the brim with books, tomes and scrolls. Percy estimated that there were atleast a one hundred thousand(100,000) books in here. Perhaps even more. And that was not counting the scrolls.
The books were written in several languages: English, Greek, Latin, French, German and others which he couldn't identify. Alexander had taught Percy French and German in tandem with Greek and Latin. He said that one should know atleast one foreign language... in which Greek and Latin didn't count as they were dead languages to everyone except Demigods and Gods.
"That is quite a collection you've got here Lady Athena." I said.
"Yes." Athena said with pride coloring her tone. "These are only the books I use regularly though, and the books that are a part of my private collection of course. The official Olympus Library has a bigger collection, having all the books and scrolls preserved since the reign of the gods began. I have ensured that every book ever published is stored in there, be it mortal books or books written by the gods. You won't find a single book in the world which isn't there."
"That sounds awesome. I would like to see it someday." I mused out loud.
"It is a work of art indeed. You are interested in books though?" Athena asked as if it was an unfathomable notion.
"I read works of fiction especially fantasy novels and murder-mysteries more than other types of books. I have also read a couple of Shakespeare plays though." I replied.
"Really? Which books have you read boy?" She asked in a skeptical tone, not believing me.
"I have read all books of Harry Potter series published till now. Several Roald Dahl books, Romeo and Juliet play, and I have started Hercule Poirot series recently." I replied listing names off the top of my head. Since Alexander had cured my Dyslexia, I had fallen in love with reading. It was my favorite pass time activity whenever I wanted a break from school studies and Demigod training.
Also, Alexander loved fiction books. It was a common interest for both of us.
Athena's eyebrows had risen so high that they almost disappeared in her hairline. "You can read?"
"Obviously. Duh." I replied as if she was asking if the sea was in liquid state.
"Aren't you Dyslexic?" She pressed further but, she was annoyed by my previous answer.
"I am only mildly Dyslexic Lady Athena. And the more I read, the less it affects me." I said with a shrug. "So, since I was eight, I made reading my hobby. I can speak, read and write- English, Greek, French, Latin and German fluently by now." I added, hoping to impress Athena. An impressed goddess was better than a goddess who thought that you are a piece of shit.
"Vraiment? Vous pouvez parler français?" She asked in French.
"Oui Madame. Je peux parler français. Je ne mens pas." I replied fluently.
Now, Athena genuinely looked a little impressed with me. She was analyzing me like a new gadget rather than a virus like before.
"Now, as much as I am enjoying this conversation Lady Athena, I must ask, what did you wish to talk about originally?" I said.
"Ah, yes. We got a little carried away. I just didn't expect Poseidon's spawn to be so... interested in books. Take a seat Perseus Jackson."
"Never thought you would indulge in stereotypes Lady Athena. You make sea-spawn sound like how people say dumb blondes." I said making air quotes as I moved towards my seat. I never really liked stereotypes, especially the dumb-blonde one. One just needed to look at Annabeth to see how wrong that was.
"I am speaking from history child." She said as she took a seat in front of me. Between us was a coffee table which looked expensive as hell. "But, that is a discussion for another day" She added.
"Yes, it is ma'am." I agreed.
She nodded and waved her hand. Nothing happened.
#She has erected shields around the room. No god or divine being would be able to hear or see anything going inside.# Alexander said.
"I have questions for you." She said in a tone which suggested that she was interrogating me.
I nodded. "Fire away my lady." I said portraying confidence. Showing weakness would be a bad idea.
"I have got the News of the quest you went on with my daughter and the Satyr. I have been informed—"
"I know you were in the throne room Lady Athena. You were sitting on your own throne, invisible." I said interrupting her explanation.
#Percy. She doesn't like being interrupted.# Alexander groaned.
She stared at me like she was calculating how much I was worth. It was a stare that a strict teacher fixed student with after he or she had conducted some mischief. It was scary. If she were in Harry Potter, I had no doubt that she would fill Minerva McGonagall's character flawlessly. (Athena filling Minerva's character... get it? No?)
"I would appreciate if you do not interrupt me Mr. Jackson." She said coldly "Now, how in my father's name did you know I was there?"
"I always know how many people are in the room ma'am. I can tell where people are around me without seeing them. I can do this since I was about ten years old. I sensed someone on your throne, but, I couldn't see anyone. So, I deduced that it must be you sitting on your throne invisible. Annabeth also has an invisibility cap, so I figured that you too must have something similar."
She raised a single eyebrow. "How can you do that?"
I shrugged. "I just can. I have no explanation for it."
I actually sensed them due to the water vapor in the air or by the water in their bodies but, she didn't need to know that. She would be even more wary of me due to my power if I told her.
She frowned. I could tell that her mind was running. Annabeth got the same look while she tried to figure something out. "I think you can sense the water in my blood due to your heritage. That is the only possible explanation it seems."
"I am sorry, but that can not be an explanation as I can also sense the things in the room, Lady Athena." I lied easily. Sensing the water in blood was a power that no demigod ever had. I needed her to disregard that notion. It was a power I had gotten due to Alexander increasing my powers by his sheer presence.
"You can blindfold me and I will navigate through any room without banging into anything. Abiotic things don't have blood." I added, trying to give credence to my statement.
"Then perhaps the water vapor in the air." She mused.
I just shrugged again but, said nothing. Several children of Poseidon, after sufficient training, could summon water by condensing the water vapor in the air.
"I think we can figure your special ability later. But, if you must know, I was also watching your quest. My daughter was in it with you. There were only a few instances when I couldn't see you and my daughter which, I suspect to be the work of the Crooked one. I need some explanation for those. One instance was when you went up the arch where you claim to fight Echidna and Chimera of all monsters."
"I have the spoils to prove it my lady." I defended myself immediately.
"Show." She replied curtly.
I rummaged through my bag and brought out the spoils and laid them on the table. Athena's eyes widened a tick.
"You actually killed them." She whispered before fixing me with another calculative look. "How did you kill them?" She demanded.
"I rolled under Chimera's Belly and stabbed it with my Trident, straight into its heart. I had to use a lot of force to do it though. And after that, I punched an enraged Echidna to death."
"You... punched Echidna to death?" She asked and I nodded.
She scoffed. "No mere mortal, son of the big three or not, can punch the mother of monsters to death sea spawn. I doubt that any god except Ares, and the big three could just punch Echidna to death while in their mortal form atleast. Do not lie to me."
I was unfazed by it though. "You are absolutely right ma'am. No one can punch Echidna to death with normal punches. Her hide was like titanium. But, I never used normal punches."
She raised her eyebrows again, waiting for an explanation.
"I channeled my father's Earthquake powers through my fists Lady Athena. I knew my sword or trident would do me no good against her as her skin was impenetrable. So, I decided to crush her skull with my earthquake powers. A fist that can cause the very earth to shake can definitely be used to punch someone to death."
"You can control Earthquakes? That is a dangerous ability to have." She said neutrally but I could see the gears in her head turning.
"But, it has saved my life twice till now. Against Echidna and Ares. And, I am yet to cause an Earthquake yet though."
"Do not misuse the power Perseus Jackson." She said after a few moments with finality. "As much as it pains for me to say this, you are an intelligent boy. You can read situations very well. You can strategize and plan, which is a trait usually found in my children and not the children of Poseidon. Do not do stupid things like your half-brothers and sisters."
#Do not say anything about Theseus.# Alexander warned before I could remind Athena of the fact that Theseus was a brilliant strategist too. Theseus was blessed by Athena during some part of his life after slaying the Minotaur. And he was a soft spot for her.
'Alright.' I said to Alexander and kept my mouth shut and listened as the goddess of wisdom continued.
"I hope you can understand how much damage an Earthquake can cause. If your punch would have hit the structure of the Arch during your fight, it is needless to say that the national monument would have been damaged horribly and the mortals below could've died and so could my daughter."
"I know Lady Athena." I said. "I did take special care not to hit the arch. I took special care to only put the power in my fist when I was sure to hit the mother of monsters with my punch." I stated.
"How did you channel it though? It is not an easy thing to tap into the most obscure power of Poseidon. Most children of his can only manipulate water and have only caused Earthquakes when in extreme danger."
"I was facing two of the most dangerous monsters in the Greek world if it escaped your notice." I said dryly. "I was in peril and then my gut feeling told me to use my earth-shaker powers. To bring out my father's Earth-shaker powers and punch Echidna with it. It worked. And now, I can replicate it. Atleast I did it in my fight against your half-brother."
She kept staring at me. I was uncomfortable but took care not to fidget under her scrutinizing gaze. Her grey eyes, which looked ten times more... radiant, stormy and dangerous than her daughter's were boring into me and analyzing me.
"You are powerful." She stated. "Too powerful for such a young demigod. And you are loyal. Loyal to a fault. But, it is personal loyalty instead of loyalty to a cause. It is a dangerous combination."
"What do exactly you want to say Lady Athena?" I asked.
"I am saying that you could sacrifice the world in exchange of one person. If you had been given a choice between saving the world from this war or saving your mother, you would've chosen your mother. You would've sacrificed the world if it meant that you could save her. You may perhaps be useful, powerful, skilled and everything else. Do not get me wrong child. You are an huge asset to have in ones forces. And yet… your fatal flaw may destroy us as well as yourself." She said.
I said nothing. Personal Loyalty is my fatal flaw.
#She wants an answer Percy. Answer her frankly. Tell her what you feel. If you try to placate her, she will never aid you in any way or form. She will see you as a bomb ticking to go off. And she will catch anything you do to make yourself sound like an idle hero. Say the truth. Tell her what you are actually thinking. It will show that atleast you know where you could fail. She is analyzing whether or not you know your flaws. She knows that every hero has a flaw, better known as their fatal flaw. And they can do nothing about it. It is a part of then and that is what makes them unique.#
"That is where you are wrong Lady Athena." I said, heeding to Alexander's words. Her eyes narrowed a fraction, true to Alexander's words, at my cryptic statement. I wouldn't have actually caught it if I hadn't been trained by Alexander though.
"My loyalty is my strength and not my weakness. You are indeed right to say that I would do anything if it means that my loved ones would stay happy and safe. I am nothing if my loyalty towards my family wavers. A man, how much ever successful, is always defined by family. A family is a person's greatest wealth and strength." I said firmly. I could see that my answer had shocked Athena even if she was masking it well. She had not expected me to be so blunt and philosophical.
"That doesn't change the point though." Athena said. "Your unwavering loyalty to those whom you love or consider family is what makes you threat. You would not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world. In a hero of the prophecy, that is very, very dangerous. You went on a quest to clear your father's name. A person you hadn't met in your life till today. You faced some of the worst monsters in the Greek World and the god of war, Ares himself to clear the name of a man who you've never met, just because he is your father. As I said before, ff you had a choice between your mother and the war happening, I am sure you would chosen your mom and let the world die."
"We can do if and buts all day and we wouldn't be through with the possibilities Lady Athena. As to answer your statement, I would say 'Maybe'... it would have depended on the circumstances to be frank. If I had failed, Zeus would likely have targeted my mother first to get revenge against Poseidon anyways. All my friends would suffer due to a war between the two brothers. And, I would like to add that this was the reason that made me determined to succeed. I knew that I couldn't fail. If I failed, my father would be plunged into a war and it was entirely possible that Zeus would target my mother in order to get revenge. The fact that the world would get destroyed in the process and so would everyone I cared about, was another huge factor too. I wished to protect my family and friends." I said in a passionate voice.
"And that is why I didn't back out." I continued. "That is why I fought the monsters on my quest. That is why I faces Ares. That is why I didn't quit. Every coin has two sides Lady Athena. My loyalty is the reason that kept me going on the quest and defeating the odds. You say I would sacrifice the world in balance for one person, then you should also know that throughout my life many people would gain my trust and friendship and I would think about them too and fight against all odds to protect them. I would fight Chaos herself if needed to protect those whom I consider my family. A person is nothing without his family, and so ain't I. I will fight for my family Lady Athena. Not pride. Not honor. Not glory. Only to protect my family." I reiterated.
Athena leaned back in her chair and joined her hands looking at me like a teacher would see her favorite student now. Damn. Why did all her looks made her look like a teacher? The resemblance was uncanny. It was perhaps her godly vibes prompting me to make such comparisons. Athena was also the patron of teachers after all.
But, I noticed one thing. Her eyes were a little moist. Just a little. One would miss it if they hadn't been trained for several years in seeing such clues.
Athena was moved by my passionate speech.
#Damn Percy. You've impressed her. You have impressed Athena of all goddesses. If you had been older, she would have probably gifted you a brain child. Hey, if she does so, and it is a boy, name him after me, won't you?#
Athena gifted a brain child to any mortal who impressed her with his wisdom/ intelligence/ ingenuity. It was a blessing of sorts to them. The children were born from the goddess's will. She was still a maiden goddess.
'Alexander...'
#Yes?#
'Shut up.'
"Very well." Athena said after a few moments breaking the silence. "Moving on, how did you defeat Ares?"
#Ah, my little owl's pride. She would never admit that a you, a sea spawn impressed her with his logical answer.#
I ignored Alexander and replied to Athena's question with my own. "Do you wish to see the fight Lady Athena?"
"Unfortunately, I can't just see the fight. Usually we could've asked Iris to show us the fight but, the area was blocked from gods viewing by the Crooked One himself as Hades informed us. None of the gods could see the fight."
"Don't you have something like a pensive?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.
She just gave me an interested look and said, "Unfortunately it is still a fictional concept. But, I think I could make something like that... hmm... that would require many things and especially magic. I need to—"
I could tell where Annabeth had inherited her mannerisms from. Athena and her daughter behaved similarly. But, he had to stop her before she went into all-research mode.
"Terribly sorry Lady Athena, but you are going off topic." I interrupted.
She snapped out of her musings and her cheeks tinged pink. "Err... I got carried away. Yes, I was asking how did you defeat Ares. He is a hot-headed idiot but, he is still capable of defeating a demigod, even one as skilled as yourself in a fight even while restricted by the ancient laws."
"Well, his overconfidence and his lack of wisdom were his downfall in our fight."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Athena questioned.
"One, he underestimated me. He treated me like a kid on the battlefield when he should treat all opponents equally. And two, which was his biggest mistake, was that he fought me in the sea."
"I heard that when Hades said it in the throne room Perseus. I don't think that fighting on a beach or near the water would make a huge difference to someone as experienced as Ares."
Percy looked at Athena incredulously. She didn't know what advantage did the sea give Percy?
"Ma'am, it would make a huge difference to me. The water increases my strength, speed, Battle reflexes, and every other aspect by atleast two times. And I manipulated the water as I fought him. It would be the same difference like you and my father fighting in water. Tell me Lady Athena that despite being the best warrior in all of Olympus in terms of pure skills, would you be able to defeat my father if your battleground is the sea?" I stated
"No I wouldn't." She agreed. Poseidon, despite being her arch-nemesis she had to agree that Poseidon was the most powerful gods on Olympus and she would stand no chance if she fought Poseidon in his domain. "But, you mean to tell me that you were literally in the sea. Like in the turf as you fought Ares?"
"Yes ma'am. At one point we were waist deep in water."
Athena muttered about stupid decisions and lack of sense in Ares.
"Very well, very well." She nodded. "But, on another note, I would like to thank you for alerting Olympus to the threat that is arising Perseus."
"Yeah, no problem." I said as my stomach rumbled. I blushed in embarrassment.
Athena looked at me apologetically. "I am sorry for being a terrible host Perseus. I forgot to ask you for refreshments."
"No worries Lady Athena. I can just do this." I said and snapped my fingers. Two plates of sandwiches and two glasses of orange juice appeared on the coffee table. "Here. You should also have some milady."
I saw Athena narrow her eyes at me and that was all warning I got before my instincts kicked in and I grabbed the shaft of the spear Athena had summoned, likely to threaten me or skewer me.
My instincts kicked in and I used the spear as a lever and flung Athena on the floor and twisted the spear out her hand, catching her completely off guard. The food and the juice spilled on the floor as the coffee table was knocked over in the process. I immediately got into a defensive stance with the spear I had taken from the goddess who was currently lying on the floor, as the Warrior's crown appeared on my head. All this happened in the blink of an eye.
"Why did you do that?" I demanded. Athena sprung to her feet and her armor appeared with another spear and her famous Aegis shield as she analyzed my stance.
The fearsome Aegis failed to intimidate me due to the helm on my head. But, her armor was a sight to behold. There was not a single space that was exposed on her torso and it would've maintained her flexibility. The spear in her hand radiated power. It was a godly weapon. While the spear in my hand was a normal celestial bronze standard Greek spear, only reinforced for better durability.
"How did you summon food boy? What are you?" She demanded, her eyes alert and ready to attack. "No demigod can summon food out of thin air. Only a few divine beings can do that. Tell me before I skewer you boy." She threatened.
#Athena is also very paranoid, did I forget to add?# Alexander said dryly.
Paranoid. Right. I displayed an ability she thought I could have and immediately put me at spear point... or tried to and failed.
It was only thanks to Alexander's training that I had reacted so quickly and caught Athena of all people off-guard. Guess that being trained by a war-god several centuries older and more experienced than a goddess had its perks while fighting the said goddess.
"I am the champion of Hestia, goddess." I replied curtly, readying myself. I knew I couldn't fight her. I would loose against her even at my best. And currently, I was still recovering my power from my fight with Ares suffering from sleep depravity and hungry. I wouldn't stand an iota of chance. I needed to distract her and run away to Hestia or my father.
Or calm her and make her listen.
I immediately spread my aura of hope and calmness to calm Athena down.
But, my proclamation had already stopped her short.
"You- you are Hestia's champion?" She asked, completely flabbergasted.
"Yes."
"You could've just told me." She said softly, lowering her spear as her armor and shield disappeared. Her warrior demeanor instantly disappeared and she was again back to normal behavior... or atleast to like how she was behaving before. She looked much more relaxed though.
The aura due to Hestia's blessing was seriously helpful and enhanced by the warrior's crown even more.
"You could've just asked. The spear was unneeded." I replied without missing a beat as I lowered the spear in my hand.
She nodded at me and just snapped her fingers and the mess vanished from the floor while the table and chairs righted themselves.
She ran her hand through her raven locks and turned back to me. "When did you become Hestia's Champion?"
"A few hours before I left for the quest. She gave me basic lessons on handling my powers along with a Balisong knife." I said with a slight smile.
"Why did she choose you as her champion though?"
"Aunt Hestia said that I embodied all the values of the hearth and so she wanted me to become her champion. I did ask her to reconsider but, she was adamant and I didn't want to break her heart by saying no." I replied truthfully
"Very well, I will still confirm it with her though just to confirm things. And, you can summon the food again and continue our conversation. I still have questions. Actually these were just things I was curious about. The main questions are remaining. I need to know things about your dream."
"No worries Milady." I replied and summoned the food again.
She gave me a genuine smile and sat back in her chair.
"Tell me all your dreams and when you had them in detail. Tell me as much as you can remember." She asked after taking a sip of her juice and summoning a diary and a ball pen.
I started speaking, and told her about the dreams in vivid detail. In the throne room, I had just given them a summary. Here, I was telling her the smallest of details as Athena noted things down in a diary. She asked questions to clarify aspects and better understand my point of view.
Once my narration of all the dreams were over, she put her diary down and gulped the rest of the orange juice down.
I could tell that she was worried. Even more than before.
"Anything else you wish to tell me?" She asked after a few minutes.
"The crooked one has recruited a lot of monsters for sure. I already said that Medusa already knew of our arrival and Echidna—"
"—Tried to turn you against Olympus by saying that Zeus wants to kill you." Athena completed my statement as she tied her hair into a ponytail. "I have noted it. Next."
"Okay. And he likely has his agent or agents in our camp. Camp Half-blood."
"Spies and traitors are always an important part of wars." She agreed. "Do you have suspicions on who all could be in his army?"
"The unclaimed demigods." I replied instantly. "They feel rejected by the gods. They have a big reason to turn against the gods. They feel ignored. Atleast some of them must have joined the crooked one. I wouldn't say all but atleast a few."
Athena nodded. "I myself have no children who aren't claimed. Those who already are at the camp atleast. There are still a few out there but, they are still too young to be attracting monsters. I usually claim them within a week of their arrival, once they have accepted what they are. But, I can not say the same for the others. Apollo, Hermes and Ares are especially a problem since they have so many demigods running around and they do not claim them regularly unless the demigod does something worthy to attract their attention. Also, the minor gods rarely pay attention to the camp. So, they have a lot of unclaimed demigods."
"Milady, can you not convince them to claim all their kids in a single go in the next meeting. Like, atleast the Olympian gods? Tell them to look around the camp and claim all their kids. It will take a few minutes at the " I suggested. "Atleast we may prevent those from turning against Olympus." I added
"I can only try Perseus. I will definitely suggest it, but, I can not be sure that they would do that. And... even if we assume that all the Olympians claim their kids... How many will there be? Five? six? At the max ten? And how many unclaimed campers are there in the camp Perseus?"
I leaned back in my own seat. There were several campers who were still unclaimed. We had a total of around 110 campers. And out of which 53 occupied proper cabins(including me and the proper-Hermes kids) and another 24 were children of the non-Olympian gods. Rest were unclaimed. So we had more than half the population of the camp who were either unclaimed or children of minor gods... or precisely gods who weren't on the Olympian council. Calling some of them minor gods was actually wrong. Nemesis was actually a minor primordial- Minor Primordial of balance, retribution, and vengeance. Hecate was a Titaness- The titaness of crossroads, entrance-ways, night, light, magic, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery.
They were as important and powerful as the Olympians themselves. And despite that, they were considered as minor gods. Their children were crammed in the Hermes cabin just because they weren't an Olympian along with the unclaimed.
Apart from that, there were still about thirty demigods who had no idea of their heritage.
I sighed.
"Still... something is better than nothing Lady Athena." I told her. "Even if ten kids are claimed, that would be ten demigods less in the crooked ones army... hopefully." I replied to Athena's question.
She nodded in agreement and made another note in her diary.
#You forgot to tell her the minor gods point.#
"Milady... even the minor gods and the kids can join the Titan Lord's army. The minor gods have been ignored by Olympus."
"A mistake on our part. We should have done something to ensure their loyalty." Athena said with a nod as she massaged her temples. "But, we cannot go about pointing fingers either or making them swear oaths. That would be tyranny and make even more people turn against us." Athena said.
I resisted the urge to make a comment about the gods, especially Zeus doing whatever the fuck they wanted in several instances throughout history.
"Yes it would Lady Athena."
"Do you have anything you wish to add?"
"I don't think so milady."
She nodded and closed her diary which disappeared. She looked at me again.
"Thank you for your cooperation Perseus. It is greatly appreciated. But, if I have any more questions..."
"Then you can contact me anytime you wish, given that I am not in the middle of something."
"Alright. Wait before you go. Give that spear here." She said pointing to my side where the spear I had snatched from the goddess was lying.
I handed the spear to her and she chanted something in Greek. The spear glowed and turned into a ring. She inspected the ring and said, "Can you give this to my daughter Perseus?"
"Annabeth?" I asked for confirmation and she nodded.
"Of course." I said accepting the ring and pocketed it. The ring looked nothing special except for the owl insignia on it. It looked like a ring you would get for a dollar from a local vendor in New York.
"Tell her that the ring will return to her finger and she just needs to will the spear in her hand or tap the ring thrice to make the spear appear."
"I will ma'am."
"And I want you to keep practicing. Practice with every weapon possible. I know you suck at Archery... well, I don't exactly know what to say about it exactly cause I don't think even Apollo or Artemis could shoot a bullseye behind them while their bow is in the normal direction. Your archery disobeys the laws of physics. But, since you can not shoot forward I will consider Archery a lost cause for you. You need to substitute it."
"What do you mean?"
"Throwing knives." She replied and snapped her fingers. A target board and a throwing knife appeared. She grabbed the knife and threw it. It embedded itself on the bullseye of the target which was about forty yards away.
"Its range isn't as much as a arrow but, it is a decent substitution."
"Alright." I replied. "Throwing knives. What else?"
"Continue your training with your sword and trident. I believe those are your preferred weapons."
I nodded.
"Yes. And practice your powers too along side the weapons. Both from Hestia and Poseidon. And try to combine them. Like shooting super-heated water or taking the heat from the water and thus freezing it to ice. If you're successful in shooting ice... just think about the possibilities Perseus."
My eyes widened. That did be so cool! Shooting ice-spikes from my Trident and making any weapon I want from water!
#It is a great idea Percy. We are totally mastering that.# Alexander said.
'And the throwing knives.'
#You know to throw a knife properly.#
'But I am no expert in it yet.'
#Fair enough.#
"And," Athena continued. "If you wish for any help, IM me. If I am free, I will accept it. If not, then I will call you back once I am free."
I bowed to Athena. "Thank you Milady."
She waved me off.
"As of now, you are the hero of the Great Prophecy. It is my duty to make sure that you are ready. I can not help you directly due to the ancient laws. But, I would be damned if I don't make sure that you're well trained to face the challenges especially with the Titan Lord rising."
I nodded.
"If you don't mind me asking, what will the gods be doing in regards to preparations for the coming war?"
"That would be the decision of the council. I can not say right now what the council would decide upon. I am no god of Prophecy Perseus."
"Seriously? Considering that you're the goddess of Wisdom and you're going to be the one suggesting more than half of the ideas... I am pretty sure you can predict what will the council do, god of prophecy or not." I said dryly.
She smiled then chuckled a bit. "True."
I waited for an answer but it didn't come.
#Either she is conflicted or is withholding information from you. Move on.#
"Alright Lady Athena. If that is all?"
"Wait. I have a few books to give you." She said and snapped her fingers. Three books appeared: The Challenge of Command by Roger. H. Nye ; The Art of War by Sun Tzu (English Version) and a book on War tactics and strategies written by Athena herself in Greek.
I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to read all these books Lady Athena?"
"In time. I am not saying read these now. Or not the first two atleast. You should read the one written by me. It is more like a textbook that has lessons on army formations, strategies etc. So, read that one first. The other two may be a little above your level because you are still twelve. You would understand them in a few years for sure though."
"Thank you ma'am." I said accepting the books gratefully.
"Thank me when it comes into use Perseus." She said with a soft smile. "And if you have anything to ask, you can come to me."
"Thank you Milady." I said respectfully. She was much warmer than before.
#She is a lady who appreciates intelligence and wisdom. She has gauged that you're intelligent and wise. She respects you now and places you as a worthy hero for the child of the Prophecy. You have skills. You have strong loyalty. And most importantly for her, you are smart enough to handle situations and know what to do.# Alexander said. #She is an excellent goddess to have in your side. Perhaps better than even your own father. If it falls upon the Olympian council to make you the child of Prophecy or kill you to prevent it, but, Athena thinks that you are good enough to save Olympus, she will convince the whole council to ensure that you would be the Prophecy child and take the risk.#
He meant that if it fell to the council to kill me to delay the great prophecy, Athena would convince them otherwise. She would make sure that I would be the hero of the prophecy, thus giving Olympus the biggest probability of success.
And she had been judging me today.
And by the looks of it, I had passed.
Soon, I found myself back on the streets of Olympus walking towards the elevator and found yet another god waiting for me: Ares.
I was instantly on guard. He had sworn on the Styx to not seek retribution if he lost, but, he still may do something.
"Ares." I greeted.
"Pu— Jackson." He greeted back in an hesitant tone.
"Not to be rude, but, what do you want?" I asked in a neutral tone.
"I wanted to say thanks for helping me break out of his influence. Queen Hera informed how strong his influence was on me. She told me how you took my side by saying that my actions weren't my own. Or else my father would have given me some very harsh punishment. So, thank you. AndIalsowantedtosaysorry." He finished hurriedly.
#Someone probably forced him to come to you and say sorry. Ares won't say sorry normally. He would thank people for a service. But, never say sorry. Someone probably forced him.#
"No worries cousin." I said purposefully not calling him Lord or any title. "You weren't under your free will and manipulated by him."
"Yeah. You asked for a favor if you won... and as much as I hate to admit it, you did win. So what do you want Jackson? A weapon? A shield? Armor? Or something else?"
'What should I do Alexander?'
#It is your own decision.#
I thought about it. I didn't need any more weapons or anything materialistic to be honest. I had three awesome weapons: The storm-rider, Riptide and Hestia's knife. I had the warrior's crown for the helmet. For Armor and shield, Alexander had a vault full of them with a hundred other interesting Artifacts. I had unlimited mortal money, thanks to the Lotus Hotel platinum cards.
That left only two things: Saving the favor for a later date or one other thing.
"Can you train me" I blurted out.
"Excuse me?"
#Excuse me?#
"Can you train me Ares? To fight and all. You're the god of war, right. So you must know a lot of things."
#I am training you already Percy. Why do you need him?#
'Because I know your fighting style. By now, I can precisely predict your next move and how you'd move Alexander. And you are more of a strategic fighter. Ares has a completely different fighting style than you. And by training with him, I can stay in direct contact with the divine world as you wanted. So, I get to face someone with a different fighting style, stay in contact with the divine world and learn to face enemies who rely on brute force and hot-headedness to fight. You are a calculated fighter. Most gods and Titans aren't.'
#... When the hell did you get so smart? Guess I am rubbing off you.#
I ignored him and looked at Ares who was still blinking. "You wish to learn from me? But why? You already defeated me fair and square even though I wasn't being myself."
#Someone has had a serious talk with Ares.# Alexander muttered. #Or he is really grateful to you for saving him.#
"You made a mistake while fighting me Ares. I wouldn't have won if we weren't in the sea. I had the advantage of the home turf. If we were on land, I would have been defeated hands down. So, I want to train under you."
"Hmmm... that is how you won... but, nonetheless, you're a good fighter Sea Sp— Jackson. But, there is always room for improvement. Hmm... Alright. I will train you to repay the favor you got and as a Thank you for saving me from his influence. Every Saturday starting from next month at 10 AM sharp, I want you here at Olympus. I am not coming down to your little camp to train you. You've to come here yourself and report to the Arena. But, fair warning, I am not going soft on you. And while we are at it, you will address me as sir."
"Yes sir." I said agreeing. He was going to be my teacher and teachers should always be addressed with respect... regardless of your personal feeling for the teacher.
"Good. I am going. Close your eyes."
I did so and felt Ares flash away.
#It is a good deal you made... And you are right. You can predict my moves by now. Ares would be a good change of pattern for you. I would have preferred if it was Athena though but, like me, she is also a smart fighter and fights with strategy... even more so than me.#
'But, we are doing throwing knives like she said. Perfecting the technique till I can do it blindfolded while half asleep.' I told Alexander as I entered the elevator and pressed the ground floor button.
#The camp's armory has several sets of throwing knives. We can practice with that for now. We will see about getting you a set of enchanted knives which would return to you after a few moments after you master it.#
'Fair enough. Can you get me an armor like Athena's? It was sooo cool.' I gushed.
#It is probably designed by Athena herself. Only she can make such a design which protects her completely while hardly affecting flexibility and movement. She isn't the goddess of wisdom, warfare, craft and some dozen other things for no reason. I actually think she has the most titles and domains if everything is added even though none of the abilities are Physical like the elder gods' abilities or photo-energy like Artemis and Apollo's. Even Hermes has speed and Dionysus has plant control and madness. Yet Athena has nothing of that sort and she is arguably the most powerful goddess among the younger generation of gods.#
'You are deviating from the topic dude! Can you give me an Armor Like Athena?' I exclaimed as I exited the elevator and entered the lobby of the Empire Estate Building. I could hear the hustle and bustle of the New York city life as people hurried over to do their own work. Cars honking, people speaking on their phones and every single other noise that, despite the ruckus, was the essence of the city. Which made New York home.
I smiled. Despite I had just walked through the city of gods, New York had its own different charm.
#No. Not except you make Athena part with her armor or convince her to give you the design and everything. She won't give such a wonderful invention away easily. The armor is after all a part of Athena's identity in battle.#
'Okay. Can I atleast have some sort of Armor? Wearing the helm without the armor makes it look weird.'
#Yeah, yeah. I know. But... Percy, you must understand. Your fighting style is very different. We designed it to be unique. You rely on flexibility and quickness while simultaneously not compromising the force behind the strikes. So, you need an armor which doesn't compromise your flexibility. In such a case a light armor would do. But, a light armor would be destroyed if you use your storm powers while fighting, which I need to remind you that you still need to work on.#
'Seriously?' I asked as I began running in the direction of the camp. I was going to run all the way.
#Percy, your storm and Earthquake powers are your most dangerous powers and will remain so even if you master throwing Greek fire by Hestia's powers. Remember? You almost defeated me by using your hurricane powers the last time?#
I grumbled under my breath. In a practice session with Alexander, after I had been claimed, I had first tried forming a hurricane around myself while sparring with Alexander, on his own insistence. It was the most destructive spar I had ever had with anyone. The Arena in my mindscape had been blown apart. Every equipment was blown away as we sparred. We had sparred for fourteen minutes before I used the wind around me to smack a fallen wooden plank on Alexander's face and disarmed him. Then, I had let my guard down and Alexander immediately turned the tables. Shortly after, I passed out due to exhaustion to.
Of course, Alexander never used his own elemental powers till now while we sparred, stating that it would be unfair to me. If he summoned a storm, the house would be destroyed completely. And my storm bringer powers were still developing and tired me out faster than even time control. It was because a hell lot more energy was needed to manipulate the weather, air currents and everything else as compared to other things.
Alexander always said that even he himself and Poseidon rarely used the power while fighting due to its tiring nature (gods too had their limits even fighting in godly form with other gods) and in fear of harming allies due to the strength of the storm. Storms on godly levels were very destructive and would affect both allies and enemies.
But, I had an advantage as compared to the gods.
My storms were smaller. I didn't need to worry about blowing my allies away unless they were very near while fighting. I just needed to work on preserving my energy enough to destroy an enemy completely and still be standing at the end of it.
If I managed to master that, I would become a demon on the battlefield especially considering my other powers.
I continued running down the streets at some seventy miles an hour, using the mist to hide myself from mortals. That was when I heard a scream and I stopped in my tracks. It came from an Alleyway to my right. I immediately hurried towards the source of the scream and saw that a little girl was cornered on the dead end by two cyclops and a Hellhound.
The girl looked six or seven years old. Her clothes were torn and she was bruised. She held a kitchen knife in her hand holding it in a defensive pose. The hellhound roared.
"Back Away! I have a knife!" She yelled at the monsters and the cyclopes laughed.
I uncapped the riptide and attacked the monsters, making quick work of them. After Ares, Minotaur, Echidna, Chimera and the other shit, two cyclops and a hellhound were a laughably hilarious challenge for me.
The girl looked at me fearfully. "W-who are you?" She asked raising her knife.
The girl had brown hair and light green eyes which were shining with fear.
She was scared witless. I immediately spread the aura of the hearth. The girl relaxed.
I knelt at her eye level. "My name's Percy. Percy Jackson. I mean you no harm." I gave her a soft smile.
"Y-you aren't one o-of those Greek Monsters?" She asked. So she already knew about the Greek world. That certainly explained why the monsters had came after a six year old.
"No. I kill those monsters."
"You're like me?"
"Yes. I am a demigod too. What is your name young one?"
"Liza Cooper."
I nodded. "How do you know about the Greek world Liza?"
"M-my father. He told me about it before h-he d-died. I have been running from monsters e-ever since." She broke down into tears. I went closer and wrapped the girl into a hug concentrating the power of the hearth on her. I gently rocked her in my arms trying to calm her down. Soon her tears reduced to sobs.
"Since when have you been... on run?"
"Al-almost" She sniffed. "Two days. My d-dad told m-me t-to go to Camp. H-he g-gave m-me address."
"I will take you there. Are you hungry?" I asked.
She nodded, still sobbing softly.
"What do you want to eat?"
"A-anything."
"Burger?" I asked.
She started sobbing again. "My d-dad used t-to m-make me cheese burgers w-with s-smoothie." She said, remembering her father. "I w-won't be able t-to meet him anymore. W-we'll never co-cook together."
I soon calmed her down and summoned her a plate of cheese burger and a chocolate smoothie. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the food and she dug in. I realized that she likely had not eaten anything since her dad died.
"Thank you. How did you do that?" She asked between mouthfuls.
"It is one of my powers. Come on. Tell me what you know about the Greek world?"
"D-dad told me stories about Hercules and other Greek gods when I was little. Before he d-died he told me that it all was real and my mother's name."
"What is it?"
"Demeter."
As she said the name, a hologram of a golden sickle with a few sheaves of wheat appeared above her head.
An hour later, I found myself entering the camp with Liza in tow. I had calmed the girl down before giving her some Ambrosia and Nectar to heal her injuries. Then I had hailed a cab to Long Island. Liza had started referring to me as 'Big Brother Percy' along the way.
I didn't mind. I always wanted a little sister.
As I entered, Annabeth and Grover rushed to me.
"Percy!" Annabeth and Grover shouted.
"Hey guys."
"Who is this?" Annabeth asked.
"This is Liza Cooper, daughter of Demeter. I found her cornered by a couple of Cyclops and saved her."
"There was also the bull." Liza added.
Annabeth looked at me quizzically.
"Hellhound. So, I saved her and brought her here. Her father told her that she was Demeter's Daughter and Demeter claimed her in front of me. Liza, let me introduce you to my friends, Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Grover the goat."
"Satyr!" He bleated. Annabeth and I just laughed. Soon Grover took Liza and walked towards the Big house to explain her everything and show her around the camp. That was of course after I reassured her that Grover was a good guy with a nod.
"Hey Annabeth, your mom told me to give you this." I said after a few moments as I took out the ring from my pocket and tossed it towards her. She deftly caught it and examined it.
"Wear it in your dominant hand and tap it thrice." I instructed and she did so. The spear appeared in her hand.
"Whoa! Nice." She said with a smile. "Thanks mom."
An owl hooted in a distance, signaling Athena had heard her.
"Oh, now you can will it in your hand anytime. Just think about it appearing in your hands or wish that you had your spear." I explained, knowing the process myself.
She tried it out a couple of times and thanked me.
"So, the quest is complete. It was fun." She said after a few moments, but, I could tell she was worried.
#Luke.#
"What happened to Luke." I asked her.
"Once we got here, everyone started celebrating. We gave an abridged version of the tale to the campers. I think Ares cabin is pissed at you for humiliating their dad." She said. I could imagine their reactions if I told that I got their father to train me in combat but, I wasn't so cruel to actually tell them that.
"But, anyways, we could only get to talk to Chiron in private half an hour ago." She continued biting her lip. "We were returning just now after talking to him... Now, Chiron has sent a Satyr for Luke after IMing someone. I think it was some goddess he called for but, I am not sure."
#Probably Hera. Chiron is going to make Hera check Luke for signs of manipulations. If he would be the traitor, he would be brought before the council to be judged... or in short be killed.#
I gave him a mental nod.
In a distance I saw Luke following a satyr to the big house before he disappeared inside.
#Percy, Castellan has a powerful weapon on him.# Alexander said suddenly after a few seconds.
'What do you mean?'
#He has a godly weapon of some sort on him. I don't think it is complete yet, but, it is definitely as powerful as the storm-rider. Perhaps more. Run.#
I started running towards the big house immediately from top of the hill.
"Percy! What happened?" Annabeth called from behind but, I ignored her as I rushed towards the big house. I was more than 70 yards away when a huge surge of power enveloped the valley and time stopped. Everyone stood frozen where they were. The birds in the sky had stopped in the mid air. The fire in the hearth was stopped. The ripples in the water were unmoving. The volleyball that the Apollo campers were playing with was hoovering in the mid air as the players stood frozen where they were.
It was the power of the Titan Lord. The power to stop time itself from moving.
Luke was his agent and probably the leader of his army who had stolen the bolt and the helm. And, Kronos had stopped time itself to allow his servant to escape. Everything stood unmoving as if it had been captured in a photograph.
Only I was the one who was moving... in slow motion that is. I could probably do so only because of Alexander's time powers. I started using my time powers to counteract the Titan Lord's as I saw Luke jump out of the window of the big house and run towards the woods. The main fact was, that the time power wasn't stopping him and he had a sword in his hand.
I could feel the power over the valley weakening gradually. Kronos was still very week. Alexander had said that Kronos was so dangerous and powerful that he could freeze the whole battlefield for several minutes while he hacked through the frozen enemy lines by himself. He had done so in the final war of the Titanomachy too. It was only due to Alexander's presence that the gods and their allies survived. He had counteracted the crooked ones power enough to neutralize it immediately.
I was moving faster but, it wasn't enough to catch up with Luke. Everything had now started moving but extremely slowly.
Luke had disappeared into the woods by now. I couldn't see him as I continued moving towards the direction he had went in, following his tracks.
Suddenly there was a simultaneous surge of power from the hearth and the big house. The spell on the valley broke and I started sprinting at my normal pace.
"CATCH LUKE CASTELLAN! HE IS A TRAITOR! "An commanding feminine voice from the big-house boomed.
#Its Hera! Catch Luke Percy. He wouldn't have gotten far. Hera and Hestia have broken my father's spell. Catch the bastard. I will help you with the tracks.#
I moved through the forest, following Luke's tracks. He was a stealthy individual but had left enough tracks so I could follow him with Alexander's help.
I arrived at a clearing in the forest. Luke was sitting there on a rock twirling a sword in his hand drinking diet coke from a can. I could see something odd about the sword though. The blade was two different types of metal-one edge bronze, the other steel.
Luke noticed me looking at it.
"Oh, this? This is my new toy Percy. This is Backbiter." Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both. It is one of a kind."
#That is an abomination. It holds together with Kronos's power.# Alexander growled.
Luke continued his monologue. "It was gifted to me by my Lord, the Crooked one himself."
"So, you do work for him on your own free will. Why Luke? Why did you betray your friends? Why did you betray Annabeth?" I asked uncapping the riptide. In case, by some miracle, if Luke disarmed me, I could extend my storm-rider with a thought and catch him off-guard. Taking the Riptide out would take time.
He suddenly looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was gray in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual.
He looked evil.
"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he told me. "Ever since Thalia... well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'" He crumpled his Coke can and threw into the creek which angered me.
How dare he pollute the water!
"Surrender Luke." I said.
He laughed. "I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it-the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics-being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods. Their precious 'Western civilization' is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."
"You mean the Titans." I laughed myself. "You mean to replace the gods with beings who are crueler and much more uncaring for mortals. Superb plan Luke. Understand this. Kronos cares for no one but himself. He just wants to rule. He will cast you and every other demigod who will work for him aside once he s finished. He is brainwashing you Luke."
"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."
"And yet you failed." I commented.
"My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this." he pointed angrily at his scar. "and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades's helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."
"But, you got caught."
Luke's smile wavered. "I... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt- Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence."
Luke ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterward, the Lord of the Titans... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way-from Ares down to Tartarus. You."
"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest." I asked. I needed to keep him talking and gather as much info as possible from Luke about the Titan Lord's plans.
"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."
"The flying shoes were cursed," I said. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus where the crooked one would be waiting."
"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse." Luke snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion. A pit scorpion to be exact.
Pit scorpions could jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger could pierce right through ones clothes. If it bit you, you'd be dead in sixty seconds.
"You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."
"So you're another coward? Hiding behind a bug to save yourself. A true hero would have fought me himself. But of course, I expected nothing less. If you'd be a true hero, Thalia would have been alive today." I said.
Was my statement cruel? It was intended to be.
His face contorted into rage. "Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for! Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest - the ones who serve him. You may have foiled our plans once. But, you won't be alive to do it once more. You're a thorn in our side Perseus Jackson. I will end you in the name of my lord."
Luke looked mad. Borderline insane.
"And you'll use the bug to kill me as you aren't strong enough to do it yourself. A weakling. I'd tell you to fight me yourself Luke... but, it is futile as you're nothing but a coward."
Luke just smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake. Goodbye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it. Bye-bye Percy. Have a good time in afterlife."
He snapped his fingers again and the scorpion lunged. My instincts took over and I cut the thing in half even before it could reach half-way before lunging at Luke.
Luke's eyes widened at the ease and speed with which I had decapacitated a pit scorpion and moved. He slashed his sword in an arc as I slashed at his Torso and disappeared in a ripple of darkness but, not before my sword had injured him.
Before he had been taken away, I had scored a deep gash on from his chest to his abdomen and heard his scream of pain.
The worrying thing was that he had escaped.
'Alexander, what the hell was that thing?'
#A Portal maker. That thing is a rare divine artifacts with limited uses. It is usu— CLOSE YOUR EYES PERCY!#
I obeyed without question before I felt three gods flash into the clearing. I opened my eyes and saw Hera, Hestia and Dionysus standing there.
They were looking at me, more specifically my sword which was dripping with blood.
"Percy! Are you alright? What happened here?" Hestia asked with concern.
"I am alright aunt Hestia. And Luke happened. He escaped with a portal thing before I could attack him properly."
"Is that a pit scorpion?" Hera asked, looking at the dead body of the scorpion.
"Yes Lady Hera. Luke summoned it."
"You killed the scorpion then?" She asked sharply.
"Yes milady."
She nodded. "I need to inform my husband of this. The crooked ones power was felt stronger than ever moments ago and his servant summoned a pit scorpion straight from the depths of Tartarus."
She glowed brightly and I closed my eyes. She flashed away.
I looked at Dionysus and Hestia.
"Was Luke... under his control?"
"No. The boy acted on his own free will." Dionysus drawled and Hestia nodded.
I just accepted the fact grimly. The words of the Prophecy rang through my head: You shall he betrayed by one who calls you a friend. And reveal the traitor and know your foe in the end.
Luke Castellan was the traitor and Kronos was my foe.
A war was on the horizon and my foe had just escaped.
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