Act I Chapter XII: Percy Can't Keep a Secret
After two weeks, Percy had his first training session with Lupa. He wasn't sure how to feel about being left out for so long, like the wolf goddess didn't want anything to do with him. It didn't help that he thought of that conversation with Chiron every day since, and he wasn't getting as much sleep as he wanted.
When Percy woke up yawning that morning, a cup of coffee had been offered to him. Since it was from Drew, he figured that she was starting to warm up to him. Would Drew fully warm up to him, or would Lupa kill him before he could get that far? That thought ran through Percy's head as his gaze moved around the trees. They had been walking for about twenty minutes now, leaving the camp far behind. Lupa had not spoken once.
Instead, the wolf goddess weaved through the trees with a grace that did not match a creature of her size. Percy had to walk at a quicker than normal pace to keep up with her, and as they made it into a clearing, Lupa stopped.
Percy looked around the clearing and realized they had found a small lake. Someone had left a fishing pole and some gear on a small wooden walkway that looked like it used to be a pier. A few animals were grazing around the water. They looked up at Lupa and didn't seem scared, but when Percy took a step forward, the animals looked at him and scattered.
"I used to train my Romans at the Wolf House," Lupa stated. She walked towards the water and slowly circled around like she was a dog trying to find a place to lay. Percy would never make the comparison out loud, as he was sure Lupa could swallow him whole. The wolf goddess laid down and studied Percy. "It has long since been abandoned when Camp Jupiter was destroyed."
"I'm sorry," Percy began. "I know it can't be easy to see the people you trained be destroyed."
"I just didn't want demigods to die," Lupa said softly. She spoke in an odd way, as if her mouth wasn't used to forming words. It almost looked like she was trying to hack up a furball as she opened her mouth to talk. "I watched the power of Olympus crumble, until there was almost nothing left."
"Perseus Jackson, what do you plan on doing after this?" Lupa asked, watching him patiently for an answer.
"I don't know," Percy admitted after a few moments. He sighed and looked down in thought. "It doesn't sit right with me. This whole 'training for a few months and then being shoved into the outside world'. It's not because I'm mad that I have to be on my own. Scared and worried? Yeah."
"I just wish that there was a way for demigods to be safe," Percy continued. He slowly looked up at Lupa. There was no emotion on her face. Percy knew that wolves mostly spoke through body language, but Lupa gave nothing away. She was relaxed and just listening to him, with her tail curled around her body and resting on her paws.
"Like Camp Jupiter or Camp Half-Blood?" Lupa asked. Percy nodded. "But, you know that is currently impossible. There is no safe place for a demigod to go. A gathering of demigods would attract many monsters, and I would not be able to hide or protect the camp as well as other gods."
"You're a wolf goddess," Percy pointed out. "Couldn't you get wolves to protect a camp?"
Lupa's lip curled slightly in what Percy knew was anger. He tensed. Lupa spoke, "I value the lives of my wolves just as I value the lives of demigods. And wolves are not fighters for the front lines. They work together as a pack to take down one prey. Against an organized group, they stand no chance."
"Camp Jupiter had a god that protected their barriers and an army that was ready to step in if he failed. Camp Half-Blood had enough fighters to patrol their borders and fight off threats. Not to mention the fact that the gods helped protect them. Tell me, Perseus, how would a camp survive now without the help of the Olympians?" Lupa questioned.
"If there's not an Olympian who could help, the border god could," Percy began. He rubbed the back of his neck. "But if he failed, there wouldn't be anyone to protect the demigods. Not an army. That's not true, though. All of the demigods that pass through here learn how to fight and defend themselves. If we all were in the same place, we could train together and become better. We could be our own army!"
"But, there is no way to communicate with the demigods who have already passed through here," Lupa stated. Percy frowned. "We do not use phones, and it is not like we hold onto their information."
"The dream," Percy began.
"Can only be sent once," Lupa informed. "It is true that I can try and send a dream to any demigod, but it takes much power and concentration and is extremely difficult to do if I do not know where the demigod is."
Percy felt his shoulders deflate. Lupa continued, "There used to be a way of contacting demigods. Chiron called it an Iris message, but the goddess, Iris, disappeared sometime before the camps were destroyed. No one knows where she is. Unless she faded."
"Faded?" Percy questioned.
"It's one of our only ways of dying," Lupa answered. "Us immortals live forever. You can cut our heads off or stab us in the heart. Destroying our bodies will send us to Tartarus for some time. Just like what happened to Ouranos and his son Kronos. We do not truly die, though."
"As mortals stopped worshipping the gods, some found it as a slight. An insult. They felt this rush of power as offerings and prayers were made in their name. Without it, they had nothing to fall back on. They could not find their high again, and nothing satisfied them. Without many demigods in the world or ones that are connected to the gods, the immortals lose something that they can't replace: a purpose."
"Every immortal has a domain," Lupa explained. She looked at Percy. "Imagine Neptune, or Poseidon as you know him, having control of the ocean. He also has the ability to create earthquakes. Mortals fall back on science and tectonic plates to explain why this happens, not that Neptune is having a bad day and caused a small disaster. They do not think of him, which means no one offers anything to him."
"It is not that we want power from these offerings. No, it is that the gods want to be remembered. To be noticed. When you attend your mortal school, how would you feel if everyone just ignored you? No one spoke to you and acted as if you didn't exist?" Lupa asked.
"I would hate it," Percy answered honestly. He looked down again. "So, the gods feel like this and die?"
"They just... fade. They cease to exist," Lupa revealed. Something like a sigh left her. "The twelve Olympians are not there yet, but I fear what happens if they get there. The fading of an Olympian would cause a power vacuum and maybe even a chain reaction. Others may decide they have no purpose left and fade as well."
"So, how do we stop them from fading?" Percy questioned. Lupa remained silent. Percy started to pace. "Mortals are caught up in science and technology. Trying to tell them differently will lead to ridicule. If the camps were back, the demigods could worship them. Give them purpose again."
"Maybe…" Lupa began. She looked at the water. "There is one thing missing. Something that must be had if anyone were to attempt to bring Olympus back to its former glory."
"What is that?" Percy asked as he moved closer to the water.
"A leader," Lupa replied. "Luke may be the oldest, but I do not know if he has the makings to be a leader. I sense something in him: a darkness that I do not know if he can overcome. Annabeth is young and smart, but she is arrogant and may not be able to lead when a plan falls by the wayside."
"Clarisse is a warrior, and I believe she will make a great general on the battlefield. I do not think she can lead outside of battle," Lupa continued. Her gaze moved to the side. "I fear that Reyna's past will hinder her when it comes to leading demigods into the future."
"Will and Drew are too inexperienced," Lupa stated. Her gaze moved to Percy. "If any of this were to happen, the demigods would need to be led by a child of the Big Three. One who the prophecy centers around. One who will decide whether we fall or rise."
Percy felt his mouth go dry as Lupa stood to her full height, "Perseus Jackson, son of Neptune: god of the sea and an earthshaker, will you accept your destiny, your fate, no matter how bleak it may be? Or, will you run from it and allow it to consume you?"
"How?" Percy began. He swallowed painfully and licked his lips. He felt his heart starting to race, especially as Lupa moved closer to him.
"I am a goddess, Perseus. I have my ways," Lupa said. She stopped in front of him and turned her head towards the water. "Your birthright is control over water. You can breathe in it and control it. I will teach you how to master it."
"What?" Percy asked as he blinked a few times. "You're not going to tell anyone? Or eat me?"
"No," Lupa said, and it really didn't look like she was going to eat him. That was good. Percy tried to speak, but a tail slammed into him. He yelled as he was thrown into the water.
Percy felt himself freak out as he sunk down into the lake's depths. He quickly swam above the surface and gasped for breath. His eyes moved to Lupa. The wolf goddess studied him and spoke, "Go back under the water, Percy. And breathe."
"How am I supposed to do that?!" Percy demanded. Lupa grinned again.
"Have faith," Lupa answered. Percy stared at the goddess like she was crazy, but then again, he was talking to a goddess. He learned that he was the son of a sea god. Who was he to say what crazy was?
Percy slowly sunk back under the water. His brain was screaming at him to not open his mouth and just swim back to the surface. Instead, he took a deep breath. He expected water to flood his lungs. Instead, he was able to breathe like he was standing on dry land. After taking a few more breaths, it just felt natural.
"The water is your domain," Lupa said as the water muffled her voice. "You must learn to control it. To harness it. It is your birthright, but it is up to you to master it. We will meet twice a week to teach you how to use the water to your advantage. How to strengthen yourself with it."
Percy swam onto the shore and walked toward the goddess. She studied him with an unreadable look. Percy spoke, "Are you going to tell the others that you know about my father?"
"That secret is yours to share or keep," Lupa answered. "But, it would do you well to find out who your enemies and friends are first. Sometimes, they can be one and the same."
Sorry for the delayed update. Between moving and my job, I didn't have a chance to post anything. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.