LAST TIME:
#Indeed. Though, it is not your fault. If anything, I was the one who told you to destroy the scythe. And, it was something important. Trust me, that scythe in the hands of my father would be nothing less than a recipe for disaster. That scythe amplifies his power exponentially, which you certainly want to avoid. And it can swat blows from the master bolt like one swat flies… okay, that was a little exaggeration. But you get the point.#
'Yes— Yes, I do. But, what of my storm-rider?' I asked.
#Not a worry. I will reconfigure the binds it had, bringing it back to how it was. We opened the binds on it, Percy. I had intended to do it slowly and steadily as you age. This was something I was forced to do. Also, a third of a bind would be proper, as Rhea said. Maybe a forty percent bind would also do for the time being once you recover and reduce it to thirty-three when you get completely healed.#
'Training starts tomorrow morning?' I questioned.
#We will take it slowly, but yes. Don't worry, Percy. You will be back in shape in no time. Your memory and skills are intact. You just need to retrain your muscles… when they come back. The divine backlash literally burned through them. But, as I said, you will be back to being Percy Jackson, the Titan-slayer, within a month or so.#
I gave him a nod and closed my eyes. The road to recovery might take a little time. But it was still better than nothing.
Ch.37 Recovery
PERCY POV
I huffed as I slumped against a rock thrice my size, having carried it all the way from the cave to the other side of the lake. Sweat drenched my body, dripping down my chin and nose.
I badly needed a shower.
#Good. Your stamina and strength are returning. Your sword skills are back, and so are your powers, even if you cannot channel them with totality like you used to. Still, it is good enough.# Alexander commented.
I breathed deeply, mentally acknowledging Alexander's words.
The last two weeks had been sheer torture as I rebuilt my body. At first, the progress had been at a snail's pace, but as the hours went by, my body was rebuilt, regaining its previous muscular form.
Two more weeks, and it would be back in its previous shape. Or so Alexander told me.
That meant two more days in the mortal world before I could return to the camp. To my friends. To Artemis.
"There you are!" Leto's stern voice sounded, making me jump.
Artemis seemed to have inherited her stealth from Leto. The lady had an uncanny ability to sneak on me when I probably should've felt her approach from several meters away.
How did she do that? I had no idea.
"What do you think— did you just carry that rock from my cave to here!?" She asked incredulously, eyeing the rock.
I blinked before simply nodding.
"And why did you feel the need to carry the rock all the way here, may I ask?"
"I was exercising," I shrugged.
It was something not uncommon for me.
"With that?"
"Yes. It is heavy and big. Good for lifting." I replied as I wiped my brow.
"I— just go and have a bath first. You will work yourself to death, I swear."
"I need to get back in shape. My friends need me. And I cannot go like this."
"And do these friends include my daughter, Artemis?" She questioned out of the blue.
I frowned. Leto had been constantly dropping questions about my friendship with Artemis over the past two weeks.
"Yes, as I have said before, she is my friend, however far-fetched it might seem. Next time she visits, ask her yourself."
Leto just hummed in response. "Well, you better clean up. It is almost time for lunch. Rhea will be most upset if you show up like this."
A jolt went through my body as I nodded hastily.
An upset Rhea was bad news. A disappointed stare from her would reduce most to tears.
Oh, but she was an absolute sweetheart. Or, in other words, Hestia's mom.
ARTEMIS POV
The doorbell's ring echoed through the whole floor just before a voice sounded from inside the house.
"Coming!"
Thalia and Annabeth shuffled nervously in front of me.
The door opened, and a warm breeze blew from inside, carrying the smell of freshly baked bread and a sweet air freshener.
My grasp on my wrist tightened as the door opened to reveal a woman in her mid-thirties with sparkling blue eyes. As she caught the sight of Thalia and Annabeth, she smiled warmly before her eyes drifted to me, widening ever-so-slightly before she bowed.
"Lady Artemis. It is an honor to have you." She breathed.
My gut clenched. Here was Percy's mother, saying that it was her honor to meet me when I bore the news of her son being missing.
"No need to bow. I am a friend of Percy." I said, my mouth suddenly dry.
She rose, and her eyes quickly looked around, as if searching for someone.
Percy.
Her face fell before her eyes met mine as she gave me another smile.
It was Percy's smile.
"Percy certainly talks a lot about you and your hunt. And— oh, what am I thinking? Please come in. You too, my dears."
Goosebumps erupted over my arm. Her voice had something. Something I couldn't quite place.
"Thank you, Miss Jackson," Thalia said as we slowly followed her inside her house.
It was a big apartment, especially by Manhattan standards. Annabeth had told me that Percy had bought the whole floor that his mom's apartment used to be on a year or so ago with the Lotus-Casino cards.
"Can I get you all something? Tea? Coffee? Hot-chocolate? Juice?" Percy's mom inquired.
"Thank you, Miss Jackson. But we are alright." Annabeth said politely, her face devoid of a smile. "We actually need your help."
Her face tightened the tiniest bit. "Yes, Annabeth?"
"The mortal at your school. Rachel Dare. She is a clear-sighted mortal."
"Yeah?"
"We need a way to contact her."
She blinked. "Why?"
"The Labyrinth, Miss Jackson. The best way to navigate it is a clear-sighted mortal." Annabeth replied, making me nod.
Hephaestus had revealed it to the questers once the explosion at Mount Saint Helens had taken place and Percy had gone missing.
That was not to mention that my lieutenant, Zoe, and Percy's best friend, Grover, were missing as well, having gone into the cave from where Percy and I had sensed the presence of Pan.
The current situation was looking bad by all means. But I knew they would return sooner than later. All of them would.
"And you want to drag a mortal girl into all of this?" Sally questioned.
"It is not like we have a choice, Miss Jackson," Annabeth said. "And she has an uncanny ability to see through the mist. Even Percy's mist manipulation didn't affect her."
Her jaw twitched. "She is still a girl."
"She is our age, Miss Jackson," Annabeth reasoned.
"You all are literally half-god. She is a mortal."
"And that is why she will be safer than us. Monsters will not harm her, and most weapons will pass through her like mist." I replied, making the lady suddenly whirl onto me, her crystal blue eyes glinting with rage.
My inner huntress flared as my danger senses tingled.
"Like Percy was safe with you?"
My heart suddenly felt like lead as it dropped into my stomach.
She knew about Percy.
"Yes, I know. Both Hestia and Poseidon came to me to tell me about the Saint Helens incident."
"He— he isn't dead," I replied. "He is just missing. Gone somewhere."
"Where? You were the last person to see him, Artemis. You are a goddess. Where is my son? Did you do something to him?"
Fury rose within me, but I quelled it almost immediately.
She was just a mother worried for her son, who was last seen with a mythologically man-hating goddess.
And she was Percy Jackson's mother.
If it had been Percy in her place in a situation where Sally had gone missing on my watch, I knew I would've been at sword point by now.
"Miss Jackson, I assure you that I didn't touch a hair on Percy. He is my friend."
And I love him. A part of my brain suggested.
I told it to fuck off.
"Then why did you let him off on his own, knowing what danger lies beneath that mountain?"
I opened my mouth before closing it.
Was she talking about Typhon?
"Miss Jackson, Typhon had nothing to do with what happened to Percy. To be honest, we are unsure as to what caused the complete eruption of Mount Saint Helens, but it wasn't Typhon. Athena thinks that it was Percy himself who caused it, owing to his Earth-shaker powers."
"Why did he do that? My son knows better than to make mountains erupt on his whims. And he can defeat most monsters without resorting to using a fraction of the power that would've taken Mount Saint Helens to erupt. Two million people were displaced, and the mountain is still too dangerous to be neared even by the paramilitary."
"Typhon has not awakened, Miss Jackson," I said. "Neither did Percy face him. Heck, Percy won't even be capable of accessing the exact place the gods trapped Typhon, much less defeating him. Even I do not have access to the place or know how to access it. Only the elder Olympians and Athena do. It is out of the realm of possibility for Percy to have faced Typhon. No, the reason was something else."
Sally just pursed her lips before sitting back on the couch, slumping onto it.
"I know he is alright. But I am worried. I do not know what to do."
"I am sure Percy's okay, Ma'am," I said. "It would take more than a mountain erupting to take him down."
"Yes, I know. Percy will be safe especially with— especially when he has his weapons and stuff."
I felt that Sally had been about to say something else, but I ignored it in favor of patting her shoulder.
"Miss Jackson," Annabeth said as Sally calmed down. "We really need Rachel's contact number. Percy would give his all to protect the camp. We at least have to try."
Sally stared at Annabeth. "If she says no…"
"We won't force her, of course. But we have to try at least."
"Swear it that no harm will come to the girl."
Annabeth looked at me for guidance.
"Miss—"
"Swear it, Annabeth."
"I— promise."
"No. On the Styx. I may not be a child of Athena, but I know more about the Greek World than you think I do."
A part of me nodded heartily in approval. She was protecting her charge.
"Okay. I swear on the Styx that no permanent harm will come to Rachel Dare on my watch during the quest to find Daedalus, given that she agrees to come with us and lead us through the Labyrinth."
"Good. Now, I will call her here, and you all will talk to my student in front of me. Am I understood?"
"Yes. Loud and clear." Annabeth replied for all of us.
One thing was for sure. Percy had gotten his over-protectiveness from both sides of his family.
THIRD POV
With a single punch, the log of wood splintered into pieces as Percy breathed steadily, flexing his fingers.
His strength was back for the most part, and so was his durability. His weapon-fighting skills were untouched, as proved by his spars with Alexander. He could again channel all of his powers and hold them for a passable limit.
In his opinion, he was about ninety percent back per his previous level of power and skill. Alexander still told him that it would take some time before he could channel the insane amounts of power (by demigod standards) that he used to.
The bad news was that he was nearing his limits of growth for his age. His divinity was apparently limited. Percy was only half god, despite Alexander being in his head. His mortal body could only take so much before burning into nothingness.
The destruction of his muscles was only an iota of what could happen if he over-used his divine powers.
'There has to be some way to upgrade my mortal body to something more capable of channeling my powers.'
#Yes, ascension to godhood is a way. But that would defeat the purpose.# Alexander replied dryly. #You have to accept some things as they are, Perce. I know it is frustrating. But you need to let your body grow naturally as well. There is no other way… a safe one, at least.#
'The Achilles curse is also a way. It means that there has to be some other way of doing it!' Percy bit back heatedly.
#The curse of Achilles is not the best of ideas, Percy. There is a reason that it is said to be a curse and not the blessing of Styx.#
'I have a golden apple in my bag.'
#The golden apple will begin your ascension to immortality. And with the power you throw about, it won't be long before you become a god with ichor running through your veins, even if you eat a slice of the apple. Remember, you need to make it to sixteen without becoming immortal.#
'What about partial immortality where I continue aging?'
#You do realize that the idea of partial immortality is to stop aging? You cannot gain that until you turn sixteen. Or it will be a Thalia situation all over. But yes. Once that happens, you can get partial immortality and thus… increase your divinity levels without consequences that come with the Achillies curse or complete godhood.#
'Yeah,' I sulked. 'What about apple juice from the golden apples? It did restore Zoe's immortality and save her.'
#It is just very powerful nectar. Overly-potent. Two sips of it will probably burn away your mortal body right now. The pulp of the apple is the stabilizing agent that turns a mortal or a half-blood into an immortal. The pulp basically makes the blood into ichor, while the power to do so is provided by the nectar.#
I sighed loudly.
#Tell you what? Find the magical water source. It might give you something to upgrade your body and enable it to channel more divinity. If that doesn't help, we just need to be careful while channeling power.#
I gave him a nod.
#Go, find Rhea. Tell her that you wish to see the source of magical water.#
PERCY POV
The world righted itself as I opened my eyes to find myself in a thick, lush forest. The sound of running water roared in my ears.
"Ahead of these trees is the stream," Rhea said, letting go of my shoulder. "Come."
Pushing the thick undergrowth aside, Rhea continued ahead, making me follow until we arrived at a bright glimmering stream of water several meters wide.
"This appeared out of nowhere a few months ago. It is magical as far as I can tell, but it isn't something of the old. It has healing properties but much more muted than the springs of Pontus."
"So, what is it?"
"I am not sure. If my son, your father, created a spring of healing, this would be something akin to what he can create. Or better yet, what your brother, Triton, can create. Its power is too muted to be even Olympian in nature. Perhaps it is just a water spirit that was born. I have been unable to contact it, though."
"I can try. Whom better than a son of the sea to try something related to water?" I asked.
"Then you should wear your armor just in case. I have repaired it the best I can. But once you return to the real world, tell Hephaestus to have a look at it. He will have it back to what it was." Rhea advised, snapping her fingers.
My armor appeared over my body, but it felt… odd. It was a little bulkier and less flexible.
"I have restored its old enchantments, but I am not the god of forging or have experience in the art."
"No, thank you. This is much better—"
"Only passable to what it had been. I know, Perseus. I may not be an outright warrior or a master of the forge, but I know a good armor when I see one. And judging from your deeds, nothing less than you deserved for saving my daughter."
"It is Athena's design," I said. "The goddess of wisdom and war. Even the Elder Cyclopes would have trouble designing something of this sort."
Rhea laughed. "Oh, sweetheart. You underestimate both the goddess and the Cyclopes. This is a mere iota of what she can create. This is one of her older designs. Even now, Athena doesn't use her powers to their fullest potential. She is still young, after all."
"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously.
"Oh, yes. Your armor won't fall in her top thousand creations. She has created many more designs, both advanced and futuristic, even by today's standards centuries ago. But she is still young. She has to learn a lot more. Her powers will also grow as she ages further."
"She is like five thousand years old," I stated, making Rhea chuckle.
"And I am more than thrice her age. By mortal standards, it may be a lot, but for gods, it is just another drop in an infinite ocean. The Titanomachy happened barely after the first mortals appeared. The overthrowing of my father? That was when mortals didn't even exist."
I just took a deep breath, digesting the words. Even after being aware of the godly world for so many years and having a literal god in my head, I still had trouble comprehending the sheer divinity of the godly world.
"So, I just go in here?" I questioned.
"It is you who wished to investigate. You tell me."
Instead of responding, I walked forward to the stream before kneeling and submerging my hand in the water.
It was the same water that Rhea and Leto had submerged me in. It definitely wasn't the spring of Pontus.
In Alexander's words, had the water been from the springs of Pontus, it wouldn't have taken me even an hour to heal fully after the Saint Helens incident. No, this was something else.
I extended my power through the stream. It was a normal stream but with magical water.
'There should be a water spirit tied to it, though.'
"I am going in," I declared aloud before diving into the water.
Swimming to the floor of the stream, I looked around, extending my senses simultaneously. It was by far the cleanest water body I had been in. It was a virgin source without any pollution. But I couldn't sense any presence of a water nymph or a god in it.
"Hello?" I said out loud. "I wish to talk with the spirit of this stream."
There was no response. Nothing approached me.
"Hello?" I repeated.
#This is a waste of time.# Alexander declared helpfully.
I extended my hand, making my trident appear. Taking a deep breath, I called to the ocean, making the weapon glow before banging it on the floor of the stream, making a sonar echo throughout the water as I had seen my father do.
Nothing changed.
#It is a dead end, Percy. Come on.# Alexander said after a minute, breaking the silence.
I stubbornly refused to move, making him sigh.
'There had to be something.'
#There is nothing, Percy. The spirit of this water isn't responding.# Alexander said.
'I need to find a way to upgrade this body, Alexander. I cannot remain prone to burn-outs due to power overloads.' I said, making him sigh.
#See, Percy. As I said, some things must happen naturally. You cannot force it on your body to improve beyond what you've already built. And… Your new muscles should be a little better at handling power.#
'Little.'
#Come on, man. See, you are powerful already. The most powerful demigod to ever walk on Earth. You even surpass most gods in their mortal forms, bar the Olympians… and there, too, exceptions are present. Let us face it. Your problem is not really a problem. You just need to be careful not to burn yourself out. Simple.#
'Is it?' I retorted.
#See, Percy. Let me be honest with you. You have progressed far and wide. But there are things we have no control over. Even us gods. Some things will come to you when they are meant to. Why are you worried about the fact that your body cannot channel the whole power that you have when you don't even need to channel it beyond a few extraordinary circumstances?#
'Just for the reason that I need to face the Titan of time and decide the fate of the world.' I replied dryly.
#Yes, I know that. But this is a measly limitation. You can channel power just fine. Just over-the-top stunts are to be avoided. This was one of them. You blew up a volcano, along with destroying one of the most powerful weapons in the world, even if it was only half-formed. You are overthinking things now.#
I closed my eyes before sighing and swimming back to the surface where Rhea was waiting for me, sitting on a lavish throne of vines.
"I didn't expect you back so soon, dear," Rhea said.
"The spirit of the stream didn't respond to me."
Rhea gave a nod, glancing at the stream. "A stream of healing water, akin to the springs of Pontus but much less powerful. It is indeed curious as to how it was formed. But then again, some things just are. But what was it that you sought?"
"Answers. I guess I will find them eventually." I shrugged, making the Queen of Titans nod.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you plan to leave?"
"I am not sure. The gods are not responding to my prayers. Not Poseidon. Not Hestia. Not Artemis. No one. And you say that it is impossible to leave, even for you."
"Indeed. But you can try. The barriers for gods and demigods aren't the same."
"I cannot just leave you here!"
Rhea gave a tinkling laugh, making berries bloom across the clearing. "Oh, Percy. I assure you. Had we really wanted to escape, we would've by blasting the whole place apart and shredded the power holding us here. I was the Queen of Titans for a reason. You call your father and uncles the Big Three. Some of the most powerful beings in the universe. Well, I am their mother."
I gulped before nodding.
If Rhea was this powerful, I shuddered to contemplate the power of Kronos. Something even Alexander was wary of.
"I know of the burden that rests on your shoulders, child. Had it been possible, I would've helped you lessen it. But prophecies are not something meant to be fought against."
I suddenly perked up. "You said you wanted to help me. Is there a way to improve my body?"
Rhea frowned. "I am afraid I do not understand your question. What do you mean by improving your body?"
"My body is incapable of channeling the powers that I have. I am too powerful for my body to handle. I am half-mortal, which is preventing me from channeling my full divinity. So… how can I improve my body in a way so that it can withstand greater amounts of divinity without burning out or becoming immortal or partially immortal."
"I have never heard of a demigod overpowering the mortal body with their divinity. But… as for your question, there are a few ways… but none that I would recommend if you're saying partial immortality is out of the question. The mortality of a demigod makes a hero what he is. Playing with the balance of divinity and mortality in a hero might be… perilous. Partial immortality, though, is a safe way as it just improves both the divine and mortal attributes while not affecting their balance."
"I am not asking you for a way to increase my divinity and unbalance. Just… to make my body more capable of handling the power I can channel." I clarified.
"Same thing. Listen, Perseus, and listen well. As you grow older, your body will grow with you. That is the only natural process. What you ask is to basically increase your divinity so that you can channel more power without your mortal form burning up. And as I said, it comes with consequences."
I just nodded sadly.
It seemed that it was perhaps too dangerous to pursue this path. I was powerful enough, as Alexander said. And my body would grow with age. I was still going through puberty, and my body was yet to fully mature even if I looked like a first-year Uni student by mortal standards due to my godly heritage.
"Alright. How do I return now?" I questioned, making Rhea shrug.
"I don't know. You know where the sea lies. I cannot step outside the boundary of this landmass. But you might."
"I will come back for you, though," I promised. "I will free you from whatever is keeping you in here."
Rhea smiled. "Child, I do not need freeing. Not now, at least. Perhaps once you defeat my husband, tell my sons about Delos. It would take moments for them to break through whatever boundaries have been erected."
My eyes narrowed. "You're scared."
"Pardon?"
"You are scared of your husband. Of his retribution. Of his vengeance."
"I am," Rhea admitted. "The Titan Lord was the most powerful of us, Perseus. I remember the war. Do you think Atlas was tough? My husband was even tougher than Atlas. The greatest warrior of the Titans. The most powerful. The most ruthless. It took all three of my sons alongside— alongside their allies to defeat him."
#That's true. My father was powerful. Really powerful. And skilled.#
"And so, you think it will be safer for you to stay here than to come to Olympus?" I asked.
"Yes. For the time being, anyway. Once you defeat my husband— oh, you will. I know it. Just tell my sons of me being trapped in Delos. They'll come and break these barriers down and make sure the island isn't shredded to bits like it would be if I do it myself. Are you leaving right now?"
"Um— maybe tomorrow morning after breakfast. Can't miss your cooking before I leave, can I?"
Rhea beamed with the brightness of a thousand suns at that statement, making flowers and berries bloom across Delos.
Things were looking bright for now. I would soon be back at the camp.
AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!
So, Percy has almost recovered from his stint at Mount Saint Helens. I know that the interaction with Rhea and Leto was a little less… but hear me out. I tried to write quite a few scenes for THAT purpose alone. But the thing was that I was getting nothing out of it. It would come in the way of my plot or turn into something repetitive or Percy bragging(well telling his own story, but you know what I mean).
As for Percy not getting to meet the spirit of the stream and being unable to do anything to improve his body, my reason for it is quite simple. The hero cannot get everything he wants on a silver platter. There have to be a few setbacks, a few disappointments.
Also, Percy's already powerful enough and can go without a power-up by now.
Let me be VERY CLEAR here. I am not nerfing Percy. There is a difference between refusing to give the hero another power up and nerfing him. He will be as powerful as he had been before the Saint Helens incident.
As for the issue of Percy's body… I have another plan for it which you will come to know of as the story goes on.
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A huge thanks to Mezox and Nanu for betaing this chapter.
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Now… for some announcements. I don't know if you've already seen, but I have a NEW FIC!
It is a HP-MCU(Harry Potter – Avengers ) crossover named, 'Guardian of the Soul: Infinity Saga'.
Summary of fic: His Benefactor? A super powerful cosmic being. His job? To guard a stone that controls an essential aspect of existence. His name? Harry James Potter. After Harry's demise at the hands of Voldemort, he gets a chance at a new life in a new universe. But there's always a catch. Will Harry save the world or will he die trying… again?
Excited!?
So, if you read the premise, PLEASE go and try the new fic out. Just go to my profile and scroll to see my stories. You will find it there. The first chap's already up while the 2nd one is ready and will be published next week (on 29th of Jan).
I hope you go and try it. If you do, I promise you will enjoy it very much.
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Kaya: Not really an update schedule per say… but I make sure to update every fic I have once a month.
Majur Wulf: That… dude, please reread the chapter. Nemesis is the daughter of Nyx. She is the primordial of revenge. Ofc, Rick made her a minor goddess, but in this story, she is a minor primordial.
: I am on discord. Link's below!
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Thank you for your reviews and support!
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Also, join my server, House of HP66, to interact with me directly, and see the pictures of the characters there, so you all can get an idea of how they look. I will also post descriptions and stuff for reference.
Link: discord . gg / 4qfP3fxdQ4 [Remove the spaces please]
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As of this moment, I have five main stories. They are:
1. The Rise of the Last Potter: My Novel length Harry Potter fic which is already 300k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly.
2. The Legend of the Son of Poseidon: A Novel Length Percy Jackson fic which is already 250k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly
3. Loved Ones Skipping Stones and Ice-cream: A fluffy Haphne one-shot. It is completed obviously.
4. SECRETS: Another romantic one-shot I published recently. Complete as well.
5. Agent Potter: The Wizard of W.A.N.D. - My spy!Harry fanfic which I implore you all to read!
6. Guardian Of the Soul: Infinity Saga – My newest fic. An HP–MCU crossover. Novel length, in progress.
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