Eris POV
"YOU DID WHAT!"
Despite the years of hearing this voice, it still made me wince. It had a way of making your spine tingle and your heart race. I'd been dreading this confrontation, but I'd come prepared to stand my ground.
"I did what I thought was right, Mother," I replied, my voice steady despite the trepidation that gnawed at my insides. "I helped Percy Jackson defeat Annabeth and Gone. They had it coming."
Nyx's form emerged from the darkness, her eyes ablaze with anger. Her figure was a silhouette of power and elegance, surrounded by a faint, starry aura. Her presence alone was awe-inspiring. All around, my siblings—Hypnos, Thanatos, and the others—stood as silent witnesses to our confrontation. She raised her voice to a thunderous roar.
"You dared to meddle with my affairs, and my way against Olympus! Do you understand what this could mean, Eris? Do you? I braced myself, refusing to back down.
"I understand, Mother. But think about it. Gone was gonna lose the war anyway. Percy was fighting him, and this way, I saved you, made you still look powerful and the gods know you're not to be trifled with." Nyx seethed, her voice like a storm in full fury.
"I don't need saving," she hissed. "And the gods already fear me. You have crossed a line, Eris! You have brought shame to our family, to me! I should banish you for this behaviour! Maybe then you can try and make your bed with those Olympians you love so dearly."
"Banishing me would only make things worse, Mother," I snorted. Think about it logically. I'm a goddess of strife. I can't help but stir the pot. You need me." She glared at me, her dark form nearly pulsating with anger.
"Do not presume to lecture me on my needs, child." I couldn't let her authority smother my spirit. I took a step forward.
"I love our family, Mother, but I can't stand by when I see wrong being done. You've raised me to be strong and independent. I refuse to apologise for using the skills you've instilled in me. It is not in me to stay and watch on the sidelines. Sometimes, I need to step into the action."
"THEN WHY COULDN'T YOU TAKE PART IN THE ACTION ON THIS SIDE?!" Nyx roared.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE WRONG!" I screamed back. "AND I DO NOT STAND FOR THE SAME QUALITIES YOU DO." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. All my siblings were watching in shock. They'd never dare to talk back to our Mother like that, only I would. That's why I'm the one most people fear the most. The only exception is my eldest brother, Moros. He's like me, only much more vicious, brutal, and loyal to our mother, yet still there have been times when he's ignored Mother's direct orders and stood up to her the same way I am. I'm just following in his footsteps, what's so bad about that?
"You stand for hatred, Mother," I glared. "You stand for bloodshed, for misery, and for eternal darkness."
"And you don't?" Nyx snapped. "Are you gonna stand there and lecture me about preventing bloodshed when you didn't cause one of the most brutal wars in all of mankind?"
"I do stand for those," I admitted. "But I also stand for love, for care, and for the sparing of the innocent, something you don't care for, and maybe that's because I think you're incapable of love."
Nyx, lost in her fury, didn't hesitate. She summoned a dark sword from the shadows and hurled it toward me. I knew I had to act quickly. I focused my energy and willed a weapon of my own into existence, a shimmering, elegant blade that radiated with the essence of strife. It materialised in my hand, a work of art forged in the crucible of chaos.
With a fluid motion, I intercepted Nyx's sword, clashing with it in mid-air. The blades sang as they met, an eerie chorus of power and determination. The sheer force of the impact made me stagger for a moment, but I held my ground. I refused to be cowed by my mother's anger.
I hit Nyx's sword hard, sending it spinning back toward her. It landed with a clatter at her feet, a stark symbol of the challenge I posed. My sword returned to its ephemeral form, disappearing with a soft, gleaming pulse, and I held my ground, staring at my mother in her eye. The tension was more than palpable, and it seemed like the entirety of Tartarus held its breath, waiting to see the outcome of this confrontation.
Then, from the corner of the room, Moros, the embodiment of impending doom, began clapping. The sound echoed through the chamber, filling the silence. Shortly after, Geras, the personification of ageing, joined in. The applause grew, and even Thanatos couldn't resist adding his own claps to the mix. A sense of relief washed over me, and I couldn't help but crack a triumphant smile. My other siblings, from Hypnos to Momus, followed suit, applauding me for my defiance. I hadn't anticipated their support, and it felt like a small victory.
Nyx's initial anger remained evident, but even she grudgingly acknowledged my actions with a single nod.
"Fine, Eris," she said with a sigh. "You've made your point. You saved Olympus, saved me, and somehow saved yourself. But you'd better not cross that line again. Your defiance can be infuriating, to say the least." I met her gaze, my eyes unwavering.
"Never say never, Mother," I snickered, causing Nyx to roll her eyes.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with your father." With that, Nyx turned and retreated into the shadows, her figure dissolving as she disappeared.
As soon as she left, my siblings immediately crowded around me, their eyes gleaming with excitement, respect, approval and curiosity.
"Alright then, Eris," Moros, my eldest brother grinned. "You're the only person other than me to stand up to mother and still live to tell the tale. Congratulations. Now tell us, Eris, how was it? The war, the battles, the chaos. We've been waiting for a story that's not just doom and gloom for centuries. Unfortunately, Mother doesn't really enjoy much else." I chuckled, recognizing the irony in Moros's words.
"Well, it was chaotic, that's for sure. Chaos, but not in the way you might expect." Hypnos yawned, before looking at me, his curiosity piqued.
"What do you mean, Sister? Chaos of a different kind?"
"Exactly," I replied, my voice animated. "We're all far too familiar with the chaos of battle, but sometimes, we need to hear about the chaos of love, and how magically, Perseus Jackson and a maiden goddess, Phoebe Artemis, pronounced their love for each other, and with this, won the war. Well, with a hint of my help as well, of course." Momus, the god of mockery and satire, raised an eyebrow.
"Love? In a war?" I nodded.
"Yes. Percy and his friends, despite their differences, shared a deep bond. Love was the force that drove them to stand together." Geras, the embodiment of ageing, chimed in, "And the blood part?" I leaned in closer, lowering my voice.
"The battle, it was brutal, don't get me wrong. Blood spilled, lives were lost, and sacrifices were made, but that's what happens when you anger the goddess of Night."
Thanatos frowned for a moment.
"So how would you describe this whole war overall?"
"Hmm, I could probably do it in three words," I replied.
"And they are…?" Moros asked. The room fell silent again, and for a moment, we all pondered the significance of those three simple words.
"Love, blood, and love."
Calypso POV
"Come on, Calypso, tell us another story," Thalia urged playfully. "The last one was hilarious." The moon hung high in the sky tonight, casting a silverglow on the campsite. I'd gotten pretty bored and when Nico invited me to chill at the Hunt for the night, I had to take him up on his offer. Now, Thalia and Nico sat besides me, their hands entwined, and the flickering campfire illuminated our faces. Everyone else had gone to bed, and so it was just us three.
"Yeah," Nico chimed in. "What other mortifying moments did Percy endure?" I chuckled, memories of our time together flooding my mind.
"Well, there was this one time when the Revenant had to stay at a hotel. You see, the place was tiny, and there was only one room left after we divided everyone else, so Percy and I had to share." I grinned wider as I remembered this story fondly. "We were exhausted after a long day, and Percy decided to read a book while I went for a shower." I paused for dramatic effect, knowing they were hanging on my every word.
"In my fatigue-fogged mind, don't ask how-"
"How?" Nico grinned quizzically, causing me to roll my eyes.
"-But I forgot I was sharing the room with Percy. So long story short, I came out of the bathroom, freshly showered, but completely, well, unclothed." I let out a little laugh as I recalled the sheer embarrassment of the moment. Thalia and Nico burst into laughter, the campfire flickering as if in amusement.
"And what did Percy do?" Thalia asked, her eyes dancing with curiosity.
I chuckled. "Percy was engrossed in his book, and he didn't notice at first. But when he did... Well, let's just say he turned redder than a lobster." Nico chimed in, his laughter contagious.
"I bet that was an interesting evening." I smirked.
"It was one of those moments that broke the ice between us, made us realise how silly we could be. We laughed it off, and Percy, well, he's good at finding humour in awkward situations." Thalia playfully elbowed Nico.
"Note to self: never forget you're sharing a room with Percy Jackson."
"I've been making that note since day one," he snickered.
Thalia leaned in closer, her grin turning mischievous.
"So, after the accidental strip show, did you two, you know, do anything?" I blinked, momentarily confused by the question.
"Do anything? What do you mean?" Thalia's playful expression turned more explicit as she gestured with her hand.
"You know, did you take advantage of the situation?" My cheeks flared with embarrassment as the implications of Thalia's question became clear.
"Oh, no! That night, we just laughed it off, and I quickly remembered where I had left my bra. It was a moment of embarrassment and nothing more." Nico couldn't help but chuckle at our exchange.
"Sounds like a fun memory, though. Percy's probably got quite a collection of those by now." I shot him a playful glare before sighing in relief.
"Yes, but that's a story that stays with us. Not something to share with anyone else. Percy would freak out if he found out I told you, and I don't even wanna think about how Artemis would react."
"How I'd react about what?" Artemis asked sternly. Ever so slowly, I turned around, finding myself face to face with Percy and Artemis together. cleared my throat, attempting to come up with a suitable cover story, but Nico, ever the straightforward one, decided to just spill the beans.
"Calypso was just telling us about the time she accidentally walked out of the bathroom without her towel while her and Percy were sharing a room." Thalia rolled her eyes at Nico's honesty while Artemis fixed her gaze on me. Percy, in the meantime, was trying very hard to blend into the scenery. I don't think he realised it takes more than willpower to become invisible. I sighed, acknowledging the inevitable.
"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag... yes, it happened, and it was thoroughly embarrassing for both of us." Thalia couldn't resist teasing.
"Guess Percy's got another memory to add to his collection now, huh?" I smiled, but Artemis didn't seem too amused by the revelation. She didn't press the matter further and instead, Nico decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.
"How did your date go?" she asked. Percy's cheeks flushed, a charming display of his embarrassment.
"It was... um, good," he stammered. "We said some stuff, ate some stuff, and then did some stuff." Artemis nodded in agreement.
"It was very good, but now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going into my tent. Percy and I have some business to discuss ASAP, and I'd appreciate it if we weren't disturbed until tomorrow." Thalia couldn't resist teasing her once more.
"Business, huh? What kind of business?" Artemis's cheeks flushed slightly.
"It's not important. Go to bed, Thalia."
"I think it is important," I grinned slyly. "And, well, with those two saying 'business,' it could be a different kind of 'business,' something more... private, if you know what I mean." Nico couldn't resist the opportunity to add another twist to the conversation.
"Ah, yes, discussing the delicate art of… godly bonding, I'm sure. It's a critical aspect of any relationship."
The suggestion made Artemis and Percy's cheeks flush with a deeper shade of red, while Thalia rolled her eyes at our teasing. But Artemis, with a hint of amusement in her tone, tried to steer the conversation in a more dignified direction.
"As amusing as your speculations are, it's not something to be discussed publicly. Now, goodnight, my loyal Huntress. Sleep well."
"Night Nico, night Calypso," Percy said, ignoring Thalia yet again.
As I watched Artemis and Percy disappear into the shadow of her massive tent, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. There was a warmth in my heart for the two of them, an odd sense of satisfaction that came from knowing they had found each other, even if it had taken some time and a twist of fate to get there.
Thalia couldn't resist her mischievous side, though, and she whispered with a sly giggle, "You think we should spy on them?" I leaned closer to her and spoke in a low voice.
"Trust me, Thalia, you don't want to know what kind of sounds will be coming from that room tonight. We should stay well clear of it." With a roll of her eyes, she agreed, helping Nico up and taking him to her tent.
"No way!" I protested. "You're not going in the same test as Thalia unless Percy knows and I'm not bothering him about it today!" Nico grumbled, before reluctantly leaving Thalia and following me to the guest tents. I quickly said my goodnights to him, zipping up my tent and laying down in bed.
The last thing I heard before falling asleep was the faint sound of Artemis letting the whole world know that she was his, and he was her's.
Okay, bet no one was expecting the Eris POV, but how was it! I feel like it only makes sense to give a bit of backstory on her, especially as we probs won't see much more of her. Also... Calypso teasing : )
Other than that, sorry for being gone for so long, but I just had a complete lack of motivation for writing, plus studies and stuff. I hope I can keep updating consistently now. Anyway, please do leave a review if you enjoyed this and want more! Almost near the end now, so sad lol.