WOOOO! Another chapter! This one is a BEHEMOTH, with over 8000 words! Hope you enjoy!
ANNABETH
Annabeth clutched the coin in her hand as she slowly walked over to the Athena cabin. She deliberated as she mulled over her encounter with her mother.
What was Athena talking about? Annabeth had no idea.
She pushed open the door to the cabin and walked in, greeted by the stale air and the smell of books.
The Athena cabin, with its structured shelves and neatly organised books, felt both familiar and confining to Annabeth.
As she entered, she noticed her siblings engrossed in various activities – some reading, others engaged in games of chess. The ambiance, usually a source of comfort, now seemed to close in on her.
Annabeth walked to her bunk and sat down, her thoughts a whirlwind. The coin from her encounter with Athena felt cool in her palm. She stared at it, wondering about the cryptic messages and the unexpected transformation of her mother during their conversation.
Its not fair, she thought to herself. It's quest after quest, a whole war, Percy going missing and now her mother, a literal Goddess, telling her to do some random thing to do with 'restoring her honour'.
But that was the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to find Percy. The camp had sent small search parties, but they could only do so much. Percy could be anywhere, and they would never know. No matter how much they searched, it would be futile.
Searching. Annabeth hated that word.
As a child of Athena, she always searched for answers, but rarely found them. When she was just seven, she had ran away, and she had searched for a new home, and found one, but lost a friend. When she was 12, she had searched for Zeus' bolt, but had found a friend instead. Since she had known she was a demigod, she was searching for ways to survive, just to watch others die.
Now she was searching for Percy.
She felt… lost. And scared. The truth was, she relied a lot on Percy. She loved him with all her heart, and, although being very aware of his flaws, still thought he was amazingly good.
She swore she would find him, no matter what it took.
"I need answers," Annabeth whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. With determination burning in her eyes, she decided to seek guidance from the one source that might have the information she sought. The oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare.
LINE BREAK
Annabeth rose from her bunk, the coin clutched tightly in her hand as she made her way out of the Athena cabin. The air was crisp as she navigated the camp towards the familiar presence of the Oracle's cave.
A sense of urgency fuelled her steps, and the moonlit path seemed to guide her towards the answers she desperately sought.
As Annabeth reached the entrance of the cave, she found Rachel sitting cross-legged. The Oracle looked up, her green eyes meeting Annabeth's with a knowing gaze.
"Hi Annabeth!" Rachel greeted."How've you been?"
"Good. Yourself?"
The frizzy redhead grinned. "I've been good. Being the oracle really isn't that hard. I haven't even needed to give a prophecy or anything."
Annabeth took a deep breath, her grip on the coin tightening. "About that. I… kind of need help?" She asked, her voice questioning, although she was giving a statement..
"With what?"
She sighed. "Percy. I need to know how to find him."
Rachel nodded, her expression solemn. "So, I'm like, pretty sure this is when I-"
Her voice cut off as her usually bright green eyes dimmed, turning a sickly colour. Rachel's voice seemed too old, too powerful.
"I am the Oracle of Delphi. I speak the words of Phoebus Apollo. Approach, speaker, and ask."
Annabeth stepped forward the atmosphere thickening with an otherworldly energy. "How do I find Percy?"
The oracle gasped, her voice tripled, and her eyes glazed as she started to speak.
"The world to be chained; hope defies,
The earth shall fall; the earth shall rise.
Seven demigods, a destiny entwined,
To death and sorrow, fates aligned.
Foes bear arms till the death of Gods,
Through fire and pain, where night nods,
Mountains tremble and heavens sigh,
Hero's dying wish, fate must comply."
The mystic words echoed through the cave, sending shivers down Annabeth's spine. The cryptic prophecy left her with more questions than answers, yet its significance was undeniable.
Annabeth stared at the oracle, a mixture of awe and concern etched on her face.
"Seven demigods," Annabeth murmured, her mind racing to decipher the meaning.
Rachel's eyes returned to their usual vibrant green as the prophecy concluded. She blinked, seemingly unaware of the words spoken through her.
"Annabeth, are you okay?" Rachel asked, her voice returning to its normal tone.
Annabeth, still processing the prophecy, nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess. But it didn't help at all! I still have no idea where Percy is!"
Rachel's eyes widened, realisation dawning. "Wait, what did the prophecy say?"
She recounted the prophecy for Rachel. "It's like, the second Great Prophecy or something! What does it all mean?" Annabeth questioned, frustration and urgency in her voice.
Rachel closed her eyes, deep in thought. "Prophecies are like pieces of art, Annabeth. They aren't predictable. You can't just ask the artist the meaning, you have to figure it out."
"Sounds like you just have no idea what it means."
Rachel put her hands up in surrender and grinned. "Hey, it sounds cooler."
Annabeth absorbed Rachel's words, a determined expression settling on her face. "I'll find out whatever this prophecy means and find Percy, no matter what."
Rachel offered a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you will Annabeth."
Annabeth nodded. "I have to tell Chiron."
As Annabeth left the Oracle's cave, the weight of the prophecy lingered. Just what did it mean? It was ironic, in a way, that even now, she was still searching for answers.
LINE BREAK
PERCY
Percy walked along the desolate road, his steps heavy with the weight of uncertainty and the burden of Messor Mortis on his back. The darkened gold blade seemed to hum with a mysterious energy, resonating with the conflicting forces within him.
His journey had taken him far from Camp Half-Blood, away from the judging gazes and the unease that had settled among his fellow demigods.
The night sky was adorned with stars that seemed to watch over Percy's solitary trek. The whispers of the wind carried a sense of foreboding, and Percy couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.
As he walked through the forest, the ambient noise of wildlife surrounding him. Huge trees loomed overhead, their shadows playing tricks in the dimly lit streets. Percy's senses heightened, a side effect of his newfound powers that he was still grappling to understand.
The night air held a chill, but Percy pressed on. Messor Mortis, slung across his back, was a constant reminder of the responsibilities that now rested on his shoulders. He couldn't escape the memories of controlling blood, the confrontation with Annabeth, and the camp that had once been his haven now fragmented by fear.
Blood. Was that who he was? A monster? Someone who would use something like blood to do what they wanted. Was he even any better than Kronos?
As Percy navigated the unfamiliar forest, he couldn't shake the sense of being pursued. Shadows seemed to dart at the edge of his vision, and the echoes of distant footsteps haunted him.
Percy found himself in a grove, gazing into the expanse of the forest.
A voice that seemed quiet, yet all too loud started to speak.
I see you, son of Ceres. You have the blood of Poseidon, yet bear the mark of Ceres?
A sudden rustle behind him sent a jolt of adrenaline through Percy's veins, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to vibrate.
Reaper, the voice whispered-shouted. Harvester. The Earth Mother has great plans for you.
A colossal figure rose from the earth, its form a grotesque fusion of rock, moss and soil. Percy tightened his grip on Messor Mortis, the scythe pulsating.
"Who are you?" Percy shouted.
I am of the Earth-born. The Gigantes. The voice whispered. I am the bane, the bane of Demeter, the bane of Ceres. I am Picolous!
The giant roared, sending tremors through the grove. The very ground seemed to rebel against Percy's presence as Picolous unleashed his fury. Percy, determined and brimming with newfound powers, faced the colossal foe with a steely gaze.
The clash echoed through the grove as Percy engaged in a battle with the giant. Waves of power surged with each swing of Messor Mortis, the imperial gold scythe cutting through the earthy defences of Picolous. The Bane of Ceres retaliated with brute force, punching and kicking.
A giant backhand send Percy flying. He landed a few metres away. He groaned, but got up.
He jumped towards the giant, swinging Messor Mortis with as much force as he could.
As Percy swung the scythe, he lopped off the head of the giant. Picolous sunk back into the earth.
Well, he thought. That was surprisingly easy-
A roar echoed throughout the forest as the giant rose from the earth. You cannot defeat me! The earth is my home, the forces of nature speak for me, as I speak for them!
"Like the Lorax?"
The giant paused. What?
"Nothing!"
As the battle resumed, Percy tapped into of his connection the earth. The grove responded to his command, vines rising from the ground and earth encircling him in a protective dance. Messor Mortis glowed with light as Percy harnessed the forces of the earth.
You cannot kill me with your paltry abilities. I will destroy you, and then that goddess Ceres that you are so close to!
Percy tightened his grip on Messor Mortis, the blade glinting in the moonlight. "You won't harm Ceres, Picolous," he declared with determination in his voice.
Picolous, a formidable creature with a sinister aura, grinned menacingly. You cannot stop the inevitable, demigod. Ceres will fall, and I shall rise.
As the words left Picolous' lips, the ground beneath them trembled. Ceres manifested beside Percy, radiating a calming yet powerful energy. "Percy, together we can end this threat," she urged.
Percy nodded, acknowledging his mother. "Let's do this."
With a battle cry, Picolous lunged at Percy, wielding a dark, twisted blade of earth and vines. Percy parried the attack skilfully with Messor Mortis, but his blade was tossed aside as the giant's brute strength proved too much to handle.
"You think you can stand against me, demigod?" Picolous taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Percy gritted his teeth, pushing back against Picolous. "Maybe not me, but I bet she can."
Ceres appeared behind Picolous, and sliced a gash in the giant's leg, causing earth to trickle out and the Earthborn to roar in pain.
As the battle raged on, Ceres and Picolous exchanged fierce blows and taunts. "Your time is up, Picolous!" She shouted, her strikes becoming more precise.
Picolous, however, laughed maniacally, a sound that filled the grove. Ceres, your strength might have been bolstered by that demigod, but you cannot escape the fate that awaits.
With a sudden burst of energy, Picolous unleashed a barrage of earthen projectiles towards Percy and Ceres. Percy swiftly deflected them with a wave of water, while Ceres summoned a protective shield of flourishing vines.
"You're not the first to underestimate me," Percy retorted, determination burning in his sea-green eyes.
The tide of battle turned as Percy and Ceres launched a relentless assault on Picolous. Each swing of the scythe was a testament to Percy's skill and determination.
In a final, decisive move, Ceres executed a powerful spin with her own blade, slicing through the earthen body of Picolous, wounding him.
In a final, resounding clash, Percy delivered a decisive blow with Messor Mortis. Picolous, the Bane of Ceres, his earthly form unraveling, let out a deafening roar before dissipating into golden dust. The grove, once shrouded in darkness, bathed in a renewed vitality as Percy and Ceres stood victorious.
Picolous dissipated into shadows, leaving only the echo of his defeated words.
The earth mother will rise, demigod. Inevitably, you will fall…
Ceres approached Percy, gratitude shining in her eyes. "You have saved me, Percy. Your courage and skill are truly commendable."
Percy sheathed Messor Mortis, exhaustion settling in. "Just doing what us demigods do, I guess. Saving the day."
As the battlefield quieted, the moon casting its gentle glow upon them, Percy and Ceres shared a moment of acknowledgment.
"You must travel west Percy. To the wolf house."
"Excuse me?"
Ceres frowned. "Did you not hear me Percy?"
"No, I did, but a house? For wolves?"
"That is far from the most surprising part about Rome."
Percy groaned. "I'm not sure if I still want to go."
"Well, cheer up, because you have to!"
"Yay!" He said sarcastically.
Ceres suddenly seemed somber. "Percy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you not call me Mom? Is that not what mortals call their mothers?"
Percy's expression shifted, and he looked away for a moment. "My real mother... she's gone. I've always associated the word Mom with her. It just doesn't feel right."
Ceres nodded, understanding. "I may not be your biological mother, Percy, but I will always care for you as my own. You can call me whatever you're comfortable with."
Percy offered a small, appreciative smile. "Thanks, Ceres. Let's deal with the wolf house first, and then we can figure out the rest."
"We? Who's we?"
LINE BREAK
Loud howls were heard as Percy neared the Wolf House. The howls grew louder, resonating through the ancient woods like a chorus of spirits guiding him to his destination.
The entrance yawned before him, a portal into the heart of Roman lore. Symbols adorned the ancient stones, telling stories of heroes and legends long past. Percy hesitated for a moment but his resolve remained unbroken.
Pushing open the door, Percy entered the Wolf House. The interior was dimly lit, revealing a vast chamber adorned with symbols of Roman deities and ancient symbols. The air was heavy with the scent of age and magic, and Percy sensed that he stood at the crossroads of his journey.
Suddenly, a growl echoed through the chamber, and a pair of golden eyes gleamed in the darkness. Lupa, the wolf goddess, emerged from the shadows, her fur a mix of silver and grey. Her gaze bore into Percy's soul, ancient wisdom shimmering in her eyes.
"Percy Jackson," Lupa spoke, her voice a blend of the wild and the divine. "You seek training, and training you shall receive. But the path ahead is treacherous, and the choices you make will decide the future of Rome."
The she-wolf circled him as if he was to be her next mea;.
Percy listened, intent on receiving his training.
Lupa taught him the wolf stare, how to listen to and follow his instincts, group battle strategy, how to lead armies and more. Everything she'd teach a promising legionnaire that she could see being a centurion or even praetor down the line in five, maybe eight years.
Most importantly, now would be his real test.
"When the sun touches the horizon, monsters will attack you." She explained to the boy. "They will fight you with their full strength. They won't stop until either you're dead, or you strike a killing blow on me. Understand?"
Like a real legionnaire, he didn't even bat an eyelash at the threat of death. "If I don't die, I'll get to Camp Jupiter?"
She nodded. "Assuming you survive. I have been hiding you, no monster dare comes near the wolf house. Even before that, Ceres has been helping you. Now you will be alone."
"Alright. So, west?"
"West." She confirmed. "Now off you go, pup."
LINE BREAK
If there was one thing that Percy had learnt on his way to the wolf house, it was that snake-haired ladies were insanely annoying.
They should have died three days ago when he dropped a crate of bowling balls on them. They should have died two days ago when he ran over them with a police car in Martinez. They definitely should have died this morning when he cut off their heads in Tilden Park with his scythe.
No matter how many times Percy killed them and watched them crumble to powder, they just kept reforming and reforming.
He couldn't even seem to outrun them. He reached the top of the hill and caught his breath. How long since he'd last killed them? Maybe two hours.
They never seemed to stay dead longer than that. The past few days, he'd hardly slept.
He'd eaten whatever he could scrounge - vending machine gummy Bears, stale bagels, even a Jack in the Crack burrito, which was a new personal low. His clothes were torn, burned, and caked in monster dust.
The wind changed. Percy caught the sour scent of reptile. A hundred yards down the slope, something rustled through the woods—snapping branches, crunching leaves, hissing.
Gorgons. For the millionth time, Percy wished that monsters couldn't literally sniff out demigods.
Percy had tried rolling in mud, splashing through creeks, even keeping air-freshener sticks in his pockets so he'd have that new car smell but apparently demigod stink was hard to mask.
He scrambled to the west side of the summit. It was too steep to descend. The slope plummeted eighty feet, straight to the roof of an apartment complex built into the side of the hill. Fifty feet below that, a highway emerged from the base of the hill and wound its way toward Berkeley. Great. No other way off the hill. He'd managed to get himself cornered.
He stared at the stream of cars flowing west and wished he were in one of them. Then he realised the highway must cut through the hill. There must be a tunnel… right under his feet.
He was in the right place, just too high up. He had to check out that tunnel.
He needed a way down to the highway—fast. He slung off his backpack. He'd managed to grab a lot of supplies at the Napa Bargain Mart: a portable GPS, duct tape, lighter, superglue, water bottle, camping roll, a comfy panda pillow pet (as seen on TV), and a Swiss army knife - pretty much every tool a modern demigod could want.
But he had nothing that would serve as a parachute or a sled. That left him two options: jump eighty feet to his death, or stand and fight. Both options sounded pretty bad.
He cursed and pulled Messor Mortis from his back. The blade balanced perfectly. The leather grip fit his hand like it had been custom designed for him.
"There you are!" Percy stumbled away from the gorgon, almost falling off the edge of the hill. It was the smiley one, Sethno She was still wearing her green Bargain Mart employee vest over a flower-print dress. If you just looked at her body, you might think she was somebody's dumpy old grandmother - until you looked down and realised she had chicken feet. Or you looked up and saw bronze boar tusks sticking out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes glowed red, and her hair was a writhing nest of bright green snakes.
The most horrible thing about her? She was still holding her big silver platter of free samples: Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. Her platter was all dented from all the times Percy had killed her, but those little samples looked perfectly fine.
Stheno just kept bringing them across California so she could offer Percy a snack before she killed him. Percy didn't know why she kept doing that, but if he ever needed a suit of armour, he was going to make it out of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners.
That stuff was indestructible. "Try one?" Stheno offered. Percy fended her off with his scythe. "Where's your sister?"
"Oh, put the scythe away," Stheno chided. "You know by now that even imperial gold can't kill us for long. Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener! They're on sale this week, and I'd hate to kill you on an empty stomach."
"Stheno!" The second gorgon appeared on Percy's right so fast, he didn't have time to react. Fortunately she was too busy glaring at her sister to pay him much attention.
"I told you to sneak up on him and kill him!" Stheno's smile wavered.
"Can't I give him a sample first?"
"No, you imbecile!"
Euryale turned toward Percy and bared her fangs. Except for her hair, which was a nest of coral snakes instead of green vipers, she looked exactly like her sister.
Euryale snarled. "Stheno, the Bargain Mart was a front! You're going native! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this demigod. Or have you forgotten that he's the one who killed Medusa?" Percy stepped back. Six more inches, and he'd be tumbling through thin air.
"Look, ladies, we've been over this. Medusa tried to kill me! Not the other way around! Can't we just call a truce and talk about your weekly specials?"
Stheno gave her sister a pouty look, which was hard to do with giant bronze tusks. "Can we?"
"No!" Euryale's red eyes bored into Percy. "I don't care what happened, son of Ceres. I can smell Medusa's blood on you. It's faint, yes, several years old, but you were the last one to defeat her. She still has not returned from Tartarus. It's your fault!"
Percy didn't really get that. The whole "dying then returning from Tartarus" concept gave him a headache.
"How about we call it a draw?" he said. "I can't kill you. You can't kill me. If you're Medusa's sisters, like the same Medusa who turned people to stone - shouldn't I be petrified by now?"
"Heroes!" Euryale said with disgust. "They always bring that up, just like our mother! 'Why can't you turn people to stone? Your sister can turn people to stone.' Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. She was the most hideous one in the family. She got all the luck!"
Stheno looked hurt. "Mother said I was the most hideous."
"Quiet!" Euryale snapped. "As for you, Percy Jackson, it's true you bear the mark of Achilles. That makes you a little tougher to kill. But don't worry. We'll find a way."
Maybe if he just fell down the mountain… would he survive? He didn't want to risk it - not without something to slow the fall, or a sled, or… He looked at Stheno's large silver platter of free samples.
"Reconsidering?" Stheno asked. "Very wise, dear. I added some gorgon's blood to these, so your death will be quick and painless." Percy's throat constricted.
"You added your blood to the Cheese 'n' Wieners?"
"Just a little." Stheno smiled. "A little nick on my arm, but you're sweet to be concerned. Blood from our right side can cure anything, you know, but blood from our left side is deadly-"
"You dimwit!" Euryale screeched. "You're not supposed to tell him that! He won't eat the wieners if you tell him they're poisoned!"
Stheno looked stunned. "He won't? But I said it would be quick and painless." "Never mind!"
Euryale's fingernails grew into claws. "We'll kill him the hard way - just keep slashing until we find the weak spot. Once we defeat Percy Jackson, we'll be more famous than Medusa! Our patron will reward us greatly!"
Percy gripped his sword. He'd have to time his move perfectly - a few seconds of confusion, grab the platter with his left hand. Keep them talking, he thought.
"Before you slash me into pieces," he said, "who's this patron you mentioned?"
Euryale sneered. "The goddess Gaea, of course! The one who brought us back from Tartarus! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends below will soon face her wrath. Even now, her armies are marching south. At the Feast of Fortune, she'll awaken, and the demigods will be cut down like- "
"Like our low prices at Bargain Mart!" Stheno suggested.
"Gah!" Euryale stormed toward her sister.
Percy took the opening. He grabbed Stheno's platter, scattering poisoned Cheese 'n' Wieners, and slashed Messor Mortis across Euryale's waist, cutting her in half. He raised the platter, and Stheno found herself facing her own greasy reflection.
"Medusa!" she screamed. Her sister Euryale had crumbled to dust, but she was already starting to re-form, like a snowman un-melting.
"Stheno, you fool!" she gurgled as her half-made face rose from the mound of dust. "That's just your own reflection! Get him!"
Percy slammed the metal tray on top of Stheno's head, and she passed out cold. He put the platter behind his butt, said a silent prayer to Poseidon, Ceres, and whatever Roman god oversaw stupid sledding tricks, and jumped off the side of the hill.
LINE BREAK
The thing about plummeting downhill at fifty miles an hour on a snack platter - by the time you realise it's a bad idea, it's too late and when you're halfway down.
Percy narrowly missed a tree, glanced off a boulder, and spun a three-sixty as he shot toward the highway.
The stupid snack tray definitely did not have power steering.
He heard the gorgon sisters screaming and caught a glimpse of Euryale's coral-snake hair at the top of the hill, but he didn't have time to worry about it. The roof of the apartment building loomed below him.
He managed to swivel sideways to avoid breaking his legs on impact. The snack platter skittered across the roof and sailed through the air. The platter went one way. Percy went the other.
As he fell toward the highway, a horrible scenario flashed through his mind: his body smashing against an SUV's windshield, some annoyed commuter trying to push him off with the wipers.
Stupid sixteen-year-old kid falling from the sky! I'm late! He imagined someone saying.
Miraculously, a gust of wind blew him to one side — just enough to miss the highway and crash into a clump of bushes. It wasn't a soft landing, but it was better than landing on a car.
Percy groaned. He wanted to lie there and pass out, but he had to keep moving.
He struggled to his feet. His hands were scratched up, but no bones seemed to be broken. He still had his backpack.
He glanced up the hill. The gorgons were hard to miss, with their snake hair and their bright green Bargain Mart vests. They were picking their way down the slope, going slower than Percy but with a lot more control. Those chicken feet must've been good for climbing. Percy figured he had maybe five minutes before they reached him.
Next to him, a tall chain-link fence separated the highway from a neighbourhood of winding streets, cozy houses, and tall eucalyptus trees. The fence was probably there to keep people from getting onto the highway and doing stupid things - like sledding into the fast lane on snack trays - but the chain-link was full of big holes. Percy could easily slip through into the neighbourhood.
He glanced east. Just as he'd figured, a hundred yards up hill the highway cut through the base of the cliff. Two tunnel entrances, one for each direction of traffic, stared down at him. In the middle, where the nose would have been, a cement wall jutted from the hillside, with a metal door like the entrance to a bunker.
It might have been a maintenance tunnel. That's probably what mortals thought, if they noticed the door at all. But they couldn't see through the Mist. Percy knew the door was more than that.
Two kids in armour flanked the entrance. They wore a bizarre mix of plumed Roman helmets, breastplates, scabbards, blue jeans, purple shirts that reminded him of the camp shirts, and white athletic shoes. The guard on the right looked like a girl, though it was hard to tell for sure with all the armour. The one on the left was a stocky guy with a bow and quiver on his back. Both kids held long wooden staffs with iron spear tips, like old-fashioned harpoons.
Percy's internal radar was pinging like crazy. After so many horrible days, he'd finally reached his goal. His instincts told him that if he could make it inside that door, he might find safety for the first time since he was with Ceres.
So why did he feel such dread?
Farther up the hill, the gorgons were scrambling over the roof of the apartment complex. Three minutes away — maybe less.
Part of him wanted to run to the door in the hill. He'd have to cross to the median of the highway, but then it would be a short sprint. He could make it before the gorgons reached him.
Part of him wanted to head west to the ocean. That's where he'd be safest. That's where his power would be greatest. Those Roman guards at the door made him uneasy. "This isn't my territory." He said out loud. "I shouldn't be here."
"You're right, of course," said a voice next to him.
Percy jumped. At first he thought a gorgon had managed to sneak up on him again, but the old lady sitting in the bushes was even more repulsive than a gorgon.
She looked like a hippie who'd been kicked to the side of the road maybe forty years ago, where she'd been collecting trash and rags ever since. She wore a dress made of tie-dyed cloth, ripped-up quilts, and plastic grocery bags. Her frizzy mop of hair was grey. Warts and moles covered her face. When she smiled, she showed exactly three teeth.
"It isn't a maintenance tunnel," she said. "It's the entrance to camp."
The gorgons were still on the roof of the apartment building. Then Stheno shrieked in delight and pointed in Percy's direction.
The old hippie lady raised her eyebrows. "Not much time, child. You need to make your choice."
"Who are you?" Percy asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The last thing he needed was another harmless mortal who turned out to be a monster.
"Oh, you can call me June." The old lady's eyes sparkled as if she'd made an excellent joke. "It is June, isn't it? They named the month after me!"
'Okay. ..Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming. I don't want them to hurt you;
June clasped her hands over her heart. "How sweet! But that's part of your choice!"
"My choice..." Percy glanced nervously toward the hill. The gorgons had taken off their green vests. Wings sprouted from their backs — small bat wings, which glinted like brass.
Since when did they have wings? Maybe they were ornamental. Maybe they were too small to get a gorgon into the air. Then the two sisters leaped off the apartment building and soared toward him.
Great. Just great. Percy felt like he should have been able to ask for a time out, just to ask the fates a question: What is wrong with you?
"Yes, a choice," June said, as if she were in no hurry. "You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You'd make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future."
Percy was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the second option. "Or?"
"Or you could do a good deed for an old lady," she said. "Carry me to the camp with you."
"Carry you?" Percy hoped she was kidding. Then June hiked up her skirts and showed him her swollen purple feet.
"I can't get there by myself," she said. "Carry me to camp - across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river."
Percy didn't know what river she meant, but it didn't sound easy. June looked pretty heavy.
The gorgons were only fifty yards away now - leisurely gliding toward him as if they knew the hunt was almost over.
Percy looked at the old lady. "And I'd carry you to this camp because?"
"Because it's a kindness!" she said. "And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone will be destroyed."
Percy swallowed. The gorgons shrieked with laughter as they soared in for the kill.
"If I go to the camp," he said, "What do I get?"
"A new home," June said. "The romans do not fear power, they respect it. You will not be feared as you were in Camp Half-Blood. You will probably feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to find a new home, a new life."
The gorgons were circling right overhead. They were probably studying the old woman, trying to figure out who the new player was before they struck.
"What about those guards at the door?" Percy asked.
June smiled. "Oh, they'll let you in, dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenceless old woman?"
Percy doubted June was defenceless. At worst, this was a trap. At best, it was some kind of test.
Percy hated tests.
"I'll carry you." He scooped up the old woman.
She was lighter than he expected. Percy tried to ignore her sour breath and her calloused hands clinging to his neck. He made it across the first lane of traffic. A driver honked. Another yelled something that was lost in the wind.
Most just swerved and looked irritated, as if they had to deal with a lot of ratty teenagers carrying old hippie women across the freeway here in Berkeley.
Considering how crazy tthe world of Greeks and now Romans was, maybe they did.
A shadow fell over him. Stheno called down gleefully, "Clever boy! Found a goddess to carry, did you?"
A goddess?
June cackled with delight, muttering, "Whoops!" as a car almost killed them.
Somewhere off to his left, Euryale screamed, "Get them! Two prizes are better than one!"
Percy bolted across the remaining lanes. Somehow he made it to the median alive. He saw the gorgons swooping down, cars swerving as the monsters passed overhead. He wondered what the mortals saw through the Mist - giant pelicans? Off-course hang gliders? Mortal minds could believe just about anything - except the truth.
Percy ran for the door in the hillside. June got heavier with every step. Percy's heart pounded. His ribs ached.
One of the guards yelled. The guy with the bow nocked an arrow. Percy shouted, "Wait!"
But the boy wasn't aiming at him. The arrow flew over Percy's head. A gorgon wailed in pain. The second guard readied her spear, gesturing frantically at Percy to hurry.
Fifty feet from the door. Thirty feet.
"Gotcha!" shrieked Euryale. Percy turned as an arrow thudded into her forehead. Euryale tumbled into the fast lane. A truck slammed into her and carried her backward a hundred yards, but she just climbed over the cab, pulled the arrow out of her head, and launched back into the air.
Percy reached the door. "Thanks," he told the guards. "Good shot."
"That should've killed her!" the archer protested.
"Welcome to my world," Percy muttered.
"Frank," the girl said. "Get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons."
"Gorgons?" The archer's voice squeaked. It was hard to tell much about him under the helmet, but he looked stout like a wrestler, maybe fourteen or fifteen. "Will the door hold them?"
In Percy's arms, June cackled. "No, no it won't. Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!"
"Percy Jackson?" The female guard was darker-skinned, with curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. She looked younger than Frank - maybe thirteen. Her sword scabbard came down almost to her ankle. Still, she sounded like she was the one in charge. "Okay, you're obviously a demigod. But who's the — ?" She glanced at June. "Never mind. Just get inside. I'll hold them off."
"Hazel," the boy said. "Don't be crazy."
"Go!" she demanded.
Frank cursed in another language - was that Latin? - and opened the door. "Come on!"
Percy followed, staggering under the weight of the old lady, who was definitely getting heavier. He didn't know how that girl Hazel would hold off the gorgons by herself, but he was too tired to argue.
The tunnel cut through solid rock, about the width and height of a school hallway. At first, it looked like a typical maintenance tunnel, with electric cables, warning signs, and fuse boxes on the walls, lightbulbs in wire cages along the ceiling. As they ran deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tiled mosaic. The lights changed to reed torches, which burned but didn't smoke. A few hundred yards ahead, Percy saw a square of daylight.
The old lady was heavier now than a pile of sandbags. Percy's arms shook from the strain. June mumbled a song in Latin, like a lullaby, which didn't help Percy concentrate.
Behind them, the gorgons' voices echoed in the tunnel. Hazel shouted. Percy was tempted to dump June and runback to help, but then the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. There was a squawking sound, just like the gorgons had made when Percy had dropped a crate of bowling balls on them in Napa. He glanced back. The west end of the tunnel was now filled with dust.
"Shouldn't we check on Hazel?" he asked.
"She'll be okay - I hope," Frank said. "She's good underground. Just keep moving! We're almost there."
"Almost where?"
June chuckled. "All roads lead there, child. You should know that."
"Rome?" Percy asked.
"Yes, child," the old woman said. "Rome."
Percy wasn't sure he'd heard her right. Sure, he wasn't a child of Athena. But he was pretty sure Rome wasn't in California.
They kept running. The glow at the end of the tunnel grew brighter, and finally they burst into sunlight.
Percy froze. Spread out at his feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest.
But Percy felt like he'd stepped into a new world. In the centre of the valley, nestled by the lake, was a small city of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. He could see an open plaza with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues. A five-story-tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack.
Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings. Temples, Percy guessed.
The strangest part of the valley was right below him. About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes. Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized, mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers. A wide gateway opened on the far side of camp, leading toward the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity: dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armour. Percy heard the clank of hammers at a forge and smelled meat cooking over a fire.
Something about this place felt very familiar, yet not quite right.
"Camp Jupiter," Frank said. "We'll be safe once-"
Footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind them. Hazel burst into the light. She was covered with stone dust and breathing hard. She'd lost her helmet, so her curly brown hair fell around her shoulders. Her armour had long slash marks in front from the claws of a gorgon. One of the monsters had tagged her with a 50% off sticker.
"I slowed them down," she said. "But they'll be here any second."
Frank cursed. "We have to get across the river."
June squeezed Percy's neck tighter. "Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet."
Percy bit his tongue. If this lady was a goddess, she must've been the goddess of smelly, heavy, useless hippies. But he'd come this far. He'd better keep lugging her along.
It's a kindness, she'd said. And if you don't, the gods will die, and the world we know will perish.
If this was a test, he couldn't afford to get an F.
He stumbled a few times as they ran for the river. Frank and Hazel kept him on his feet.
They reached the riverbank, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was fast, but the river didn't look deep. Only a stone's throw across stood the gates of the fort.
"Go, Hazel." Frank nocked two arrows at once. "Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him. It's my turn to hold off the monsters."
Hazel nodded and waded into the stream.
Percy started to follow, but something made him hesitate. Usually he loved the water, but this river seemed... powerful, and not necessarily friendly.
"The Little Tiber," said June sympathetically. "It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away."
Percy was too exhausted to understand all that, but he got the main point. "If I cross, I won't have the curse anymore? Why can't anything be easy?"
June smiled. "So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?"
Behind him, the gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel. Frank let his arrows fly.
From the middle of the river, Hazel yelled, "Percy, come on!"
Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swivelled their crossbows toward the gorgons.
Annabeth, Percy thought. He forged into the river. It was icy cold, much swifter than he'd imagined, but that didn't bother him. New strength surged through his limbs. His senses tingled like he'd been injected with caffeine.
He reached the other side and put the old woman down as the camp's gates opened. Dozens of kids in armour poured out.
Hazel turned with a relieved smile. Then she looked over Percy's shoulder, and her expression changed to horror. "Frank!"
Frank was halfway across the river when the gorgons caught him. They swooped out of the sky and grabbed him by either arm. He screamed in pain as their claws dug into his skin.
The sentries yelled, but Percy knew they couldn't get a clear shot. They'd end up killing Frank. The other kids drew swords and got ready to charge into the water, but they'd be too late.
There was only one way.
Percy thrust out his hands. An intense tugging sensation filled his gut, and the earth and the river obeyed his will. The river surged. Waves of earth formed on either side of Frank. Giant vines and watery tendrils erupted from the ground, copying Percy's movements. The vines grabbed the gorgons, who dropped Frank in surprise.
Percy heard the other kids yelping and backing away, but he stayed focused on his task. He made a smashing gesture with his fists, and the giant tendrils plunged the gorgons into the Tiber. The monsters hit bottom and broke into dust. Glittering clouds of gorgon essence struggled to reform, but the river pulled them apart like a blender. Soon every trace of the gorgons was swept downstream. The vines vanished, and the earth returned to normal.
Percy stood on the riverbank. His clothes and his skin steamed as if the Tiber's waters had given him an acid bath. He felt exposed, raw, vulnerable.
In the middle of the Tiber, Frank stumbled around, looking stunned but perfectly fine. Hazel waded out and helped him ashore. Only then did Percy realise how quiet the other kids had become.
"Well," He said finally. "That was fun."
Everyone was staring at him. Only the old lady June looked unfazed.
"Well, that was a lovely trip," she said. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."
One of the girls made a choking sound. "Percy Jackson?"
She sounded as if she recognised his name. Percy focused on her, hoping to see a familiar face.
She was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armour. Her chest was decorated with medals. She must have been about Percy's age, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair. Percy didn't recognise her, but the girl stared at him as if she'd seen him in her nightmares.
June laughed with delight. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!"
Then, just because the day hadn't been weird enough already, the old lady began to glow and change form. She grew until she was a shining, seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately. In her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower.
If it was possible for the campers to look more stunned, they did. The girl with the purple cloak knelt. The others followed her lead. One kid got down so hastily he almost impaled himself on his sword.
Hazel was the first to speak. "Juno."
She and Frank also fell to their knees, leaving Percy the only one standing. He knew he should probably kneel too, but after carrying the old lady so far, he didn't feel like showing her that much respect.
"Hera, huh?" he said. "I passed your test, right?"
The goddess smiled. "I am not Hera here, I believe that you should know that. You will have, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You have done the impossible time and time again, but this might just prove to be too much for you."
She turned to the other kids. "Romans, I present to you the son of Ceres. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!"
Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Hazel and Frank for some kind of explanation, but they seemed just as confused as he was. Frank was holding something Percy hadn't noticed before - two small clay flasks with cork stoppers, like potions, one in each hand. Percy had no idea where they'd come from, but he saw Frank slip them into his pockets.
The girl in the purple cloak stepped forward. She examined Percy warily, and Percy couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger.
"So," she said coldly, "a son of Ceres, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno."
"Hi," he said, "Do I know you?"
The girl hesitated. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And no, I don't know you."
That last part was a lie. Percy could tell from her eyes. But he also understood that if he argued with her about it here she'd probably attack him. She looked like she was struggling not to do so.
"Hazel," said Reyna, "bring him inside. I want to question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."
"What do you mean," Percy asked, "Decide what to do with me?"
Reyna's hand tightened on her dagger. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. "Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us as a new recruit."
Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful.
"Or," she said more hopefully, "if she's brought us an enemy to kill."
"I'm loving Rome already." He muttered.
Chapter over! OK, ok, sooooo, this will be Percy x Reyna. It won't happen immediately, so don't expect it to. Also, Percy will have his memory. No amnesia for our favourite demigod (although, someone else might...). Thoughts on the chap?
ITS TIME FOR...
REVIEW RESPONSES:
bowman12: REYNAAA!
DARK WRAITH 2001: Oof, didn't even notice. Feel dumb now lol. Yup, Preyna for the win!
Daniel Bridges: Thanks! I understand shipping rare ships lol.
GrayValkyrie: Cool, thanks!
Ryan Fowler: Yup, Reyna baby! Nah, Percy will be the same, no serious Percy.
Guest 1: Nope, won't forget Nico. He'll play a huge role.
Guest 2: Yeah, Reyna!
Person: Nico will not be forgotten.
TheAttemptedWriter: Reyna it shall be. Thanks!
Okay, so, I tried to make Percy and Ceres have a good relationship, but not a mother-son just yet, because I feel as though that will come slowly. Any, reviews are appreciated, criticism encouraged, and plot ideas always welcome.
Over and out!