Chapter 15.
Apollo chuckled as he waved his hand, conjuring a fire beside them. "I'm sorry about the knife attack. I wasn't expecting a wolf to withstand my godly strength," he admitted with a playful tone. "So tell me, what are you?" he inquired, his curiosity evident in his expression.
Percy tilted his head in confusion, prompting a laugh from Apollo. "I know you're not a regular wolf, Percy," Apollo continued, his demeanor shifting to one of genuine interest. "I'm not here to harm you. I'm simply curious how you managed to endure my godly strength and survive a stab from a godly weapon."
With a resigned bark, Percy enveloped himself in shadows, transforming into his sixteen-year-old form. "Hello, Apollo," he greeted calmly as he took a seat. Apollo grinned in response. "Ah, there's the real you," he remarked. "So, who are you, Percy?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued by the appearance of Percy's human form.
Percy smiled before responding, "My name is Perseus, or Percy as I prefer to be called. I am the son of Nyx and Erebus, and prince of the Void," he declared with confidence. Apollo's expression shifted from disbelief to amusement as he processed Percy's revelation.
"That was good, Percy. You almost got me," Apollo chuckled, clearly entertained by Percy's bold claim. "But the primordials don't have any children."
With a roll of his eyes, Percy summoned a knife and made a small incision on his hand, holding it out for Apollo to see. Apollo's eyes widened in shock as he observed the pure silver blood flowing from Percy's wound. "Oh my gods, you are a primordial," he exclaimed, his voice trembling with realization.
As Apollo's face paled with recognition, he hastily apologized, fearing the consequences of unknowingly harming a primordial being. "I am so sorry, please don't kill me," he pleaded, his voice filled with genuine remorse and fear.
Percy laughed, waving off Apollo's concerns with a casual gesture. "It's fine, you didn't know," he reassured Apollo, his tone understanding. "But I'm here to help with the war effort. Artemis informed me that Zeus isn't aiding you guys at all."
Apollo let out a sigh of relief, appreciating Percy's understanding. "Yeah, the hunters and my sister are doing what they can," he explained, his tone tinged with frustration. "But the campers aren't allowed to leave camp except for quests or to return home. The rest of us can only intervene when the situation directly involves us, but Dad isn't doing anything," he admitted, his disappointment evident.
Percy nodded in solidarity, his anger towards Zeus growing with each revelation of his neglect. "My mother tasked me with shadowing the quests to ensure their success," Percy revealed, his voice tinged with determination. "I was there when they recovered Zeus's bolt, then on the trip for the fleece, and now this one. Well, I was before you caught me," he added with a wry smile.
Apollo listened intently before his eyes widened in realization. "I apologize for interrupting your mother's mission; I just wanted to talk," he said sincerely. Percy waved off the apology. "It's fine, Apollo. I'll shadow travel to them when we're done here," he assured him.
Apollo nodded gratefully. "Well, don't let me keep you from your job. I just wanted some answers," he said, rising to his feet. He waved his hand over Percy's wounded hand, watching as it healed before his eyes. Percy nodded in thanks as Apollo bid him farewell. "See you soon, Perce," Apollo said with a wave before vanishing in a golden light.
Percy smiled before transforming into his small eagle form, taking to the air with graceful flight. He then dived down towards the ground, disappearing into the shadows. Moments later, he emerged, finding himself hovering above the train, invisible to those below.
Throughout the night, Percy maintained his watch over the train, staying vigilant as it continued its journey. As dawn approached and the train slowed to a stop, Percy descended, perching on the edge of the train roof, his keen eyes scanning the surroundings.
When the door opened below him, Artemis emerged first, followed by Zoe and the other hunters. Percy observed silently from above, unnoticed by the group. Sensing their concern, Zoe voiced her question. "My lady, what happened to Percy?" she inquired anxiously.
Artemis shook her head, her expression troubled. "I don't know, Zoe," she replied, her voice tinged with worry. "Hopefully wherever he is, he's okay."
Percy, smiling inwardly, cawed loudly to capture their attention. Their gazes shifted upward, relief flooding their expressions as Percy fluttered down gracefully, eventually landing on Artemis's arm.
"Oh, thank the gods," Artemis murmured softly, her knuckle gently stroking the back of Percy's neck. Zoe's smile widened, relieved to see her friend safe and sound.
"What happened, Percy?" Zoe inquired, her concern evident in her voice. Percy cawed before tilting his head towards the rising sun. "Apollo kidnapped you?" Artemis asked, her tone laced with anger. Percy nodded in confirmation, his feathers ruffling slightly.
"He's so dead next time I see him," Artemis declared fiercely, her eyes flashing with determination. Percy let out a chirp of amusement, clearly finding her sentient humorous.
"Now that Percy is back, we should get going if we're gonna follow the questers," Zoe suggested, her tone urgent. Artemis nodded in agreement before Percy took off from her arm, hovering above the group. With Percy watching from above, Artemis led the way as they headed west.
The journey continued until they reached the junkyard, where they halted in shock at the sight of the giant automaton. It stood frozen in place, its gaze fixed downward. Percy felt a chill run down his spine, sensing the ominous presence of death lingering in the air.
Landing back on Artemis's arm, Percy tilted his head, silently requesting to enter her mind. Artemis granted permission, allowing him to enter her thoughts. "I can't tell who, but this place reeks of death. The quest lost somebody here," Percy conveyed before withdrawing from her mind.
Artemis turned to the group, their attention now focused on her and Percy. "Percy says he senses the feeling of death. The quest lost somebody here," she relayed to the hunters, her voice tinged with solemnity.
The hunters exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of sadness and surprise as they processed Percy's revelation. "Percy, can you look around and see if you can figure out who they lost?" Zoe asked, her voice filled with concern.
Percy nodded solemnly before taking off from Artemis's arm and soaring through the junkyard. It didn't take long for him to spot a gleaming golden bow lying next to a giant's foot. With a sinking feeling in his chest, Percy realized that the demigod had likely been crushed by the giant. Suppressing a grimace, he swooped down and carefully grasped the bow in his talons before returning to the group, who awaited his findings anxiously.
Artemis gingerly took the bow from Percy's talons, her expression solemn as she held it in her hands. "I'm sorry, Apollo," Percy heard her whisper, her voice heavy with regret.
The group gathered around, a somber atmosphere settling over them as they realized who had perished. However, Zoe's voice cut through their thoughts, injecting a sense of urgency into the moment. "We need to get going. If we weren't so far behind, we might have been able to save this demigod," she urged.
Artemis nodded in agreement as she waved the bow away before turning to Percy, who once again took off from her arm. With Artemis leading the way, the group pressed on, their determination renewed. As they continued westward, their pace quickened, propelled by a newfound sense of urgency. After traveling for most of the day, they finally slowed their pace as they reached San Francisco.
"My lady, if we're in Cali, that can only mean one thing," Zoe said solemnly, her voice tinged with apprehension. Artemis nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We're going to Othrys, or the remains of it anyway," she finished Zoe's thought, her expression serious.
The hunters looked at them in shock, fully aware of the dangers that Othrys posed. They knew that saving Hermes would be no easy feat, especially considering the perilous nature of the task ahead.
"The garden can only be entered at sunrise and sundown, and we're past sundown. So unless they are already inside, then the questers should be set up somewhere for the night," Zoe commented, her tone thoughtful as she considered their next steps.
Artemis nodded in agreement before replying, "Let's get situated somewhere then." With a sense of purpose, the group set off to find a suitable place to rest at for the night. When they settled in a forest clearing, Percy flew off to visit Reyna.
Upon arriving at her home, he landed on the open windowsill before peaking in. Reyna was as usual sitting at her desk working, in her pajamas and a cup of coffee. He hopped into the room before fluttering his wings to get her attention.
It worked as Reyna looked up in confusion at hearing a bird, before smiling warmly as she recognized it as Percy. Percy hopped to the floor before changing back to his human form. Reyna walked over before starting to say,"Hey Percy, what are you-" that's all she got to say before Percy closed the distance and pulled her into a deep kiss.
She looked surprised before pulling him close, deepening the kiss. After a minute he pulled away, with her looking at him in surprise. "Not that I minded that, but what was that about?" she asked.
Percy looked at her with sorrow in his eyes as he replied,"A demigod died today because I wasn't there to save him." Reyna's eyes widened before her expression softened as she realized why he was there.
"Percy, is this because you're worried the same will happen to me?" she asked softly. Percy nodded. "I don't want to lose you, especially if I'm not even here to be able to protect you," he admitted, sounding defeated.
Reyna reached out, gently cupping his face. "You can't blame yourself for everyone's death Percy. We all know the dangers of this life. You're doing more to help us than the gods are, and that's more than enough."
Percy sighed, leaning into her touch. "I just wish I could do more," he murmured, his shoulders dropping with the weight of the stress of the quest and the war.
Reyna smiled softly, brushing her thumb across his cheek. "I know Percy, I know." she replied, gently bringing his forehead down to rest against hers. They stayed together for a few minutes, enjoying the comfort before Percy whispered,"I should return to Diana."
Reyna nodded as she smiled softly before kissing him lightly on the lips. "Good luck finishing whatever you're doing Percy." she said smiling. Percy smiled before nodding and fading into shadow.
Upon his arrival, Percy noticed that Artemis was the only one still awake. Silently, he shifted into his wolf form before padding over to her.
"Ah, I wondered where you'd gone off to," Artemis remarked as he approached, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. Percy wagged his tail in response before settling down beside her.
"Tomorrow's the big day. I just hope everyone makes it through," she mused, a sigh escaping her lips. Percy nodded in understanding, his gaze reflecting her concern.
Sensing her weariness, Percy gently nudged her legs in the direction of her tent, prompting a soft chuckle from Artemis. "Yes, Percy, I'm going to bed. Come on," she said, nodding towards their sleeping quarters.
With a shared understanding, the two rose and made their way to bed, seeking rest before the final showdown the following day.
AN: What kind of pairings or ideas would you guys like to see? I've got a few stories in the works but I'm curious as to what ideas you guys have for a story idea or something you'd like to see/ what pairing you'd like. Feel free to let me know!
-Rift