Chapter 16.
The following morning, the hunters arrived at the garden, their silent presence cloaked in anticipation as they observed the questers' arrival. Stealthily trailing behind, they witnessed the interaction with the Hesperides before the questers ascended the hill toward Othrys.
As the hunters attempted to follow, they were met with resistance as the Hesperides blocked their path. "Begone, traitor. You have no business here," one of the Hesperides declared, fixing a glare upon Zoe.
Asserting her authority, Artemis stepped forward, her eyes flashing with determination. "I am an Olympian. Now, get out of the way," she commanded, her voice ringing with authority.
The Hesperide met her gaze defiantly. "We are Titans, goddess. Do not order us around in our own home," she retorted, her tone laced with defiance and pride.
Before Artemis could respond, tendrils of shadows erupted from the ground, ensnaring the Hesperides in their dark embrace. Startled, she turned to see Percy, now back in human form but surrounded by an aura of shadows.
"I am a primordial child. Now, let us pass before I force-feed you to the dragon over here," Percy warned, his voice laced with anger and authority. The Hesperides glared defiantly at him, but they nodded begrudgingly as Percy released them from the shadows.
Stepping aside they faded into nothing as the hunters pressed on. Percy watched them go before changing back to his wolf form and catching up to Artemis in the front. When they arrived at the top, they observed the chaos.
Hermes was trapped under the sky, his outfit ripped in places, and sweat caked his face. The demigods were fighting monsters while Theo was slowly making his way towards Atlas, who was watching with amusement as Theo advanced.
"That boy is going to get himself killed," a hunter commented. The other murmured their agreement until Artemis looked at them and told them to hush. Percy nudged Artemis before looking at her with a look of anger and defiance.
Artemis's initial confusion gave way to surprise as she discerned Percy's intentions. "No, Percy, absolutely not. Atlas is dangerous. Way too dangerous to fight head-on," she protested, her voice tinged with concern.
But Percy shook his head resolutely, a determined gleam in his eyes as he barked in defiance. Ignoring Artemis's warnings, he took off down the hill, his resolve unyielding.
Reaching the ground, Percy ran and positioned himself between Atlas and Theo, his stance defensive as he bared his teeth at the Titan. Atlas's initial surprise gave way to amusement as he regarded the defiant wolf before him.
"What do you think you're gonna do, little wolf?" Atlas taunted, his laughter reverberating across the battlefield. Unfazed, Percy barked before undergoing a transformation, shifting into his twenty-year-old human form. The sudden change caused Atlas to cease laughing, his expression morphing into one of confusion and surprise.
"Go Theo," Percy said. Theo nodded before turning and running to help the others with the monsters.
"Let's have some fun, Atlas," Percy said coldly, his voice carrying an edge of menace as he shrouded the area in darkness. Atlas, sensing the shift in the environment, retrieved his spear from his back, his movements cautious as he scanned the shadows for any sign of Percy's presence.
"What's wrong, Atlas? Afraid of the dark?" Percy taunted, his voice echoing tauntingly through the darkness. Atlas spun around, his spear slashing through the air in a desperate attempt to anticipate Percy's movements.
"Show yourself and fight me, coward!" Atlas roared, his frustration boiling over. But Percy's laughter echoed mockingly around the chamber as he replied, "But this is so much fun." With each passing moment, the tension between them intensified.
Atlas continued to swing his spear in frustration, but soon realized his efforts were futile. With a growl of defiance, he shifted his stance, holding his spear defensively in front of him as he scanned the darkness for any sign of Percy's approach.
"Come out, coward!" Atlas bellowed, his voice echoing through the chamber. Percy remained silent, his presence concealed within the shadows.
Suddenly, Atlas felt a presence behind him and swiftly turned, barely blocking a scythe swing with his spear. Before he could react, the weapon retreated into the darkness once more.
"What if we do a little of this," Percy's voice taunted from another direction, and the scythe materialized on Atlas's other side, prompting him to spin again to block the attack.
"Or how about a bit of this?" Percy's voice came again, and Atlas looked down just in time to see the scythe swinging at his legs. With quick reflexes, he spun his spear downward to block the strike, but the weapon vanished once more, leaving Atlas on edge and uncertain of where the next attack would come from.
"Is that all you've got?" Atlas bellowed defiantly, his voice reverberating through the chamber. Percy's laughter echoed around him, mocking and taunting, before he responded, "Come now, little Titan, we were just having fun."
Infuriated by Percy's dismissive tone, Atlas roared in rage. With a swift motion, he hurled his spear, but it missed Percy entirely, striking Zoe instead and pinning her to the wall behind her.
Percy's heart sank as he heard Zoe's screams, his anger boiling over at the sight of her injured. With a primal roar, he turned his fury upon Atlas, his control slipping away in a wave of rage.
Tendrils of shadows erupted from Percy's form, enveloping Atlas and restraining him. With relentless force, Percy continuously slammed the Titan into nearby walls and floors, each impact fueled by his overwhelming fury. Finally, he dragged Atlas to where Hermes still struggled beneath the weight of the sky, his rage driving him to deliver justice for Zoe's suffering.
"Hermes, be ready to let go," Percy commanded, his voice firm and resolute. With a nod of understanding, Hermes prepared himself for Percy's signal.
Turning his attention back to Atlas, Percy seized the restrained Titan and slammed him a few more times before he hurled him towards Hermes with all his strength. As Atlas collided with Hermes, the god braced himself, allowing the force of the impact to propel him out from beneath the weight of the sky as he rolled away to safety.
With swift precision, Percy summoned tendrils of shadow, chaining Atlas to the ground and the sky, ensuring he would never escape again. The Titan's struggles were futile against the dark bonds that held him in place, his fate sealed by Percy's anger.
Turning back to where Zoe lay dying, Percy sprinted over to her motionless form, Artemis by her side, visibly distressed. "I'm trying to heal her, but it's not working," Artemis cried out to Percy as he arrived, her voice filled with desperation and fear.
Realizing the gravity of Zoe's condition, Percy wasted no time. With a swift and decisive motion, he enveloped Zoe's body in shadows before vanishing into the darkness, transporting them to the Void.
As they materialized in the throne room of Nyx and Erebus, Percy's parents rose from their thrones in alarm at Percy's urgent plea. "Mom, Dad, help me!" he yelled desperately, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Without hesitation, Nyx and Erebus rushed to their son's side, their concern evident as they surveyed Zoe's injured form. Gasping at the severity of her wound, they immediately began to chant, drawing shadows from the surroundings and channeling their power into Zoe's body.
With each passing moment, the shadows worked their magic, sterilizing and repairing Zoe's wound with remarkable efficiency. Percy breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the color return to Zoe's face, and the rise and fall of her chest as she began to breathe normally once more.
Percy sat there, feeling the weight of relief wash over him as he watched the miraculous healing unfold. Eventually, his parents pulled him into a comforting hug, their silent gratitude conveyed through their embrace.
"Thank you," Percy whispered, his voice filled with emotion. Nyx and Erebus simply nodded in response, their unwavering support evident in their gestures.
As Zoe began to stir, Percy's attention shifted to her, a smile gracing his features as she sat up, her confusion palpable. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice tinged with puzzlement.
Percy's smile widened as he replied, "Welcome to the Void, Zoe. You're in my home." Her eyes widened in realization as she took in her surroundings, but her attention quickly turned to Percy's parents standing nearby.
Quickly jumping up, she dropped into a bow, a reflexive gesture of respect. However, her action elicited laughter from Nyx and Erebus, who promptly pulled her up and out of the bow.
"Do not bow to us, we are not like some of the arrogant Olympians," Nyx commented, her tone gentle yet firm. Percy couldn't help but smile at the interaction, grateful for the warmth and humility of his primordial parents.
"What am I doing here?" Zoe asked, her confusion evident in her voice. Erebus smiled warmly before replying, "Percy brought you here so we could help save you. Fate may have wanted you dead, but there are always people more powerful."
Zoe's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Percy, a mixture of astonishment and gratitude shining in her gaze. Without hesitation, she rushed over to him and enveloped him in a tight hug, her appreciation palpable.
"We should return to Artemis so she stops internally panicking," Percy suggested, his laughter echoing through the chamber as he addressed his parents. Nyx and Erebus joined in on the laughter, their expressions filled with warmth and amusement.
"Of course," Nyx replied, her voice gentle. "It was nice meeting you, Zoe." Erebus nodded in agreement as Percy reached out, pulling both Zoe and himself into a shadow.
With a final smile and a wave, they disappeared from the Void, returning to the mortal realm to reunite with Artemis.
As they arrived, Percy and Zoe found themselves just inside the doors of the Olympian throne room. Keeping to the shadows, they edged forward quietly, eager to eavesdrop on the ongoing meeting.
"So, what happened when Artemis showed up, Hermes?" Zeus inquired, his voice carrying a note of authority.
Hermes hesitated before responding, "I don't know, Father. A man appeared, shrouding the room in darkness. He seemed to be toying with Atlas until Atlas threw his spear, aiming for the man but inadvertently hitting Artemis's lieutenant, pinning her to the wall. In a fit of rage, the man grabbed Atlas with shadows and began relentlessly assaulting him, slamming him into walls and floors before ultimately throwing him at me, allowing me to escape from under the weight of the sky. By the time I regained my footing, the man had vanished with Artemis's lieutenant, leaving Atlas chained to the sky and ground with shadows."
"And where is your lieutenant Artemis?" Zeus asked. "Truthfully, I don't know. He picked her up from me and vanished and hasn't shown up yet." Artemis said, with worry clearly in her voice, not knowing what happened to Zoe.
Percy smiled before turning to Zoe. "Stay here, I'm gonna deposit you in front of them. Just say you don't know what happened and that you just woke up outside the throne room." he whispered. Zoe grinned before nodding.
Percy melted into shadow and changed into his eagle form but bigger to the point he could rest on Artemis's arm when she was at her godly height. He then pulled shadows to the ceiling, creating what looked like a storm cloud made of shadows before vanishing.
Appearing in the cloud, he looked down at the gods before pulling Zoe to the middle of the room while they were distracted with the cloud. Grinning inwardly, he let out a loud screech before diving down out of the cloud before flying over and landing on Artemis's arm, who smiled warmly at his appearance.
The gods watched in amazement and shock, their gazes fixed on the giant solid black eagle perched upon Artemis's arm. Zeus, suspicious and curious, voiced the question that lingered in their minds.
"What is that thing, Artemis?" he asked, his tone tinged with suspicion.
Artemis, unfazed by Zeus's skepticism, responded calmly, "This is my friend, Percy. He's been traveling and looking out for us the past week or so."
As she spoke, Artemis began preening Percy's feathers, eliciting a contented response from the eagle. Percy let out a soft chirp of appreciation, his trust in Artemis evident as he nestled closer to her.
"Ah, hello Zoe," Apollo greeted, finally noticing her presence in the center of the room. Artemis paused her treatment of Percy's wings to look at Zoe, a warm smile gracing her face, before returning her attention to her feathered friend.
"Zoe, what happened after the battle?" Hermes inquired, his tone laced with concern.
Zoe shrugged, her expression puzzled as she replied, "I don't know, my lord. One minute I was fighting monsters, and the next I woke up outside the throne room."
Her response sparked a collective murmur among the gods, their interest piqued by Zoe's mysterious experience. "Well whatever the case, it's good to see you make it out alive." Hermes replied warmly. Zoe smiled before she nodded and headed over to sit at the base of Artemis's throne.
Once Zeus concluded the meeting, Apollo wasted no time in approaching Artemis and Zoe as the gods left the throne room. "Zoe, what happened?" Artemis inquired, her concern evident in her tone. With a grin, Zoe recounted her experience, revealing Percy's intervention and the unexpected assistance from his parents. "Percy took me to the Void so his parents could save me. They are oddly relaxed for primordials. I see where Percy gets it from," she explained.
Artemis laughed in amusement, her gaze shifting to Percy, who responded with a proud flap of his wings. As Apollo joined them, Artemis's expression turned stern, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "Apollo, what do you want?" she demanded, her voice tinged with irritation.
Apollo smiled disarmingly before replying, "I just wanted to talk to Percy. I know who he is." Artemis's surprise quickly turned to fury as she lashed out, delivering a swift kick to Apollo's stomach. "That's for kidnapping our friend and stabbing him." Apollo groaned in pain but straightened up, acknowledging his wrongdoing. "Yeah, I deserved that," he conceded.
Artemis's grin was triumphant as she retorted, "You're damn right you did." With that, she turned away from Apollo, leaving him to contemplate his actions as she continued her conversation with Zoe and Percy.
Percy let out a soft screech before gracefully flying off Artemis's arm and landing on the armrest of Apollo's throne. Apollo's grin widened as he strided over to Percy, his demeanor friendly and relaxed. "Hey, Percy. I just wanted to talk about the quest. It was fated that Zoe was supposed to die. It's awesome that you managed to prevent that, though," he began.
Percy tilted his head in confusion, intrigued by Apollo's words but unsure of where the conversation was heading. Apollo continued, his tone earnest, "Thalia was supposed to join the hunters to replace Zoe. Because she isn't now, that means the prophecy child is shifting from Theo to Thalia." He paused momentarily before adding, "Also, you are already very powerful. But I would suggest talking to your parents about potentially acquiring domains. It might help us in the coming years."
Percy screeched in response, acknowledging Apollo's advice. He nodded his head in understanding, a sense of understanding evident in his expression. Apollo's grin widened at Percy's reaction before the eagle took off, soaring back to Artemis and Zoe.
As Percy rejoined his companions, Apollo watched him go, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. He couldn't shake the feeling that Percy's presence held significant implications for the future of the gods, But he was hopeful they were good implications. With that thought in mind he vanished from the throne room.