Chapter 17.
As Percy rejoined his friends, he noticed that Artemis had shrunk down to her human size. Realizing the size difference, Percy also adjusted his form to that of a falcon before gracefully landing back on Artemis's arm.
"Ah, there you are. Everyone ready to go?" Artemis asked, her voice filled with determination. Zoe nodded eagerly, and Percy let out a chirp of agreement, eliciting a laugh from Zoe at his miniature size. With a nod from Artemis, they vanished from the throne room in an instant.
When they reappeared, they found themselves in the heart of the camp, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of their home. "Zoe, go tell the girls what happened. I'm sure they'll be excited to see you," Artemis instructed, her tone filled with warmth and encouragement.
Zoe's grin widened at the prospect, and she wasted no time in darting off towards the archery range, where she knew the hunters would likely be gathered.
Smiling as she watched her go, Artemis turned to Percy, who was rubbing his face in his feathers. "Percy, what did Apollo want?" she asked curiously. Percy turned to look at her with a silent tilt of his head, to which she nodded.
After a moment, Percy said in her head,"He wanted to tell me that because I saved Zoe, the prophecy child is shifting from Theo to Thalia. And that he wanted me to ask my parents about potentially getting domains, as I don't have any at the moment."
Artemis nodded thoughtfully as she processed Percy's response. "I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea, although I doubt you need more power than you already have," she remarked, a hint of amusement in her voice as she chuckled softly.
Percy nodded in agreement. "You're telling me. I don't need more power, but if Apollo thinks it would help me save more people, then I'll do what I have to," he replied, his determination shining through in his words. With that, Artemis felt him withdraw from their mental connection.
Shaking her head slightly, Artemis couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Percy's selflessness and willingness to heed Apollo's advice. "You really are different from most immortals," she murmured, her gaze meeting Percy's as he ruffled his wings in response.
As Artemis and Percy approached the archery range, they were greeted by a heartwarming scene: the girls had piled on top of Zoe in a playful dogpile. Artemis couldn't help but laugh at the sight, a warm smile spreading across her face as she watched the scene unfold in front of them.
While they observed the girls trying to untangle themselves, Percy suddenly felt a familiar presence in his mind. It was his mother, Nyx, reaching out to him with a message. "Percy my dear, come back home. Your father and I want to discuss some important things with you," she conveyed.
"I'll be right there, Mom," Percy responded mentally before Nyx ended the connection. With a swift movement, Percy flew off Artemis's arm and dove into the shadow of an archery stand. Moments later, he emerged in the familiar surroundings of his parents' throne room.
Flying over to his throne, Percy shifted back into his human form, ready to hear what his parents had to say. "Ah welcome home Percy," Erebus greeted warmly. Erebus's welcoming tone was met with Percy's own warm response. "Hello, Mom, Dad," he replied with a smile.
As Nyx began to speak, Percy's attention was immediately captured. "Percy, we heard what Apollo told you at the meeting, and after talking between ourselves, and with Ananke, we agreed," Nyx explained. Percy's eyes widened in surprise at her words. They had agreed to give him domains that quickly?
"Wow, Mom, Dad, that conversation happened like 20 minutes ago. You guys sure work fast," Percy exclaimed, a chuckle escaping him. His parents joined in the laughter, and Erebus responded, "Perks of being primordials. We get stuff done fast, unlike most Olympians." Percy grinned in agreement, appreciating the efficiency of his primordial parents.
"Alright then, Let's get this done," Percy said grinning. His parents smiled before they stood up and walked to the center of the throne room, with Percy following behind. Once they were there, they stood on either side of him, holding their arms out. A moment later, Ananke flashed in, and the three began to chant.
Percy's grin widened as he felt the surge of power coursing through his body. The chant of his parents and Ananke surrounded him, and he could sense the transformation taking place within him. As the shadows retreated and the power settled, Percy stood there, feeling the weight of his newfound domains.
Ananke's proclamation echoed in the throne room, and Percy couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. "Hail Lord Perseus, primordial of shadows, hunting, death, darkness, and night," she declared before disappearing from the room.
Percy's excitement dimmed slightly as a question formed in his mind. "Why hunting?" he asked, turning to his parents. Nyx's response was serious as she explained, "It's because we've decided that when you're not home or shadowing a quest, we want you to travel with the hunters. They are the Olympians' best fighting force. If something happened to them, the Olympians would be in grave danger."
Percy listened intently, absorbing the weight of his parents' words. "That's pretty cool, having your domains," Percy remarked, a grin spreading across his face.
His parents chuckled in response, Erebus nodding in agreement. "Yes, though you still don't have the same level of control as we do. We are essentially the personifications of our domains, but you now hold more power than you did before."
Percy nodded, acknowledging the truth in his father's words. Then, a question arose in his mind. "Did you decide to grant me the hunting domain over the past hour, or was it decided earlier?" he inquired.
Nyx smiled warmly before responding, "We decided when you started traveling with the hunters. We knew that with you present and your protectiveness of Zoe, our chances of winning this war would be greatly increased."
Percy nodded before he walked over and hugged his parents, who returned the gesture happily. Pulling away he grinned as he said,"Well I should return to the hunters. I didn't exactly tell Artemis where I was going when I left."
Erebus laughed before nodding. "Alright then Percy, we'll see you soon." Percy nodded before waving goodbye as he melted into the shadows. Upon arriving back at camp, he quickly tried changing his form, but realized he could change into any animal now instead of locked to the original three.
Grinning, he changed to a peregrine falcon before taking off to find the hunters. After a few minutes, he found them headed towards their cabin. Swooping down, he hovered above their heads before landing on the edge of the roof, looking down at them.
Artemis's eyes widened with surprise as she beheld the solid black falcon on her roof. "Percy, is that you?" she inquired, her voice filled with confusion.
Responding with a caw, Percy fluttered down to perch on her arm. "Looks like you've got something to share," Artemis remarked with a smile, leading the way inside.
Once in her room, Percy settled on his perch as Artemis closed the door. Sitting on her bed, she looked up at him expectantly.
Entering her mind, Percy conveyed his message, "Normally, I'd ask for permission, but I'm still getting used to this form. My parents agreed to grant me domains. I'm now the primordial of shadows, hunting, death, darkness, and night."
Artemis's expression shifted, her eyes widening with surprise. "Why hunting?" she queried, a hint of hurt in her voice.
Percy sensed her emotions and responded gently, "My mother wants me to travel with the hunt to protect them when I'm not needed elsewhere."
Artemis took a moment to process his words before nodding in understanding. "I see," she murmured, her tone softening.
Artemis nodded thoughtfully, considering Percy's words. "Well, I'm sure the girls would be glad to have you, at least the ones who aren't going to try to kill you anyway. But I'm sure Zoe probably told them that you saved her life, so that's bound to improve your status with them, at least a little bit," she remarked.
Percy nodded in agreement. "I sure hope so. I wouldn't go out of my way to harm any of them, but I still will not take any attempts on my life sitting down," he replied firmly. Artemis acknowledged his stance with a nod.
Changing the subject, Artemis asked, "So you can change your form to anything now?" She observed Percy's form change with curiosity.
Percy nodded with a flap of his wings. "It seems like it. So I picked a smaller bird as it's easier to be carried around," he chuckled. Artemis laughed before replying,"I'm not a bird taxi Percy," giving him a playful glare.
Percy laughed before replying,"I don't know, you seem to enjoy my feathery presence if the care you give me is anything to go by." Artemis smiled softly before replying, "Alright I guess that's fair." Percy flapped his wings in triumph before retreating from her mind.
Artemis smiled before standing up off her bed, extending her arm for Percy to perch on. Percy flew down and landed gracefully on her arm as they headed out of the room to inform the girls of Percy's newfound status and mission.
Outside the room, the girls were all sitting on their bunks, chatting amongst themselves until Artemis appeared with Percy. The girls quieted down, their attention immediately drawn to Artemis, who began to speak.
"Girls, I have some news. Because Percy saved Zoe, the prophecy child has shifted from Theo, Poseidon's son, to Thalia, my sister."
"Why would the prophecy child change?" Zoe asked. Artemis looked at her softly before replying,"Because you were fated to die, Zoe, and Thalia was supposed to take your place in the hunt."
Zoe looked shocked at her statement. "Because Percy saved me, the prophecy child changed?" she asked. Artemis nodded as she continued,"Because of that, Percy's parents have decided to give him domains to help in the coming years. He is now the primordial of shadows, hunting, death, darkness, and night."
The girls all froze before looking at Percy, who was busy examining his wings and seemed oblivious to their reaction. Artemis smiled before adding,"Don't bow, he hates it." Her words caught Percy's attention, and he looked up from his wings, emitting a soft caw, which elicited laughter from some of the girls.
"His parents gave him the hunting domain because they want him to travel with us as a guardian of sorts until the war is over," Artemis continued, "Nyx believes we are the best chance Olympus has at defeating Kronos's army when he decides to siege Olympus."
The girls looked shocked, but then smiles spread across their faces at the knowledge that a primordial thought so highly of them.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Zoe asked. "Let's go kick some monster ass!" The girls cheered, their motivation renewed by the news. Artemis smiled proudly as she watched her hunters packing up their things, ready to embark from camp that day.
With a sense of satisfaction, Artemis glanced down at Percy, who was looking up at her with his head tilted. Smiling at his curious expression, she turned and walked back into her room to pack her own belongings, feeling confident in their upcoming endeavors.