Chapter 36.
As Luke's life force seeped away, Percy respected their need to spend his final moments together and gave Luke and Annabeth the space they needed. Theo approached him, his movements heavy with the weight of their shared ordeal. "Thank you for your help, Percy," he murmured, his voice filled with gratitude.
Percy nodded, his gaze lingering on the scene before him. "At the end of the day, it was your decision to give him the knife. This victory belongs to you and Annabeth," he replied solemnly.
Theo nodded as he sat down next to Percy. Percy could feel the Olympians arrive at the throne room from the doors. He walked over as Zeus led the way in, followed by the others. "Kronos is gone," Percy addressed Zeus. Zeus nodded before continuing towards the thrones. Percy scanned the Olympians before hurrying over to Artemis, who was still looking exhausted and was stumbling.
Percy quickly reached her and pulled her in a tight hug as she stumbled forward into his arms. "It's done my lady. Are you okay?"he murmured softly. Artemis nodded slowly, her exhaustion evident as she replied,"Thank you for sending me away from the fight. I'm sorry I couldn't finish it with you."
Percy smiled warmly, his admiration for her unwavering. "It's okay, my lady. You were a great charioteer," he reassured her. With gentle guidance, he helped Artemis to her throne, where she could find comfort. As she settled into her seat, a sense of relief washed over her, the throne beginning to restore her depleted power.
Percy smiled warmly before turning and heading to the hearth to visit Hestia, who had returned with the other gods. "Welcome back, my lady," he greeted with genuine warmth. Hestia returned the smile as she replied, "Thank you, Percy. The heart of Olympus continues to burn eternal thanks to you."
Grinning, Percy responded, "The hearth will always remain as long as I have a say in the matter." Hestia smiled warmly at him before she nodded and turned her attention back to the flame, and Percy moved on to rejoin the gods.
Observing with a heavy heart, Percy approached Hermes, who sat with Luke's body draped in a white shroud adorned with a golden caduceus. He spoke softly to Luke before the body began to glow and vanish from the throne room.
"Are you okay, my lord?" Percy asked with gentle concern. Hermes turned to him, his expression tinged with sadness. "I will be okay, Percy. Thank you. I blessed him so he would go straight to Elysium. He didn't deserve the life I forced upon him," Hermes replied, his voice heavy with regret.
Percy nodded in understanding, offering Hermes a reassuring presence as they sat together in silent solidarity. When Hermes rose and nodded to Percy before returning to his throne, Percy moved on to approach Athena, who was fussing over Annabeth with typical maternal concern.
"Mom, I'm fine," Annabeth insisted, though Athena continued to inspect her for any sign of injury. Percy greeted them warmly as he approached. "My lady, Annabeth," he greeted warmly. Annabeth smiled and enveloped Percy in a hug, while Athena offered him a fond smile.
"Hello Percy. Thank you for being here to protect my daughter," Athena expressed with gratitude. Percy smiled warmly before responding, "It was my pleasure. Thank you for leading me into battle against Typhon. It was an honor to fight by your side."
Athena regarded him with fondness before returning her focus to Annabeth. Percy waved farewell as he made his way over to Poseidon, who was standing with Theo. "Ah, hello Percy," Poseidon greeted warmly.
Returning the greeting with a nod, Percy glanced at Theo with concern. "Are you holding up alright?" he inquired. Theo smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Yes, Percy, I'll be okay," he affirmed. Percy turned his attention back to Poseidon.
"Is Oceanus still in your realm or did he fade?" Percy asked, curious about the fate of the primordial deity. Poseidon smiled before responding, "He faded a few hours before I left for Olympus to fight Typhon." Percy nodded, not surprised by the outcome, as it was what he expected.
"It was an honor fighting Oceanus with you, Poseidon. Tell Amphitrite I said hello," Percy expressed warmly before parting ways. Poseidon nodded in acknowledgment as Percy made his way toward the throne room doors. Just as he reached for the handle, a soft voice called out his name.
"Percy?" Turning around, Percy's eyes widened as he saw Artemis standing behind him, still swaying slightly. Without hesitation, Percy walked over and gently enveloped her in his arms as she leaned against him. "My lady, what are you doing off your throne?" he asked with gentle concern.
"I wanted to see why you were leaving," Artemis replied, her weariness evident in her voice. Percy smiled softly before responding, "I was going to see your hunters and bring them up to the throne room." Understanding, Artemis nodded, attempting to walk back on her own, but Percy halted her gently, scooping her up in his arms.
With a soft chuckle at the surprised expression on Apollo's face as he passed by, Percy carried Artemis back to her throne and carefully settled her into it. Smiling warmly at her, he then vanished into the shadows, reappearing in the lobby of the Empire State Building.
As he scanned the lobby, filled with wounded campers and fallen comrades, Percy's eyes finally settled on the hunters, who were gathered off to the side. Doing a headcount, he grimaced as he realized they were missing seven hunters. No wonder Artemis's exhaustion was so severe. Despite the somber atmosphere, seeing Thalia and Zoe among the living brought him a sense of relief.
Making his way over as the hunters conversed amongst themselves, Percy greeted them warmly, "Ladies." The hunters turned to look at him, their expressions brightening as they recognized him.
"So, it's over?" Thalia inquired. Percy nodded before replying, "Luke is gone, but he took Kronos with him. He'll never be able to return again in the same way." The hunters cheered, though Percy could sense the bittersweetness in Thalia's expression, knowing the pain of losing Luke still lingered behind her smile.
Percy smiled before quickly wrapping his arms around Zoe as she threw herself at him. "Let's go, your mistress is waiting in the throne room," he said to the girls as he looked over Zoe's shoulder.
The girls nodded as Percy enveloped them all in shadow, appearing outside the throne room doors. He pushed them open, leading the way in with the hunters following closely behind. As they neared the thrones, Percy could see Artemis's expression brighten as she spotted her hunters arriving.
Percy smiled before turning to the hunters. "Go see your mistress; she needs your support." The girls nodded before quickly rushing past Percy towards Artemis. She smiled warmly and gracefully descended from her throne, shrinking down as the girls reached her, pulling them all into a heartfelt group hug.
Percy smiled at the heartwarming scene before stepping backwards and vanishing into a shadow. When he reappeared, he found himself back home in the Void. Taking his seat on the throne, he waited patiently, and moments later, his parents arrived in the throne room.
"Percy, what's happened?" Erebus asked, his concern evident. Percy's smile widened before he replied, "Kronos is gone. It's over." Nyx and Erebus's eyes widened in disbelief before they rushed over and pulled Percy into a tight hug.
"We knew you could do it, Percy," Nyx said warmly, her voice filled with pride. Percy smiled as he allowed himself to be enveloped in his mothers' embrace once again, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort wash over him.
"At least we don't have to worry about another war," Percy said, his smile reflecting a sense of relief. Erebus and Nyx exchanged a glance but remained silent as they turned back to smile at Percy. "Well done, Percy. I'm sure the Olympians want to throw a party to celebrate, so you should get going," Erebus said warmly, with Nyx nodding in agreement.
"I'm going to see Caly first, and then I will," Percy replied. His parents nodded understandingly as he vanished from the throne room, heading straight to Calypso's bedroom. Upon his arrival, he noticed Calypso sitting at a table, engrossed in painting a picture.
Observing her for a moment, Percy watched as she suddenly whirled around, sensing his presence. Her eyes widened with hope as she rushed towards him, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "Is it over?" she asked softly, her voice filled with anticipation. Percy nodded, his voice equally soft as he whispered back, "Yes. Kronos is gone."
Calypso nodded as she remained nestled against his chest. Percy held her close for a few moments longer before gently pulling away, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. "The Olympians want to celebrate, so I'm going to go. Do you want to come with me or stay here?" he offered.
She looked pensive for a moment before replying, "Go ahead and go. I want to finish my painting. I'll see you when you get home." Percy nodded understandingly before pulling her into another tight hug and then vanishing from her room.
When he reappeared, he found himself in Rome this time. The Romans were gathered on the field of Mars, paying tribute to their fallen comrades with a solemn bonfire. As he approached, Percy noticed Bianca and Nico standing on the side. Realizing he hadn't seen them during the battle, he went over to greet them.
"Hey you two," he said smiling. They turned to look at him, relief flooding into their eyes as they pulled him into a 3 way hug. "I didn't see you guys during the battle. Where were you?" he asked. Nico pulled away before he replied,"We were scouting the rest of the castle while you were there. It sucks we missed you but we won in the end."
He smiled before ruffling Nico's hair and tightening his hold on Bianca before she pulled away as well. "Reyna and Jason should be at the front. You should go see them," Bianca said before nudging him towards the front of the army formation.
Percy's laughter, though soft, echoed amidst the somber atmosphere as he stepped towards the front of the formation. His heart weighed heavy with the burden of loss, yet a glimmer of camaraderie flickered within him as he approached Reyna and Jason. They stood like silent sentinels, their armor glinting in the glow of the blazing bonfire, symbols of both mourning and resilience.
Wordlessly, Percy joined them, his presence a silent affirmation of comfort. As Reyna's hand found his, clasping it tightly, a fleeting smile touched his lips. Together, they stood, a trio bound by shared grief and unspoken understanding, their gaze fixed upon the flames that danced in the night.
As Reyna and Jason eventually led the way off the field of Mars, the soldiers followed suit, leaving the bonfire to burn until it flickered out, a solemn tribute to the fallen.
As the soldiers dispersed to their barracks for the evening, Jason headed home, leaving Reyna to follow suit. But she hesitated, a pang of concern tugging at her heart as she realized Percy had not followed her. Retracing her steps, she found him still standing by the blazing fire, lost in silent contemplation.
Approaching him quietly, Reyna slipped her hand into his once more, a wordless gesture of support. "So much needless death," Percy murmured, his voice barely audible above the crackling flames.
Reyna said nothing, but squeezed his hand in silent agreement, her heart heavy with the weight of their shared loss. Percy, being the primordial of death, could see the spirits of the fallen soldiers rise from the bonfire before they started their journey to Elysium, where they would rest for eternity.
They stood together for a few moments longer, the fire casting flickering shadows across their faces. Finally, Percy tore his gaze away from the flames, turning to meet Reyna's soft gaze. In that shared moment, their eyes spoke volumes, conveying a myriad of emotions - loss, anger, relief, regret, and above all, love.
Without a word, they closed the distance between them, resting their heads together in a silent embrace. In that simple gesture, they found solace amidst the chaos, drawing strength from each other's presence and the memories of their fallen comrades burning brightly beside them in the fading inferno.