Authors Note: Another day, another new chapter! I'll leave you guys to the reading, cause I have more to say below only instead XD. Quick update though, I put a permanent link for my discord server in my bio, so if you want to I guess check it out, feel free to hop in!
Chapter 53: The crossroads of choice
"Unghh…" Arius groaned as he began to shift around in his place. Though there was a problem he was beginning to sense. He couldn't really move his arms, but he could feel himself moving? Like someone was moving him somewhere.
He cracked an eye open, and then sighed, realizing what was happening. Phoebe was ahead of him, pulling a rope behind her. And at the other end of the rope, was him, tied around with it.
"Does he like going to sleep all the time, or was he always very lazy." Phoebe remarked.
"I believe it is the latter." Zoë replied.
"Hmm… maybe I can make the best of this situation." Arius thought to himself as he adjusted his position, slowly falling asleep.
"He's awake now." Celyn's voice then rung out from behind, making him cringe.
"Is he?" Phoebe gasped out, while Arius tried to turn his head around, a scowl on his face.
"Thank you very much." He told Celyn, who just smiled in response.
"Zoë, your turn." Phoebe stated, holding out the rope to her. "You did say after he wakes."
The hunter lightly groaned. "I knew I should have whacked his head harder before…"
"I don't like that implication. And for the record, I have a very thick skull."
"We know." All three hunters said as they switched positions. Celyn went ahead while Phoebe moved behind, and in between, Zoë took hold of the rope and began to drag Arius. He once again tried to struggle out, but this time, whoever tied him up made sure to do it properly. He would have chalked it up to Britomartis, but she wasn't here anymore.
"How's Brie doing?" Arius asked.
Zoë faltered in her steps, looking slightly confused. "Who's…oh. Britomartis? She's well, she's staying in Olympus now. We met her last year during the winter solstice." She replied, looking back. A frown appeared on her face as she stared at Arius, like she was examining him.
"Are those tattoos, or war paint?"
Arius slightly grimaced, looking down to see that his shirt had ridden up, revealing half of an ancient Greek script, that was etched on his body with a dark blue ink. "Tattoos. Though I never really wanted them in the first place." He clarified, his face then brightening. "You want to see?"
"Not interested."
"Could have left me back there you know." He called out.
"Thou are our responsibility." Zoë said with a sigh.
"At least don't make me look like prey you just killed." Arius complained, shifting in his bonds.
"We did that so you would not flail around while we are dragging you." Celyn explained.
"…Huh. That is oddly considerate. Thank you."
Phoebe grunted in response. Zoë was quite for a few moments, until she spoke up. "What was that back there?"
"What was what?"
"Oh, don't play that game again." Phoebe said bitterly. "Those powers of yours, how did you get them?"
"Because last I remember, thou are a mortal." Zoë finished.
Arius snickered. "You forget; I haven't been a mortal for a very long time. I may be partially immortal, but that doesn't mean I totally have a mortal body."
Celyn frowned. "But you have the same blessing as ours. No aging and sickness, but can still die through external factors."
"Yes, but we also have our perks. Enhanced senses and strength may not be much, but I decided to delve deeper. Just having immortality won't do much for me, and what do you know, you can actually do some really crazy things."
"Like?"
Arius chuckled. "Now, now, I'm not just going to reveal everything one after the other. But I will say this. You can really push your body to its limits if you have the right mentality."
"Drugs?" Phoebe asked, making Zoë and Celyn snicker.
Arius frowned. "I don't know what medicines have to do with this, but no."
"Forget it." Phoebe said with a sigh, the others openly laughing.
"But why would those creatures come for us. The… Aeternae were they called?" Celyn suddenly asked. "You don't think they could have attacked the others as well?"
"They are monsters Celyn, you don't really need an explanation for their 'why' and 'how'. It's just their nature." Arius replied. "Though they don't like outsiders much to be fair. Very territorial creatures. Maybe we were just unknowingly wandering into their territory. Like Alexander did."
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised with that. After thee were desecrating their waters." Zoë muttered.
"Oh yeah…"
"Desecrating? What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, an apprehensive look on her face
Celyn shuddered. "Let's not talk about that." She said, making Phoebe even shudder at whatever Arius and desecrating meant together.
"To be fair, those were some really cool abilities." Celyn then said, smiling genuinely at Arius. "I won't lie; I am very much curious to know more."
"Aw thank you."
"They are very slow to come though." Zoë noted. "Make it a point to work on that."
"Then you'll complain I'm taking all the credit with killing the monsters." Arius replied. "Besides, it was fun seeing you guys fighting together once again. Running, flying… . I missed that."
They continued their trek in the woods, soon reaching the camp. It looked fine as it did before they left it, putting their minds at ease.
"You've returned!" Laurel said as she approached them, her eyes narrowing. "Why is he tied up like that?"
"We didn't want to carry the potato sack while unconscious." Zoë simply replied.
Arius barked out a laugh. "Funny." he said. "Now can you untie me please?"
Zoë nodded at Celyn, who drew out a knife. She kneeled down and began to cut the ropes. Arius quickly hopped up from his bonds, feeling around his face.
"Did I just lose some hair?" he wondered out loud, feeling his chin. "I think I can feel a patch."
"That's hair? I thought you were wearing a fashion statement." Phoebe scoffed.
Arius snickered. "What do you know about fashion statements, you live in a forest."
"Oh, look who's talking!"
"Laurel, where is lady Artemis?" Zoë asked with a sigh.
"She left again."
"…What do you mean again?" Zoë asked, looking bewildered.
"You'll need to ask Hunter for more information." Laurel grimly replied. Zoë lightly groaned as she made her way towards Hunter, frowning slightly when she saw who else was there.
"Please don't tell me Perseus whisked away Artemis again?"
"More like she did it too. And I'm not that thrilled about it either." Thalia replied. "Because I have to be here."
"Likewise." Zoë muttered back.
Hunter glanced back and forth between Zoë and Thalia. "Never thought I would see this day." She thought to herself.
"Maybe I should get a shave. What do you think?" Arius asked Phoebe, who just ignored him.
"So, is this a new recruit?" Arius then said brightly, peering at Thalia. "She looks experienced in combat I must say. You never used to see that before."
"She is in Perseus's company. I'm not surprised he made her learn some tricks." Zoë grudgingly agreed. "But she needs more work to be done."
Thalia frowned. "Percy says I'm good."
Arius grinned. "Hey, she calls him Percy. I'm surprised about that."
Thalia cocked her head to the side. 'He only told me to call him that."
"…Huh?"
"Anyway, thou are not really our responsibility, so we have no room to pass judgement." Zoë then said, staring at Arius. "And what about thee?"
Arius slowly nodded his head. "Me… I think I should go and sleep."
"Not that thee blockheaded creature. What are you going to do about thy self? Here?"
Arius slowly grinned. "Aww… is that care I hear in your voice?"
"Forget it Zoë, you know he's going to beat around the bush." Phoebe replied with a sigh.
"I do." Zoe muttered, crossing her arms. "Good luck then out there, boy. And may the gods be with you."
Arius smiled, but then scowled. "I don't need gods."
He turned away, and was once again about to make his way into the forest when a flash of bright light appeared in front of him. Arius groaned as he looked away, and was not surprised to see the light dim down to reveal Percy and Artemis in front, their pointed looks upon him.
"Going somewhere?" Artemis asked.
Arius was quiet for a few moments, then slowly turned around, and made his way back to the camp, where Zoë and some of the hunters were giggling under their breaths.
"We can't keep him here the entire time." Percy mused. "For his and the hunters sakes."
"But we can't just let him roam around freely too." Artemis said with a sigh.
"We can each keep an eye on him." She continued. "That is only if one of us is busy, whether it's the titans, or planning out the trip to the shadow plane."
Percy smirked. "That makes it sound like we're divorced parents, juggling a kid through custody."
Artemis stared at him. "I thought you were sticking around?" she then said.
Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "True… but I'm not sure if I can fully dedicate my time here like I used to back then. And there is Thalia …"
"When did my father ask to return her?"
"The summer solstice." Percy replied. "There's not much time. Especially if he does enforce the fact that I can't contact her during her 'training'."
Artemis looked thoughtful as she studied Percy. "Maybe I can try and convince father… and see if he can extend the due date at the very least."
Percy looked genuinely surprised. "Wait, you would?"
A brief smile appeared on Artemis's lips. "Why not? I can always convince him that being with the hunters can perhaps help prepare her for any future battles. Besides, I have a feeling that it will make you happy too… I mean- because of course- sure, not that I don't want you to be happy- but…Um… all I'm saying is-"
"Thank you!" Percy shouted, bringing Artemis into an embrace that lifted her off her feet. The moon goddess momentarily stilled as she wasn't sure how to respond, her arms hovering awkwardly around Percy. Percy then immediately slowly placed her down, an apologetic look on his face.
"Sorry, you kinda took me by surprise over there. I just didn't expect anyone to… well…" Percy replied, looking abashed.
"Right… . Don't worry, it's the least I can do." Artemis murmured softly, her arm slowly reaching out, only to awkwardly pat Percy's arm.
"Today sure is a weird day…" Hunter thought to herself as she was still trying to process the fact that she just saw a male pick up, hug Artemis, and was still standing on his two feet and not reeling on the ground in pain. And she wasn't the only one as well.
"Though we still have to figure out what to do with Arius." Percy then said.
"I'll tell you what, why don't I keep watch over him for a couple of weeks. I believe there are some things that need to be spoken on which were left behind the last time me and him parted ways. Not to mention his behavior is… slightly troubling."
"Will you be fine with that?" Percy asked.
Artemis sighed. "Not really… I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of a male staying along with the hunters to be honest. But he was a member back then during the first iteration, and Arius does have my respect. But currently…"
"It's a bit murky right now? I get it, we don't know much with what happened with him."
"And he's not exactly a child right now…" Artemis said. "He's a grown, adult, male…"
"Maybe I should keep watch over him?" Percy offered.
Artemis shook her head. "Forget it, I'm being silly. Besides, if anything happens, I can always turn him into a jackalope."
Arius rubbed his nose. "I feel like someone's talking about me. Or maybe I'm allergic here."
"Are you going to be just complaining every single moment you're awake?" Phoebe groaned out.
Arius sniffed. "I can always sleep if you want me to be quiet."
"No sleeping." Zoë murmured, yawning besides him.
"That's my fundamental need you know. How am I supposed to survive here?"
"Maybe you won't. Maybe we'll just dump you in the lake. Or maybe." Phoebe said, a sly smile on her face as she watched Artemis and Percy make their way towards them. "Or maybe you're getting kicked out."
"Arius!" Artemis announced, garnering everyone's attention. "You will be staying with the hunters for a short period. After that, you are free to roam these lands by your own accord if you so wish.
"Scheiße." Arius muttered, while every single hunter began their protests, the loudest being the obvious. Zoë was too stunned to speak, while Celyn and Thalia watched with amusement, the former enjoying reactions the of her sisters-in-arms.
"I'm not a part of this too, am I?" Thalia asked quickly, pointing at herself and the hunters.
"Nope." Percy replied with a grin. He knelt next to Thalia, and pointed at the sky. "You and me are hitting the road again. Destination, West Virginia! And maybe we'll go even more west from there."
"What? No, take me with you, I don't care if we go to Iowa, anywhere away from here is fine." Arius begged, shuffling towards Percy.
"What a kid." The hunters though as they watched Arius trying to convince Percy, who had an apologetic look on his face.
"I can take care of myself, and you have extra beds too!"
"Arius, we have come to a decision. And while we know you are very much an adult, you are sadly under our custody. For now." Artemis explained.
Arius shut his eyes and sighed deeply, muttering to himself. "I don't like this. At all…"
He then took a few deep breaths, followed by some short breaths. Arius then took a good long look at the hunters and the two gods, who were staring at him with concern.
"Yeah… no. this isn't for me." Arius then said, tugging the front of his shirt. "Even this isn't for me."
He then ripped the shirt from his body, and threw it on the ground, a grin spreading on his face. The tattoos on his body were out in the open now, and one could easily make out the large Greek letters etched vertically across his chest, as well as several smaller words that Percy was sure were names. Artemis merely raised an eyebrow on seeing his antics while Percy smirked. As for the hunters, most of them scrambled away in disgust.
"Arius." Zoë said, a warning tone in her voice. "What are thou trying to do?"
"Taking a page out of lord Perseus's book." Arius replied brightly. "And besides, I doubt you girls would want me full time around here. Which is why I'm doing us all a favor, and going out my merry way away."
Artemis's eyes widened. "That is not happening!" she ordered.
Arius smirked in response. He then caught Percy's gaze, and the god gave him a short silent nod, the intention clear.
Arius then placed his hand on his heart, letting out a few deep breaths. Percy soon noticed that his face was slowly turning red, and he briefly wondered if the young man was panicking, when he noticed a layer of steam slowly emitting out. Zoë, Phoebe, and Celyn's eyes immediately widened, but they were too late with their warnings.
Arius looked back at Percy and Artemis, smiling slyly. He gave a two finger salute and immediately disappeared, leaving behind a rush of hot air.
"What-" Artemis exclaimed, shock evident on her face. "Where did he go?" she demanded.
"Girls…" Percy slowly asked, noticing the looks on his hunters faces.
"Um, I think it may be safe to presume that Arius… actually ran away." Celyn slowly said.
"And how was he able to do that?"
"It's some ability of his that he learned. We don't know much either." Zoë apologetically replied.
"I… I don't believe this." Artemis whispered. "He actually left! Can you believe that he just did that?"
"Mhm." Percy hummed, covering his mouth to hide his growing smile. "I mean, no. Definitely not something I expected at all…"
Artemis placed her hands on her hips. "Would like to elaborate on that, dear?"
"No dear." Percy said quickly.
"Good because you would then be the next person to run away."
"So much for him." Zoë said, fiddling with Riptide.
"He gave it back to you?" Percy asked on noticing it. "And you took it back?"
Zoë shrugged. "I don't plan to use it to be honest. Maybe I can finish the job which I sent Arius to do."
Percy raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning to dispose that off are you?"
A pained look flashed across Zoë's face. "I don't know. On one hand, I don't really have any use for this. And I don't exactly have any fond memories associated with it either."
"Yes, yes you do." Percy answered, taking the pen from Zoë. He uncapped it and swung the transforming sword, leveling it at Zoë's eye level. "Don't forget who helped you wield thy blade."
"If I recall, thou were the one who fell in love with the blade." Zoë replied with a smirk.
"Not in front of her.' Percy whispered shouted, while Artemis smiled with amusement behind him.
"You are not hiding any other lovers from me, are you Perseus?" Artemis teased.
Percy handed Riptide back to Zoë, and then cleared his throat, falling on one knee. "The only love I would wish to keep, is the love that you have given me, for it is so- stop laughing!" he cried out with a laugh when he heard giggles erupting and gagging noises behind him.
"Apollo's line, really?" Artemis asked, shaking her head.
"He said it worked with him."
"On his music teacher!"
"Well it's not my fault he was a sucker for Ourania. One would think he had some good lines with the way he was pining for her." Percy muttered as he got up.
"Next time, try again with your own words please." Artemis told him, straightening his jacket.
"Of course milady." Percy grinned. More coughs and fake gagging noises were heard behind them, making them both glare at the perpetrators, who had resorted to look away at the scenery.
"Want to go somewhere now instead? Away from any disturbances."
"Or won't you rather stay? Though I suppose you will be leaving soon." Artemis said softly.
"I'm still supposed to be incognito. Besides, I never did say I won't come back to visit again." Percy replied, straightening himself. "I'll be back." He then said in deep monotonous voice, that almost sounded robotic.
Artemis just stared at Percy with a confused impression.
"Sorry, just doing an impression." Percy said. "But I may have to try and divide my time. And now there's Arius who I will have to pin down..."
"You and me both now." Artemis said with a sigh.
"But let's go somewhere. Anywhere now really, we have a whole new world to see. And I do have a promise to keep." Percy told Artemis.
"No, Lady Artemis." Laurel shouted from behind with a grin. "You're supposed to stay with us and take us on our new hunt!"
Percy mock glared at her while Artemis laughed softly. "My hunters are right. And I have been going everywhere these past few days with you, I need a breather if I'm being honest."
"Fine." Percy said, slowly stepping away. "Already getting rid of me… how rude. Though you always did the chasing in the end, huh arrowhead?"
He winked, making Artemis lightly blush. "One more word…" she warned.
"Well, you'll have to catch me first." Percy shot back. He quickly scooped up Thalia in his arms and gave a dramatic bow to the hunters. "See you girls later!" He shouted back as he made a dash towards the lake, with Artemis in pursuit. Thalia squealed as Percy began to glide across the water, leaving behind a fine mist as he soared over the waters. He glanced back, and smiled as he watched Artemis slowly catch up to him, a humorous glint in her eyes. Percy blew back a kiss as a shadow appeared beneath him, slowly descending up. Umbra then revealed herself and cried out with glee as it came in between the two gods, making Artemis yelp while Percy and Thalia laughed, both of them holding on to Umbra as it prepared to speed away.
"Bye arrowhead!"
"Bye lady Artemis!"
Artemis was then left behind by a spray of sea mist, chuckling to herself as she watched Percy speed away. They both knew it wouldn't be too long before one of them will pop up to wherever the other was, and probably run way somewhere else too. Though Artemis had half and to play a little game of hide and seek this time around. Just something to punish him by.
After saying goodbye to Umbra again, Percy and Thalia soon ended up in a small town, just near Santee Natural Park. And after some poking around, Percy brought out a car, this time without stealing it.
"Nearest other city is Manning which is just north. Could get some supplies there. And then, we can take the highways and say goodbye to South Carolina. And maybe land up in North Carolina instead."
"Why are we going north?" Thalia asked. "I thought that came later?"
"Yeah, that's what I thought would happen too. But just in case, if we don't have much time-"
Thalia shook her head vehemently. "I told you, I want to stay with you." She said angrily.
Percy smiled. "Come on, you're going to get bored of me sooner or later."
"No." Thalia whispered. "I wouldn't get bored. I wouldn't even forget all this we did."
Percy knelt down, eye level with her. "It's going to get more dangerous now." He said seriously. "I've been thinking about it; you know too much than a demigod your age should know. Went through so much. And I don't have the protection anymore which I relied upon to keep you safe, and me hidden."
"But in the end, I'm not going to go and abandon you by dropping you off somewhere."
"Cause I'm stuck with you." Thalia replied with a grin.
Percy smirked, lightly punching Thalia's shoulder. "Whatever you say bug. You sure you still want to stick around?"
"You always keep me safe. You're a god."
Percy sweatdropped. "Don't say that, you'll only make me feel cockier."
"The best one!" Thalia continued.
"Eh…"
"The strongest!"
"Hmm, still debatable."
"The saddest." Thalia then said, making a mock pouting face.
Percy laughed. "A week ago, I would say maybe. But now…" Percy took a deep breath, and for once, took in the sunlight. And while he didn't feel it completely, it was getting there. He was starting to feel whole again.
"And the most spaced out." Thalia finished.
"Oi, you're going to get the title of cutest little demigod if you continue with that." Percy shot back.
Thalia's eyes widened, her ears turning pink. "I am not cute!"
"And adorable." Percy cooed, ruffling Thalia's hair.
"No, not that too." Thalia laughed out.
Percy chuckled as he tickled the demigod's sides, making her laugh and try to swat him away, which he dodged.
"Come on, let's get out here before we get some rogue monster starting to prey on us." Percy then said, heading to the car. Thalia followed close by, a smile on her face.
"Percy?"
"Yeah?"
"Love you!" She said loudly, a grin on her face. She dashed towards the car, but not before Percy picked up something else she said, which made him pause. It took a good few seconds for him to register it, and when he did, he softly smiled.
"Maybe Artemis was right. Maybe I can go with it…" Percy thought. "Love you too kid." He whispered, walking towards the car.
Yeah, he definitely can.
One month later
"You had to anger them?! Really bug, you had to go, and make them angry!"
"I didn't know refusing tea was considered rude!" Thalia cried out, as a plate flew across her and smashed on a tree.
"You could have taken a sip, not put it back on the server's tray!" Percy yelled, forming a shield behind him. The moment he did that, a cup made impact with it, shattering into pieces.
Percy glanced back and groaned as he witnessed the mess that was coming for him. Out of the woods, and wearing typical country club clothes, were a horde of humans headed for him. Though there was one thing different about them.
"And why did you call them humans? Those are not humans!" Thalia shouted.
"That girl insulted me!"
"And me!
"She insulted my baby!"
"Waaah!" a baby's voice cried out
"Because they would then chase us out, which is exactly what's happening!" Percy said tiredly, bringing out his bow. Thalia stopped next to him and brought out her spear, electricity sparking from it. They both stood their ground as what was chasing them soon came to a halt in front of them, their chests glaring at them.
Yes. Chests.
Percy glared back at the horde of Akephaloi, seriously wishing he didn't attend that country club party if he knew who were the hosts. While most of the group looked like regular mortals, the ones in the front had the mist removed which showed their true forms. He had only met these humanoids once before, and that was enough for him in a lifetime. But of course, someone out there probably thought he should meet them again in this modern era.
Akephaloi, from what Percy wished he would forget, were a bunch of humanoid creatures, with no heads at all. Instead, their faces were on their bodies, the chest area specifically. Eyes where the nipples were, mouth where the belly button was, that kind of placement. No one really knows where they came from, with Hermes once mentioning off handedly that they could be from Libya. But one thing was very much correct. They were still a bunch of stuck up, snobbish-
"Any particular weaknesses we can use?" Thalia asked, interrupting his train of thought.
"No, they are pretty standard to kill. I still don't know how you managed to aggravate every single one of them though. They are deaf you know, with their ears on their armpits."
"We know we're deaf!" an Akephaloi shouted loudly. "But we know you are bad mouthing about us!"
"No…" Percy said slowly. "I was just telling the kid here how nice you were. Inviting us, giving us food, promising not to smash our heads."
The Akephaloi then began to mutter amongst themselves, some of them even agreeing to what Percy was saying.
"But hat girl is trouble." An Akephaloi then said loudly. "The minute she stepped into our prestigious club, she has tainted it. We should have known not to get riff raff like her amongst us."
"Yes, the god is respectable. The child should be punished for not dressing appropriately. Those clothes are hideous!"
"Hey!" Percy shouted. "I dare you to talk bad about my kid's fashion sense again."
Shadows then enveloped around Percy, which then solidified to form a black leather jacket that was worn over a blue ACDC shirt. He then made tiny slits on his jeans, making them ripped. Percy pushed his hair back and winked at Thalia, who grinned in response on seeing his clothes. For she was also wearing similar attire like him, except for a Green Day shirt and brown boots.
"The god too is wearing such devilish clothes!"
"Blasphemy!"
"Shield the children's eyes!"
"You know it's a shame that they can't really hear anything." Percy said, producing a boom box out from a shadow. "Otherwise we would have fun blasting some 'devil songs' for them."
"We can still play it now. For our amusement." Thalia suggested, popping open the case. "Oh, we have Green Day in."
"Let's go for that then." Percy said, slinging back his bow and forming a claymore from his braces. Thalia then hit play and readied her spear. A bunch of Akephaloi from the crowd stepped up, their true forms now very much visible. They then charged at them with great speeds, waving their arms around, while Percy and Thalia got into position
Percy threw his claymore like a boomerang and it cleanly cut through an entire row of Akephaloi and returned back to catch any stragglers. Thalia struck her spear into the ground, sending arcs of electricity at the Akelaphoi in front of her, while Green Day's 'Welcome to Paradise' was playing on full volume from behind them. She bopped her head to tune as she pulled out the spear, and threw it at the Akelaphoi. It however sailed over their chests, landing on the other side.
Thalia cursed. "I missed!"
"Language bug." Percy called out as he spun around and caught the humanoids with his blade, taking them along with the ride. He then threw open a shadow portal and dived in, emerging at the spot where Thalia's spear was. He threw the spear back at her and then summoned a row of earthen spikes, launching them at the Akephaloi. Less of them began to advance towards them now, especially after seeing how their strongest were easily getting disintegrated, especially at the hands of a child.
"There's not much left." Thalia thought as she pushed an Akelaphoi back. "Percy, I'm going to summon a thunderbolt!"
Percy swung his claymore at an Akelaphoi, who luckily caught it mid swing. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked, ducking down as another tried to grab him from behind.
"Yeah! There are not many left too."
"Go for it then!"
Thalia grinned and raised her spear up. The clouds beneath them began to darken as they collected together, lightning and thunder slowly forming. A streak of blue lightning then shot towards Thalia, who then caught it with her spear and then directed it at the Akelaphoi attacking her and Percy. The lightning burst as it struck everything in her vicinity, even Percy. He slightly winced as the lightning went through him, but the Akelaphoi weren't so lucky, as they immediately burst into golden dust. Percy could tell, in fact feel, that Thalia's powers had only risen now. It was a far cry from the tickling sensations her lightning strikes used to cause, because now, they could be easily compared to Zeus's grade one bolts. Maybe even two.
The smoke cleared, the only thing left of the Akelaphoi attacking them was their golden disintegrated remains that were floating in the air. As for the rest of the Akelaphoi that didn't attack, they were all huddled up together, trembling and most likely paralyzed with fear.
"We're allowing you all to escape, because I can see you all are not foolish enough to try and cross me. But don't expect this same mercy if you trouble us again. Now be gone!" Percy commanded.
The Akelaphoi screamed and scrambled in their places and ran as fast as they could, leaving a cloud of dust behind them. Percy sighed and brought back his weapon into his brace, while Thalia sheathed hers too. She had a big grin on her face, and was positively beaming with excitement.
"That was so cool! Did you see me, I went WHAM! And then BAM! And then-"
"I know bug, you were great. And I must say, you're getting the hang of your lightning strikes pretty well now."
"I know; I blew them up!"
Percy lightly chuckled. He had come to this country club in the first place because of a possible archery contest for the youth, and figured Thalia could easily join. Unfortunately, he only found out once he arrived that she was not of the participating age to compete. And that was when one of the Akelaphoi, in the disguise of a burly mortal, invited him to an initiation party for new and potential members. Just a 'welcome' thing.
He was now in St. Louis, Missouri, for not long now. Though he did plan to leave some time tomorrow. He had merely come here to see the Gateway Arch, which he did want to go to. But after hearing that the elevator was very small, he started to get second doubts. And of course, he did ask Thalia, but she was adamant in not going too.
Percy then realized that Thalia was staring at him with a curious expression, making him cock his head to the side. "What's up?" he asked.
"You still referred to me as 'your' kid, even after we were being chased by the Akelaphoi." Thalia noted, a small smile on her face.
Percy slowly nodded. "Well, I had to keep that ruse going. Otherwise who knows what else they would have said if they knew you weren't actually my kid."
Thalia grinned in response. "Okay then, I believe you."
Percy shook his head, deciding not to broach on the subject further. "What do you think though?" he instead asked, gesturing at his clothes.
"Much better than what you were wearing before at the party. You don't look good in golf clothes."
"Oh I definitely agree." Percy replied. "I am now one with the generation after all." He noticed that Thalia was rummaging for something in her bag. She then quickly pulled something out, and Percy blinked as a camera snapped a picture.
"You've been going camera crazy these past few weeks' kid." Percy noted.
Thalia shrugged. "Just keeping up the hobby."
Percy nodded in understanding, "Come on, you join in too little miss."
A few snaps later, the two headed back to the main area of the country club where their car was, and were on the road once again. He and Thalia were once again playing one of their car games, 'Spot the oddity', which almost always boiled down too and Grecian creatures roaming about. And it was definitely not a game that was disguised as a lookout job for any unsuspecting monsters that unfortunately decided to come after them.
"Tent or hotel?" Thalia asked once Percy had entered the highway.
"Neither actually." Percy answered, enjoying the look of confusion on Thalia's face. "There's someone who I'm going to be meeting, which is why we are going to be headed to a secluded area. But, I was also thinking, it might be important to show you this one survival tip."
"And what's that?"
"Safe houses. Now, you may think those sound redundant." Percy said, noticing the look on Thalia's face. "But there may be a point in time where you may not have the necessary means for a resting spot, or say funds for a place to stay. And I will not have you sleeping on the streets, that is not happening under my watch. Which is why I'm taking the initiative to teach you all this. And there are a lot of practical uses for safe houses too other than just staying in one. You can store any important items like weapons, concessions, equipment, and if you are low on something and in the area of a house, you can just pop in one and replenish it then.
"But I will need to have things if I want to make the safe house useful." Thalia pointed out.
"You'll be able to, don't worry. And if not, I can just drop some stuff here and there." Percy replied.
Their drive continued for another couple of hours, until Percy reached the outskirts of a forest. After making sure their vehicle was properly hidden away, he and Thalia made the rest of their trip on foot, venturing into Mark Twain National Forest.
"They had to have named this place after him. Cool author too, though I sadly didn't read much of his books yet. I should get around to them."
"Did you learn everything that was ever made, or are you just naturally clever?"
"I have very good memory if that helps."
Thalia giggled. "Okay. And are you finally going to show me actual hunting now, or are you going to put me on lookout again?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure…"
"How am I supposed to get food then if I'm going to be on my own.?"
"…Okay, that is a very good point. But for now, let's just focus on safe houses. Tomorrow, we can go with actual hunting."
As the two ventured deeper into the forest, Percy began to pick up any fallen pieces of branches from the trees, while informing Thalia that she shouldn't really take it directly from the tree itself, lest the nature spirits retaliate.
"They won't hurt you if you won't hurt them." Percy said. "Just respect the nature, and you'll be fine."
"Why didn't we ever meet any when we were camping in these places?" Thalia asked, as she too helped with collecting the branches.
"They don't like to interact with others outside of their kind, unless you are another nature spirit. Not to mention, they'll only come out when they are in private, or when absolutely necessary to others in public. Ah, this is a good spot, I can hear the gurgling of a stream close by."
Percy then dumped the branches in front of a large tree, taking a deep breath. "Right. So you can use these tree trunks as the foundation. Build the house around it."
"Like a treehouse?" Thalia asked excitedly.
"More like a treehouse on the ground." Percy clarified. "Then once that is done, you will need to fortify it. You can use vegetation to wrap it around, maybe use dirt as a glue. Then it will be important to hide the shelter, so that it doesn't stand out."
"Did you do this before?" Thalia asked.
"No, which is why I'm excited to try it now for the first time." Percy replied producing out the boom box. The two spent the next few hours between successfully, and unsuccessfully trying to build a safe house, but with no actual luck on setting it up properly. Thalia wondered if the tree nymphs were being uncooperative. Percy worded if he was imagining seeing a misshapen face on the tree bark, that more or less looked like it was smiling.
The two continued with trying to set up the foundation (unsuccessfully) with Percy more or less doing everything while Thalia slipped in and out of being bored or distracted. He had to go through arrow making, eyeliner makeup, and trailing the young girl around the forest in case she wandered off somewhere else, while barely making a dent with the safe house. The god was contemplating if he should finally use his powers, when a bright flash of light began to emit some ways behind them. Percy quickly sensed another presence coming from behind, and turned around expectantly, waiting for the light to die down. It eventually did, and he immediately broke into a smile on seeing the person.
Artemis dusted her shoulder as she came up to the duo, a curious expression on her face on seeing what Percy and Thalia were up to. They were head banging to what Artemis could only tell, was some kind of screaming kind of music which she doubted even Apollo would partake in.
She was in her adult form, wearing what Percy could only describe as a modern rendition of her hunting clothes. She was wearing a long sleeved grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up, faded grey jeans and a pair of ancient Greek sandals that were worn over her jeans. She only had her quiver slung behind her, her silver eyes inspecting the half built makeshift house. At least, that's what it was in Percy's eyes. The same couldn't be said for the moon goddess.
"What in the name of sanity are you trying to do?" Artemis finally asked.
"It's a house." Percy said proudly. "Well, safe house to be more accurate, but it's coming along pretty well right?"
"I suppose so…" Artemis trailed off. "Are you… wearing eyeliner?"
Percy blinked, glancing at Thalia who also did the same. "She wanted to practice on something." Percy replied with a shrug.
Artemis then stared at Thalia, slowly raising an eyebrow. "These clothes of hers… aren't they a bit too big?" she asked, staring at Thalia's leather jacket, which did indeed have the sleeved pushed up.
"Well they didn't have these types of clothes for kids her age. But, she'll grow into it." Percy said with a smile, along with Thalia who was mimicking him.
Artemis almost gushed on how cute the two were looking in front of her but then quickly composed herself. "Well, do you have any sort of reference at least to know what you are making?"
"I do. I have a pretty good image in my head right now." Percy said, hoping to sound convincing. "It does look really good in my head at the very least."
"Hmm, you should leave this sort of building to Athena." Artemis then replied. "Why don't you ask her to give you a blueprint?"
"Isn't she busy with the planning?" Percy asked, tilting his head as he pushed a stick into the ground. "And speaking of that, I wasn't expecting you until evening. Not that I'm complaining."
Artemis looked away, and then at Thalia. "So little one, it has been a while. Is your archery holding up?"
"Artemis…" Percy sang, an expectant look on his face, to which the goddess groaned in response.
"It wasn't my fault it went badly!" she then said, slumping her head on Percy's shoulder. "First it was going well, shortlisting titans and their prisons. Then the conversation went to the peaceful titans, and you know my mother and Hermes's had to be brought up, with neither of us including Apollo liking the implications. Ares was his usual brutish self, and Athena was trying to assign roles and relay battle tactics that were millennia old as they were used during the titanomachy. But of course some of us were not listening."
"There, there." Percy replied soothingly, gently patting Artemis's head. "Maybe I can come and see if I can quell the chaos that these titan hunting meetings seem to cause.
Artemis glanced up at Percy, slightly glaring at him. "Don't act so brazen, you were supposed to accompany me for one of those. And you have yet to show up!"
"Oh…" Percy murmured. "I mean, I was busy. We have been busy, right bug?"
"Yep! We saw centaurs in Tennessee. Big roosters in Kentucky, -"
"She means Basilisks." Percy clarified.
"-And we went to Sparta!"
Percy again shook his head. "There's a little city in Illinois called Sparta, I figured ironically, why not go there. But don't worry little miss, I'll take you to the actual place one day."
"Quite busy then." Artemis noted with a smile.
"As long as I am busy, I don't have to worry about being a statue in a museum." Percy said with a grin. "Now, should I start with building a first floor from this stick, or finish the ground level…"
"Just ask Athena for a blueprint." Artemis said. Percy sighed and then closed his eyes, his expression blank for a moment. It then changed to cheerful, curious, neutral, pleading, smirking, smiling, and then cheerful again. All this in a span of a few seconds. A small flash of light appeared on top of Percy's head, out which a piece of paper emerged. Percy quickly snatched it from the air and poured over it, a slight look of concentration on his face.
"Well, he's properly occupied now." Artemis noted, smiling at Thalia. "How have you been little one?"
"I've been fine." Thalia replied, slowly shying away. For some reason, Artemis made her feel nervous, but not in a bad way. It was more of a nervousness to not embarrass herself in front of the goddess, considering she was Percy's love interest, or whatever it was now, she wasn't sure she remembered correctly. She didn't want to do something that may anger her, or not be good in something. And while she knew Percy wouldn't really care about that at all, she still wanted to be on the goddess's good side. And unlike Percy who radiated an easy-going energy most of the time, Artemis's was slightly more serious. Serious with a hint of something, which Thalia couldn't really place.
"Oh, I know that look anywhere." Artemis said with mock seriousness, her eyes filled with mirth. "There's a lot going in that head of yours right? Believe me, I have plenty of experience with Percy over there, and my hunters."
Thalia had a contemplative look on her face, as if she was wondering if she should say anything or not. She then glanced at Percy, who was now very much engrossed in trying to work out the safe house.
"I'm supposed to be leaving soon. Like, going out on my own? Or maybe I'll be sent back home, I don't know even know what's really happening." Thalia murmured.
"It's okay to be afraid. I'm sure the prospect of living alone without any stuffy adults supervising you would be dream come true for most children, but for it to actually happen, that's a different situation." Artemis replied.
"All I know is that Zeus is angry. Either at me, or Percy, and that's why he doesn't want me to be travelling with him. And now I'm supposed to be staying under him?" Thalia grumbled.
"Is that what Perseus told you?"
"Yeah?" Thalia said, looking confused. "Maybe there is a reason why Zeus is angry then, because why would he care now and not before?"
Artemis raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "So you are afraid of leaving."
Thalia slowly nodded. "It's not that." She then said, looking frustrated. "I don't… want to disappoint him too."
Artemis smiled. "I'm sure Zeus is plenty of proud of you, and with what you will one day accomplish."
Thalia wrinkled her nose. "I didn't mean him, I meant Percy. He's done so much, helped me out so much, I want to show him that I can get strong myself too. That I can be powerful just like him, and help him too. Otherwise… I'm just nothing."
Artemis frowned. "I highly doubt that you're just nothing Thalia, and I highly doubt Perseus thinks that of you either. You are a child of the king of the gods after all."
"But I'm just another demigod in that long list of children." Thalia protested. "There's nothing special about me."
"Does Perseus think the same way what you are feeling now?" Artemis asked.
Thalia quickly shook her head. "No, nothing like that. He's always been telling me that… I'm special because I'm me. And that there's nothing about me that needs to be compared to."
"Then don't have those depreciating thoughts." Artemis replied gently. "The burden of a hero may be one that is difficult to carry, no matter what it entails, which is why you have to make sure not be subjugated by it. And I'm happy Perseus has been doing his best not to let that happen to you."
Thalia smiled. "He is the best. Is that why you like him?"
Artemis laughed softly. "I'm afraid that's not true. Liking him… now that's a word I will never use when it comes to my Perseus, not even close. And the reasons for that, even the stars on a bright night may not be able to tell it so clearly. It's only something… that we both can only understand… built with our experiences. Challenges. Loss…"
A content sigh escaped Artemis's lips, her eyes not leaving Percy's own, and a smile that they both mirrored with what they were feeling.
"Yes we are ash head." Artemis then said loudly. Thalia was momentarily confused, until she noticed that Artemis was staring at Percy with a smile, who was in fact still at the very same spot as before from when Thalia last saw him.
"Sorry, what was that you said?" Percy asked as he cleared his throat, his eyes still fixated on the sheet of paper.
"Talking about you." Artemis said simply, her eyes filled with mirth.
"I wasn't listening." Percy answered.
"Ah…" Artemis said, shaking her head fondly. "The other way up dear."
Percy paused and then leant back, slowly turning the paper in his hands right side up. Artemis gave a knowing look to Thalia, who giggled in response. Percy still didn't meet Artemis and Thalia's gazes, because if he had, he would have found the former smiling cheekily at him.
"Right, now this is rubbish. I'm bored, so how about it you two. Want to go for a ride across the stars?"
Thalia paled while Artemis sighed. "As much as I would love to, I don't just take anyone up that chariot after all, you do remember the reason for why I am here right Perseus?"
"Yes, yes, we're supposed to discuss our plan for the shadow plane." Percy said, sitting on the ground. "So is everyone ready to do it?"
Artemis pursued her lips. "Not exactly. Hecate has some qualms about the trip. It would be best if you hear her out now."
Percy nodded. "Got it. I suppose she's in her laboratory now?"
Artemis smirked. "Actually, no. She made sure none of us would use her quarters as a meet up spot again, which is where your mother came in, by suggesting your palace to use for the meeting.
Percy opened his mouth in shock. "What? That place is probably dustier than old dirt face. Is it even still furnished?"
Artemis shrugged. "Why don't we go and see for ourselves."
"Wait, are you actually going to take me to Olympus?" Thalia asked excitedly.
"I don't know… we never really took hunters to Olympus back then right?" Percy asked Artemis.
The goddess shook her head. "Only under certain circumstances. Father has still kept the same stance over the year, but you would need permission."
Percy slightly cringed on hearing that. "The last thing I want to potentially hear from Zeus is that his daughter is also barred from Olympus, because 'reasons'."
Thalia groaned. "Why am I always getting left behind?"
"Don't worry bug, you're not missing out on what I'm going up there for. Maybe you can continue with the safe house?"
Thalia merely raised an eyebrow at Percy, as if asking 'Really?'.
"What's the status on that other 'man-child' of ours?" Artemis then asked. "Any word on him yet?"
"I think he tried to Iris message me once, but the messages kept appearing and disappearing. I guess the system that's being used recognizes me here now, but maybe Iris is cutting the calls because it's going to someone who doesn't exist? If that makes any sense."
The bushes then rustled next to them, prompting Artemis and Percy to turn their heads at the direction of the noise.
"You heard that right?" Percy whispered to Artemis, who nodded in response.
Thalia was confused. "Heard what?"
"You don't think he's been keeping an eye out on us, since me coming back?" Percy then pondered, sharing his sentiment with Artemis.
"I'll be surprised if he didn't." Artemis replied telepathically. "Especially after he refused what I had to say regrading her."
"The days may be getting longer now, but time is still becoming shorter." Percy mused to himself. "You'll be fine if I leave you by yourself for some time right." He then asked the demigod
Thalia crossed her arms. "I'm not a little kid anymore, of course I can manage that. I'm going to be ten."
"In six months."
"I'm still big."
"Of course bug, I'm not doubting that." Percy replied with a smile. "You're always going to be a great kid to me, never forget how proud I am at you for that."
Thalia's eyes slightly widened on hearing that. Before she could say anything, Percy snapped his fingers, which emitted a ripple around their area, and stepped back.
"Now, don't venture off, I've put a protection spell so stay within this clearing. I'll be back before supper. And if not, you know how to start a fire right?"
"Um… yeah." Thalia said, her fingers sparking up.
"I hope you don't intend to burn the forests down with that little one." Artemis teased.
Thalia then looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh no, it won't happen again like last time."
Artemis blinked. "Like last time?"
"Anyway!" Percy quickly said, giving Thalia a 'Seriously?' look as he stood in front of Artemis. "Let's go shall we?"
Percy quickly flashed away, prompting Artemis to do the same. The two then landed in front of Percy's palace, which still looked the same as it had a month ago, in order to keep up the façade. However, this time, Percy could faintly make out a thin layer of fog that was surrounding his palace. And on closer inspection, he realized it wasn't fog. It was the Mist.
Artemis turned to Percy, wondering if he knew why it was there. The god merely shrugged in response on catching her gaze, and then slowly touched the misty barrier, his assumptions correct. Someone, most likely Hecate, had erected a light mist barrier around his palace. Possibly to not have any passerbys notice if there was any commotion happening inside. And as they stepped inside, that was exactly what he and Artemis could hear as they ventured inside.
"THE BULLS WON! THE BULLS WON!" echoed across the halls, prompting Percy and Artemis to follow the source of the noise. They soon arrived at the living room, where Apollo was jumping up and down on the couch and pointing at a television that Percy was pretty sure never there, while Hermes was sitting beside Apollo, looking like someone had just shot his pets. Hecate was reclining on a chair, appearing asleep, while Aphrodite was feeding Sebastianos some kind of mystery meat.
"I have one question, and one question only." Percy asked with a defeated sigh, as he spotted the broken dinner tables and chairs, and the half eaten pizzas. "Why?"
"Because your mother invited us to use this place." Hecate spoke up, her eyes still shut.
"And for good reason." Hestia said, popping up from behind. "Hello my dears. But as I was saying, you have a lovely place just wilting away, it's time to use it again. And wouldn't it be much better than meeting in those musty dungeons, it's so unsanitary there."
Hecate frowned. "I'm not sure how I should feel about that statement."
"Aphrodite dear, are you sure it's okay to feed that pet of yours… um… seafood?" Hestia asked, concernedly.
Aphrodite looked confused. "Why not? He loves crustacean meat, especially if they come from mean crabs, don't you my little darling?"
"Click-click!"
"If its fine, then I will not interfere." Hestia replied. "Now, there's more food in the kitchen, and…" Hestia's nose slightly wrinkled. "Perseus, make sure that your friends clean this mess before you all go anywhere outside."
"Yes mom." Percy said, giving Hestia a quick hug before she disappeared in a flash of light. He then turned towards his group, where Apollo was still celebrating. "What are you guys even watching?"
"Oh, hey Percy, Hello Arty." Apollo teased, enjoying the scowling looks from the two gods. "That is not going to deter me from my euphoric mode."
Percy rolled his eyes. "At least stick with 'Percy', don't shorten it anymore."
Apollo was now openly gaping at him, along with Hermes and Aphrodite. Even Sebastianos clicked his pincers furiously.
"You did not just say that." Apollo muttered. "To call you Percy…"
Artemis smirked. "I have a feeling you've been going by that name ever since Thalia right?"
"More or less."
"Damn, who knew being around kids would crack your shell." Hermes said with a grin.
"What shell?"
Apollo then quickly shook his head. "NBA finals." He proclaimed, gesturing at the television. "And of course, my team, the Bulls, they won! Because they are the coolest. Just like me." Apollo said proudly.
"The one time you had to fail." Hermes muttered as he stared dejectedly at a pair of dice and a plastic cup. "I had to go with the Jazz…"
"Basketball?" Percy asked, as he watched the celebrations on the television. "Interesting… where did you even get this from."
"We got it as a homecoming gift." Aphrodite piped up from behind. "I made sure you have access to all the fashion, travel, and soap opera channels for me to see."
"Latest model by the way. Courtesy of me of course." Hermes grinned. "It has all the world's media crammed into it, as well as special channels you can only find in an Olympian grade TV set only. We have Aeolus Nightly coming tonight, then I think Athena's new reality show just launched a few weeks ago…"
"Oh, Heracles Busts Heads is doing reruns for the first season, put that." Apollo said. "Percy will surely enjoy that."
"Nah, that show ended halfway because it got cancelled due to that centaur controversy. No use showing an incomplete piece of media."
"May I?" Percy asked, taking the bulky remote from Hermes. He then gently placed his finger on top of a button, and then began to click it furiously, the speed making the finger blur as Percy started to go through the entire catalogue of channels.
"Um, dude, maybe you should slow down." Apollo pointed out.
"It's fine, I can take in information like this easily. Besides, I've used the clicker before, I'm not going to break it like the previous times." Percy replied.
"To infinity-"
"No, I am your fath-"
"We don't make mistakes here-"
"Strong winds will be-"
"We have more updates on the mysterious island-"
"Joy to the world-!"
"Michael Jordan has been named MVP of the-"
"Wait." Percy suddenly said, stopping his channel surfing. "I just saw something; I think I need to go back."
Artemis scoffed. "Those two idiots of all the gods warned you, and you didn't even think to listen?"
"I got carried away." Percy replied abashedly as he went back, this time at a slower rate. He then came across a news channel and stopped, for he had found what he was looking for. The gods took a look at the screen, wondering what had caught his attention, when they too realized what they were looking at.
"Looks like it finally happened." Artemis then said, sitting next to Percy, who was staring at the screen with rapt attention.
"Authorities are still trying to calm the situation down in the Aegean Sea, due to the appearance of a new island that has seemingly been discovered for the first time-"
"Almost half a year." Percy muttered. "Looks like it's finally catching on with everyone else."
"First noticed in the beginning of the new year after a cruise liner spotted it during its usual route, this phantom island has slowly garnered a lot of traction in the Mediterranean, and has just recently sparked debates on its origin amongst people around the world."
"While cartographers and satellite pictures alike have proved that there was no trace of such a landmass of this proportion before, it is very strange that such a thing has come into existence just recently, and has already caused a buzz to spread around the world to people of many different fields."
"That's a good thing." Aphrodite suggested. "Maybe they might see it as something to leave alone."
"Many historians are currently pouring over ancient texts, not just of Greek origin, but from neighboring regions as well in order to find any hints on this island's identification. The country of Greece has already imposed strict restrictions on the island after it was discovered that a large number of ancient ruins that trace back to ancient Greek architecture were scattered around the island, alluding to some kind of lost city. While there is no word on official excavations or investigations, many offers have already been proposed from a wide variety of organizations and different companies who are interested in dealing with the remains of this island, or are willing to fund it to experienced people. Some of the most notable ones are Dare Enterprises, Imperial Services, the British Museum-"
"Oi!" Percy cried out indignantly. "No one is going to dig up anything in my island!"
"What about for historical purposes." Hermes asked, twirling around his winged cap. "I can throw my hat into the ring too. Maybe have the UPS or Hermes to back it."
Percy raised an eyebrow. "You own Hermès?"
Hermes looked dejected while Apollo barked out a laugh. "Oh he wishes." Apollo cackled.
Hermes shook his head. "I meant Hermes Europe, it's another courier company in Germany, not the fashion goods one. And you asked me that question as if I didn't know its pronunciation!" he accused.
Percy grinned. "Come on, I know you know how you pronounce your own name."
Hermes huffed in response. "I should fine you for that." He muttered.
"I'm not sure if I like this though." Percy then said, as he flipped through more news channels, almost all of them doing coverage on Skiagis. "I get the thrill of discovery, but I would want this one to be left one."
"Besides, it's going to involve archaeologists. We make fun of them for not knowing anything." Aphrodite snickered.
"Though it is strange how the mortals are able to see it." Artemis said "You would think this piece of land, forged by the gods, and witness to many battles may not have some degree of mist protection at the very least repelling humans? But it's very much out there, as if it's inviting everyone. And that only happened when…"
"…I came out." Percy finished. "Something about me revealed the island again, and I doubt it's because I'm it's patron. There has to be something else going on over there."
"Am I sensing a group trip there then?" Hermes asked. "We did used to hang out there a lot, it will be nice to visit again."
Percy chuckled. "Let's first get one thing out of the way. And that's the shadow plane. Are we ready to finally make that jump?"
Apollo and Hermes looked excited, while Aphrodite pretended to not hear him by feeding Sebastianos more sardines. Artemis had a pensive look on her face, which was due to the expression that Hecate had on her. And it didn't look promising.
"I believe, there are certain precautions we must take for this Perseus." Hecate then said, sitting up. "The first thing is, do we know where to look?"
Apollo looked confused. "What do you mean by that? It's not that big of a place, is it?"
Hecate smiled darkly. "Would you like to enlighten him Perseus?"
The god in question cleared his throat. "Yeah, it is quite big. But I know there are things around, maybe like small amounts of landmasses? Though I never came across them again."
"And for good reason." Hecate said solemnly. "No one has dominion over the shadow plane. No one knows how it exists, or why it does in the first place. It was just, there. In fact, from what the children of the Night informed me, no one even knew you could travel through it by the shadows. It just happened one day. And no one questioned it. The plane has its own rules, its own physics, its own creatures. They can either be under my mother's authority, under the Impending one, or serve under their own will. Everything shifts, nothing stays in one place either as everything is always in motion. Literally"
"But something may have existed at one point." Percy interjected. "We may not know what, but it is there. Whether it's a primordial, or something else."
"And how do you suppose we are going to find that then Percy?" Hecate then asked, looking at Percy seriously. "Can you lead us to the exact location where the Impending one was?"
"I'm afraid not." Percy replied. "But you can always help."
Hecate chuckled dryly. "And how may I help in this situation? Everything shifts in the plane. It's not meant to be travelled within it, it never was. Just in, and out."
"You must have something you can… do." Percy replied lamely. "Like…Arius! You helped him with a tracking spell, maybe you can do something similar with your wibbly-wobbly, magicky-wajicky…stuff…"
Hecate's eyes slightly glowed. "Wibbly what? Magicky- Lykofos Perseus, I have half a mind to set you on hellfire right now!"
"That isn't going to do anything." Percy thought quietly, keeping his mouth shut.
"I heard that!" Hecate's voice echoed inside his head.
"No privacy these days." Percy muttered, rubbing his forehead. "But you must have some kind of tracking spell, anything that could maybe lead us there."
Hecate crossed her arms. "No, I don't have anything like that. And your casualness to this is making me wonder if you have even grasped not just the complexity, but the seriousness of this situation."
Percy frowned. "I'm plenty of serious."
"No, you are not!" Hecate exclaimed, standing up. "I don't know whether you are on some kind of cocky hot streak ever since you sealed Gaia, but this is Moros we are talking about. I do not need to repeat what he personifies either, but do I have to inform you on what we may be potentially facing if we go to him?"
"Perseus." Artemis then said, taking his hands in hers. "Hecate does have credence to what she is saying. This isn't Kichyros where we are fighting a maniacal ex-lackey of the sky. This is not Arcadia either where we are going to be fighting an exiled king. And this is not the giants which we only managed to take down because of demigods and set weaknesses. This is a primordial, and just because you got lucky with Gaia, doesn't mean the same can always be applied every time. I felt it in your words Perseus, the fear when you spoke of him. You were rightfully afraid, and that's alright. But you can't have the mentality that you can easily subdue a primordial of all beings, not after what happened the last time. Unless, you are willing to take the risk again." Artemis said softly, her eyes resting on Percy's hand.
Percy fell silent as he listened to Artemis, his emotions mixed. "No…never. I would never do that to you, not again." Percy said, letting out a shuddering breath.
"I know you won't." Artemis replied. "I just don't want you to lose sight of what you are trying to do."
Hecate then sighed. "There is this one spell I have, which can be utilized. But the chances for that are still low."
"What is it?" Hermes asked.
"Perseus over here has ventured into the shadow plane countless times, which makes him able to easily guide us through it. But he also by chance, came under Moros's presence. Now while that may not mean anything, that aura- that energy, of not just the location, but of the primordial being… . That encounter had no doubt enveloped him. Which means that the aura may still be on Perseus. And if I can grasp it from within him, then maybe, just maybe, we can use it to track the location of where Perseus last saw the primordial. We can use it to track Moros, but we don't really know that for sure. But it may just be our only option."
"Can you do it now?" Perseus asked. "The spell on me?"
"I can check if there are any traces of the aura on you now. Doing the full spell will take a few days to implement it." Hecate answered, raising her hands. Wisps of green energy began to come out of her palms as they began to glow. She then directed her hands towards Percy, and muttered a couple of phrases in Greek and a language Percy slightly recognized as Latin. Soon, he too began to glow faintly in the same green light. The gods noticed that splotches of green were seen around Percy's body, though there was hardly any of it left at all on him.
"That's the aura traces." Hecate explained. "Like I feared, it's not a lot as it has a been a long time since you were last in contact within that situation. If only there was a little bit more perhaps, then I could get the spell to actually work."
Percy looked dejected, until a look of realization flashed across his face. He quickly kept his expression the same as it was, but it was already too late.
Aphrodite was the first to speak up. "So, what did you remember now?" she asked him.
Percy awkwardly stared at her and then at Hecate, who raised her eyebrow in response. "I… wasn't the only one in there when I encountered Moros." He said slowly.
The gods waited for him to continue, which he did. "Thalia, she was with me too."
"The child of Zeus?" Hecate said loudly. "I wonder why…"
"Gello had taken her inside the shadow plane, and I dived right in with no hesitation to save her…"
"So she could have some of the residual aura right?" Hermes asked.
Hecate nodded sagely. "That is correct. And if my calculations are correct, and if it is say, the same amount of trace which Perseus has now, then it will be enough to use the spell. It will be enough to take us to Moros."
Percy immediately paled on hearing this. "This spell, do you just need to analyze the trace on Thalia. Then you'll put it in like a vial or something, and we'll carry it to the shadow plane where it will show us the way?"
Hecate shook her head. "I'm afraid you misunderstood. You will be guiding us through the plane. The trace will not just guide you, but also us in navigating the shifting planes. And the child will have to accompany us as well if we want the spell to work."
"That sounds very dangerous Hecate." Artemis said, before Percy could reply. "I am not comfortable in possibly endangering that child's life in a place that we ourselves have never ventured into before."
"I agree." Percy said worriedly. "There is no way I'm allowing her to step one foot in that place, or even the shadow plane for that matter."
Hecate merely shrugged. "Then I believe we aren't going." She simply said, sitting back on her chair. "I have no other means to 'help', and since we are back to the beginning, I propose it's not worth going into the shadow plane."
Percy narrowed his eyes. "So you are just going to sit there and do nothing about it? Just because one solution may not work, doesn't mean that's the end of it. We can always try something else-"
"Like what." Hecate tiredly asked.
"Anything! At this point, we can just wing it and go-"
"This is exactly what I've been saying!" Hecate yelled. "Just wing it? You think this is some sport we are betting on to play, like that basketball game? We, or more clearly I, do not want to go into Moros's backyard without any preparation, without any actual plan. And I doubt neither of you guys would want to do that either. Unless you're just going to blindly follow-"
"You think I'm that callous to take you to a possible damnation without any regards on what might happen?" Percy shouted back. "I understand that the stakes are higher this time around, but that doesn't mean I want to risk all of your safety for something which I admit may not be true. Which is also why I don't want to risk Thalia's life. Not to mention, what if she doesn't even want to go in there in the first place, then what because I am not going to force that upon her either. Hecate we are most likely going up against a primordial!"
"Exactly my point! He's supposed to be sleeping. They all should be slumbering at this point!" Hecate cried out. "Why are the primordials still awake, what's happening that's making them be this way?!" she shot back.
"That answer can very well lie in Moros's clutches. That's the only thing we have now at best." Percy replied through gritted teeth, clenching his fists tightly.
"Even if it isn't the best possible answer... I can't risk her life on this. Not like last time, especially not now. I don't want to have this become a possibility where it may be the last time I even see her!"
Percy then exhaled deeply as he fell on the floor, holding his head in his hands Artemis had a worried expression on her face as she watched Percy's form begin to darken.
"Maybe we shouldn't do it, it may be for the best."
Apollo and Hermes nervously glanced at each other, wondering if they may have to prepare for a fight, while Aphrodite was staring intently at Hecate, as if she was trying to tell her something.
"Perseus." Hecate then said solemnly. "Please, just listen. This dilemma, it has only caused us to come at a crossroad. And no matter which path we may walk on, the implications are never good. But that doesn't mean the end of the journey has to be in ruin."
Percy slowly looked up. "What are you suggesting?"
"The child of the prophecy. She doesn't have to be with us the entire time of our stay. If we could, we could always send her back to the mortal world through a shadow portal. You can always create those on a whim."
Percy frowned. "I can… what if things get too risky? And she is the child of the prophecy, you don't think her father is going to be watching over her like a hawk?"
"More like an eagle." Hermes muttered, wincing when he felt Apollo elbow his side.
"It's either that, or actually nothing. Besides, are you implying you are not going to be watching over her while in the shadow plane? She has like five other gods who will watch out for her too, this might just be the only likely scenario that can work."
"One of your paths." Percy muttered, looking disgruntled.
"I don't have to tell you what the other choices are." Hecate replied, kneeling in front of him. "And… as the goddess of the crossroads, I'll make it my duty to make sure I will not lead you astray on your chosen path. The choice is yours, but I will be there, alongside, making sure you don't drift away."
"And you have me." Artemis replied gently. "I must admit; I've grown quite fond of that little girl. And as her patron, you know she will have my protection."
"And don't forget about us." Apollo piped up, slinging his hand around Hermes. "We'll make sure to make the trip awesome! Me, the burning light-"
"-And me, who has automatically blessed the trip due to being accompanied by the patron of roads." Hermes chimed in.
"There are no roads where we're going." Apollo pointed out.
"…Well, I don't really particularly care for the child." Aphrodite said with a shrug, garnering pointed looks from everyone. "But that doesn't mean I want you to be sad, so do whatever makes you happy Percy." She quickly added.
Percy slowly nodded. "Thank you everyone." He murmured, as he began to get up, with Artemis helping him. "But ultimately, I want this to be Thalia's choice. Even if I hate the idea… I will ask her of this. And if she refuses, then this operation is cancelled. I won't pressure you guys to follow me in blindly if I ever venture into the plane by myself, in fact, I don't want to pressure you guys joining me even now. Your safety is important to me."
"And miss out on potential fighting? You do realize we never had any major battles for a long time now." Apollo said with a grin.
"Besides, you have our loyalty. That will never be wavered." Artemis replied in kind.
Percy pursued his lips, and then nodded stiffly. The gods awkwardly stood around, waiting for something to happen until Percy slipped into his shadow, leaving them behind. And going to the one place he can go.
Back at the forest clearing, it was nearing nighttime. Thalia was poking the fire she made with the stick when she heard a rustling noise behind her. She immediately got up and whipped around, her eyes scanning the entire area to try and see if something was there. Her fingers were laced around her mace canister, but after a few moments, she relaxed, seeing that nothing seemed to be amiss.
"You got the fire going on pretty well I must say."
Thalia yelped and activated her spear, immediately throwing it at the source of the voice. She heard the squelching sound of her spear going through flesh, and glanced up to find Percy staring at her, with the spear pierced through his shoulder.
"Holy shit!" Thalia exclaimed, scrambling towards Percy. "I-I didn't know; I sh-should have seen- I'm so sorry!"
Percy blinked, and then started laughing unfazed by the weapon that was embedded in him. "That was brilliant. I mean, I wasn't even trying to even sneak up on you, but your reflexes were amazing there."
Thalia just stared at him open mouthed. "You're not mad?!" she exclaimed.
Percy looked confused. "Why would I be? Oh wait, is it the spear?" Percy asked. In one swift motion, he pushed the spear out of his body, where it clattered on the ground behind him.
"There, simple fix. And in just a few more hours, the wound will be gone too."
Thalia let out a short laugh as she sat down again. "You're not mad, you are mad."
Percy looked shocked. "It took you that long to figure it out? I'm honestly offended."
Thalia was now laughing, which Percy soon followed too as the absurdity of the situation went past them. The god sighed as he sat down, staring intently at Thalia, who had calmed down too.
"What's up?" she asked, slightly frowning. "Don't tell me you are in trouble again?!"
"I wouldn't mind that now if I'm being honest." He muttered. "Thalia, you remember a few months back, when came to that abandoned town, and found that crazy demon lady who was after you?"
"Yeah?"
"I plan to go to where she is now. I'm not actively trying to find her, but where she was, that is what I'm trying to find inside the shadow plane. Where she tried to take you to, remember?"
Thalia slowly nodded.
'I'll be going with my friends, Artemis and the other gods, but to find that place… it requires a spell to be used that will help us find it. And I might need you help with it."
Thalia's eyes widened. "Me?" she asked softly.
Percy sighed. "There is a possibility you have some energy traces on you from where Gello took you, so if we can find the source of it, we can also find the location of where they are hiding."
"And I can be of help?" Thalia asked.
"If you want to that is." Percy said seriously. "I cannot stress enough on not just how dangerous this… quest can be… but for what's to come to. An enemy may come out of hiding, your father may get to know about this, and I would of course readily take whatever is deemed for me. But most importantly, is that I will keep you safe. Not just safe from this journey if you want to take part in, but safe from not taking part in it too It's ultimately your choice, I am not going to decide your choice on this matter.
Thalia fell silent as she pondered over Percy's words, her head buzzing with thought. He was offering her a chance, the chance to actually help. She could show him that him taking care of her, training her to fight, it was not going to be in vain. She could finally show that she can help, more than she ever could. And by doing so, she can be powerful too, to help more. She could have that… the power…
"Yeah…" Thalia murmured, a grin spreading across her face. "I'll definitely help you in… whatever you need help with."
Percy's eyes widened. "Wait… you're not serious are you?" he quickly asked, looking panicked. "I was going to give you time to think this over, you can't be-"
Percyyy!" Thalia whined. "I want to help, and you definitely need it. And I learnt so much, I can help out now properly this time. Not like before."
"Please." Thalia pleaded. "You said it was I can…"
"Shit." Percy said softly, rubbing his temple. He should have known, why the hell would a kid even say no to unforeseen danger in the first place. But he could easily refuse, there's no reason to follow up with this at all…
"I can right?" Thalia asked. "I can help… right?"
For once, Percy did not like the way the shadows were creeping up around him, growing bigger, as if it was taunting him t dare. To jump in, to see if he could actually find the answers he needed to know. To try it, with no real way at all. And the one person that can help, in a way that Percy did not want it to be the case, was staring at him with nervousness, like she knew the answer wouldn't be what she was hoping for. And it was then, he found himself at the crossroads.
A choice. Just one. One choice…
I hope you guys don't mind that we didn't actually get to see the gods going into the shadow plane in this chapter. I did kinda plan it, but chapter flow wasn't looking great so I figured why not dedicate an entire chapter to it instead. And that is definitely what the next one will be on. I hope you guys enjoyed this holiday season, and are of course, prepared for the new year. As for me, new year, new me is going to hope that I'm still going to be updating like this lol, which I most definitely will. But until then, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you thought about it, and I will see you guys next year! (And by that, I mean in like ten days, cause it is going to be next year in like two days so… XD) Bye…\/