Percy sprung forward, thrusting his sword at Theos's midsection. Theos sidestepped the thrust quickly, his hands lazily stuffed into his pockets. Percy performed a backhanded sword swing from his lunging position. In an attempt to hit Theos's stomach for the second time, Percy-again- missed.
"C'mon now," Theos whined.
"You can do better than that." He said. Percy gritted his teeth. Theos removed his hands from his pockets. He let them drop to his sides. He rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles.
"Are you warmed up?" Theos asked. Percy nodded. A grin spread on Theos's lips.
"Alright, we'll move on to the next phase." He said. Percy's head tilted. A puzzled expression wore on his face.
"What's phase 2?"Percy asked. Theos now moved on to flexing his fingers.
"Well, I can't just let you swing that sword around at me." He said. A chuckle escaped his lips.
"What...do you mean?" Percy asked. Theos grinned cheerfully.
"I'll start hitting back now." He said, still grinning. Percy felt an instant pang of dread. His mouth began to fill up. Percy gulped the saliva down and let out a breath. His pinky began to shake slightly out of a twinge of nervousness. Theos, who seemed to notice this, raised an eyebrow.
"You good?" Theos asked.
"You aren't...scared. Are you?" He asked with his eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. Percy shook his head, took a deep breath, and lifted his sword slowly.
"Ok. Let's do it." He said. Theos smiled.
"Good." He said. Percy gripped the hilt of the sword. He dug his feet into the ground and charged. He started the same, With a mid-section thrust at Theos, who did a cheeky little spin move, Avoiding the strike entirely. Mid-spin, He balled his fists, and since he spun forward, he managed to close the distance between himself and Percy. Theos planted his feet and punched Percy directly in the jaw. Percy toppled over. He staggered for a few seconds before regaining his balance and readying his sword again.
"The thrusts are clearly not working." Theos called out. Percy gritted his teeth. He tried to ignore the stinging pain in his jaw and picked up his sword. Percy lifted it to his face and gritted his teeth. Anger seeped through his teeth. Theos glanced at him.
"Round 2?" He asked. Percy didn't even respond. He charged at Theos, slashing this time. Theos dodged easily. Percy wasn't finished yet. He swung again, making Theos leap back. Percy then decided to thrust. It didn't work. Theos slid to the side. Since Percy got a tad overzealous with the thrust, He stumbled forward a bit, allowing Theos to get back on the offensive. He threw a punch, which Percy almost broke his neck to dodge. Theos followed it with a kick to the stomach. Percy was forced to stumble back. He didn't even have a second to catch his breath before Theos barreled forward to attack him. Percy swung his sword aimlessly, praying to make him retreat. He couldn't. Theos ducked the swing MID RUN and shot his fist directly into Percy's gut. Percy keeled over. Theos didn't stop. He rocked Percy in his right jaw this time, evening both jaws out. Theos finished things off with a knee to the face. Percy slightly stumbles back. He somehow managed to hold on to the sword. Percy took a long breath.
"One last stand." He muttered. He let out a roar and charged at Theos. Percy leapt in the air, sword held high, as he tried to slice him in half. Theos stood there, Smirking as always. At the last moment, he stuck his hand out, grabbing Percy's wrist. He violently pulled it to the right, moving the sword's trajectory from his face, and causing Percy to come crashing to the ground. The blade finally fell free from his grasp. Theos picked it up and inspected it. He proceeded to snap it in half over his knee. After several seconds of proudly staring back and forth between the two pieces, he glanced back down at Percy. Theos stooped down and tapped him. A dazed Percy rolled over to see a grinning Theos hovering over him.
"You lasted a few seconds." He said, his smile remaining.
"You're pretty persistent too." He added. He stood back up and offered his hand.
"Good job!" He chirped. Percy took his hand and painfully got to his feet. Theos continued
"We went a little light today since it was your firs-"
"LIGHT!?!?!?!" Percy yelled as he gaped at Theos.
"Yeah," Theos declared cheerfully.
"We'll start with swords soon, don't worry." Theos added. Percy's face morphed into a state of absolute horror. That earned a laugh from Theos, alongside a pat on the back.
"No, I won't be going as hard as I did today. Don't worry, you're not gonna get stabbed in the gut or anything." He stated, smiling at Percy. Percy sighed. He looked down at his destroyed sword and picked up the two pieces. He lifted them in front of Theos. As soon as he saw them, Theos chuckled sheepishly.
"I kind of went overboard there." Theos said: He grabbed the bottom half of the sword and began inspecting it.
"It's not even that good of a sword anyway." Theos muttered. He handed the bottom half back to Percy.
"We'll get you an upgrade tomorrow, ok?" Theos said, smiling. Percy nodded. He patted him on the back and walked out of the training arena, with Percy not too far behind.
Line Break
Percy trailed behind Theos, Gazing around the Bourg-like environment in awe. He glanced at Theos, who was waving and smiling at a fish seller standing to the left of them. The two walked down the brick path. It was full of many people browsing the surrounding markets and shops. Families, teens, lone adults, and even some small children. All, though, greeted Theos. Whether it was a smile from the adults, a wave from the families, or the children straight up gaping at Theos, all seemed to love him.
"So this is your kingdom?" Percy said, awestruck. Theos winced.
"I wouldn't call it my...Kingdon." He said, choosing his words with deliberation.
"Moreso...like a mayor." He said, stuffing his hands in his leather jacket.
"MY KING THEOS!!" A voice boomed to the right of them. Theos's head snapped in that direction. Percy's gaze followed. He saw a man, A big one, Grinning at them. He had an enormous grizzly beard that covered half his face and wore a stained, tight tank top. The guy was standing behind a table that held various random objects. Theos's face instantly broke into a grin. He ran to the table and gave him a fierce bear hug. Theos and the guy soon got into an intense conversation, leaving Percy left out. Percy eventually got bored and decided to wander off on his own. There were a lot of stations that surrounded the road. All sold entirely different items. Some shops sold food, some sold books, and some sold toys. None caught the attention of Percy. Except for one. A young woman stood behind her station. She had cropped hair in a pixie cut style, wore a sleeveless off-white button-up shirt, and had a necklace that sparkled alluringly in the soft light of the lanterns. Percy approached the stand. The lady smiled a dazzling smile as they made eye contact. Percy returned it. He took his eyes off the young lady and looked at the Crystals on her stand.
"What are these?" He asked, scanning the various crystals, rocks, and stones scattered across the table. The lady picked up a white one.
"Gems." She said, holding it up for Percy to see.
"I'm selling them in their raw state. Making them incredibly versatile and usable." She added, placing the white one back down. The lady then looked back and forth before leaning close to Percy.
"Some people say they bring good luck." She whispered. Percy raised an eyebrow.
"Wow." He murmured.
"These small things?" He questioned as he picked up a gold one.
"Where do you even find those?" Percy asked as he held it close to his face
"On the outskirts of town." The lady said, pointing past the road and buildings. Percy glanced in that direction. He turned back and smiled at the woman.
"Awesome." He whispered. Percy placed the gem down.
"How much do these usually co-"
"PERCY!" A voice shouted. Percy turned to see Theos expectantly staring at him. He gave him a sheepish look and bid the lady goodbye before making his way to Theos.
"I guess your conversation ended." He told Theos as they continued their Journey. Theos chuckled.
"Yeah, he was an old friend. What were you and that lady talking about?" Theos asked. Percy shrugged.
"I saw some gems there that looked pretty cool. I decided to check them out." He said. Theos scratched his chin.
"Really?" He questioned. Percy nodded. The woman smiled sweetly
"Would you like one?" She asked both of them. Theos shook his head.
"Uh nah I thinks we're-" he started.
"I was actually gonna ask if you could get me a couple." Percy said. Theos bit his lip. He groaned
"Maybe." He said. He patted his pockets
"How much?" He muttered
"200 scal" the woman said smiling. Theos's Face dropped.
"You'll have to come tomorrow." He stated.
"I didn't not bring that much." He added. The woman waved a hand.
"It's all right! I'll be here regardless." She said with the same smile. Theos returned it.
"Great!" He said. His smile dropped and he turned to Percy
"let's go now" he ordered, as they continued on their journey.
"Why did we come down here if you didn't bring any money?" Percy asked
"Don't you have to buy a sword?" Theos glanced down at Percy. He chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.
"We're not buying a sword my friend." He said. He leaned in and cocked his head to the side
"We're gonna make you one"
Line Break
Soon enough, the 2 approached their destination. A small hut at the end of the road. It had less foot traffic than the central area, and Percy was sure it was the end of Theos's Kingdom. They had walked for a bit, Theos constantly waving to the civilians, and signing some random artifact that they'd brought to him. Theos stretched, then strolled up to the door and knocked on it. It was barely a door, more so a big chunk of wood leaned against the hut, but Theos still gave it respect. He stepped back and stood expectantly at the door.
"Coming!" A voice rang from inside the hut. The "door" was pushed from the frame, and an old man poked his head out of the door. He grinned when he saw Theos.
"Back again aye?" He said. His short beard stretched when he grinned and revealed his toothy smile. Theos smiled back and winked.
"You already know." He said.
"You need a new weapon already?" The man jeered. Theos laughed.
"No, no Sirus, It's for this guy right here." He said, jerking a thumb in Percy's direction. The man seemed to notice Percy for the first time. He looked at him up and down, intrigue emerging on his face.
"Alright then." The man muttered. He slipped back inside the hut. Percy and Theos stood there in silence for a few seconds.
"Wha-" Percy started, But Theos put a finger up before pointing back to the makeshift hut door. With a groan, the door slowly shifted to the side, revealing the man's total figure. He was a small man. He leaned heavily on a cane, causing him to hunch down, and was barefoot over the rocky terrain.
"Come in." The man beckoned as he shuffled into the hut. Theos and Percy followed. Percy glanced around the inside of the hut. First, it was dark. Really dark. The hut had no windows or crevices for light to seep into. This caused Percy to run face-first into a wall. The man grumbled and lit a lamp that was at his feet. As the orange light filled the room, he discovered that the hut was also tiny. It only took 3 steps for the group to make their way to the back of the house. The hut was the size of a king-sized bed made into the form of a circle. Percy couldn't imagine how someone could live in a place like this. He wasn't even sure if he could lie down. The man slowly and carefully lowered himself down to a kneeling position. The soft light sparsely illuminated the tiny shack barely enough for Percy to see the small outline in front of the man. Percy shuffled forward and leaned over him, peeking over his hunched shoulder. The man slowly lifted his hand and placed it on the door. He closed his eyes and murmured to himself for a couple of seconds. Instantly the trap door began to rumble, Shaking violently as if the city suddenly caught an earthquake. Once the rumbling approached its climax, the door spontaneously swung open, revealing a lower level, as if it were some basement. But the strong fumes that wafted in his nose proved something entirely different. The smell of acrid wafted into Percy's nostrills. A very intense smell, caused a grunt to escape from his throat.
"Calm down youngin" Sirus called out.
"You'll survive." He added. The faint glow of the workshop partially illuminated his leathery skin. Sirus pulled goggles that hung around his neck and slapped them on his face, before diving down the hatch.
The workshop was hot. The oven resided in the far back of the unit, and Percy could still distinctively feel the hot blast occasionally wash over him. Sirus began to make his way to a subsection next to the oven. A few short seconds later, the floor infront of the 2, rose and a huge steel table rose from the the opening. Bearing 3 slabs of metal. Percy knitted his eyebrows in extreme concern and looked up at Theo. He looked back at Sirus in shock. Theos leaned slightly toward Percy and chuckled
"He's an architect. What? You actually thought he lived in a hut?" He muttered to Percy. Sirius shuffled to the table. He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table, and waited expectantly. Percy was still frozen with his mouth agape. As if he just got tagged in a game of freeze tag. He might have stayed that way for a couple of centuries if it weren't for Theos, who nudged Percy and broke him out of his trance. Sirus impatiently beckoned Percy to the table. Percy obliged and power walked to Sirus, joining the 3 at the table.
"You want a sword correct?" He asked Theos, absentmindedly placing his hand on the middle slab. A sharp silver color, reminiscent of the moon but silky smooth instead. Theos nodded.
"Yes, one sword." He responded. Sirus nodded.
"And what material?" He asked looking at Percy expectantly.
"Wait- Wha- you're asking me?!" He sputtered out. Theos sighed. I don't think he knows the properties he said. Sirius groaned. And muttered out something about "young kids" before walking back to the first slap.
"This, is oxtaryion bronze, it's mainly known for its pounding abilities, make a sword with it, and your attack force is stronger enough to instantly snap any sword." He said proudly.
"Problem is, it's heavy. Really heavy. It's mainly used in daggers and arrows, only a few can really wield a full blade without crumbling under its weight." He added. Percy glanced at Theos
"Can I lift it?" He asked him. Theos gestured towards the slab.
"It wouldn't hurt to try." He said. Percy walked to the table and inspected the slab.
"Doesn't look like anything special." He muttered as he poked the shiny bronze. Sirius slapped his hand
"Don't smudge the product you bufoon" he hissed. He pointed to a bronze sword laying on the desk next to the slab
"That's what you're testing on." Siri's said beckoning Percy to lift it. Percy walked to the edge of the table where the sword lay. I mean. It was just bronze. Could it really be that hard? He grabbed the hilt and planted his legs. He took 2 deep breaths and closed his eyes. Percy then gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might. At least he was able to get it off the table. The moment the sword wasn't being supported by the desk, it sunk to the ground, Percy didn't stand a chance at lifting it up. Theos rubbed his temples
"Jeez kid you're embarrassing me" he muttered as he walked to Percy. Theos grabbed the sword and lugged it on the desk.
"You can lift it?" Percy asked in awe.
"Yeah."
"But it makes me so slow in battle that it's not even worth it" he added as he guided Percy to the second slab.
"This one." Sirus started
"Is the opposite. It makes your strikes abnormally fast, and sharp. The problem...is that it's way too fragile. Breaks too easily." He said. For demonstration, sirus, lifted a block of one. Not a slab, but about the size of a textbook. And held it over his head. He dropped it, and watched as it hurtled to the ground, shattering on impact.
"Here." Sirus said tossing the sword to Percy.
"Woah..." he breathed bouncing the sword up and down.
"It feels like nothing." He said with a smile.
"Wait until you swing it" Sirus said grinning. Percy gave it a slash. Then another then another. As he slashed each time, the grin on his face deepened. It was as if there was a propeller on the back side, pushing his sword as he swung. The more he swung, the more momentum he gained. Percy slowed his swinging and gave the sword an awestruck look.
"I want this one." He said bubbling with excitement. Sirus shuffled forward cane in hand. He gave Percy a sweet old man smile.
"Show it here." He said. Percy, with the smile still on his face, lay the sword on his two hands and presented it to Sirus
Crash
Sirus with one swipe of his cane snapped Percy's precious sword into 2. He turned and strode back towards the desk.
"It's no good." He called.
"It's impossible to use in combat, one block and it'd shatter." Sirus said. Percy let the pieces fall. Horrified with what just happened. He looked at Theos
"Is there any way I could get a sword like that? But not..fragile." He said. Near the brink of tears.
"The third slab-" Sirus started, but Theos cleared his throat.
"Third slab?" Percy questioned and turned to Sirus, who was leaning on the desk.
"Eh- maybe when you're older" Theos said, shaking his head at Sirus. Sirus chuckled and stood up from his leaning position.
"Listen kid," he started.
"We got a problem here. Ones strong but slow, the other is fast but weak." He added making his way to Percy.
"So what do we do? Slab 3 is always an option" Percy said. Sirus shook his head.
"Yeah, if you think inside the box" he said. Percy cocked his head to the side.
"What?" He asked
"There's not a lot of resources around here, Sector 5 only really has the basics for a blacksmithing." Sirus said shuffling close
"Sector five...?" Percy asked
"I've been working, been planning. Even though none of the slabs match you, we can easily offset that." Sirus said, stopping infront of Percy. Percy scratched his head
"What? Am I going to have to steal materials from outside of here" He asked. A twinge of dread. Sirus grinned, leaned forward, and patter Percy on the shoulder
"No, we're gonna make our own slab" he said
Man oh man it's been a bit. Like a long time. Around a year actually.
I dropped a 3000-word chapter for y'all though. I haven't really implemented the PJO universe in this story yet, and I wanna make this clear that the Percy you've been following is not the OG Percy Jackson. And even though it might be frustrating that you aren't seeing these kids, I will start to implement them in starting next chapter
As for updates. I promise I will try my best to update more consistently. I sort of just forgot about this ngl. I do like where the story is going and i definitely have plot points that will start to show up.
Alr cool kids, another update will come soon, I swear. Stay cool from this heat wave, peace