Chapter Nineteen (Seed of Destruction)
Be wary of the kind-hearted soul that's been trod upon one time too many…
Third Person
Quiet whispers trailed around the clearing.
The soft words intermingled with the crackling fire of the hearth as the demigods wearily trudged around the collapsing camp.
The flaps of the sole, erect, tent pushed open, revealing Percy. His green eyes swirled in a mixture of emotions as he peered easily at his Vanguard.
"I'll pack your tent for you."
The son of Poseidon shifted his gaze to Oliver. The younger boy gave him an uncertain smile, earning a frown from his elder. Percy placed a hand on his shoulder, stilling him.
"Whatever we're going to face, we'll be facing it together."
Oliver's eyes gleamed with a spark of hope as his smile was renewed. Percy clapped his shoulder, a comforting smile playing at his lips before he left the boy to his task.
The son of Poseidon made his way to the hearth, where Katherine and Helen were sharing out breakfast. Percy took a bowl with a nod and sat down in his seat. He paused, staring into his bowl as awe danced across his face.
"We may have smuggled some things into camp from the last few times we were in the mortal world."
Percy turned towards Helen who smiled cheekily at him. "And you got blue food dye?"
Helen nodded though her verbal response was interrupted by the presence of Adrian. The daughter of Aphrodite made her way to get him a bowl as Katherine stepped back towards the forming group, away from the retreating form of Jerome.
"Well, the blue food dye is new. Jerome may have made a last-minute run last night. We figured everyone should have their favourite meals before this mission."
Percy raised an eyebrow at the daughter of Apollo but shrugged. He instead shifted his focus to his first bite of the blue pancakes.
"Doesn't that make this a bit too similar to the Last Supper?"
The pair turned to Chrysilla, who had stepped towards them with Helen in tow, both with bowls in their hands. The daughter of Athena stared at the other three, who returned her gaze curiously.
"Seriously, no one knows about the whole Christian thing?" She scoffed at the blank stares she received. "Forget it then, it's not that important."
"She's right, it's not as important as today's mission."
The small group turned to the newest member, Tassos. Katherine was once again on the move to grab the son of Demeter a breakfast bowl. The group fell into an amicable silence as Tassos had caught everyone as they took another bite. Helen shifted her eyes to the returning form of Katherine and nodded to herself, quickly swallowing before the boy could take his first bite.
"And what exactly is today's mission?"
Tassos stared at the group sheepishly. "We have to retrieve a seed from a farm."
"Of course, we do."
The group turned to Zina, who gently lowered herself onto the seat next to Percy, carefully shifting her crutches to her side. Katherine scoffed softly before quickly scurrying back to the bowls to grab the daughter of Bia and, finally, herself some breakfast.
The conversation gave way to silence as the members of the Vanguard continued to eat.
Katherine returned, offering Zina a bowl before sitting and staring at Tassos oddly, "A fucking seed, huh?"
Tassos stared at her sheepishly, but Percy's chuckle drew her attention.
"You learn to stop questioning things the longer you live in this world." The son of Poseidon stood up easily from his seat drawing the eyes of the others to him and the empty bowl in his hand. "Thanks for the food. Prepare to leave at the end of the hour."
The other demigods gave their affirmation in a variety of nods and smiles as he retreated from the group.
"Chrysilla, what does he really think about this mission?"
The daughter of Athena spluttered on her meal at the sudden question. She turned to Zina, who waited patiently for a response.
"Since it's a mission directly from the council, he believes that it's-"
"Oh, fuck the political response. Going against his word isn't something Percy is known for. Never mind the fact that there was that entire spectacle with Demeter yesterday. What's really going on?"
Chrysilla stared at the girl for a moment before shifting her gaze to the other members around her, hoping to find an out to the conversation. Realising the question had drawn the curiosity of the others, she sighed.
"The council requested that we do this mission. Percy was adamant about avoiding it, but, as you saw, the gods weren't too keen on taking no for an answer."
The other demigods sat in silence for a few moments in response to Chrysilla.
"Okay, so if all goes wrong, we blame the gods and not Percy. Got it."
All eyes shifted to Katherine in shock, but the girl stared back at them in confusion, her fork still in her mouth.
"What? Are you going to act like I'm wrong? They've been bombarding us with missions and even started to force us to take them while Percy was away. It's pretty obvious that they're up to something. It's just good to know that Percy isn't in on it."
Chrysilla shifted uncomfortably at the blatant statement as the others slipped into their own thoughts.
"Why'd you assume things would go wrong if the gods are planning something?" Helen asked quietly, her pink eyes darkening as the weight of the conversation dragged the mood down.
"Things haven't exactly gone well so far. Everyone else may be playing it off, or however it is you're all coping with it all, but the Apollo kids don't have that luxury. We're the ones that have to bring you all back from the brink of death. You all have no idea how many times we've seen Thanatos or another death deity pop up… I thought for a long time, before the War God mission, that the gods were backing us, but after that, I realised how fortunate we truly are to be in Percy's company."
"As infuriating as he is, I agree. I don't think anyone else would be willing, or able, to stand up to the gods like he has on our behalf." The group stared at Tassos in shock, drawing a defensive scowl from the boy. "What? Just because I'm a little emotional doesn't mean I'm not practical."
Chrysilla opened her mouth to respond but shook her head, thinking better of it. Her eyes scanned the rest of the group as awe trickled into her core at the display of utter loyalty towards Percy. Had he been the one to give her this mission instead, would she have been able to be swayed as she had? The question lingered in her mind.
"So, what now?" Zina asked, lulling everyone out of their thoughts, "We're anti the gods?"
Chrysilla rose slowly from her seat, her head shaking as she stared at Zina with a fiery determination.
"No. It just means that we're staying true to the Vanguard, that we're pro-Percy."
Percy
A piercing screech echoed overhead, drawing the eyes of the Vanguard upwards.
The glaring rays of the sun forced hands to rise in defence of eyes, though there was no respite for the Texan heat.
I clicked my tongue, staring as the curious demigods around me slowly blinked to regain their vision.
"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to look directly at the sun?"
I turned to Teucer, who shifted his smug gaze around the group, while Jordon stared blatantly at the symbol of his father's power.
"Why? I love sun watching."
A low, tired muttering broke out in quiet respite to the mocking nature of the two sons of Apollo.
"Oh, but it's funny if a Hermes kid does it," Teucer muttered.
I chuckled, stepping closer to the boy.
"It's funny when everyone isn't suffering from the heat, which you aren't."
Teucer stared up at me, nodding numbly for a moment. "Don't you mean we? I mean, you aren't exactly sweating like the rest of them."
"I'm a little more resilient to the heat than most others."
"Personally, I thought it was kind of funny."
We turned to see Chris lumbering over to us, a cheeky grin slipping onto his lips, and he spread his arms to bask in the sun.
"And this is why you're all going to the fields of punishment."
I turned to Adrian, who wiped his brows for the umpteenth time. I shrugged easily at the boy, instead casting my gaze further beyond him, where Chrysilla was engaged in an intense conversation with Lily and Crystal.
"Are you sure it's a good idea?" My eyes trailed back to Adrian, who had followed my line of sight and had taken up staring at the small huddle of girls himself.
"I can assure you; you have your worries focused entirely on the wrong matter."
The son of Athena shifted his attention back to me, though he never did get a chance to respond.
"I can see the farmhouse!"
Adrian's eyes darted beyond me, following the pointed finger of Marc instead. I quickly glanced at the house, before shifting my eyes back to Chrysilla. The daughter of Athena had begun pulling her little group back towards us. Nodding slightly to myself, I turned to Chris and nudged him. The boy nodded quickly, fitting his fingers in his mouth, and formulating a sharp whistle.
"Thanks for that."
A small grin shaped on my lips as Teucer winced due to his proximity.
"Anytime, bright eyes."
The heavy flapping of wings took away our chance to comment on that awful nickname. Cassandra hopped off of Zina a few feet from the ground, propelling herself towards me. I easily caught the girl, chuckling as she squealed in delight.
"You need me to do some more scouting?"
"Let's stick together for now." I responded to the daughter of Bia with a shake of my head, "Everyone form up in your squads and have your weapons at the ready. Loose formation and be prepared to swap squads on command."
The demigods were quick to break off, leaving me with Marc, Adrian and Chrysilla as the others formed up around us.
"Take command of your squads, but the focus is on working as a group."
The three nodded at me before stepping away from me as I let Cassandra down. The girl shot me a smile before bounding towards Adrastea.
Our advance slowed tremendously; chatter ceased as weapons were drawn. It wasn't long before we were at the front gate of the farm.
"Percy…" I turned to Tassos, who seemed to be deeply concerned. "My mother warned me about this place. It might be best if we split up and have a smaller group search the fields for the seed."
I hummed lightly. "Are you positive the seed isn't in the farmhouse?"
The son of Demeter shook his head. "I'm sure. I can feel the seed calling me from behind the house, but it's almost as if it's in danger."
"So why are we splitting up?" I turned to Kerwin, who had a raised eyebrow as he asked the question.
I raised my hand to quell the inevitable rise of arguments. "There is something… or things in the farmhouse. It's why I asked. We run the risk of being trapped if we don't clear the house, and if Demeter suggested we lower the number of demigods to retrieve the seed, then that's what we'll do."
The group nodded.
"Alright, here's the plan. We'll make some adjustments to the squads to get this whole thing done quicker. Zina and Tassos are going to swap squads. Seeing as Marc's group has the most experience in quick assaults, they'll accompany Tassos to the seed."
The son of Ares nodded, as Zina and Tassos wordlessly complied.
"Cassandra, you're swapping out with Chris for this one." The daughter of Tyche was about to complain, but instead pouted and walked over to Chrysilla. "Katherine, you're switching with Oliver. Oliver, I want you in the sky. I don't think you'll have to do a lot of flying; we'll save that for Zina. I just want you in the air watching over everyone and serving as a waypoint for Marc's group in case they get lost in the brush."
Oliver gave a shaky nod as I let my eyes dance around the group, my mind reeling through the potential situations. Nodding to myself, I continued. "Chrysilla, your group will form a perimeter around the house. Adrian, you, and your group will stand guard at the gates here, if it's truly a trap you guys will be the first line of defence and if we need to escape, your group is the meeting point. My squad and I will breach the house and face whatever it is inside of the house."
I heard a round of groans and sighs from Adrian's group, "Great, more heat for us."
A small smile played on my lips at Crystal's quiet complaint. "Are there any questions, or are we ready to move out?"
Receiving nothing but silence, I nodded, "Alright then. Let's be quick about this one."
With Percy
The house seemed to be built in the same era as the Big House from camp, except this one had not been maintained.
A gentle breeze brushed the hot air past us, and the house groaned eerily under the softest touch of the winds. The first step of the veranda croaked under the touch of Adrastea's tentative step, causing the girl to retreat her foot in fear of the wood shattering under her full weight.
Chris gave a low chuckle before pushing past the daughter of Ares, causing us all to wince as the wood groaned and creaked under his confident stride. "It may be old and dried out, but it's still solid."
"I'll keep that noted the next time I'm thinking of playing Cupid for you."
Adrastea and Zina snorted, doing little to hide their amusement at Lily's words as I shook my head lightly.
"Focus, guys." I urged quickly as I saw the remark click in Chris' head.
The rest of us still standing on the caking dirt quickly ascended the stairs, flinching with each utterance of displeasure from the planks.
"Was that even necessary?"
I clapped Chris' shoulder lightly as I walked past him, "I don't think a lot of Hermes' kids have compassion or a filter."
The son of Hephaestus took the explanation with a solemn nod, though there was a fiery look which danced across his eyes. His lips spread momentarily before they began to part, no doubt in my mind that a comeback had formed in his.
The cracking and splintering of the front door cut through the silence quicker than he could. I turned to find Adrastea with the doorknob in her hand, and the door barely opened a few inches. The daughter of Ares gave a low grunt before turning back to me.
"Permission to take the door out of its misery?"
I sighed, drawing Riptide, and stepping to her left, readying myself for any sort of ambush. The moment she saw my head drop in a nod, she barged into the door. I quickly rushed a few steps past her, my blade at the ready as she slipped behind me.
I lowered my blade as I stared around the room.
The only thing that seemed to occupy the house was layers of dust. The floors were a dried, aged, and decayed mahogany, riddled with holes. There was a small living area to the left and a dining area to the right with a small kitchen behind it. Beyond the two rooms was a small corridor that led to the other end of the small house.
"You think the owner's sleeping?"
I rolled my eyes at Adrastea's question but couldn't bite back a smile.
"No, I think they stepped out for a bit."
The daughter of Ares shot me a grin as she took her first, creaky, step past me. The girl moved towards the living area as I stepped towards the kitchen. Turning lightly, I saw that Chris had moved towards the dining area, taking particular interest in the decrepit, chair-less dining table, while Lily slowly made her way down the corridor.
"I'll hold the doorway in case I'm needed outside." I nodded easily at Zina, shifting my attention to the sink. "It's better than my crutches getting caught in a hole and needing my stepbrother anyway."
I blinked quickly as I recoiled in shock at her words. I contemplated turning, but by her laughter, I knew she had already gotten the response she was looking for.
"Aren't all of you too young to know about all that?" I muttered under my breath as I let myself refocus on the plumbing. I could feel stagnant water that was located in a tank in the back of the house and nodded easily to myself. I turned the faucet of the sink, and, to no surprise, the pipe groaned but there was no water.
I left the pipe on, turning and slowly calling the water from the tank to the pipe in case I needed it later.
"What was that?"
My eyes fell on Chris who stared suspiciously at the dining table.
Lily responded as she walked back from her short expedition down the hallway, "What's what?"
"That creaking sound…"
"You mean the old wooden floor that squeaks with the lightest of touch?"
Chris nodded, oblivious to the sarcasm. He squinted his eyes at the floor, a light frown forming on his face as he slowly knelt to the floorboard. His hand brushed aside some dirt as he felt the floor for something.
"Something's here…"
I flicked Riptide experimentally as I took a few light steps toward Chris. The son of Hephaestus raised his dust-covered hand to call for us to halt as our movements had resulted in a choir of creaks and groans.
"There's a basement of some kind here. I can't exactly find a way to open it though; it has some pretty good magic covering it up."
I nodded easily as I thought about what Chris said. I shifted my gaze to Zina, who still stood on her crutches at the door. "Can you open it?"
"I can blow it the fuck up."
"That'll do."
"Wait!"
I raised an eyebrow as I stared at the floor beneath the table.
"So, did we all just hear that, or am I going insane?"
I shook my head as I flicked my gaze from the floor to Lily, who had yet to take her eyes from beneath the table.
"No, I think we're all insane together."
I nodded in agreement with Adrastea's words before taking a step closer to the table. The daughter of Ares needed no instructions to understand my intentions. She quickly closed the distance between herself and the table before raising her foot. The wood splintered under the force of her front kick, sending debris clattering against the floor before it eventually crashed against the wall.
The veranda outside groaned as a flurry of footsteps rushed up the stairs and towards the door. I turned to find Chrysilla staring over Zina's shoulder, though the daughter of Bia had already silently answered her question.
"Please stop! We'll come out!" My eyes shifted back to the floor at Adrastea's feet. I titled my head as I tried to associate the voice with the monsters I had encountered.
"What are you doing?! Shut up!" Another voice attempted to whisper, though the words were just as clear as that of the first voice.
Adrastea tapped her right foot against the floor a few times, ensuring she hadn't injured herself with her kick and also to draw the attention of those under her. "Yes, because shutting up now would make us forget you're down there."
Clicking my tongue, I decided to figure out the creature below by sight instead. I stomped the floor, earning a horrific shudder from the house in doing so. "I have no need to see you to kill you all. Either show yourself or die in anonymity."
"Not trying to mess with your flow or anything, but you kind of sound like the bad guy there, boss."
I sighed in exasperation as I shot a look towards Zina. The daughter of Bia raised her hands in surrender as a heavy click resounded throughout the house.
I shifted a few steps back, my eyes darting to the floor, as I lowered into a defensive stance. The air seemed to shimmer over the floor as a hatch slowly became visible. There was another click before the door to the hatch was roughly pushed outwards. A few tense moments passed as the entrance was shrouded in darkness. Just as my impatience threatened to get the best of me, a pair of horns protruded from the darkness.
I groaned as a Satyr in a bright orange jersey stepped out of the hatch. His forest green eyes meet mine for a second before shining with recognition.
"Percy Jackson! You're the Percy Jackson!"
I sighed, capping Riptide, and placing it in my pocket as I rose from my stance. "Would you believe me if I said I wasn't?"
The Satyr shook his head vehemently, a wide grin splitting his lips. "Guys! It's okay, we're saved!"
Chris seemed taken aback as he stared down into the darkness of the hatch, "Guys?"
"As in more than one?" Lily finished for the son of Hephaestus as she stepped closer to the hatch.
A second Satyr stepped out of the hatch, staring around at us with distrusting brown eyes. I shifted my weight slightly, standing taller as the Satyr tried to size me up. His eyes quickly flitted from mine before his demeanour seemed to melt as he gazed over my shoulder and at the door.
"Chrysilla! Thank the gods. I was wondering when you were going to come! We thought we were only going to get one squad or something, but if you have Percy then you mus-"
I stepped between the Chrysilla and the Satyr, sending a withering glare which silenced him. Satisfied with his forced silence, I let my eyes trickle to the other members of the Vanguard. Lily had made herself scarce, probably slipping into the corridor the moment she saw the Satyrs, while Adrastea sighed.
"We are on a mission from Demeter to get some sort of seed for her son." Zina paused, a flash of understanding forming on her face as she shot a curious glance towards me, before staring at Chrysilla, clearly baffled. The daughter of Bia quickly composed herself before turning back to the Satyr. "We weren't told about you."
The Satyr nodded numbly, opening his mouth to speak but quickly closing it as I glared intensely at him.
Chris grunted into the silence, his features of confusion slowly fading as he took a few steps away from the hatch. "Does this mean that there were campers that were on the way to save you?"
I glared at the Satyrs, hoping they would understand the silent warning. The green-eyed Satyr had clammed up, his face whitening as he seemed to comprehend the situation at hand. The second Satyr though…
"No, we were told that Chrysilla, Crystal and Lily would be the ones to save us. Either all or some, at least."
I hummed lightly, nodding to myself before quickly stepping towards the Satyrs. I grabbed the brown-eyed Satyr by the hem of his orange jersey, "Go and get the rest of your group." Once I got a shaky nod from the Satyr, I patted his cheek with my free hand before pushing him back down the hatch.
The first Satyr gasped in shock, drawing my attention. "I'll go help him!"
I nodded at his retreating figure before turning to the members of the Vanguard before me. "Lily, get out here now!"
The questions came before the daughter of Hermes returned.
"Did you know about this, Percy?" I stared at Zina who peered at me curiously in return.
"If you're referring to the side quest of this mission, then no. If it's about the implications of the Satyr's statement, I've only recently figured it out."
Zina nodded solemnly, turning her eyes to me before trailing back to Adrastea, who seemed unfazed by the entire event.
"What about you?"
The daughter of Ares shook her head. "I didn't know about Chrysilla, I knew about the other two though."
"So why was nothing done?"
Lily stepped cautiously back into the room, her eyes shifting between each member. Chris took a deep breath.
"I feel like I'm the only one here that has no idea about any of this. So, let me just clarify something really quickly." The son of Hephaestus paused, staring at me as though he were waiting for my permission to continue. I gave him a curt nod of affirmation and he continued, "Chrysilla, Lily and Crystal are all working for the Camp to run secret missions behind our backs?"
I clicked my tongue at Chris' tone. He was hoping that he was wrong.
Adrastea glanced at me quickly before stepping to Chris' side and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can't talk about their intentions, but their loyalty is definitely something that is questionable."
"And it's a question we're going to answer another time," I said as I stared out of the window above the kitchen sink.
"So, this isn't a pressing matter we should sort out now?"
I turned back to Zina, hardening my features as I peered at her for a few moments.
"You do realise that, if there are two Satyrs, that means there are at least two other demigods hiding under there, right? If they were in hiding, you do realise that they were being chased and followed by a group of monsters, right? You do realise that if they chose to hide instead of making a sprint for camp, that the numbers or quality of monsters must be insane, right? On top of that, Tassos has a mission for his mother which might have its own set of monsters attached to it. With all that information, do you really think now is the time for us to focus on this, or maybe we can choose a moment where our lives aren't in immediate danger?"
Zina bit her tongue, nodding slightly as I took a deep breath. Chrysilla's grey eyes peered at me, weighted by the mixture of sorrow and regret.
"So, we're going to have to trust them knowing that they shouldn't be trusted?"
I turned to Chris, shaking my head as I stood taller. "I'm not asking you to trust them. I'm asking you to trust me."
The pattering of footsteps up the stairs of the hatch broke the conversation as we all shifted our eyes towards the entrance. The Satyrs were accompanied by another Satyr and six young demigods. My eyes widened in shock as I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders once again.
Chrysilla's voice broke me from my stupor, "How long have you been hiding here?"
I blinked a few times, trying to settle my racing mind as the gravity of the situation continued to weigh down on me.
"About two days." The third Satyr offered quickly.
"Fuck me…" I whispered before turning, pacing lightly for a few seconds. "I need you all to keep what we discussed to yourselves until we get out of this shit."
The Vanguard members around me nodded as I let my eyes bounce between Lily and Chrysilla. "Prove to them that my trust isn't misplaced."
The pair nodded quickly, as I took a deep breath.
The Satyr I had thrown down the stairs had muttered something under his breath to the others, before stepping forward. "So, this is what we're going-"
"Shut the fuck up. I don't know how things worked before I arrived, but do not, for a second, think you're running things." I quickly turned back to my Vanguard.
"Zina, get Marc's squad back here. I don't care if Tassos hasn't finished the mission." The daughter of Bia nodded, pushing her crutches into Chrysilla's hands after a moment of hesitation. Zina quickly hopped to the stairs as her wings appeared on her back and she pushed off the top of the veranda and into the sky.
"Chrysilla, I need Adrian's group here by yesterday. Have Jordon deliver the message."
Chrysilla nodded quickly and disappeared from the doorway. I took a deep breath and stared at the floor as I tried to calm my racing mind.
"What are we going to do about the demigods and Satyrs?"
I turned to Adrastea, finally clearing my thoughts, and recomposing myself.
"I need to have a word with the counsellors, so we'll take them to Camp Half-Blood with us."
Third Person
A gentle breeze slipped through the tall, yellow grass of the fields.
The soft touch of the winds was tainted by the intense heat that formed whips which inspired perspiration rather than relief.
Marc squinted his eyes which trailed upwards, scanning the sky until he once again saw the floating figure of Oliver. Nodding to himself that their waypoint hadn't been lost, he turned his attention back to the son of Demeter leading the group.
Tassos paused for a moment, the rest of the group were fanned out around the boy, their weapons drawn. The moment they noticed the lead's pause, they slipped into defensive stances.
"We're getting closer."
"Well, I thought we were actually going the wrong way. Thanks for the reassurance."
Tassos turned to Jerome and shot him an innocent smile, "No problem. I'll keep doing my best."
Jerome stood upright, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. Teucer chuckled beside him, catching the attention of the son of Hermes.
"I don't think he quite gets sarcasm yet."
Helen nodded, stepping closer to the pair as they began walking again.
"He's still pretty young, you know. Besides, not everyone takes everything as a joke."
Jerome stared at Helen for a few moments, "You do know that he's older than I am, right?"
"What? No chance. He has to be like fourteen, max."
Jerome shook his head with a smug grin, "Nope, he's sixteen. I'm fifteen."
Helen shared a look with Teucer, who shook his head, equally in disbelief.
"We can go over the age ranges of the group later. Focus up." Marc's even voice brought their attention to him. The three nodded at the son of Ares, spreading out slightly and resuming formation.
The group managed to make it about ten steps forward in silence.
"So, what exactly is it that we're looking for here?"
Marc groaned at Jerome's question but instead scanned the sky once again. A few seconds of silence passed, and Jerome opened his mouth to repeat the question before Tassos responded with a low hum.
"It's hard to explain. There's something within the earth that's calling me, almost pulling me towards it, but it keeps moving. I'm not sure if it's being dragged or if it's moving on its own to evade something…"
"And that something it could be potentially evading, isn't us, right?"
Tassos shook his head, "No… well it shouldn't be. Not with the way it's calling out to me."
Marc's face scrunched up as he pondered the words of the stilled figure of the younger demigod. "How exactly is it calling out to you?"
"Like it's asking for help…"
Marc nodded a few times to himself, "Ah seems about right to be fair."
"Honestly, you took the words right out of my mouth," Helen added.
Marc stared at Helen, Jerome and Teucer for a few seconds before they burst out in laughter.
"Just like old times, eh captain!"
Marc nodded at Jerome as his laughter started to peter off.
"Alright, well we were prepared for a life-or-death situation this time at least. Let's-"
The crackled, parched earth shivered. Loose pebbles danced in the melody of the small tremors, bouncing lightly against the boots of the demigods.
Marc shifted his stance to regain his balance before he stared at the trembling earth with increasing trepidation. Taking a deep breath, the son of Ares shifted his gaze from Earth to Sky. His brown eyes pinged around the clouds, searching desperately for the comforting sight of the floating son of Aeolus.
"It's coming."
Marc's head whipped back to Tassos, who had gained the attention of the, still stunned, others. A pebble crashed against Jerome's shin, and he took a small step at the suddenness of the impact. He was quickly thrown off balance as the rumbling grew in intensity.
Marc crouched low, propping the falling boy from his back. The son of Ares' mouth moved furiously, but the words were far too low to penetrate the, now, violent rumbling of the earth.
"What's coming, Tassos!"
Marc's words finally reverberated above the shaking earth, but he could hear no response. Shifting his head to the side of Jerome, who had begun to crouch to regain his bearings, he saw Tassos low to the ground, palming the barren soil.
"Please tell me this is just your doing, Tassos!"
Jerome's plea was silent, lost to the ears of everyone besides Marc. The son of Ares began to question whether the others were talking just as he was, but their words were lost to the earth's quaking.
"Tassos!"
He felt his throat strain as he called out to the boy, drawing the attention of the other demigods around him, and breaking through the sounds of the earth.
Yet, the son of Demeter remained still, a light green glow forming between his palm and the earth it was pressed against.
"Marc, we need to leave!"
The son of Ares turned to the sky, and he could've sworn it was an Angel. A thought he would never let be heard aloud.
Zina descended from the sky, hovering just above the, now, shivering earth.
"Tassos is stuck in some kind of trance! We can't leave him!"
A scowl formed on the daughter of Bia's face as she stared at the situation in dismay.
"Percy's orders. Bring everyone back even if I have to take you all kicking and screaming."
Helen shifted her attention from the arguing pair, back to the stationary boy, "Tassos! We need to leave!"
Jerome and Teucer nodded along with her, letting their voices intertwine as they tried to draw the boy from his deep concentration.
"Please Zina…"
The girl shook her head resolutely. "I'm not going to let you all end up like the last time I wasn't with you all."
The daughter of Bia's wings grew louder as they propelled her higher. Marc stared at her in confusion before shifting his gaze back to the floor.
The pebbles were no longer bouncing… He could hear his own voice and even Zina's!
Zina was about to swoop down to pick Tassos up, when the boy suddenly rose to his feet, his right hand raised in the air in a closed fist.
"I got it!"
There was a brief pause as everyone stared at the son of Demeter. Zina was the quickest to break out of her shock, swooping down and looping her arms under Teucer's armpits.
"You're the slowest out of everyone here, so you get to board the Zina Express." The daughter of Bia barely rose a few feet off the floor before it once again began shaking. "The rest of you better start fucking running!"
"What's going on?"
Tassos received Marc's heavy hand to the front of his shirt before he was suddenly off the ground and over the larger boy's shoulder.
"What the fuck!"
"Yeah, being ignored sucks, doesn't it?"
Zina took to the sky her wings propelling her further ahead as the group on the ground began sprinting behind her, back to the house.
"Okay…" Tassos' words trembled as he bounced with each step of the older demigod. "I got the seed, but why the fuck are we running?"
"Percy's orders. Something must have happened on his side. So, the earthquake was you then?"
"Earthquake? No, I didn't cause an earthquake, there was something chasing the seed though."
Marc baulked, his stride breaking as he stumbled at the words of the son of Tassos.
"Was there really an earthquake?"
Marc grunted in response, tightening his grip on the son of Demeter.
"Triple time everyone!"
Jerome sped past the son of Ares with Helen hot on his heels.
"I can run too; I'm just weighing you down."
Marc shook his head, "No can do. If something was chasing the seed and causing that much of an earthquake in the process, I'd rather you, and the seed, be as far from the earth as possible. There's a chance it won't be able to find us without the seed being connected to the earth."
"What the fuck is going on!"
"You and I know the exact same amount right now, Tassos."
"Jump!"
Marc listened without hesitation, stumbling slightly on his landing at the added weight before keeping stride.
"What the fuck was that?"
Tassos shifted on Marc's shoulder, earning a few disgruntled grunts in return. The son of Demeter stared behind them and quickly settled back into the grip of Marc.
"A large worm…"
"Excuse me?"
"A lar- Look out!"
A massive worm, about six feet long and four feet wide burst from the decaying foliage to the right. The creature opened its maw, revealing massive pin-like teeth as it left the earth and soared towards Tassos' closed hand.
Marc planted both feet on the floor, pushing Tassos' stomach upward and leaning as far as he could to the floor. The son of Ares crashed onto the floor, sliding underneath the giant worm as Tassos sailed over it.
Tassos stared at the scene in shock, marvelling at, both, the strength of the son of Ares and the sensation of weightlessness which accosted him.
'Eat the seed, my son. We cannot afford to lose that to the enemy.'
Tassos' eyes widened at the voice of his mother as the earth drew closer to him. He could see the soil splitting apart and sinking where he was about to land. Closing his eyes, he forced the seed into his mouth and swallowed it with a large gulp.
The ground split open and an even larger worm propelled itself from the opened chasm. Its mouth split apart as it prepared to swallow the son of Demeter whole.
Marc's guttural roar snapped Tassos' eyes open. The son of Ares was covered in a slimy green goop, the blood of the other worm which had been cut into fractions. Marc raised to a knee from the floor, heaving his grime-stained axe over his head and launching it at the worm.
It was a valiant effort and one that Tassos would appreciate even from the Underworld. As quick as the son of Ares' reactions had been, the speed of the worm was far too great.
Tassos tensed as he felt his body covered in darkness, his left side being pierced by the teeth of the worm.
And suddenly there was light.
A hand gripped him by his feet and ripped him free from the mouth of the worm, which was quickly separated from the rest of its body. Tassos watched the mouth of the creature fall to the side of its flailing body in shock for a few moments.
"Sorry, I'm late. I had to disobey an order."
Tassos looked up to see Oliver above him sweating profusely.
"I got him, Oliver! Get back to the farmhouse!"
The son of Aeolus gave a tired nod as lowered them before he dropped Tassos to Marc. The son of Ares caught the boy easily, stopping once more only to scoop up his weapon.
Percy
"You."
I motioned towards the green-eyed Satyr who quickly made his way over to me. I was about to start speaking when I heard another set of hooved footsteps approaching.
I raised an eyebrow at the figure of the brown-eyed Satyr, who folded his arms as he stared at me in obvious disapproval. "You can at least take the time to learn our names, you know. I'm-"
I gave an exasperated sigh and shook my head, ignoring the words that trickled out of his mouth.
"Are you done, Satyr Number Two?" He stared at me flabbergasted. "Good. Satyr Number One, I need to know how many monsters we're dealing with."
The Satyr in question gave a small smile, turning to give his companion a placating look before he faced me once again. "Do you mean the monsters that are from the farm or the ones which chased us here?"
I paused, sharing a quick look with Adrastea.
"Alright." I nodded easily despite the growing unease at the situation at hand. I clicked my tongue, silencing the question I wanted to ask as I heard the aged wooden floorboards of the veranda groan.
"What's the matter, Percy?"
I peered at Adrian easily over my shoulder.
"At this point, a better question would be what isn't the matter."
The son of Athena groaned, nodding quickly in understanding as he stepped back out of the door and began barking orders. A grin formed on my face at the response of the Squad Leader, and I turned to my second in command. "He has the right idea, Adrastea. Get everyone outside, I'll be out in a few." I gripped Satyr One's shoulder, holding him in place as Satyr Two stared at me with clear disdain, and stood resolutely. He quickly lost his stubbornness when Adrastea's heavy hand found his shoulder, dragging him with her out of the house.
"We're pretty much out of time by the looks of things, but any information you can give me now will be the difference between life and death," I muttered as I pulled Satyr One away from the retreating figures around us, and towards the kitchen sink. He gave a curt nod as he stared out the window. I let my gaze flow out of the window as well.
"We were all sent to bring different demigods back to camp. Along the way, we met up with each other and then a random trio of demigods appeared. We couldn't leave them, but we knew that their combined scents would be too much for us. We took refuge here and Satyr Two… I mean Gerald, used some of his advanced magic to hide our scent when we found this place."
I hummed lightly, to show my understanding of the situation.
"Hiding underground from the eyes that would inevitably be curious at the sudden disappearance of the demigods. Concealing magic for when they inevitably stormed the house. Your magic must've been nearly depleted by the time we arrived."
The Satyr nodded, "We were drained after the first day. That's why we were so hesitant to come out. If it wasn't your group or someone from camp, we'd have been powerless to resist."
I raised an eyebrow as I shifted my eyes to him. I couldn't help but respect the Satyr, partially for putting up with Satyr Two, but mainly because he had been willing to sacrifice himself for the others. An attempt ruined mainly by Satyr Two's outburst, but still.
Another creaky round of footsteps approached the front door, drawing my attention.
"Percy! Zina's almost here and… well things are getting fucking crazy!"
I ignored Adrian's warning as I tugged at the water in the pipes of the kitchen sink, causing it to resound as it crashed into the basin.
"Last two questions. Can you give me an average of the numbers by scent? And what's your name?"
The Satyr offered a warm smile, which quickly melted as a slight tremor rocked the unstable house.
"I'm Sam Evergreen and yes, I can. Most of the monsters in the farm are underground so I can't give you an exact number, but there is a large group of monsters coming towards us from the opposite direction."
I nodded numbly, giving a grim look at the brown water which spluttered and flowed from the pipe.
"I'll always miss seawater." I shook my head as I led the way out of the house.
I gripped Sam's shoulder and guided him past the vibrating veranda and onto the shivering ground where the rest of the demigods were gathered. A sudden realisation came to mind as I turned back to the green-faced Sam.
"You never did give me an estimate."
"Oh right…" He paused, taking a deep breath before his face shifted from a sickly shade of green to a pale white. "At least three hundred of them…"
"Ah great. I was hoping it wasn't going to be too much."
I patted Sam's shoulder and walked over to Adrian and Chrysilla. The pair were leaning against each other for support as they stared at the approaching figure of Zina, a passenger in hand, and Oliver a little further behind in the sky.
"How are you not unbalanced?"
I shrugged easily at Adrian, "Son of the Earthshaker." I paused slightly, reaching out for the flooding brownish water, and letting it begin to snake its way to us. "This is worse than I thought. Protocol Gaea is now in effect and all squad leaders are fully reinstated."
The two stared at me wide-eyed as Zina dropped Teucer and landed beside me.
"Are you sure about this?"
I gave Chrysilla a small nod, the weight of the situation finally slipping past my composure as I tried my best to convey the silent message to her. Turning away and back to the rustling tall grass, I let Riptide spring forth from its pen form.
"Everyone, take orders from your assigned squad leaders. The goal is to execute the Four Horsemen formation, with the destination being Camp Half-Blood. For those of you who have no idea what any of that means, you're with me."
Jerome and Helen burst free from the grass, panting heavily as they came to a stop before us. I stared at the sky to see Oliver lose a bit of altitude, his face strained as he continued to force himself.
"Zina."
"On it!" The girl propelled herself into the air, quickly heaving the son of Aeolus in her arms and returning to the group.
Marc emerged from the grass a moment later with a heavily bleeding Tassos. The moment he left the grass a massive worm emerged aiming at him. A wall of brownish water sliced its head off, ceasing its movement as I stepped between the Vanguard and the wall of water, ready for whatever was to come next.
Third Person
"The house!"
Everyone baulked as they turned towards Sam whose mortified face sent shivers down the spines of those around him.
Adrian was the first to recover from the sudden outburst. "What?"
Sam nodded at him, turning towards Percy instead. "They never attacked us in the house, but out here… They must be afraid of the magic we have, that's why they haven't attacked us yet!"
Percy stared at him before peering at the children of Athena curiously, "It's the only lead we have, it could be-"
"Get to the house now!" Tassos quickly interjected as the floor beneath them began to rumble once again. Quicker than any of them could register, the floor was replaced by a brown, almost sludge-like water. The water froze over quickly, clearing up at the same time. Beneath the ice, a massive circular mouth replaced the earth.
The worm's weight pushed the icy floor upwards before shattering it. The shards of ice melted and formed water tendrils which latched onto everyone, launching, and scattering them away from the gaping maw.
Percy groaned as he crashed onto the floor. He shifted slowly, coughing as he rose to his feet and stared at the massive worm's continued rise into the sky. He lost sight of Apollo's chariot as he stood, stunned as the creature's rear had still yet to exit the earth. The world was covered in darkness for near a minute before the creature's lower half finally sailed over the house and allowed the light of the sun to shine on the demigods once more.
Percy shook his head, his ears still ringing from the proximity to the ear-splitting grinding of the worm's body against the earth. His eyes drank in his surroundings, his blade in hand, before they landed on the kneeling figure of Sam. The son of Poseidon rushed to the Satyr's side, dragging him back to his feet.
"You need to get to the house." He ordered as he steadied the swaying Satyr.
The goat man stared at him timidly, his hands patting himself in shock and awe at still being alive.
"Footsteps! They must sense footsteps on the earth and the floorboard must be a huge blind spot for them!"
He stared down at the Satyr for a moment before scanning the clearing.
"Yeah, how about we speculate there instead of on the earthen floor then?"
The Satyr nodded, though the act was missed by Percy who was fixated on Zina, who had just dropped off two of the new demigods to the veranda.
"Everyone!" Percy bellowed, easily garnering the attention of those around him. "Get to the house! Zina and Oliver, pick up those who are too far!"
Percy didn't wait for a response, instead capping Riptide and picking up Sam by the back of his shirt, "Sorry about this, but you'll make this so much harder if I have to worry about you too."
"Huh?"
Percy collected the remaining water at his feet and launched the Satyr into the sky. "Zina! Satyr!"
The moment the Satyr was in the sky, Percy shifted his eyes back to the field around him. As he continued to scan for the nearest demigod or Satyr in need, he heard the heavy flaps of Zina's wings and the timid yelp which was silenced as she caught Sam.
The son of Poseidon registered that he was the furthest from the house and that the majority of the demigods had been moving cautiously around the gaping abyss created by the behemoth worm. Nodding to himself, he withdrew Riptide and crouched low, taking small, shuffled steps forward.
There was the faintest shiver in the earth, but it was enough for Percy. He swivelled on his heels, bending his knees, and pushing off the collapsing floor just as it gave away. His sword was quick to snake its way below him as he tucked his feet as close as he could to his torso. The length of the blade was swallowed by a massive wormlike creature, though it couldn't contain it all. Specs of green flicked off of the blade as it cut free the inside of the creature. Percy landed on the edges of its mouth, being propelled further into the air. The son of Poseidon hopped off of the worm as soon as it began its descent, capping his sword and holding both hands above him.
Zina was quickly on him, grabbing his hands and flying a few feet away as a larger worm swallowed the previous one.
"This is an absolute fuckfest."
Percy chuckled as the girl above him swerved to avoid another worm targeting them.
"Well, we practically invented fuckfests as Greeks so…"
Zina groaned, though a smile tugged at her lips. Her wings suddenly disappeared from her back as she released her grip on the older demigod. She quickly pivoted so that she fell feet first and pin-dropped until she was face to face with the son of the sea. Her arms quickly snaked around his torso as she used her momentum to pull the older boy into a diagonal nosedive. Percy barely said a word, even as a massive worm swallowed the air centimetres to their side, where they had previously been flying, and falling.
"You know, most people give warnings before pulling stunts like that."
Zina chuckled lightly, "Well most people don't have wings."
"Fair enough," Percy replied, a small smile forming on his lips as he fished Riptide from his pocket. He slipped the blade behind Zina's back and plunged it into the worm. His free arms snaked around the daughter of Bia's waist, pulling her closer as their descent was slowed drastically. He gave a low grunt as he adjusted to the extra strain on his arm, before swinging his feet, causing them to begin to spiral around the mutilated creature.
"Ready?" Percy asked.
"Thanks for the warning," Zina responded cheekily as the son of Poseidon pivoted. The moment Zina's back was away from the worm, her wings sprung free once more. With their descent significantly slowed, Percy ripped his blade free of the worm and pushed off of the creature. The pair were airborne just in time to avoid the sudden spray of green.
Percy slipped his left hand into her right hand before he hung beneath her as they flew through the sky.
"Where to next, boss?"
Percy remained silent as he hung from her hand. He grunted lightly in response, shifting Riptide in his hand to grip it like a spear before he launched the blade to the floor.
Adrastea heard the whistling of the blade before she saw it. She wasted no time in dancing away from the glint of bronze which impaled a smaller worm that had emerged from the floor behind her. Moments later, Percy hit the floor running with Zina's hand still attached to his. The son of Poseidon kept running along the floor, which crumbled under each heavy step.
A massive worm broke the surface behind him as he ran past Adrastea with a cheeky grin on his face, "It's delivery, not Digiorno."
The daughter of Ares barely had time to comprehend what he said as he slipped past her, tore his sword from the earth and was airborne once more in Zina's hand. Adrastea shook her head slightly, shifting to her right to avoid the creature, before deciding against it and skipping a few steps to her left with her massive sword trailing behind her. The blade snagged across the width of the worm's gaping mouth, forcing it to split its own body in half.
Adrastea let a puff of air free as her sword felt as though it weighed a few pounds heavier in her tired arms. She took a few seconds to gasp in some ragged breaths at the exertion before turning her eyes to scan the area around them.
The area was littered with various-sized holes, the most prominent being the massive void near the side of the house, and most of the Vanguard had retreated to the house. A few members of the Vanguard remained stranded, waiting to be picked up by either Oliver or Zina. Though the latter seemed largely preoccupied with performing strafe runs with Percy as her heavy artillery.
With the combined efforts of Percy and Zina, the rest of the Vanguard were able to make it to the House.
Percy landed on the bottom step of the veranda as Zina's wing disappeared and she gracefully dropped onto the second, in stride with Percy who wrapped his arm around her waist to help her up the stairs.
"So, what now?" Chrysilla questioned, shooting Zina a curious look, "We wait?"
"There are way too many demigods with powerful scents for our magic to protect you from the horde."
The Vanguard, bar Percy, stared at Satyr Two in shock.
"Come again?" Jerome questioned.
The Satyr stared at Jerome for a few moments before Satyr Three stepped forward.
"We weren't running from the worms. We knew they were here. We knew our magic hid us from the horde and protected us from the worms, so this was the closest safe house for us to wait until camp sent help."
"Technically, our magic wasn't protecting us from the worms. It must've been the floorboards because I had cast some of the magic when we were outside of the house, but it didn't work."
"That's great and all, but how does that matter to us now?" Lily asked, much harsher than she intended to.
"Because it means we aren't safe here. The worms are smarter than you think, they weren't just targeting our last known location, they were using the trajectory of our vibrations to map out where we would be." Chrysilla offered.
Zina nodded in agreement as she made her way to Chris, who now held her crutches. "Even when we were in the sky. They must have some kind of communication system to make estimations based on the other worms or something."
Kerwin huffed from his seated position near the doorway, "This science lesson is fun and all, but how exactly does this help us kill them?"
"Kill them all? That's probably impossible." Adrian's sarcastic chuckle didn't seem to go over too well as the son of Ares glared at him.
"Seems pretty possible to me," Crystal said while pointing to a corpse still gushing green blood.
"Everyone shut up." Percy stepped into the middle of the group. He paused, letting the creaks and groans of his careful steps be the only sound as he made his way back to the edge of the steps.
"The importance of the discovery suggests that the Worms are still likely to get us here, even without being able to sense us. Because they're hidden underground, we have no idea the numbers we're facing. If there are thousands of worms, can we handle that? Especially considering that, either after or during, we'll also have to face a horde of, at least, three hundred monsters?"
"Normal ones or fucked up oversized versions of animals."
I turned to Jordon with a raised eyebrow, "You do know that we literally fought a giant eagle, right?"
"Fair enough."
"So, what do we do, Percy?"
The son of Poseidon stared at Marc for a few moments as he pondered a solution.
"They're here!"
All eyes trailed past Percy at the words of the third, unnamed Satyr.
Well beyond the entrance gate, stood a massive Cyclops. Behind the creature was a massive congregation of various monsters.
"Isn't that the same Cyclops that took my mother's book?"
Percy turned to Adrian, though his eyes stopped at Marc. He raised an eyebrow as he stared at the leader of the second squad. The son of Ares had a mortified expression plastered on his face. Percy's eyes shifted to the other members who were also stiffened in fear and realised it was the same members on the mission for Ares.
"You faced that… that… monster before?"
Adrian snorted at Satyr Two's description of the Cyclops.
"That is what it is, we think it's working for Queen Sess, but we thought it would be in hiding since she died."
Satyr Two shook his head, his eyes never shifting from the Cyclops. "That's more than just a monster, boy. It has the scent of a god attached to it."
"Percy… that's… it has the same aura from…"
The son of Poseidon nodded calmly, finally turning himself to face the creature.
Even at the distance, he could make out the twisted grin and the faint taint of malicious power.
Percy's lips curled in a wolfish grin of his own before he turned to face those on the veranda.
"I've got an idea that you all are going to absolutely hate."
Third Person
"He was right, I hate this more than anything else he's ever suggested."
Marc grunted as he heaved another decaying piece of wood over his shoulder. "Sometimes, the best ideas are the craziest."
"And most of his ideas are crazy."
Marc and Adrastea paused from their work to look up at Chrysilla.
"Do you need us to hurry up?"
The daughter of Athena stared at Adrastea with a small frown for a few moments. "No, I just came to let you know that everyone else is in position and ready whenever you are."
"Sounds like she wants us to hurry up," Marc said with a laugh, nudging his sister who laughed back at him.
"I needed to know…" The siblings paused again, slightly irritated at the prolonged conversation as they continued to pry the wooden floors of the basement apart. "Was it really that bad?"
Marc and Adrastea shared a look, both shivering at the same time before going back to work on the floor.
"Look, Chrysilla," Marc said after a few seconds, though his eyes and hands were focused on his task. "We're both war veterans, but we never faced any god or titan in the fields. So, there isn't much we can compare it to…"
"Kampe… but worse somehow."
Marc paused and looked at this sister, who continued her work. He nodded after a moment.
"Yeah, that's a great analogy actually. Like Kampe but worse."
Chrysilla stared at them in confusion for a few moments before nodding to herself. "I have absolutely no idea what to do with that comparison."
"For fuck's sake! Imagine what it felt like whenever Percy stared down and challenged a god, but they were actually there to kill him and instead of him, it was you they were after! Better?"
Chrysilla seemed stunned for a moment before nodding quietly.
"I'm sorry, I really am. It's just… if I hadn't-"
"You fucked up. I fucked up. We fucked up. Look, I don't know exactly what's going on, but Percy hasn't lost faith in you or us yet so why does anything else matter? If he thinks we can fight through whatever fucking shit is up next, then I'll fight. Even if it's his grandfather again. Now, if you have time to wallow in self-pity, regret, and guilt, you have time to be useful, so go find out a way to be useful somewhere else and let us focus on being useful here!"
Marc and Chrysilla stared at Adrastea in shock, but the girl began ignoring them and focusing on her task once more. Marc cleared his throat, shooting Chrysilla a shrug before returning to work himself.
Chrysilla stared at her feet before turning and walking out of the hatch and back to the veranda.
"From there we just need to get to camp as fast as possible." Adrian finished, stepping to Percy's side as he noticed her returning.
"It won't be that easy. With the amount of extra people, how long are we looking at?"
"We can probably manage a week. They're new to all of this, but they're still demigods."
"What about asking the camp for help?"
Percy stared at Chrysilla flatly for a few moments before shrugging.
"We can shoot them a few iris messages. If anything, I can probably get blackjack to bring the Pegasi to us and take the demigods and satyrs off our hands. Mrs O'Leary is pregnant right now, so I don't want to risk calling her."
"But we can make it for sure, right?"
The leaders paused, staring at the little girl before them in silence for a while. The son of Poseidon crouched down low to face the little girl with a soft smile.
"What's your name?"
The girl stared into the swirling green orbs before her for a few quiet seconds before a large smile broke out on her face.
"I think we can trust you. I'm Maya!"
Percy chuckled lightly, his hand darting out to Maya's shoulder as the earth began to tremble once again. Keeping her steady, their eyes still locked, he nodded. "And I'm Percy. Very nice to meet you properly."
"Hey, Maya. I'm Adrian. Have you met Cassandra?"
The girl paused, her brown eyes darting between Percy and Adrian for a few seconds. Percy urged her on with a slight nod, his hand gently resting on the crown of the young brunette's head.
"I haven't yet, no."
"I think you too will get on really well, how about we go and meet her?"
Maya hesitated for a moment, but after another bout of reassurance from Percy, the girl took Adrian's waiting hand. Percy watched the pair slip through the crowd of demigods on the veranda before rising to his feet.
"You do realise that you never answered her question, right?"
Percy turned to face Chrysilla, his solemn expression was jarring in contrast to his typical jovial nature.
"I'm not going to make a promise I can't keep. Not again."
The pair sat in silence as they peered beyond the gate. The monster army was stagnant as they seemed to be in wait. They were sure that the creature would refrain from an assault for fear of the worms beneath the ground, but Percy was confident in one thing.
"I really am sorry."
Percy shifted his, softening, gaze to Chrysilla.
"I am too."
Chrysilla stepped closer to him, her hand slipping into his as she shook her head fervently.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
Percy squeezed her hand tightly, his eyes staring deep into her soul.
"I'm apologising on behalf of whoever put you up to this. You've been manipulated into this, no matter how much you agreed in the end, and it's evident with the fact that you've made this decision. This is the one that the Vanguard will remember. So, live without regret, cause that's what'll make me the most upset."
Her eyes welled up for a moment before she buried her face into his shoulder. They stayed in their quiet embrace for a few moments.
"It's ready."
Chrysilla pulled away from Percy at the sound of Adrastea's voice. The son of Poseidon looked around the packed veranda before his eyes fell on Adrian.
"Adrian!" The son of Athena turned to Percy, "Call it."
Adrian nodded quickly before turning his attention back to the demigods standing near the deck railings. Their bows were quickly drawn as the son of Poseidon turned to Marc.
"Is Jerome in position?"
The son of Ares nodded, already walking back to the doorway to give the command. Percy waited until Marc gave him a thumbs-up, before nodding to Adrian.
"Alright," he said once he got confirmation. "Shoot!"
The arrows whistled as they careened through the air towards the horde of monsters. The moment the first wave of arrows found purchase in their target, the second was upon them. The monsters were sent into disarray as each wave of arrows managed to claim a life. It was only after ten waves into the onslaught of arrows that their frontline had managed to cover up with shields.
"Success! They've covered up!"
Percy nodded at Adrian's call before turning to Zina. "You're up."
The daughter of Bia nodded and took to the skies in an instant. Percy wasted no time, shifting towards Teucer. "You have the arrow ready?"
The son of Apollo nodded quickly, earning one in return from Percy.
"What exactly is that supposed to do?"
Percy ignored Satyr Two, instead closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
A bright flash of light flared as Zina released a massive beam of energy onto the shielded monsters. Their cries were drowned out by the sudden quiver of the earth beneath them.
"Shooting now, Percy."
Teucer waited for no response before the arrow was released. A Cyclops grunted as it felt the sharp incision of the arrowhead. It lowered its eye, shocked as the projectile had slipped past its dropped guard. It ripped it out easily, ready to discard it, when a spike of ice ripped free from an attached pouch. It tore through its eyes, causing the creature to burst into dust before the spike took off in search of another victim.
Another massive flare of light descended from the sky, dredging an enormous trench on the back line of the monster army. It was only then that the spike of ice ceased as the monster army surged forward to avoid the beam of energy.
"Shoot!"
Another wave of arrows was freed with their corresponding thwang!
The front line buckled, trying to retreat from the deadly storm of projectiles but their movement was halted by the fearful back line. The push of the monsters running from the energy beams behind had formed a stampede. The creatures swarmed forward, pushing the front line forward, even at the expense of trampling them.
Satyr Three shook his head in shock at the sight, "What the fuck… Why are they rushing?"
Percy turned to Marc, "It's your call from here, Marc."
The son of Ares nodded as Percy turned to Satyr Three.
"I didn't quite get your name."
"I'm Cirius."
Percy nodded quickly, as Marc's voice caught his attention momentarily. "Four hundred metres and closing!"
"Fear and Chaos are two of the most destructive elements to an army. There is no logic behind their decision, there is only fear."
"Three hundred metres!"
Percy turned from the stunned Satyr as he heard the stairs of the veranda creak. Zina landed heavily, turning, and taking deep breaths as she sat at the top stair. Jordon was quickly by her side, offering her water while Katherine came a little later with a small fan.
"Two hundred metres!"
Percy turned to Marc who nodded at him and stuck his head in the doorway. The son of Poseidon darted over to Zina, hefting the girl over his shoulder as he turned to the rest of the group behind him "Brace!"
"Now!" Marc cried.
The roaring of the monster army was swallowed by the awful grinding of the earth beneath the house.
Marc ran from the doorway as the house began to give way under the massive quake. Jerome's head popped out of the hatch the moment the roof started caving in. The son of Hermes' wasted no time in sprinting, dodging past debris as best as he could. A beam collapsed, catching the boy on his shoulder, and bending his arm in an odd fashion as he stumbled. Crystal was upon him before he could hit the floor, pulling his uninjured arm over her shoulder before dragging him out of the doorway. The children of Hermes collapsed onto the watery floor of the veranda, Teucer the medic at Jerome's side this time.
Percy stood at the front of the veranda, calling as much water as he could from the pipes, the earth and even the air. The water pooled on the wooden floor, tendrils of water filling the gaps between the planks. The floors gave way once more as the gargantuan worm swallowed the rest of the house. Screams broke out from the group on the veranda as they tore through the roofed veranda and were propelled into the sky.
"This is so your worst idea!" Zina screamed from atop Percy's shoulder. The odd and crude floor beneath them shuddered suddenly. The wood splintered and tore apart as some tendrils of water sprayed upwards from the added force.
Looking down, Percy's eyes widened as he saw that the creature had closed its mouth, shifting its attack from that of a vacuum to a battering ram.
"Fuck!"
The water detached from the boards, letting them clatter and shatter against the rising worm. The water quickly rose, forming a springboard as it sprouted upwards and propelled the group away from the closed maw of the worm.
Tassos
I felt weightless.
The harsh glint of the sun forced my eyes closed as I pondered how Icarus could have gotten even closer to the glaring mass of energy. Screams littered the skies around me, creeping past the sudden rush of winds as gravity's grip on me forced my body back to the floor. I blinked wearily as black spots lingered from the sun's rays.
I shifted my head slightly, scanning the other falling demigods. The movement, though intended to be subtle, tipped me over. I felt my breath hitch as I was met with the, quickly, approaching earthen floor.
A sudden updraft of winds brushed past my face as I felt my descent slow tremendously. My stomach churned, disagreeing with the sudden turbulent winds. I forced my breakfast to settle as I took in the earth once more, this time my mind was not laden with panic. I gasped as I came to realise why the Satyrs had chosen this as their hideout.
The monster army, still in a frenzied disarray, was now under assault from the worms.
I felt a grim sense of awe in the way the overgrown bugs shot out of the earth, easily rending the monsters to pieces as they sailed through the air.
"I can't hold this, Percy!"
The winds seemed to buckle under me, a wave of nausea slamming into me as the image of the earth became blurred.
"It doesn't quite matter what you can or can't do, Oliver!"
I shifted slightly, grateful as my back was once again facing the impending floor. Percy and Oliver were relatively close to me, the only others between us were Zina, Cassandra in her arms, and a few of the newer demigods.
"I know that! This is just a lot of people!"
Percy said something that was lost to the winds, which had managed to slow our descent once more.
"Zina!" A flurry of feathers lightly slapped my face as the daughter of Bia moved to Percy's side. "Gather everyone closer to us, I might be able to help a bit. And!" Percy called out quickly, stopping Zina from flying away, "Once they're here, start taking them to the floor, heaviest to lightest!"
Cassandra slipped out of Zina's grip, climbing to her shoulder before propelling herself to Percy. I shook my head in disbelief at the blind faith of Tyche's daughter who, obviously, was caught by the son of Poseidon. Without even questioning what had just occurred, Zina shot off, blasting me with a rush of wind as she flew past me.
"Percy…!" Oliver warned with a groan.
"Shut the fuck up and do it!"
The son of Aeolus grunted in response.
Time slipped past at a muddled consistency as demigods slowly drifted closer, grabbing onto each other's hands to avoid colliding with each other.
The winds gave out once more as Oliver let out a tired cry. A sudden bark of thunder resounded around us as the winds picked up. The son of Aeolus seemed startled as the winds whipped around us in vicious circles.
"Use it or get lost in it, Oliver!"
The son of Aeolus broke out of his stupor, his pale face setting into another grimace of concentration as the winds blasted us a few metres higher.
Percy's voice called out over the surprised screams around me, "Zina! Take the rest down first then come back for us!"
I followed the pair of white wings as they arched up into the sky above me before they furled up. Zina plummeted, crashing heavily into Chris' midriff as she drove the boy towards the earth at screeching speeds.
In a few seconds, Zina was up once again, picking her next target.
"Percy…!"
I snapped my gaze towards Oliver once more and I felt the blood drain out of my own face as I saw him waning by the second.
"Fuck! Cassandra to Zina!" Percy called out, shifting the little girl in his arms to allow her to climb onto his back. All the while, Percy broke the circle, gliding towards Oliver as Cassandra jumped off his back, screaming Zina's name.
I didn't have any time to look behind me and check on her as the winds suddenly let up.
Panic flooded my senses as I felt the hands in either of mine try to tighten their grip. Zina's face suddenly appeared next to me. I barely managed to make out the small beads of sweat as she pried the small girl out of my right hand. The boy to the other side was dragged down as the daughter of Bia dropped below once again.
"Try not to scream much louder," I flickered my eyes to Percy, who was now holding Oliver's limp body by a mixture of his shirt and pants, and Chrysilla in his left arm. "It messes with my concentration."
A sudden thought popped up in my mind as I saw Percy's eyes begin to glow. All this time watching him made me forget that using too much power could literally kill you. I shuddered to think of how disgustingly overpowered Percy was to the extent that it made what was ordinarily a superhuman feat from Oliver seem as if he wasn't putting his work in.
Said son of Poseidon suddenly zipped past me, the force of his speed twisting me to face the, shockingly, close earth. A massive boom resounded as a plum of dust rose and obscured my view, leaving me in a coughing fit as I awaited impact.
Only…
It didn't come.
The sound of coughing caught my attention, it quickly spread and as I opened my eyes, I realised that I was a part of the canopy of a large clearing. I wasn't falling anymore, but I was in the middle of the dust which had risen.
A few moments later, the dust cleared, and I saw that Percy was on the floor still, groaning as his left hand held Chrysilla tightly and his right shot past her, a water bubble had engulfed the rest of the vanguard, leaving only our heads exposed, as it pulled us to the earth.
Chrysilla slowly rose from Percy, and I saw the layer of water that barely separated the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Athena, an extra layer that absorbed the impact before she could.
"Are you okay?" I heard Percy ask, one of his eyes squeezed tight in what I assumed was pain, as he smiled up at Chrysilla.
I glanced around in confusion, only to find my answer a few feet from the couple. Zina held Oliver's limp body in a fireman's position for a moment. She ruined her heroic image by dumping the boy on the ground and falling to the floor heaving for air.
The water bubble around us slowly lowered to the ground, only dissipating as we all stood on the earthen floor. I turned back to Percy to find him with his lips locked with the daughter of Athena.
"I know you're together and all that, but can I have a turn next?" I turned to Jordon, who was patting himself from the dust with a look that I couldn't quite tell if he was serious or not. When Teucer and Katherine began to laugh, I sighed in relief, as the laughter spread around the group.
"That was fucking awesome!"
"Let's do that shit again!"
"NO!" was the response from Percy, Zina, and a very weak Oliver.
Percy quickly sat up, staring at the son of Aeolus.
"You good buddy?"
He raised a trembling thumbs up, before falling face-first into the earth.
Teucer had begun rushing towards the prone boy before Percy could even issue an order. The son of Apollo stumbled as the earth began to tremble once more.
"Oh, give us a fucking break!" I couldn't help but agree with Chris as I felt his exasperation matched by my own.
"Wait a minute," I muttered as I dropped to the floor, my hand passing through the dirt. "It's not coming from under us this time..."
The sun was blotched out from the sky once more as the massive shadow of the worm loomed over us. A rattling hiss emitted from its circular maw as it began its descent onto us.
Adrastea gave an obstinate snort as she stood firm. "I hate smart monsters more than anything else."
"What do we do now?" I heard one of the satyrs yell.
'Use your powers.'
I baulked at the soft prodding of my mother's voice in my mind. I shook my head as I stared at my hand resting on the floor. There was no way I could do anything to stop that! I wasn't Percy…
'Trust me, my son. Use your powers.'
I clicked my tongue slightly, my eyes shifting back to Adrastea who stood fast before I caught sight of Percy whose green eyes gleamed knowingly at me. He gave me a soft smile and nodded. I closed my eyes, shutting out the noise around me as I focused on the power gnawing at my gut. There was only one thing I could think of as I felt my energy seep out of the palm of my hand.
"What the fuck?"
I peeked out of one eye to see that a massive trunk of wood had shot out of the earth before me. The massive tree trunk continued to grow, branches sprouting out of its sides as leaves adorned the edges. I could only stare up in awe at my creation as the worm impaled itself upon the growing crown of the tree.
"I am so sorry about this Tassos." I turned to Percy, holding his gaze as I saw the true sadness emitting from his green orbs. I nodded, pulling my hand from the floor, and turning away from my tree.
"Fire arrows! Now"
Before I could resent my decision, Percy was pulling me away from the tree.
"You saved us from the worm and gave us a way to cut off the remainder of the monster army from getting to us. I can't even imagine how much that tree must've meant to you an-"
"I can grow another one, but I can't bring you all back to life." I cut him off with a small smile. He patted my shoulder lightly.
"I guess massive worms are just as outrageous as flying pigs… even though I've seen that already."
I chuckled, turning back to the massive flaming tree for a moment. I sighed to myself before turning back to the other retreating demigods and Satyrs and followed them.
A/N: Did I say Sunday? Might be a little bit early with this one then.
I've been writing for this story the entire time I've been gone, so the next two weeks are already prepared to be released.
Quickly moving onto the reviews. I've had to change my email address for this site because I haven't been getting notifications since around February. I was so surprised to see that the story had received any kind of attention while I was away if I'm honest. I'm really grateful for all of your support and I hope to repay that by giving you all a complete story. There will definitely be gaps between now and the end, unfortunately.
I got a few questions about Chrysilla's motive in the last chapter. It should make sense in the future if you're willing to wait for it.
The last thing I wanted to talk about was a new discord server. Justafanboy left the idea and I'm going to look into it this week, so there may be a link to it in the next chapter. That being said, I want to give some more appreciation to The Emerald Library. It's a great server with amazing authors that have been producing insane fics for years. There's a lot of stories being released, but you can more safely rely on the quality through them.
Alright, that's about enough from me! I hope you're all having a great day whenever you're reading this. See you all next week!
-ZedricSOZ