Because I am an evil mastermind I will be extending the space between updates to three weeks instead of two. And before everyone pulls out the pitchforks, it's because I am posting a third story, and a fourth in a couple months but anyways. This one will be PJO/Avatar. Wanted to adopt Sapphire Flame but it got updated so decided to make my own instead. Anyways, here's the summary for it and I will be posting it next Thursday. So the order will go; Immortalized, Shadows, As Long As We're Together (Avatar), and then eventually an undisclosed fic.
He was the prince of Omashu. She was the princess of the Fire Nation. A stranger in an even stranger war, he was tasked with getting information out of her. Will Percy be able to turn the Jewel of the Fire Nation from her father, or will the world be turned asunder? Fate determined them to be enemies, but Percy was not one to be bound by anyone.
Also, sorry I again forgot to update this document before posting it. I usually write on Word and then move it to Google docs so my beta can read it before saving them on fanfiction and apparently somethings get lost in transition. So my bad.
"So, this is the Tower of Terror," Percy said as he looked out over the desert of black sand from their spot on a dune. Said tower was actually four spires rising out of a short and fat cylinder like structure. The 'tower' was surrounded by numerous structures of various sizes and enclosed from the desert by a massive wall of red stone. A foreboding red mist hung around the spires and creeped down the sides of the structure. "Hold up. How is there mist in a desert?"
After leaving the dark labyrinth, the Minotaur led the group through the Dark Lands and into the Desert of Terror in relative safety. They had avoided the larger war parties and decimated the smaller ones. After his incident in Prometheus' home, he had tried to give back Backbiter's hilt, but Prometheus refused to take it. He argued that by rights it was his. He didn't like it, but here he was, walking with the hilt of his enemy's sword on his hip.
Kronos rolled his eyes. "This is Tartarus, Perseus," he answered as he observed the tower and its surrounding city with him. "The rules of Gaea do not apply here."
Percy nodded along in thought. "Okay, fair enough," he agreed. There were gargoyles scattered about the ledges of the tower and on the edges of the gothic hell scape like structures. "It almost looks like you could touch the ceiling of Tartarus from the top of the spires."
"It is just an illusion," Kronos explained. "Tartarus has no ceiling. The closer you get to it the farther it becomes."
"So, what is the plan?" Artemis asked, petting the drakon, her purring shook the sands beneath them.
Percy shrugged. "I'll be honest. When I heard tower, I thought it would be a single tower sitting in the middle of a desert. This will be trickier. No doubt that citadel is crawling with monsters," he said, the Minotaur huffing in seeming agreement. Percy looked to the bull man with annoyance. "We should have brought a translator or something. Can barely understand him."
A rumble came from the Minotaur's throat as he glared at the demigod. "Do you still require a translation?" Kronos asked condescendingly, his eyes remaining fixed on the tower. "I have an idea." Percy and Artemis looked to the titan specter expectantly. "Let the Minotaur and the drakon charge the front gates, and we will use that distraction to get into the tower and deal with the brothers ourselves."
The goddess and demigod shared looks of concern. "I don't really care about Beef for Brains, but I don't want Tiamat getting wacked," Percy shared his concerns.
Kronos raised an eyebrow. "Tiamat?" he asked in confusion.
Percy looked back at the drakon and shrugged. "She needed a name."
"These forces are relatively new. They haven't had the time to gather the more powerful monsters across the realm," Kronos reasoned. "Nor have they had time to properly train them. As long as they keep moving, they should be able to keep their forces off balance and focused on them."
Percy grunted before turning to the Minotaur. "We have a plan. Do you think you can take Tiamat and distract their forces while Artemis and I search for the titans?" The Minotaur snorted and nodded, turning to the drakon and climbing onto her.
"A word of wisdom," Kronos said, getting Percy's attention. "For both of you. When in the presence of others, do not respond to me. At least not directly."
Artemis quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why does that matter?"
"Do you want everyone to think that you are under the influence of the ghost of the Titan King?" Kronos asked them. "If Perseus is to raise his forces, they must believe him to be my successor and not my puppet."
Percy glared at the specter. "I told you before, I have no interest in leading anyone," he argued. "I am here to end the threat to the mortal world. That is it."
Kronos groaned in annoyance before turning to Artemis. "Surely you understand what I am saying do you not?" he asked the goddess.
Artemis' eyes widened in surprise that he would even ask her that. "If you are asking if I would support Percy becoming you? No, I would not," Artemis told him.
"I am not-Fine," Kronos interrupted himself, seeing no point in arguing. "Regardless, my point stands. Do not acknowledge me in the presence of those who do not know of me."
"I guess you have a point there," Percy agreed begrudgingly. "If possible, I would just ignore you entirely, but here we are." The former titan king rolled his eyes before disappearing. Percy looked to the Minotaur and gave him a hard look. "If anything happens to Tiamat, you'll be begging for Tartarus to suck up your soul."
The Minotaur snorted before gently tapping the beast's sides with his hooves. Tiamat lumbered down the dune and to the citadel.
Artemis stood next to Percy, watching the two monsters depart. "Do you have a plan to get in?"
Percy gave her a grin. "I have an idea."
Percy led Artemis to the wall of the citadel, the red bricks casting a dark glow on the black sands beneath their feet. He placed a hand on the wall. He hadn't realized just how tall it was, standing many times his own height. He placed a finger to his lips as he looked at Artemis. The goddess nodded, a question on her lips and in her eyes. Her question was answered when a roar sounded across the desert. It was Tiamat. Percy gave her a wide smile. "Sounds like the fun is starting. Come on," he looped his fingers together and held them below his waist.
Artemis nodded, taking a step back before launching forward. She stepped in his interlocked fingers, the demigod launching her upwards. She was surprised by how far he threw her, her body clearing the wall easily. She landed softly against the top of the wall, scanning the walkways for any guards. She caught the backs of several monster, heading towards the main gate where the fighting was happening. Artemis looked back to see Percy running up to the wall and leaping up it. He stepped onto the wall, giving himself an additional boost and Artemis reached down and grasped his hand. She hauled the demigod up the wall. He drew his sword as Artemis drew her bow and three arrows. A large crash was heard from the main gate. "Sounds like they are having a blast," Artemis said as they made their way down the steps of the wall, they began navigating the streets of the citadel, the spires a clear landmark for them to follow.
"I just hope they come out alright," Percy said, peeking around the wall. A column of dracaena was running down the street towards them. He turned back to Artemis. "Want to take out some dracaena?"
Artemis shrugged. "Might as well help our companions out," she answered and readied her bow.
Percy nodded and waited. The column passed their spot in the alley. Percy jumped into the middle of the column with a roar of challenge, swinging his sword with wild abandon. The goddess rolled her eyes before emerging from the alley, firing off arrows rapidly into the crowd of dragon women.
The group died off quickly, leaving behind various pieces of armor and weapons on the street. Percy picked through them before finding a full quiver of arrows. He grabbed the arrows and allowed the quiver to drop to the ground. They were far from the professionally built arrows that Artemis was used too, but better than the ones they had managed to cobble together. "Here," he said, handing the bundle of arrows to the goddess.
Artemis took the arrows with a nod, adding them to her half full quiver. "Thank you." She looked up and down the street. "We should hurry."
Percy nodded in agreement and the two continued through the streets and alleyways towards the spires. "Do you think they would be in one of the spires, or in the base?"
"The spires are torture chambers," Kronos' voice sounded in their heads. "As you ascend, the degrees of torture magnify until you reach the top, where even gods and titans fear. Pallas and Perses will most likely be in the throne room at the base."
"Good to know," Artemis responded.
As they traveled through the city, they could hear Tiamat's roar in various parts of the city. The drakon and Minotaur remained on the move to avoid getting trapped. After several minutes of running, Percy and Artemis reached the Tower of Terror. Up close, the red stoned structure carried a sense of dread and foreboding that seeped into their skin. The sharp angles and jagged ledges made Percy uncomfortable just looking at it. Gargoyles and other stone beasts littered the walls on outcroppings and ledges. What windows they could see were barred and the doors reinforced. "How are we going to get in?" Artemis asked as she looked over the walls.
"Normally, I would say break open one of the side doors or the windows. But we don't know our way around and we are on a time crunch," Percy reasoned. "So, I say we just knock down the front door."
They followed the walls of the tower, eventually coming across a pair of massive black wooden doors reinforced with blood red metal. Percy and Artemis shared a look and the demigod shrugged. He pushed the doors open slowly, surprised that they were not boarded up. Two rows of blazers illuminated the great space of the room and columns disappeared into the dark ceiling above. Chandeliers hung with skeletons and half decayed bodies stabbed through spikes. At the far end of the room, stood a throne of blood red metal. Percy and Artemis stepped through the open doors cautiously, their eyes darting back and forth as they looked for any threats. The doors moved as they cleared them, as if moved by some unseen force. The walk to the throne was uneventful, their footfalls the only sounds in the room as they walked. The throne itself sat on a raised dais, with forked spikes and blades of all manors jutting from it.
Percy relaxed minutely as he examined the room. "Uh, aren't they supposed to be here?" he asked to no one in particular.
In answer, a small horde of monsters rushed into the throne room, surrounding the duo. Telekhines, dracaena, cyclopes, and other monsters that Percy couldn't name, surrounded and leered at them. Artemis and Percy stood back-to-back, weapons at the ready.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" a rough voice echoed through the room. A form shimmered in front of the throne, before coalescing into the titan of warcraft. Pallas stood in gleaming knight armor, a large sword attached to his hip and a helmet clipped to his belt. His shaggy blonde hair framed a rough and scared face, his lips set in a permanent frown. "Did you think we would not prepare?"
"How did you know we were coming?" Artemis asked, her bow pointed at a particularly aggressive cyclops.
"You were traversing a desert. It is quite difficult to hide from our sentries," he deadpanned her. "We saw you coming miles away and have prepared.
"So, what happens now?" Percy asked.
Pallas rested a hand on the hilt of his sword. "We kill you, of course," he told them, many of the monsters shouting in agreement. "You have killed many of our war parties over the years, even if you didn't know it. Removing you from the field will be a great boon to us when we move on the rest of Tartarus."
The monsters moved in, barring their teeth and weapons at them. Percy dashed into the fray as Artemis let loose a stream of arrows. The goddess weaved her way through the throng of enemies, firing her arrows at point blank range and even using them as makeshift knives. Unfortunately, she eventually ran out of arrows and was forced to draw her swords. Her superior speed and reflexes kept her alive as she ducked, dodged, and parried blows that would have felled many mortals. Her swords carved through armor and flesh as if they were naught but cloth. The monsters tried and failed to land a hit against the goddess as she moved from one downed foe to the next.
Percy moved with less grace than the huntress, bulldozing through some of the smaller monsters and leaving behind a trail of destruction. Every swing of his sword ended the life of a monster, and he slowly but surely carved his way through the horde. Eventually, he found his way back to Artemis, the two mingling their combat together like a symphony of chaos. Artemis, fluid and precise, her newly found arrows finding their marks with deadly accuracy. Percy, raw power and determination, his blade a whirlwind of destruction. Together, they danced amidst the chaos, a celestial huntress and a demigod, their movements synchronized as if fate itself orchestrated their battle.
Percy blocked a blow aimed at Artemis, before something crashed into him. He rolled across the stone floor and looked up to find Pallas standing before him. "Percy!" Artemis shouted before she was seemingly swallowed by the mass of monsters.
The titan of warcraft watched the demigod with disappointment. "When I heard the legend of the great Perseus Jackson, I was expecting some powerful warrior," he said as he drew his longsword. "So far, I am not impressed."
Percy shook himself before rising to his feet. "It's a good thing I don't really care what you think," he countered before reading himself. The monsters gathered around them forming a large ring for the two to fight in. Pallas moved first, striking out with such speed that Percy thought he teleported. The demigod managed to dodge the blow and struck with his own counterattack.
Pallas met his counter with force, the two blades locking with the force to crater the stone. "You are strong, demigod," he praised the demigod. "Let us see if your skills are up to the task." Pallas broke the lock and the two entered a deadly dance of bronze. Of the spectators, none could tell who was the aggressor and who was the defender, each attack leading to the next as they met. Neither blade seemed to block any attack, instead the two attacks meeting head on.
Until someone made a mistake. Who's mistake it was, or what the mistake even was, only the titan and demigod would know. The two locked blades again, the titan watching Percy with a grin. "Good, perhaps you are as skilled as the legends say. I am pleased you will not die so quickly."
"Shut up," Percy grunted. He stepped out from the lock, Pallas stepping back as well. Percy blitzed the titan, the two meeting in a blur of celestial fury.
As quickly as he struck, Percy's sword was knocked from his hand, Riptide flying into the air and out of reach. Percy watched in shock as Pallas kicked him to the ground. The titan kept his foot planted on his chest and smiled cruelly at the demigod. "But not good enough, it would seem."
Percy glared at the titan, he tried to call for water to help him, but found none. He couldn't even feel the moisture in the air. He watched Pallas raise his sword with dread. He needed to get up. He wouldn't dare die like this. Then he felt a pain in his back, like something hard was jabbing into his skin. Percy's eyes widened minutely before narrowing. He reached underneath him and grabbed the sword hilt. Pallas brought down his sword. Percy drew the remnants of Backbiter. Fragmented blade blocked the titan's sword, a shockwave blasting out from the impact. Pallas stepped back, surprised as Percy rose to his feet, his fragmented blade pulsing with golden energy.
Pallas eyed the demigod carefully. "What trickery is this?"
A grunt of pain interrupted them as Artemis flew into the ring and landed next to Percy. She bore new scuffs and cuts but otherwise appeared fine. Perses ran into the ring after her scowling. The titan wore a cuirass, bracers, and greaves, wielding a massive great sword. Artemis calmed her breathing before looking at Percy confused. "What happened to you?" she asked, looking into his sea green eyes radiating golden light.
Percy looked down at his form, his gryphon hide garments flowing in the golden waves. Energy filled his beings, like he had been dropped in an ocean of power. He felt a pull in his gut and the golden light funneled to the sword hilt before coalescing into a sword of golden light beginning where the shard of Backbiter ended. Half of his form was replaced with the spectral form of Kronos. "I don't know," he answered honestly both in his voice and Kronos', looking at the sword carefully. It resembled Backbiter. One half of the blade was a darker shade of gold than the other. He wondered if it could reap souls like the original. His golden aura expanded outward, falling onto the surrounding monsters. Several of them shivered as the light touched them, golden light assimilating into them and glowing from their eyes.
"That is but a ghost of my symbol's power," Kronos spoke, his voice echoing in the minds of Percy and Artemis. "It is recognizing you as its owner and responding to your need. The more pieces we gather, the more powerful it will become."
Perses narrowed his eyes as he examined the demigod's sword. "Brother, that looks like-"
"Quiet!" Pallas hissed at his brother before looking back to Percy. "It is just an illusion--a desperate trick by a boy out of his depth. It cannot harm me."
Kronos scoffed. "Perseus, do me a favor," he said to his host. "Humiliate this cretin." His spectral half disappeared.
Percy's eyes flashed with gold. He stepped forward… and appeared before the titan. Pallas jerked in surprise and swung his sword. Percy easily deflected the blade, throwing the titan off balance. Each clash of blades detonated an explosion of golden energy. Artemis watched as Percy battered the titan of warcraft aside, the difference in their power not only closed, but then widened considerably. The monsters around them shifted with nervous energy before suddenly, at a powerful explosion of golden energy, friend became foe as monsters with golden light turned against their comrades. Perses, unsure of what to make of these events, rushed the goddess, who met his charge eagerly.
Power flooded his being as Percy toyed with Pallas, his golden blade striking out and blocking any of his attempted counterattacks. It was then he noticed the monsters around them fighting against each other. Pallas noticed it too and for the first time, Percy noticed unease in the titan's eyes. The titan tried to skewer the demigod who brought his blade up to block and-
The sword sunk into Percy's gut. His power faded as quickly as it had come, and his sword reverted to naught but a shard. Percy spit blood from his mouth, just as surprised as Pallas at the turn of events. "I knew it was a falsehood," Pallas claimed as he pulled the blade from Percy's gut.
Artemis' eyes widened as she avoided Perses' massive sword. She rolled past the titan of destruction and caught Percy as he fell to the ground. "By the Fates, boy," she grunted as she caught him.
Pallas stood over the pair, hefting his sword up. "And so ends the great Perseus. You fared better than most, but you all fall just the same."
Percy reached for the last dregs of power in his body and called out. He wasn't sure what he was calling out for, but his instincts called out all the same.
A roar resounded through the structure, stopping the fighting around them. Artemis and Percy exchanged looks before the goddess covered his body with hers. The front doors of the structure blasted inward, and Tiamat came charging through the opening. Most of the monsters fled in fear, those that stood against her were quickly crushed under her or eaten. Perses grinned at the challenge and rushed the drakon. Tiamat growled as the titan approached before spinning and slapping him with her tail. Perses flew back and crashed through a wall, collapsing that section of the wall.
Pallas grunted in annoyance. "Is there anyone of any competency in this citadel?" he yelled as he left the goddess and demigod where they sat. As he approached, Tiamat eyed the titan carefully. "Oh, seems you are more than just some savage beast. But it matters not. I will kill you all the same."
Tiamat snorted before bucking. The Minotaur bounced off her back and towards the end of her tail. The drakon spun again and flung the bull with her tail at the titan. Pallas watched in surprise as the Minotaur slammed his hooves into the armored chest of the titan. Pallas flew backwards into the throne, collapsing the metal seat around him.
The Minotaur rose with a huff before walking to the downed duo. Without a noise, he lifted the demigod from Artemis' arms and walked to the drakon. Artemis sat dumbfounded by the string of events that had just occurred unsure of what to actually do.
"You should hurry," Kronos told her before appearing before her. "I suspect he will not wait for you."
"What just happened?" she asked the titan lord as she rose to her feet.
Kronos shrugged. "He is actualizing my power. His power," he answered. "They must have awakened when he was given the fragmented blade. We should look for the others soon." The specter disappeared and Artemis was left alone. She didn't know what to think of this revelation. She hated the idea of Percy using more of Kronos' power, but if today proved anything, it was that they were not strong enough as they were to defeat their enemies.
Pallas groaned as he rose from his crumbling throne. "I will flay that monster and serve it in a grand feast," he grumbled and grabbed his sword.
Realizing that they needed to hurry, Artemis quickly ran to the drakon and climbed onto her. She settled behind the Minotaur who cradled the demigod in his arms. "Let's go," she yelled at Tiamat who quickly turned around and lumbered out of the tower.