Chapter 4

The mood was solemn as the guardians returned to camp. Hermes had brought them back to the Great Hall before sending them back to camp- they had to report to Zeus.

For once, the leader of the gods didn't have a lot to say. He simply nodded his head as he looked at the three remaining guardians. Perhaps he was realizing that the age of the guardians was coming to a close- something that he had been denying for the last four centuries.

The gods as a whole were somber. It was more common two centuries ago to accept the deaths of a number of guardians. However, as time had gone on, each death felt like a sharper stab; as the gods found their friends dying on the battlefield. Fighting the battles that they couldn't fight.

Now it was just three. Ansuz was silent, her face downcast, as she stared at the ground. Jera had his hands stuffed in his pockets, a few paces behind Percy and Ansuz. The campers that had so joyfully come out to greet them realized that something was wrong almost immediately. The normally cheerful guardians were silent. Their faces conveyed the hundreds of years of horror that they had witnessed and gone through, as they walked towards the Big House.

Chiron stood waiting for them in front of the Big House. As the three of them approached, he trotted forwards placing a hand on each of the guardians shoulders before turning and walking back towards the Big House.

For once, the counselor didn't know what to say. There were no words that could comfort those that had lost a friend to another friend.

Percy looked at Ansuz. The whole time he had wanted to say something to her— but what was there to say? He looked back at Jera, his best friend. His face was contorted as he tried to hold back his tears. There was nothing he could say to him either.

Percy clenched his fists as he tried to hold back his fury. Once again. Once again, the god's mission had led to the death of people close to him.

Percy turned and walked towards the forest, but paused and looked back at the two remaining guardians; who hadn't moved.

"Make sure to guard your posts." He said, before continuing to walk towards the forest.

Percy's thoughts for once were stagnant. To him, the whole situation felt surreal, as he moved through the quiet forest. The death of Wunjo and Isa… he let out a long sigh, as he stopped in front of a creek. Percy took a moment as he brought some of the water to his face, splashing himself with the cool water in an attempt to clear his mind.

Right now Percy knew that he had to be a leader. He needed to focus on the mission, and guard the camp until the quest returned. When the camp had acquired the golden fleece, his, Ansuz, and Jera's jobs would be much easier.

Percy took a seat on a flat rock, overlooking the vast greenier of the forest. The ambient noises of the creek, trickling along, insects humming around him and birds chirping fair above his head, filled his ears. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the calm sink into him as he let out another, long sigh.

Suddenly Percy heard a rustling in the underbrush nearby. Opening his eyes, he saw a delicate silver foxglove blossom drifting down, spiraling in the air as if enchanted, landing gently on his knee.

A voice, appearing behind him, softly whispered, "Ah Perseus, are you already wearied by the sight of green? Or have your senses dulled since the last we met?"

Percy shot up from his sitting position, whirling around in surprise, panic painting his face. There on the rock, where he had been just a moment ago, was Zoë Nightshade. Her long wavy, black hair falling gracefully behind her, matching her olive-toned skin. Her dark brown eyes held mirth in them, as she looked down at Percy– a beautiful smile painting her face.

She let out a soft laugh that seemed to ring through the forest like a melody.

"You should see your face, Perseus! Thou looked as though thou wouldst leap from thy very skin!" She said, her smile playing across her face.

Even though Percy had found himself terrified a moment before, he couldn't help but let a genuine smile slip onto his face.
"Zoë…." Percy muttered as he looked at her. It had been a long time since he had last seen her.

Zoë hopped off the rock and walked towards Percy. She was shorter than him– by some margin. She wrapped her arms around Percy and said, "I have missed thou."

Percy returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her back, as he said, "You never did drop your old English act, did you?"

Zoë pulled away and playfully punched Percy on the shoulder saying, "I have tried my best to please thou- you! You!" She reiterated as she tried to convey the fact that she had tried hard to break her habit.

Percy simply laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm sure you've done a good job."

It was as if all his worries were melting away. Zoë had come at the perfect time— as she always seemingly had in the past as well.

"Come sit with me," Zoë said as she walked back towards the rock. Percy found himself following behind her without a question.

"How have you been Perseus? It has been far too long since I last saw you." Zoë said, as she looked up into Percy's eyes.

"Good… I've been good," Percy said as the thoughts of Wunjo and Isa returned for a moment.

There was a brief moment of silence before Zoë quipped, "Did you like my prank Perseus? It wasn't as creative as last time unfortunately."

"It was so lame," Percy deadpanned as he looked at Zoë's face, which was now filled with mock hurt and shock.
"Do you know how long I spent thinking about that prank!" She said rolling her eyes playfully.

"I'm sure you only spent the last 119 years," Percy muttered as he promptly received another soft punch to his shoulder.

"Well dummy that is exactly how long I spent thinking about you." Zoë said, before she fell silent, realizing what she had just said.

Percy felt his cheeks flush, here a hunter of Artemis— no. Here was Zoë Nightshade, the person that he had known for nearly his entire life as a semi-immortal saying that he had been in her thoughts for the last 119 years.

"Ah well…" Percy said, trying to figure out what to say, "I was planning on how to avoid your next prank!"

Internally Percy slapped his own forehead. After a 119 years this was the best he had to show for it?

Zoë let out another sparkling laugh, "You're funny Percy."

"You called me Percy finally."

"No I didn't Perseus."

"Yes you did!"

"I did not!"

"Thou did…"

Another punch to his shoulder came after he mimicked Zoë's old english.

"How's the hunt been?" Percy asked, changing the topic.

"It has been good. We have had a number of very interesting journeys since I last saw you. Artemis speaks frequently about you; though she didn't know very much." Zoë replied as she brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

Percy smiled at Zoë, "Yeah? Artemis speaks frequently about me huh?"

"She admires your ability with the sword, she says you'd make a good hunter," Zoë muttered before also adding, "Plus she thinks you're a good man."

"What do you think, Zoë?" Percy asked, as he looked over into Zoë's eyes.

Zoë felt her eyes go wide as it was her turn to feel her face flush as she mumbled, "I- uhm. I think you are reasonable…"

"What does that even mean?" Percy said, as he chuckled.

Zoë shrugged as she uncurled her legs, stretching them out in front of her.

"Are you still happy in the hunt?" Percy asked suddenly.

Zoë looked over at him, surprised to hear that kind of question. "Yes, I am. Why are you asking that?"

"That's good, I was just wondering if… never mind." Percy said as he shook his head.

Zoë leaned over, putting her head on Percy's shoulder, and softly said "I missed you, I'm really glad you're back. I'm really sorry about Wunjo and Isa… Artemis told me. If you need anything I'm here."

Percy let out a long, soft sigh, as he leaned his head on her's, "Thank you Zoë, I'm glad you're here."

It was as if time had slowed, Percy felt his heart rate increase as he looked straight ahead, his head on Zoë's. His hand lingered behind Zoë's back, as Percy glanced at her hands that were resting in her lap. Slowly he wrapped an arm around Zoë's waist as the two listened to the now ambient noises of the forest once more.

"Would you ever leave the hunt, Zoë?"

There was a long silence after Percy asked his question. He wasn't even sure why he asked it. Artemis had always talked about how Zoë was her most loyal, faithful, and senior hunter. The amount of time that Zoë had been in the hunt was almost equivalent to the amount of time that Percy had been a part of the guardians.

"Would you ever try to leave the guardians?" Zoë answered back by asking a question of her own.

Now it was Percy's turn to take a long silence. For Percy, it wasn't as simple as leaving the guardians. He was bound. It wasn't something that he had a choice in, and Zoë knew that.

"I… would like to someday." Percy said quietly. After all the bloodshed, missions, and orders that the gods have given him over the centuries; he was ready to leave.

"Maybe I would leave the hunt too if that day ever came." Zoë said softly.

"Why?" Percy asked, his heart rate speeding up as he asked the question. Why would Zoë leave the hunt if that day when he was free from the guardians came?

"Because-" Suddenly a loud horn sounded, the conch shell being blown.

Percy's head raised as he looked back towards Camp.

"I have to go Zoë… tell me later" Percy said as he stood and started jogging back towards camp. The conch horn usually was only blown if something big was going on, which was exactly why Percy felt he needed to get back to camp so quickly.

Zoë watched as Percy jogged off back towards camp. Her heart was still beating uncharacteristically fast— the whole conversation with Perseus had made her nervous. Butterflies had made her stomach a mess and she had fought the instinct to fiddle with her hair the whole time. She had feared that the boy that she had known 119 years ago might be gone, that the time in that space where the guardians went might have changed him. Yet, as she watched Percy head back towards camp, she realized that it was still the same Percy, her Percy that she knew best.

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Percy arrived back at camp, slightly out of breath and his hair disheveled, as he looked around for Chiron. For a moment, he didn't see anyone, as he walked back towards the Big House trying to figure out where everyone had gone. Then he noticed the big group of campers congregated by the camp border.

Percy headed up towards the group, wondering what all the fuss was about. That's when he saw Kia, Annabeth, and Clarisse standing around Thalia's tree with a shimmering, golden fleece.

He looked over at Jera, his face was blank, emotionless as he looked at the life giving fleece. Percy wasn't sure what to say as he looked at his best friend. It was going to take awhile before Jera was ready to move on– it would take them all awhile.

Kia wrapped the golden fleece around the base of Thalia's tree before he stepped back. It felt like everyone was holding their breath, expecting something to happen right away as they watched the tree. In anticlimactic fashion, nothing happened.

Chiron broke up the congregation and sent the campers back to their jobs.

"Well never thought you two would actually manage to retrieve it." Percy said teasingly to Kia and Annabeth, both promptly huffed indignantly.

"Yeah yeah, just leave the heavy lifting to the younger generations, you guys are outdated anyways." Annabeth said cheekily.

Percy laughed and said, "Alright that was a good one, then again maybe I should retire…" Percy's mind drifted back to the conversation he had with Zoë only a few minutes before. For the first time Percy really started to envision leaving the guardians.

"Yeah you should, then we won't have to worry about some old man running around like crazy." Kai chipped in.

Percy put up a front of mock hurt as he said, "Junior, how could you say that about your elder!"

The three of them laughed together as they walked back towards the Big House. Jera staring after Percy all the while from the hilltop.

The End of Chapter 4.