Silver eyes, cold as the moon, stared upward at the ten meters of celestial bronze statue being built on Olympus. It was beautiful, to say the least, perfectly capturing every muscle, strand of hair, and emotion of the infamous demigod that had saved them so many times. Not once did she take her eyes off of it, not when people were walking around her conversing loudly or when the sun went behind the horizon, revealing the starry night sky. She shivered slightly as the cool night wind hit her pale skin, yet she did not relent. She just couldn't peel her eyes away. She didn't know why. It wasn't like they were close when he was alive, conversing only a handful of times if her memory was correct. Yet why was there an aching feeling in her chest? Why did she feel as if she had lost a dear friend?

"Why?" She softly asked aloud. "Why are you making me feel like this?" She looked up at the statue's eyes. There was no reply which was something she knew would happen yet why was she still talking to it? Perseus was gone now. No amount of questions or emerging emotions could bring him back.

"Always knew you had a soft spot for him." A woman's voice said behind her before she felt a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Finally peeling her eyes away from Perseus's statue, she narrowed her eyes at her lieutenant who was now the one gazing upward at it.

"I suppose you're right." Artemis relented, wrapping the blanket closer around her body. "He was truly the only man I respected."

"If he heard you say that, he'd be so embarrassed right now. He'd be stammering and running his hand on the back of his neck." Thalia laughed, staring at her late friend's bronze face which had his signature, infuriating smirk etched on it.

"He was one to be awkward when it came to receiving compliments, wasn't he?"

"Oh for sure." The daughter of Zeus replied, smiling brightly as she remembered the past. "Which is why I wish I could've gave him a lot more when he was here."

The huntresses stayed silent for a moment as they both stared at the statue. It wasn't until Artemis heard quiet sniffing that she looked at her half-sister once more. Seeing tears in her eyes, she shuffled closer to her and wrapped the blanket around the both of them.

"I wish I said a lot of things to him." Thalia said, her voice high-pitched as she desperately tried to stop the sobs. "I just-just would've never thought it'd end up like this, y'know?"

Artemis ran her hand along her friend's shoulders soothingly, letting her speak her thoughts. Thalia hadn't been able to properly grieve it seemed, too busy leading the hunters while Artemis was on Olympus dealing with things. Now that they were both here, it seemed there was enough downtime for both their minds to catch up to all that had happened these past few weeks.

"He was unstoppable to me. Every time I saw him fight, he was always the victor. Every. Single. Time. I honestly thought he'd never be killed. He was just way too powerful for a demigod. Not even myself, a daughter of Zeus, could compare to him."

Artemis had to agree with her on that. Not even the ancient demigods could compare to Perseus. Thinking back on all that the son of Poseidon had accomplished over the years, she honestly was surprised that her father hadn't killed him with a lightning bolt when he had the chance. The power he wielded must've infuriated Zeus to no end.

"All strength eventually fades, Thalia. No matter who wields it. All we can do is remember and honor those that use it for good." Artemis replied, her thousands of years of experience coming out. She had seen this time and time again yet for some reason she couldn't help but think it was different this time. It felt more…personal.

"Apparently they're honoring the crap out of Percy. This statue is one of dozens going up across Olympus and both camps."

The Goddess of the moon hummed in acknowledgment. She had heard such a thing earlier when she had overheard Athena and that new Goddess Annabeth planning new designs for memorials of the fallen demigods in both wars. Per Poseidon's wishes, his son was getting statues for himself as well, considering it was he who ultimately defeated Gaea. She was happy that was happening. It would be nice to have a reminder that the world once had a respectable man walking amongst them.

Gazing at the statue for a little while longer, it was eventually time to leave Olympus. She had spent enough time away from her hunters as it is and she desperately wanted to get back to them again. Feeling Thalia leave the warmth of their blanket, the Goddess could only watch in curiosity as she knelt before the statue of her long-time friend.

"Rest peacefully, Kelp for Brains. You deserve it after everything you did for us." Thalia said, closing her eyes. "Don't worry about Annabeth. I'll watch over her. You just enjoy your time in Elysium."

Artemis smiled at her lieutenant's actions as she walked back over, saying that she was ready to go now. The Goddess of the moon gazed upon Perseus one last time before she flashed away, her eyes taking on a glint of a foreign emotion. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing this man again, though she would never admit it aloud. She supposed there would never be anyone ever like him again to grace the Earth. How could there be?

"Rest easy, Perseus." She whispered, disappearing in a golden light.

-Scene Change-

Opening his eyes, the son of Poseidon quickly scanned his surroundings, making sure there were no monsters nearby. His heart raced and eyes flicked for the slightest of movements, thankfully though there were none. Reminding himself he was in Damasen's hut and safe for the time being calmed him down somewhat, allowing him to ease up off the bed.

"The hell was that dream?" He muttered, rubbing his eyes. Of all things to dream about while down here, why Artemis? Ripping off a piece of Drakon meat from one of the shelves, he ate it in silent contemplation as he continued to think back on it. It seemed Thalia was pretty upset about his supposed death which wasn't surprising considering they were close. He would have to tease her for all the sappy stuff she said when he saw her again. Artemis, however, he was confused about. During that dream, he could almost feel her emotions for some reason. He felt admiration and sadness flowing through her as she stared at his statue. That was what irked him. Why in the world would a man-hating Goddess feel that way when looking at his statue?

"She respected you. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't you feel the same when thinking back on fallen comrades?"

He had to agree with his inner thoughts on that. Deciding now was not the time to try to decipher emotions, he prepared once again for his long journey. He would've loved to stay here in the muggy, damp, rotten meat-infested hut that has saved his life more than once but he would actually like to see sunlight once more. Eating as much Drakon meat his stomach could muster and stuffing the rest in a makeshift backpack, he reeled back the flaps of the entrance of the hut, being greeted by the dim world of Tartarus once again. His heart sank as he realized that even though he had made some progress and had even made a new friend, he was still a long way away from the finish line.

"Morning." The son of Poseidon greeted the monster he had saved with a small wave. The green-yellowish monster flared its nostrils in response as it prepared to eat the last of its breakfast which was the humanoid creatures that had tied it up with rope earlier. With wide eyes, the demigod shouted at the monster to stop it from finishing its meal. He had almost forgotten he had fought those things yesterday and wanted to get a better look at exactly what these monsters were. The Drakon huffed hot air at Percy's face in annoyance but complied with his demand.

"You can eat it after I'm done. Don't worry." He patted his scaly head before kneeling down next to the humanoid creature. Cringing at the sight and smell of the greyish creature, the green-eyed demigod examined it with mixed disgust and curiosity. He had never seen a monster like this before. He couldn't quite put it in words to describe this thing but his best explanation would be that it had human anatomy yet was mangled, ugly, and far stronger than a human.

"An orc." He came to an conclusion. That was what this thing was. He had only ever seen them in movies before. How in Hades was this thing real? He didn't know of them to be in Greek Mythology and certainly had never seen or heard from them. Annabeth had never spoken of one either. Was this thing even supposed to exist? He supposed that question didn't matter he thought to himself as he rubbed his neck, remembering how close to death he was because of this monster.

"Alright, have at 'em." Percy said, getting up from the ground. Immediately, the Drakon dug in, eating the orc whole with its black armor still attached to its body. The crunch of armor and bones was like nails on a chalkboard to his ears.

"What now?" He asked himself. He knew that the Doors of Death had probably moved locations now so traveling in the same direction as last time was out of the question. The West had that dead forest with the monsters that cursed you if you killed them so that was a no-go as well. Looking to the East, he spotted black silhouettes that looked like mountains off in the distance. He hadn't noticed that the first time he was done here. Maybe that could lead to something. It was better than staying here and waiting for his death. Who knew if there were more orcs near here? It was a far hike though and he didn't know if he had enough rations and Phlegethon water to survive the journey.

Hearing a burp and a growl of satisfaction behind him, the son of Poseidon turned around and thought of an idea. The Drakon seemed to realize what the demigod was planning and promptly sat on the ground, glaring at him with stubbornness.

"Oh, so we're gonna play that game? After I saved you, you're gonna do this to me?" The black-haired man said, glaring back at the monster. The two of them stared at one another with fire in their eyes, refusing to back down. The Drakon was a mighty creature that everyone feared. The mere sight of it drove mortals mad. It was not about to let some demigod who was stupid enough to fall down into the pit twice ride on top of it. It would not stoop to such a low! Its pride would not falter!

…

It faltered.

"Thanks for this." Percy said, smiling slyly in victory. He patted the top of the monster's head as it trekked through the rocky slopes of hell, flaring its nostrils in annoyance at the demigod's hand. Laughing silently, he leaned back and did his best to relax. He doubted any monsters would dare attack them considering who he was riding atop of but he wouldn't take that for granted. Who knew what nightmarish things awaited them further along in their journey? If his encounter with the orcs was anything to go by, he had a feeling he'd find out soon enough. Something was brewing down here, preparing for something that he yet didn't know but he could feel it. His instincts were screaming at him that it was no mere coincidence he encountered new monsters.

Gods, he hoped there wasn't another war on the horizon. That was the last thing he or anyone allied with Olympus wanted but he wouldn't be surprised if that were to happen especially now with his supposed death. If the Titans or just regular monsters thought he was dead, he was sure they were up to no good. They probably think that now that he's gone, there's no one in their way. They'll raze the camps and Olympus to the ground. The thought of it made his heart race with worry. He needed to get back to the surface. He needed to show everyone that he was still alive. He needed to see his mother, father, and Annabeth again.

"You'll see them again…You will." He muttered to himself determinedly, gazing outward to the dark mountains they were still miles away from. These mountains were his last hope to get out of here. If there wasn't anything there that could help him find his way, he was truly at a loss. He wouldn't know what to do or where to go then. He was putting all his money on this last hope. That was all he could do right now—just hope.

A/N - I come back to see we have over 100 follows on this story! Thanks guys, I really appreciate it! I know this chapter was short but I just wanted to get this chapter out there. I was kind of stumped on it for a minute then had to deal with college stuff. I'm going to start the next chapter immediately and hope to make it longer next time. I'll see you then!

-SLEEPWALKER-