Breath of Fresh Air

In spite of the numerous setbacks, I did eventually make it to the archives. Something to bear in mind is I don't frequent libraries often. That's always more Annabeth's speed. So when I walked in to find myself in a downstairs chamber almost the size of the warehouse itself, can you really blame me for gaping?

The dead silence of the massive space only had the rustling of pages and clopping of boots on the polished tile floor to break it. Endless bookshelves, each one tall enough to require a ladder to reach the top, were pressed flush with one another on top of some sort of rail system. Not that the compact space prevented them from dominating a basketball court's worth of a space per section… And I couldn't even count all of the sections on the lower level… much less the wraparound upper level.

"Can I assist you?"

A stern looking woman sat behind the help counter. As I approached, the overwhelming scent of Pine-Sol left me swaying until I slumped over the mahogany desk. That didn't seem to amuse her all that much.

"Don't go passing out on me. Now out with it. What do you need?"

"I'm looking for a few young women. One blonde, one lighter brunette, one redhead."

She raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like the start to a bad joke. But if you're referring to Miss Chase and her friends, they're upstairs, section beta-twenty three. Now, I don't think I should explain to you what will happen if you make too much noise. Nor what happens to those who fail to check out their books properly."

"I doubt that'll be necessary. I'm not too big on reading."

She scowled, but I was already rushing towards the stairs. While my ability to read may not be the greatest, the large numbers and letters dangling on banners the size of a small car certainly helped. Five minutes of speed walking later and I was able to finally accomplish a goal I'd set long ago.

Annabeth had her back to me, her attention locked on a large sheet of paper spread over a table fit for a party of eight. Rachel and Calypso also had their place, but they noticed me well in advance, along with my gesture to keep quiet. Rachel grinned.

"So Annabeth. Seeing how we're stuck living in this place forever, think you'd be able to include an arcade room?" Rachel winked in my direction, though Annabeth was too absorbed in her work to notice.

"No electronics, Rachel. That's the standing rule unfortunately. Unless you happen to have an in with Hephaestus to develop something that won't trigger a statewide hunt from every monster to our- Hey!"

She most certainly noticed when I wrapped her up from behind and kissed her cheek, jumping in her seat. She pulled her dagger from her sheath, but thankfully realized who it was the moment I said something.

"Shame. An arcade would have been fun."

"That's what I'm saying!" Rachel pressed, laughing at Annabeth's expression while Calypso was simply too busy smiling up at me.

Annabeth growled. "You know I almost stabbed you."

"I trust your reflexes. So, how's the research going?"

She sighed, and the other two lost their cheerful expressions.

"Not as well as we'd hoped. Even from the small amount we've managed to pull on Amazonian policies and culture, most of it is antiquated. We don't know for certain that they're still in practice, and asking around is going to draw attention." Annabeth turned to face me. "As much as I hate to say it, there's too much information for us to go through. At least anytime soon."

"Is that why you're working on blueprints?"

"Yep," Rachel said. "Along with her support staff." She hopped up from her seat and presented me with a page covered in what looked like a list. "Not only have I been taking over as the resident artist for design ideas, but I've also been trying to mark off potential build sites. Spots my dad considered too expensive to consider purchasing."

"In other words, prime real estate," Annabeth said. "Funnily enough, there are some good spots, but working with these different terrains will be a challenge."

"Like that ever stopped you."

"Sounds like a plan." I turned to Calypso. "And you?"

She took a moment to register that I was talking to her, in spite of staring at my face with a far away smile. "Oh… Um… I've just been reading." The small pile of books at her side supported her claim.

"Mostly clothing trends throughout history," she said. "Mortal fashion is… interesting. I cannot imagine how I would have taken to the Victorian era."

"That makes all of us," Annabeth grumbled. "You put me in a corset and I'll kill you."

"Fortunately, you wouldn't even need one."

"My waist isn't that small!"

"Shh. You already know not to get loud," Rachel snapped. "Anyway, yeah we've been busy, but if you're hoping for an update, then you're in for disappointment."

"That makes two disappointed sides then. I was actually here for something else."

I relayed to them what I learned about the nymphs, along with our ever shrinking window of time to get them a place to live. On top of that, they admitted that a number of wind spirits came rushing through the archives a short while before, though only after explaining Theora's role in research did they manage to piece it together.

"This isn't a good spot to be in," Annabeth said, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. "Literally or figuratively."

"Is there a chance I might be able to help them?" Calypso said. "I could perhaps sing for them."

"I won't discount it, but that doesn't solve the long term issue." Annabeth rubbed her eyes. "As much as I don't want to admit it, we should probably look into a failsafe. A spot to set them up while we get figured out. We obviously weren't expecting things to take this long."

"Yeah." My head hung low. "We were hoping Camp Half-Blood would be our home again."

"No use crying over it now," Rachel said. "We have forever to find a new home. They don't have that long."

"I know, I know." I palmed back my hair and took a breath. "You think the Amazons will let me just walk out?"

"Is there a reason they shouldn't?" Calypso frowned. "They have made it quite clear that we are not prisoners. We are guests of their queen."

"Speaking of which." I pulled out the pass card Theora fashioned for me and handed it over to Annabeth. "Hylla wanted to see you."

"Took long enough. I know I'm only second in command, but it seemed like all of her attention was focused on Reyna."

"Can you blame her?" Rachel said. "Long lost sisters finally reunited. I'm honestly surprised they haven't spent more time together."

"Can't relate," Annabeth muttered. "Either way, I'll head over when I finish up with this."

I interlaced my fingers with hers and squeezed her hand. "She said it's urgent."

She read my face before setting her jaw and nodding. "Got it. In that case—"

"We've got the cleanup covered." Rachel marched over to the far side of the table and began rolling up the blueprints.

"Maybe we can finally decide on a spot to build the house?" Calypso suggested.

"Not without me," Annabeth said. "Though I'm open to hearing your top three suggestions."

They agreed and said their farewells as we left, sharing hugs all around. As Annabeth and I left the archives, the woman behind the welcome counter berated us for making noise, but we couldn't be too bothered to do more than offer our apologies. Once out in the open, I happily strode down the open space with my wife.

"If you really want to get things going with the nymphs, I'd do it now. And I'd take Sierra and Juniper with you."

"Why them specifically?"

"Two reasons. First, it gives you a chance to warm Sierra up to you a bit more while making Juniper feel more included. Secondly, they're the most likely ones to know of good spots. Juniper knows how to identify nearby nymphs, and Sierra, by virtue of being a nebulae, is going to need the largest amount of space for her life source to inhabit."

"Wouldn't Nimba also count then?"

"She's not exactly the one who needs to know you're on her side."

"Point taken. But that doesn't help with Palírroia or Thŷella."

She hesitated. "Unfortunately, no matter where you find, they don't have good options available to them. Saltwater won't mix well with most spots. So unless you happen to find a spot near the bay…"

"I'll find something."

She walked along in silence a bit longer, making our way near our rooms.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure we haven't been followed. So what's the real reason you're trying to get me near Hylla. Is she trying to pacify me about her wanting you to knock her up?"

"No." I looked around and noted that no one was paying us any attention. "She was poisoned."

She kept a very solid poker face, all things considered, marching along as if everything were normal. "They want things kept quiet."

"Yeah. Theora said you going by to 'discuss arrangements' would help keep up the ruse while she's on the mend."

She nodded. "Great. In that case, I shouldn't keep the queen waiting. Throne room is probably out of the question."

"That card will help you get to her personal quarters."

I gave her a quick rundown of the directions… I think. To be fair, my times getting escorted there were generally less than relaxed. Either way, she took the directions in stride, nodding and leaving me with a parting kiss.

Only as she left did I realize I was at the base of the stairs up to our catwalk. Grabbing onto the railing, I wasted little time in returning to the nymphs.

To no surprise, all of them were still naked. My arrival did come as a surprise to them though. They were long past the giggling stages of Juniper's latest cultural exchange, all of them instead trading stories of their experiences.

"You never know," Juniper said as I opened the door. "There might be a way to help heal your voice."

"If there is, I haven't- Oh." Ashe, along with the others, turned to face me, leaving me warm in the cheeks at the sight of so many exposed beautiful women. "You just can't stay away, can you? Is it our magnetic personalities that keep bringing you back?"

"Among other things. While I'd love to sit around and chat, I'm going to need some help."

Palírroia, shocker, bolted to her feet. "What assistance may we provide?"

I patted her head and guided her back to the bed. "Actually, this time, I'll need Sierra and Juniper's help specifically."

Both of them straightened as I said their names, but whereas Sierra frowned, Juniper jumped out of her bunk and skipped right over to me.

"Finally coming around to it?" She grinned up at me, swaying her modest chest just inches away from mine.

"This isn't about you joining the harem. This is about making sure you're all still alive and healthy should the worst happen."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. But just so you know, my schedule is looking pretty empty tonight. And the night after that. And after—"

"I get it. But right now, there are bigger concerns. Are you two up for it?"

She nodded, pursing her lips. Though she did keep her hands to herself, so I'll give her some credit. Sierra hesitated, her frown instead replaced with a nervous hunch.

"Are you sure you need my help?"

"If it helps you feel better, we're going outside." I crossed my arms. "And as far as I can tell, you need a good spot to anchor in more than anyone else."

In spite of her sucking in her lips and bowing her head, she crawled out of her bed and pulled on her chiton. Juniper followed suit after I insisted she not walk around the Amazon headquarters naked.

When the two were dressed, the remaining nymphs saw fit to do the same. Though I felt a little guilty about cutting their skin party short, they didn't seem overly bothered. Instead, they began discussing the potential of having their own spa day, which I supported wholeheartedly.

As much as I'd like to say things remained uneventful for our trip, that would be a lie.

It all started fine. Juniper was happy to strut along the warehouse by my side, asking me how the workers managed to stack the boxes as high as they did. Honestly, I had no clue. Sierra lingered behind us by a couple paces, but she didn't try to wander off. She glanced at the workers and Amazons who rushed by or patrolled, shying away from them both in equal measure.

Only one of those workers happened to be a bit too hasty. The jumpsuited man jogged along our side, toting two large containers filled to the brim with water. We attempted to sidestep him to let him pass, but he still ended up clipping Sierra. Both tumbled to the ground, and those jugs crashed alongside them, sending water all over the poor guy and a spluttering nebulae.

I scooped her up and had her back on her feet in no time while the guy struggled to stand, his boots sliding on the surface.

"Seriously?! Do you need walking training?!"

A pair of Amazons marched in our direction, their expressions stony.

"It was an accident," I said, taking hold of Sierra's hand.

But they weren't paying us any attention. They hauled the man to his feet while he tried to stutter out an apology. One of them dragged him away, muttering something about his third strike.

"Damn, this is a mess. And what happened to your clothes?!"

Distracted as I was, I forgot about Sierra's dress, which promptly vanished into mist the moment the water splashed onto her. The poor girl tried hugging herself to cover what she could.

"Oh, gods. One sec."

I flicked my hand away towards the puddle. In an instant, Sierra's dress reappeared onto her newly dried body while the rest of the puddle streamed down into one of countless drains dotting the floor.

"Well, that's handy," the Amazon said. "Are you hurt?"

Sierra was too busy trying to hide herself, even with the chiton back on. Her face turned a dark gray color, but she hid most of it by burying herself into my back.

"I… think I hit my knee," she squeaked out. "But I'm fine."

"We can get you medical attention," she pressed, pulling out a tablet. "Just going to need a statement for the incident report."

"I'm okay," Sierra said, though her burying her face between my shoulder blades probably didn't help sell the facade.

The guard frowned, scanned me over and curled her lip. "If you're worried about him, then don't. If you're in any trouble—"

"Excuse me?"

It was my turn to tense up. The guard palmed her beltside, where she just so happened to have a taser gun.

"No, no," Sierra insisted, completely unaware of what was happening on the other side of me. She peeked her head over my shoulder. "It's just… everyone saw me. Can we just go… please?"

True enough, a number of eyes were staring at us. Both at the guard who was ready to make a very bad decision and at Sierra, as if they were trying to undress her through sheer willpower alone. Granted, the men weren't the only ones leering at us.

"Fine," she said. "But if I get word that you're any threat to them…"

"The only threat right now is you," Juniper said, planting herself between us. "He saved the world. Saved her life. He's trying to do it again. She fell. It happens. Thank you for the concern, but she told you she's okay. So please stop drawing out her embarrassment to live out some sort of power fantasy!"

Only then did the guard recoil, her eyes darting toward a couple other approaching guards, and the men who stopped to watch.

"Back to work!" she announced. Turning her eyes on us, she huffed and marched away, throwing her last words over her shoulder. "Go to the medic if you have to!"

As if we had the chance.

I managed to pull Sierra out from behind me, though she insisted on using my arm as a shield from everyone looking on. The other guards who came along questioned us for a moment before taking their leave, following the first pair.

"Making friends everywhere you go, huh?"

Sierra and Juniper squeaked, the former jumping back as Theora seemed to all but magically appear on our side.

"You'd know better than anyone," I said.

"True enough. Just so you're aware, I was able to give Annabeth the rundown on the situation. Also, I've given her all of the research material for your little… issue. Figured she'd make better headway with it than you."

"Way to go for the low blow, but you're not wrong."

"I rarely am. But if anyone can figure that stuff out in a timely manner, it's her."

"What about you? You were the one who gave it to her. Don't you know what's in it?"

"You think I went scrolling through the archives myself? Hah! That was just a couple of my spies doing the legwork. And even then, they probably grabbed anything they thought might contain useful information, so there's probably a lot that won't be too useful."

"Which is only going to slow things down."

"It's still better than where you were at before."

"True…"

"Regardless, I don't want to keep you held up for long. A little recommendation though. You might want to look into getting some new clothes for those handmaidens of yours. It might be convenient to vanish their clothes like that, but in case there are any other accidents…"

"Yeah, yeah… I'll look into it. Never had to think about it before all that much."

"Different worlds, Percy. Be careful."

She turned and headed off. Anyone who may have been watching turned away, either back to work or guard duty. Such was the respect she commanded.

"We should probably get going," Juniper said after a moment. "I'm all for attention, but even this was a bit much for me."

"Yeah… Though now that I think of it, let's get a little bit more."

WOOF!

If Sierra panicked at the sight of Theora suddenly appearing, Mrs. O'Leary jumping out of the shadows all but sent her into catatonic shock. The poor girl bolted as my hellhound jumped at me, slathering me in an overabundant doggy tongue bath.

"Aw, come on girl! You know that doesn't wash off. Lemme up."

It took a minute or two of scratching and petting before Mrs. O'Leary decided to listen. But where she decided to calm down, the opposite was the case for two others.

I didn't even notice Aurum and Argentum until a cold muzzle started nudging me from behind. A golden head started poking my thigh while the silver tried pawing at my shoe.

The caretakers for the animal pris- ahem… holding cages watched on in amusement. The one with a metal arm gave me a curt nod, but otherwise left me to the whims of the three magical pooches.

"Alright, you three. You've been cooped up enough. Let's go for a walk."

Aurum and Argentum merely tilted their heads and sat down facing the direction of the entrance. Mrs. O'Leary on the other hand elected to make the jobs of the nearby Amazons all the more difficult by howling loud enough that the archivist could probably hear her from the opposite side of the building. Any other caged up canines joined her, and the rest of the animals followed suit, riling up in their cages while the Amazons groaned and clutched their hands over their ears.

The aforementioned cyborg Amazon didn't give me a very happy expression to say the least. All I could offer was an apologetic smile and shrug.

"Alright, everyone aboard."

Juniper and Sierra watched on, gaping, before staring at me like I was insane.

"She won't hurt you. I promise. She just really wants some fresh air. Same as you."

"But she's so… Do we really have to?" Juniper cringed. "I mean… Nature and the Underworld don't really mix."

"It's the fastest way to find a spot. If it makes you feel better, I'll hold on to you the whole time."

"Right…"

Oddly enough, Sierra stepped forward first. I offered her my hand while Mrs. O'Leary laid down, giving us ample opportunity to boost her up onto her back. Juniper took a bit more convincing, but when the other Amazons started telling us to hurry up, she relented and took a seat in front of Sierra.

After her, I slid myself right in between them. Sierra clutched onto me from behind while Juniper grabbed my arms and wrapped them so tightly around her that I was sure she'd wind up with a bruise on her sides.

"Alright, girl. We're good to go. Let's head off to a park."

She didn't need to hear that request twice. In an instant, she surged to her feet and barreled into one of the corners of the room. One unfortunate Amazon wheeling over a barrel of feed fell on her butt and sent said barrel rolling away as my megadog leapt right over her.

Aurum and Argentum kept up as well as they could, but the size difference left them well behind Mrs. O'Leary's pace.

"Wait!" Juniper screeched. "What is she… ? Oh, Paaaan…!"

Atop the great hellhound, we jumped toward an open cage, becoming one with the shadows.

"Okay, we'll mark that one as another 'no.'"

Mrs. O'Leary whimpered, lumbering away from a particularly feisty dryad who decided to answer our request for sanctuary by pelting us with acorns. Aurum and Argentum joined us not long into our venture. Though they growled at the dryad, my sharp whistle brought them back to us, where they readily took up positions flanking my hellhound.

"Oaks are always the most stubborn," Juniper huffed, crossing her arms. "Honestly, that's what, five places that turned us away?"

"Four," Sierra mumbled. "Those children chasing us to pet the hound don't count."

"Either way, this is ridiculous." Juniper turned up her nose and pouted.

"I'm used to it at this point," I said. "Though, to be fair, nature spirits and hellhounds don't really mix."

"I mean… You're not wrong, but still."

"She is quite soft at least." Sierra rubbed a spot on Mrs. O'Leary's back which left her pausing to kick her leg for a moment. Granted, that started a small earthquake around us, but at least the two of them seemed to enjoy it.

"We might be going about this all wrong. Maybe instead of trying to find some spot in the forest to blend in, we should just stick to the coast and fill in an empty patch."

They didn't have any better ideas, in spite of Juniper's attempt to pacify the nearby dryads. So we were off. With Mrs. O'Leary sniffing the place out, we wandered closer to the nearby bay and searched the grounds for a suitable spot. Reyna's greyhounds were able to sniff out some crevices and tight spots relative to the megadog, but nothing fruitful turned up.

"Since we seem to have some spare time, care to share a little bit about yourselves?"

Sue me, I don't like long stretches of silence with people I barely know. Well… arguably, I knew a little bit too much about Sierra. But that's besides the point.

"What would you like to know?" Juniper said, leaning back into me. "I can only fit two fingers inside myself, if that interes—"

"Not what I meant. I mean about yourselves as people. Your upbringing. Your interests. That kind of thing."

Both of them took a bit to think things over. When they answered, imagine my shock when Sierra spoke first.

"My sister and I were actually the youngest of seven siblings."

"Woah. Talk about keeping it busy."

"You have no idea," Juniper grumbled.

"Growing up was… an interesting affair, I think," Sierra continued. "Frequently, we visited our brothers on the ground."

"Your brothers? Like… guy nymphs?"

"No. Satyrs. All of them. My mother wanted girls, so she continued trying until she had us."

"Oof. Rough business."

"At least you know who your mother is," Juniper said. "Mine could be any one of a dozen other juniper trees. And potentially one of dozens of fathers."

"It was pleasant," Sierra admitted. "But we grew up mostly around satyrs. They were so different from the other nebulae. Their songs and dances were so primal and guttural. Their games of wrestling and other sports were so incredibly physical compared to the skies above."

"True," Juniper said. "Ugh, if I have to watch another match of 'kiddy's bluff,' I'm going to beat my own head into the nearest boulder."

"Say what now?" I held her steady as Mrs. O'Leary jumped over a piece of driftwood.

"Kiddy's bluff. Three satyrs all run at each other with their horns lowered. Last one to turn away wins."

"Why three?"

"Because if someone bluffed, then at least the other two still get to hit their heads together."

"That… You know what, knowing what I've seen among the satyrs, I can believe it."

"Now imagine it with five," Sierra mumbled. "Three of them had missing teeth by the time Nimba and I were taken."

"Fun family."

"What about you?" Juniper twisted herself around and attempted to straddle my lap, which was made far more difficult with my legs sidled on either side of Mrs. O'Leary. "Your family must be fun too. What about your brothers or sisters?"

"Um… Well, if you mean full siblings, then I don't really have any. Half siblings though, that's basically every cyclops alive these days, and they're a rowdy bunch. Tyson is great though. But my mom is actually pregnant right now. She's not due for a couple more months, but I want to be there for them when and after they're born. I never really had a proper chance to be a big brother."

"Aww. If you want, I can help raise the baby! I'm really good with kids!"

"I'll take your word for it. Right now though, I'm more concerned about making sure my family is taken care of. They're pretty poor honestly. Definitely lower class. But still, I might be able to make a deal with the queen to help them out, but doing so will make things… tricky, for me and them."

"Is this about the queen wanting your baby?"

If I had reigns on Mrs. O'Leary, I'd have yanked them and sent us all flying off of her in the process. "How did you know about that?"

"Annabeth," she said simply. "She wanted me to help her and the others. She called me… um… What was it? Se… Sex retail?"

"Secretary?"

"That's it!"

"Right… Anyway, yeah. More or less the situation. But my mom generally isn't one to like handouts. Especially if she finds out how I managed to get that deal for them."

"But you intend to anyway," Sierra said. I didn't hear a question in her voice.

"Most likely. All of the problems my mom has gone through, she deserves some good in her life."

"She had you," Juniper said, taking my hand.

I paused for a couple more hellhound steps. "Thanks."

"If you do choose to do this," Sierra said, clutching the back of my shirt like the pommel of a saddle, "I believe your family will come to appreciate it, even if they do not understand or even like that you did so in the beginning."

Much as I wanted to hug her, I had to keep my eyes forward. So I instead reached back and squeezed her knee, hoping I could get the message across.

The remainder of our exploring passed with less tension than before. We all traded stories of our past, taking turns to share our pastimes. I came to the conclusion that nymphs really lived different lives than mortals. Being bound to specific locations really impedes the idea for lofty life goals.

Juniper giggled about the bizarre friendship that brewed between a squirrel and a small dragon in the woods. Sierra regaled us with her mastery of hide and seek, and how she once evaded detection by floating right behind the seeker. I offered up the less than proud moment of me washing out a mountain range of poop.

All the while, our search for an ideal spot continued to yield less than ideal results. Rocky or polluted ground, courtesy of the washed up junk on the coast, made rooting a difficult notion. Juniper witnessing what litter was for the first time both amused and depressed me. And though I wanted to offer a sympathetic shoulder for her, when she suggested trying to clean up everything, I had to set her straight right away.

"You're not wrong," I insisted. "But even I can't handle all of the trash produced by all mortals in the world. Even this city is too much for me to handle."

"But what about this one spot?" she pressed. "We could clean this up! We can make it healthy for us to root."

"Well…" I grimaced, scanning over what looked like the leftover trash of a concert.

Among the litter was enough empty cans of beer to supply the aluminum for a small airplane. Cigarette butts strew about in such great numbers that I was worried about suffering from lung cancer just from being near it all. How they didn't manage to burn down the park is nothing short of divine intervention. Then again, looking up at the cloudy sky, I remembered we were in Seattle. Rain is basically their default mode.

"Tell you what. If we don't find anywhere better, we'll come back and do just that."

That answer seemed to satisfy her enough to quell her passionate display. She returned to her seat in front of me and slouched back against me. Not quite cuddling up, but just too lost in thought to care otherwise.

For the love of all the gods, please let us find somewhere better.

Mrs. O'Leary trudged along, spurred occasionally by the sight of a rabbit or squirrel. Thankfully, it was still way too early for any of the larger animals to start wandering about. On the flipside, I did grant her permission to chase after the greyhounds, who were more than happy to have some excitement to spruce up the otherwise dreary day.

By a divine miracle, a patch of clear land gave us an ideal spot to set up. And though I could thank all of the gods for granting me this mercy, I settled instead for the one who decided to greet us there.

A young woman sat on a park bench facing the bay. Relaxed in her simple set of jeans, cream colored turtleneck, and coffee brown scarf, you could pass your eyes over her and think nothing was amis. But as she turned those glowering ember eyes toward me and gave me that warm smile, I couldn't help but hitch in my breath.

"Hestia."

Mrs. O'Leary strode right up to her and collapsed in a heap of fur. By the time I managed to help Sierra and Juniper dismount, the goddess had made her way toward my dog's oversized muzzle and stroked it until she fell asleep.

"You're a long way off from Camp Half-Blood," she said. "I worried I wouldn't be able to track you down."

"Sorry about that." I scratched the back of my head. "We've had a string of bad luck."

"So it would seem. I too would like to apologize for how long things have taken. Conversing hasn't been difficult, but convincing… That has taken significantly more effort."

I paused. "Are you saying you did it? We have a place to go?"

"Wish as I might, not yet. She has acclimated to the idea slower than I hoped. Though I shouldn't be surprised."

"Given our string of luck, I'm not. And I don't even know who she is."

"She and I agree that is for the best for the time being. All I can say is this, you are more familiar with her than you know." She turned an appraising eye toward Juniper and Sierra. "It's wonderful to see you awake, my dear. Though my knowledge of nature spirits is woefully lacking, I cannot help but concern myself with your current health. Are you feeling unwell?"

Sierra took a moment to respond, shying away from the attention. But given it was Hestia, it shouldn't surprise anyone that she got over it in little time.

"I've been better," she admitted. "Much better."

Juniper hugged her from the side, which she didn't have the energy to fight off.

Hestia turned a concerned glance in my direction.

"That ritual we did for all of them. It's taken us way longer than we thought to get them rooted again. On top of that, she was hit by the curse."

She curled her lip. "I see. Wish as I may otherwise, Zeus' stubborn decision to retain this harem of yours comes as little surprise to me. Consequences and innocent lives be damned."

"Yeah… So now we're trying to find a spot to have them take root if things don't work out on your end."

Her eyes widened. "By the Fates! I hadn't even considered that."

She pulled at her scarf, staring out toward the bay. Her gaze looked far away, as if she weren't quite all here, but torn between us and whatever goddess she was dealing with.

"How dire is their situation?"

"It's not good. We go much longer, they won't be able to recover."

"I feared as much." She tightened her grip on her scarf. "How long do they have?"

"Varies from one to the other." I rested my hand on Sierra's shoulder. Though she shied away from the contact, she didn't go so far as to pull my hand off. "Sierra has the worst of it, and if we go much longer than two days, she won't be able to recover. We're… trying to find other methods to keep them healthy, but we want a failsafe. Just in case."

"I see." She gulped and tensed her shoulders. "And have you tried the… method I suggested before? For the two who gave their life force for you?"

"For those two, yeah. But… I'm not sure how the others would take to that. And… I'm not sure how effective it was. Both of them are still in rough shape."

Juniper and Sierra faced me, frowning.

"What method? You've had a way to help us this whole time?"

In spite of her accusatory tone, Sierra didn't push me away, so I took that as a win.

"Sort of. But I don't know enough to say it'll actually help. And… honestly, I seriously doubt you'd be open to it even if you knew about it."

She lowered her gaze. "Sex… You need to have sex with me."

"Possibly. Like I said, I don't know enough to say for sure."

"Well she might not be on board, but I can test it," Juniper said, her eyes glowing with delight. "Besides, I'm in the best position to give it a try. I'm healthier than any of them right now. So we can tell if it'll help."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

Hestia watched our exchange with a curious gaze. "I admit my memory isn't the greatest of all immortals, but I don't recall seeing you among the nymphs he rescued."

Juniper hunched and pawed the ground with her foot. "Um… No. I'm from the camp. Or the forest next to it. I've been trying to join the harem, but they keep pushing it off."

"It's an eternal commitment," I said. "And you see the position that's put us in. You saw what Sierra had to go through."

Sierra crossed her arms and mumbled. "Don't remind me."

"But I don't plan on waiting until the last second. The first night, I can—"

"Their caution is well warranted," Hestia said. "And healthy. It shows they care for you. Your eagerness is to be applauded, but plenty who are in his harem would have traded it for freedom if given the opportunity."

"But they're all so happy!"

"Don't confuse contentment for happiness. I imagine they've made their peace with the situation. All things considered, there are far worse fates."

"But that doesn't mean they can't be better," I interjected. "I want more than them just being content with life. If that's all they have to look forward to forever, then that sounds pretty bleak."

Hestia closed her eyes, a slight smile on her lips. "Happiness is an ideal to strive for, yet so few truly reach its full potential. So please, if you can prove otherwise, I implore you to do so."

"First things first, we need a place to live."

She opened her eyes, both filled with conflicting emotion, yet no less warm.

"I know. I will see to it that negotiations are concluded with more haste. And… I will ask that you try to postpone trying to tether their life sources, if only for a short time. You have taken a great leap of faith, and I appreciate that more than you know." She reached out and clasped my hands with hers. "But I beg of you, please trust that I will have the matter resolved before their time expires. Do what you must to keep them as healthy as you can, but I do not imagine the window of opportunity will remain if you delay her waiting period."

"Sounds a little one sided."

"On the contrary, the failing health of the nymphs is more likely to earn you favor with her." She tightened her grip on my hands, but ducked her eyes away. "She has a soft spot for those in need. Cruel as this may be, this might be enough to win her over, and with greater haste. And if it isn't… I know of a deal I can strike with her. Something she has insisted on for centuries. One way or another, I will have you a home. Just… give me until the morning after next."

I turned to Sierra. "Do you think you can make it that long?"

"Not comfortably." She grimaced. "But I can try."

Hestia reached a hand out to caress her cheek. "Whatever horrors you have known, I swear from all my being that you will not have to worry about them while under Percy's care. I do not make this suggestion lightly. Please, I implore you, take the steps necessary to make yourself comfortable and healthy. Admittedly, I know very little about the circumstances or the methods involved. But what I do know is that it is better than the alternative."

She crossed her arms. Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "I'll try."

Nodding, Hestia pulled away. "It seems we find ourselves tested for time. Not the rest I imagine you hoped for following a war."

"You can say that again. Is the home domain suffering from it?"

"On the contrary. I've found that the home is often at its strongest following the resolution of a conflict. Assuming that the resolution does not alienate anyone involved that is."

"No shortage of conflict here," I grumbled.

"And yet, so little of it exists between you or your new family. Say what you will of your condition. The truth is that some of them know greater peace now than they ever have. Hopefully, the home I hope to offer you will only elevate it."

"Even if it doesn't you've done more for us than just about any other god. So thank you. We don't really have a hearth with the Amazons, but I'll find some way to burn you an offering tonight."

Her calm demeanor cracked a fraction, but she put on a smile in spite of clearly fighting back a tear or two. What shocked me most was when she stepped forward and embraced me. In spite of her standing a few inches shorter than me, and weighing maybe a hundred fifteen pounds soaking wet, she squeezed me with a strength rivaling my mother's.

"You will have a place to call home, Percy." She pulled away. A tear managed to break free and roll down her cheek. "I swear it."

She erupted into a column of flame. In spite of standing in it, all I could feel was the generous warmth of her embrace. Is it wrong that I wanted it to last a bit longer?

Juniper didn't take to it quite so well, jumping back with a sharp gasp. Sierra also shied away, but only to the extent of a step or two. Juniper rushed to hide behind Mrs. O'Leary, who snored loudly enough to shake a groundhog out of his burrow.

"So is that it?" Sierra said. "All of that, and we won't even find a spot to stay?"

"Um… For what it's worth, this spot actually looks pretty nice."

True enough. The surrounding area was open and clear of any trash. The waves lapped gently along the seawall. Overhead, gloomy clouds loomed, ripe for inhabiting a pair of nebulae.

"We'll consider it. But for now, we'll try to wait things out." I turned to Sierra. "Are you sure you'll be okay though."

"No," she admitted. "I constantly feel like I need to take a nap. Even lifting my arms takes a lot out of me."

I groaned. "Would you be open to what she suggested?"

She ducked her eyes away. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that. It wasn't terrible last time. It's just…"

"I know. In a very intimate way, you were violated to the highest degree. If I knew of some other way, I swear upon the river Styx, I would have done it."

Not that the clouds were ominous enough, but the thunder rumbling overhead didn't help matters.

"You can still help the others though, if that's what you have to do. I know they'd join you in bed with smiles on their faces."

"That's not the…" I sighed. "Look, how about we just sleep on it for today. I still don't know enough about it to say it'll work. And even then, there's the small problem about there being six of you and only one of me."

"Seven!" Juniper exclaimed, tapping her foot on the ground. "If you think you're leaving me out of this, you have another thing coming."

"Maybe," I said. "In the meantime, we still have research to do. But first, I need to make a call."

They both frowned and shared a glance with one another. Neither said anything though as I made my way over to the ledge and looked down at the surf. The cloudy sky didn't offer much opportunity for rainbows, but I could try to make do.

"What are you…?"

I hopped over the rail and slid down the sloped wall until I was waist deep in the water. Pulling out Riptide, I stirred up the water until a heavy mist covered the area in front of me. The faint glow of my sword didn't make for a very stable connection, but I did what I could.

One of a select few drachmae in hand, I made a prayer for this to work, then let out a breath.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering." I tossed the coin into the mist. It never splashed into the water, so I took that as a good sign. "Please show me Lou Ellen Blackstone at Camp Half-Blood."

The mist shimmered, glittering in the soft light until the faint rainbow within it revealed the back of a familiar daughter of Hecate. And I do mean all of her back. She appeared to be in the shower, scrubbing off some kind of gunk from her arms. At least I knew she'd have a strong signal connection.

Torn between standing there, waiting for her to notice me, and announcing myself, I elected for the more direct approach.

"Lou?"

I never witnessed someone jump so high and squeal so loud all at once. She spun on me, a wild glow in her eyes as she held up her equally glowing hands.

"Percy?!"

She clamped a hand over her mouth, then squeaked before trying to cover up the rest of her body. In the end, she realized it was a fruitless endeavor. Those goods of hers demanded to be seen, and I gulped as I realized why she was one of the more sought after individuals. The woman was one Hades of a knockout with a figure somewhere between Calypso and Silena.

When her fidgeting came to an end, she settled for crossing her arms over her chest and leaning in to try and block my view from anything below her waist.

"Please tell me this is your call to say you're getting me out of here," she hissed, attempting to keep her voice low. "Especially now that you've had a chance to see the merchandise!"

"And quite the merchandise it is," I muttered. "But not exactly. I was checking in to see what the situation was like for you. I wanted to see if things improved."

She held up one of her arms, which glistened with a sticky pale yellow substance. Doing so made her realize that a glob of it was stuck to her chest.

"Oh, Styx." She tried scrubbing it off. "Ugh! Alright, obviously not the best time. Some things have gotten better, other things have gotten worse."

"Are people trying to recruit you?"

"In a manner of speaking. I actually got into a bit of trouble yesterday. But for the record, Chiron still mostly took my side! And Dionysus thought it was hilarious."

"Oh boy. What did you do this time?"

"Defended myself!" she argued. "Some new guy tried copping a feel, so I used a little Mist to make him grab a beehive. He was… super pissed to say the least. Tried visiting my cabin last night after he finished up with the medics. I told him he needs to stop thinking with his dick, and just go back to bed. He didn't like that. One thing led to another, then I used a little transplacement to stick his penis onto his forehead."

It took a moment for the whole situation to set in. "That whole story was nothing but left turns."

She shrugged. "Chiron reprimanded him, but because of the whole disaster, I got put on kitchen duty for breakfast. Then… beekeeper duty."

"I didn't know we had that."

"We didn't. But because this hive was too close to camp, they said it was the safest bet to relocate it."

"And because of your magic…"

"Yup. Demeter cabin is a bit indisposed at the moment. Some kind of itching powder bomb set off earlier today. Those prank wars never end."

"They might have been trying to get back at them for what Katie and I did."

"Seeing how the Stolls were leading it, I don't doubt that."

"So what? All that stuff on you is honey?"

She looked down at her arms. "No. This is myrmeke spray. Or sap. Or… I don't even want to know. All I know is they tried grabbing me when I was setting up a spot for the beehive, and this stuff is a pain to get off!"

Once more resorting to scrubbing her arm, she inadvertently caused her breasts to bounce up and down, which I tried my best to not focus on.

"So in short, you still need a way out."

Sighing, she dropped her arms and sulked. "Yes." She lifted her head. "I won't say things are terrible. Chiron had a great bust a couple days ago, and the Aphrodite cabin can finally go back to a normal schedule. But there are still people trying their luck. And though they aren't going for the really popular people anymore, I don't exactly fit that description."

"Right…" I groaned. "Look, we haven't had much luck so far. New Rome was a bust. We're with the Amazons now, and things are… difficult." Like their queen getting poisoned. "But I just finished talking with Hestia. She says she'll have a spot for us in a couple days. Can you hold out until then?"

"Unless the Ares cabin decides to bumrush me and pin me to the ground, then yes. I'll survive. I'd just prefer not having to constantly watch over my shoulder."

"Making some friends might help."

"If only I thought of that." She cocked out her hip, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe I already have friends, but they can't do much to stop people breaking into my cabin at night."

"Point taken."

"But in short, yes. I can wait. But please, when you all have the chance, don't forget about little ole me."

I took the moment to scan her up and down. "The only thing little about you is your waist. Trust me, I'm not forgetting this."

"Oh, haha. I guess the great Percy Jackson only has one option left. Save the honor of the young maiden he defiled with his eyes by taking her into his care."

"Alright, alright. But yeah. We'll reach out again when we have a spot. We have Hestia on our side, so I think it's safe to say whatever she has figured out will be a massive improvement compared to our current living conditions."

"No argument there. Not that I'd—"

"Lou?" a feminine voice called. "Can you hurry up? The hot water's almost out."

"Fuck," she hissed. "Alright. Gotta go. Good luck!"

Before I could say a word, she swiped her hand through the image and broke the connection.

"Right," I said too late. "You too."

I took a moment to process everything. All things considered, I almost expected things to be worse. But while turning a guy into a literal dickhead was… frightening to imagine, it also seemed on par for her.

Remind me not to piss her off.

With my thoughts collected, I rode a water current back up the side of the seawall to find a very confused pair of nymphs.

"Thanks for waiting. Needed to make a call."

They shared a glance.

"So you're bringing her in, but you won't let me join?"

"Lou hasn't made it official that she wants to be part of the harem. Just that she wants to stick with us for now."

Juniper gave me a deadpan stare. "Stop lying to yourself Percy. She was wet and naked in front of you, and didn't care about letting you see her like that. Nature spirits may not care about stuff like that, but you demigods do. She wanted you to want her."

I raised an eyebrow. "Someone's getting intuitive. Look, she's in a bad situation. And while we might not be best friends, we did fight two wars together. A spot to live in peace seems like a small request."

"You mean a spot next to you in bed," Sierra mumbled. "It's been a long day. Can we get back to the others?"

"Yeah, yeah. Alright. One hellhound express ticket, coming up."

"Actually…" Juniper fidgeted with her dress. "Can we not do that weird Underworld popping stuff? It just feels wrong."

I massaged my eyes with my fingers. "Okay. Fine. Hop on up though. Hellhound standard ticket then."

We all climbed onto a much more rested Mrs. O'Leary while Aurum and Argentum nipped her flanks to keep her moving. They took up positions on either side of her as we marched our way back toward the city. If I had at least one pleasant thing to say about taking the scenic view, at least I had two pretty girls to hug me during the trip.

A/N: What's this? Two updates in a single month? What sorcery is this?! Clearly something must be wrong!

On the contrary. It's simply been a rather productive time. Now, I'd like to regale you with tales of life, but given my day today, I'd probably end up sounding like a guy from 1500s Scotland. Had a nice little time at a Renaissance Festival in full cosplay. Good times.

But even better! With this chapter, the story has officially broken 500k words. Granted, a small chunk of that is basically just author's notes, but still. That's a matter to celebrate. Or grow concerned over. Honestly, I can't tell these days.

Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I know I certainly did. And while this chapter was out in lightning time compared to most this year, I make no such guarantees for the next chapter. We all know how life likes to throw curveballs. Hopefully, you will still let your opinion be heard. P atreon and Discord shall always remain options. As does the standard review. Whatever your method, I hope to see what you thought about it. This is Ronin signing off.