Blood of Sigmar: The Lightening thief

by micelzod

Heron Hammer is a special kind of boy. Born out of a union of two gods, his father is Sigmar, the god-king of the Celestial Realm, and his mother is an Olympian goddess. Until one day, when Zeus' Lightening Bolt is stolen, ancient Dark Forcers emerge, and two worlds collide. Heron must now only help stop a civil war but stop an archenemy from destroying everything he loves.

12. Chapter 12

Chapter XII

Worlds Collide.

My worlds collide. When one thing happens, it just starts a domino effect—everything else goes on.

Wanda Sykes.

---

It was Friday, and dinner was in the midst of being finished. Heron had to admit, he enjoyed the last days at Camp Half-Blood.

The night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual. At last, it was time for capture the flag.

When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and they all stood at our tables. Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.

From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.

Percy and Heron turn to Luke and yelled over the noise, "Those are the flags?"

"Yeah."

"Ares and Athena always lead the teams?"

"Not always," he said. "But often."

"So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do-repaint the flag?"

He grinned. "You'll see. First we have to get one."

"The flags fabrics is magical isn't it." said Heron cheekily.

"Lucky guess."

"Whose side are we on."

He gave Percy a sly look, as if he knew something he didn't. The scar on his made him look almost evil in the torchlight. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And you two are going to help."

The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded-shower times, chore schedules the best slots for activities-in order to win support.

Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. From what he'd seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes, surprisingly, but there were only two of them. Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff, but they weren't aggressive.

Aphrodite's sons and daughters nobody didn't have to worry too much. They mostly sat every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped. Hell, Silena was the only one Heron saw right now that was actually ready. When she saw him, she winked. Heron blushed, and waved in response.

Hephaestus' kids were rough looking, and there were only four of them, but they were only four of them, but they were big and burley from working in the metal shop all day.

They might be a problem. That, of course, left Ares cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, though not as mean as the orcs and Duardin.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.

"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He spread his hands and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords', spears, ox hide shields coated in metal.

"Whoa." Percy said. "We're really supposed to use these?"

Luke looked at him as if he were crazy. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here-Chiron thought these would fit. You'll with Heron on border patrol. Speaking of Heron. He is okay?"

Percy raised a single eyebrow at the query, then turned his head to see why Luke was so concerned.

The fourteen-year-old looked like goddamn maniac.

A menacing grin was fixed on Heron's face. When he learned that taking the flag genuinely required using actual weapons, his hands began to shake with excitement. Thrilled even before the weapons hit the table. There was an aura of bloodlust around his companion that had never been felt before. It was really starting to scare not only him but everyone one around him.

"Uuhhh, H-Heron?" Percy stuttered.

All of the bloodlust dissipated quickly, much to the relief of everyone else in Hermes' cabin, and Heron appeared to awaken from his trance as he looked at Percy.

"Yes." he said

"Why are you making that face?"

"What face?"

"That face you just made." Percy said "You look as though you were about to murder someone just now. You were scaring the hibijibis out of them all. "

Heron did a quick looked at the other campers reactions to him for a second "Oh uh, sorry about that." he said sheepishly. Realizing that his ulrican bloodlust had gotten out of hand.

Percy's shield was the size of an NBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle. It weighed about a million pounds for the 12-year-old. He could have snowboarded on it with ease, but he hoped no one seriously expected him to run fast. Heron thought it weighed next to nothing. Years of training in the Garden of the Moon had helped him to build up his upper body strength and stamina so the weight didn't impede him. Next came the armor. It was simple, really. A breastplate, wrist bracers, and greaves.

"Heron can you come here for a moment," Chiron motioned to the boy to him

Raising a single eyebrow Heron recutlantly walked up the centar "What is it Chiron?"

"I have something for you," he said pulling something out of one of his pockets.

When he turned to look at him, his eyes narrowed. In his hand was a flashlight that was colored blue and silver. Heron took it from him and inspected it closely. It looked just like a normal small flashlight, but it felt warm in his hand, as if a heart of fire was beating in his hand.

"How did you get this?" he asked looking at the centaur.

"Found it in my office this morning with a note saying it was for you." Chiron said with a smug expression on his face. "Guess Hephaestus favors you."

Heron had a feeling he knew more than he was letting on, but he let it slide because at the moment he really didn't care. He thanked Chiron before he went back to inspect the small flashlight. Once he was done, he slipped it into his pocket and went back to Herme's table more confused than ever before.

Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"

Blue team cheered and shook their swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at them as they headed off toward the north.

Percy managed to catch up with Annabeth without tripping over his equipment. "Hey." She kept marching.

"So what's the plan?" he asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?"

Her hand drifted toward her pocket, as if she were afraid he'd stolen something.

"Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given your jobs?"

"Border patrol, whatever that means."

"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."

She pushed ahead, leaving the two in the dust.

"Okay," Percy mumbled. "Glad you wanted us on your team."

Heron turned to grin encouragingly at his friend. "Percy, don't take it personally. She has spent more time here than we have." he said patting his shoulder lightly.

It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view. Annabeth stationed them next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees.

Standing there alone, with his big-feathered helmet and his huge shields, he felt like an idiot. Heron, on the other hand, looked like he was born for it, carrying his war hammer like it was nothing. While the bronze sword, like all the swords' he'd tried so far, seemed balanced wrong. The leather grip pulled on his hand like a bowling ball.

There was no way anybody would actually attack them, would they? I mean, Olympus had to have liability issues, right?

Far away, the conch horn blew. Percy heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A Blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past them like a deer, leaped through the creek, and disappeared into enemy territory.

Great, Percy thought. I'll miss all the fun, as usual.

Heron, on the other hand, is extremely vigilant, keeping a close watch for any red team members in the undergrowth. The sound of swords striking shields reminded him of earlier fights. His muscles flexed and then relaxed in response. His instincts were screaming that something or someone was watching them in the shadows.

He had learned many important things from his years of combat in the mortal realms, one is trust your instincts but it had also caused him endless suffering.

Each conflict he fought in. All the lives he had stolen. All the men he'd lost. All the horrors he had faced. They all would recur each time he goes to sleep in his nightmares.

Then Percy heard a sound that sent a chill up his spine, a low canine growl, somewhere close by. Heron heard the canine growl too, Percy raised his shield instinctively; he had the feeling something was stalking them. Then the growling stopped. Percy felt the presence retreating.

On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark.

"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed.

Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a five-foot-long spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard-issue bronze swords—not that that made him feel any better.

They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. He could run. Or he could defend himself against half the Ares cabin. His best friend though had other ideas.

Heron struck with his hammer, knocking Soul Drinker hard to the ground. This sent a shockwave of ice shooting out from the contact location, almost freezing the Ares children's legs into ice sculptures if they hadn't retreated in time, but pieces of frost clung to them.

"You can do magic?" Percy asked, though was relieved he wasn't alone against the Ares' kids.

"More like blessing." Heron said with a grunt. "But don't expect me to do more of this. This is a one-off."

"Got it." Percy nodded and stood beside him, smirking at Clarisse who looked a little unsure given how skilled the son of Sigmar was and how he has almost laid her out various times in a wrestling match... and also he took her in their first meeting. However, resolve entered her eyes and she gritted her teeth.

"Get Hammer! Jackson is mine!" Clarisse ordered her siblings and the Ares' kids charged.

Heron spun his hammer and engaged Clarisse's brothers in a fight, while Clarisse faced Percy. Heron skillfully evaded his opponent's strikes, delivering a devastating blow to one of Ares' kids stomachs with the metal edge of his hoplite shield. With a small side arch of his hammer, he struck the child in the forehead with a brutal blow, incautiously sending him tumbling into his brother. The other three attacked Sigmar's son, one seizing him from behind, but Heron slammed his elbow into his stomach and hip-tossed him into one of his siblings before clotheslining another.

"Damn..." Percy muttered with wide eyes as he watched Heron take on the Ares' kids. Before his attention came back to Clarisse, she tried stabbing him again.

Raising his sword when the daughter of Ares tried smashing her shield in the ravenette's face, managing to deflect the strike. Only to grunt in pain when Clarisse thrust at Percy with her spear. His shield deflected the point, but he felt a painful tingling all over his body. His hair stood on end. His shield arm went numb, and the air burned.

Electricity. Her stupid spear was electric. Percy fell back.

Clarisse slammed him in the chest with her foot into his chest and he hit the dirt.

Heron...seriously... help would be appreciated!' Percy thought looking at the son of Sigmar who had finished dealing with the other Ares kids and simply stood still with his arms crossed.

He gave him a look that said 'learn to fight your own battles and not rely on help every so often.'

"What's the matter punk?! Where's all your bravado now?!" Clarisse taunted, while Percy struggled to get back up to his feet.

"I'm surprised you know what bravado means. Or did you look it up in a dictionary, if you know that is either." said Percy, knowing that probably wasn't smart to say, grunting when Clarisse jabbed his leg, causing it to go numb.

Percy managed to get his feet. He raised his sword, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear as sparks flew. Now both his arms felt numb.

"Oh, wow," Clarisse said." I'm scared of this guy. Really scared."

"At least I look like a guy rather than a talking pig." Percy stated, mentally wishing he knew how to filter what he said, grunting in pain when Clarisse slashed him across the arm.

"You really don't know when to shut up, do ya punk?!" Clarisse growled before kicking Percy into the creek.

"Here, since you enjoy splashing around so much! Stay there while I deal with Hammer and try not to drown, until I'm done with you." said Clarisse before turning her attention to Heron.

Only to stop when she saw Percy standing up, looking completely fine and refreshed, the water seemed to waked up his senses, as if he'd just had a bag of his mom's double espresso jelly beans.

"What the-" Clarisse said in disbelief before raising her shield when Percy swung his sword at her, grunting in disbelief at the sudden strength he had.

Before the daughter of Ares' felt her shield come loose when Percy slammed his own shield down on top of it, knocking it off of Clarisse's arm. The sight making her scowl in anger before grabbing her spear with both hands, thrusting it forward at the boy. Though the moment she thrust her spear forward, Percy caught the shaft between the edge of his shield and sword. Which he then snapped the spear in half like a twig, much to Clarisse's anger.

"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"

She probably would've said worse, but Percy smacked her between the eyes with his sword-butt and sent her stumbling backward out of the creek.

"Impressive." Heron said as he walked over.

"I could have used some help." Retorted Percy, only for Heron to shrug.

"You aren't always going to have someone to fight for you, There'll be times where you'll need to fight your own battles. This seemed like a good chance to learn that, in a semi-safe environment." Heron said, making his friend frown but also couldn't fault that logic.

They suddenly heard yelling, elated screams, and both boys saw Luke racing toward the boundary lime with the red teams' banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat, and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids. The Ares folks got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.

"A trick!" She shouted. "It was a trick."

They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory, with blue team exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven. Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.

The game was over. They'd won.

Percy was about to join the celebration when Annabeth's voice, right next to him in the creek, said, "Not bad, hero."

Percy looked, but she wasn't there. Heron looked around as well with a frown on his face.

"Where the heck did you lean to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken off her head.

It just registered to Heron that she was invisible, with what seemed like her cap being the cause.

Percy felt himself getting angry. He wasn't even fazed by the fact that she'd just been invisible. "You set me up," he said. "You me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."

Annabeth shrugged." I told you. Athena always, always had a plan."

"A plan to get us pulverized."

"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, when I saw Heron get involved." Annabeth said, gesturing to the son of Sigmar. "Though I was surprised he did." Then she noticed Percy's wounded arm. "How did you do that?"

"Spear cut," Percy said." What do you think?"

"No. It was a spear cut. Look at it."

The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, an even that was fading. As he watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared.

"I-I don't get it," Percy said. Annabeth was thinking hard. He could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at his feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."

"What-"

"Just do it."

Percy came out of the creek and immediately felt bone tired. His arms started to go numb again. His adrenaline rush left him. He almost fell over but Heron steadied him.

"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want...I assumed it would be Zeus..."

Before he could asked what she mean, he meant, he heard that canine growl again, but much closer than before. A howl ripped through the forest.

The camper's cheering died instantly, Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which he would realize, only later, he had understood perfectly: "Stand ready! My bow!"

Annabeth drew her sword and Heron drew the Soul Drinker.

There on the rocks just above them was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers. It was looking straight at Percy.

Nobody moved except Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, run!"

She and Heron tried to step in front of him, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over the—an enormous shadow with teeth—and just as it hit him, as he stumbled backward and felt its razor-sharp claws ripping through his armor, there was a loud thwack! Heron brought his warhammer down into the hellhounds heads. With a loud smack of metal upon flesh, Percy saw the head of the monster explode in a shower of bone and gristle, with each gruesome piece clattering against the ground, kicking the body over at the same time before helping a shell-shocked Percy to his feet.

By some miracle, he was till alive. he didn't want to look underneath the ruins of his shredded armor. His chest felt warm and wet, and Percy knew he was badly cut. Another second, and the monster would've turned him into a hundred pounds of delicatessen meat.

Chiron trotted up next to them, a bow in his hand, his face grime.

"Di immortales!" Annabeth said." That's a hellhound from the fields of punishment. They don't...They're not supposed to..."

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."

Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone.

Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"

"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.

Heron watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, soaking into the ground slowly until it disappeared.

"You're wounded," Annabeth told me." Quick, Percy, get in the water."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this."

Percy was too tired to argue. He stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around him. Heron hooked the Soul Drinker to his belt loop, narrowing his eyes as his theory became 100% confirmed.

Instantly, Percy felt better. Percy could feel the cut on his chest closing up. Some of the campers gasped.

"Look, I-I don't know why," Percy said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry..."

But they weren't watching his wounds heal. They were staring at something above his head.

"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing." Um..."

By the time he looked up, the sign was already fading, but he could make out the hologram of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three-tipped spear: a trident.

"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is really not good."

"It is determined," Chiron announced.

All around him, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look happy about it.

"My father?" Percy asked, completely bewildered.

"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea god."

The silence was almost deafening as the entire camp kept on kneeling all except one.

Feeling a hand upon his shoulder Percy saw his friend giving him a smile

"Percy I-"

A terrible roar broke the already tense scene. Percy and Heron both paused and glanced to the right, where the noise was coming from. As the noise rang throughout the camp, a number of other campers paused their activities. Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the distance. Then bolts of lightning occurred. A lot of lighting.

All the campers of half-blood looked to the sky in fear. Expecting for Zeus to strike Percy down any minute but

More roaring and battle screams rang out as blades crashed against one another. It was near constant with the gunfire in the forests, and soft thumps rocked the earth.

The fourteen-year-old teen immediately knew what was happening.

"What was-" Silena was unable to finish her statement as Heron flew by her.

She only caught a short glimpse but as they're eyes met it struck a chord with her core before he sprinted toward the roar.

"Where's he's going?" demanded one of the campers as they watched the son of Sigmar sprint toward the sound of what could be described as a massive monster.

---

While Heron was cognizant of the events occurring, the remainder of Camp Half Blood was not. At the periphery of the camp, beyond the magical barrier, the troops of Sigmar clashed violently with the ferocious beastmen.

As the courageous men and women of the Storm Corp gradually pushed deeper into the thick woodlands, firearm flashes illuminated the night, turning the brutal conflict between humans and beasts into a massive light display. The brave fighters, who wielded a variety of weaponry: HK416, MK18, M4A1's, and the new XM5 Sig spear assault rifle, all adapted to their liking, hail from a wide variety of nations around Terra.

Fireteams positioned deepest into the forest were the first units to get hit. The beastmen's animalistic fury quickly overwhelmed these squads in well-coordinated ambushes, tearing them apart like blenders and forcing HQ to send reinforcements to reinforce the now designated frontlines. Despite their ferocity, the beastmen's tactics began to reveal weaknesses as the allied forces regrouped and adapted to their aggressive assaults. With steady resolve, the newly arrived units set up defensive perimeters, preparing for the inevitable clash that would determine the fate of their operation. And it came sooner than they had expected.

The beastmen attacked with the full might of their warherd at their disposal, from the man-sized Gors and ungors to troll-sized Minotaurs and horse-like Centigores, accompanied by horrifying beasts of war, while harpies fly overhead. The ground trembled beneath the weight of their charge, and a cacophony of roars and shrieks filled the air. As the battle unfolded, the defenders steeled themselves, knowing that they would have to summon every ounce of courage to repel this relentless onslaught. Turning a relatively quiet containment effort in a few small woods into an all-out battleground.

Gun flashes lit up the darkness as the sounds of gunfire echoed through the trees, shattering the eerie silence that once enveloped the area. Shadows danced among the trunks, revealing the urgency of soldiers maneuvering through the underbrush, their adrenaline fueling a desperate fight for survival. As a a within the darkness of the tree's lay in wait the real monsters as the beastmen would teach these man-things the reason why the residents of the old world feared beasts of chaos.

Thankfully, the shining warhosts of the Stormcast Eternals arrived for combat as a rolling thunderclap and a flash of lightning burst from the sky. With their weapons encircled by flickering lightning arcs, the Stormcasts enter the battle.

Like the wars and battles today, the forces of order and chaos once again clashed. Beasts of violence and devastation driven by animal instinct face up against a coordinated army of immortal legends revived in virtually impenetrable Sigmarite armor.

Lord Celestant Iden, the Slayer of Orruks, leads his personal guard of Praetor's, slaying beastmen with cold, hard efficiency. Each swing of his sword was like an extension of himself.

The former Knight-Vexillor had fought many battles in almost the entirety of nine realms. Despite failing to defend the Dawnbringer colony in the Realm of Ghur, he was promoted from Knight-Vexillor of the Hammers of Sigmar to Lord Celestant by the god king himself, placing him in charge of a recently constructed warrior chamber on Terra.

Attached to the warriors of Terra is a stormhost charged with defending Terra from hostile threats from without and within. Under his command, these stalwart warriors trained tirelessly, honing their skills and preparing for the inevitable battles that lay ahead. As tensions began to simmer among the various godly factions within Terra, Sigmar understood that unity would be the greatest weapon against the encroaching darkness if they wanted to survive.

That is why the god king dispatched him on multiple expeditions across Terra to examine the state of the different pantheons, develop relationships, and demonstrate to the gods of Terra that Sigmar will support them in their time of need.

Unfortunately, certain gods or entire pantheons who are regarded as too hazardous for mankind have to be constantly supervised to stop them from obtaining any strange notions. But these are desperate times; if they wanted to retake the mortal realms, they needed to rebuild what was once lost.

All around him, the orchestra of war sounded with all its horrific glory. His intellect, however, perceived the turmoil surrounding him. His intellect, however, perceived the turmoil surrounding him with a clarity that felt almost surreal. Each explosion and cry was a note in a chaotic symphony, urging him to navigate through the chaos with both caution and resolve.

The soldier is wearing the standard black body armor vest, military-grade night vision goggles, black gloves with gray fingertips, black kneecaps, and black boots. Armed with a modified HK416, assault rifle, he kneeled in reverence and silent awe at the immortal warrior.

"My lord." said the mortal

The lord Celestant motioned the mortal to rise, "Major Arnold O'Conal, 8th regiment, Alpha company." The man introduced himself.

"Major, give me an update." The major leaned forward, his expression tense with anticipation. "The wicked beasts have overwhelmed most of our units on the frontlines. They pushed us back to this encampment and are staging a heavy assault on our defenses." Major O'Connell's voice was steady, but Iden could see the flicker of worry in his eyes.

Acting quickly, Iden glanced at one of his commanders and said, "Lyreo, take your warriors and remain here to secure the encampment."

The Liberator Prime nodded, urgency clear in his eyes as he rallied his troops. "We will hold the line, my lord," he vowed, determination radiating from him as the sounds of distant chaos echoed closer.

"Major, tell me more on what had transpired before we arrived."

"Yes, my lord. Follow me."

"The situation here has deteriorated. Those foul beasts pollute the surrounding landscape."

"The beastmen have been keeping you and your men away from your objective."

"They do. These unrelenting attacks make a counterattack difficult."

"What about the recon squad I've sent out?" Iden said, "Have you made contact with them yet?"

"Not since the flare, my lord. We have spent the whole night attempting to contact them by radio, but our calls are constantly being cut off. However, they are around thirty miles inside the containment zone, according to current satellite photos. We have tried to reach them, but as you can see, the beastmen are making any progress difficult."

"Than we shall carve our way through." Iden proclaimed to him.

"Stormcasts! Push forward!" he yelled. In order for his soldiers to hear him, he yells above the din of battle.

The liberators, Sigmar's armored foot warriors, quickly cleared the surrounding region of beastmen, allowing their Vindicators brethren to build a strong azurite steel shield wall as they began to advance together. They are planting their spears and flags, since they will not leave until the last of the beastmen has been killed. Behind the shield wall, judicators drew their magical arrows from their quivers, nocked them to the strings of their skybolt bows, and unleashed a torrent of magic-lightning missiles on the god king's adversaries.

Their attacks are swift and devastating; bolts and arrows knocked the howling hordes of chaos off their feet. The battlefield, once a cacophony of screams, now echoed with the thuds of fallen adversaries as the defenders regrouped to prepare for the next wave of onslaught.

The Decimators then entered the battle, destroying several beastmen with each thunderaxe blow, unfazed by their greater numbers. A hundred of their enemies' corpses soon encircle them. Their rigorous training in the Gladitorium has given them the ability to discern each brother's location and behavior in the midst of a conflict, preventing them from striking their comrades while everyone within range cleaved with gory ease. Carving a gore-ridden path straight through the mutants battle lines, with the lord Celestant and his retinue following close behind.

In the skies, however, a single eagle flew over the battlefield, watching the fighting from above. Its teardrop eyes were hiding a sharp intelligence as it scanned the ground. The avian predator swiftly made its way to the far end of Long Island, flapping its broad wings.

Now over Camp half-blood, it soared above the tree line. The eagle noticed the distant figures of demigods wondering what was going on, unaware of the impending chaos. With a sense of urgency coursing through its veins, the eagle circled once more, longing to warn them of the storm that loomed on the horizon but resistied it.

For it was looking for someone else and it prayed desperately that he wasn't too late.

---

Zhou and his squad have been pursuing this beastmen herd for quite some time. This wasn't the longest mission he'd been on, but it was probably the most frustrating and puzzling. He had so many questions and very few answers. The women that attacked and chased him, the snake ladies who looked like mutants but were plainly not, and finally the dogs of hell. They were exceedingly puzzling to him, but he couldn't worry about them just now.

Not when a beast ten to twenty feet tall was attempting to devour him; the hot, foul breath of the thing sent a shock of fear through his veins. However, he maintained a consistent breathing pattern to calm himself, knowing that panic would not help him.

With his twin swords ready, Zhou and his companions charged at the terrible beast. The beast bellowed and charged as well. It snapped at him, dipping its giant hands down, but the adolescents outran it, splitting up and dodging the razor teeth and hands as Zhou raced to the right.

Harnessing momentum, he directed the winds of magic, igniting flames that erupted from the fangs blade as he executed an upward slash, cutting into the Ghorgon's side with metal and fire, provoking a snarl of annoyance rather than pain.

The Ghorgon roared at Zhou as its eyes suddenly started glowing red. However, the Cathayn only smirked as a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper being ripped one after the other. From the Ghorgon's neck sprouted a cluster of arrows. A second later, the arrows exploded, injuring the beast as Zhour charged toward it again. Swords held a crisscross as he sprinted at it; however, the beast lowered its stance, digging its hands into the earth before suddenly tilting a good chunk of ground to block him. Zhou sped up, propelling himself up the dirt wall, running upward, defying the laws of gravity. He leapt over, barely dodging its snapping jaws as he dragged his blade down its back.

Zhou's sword cut across the Ghorgon's back, causing blood to flow. The Ghorgon roared in anger and slammed its tail down. Zhou was swung away with its sword-like arm, sending sparks. The Cathayn parried the strike, but the organic weapon hit Zhou's swords. Zhou managed to get to his feet but skidded a few feet before regaining his strength.

"This thing is pissing me off!" Anatoly hissed, lancing the Kislevitz features.

Zhou just snorted at his friend's bloodlust, finding it amusing as he straightened himself out. "I have to admit, this abominations healing factor is really making this difficult," he said, causing the corrupted beast to growl lowly before roaring at him in fury. As it glared at him, flames shot out of its mouth.

"Then we cut off its fucking head." suggested Anatoly," Let's see if it regrows that!"

"It may be harder than you think," said Elodie, not taking her eyes off the monster for a second. "This beast's regeneration is much faster than its accursed brethren. If we decapitate the beast, it might just reattach its head back on."

"If that doesn't work, then we rip out its damned beating heart from its chest," snarled Anatoly .

Elodie and Zhou glanced at each other for a second before Zhou shrugged. "That could work," he said, in an unsure tone. "But it might just regrow it back."

"What other choice do we have?!"

"Alright, Zhou, you go for the legs with Anatoly while I will keep it distracted."

"It's getting too dark. It'll be hard to fight this thing if we can't see that well."

"I'll light up then; I still have some Grungi-forged arrows in my quiver," said Elodie. "Saving these girls for just the occasion."

"Okay, we have a plan."

"One half a plan."

"But a plan nonetheless."

Meanwhile, the hunters and goddess were watching silently as the three and the monster fought in what would likely end with one of them dead. What was more, the hunters were watching with a little bit of awe, though minuscule, as they watched the boy and his companions go toe to toe with a monster that was leagues larger than them, more so for companion, whose speed was almost match that of their mistress in every way. Keeping a good stance, he shot arrow after arrow at the massive beast.

However, for one of them, she was starting to dislike this boy more and more.

Zoe looked ready to charge in and fight this beast herself, however, not to defeat it but to prove that she was better than the boy.

'We do nothing as this boy flaunts his skills before us?' thought Zoe as she looked at Zhou with growing hate. 'He was able to escape us, defeat an entire pack of Hellhouds, and now he and his companions are mocking us by facing this beast by himself?!'

She disliked Hercules for betraying her, and despite his pride, she hated him because he was better than her. She felt weaker than him and would never allow herself to be second to a male demigod. She hated being outmatched by a demigod, especially a male demigod, and would never allow herself to be second to a male.

She took a step forward, unsheathing her knife, but was stopped by Artemis when she laid her hand on her shoulder.

Zoe looked back to her lady, "Stand down, Zoe," and ordered the goddess, "Let the fools kill themselves."

"But my lady!" protested the lieutenant, but was cut off before she could continue.

"Enough, let the boys weaken the beast," ordered the hunt goddess. "Our orders were to search for the boy, but never to return him alive. The only thing he'll achieve is his own death if this monster is as powerful as I sense. The girl shows great skill, so we'll intervene if the two fools die."

She turned back to the fight to see the monster was still going strong; however, she was disappointed and annoyed to see, as was the boy.

"Come on, you ugly wretch and die already!" roared Anatoly as he hacked at the corrupted beast's.

The Ghorgon roared in fury as it tried to grab the Kislevite, jaw wide open with all its teeth on display. The Kislevite smirked as he avoided its large hands attempting to grab him. Adjusting his grip on his long sword, he dragged the blade and shot back to the ground thanks to his super strength. The result was Anatoly slicing its hip and leg open, letting a shower of blood spill out and coat the blade in red.

The Ghorgon roared angrily as flames in its maw blasted out. Spinning around, swinging its missive twin sword arms at Anatoly, the war beast cleaved a tree in half. Though it missed its target when suddenly Zhou tackled him to the ground, putting some distance between them. The crimson glow in its neck appeared to grow stronger as the flames in its lips flared violently.

Zhou and Anatoly raised an eyebrow as the Ghorgon roared at them and readied itself. The two of them tensed, preparing to dodge the war beast when it charged; however, they were surprised to see it suddenly sprint to the side. However, they were partially taken off guard when a massive glob of flaming mucus shot out of its mouth. Leaping back, the two boys avoided the flaming slime, though they were forced to move again as the mucus burned for a moment before exploding in a large fireball.

"By emperors fangs!" said Zhou as he steadied himself and looked at the smoking aftermath. "I'm starting to think we're not dealing with a normal Ghorgon."

"No shit sherlock! What gave it away, its fast healing factor, or it can now shoot out fire from out of its mouth!" Anatoly bellowed, wiping away the dirt and sticks stuck in his hair. "

"Guys, watch out!" shouted Elodie.

The Ghorgon roared as, in a sudden display of agility, it leaped into the air and swung its twin swords down at them. Acting fast, Elodie released a dozen more arrows. Hitting the bone blades. Zhou and Anatoly dove to the sides, the best fists slammed into the ground, shattering the earth. Zhou was forced to dodge again when it followed up the attack by twisting around on its heel, bringing its tail down. The brown-haired man steadied himself as he looked up at the bull monster and huffed in annoyance. The two of them went into the fray again.

It seemed this thing had a combat sense, then she thought

"It would seem this beast is not brainless as we originally thought," snorted the Elodie as she straightened herself out and nocked an arrow while the Ghorgon roared menacingly at them. Reaching into her holder, she drew an arrow and took aim at it. "But let's see how touched that hide of yours really is!" With that, she released the arrow, aiming right for the head.

The battle beast was taken aback by the arrows that impacted its side of the face, causing it to swivel its enormous head in surprise before roaring again and growling with rage. After discarding the two annoyances, the fire in its mouth started to rekindle, and it shot a ball of mucus at Elodie. She was able to go up to a tree in time to see it fall to the ground where she was standing. She then jumped to another tree just as it exploded, bringing down the big plant.

Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, Elodie fired several arrows at the Ghorgon from different angles. Shooting its larger body—anything to keep it confused and probably uncover a weakness.

The Ghorgon growled fiercely as it pounced at her in a surprise assault, bored of being the target. Elodie just escaped when the war beast ripped off a tree trunk, shattering it in two as the hunter collapsed to the forest floor and rolled over her shoulder. As a result, she could only recover by resting one knee and steadying herself.

She saw the Ghorgon leap at her as she turned to look back. Reacting automatically, she dove to avoid its path as it crashed its large foot into the spot where she had been, shattering the earth in its wake. The Ghorgon made no move to grab her until a blast of icy cold turned the monster's arm into an icicle and chilled it to the bone with a spell of ice known as the maiden's kiss. A spell that only the Frost maidens of Kislev could master. A magical power that the male Kisleverian rarely uses except for special circumstances. This was one of those circumstances. So when Elodie realized Anatoly had thrown it, she was able to shoot two arrows into its eyes.

The transformation of the monster's arm into a lethal icicle, achieved through the powerful kiss spell of the Frost maidens of Kislev, underscores the unique mastery these women possess over such formidable magic. This rare ability is seldom embraced by male Kisleverians, highlighting a gender dynamic deeply rooted in their culture. The pivotal moment when Elodie skillfully shoots arrows into the monster's eyes, following Anatoly's strategic throw, showcases not only her bravery but also the collaborative spirit among the warriors. Together, they illuminate the power of unity and ingenuity in overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, making it clear that both magic and teamwork are essential in their fight against darkness. The monstrosity was partially blinded as the magical missiles struck its eyes, causing it to reel back in fury. However, it was far from out of the fight.

Shaking its head, the monster, in a surprising move and display of flexibility, pointed the tip of its clawed right hand at Anatoly and sent it right towards him. The older teen had no time to react fast enough and avoid the claws completely. While he dodged bodily harm, the shirt that he wore was sliced off.

"Anatoly!?"

"I'm fine!" Anatoly groaned as he examined the damage, growing irritated when he saw one of his shirts had been damaged. "Sukin syn, this was my favorite shirt!?." He raised his head to glare at the monster" You'll pay for that with your life overgrown steak house!"

The Ghorgon roared angrily in response as it watched Anatoly adjust himself.

"I'm getting tired of this wretched creature," stated the Kislevite as he dispelled the frost upon his hands and grabbed his sword from out of his friend's hand. "We must slay this beast quickly so we can join the real fight!"

His sword brother speaks truth, when the dragonblooded widened his senses, he was able to hear the clanging of war all around them, followed by the crack of lighting; this was an indication that the Stormcast's had engaged the enemy.

Sighing deeply Zhou nodded. "Agreed, if we tarry here much longer, the Stormcasts, we'll miss the glory."

The Ghorgon growled in anger before suddenly charging right towards them in a surprising move. All three teens tensed before the beast's right eye exploded, a howl of pain erupting from the beast. All three hunters turned around and saw the person they've spent almost a week without, standing at the edge of the clearing with Soul Drinker in his right hand and wielding an ox shield strapped to his left.

"Hey guys, how's it doing?" Heron said.

"Nice of you to finally show up, Heron," teased Zhou as his friend approached.

"Nice to see you too, Anatoly, "replied the young teen.

"Where've you been?" asked Elodie, turning to the hunter of Artemis.

"Busy," he answered.

"Busy doing what exactly?" she asked.

"Summer camp."

All three of them paused for a second, not believing in what they had just heard.

"There's a summer camp here."

"Yes."

"A summer camp that allows you to wear battle armor."

"If its primary purpose is to train demigods, then yes."

Out the corner of his eye, Heron notices a group of girls radiating silver magic who are standing from the sidelines. "Uh, guys, who are they?" He gestured to the Hunters of Artemis. "And why are they radiating divine energy from the moon goddess?"

Before Elodi could say why, the Ghorgon let out an earth-shattering roar and, as it appeared, fixed its one good eye on Heron. The son of Sigmar, who threw a spear through one of the creature's perfectly decent eyes.

"Alight. Looks like it's on hold for now" Heron sighed, "after we slay this abomination of mother nature, of course."

The scene changed in an instant as the beast charged straight at Heron, sending the others running as their leader turned to face the beast with a casual demeanor. Before the large Ghorgon could hit him, he repositioned his hold on Soul Drinker and drove the flat end of his hammer into its ankle. With one hammer strike, he splintered bones and torn flesh. Heron lunged forward to kill the beast as it tumbled to the ground like a newborn taking its first steps.

Zhou, Anatoly, and Elodie all grouped up and saw the monster continuing to fight back.

"Better not let him have all the glory, huh?" chuckled Anatoly as he ran after the monster and his blood brother. Elodie and Zhou glanced at each other for a moment before joining back into the fight.

---

'Disorder' would be the best word to characterize the camp's current situation. Then there was a roar, and with it came gunfire, explosions, and the clashing of steel on steel. Chiron had summoned an emergency meeting with Dionysus, and other camp councilor's had collected their cabins members.

"We have any idea what in Tartarus is going on?" demanded Dionysus as he spoke with Chiron on the big house's porch.

"No," replied Chiron, "I have tried contacting Olympus but have yet to receive a reply."

"Well, that's just great," huffed the god of wine in annoyance.

"Have all the campers been gathered?" asked Chiron, tying to dispel the situation before it could escalate.

"Only missing is the punk," answered the camp director.

"What?"

"I mean, he's gone; no one can find him," repeated Dionysus.

"I saw Heron," interjected Silena, drawing both Chiron's and Dionysus' attention to her. "When the first roar and sounds of fighting began, he immediately went in the direction of the fighting."

Both camp officials were intrigued and slightly confused. Why would Heron head towards the sound of a fight? While it was no secret that he wouldn't back down from a challenge, they still couldn't understand why he would do such a thing. Based on what they know about him, he wasn't one to sit idly by and do nothing, another trait he didn't share with the gods, but that still made them curious.

However, Silena's statement did bring up another question.

"How do you know where he went?" asked Dionysus.

Before the daughter of Aphrodite could explain, the two mythical beings felt the ground vibrate as distant thumps filled the air. Looking around, they heard a titanic roar and turned to the hill where Thalia's tree stood at the border of the camp. Over the hill came a figure, flying through the air. Narrowing their eyes, they saw it was Heron, thrown all the way into the camp, where he hit the ground hard and slid across the grass about twenty yards away from the big house.

"Heron!" Selina shouted as she ran off the porch.

"Is that the kid?" demanded Dionysus.

Chiron could not answer as heavy footsteps echoed as a giant creature approached. Coming over the hill, the creature lumbered towards the camp; its massive bulk cast a shadow across the ground. Its red eyes scanned the area until it saw Heron, who was getting back to his feet. It let out a thunderous roar and tried to lunge at him, but the second it tried, the beast collided with the barrier around the camp. A semi-transparent field appeared, and the Ghorgon tried to attack.

Shaking its head, it growled as it bashed its mass against the barrier.

Seeing that the war beast was being stopped, Dionysus smirked smugly.

"Guess that thing isn't as powerful .

A sound akin to breaking glass reached their ears as Chiron opened his mouth to speak. Looking at it, they could tell that something had really broken through the barrier. It seemed to be radiating a horrible blue, dissolving the barrier until it began to exhibit fissures that spread like cracking glass, nearly engulfing the entire camp. Chiron and Dionysus were startled by this new change; the Ghorgon let out a great roar to the heavens, broke through the barrier, and stumbled into camp half blood.

"That's impossible," stammered Dionysus.

---

"Well, that's just fucking great," Heron said as he watched the Ghorgon breach the barrier and enter the camp. It took him off guard when the beast suddenly breached the barrier. He barely got a glimpse of the archer, so he rapidly followed the source of the arrow for a second. Unfortunately, it was too far away, and before he could get a good look, his attention was drawn back to the present danger.

While Heron faced the Ghorgon, others in the camp felt a rising sense of dread as chaos unfolded around them. The fleeting moment of peace quickly turned into a desperate scramble for survival, overshadowing any initial thrill at witnessing such a fearsome creature.

When Zhou and the others eventually located him, things did not proceed as he had anticipated. However, he was really unaware of what to anticipate from his father's servants and the servants of chaos; these individuals often seem to appear out of the blue and are rarely good. That was unimportant just now, though. The fact that a Ghorgon has penetrated the perimeter of the camp is what matters.

Like the Manticore he battled a week before, this Ghorgon was somehow altered, so he should have guessed that it is not a regular Ghorgon. Such a monster doesn't heal that fast if they don't have any nearby sustenance, which is anything meat-based. It's an ability that it gained from gouging down so much warp stone. So how the hell is this thing still healing itself?!

"Heron!"

He turned to see Percy sprinting toward him, followed closely by Silena, much to his horror.

"What the hell are you guys doing?!" shouted Heron, his voice a bit strained but strong, brushing off the dirt on his now battered armor.

"Trying to help you." Percy answered

"What is that thing?!" Silena panicked. Highlighting the impending pandemonium that would make the minotaur that Percy and Heron were facing appear little in contrast.

"A Ghorgon." Heron calmly answered.

Silena and Percy looked at Heron like he was crazy. "A what?!"

A sudden cold blizzard swept in, creating a thick ice wall between them and the on-rushing monster. It caught both demigods by surprise. They were more surprised when a couple of teens appeared and began to fight the monster head-on.

"What in Ursan's name are you standing around for? We don't have time to flirt with the locals!" Anatoly shouted, shaking off the frost that was stuck on his arm. "We have a monster to slay and honor to gain!"

"Oh, shut up, Anatoly. Just give a second to catch my breath first."

"Hope it's not too long," said Anatoly. "I don't want to tell the others that you missed out on all the fun."

"Don't worry about me." Heron brushed off his sword brothers concern, "Worry about not getting killed."

"Who was that?" Percy asked.

Grunting from his fractured ribs, Heron explained, but in a way that Percy and Silena could comprehend. "No time to explain. But to make a long story short, envision it as a more malevolent and grotesque sibling of the Minotaur, characterized by severe steroid abuse and an accelerated growth spurt, possessing insatiable appetites for flesh that resulted in the emergence of two additional arms, wielding swords so sharp they could slice through a tank."

"Oh."

Controlling his breathing, he looked straight at Percy directly in the eye. "Listen to me; go find a place to hide and stay there."

"What are you going to do?"

"To kill this abomination." He replied.

"Don't tell me you're going to fight that thing!?" Silena exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes wide with concern. "You need to think this through; charging in without a plan could get you killed!"

"Are you out of your mine?" Percy added, "That monster could have you for breakfast!"

"There's no time to dispute with me, okay? "You two will only get in the way!" Heron cried out his patience as the two of them reached their limit and pulled the blade from Percy's grasp, his countenance becoming sterner and tougher. "You just recently learned your origins as the son of the sea god, yet you're still as green as grass. There are plenty of reasons to believe that if you make one incorrect move, you will die. I don't want an angry, pissed-off sea god on my back that blames me for killing his only son!" he shouted before he turned to Selina, pointing at her chest but her hurtful face cracking his hardened heart. "And you're the daughter of Aphrodite with little to no real combat experience other than a training field; thus, you can't help with anything; you can't act all pretty like your mother." He laid out bluntly in front of his fellow teenagers.

Selina's look changed from one of anguish to one of heart wrenching rage as she tightened her fists and smacked him as hard as she could with her quivering hands, tears welling up in her eyes. The act caught Heron off-guard; he still felt the stinging on his cheek as she ran away from him.

Letting out a deep breath of air he turned to Percy "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"

Percy stared at him, anger clear in his eyes, but said nothing but nodded his head, not willing to talk to his friend right now.

The son of Sigmar sighed, hoping that he made the right call, knowing that he'll have to make up for what he just said once this was over.

Cutting open his palm, he prayed to the god of war and wolves to bestow his blessing upon him. "Ulric god of war, give me fangs of the wolf, Ulric god of winter, give me the claws of the wolf, Ulric god of wolves, give me the coat of the wolf, and I will show your enemies the mercy of the wolf!"

The howl of the wolf echoed all around.

On instinct, all the wolves of Artemis halted, confusing their owners as they too joined the howl. As if being commanded by a higher power other than the goddess of the hunt. Satyr's too felt it, except every instinct in their body was screaming to run away as far as they could.

The haunting howls of wolves resonate through the valley, stirring deep-seated memories of lost livestock and the lives once lived in their shadow. These chilling cries tap into the primal fear experienced by exiled individuals, whose hearts race at the thought of predatory teeth lurking in the darkness. As the narrative unfolds, it captures a poignant transformation, with battles etched into the skin of youth—the teen's complexion glowing eerily pale, reminiscent of moonlight dancing on freshly fallen snow. This vivid imagery not only underscores the visceral emotions tied to both nature's fierce beauty and humanity's fragility but also invites reflection on our own vulnerabilities in a world where survival often hangs by a thread.

A howl that shook Heron to his bones and that paused beastmen and campers alike where they stood. A great warm glow engulfed Heron, emanating from the campfire at the heart of the stone circle. A sensation so strong and powerful, Heron nearly fell to a knee at the overwhelming sensation.

A visceral force coursed through him. A force that Heron has experienced several times in the past. His strength came back, his ribs healed, and blood poured back into his body from where it had stopped as Heron screamed as raw power flooded through him.

Initially, Percy thought his best friend was to be burned alive when the grass around him caught fire, terrifying both him and Silena. But when he noticed that the fourteen-year-old wasn't wailing in pain, he realized the fire wasn't hurting him at all. Quite the contrary, in fact. The white flames appeared to empower him and began to magically etch wolf symbols into the armor Heron was sporting. It got to the point that it started to...change him.

His miss-matched eyes changed to winter blue, four of his front teeth sharpening into fangs, and his muscles began to bulge a little as the transformation took hold. The air around him turned colder, and a low growl rumbled from deep within his chest, signaling that he was ready to embrace the power coursing through his veins.

"Show them. My Wolf."

A voice like an avalanche sounded from the fire for what had to be miles around.

It was then he felt it. The need was back, and it wanted out.

Vengeance.

Heron instinctively knew what to do. Bellowing out the loudest war cry, Heron charged the beast without fear or hesitation, as if bellowing out a challenge.

He yelled, "Come to me, you big ugly son of bitch!" and turned to face the monster. He readied Soul Drinker while the Ghorgon focused all of its attention on him. "Come so I can end your vile existence from the realms!"

The Ghorgon roared at the challenge and charged right towards him. The warrior of order also sprinted towards the beast, ignoring the cracks of thunder in the partially cloudy sky. Guess Zeus and the other gods noticed their camp and what was going on for once. It really didn't matter to Heron if he was being watched; he had a monster to slay.

The approaching monstrosity bellowed as it swung its right claws at the demigod; however, Heron easily dodged the attack, rolling to the side before dashing to the arm. He left a long cut on the appendage, causing the monster to snarl in pain. The teen landed behind the beast in a crouch, his feet sliding across the dirt for a few feet before charging right in again. The Ghorgon roared as it swung its bladed arms at him; the sharp, bone-like edge on the end of its blades missed Heron and slid underneath the attack, just barely dodging it.

Once in close, Heron grabbed the sword and leaped right up in an enormous slash, fire and metal cutting right into the monster's side. The beast roared as blood spilled from the fresh wound. Heron flew overtop the beast and performed a flip in the air before bringing down his sword in a powerful stab. The sharp weapon plunged right into the beast's back, earning another roar of pain.

Snarling in fury, the monster began to shake itself around, trying to dislodge the demigod. Heron jumped off the back and landed about ten yards from his target. The Ghorgon narrowed its eyes at the demigod in pure hatred before it charged right toward him, mouth aghast. The young demigod dove to the side to avoid the gaping maw that was barreling down towards him. However, the giant made a surprise move and kicked its right hoof at the demigod while he was mid-roll. The massive appendage bashed right into Heron, sending him flying in the air. He managed to correct himself and stab his sword into the ground to slow himself down. The demigod slid to a stop in a crouch, gritting his teeth in pain due to the impact of the hoof. That hoof was incredibly hard.

"Damn, I think that broke some of my ribs." Heron groaned in pain.

The beast roared before charging at him again, but before it could get close, an object shot past the beast. It sliced at it like a wasp, removing one of its eyeballs. Ignoring the howl of anguish, Sigmar's son realized Luke was the one who saved him. The son of Hermes soared while still wearing his armor, thanks to some sort of magical shoes with wings. It was because of such shoes that he became not only speedier but more agile enough to dodge the Ghorgon's attempts to catch him. These enchanted shoes allowed Luke to maneuver effortlessly in the heat of battle, enhancing his reflexes and enabling him to evade the deadly strikes of the Ghorgon.

This combination of speed and agility was crucial in helping him protect Sigmar's son and turn the tide of their confrontation. But as it was so focused on a flying pest that was slashing at him, the Ghorgon didn't have time to look at what was on the ground.

Chiron, galloping at full speed, raised his bow and shot thirty-eight arrows at the monster in quick succession. Targeting the beast's most susceptible regions, such as the neck and knees.

"Friend of yours? We'd expecting a new sword brother and sister as of late." taunted Elodie as she saw Luke, Zhou, and Chiron keeping the Ghorgon preoccupied.

"Kind of like that. Just a little heads up," called Heron as he grabbed his sword and oxehid shield. "We'd better make sure that none of the kids here get hurt or dead, considering we've got an audience of the divine type."

"Divine?" repeated Elodie, raising an eyebrow as she and the others formed up with their leader. "What type of divine are we talking about?"

"The Greek kind."

Anatoly groaned, muttering "Fantastic." in his native language.

"You've been busy, Heron," Zhou said.

"I'll explain later; just keep the children of the Olympian gods alive; we don't need a bunch of angry gods on our back." ordered Heron. He gave both the three of them a serious look and understood that he wasn't kidding.

"Baby sitting it is then, just means our job got a lot harder," uttered Anatoly as he shouldered his long sword, then he saw a curly brown-haired girl helping satry from out of a toppled statue making quickly change his opinion. "Although it might be worth in the end."

"Really?" groaned Elodie as she slugged a bow over her shoulder and drew her own blades.

"What?" shrugged the Kisleverin.

"Heads up!" shouted Heron as he jumped back to avoid the Ghorgon that swung its claws at them, forcing all of them to jump back and avoid being crushed.

Meanwhile, a lone watcher watched a conflict from the sidelines, mindful of the Olympian gods' distant gaze. He thought he owed the gods for their misdeeds and that a day of retribution was approaching.

---

Hestia was standing on the edge of the street in front of Heldan's company base. She could see him working in the training area with one of his men, who helped him with his exercises. Hestia wanted to go into the building to run into Heldan's arms and have him hold her again. Oh, what she wouldn't give to be in his embrace again, to have those strong, but gentle, arms wrapped around her again.

Heldan was correct. The laws prohibiting her from being with him were terrible laws that separated lovers and children from their parents. If she could, she would burn this rule and disperse its ashes in the depths of the underworld.

The bodybuilder shot out in a flurry of blows at Heldan, each one blocked without any effort before knocking him down with one well-aimed kick to the stomach.

Suddenly lighting cracked in the clear sky. Zeus was calling a meeting. Hestia sighed and took one good look at Heldan before she teleported in a flash of fire.

Sigmar looked up and out of the fence of the base. The god king sensed familiar power just now. Only for one of his men to rush toward stopping to whisper into his ear for what was said made the god king frown.

Hestia arrived in the Olympian council chamber just as Zeus brought the meeting to order; however, the normal twelve members were not the only ones here. Standing in front of the council were the minor gods Hebe, Hecate, Iris, Nemesis, and Tyche, all wondering why they were called. Even Hades was standing in the corner of the council chamber, looking royally pissed off. Hestia took up her position in front of the chamber's hearth just as Zeus started to speak.

"I have called you all here today because something has happened in Camp half-blood." Zeus said grimly, his eyes scanning the faces of every god present, except Hesta's. "During the camps weekly capture of the flag game, the demigod that arrived four days prior was claimed."

Hestia's eyes shot wide from surprise and narrowed in anger, something Hestia almost never did. She had a feeling her brother was talking about her son again but now came to find out that someone had claimed him as their own. That was unacceptable. Heron was her son, not someone else's; who was it? Ares? Apollo? Hermes?

Whoever it may have been, they would know just how unpleased she was with their actions. Claiming another god's child as your own was a major offense to the demigod's true godly parent. Never in the history of the Olympian pantheon did a god ever claim another god's child as their own.

"It came to my attention that an unknown creature entered the camp three days ago and spoke with the same demigod in secret." Zeus went on. "But I did not call you here just to tell you this demigod not only summoned an unknown power that I have never seen before but brought a monster that breached the barrier."

"No demigod has ever shown such a power until now; this can make him a threat if he has more hidden powers. So the godly parent of this demigod will reveal themselves here in now, or I will banish all likely suspects until you give me an answer."

"But father." Apollo said, his voice wavy, "It was voted that his godly parent would not be revealed until he was claimed."

"He has been claimed!" Zeus retorted. "And his godly parent is still unknown! So, whoever you are, you will claim your son before us all and now." He finished looking around the room.

The chamber was quite; all of the gods were looking at one another, looking for any sign that would give them away. But no one said a thing.

"No one then?" Zeus finally said. " Fine! Ares, Hephaestus, and Apollo, by my authority as king of Olympus, I banished you to-"

"WAIT!" A female voice called cutting Zeus off.

All eyes shot to the origin of the voice that was now facing them. Hestia stood in there, all eyes on her, but she had no fear. It was time; she would claim her son here and now. She would fight for his right to live if she had to, and she would not let others go to Tartarus because of her brother's insecurity.

"What is it, sister?" Zeus said, staring at the goddess of the hearth.

"He is mine." All eyes went wide. "I am Heron Hammers' mother," the brown-eyed goddess declared with no fear.

Everyone stared at the goddess with wide eyes; even Hera, who had originally suspected her in the first place, was surprised by the goddess' declaration. Some of the gods started to whisper to each other while others continued to stare.

"He can't be yours; you took an oath of maidenhood." Zeus said, looking at Hestia seriously.

"He is mine!" Hestia repeated loudly, causing the hearth to explode, fire shooting upward, causing the temperature in the room to increase. "I swear on the River of the Styx that Heron Hammer is my son!"

Thunder clacked in the distance as soon as Hestia finished her sentence. All of the gods watched and waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, Zeus stood up from his throne.

"Then you have broken your oath." Zeus stated, looking rather pissed. "Who did it? Who took your maidenhood?"

"I have not broken my oath; I am still a maiden." Hestia said back, not intimidated by the king of the Olympians in the slightest. "Heron was conceived out of true love."

Zeus was about to say something; a great roar brought their attention back to the firepit, where they had been watching the combat between campers of camp Half Blood and the monster.

---

The Ghorgon that Heron and the others were battling forced him onto his back and compressed him into the earth, eliciting a howl of anguish. Soul Drinker had been knocked out of his grasp and cast away several yards away. Zhou and the others tried to get the beast to move, or at least remove its massive hoof off their friend and comrade, but the beast wouldn't budge. It seemed determined to kill at least one of them before it killed itself. It let out a growl as it pressed harder onto Heron.

The beast's relentless pressure on Heron demonstrated its fierce determination to claim a life before succumbing to its own fate. With each passing moment, the urgency to save their friend intensified as the group faced the looming threat of both the creature and time.

The son of Sigmar gritted his teeth as he used his strength to hold off the beast, his arms straining under its power. The ground started to give as he was literally pressed into the ground. However, he soon felt his arms begin to shake as they were going to give in soon.

"Come on," strained the Hunter as he tried pushing back but couldn't as the Ghorgon pushed down harder.

When Silena noticed that Heron was beginning to struggle, she went towards the creature and picked up the sword that Heron had dropped. Her actions were reckless or motivated by sheer desperation, since she stabbed the creature in one leg. However, it was useless. Its hide was too thick to cut through. She cried out in shock as big hands suddenly sprang out of nowhere and grabbed her in an iron-like grip.

For the first time in her life, a single foreboding thought crossed her mind: "I am going to die." Her heart pounding her chest as she squirmed fruitlessly to get free.

As the Ghorgon's grip tightened on Aphrodite's daughter, Silena let out a cry of pain as her ribs were beginning to ache, relishing in the girls suffering.

Then he heard something—a noise resembling a beast-like rumble. It was something he thought he wouldn't hear for a long time, not since...

Harkanibus.

That sentence echoed in his mind as he listened to the monster that was currently crushing him laugh.

It was a joke at him because he wasn't strong enough.

Because he couldn't stop it.

Because he couldn't protect himself.

Because he couldn't protect them all.

"No," growled Heron as his eyes flashed fire and lightning; he didn't care what happened anymore. He didn't care if the gods saw him for what he was. All that mattered was keeping her safe.

He will not fail again.

The son of Sigmar started pushing back against the monster, his being pulsing powerfully through his body and soul as he drew on its power. The Ghorgon stopped its evil chortle and let out a growl. But Heron wouldn't budge. Instead, the teen growled to himself as he managed to get to his feet.

"I will not fail again," stated Heron; his voice changed into something more thunderous as thunder and crackling as fire. "I will not fail anyone ever again!"

Suddenly, he felt a new power deep inside his chest. It wasn't like the power of Ulric, but something completely different. With this new power came its effects. Heron's eyes suddenly stopped glowing white and lit up cyan blue; blue flames danced across his body as he slowly stood up straight.

And he shoved its hoofed foot off of him with a great yell, sending a shockwave through the air. The Ghorgon let go of Silena violently because the shock was so strong that it practically knocked the creature flat. She braced herself, expecting a painful landing on hard ground, but what she felt instead was a strong pair of arms around her in protective embrace. Opening her forest green eyes, Silena was met with mismatched ones as she quickly realized that it was Heron who saved her.

The fourteen-year-old eyes were flowing lighting and flame, but his expression was serene but firm. "Are you alright?" he asked her softly. His voice sounded like a subtle wind before a storm.

She nodded slowly, feeling a strange comfort in his presence, even amidst the chaos swirling around them. "My ribs hurt, but I'm fine now," she replied, her heart steadying as she met his gaze, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

Unfortunately, such a moment was broken when the monster began to get up again. Its healing factor is already fast at work in healing its broken hand.

Without looking, Heron walked up to his best friend and gently gave her to Percy.

"Look after her, will you, Percy?"

Wordlessly, Percy nodded as Heron delivered Silena to him before sprinting towards the Ghorgon. He instantly noticed that something was different with his friend. Now he had a calm aura around him.

Heron used his warhammer to sidestep and strike Ghorgon's face, sending holy fire through it. Maintaining his momentum, Heron aimed for the creature's Achilles heel, tearing its skin and bone and knocking it to its knees. Heron prepared to strike the fatal blow by plucking one of its horns, but suddenly the monster straightened its body, causing Heron to fall onto its rear neck. With Soul Drinker, he continued to bludgeon its skull multiple times, splattering blood and ichor. Heron continued attacking for over an hour before unleashing a devastating left swing, causing the creature to lean sideways and fall to the earth.

Leaping off its neck, Luke managed to grab Heron at the final instant before soaring as swiftly as the shoes would allow.

"Gods! Your heavy!" Luke grunted, struggling to keep in the air.

Ignoring Luke's comment, Heron kept his eye on the Ghorgon, which was trying to get back up. Its flesh regenerates slowly, healing itself like a lizard having lost its tail.

"It's not dead."

"What do you mean it's not dead?!" Luke expressed incredulity when gazing upon the progeny of Sigmar.

Wordlessly, Heron pointed to the Ghorgon, which Luke followed, staring in horror and disbelief. "What does it take to kill this thing?!"

"How high can you get me in the air?" asked Heron.

"If your planning, if I think your planning. Then forget it. Zeus wouldn't take kindly to those who enter his domain."

"I don't need to be that high to go into space, just high enough for me to end this beast."

Luke gave his fellow demigod a flabbergasted look. "How?!"

"Just bring me high enough above sea level so I could finish it off." Heron snarled, leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, the son of Hermes complied with his request as he flew up in the air as high as he could. Pushing the wings on his shoes to their limits as they climbed to high altitude. As he soared higher, the landscape below transformed into a patchwork of greens and blues, the world shrinking beneath them. With each beat of his wings, he felt the rush of the wind against his face, a mix of exhilaration and trepidation swelling in his chest.

On the ground, the situation was quickly getting out of hand. Elodie, Zhou, and Anatoly already had several close calls in saving the campers from getting themselves killed. Once they saw Luke taking Heron into the sky, they immediately knew what their leader was trying to do.

To make sure that the Ghorgon wouldn't get up, Elodie used the wind of life to summon forth vines to wrap themselves around the monster's limbs to keep it down. As the vines tightened their grip, Elodie focused her energy, feeling the pulse of the earth beneath her feet. The Ghorgon let out a low growl, but the suffocating embrace of the enchanted plants held firm, ensuring it would remain grounded for the time being.

Back to the two demigods, they were freezing, quite literally, reaching to a suitable height. They got a few close calls as the lighting almost stuck them. Upon reaching a sufficient altitude, Luke released Heron, allowing him to descend directly upon the creature. Gripping Soul Drinkers' handle with two hands, Heron brought Soul Drinker over his head, shouting forth the most ferocious battle cry he was capable of mustering. The hammerhead shined brightly once again. Ulric's white flame enveloped himself. At the same time, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, following down to earth.

As Heron approached it with the speed of a comet in its final moments, the last thing Ghorgon saw was the image of Sigmar himself wielding his legendary, fearsome warhammer that plummeted with all of its might. The flat tip of his hammer smashed into its head, breaking the ground under him and converting its skull to a gory mess with such ferocity. Lighting was added afterward. The monster is being burned from the inside out. The creature jerked a few more times, its last remnants of energy fading before it became limp.

As the smoke cleared and the echoes of the battle faded, Heron stood tall, his hammer crackling with lingering power. The silence that followed was deafening, a stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded, and the campers around him could hardly believe their eyes as they witnessed the monstrous foe finally defeated.

The Son of Sigmar panted as exhaustion came in, but not before bellowing the name Ulric with the last of his strength to the very heavens before collapsing to his knees as the white fire and brilliance fled him. His body trembled, a mix of fatigue and fervor coursing through him, but his spirit remained unyielded. In that moment of surrender, he felt a surge of warmth envelop him, as if the very essence of Ulric was wrapping around him, promising strength in the face of darkness yet to come.

"Heron!" Shouted Silena as she and the others, who have been watching in surprise over their shock, rushed to his aid.

"Everything hurts," groaned Heron as he tried standing up but wobbled. He would've fallen if Silena and Elodie had not caught him.

Disbelieving, Percy couldn't help but stare at his closest friend. Although he was still angry at what he said, never in his life has Percy witnessed his pal looking so weak. He seemed capable of effortlessly confronting Aries's whole cabin during the flag capture. At the moment, though, he appeared to be hardly able to stand on his two feet. The 12-year-old could see static discharges causing his friend's muscles to twitch every three seconds worse; his skin was pale like a dead body.

"Hey, Silena, I am sorry." Heron panted for a moment, looking at two of his friends in regret before continuing. "What I said to you and Percy earlier..."

"Forget about it," Silena cut him off, her voice sharp but caring. "I'm more worried about you than anything else. You've been through a lot lately, and it's okay to ask for help instead of trying to carry the weight alone." She paused, searching his eyes for understanding. "Remember, you don't have to face some battles by yourself; we're here for you, no matter what."

Hearing her say those words caused him to smile as he took in her beautiful eyes and the way the firelight danced in her hair. It was a moment he wished could last forever, where everything else faded away and all that mattered was each other.

The moment was only interrupted by an awkward Percy, who gave out a cough that snapped the two out of it. Both of them turned to face him, a mix of embarrassment and relief washing over their expressions.

"So are we expecting wedding bells any time soon?" Elodie teased. smiling widely along with Anatoly, who instantly knew that Heron was smitten with this girl.

"Damn it, Elodie..." He muttered in embarrassed frustration, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of crimson. She had a knack for making him feel vulnerable, and today was no exception.

"That's what happens when you summon a lightning strike," Zhou said, approaching them while sheathing his blades. "Although I'm a bit surprised that you were able to convince your father to call one down."

"I'm sorry, but who are the guys again, and how do you know Heron?"

"You mean he didn't bother tell you about us?" asked Anatoly.

Confused at what he was talking about, Percy shook his head, causing the

"Oh, brother, you wound me and your fellow sword siblings so." Anatoly said in mock hurt, putting a hand over his own heart," How can you not tell your friend about our close brotherhood? Does our many adventures with each other mean nothing to you?"

"What does he mean 'close brotherhood'?" Percy said, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Is it about loyalty, or is there something more to it that I'm missing?"

"Stop being dramatic; you and I both know that we cannot talk about our lives regarding the Nine Realms." Heron panted, giving out a tired smile to his longtime friend.

Anatoly smiled back, but upon seeing their leader's worsening condition, the kisleveran frowned. "Are you okay?" he said in concern. "You don't look so good."

"I don't feel so good," coughed Heron as he was feeling weaker by the second. "What the hell is happening to me?"

"You used both your blessing and your powers again, did you?" Zhou asked.

The question was straightforward, but Heron's guilty look told it all when he heard it. The dragonblooded sighed deeply in frustration. "Oh, by the blood of the Dragon Emperor," he said. "How many times did your father warn you not to push too far?"

"Zhou, can you use your witchsight on him to see what's wrong?" said Elodie gravely.

Narrowing his gaze. Zhou's eyes gleamed an odd green, terrifying Percy and Silena and leaving them wondering what he was doing. It only lasted a few seconds, and Zhou was taken aback by what he saw. The fourteen-year-old body was slowly degrading at a frightening pace. While combining his blessing and powers was nothing new for his partner, Heron was not obliged to use his power to its full potential as in past occasions. Because in the end it would bring him to the point of exhaustion.

This was different though; once he saw his friends flame, now it was only the size of a candle.

"Heron, we need to get you to a healer, now." Zhou said, in a serious tone as he walked over to Heron and inspected his face, "I don't have time to explain, but your Chi is beginning to wane."

"Now then, boy," said a familiar voice, causing the campers to freeze, and the dragon bloodied to groan as he looked back to see the girl with auburn hair and silver hair raise her hand. From the bushes, the girls all stood up behind her while the one he ran into before stood by her side. "Since the beast has been dealt with, you and your companions will surrender to us. Don't bother trying to run; our arrows are laced with a powerful sleeping poison that will render you unconscious."

"The Hunters of Artemis?" Annabeth gasped. "What are they doing here?"

All four teenagers turned to the daughter of Athena with

The Kislev born, on the other hand, just had enough.

"And where the hell were you?" demanded Anatoly indignantly as he stood and turned to face the girls. "In case you didn't notice, we were fighting off a 33-foot monstrosity, while you just stood off to the side."

"The beast was not a threat to us and did not warrant our attention," replied the girl.

"We were not talking about you dumb bitch. We were referring to this camp!"

"He's right," Zhou said, walking to the front. "Instead of helping us protect civilians, you instead stood by and watched. All the while a lumbering

"And that is why you must surrender and come with us," she replied. "We know nothing about you, and that makes you dangerous."

"Dangerous to who?" snapped Elodie, getting more annoyed. "Last I checked, you need to know who you are threatening in order to be dangerous. Not to mention, things are only dangerous if you make them."

As she and the other females gazed at her, the girl's eyes narrowed. However, her eyes widened slightly, and Elodie saw a flicker of shock and disbelief. It was as if this girl knew her from somewhere, yet couldn't quite place where. For a fleeting moment, a shared history seemed to pulse silently between them, sparking Elodie's curiosity even further.

With his back to them, the dragon-blooded only sneered. "What you think of us is irrelevant to me. Regardless, we have completed our mission. I will not argue with a feminist while one of our own is in urgent need of medical care."

However He didn't make it two feet before he gestured, saying a single syllable of power that caught the arrow in midair. One of the girls shot an arrow at him, intending to take him out. However, they didn't account for how fast he would react. Spinning around, Zhou pushed his hand out, saying the same syllable of power again, sending the arrow back at the girl who shot him. Doubling the speed of the arrow, it struck her arm, going through the flesh and bone, sending her sprawling to the ground. She cried out as blood dripped from the wound.

Zhou was about to use the winds of magic again though; without even looking, he caught the arrow that was shot at him by a familiar face. Charging at him was the girl who ran into him the first time. She had drawn her bow and shot at him. However, she was surprised to see him catch her arrow without even looking but hid it under an expression of anger.

She slung her bow across her shoulder and charged right at Zhou, the Dragon-Blooded holding a neutral stance as he dropped the arrow that was shot at him and gave her a blank look. She tried tackling him, but he easily stepped out of the way and let her roll across the ground. She was back on her feet and attacking him with everything she could throw at him.

Swinging her fists, Zhou easily, if borderline, lazily blocked and dodged her punches. It was after she tried sending two punches that he decided to retaliate. Ducking under her arm, he swung his right hand out into her stomach and slugged her. The girl stumbled back as the dragonblood changed to a more defensive stance and let his hands turn into fists.

"I don't want to fight you."

The girl gave him a furious stare and pulled out two daggers. Because of this, the Dragonblooded widened his stance and dug his foot into the ground. Shaking the earth under him, he challenged her to a duel. After a short period of looking, she dashed straight for him at a speed that appeared snail-paced to Zhou but would have been breathtaking to an outside observer.

She slashed at his chest, Zhou easily avoiding the attack by jumping back each time. She followed after him, swinging harder at him each time as she tried to hit him. However, no matter what she did, she couldn't touch him.

"Stand and fight me, boy!" shouted the girl, wherein, in a turn of events, he humored her by blocking instead of dodging.

"I refuse to draw my twin fangs to one as weak as you, "replied the dragon, blooded calmly as he shoved her back with his incredible strength. The girl stumbled back as Zhou now went on the offensive.

Mercilessly, he began launching a barrage of punches at her, forcing the girl to block and dodge his attacks. So as not to kill her or severely injure her, he wasn't delivering his strikes with all his might. After all that had transpired, she was certainly not making things easy.

It was after one particularly hard fist palm did Zhou cause her to stumble back. In a sudden move, he raised his right boot and slammed it directly into her stomach. The strike had enough power behind it to send her sliding back several yards. She held the area he kicked as she fell to her knees. It looked like she struggled to breathe for a moment before she looked at him, clearly pissed off. Zhou's expression hardened as he watched her regain her composure, ready to retaliate.

Zhou just changed his stance a little in a somewhat more defensive manner to conserve more stamina.

"I admit, girl, you have spirit, but you are still not strong enough to fight me one on one," he drawled, giving her a bored look.

The girl sneered as she charged once more at him, this time throwing one of her knives. The dragonblooded leaned ever so slightly to the right to let the weapon fly past him. Once in close, she tried sending a kick to his stomach, but Zhou easily caught her boot with his right hand. With a tremendous display of strength, he flipped her over and slammed her down to the ground.

The girl let out a surprise yell but was quick to recover, spinning around to kick in the face. Zhou got by her boot but was hardly fazed as he took a step back while she flipped to her feet. As soon as her boots hit the ground, she launched right at him, knife raised.

Almost as lazily as he dodged her first attacks, Zhou caught her wrist with his right hand. The girl tried to push the knife forward but couldn't even get his arm to budge. Instead, the dragon blood lifted her off the ground and squeezed her wrist. The girl hissed in pain, feeling her bones crushed before she dropped the knife. Letting her go once the knife was out of her hands, he kicked her in the stomach, knocking her down before doing so again, with enough strength to send her sliding back several feet.

Tumbling across the ground, she managed to roll with the momentum, getting to her feet. The girl had to steady herself slightly as she was covered in grass stains from the ground. She glared hatefully at him for a second and looked to Zhou with hate. She was about to rush him once more but was stopped when the silver girl grabbed her shoulder.

"That's enough, Zoe," ordered the girl, though it sounded as if she was disappointed in her. Causing Zhou to cock an eyebrow slightly.

"But my lady!" protested the girl, but was silenced when the other girl cut her off.

"You had your chance," stated the girl. "He is clearly better than you."

Once that was said, she turned to Zhou, who was still resting his fighting stance. "I will admit, boy, you are skilled, but now you must deal with me."

Showing his dragon pride, Zhou was about to retort with a snort until he suddenly paused, catching sight of an eagle in the night sky.

"Perhaps another time," humbly said the dragon-blooded as he gave her a pointed look. "For another wants to meet you in person."

It was in the blink of an eye that she attacked, rushing right towards Zhou. But to her surprise, chains of fire materialized out of the fire pit. The dragon blooded coat billowed behind him as the air from her rushing him blew past, but the dragon blooded was not impressed. She gritted her teeth and tired of overpowering the chains that bind her, but the chains would not break. Instead, the chains not only tightened like snakes but grew hot, actually causing the girl to cry out in pain.

"A word of warning: the person who wants to meet you is someone who has a... tenuous history with you Olympians." Zhou as he sharply turned and walked back

The girl glared at the dragonblooded before she tried breaking the chains but found out that the chains are not made out of any normal magical metal that she was familiar with. Her hunters thought it was the last straw. This boy not only damaged their reputation but dared

Stepping back, a bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of him, pushing all the hunters tumbling back. Only Zhou remained standing thanks to the dragon heritage that gave him

When Zoe attempted to get up to free her mistress, she was pushed into the soil by a hard hand. She initially believed it to be the boy. But as she looked away, all she saw were the lifeless eyes of a thunderstorm. The edge of a heavy-handed blade pressed into her neck. She and her sisters were rendered helpless by men in seconds, or what appeared to be men, with iron-like clutches. These "men," in contrast to the boy, resemble warriors from a forgotten age in the past. Wearing silver and gold armor with blue pauldrons, these warriors made the hunters turn into the hunted. Stood posed to deliver the killing blow.

The striking image of warriors clad in radiant gold and silver armor, adorned with striking blue pauldrons, not only symbolizes power but also drastically alters the dynamics of confrontation, forcing hunters to relinquish their roles as predators and become the hunted. This transformation profoundly impacts not just the hunters but also stirs a visceral dread within the young girl and her sisters, who witness the shift in power firsthand. As the once-mighty hunters confront this formidable presence, they are faced with a grim reality that nothing is certain in the dance between hunter and prey. The tension escalates as fear intertwines with valor, encapsulating a moment where bravery is redefined amidst uncertainty. In this vivid tableau, the dominance of the armored warriors reshapes not only their fate but also echoes in the hearts of those who watch, illustrating that even in predatory games, roles can shift unpredictably and dramatically.

Their imposing presence and the aura of inevitability surrounding them transformed the dynamic of the confrontation, leaving Zoe and her sisters in a state of paralyzed dread. In that moment, the once-dominant hunters now faced a grim reality as prey, utterly at the mercy of these new formidable adversaries.

The demigods of the camp were now in a grave predicament. They were all now at the mercy of these strangers. Then the high cry of an eagle brought everyone's attention, except the vanguard hunters, to the night sky, where an eagle blazed a trail of fire.

The eagle in question took a steep nose dive towards the ground, going speeds up to 160 km/h. At first, the campers thought the bird was about to crash into the ground. The eagle then was engulfed in flames. At the last second, the flame revealed a fully grown man that landed in a kneeling position in front of a bound goddess. Wearing a snow white tunic decorated with images of ancient Mycenae in blue and gold, the man, wreathed in an aura of flickering embers, raised his head to meet the goddess's astonished gaze. His intense eyes gleamed with power, and as he stood, the bindings on the goddess began to get hotter, the air crackling with energy as he prepared to confront whatever new challenges lay ahead.

"It can't be," Chiron said.

"Who is that?" Annabeth asked as she turned to Mr. D, but saw he had a look of shock at seeing the man.

"Prometheus." Artemis whispered, not believing her own eyes that the titan of foresight was standing in front of her.

Prometheus looked at the moon goddess and exhaled a breath that burned the air around him. With his hands balled into fists, he remarked icily, "So... we finally meet at last the goddess of the hunt. And I must say that what I've witnessed today has really let me down. Because not only have you let your feminist ego and pride get in the way of your holy duties, but you also had the audacity to watch hundreds of courageous men and women perish in your own damn domain!?"

The goddess stood frozen, her expression a blend of shock and indignation. "You dare accuse me of negligence?" She retorted, her voice laced with anger.

"I am not accusing you of being negligent." He said, "I'm saying that you are being negligent."

"You not only disgrace yourself as a woman wearing the form of a child but also your dignity as a goddess and a hunter." He opened his palm, summoning a ball of fire. "Time to show me your true face, shall we?" With a snap of his fingers, the flame engulfed her entire body. A second later, a bright silver light blinded everyone in the vicinity.

As in the girls place, she was now a tall and well-built young woman with moonlight pale skin, round, pale/sliver eyes, and long white hair that went down to the middle of her back. With her wearing a silver armored corset that showed off a decent amount of cleavage, showing her DD-sized breasts. She also wore thigh-high armored boots, along with a white silk robe connected at the hips and flowing around her long legs. She also had a silver necklace that hung at the valley of her breasts and her silver bow.

"Is that... Artemis?" one of the campers asked in shock and disbelief, sharing with those who hadn't seen Artemis in this form.

"Yes. It's been centuries since the last time since the last time I've seen Lady Artemis change into her adult form," said Chiron, not remembering the last time Artemis looked like this.

Prometheus, for his part, was satisfied. "This is much better." He nodded his head. "I must say you are definitely ravishing in the eyes," Prometheus replied, studying every inch of Artemis' beauty. "It seems natural that he would be drawn to you after all these years, but did it happen the opposite way around after he saved you?"

The hunters and campers were now confused, wondering what the Titan was talking about; as for Artemis, she got more agitated, trying harder to break her chains.

"Don't bother trying to break those chains. They were made out of the same metals that Hephaestus had forged—the very same chains that were supposed to chain me to a mountain, no pun intended."

"Let my hunters go!?" Artemis demanded.

"Why? So one of your hunters could save you from the claws of a beast that you inadvertently roused? It seems rather ironic that you would rely on others for protection when you have always prided yourself on your own strength." Prometheus only clicked his tongue as he glanced up at Zoe and the hunters with a mixture of disdain and amusement. "Strength alone won't save anyone from their own folly," he replied coldly. "Perhaps it's time to reassess what true power really means in this world."

"If you dare lay a single hand on any of those maidens, I swear I'll—"

"Make me suffer." Prometheus cut her off, kneeling to one knee. The titan of foresight gave the goddess of the hunt a glare filled with an intense fire that could burn down mountains. "Don't worry, I won't kill any of your hunters if you don't give me a reason too, of course." A veiled threat was hidden in his voice as he stood back up. His gaze remained locked on her, a testament to the unyielding strength of his resolve. "But remember, Artemis," he warned, "my patience has its limits, and you might find yourself wishing you had chosen your actions more carefully."

"Now excuse me; I have more important matters to attend to than trade insults with an overgrown child who barely acts like the true goddess of the hunt."

Raising his hand to one of the vanguards to come over, he whispered into the immortal warrior's ear, "Keep her under heavy guard and separate her from her hunters." Prometheus ordered, "If any one of them escapes, cut off their hands and feet," to the horror of Artemis.

"Yes, Lord Prometheus." The vanguard hunter replied stoically.

The leader gestured to the other Stormcasts who obeyed orders and dragged Artemis and her hunters, who continued to scream and kick. As if it were a typical bright day, the titan of foresight went casually toward the assemblage of demigods. With each step, the leader's presence seemed to cast a shadow over the gathering, silencing the cries of resistance. The air thickened with tension as the demigods exchanged wary glances, uncertain of what fate awaited them at the hands of this formidable titan.

"Now, children." Prometheus started. Glaring at the assembled demigods before him as if they had something wrong, his arms crossed. "Can anyone tell me the whereabouts of a certain boy who goes by the Heron Heldenhammer?"

---

Chapter 12 done.

Prometheus.

He is going to have a lot of things to do in the next chapter, because right now two PJO will colliding with WHA and they have to get their game on fast. Because the new enemies they'll be facing won't give no quarter and their new allies will look familer but differant not that but they'll need convincing along the way.

Code Viper: Surprised ya didn't I, Zhou is definitely the son of a dragon and goddess and Elodi too but Anatoly though is not the son of Athena sadly.

U.N.S: I will try man, I will try but how can I match up the sheer chadness of Space marine 2?!

Crazzytony:They're going to shit their pants since their sons and daughters are not ready to face the sheer horrors that will come knocking on there door. Fortantly

SanityIsForTheWeak552: Oh Sigmar's do use modern earth technology but only on Terra.

Mad thought: A pain indeed, those beast paths are like a movement cheat code since they basically know long forgotten paths that were basically lost for over the centuries.

In the next chapter the era of Ruin shall begin.