Chapter Thirty-Seven

Percy and Artemis approached the end of the pier once more. This time, the sun was no longer in the sky, the moon far above them. There was no one else on the pier, everyone had returned from their sea expeditions before sundown.

Despite the course of action he and Artemis were about to undertake, Percy found himself in a sense of serenity. The sound of crashing waves underneath him, the scent of the sea filling his nose, he felt like he was back at Montauk. He let a smile grace his face.

Artemis stepped in front of him, approaching the very edge of the pier. She took a deep breath, before reaching up to the sky with both hands. The wind around them picked up rapidly, and the waves beneath them became rougher. Her muscles flexed. (She had taken off her hoodie, and was dressed in a silver tee shirt now.) As her hands shook, she kept her right hand in place, and with her left, she began to move it across the sky.

Up above them, the sky began to move, rotating. Slowly at first, but it quickly gained speed. Stars became lines of light as they raced across the sky. When her hand reached as far as it could, she brought it back to where it started, and repeated the action. Her hands were glowing silver now, and the wind had picked up even more, which caused Percy to take a step back.

As he looked at Artemis, whose hair and clothes rippled in the wind, whose whole body glowed with silver light, he was struck with the thought, This was a God. It was something that he had known all this time, that Gods were very powerful, somewhere in the back of his mind. But to actually see it in front of him, he realized that he had gotten extremely lucky that none of the Gods had smote him for his insolence.

Suddenly, Artemis clenched her fist, and the night stilled. The sky froze, the wind stopped. Nature seemed to heed her every beck and call. Immediately after, she collapsed. Percy raced forward and caught her. As he pulled her up, she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were half lidded, and she was breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Yes." She said, catching her breath. "I…got carried… away. I have… not done that… in a long time. Give me a… second."

She got to her feet, her breathing returning to normal. So close to her, Percy could see her forehead slick with sweat, which seemed to almost glow silver. It was these small things, Percy realized, that separated her from mortal women, even when she wasn't performing massive feats of power.

As he gazed at his wife, he was distracted by the sound of cursing.

"It ain't natural."

"No fucking shit, it ain't natural. Next you'll tell me shit smells bad."

Two dwarves were steering a viking longship towards the pier. Their ship slowed as they reached the pier, and one of the dwarves jumped onto the pier. The other one stayed on the ship, tying it to the pier to prevent it from drifting off. The dwarf on the pier was a short thing, two feet tall, and so much facial hair it covered his eyes and mouth. He was dressed in a yellow rain jacket and a captain's hat. The jacket went down to the floor, so it was unclear if he was wearing shoes or pants.

"Ay, you two." He pointed at Percy and Artemis. He moved his finger in a 'come here' gesture. Artemis took the lead, and Percy followed behind her. He remembered her earlier words, about how she would deal with the dwarves.

She stopped a couple of feet away and waited for the dwarf to speak.

"You two wouldn't be interested in a wolf watching tour, would you? Only one red gold per person! It shouldn't even be possible tonight, so you're getting it at a fuckin' steal!"

"Which one are you?" Artemis asked.

"I'm Fjalar." The dwarf said. He gestured back at the other dwarf, the one on the ship. "That's my brother, Gjalar."

Suddenly, Artemis closed the gap and had the dwarf by the jacket collar. She had lifted him off the ground and brought him to her height, almost four feet off the ground. "We know of you and your reputation. Should you try your hand at any treachery, you will sorely regret it." Her voice was quiet and hard.

Percy bit his lip. That was his wife, and goddamn, he was glad for it.

"Yeah, yeah, of course, of course, whatever you say." Fjalar said. Artemis dropped him and the dwarf fell on his butt.

"We will take two tickets. In return, you will get to keep living."

Fjalar rubbed his neck."We're glad to have your business." He said. "If you'll step right this way."

Percy took a step forward and immediately felt something crash into him. As he tumbled through the air, his vision became a blur. Quickly, the pier disappeared from sight, replaced by the ocean. He braced himself for impact, but it never came. Whatever had crashed into him was still pushing him along.

His side flared in pain. He tried to separate himself from whatever it was, but the best he could do was get his head away. It wasn't a useless action however, as it allowed him a view of what was currently pushing him along. It wasn't a what, but rather, who. Hermes, the God of Messengers and Thieves.

"Hermes, the hell?"

Hermes didn't say anything, instead opting to throw Percy. He spun in the air, his vision becoming a blur once more. He crashed into something—sand. Dazed, Percy stood just in time to witness Hermes kamikaze straight into the sand next to him, throwing him off his feet. Sand erupted from the impact. Percy got to his feet once more and examined the area around him. They were on a public beach. Mortals were staring at them, and a couple were coming closer to investigate.

The sand where Hermes had struck had become glass. The God was rising to his feet, using his caduceus as a cane. His eyes were glowing with rage. His hand was clenched, the one Percy had cut off, and it was now replaced with a mechanical replica. His eyes landed on Percy.

"What the fuck, Hermes?"

"You think you can just walk away? After what you've done?" Hermes grit out.

"What have I done?"

"Fuck you." Hermes charged at him so fast he almost couldn't see the God. Percy rolled to the side and reached into his pocket. He took out Riptide and uncapped the pen, causing his sword to spring to life. It felt good to have his blade back in his hand, like his arm was now complete after so long of having to use the knife.

"I don't want to fight you, Hermes."

"I do." The messenger God said as he turned around. He was covered in blood. Below him lay a young woman, bisected in half. Hermes had run right through her. He felt shock run in his veins. Hermes didn't care for civilian casualties. He would have expected this from Ares, but not Hermes. He turned to the other beach goers. "Get out of here!" He yelled.

People began to panic, yelling as they ran away. Children were crying as their parents tried to cover their eyes to prevent them from the sight. Hermes glanced around him, before facing Percy.

He swung his caduceus like a staff. Percy blocked with his sword, the metal letting out a loud CLANG as they met. Shockwaves went up Percy's bicep, causing his arm to go numb for a moment. It was at that moment that Percy realized he was fighting a God. It wasn't the first time, but this time, he wasn't sure there was someone more powerful to intervene.

'But I'm more powerful than the last time I fought a God.' He grit his teeth. He had to try. He had to get to Fenris. He had to convince the Norse. He had to try.

Hermes swung once more, and this time, Percy sidestepped, before retaliating with his own strike, however the God was just out of range. Hermes had the advantage of reach, which meant Percy needed to get inside his guard. The problem was, Hermes was fast, and he could fly. He wasn't right now, but with his winged shoes, he could achieve lift, and that would be a massive problem.

He needed to even the odds. The only thing he could think of was the ocean behind him. The water would give him a boost, the salt water would boost him even more. This prevented a conundrum. If he backed up to the sea, not only would Hermes try to stop him, but he would also be outside of the God's guard. If he got inside his guard, which he would probably die trying, he'd eliminate Hermes's reach advantage, but then he would still be fighting a God. Neither option was good.

He could try to get inside Hermes' guard, and then slowly make his way to the water, but it was a huge gamble. But Percy wasn't a stranger to gambling. He had wagered his life before, and he was sure he'd do it again. What was one more time?

He leaned back to narrowly avoid a slash with the caduceus, and leaned back more as Hermes brought it back across. He stepped forward, taking advantage of the moment of reprieve. He brought Riptide up to block another strike. He kept defending, not wanting to strike till he was sure he could get a hit in.

An idea hit him. He had seen demonstrations where people who fought with swords would use a knife in their offhand to parry. He had a knife on him, should he try it. He hadn't ever dual wielded before, and he knew that it took a lot of training to get used to. He decided not to, he didn't want to lose any advantage he might have.

He deflected another strike, before quickly countering with a flick of his wrist. The blade made contact with the God's cheek, drawing a line of ichor. Hermes reached out with his robotic hand and grabbed the collar of his shirt. The move was so fast that Percy couldn't do anything. It was barely perceptible.

Hermes was the God of Speed. He was fast, faster than every other God, and every other God was fast. He had merely been toying with him up until this point. If he wanted to, Percy would've already been dead. Which begged the question, why wasn't he?

Percy didn't struggle against the God's grip, knowing it was a futile effort. Instead, he tightened his grip on Riptide, and as he stared Hermes in the eye, he thrust his blade forward. Riptide found flesh in Hermes' stomach. Percy gripped the sword with both hands and pushed it further. Hermes threw Percy. The demigod's hands left the grip, leaving the sword buried in Hermes' gut.

Percy landed on the sand, bouncing, flipping over, and landing once more. He spit out the sand that had entered his mouth. He glanced back at the ocean. Hermes had thrown him closer to the sea. If he could make it…

He scrambled to his feet and broke into a dash. He ran to the ocean. As he ran, he noticed that he seemed to be faster. When had that happened? Behind him, he could hear whistling wind as Hermes ran towards him. Percy's foot made contact with the wave that was creeping onto the shore, and suddenly, he felt like fifteen shots of espresso had been injected into his veins.

Hermes tackled him from behind. They both tumbled to the ground as another wave crashed into them. With the increased strength he received from the water, he was able to wrestle the God off of him. As he rose, he noticed the distinct lack of a sword in Hermes' stomach. He patted his pocket, no pen. Shit. He had to wait for it to return, which meant he had to fight Hermes with no weapon.

Well, he had a weapon. His knife. It would have to do until Riptide reappeared in his pocket. He drew it and faced the God. The boost he received from the water wouldn't last forever, he would have to finish this quickly. He leapt at the God, his knife outstretched. Hermes quickly dodged. Due to his enhanced senses, both from the ocean, and his status as an einherjar, he was able to perceive the movement. Which allowed him to notice that Hermes was about to strike. He reacted in time to deflect the strike, and even made a swipe at Hermes' face.

Hermes used his free hand to grab Percy's hand. The knife was mere inches away from the God's face. With his weapon unable to do anything, Percy gritted his teeth and headbutted Hermes. The pain took Hermes by surprise, causing him to let go of Percy's hand. He managed to keep hold of his staff as he doubled over, holding his face.

Percy felt a familiar weight in his pocket and used the opportunity to draw Riptide. He switched his knife to his left hand. Hermes stood up straight and looked at Percy with a burning glare. He began to levitate, the wings on his shoes flapping rapidly. He took off towards Percy, who slashed his sword in front of him. Hermes deflected it and grabbed Percy by the shirt collar, before flying straight up in the air.

Percy swung his sword up at Hermes, managing to clip one of the wings on one of the shoes. This caused them to become unbalanced, and they started to barrel roll. The constant swirling started to make him sick. But before he could wonder if he could weaponize his vomit to blind Hermes, they crashed into the ocean. His vision was covered by bubbles. His senses were once again heightened as the bubbles faded.

With Hermes' grasp gone, Percy looked around. He saw the God above him, above the surface of the water. Beneath him, the water was sizzling. Hermes had left the water so fast it caused the water around him to boil. Percy shot out of the water and landed on the surface. He increased the surface tension in order to stand on it. Hermes was levitating over the water, using a yoga pose to balance on his one still-winged shoe.

The wind was starting to pick up, the waves becoming rougher. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Hermes just levitated there, staring at the demigod with a face full of fury. Percy didn't do anything, just stared the God down. A wave hit him from the back, but he managed to keep his balance.

Hermes' calves clenched, and Percy lifted his sword. Hermes charged at him. Three quick strikes followed by a thrust. Percy deflected each strike, and sidestepped the thrust. He managed to grab the caduceus and pulled the God forward off balance. Hermes reached out with his mechanic hand for Percy, but the demigod slashed with his sword, severing the robotic limb.

Hermes grunted, and ripped his caduceus out of Percy's grip, before kicking him. Percy flew backwards, the air sucked out of him. He landed beneath the water. He took a moment to gulp up some air, before jumping out of the water once more. Hermes was running at him, fast enough to be running on top of the water.

Hermes unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one in quick succession. Percy was barely able to deflect them, and each caused his arm to shake. His arm was starting to go numb. He parried another strike, but four more came after. Hermes was trying to break down his posture.

Instead of blocking the next strike, he sidestepped it, and using his knife, he slashed at Hermes' remaining wrist. Just like last time, the knife cut through the God's flesh like butter. The caduceus fell beneath the waves, with his hand still attached. Hermes fell to his knees, and Percy harden ed the water beneath him so he wouldn't sink

"You… you're faster, Hermes said through gritted teeth. "Than… you should be."

"Why?" Percy asked, breathing heavily. "What have I done?"

Hermes scoffed and looked up at him incredulously. "My son… My son is dead because of you."

"What? I thought we resolved this. But since you've seem to catch a case of amnesia, your son killed himself, in every sense of the word. Before I even met him, he pledged himself to Kronos. Before I even met him, he stole the Master Bolt. It was his choice to dive into the Styx. It was his choice to host Kronos. And in the end, it was his choice to kill himself that ended his life." Percy laughed bitterly. "You blame me for his death, think that I killed him, but in that final fight, I landed one hit, a gash in his breastplate. No cut, no blood. The only blow to kill your son came from himself. Blame me all you want, it doesn't change the truth." He knelt down next to Hermes. "But you know what? I don't think that's what this is about."

"It is far from your only sin."

Percy rolled his eyes and turned around, unbelieving in his hearing. He took a few steps before he pivoted on his feet, and threw his arms out. "Well, feel free to enlighten me, but remember, your sins outnumber my own."

"You're a traitor to Olympus."

"Am I? That's a serious charge. What evidence do you bring forth?"

"That… thing, it called you Lord. You're hiding something, because you are against us. Years of serving us has caused hatred to grow within your soul, and now you seek our destruction. And what's worse, you've corrupted Artemis."

Percy nodded, before speaking slowly, and clearly. "You're right. That thing did, in fact, call me Lord. And that thing, was my tailor. His name was Rastr." Percy took in a deep breath. "You see, Hermes, I am the King of fucking Hell. However, it's a bit of a misnomer. I am more akin to a warden, and it is my mere presence that keeps the demons from ravaging Earth.

"As for Artemis, she understands. She knows that I did not desire this position. She agreed to keep this secret, because I knew that if it got out, this…" He grabbed Hermes' hair and forced him to look up at him. "Would happen.

"Now, there is something, a storm that is brewing. Something that I am trying to stop. So instead of fighting me, you should be preparing. And from what I hear, Olympus isn't ready. Zeus isn't ready. So heed my words, I am not your enemy, but if you continue to press me, you might that fact has changed." He let go of Hermes' hair.

Hermes glared up at him. And as Percy turned around, he flashed away to lick his wounds. With the God gone, Percy sheathed his knife, capped Riptide and put the pen in his pocket. He took a deep breath. His muscles were starting to ache, which was bad, because he still had to face a giant wolf.

He looked around. Where was he? He reached out with his senses, and his coordinates came to him. He was just off the coast of Morocco. He sighed, and pulled out his knife. He imagined the end of Long Wharf Pier. He opened the rift with the all too familiar motion, and stepped through.

"Percy!" Artemis said as he stepped through. "What happened?"

"Hermes decided to be an asshole."

She looked over him, examining him for cuts or bruises. "Are you okay?"

"He knocked the wind out of me a couple of times. And my arms feel like they're made of jelly. But I got out pretty lucky."

"I think there was more than just luck." She said.

"You think he went easy on me?"

She shook her head. "I think you have more skill than you are willing to attribute to yourself."

"Hmm." Percy sighed. "Come on, we have a wolf to kill."

A/N. Whoa, it's been almost a month. I would apologize, but it's probably going to happen again. I've been swamped with work for school lately, but summer starts up in a couple of weeks. However, I should be getting a job over the summer so don't expect any increase in the frequency of updates.

This chapter was also hard to write because it was mainly a fight scene, and I find fight scenes hard to write. Always have, and probably always will. This fight scene was largely inspired by Sekiro, which I just finished playing. Good game by the way.

Thoughts?