14The Warrior Goddess
By NinjaxSketcheartx
Thousands of years, humanity has suffered many tragedies. The Fates have rolled up their strings and cut it to end a life but mankind continues to defy their fate. Do you save others in order to inspire, or does salvation inspire you to be better? Thousands of years, one life has slumbered deep in the earth and awaits for you. Will you choose to save her, Perseus?
"Looks like the stars are out tonight," Annabeth said softly as Percy appeared. Her chin tilted up to the dark sky as she reveled in the diamond-like shards.
"No kidding," Percy said, stopping to stand right next to her. Annabeth slapped him lightly on the shoulder without looking away. As amazing as the stars were, they weren't what caught his attention. He stared at his girlfriend, feeling his chest rise slowly at how breathtaking she looked under the moonlight. Her honey blonde hair swayed when the wind blew, and her gray orbs twinkled, making her look desirable.
Annabeth caught him gawking, her eyes looking at him through the corner of her eyes. She couldn't help but smirk. "Can't get enough of me, Seaweed Brain?" she teased.
Percy laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His face nestling her neck. He bought his face up so that he could whisper in her ear. "Yes. Happy, Wise Girl?"
They kissed, Percy's lips causing sparks to fly at the immediate contact. Annabeth gripped the sides of his orange camp shirt, forcing their bodies to touch, their hearts beating as one. The stars above them seemed forgotten.
Annabeth pulled away, though she remained in place, just catching her breath. She looked up at Percy, her gray eyes soft.
"Your not tired?" she asked. Percy shook his head. "You should sleep."
Annabeth pulled away. Percy raised a questioning eyebrow. "What about you?"
"In a minute." She waved him off and went back to stargazing.
Percy went below deck, making sure to be as quiet as a demigod could be. Last time, he stomped down the stairs causing their so called captain to make a fuss out of not getting enough beauty sleep. Percy chuckled at the memory. Piper had to come out of her room to make Leo stop complaining by pulling his ear.
When Percy reached his cabin quarters, he plomped right on the mattress and kicked off his shoes. So far, everything that happened today went swell aside from the fact that Percy tripped going up the stairs (who does that?) and almost died of embarrassment. Other than that, nothing too serious happened and he could almost say that he had a normal day.
That is, until he drifted off to sleep where he was haunted by dreams of the past…
In actuality, Percy's dream felt like he was watching an action movie.
He watched a silhouette run through a forest in the dead of night. The high trees covered a full moon, and the sky was dotted with stars. The figure jumped from tree branch to tree branch and sometimes using their hands to swing like a monkey.
Nothing seemed to be chasing after the person but whoever it was, they were running head on, nonstop. The figure dropped from the tree, onto lower grounds, rolling to soften the fall. The silent forerunner proceeded to move without stopping, easily navigating and jumping over huge rocks or fallen trees.
The figure pulled out something from a large basket on their waist—an arrow—and released it from their bow. The arrow whizzed past several trees and dove straight into a stray deer that Percy didn't see. The aim perfectly hit it right in the eye, and the animal hit the floor with a thump. Without slowing, the person knelt down and picked the deer up by its neck.
Percy felt his eyebrows rise. Even though, he was impressed, he couldn't deny that he was horrified and somewhat fearful.
When the figure reached the end of the forest, they slowed down, leaves crunching as it came to an opening. The silhouette stepped in the moonlight, showing a beautiful young woman. She had one of those faces where you've met this person before, maybe amongst a huge crowd and you immediately recognized them but you just can't put your finger on it. That's how Percy felt.
She was beautiful and, like Calypso, she didn't need to wear makeup. Her dark brown hair reached her waist and it couldn't decide whether to be wavy or straight. Percy almost mistakened her for a Hunter of Artemis except she was dressed rather differently. She wore a white sleeveless toga where one side sashayed down to her ankles while her other leg was exposed. Her bronze metal belt was hooked with a quiver of arrows. She wore open toed brown boots that matched with her armguard. Her bracelet was the same design as her belt, and in her hand she carried a wooden bow colored with red, green, blue, yellow stripes and a black symbol that looked like an army insignia.
But her eyes… her eyes was what really captivated him. They were an intense shade of blue mixed with green like how the color of the ocean would be when the temperature would be hot. What was that color called? Percy thought, racking his brain. Aquamarine?
One thing's for sure, Percy knew she was a demigod. Or something of the sort.
The woman's eyebrows scrunched and her eyes focused on something that stretched in front of her. She visibly relaxed when she spotted a tiny village. The place had dozens of huts and a campfire rose to the sky. People sat on logs around the fire, singing, and feasting, and entertaining one another. Children ran around, chasing each other and holding up sticks like it was a sword.
A middle-aged man with a thining beard and a wise looking face spotted her, and stood up to greet her. He wore ratty brown clothes, the sleeves and the bottom of his cloak was torn and shriveled.
"My dear, did you get good game?" He asked.
The woman gave a kind smile. "Yes, father." She held up the deer and reached behind her to reveal two foxes, three raccoons, and five beavers all (except the deer) tied around their neck by a thick rope.
Percy's jaw dropped. How could she even carry all that?
The old man smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes creasing. "Very good. Ah, but the fur of this fox is damaged," the old man examined the gaping hole in the fox's side. Just seeing that made Percy's stomach churn.
"We must take care of that," the man said, turning around. "I'll also need you to help me skin these."
When they reached one of the huts to drop off their game, the woman said, "Go on ahead, father. I must rest."
Percy saw the man frown, his head tilting to one side. "Is something wrong, my dear?" The woman didn't say anything, her eyes on the ground. "What ails you, Cosmos?"
Cosmos looked over her shoulder, back to the forest and sighed before meeting her father's gaze. She was still taking deep breaths when she said, "I encountered the mighty Zeus, father."
Her father looked like he was anticipating this, and nodded. "Tell me what happened, my dear."
Cosmos hand was still wrapped around the deer's neck, and she tightened her hold on it.
Poor deer, Percy thought.
Cosmos shook her head. "I was simply hunting and I found him fighting with someone else. I believe his adversary was his brother, the earthshaker."
Percy felt his eyebrows go up. Looks like some things just never change.
Her father's eyes had widened, and he gulped. "I see. I don't suppose you know why?"
She shook her head. "I fled a few minutes after their battle. What could this mean?"
Her father smiled, as if he was sharing a joke. "Come, let us walk while the night is still young. I have much to tell you, my dear."
They went to a man and informed him of the dead animals and to skin them. When they neared the campfire, the people welcomed and bowed respectfully at the huntress. Cosmos nodded and smiled, then followed her father.
Percy tried to find out where he was. It couldn't be Camp Half-Blood, that was for sure but judging how these people acted, it was probably around the ancient Greece times. So, it obviously meant that he was somewhere in Greece before the gods went west.
"Cosmos," her father said. Percy followed them, standing by the huntress side. "Do not take this the wrong way, but I am not your father."
Cosmos looked at her "father" as if he just slapped her. Not that Percy noticed it, she was a head taller than her dad which seemed sort of unnatural.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Of course you are my father!"
"I wasn't finished explaining, my dear." The old man said patiently. She waited, but her jaw clenched. "In many ways, I am and am not your father. At least, I'm not your biological father."
Cosmos bit her lip, and studied her father warily. "What about mother?" The old man nodded gravely. Percy could practically feel the rage boiling up inside her.
Cosmos looked sad, angry, hurt, and confused all at the same time. She didn't say anything as they continued to walk until they reached a cliff. The full moon glowered over them, casting a shadow over Cosmos face. Percy could see the gears rolling in her head.
Percy could relate. Back when he was twelve, he was so frustrated whenever he thought about his dad. He cursed and blamed him for everything; abandoning the family, never being there when they needed him, never being the father Percy always wanted.
Cosmos seemed to take this calmly but she didn't take it lightly either. "I- I must meditate on this… father."
Her dad regarded her, looking right at her as if he could access her thoughts. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Your parents didn't abandon you, if that's what you are thinking."
Her expression darkened, as she glared daggers in his direction. "Then what are you saying? I fell out of the sky?"
Percy would have laughed because if she did fall out of the sky, then she'd make good friends with Hephaestus. However, it would make him look like one of the school bullies he tried so hard not to become. That, and Cosmos looked like someone you didn't want as an enemy. Even if she couldn't sense his presence, he wouldn't scoff at her.
"What I'm saying," Her father said gently, "is that one of your parents is a-"
"God?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "But father, you said I wasn't your biological daughter, as well as for mother. Then does that mean..."
"That both your parents are gods?" He offered. The old man looked at the moon, a faraway look in his eyes. "Sadly I don't have the answer to that, my dear. But considering what you saw back there, its possible that your father is either Zeus or Poseidon."
Percy frowned. He tried to think of a heroine named Cosmos but nothing came to mind. He was in the dark just like her.
Then a sick feeling hit him. What if she was a villainess? Another enemy was just what he needed. It's bad enough that he's involved in the Second Great Prophecy. And now it's possible that he has to face this chick in the near future.
However, something about Cosmos said otherwise. She definitely looked familiar. Aside from her fierce hunting skills, Percy could see the warm and maternal side hidden underneath. There was a sort of quiet leadership about her hinted with sadness. It showed when the villagers humbly greeted her as she proudly smiled back.
She was a leader. Just like how Percy was at Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.
Cosmos hung her head. She settled to sit on a rock, her bow across her lap. "So what now?"
Her father smiled. He walked up to her, knelt down and took both her hands. "That is up to you, my dear. Your choices, your path; it's all up for you to decide."
Cosmos didn't meet her father's eyes. She sighed, and nodded miserably. "I will need to rest, father."
Her dad gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Very well. Go and rest, my dear."
Percy knew the old man had wanted to say more but something held him back. Her father gave Cosmos a kiss on her forehead though it was covered by her black headgear. She approached one of the huts, moving the curtain beads aside. Once she was inside, she dropped on one of the straw made beds. She didn't bother taking off any of her gear or clothing.
Her eyes closed, and she was already asleep, snoring softly. What Percy failed to notice was the woman cloaked in white robes, standing in the entrance of the hut.
The woman grabbed Cosmos by her arm and together they disappeared.
In the Iris message, Chiron sat in his wheelchair, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he listened to Percy explain his dream. After Percy was done, all Chiron did for a full minute was rub his beard like it was the most fascinating thing to do.
Percy fiddled with the drachma in his pocket. If the image dissolved, he wasn't planning to waste his last drachma. He had a feeling he was gonna need it for later.
Everyone was asleep in their rooms except Annabeth, Frank, and himself who settled to stay in the pilot room. Percy wasn't really assured that the ship would run smoothly if the Argo II was on autopilot but Leo insisted. He was the only one who could fly the ship but Percy didn't think an automated Nintendo Wii was capable of keeping them aloft.
Standing next to him was Annabeth who looked worn out. Her eyebrows pressed down on her gray eyes as she kept a straight face. Her blonde hair was out of her usual ponytail, flowing freely behind her in soft waves. She wore the orange camp shirt and denim shorts with a pair of sneakers, her knife right by her side. She fiddled with her bead necklace like she always did when she was nervous.
Gods, she looked beautiful.
"What do you make of this, Chiron?" Annabeth finally asked.
The centaur stopped stroking his beard and sighed. "I have heard of Cosmos. Perhaps once or twice but I'm not familiar with her background. Have you asked one of the Romans?"
For some reason, Percy had a suspicion that Chiron was lying. Maybe it's something he had to swear on the Styx, Percy thought. That was understandable but it didn't make things easier.
Frank shook his head. "I've only been in camp for, uh, two months but I've never heard of someone named Cosmos. And if Percy said she could hunt animals perfectly, then I should have heard of her before," he said, stumbling to chose the right words. He hastily added, "Which I haven't."
"Maybe Hazel or Hason know something." Annabeth said helpfully.
Percy pursed his lips. He didn't know what to think. He had a dream about his sister, or his cousin if she was a daughter of Zeus. His gut feeling told him that Cosmos dad was Poseidon, otherwise why would Percy experience the dream?
"I do know one thing." Chiron said. Percy's head snapped up. "Long ago, I had visited Athens. While I was there, there was a statue that was being built right in the center of the city. I do not recall asking why it was being built. However, there was a plaque but I could only read Cosmos. At the time, I could not understand Latin so…" his voice trailed off.
"We could take a look at it," Frank offered.
Chiron nodded. "I know an assoicate who may have some knowledge about Cosmos. I'll contact him to tell you about her if you choose to go." He paused, and briefly glanced at Percy. "I think I'll even have a... friend escort you to the statue if you'd like."
Both Percy and Frank frowned when he said friend. It made Percy's stomach twist into knots.
Annabeth nodded. "Thanks, Chiron." The image dissolved after that leaving the three demigods in silence. Frank glanced at Percy, then Annabeth and left the room.
Annabeth looked at Percy, obviously worried. Now that he was back, she was scared that he would disappear again. She followed him everywhere, sharing the same room, sitting next to him, always being by his side except in the bathroom. "You okay?"
"Yes," Percy cocked his head. "Why?"
She ran a hand through her hair. "Cosmos... You want to know more about her?" She guessed.
Percy shrugged. "Well, yeah. Don't you?"
She huffed. "Of course, I do. What's there not to know?"
Percy smirked. "All right, Wise Girl, take it easy."
Annabeth chuckled. "You know, I find it funny that Cosmos is good at archery and your not."
"Ha ha."
Annabeth couldn't supress a smile. Before she could say anything, someone interrupted them.
"Jeez, you people need to sleep." From the stairs, Leo stumbled down the stairs rubbing his eyes. He was still in his boxer shorts and a white tank top. His curly black hair looked like Zeus electrocuted him but Leo didn't seem to notice, or care.
Leo blinked at them then at the sun that was beginning to rise. He covered his eyes with his hand and yawned when he reached the pilot's seat which consisted of a keyboard monitor, aviation controls, a dubstep soundboard, and Wii remotes plus a sensor.
To Percy, it looked like something an army would use in the future if they ever worked with the creators of the Nintendo Wii.
Being a son of the sea, Percy knew where they were right on the map. They had just passed Italy overnight and were now heading for Greece.
Leo glanced at Percy. "Didn't you say you were going to sleep?"
Percy raised an eyebrow. "I did. I woke up because I had a dream."
"Do all demigods get dreams?" Leo asked, directing the question towards Annabeth as he held up the Wii remote.
"Occasionally."
"Anyway," Percy said, "we're changing course. We need to set sail for Athens."
"What?" Annabeth's eyes widened, whether it was from delight or shock, Percy couldn't tell.
Before Calypso had even appeared, Percy was already having a bad day. Never before had he been interrupted when he was in the middle of a dream. He rolled in his bed, mumbling incoherently until he fell on the floor. Then, the water in his shower went off when he was just beginning to relax. Being a son of Poseidon, he tried to get the water out of the faucet but it ended up exploding right in his face. Many of the campers were upset when they found out they were one shower short. And next, the Stoll brothers forgot to throw out the expired milk. When Percy went to throw his cereal away, he ended up taking an unexpected fall because Clarisse mopped the floor and she forgot to put up a wet floor sign.
He avoided everybody else by coming up to the deck to get some fresh air. He leaned against the mast, closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Sometime after he took a nap, and woke up when Mrs. O'Leary came bounding up to him.
His hellhound waged her tail furiously, causing the deck of their ship to tremble. The small earthquake rattled most of the campers and even a handful fell on their butts. Almost everyone cast annoyed glances at the dog before they continued with what they were doing.
Being a little shaken himself, Percy smiled and patted the hellhound's head affectionately. His smile was forced, though. Another dream of Cosmos presented itself when he was nodding off just a few minutes ago.
The white robbed woman that kidnapped Cosmos revealed herself as Percy's least favorite goddess. Hera scowled when she waved her hand to show a headshot of Cosmos. Percy almost didn't recognize her without her headgear. The huntress looked like she was getting a mugshot. What really caught his attention was that her right eye was entirely white. Her pupil was mixed with the sclera, but her eye wasn't scarred, so how did she obtain it?
Hera took one look at her and smirked, obviously pleased with herself. Percy's blood boiled, his anger beginning to take off like a rocket. What did Cosmos do to deserve this sort of treatment? And what provoked Hera to do this? It was obviously her doing that Cosmos was half blind.
"The Greeks and Romans have yet to come to equal terms, wouldn't you agree?" Hera inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.
Percy was bought back to the Senate House. He sat next to Reyna on the praetor seat, looking at the audience. One side was Greek and the other was Roman. Arguing was tossed back and forth and the meeting had to be delayed three times until everyone could come to an agreement. A possible bloodshed would have happened if it weren't for Jason with the help of Piper's charmspeak. Percy blamed Octavian, sending him death glares almost all the time for him and his big, and adroit, mouth.
Then there was the issue of the ownership of the praetor. Now that Jason was back, he couldn't simply get it back because Percy took his position. Some of the Romans were even a bit wary of Jason like he was one of the Greeks. The same went for Percy. The purple robe he wore didn't help him in the fact that he was still a Greek.
Between it all, Percy had a hard time deciding who to side with. He could now say that he fully understood the responsibilities of a praetor. It was bad enough that he had to keep stubborn Romans to agree but now he had to deal with two stubborn races which weren't so fond of one another. Between having to keep everyone satisfied, it was truly difficult and it was something he was glad to get over with.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Hera said, pragmatically. "Abraham Lincoln was such an influential man. One of the best children of Athena," she nodded in approval, smiling to herself. "It's a shame he was assassinated."
"You're getting off topic." Percy muttered.
The goddess narrowed her eyes. After a moment, she said, "My judgement was slightly wrong, Perseus. The two leaders alone cannot bring prosperity after all. And I hate to admit it, but you'll need the help of this wicked girl to bring peace between the two races."
He woke up to find themselves already at Athens or, more specifically, they were on the shores of Sounion. The hill was covered in thick grass and several rocks. No path lead up to the top.
From what Annabeth said, they were near the Temple of Poseidon so that was something to look forward to, right? He was sure Annabeth would want to do a lot more than looking at Cosmos statue. She'd drag all of them to every temple that Athens had to offer.
For a frightening second, Percy thought there was gonna be an awkward scene with Annabeth because they were in the very city that their godly parents fought for. She didn't seem to mind, and neither did Percy. But this was, in fact, her quest. So he felt guilty for changing course even if she agreed. Yes, they dis have time but still.
Stuck in his thoughts, Percy wasn't even surprised to find Tyson by his side.
"Something bothering you, brother?" he asked, his big brown eye filled with concern.
"No, I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about." Percy assured, feigning a smile. He didn't feel fine at all. Yesterday, after his dream, he found that he wasn't even acting like himself. Something that the others quickly took note of.
It had to do with Cosmos. He felt anxious whenever he thought about her and he wanted to know her even more. Percy always hated on not knowing, especially after he just regained his lost memories. Jason and Hazel didn't know anything about a demigod named Cosmos, so who exactly was she?
"Pretty," Tyson said, sounding dazed. "She's very, very, very pretty."
Percy grinned and joked, "Who? Ella?"
Tyson wasn't even looking at him. Percy turned around and his eyes widened.
Sure enough, she was taking her sweet time walking on the bridge that connected to the ship. Her caramel hair was in a braid, draped over her delicate shoulder. She wore a spaghetti strapped white dress reaching down to her ankles with wedge sandals.
Leo, who was standing nearest to her, had his jaw plummeted to the floor. She looked at him, and smiled sweetly which made Leo sigh dramatically and practically swoon when she passed him. When she reached the deck of the Argo, Percy was glad that Annabeth was still below.
His heart did a little tap dance as she headed straight for him, a warm smile plastered on her face. Every other spectator watched with curiosity.
When she was two steps in front of him, she didn't meet his eyes until she could muster enough courage to say, "Hello, my brave one. It looks as though I was wrong. We do meet again."
Percy felt his cheeks burn. "H-hi Calypso."
Calypso tilted her head. She wasn't aware of everyone else staring at her. Her bright smile turned into an expression of hurt and confusion. A knot the size of a baseball formed in Percy's stomach. "You're not happy to see me?"
"No! I mean, it's not that. I- I'm just surprised to see you here."
Calypso looked thoughtful for a second, and then nodded. "Well, because of you I am here." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "The world is so different from what I imagined."
"Uh, in a good way or a bad way?"
She looked up and her smile returned. "Both."
Percy nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, he was grateful to see Hazel and Frank come towards them.
"Hi, there," Frank said calmly, though his eyes looked from Calypso to Percy uncertainly. "Percy, um, who's this?"
Percy's voice wavered as he spoke, "This is Calypso. Calypso, meet Frank, a son of Mars. And this is Hazel, a daughter of Pluto."
The two demigods nodded, and smiled politely. He could tell they were familiar with Calypso's background by the looks on their faces. They were careful enough not to stare at her in a way that made Calypso uncomfortable but she must have been used to it because she didn't seem to notice.
"So, what brings you here?" Hazel asked.
"Well, Chiron contacted me and asked if I could guide you to Cosmos statue," she explained.
Percy's eyes widened. "W-wait, your our escort?"
Calypso nodded and studied Percy with her hand under her chin. She looked him over, starting from his head to his feet. "You have changed since I have last seen you. Is everything alright?"
"It's great!" Percy said, trying to sound more like himself. "I planted that flower in Manhattan."
Her eyes widened in delight. "That's wonderful!" Calypso then cleared her throat. "Well, I went to this Manhattan on... February, I believe. But there were these white things falling out of the sky while I was there. What are they?"
Hazel and Frank looked at her, dumbstruck.
That's right, Percy thought. She's not used to the time and weather in the real world.
"Their called snow." Percy explained. "And it only happens when it's winter, which is the cold season." Calypso nodded.
Percy was a bit uncomfortable with the proximity between Calypso and himself. He shifted on foot as she said, "Hmm, aside from being your escort, I wanted to say thank you. Because of you, I no longer have to waste my days on Ogygia. I am free from my island thanks to you, my brave one."
Calypso put her hand on Percy's shoulder and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He could hear something - or someone - fall overboard and straight into the water.
Annabeth chose that moment to appear. She carried a backpack while Piper and Jason followed her from down the stairs. Percy didn't even look at his girlfriend as he silently prayed, and cursed, at Aphrodite.