5,086All Right Belong to Rick Riordan
Brutal Beatdowns, Broken Backs, Blood, Badasses and Burgers
(Percy)
With the return of Morganna and for the second time in as many days, the hunt had become a frenzy of activity. Girls rushed about hurriedly erecting her tent that had been left in storage during her absence, all before the rapidly onsetting dusk made the job harder.
Of course, it was for exactly that reason that the partially dragonified girl was whisked away by Harmony and the two Lieutenants into the goddess's tent. So that they could ask and answer each other's questions about what had happened during her time away. Because as many questions we had about her, she certainly had in return for the two daughters of Zeus. Considering that were now both massively different to the last time she saw them.
However, while I had initially joined in out of my own curiosity. Outside the tent dusk was rapidly turning into night and yet, there was no clear end to the conversation in sight. With a polite farewell to the newly returned hunter, I took my leave and came up to the Moon Chariot in place of Harmony. Allowing her to spend more time dealing with the situation at hand and not bailing like we had the night before.
So, for the next two hours whilst I awaited the goddess, I was able to reflect upon what was going on with my life in somewhat peace. My solitary travel across the night's skies strangely calming to me now, despite all my previous fears of heights due to Zeus potentially taking potshots. Yet on the edge of space itself things were different, the only people who held dominion up here were Apollo, the goddess and me. Sure, it was easy for even me to forget that I was also Lord of Constellations, but it did give me a few advantages that I am sure Krios was not aware of.
Notably I could happily survive up here, outside of the Moon Chariot's protective confines that is. Sure, it was a little cold but that was about it. I could breathe absolutely fine despite being outside the earth's atmosphere. However, flying was made difficult by the absence of air. Not impossible per se as there was some level of magic involved with my ability to fly. Otherwise, there was no way in hades I should be able to hover in place as easily as I did with so little flapping needed, let alone the obvious weight of my wings. But up this high I was certainly hampered in what aerobatics I could do compared to what I was capable of far below.
Still, as I was in no rush to fly out and knock on the windscreen of the Internation Space Station for the time being. I would have to put those thoughts on the backburner for a while... or until Perseus in his usual gung-ho, no thought needed way probably did go and do it.
Speaking of which, for the time being that pair were strangely behaving civil, both with each other and with the rest of the world as a whole. Sure, Harmony had basically threatened to nuke the pair off the timeline entirely, but it was still nice not to have to worry that they had done something stupid for a few days.
For the time being though, I had no clear and present priorities that needed sorting out. This was an opportunity for the two of us to have a quiet period without the world ruining it for us.
Sure, there were minor issues like finally getting my shield repaired that had repeatedly been forgotten about over the last month. But considering that I had not actually personally fought someone since becoming a 'true' Titan Lord it had not been a major issue. I had not wanted to fight Chronos in the slightest for starters and his divine authority was the direct upgrade of my own.
I mean sure Tethys was still out and about and Styx hated me but those two should stand no chance against me and certainly not against Harmony.
Sure, the Titaness had defeated Artemis back at Camp but considering that Artemis was now a water goddess as well, had a new much deadlier bow and could independently manifest Diana at will. That turn of events would likely be very different now, and that was before factoring present Harmony who was basically a walking weapon of mass destruction into the equation.
Likewise, Styx herself was confined to the vicinity of the Underworld and Tartarus and while her husband was out and about in the real world. The Titan of War bothered me about as much as Ares did. Sure, I could guess that he was a good fighter, or at least I hoped he was with that domain. The thing is, I too am 'pretty good' in a fight, and I wasn't limited to only one domain like he was. If recent events hadn't already highlighted the fact, I really didn't need to fight someone to humble them. In the first place there was a reason that Kronos was the King of the Titans. Besides his symbol of power just like his fathers was his armour, as a reminder Maelstrom doesn't care about little things like 'defences'.
For that matter nor does a certain other scythe that I am now completely convinced was in Perseus's possession. The fact he was not constantly complaining about having access to 'my' weapons or even the confiscated Excalibur and Lance of Longinus, suggested he had something else. I certainly knew I would be in his circumstances.
But those minor issues and a constantly aggravated future father-in-law aside, things were not looking too bad for the foreseeable near future. Give me two months and ask that same question and I would probably be a trainwreck of worries.
I mean how on earth were you supposed to prepare for two divine children? I cannot exactly go watch a YouTube video or read a magazine about what to expect. Hell, reading a history book would provide more information and a whole load more worries. I am certain that most of the second-generation gods and goddesses first stories involve them stealing/killing/hunting objects/people/monsters or animals within their first few days, Artemis especially.
I couldn't even plan on having a pair of actual 'babies', because there was just as much chance of them popping out as an adult in full plate armour given Athena's precedent. Artemis herself once said her first comparable image of herself was roughly that of a seven-year-old and that was before Apollo was born. However, Leto was massively overdue on her pregnancy by several years at that point thanks to Hera.
I really didn't even know if there were other gods I trusted to ask for advice on the matter, because none of them that I knew of were exactly in line to be winning parent of the year competitions for the last few Millenia, and that went especially for our fathers. They would also be the first naturally born divines of the modern era and by that I don't mean the last one thousand years, even if that was also true.
Then there was the matter of their names... What possible domains...
'Ok maybe I am somewhat worried. Perhaps just a little bit.' I thought to myself slumping back against the front of the chariot, letting out a deep sigh before closing my eyes and ruminating on those thoughts for a while.
The thing with always knowing about anyone or thing in your proximity is that it can ruin a surprise. So, despite Harmony's completely silent arrival, she emitted so much 'presence' out of nowhere that she might as well blow a foghorn announcing her arrival.
Slowly opening one eye I was instantly confronted by a silver one staring back into it as the goddess kneeled in front of me. Closing the eye again, I let out a sigh as I suddenly felt more exposed.
"Where have my clothes gone?" I asked before opening both eyes again to look across at the mischievous looking goddess face.
"I think you have bigger worries than that, you wouldn't believe what I found in Thalia and Reyna's tent." She told me as I instinctively knew what just encircled my wrists.
"You know I can easily break this right?" I told her holding my shackled arms up between us.
"Can you?" She asked smiling as her golden eye glowed.
"Seriously, I thought we were acting normal?" I complained.
"We are, normal people obviously cannot break handcuffs Percy. Besides you haven't seen what else I found..." She said pulling something out of the aether.
"You can fuck right off with that; I don't want nothing to do with that shit." I said now actively panicking and instinctively scrambling to push myself away from the large phallic object in her hands. Not that I could move much considering the goddess basically sitting on my lap and the front board of the chariot behind me.
"Aren't you curious to know if you could beat Thalia?" Harmony teased even as she held her free hand next to it, implying a certain amount.
"No, that thought has quite literally never crossed my mind." I told her slowly and bluntly.
"Ummm-errrr. If you are going to do that, can you take the handcuffs off him first. You know it affects us two as well." A familiar female voice asked nervously as both our heads turned towards the newcomer, someone who held familiar traits of the both of us. I would have asked why she was wearing glasses under different circumstances, but well now was really not the time.
Sure, enough quickly looking down at Lilith's hand her index finger was already corporeal.
For an uncomfortable thirty seconds the goddess sat there staring at the fragment of an aspect before suddenly the metal shackles around my wrist crumbled into metal dust. Immediately Lilith's hand returned to normal as soon as I was released.
"YOU. SAW. NOTHING. If I hear so much as even a single word about this, you know that I know, that body of yours can take this, in EVERY orifice. The only currently unanswered question is what about at the same time? Come to think of it, you heal really quick don't you... Now if you would ever so kindly disappear into whatever corner of the planet you two are hiding, it would be appreciated." Harmony told her now shaking discount doppelganger pointing the sex toy at her like a blade.
With a silent nod of her head, Lilith was gone into light leaving me once again alone with the goddess.
"You are aware this was a joke right." She said bluntly looking back down at me. Even so I was still awfully distracted by the flapping object in her hand.
"The handcuffs were somewhat admittedly a little interesting, that thing however, crossed the line about two time zones back." I said trying to sound calm as my heartrate slowly returned to normal now that my potential posterior crisis was seemingly resolved.
"Your no fun, I don't see you complaining when I do it." She told me pouting.
"No, you just have selective hearing about said complaints. Sometimes I just want to cuddle but first of all, get rid of that damned thing." I told her vehemently pointing at the dildo until she finally made it disappear into nothingness.
Moving from in front of me to laying alongside me, her hand traced up my chest to my chin where she gently held my head facing her.
Even without directly looking at her body at all, I knew enough of her past behaviour to know that her clothes were now likewise gone.
"If that is what you want, then so be it." She said softly.
"Oh, hell no, I am so going to remind you that I have prior experience with destroying a Primordial Goddesses' insides."
(Thalia)
"Where the hell is it?" I asked for the fourth time as Reyna sat on her bed as I hurriedly rummaged through fallen articles of clothing and other items littering the floor of our tent.
"Well, it can't have gone far. No one else has been in here."
"It is not exactly small and inconspicuous is it!" I remarked back sarcastically.
"I mean are you sure you are not using it now? You said you wanted to practise." The underwear wearing daughter of Bellona teased as I turned to glare at her.
"If I was, we wouldn't be having this conversation because I probably wouldn't be able to fucking breathe. Let alone walk around normally." I responded sarcastically as my girlfriend simply smiled.
"Think logically then. If someone has been in here and took something, who is the most likely culprit. Probably the one who has full access to everywhere in this camp and can basically teleport. Who as a quick reminder left her tent several minutes before we came back here ourselves."
"Do you think Zoe will find it weird, if I tell her to agree with me that we need to get Harmony to agree that she cannot enter our tents." I said with a sigh sitting down on the bed beside Reyna.
"Well, I mean, you could always try, and arm wrestle her to get her to agree to it."
"Fuck that." I said instinctively rubbing my right wrist at the memory of what she had done to the goddess.
"Better idea, fuck me."
You know what, I suddenly understood why the Romans made her their Praetor.
She really was full of wonderful ideas and great suggestions.
(Perseus)
"What the hell is up with that idiot?" I asked Lilith upon her swift return looking up from the notepad and pile of paperwork around me.
"Can't say, but it is sorted now." She responded bluntly, so out of character for her was that response that it made me stare at her.
"No seriously, nothing. He got entangled in a trap the Hunters set as a prank. Why else would I be back so quick?" She explained and while the story made sense, I could still see some level of panic in her eyes through the lens of our glasses.
"Is everything alright dears?" A women's voice called out from nearby over the sound of grilling beef.
"Everything's alright mother. Lilith just came back." Our compatriot responded pulling his ugly head out of his latest matchcraft model aircraft carrier that was occupying the other half of the bench across from me. We had only been here for a few hours and he was already beginning to fabricate the hanger deck.
Oh right, I suppose I better explain what the hell was going on in this situation.
Chrysaor being here was actually a complete fluke, I had assumed he would be at Camp but apparently, he gets days off under the new management there. Perhaps, just maybe, there was an ever so tiny chance that Athena has a slight bit of guilt towards the demi-gorgon who was now serving on her payroll.
However, as it turns out his presence had prevented what would have been a one-sided battle against the chef in the adjacent kitchen and her two still nutty sisters who were occupying one of the backrooms watching reruns of soaps from about twenty years ago.
Of course, the two of us hadn't come here to fight anyone. We were just checking for extra information for my book project and had fully expected the place to be empty and abandoned still. Especially considering that Kronos's army had used the place for a base during the Battle for Manhattan.
But instead, Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium was back under its old management albeit closed due to ongoing refurbishments apparently.
Which of course, created a quandary for me. One I didn't want to murder my half-brother's mother in front of him. Especially as he was one of the few individuals, I was actually friendly with. Second, with her son and sisters around the monster seemed almost cheerful and grateful for her current situation. Third and most importantly, those double cheeseburgers were still just as amazing as I remembered.
Which was why our host was currently cooking me a fourth.
For reference they were beef, despite Chrysaor's assertions that it was the case. I had checked the fridge myself just to be sure. Sure enough, the Styrofoam packaging was stamped with a picture of a familiar two-headed dog in front of a setting sun. Hopefully they were not still Apollo's sacred cows but well, I wasn't going to tell him if they were.
For her part Medusa didn't seem to cut up about me, you know killing her. In fairness I was starting to become worried that she was becoming infatuated with me. Those comparisons to Poseidon had been coming thick and fast at first but thankfully Chrysaor's ever increasing embarrassment had managed to put somewhat of a stop to that.
Of course, with her not trying to kill me and my friends this time and likewise without the risk of being turned to stone looking at her. I could kind of see why dad was interested, not that I was justifying their behaviour of course.
But ignoring the venomous snakes' heads sprouting out of the end of her purple hair, the small tusks sprouting out the edges of her mouth. The scaled and clawed lower legs and feet.
Looking past her cursed appearance though, she had several positives that even I appreciated, she was tall, had a nice ass and ample cleavage. With an appearance in roughly her mid-forties, she would certainly be considered a MILF by someone. Hell, as it turns out she even had a pair of brass-like wings proving some explanation for why Pegasus could fly. Though unlike the goddess and my own, her wings were not actually metal. Thinking back to the last time we had met; I think a lot of her complaining about her appearance were purely because Annabeth had been here.
But she certainly wasn't the goddess I was so enraptured by, or Harmony.
"Here you go dears." Medusa said cheerfully walking back into the room with a tray full of food.
"Thank you." I said gratefully reaching across and taking another burger from the monster as my 'sister' likewise acquired a tray of fries.
"I told you it is no problem, dears. Now was there anything you wanted to ask about while you were here?" The monstrous woman asked curiously taking a seat next to me.
"Out of curiosity, how much would you have sold our statue for?" Lilith asked through a mouth full of potato.
"Certainly, less than what I would get for it now." Medusa responded looking me over afterwards and blushing.
"Mother!"
"Can't an old woman have a joke?" She challenged back to her son.
"Not when you know who his wife is." Chrysaor responded bluntly putting the small timber bulkhead wall section he was creating down on the table.
"Fiancée still technically. Harmony is how should I put it, possessive when it comes to the other me." I said after a short break to finish my mouthful, my counterpart must have gotten her lack of general manners from the goddess.
"Harmony?" Medusa asked puzzled, almost cutely as she tilted her head in confusion all of the snakes did the same thing independently.
"It is Artemis basically. A much, much more powerful version of her." Chrysaor answered with a shiver.
"You like little girls?" She asked seemingly dead serious as Lilith spat potato across the room and I felt some part of me deep down die. Sure, enough people who had never met the current goddess or even knew about Diana's appearance would likely jump to that conclusion.
"No thankfully she grew up, Artemis is quite literally a dead ringer for Lilith over there now. When I had my 'incident' she copied the goddess in just about every way except eyes and hair."
"That's good, your father-"
"Mother, I don't want to hear it."
"If you don't want to then how about you stop playing with toy boats and go get a real one!" The monstrous mother scorned her child across the table as each small snake head added their hisses to emphasise it.
"To be fair, that is kind of my fault. I did make him lose his last one and I did promise to replace it, I just got busy lately and never got around to it." I cut in defending my sibling as the gorgon leaned backed into her chair, albeit still glaring at her son for the time being.
"I mean sure I have no idea why he wants a seventy-year-old wrecked Japanese battleship, but that was our agreement."
"Perseus!" Chrysaor suddenly said alarmed as his mother turned towards me, an eyebrow raised.
"And yet he says I have issues letting go." His mother responded rolling her eyes.
"I do not..."
"Then why my son are there hundreds of Pegasi flying around the skies of this world? Yet there is only one demi-gorgon? You met that girl what, once?" She challenged raising so many questions that I wanted to question my half-brother on later.
"To be fair, I think Blackjack is responsible for any recent population spikes rather than Pegasus himself." I cut in as Medusa looked away from her son and rolled her eyes.
"That would be my grandson who became your sacred beast, after this one incompetently failed to defeat you in a duel... again." The monstrous mother said sounding disappointed with her layabout son.
"That's not fair, he killed you when he was twelve for hades sake." Chrysaor said defensively.
"To be fair, I also beat the literal God of War and escaped the Underworld within the same two-week period. But you two don't need to fight, I am sure Chrysaor has his reasons."
"Oh, I know exactly why. He likes fluffy ears and tails. Just you wait and see." Medusa said at last as her son looked ready to die of embarrassment as Lilith sat across from him clearly enjoying every second of this.
"Anyway, I am going to guess you don't want me to mention that you are back here again and certainly not to certain goddesses." I asked changing the subject even as a grinning Lilith sat there with her hands alongside her head imitating animal ears as Chrysaor could only sneer back at her.
I wonder what would happen to my sister considering her healing factor if she got turned to stone. Would she change back after a few seconds like she did while injured or would she actually stay like that? How would it affect me?
"As much as I would like to rip the grey-eyed one apart, I know that I would not be able to do so. No, it remains in my best interests to stay out of her sight. I have my family again and I would rather not lose them again so soon due to my own hatred."
"Ok that is good, but I also cannot just let you outright kill anyone that comes by."
"Believe it or not, I do not turn people into stone for pleasure." The monster told me, her tone becoming cold and losing all of its previous affection.
"Disregarding the fact that you tried to kill me several years ago, there were and indeed still are a number of statues here that once were people. Your killing of Octavian's parents inspired him to almost murder the entire Hunters of Artemis."
"We had tried to isolate ourselves away from the world before and where did that get us? Murdered in our sleep. Even before then, we were constantly fighting off almost annual incursions by hopeful heroes. All trying to claim my head because a certain Olympian promised them great rewards for doing so. Your namesake was not the first to step foot on the Shapeless Isle by a long shot. I did not kill those that came before him because I inherently wanted to do so. I did it because it was them or my family, they made their choice invading my territory, so I made mine. Is that any different to what you do when a monster or other invader approaches the hunters?" She asked cutting through my own argument by using my own official position against me.
"I am just saying try to keep a low profile and not attract attention by turning every passing family to stone." I said as calmly and politely as possible.
"That was always my intention Perseus. You spoke of a couple I killed, the two of them were armed demigods who entered my territory and were caught unaware. However, I let the child go because he was no risk to me. Are you saying my actions were crueller for sparing him or should I have killed the boy with his parents? Sure, in hindsight I may have inspired a monster of my own creation but anyone can reflect on their actions at a later date. Have you ever given thought to the families of the monsters you have slain? How often did you even consider it as being possible."
"I am sorry for bringing it up, I was wrong to judge you." I conceded honestly.
"Perseus I am a monster, I accepted that fact a long time ago. I may have cursed she who did this to me, but it is not the worst thing that could have happened. Tell me if your father and I had not been caught what would have happened to me?" She asked in a calm and collected voice.
"Athena would not have turned you into a Gorgon."
"Whilst that is the obvious truth, then in such a timeline. I would very likely stand a high chance of dying at childbirth with my two demigod twin sons and if that didn't happen by some miracle. I would still likely be dead by the time those two had become adults. Those two would then likely be killed in the random infighting between Greek Cities that constantly occurred or they too would die from illness and age. As it stands twenty-six centuries later, I can cook food for my entire family and guests and reflect on past mistakes and future opportunities. So, tell me then young Titan Lord, do you think I truthfully hate my present circumstances?" She asked leaning back into her chair leaving me in stunned silence.
Obviously knowing Chrysaor had given me insight into what a 'monster' could do when they weren't actively being malicious. But even so my life up to this point had basically always been monsters equal bad. Hades I must have easily personally slain more than a thousand between all the quests and the wars. Not helping was the fact that there were different tiers of monsters. There was the common run of the mill types who always seemed to be chaotically evil such as Telkhines, most cyclops, Stymphalian Birds, Laistrygonians, etc. Then you had the unique ones like Medusa, the Minotaur, Chrysaor and even Nemea. That while generally antagonistic to pathetic little demigods that cross their paths, were somewhat capable of higher thought. Though poor Asterios was losing credibility and indeed brain cells every time our paths crossed.
But the truth was, sometimes it was easy to forget that the Olympians were not saints by any measure. Delos was proverbially nuked by Hera because it had the audacity to let a pregnant women give birth. Athena regularly cursed women for the smallest slights, Artemis hunted down her own servants because they had the gall to fall in love. Kym and dad between them had almost certainly killed somewhere in the millions. Apollo... my future brother-in-law might act all laidback and carefree, yet bro was also responsible for pestilence, plagues and diseases.
It could almost be argued that the classically depicted 'bad' gods like Hades, were the actual best gods when it came to not being an asshole.
Just to show that 'I' was not morally above this either, we had directly killed two and left two others, to be finished off by others.
"No, considering the circumstances. You probably did alright all things considering." I conceded finally answering her question as the gorgon's expression returned to a gentle smile.
"As did you."
"I mean as long as you forget that he is a mentally broken trainwreck fragment of an aspect, with all the sexual drive of a eunuch, despite being engaged to the literal hottest goddess in existence." Lilith chimed in ruining the mood as I turned to glare at her. Sure, she was right, but there was a time and a place.
"Sister! Where is the food!" A voice that I vaguely recognised as Euryale's shouted from the back room.
"Coming soon." Their younger sibling shouted back, rising to her clawed feet.
"Why don't you tell them to get off their lazy asses and make it themselves mother?" Chrysaor said bitterly.
"Because neither of your aunts can cook anything remotely decent and I don't have the money to get the place rebuilt after they inevitably burn it down." Medusa responded sounding almost embarrassed.
Come to think of it, didn't I basically rob her after defeating her all those years ago.
"I cannot pay you back the Drachma's but take this." I told her politely after reaching into my inside jacket pocket and pulling out a thin bundle of hundred-dollar bills. The last of what I had left from Vegas and all that I had managed to keep from that haul. It was probably only about twelve-hundred dollars in total but it was all I had to my name.
"As much as I appreciated your generosity, I do not need your charity." The gorgon politely refused.
"Consider it payment for exceptional burgers and for services rendered to me and my family. Whether you know it or not, you saved my mother." I told her sincerely.
"Sally raised a good man... Her sculpting wasn't too bad either." She said with a wry smile before turning away and walking back to the kitchen. Her wings having to fold backwards to fit through the door frame.
"Wait you were still conscious?" I shouted after her.
"Let me just say, if you want a parcel shipped safely and with care. I wouldn't recommend Hermes Overnight." She said playfully leaning back around the door frame as all of the small snakes shook their heads in agreement.
"Sorry about that." I responded with genuine embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it, at least my head was used for some good. Though to think your mother really went from Poseidon to that... creature. She must have really cared for you."
"Must be ni-"
"What was that!" Medusa asked interrupting her son and pointing a metal spatula at him like a weapon.
"Nothing."
"Uh huh, now would any of you like anything else?" She asked waving the spatula around.
"I am all good, if I eat anymore, you will ruin the taste of other cheeseburgers for ever."
"No mother."
"All good Aunty Em." Lilith said as I turned to look at her.
"What? She put it on the sign outside not me."
"Besides I need to head back to Camp before 'she' complains." Chrysaor said and I didn't need a degree to know who he was talking about.
"You tell that woman I want my face taken off her damned shield or I will sue her for trademark violations." Medusa complained before stomping off out of view into the kitchen.
"Isn't that kind of the opposite to lying low." Lilith asked quietly.
"She won't admit it, but she watches those lawyer shows with the other two and she thinks she could win it." Chrysaor said quietly even as he tidied up his project into a large clear plastic storage tub. Likewise, I quickly picked up bundle of paper spread across my side of the table.
Sure, this stop had ended up a lot longer than initially planned but it had been genuinely fun to reminisce with a previous foe in a polite and friendly manner.
"So can I trouble you for a ride back to camp." Chrysaor asked sheepishly.
"Only if you tell me if you really are a furry or not." I told him grinning as he grimaced showing me gritted teeth and tusks.
"I am not a furry! Bro listen it's just complicated. But I literally cannot do anything without your help."
"So, am I helping you salvage a ship here or being your wingman?" I asked grinning slyly.
"As I said, it's complicated. Now come on let's get out of here before my nutty aunts get out here." He said checking the clock just in time to hear loud chattering from the two other gorgons as their programmes had clearly finished for the time being.
Reaching across the table I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket before we were engulfed in shadows just as the two older Gorgons arrived.
(Percy)
To say last night had been taxing would be an understatement. Three cups of coffee, a pint of nectar, a half a tray of donuts and a fried breakfast later. I was just about finally starting to feel 'human' again almost two hours later.
As for my partner in crime, she spent the entire time since we returned looking smug and proud of herself. And though we never discussed anything, the two Lieutenants had clearly read our body language and had more than a good idea of what had likely happened. But apart from a chuckle by Thalia after looking at me, that was as far as the conversation went on that matter. Something I was genuinely grateful for on every front as it meant I could suffer in silence over to one side.
After that the morning proceeded as per the previous day. The other girls woke up, had breakfast and then went on a run around the island. Only this time unfortunately for the most of them, the armoured Lieutenant did manage to lap them, forcing them to go around again.
Giving the goddess ample time to sneak into the Greek Lieutenants tent and return what she had stolen. Something that I was more than happy to see be taken away from me, hopefully for good.
I returned from a brief trip to make sure that Tania was still alive and well, just to find that the almost two dozen other girls had returned from their run in a condition that I could sympathise with. The perimeter for the island was only about four miles or so, but still to do it at least twice before eight AM was still a pain in the ass for anyone not in the military or Atlanta.
Unfortunately for them, this was going to happen a lot more in the near future. The two Lieutenants and the goddess were agreed that they wanted the Hunters to be the best of the best when it came to the demigod groups. I mean I would have argued that they already were considering what had happened during the war game. But it seemed that the three almost wanted them to be considered the 'special forces' equivalent to the regular soldiers that the camps and indeed even Amazons could provide.
Which looking at who some of the Hunters were, was not a hard thing to accomplish compared to most of the regular demigods or legacies that occupied the camps. Thalia was for the time being the only remaining demigod child of the Big Three. Zoe was the current only Demi-Titan. Reyna was a former Praetor of Rome, Atlanta was an Argonaut, Morganna was a legendary witch and that wasn't even counting her dragon form. Marina was only a formal declaration away from being a goddess. If we could raise the others up to even half of their potential then there was a good chance of making it a reality.
Still with that being the case, the group was only given a short break before training resumed for the morning. With first basic target archery then it becoming harder as they were tasked to shoot other moving airborne targets like tossed rocks out of the sky or even other arrows. Reminding me of the time I first them, against the Manticore Dr. Thorn.
Finally with the sun reaching its zenith, the Lieutenants finally let the sweating group take a break much to the relief of everyone except a certain dragon girl who instead of heading back towards the camp with the others instead approached me and Harmony as we too were getting ready to walk back.
Despite the obvious addition of a tail, from what I could tell. In terms of skill, she had not been adversely affected by her transformation and time away. Still sitting thoroughly middle of the pack for everything so far. Which considering who was above her, was not a bad thing to be honest.
"How can we help you?" Harmony asked curiously.
"This afternoon we are going to be practising personal combat, I want to practise with Percy." She declared boldly catching me off guard.
"You want me to teach you? I will be honest, there are others here who can teach you how to use a knife better than me."
"I don't want to use knives, you are the best swordsman I know of, so that is what I want you to teach me." She said firmly as her right hand stretched out before disappearing into a distortion in the air before slowly reappearing holding a long ornate red and silver blade. Amusingly at first, she seemed to forget how heavy it was as she initially fumbled it before grabbing it with her free hand and holding it almost steady.
While the blade itself was as long as Maelstrom, it was easily two or three times wider along its length before branching out almost to the ends of the hilt. So, her being able to hold the blade should have been a push let alone wielding it into battle.
"Morganna, I appreciate that you want to try but I think that your skills are best used..." I began to explain only for red lightning to run down the length of the blade catching even Harmony by surprise.
"With respect Lord Percy, I was a mother of knights, two of whom were also girls. One of which wielded this sword to kill one of the most famous kings in western history. If I believe I can wield Clarent like she did, then you better believe that I will do so. I do not care if takes a year, a decade, a century. I will have you acknowledge me as more than just a witch who was forced to become a hunter." She declared proudly stabbing the blade into the ground as her very attire began to transform. The silver hunter's outfit she wore morphing and taking on the appearance of armour plates. Not that I knew it but the only difference from the original it was inspired by was that this set was entirely silver, lacking the red accents of Mordred's. Almost shamefully as I stared at her as the transformation was completed the only thing that I could say was.
"Ok that is cool, who do I have to kill to get one?" Before being playfully slapped around the back of the head by the goddess.
"See isn't real magic useful, it is not that silly wave a wand stuff you see on television. Now if you agree to my request, I can see about helping you." She said smirking before a full helmet formed over her head. The only trace of her face remaining was a pair of serpentine eyes barely catching the light.
Now that it had fully transformed it was possible to see traces of the innumerable marks, runes and sigils that ran across and under every single piece of the armour.
"I mean sure it looks awesome, but how practical is it for you to use? Unlike Zoe who could probably wear a tank without much trouble. You do not have her super strength or endurance, hades you almost dropped the sword a second ago." I told her as I slowly walked around her.
"Isn't that obvious, magic. Lady Harmony, I believe you know of my grandfather. My mother is not my only source of divine heritage, as heretical as some may find it. There is a reason my family managed to conquer and then subsequently destroy Britannia and it was not just by talking." The armoured dragon-knight proclaimed, whilst truthful that second part was not something to boast about normally.
"If your grandfather wants to get out, I can soon take the top off that mountain." Harmony cut in and the look on her face was that of someone who was clearly fantasising about something wholly inappropriate. Not in her usual obscene way, but instead the 'I want to mount your ancestors head above the mantlepiece' way.
From what little I knew of the dragon they were talking about; he was that lands equivalent of Typhon. You know, the types of being you were generally not supposed to disturb. Not that I was one to talk considering my previous history with doing exactly that.
"He is quite happy as things are milady. He merely accepted me as one of his own and sent me on my way. Besides you were doubting about how I could move in this armour, let me show yoooooo-" She said confidently before swinging the sword up towards me.
Unfortunately for her, she gave advance notice and the swing was so clearly telegraphed by her posture changing that all I had to do was step to one side. Putting my right hand against her helmet I pushed in the same direction as her swing and sent her tumbling to the floor where she continued to lie for several seconds in stunned silence.
"A good starting place to using a sword, is don't try to run before you can crawl. Sure, the armour is cool and all, but you are not used to moving in it yet, let alone fighting. Work on your swordsmanship or getting used to armoured combat. Don't try and do both at the same time it will just make both harder." I told her before lowering a hand down towards her and pulling her back to her feet.
Sure, enough that simple gesture alone told me that the magical armour was far lighter than it had any right to be. But that did not mean that it would not adversely affect her centre of gravity or overall range of movement.
Back on her feet again, the helmet folded back down her face, revealing a clearly somewhat dejected expression upon it.
"I am not trying to be harsh, but practical. You are going to need to work on this harder than anything you have ever done before. Unlike magic, you have no more innate ability to learn the art of the sword than I do the bow. The difference is however you clearly want to improve and I frankly don't want the hassle."
"The hassle?" An offended voice said from behind me.
"May I remind you that I shot you in the face." I said completely deadpan turning to face the goddess.
"Point taken... quitter." Harmony conceded before immediately teasing causing me to take a deep breath. Dear gods I hoped I didn't accidently pass on my ineptitude to our kids or I would likely never hear the end of it.
"So, listen up, if you seriously want to do this. Then I will help you as much as I can, but I will be honest it is going to suck. Unlike archery practise, your target is very much capable of striking back and let me tell you getting hit with a lump of steel swung with force hurts a hell of a lot more than a blunt arrow or knife."
"That's fine, I am pretty sure I cannot die now anyway." She said suddenly throwing both me and the goddess off guard.
"Wait, what?" I asked taken aback by the declaration.
"Err. Yeah. Clarent wasn't the only thing I obtained; I sort of jump-started Avalon. I know for a fact that breaking my neck, shattering my skull and a divine dragon's fire can't do it at least." She explained almost nervously as we stared at her with open mouths. Behind her, a tail could be seen twitching from side to side.
"What the fuck do you need armour for then?" I asked crassly, perplexed by the whole situation.
"Because as you said it looks cool. Besides I can still get injured, I just heal, really quickly."
"This is your fault." Harmony said crossing her arms and glaring at me.
"Quick reminder. Exactly how many have we lost under my influence; something has been clearly going right for the last seven months." I retorted watching as the goddess bit her lip.
"I am just going to leave before I get caught in the crossfire and Avalon really gets tested." Morganna suddenly said nervously as silver armour plates returned to their original cloth texture and the dragon girl took off in a sprint back towards camp greatsword still in hand.
"Hehe I'm in danger." Was all I managed to say before I was pinned to the floor.
(Thalia)
Admittedly I had questions when the daughter of Hecate remained behind with those two after our earlier run. But seeing as she was recently returned after being missing for several weeks it made sense that she would perhaps have still lingering worries.
Any such questions I had disappeared as she ran past into me holding a sword that was almost as long as some of the younger hunters were tall. Safely back in the centre of camp, the dragon princess screeched to a halt, somewhat out of breath.
"You okay?" I asked nervously, looking into the still unsettling eyes of the other girl. Hypocritical as it was for me to say now but I found her eyes unnatural to look into much the same as Aika's. Though at least Morganna blinked normally compared to the Lamia.
"I think I may have watched Percy kill himself. Harmony looked angry." She said nervously.
"Nah you get used to it nowadays. He knows what he can get away with and Harmony wouldn't permanently break her favourite toy."
"What about temporarily?"
"Oh, now that is totally free game for her. So, ummm. What you got there?" I asked focusing on the girthy blade she was now holding with the blade now dragging on the floor behind her.
"A family heirloom." She said simply.
"Your mom or your dads?" I asked already leaning towards her father for obvious reasons.
"My daughters." She said sombrely instantly killing my enthusiasm.
"Oh, sorry."
"Not as sorry as I forever will be." She responded before turning away, the sword being thrust into a portal in the air beside her.
"Ss-she is full of pain and regrets." A now somewhat familiar voice said from nearby.
"You can see that too?" I asked the Lamia whose human body was between the two nearest tents.
"She reminds me of how mother was during the darkest times."
"How did you help Delia back then?" I asked curiously.
"I never could, she just got better at hiding it. Even now I can tell it is still there under the surface." She said mournfully before suddenly averting her gaze as the nymph called her name from somewhere out of my view.
It was always fun to get a reminder that I was not the member of this place carrying the most emotional baggage. With the exception of Erika, whose father was still alive and well and perhaps Atlanta whose parents both biological and adoptive had passed away peacefully thousands of years ago. Everyone who came here had some sort of problem at home.
I was not special on that front; my mother was just the highest profile in her self-destructiveness.
Morganna was however unique in that she was the only hunter in history to actually have a family and then lost it due to her own machinations. In the past, if pressed on it she would just wave it off as something that had happened during one of her lifetimes.
Now though she had directly confronted that troubled past and was having to work through it.
Somehow, I didn't think a boob job was going to fix that clusterfuck of a situation fifteen centuries in the making.
'Just another day in the hunt.' I thought taking a deep breath and heading towards the mess tent.
(Harmony)
"So, what lesson have you learned today?" I asked the panting figure lying spread eagle on the sand. For the record, we were not on Delos currently but a small island several miles away.
"That I shouldn't point out the obvious." He said sarcastically as I glared down at him.
"And you like your boobs being treated differently, you like the left one pin-"
"I will kill you, smartass."
"I have tried to kill myself numerous times, I am okay with this now. There are far worse ways to go." He said laughing whilst still looking smug. I mean the fact I too was also naked was probably not helping in him taking this seriously.
"I do not know what you are really afraid of though, I will go get it."
"I can't feel my waist currently anyway, besides with what you just did. It can't be that bad, can it?" He said with a carefree attitude as I stood there and subconsciously rubbed my backside causing him to chuckle again.
'Gods damn it.' I really was my own worst enemy when it came to maintaining leverage over the Titan Lord. No wonder when he quite literally had me wrapped around his finger... and normally his waist.
"You're staring." He said with a deadpan tone and sure enough I was focused on his crotch.
"Let's just go back." I said with a sigh as my clothes reappeared. My acceptance of loss leaving an infuriating look on my victorious lover's face.
"I uh, need some help. Seriously I can't feel my legs." He said trying to pull himself up onto his elbows, sure enough the lower limbs weren't responding.
Kicking his ankle hard and yet receiving no response but a stare back. I realised he was legitimately telling the truth.
I had at last broken my boytoy.
"So, seeing as we are acting normal currently."
"Not when you have bloody paralysed me you are not. Normal people don't gain wings when they climax and crush their fiancé's pelvis!."
"So, what type of wheelchair do you want, manual or electric."
"Harmony!"
"Maybe we could ask Chiron where he got his?"
"In that case I am just going to claim this was a workplace accident and sue your pretty little ass."
"I thought you said my ass was the problem? Second, I am sure that must count as sexual harassment."
"Please just fix me."
"Fine, but only because you are cute and I like you." I told him playfully bending down and kissing him even as I undid the damage.
Of course, reverting his body back to the time of the injury had one foreseeable consequence.
'Little Perseus' was standing confused but proudly at attention even as he slowly rose to his feet.
"Let's go." I said simply with a smile.
"Where are my clothes?" He asked looking around.
"I don't know." I said with a shrug before travelling back to camp, leaving the naked aroused Titan standing there in temporary defeat and in need of a cold shower.
(Thalia)
It didn't take a genius to work out what those two had been up to for the last two hours. Especially when Percy had seemingly changed all his clothes and the goddess was grinning like a cheshire cat every time she locked eyes with him.
Of course, I didn't really have a chance to focus on those two for the time being as I forced to duck under an armoured fist as Zoe swung for my head. Thrusting Aegis against her armoured torso I was able to push back just enough for the blow to miss even as the demi-Titan remained completely unfazed by the blow to her gut.
Jumping back a few feet, I wearily accepted the fact that the other Lieutenant was toying with me. Sure, in a 'real' fight, I would be quite happily spamming lightning as a weapon against the Orthrytic Silver armoured girl or flying to keep out of her reach.
But we weren't and instead that armour was an impenetrable bulwark that I could not get past without the girl nearly taking my head off. The fact that she had started this off by grabbing my spear straight out of my hands mid-thrust but not before picking me off the ground with it had been a terrible mood setter for this duel.
Switching to my sword after had fared little better, unlike Percy's one Hurricane, mine could not bypass someone's defences and had instead clattered off a parrying vambrace. The sudden jarring leaving me stunned for just enough time before a shin came up and kicked the blade clean out of the arena by a good thirty feet.
That was the main problem, she was strong obviously but she was still incredibly agile. Her dad was obviously stronger but the Titan was also ten feet tall and built like a building. There were chinks in the armour that could be attacked as Artemis had done so before, even if all they did was actually annoy him.
Instead, she was only a few inches taller than me, slimmer than me, faster than me and unlike me stood almost zero chance of getting tired.
All of this and she was still yet to even draw her knives, which apart from a shield was all I had left.
"You still want to carry on?" Zoe asked raising an eyebrow, her tone not belittling but seemingly genuinely curious.
"Not really, but that would be setting a bad example." I admitted still holding the knife in my free hand. The only real weak spot in her defences was her legs above the knee and her biceps. Those two places not being covered by plate armour but instead by tassel strips of metal on leather. It providing at least minimal protection against slashes but a thrust should be able to pass between.
Perhaps if I used Aegis to thrust towards her face, I could put her off balance, obscure her vision before attacking her leg with the bla-
(Percy)
'Note to self, remember not to overthink while in a fight.' Was the memo I made watching as Zoe sent her counterpart bouncing off the dirt floor of the arena.
The armoured girl had burst forward before delivering a vicious roundhouse kick, thankfully aiming for the other girl's shield and not her head. Even so with her arm strapped inside the metal disc, where it went, she unfortunately followed.
Which as it turns out, was about fifteen feet away from where she started. Getting over our shock at the sudden burst of violence. Everyone had run over to the rag dolled daughter of Zeus.
Perhaps not so shocking was the fact that her left arm was clearly dislocated at the shoulder, however the crimson fluid flowing out of her mouth was not a good sign. Morbidly amusing however was the fact the diadem on her head was still desperately trying to remain in place. Perhaps having decided that it had been discarded to many times recently and was going to stay put now.
At least the slow and yet clearly still stunned movements of her eyes, showed she was still barely conscious before she was suddenly completely frozen.
"So, then girls, who wants to have a guess at her possible injuries?" Harmony said catching everyone off guard.
"Milady!" Reyna shouted clearly panicked even as the glowing eyed goddess looked back at her.
"I understand your concern, but she will be fine. Remember girls' injuries can come at any time, including training and you need to be able to react to them calmly and efficiently. That is what saves lives. So once again, someone other than Atlanta tells me what injuries she likely has." The goddess said coldly albeit she had a point. I had seen people freeze up in battle when someone they knew was injured or even killed. That split second hesitation could cost them and others around them their lives.
Unfortunately for my cousin, she was now being used as a Guinea Pig.
However at least she was not conscious of what was going on around her, unlike a certain Roman who looked like she wanted to throw everyone out of the way. From experience the issue with being in a secret relationship was that you had to maintain the ruse even when every fibre of your being wanted to throw the deception out of the window. Walking around the group slowly I put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch.
"She will be fine, I promise." I whispered into her ear.
"I know, but that doesn't mean I need to be happy about this Percy." She said through almost gritted teeth.
"As much as I may hate the way this has come about, Harmony has a point. Most of these girls need practise with diagnosing and treating injuries, especially if neither of us is around or Atlanta too is unavailable or worse is also injured. I promise we will make it up to you." I told her before stepping back and looking across to the other person who seemed unsure of what to do.
I couldn't exactly blame Zoe, for what had happened. She had deliberately spent the whole duel, almost solely targeting Thalia's equipment and not her body. Offered Thalia a chance to give up which she should have taken. It was just on the last occasion; her shield had decided that it was not going alone and took its owner along for the ride.
Looking across at me, even with all the commotion I could still clearly lip-read what she was saying.
'I didn't mean to.'
'No one is blaming you either, that is why it is called practice. Even you need to do it occasionally, clearly though it would be for the best if you sparred with me next time.' I told her mentally. After a short pause she slowly nodded, albeit her head remained low afterwards.
To be honest I was not thrilled by the idea either, sure I had used to train with and fight Atlas and Iapetus back on Orthrys. The thing was I had the Curse of Achilles then and a hate filled goddess doing everything in her power to keep me alive. Now Styx actively wanted me dead. Which meant I was going to be getting a lot more bruises in the near future, which considering how I was paraplegic earlier would still be an improvement.
At least getting crippled by Harmony was enjoyable, getting beaten black and blue by her Lieutenant? Probably not so much.
Thankfully several minutes later, the 'group', that was to say all of the new hunters had decided that Thalia had obviously dislocated her arm and sustained a punctured lung from a broken rib. Hence why she was coughing up blood.
Well, they were half right, as was revealed when a disappointed Harmony had asked Atlanta to open her younger sister's mouth.
The sudden gagging reaction from a dozen girls realising the real truth could almost have been funny under different circumstances.
Thalia has almost bitten her own tongue off, the muscle only held by a few sinews on one side of her mouth. Which as anyone who had ever had to watch someone who was potentially suicidal, was very much an injury capable of being fatal.
So, with some words to them about not jumping to conclusions and to check all possible option as to identify and treat her actual injuries. Harmony finally healed the injured girl, instead just leaving her incredibly confused as to why she was on the floor and surrounded by everyone.
"Can I make a guess and say that I didn't win?" She asked causing a sigh of relief to go around the group.
"Putting it politely, no. No, you did not." Harmony told her before pulling her to her feet.
"Did I almost die again?" She asked spotting the blood still staining Atlanta's hand.
"Only potentially, probably if it had been left to the majority of your fellow sisters." Harmony admonished as everyone suddenly became really interested in their footwear.
"That's twice in a week, this sucks." She said pouting.
"So anyway, who is next?" Harmony asked suddenly.
"To get injured or fight Zoe?" Phoebe asked.
"Are those two even mutually exclusive?" Suzie commented turning towards the armoured figure.
"That was not my intention!" Zoe defended indignantly.
"I will." A single voice called out as everyone turned to look at the daughter of Hecate.
"Not yet you're not." Harmony said forcefully cutting off that challenge instantly.
"Milady I can-" Morganna protested before being forcibly silenced.
"Morganna, no you are not. I know you think you have something to prove but everything has its time and now is not that time." The goddess told her before releasing control over her causing the two to glare at one another.
"For the time being, everyone go take a break for fifteen minutes and then we will meet back here." I interrupted playing the role of adult, despite the fact that both were almost a hundred times older than me.
Despite some mumbling and glancing eyes the group dispersed albeit none travelling far.
Though it was good to see Zoe immediately heading over to Thalia and a reunited Reyna and clearly giving her an apology for what happened.
"Milady!"
"The answer is no. I don't care if you think that Avalon will stop you getting injured. Whilst I have never seen it for myself, I know that it does not make its wielder invulnerable, it merely heals them off all wounds. If Thalia who is a lot stronger and more trained in personal combat just got beaten within an inch of her life, then in what world are you living. Or are you just planning on fighting Zoe until she gets tired? Spoiler alert, Atlas's second domain is Endurance."
"..."
"Besides what happens if you get injured enough that you subconsciously transform again? You have been back for one day, relax and take things one step at a time. I thought dragons were supposed to be patient?" Harmony said calmly her words seemingly hitting something inside the demigod who bit her lower lip.
"Tell you what, starting tomorrow I will train with you and teach you how to wield a sword. However, you will only do so under my instruction, I don't want to hear no ifs or buts when it comes to it." I offered but clearly laying down my stipulations from the start. I did not want the other girls getting involved and certainly not someone like Thalia, who was likely to try and teach Morganna bad habits.
Besides there were more than enough differences between wielding a sword like Riptide and ones like Maelstrom and certainly Clarent. For starters sure I could wield mine with one hand but that should be an impossibility with the broader blade. Which clearly meant no shield, so she would have to be reliant on her technique and movement for defence. I did not want her reliant on simply taking the hits because of her armour and healing abilities.
"Ok, but why not start today? We are still in the middle of training." She asked.
"Because someone has got to knock Zoe down a peg." I said with a smile interlocking my fingers and stretching them out until the clicked.
"Do you know how funny it will be for me if you get paralysed twice in one day. I will just leave you there this time." Harmony teased evilly.
"Twice?"
"Don't worry about it." I told the girl quickly, not wanting to go into it.
'You wouldn't seriously do that. Would you?' I asked the goddess mentally, forgetting about our policy for the time being.
'Why? It is not like it will change anything for me. I do most of the work while you're lying flat on your back anyway.' She responded before turning to smile at me sweetly as I felt emasculated by her cruel albeit accurate words. Maybe I had taken the goddess's willingness to be the dominant one for granted.
"Alright oh Great Guardian. Time for you to show me what I pay you for?" Harmony said clapping her hands to get the others attention causing them to begin to slowly walk back over.
"You don't pay me."
"I know and I don't have too. Remember my father said your punishment is to be here. It really is a win-win situation for me."
"You're enjoying this far too much."
"Duh."
"She is right, what is the point of being a queen or a goddess and then acting like a peasant?" Morganna said defending the antics of the goddess.
"I thought you were a changed person now?"
"You're right I am no longer a queen. So, I too have to deal with the whims of those above my station. Which is her." Morganna responded simply bloating Harmony's ego just that little bit more.
"Didn't you start a rebellion against people above you?"
"No, I inspired a rebellion against my sibling who was acting like an idealistic idiot." She said with a flat tone as if that was such an obvious thing to do. With that said though, the others began to close in on the three of us.
"So, are we getting to watch Zoe fight a dragon then?" Phoebe asked almost excited, she had been unconscious for the end of the War Game afterall and therefore missed what had happened.
"Not yet anyway, maybe one day. Someone is though, aren't they Percy?" Harmony said smugly.
"Hey don't frame this as some victory for you, this was my idea for starters." I defended as a number of the girls looked like they thought I was being punished for something.
"Umm Lady Harmony, do I have to?" Zoe asked seemingly nervous herself.
"Seeing as you bounced me around like a pinball, I am pulling seniority and the answer is yes." Thalia said, thankfully laughing off what had happened to her.
"Looks like you are not getting to veto your way out of this one then. Besides he is only a man, you're better than that right?" A now blatantly sarcastic Harmony said enjoying every minute of this clearly.
"Is this revenge for yesterday?
"Noooo, I would never be so petty. That's all but water under the bridge."
"You can quite literally control water and time, so that saying means absolutely nothing when it comes to you." I told her.
"Percy stop ruining my fun. Whoever loses has to eat my cooking."
"So, what bits of him do you need intact?" Zoe asked immediately causing a round of laughter from the others as they quickly stepped back.
'Seriously how bad was that time?' I thought to myself tossing aside my jacket before I drew Hephaestus's blunt imitation version of Maelstrom. I would be using it to practice with Morganna so I might as well use it now as well. Sure, it might lack the cutting capacity of the true blade but it was still a heavy lump of indestructible steel being swung around.
Now was a time I would really could have used a shield that was able to reflect and amplify force. I really needed to get that sorted at the next opportunity.
So, with that as it was currently and a general unwillingness to use my domains. The only real defence I had against the armoured girl across from me was speed and violence.
I could work with that.
"Begin."
(Thalia)
Despite my earlier teasing I did not hold anything against Zoe for injuring me, these things happened. That was why we trained in the first place, to prepare for this sort of thing. Besides I no longer had any memory of any of it so I had nothing to be upset about.
Reyna by contrast was still pissed though. Besides if it the role was reversed then to be fair then I probably would be as well. She was good with her tongue.
Putting that aside for the time being I looked across at the demi-Titan facing off against the Titan Lord. Though in a strange reversal for how these battles used to go a few years back, it was the mortal who was fully armoured and Percy that was simply wearing a black shirt and jeans. The plain steel mock weapon that he held in two hands the only strictly offensive armament in the duel.
With the goddess's signal, there was only a slight movement upon Zoe's body as she tensed up and focused on her opponent. For his part Percy stood still, only a slight smile upon his face. Almost for a minute this uneasy silence lasted before Zoe pushed forward, rapidly closing towards the lackadaisical man across from her.
To no little surprise, he simply moved aside from her sweeping left-handed punch at the last second. I couldn't have been the only one to look but I was instead focused on his face and more importantly his eyes. To see if he was using his powers, but sure enough they lacked the tell-tale sign of his using his time powers.
With the distance now closed, Zoe kept up the assault as hands and feet were flung at Percy who deftly moved out of the way of them all. Sure, it looked like he was being kept on the defensive but judging by the smile he was still sporting and the precise movements he was making to having the entire book thrown at him. You could have almost assumed he was comfortably controlling the fight despite the fact he had never so much as swung his weapon in her direction.
Around me, some of the others cheered for my counterpart encouraging her to push harder. Not out of maliciousness towards Percy but more the fact was that Zoe was one of 'us'.
Strangely silent was the goddess herself who instead watched everything with an amused smirk.
Finally, however, there was finally contact made between the two combatants as the back of Zoe's arm was swung back and caught the flat of the Percy's blade. Though he was able to hold onto it still forced him to stagger back a few steps. Even so his attention was not on his attacker but instead upon his fiancée who was now poking her tongue out.
Despite glaring at his lover, the Titan Lord was still able to evade the continued assault from Zoe with little trouble.
(Percy)
'Are you quite done yet?' I asked with annoyance.
It was one thing to be stuck in a fight with an opponent who can incapacity or break a limb with a single blow. I had experience with that and could deal with it. It was quite another to do so while a seductive goddess, utters all sorts of obscenities and offers directly inside your brain.
As shown by Zoe's chance just then, it was slightly distracting.
'I didn't do anything.' Her voice answered innocently.
'It is not what you did, but what you were offering to do. That was the issue.'
'Why did you like that one?' She said with clear amusement.
'We will see later after I have one this.' I told her confidently before tuning her out as she began to giggle.
The thing was I knew what Zoe's weakness was from the start.
Like her father she had overwhelming strength and could keep it up indefinitely. However, 'The General' had one major advantage over his daughter. Mass. She was only a little over half his height and a fraction of his weight.
He truly was an immovable object when pushed against.
She didn't have that luck, by keeping her on the attack and constantly pushing forward in an effort to catch me. She was actually limited in what she could do, if I was to attack back. She could potentially block the blow by pushing into it, which would only serve to potentially stun me.
So, for the time being I had not even tried. Instead despite Harmony's increasing efforts to distract me, I was studying her full range of movements and attacks.
By the third minute of this cat and mouse game, I had learned enough and broke away from her completely jumping back several yards away.
Raising my sword up so the point was towards her, I told her two words.
"My turn."
(Zoe)
To fight the guardian was infuriating because I knew the problem was at my end. I was just a hairs breadth to slow to ever make contact with him and it was so obvious I was being toyed with.
Obviously if he was using his powers, this fight would have been over before it even began for me. But as far as I could tell, he was using none of his at all and yet I was attempting to use everything I had. Yet I had made contact only once in all my attempts and that had accomplished exactly nothing.
With the proclivities of the divines. Anybody could be born a demigod, but only the best of them could or would be remembered as heroes due to their deeds. Looking back, most of them were not even that impressive, they were just the first to do so. With that in mind it was no surprise to realise exactly why he was known as the 'greatest hero'. Sure, he had his detractors who didn't like that he had come into conflict with them or their interests or his personality could be difficult to understand.
However, even the worst of them had to admit that he was very good at what needed to be done. Some people, for example the Romans however confused what he was capable of now with what he could do before he gained the powers he had. This disservice had hidden one key truth.
He had always been more than capable of utterly destroying any opponent placed in front of him without the use of flashy powers or unstoppable weapons.
Since my resurrection I had fought and defeated dozens of demigods and their legacies, beaten albeit accidentally a daughter of Zeus to near death. These achievements had made me feel good about my new skill set.
Yet he made me look like a drunken amateur, wildly flailing about all over the place completely unable to so much as touch him
So, when he quickly distanced himself from me, I had let out a sigh even before he pointed the blunt sword at me.
"My turn." Was all I heard him utter before the counterattack began.
Even as I watched launch towards me, I barely had time to raise my arm before the first blow struck against my left wrist, then against my left shin, then back up again to strike at my shoulder. Three times I was struck in the blink of an eye.
Turning to my body to face him as he continued to work his way around me. The moment my left foot left the floor even just an inch, he leapt inside my guard and delivered a simple pommel blow into my shoulder caused me to stumble back.
Now off balance and struggling to correct it, two more blows clattered off my bracers. The force imparted into me through them enough to push me to the floor. Transferring my own backwards movement into a role I was able to quickly return to me knee but he was already gone from my sight.
Swinging my right arm around instinctively, I felt my wrist strike something solid and unyielding.
That being the edge of sword he had plunged into the ground and was still holding the pommel of. Armour or not, if this was a real fight I would have just amputated my own hand.
Looking up into his face, I watched as he simply smirked before leaping back away from me.
Rising to my feet, I felt frustrated by my inability. He was quite happily toying with me, every time he had hit me, apart from that pommel blow had been with the flat of the blade. The only time the dull edge of the imitation sword had hit me was through my own reckless action.
"You still want to carry on?" He asked in an ironic echo of my own earlier words.
"Only if you take this seriously." I told him deciding to end this charade. Considering what had happened earlier, it only seemed poignant to also ending up like Thalia as a teaching aid.
Looking across at him, I saw him nod silently before his eyes glowed.
However, rather than me slow down as I could still perceive everything normally, the others were still moving in normal time. No, it was clear I was not the target of his time manipulation.
Instead, as I found myself inside a hurricane of raining blows, it was quite clear that he was.
Five, ten, twenty blows struck against my armour plates knocking me back and forth. Unable to fall down because he himself would strike from the opposite side to offset my movements.
Were it not for the silver protective carapace surrounding me, I would have been bruised and bloodied just from being hit.
Yet still he continued, my eyes only catching his afterimages and glints of gold.
Finally, with barely a blink of my eyes, I reopened them to find his face bare inches from mine. Staring into those golden eyes, I failed to realise that he had thrust the blade into my left armpit, the blade fully imbedded to the hilt. Not due to my own actions but his own conscientious choice to show that a few inches across and that would have been my heart.
Still with his own counteractions keeping me standing, I fell to my knees utterly defeated by the guardian. My limbs shaking as they caught up with the abuse they had suffered even within their protection.
It was only when I felt the sword fall out and land on the floor next to me, did I look up at my victorious opponent and notice that he was pale and breathing heavily. His shaking hand still outstretched from where he had held the now discarded sword.
Despite my own shaking legs I was able to rise to one knee just in time to catch him before he fell forward.
Around me I noticed the others hurriedly running over towards the pair of us.
"Are you ok?" I asked him completely baffled by the turn of events.
"You asked me to take it seriously, so I did." He said wearily still smiling.
"You really are an idiot." Harmony lambasted looking down at her lover who merely chuckled at her words.
"So, was that a draw?" One of the twins asked.
"Well if you count Zoe being dead and this moron almost unconscious a draw Amy, then we might need to revise your education." Harmony criticised glaring at the daughter of the love goddess.
"Then what on Earth happened to him?" Her sister asked instead.
"You ever wonder why the two of us, always slow down or stop time for everyone else. Rather than just speeding it up for ourselves, the results should be the same right?"
"Makes sense to me, the amount of time that passes for you could be the same either way."
"The difference is that there are very few beings with resistance to time powers, generally only those with an affinity for the sea or their very own time powers. As an example, it takes significantly more effort to freeze Marina than the rest of you combined." I explained causing a few heads to turn and look at the young girl who was surprised herself by the revelation.
"So, imagine the amount of effort required to do it to someone who has both of those innate resistances and push it as far as possible like this moron did?" She proposed before reaching down and helping her consort to his weary feet albeit leaning heavily against the goddess for support.
Relieved of his weight, I too stumbled to my own feet even as I ignored by own bodies protests at doing so. I would be poor representative of my father if I could not endure this.
"So, before I go take this one to get some rest, does anyone have any persisting doubts about why we have a guardian?"
"Only that it was a shame that Tania wasn't here to see it." Phoebe bemoaned; things were objectively quieter without the daughter of Ares around. But as annoying as she could be, she was still one of us.
"How about we just don't tell her and then get her to fight him."
"Better, just let me fight Aressss-." Percy proposed before falling unconscious forcing the goddess to shoulder all of his weight.
"So, then girls, try and practise what you have seen today. I will see you at dinner." Harmony said cheerfully before all of us were forced to turn away and then they were gone.
"Practise what? I can't hope to do any of that. I have a damned knife!" Amy cried out.
"Sounds like a personal problem." Reyna told her walking past, sword and shield in hand.
"Here you go, practise with this then." I told her tossing the discarded sword next to me her way. Unlike the real deal, others were capable of picking it up.
I had to give the girl credit, she managed to pick it off the ground with both hands, but the moment she swung it, her entire body followed the swing until it inevitably struck against the rocky floor.
"You'll be a master in no time at that rate." Thalia teased now standing right next to Reyna.
"That is why the standard weapon of a Hunter is knives. You do not need strength to wield them, you just need proficiency, something you gain by practising. So, find a partner and get to work." I told her watching as she instantly gravitated towards her sister.
"Oh, hades no, Amy you go with Phoebe, Suzie you are going to be with Morganna." Thalia said and with her name being mentioned the dragon-girl seemed to snap out of focusing on the unused and abandoned sword.
"Can we swap?" Suzie asked nervously while looking at the draconic hunter across from her who looked at her with a feral glint in her reptilian eyes.
"Nah, I am sure you will be fine." I told her walking over and patting her on the shoulder before taking the sword back up from where it had been left.
Sure, it was only really a prop but it still belonged to the guardian and didn't deserve to just be left discarded on the floor.
(Percy)
For the second time today, I found myself laying on a beach. The calm waves gently lapping up to my waist as I enjoyed their refreshing and calming effect on me. Albeit somewhat offset by the one-piece swimsuit wearing beautiful goddess laying across from me. The small sandy beach was after all a part of our shared domain.
Between us a platter of sugary sweets that looked like Harmony had raided a gas station's candy aisle and dumped the lot on a dish. Not that I was complaining, I almost felt like a twelve-year-old again picking through it trying to find all the blue ones whilst simultaneously admiring the view.
I mean how was it possible that she could look hotter whilst wearing more clothing?
Come to think of it, if she was to turn her legs into a tail now, how would that outfit even work?
"I don't know what to do about Delia?" She asked suddenly snapping me out of my musings, her sunglasses wearing face looking up into the sky.
Whilst she had and Aika had taken part in the morning practises, she had politely excused herself from the practise battles that came after lunch. The lamia too apologetically following suit as the two of them wandered out of the camp to parts unknown.
"I don't either to be honest. It is not like we can just take this entire island and dump it in the USA, that might work for a dryad but it is not really feasible on this scale. This is not an issue that can just be brute forced I'm afraid."
"I know and that is why I hate it." She said bitterly leaning forward as her hand reached out and grabbed a silver glass of wine. Rather than drink it immediately, she instead seemed to just stare into the red liquid.
"You won't find the answer at the bottom of that glass." I told her seriously.
"What? No there is a damned wasp in it." She said angrily flicking the glass and its contents away with annoyance causing me to start laughing. Flicking her glasses up onto her head she glared at me.
The thing was it was when these simple random things happened and caused her to react out of character that served to humanise her in my eyes. We had all at some point been quite happily enjoying something out in the sun or at a park and after turning your back it is suddenly under assault by a swarm of insects.
Sure enough, even as I watched the bug flew back inside the glass without a care in the world.
Chances were, the insect could not even see the primordial goddess who was staring daggers back at it.
Come to think about it, there was no particular god or goddess associated with insects. They were just kind of a thing that existed. Perhaps they had been a creation of Gaia at some point long before records but well... she wasn't in any position to reveal the truth anymore.
"Listen with regard to Delia, it may not be your choice to make. Perhaps she has to find the path forward herself, whether you like it or not, the best thing you can do is accept it." I told her sincerity.
From experience within the last month, I had reacted badly to being given the news about Annabeth. However, given time to think on it, I was able to accept the reality of that situation. The truth and the knowledge that I had been lied to had stung deeply, but not as much as what could have happened had actually transpired without Artemis and Hades's interruption.
"I know and that is why I hate it." She repeated before slumping backwards onto the sand.
Moving the plate to my other side, I rolled over until I was next to her. Before gently placing one hand on her stomach and lightly kissing her on the cheek.
In return she placed her own hand on top of mine and turned to peck me on the lips as we faced one another.
"Your feet better still be in that water, I am not carrying your ass home." She said playfully.
"Of course." I told her kicking my feet back and forth and splashing water on her own.
"Good." Was all she said as the two of spent the rest of the afternoon in blissful ignorance, happy just to have a quiet time alone.
(Perseus)
'Oh crap, oh crap... Wait why am I panicking?' I realised as I stared at the goddess in front of me.
Returning to the Poseidon cabin at Camp Half-Blood with Chrysaor had been easy enough of course. Lilith arriving a few seconds later on her own and immediately almost tripping over one of Chrysaor's completed models causing a cry from the pair of them as she narrowly managed to avoid disaster.
Crisis averted; he had placed the parts of his current project on one of the empty beds.
"I suppose I need to let Chiron know that I am back." He told us before heading towards the door.
"Wait up, I need to speak to him about this." I told him waving the notepad back and forth before taking a bounded step and following him.
"I am going to bully Piper then." A girl's voice said far too enthusiastically behind me.
Those plans lasted as long as it took for us to step outside the front door of the cabin.
The moment I stood on the front porch, I became acute aware of the divine being who was standing by off to the left-hand side leaning against the wall. My sudden freezing causing Lilith to crash into the back of me knocking me forward one step.
"How were the burgers?" The grey eyed goddess asked simply causing me and Chrysaor to panic.
"What do you m-mean?" Chrysaor asked in a stutter as I got a hold of myself. I had nothing to worry about after all.
"Better than what you can get at a fast-food place." I conceded taking the attention off of him.
"You two must be Pride and Lust."
"Perseus and Lilith actually." I corrected as the goddess focused on my counterpart.
"Interesting, you named yourself but that is getting off topic for the time being." She told her before focusing back on Chrysaor who seemed to desperately be avoiding Athena's gaze.
"I trust I have nothing to worry about from your mother or aunts?" She asked him coldly and bluntly.
"N-No."
"Very good, you may go. Chiron has the training schedule for the next week ready for you." She told him suddenly losing all of the intensity as he could only nod and hurriedly walk off.
"Well, that was rude." Lilith told the goddess who seemed shocked by the statement.
"Excuse me?"
"I know you don't like Medusa but you don't have to be a bitch to him about it. He is a victim of the spat between you and her. He doesn't need to be at camp, he does it because he wants to do so and because of our bet, but that is unimportant." Lilith told her rudely yet surprisingly all the goddess did was walk towards and then around her as if studying her.
"You really are interesting." Was all she said completely ignoring me now.
"That's funny I thought you were just told I was called Lilith." She said oozing sarcasm.
"I see your sense of humour is still that of Percy's." Athena noted analytically and just the mere mention of being compared to Percy was enough to piss me off.
"Heir of Olympus or not, back the fuck off away from my sister." I told her angrily causing the goddess to at last turn and look at me seriously. Her cold grey eyes staring back at me.
"So, you would choose to treat her as a sibling, rather than as a rogue fragment of yourself. Despite the fact that her very existence must mean that you yourself will remain flawed until she is gone."
"Here's a more interesting question. Have you ever wondered why your own aspect FUCKING hates you?" I countered and suddenly the expression on the goddess changed as she proceeded to pull her sense of entitlement out of her stuck-up ass.
"What did you say?" She asked coldly.
"What are you going deaf or were you just too stupid to understand my words."
'You sure about this.' Lilith asked me nervously as the goddess's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed to thin slits.
"You know nothing about me!" She spat back bitterly.
"I know that a lot of the problems I have had to overcome were in some way related to you. Medusa obviously, then there was Arachne and the whole mark of Athena debacle. Just how many of your children exactly did you doom by sending them to find a statue? But getting back to me there was the numerous times you tried to vote to have me killed. Then there is absolute shitshow that is your relationship with your own aspect that almost doomed the world. But 'luckily' your delusions only managed to kill your own daughter; you know, the girl I loved! The one that you hated me for doing so."
"Leave her out of this!" She screamed even as she fell to her knees clutching the side of her head.
"The truth sucks don't it."
"That's enough Lord Perseus." A gruff voice told me before I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Turning my head towards the interrupting individual I found myself having step back and look up to see the face of the guy who had spoken. Now I was tall, not as much as I used to be thankfully. But this guy was almost two feet taller than me, built like gorilla with arms that would make any body builder jealous. All shoe horned into a short-sleeved shirt, slacks and grey tie.
Yet on my proximity sense, he barely even registered. He was after all just a mortal, not like demigod mortal, but as in 'normal' person.
"Who the fu-"
"Diomedes. Why are you here?" The goddess said angrily addressing the newcomer as she stumbled back to her feet.
"To stop you making a fool of yourself Milady."
"In the future, tell Nike to mind her own business."
"She did not send me; it was your daughter." He told her bluntly causing her to free where she stood.
At the mere implication of Annabeth (who else could it be) my head swivelled towards the Homeric hero.
Without any further words or actions, the goddess vanished into light leaving me and Lilith alone with the absolute giant of a man.
"I would like to apologise for Lady Athena's actions, she can be rather insensitive when her curiosity gets the better of her." He said politely and calmly, his attitude in complete contrast to his appearance.
"I don't care about any of that, how in hades are you still alive?" I demanded, the fact that this guy was just a mortal was bothering me more and more.
To no real surprise, I had read the Iliad (In Greek) several years ago and several times to boot. (Mum has banned me from gaming at the time after a school incident.) This guy was one of the most prominent characters in it and the fact that he as a completely normal dude in a war filled with demigods and divines beating the tar out of one another had decided that he was main character and decided to beat both my least favourite Olympians (Ares and his whore) in the same afternoon had somewhat endeared him to me. Sure, he had also done some rather questionable things too but frankly no one was a good guy in that story.
Sure, it was said that he was friendly with Athena several times and she had even driven his Chariot into battle. But that didn't explain why he was here thousands of years later.
"Lady Artemis has her hunters act as her priestesses does, she not. Milady is a virgin goddess too."
"So, she is a blatant plagiarist? Ha goddess of Wisdom my ass." Lilith said bluntly causing the former king of Argos to pause and close his eyes for a few seconds.
"I would suggest you never call her that to her face, but I can tell you would not listen or care either way. But yes, the idea is largely the same. I serve the goddesses needs when actions must be taken in the mortal world."
"You mean like assassinations." I said bluntly, it made sense for the goddess of Wisdom to have a way around the ancient laws.
"On rare occasions, yes. However, I am not exactly... subtle so that is normally best left to some of the others." He explained cryptically. I was in no surprised that Diomedes would kill people, the guy mowed down Trojans like they were blades of grass on his front lawn. What was more or perhaps less surprising to be honest was that Athena had a whole cadre of people out there doing her bidding behind the shadows.
"So, how does that work? Athena just acquires the services of people over the centuries to do her bidding and no one notices that they go missing?"
"Lord Zeus is aware of course, but as a general rule of thumb, the key to being good at subterfuge is to not stand out at all. I am the exception not the rule, besides I have little skill in dealing with monsters. I am not a demigod after all." He explained and while I wanted to doubt how the guy who was more jacked than most gods and had beaten several in personal combat could not fight monster, I was beaten to the punch by the rapid sound of trotting hooves as a Centaur appeared around the corner.
Chiron's eyes going wide as he looked directly at the figure beside me.
"Hello Teacher." Diomedes told him bowing his head. Come to think of it, the guy was as tall as Chiron was in his true centaur form.
"Diomedes? So, the rumours were true then. Athena-" The old horse man said only to be cut off by his former pupil as others had started to appear.
With the camp somewhat empty during school periods and most campers still in the middle of practises, we had remained largely unnoticed up until now. But the sight of a galloping centaur had clearly caught several people's curiosity.
The clearly recognisable figure that was me, the beautiful girl next to me and the mound of muscle we were talking to had held their attention.
"Sure enough, several members of the six (seven? Did Annabeth count?) gods of Heroes were now visible. One of whom immediately tried to duck out of this, but judging by the fact that I could no longer sense my sister behind me... well."
In contrast the son of Hades suddenly shadow travelled past the others and straight to us.
"Diomedes what are you doing here, does Athena know, is something wrong." He asked butting into the conversation.
"It is kind of my fault; I may have told her a few home truths. She wasn't a fan of hearing them." I said nervously as the minor god and my former teacher stared at me.
"Perseus isn't it, please learn to consider your actions and the consequences they may have."
"He will be fine; Lady Anna Minerva will see to that. It is good for Lady Athena to be confronted every so often to be honest. Her position causes others to put her on a pedestal and do everything she says. Are you any different Lord Nico?" Diomedes asked him.
"Yeah Nico, what time is curfew for you two?"
"Seven-thir-" He answered immediately before shutting up in embarrassment. The sixteen-year-old immortal god having an actual check in time was hilarious to me, even if it was Annabeth he was dating. While Annabeth was actually slightly older than me, it was also likely she was stuck at the age of her death, that being seventeen.
Come to think of it, so was Rachel. Maybe I liked older more mature girls. In which case the third was definitely a leap forward with her age compared to the other two, yet somehow, she was also far less mature than the two teenagers.
Artemis that is, Diana was absolutely fine of course as she was, in my totally not biased opinion.
"Be that as it may, we are drawing a crowd of onlookers. We should head somewhere more private." Diomedes said bluntly.
"Come let us go back to the Big House, we have a lot to catch up on, both of you." Chiron said agreeing with the sentiment.
'Yo, she still alive?' I asked Lilith, she was barely now within my range of detection.
'Physically sure, I think she might be a bit broken inside though. Must be something about goddesses and this place?' She responded with amusement.
'Good, meet us at Chiron's place.' I told her before following the other three through the camp.
Enough of the campers here knew me from Percy from my earlier hiding here at the beginning of the month. That I no pun intended, actually took pride in my appearance being a somewhat easy way of telling the two of us apart. I seriously didn't know why my counterpart dressed like he did and why she just accepted it.
Still for once I was not the one drawing attention as Diomedes was doing a rather stellar job of that by himself. To one side it was easy to notice a bunch of armoured kids all pointing at the tall figure and rapidly talking amongst one another.
"Oi what are you all doing gaggling around like a bunch of damned Telkhines! I don't remember saying that training was over." A clear and familiar voice shouted causing her siblings to flinch and suddenly look very busy. Whilst the effect was not the same on the other campers, the sight of Clarisse stomping out, stomping out, fully armoured with a freaking enormous blade on her shoulder certainly motivated them to get moving.
"Well, this certainly brings back some memories. Your stories certainly do not sell you short, Clarisse Drakon-Slayer." Diomedes laughed gruffly as the substantially shorter girl stared back at him defiantly.
"Ok and who in hades are you."
"Diomedes, King of Argos." He said simply causing the girls eyes to widen before a smile began to form on her face.
"I know you. You kicked my dad's ass. I like you." She said becoming cheerful as if discovering a long-lost friend. Sure, she might have her father's blessing and he liked to tout her accomplishments, but she didn't have to like him for all the crap he put her through.
"Hey so did I and you didn't magically start liking me."
"Are you even an entire person yet?" She asked cutting me deep.
"...Basically."
"Then who is the hot chick over there that looks just like a certain goddess if she was found on ?" She added crushing whatever little bit of enthusiasm I had left.
"Your tongues cuts as clean as your blade, Daughter of Ares."
"It seriously doesn't. This thing is kind of nutty." She said pulling the blade out in front of her and setting the point on the floor.
"Yeah, about that what gives, how come you have upgraded from Laimer at last?" I asked childishly.
"Didn't Morganna tell you?" She asked seemingly genuinely confused at me not knowing.
"Why is she back now?" I asked surprised by the development.
"Oh boy are you out of the loop. Still avoiding the goddess then I assume." She teased.
"Noo. I have just been busy." I argued, whilst it was the genuinely the truth. She was also not wrong. Hence why Lilith went to go investigate the issue earlier. That and she healed really quickly.
"Haven't we all... Travis! Get the hell out of my cabin right now! Chris what the fu-" She suddenly screamed causing everyone to turn towards the sight of the Stoll twin suddenly escaping from the cabin, stolen spear in hand.
"I will go get it back, please don't stress about it." The nearby son of Hermes said reassuring her getting ready to chase after his sibling.
"No, I am going to get the damned thing back. Besides I don't need to get stressed to kick the crap out of an idiot. With perhaps one exception." She said giving me a playful look.
"Go have fun Clarisse."
"Catch you later Jackson." She said smiling as she went to go hunt her prey. Unlike her sister who could at least attempt to be stealthy. Clarisse had the subtlety of an Abrams tank and was likely just as, if not more deadly than one.
I wouldn't have her any other way.
"Anyway, let's get out of here quickly before anyone else decides to butt in." I said quickly stepping forward.
"I wish she would at least pretend to take things easier." Chiron bemoaned under his breath.
"Why? I have never known her to take anything easy." I asked turning towards him suddenly.
"Because she is pregnant." The son of Hades suddenly announced causing me to break stride.
"Nico!" Chiron cursed as the young god suddenly looked embarrassed.
"I am certainly in no position to comment on that, am I?" I said honestly resuming my walk.
"Remember when you forbid women from attending your training and lessons Chiron." Diomedes said teasing the old Centaur.
"Things were easier... admittedly. Not that it worked, Odysseus still snuck out all the time to meet Penelope."
"It kept him focused did it not?" Diomedes countered playfully defending the other pure human badass of the Trojan War.
"Clearly you were not ready his scrolls then. Every spare bit of space was filled with drawings of her. I have to admit he got pretty good by the time you both graduated." Chiron conceded.
"If only I were so lucky with my own wife." Diomedes said with sudden bitterness. Which considering what happened when he got back from ten years of pointless war, was probably justified.
"I take it you never..."
"No. I serve the goddess." He said cutting off the centaur bluntly and frankly all conversation for the rest of the journey into the Big House.
Compared to the previous times I had been inside here. It was clear that Athena had made them clean the place out thoroughly, everything had been dusted, mopped or scrubbed within an inch of its life.
"So, is she trying to remove every trace of Dionysius ever being here or something?" I asked watching a pair of Satyrs walk past with soap filled buckets, yellow industrial grade rubber gloves covering their arms.
"Wouldn't you?" Nico remarked smiling.
"He is still an Olympian Nico." Chiron reminded, not chastising him but more as a simple fact. As much as I had no reason to like Dionysius, I was pretty certain the god of Wine would not give a crap about this place now.
"Is he really though? I mean apart from nepotism, why has he got that position?" Lilith asked sarcastically causing the two satyrs to suddenly grab their gear and get away from here ASAP judging by the rapid sound of hooves on polished wood flooring.
Not like Mr. D would actually do anything as a reprisal against me. He had learned our places in the pecking order by now along with the fact I was reason he had been liberated from this place. Besides I was almost certain that Lilith herself could kick the crap out of him and without a weapon to boot.
"Glen, Dale where have you both just ran off too?" A familiar voice asked as another figure could be heard trotting towards the corner.
Stepping forward quickly I intercepted the satyr in a bear hug, picking my oldest friend off the floor and swinging him around in a complete revolution. Before finally putting Grover down in a bewildered state as he looked at the people behind me.
"Dude your married and that is technically me, so please stop staring." I told him quietly, noticing that his attention had seemingly locked onto Lilith.
"Technically You? She looks just like Artemis?" He whispered.
"Actually, I look like Diana and can clearly hear both of you just fine." My sister interrupted, rolling her eyes as we both looked back at her.
"It's complicated." I finally said with a sigh.
"Perseus everything has always been complicated with you, except your strategies of course. Not that they did not work most of the time."
"Thats why you always need to KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. Anyway, I am glad you are here Grover because I wanted to talk to you as well as Chiron."
"Oh, sure thing." Grover said relieved before leading us into the large study just behind him. Chiron and Diomedes having to duck through the doorway. Once inside the centaur sat down inside his wheelchair as everyone else occupied the seats that were scattered around the room.
"So, what did you want to start with. Diomedes here or yourself Perseus?" Chiron asked objectively.
Taking the bundle of notes out of my pocket, I slapped the lot down on my knee.
"I want to write a book about my life. The adventures, Olympus, the highs, the lows everything."
"I didn't even know you could read a book let alone write one." My youngest cousin piped in sarcastically.
"Nico." I told him whilst glaring.
"Perseus as interesting as that idea is, whilst your adventures are more than enough to fill a whole series of books if written correctly. Who would you be selling this to? Even if we tried to say it was fantasy, you and almost all the other demigods are still accounted for in the mortal world and records. People would quickly be able to identify you, your mother and then there is the matter with your first stepfather."
"They can certainly try but for the time being at first. I was actually thinking Olympus itself. I have enough detractors that complain about me, that I would like them to try and understand events from my own point of view. If they themselves then look bad, well I guess they are more than capable of taking it up with me personally." I told him, having already considered that point over the last few days.
"For anyone else that could be considered hubris Perseus." Diomedes warned.
"It is hubris, no matter who says it." A woman's voice said from the corner of the room as she removed a grey hat allowing the long strands of blonde hair underneath to fall free and over her shoulders.
"Milady." Diomedes said jumping to his feet as everyone but my sister and me, tensed up at her sudden appearance. Whilst surprised by her appearing out of nowhere and undetected by even me. It stood to reason that one of the goddesses' aspects would have a means to remain completely undetected. Hades, she probably developed it purely because of me.
"Hello Anna Minerva." I said politely in contrast to my earlier attitude with her Greek counterpart.
Authors Anniversary Note: Well, here we are 11 years exactly since the start of this 'book' or at this point it is more a slab of paper. There have been some highs and more than a lot of lows. On that day I wrote the first piece of fiction I have ever written; it was 2 chapters of around 1500 words each and had no clear direction other than take the canon end of Mark of Athena which was the latest novel at that point and let it head towards a Pertemis situation. Which was my current point of interest in this community after reading Queen's Champion and Everlasting Promises and the ship seeming interesting in my eyes.
That was it, there was no clear plan back in those days. I was massively inexperienced and made more than a few mistakes which I have gradually (hopefully) improved upon over time. I had foolishly thought once the Giant War part of the story was dealt with at around chapter 10 and 40k words or so. That I could have the whole story done in around 200k words, as of this chapter at 910k words or so. I was clearly underestimating my ability to go off on a tangent and narrate the entire life of a myriad of characters.
My issue with the first 5 PJO books is that because they are told purely from Percy's perspective, it misses a lot of background events or they are just given one sentence explanations. It was good for world building and Percy is a very endearing character to read about and his thoughts. HOO then came around and gave us multiple protagonists, but you truthfully didn't care about most of them. Many like me spent the entirety of the Lost Hero hoping that Percy would make an appearance. Then when he did in Son of Neptune, you got frustrated every time it changed away from him.
The new characters especially Jason never had clear explanations, everything was just implications about what they had done. He is a badass that can fight Percy because he beat Krios. Ok then, please show me how he beat Krios, that is kind of a big deal. He has a coin that can turn into a sword or spear and can throw lightning... deal with it. Piper is a Mary Sue, Deus Ex Machina designated love interest for him from literally the moment she is first introduced.
Leo and the two Romans at least show some development and have some level of tragedy in their back stories that they must overcome. Whilst I am more receptive of Leo because he can be hilarious in his ability to not read a room, he is dragged down by his compatriots. Which unfortunately has also affected him in TOTH as well. I will get around to resolving that at least when we get around to the wedding planning.
Obviously in contrast to the two-parent series that lead into this story. Things are moving a lot slower, somewhat quicker than they were maybe 2-4 years ago but I am trying to keep at it with some momentum. Ideas that would have taken multiple chapters of their own are now being rolled into concurrent time periods. Diomedes appearance was something I came up with several years ago but never had an opportunity for him to appear. Even if he now only appears for a few Perseus segments over the next few chapters. I will not have to devote an entire chapter or worse time period (this is what fucks up me writing, once I have a time period, I am going to fill that entire bloody day up with every character interacting) to his section.
Something that got changed a long time ago was the fact this was originally put as an adventure novel before I changed it to Humour/Romance for obvious reasons. Percy despite being a 'Guardian' doesn't ever fight anyone anymore. When he actually does his job rather than Nemea it is such a non-event that I don't even have to write it.
As Zoe finds out in this chapter. It is not because he is incapable, he just doesn't need to take a threat seriously. He can defeat basically any non-primordial with minimal effort on his part. Even those that are resistant to time dilation can still get destroyed by simply inverting the effects onto himself. Yes, it is more taxing for him and has repercussions, but that matters little when his opponent could quite literally be chopped into ribbons within a few seconds.
Harmony did more damage to him by accident than most antagonists could hope to do on purpose.
The other constant complaint I receive is that he is too much of a pushover when it comes to the goddess in any of her forms. Stepping back from the current extremely physical side of their relationship.
These are two fundamentally different and broken characters that have been somewhat unwittingly thrown into their current predicament. At the start of the main part of this story, he is a mentally scarred and broken husk of an individual who lost the only person he thought he could ever love. Were it not for powers outside his control, he would have killed himself on several occasions. He has unimaginable power but no will to use it for anything. Artemis/Diana are two fundamentally different goddesses that dislike each other greatly having superiority and inferiority complexes about one another. This has persisted for thousands of years and has only gotten worse with time. Then she later finds out this is all by design, she was meant to stay broken like this forever as a failsafe mechanism.
So, putting these individuals together is going to create friction. Even with Diana eroding Artemis mentally by osmosis she still had several thousand years' worth of mental gymnastics to overcome before she accepts his more modern open-minded thinking. Having a sudden pregnancy thrust upon them did not help in that matter. She is fighting against her own betrayal of her life's beliefs and her supporter's trust. He is trying to be a better parent than his father ever was. He grew up in a broken household, he and his mother suffered because of the circumstances of his birth and the measures she took to protect him. Obviously having divine children is a very different thing but in his distorted mind, no they are not.
So yes, he takes some level of verbal and indeed physical abuse from both the goddess and her hunters. However, he never took it to heart and even what injuries he suffers; he always knows that it will be resolved in short order because the only lasting injury that can actually stop him for more than a few hours is actual death.
With him setting the example with Zoe who was the strongest individual hunter in this chapter, the others have come to final understanding that he is not just there for Harmony's eye candy. He is also a lot more intelligent than people give him credit for because he is a proponent of KISS.
The entire current political climate between the Pantheons and the camps/hunters is due to Percy. He is seemingly the only one with the will and actually able to change the preconceived rules of their world.
Now if I can kindly get the last few current issues resolved in short order before Delos actually sinks into the ocean (seriously WTF) that would be great.
Anyway, to the dozen or so people that actually bother to review each chapter of this story.
Thank you for your support over the last decade and without you I truthfully would have stopped years ago.