29 Chapter 28: Weight of Words
A/N
Hey everyone!
I have finally completed 1 year since this fic was first published on ffn!
I'm not going to launch into a huge speech, so I hope this says it all – thank you for your support.
I know y'all have been waiting for the next chapter for a while. I was done with it earlier but wanted to release it today.
Finally, do drop your reviews as a small gift for me, ne?
Shoutout to Yoshi and Fox for helping and e-luckarcher, Murph, Meister and Maruf for the beta and proof reading.
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Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of its characters.
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Chapter 28: Weight of Words
~Morning of the quest~
Percy looked around his cabin one final time before he left for the quest. His bag was on the bed with all the necessary supplies tucked in it – ambrosia, nectar, and the magical tent gifted by Hestia in case they needed to camp out in the wilderness. He didn't have to worry about food because he could summon it whenever he wanted, as much as he wanted. However, despite all this, he didn't want to take any chances, and since Hestia knew about his powers, she had made him load up his inventory with nectar, ambrosia, first aid supplies, water for healing, and lots of food. Furthermore, to be on the safer side of things, Hestia had also enchanted his bag so that he could justify him being able to carry so many things at a go.
He opened the screen to double-check that everything was stored properly. As soon as the screen popped open, his stats were on full display. He couldn't help but marvel at the sheer amount that he had grown over the past few months. The changes were drastic.
…
STR : 34 + 16 = 50 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 25 + 10 = 35 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 25 + 12 = 37 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
INT : 36 + 14 = 50 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 27 + 10 = 37 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
…
Skills
…
Combat :
Sword Fighting (Level 27 + 13 = 40)
…
General :
Sneaking (Level 8 + 4 = 12)
Critical Strike (Level 10 + 12 = 22)
Mage Armor (Level 13 + 8 = 21)
Makarios tis Elpis (Level 3 + 2 = 5)
Battle Strategy (Level 12 + 7 = 19)
Bond Manipulation (Level 3+ 4 = 7) (Purple: Romance, Brown: Family, Red: Dislike/Hatred, Blue: Friends, Grey: Neutral)
…
Abilities :
Water Control (Level 25 + 7 = 32)
Water Manipulation (Level 20 + 5 = 25)
Blood Control (Level 8 + 4 = 12)
Ice Control (Level 11 + 3 = 14)
Ice Manipulation (Level 8 + 2 = 10)
Fire Control (Level 20 + 6 = 26)
Fire Manipulation (Level 18 + 4 = 22)
…
Percy then closed the screen and got ready to move out. Just as he turned around to exit the cabin, he came face to face with the goddess of the hearth. Normally, Percy wouldn't be surprised seeing Hestia, however, this time around, he was surprised. The reason? Hestia's normal flaming eyes had been replaced with brown irises. Was that alarming? Yes. Could the situation get more tense? Definitely. How? Hestia was sad, and her eyes were watery, as though she could burst into tears at any given moment.
Percy immediately left his bag and rushed towards the goddess and looked at her with concern evident in his sea-green eyes.
"Hestia? Please don't be so sad. I—," before Percy could say anything more, the goddess brought him into a tight hug as she let her tears fall freely.
The demigod wisely opted to stay silent and hugged her back. Inwardly, he was feeling miserable and his heart broke upon hearing Hestia's sobs. He knew that she was worried for him but he didn't know why she was crying. However, that didn't matter. First, he needed to make her feel better and then he'd speak to her.
…
Skill activated!
Makarios tis Elpis
…
Immediately, warmth started spreading across Hestia's being as she slowly started to calm down. However, her tight hold on the demigod didn't falter in the least.
"Percy, promise me that you'll stay safe and won't endanger yourself in any manner whatsoever," the goddess spoke from within the embrace.
"I won't, Hestia."
"And promise me, you'll come back. I-I…" that's as far as Hestia could get before she started sobbing again.
For Hestia, this was something very difficult. Being the goddess of family, she felt everything even more profoundly than others could, especially with those directly related to her since their bonds were directly connected. Moreover, ever since she had seen the bond Percy and she shared and the consequent realisation that she had started liking her first-ever champion more than a friend and had somewhat developed a 'crush' affected her even more. Just the thought of their bonds being cut hurt her emotionally and now, to see him go in what could be a dangerous quest just made it worse. Not to mention, she was immortal. She didn't know how long would she be affected for and would she ever recover if Percy was lost to her? Would she ever be the same? The answer was easy. No.
"Shhh," Percy quietly hummed as he stroked the goddess' back and poured hope into her being.
Eventually, Hestia calmed down and slowly detached herself from the hug, rubbing her eyes as she did so.
"Sorry for worrying you. Just remember to pray in case something goes wrong and to be safe. Okay?"
"I promise," Percy replied with eyes full of sincerity. He had no intention of upsetting Hestia in the slightest.
"Good and don't forget the necklace your mom and I gifted you for your birthday. Always keep it in hand. Most of all, come back safely to me. Don't you break your promise."
Percy showed the necklace that he always wore and smiled.
"Good, before you go, one last thing – show me the mark you got to identify as my champion."
Confused, Percy rolled up his sleeve and revealed said mark in all its glory.
Hestia looked at it and then put a hand over it. Her hand glowed briefly until the tattoo faded and disappeared completely.
Before Percy could say anything, she said, "I had made the mark invisible for demigods and others at camp. However, since you'll be with more powerful people, I have reinforced it further so that no one would be able to figure out anything. As I said before, I don't want Olympus to find out about this for your own safety. So remember to use your powers only when in grave danger, alright?"
"Yes."
"Alright, let's go. I can feel Chiron and Grover waiting for us at the entrance. Artemis too is about to reach the meeting point and knowing her, she's going to throw a fit if you're not there in time. She's extremely particular," Hestia said. With that, she walked out of the cabin, Percy following her behind.
As the two walked towards the tree, Percy bid his farewell to the few campers who were outside. He had told them that he and Grover were heading to his home for Christmas, a holiday that his mother enjoyed celebrating. Even though the Greeks were the only ones who were around (as far as he knew), it didn't stop the demigod from enjoying the holiday season.
Soon, Grover and Percy were walking down the hill, towards the woods after bidding farewell to Chiron and (a very reluctant) Hestia when a screen popped up.
…
Ping!
Quest Alert!
Capture Luke.
Rewards –
?
Failure –
?
Quest has been auto accepted.
…
Percy could only deadpan as he looked at the last comment. Where was the element of Freedom of Choice? He then cursed himself inwardly as another one of Athena's lessons on politics popped up for no reason. That goddess was going to be the death of him.
Moreover, the question marks next to the rewards and failure have the demigod a sense of foreboding for a (relatively) simple quest. Before he could dwell on it more, his thoughts were interrupted by his friend.
"Man, I didn't know Hestia was so protective," Grover commented as he recalled the scene where Hestia hugged Percy tightly and ensured that he was carrying each and everything necessary for the quest.
"Lady Hestia," Percy corrected his friend immediately. Even though the satyr was his best friend, he wouldn't have anyone disrespect the goddess of the hearth and family.
"Jeez, man, sorry. Don't get your knickers in a twist."
"Not cool when it's her. If it's someone like Ares, go ahead, I don't care."
Grover snickered at that as he recalled the 'run-in' they had with the war god during the previous quest. At that time, he had been terrified for his friend, but now that they were in no imminent danger from said god, he couldn't help but laugh about the encounter.
"By the way, which woods did Lady Artemis tell us to meet in?" Percy asked.
"Right where you are, boy," a voice called from beside the pair, immediately frightening Grover and making Percy draw his sword in one swift motion.
He was in turn met with a bow drawn and pointed towards him as the girl glared at the two.
"At ease, Zoë," another voice called as a small girl with auburn hair and silver eyes dropped down from a tree.
Immediately, Percy and Grover bowed their heads in respect towards the goddess which she acknowledged with a nod of her head.
Zoë loosened her grip on the arrow, making the bow go slack. However, the flash of bronze caught her attention as she stared at the sword. Memories suddenly started flashing in her brain and the emotions associated with them started to resurface. Before she could walk down that memory lane, she snapped herself out of her thoughts. Despite so many centuries going by, the pain never went away.
"Have you both packed the essentials? I want us to travel light and fast and not be slowed down by unnecessary things," Artemis asked the pair.
"Yes, Lady Artemis."
"Good. Now, gather around in a circle, we're going to teleport straight to Virginia. From there, we will make our way on foot to find the traitor," Artemis said.
"Lady Artemis, I had a suggestion. Would it be okay if we walked till Virginia? You and your companion have worked together a lot, while Grover and I have too. However, we haven't worked together at all so don't you think that it would be better if we trained a bit on the way so that we can get to know each other's abilities and be prepared before we reach our destination?" Percy asked as respectfully as possible.
Zoë was about to speak before a quick glance from Artemis made her words die in her throat. The silver-eyed goddess then turned towards Percy and regarded the demigod silently for a moment before she nodded her head.
"A worthy suggestion. I'd rather not have any casualties if I can avoid it. It wouldn't do me any good to have a child killed in front of me. Alright, Percy Jackson, we will be travelling by foot for a while but if things get too complicated, I will be teleporting everyone to safety. Moreover, don't do anything recklessly and put anyone's life in danger, especially Zoë's. I'm warning you beforehand. Alright?"
"Thank you," Percy said, a bit shocked that she actually agreed to his suggestion.
Zoë, on the other hand, switched between glaring at the blade and its current owner until a quick nudge from Artemis brought her back to her senses.
"We'll be moving on foot for a while and fight monsters to get used to each other's fighting style so we don't mess up during the actual fight," Artemis briefed Zoë who nodded her head.
The goddess then turned to the campers and said, "I am going to rescind my aura so monsters won't know that I'm travelling with you. You'll have to be even more vigilant as all sorts of monsters are going to come, especially after you, Percy, since you are Poseidon's son."
Artemis then closed her eyes momentarily as she hid her aura completely. It was quite evident as the air, which was shimmering due to the power she was exuding, suddenly became still. Even Percy had a hard time trying to feel her aura despite standing right in front of the goddess. He couldn't help but wonder the amount of disparity there was between a deity and a demigod.
"Let's move," Artemis said. She turned and started walking deeper into the forest with Zoë following swiftly behind her mistress.
"Fun," Grover muttered under his breath, still tense from their prior interaction.
Percy didn't comment and instead, the two followed the moon goddess, keeping a bit of distance out of respect and for their well-being.
The first few hours of travel were fairly simple as they trekked and traversed through the woods, occasionally coming across some wild animals. They hadn't come across any monsters much to Percy's relief. Moreover, conversations were kept at a bare minimum since everyone, except for the goddess, needed to preserve their strength and were on the constant lookout for monsters and animals.
Soon, the sun started dipping below the horizon, making way for the moon to move across the heavens, when Artemis decided to stop and camp for the night.
"We will be resting here tonight, and pick up at dawn. If we continue at the same speed, we will reach the border of Virginia on the 14th. From there, we will have a week to find the traitor and bring him to Olympus. Next, we will take 8 hours of sleep with 4 night shifts of 2 hours each. Are—," Artemis said only to be interrupted by Zoë.
"But my lady..." Zoë started only to be cut off from a glare by Artemis.
"As I was saying, are the two of you carrying tents to sleep in?"
"Yes, Lady Artemis," Percy said.
"Good, pitch them up quickly. We will hunt for some wild game after."
"Uh, Lady Artemis, if you don't mind, I already have food stored in my backpack which was provided by Hestia. If you want, we could have that instead of hunting animals," Percy suggested as politely as he could since he could summon an endless amount of food anyway. It'd be a waste to hunt animals and prepare them.
The goddess recalled that Hestia greatly favoured the demigod so him carrying food provided by her was not shocking. In fact, she always looked forward to eating her aunt's cooking, hence, she didn't mind it in the least. Moreover, the other goddesses had attested to his character so there was no point in doubting him and even if he was lying, she'd find out immediately since Hestia's food always carried a bit of the goddess' spiritual signature which she could pick out immediately.
"Ok, you may start a fire and heat the food if needed. Zoë and I will be here shortly," Artemis said as she motioned her lieutenant to follow her.
Artemis walked a few feet away from the two campers and summoned her tent which was magically set-up within a moment. She had kept the tent a decent distance away from the males, knowing about Zoë's distrust of men but close enough to reach quickly in case of any issues. The goddess then walked inside, duly followed by her second-in-command.
The moment Zoë closed the door, she said, "Mine lady, why do thou trust these boys?"
The goddess sighed as she knew that she would have to have this conversation sooner or later with her huntress. There was little she hid from her best friend and she wasn't going to jeopardize their friendship over the very thing her friend held a great deal of resentment towards.
"Zoë, what I am about to tell you must not leave the room. Understood?"
The huntress nodded her head in response.
"The boy, Percy Jackson, is held in high regard by three most unlikely goddesses. Moreover, as loath as I am to say this, the three goddesses are least likely to be wrong when it comes to judging a person's character. They have sung nothing but praises for this boy."
Zoë's eyes widened at that. She had rarely heard Artemis accept someone else's opinion, much less her fellow goddesses and for her to be agreeing to them was beyond imaginable. However, the next words by her goddess were something that she couldn't ever fathom.
"The three goddesses are – Hestia, Athena and Hecate. On top of that, Hestia has developed a close friendship with the demigod. I..." the moon goddess continued before she was interrupted by Zoë's shout of surprise.
"WHAT? Forgive me for mine rudeness, mine lady. 'Tis hard to believe that Lady Athena and Lady Hecate would praise someone, much less agree with each other. And for Lady Hestia to be close to a demigod is unheard of, she hasn't ever spoken to anyone before," the huntress replied.
"I know what you mean, Zoë. I, too, couldn't believe my ears when I first heard about it but trust me, both Athena and aunt Hestia personally spoke with me about this. So there's no room for doubt. Even though I can ignore Athena or Hecate's ramblings to a certain extent, I cannot overlook the assessment made by Hestia, who I must remind you, is the goddess of family. However, I won't start trusting him immediately, the most I will do is give him the benefit of the doubt, nothing more, nothing less."
"I understand."
"I know it's asking a lot, but can you not be outright rude to them? You don't have to start a conversation, if they have a question, answer it and be done with it. That's all," Artemis requested Zoë. She shuddered thinking about the last conversation with Hestia and the fact that the boy was her champion. Moreover, she obviously couldn't reveal that important fact since Hestia had made her swear on the Styx. Thus, she decided that this was the better alternative as much as it hurt her pride.
Zoë, on the other hand, was too caught up with the thoughts raging in her head after hearing Artemis that she could only nod her head in assent. She then took her leave and exited the tent to comprehend the events that transpired.
Just as she walked outside, she was assaulted with the cold winter night and the aroma of something delicious. However, she ignored everything as she went and sat on a trunk near the clearing and contemplated the events that transpired.
Firstly, a stupid prophecy involving her mistress had been delivered by the Fates. While she was miffed with that, things took a turn for the worse when she got to know that she had to go with boysof all people. To make things worse, one of them carried that accursed sword which brought up horrible memories and emotions that she had tried hard to suppress within the confines of her mind. She would have to look at it every time he drew it for battle. Not to forget, they were stuck on foot together for the next 2 weeks. To put the cherry on the top, said boy somehow had the approval of the least likely goddesses of the Greek world which forced her mistress to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even though Artemis said that she wouldn't trust the boy, it didn't make things any better for her since she would be too busy dealing with the battle within her mind. Zoë let out a long, defeated sigh, and could only hope things took a better turn.
Eventually, she was snapped from her thoughts when Artemis called for her to join her for dinner. The huntress stood up and looked at the sky to see that nearly an hour had passed since they first arrived at the clearing. Did she really just zone out for so long? She walked towards the small campfire and sat beside her mistress on the opposite side of the other two.
Seeing that Zoë had joined them for dinner, Percy passed a plate of the food that he had heated to Artemis with a respectful nod towards the huntress' direction. The goddess, to her credit, immediately understood his actions and gave the plate to Zoë.
The dinner passed by wordlessly, no one daring to breach the comfortable silence that had fallen upon their surroundings. Each person was with their own thoughts but they shared a similar thought. What would happen in the quest? That big if, that's what got on their nerves. Not knowing what the future held. Even an Olympian like Artemis, who was far above mortals and demigods, was nothing more than a pawn in the grand scheme of things for the Fates and ultimately, the personification of Fate itself – Ananke.
Even though deities like them never showed it, each and every single one had a deep seated fear whenever the Fates' called upon them. Resistance was always futile. Such thoughts raged in the moon goddess' mind until dinner was over and everyone went about their business. Artemis teleported to her chariot where she took over her duties for the night while Percy and a very reluctant Zoë retired to their tents. The only reason she accepted a male watching their campsite was due to her lady always keeping an eye on their camp and her magically enhanced tent.
Ultimately, the night passed by without incident as Apollo slowly took over. Artemis had long since returned from her duties and was currently seated on the log she sat on the previous night, deep in thought.
It was unusual for monsters to not attack them at this time given how powerful Percy was. A child of the big three always called attention to himself/herself but a strong one such as this one was like a beacon in the darkness which the monsters could easily track. To not be attacked was highly suspicious. Several different scenarios played in her head, each worse than the other. Of those, there were a few that were highly likely for which Artemis had already come up with several plans. Unbeknownst to her, the gap between what she had planned for and what was to come was far from what she could ever anticipate.
After breakfast, the party had started moving again, passing through a familiar route that Percy had taken during his first quest. They walked for a while until they came across a familiar store in front of them.
"Aunt Em's," Grover read. He turned to look at his friend who had a small smile on his face.
The moment Percy saw the familiar sign, he couldn't help but feel happy to meet a friend. It had been a long time since he last saw her and was looking forward to meeting her again.
However, before he could say or do anything, Artemis suddenly raised her hand for everyone to stop.
"I sense some monsters in the building ahead. Judging from the scent, they aren't powerful but there are several of them. I think you three will be able to handle them well. It would also be a good chance to see how you all perform. Percy and Zoë, you both take the lead, satyr, support them with your flute. I don't want any mistakes. This will be simple," Artemis commanded.
The three nodded and immediately summoned their weapons of choice and made their way towards the building in question. Sure enough, as they approached it, sounds of struggle could be heard from within when suddenly a woman's shrill scream cut through the air. This served as a signal for the two children of the sea to immediately kick the door in and quickly make their way in while keeping an eye out for any monsters.
Percy, in particular, kept darting his eyes all around looking for the smallest of signs of any monsters waiting to ambush them but from what he could decipher, there were none in the immediate area. Seeing no danger, he closed his eyes momentarily and focused on his surroundings and realised where the source of commotion was.
"Through here," Percy whispered as he quickly walked towards the tables where the two had conversed so many months ago.
The other three followed him silently, even Zoë – who hated men – decided to not question him since this was a combat and hence, there was no time for unnecessary banter. She was mature enough to put petty things aside in situations like these.
Just as Percy made it towards the area, he caught sight of something that made him freeze in his tracks. Right in front of him, lay Medusa with a sword embedded in her back as blood flowed through the stab wound. Around her, stood several monsters that Percy didn't bother looking at since his sight was fixed on the person laying on the floor.
At that moment, he was assaulted with several emotions – confusion, realisation, sadness until it ended on the one that his enemies should always beware of – anger. His entire being was suddenly set aflame by anger towards these monsters who dared to stab Medusa much less, so cowardly in the back. The expression of helplessness, pain and sadness on her face made Percy's blood boil even further.
The demigod's surroundings turned hazy and colourless as his eyes sharpened and focused on the monsters surrounding her. It didn't matter what they were or what weapon they had. They would all die for what they did.
Unbeknownst to Percy, his eyes had turned dark and his aura exploded outwardly, making Grover gulp, Zoë step back momentarily and Artemis gasp in surprise from the power he was emitting. This was the unrestrained power of the most blessed child of Poseidon and first, and maybe only, Champion of Hestia. He had the ability to kill any human or most demigods with ease. Just how powerful was he?
The monsters turned their attention towards the demigod and cackled menacingly. The day was turning out to be much better. However, before they could think more, Percy's aura washed over them, making them flinch as terror slowly started seeping into their hearts.
The bronze blade in Percy's hand shimmered menacingly, matching its master's feelings. Wordlessly, the demigod summoned some water from the fountain he found nearby, turned them into ice shards and shot them at the horde of monsters. Echoes of pain were heard but brushed aside. Nothing mattered right now. Many of the monsters had died while some were struggling with the sudden pain. Percy didn't waste time, he breezed through them all, stabbing and cutting through them in quick sweeps, not wasting any energy. The massacre took less than two minutes but for the others, it lasted longer.
Zoë's eyes were wide in disbelief. She thought that this boy was nothing more than a nuisance and would probably be needing help every step of the way. However, his somewhat scrawny appearance and attitude were hugely deceptive. What lay underneath was something terrifying. If it came down to a battle between the two of them, she was confident she would emerge on top however, if their godly powers were put into the mix, she doubted she'd be able to overpower him despite the physical boost in attributes she got from being Artemis' hunter. However, she shook off her thoughts and concentrated on the scene in front of her once again.
The monsters were all dead. The only evidence to prove that they were ever there was the monster dust spread across the floor. It truly was a remarkable thing to do but none of that mattered to Percy. As soon as he saw that the job was done, the haze disappeared from his vision as he approached the woman on the ground. He sunk down to his knees and put Riptide on the side as he slowly lifted Medusa's head.
"Percy, that's Medusa! Stay away from her!" Artemis suddenly screamed as soon as she saw the woman's face. Since the monster's face was down, she was unable to recognise who it was but now that she saw it, she couldn't help but scream in surprise. If anything happened to Percy, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"It's alright, Lady Artemis. I don't seem to be affected by her gaze for some reason. I had met her before during my previous quest."
"What? How?" Artemis replied, completely dumbfounded by the new piece of information. Even Zoë wasn't faring any better.
As if on queue, Medusa coughed up some blood, snapping Percy's attention back to her.
"Lady Artemis, I may sound rude right now but may I please have a few moments to talk to her alone before she dies? I promise I will explain everything to you," the demigod requested with a pleading expression, unknowingly activating another ability.
…
Ability Activated!
Akachan Shiru no Me
…
The effect was not instantaneous, however, it did end up working since the goddess gave a reluctant nod and walked out with the other two in tow. The son of Poseidon didn't dwell much on it and instantly turned his attention back to her.
Now that Percy was alone, he gently cradled Medusa's head in his lap as teardrops slowly made their way down his face.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Percy kept repeating, unable to take in what happened to her. How he wished that he could be there in time to help her. His heart was filled with anguish until Gamer's Mind suddenly straightened him out temporarily by blocking some of the emotional inputs so that he could comprehend things logically.
Percy had to act fast since Medusa's breath was slowing down gradually and some parts were turning into dust, signifying her return to Tartarus and her consequent rebirth in the deepest parts of the Underworld according to him.
On the other hand, speaking took too much energy hence, all Medusa could do was smile at Percy for everything. Maybe, just maybe she could die in peace now after a life full of suffering. This boy has made her last few months bearable and she would forever be thankful to him.
Just when all hope seemed lost, an important fact popped up in Percy's mind. He quickly opened his inventory and grabbed the only thing that could save her.
"Medusa, I have a way to save you but the choice is entirely yours. If you want to live and don't want to go to Tartarus, you'll have to serve me until I die. I know it's not something..." Percy was about to continue but Medusa just nodded slowly. She didn't need to think twice about this.
On the other hand, the demigod was reluctant to use the ring. A life full of servitude was not something that he wanted for Medusa or anyone as a matter of fact but this was the only option left.
"Are you sure?" Percy asked once again with an even tone. Now wasn't the time to falter.
Another nod.
"Alright."
…
Resurrection Stone
…
The son of Poseidon put on the ring, closed his eyes and poured his power into it. Immediately, the gem glowed ominously, signalling its powers at work. Percy closed his eyes and quickly chose Medusa, not wanting to waste any time.
Outwardly, Medusa's body was covered in a black miasma. Inwardly, she was suddenly yanked from the world and started falling into an endless abyss. She was scared. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was going on. One moment, she was with Percy and the next moment, she was here. What was happening? She closed her eyes, hoping to escape whatever this was. Just as abject terror was about to set in, she suddenly stopped falling and felt something hard beneath her. Somehow, the excruciating pain plaguing her body had disappeared and her head was on something soft yet a bit firm.
She slowly opened her eyes, expecting the eerie yet familiar landscape of Tartarus, not expecting whatever the demigod was doing to work. To her surprise, she was greeted by Percy's face which was full of concern.
"Medusa, are you okay?"
Medusa, on the other hand, was too shocked to speak as she was trying to comprehend what exactly was happening.
"Wh-?"
"Relax, everything worked out. Look at your hand."
Too caught up to say anything, Medusa raised her hand, expecting crimson blood coating it from the multiple wounds she had received but to her surprise, it was completely healed. Not only that, there were no marks that indicated that she had been hurt in the first place.
"How?" the ex-gorgon stammered out.
"Um, it won't make sense right now so can I explain later? We're sorta in the middle of a quest, and Artemis is waiting outside so…" Percy trailed off, not sure what to say.
"Alright, so what do I do now? Do I stay here or what?"
"Well, technically you serve me now so you'll be with me all the time. It's just that you'll be living in the ring and come out whenever I summon you."
This made Medusa gasp a little, since she wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on. However, the thought of being with the boy was a welcome one so she didn't really feel the need to complain.
"As you wish, my lord," she said with a tiny bit of sultriness mixed in it though Percy was unable to detect that of course.
"Great, so you can return. Let's talk later."
"Before I go, I just wanted to say one thing. I cannot ever thank you enough for all that you have done for me, Percy. I will do all I can to serve you and be helpful to you. So, thank you, once again," the lady said with eyes full of gratitude. She knew that her words didn't mean much since thousands of years of next to no social interactions had made her inept at expressing herself, so she hoped she could prove herself through her actions.
She received a nod as her reply and then returned to the ring.
With one trouble taken care of, the next thing he needed to deal with was how to explain the events that had transpired to the goddess of the moon. Fortunately for him, another goddess was there to help him so there was no need to panic.
Percy prayed for a moment when suddenly a flash appeared in front of him and a certain goddess walked out.
"It's not everyday that you ask for help, Percy, so I believe this must be important," the goddess said as she looked around. She then continued, "hmm now that I see this place, I have an inkling as to what transpired. Something happened to Medusa, you managed to save her judging by the lack of monster dust and now you need my help to explain to Artemis, who is outside, as to how you know Medusa or something along those lines. Am I correct?"
Even though Percy should've been shocked by how accurately she was able to read the situation, he honestly wasn't since this goddess always had a sharp eye and mind so it was next to impossible for anything to pass her.
"Yes, I need to explain to her how I didn't get turned into stone and how I knew Medusa if she asks. I didn't want to break the promise I had made to you so I delayed my talk with her and decided to ask you for help."
A rare smile graced Hecate's lips as she looked at the demigod. He just kept on giving her even more reasons that solidified her choice for making him her disciple.
"Very well, let's go and talk to her," Hecate said as she started walking towards the door.
"Thank you, Lady Hecate."
Instead of answering, the goddess just waved a hand, dismissing it.
As soon as the two walked out, Percy was greeted by a pair of silver eyes glaring at him momentarily which then focused on the other goddess as soon as Artemis saw who it was.
For her part, Artemis' face remained stoic, not betraying even a single hint of emotion that she was feeling. She was certainly surprised to see Hecate, of all people, to be there. The goddess mostly kept to herself and seldom spoke to her fellow deities unless it was something important. So to see her here was certainly unexpected. Moreover, she was with the son of Poseidon and judging from their body language, she could make out that the two were friends since Hecate spoke to others from a distance.
Meanwhile, Grover and Zoë immediately bowed as soon as they recognised the goddess.
"It's alright, no need for formalities," Hecate said as she waved her hand and magically straightened up the two.
"Hecate, what are you doing here?"
"You were surprised when Percy didn't turn into a stone, yes?" Hecate started, cutting straight to the chase. "To answer that question, I had blessed him to avoid any unnecessary problems. Further, I had made Percy promise not to tell anyone so he prayed to me for help and here I am," the goddess of magic explained simply.
At that, Artemis couldn't help but sigh. She should've known that it was something outwardly when it came to this boy. Seriously, did every damned god or goddess who came across him have to bless him? He seemed to be collecting one blessing after another as though he was collecting stones in a garden. The only comfort she could draw from this was the fact that he was loyal to Olympus else she might have to raise the issue with her father. While she was the last person to do something like this, she knew that the age of gods was…
Only to be interrupted by a polite cough by her fellow goddess.
"I hope that answers your question. Percy can explain the rest. If there's anything else you'd like to know, IM me," Hecate said and with that, vanished in a dark swirl.
There was a moment of silence as each individual comprehended Hecate's words with Grover being the first to voice his opinion.
"What! Percy, when did Lady Hecate bless you?!" he shrieked, evidently quite rattled with said goddesses' proclamation.
"Boy, why would Lady Hecate bless thou of all people? What sort of trick didst thou play?" Zoë asked next, starting the first conversation ever between the two children of the sea. However, it wasn't the sort of start anyone would like to have but considering the huntress' personality, the fact that she even decided to speak to him spoke volumes. Of course, Percy didn't know this.
"Calm down, both of you. We have already wasted a lot of time here, let's start moving and save the questions for later, when we camp for the night," Artemis commanded, wanting to have some time to think about the events herself.
"Thy will, my lady," Zoë responded immediately and set off with the goddess.
Grover joined Percy behind the two and decided to leave the questions for later. Being the empath, he could feel Percy's emotions were all over the place and hence, gave his friend the space he needed.
As the four traversed through the country, Artemis found some time to decipher the events of the day. Medusa had always been feared since ancient times ever since she had been cursed by Athena due to Poseidon's unquenchable horniness. Seriously, what was wrong with the three brothers? Nothing could disgust her more than the behaviour the three elder gods displayed. They would treat women as outlets of pleasure and as soon as they sired a kid, they left them. She was always outraged when this happened however, things boiled over as soon as her domain of childbirth hit her with the immense feeling of sadness a child felt as soon as it realised that it had no father and said father had left it and its mother, not wanting to bear any responsibility for it. It got to her every damned time.
Going back to the topic in hand, she had vehemently opposed Athena's decision and had even tried to teleport to the goddess' temple when the cries of the maiden reached her ears. However, a barrier erected by Poseidon delayed her and by the time she managed to make it through, it was too late. Moreover, her lack of knowledge of curses prevented her from doing anything. Thus, she was forced to leave with her tail between her legs and eventually, forgot about it.
Now that she had seen the monster after a long time, Artemis recalled that she looked exactly like she did all these years back. The goddess hadn't seen Medusa since, hence, she didn't think much about the gorgon's hair. Instead, she was thoroughly surprised when the son of Poseidon was not affected by the curse. What was even more shocking was the familiar way he addressed Medusa. Why or how on Earth would she talk or be anywhere close to the child of the very person who ruined her life? That was an unanswered question.
Furthermore, why would Hecate bless him in advance for something as trivial as this? As a goddess with divine authority over multiple dominions, she had much more important things to deal with on a daily basis. Was this all planned on her part? Or was there something else to it? The goddess of the night never did something without a reason. What was her play in this?
One question after another kept popping up in her brain until it all landed to the source of it all – Perseus Jackson. The boy was an enigma. From being praised by Athena and Hecate, to being Hestia's first ever champion, to being arguably Poseidon's strongest child to date, the boy had it all. Yet, he didn't show even a single trace of arrogance, superiority or malice. Case in point, he could've easily avoided her questions by revealing the truth or outright lying but instead, he elected to speak to Hecate before he answered her questions. This way, he kept his promise and honoured her side of things as well.
She was so used to people lying to her or making oaths that they couldn't or wouldn't keep yet, here was this boy who was willing to go the extra mile just to keep a spoken promise with a goddess. This was highly unexpected.
Percy Jackson, just who are you?
x.x
A/N
Ok, so this is hands down one of the best chapters I've written till date imo.
I tried a new writing style in this, lmk your thoughts? Will write future chapters accordingly.
Also, next chapter will be out by September end hopefully.
Until next time.
...
Percy's Stats
Perseus Jackson
Species : Demigod (gives +2 STR and +2 DEX)
Title : Son of Poseidon
Perseus is the son of Poseidon and Sally Jackson. Blessed by Elpis, the spirit of hope, he has a natural affinity with water due to his heritage which grants him control over water, horses, storms and earthquakes. He is also Hestia's champion which grants him control over fire and lets him summon meals.
…
Level - 21
Exp – 127 / 13,310
…
HP : 1,200 / 1,200 (+ 2,000)
MP : 1,350 / 1,350 (+ 2,000)
…
STR : 50 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 35 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 37 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
INT : 50 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 37 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 26 (Bonus : +14% chance of better loot)
Points : 30
Money : $2,200 / D520
…
Status : Demigod
…
Skills
…
Combat :
Sword Fighting (Level 40)
…
Inherited :
Ancient Greek (Max)
Tongue of the Old Times (Max)
Modern English (Level 35)
Swimming (Level 11 - 13 km/hr)
Breathe Underwater (Max)
Akachan Shiru no Me (Max)
Running (Level 10 - 40 km / hr)
Storms (Level 4)
Earth Shaker (Level 3)
…
General :
Observe (Level 4)
Sneaking (Level 12)
Critical Strike (Level 22)
Mark of the Furies (Level 8)
Mage Armor (Level 21)
Summon Meals (Max)
Makarios tis Elpis (Level 5)
Battle Strategy (Level 19)
Bond Manipulation (Level 7) (Purple: Romance, Brown: Family, Red: Dislike/Hatred, Blue: Friends, Grey: Neutral)
…
Chores :
Cleaning Dishes (Max)
…
Passive :
Gamer's Mind (Max)
Son of the Sea God (Gives +20 STR, VIT & DEX as well as +2000 HP and +2000 MP when in water)
Battle Instincts (Max)
Champion of Hestia (to be declared)
…
Abilities :
Water Control (Level 32)
Water Manipulation (Level 25)
Blood Control (Level 12)
Dimension Create (Max)
Ice Control (Level 14)
Ice Manipulation (Level 10)
Steam Control (Level 5)
Fire Control (Level 26)
Fire Manipulation (Level 22)
