5 Chapter 5: I get some sweet new powers, sort of

"Hello Hestia."

I sat down next to the eight-year-old girl who was poking into the fire with a wooden stick.

She looked up from the flames in surprise and looked at me. Her eyes burned like charcoal and the flames of the hearth went higher.

"Perseus," she said in surprise, "how did you know?"

"How do I know what?" I asked in surprise.

"How did you recognize me? As far as I am aware you just discovered the Greek Gods are real." she spoke cautiously as Chaos mentally slapped me.

"Well, I surely would recognize someone as important as you," I said flattering her.

"I'm only a minor goddess, and you're not answering my question." she said playfully.

"Minor Goddess? You're the most important Olympian. You're the one who keeps the family together, the Goddess of the Hearth, the last Olympian." I called out making Hestia blush.

"I'm flattered Perseus but you still haven't answered my question," She said.

"Just call me Percy," I said quickly, whatever life I was in, I hate being called Perseus.

"Okay Percy, how do you know so much about me? I was to believe Chiron explained all of this an hour ago," Hestia was looking at me with skeptical eyes.

'You messed up.' Chaos laughed while I visibly paled.

'Can I tell her about you?' I asked quickly.

'If you wish so, but you can't tell her about your past life.' Chaos said.

"Hestia I want to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell anyone," I said after considering the risk.

Hestia considered this a few seconds before nodding, "Okay Percy I promise not to tell anyone unless you reveal it yourself."

I kept silent for a moment thinking about how to bring it to her.

"I need your help Hestia." I admitted, deciding to be straightforward.

"Help with what?" She asked me, confused.

"You want to know how I knew you were Hestia right?" I asked and she nodded.

"Well, someone had told me about the truth about Greek Gods before Chiron told me," I said as her flames in her eyes lit with curiosity.

"Who told you?" She asked, not able to control her curiosity. "Did another god snatch you up?"

"Chaos." I said.

Hestia nodded. "Good joke Percy, but seriously, who told you?"

"I'm not lying." I insisted.

"Seriously?" Hestia whispered.

'Duh.' Chaos said in my mind.

I nodded, "I swear on the Styx I spoke to Chaos."

Thunder roared in the distance and Hestia kept silent, when I wasn't dead after a full minute she began to talk again.

"How?"

"Chaos made me her Champion," I told her and giggled as the little girl fell back from the shock. It would be almost enough to make me believe this was just a girl instead of an ancient goddess.

'Mmm...most of them begin to bow first then I have to tell them I don't like it when people bow. But falling is definitely a first.' Chaos commented dryly.

Hestia quickly got up and asked, "Why?"

"She looked into my heart and saw it was pure, then she gave me a quest." I lied, well it was partially true.

Chaos couldn't hold it together as she rolled from laughter in my head, which was impossible.

Even Hestia giggled at my lie but didn't seem to wonder too much about it.

"When did you speak to Chaos?" She asked.

"She summoned me this year," I told her not sure if I was lying or not. Damn time travel is confusing.

"What did she tell you?" Hestia asked.

"Chaos wanted me to do something for her, to make sure I would complete my quest she made me her champion."

"What did she want from you?"

"That's why I need your help," I said with a mysterious smile as Hestia's face showed nothing more than confusion and awe.

"See Chaos told me about the Olympians, how the family was torn apart. How minor gods were treated. She wants me to fix the family," I said, I let out the part of Gaia and Kronos being family because...well, that would need a lot more time. I don't see Kronos joining Sunday dinner anytime soon.

The flames of the hearth raised higher than ever, I wasn't sure if it was from fear or from awe or happiness that someone thought the same as her.

"You want to take Zeus' throne?" Hestia asked with a dark voice.

This made me think for a second. I probably could take his throne, I mean if Nyx and Chaos would help me it could be done before midnight. However, I wasn't a power hungry fool like Zeus and I knew I was better as someone who watches from the sidelines than a king.

I shook my head, "No I don't want to overthrow Zeus, I think someone needs to stand up against him and show him what the Olympus has become and what could change."

Hestia literally beamed with excitement. "Of course how can I help?" She said.

"I have this plan but I need you to cover me." I told her.

"What do you mean?"

"I need a way to explain all the knowledge I have, I don't want to tell people I'm Chaos's champion yet, so I want you to cover me if people start asking questions. I just say you told me everything and taught me everything."

Hestia smiled proudly, "I know something better," She said and suddenly touched my forehead. A warm feeling rushed through my body for a second before fading away.

Hestia smiled warmly at me.

"What happened?"

"I gave you my blessing, now you are my champion as well, now I got you covered for real."

"Thank you, Hestia," I said, "What does the blessing do?" I asked curiously.

"You now have power over fire, can summon home cooked food and give people the warmth of the hearth."

"Awesome! Leo's gonna be so jealous." I called out as I hugged her on instinct. A second later I realized she was an immortal goddess and you are not supposed to hug them. Hestia didn't say anything about it so I assumed she was okay with it.

"Who's Leo?" She asked.

"Nobody, " I quickly said, realizing my mistake, "Hey Hestia can you do me a second favor?"

"What do you want?"

"Can you give me a magical backpack, one that has unlimited space inside, can't be stolen and is weightless?" I said, I had prepared this question.

"Why?" She wondered, but I knew she would give it to me.

"Well, I have a plan."

Hestia smirked.

"Of course my Champion."

When I walked towards the Hermes Cabin with my new backpack Chaos suddenly yelled in my ear, 'NEW POWERS UNLOCKED!'

"Aaahhh!" I yelled out loud receiving glares from the Apollo kids who were playing basketball.

"Sorry," I said and smiled apologetically.

'What's wrong with you?' I asked Chaos accusingly.

'I just unlocked a small part of your Chaos powers' she said happily.

'Chaos powers?' I asked confused.

'Yeah, since you're my Champion you got my powers but I sealed them away didn't I? But now I unlocked a few of your powers, powers over fire the hearth and homemade cooking!'

'But...but I just got those already from Hestia...' I muttered.

'Yeah as a reward for your brave actions I unlocked these powers too.'

'Brave actions?' I wondered.

'Well we got to unlock your powers someway or another, so I decide when you're worthy of more power.'

'That's stupid, Hestia blessed me and now I got her powers and then you decide to kick in your powers?'

'Well...yes…But since you're my champion the powers will be boosted, your water control rivals Poseidon and the fire control rivals Hestia.' Chaos said with a slight tone of guilt.

'Well that's kinda cool.' I said.

"Stop daydreaming," Luke said as I bumped into him.

"Ugh sorry," I said snapping out of my conversation.

He laughed at me. "You're kind of a dreamer huh?"

"I guess so." I joked.

"Yet your skills with a sword are way better than I have ever seen," He said but not without a slight tone of angriness in his voice.

"Yeah, I learned to get around," I said without revealing anything.

"You can take that corner. I'll get you a sleeping bag later this day," He said smiling again. His expression was bright, though a dark glint remained.

"Thanks, Luke." and I put down my magical backpack in the corner. Hestia had filled it with some basic equipment, and I had put my Minotaur horn inside it.

"You know Hermes is the god of thieves right?" Connor asked me with a glint of mischief in his eyes. I shrugged, "let them try."

Four Hermes kids jumped at my backpacked all at once but when one kid tried to touch it, he jumped up and let out a shriek.

The other 3 kids stepped back and looked with horror in their eyes at my backpack.

"Yeah anti-thief," I said with a smug smile.

I sat down at the lakeshore, looking down at the nymphs in the water. They were playing tag with each other, happily and peacefully.

'What happened while I was gone.' Nyx asked suddenly.

'Oh, Percy got Hestia into the master plan as well, then she blessed him and made him her Champion as well after that I unlocked his fire powers.' Chaos said casually.

'Which I already have gotten from Hestia.' I reminded her.

'Wait you're Hestia's Champion as well?' Nyx said surprised.

'Yeah, I now got sweet fire powers as well, where were you anyway?' I asked.

'Primordial business.' She said avoiding the question.

'Okay, that sounds actually boring.' I teased her.

'It is, hey Percy, want to be my Champion as well?' Nyx asked suddenly.

'Wait you cannot do that!' Chaos protested.

'Why not? I deem him worthy and I don't want him to die because he's not powerful enough.' Nyx said with a tone of anger.

'Hey! I completed all the quest without any of your powers.' I complained but was ignored.

'We agreed he had to work for it, we can't give him all the powers yet.' Chaos lectured Nyx.

'Fine, but I will assist him with my own powers if he needs to, and I make him my champion as soon as possible.'

"Hey daydreamer," Luke said, he had approached me while I was listening to the conversation. He sat down next to me.

"Sup Luke?" I said wondering why he came.

"I'm gonna train in the arena, want to spar with me?" He asked with a big grin on his face, yeah he wasn't going to hold back. That was for certain.

"Sure."

'If you need my help…' Nyx said playfully.

'It's going to be a friendly spar, we don't need anyone to be hung above the void.' I said, rolling my eyes.

'Fine…' Nyx muttered.

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