8 Chapter 8: Ice and Fire
A/N
I am removing the HP and MP restoration from food since we have ambrosia and nectar for that which I admit I forgot about and was pointed out by one of the readers.
Do consider checking out my patreon page at patreon . c o m / mhc007
Edit: I have created a discord server for this fic. It's basically for providing updates, providing feedbacks, chilling etc.
h t t p s : / / d i s c o r d . g g / P Z P b B 5 S f 7 2
(remove the spaces ofc)
Disclaimer : I do not own PJO or any of its characters.
x.x
Chapter 8: Ice and Fire
Post talking to Chiron, Percy decided to go to sleep. He would have a gruelling routine ahead and he needed to utilise it fully. He had also figured out that he needed sleep every five days if he was operating with his general routine and not over-exerting himself however, if he upped his training, he would need to sleep every three days in order to regain his strength from the much-needed rest. With that in mind, just as he was about to head to bed, a notification popped up on its own accord.
Go to Zeus' Fist.
This was the first time this had happened and Percy was apprehensive. However, his curiosity won out as he walked out of his cabin and into the woods, heading towards Zeus' Fist. Once he reached it, he saw three old ladies sitting at its base. If he was in any other place, he wouldn't have really questioned it however, this was no ordinary place and what the three ladies were doing was not ordinary either. One spun a thread while another worked a loom and the last one cut the thread in different sizes. Intrigued and skeptical at the same time, Percy used Observe.
...
The Three Fates
*^*(!* )_& %#%^$ (!? !*!?"::":{}~(* ~
...
After reading it, Percy was shocked to the core. He could not believe his eyes as to what he was reading and despite blinking repeatedly, the box was still there. Just before he could react further, one of the ladies waved a hand and suddenly Gamer's Mind kicked in out of nowhere and stabilized him. Percy's face was replaced from surprise to slight fear as these were entities not even the system could tell him anything about which meant it was beyond him for all intents and purposes. He would've never thought this was possible and yet, here they were. Again, Gamer's Mind kicked in and got him level. He recognised who was who based on what they were doing. Percy then steeled himself as he smiled at them.
"Lady Clotho, Lady Lachesis and Lady Atropos", Percy said as he bowed his head slightly in respect at each of the three Moirai - the incarnations of Destiny.
"Respectful yet sarcastic. You truly are unpredictable Perseus", Clotho said as she scrutinised the boy in front of him.
"Thanks?", Percy said though it came out more as a question. He was hardly expecting this.
"Bold as well. Not many in their right mind would approach us, most turn tail and run for the hills the moment they realise who we are", Atropos said as she cut another thread.
"I am not everybody and please call me Percy. Perseus sounds too formal", Percy said. He was never one for formalities, he preferred simplicity more than anything.
"So how is your progress going from the powers we gave you Percy?", this time Lachesis said as she waved a hand and his stats screen popped open and turned towards the Fates.
Percy gaped. "You gave me these powers?! Why?"
"You don't need to know about it yet", Clotho replied with a hint of finality in her tone which Percy managed to pick out. He did not want to antagonize them. He was not particularly fond of the supernatural world at the moment but he too had enough sense now not to pick a fight with someone who could kill him as easily as one would kill an ant.
"So how can I help you? Surely, you're not here on a social visit to see me", Percy replied.
"You are getting smarter", Lachesis said as she inspected his stats screen. "You have been working hard it seems and you have already managed to get a power boost with the blessings of Hestia. I never imagined you'd be her first champion, something no one has managed to do in millennia. Make sure you train in these powers, I suspect these may come in use for what is to come", she hinted. "Unfortunately we cannot say more for there are lots of possible futures out there and all we can do is try and guide you to the best one there is but the choices are yours to make. Now, coming back to the question, what makes you think that you can help us?"
"Why did you give me these powers in the first place if not to help you?" Percy answered the question with a question cheekily.
"Smart", Clotho replied as she matched his grin with her own. This was turning out to be quite a fresh conversation for the three sisters and they were starting to enjoy it. Most would drop on their knees or treat them with reverence which was good but after a while became stifling. "Are you aware of the first Titanomachy?"
"I know that the gods waged war against the Titans with Zeus leading them after he freed his siblings from Kronos when he ate them. Just the basic stuff."
"Good enough but we need you to know everything there is to know about it", Lachesis replied as she snapped her finger and a seemingly old book appeared out of thin air written in Ancient Greek. "This is a first-hand account of what exactly transpired. Make sure to brush up on your knowledge".
"But why do you need me to do it?"
"A prophecy was issued. Kronos rises again. War is going to come soon and you must be ready", Atropos said.
"Okay why must I be ready? And why are you telling me this? Why don't you go to the gods?", Percy was absolutely confused. Why should he be part of a war and why did it involve him in the first place?
"The reason will be revealed to you once you're back from the quest. Heed our words for now and believe in them. That's all we can say for now. As for informing the gods, they have grown complacent and arrogant. They won't believe that Kronos rises again until it's too late and nothing can be done. He will look to use the god's weapons against them along with other measures."
"You mean their symbols of power or something?"
"No, think Percy. Who has access to every place in the Greek world, can go without any restrictions whatsoever and challenge anyone?", Clotho supplied.
"Demigods", Percy realised as his eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Correct. He plans on using those who feel abandoned by their parents or unclaimed even after so long to wage war on Olympus."
The more Percy thought about it, the more sense it made. There were lots of unclaimed campers in the Hermes cabin. He himself had been frustrated when he didn't know who his father was and no one told him. He could relate to the feeling. He vowed to help them with his powers maybe just maybe, this would change things a little bit.
As if reading his thoughts, Lachesis said, "You can use them but make sure no one discovers your powers."
Percy nodded his head gratefully. He would feel horrible if he couldn't help them even though he had the powers for it.
"We must leave; we have been shrouding this location for a while and it seems Hestia is worried as she couldn't sense you through your link. Moreover, we know that both Poseidon and Hestia can now sense the change in your powers and as such, know something is amiss. So, we grant you liberty to disclose this information to both of them and an extremely small group of people who you would trust in order to keep your relations secure without needing to lie about things. Don't forget to make them swear on the Styx though. Finally, remember Percy, your actions have a far bigger impact than you can comprehend so make sure you think about it before doing something reckless. All the best, young hero, don't disappoint us."
With that, the three vanished with no display that usually accompanied when a god teleported. The Fates simply blinked out of existence. One moment they were there, the next they were gone as though they had never been here. Percy realised that the forest had been awfully quiet during their conversation since the usual noises started making their way towards his ears.
Just as Percy was about to walk back to the cabin, Hestia appeared in front of him suddenly still in her twelve-year form.
"Hestia", Percy said with a warm smile. However, she didn't seem to mirror his emotion if her blazing eyes were anything to go by.
"Perseus Jackson, where were you? I could sense you for a while but then you suddenly disappeared without any traces and regardless of how much I tried, I could not find you."
"I was right here", Percy replied innocently.
"My first champion, it hasn't even been a day and he disappears! No matter how much I searched, I cannot sense him or find him. Do you know how worried I was?"
"I understand but I won't leave just like this Hestia", Percy said as he gave her a smile.
"Don't do that ever again Perseus Jackson. As your patron god, this is an order"
"Of course my lady", Percy said as he mock bowed.
"Idiot", Hestia said uncharacteristically. "Also, what happened to your powers? I sense there's something different about it. There seems to be more than just water and fire from what I can tell. I only noticed this after you became my champion. Is everything alright?"
"About that, there's something that I needed to tell you which is actually related to what happened right now", Percy said nervously as he looked around. Sensing his trouble, Hestia gently cupped his face and turned it towards her whilst radiating warmth to make him at ease which worked.
"I don't know how to say this exactly but I just met Moirai right now", Percy started.
Hestia gasped. That was not good, not good at all. However, Percy continued before she could say anything.
"The difference you feel in my power is because they blessed me."
"WHAT?!", Hestia all but screamed. Percy winced. This wasn't going well.
"Apparently, I am important for some prophecy which is going to come soon which would result in a war. They wanted me to be better prepared hence, they granted me some powers", he explained.
Hestia knew what prophecy he was mentioning. She was there after all when it all happened. Thankfully, he did not know about it and she did not want him to worry about it. However, if the Fates themselves had intervened, it had to be serious and much bigger than she initially thought. Right now, she could not even inform her younger brothers about it since the family was already in a state of war with Zeus' lightning bolt stolen and her champion blamed for it. She decided to keep it to herself for the moment and only reveal information once things had relatively settled; if they found the damned thing in the first place.
"I hope you do know that not everything comes from free and there's a catch. I'm sure they have their own agenda", Hestia said finally.
"I know but what else can I do? If it is as important as they say, I will be needing it."
Hestia relented. He had a point plus if the extra power insured his survival, she wouldn't have any qualms whatsoever about it so she decided to go with it.
"What powers did they grant you if you don't mind me asking?"
"I know it is pointless to ask you but I promised the Fates. Can you swear on the Styx not to reveal this to anyone?"
Hestia did as he asked with the familiar thunderclap in the background.
"So are you aware of the gaming system which is found in well, games?"
"No"
"So basically in video games, the main character usually has a lot of power and abilities. The player can check his/her HP/MP, stats, unlock new abilities etc. That's what I have. I don't require much sleep now unless I am exhausted, unlock new abilities and skills and see how far I have mastered them too. "
Hestia oohed at that. This was certainly interesting.
"How's your control over the powers I granted you?"
"Fire Control is still at level 1 and costs double the amount of MP compared to water."
"It must be since water is fire's opposite."
"Hestia, I know it is a big ask but can you train me and help improve my fire control? It will be extremely helpful -"
"Of course", Hestia replied instantly as she interrupted him mid-sentence. Percy smiled as he whooped with excitement.
"But we will need a private place since I do not want anyone to know about this yet, especially my youngest brother, for your safety. You are nowhere near powerful enough to defend yourself against a god right now", Hestia said.
"I have got the perfect place", Percy said as his sea-green eyes suddenly burst into fire and danced with mirth. "In fact, let me show you right now".
Percy then touched her arm as he whispered, "Dimension Create".
All of a sudden, the voices in the forest died down yet again and the sky's colour changed as per custom. Hestia looked around confused at first then realised Percy's words. He had created a whole dimension where they were the only ones.
"This is an alternate dimension. It runs at the same time as that of earth but there's no one here except for us and it doesn't affect the real world so if we destroy anything, nothing will happen out there", Percy explained.
'This is certainly helpful and quite a power', Hestia thought.
"Very well, we should start training tomorrow when you don't have to follow the camp schedule so that no one suspects what you're doing and goes looking after you. It will raise quite a few questions", Hestia said.
Percy merely nodded as he dismissed the dimension.
"Thank you, Hestia", he said earnestly as he gave her a grateful hug. He had wanted to share this with someone since he had been bearing this burden alone and now that she was with him, it made things easier.
"No need Percy, I will always be here", she said as she smiled. "I will see you tomorrow" with that, she teleported back to Olympus Percy assumed. He too returned to his bed as he got ready for the training sessions which would begin the next day.
You have slept in your own bed! All HP and MP restored.
Percy dismissed the notification as he got out of bed. He got ready and walked to the dining pavilion where he would start his day with the Athena cabin or more specifically - Annabeth. She had been a huge help lately and had readily volunteered for the quest further cementing how much she had done for him. He was eternally grateful to her and would do anything to keep her safe.
"Annabeth!", Percy exclaimed when he saw the familiar blonde-haired girl with her siblings. He walked to their table and greeted the others. He had become friends with the entire cabin in the wake of his friendship with their head counselor.
"Hey Percy", she replied with a smile. "Ready for your studies today?" Truthfully, she had started enjoying spending time with the son of Poseidon even more lately and oftentimes would try to prolong his studies as much as she could so that she could be with him longer.
"As always, we also need to talk about the quest. How about studying at the beach today? It will be a nice change from the cabin."
"Sounds good", she said. Percy bid his farewell and proceeded to his table to have breakfast. Annabeth then looked around at her siblings who were sporting knowing smirks on their faces.
"What?"
"Nothing, just that a daughter of Athena and a son of Poseidon are getting along a bit too well", teased Malcolm.
Annabeth felt her cheeks redden at that. "It is nothing like that, we need to plan things out. That idiot can hardly do anything, I bet he planned on entering the Underworld and confronting its ruler straight away with no tact whatsoever. Someone needs to be there to watch over him before he ends up blowing up the world."
"Someone seems concerned".
"I am not", she said a little too quickly.
"Relax Annabeth. All of us are with you in case something does happen and we will even try speaking to mom if things come to that".
Annabeth merely nodded. She was not in a position to say anything without it being used against her since they were right in whatever they said till now even though she had a hard time accepting it herself.
Post breakfast, Annabeth found herself sitting at the beach with a bunch of books surrounding her, waiting for the idiot to show up. Even though he had become intelligent, it seemed that it only extended to his brain and not common sense since he was making a girl wait.
Said idiot soon turned up and plopped down beside her. Fortunately for him, post breakfast, Chiron had spoken to Percy and excused him from the schedule. He gave Percy liberty to train as he wished but he had to report to Chiron on what all he had done so that Chiron could give him advice as and when needed.
With that, their studies started or more specifically, Annabeth tutoring Percy. If someone looked from afar, they would be treated to the scene of Percy being scolded by Annabeth almost every other minute for something or the other whilst he doused her in water every now and then. It was quite the scene to see a daughter of Athena and a son of Poseidon get along so well as several campers, most notably the children of Aphrodite, Hermes and Athena, were seen clicking photos with their cameras.
This soon came to an end as lunch time approached. Percy thanked her with another of his lopsided grins which didn't help things for Annabeth who wanted him to stay for longer.
Post lunch, Percy headed to Zeus' Fist where he was supposed to meet Hestia for his first day of fire training. He found the goddess sitting at the top, patiently waiting for him in her now default twelve year old form. They headed to the alternate dimension where his training officially started.
Turns out, the gentle goddess could be quite the slave driver as at the end of the session Percy lay on the ground breathing hard. She had not pulled her punches when it came to it and was constantly on him to give his best regardless of how battered he was. She wanted him to get stronger and she would see to it one way or the other. This did have unexpected results though.
...
Due to continuous use, Fire Control has levelled up!
Fire Control
(Level 3 - Cost 94 MP / Min)
...
"So did the training pay off?", Hestia asked as they sat together.
"I levelled up twice just from this one session", Percy replied with a smile, "It seems that the MP cost reduces by 2 every time I level up whilst it reduces by 1 when it comes to water control."
"Perhaps it's because I'm the eldest daughter and hence my blessings would be stronger compared to that of my younger brother", Hestia joked.
"It might just be that case", Percy replied seriously.
Once Percy had recovered his breath, they travelled back and soon bid goodbye.
He had decided to focus on several skills for the first five days which were:
...
WIS
INT
VIT
DEX
Fire Control
...
~Time Skip : 5 days~
At the end of the first five days, Percy had grown by leaps and bounds. He did not have to look at his stats to know that. However, a quick look greeted him with the following results :
...
Modern English (Level 25)
Bonus : +5% reading speed
INT : 20 + 2 = 22
WIS : 15 + 1 = 16
VIT : 14 + 2 = 16
DEX : 14 + 2 = 16
MP : 650 + 50 = 700 / 700
Fire Control
(Level 6 - 88 MP / min)
...
Hestia's training had been extremely useful even though it was tiring to say the least. Percy had been spending quite a bit of time with her as well as Annabeth and had grown close to both of them, especially the former.
Right now, he was with Hestia in the alternate dimension; experimenting with his fire powers. Ever since his control had grown, he had started trying new things which may help in combat or get him out of tough situations. So far, he had found a way or two but he still needed to work on them before he could utilise them in active combat.
He had been putting special emphasis on science lately to see what could work in his favour since he now had control over fire and water - both had their own uses. Suddenly, Percy had a crazy idea. What if he combined water and fire to create steam?
Acting on impulse, he summoned some water from his inventory and ignited his hand.
"Percy, what are you doing?" Hestia asked.
Percy ignored her as he willed the water to fall on his hand and it all vaporised. The general area around him was now bathed in steam. He let his instincts loose as he felt everything around him and to his surprise, he could easily detect Hestia who was sitting atop the rock trying to see him. He knew she could sense his presence since she was a goddess but looking for him was another matter altogether.
He realised that technically, steam was still water but in gaseous form. Since he could detect everything in water, he could do the same on land. This would be extremely useful if he wanted to sneak up on someone while concealing himself or during a fight when he needed to assess the situation, his ADHD could work to an extent.
Two notifications then popped up.
...
By combining scientific knowledge and common sense, you were able to create a new use for your water abilities.
WIS : 16 + 1 = 17
New skill unlocked!
Steam Control
(Level 1 - 75 MP / min)
Superheat water to create a cloud of steam for multiple purposes.
...
"Percy, you alright? What were you trying?", Hestia asked again. She was confused as to why he would suddenly create steam.
"Give me a moment".
He was now on a roll. Since he used fire on water to make steam, what if he took the warmth from the water and use it to create ice? He closed his eyes and let his senses drift out. He felt the water in the steam as he connected to them. Percy then proceeded to use his fire abilities to take away all the heat from it as the temperature rapidly fell until he heard a gasp from Hestia. He opened his eyes to see if she was fine only to be amused by her expression. She was looking around him with wide eyes and Percy followed her gaze only to see that he had successfully created ice.
...
New skill unlocked!
Ice Control
(Level 1 - 100 MP / min)
Freeze water and use it for deadly attacks.
Bonus : WIS : 17 + 1 = 18
Water Control
(Level 14 - 37 MP / min)
...
Percy then dismissed the water as he then explained what he had been trying to do to Hestia. She was pretty impressed with his application and happy that he had found two more things that could help him moving forward. Eventually, they returned since Hestia had other duties to take care of whilst Percy headed to the bonfire. He had completely forgotten about something imperative that he had to do.
Percy sat near the Hermes cabin as he looked at the status bars of all the campers. About three-fourth of the children were unclaimed. This was going to change tonight.
"Hey", Percy greeted a kid named Ethan. They hadn't met officially so Percy thought he'd start afresh. He was an Asian boy who was around the same age as him give or take two years maybe. He had a slim, wiry build, glossy black hair and a son of Nemesis, the goddess of balance, retribution and vengeance.
"Hey Percy", Ethan replied.
"Wait. How did you know my name? We haven't even met", Percy replied, surprised.
Ethan scoffed, "Who doesn't? You're the first son of Poseidon in decades not to mention the big ass show that your dad put on when he was claiming you. Sort of makes it impossible to forget."
Percy frowned, "Fair enough. So how about we start introductions?" he ended with a genuine smile.
"Ethan Nakamura but I don't know who my mother is."
"Wait, you don't? I thought you were a son of Athena. You seem to look like a person who is well balanced I guess and has a sense of justice if I'm right?" Percy was completely bullshiting by now since he did not exactly know how to reveal this to Ethan so he went along with what came to mind. He figured that everyone would be happier being claimed and hence, won't ask too many questions. He'd cross that bridge later.
Ethan blinked, "Well you are half correct when you say this. I indeed try to balance out things however, I won't use justice as part of my character. I prefer being petty."
"Huh. You're right, so that's what I must be feeling."
"What do you mean?" Ethan was now curious and some of the campers who had overheard the brief exchange between the two.
"Your aura. I can somewhat sense it and from what I can gather and after speaking to you, I would guess that your mother is Nemesis, goddess of balance, retribution and vengeance."
"As if you could - ", Ethan began but was interrupted when a loud gasp was heard from the campers around them. They were suddenly looking at him no, rather above him. Ethan then looked up and to his surprise, saw the glowing symbol of his mother : a set of scales. It seems as though Percy was right.
There was a hush silence all over the place as everyone stared at Percy for doing something that had never been done before. It was further cemented when Chiron exclaimed, "Percy, you did that again? You were able to figure out who's who just like before?"
To many of the campers, those words were nothing short of ridiculous as they couldn't believe what Chiron had just said. While many looked at Percy with sheer ridiculousness written on their face, many others looked at him with hope that they'd finally get to know who their parents were. So they all turned to Chiron first, demanding an explanation.
"When Percy was an unclaimed demigod and had virtually no knowledge of the supernatural, somehow, he was able to identify me and Grover even though we were in disguise and hardly recognisable. Even we do not know how this came to occur but Percy has been right till now it seems."
With that said, the floodgates opened and the unclaimed campers soon crowded Percy trying to get his attention from all sides, demanding to be the first one for the most valuable information a person could get in their lives.
That night turned out to be one of the most memorable ones as it was practically a light show as campers were claimed left and right. Percy had been able to correctly identify every single camper's parent whilst making up the most ridiculous explanations he could think of. Mostly, he tried tying a person's behaviour or some other trait that was somehow related to the domain of the god's child in question. Nobody interrupted him until the final one was done. As soon as the child was claimed, everyone erupted into a huge shout of exuberance. They cheered Percy for what he had done for them as the fire roared, reaching the heavens. Things were looking up for them now.
You have slept in your own bed! All HP and MP restored.
The following day, Percy woke up and sighed. Last night whilst magical was tiring. He was practically deaf. He had a shower wherein he was easily healed and felt full of energy. However, before Percy stepped out, he pulled up his stats that he needed to train for the next five days before he left for the quest. They now read as :
...
STR : 20 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 16 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 16 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
INT : 22 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 18 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 10 (Bonus : +10% chance of better loot)
Sword Fighting (Level 8)
Ancient Greek (Max)
Modern English (Level 25)
Swimming (Level 5 - 7 km/hr)
Breathe Underwater (Max)
Running (Level 6 - 32 km / hr)
Storms (Level 2)
Observe (Level 4)
Sneaking (Level 3)
Critical Strike (Level 2)
Taunt (Level 1)
Mark of the Furies (Level 1)
Mage Armor (Level 3)
Summon Meals (Max)
Water Control (Level 14)
Water Spikes (Level 3)
Blood Control (Level 1)
Water Spear (Level 2)
Dimension Create (Max)
Ice Control (Level 1)
Steam Control (Level 1)
Fire Control (Level 6)
...
Percy hummed as he gave them a once over. He first decided to eliminate those that he could not improve or would increase as a by-product of his training so he didn't have to put special consideration into it.
...
STR : 20 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
Sword Fighting (Level 8)
Swimming (Level 5 - 7 km/hr)
Storms (Level 2)
Sneaking (Level 3)
Critical Strike (Level 2)
Mage Armor (Level 3)
Water Control (Level 14)
Water Spikes (Level 3)
Water Spear (Level 2)
Ice Control (Level 1)
Steam Control (Level 1)
Fire Control (Level 6)
...
Out of all these, he needed to increase his base strength along with sword fighting for sure. Whilst he was at it, he could start swimming and use the water around him to boost his speed as well as perform intricate maneuvers that would increase swimming, strength and water control.
When it came to ice, steam and fire control, he would need to practice those independently or try using both elements together. It would undoubtedly be a hassle but the pay off would be sweet.
With that in mind, Percy headed out, ready to start his day.
~Timeskip : 4 days, one day before the quest~
Percy was lounging near the beach as he chewed on some brownies that he had summoned using Hestia's blessings. He had worked himself to the bone during the last four days with hardly any breaks and no sleep. However, today he was resting since he had to go on the quest tomorrow to save his mom and to find the tinfoil which was capable of mass destruction. To be honest, he did not really care about it. His mom's safety and well-being took precedence over everything else so if that could be achieved by finding the bolt, he'd do that.
His stats also had seen quite the jump during this time. Chiron too had been happy when he had seen how seriously Percy had been training. Of course, Chiron wasn't aware of Hestia's blessings Percy had, something he'd use only if the situation called for it. Coming back to the point, Percy popped up his stats:
...
STR : 23 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 18 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 18 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
Sword Fighting (Level 10)
Swimming (Level 7 - 9 km/hr)
Running (Level 7 - 34 km / hr)
Storms (Level 3)
Sneaking (Level 4)
Critical Strike (Level 4)
Mage Armor (Level 5)
Water Control (Level 16)
Water Spikes (Level 4)
Water Spear (Level 3)
Ice Control (Level 3)
Steam Control (Level 3)
Fire Control (Level 8)
...
As Percy finished and got up to leave, he saw Luke walk towards him.
"Hey Percy, ready for tomorrow?"
"I don't know what I'll face but I've trained as much as I can so let's see how it goes."
"Wanna head over to the arena for one last training session before you leave?"
"Sure".
The two didn't exchange any other words as they reached the arena and got their swords ready.
Luke came after him first. Percy opened up his senses as he saw the attacks coming and countered them with his own. He had practiced quite a bit however, it seemed that Luke was still better than him. Just as he stepped forward and tried to thrust his sword, Luke suddenly sidestepped as he twisted his blade with the flat of his own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon.
Just as Luke disarmed him, Percy caught a cold look on Luke's face which was unlike what he had seen. This was quickly replaced by Luke's usual smile but Percy couldn't ignore it. He could have chalked it up as his imagination however, he couldn't since he felt dread wash over him in troves. It just felt like it was something / someone else entirely. Taking caution, Percy reused Observe on Luke just to be sure. However, what he saw was entirely off the charts and topped the 'screwed up stuff happening around me' list he had been maintaining in his head.
...
Luke Castellan
Luke is a son of Hermes who hates his father due to his past. He wants to take revenge on the gods for not being there for their children when they needed them the most. He wants them to learn their lesson by usurping them from their thrones.
Luke stole Zeus' Lightning Bolt and Hades' Helm of Darkness so that they are weakened from a war amongst themselves.
Luke believes he can recruit Percy to his cause by using underhanded means.
...
Before he could react, Gamer's Mind forced Percy to relax. Luke was the instigator of the upcoming war. Because of him, everyone was in danger and quite possibly his mother too. He had to go search for something that this man in front of him had hidden somewhere so safe that not even most talented gods could find it. Percy had lots of emotions running inside of him however, he needed to keep up appearances for now since he needed to find the bolt and Luke might shift its location if it wasn't at Camp. He vowed to confront Luke once he was back from the quest.
He had been staring at the screen for a minute now and it looked as though he was staring at Luke.
"You good Percy?"
"Yeah, I was just surprised by the move you just used. Can you teach that to me?" Percy asked; quickly thinking of a reason so that Luke doesn't suspect anything. Luckily for him, any further questions were staved off as Luke started teaching him.
An hour later, Percy had been able to successfully learn the skill and use it on Luke a couple of times though he suspected that Luke had been a little serious at most.
"Thanks for the help", Percy said.
"Anytime. I may have something for you tomorrow for your quest, just meet me once before you leave. Okay?"
Percy hardly trusted Luke now but he nodded and flashed a grateful smile (not) as they separated ways.
Percy headed to the Athena cabin where he had to finalise everything that was needed with Annabeth. He walked up to the door and knocked. The owl at the front still creeped him out, it felt as though it had its eyes on him and only him.
"Annabeth!", Percy exclaimed with a genuine smile as he saw the blonde in question wearing her usual outfit with her hair tied in a ponytail.
"Come in Percy", she replied as she moved to let him in. Most of her siblings were out for camp activities, only a handful remained and they were all busy with their studies. Typical.
"The camp is going to provide us with a few essential supplies and will drop us off at New York after which we are on our own", Annabeth began, "we cannot travel by air of course since you're the son of Poseidon so we'll have to make our way across the country."
"It'll be a nice road trip", Percy quipped.
"Except it'll be filled with monsters and an extremely high chance to die before we even reach the Underworld", Annabeth deadpanned.
"Still"
"Moving on, I suggest we take a bus. They usually travel a fair distance overnight and we have a good chance of making it to Los Angeles on time with a few days as a buffer just in case things go awry which I suspect they will", Annabeth continued, completely ignoring him. Leave it to her to finish the planning down to the smallest detail.
"Anything else?"
"Hmm not really. Just make it back out alive and reach Olympus on time to prevent a massive war from breaking out."
"Sounds about right. Well, since you have everything planned out, let's leave post breakfast."
"Sure, see you tomorrow Seaweed Brain. Don't get us killed."
"No pressure. Later, Wise Girl", Percy replied as he smiled at her and saw her face redden once again. He still wasn't entirely sure as to why it happened but he knew that it would be detrimental to his health if he tried asking her or Hestia. So he decided not to poke the bear and walked out of the cabin as he made his last and most special visit of the day.
Percy reached the hearth to find a familiar goddess poking at the fire. He let his eyes catch fire as it was now a custom between them. Hestia, on the other hand, liked seeing him like that since he was her first champion and she liked to be reminded of that, not that she ever forgot in the first place since she kept an eye on him. She had always been protective when it came to family but she had a special place for her champion and as such, had become over protective.
"Hestia", he greeted as he sat beside her.
"Ready for tomorrow?", Hestia asked with worry evident in her voice.
"I am and with your blessings, things will be easier", Percy smiled as he tried to reassure the goddess.
"Promise me you'll come back in one piece. I don't want anything to happen to my first champion."
"I promise Hestia."
No other words were needed. Both knew how the other felt. They sat in comfortable silence until Artemis started to rise and it was almost time for Percy to sleep since he had to be well rested and up early the next day.
"Goodnight Hestia, I hope I'll see you soon", Percy said. He was extremely anxious now which Hestia didn't fail to pick up.
She gave him a hug as she sent warm flashes of hope through his body.
"Don't worry Percy. When all seems to go wrong, when it seems the whole world is against you, remember that Hope will be with you regardless, all the way. I will be by your side."
Percy was moved by her words and hugged her tighter as the smell of wood smoke drifted towards him. He took in a deep breath as he relished in the familiarity of it as it filled him with hope for a better day and a better future.
"You're the best", Percy finally said with a lopsided grain.
Again, Hestia felt her cheeks heaten up at that. She vowed to read and find out what is it that caused this to happen. She could obviously not get sick since she was a goddess so what caused it? It had to do something with Percy since it only happened when she was around him. With a final goodbye, she vanished.
The next day, Percy sacrificed more food than usual during breakfast most of which went to Hestia. He was grateful to her since she had given him courage and confidence for the quest. Once he was done, Percy headed to the hill where he was supposed to meet the others. He was ready.
x.x
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. He has ADHD and Dyslexia which helps in combat and reading Ancient Greek respectively. 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 and drinks.
...
Level - 11
Exp - 1711 / 2160
...
HP : 600 / 600 (+ 2000)
MP : 700 / 700 (+ 2000)
...
STR : 23 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 18 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 18 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
INT : 22 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 18 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 10 (Bonus : +10% chance of better loot)
Points : 10
Money : $3660 / D0
...
Status : Demigod
...
Skills
...
Combat :
Sword Fighting (Level 10)
...
Inherited :
Ancient Greek (Max)
Modern English (Level 25)
Swimming (Level 7 - 9 km/hr)
Breathe Underwater (Max)
Running (Level 7 - 34 km / hr)
Storms (Level 3)
...
General :
Observe (Level 4)
Sneaking (Level 4)
Critical Strike (Level 4)
Taunt (Level 1)
Mark of the Furies (Level 1)
Mage Armor (Level 5)
Summon Meals (Max)
...
Passive :
Gamer's Mind (Max level)
Son of the Sea God (Gives +20 STR, VIT & DEX as well as +2000 HP and +2000 MP when in water)
...
Abilities :
Water Control (Level 16)
Water Spikes (Level 4)
Blood Control (Level 1)
Water Spear (Level 3)
Dimension Create (Max)
Ice Control (Level 3)
Steam Control (Level 3)
Fire Control (Level 8)
