Chapter 171: The Golden String

[Third Person's PoV] 

Both Percy and Clarisse emerged from the Tunnel of Love, their faces flushed with embarrassment as they came to the uncomfortable realization that the entirety of Olympus had just witnessed them kissing thanks to the Cupid cameras strategically placed throughout the tunnel.

Percy, unable to hide his irritation, glared back at one of the glowing cameras. "Haven't you seen enough, you perverts?"

The sky above rumbled in response, filled with thunder and crackling with electricity, as though the gods were less than pleased with Percy's boldness. Still, Percy merely scoffed, unfazed by the divine warning as he and Clarisse walked away from the scene. Slowly, the Cupid cameras powered down and withdrew into the tunnel's walls, leaving the pair in peace for the moment.

On the other side of the tunnel, their friends waited. Lucian was the only one sporting a mischievous grin, clearly aware of everything that had transpired inside. Thanks to his shadow soldiers, he had been able to observe them through their very shadows. His lips twitched as if he wanted to tease them, but, much to their relief, he decided to keep the incident to himself—for now.

Lucian casually vaulted over the railing, landing gracefully beside the group. Annabeth, eyeing him curiously, raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly are you going?"

"Just retrieving something," Lucian replied with a mysterious grin, disappearing back into the tunnel while Percy and Clarisse trudged up the stairs to join their friends.

Grover, always eager to know more, looked at Percy with wide eyes. "So, what traps did you guys run into?"

Percy groaned, recalling the chaotic series of events. "Well, the boat started moving, and then these Cupid statues started shooting arrows at us. The arrows turned into this golden net. And if that wasn't bad enough, we were suddenly surrounded by thousands of mechanical spiders—"

"Spiders?" Annabeth interrupted, covering her ears and cringing. "Nope, I'm done. I don't need to hear any more!"

Percy gave her a puzzled look as Thalia explained, "Annabeth has arachnophobia. It's a thing all of Athena's kids have."

A moment later, Lucian reappeared out of the shadows, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, a satisfied smile on his face. He hadn't bothered to take the stairs, of course, opting instead to shadow-blink next to the group. "So, are we ready to go?"

Thalia narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you go back for?"

Lucian's grin only widened. "I'm glad you asked." With a flick of his wrist, a glowing golden string materialized in his palm, thin yet radiant, thanks to his Trace and Projection Spell.

Percy, tilting his head, frowned in confusion. "What's so special about that?"

Thalia added, "And I thought your magic only worked on weapons?"

Lucian turned to Percy first, his expression smug. "Anything crafted by the god of blacksmiths is special. Haven't you heard the story of how The God of the Forge caught The War God and Love Goddess together?" He then looked at Thalia. "And, as for you—anything can be a weapon if you know how to use it right."

With a mere flick of his finger, the golden string shot out and slashed through the nearby metal railing like it was paper. The railing split in half with a clean, perfect cut.

Thalia let out a low whistle, impressed. Percy, still clueless, asked, "What story?"

Lucian sighed, his dramatic exhale earning a chuckle from Annabeth. "Let me explain this one," she offered, stepping in to tell the tale.

"The god of blacksmiths discovered his wife was having an affair with the god of war. So, he devised a plan. He crafted a net so fine it was invisible, and after pretending to leave on a business trip, he hid, waiting. The moment the Goddess of Love and God of War jumped into bed together the net snared them both, and Hephaestus burst in with the other Olympians, shaming them in front of everyone."

Percy blinked, still staring at the glowing thread in Lucian's hand. "But I can still see the string..."

"That's because it hasn't been woven into anything yet," Lucian explained. As he spoke, the golden string shimmered and began to weave itself into the shape of a sword. Once it fully formed, the sword was so finely crafted, so polished, it became invisible to the naked eye.

Lucian grasped the invisible weapon, smirking as he swung it through the air. The sharp, slicing sound of the blade cutting through the atmosphere sent shivers through the group.

"Can you stop getting stronger for, like, five minutes?" Thalia asked dryly, her arms crossed in frustration.

Lucian just grinned. "Nope."

Clarisse, exasperated and eager to move on, sighed. "Can we just take this shield to my father and be done with it?" She spun the shield in her hands, clearly impatient.

Lucian nodded, his playful demeanor fading into something more serious. "Ares should be waiting at the diner, where he gave Clarisse the quest."

Without warning, Lucian's shadow expanded around the group, forming a dome of darkness that enveloped them completely. For a brief moment, it felt like the world had disappeared, and then, with a soft pop, they found themselves in a completely different location.

…

A dome of shadows materialized in front of Ares, who stood in the parking lot of a diner, leaning casually against his motorcycle. His helmet sat on the seat next to him, and his hands were stuffed into his leather jacket pockets.

The dome popped, and the group reappeared, disoriented but unharmed. Grover swayed, clutching his head. "Ugh, Lucian… please warn us next time."

Percy rubbed his temples, feeling as though his skin had stretched and shifted. "Does anyone else's skin feel loose? Or is it just me?"

Meanwhile, Clarisse approached her father, head bowed respectfully. "Father." She handed him the shield.

Ares took the shield and twirled it in his hands before it transformed into a vest, which he promptly donned. He then placed a hand on Clarisse's head, affectionately ruffling her hair. "Nice work, kid."

Clarisse couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. However, Ares' gaze shifted to Percy, his expression hardening. "Oi, Fish Eyes! If I see you locking lips with my daughter again, you and I are gonna have a problem. Got it?"

Both Percy and Clarisse flushed a deep red as the rest of the group stared at them, wide-eyed.

"What in Hades' name happened in that tunnel?" Thalia asked, glancing back and forth between Percy and Clarisse.

"She was the one that kissed me!" Percy blurted defensively.

"Does it look like I care?" Ares barked. "Keep your fish lips away from my daughter!" He turned to Clarisse, shaking his head. "You can do better."

Percy's face twisted in irritation. "Why does everyone keep calling me something related to a fish?"

Ares, completely ignoring Percy's protest, turned his attention to the group. "See that truck over there?" He pointed across the street to an eighteen-wheeler with the words KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS printed on the side.

"That's your ride to L.A. One stop in Vegas."

Thalia was about to protest, but Ares lowered his sunglasses, revealing his glowing red eyes. "You're not rejecting my good will, are you? Not after all the trouble I went through to arrange this?"

Grover, panicking, jumped in before anyone could refuse. "No! We're grateful, Lord Ares. We couldn't have asked for a better ride. I, uh, love animals! This is… perfect!" His nervous laugh trailed off."

"Good," Ares grinned, satisfied. He then grabbed a blue backpack from his shoulders and tossed it to Percy, "Here, since I'm a very generous guy, here's another bit of my good will" 

He hopped onto his motorcycle, pulling on his helmet. The engine roared to life as he pointed a finger at Percy. "Remember, Fish-Gills—lips away from my daughter."

And with that, Ares sped off, leaving a fuming Percy behind.

"I can't stand that guy," Percy muttered through gritted teeth, Percy then looked at the bag in confusion and opened it leaving him more confused. Inside was a change of clothing, twenty bucks, and a packet of oreos. 

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this!" Percy shouted, grumbling in annoyance. 

Annabeth turned to Grover, her brow furrowed. "Did you really have to agree? Now we have no choice but to get in that truck, or it'll look like we were lying to a god."

Grover let out a nervous bleat, scratching the back of his head. "We didn't have much of a choice. Annoying Ares any further could've ended up with us signing our own death warrant."

Lucian scoffed, his hands behind his head as he began walking toward the truck. "My death warrant has no place for me to sign."

Percy grabbed the back of Lucian's shirt, dragging him along as he slung the blue backpack over his shoulders. "Oh no you don't. Since Grover agreed, we're all getting on that truck."

Lucian sighed in defeat as they all made their way toward the eighteen-wheeler, knowing they were in for a long, bumpy ride.

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