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Emerald Library: It is so big you can Google it
Writer's Block: wttJDs62Dy
LAST TIME:
"You can get your kiss later. But first, we need to reconvene with Hera," Artemis said, casting a glance over her shoulder towards him as she took the reins of her chariot.
"I'll hold you to those words, my love. Also, that sounds good to me. Hopefully everything is…" Percy said with a wink towards his goddess as he sat down, but the moment he did, his face froze into a serious expression as he reached up to his chest. Artemis couldn't help but give him a curious look before her face suddenly took a serious look, and she couldn't help but reach up to her chest as well.
"Something's wrong." Both Artemis and Percy whispered at the same time, as huge fluctuations in their soulmate link with the daughter of Athena began to happen. Panic was followed by an immense amount of fear before regret and anger joined it. Several other emotions coursed through Annabeth's connection before it suddenly spiked with rage, before suddenly dulling and going completely silent. Percy and Artemis were frozen in place for a few moments before looking at one another.
"We need to hurry."
NOW:
LOCATION: Maine
TIME: Right before Percy defeated Menoetius
"INCOMING!" Thalia yelled as she raised her shield, barely managing to deflect one of the giant spikes flying through the air while leaving behind a trail of sparks. She nearly dropped her shield from the force of the impact, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain as she charged the lumbering Manticore. The beast was throwing his spikes indiscriminately into the forest around him as he dealt with the onslaught of silver-clad hunters.
Their arrows soared through the air with a vicious speed and slammed into the Manticore's tough golden hide. Minor dents and scratches were left on its golden fur since its natural defense deflected most of the arrows, but some managed to slip through and pierce the flesh just a little. This didn't do much to the 9-foot-tall beast, but when one arrow hit a spot, others followed moments later as the hunter's accuracy was put to the test.
Worse was that some hunters had even started a frontal assault to force him to move in specific ways, revealing weak spots. Nearly 30 hunters worked perfectly in sync with each other as they dodged, attacked, and retreated in perfect formation. When they had an opportunity, their foot-long hunting knives managed to cut small gashes into its flesh that were soon filled with arrows.
The Manticore was at a disadvantage, despite its impressive size and extremely deadly 10-foot-long tail, which soared through the air and launched spikes in every direction. The tail tried to keep up using its strength to the full ability, but each arrow managed to find the weak spots as they pierced the same places with rapid succession. The only place that had remained unscathed was his face, which was heavily protected by his mane, tail, and claws.
Yet even with the air full of arrows and the beast rampaging about, that didn't stop Nick and Thalia from attacking with the hunters. This gave Annabeth the ability to employ hit-and-run tactics with her invisibility cap while Grover and Dex played the backline. Grovers' reed pipes echoed in the forest, causing the trees to come alive and hindering the Manticore at each step of the way.
Dex, on the other hand, was busy assisting where he could. His injuries prevented him from doing much more than taking care of Nico and Bianca as a pair of shadow beings he had summoned watched over them. But every once in a while, a shadow portal would appear when a hunter or someone else was in extreme danger, and it would instantly port them away. This seemed to infuriate the Manticore even more as his paw destroyed a tree where a hunter had just been.
Yet he didn't stop as his paw launched the wooden debris into the forest where the hunters resided, before his tail whipped around again as more huge thorns blossomed around him and cut through the air. Most of them were flying in one direction as Annabeth rolled out from behind a tree just in time for multiple spikes to pierce right through it as her aura was busy gathering in her hand.
"NICK!" Annabeth yelled as the son of Poseidon was busy sliding between the Manticore's legs while cutting a huge gash on the leg. But he wasn't there for long as the snow on the ground gathered behind him and shot him out from underneath the beast just in time for a foot to smash down right where he once was. Nick flew through the air for a moment, allowing him to get his feet and hands underneath him, sending him sliding across the snow and right to Annabeth's side.
"Give me three!" She yelled as the aura in her hand intensified. Nick's aura did the same as the snow in front of the two gathered into three large piles. Annabeth didn't wait around as she reached behind her jacket and into a small pouch she had. Pulling around three pea-sized black balls and combining them with the large amount of aura in her palm. In an instant, the aura was absorbed by the three black balls as her eyes began to glow a brilliant stormy gray.
"Heroes of the past, come forth and Arise! Kill the beast before me!" Annabeth called out as she threw one bead into each growing pile of snow, causing the aura to surge through them and the nearby snow to shake. At the same time, small golden hearts began to form in the piles of snow as before, surrounding themselves with the gray aura. This caught the Manticore's attention as he felt a sense of danger forming from the three piles.
"Damn demigods!" He roared out as his tail swung once again, launching a volley of spikes right at Nick and Annabeth as their gazes turned upwards. But before they could reach the two, a 6-foot-2 huntress figure shot out of the forest in a silver flash from behind the two with a massive cleaver in her hand.
"Get down!" She yelled as a silver glow enveloped her body, and her giant butcher's blade moved with lightning speed.
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!
In a full second, several foot-long spikes were deflected into the surrounding forest as the huntress let out a huge steaming breath that fogged up the air. The silver glow on her body quickly dissipated as she stayed on guard, but several other hunters and Thalia were already distracting the Manticore.
"I had it covered, bloodsoaked butcher." A voice suddenly came from the side as Dex walked out from behind a tree that had been stabbed by one of the thorns not too far away. Phoebe, on the other hand, glanced behind her and noticed a dissipating swirl of shadows that was about to protect Nick and Annabeth before her eyes moved to Dex and paused for a moment.
"It's been a while," Phoebe said with a slight scoff as Dex's eyes flickered a bit as he met her gaze.
"Just a few more seconds," Annabeth mumbled to herself as the snow had finally formed three Greek soldiers with ice armor and weapons. A grey aura appeared in the gaps of each soldier's helmet just as Annabeth lowered her hand. Their bodies shuddered the moment the hero's souls took hold of the snow golems, their glowing eyes brightening even more.
"Attack!" Annabeth yelled in ancient Greek. The three of them didn't waste a single moment. They let out an air-shaking war cry before launching themselves in a blur, leaving Annabeth and Nick behind as the two caught their breath as they watched the snow soldiers start to assault the Manticore from three sides. But as they did, they suddenly noticed that Phoebe and Dex were still staring at one another as an invisible tension formed between the two.
"You two know each other?" Nick couldn't help but ask as Dex let out a small scoff.
"It would be easier not to know her." He said before walking behind his tree, only to disappear into its shadow, going somewhere else on the battlefield.
"That explained nothing," Annabeth mumbled as Phoebe let out a sigh.
"The first time I met that snake was about 600 years after I became a hunter, it was at the Battle of Marathon. That boy didn't have any warrior's honor in him, attacking from the shadows and sliding around those marshes like a lizard. Poisoning the enemy's food and water, killing the Persians in their sleep. Just disgraceful." Phoebe said with a frustrated sigh as Annabeth looked astonished at the information Phoebe dropped, while Nick simply blinked before looking at Annabeth for answers.
"Unfortunately, a warrior's honor didn't matter much when victory was concerned. His tactics worked quite well. His ability to command shades made him only more frightening, earning him the nickname Hades' Shadow and his eventual immortality." She finished as Annabeth seemed stuck on the fact that Phoebe was dropping information on a war nearly two and a half millennia ago, while Nick's eyes lit up with interest.
"That's a dope nickname!" Nick exclaimed as Annabeth turned to him with a face of concern and astonishment, as if someone had just shot an arrow at him, but he hadn't noticed it fly right by him.
"We don't have time for this. We have a beast to slay," Phoebe said as she launched herself toward the Manticore as it fended off the snow warriors. Its tail crashed into one of the snow warrior's shields, only for him to deflect it to the side at the cost of half of his ice shield. The other two were attacking from the front as their spears stabbed at the beast's throat, only for it to swat them away.
"She's right, we need to get a move on. How much do you have left in the tank? I'm sitting at about 55%." Nick asked as he stood up and gave Silver Tide a twirl, causing it to give off a ring of happiness. Annabeth couldn't help but roll her eyes a little before reaching up to her Yankees cap and straightening it.
"I got about 60% left in me. Go and back up Thalia and that hundress. I'm going for the shadows. When I give you a signal, I need him tied down and his back exposed." Annabeth said this before vanishing right in front of Nick, who gave a nod.
"Wrap them and stab them, a plan worthy of Athena." He said as he darted forward with all his might, with each step he took, the snow around him began to melt. It was a matter of seconds before a small wave had formed behind him and swept beneath his feet as he began to ride it through the forest. Yet he didn't join the fight right away, as he veered to the side instead of going toward the action, and he continued to build up his wave.
"That looks fun," A voice came from the forest as several hunters couldn't help but watch Nick ride the wave away from them. Their eyes lingered for a few moments until a figure dashed between them. Her blonde hair fluttered in the wind as she jumped into the air.
"Focus, girls!" She shouted before pulling back her bow mid-air and firing an arrow that shot forward in a golden flash. It soared between dozens of tree branches that were inches apart and seemed to find every gap it could before clearing the trees and appearing right before the Manticore's eyes.
In that moment, the Manticore was busy dealing with Phoebe and Thalia as they simultaneously assaulted him along with the snow soldiers. With girls at the forefront of the onslaught and the snow soldiers, the Manticore found itself being pushed back as it tried to break through the encirclement. Yet he was unable to even as he plowed through trees, turning them to showers of splinters, and continued to fire its thorns everywhere it could.
Thalia and Phoebe had done quite a number on the beast in a short time, as several large gashes had appeared on its claws and side. Its golden hide was covered with several new large gashes now, proof that Phoebe's butcher blade was living up to its name as it carved up the beast in front of her. The beast had even started to use its scale-covered tail to defend itself against her blade each time she approached.
With its tail occupied each time Phoebe attacked, this gave Thalia the perfect opportunity to attack as she darted forward with extreme speed. Each time she attacked, her lightning-covered spear found one of the massive cuts on his body and tore into his flesh even more. It left the Manticore roaring in pain as the high-voltage electricity spread throughout its body, yet as it tried to attack her, Thalia's shield made the beast flinch back, giving her time to retreat.
Their combined assault had pushed the Manticore to the brink, as his bloodshot eyes glared at the two while he defended himself as much as he could. But the combined assault was proving to be too much, as he continued to lose more blood and his sanity along with it. The moment the golden arrow suddenly appeared in his vision, his sixth sense screamed at him to move. But he was too slow as the arrow exploded in a brilliant flash of light, turning the night to day.
RRROOOAAARR!!!
The Manticore let out a massive roar of pain as its eyes were blinded by the light in front of it. It couldn't help but rear back and stumble backward, its tail and front paws swung around randomly. Without its sight, the beast turned into a whirlwind of fury; everything it touched was turned to splinters as it entered a frenzied state. Phoebe had managed to jump backward and avoid the Manticore, but Thalia wasn't so lucky.
The daughter of Zeus wasn't prepared for the sudden flash of light and was partially blinded by the intense light, leaving her in the dark as she raised her shield and fell back as fast as she could. All she could rely on was her ears and other senses for a bit, but the sound of the Manticore's roar suddenly drowned everything out when a tingle on the back of her neck intensified. On pure instinct, she braced herself and just in time as the Manticore's tail slammed into her.
DDDIINNGG!
With a loud ding, nearly everyone around watched as Thalia was sent tumbling through the air with startling force. But the direction she was sent was littered with shattered trees and stumps with splintered tops. Instantly, the idea of saving her flooded the minds of those closest to her as they darted in her direction. Even Dex was busy summoning up a shadow portal to save her, but a flash of gray and silver light shot out of the forest even faster than his portal.
In a split second, the figure jumped into the air and soared through it before catching the stunned Thalia mid-air and veering off her old path. With elegant precision, the girl landed on the ground and seemed to dance across the fallen trees, debris, and manticore thorns before softly sliding behind an undestroyed tree.
"Dammit, Tracy! You forgot to send us a warning! Hey, are you good?" She cursed at her fellow huntress herself before speaking to Thalia, the girl in question was busy trying to regain her vision as quickly as possible. In response, Thalia shook her head as she reached up to her shield arm, only to grimace in pain.
"It's dislocated. I need some help." Thalia said, and without batting an eye, the girl reached over and, in one swift motion, audibly popped Thalia's arm back into place. Thalia couldn't help but let out a sharp hiss as the pain coursed through her body for a few moments. But she didn't have time to let the pain get to her as she rolled her shoulder a few times while her vision finally came back.
"A count to three would have been nice." Thalia hissed lightly as she looked up at her savior, only to freeze for a moment as she recognized the girl in front of her. Her appearance was that of a Persian warrior princess with copper-toned skin, but the silver circlet in her hair was a lot fancier than the last time she saw her.
"You!" Thalia explained in surprise, causing Zoe to turn her gaze back toward Thalia with a raised eyebrow as she stared at her for a second with a bit of confusion in her eyes. Yet a moment passed as her eyes slowly widened.
"Thalia? Didn't you… Become a tree?" Zoe couldn't help but ask as Thalia's lips twitched and her eyes narrowed a little.
"I got better," Thalia snorted out as she finally got back to her feet and reached into her jacket and pulled out a small cube of Ambroisa before popping it into her mouth. While she chewed, Thalia pulled out the spear and shield again as Zoe reached up into her hair and pulled out a hairpin with nightshade flowers on it.
"I can see that…" Zoe slowly said while thinking to herself. She remembered Annabeth mentioning something in their joint dreams about her friend, but nothing about Thalia. Did she maybe miss the dream meeting Annabeth had mentioned, in which Thalia had come back to life? Unfortunately, she didn't have the time to think about it as a huge thorn whizzed right by the tree they were hiding behind and slammed into another beside them.
"Alright, break's over, are you good to move?" She asked, causing the daughter of Zeus to stare at her for a moment longer before nodding.
"Good, it seems your friends have a plan. Let's finish this beast. I'll make sure that tail isn't in your way." Zoe said as her hairpin started to transform into her giant warhammer, and Thalia couldn't help but stare in awe at the weapon. With its impressive size and two giant lion heads on each face of the hammer, the weapon seemed out of place with the dainty huntress wielding it. Yet Zoe lifted it with ease, astonishing Thalia even more.
"Let's do this," Zoe said before stomping on the ground so hard it cracked the earth beneath her while shooting her forward at extreme speed. Once again, Thalia was left astonished as she blinked in surprise at the huntress' speed and strength. Weren't Artemis' hunters supposed to be agile and all about bows? When did a warhammer become the standard weapon?
"Come on, Thalia, get it together." She spoke to herself for a second before running forward with all her might, while her body began to produce large sparks of blue electricity as if she were charging up for a big move.
While Thalia and Zoe were busy, the Manticore had decided to blindly charge forward with all its might through the forest as the hunters and the others struggled to keep up. But the beast had reached the end of the line as it stood silently in the middle of a clearing that touched the cliffs leading down to the storming ocean below. Its scorching hot breath produced huge steam clouds in the air as it overlooked the waters in the distance before slowly turning back to the forest's edge.
Behind the tree line were dozens of hunters, each with an arrow trained on the beast, but held back on attacking. The Manticore carefully scanned the line while his tail lay silently on the ground. The spikes that had once covered it were nearly entirely gone, but if one were to look closely, they could be seen visibly growing back. The beast couldn't help but glance at his tail before finally speaking to his crowd.
"It seems I've fallen into your trap. You hunters truly live up to your name." It grumbled in annoyance and hatred, but the hunters didn't respond as the sound of footsteps could be heard coming their way.
"A trap? You flatter yourself; we don't need such a thing to kill you." Zoe's voice came from the forest with Riptide resting on her shoulder. Her brown eyes locked onto the Manticore and observed its wounds while the beast couldn't help but hiss at her. But she paid him no mind as three more figures came in behind her, all three of which being Annabeth's snow warriors. Though their ice armor was cracking and their snow bodies seemed to be crumbling, each looked ready for more.
"Yeah, plus they take the fun out of the hunt." Phoebe's voice came from the other side as she stepped out of the forest with her butcher's blade still shimmering with blood.
"Aren't traps your specialty?" Thalia couldn't help but ask as she appeared by the hunter's side. The blue lighting crackled dangerously all over her body and weapons.
"No, I'm the best tracker and healer in the hunt. Traps aren't my thing." Phoebe said confidently, but Thalia raised an eyebrow at her answer. The large bloody butcher blade on her shoulder was throwing off the image she was going for.
"Traps and illusions are more my speed." A voice joined them as Tracy stepped out of the tree line, surrounded by several floating music notes that had little angry faces, while each hand was sporting a foot-long silver knife.
"Girl's focus, we have 1 minute before Nick is ready." Suddenly, Annabeth's whisper fell on their ears as all of them couldn't help but glance around, but were unable to find the source. Even with her enhanced senses, Zoe barely managed to feel her presence in the trees behind them but paid it no mind.
"Alright, let's do this," Zoe said as she swung her hammer a few times before her aura began to intensify around her, and tattoo lines started to appear on her skin as it increased even more.
"GO!" Thalia shouted while thrusting her spear forward, causing all the sparks on her body to flow into her weapon instantly. The Manticore could barely blink in time as a huge bolt of blue lightning flew directly at it before slamming into its side.
ZZZZZZZTTTTTT
"ROOOARRR!" The beast let out a roar of pain as electricity coursed through its body, while multiple smaller arcs of lightning spread out from its body, scorching more and more of its fur and flesh. But the bolt only lasted a few seconds longer before it sputtered out, leaving a sizzling Manticore and a gasping Thalia as electricity reserves were depleted in a single moment.
"NICE HIT SPARKY!" Phoebe yelled in satisfaction as she charged the beast along with the three snow soldiers.
"AAAAHHHH!" Three war cries filled the air as the three snow soldiers moved far faster than the huntress and reached the beast first. With the Manticore still stunned from the lightning blast, it made him an easy target, with each soldier taking one part of the monster. In a split second, one of them had leaped into the air and smashed its ice shield into the beast's head while another sank its ice spear deep into its side where the lightning had just struck.
The final one had another mission. It had abandoned its weapons and shield and used its brother with the spear as a platform to jump onto the beast's back. Moving as fast as it could on the back of the raging monster, which was beginning to get their bearings again, it dove toward the base of its tail.
"NOOOOOO!" The manticore's danger senses screamed at him as it moved as fast as it could. Taking one paw, it swung at the shield warrior and turned it into a cloud of ice shards the moment it made contact. Before the spear warrior could move, the manticore's hind leg kicked it so hard its top half was turned to dust, leaving behind its legs that fell to the ground.
But even with the two gone, it didn't have time to catch the third as the warrior reached the base of its tail. In a split second, its body of ice and snow suddenly changed. In a sacrificial move, it transformed and morphed into a foot-thick ice ring that locked the beast's tail into place. Leaving the monster without its most important tool as it tried to break free, but the ice only slightly cracked as it gave its all to move its tail.
"NO, YOU DON'T!" Phoebe yelled as she reached the manticore before it could break the ice ring. Its focus turned toward her as her blade cleaved through the air and nearly took off one of its forelegs. It barely managed to rear itself back in time as the blade smashed into the ground, throwing debris everywhere. But the Manticore saw opportunity in this as it raised its claws higher, ready to strike Phoebe down. But the moment it began to descend, Phoebe looked up at the beast with a killer grin on her face.
"This is what you call a trap, Idiot," Phoebes said as the Manticore's vicious face turned into a deep frown. In a split second, Phoebe's body and the debris around her suddenly began to shimmer before disappearing completely as if it had never been there before. The manticore realized it had been tricked, and with its current position, it was stuck.
"Even a legendary beast couldn't tell your illusions have gotten better." A voice came from right beside Tracy as a squatting Phoebe suddenly appeared right beside Tracy, giving the daughter of Apollo a thumbs up. Tracy just flashed her a brilliant smile while raising a finger gun toward the Manticore, who was still not even halfway to the ground.
"Bang!" She exclaimed while firing her finger gun. In a split second, a change happened as Zoe, who had been building up her aura, suddenly shimmered and disappeared. Before the beast could move, Zoe appeared right beside him with her warhammer already in full swing.
With her tattoos present radiating on her skin and a storm of aura flowing around her, Zoe gave it her all in this one strike. Even her goddess crown appeared several inches above her head in its transparent state. With the brilliant gem that seemed to hold a galaxy at its center and the finest metals making the rest, this elegant and commanding silver circlet shimmered even in its transparent state as if commanding the attention of everyone around.
"NOOOO!" The manticore screamed, but it was too late as the warhammer came right down on the base of his tail, where the ice had encased it.
"BURSTING STRIKE!" She yelled as her aura intensified even more in the single instant.
BBBOOOMMM!!
With an incredible explosion, the Manticore's tail was crushed under the weight of her blow like an ant under a foot. The monster's skin, muscles, and bones were no match for the sheer force behind Riptide as it crushed everything in its path. The ground underneath followed suit beneath Riptide's roaring tiger face. In an instant, the ground sank, and a massive spiderweb of cracks spread outward, covering everything in the clearing.
Debris and snow exploded outward from the point of impact in the next second, clouding the scene while a ripple passed through the shattered ground. Friend and foe weren't spared as they dodged the debris as fast as they could. Even nearby trees on the edge of the clearing weren't spared as they toppled over from the ripple.
"AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!" A sudden wail of pain shook the sky as the debris cloud was blown away. A mortally wounded Manticore could be seen stumbling backward away from Zoe, who was standing next to Riptide, who was still buried deep in the ground right beside a now lifeless manticore's tail.
"Y-You BITCH!" The Manticore roared in fury as its face twisted in rage and pain while glaring at Zoe. With the area where his tail had once been now profusely bleeding, it caused a trail of blood to cover the ground as he stumbled back a bit more. With his primary weapon gone, he could feel his strength diminishing by the second.
"Hey now, language," Zoe said without thinking, with a frown on her face, before a slight blush crossed her cheeks after realizing what she had just said.
"Really? You're such a mom, Zoe." Tracy quipped as she poked her head up from behind a fallen tree while Phoebe did the same with a grin on her face.
"HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME, YOU BI-." The Manticore screamed in pure rage, but before he could finish, a swell of water rushed out of the forest right toward him. With his injuries, the beast didn't have time to move before multiple tendrils of water shot out and began to wrap around his body.
RRROOOARRR!!!!
The beast couldn't help but let out a roar of pure frustration and anger as words could no longer properly convey his emotions. All he could do was rip apart the water tentacles as they tried to tie him down. But each time one was broken, a new one took its place a moment later. Through gritted teeth, the beast continued to fight through the immense pain running through his body as he struggled even more.
"Just in time, boy!" Tracy shouted happily as she looked up at Nick, standing on top of a nearly 12-foot-tall mound of water, his face locked in a state of pure focus as he moved his hands and fingers in a way that would make anyone staring at him feel the heebie jeebies. In truth, several hunters were already giving him creeped out faces that grew more intense with each of his hand movements.
But as more tendrils shot out and continued to assault the Manticore, the Beast continued to roar and let out angry screams while doing everything he could. Still, after just several seconds, multiple tentacles had fully wrapped themselves around his body and started to thicken rapidly. Its hind legs had already been locked down as the beast continued to struggle and tear against them, but in a split second, it seemed like its defensive walls had given way.
One foreleg had been wrapped up for a mere moment, but that was more than enough time for Nick to react. Pushing himself to the limit, Nick's mountain of water rapidly shrank to nothing as it was sent after the Manticore. A sudden burst of blood spewed from his nose as he gritted his teeth, and his hands contorted as if viciously grabbing onto something.
Following his command, the water surged forward as several tentacles turned into a dozen that wrapped up the Manticore rapidly. Some tentacles merged with others while others anchored themselves in place. In mere seconds, the Manticore had been sealed in place by seven large water tentacles. Yet even with its body stuck, the Manticore's muscles continued to flex as they pushed and pulled against his seals. Its roars and screams filled the air even more as it continued to struggle, causing its wounds to bleed even more profusely as it seemed to go berserk.
"DO IT!" Nick screamed as more blood started to fall from his nose, as he fought against a legendary beast with all his might. Nearly everyone present couldn't help but be amazed at his strength; they had almost forgotten their mission for a mere moment—all except one person that is.
"I would say it was nice to meet you, but that would be lying. Have fun reforming in Tartarus, Dr. Thorn." A voice suddenly spoke right above the Manticore as his eyes darted to the side and landed on Annabeth, who had appeared out of nowhere. Her body was already in mid-stab with her foot-long dagger that gleamed in a deadly bronze light. With a shudder, the blade penetrated his hide like nothing and sank deep into his chest.
He could even feel the blade instantaneously and magically elongate inside his flesh as it drove itself deeper and pierced right into his heart. A second passed before Annabeth pulled her blade back out, causing the blade to shrink down instantly to its normal foot-long length as she quickly stepped away from the beast.
"GGuuuuhhh." Letting out a low groan of pain, Dr. Thorn seemed to have every ounce of strength sapped from him as his knees began to buckle and blood began to fall from his mouth. Everyone watched as the legendary beast approached its final moments, while more blood began to pool beneath it as it struggled to keep itself up.
"Finally, it's over," Tracy said with a long sigh, but the moment she did, the world around them suddenly seemed to flip.
BBBBBOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
In less than a second, an enormous explosion could be heard in the distance as they all turned just in time to see a sound wave approaching them before it slammed into them. They didn't have time to think as dust, snow, and debris followed a second later. This second wasn't over as the ground around them shook so violently that everyone in the vicinity found themselves being tossed into the air by the surging and shattering ground.
Not even the forest behind them was spared from the massive splinters that took less than a second to form in the thick rock below. Finally, the second seemed to pass as everyone slammed into the broken ground, pelted with small stones and layers of snow that quickly followed them. Before they could even catch their bearings the quaking ground beneath their feet suddenly shifted downward several inches, making them all freeze.
"RUN!" Zoe screamed as loud as she could, but even she was too slow as the ground that had just been supporting them gave way and fell right from beneath them. The cliff they had been fighting on this entire time reached its limit as thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of rocks began to fall into the freezing ocean below.
Most of the hunters were luckier as they were farther from the edge, but even in the tree line, a few hundred feet back, they couldn't escape. A few managed to get far enough away and get to safety, but others weren't so lucky, as they were forced to run through an ever-changing environment as everything fell apart. Hunters were caught off guard, left and right, as falling trees and shifting ground trapped them in deadly positions. Some of the other girls tried to help their sisters, but were stopped by a shout that carried through the intense sounds around them.
"I've got them! Just keep running!" Dex's voice yelled from the treeline as he appeared beside several hunters in a portal of his own. A second passed as several portals opened behind, and his nose began to bleed as he pushed himself in his already sorry state. Each portal began to dump out the hunters who had been trapped or injured. But with each shadow travel taking more out of him, he couldn't help the ones that could still move.
Yet the front lines were an entirely different situation. Tracy, Thalia, Phoebe, and Zoe were trying their best to fight against the cascade of rocks. But it was like a sand trap; each step forward seemed to put them one behind. In a split second, they all seemed to have the same thought as they exchanged glances.
"Tracy! Up!" Phoebe shouted as she reached over and grabbed the girl's hand, and in one swift motion, she threw the tiny girl with all her strength. Tracy was sent soaring like a missile far above the collapsing terrain and toward the forest, but in turn, Phoebe lost her momentum and fell behind the others. Yet this didn't last for long, as a warhammer presented itself in one swift motion just in time for her to grab hold.
"Up you go!" Zoe yelled as her aura surged and her arms tensed before she swung her hammer with all her might and sent Phoebe flying after Tracy. With her speed, Phoebe met up with Tracy in a split second and managed to grab the girl as the two tumbled through the air toward the forest.
"Thalia, you're next!" Zoe yelled as she looked over at Thalia, who surprisingly shook her head.
"I'm fine! Grab Nick!" Yelled as she pointed toward the son of Poseidon, who was struggling to stay afloat in the cascade of rocks. Giving Thalia a quick nod, Zoe moved as Thalia began to give off sparks of lightning that dove into her body and muscles. Each muscle started to move in overdrive as Thalia's speed nearly doubled as she almost seemed to fly through the air with each step, allowing her to escape the fastest part of the rocks.
"Boy!" Zoe yelled as she approached as fast as she could while the two continued to fight against gravity. She arrived just in time, as Nick tripped and was nearly swallowed by the rockslide before her hand shot out and grabbed him by his shirt. Before he knew it, Nick was thrown like a sack of potatoes at top speed right toward Phoebe and Tracy, who had already landed. But even then, Zoe didn't escape the zone she was in as she turned to look for one last person.
It was then she saw the worst scene possible. On a largely unbroken piece of rock that was moments away from plunging into the freezing ocean stood a dying Manticore that had managed to pin a struggling and screaming Annabeth underneath its claws. One of its claws even pierced through her shoulder as it kept her in place.
"RUNNN! LEAVE ME!" Annabeth suddenly screamed as Zoe and Annabeth's eyes locked. Even though Annabeth's face was full of pain and fear, there was something in her eyes that told Zoe not to come after her. Something that said she knew something that Zoe didn't, that if she moved now, she would fall victim to a trap. Zoe couldn't help but grit her teeth in frustration as she found her sixth sense aligned with Annabeth's hidden message.
All she could do was glare at the Manticore, which had a sickening grin plastered on its face that only infuriated Zoe more. Even if they were moments away from being swallowed by the frigid waters below, she knew she still had time to reach them if she pushed herself to the limit, but at the same time, Annabeth's warning kept her from going.
In the end, Zoe was forced to watch Annabeth and the Manticore be consumed by the frigid waters before an avalanche of rock followed. It was in that split second that Zoe felt the soulmate connection with Annabeth pulse rapidly with multiple emotions, before dulling in color and going completely silent. Feeling such a thing, Zoe's frustration and anger reached the limit as she let out a scream of frustration.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
LINEBREAK:
1 MINUTE AGO:
"It seems Menoetius failed. I figured he would at least manage to bring it to a draw. But it seems I overestimated him." Perses said in an indifferent tone, as his eyes slowly pulled away from the horizon and turned back toward the goddess, who was still seated in her temporary throne.
"Did you really think my knight would achieve anything else but victory?" Hera asked them in a proud tone before a small smile graced her lips while her hand gently tapped on her armrest in a fixed rhythm.
"HAHAHA! You're right! Makes me want to fight him even more!" Perses let out a booming laugh before his eyes revealed an eager light, and even his aura began to billow a little. But a hand suddenly reached out and lightly grabbed his arm, causing his aura and fighting spirit to disappear.
"Enough, let us pray and hope he finds peace as he reforms," Asteria said softly, before releasing his arm and clasping her hands together. Yet a moment later, Perses let out a hearty laugh, causing Asteria to glare at her husband beneath her shawl. But the titan didn't seem to mind his wife's scathing glare as he looked at Hera.
"Menoetius isn't reforming anytime soon. Isn't that right, Hera?" Perses said that the goddess' expression didn't change at all. But an incredibly subtle fluctuation in her aura occurred, which both titans were barely able to detect. Yet it was enough for them to realize that Perses had made the correct assumption.
"Who's to say?" Hera simply avoided the topic altogether as Perses and Asteria stared at the goddess in silence. The seconds slowly passed as the three shared a gaze before Asteria gave a soft sigh and stood up. Her gaze turned away from Hera before facing the ocean, and for the first time, the snow finally made it past her barrier as it gently fell onto her dress.
"The Moon is on her way back." She said it in an almost melancholic and barely audible tone.
Sigh
"Don't, Perses. This is why I am here," Asteria said in an unwavering tone as she faced her husband. Her softly glowing eyes met burning red as if challenging him, yet in only a few seconds, his eyes dimmed until he finally gave in and let out a large sigh before closing his eyes entirely.
"May the fates be kind and allow us to meet in a time of Peace." Perses' voice quietly rumbled as he suddenly took a knee before Asteria, his head lowering enough that he was only slightly taller than Asteria. Without pause or hesitation, she reached up to his helmet and lifted it just ever so slightly, revealing his lips and jawline, which were peppered with dozens of scars.
"Goodbye, my love," Asteria whispered as her head moved closer to him. Yet the moment they kissed, her shawl hid their faces from the world for several long moments. But as soon as it began, it ended as Asteria retreated, revealing a fully helmeted Perses who slowly got back up to his feet.
"What, going to mock us?" Perses asked as his eyes opened once more, revealing their burning red color again.
"Perhaps a long time ago I would have, but now? To mock such a beautiful display of love would be a sin." While Hera's tone had a hint of wistfulness to it, the words surprised the two titans before her. Asteria and Perses couldn't help but stare at her for a moment, but in the end, Perses didn't want to continue the conversation, as his aura exploded from him in a raging red storm before he moved.
"GO ASTERIA!" He roared as he rushed Hera, much to her dismay.. In a split second, her aura poured into her transparent barrier, which shone brightly before Perses' fist slammed down onto it. Her barrier shuddered but managed to block the strike, but the area around her was a different story.
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!!
A red-hot, aura-filled explosion tore open the sky and ground like paper as Perses poured every ounce of his strength into this blow. Snow within a 500-foot radius instantly vaporized from the heat, while the ground beneath Hera's throne turned molten in a 5-foot radius. A millisecond passed as more energy was forced into the ground before it gave way, creating a wave that cut through the ground in all directions. Everything in its path was torn apart and broken as huge chunks of earth were sent flying and trees turned to splinters instantly.
But at the center of it all lay Hera and Perses, the two beings staring at one another through her barrier as the milliseconds ticked by. The energy that tried to penetrate her barrier was tossed aside like nothing and continued to pour into the surrounding environment. But it was at that moment that something in the back of her mind told her something wasn't right with this situation. It may have only been a dozen milliseconds later when realization dawned on her. Her eyes widened, and her teeth gritted together as she glared up at Perses with pure anger.
'Those two dare to trick us! How impudent! The others are in danger! We need to get to them!' Juno screamed in her mind. But before Hera could do anything, Perses raised another fist high above his head, charged with an incredible amount of aura.
"You're not going anywhere, Goddess!" Perses yelled as his second fist descended upon her.
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PERCY POV:
"Come on," Artemis said in a hurried tone as she urged her golden reindeer to go faster, yet their hooves were already moving as fast as they could. The mythical creatures were pushing themselves to the limit as they tore through the air.
"How much longer until we reach the coast?" I asked as my eyes glanced down at the dark sea rushing beneath us.
"A minute or two at the most, I can see it coming into view." She said as I tried to find what she was looking at, but it was even outside my vision. That was until I saw a tiny flash of red in the distance that caught my eye. I couldn't help but squint my eyes and push my vision to the limit, trying to figure out what it was.
"That bastard!" Artemis suddenly yelled, catching me off guard as I turned to her to find her eyes glowing with a deadly light. Her aura even began to radiate from her, filling her auburn hair with silver lightning.
"What's going on?" I asked in a concerned tone, but as I looked at Artemis for a response, I watched her nostrils flare and aura intensify even more as her skin began to spark with even more energy.
"Perses is attacking Hera…" She managed to say through gritted teeth and clenched fists as my eyes widened. I could feel my anger growing in my chest at the notion of Hera being hurt, but then I remembered Hera's words from earlier.
"Hera said he wouldn't be able to breach her throne's barrier, though," I said as Artemis' aura stopped growing in intensity before turning to me with eyes full of surprise.
"She is using her mobile throne?" She asked me as I nodded, slightly confused at her surprise. But my confirmation caused her face to reveal a hint of relief. Yet her aura didn't dwindle in the slightest as the sparks of silver energy continued.
"Thank the gods, that gives us time." She said while giving the reins another whip as the golden reindeer continued to push themselves.
"Is her mobile throne not something she uses a lot?" I couldn't help but ask as Artemis nodded.
"It is rare for her to even make it to a battle, let alone use that thing. The only time I have ever seen it used is in massive battles. It might amplify her barrier abilities and buffs, but it has one glaring weakness that can't be overlooked. It turns her into a sitting duck. Perses is using that against her; what's worse is that each of his strikes is destroying the cliffs. More than likely, the demigods and hunters are already caught up in the destruction." Artemis explained, her tone growing full of concern and anger as my eyes widened at her explanation.
In that moment, I could feel my raw emotions becoming increasingly tangled as my anger and worry grew exponentially. I trusted in Hera's ability to defend herself, but if the others were in danger, that would explain Annabeth's soulmate link and the trembling I felt from Zoe's in the recent minutes. A new sense of urgency compounded on the one I already had, as my thoughts began to run wild. I could feel myself start to spiral as my aura began to spill out of me.
"Fuck fuck fuck! Why did I leave them alone? I should have stayed with them." I cursed while reaching up and running my hands through my hair. Terrible thoughts filled my mind as images of Zoe, Annabeth, Bianca, the hunters, and the others filled my mind. Scenes of them being crushed in avalanches of rocks or underneath falling trees. Before I knew it, I had slumped down the side of the Chariot's wall with my hands still in my hair.
"Percy!" Yet a sharp voice snapped me out of my spiral before a hand landed onto my shoulder and shook me. All I could do was look up at Artemis as her expression was full of apprehension.
"S-Sorry…" All I could manage was to sputter out a single word, but Artemis shook her head before her eyes filled with seriousness.
"Don't be sorry. You did what you had to do; you fought Menoetius to protect them. It's okay to be worried, but believe in them. They are strong and resourceful, especially Zoe. If anything, believe in that son of Hades and his ability to keep them alive." She said as I slowly nodded, she was right. I could already feel the turmoil in my emotions beginning to settle as her hand gave me three gentle squeezes on my shoulder.
"Thank you, love," I said, laying my hand on hers while taking a moment to breathe.
"Hmmm, how interesting." A familiar voice suddenly found its way into my ears, causing my head to snap towards it. In a split second, I was able to catch a figure standing on the end of Artemis' chariot. Her gown was simple and black, but her shawl was elegantly designed with quails and star designs. I was barely able to see what happened next as the two divine beings moved instantly, and in the next moment, they had already stopped.
"Freeze." A calm word from Asteria's mouth was all I heard at the end as I looked up to see Artemis frozen mid-attack. Her body was fully encased in a light gray and brown aura, but her eyes still pulsed with a cold silver aura. In one hand, she held a knife that had just started to cut into Asteria's throat, drawing a drop of golden blood that gently ran down her throat.
"You've gotten faster," Asteria said in an almost happy tone while stepping to the side of her blade and pulling back a finger that had been on Artemis' forehead. As she did, I moved, summoning Crimson sky, but before I knew it, my body had come to a complete halt as I felt something press up against my forehead.
"Freeze," Asteria said again as I tried to summon my aura to move, but found myself unable even to dent the spell surrounding me. All I could do was struggle with all my might, but nothing worked as the titaness moved closer to me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm going to be borrowing your… love interest. Kronos' plan is too delicate to have him around," Asteria said as cracks began to spread across the aura cocoon containing Artemis rapidly. Yet the titaness didn't seem concerned as her aura began to gather at an incredible pace, as it began to surround the two of us. As it did, I could feel the space around us start to bend as I realized Asteria was going to teleport us.
"May your hunt for me be prosperous," Asteria whispered as space finally gave way and dragged us both into the vortex. All I could do was watch Artemis break free of Asteria's spell in slow motion, her face turning into one of terror and anger as she reached out to me. But before her hand could reach me, space healed, and darkness consumed my vision and my mind.
"Wake up." A whisper encoded in my mind the first moment my consciousness came back to me. On reflex, my eyes snapped open, revealing a starry sky above. However, when I tried to move my body, I encountered complete resistance. Looking down, I found glowing bands wrapping up my entire body from shoulder to feet. While I struggled against the bands, I tried to summon my aura, but the instant I did… I found nothing to summon.
"What?" I managed to grunt out as confusion, worry, and anger filled my mind.
"It's a simple spell, but its effects are magnificent. It was initially intended to assist those with severe injuries. It seals the aura in one's body and forces it to transform into energy to heal the body. The only downside is that one cannot use Aura for a week, and because it is a healing spell, most ways to break it don't work." A sudden explanation filled my ears as I turned to see Asteria standing beside me, her eyes gazing up at the stars above.
"...Sounds useful, mind teaching me how to use it?" I asked as I forcefully controlled my emotions. With bindings too tight and aura sealed, I knew I wasn't going anywhere. There wasn't a need to piss off my captor, at least not yet.
"Welcome to Delos, Perseus Jackson. Birthplace of the Sun and Moon, haven of Leto, and my eternal resting place. A land born from sacrifice and endless pursuit." She spoke in such a way that it was like she wasn't even talking to me but to herself. I used that moment to take in the information given to me before blinking a few times.
"Delos? Are we in Greece right now?" I couldn't help but ask with a raised eyebrow. This time, she actually chuckled at my question, which made me feel like I had said something wrong.
"Do you hear water?" She suddenly asked me as I raised an eyebrow, but the moment I actually paid attention, I suddenly realized that there weren't any sounds of water. Instead, there was only the sound of the wind. One thought came to mind as I realized this island was somewhere it shouldn't be.
"It is called the wandering island for a reason," Asteria said as a sudden shiver ran up my back. I couldn't help but slowly look to my side to find that the ground ended only a foot away. Ever so slowly, I turned back toward Asteria, who stood too close for my liking.
"I-I thought Apollo locked Delos into place." I couldn't help but point out as Asteria let out another small chuckle as she took a step toward me, as I flinched back. But with my body locked up, I couldn't even do that.
"Apollo certainly did." She said while placing one of her feet on my side. In that moment, all I could feel was a surge of panic and fear.
"But that is because I let him," Asteria said as she began to apply pressure to her foot, causing my body to slide slowly toward the edge of the island.
"Wait, wait! We can talk about this!" I said while trying to figure out a way out of this.
"Don't worry too much, Perseus. The restraints will release when you reach 1000 feet above the ground." She said as she kept pushing me closer to the edge, as I struggled more and more, while my emotions went into a frenzy.
"Asteria, please!" I tried once again, but the titan only paused for a moment as I felt her emotions sway before letting out a small sigh.
"With this, my task is complete… Good luck, young Perseus. Kronos only wanted me to dump you onto another continent, but didn't specify where. Use this opportunity I am giving you to grow stronger and… put an end to all of this." Her words were so surprising that all I could do was blink as I looked up at her glowing eyes that looked… tired.
Kick
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Lots of plot and cliffhangers hehe! I know it took way too long to write, but it is done! Also, Percy is getting a one-way ticket to where? Guess in the reviews, please. Additionally, I am currently focusing on TTCOC. I promise I will get to Akashic when I can. Leave a review on what you like and didn't! I love the feedback!
E/N: Yo yo yo! Percy got kidnapped by a titan and even got a little plea of being asked to stop this whole war! Ooooh maybe we could have some shifting sides going on, who knows? I certainly don't, or if I did, I wouldn't spoil! I hope you all enjoyed it, I know I did! Reviews, discord, blah blah blah you all know the drill by now! - Sidus