LoSP Ch.50: The Ominous Prophecy (Patreon)

PERCY POV

Faint beams of sunlight shone against the white acrylic strips of the ping-pong table. Clarisse played with her dagger, using it like a bat to bounce an orange ping-pong ball. Grover chewed on a napkin, while Annabeth had her eyes fixes on her laptop screen.

“So… this prophecy,” Bianca gulped as all eyes turned to her. “It doesn’t say where we will find them. In the prophecy where we went to free Lady Artemis, it had clearly said we should go west. Here there’s nothing. Except the maiden’s land, whatever that means.”

“That’s because they could be hiding anywhere,” I said, turning to Artemis and Athena. “Any idea what the maiden’s land is? You two are maiden goddesses, especially Artemis.”

"Excuse me?" Athena gave me an offended glare. "I am just as much of a maiden as Artemis is!"

"I meant no disrespect to you." I raised my hands, giving her a placating smile. "But Artemis is not only a maiden goddess but also the goddess of maidens. If there happens to be a Maiden's land, there is a high chance they are associated with her."

“The only two places that can be called mine are Delos and the palace in Olympus.” Artemis bit her lip. “Delos is my birthplace and sacred to Apollo and me both. But as you have informed, my mother and Lady Rhea are there.”

“And Apollo and Queen Hera are keeping a constant watch on Delos whenever it turns visible.” Athena said. “It cannot be the Maiden’s land."

"What about yours?" I questioned. "We cannot miss any possibility."

"The only lands that can be called mine are in Greece." Athena pursed her lips. "I do not think the titans would ever go to the Ancient Lands.”

“There is also a spring I have… in Greece.” Artemis said quietly. “And it is situated in Athens.” 

#The Titans won’t be all the way in Ancient Greece. They fell there to the gods. It is also where the gods are the strongest.# Alexander said. #And there’s no way Typhoon could make it across the sea. Not without facing Poseidon in all his might, in a place he can unleash it.#

“The Titans have no reason to be there, sister.” Athena waved Artemis off. “They wouldn’t dare intrude on the Ancient Lands.”

“What is stopping them from hiding on the mountain?” Nico raised a hand. “Their mountain, I mean. On Mount Othrys?”

The gods exchanged a look that I couldn’t quite decipher, communicating silently amongst themselves. 

“There are a couple of Titans residing there.” Athena said slowly. “Atlas, the Titan Lord, and, if Olympus' sources are correct, Krios. The rest are not there because it would be a strategic blunder. Together, they make a big enough target for Olympus to pick apart. Us gods can launch a siege and kill them all like the elder Olympians did all those centuries ago.”

“And we’d take Perry with us so they cannot go nuclear on us, with a hero being in our midst.” Dionysus said, pushing himself up on his chair. “Plus, they couldn’t handle six gods who had no throne or experience. Young beyond measure with barely any grounding in their powers. They won’t be anywhere near powerful enough to take on the whole council at once as we are now.”

“So, they are not on Othrys.” I leaned back. “That is a relief. It would have been a challenge to get into the fort by ourselves.”

“But that gets us nowhere.” Annabeth said. “If they are not on Othrys, where are they?”

“Excuse me but why are we running our brains ragged when we have the god of fucking prophecy with us?” Thalia jabbed her thumb at Apollo who had been talking animatedly with Chiron.

At his mention, Apollo turned around, ceasing his conversation, giving them an enigmatic smile, his yellow eyes running down the length of the table.

“My dear cousin, you do not tell an artist to explain his art.” Apollo said. “And I do not control prophecies. While I have a version of foresight, prophecies are governed primarily by Delphi and the other Oracles— who in turn are governed by Lady Fates. Not me. I am merely their guardian.”

“But you are still the god of prophecies.” Nico argued. “Surely you can give us some insight?”

“Prophecies are often tricky and at times meant to mislead.” Apollo shrugged. “When you think straight, the answer will be in a corkscrew and when you think in a corkscrew, the answer will be in front of you all along. And if you think that you thought of it all, it will be something silly, with the vaguest, yet obvious connection to the words.”

“That’s the most unhelpful shit I’ve ever heard.” Clarisse muttered.

“No, he is right.” Athena said and Chiron nodded in agreement. “The whole point of making it a prophecy is to tell you about something while keeping all possibilities open.”

“Let’s get through the lines, first, I say.” Artemis put her hands on the table. “Decode what’s obvious or could be obvious.”

“Like?” Apollo raised an eyebrow.

“The destroyers’ battle the world must withstand.” Artemis glanced at me. “The name Perseus means the destroyer. And well… there is only one other destroyer we know of— Perses the titan.”

“Atlas was also once known as the destroyer of enemies.” Apollo said quietly. “And the last battle he fought— against Percy, no less, did shake the whole mountain. Another fight between them could very well shake the world, philosophically speaking.”

“But Atlas is trapped under the sky.” Thalia’s voice turned sharp. “Lady Artemis made sure of it.”

“The burden can be taken on by another.” Athena looked to the heavens. “Three of you here have borne the weight of the sky. If a mortal can hold it for even about a day— something which my daughter did, even the weakest of gods can hold it for a year.”

“And yet, if you would forgive me, only Atlas has the strength and endurance to hold it for eternity, Lady Athena.” Chiron said, speaking for the first time since I had recited the prophecy. “Not even Lord Ares— the Olympian with the most strength can hold the sky indefinitely. He will get crushed. Not immediately, or even in a century. But he will eventually succumb.”

“My dear Chiron, they don't have to hold it for centuries.” Apollo’s face darkened. “The General was the Titan Lord’s right hand. And despite his recent failure, he was the only one that Jackson couldn’t defeat and had to hand the fight over to my sister. You see, someone could replace him for a year or two till the Titan Lord’s plans come to pass. And if the plans are successful, I daresay, he will have no shortage of gods to hold the heavens.”

Artemis flinched while Dionysus looked startled. Athena merely nodded in agreement, as if she had already calculated the possibility of what Apollo said… which she likely had. Pan, on the other hand, remained silent, choosing to play a soft, mournful tone on his reed pipes.

“I will make sure that they don’t then.” I scowled.

“That’s not the point, Percy.” Annabeth said. “It means that Atlas could be back in the field if he is the destroyer the prophecy refers to. And this time, there will not be a goddess to back you up. Neither can you throw him back under the sky if you’re nowhere near it.”

#She is right.# Alexander agreed. #Atlas is on a whole other level, and you know it, Percy. I almost pray it is Perses rather than him, because Perses, despite his powers of destruction and his rock skin, can be defeated.#

‘Rock skin?’ I asked, baffled.

#He doesn’t wear armor but instead turns his skin to rocks.# Alexander said. #At least when he fought against the gods he did.#

“We will find a way.” I said aloud. “Whoever it is— Atlas or Perses.”

Silence reigned over the room for a moment as the immortals in the room exchanged silent looks.

“That still doesn’t answer the initial question though.” Bianca cleared her throat. “Where do we go? And how do we find the Titans and the traitors?”

“We can point you in the initial direction.” Artemis said quietly. “You set off on the day of the equinox— two days from now. We can find something till then. Very little escapes our combined gazes. But after that, we cannot help you directly because you will be on a quest.”

“And we will not be able to interfere beyond a certain point. Not directly or at least, without an appropriate… fee.”  Athena added.

“A sacrifice.” Percy nodded. “Or a favor for a favor.”

“Exactly. Even the first direction will be pushing it if I am being honest. But Apollo should know more.”

“It will be bordering on it. Father might have to levy some punishment… likely something like the one he did for me when I helped on the quest to save Artemis. Then again, he may not.”

Athena smiled and nodded. Every god on Olympus knew that despite the theatrics Zeus had employed to punish Apollo, the punishment itself had been negligible at best.

“So, you give us the first location.” Annabeth said. “Then what?”

“Then, my daughter, you’re basically on your own.” Athena leaned back. “If we find something, we could nudge you in the right direction. Help indirectly. But, at the end of the day, it is a quest. And direct interference to help you is prohibited unless the heroes pay a fee.”

“And may I remind you that you have a satyr with you.” Pan looked pointedly at Grover who was chewing on a silver goblet. “A satyr who can perform a tracking charm under the right circumstances and ingredients.”

“If you have a general location, can you find them?” I turned to Grover who bobbed his head in response. “Then it shouldn’t be much of a problem. At least, if they are not living very cautiously.”

“And how do you propose to find them, Perry?” Dionysus arched an eyebrow. “Even their general location.”

“I have my sources.” I stood up from my seat. “Give me a few hours to get in contact with them. We should be ready till the day of the equinox to set off on the quest. The rest of you, prepare whatever you need. Get the tents, armor, spare weapons… anything you need. Prepare the steeds— your hellhound, my pegasus… whatever we might need.”

Saying so, I swept out of the room. I had work to do.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Percy! Percy! Wait up!” Artemis’ voice rang through the hillside and I turned around to see her running up the slope toward me. 

“Hey,” I glanced at Peleus who was snoring next to me, guarding the Golden fleece draped over the pine tree that used to be Thalia. “Did something happen?”

“No. I just wanted to check on you, Percy.” Artemis’s silver eyes bore into his. “You are troubled by it.”

“By the golden waters, a brother shall fall.” I repeated the line of the prophecy. “There is only one brother on the team. Nico.”

“You’re assuming, Percy. As my brother said, prophecies are often meant to mislead.” Artemis patted my arm. “It could be referring to anyone. Even some Titan or god.”

“Well, even if you can argue against that, you cannot argue against the last line.” I clenched my fists. “My dad’s gonna get in trouble because of me.”

“You don’t know that.” Artemis retorted. “It could be Triton for all we know! Or someone else! Poseidon has several immortal sons. You may be his latest but you are not his first, Percy. Or even in the first hundred.”

#She is right, you know?# Alexander said. #Also, decoding prophecies never helps. All you can do is try to stack the deck as much as you can in your favor. Give it your hundred percent. You’ve defeated the odds before. Remember the time you went to save Artemis? How you made sure that even if you failed, Olympus would not fall?#

‘I secured the Ophiotaurus.’ I replied. ‘Made sure the endgame of the Titans didn’t come to pass.’

#Exactly.# Alexander said. #And this is also a part of the endgame, Percy. You are going to prune the supporters and army of Kronos. In the grand scheme of things, this is just a small thing. A small thing that could have a huge impact on the war. And the good thing is, you will be attacking.#

‘I can decide where to go, whom to attack, and how to attack. Make a plan, go in, and get the job done.’

#Exactly. When you are playing defense, you don’t have that luxury. Right now, you do.#

‘Then that’s what I will do.’ I declared.

“Percy?” Artemis poked me in the arm, drawing my attention. “You here?”

“Yeah,” I gave her a slight smile. “Well, I still have some work to do.”

“What are you going to do?” Artemis frowned. “You’re not going to go off and do something stupid, are you?”

“No.” I brushed her hair away from her eyes. “Though I feel touched that you think so highly of me.”

“Boys, especially heroes, are prone to doing stupid things.” Artemis huffed. “You’re no exception in that area.”

“Then I won’t do anything stupid. I swear.” I took her hand in mine. “I am going to contact some friends. Water spirits and naiads. They listen to me.”

“You are setting up your own network like the one I have.” Artemis realized.

“I did get the idea from you, yes.” I grinned. “Yours is way more widespread, but for now, mine shall suffice.”

“I will teach Thalia to tap into my network and tell my nymphs to respond to her if she requires help before spreading the word.” Artemis said. “It won’t be easy or quick for her, but it might benefit you.”

“That’ll be great.” I nodded. 

“You should also ask Enyo.” Artemis’ eyes darkened. “Should at least—”

She stopped as I put a finger to her lips. 

“I will.” I said, giving her a penetrating look. 

Artemis nodded in understanding. While no one was in our vicinity to hear us, we could never be sure. No one could know Enyo was a double agent for Olympus. We needed an agent on the inside. Kronos certainly had a few in ours.

“Be safe, Percy.” Artemis whispered. “I won’t be allowed to interfere if anything bad happens. And… we won’t be spending any time together till you return from the quest.”

“We won’t?”

“In the passing, we could see each other.” Artemis said mournfully. “But not have any meaningful conversations or… anything else for the possibility of letting something slip or offending the Fates. Not unless it is decreed.”

“Right. Fucking ancient laws.” I muttered. “So… if we can’t see each other till the quest ends, why don’t we meet up somewhere today? And spend some time together. No quest talk… just us.”

Artemis smiled faintly. “Sounds like a good idea.”

“You select a place and I’ll bring the food.” I beamed. “I’ll see you later.”

Taking a deep breath, I pictured the riverside where I wished to go. The world turned liquid for a moment, before it righted itself, and I appeared on the bank of Despina’s river, which gushed down the hill.

#Show dominance Percy. Command them as the son of the sea.# Alexander advised. #Don’t threaten them, but do be commanding. If nymphs understand one thing very clearly, it is power. They know you are dangerous and an ally. But a superior one. You are their protector and their benefactor. Remind her what you’ve done for them.#

‘Of course, I know the drill.’ I rolled my eyes.

I stepped into the water and tugged at the domain of the sea, thrusting my fist in the water, sending a wave of power through the water. Immediately, the water rippled and Despina rose from the surface, looking startled. A moment later, she bowed deeply.

“Lord Perseus. You summoned me?”

“I did.” I nodded. “Sorry if I disturbed you but the time has come that we confront Olympus’ enemies.”

“My Lord?” Despina blinked.

“I told you to spread the word and keep an eye out for Titans and monsters.” I said. “I’ve protected you in turn, slaughtering dozens of monsters who came your way. Now, it is your turn. I need information. Where are the titans and gods who betrayed Olympus hiding? ”

“I do not have anything at the moment, Lord Perseus.” The nymph bowed her head in shame. “But if you allow me some time, I will contact my sisters and other sea creatures and find what you need.”

“Excellent.” I smiled slightly. “Tell them, if any god or Titan under the banner of the time lord resides near their banks, they should convey it to you or me directly. Most nymphs are sensitive enough to feel the divinity of gods when they are close enough. Spread the word through every water body and get back to me by sun-rise tomorrow.”

“Such a short notice, my lord?” She gulped.

“If you fail to get anything of note, I shall not punish you or reprimand you.” I told her. “But I do hope you can. Any hint or inkling can make a huge difference for us. And if you do not find anything, keep looking. Any time of the day you find one, contact me instantly. I shall come.”

“Understood, my lord.” Despina shifted on her feet. “And our gratitude.”

“Do try to get me some good news.”

The nymph nodded nervously, before disappearing in a spout of water, back into her river. I watched the ripples over the surface fade into the water before turning around.

‘What next, Alexander?’ I asked. ‘Enyo?’

#Not directly. Have Athena call her to see you all off.# Alexander suggested. #When she comes, ask her if she knows the hiding places of any Titans. She owes you her life, which should be enough of a debt.#

“Ancient Laws suck.” I grumbled. ‘You have anything in that cool vault of yours that I should take?’

#You have all the weapons you will need. You’ve sent your chariot for rearming and have Blackjack ready on duty with a gods-freaking hellhound the size of a small truck.#

‘Nico has taken good care of her.’ I said with amusement. ‘She is like a very big dog.’

#Big enough and strong enough to bowl a god over.# Alexander said. #It is only a little smaller than Liekos in his godly height.#

‘Cerberus was big.’

#Cerberus is older than your girlfriend and the literal guard hound of Hades.# Alexander snorted. #Mrs. O’Leary is big even by hellhound standards.#

‘That she is.’ I sighed. ‘Anyhow, I guess I should get to Olympus. Then I have a date to attend.’

#Of course you do, my lovesick Padawan.#

“Alexander? Shut up.” I said aloud before twisting on my spot and disappearing in sea mist.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lightning lanced across Thalia’s ax as she spun it in slow circles, its tip digging into the ground. Nico and Bianca were talking quietly on the side with Annabeth and Clarisse while Grover stood next to me, examining his new reed pipes.

“Another set of pipes, huh?” I nudged him. “One gifted by Pan.”

Heat bled onto Grover’s cheeks. “He said I was worthy of the greatest gift he could give a satyr.”

“Nothing less than you deserve, honestly.” I patted his shoulder. “I, for one, took a lot of pleasure seeing the Cloven elders’ faces when we returned with him in tow.”

Grover cracked a grin.

The Council of Cloven Elders had apparently not expected Pan to show out of the blue, in the middle of a battle, no less, found by the satyr they had nearly banished. And then, after everything had settled, it had been more hilarious to see their reactions as Pan expressed his disappointment in them before dismantling the council.

In my opinion, it was justice. The council was broken and fairly useless. They only got what was long overdue.

A bright flash lit up the hillside as the gods— Athena, Ares, and Artemis appeared. 

“Let’s go.” I told my questmates as we made our way down the hill.

“All prepared?” Artemis smiled at us.

“As prepared as we can be,” Thalia answered. “Any last-minute advice?”

“Trust your instincts, punk.” Ares said. “We’ve taught you all whatever we could. In the days of Sparta, all of you would’ve been amongst the ranks of the bravest and fiercest warriors. Enemies would tremble when you entered. And they would. Do not disappoint us.”

“We wouldn’t, father.” Clarisse gave him a warrior's salute, thumping her fist to her chest.

“Good.”

“Stay safe and have a plan going in. Survey and surveil your enemy. Make sure you have accounted for all the variables before going in. Be quick, do the job, and get out. Anything to add, Artemis?”

“My advice is that when in doubt, go to Kansas.” She gave me a meaningful stare. “The fields are an excellent place to hide, aren’t they?”

Thunder rumbled in the sky.

“Oops.” Artemis said unrepentantly. “My father calls.”

“That was great advice, though.” I grinned at her. “Let’s get going. To Kansas, it is.”

“Good luck, Percy.” Artemis' lips curled into a smile. “See you all soon again.”

“Make Olympus proud, children.” Athena said. “Make us proud.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

Next chapter, Percy and party set off on the quest. The Ichor Purge.

The date that Artemis and Percy mentioned in this chapter shall be the next side story of LoSP. So, it is gonna be cute, fluffy, and fun.

I am aware that this was more of a setup chapter, but when people will read this fic at once, they would appreciate it. Next arc is going to be action heavy, as I have said before. Though not all of them would be outright fights and destructive action. If I did that, it would become monotonous. I won’t say more in the fear of giving out spoilers. 

So, wait and watch. I aim to please, as always.

A huge thanks to Mughil and Anax for betaing this chapter.

.

Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66