[Percy Jackson/Dresden Files] Deep as the Sea
- Thread starter Ryuugi
- Start date
XxXXxX
ôWell that was fun,ö Annabeth said, taking off her cap and suddenly appearing beside him.
He glanced at her, concerned.
ôYou okay?ö He wondered.
She gestured dismissively.
ôIÆll be fine.ö She said, sighing. ôSo weÆre really going to do this.ö
Not many people knew it, but Annabeth didnÆt really want to join the Accords. A lot of the campers had been hunted by monsters and hurt by them and even lost friends and siblings to themùbut not many of them had done so as much as Annabeth.
Unlike most, Annabeth had been chased by monsters since she was five years old. Percy distantly remembered a few things that had happened to him at that age, but heÆd be fairly lucky, all things consideredùheÆd been kicked out of pretty much every school he went to for something or other, but things had never gotten so bad that heÆd had to abandon his mom.
He hated Gabeùeven now, years later. Honestly, he doubted heÆd ever forgive the man for what heÆd put his mother throughùand he didnÆt feel an ounce of pity for the manÆs fate.
But he could at least admit that he was the only reason heÆd been able to stay with his mother as long as he had.
But AnnabethàhadnÆt gotten along nearly as well with her step-mother, at the time. Or her father, really. Because of her, theyÆd been constantly attacked by monsters and theyÆd just had two new children.
So she ran away. Annabeth never really talked much about that time, but he knew that sheÆd fought monsters for several months before meeting up with Luke and Thaliaùand that Thalia had ædiedÆ before sheÆd joined the camp. For a long, this had been the only place sheÆd called home.
A number of people heÆd known had died in the war. Silena, Beckendorf, Michael, Lee, Castor, and more. But Annabeth had been at this camp year round since she was seven years old.
He wondered how many of her friends had been killed by monsters. He also wondered how many had turned traitor. HeÆd probably beaten up some of the people sheÆd grown up with.
A part of him wanted to ask, but he knew that would be tactless.
So instead, he just put a hand on her shoulder.
ôIÆm hungry,ö He said. ôWanna go get something to eat?ö
She shot him a look that made it obvious she knew he was trying to distract her, but didnÆt call him on it.
ôYouÆre always hungry, Seaweed Brain.ö She stated, even as she stood.
ôSo, what do you think will happen now?ö He asked as they walked.
Annabeth shrugged.
ôWeÆll decide who we want to try negotiating with and approach them.ö She said.
ôBut who do you think weÆll approach?ö He wondered.
ôIsnÆt that for the camp to decide?ö She complained, but answered. ôNo oneÆs going to suggest the Reds. The other vampires are possibilities, butàwell, I doubt theyÆll get voted for either. Even the Cabins that wanted to sign the Accords arenÆt fans of anthropophagi.ö
A fancy way of saying people-eaterùPercy was somewhat surprised that he understood it, but realized after a moment that it was a Greek word.
ôThatÆs probably for the best,ö Percy admitted. ôIÆll try my best to get us on the Accords, but if I walk in to find them eating people, negotiations are gonna break down real fast.ö
Howeveràthat didnÆt leave them with a lot of options. Technically they could contact anyone on the Accords, butàwell, they didnÆt exactly have a listùand even if they did, a lot of the members were fairly obscure. Their best bet would be to contact one of the larger factions, simply because they were a lot easier to contact.
There were six. Three Vampire Courts, two Fairy Courts, and a Council of Wizards.
ôThe Fairies are a possibility,ö Annabeth continued. ôThe Accords were made by one of them, supposedly, hence their name. In addition, if their penchant for making deals if true, then it should be possibleùthough if theyÆre as good at making deals as the vampires say, we should be wary.ö
Percy nodded at that, having though the same.
ôI already talked to Travis and Conner,ö He said. ôTheyÆll be coming along to help me make any deals.ö
ôI did, too.ö Annabeth said. ôIÆve been pouring over everything I could find on fairies at the librariesùIÆll go over it with them, if needed.ö
He didnÆt bother asking if Annabeth would come with him, as well, and she didnÆt bother saying anything about it.
It was just the type of thing that went without saying.
ôThe Wizardsàö Annabeth looked uncertain. ôIÆm not sure. If there really is a War with the Reds, IÆm sure theyÆd support us in return for an alliance, butàö
ôNico said the Reds are mustering their forces for an attack.ö
Annabeth frowned at that, looking thoughtful.
ôWhatÆd you tell him?ö
ôThat we should wait and see how things go.ö Percy said. ôI donÆt want to join a losing battle.ö
Annabeth nodded approvingly.
ôGood. ItÆs probably best to wait. If the Council manages to hold their own, weÆll approach them.ö AnnabethÆs expression shifted as if she wanted to grimace at what she was about to say. ôThough from a strategic standpoint, it would best to wait even if they do wellùweÆd probably get a better deal if we waited until after they suffered a major defeat and then rode to their rescue.ö
Percy grimaced at that and saw why Annabeth wanted to.
It was strategic and logical and it was probably the best choice for the Camp, butà
In a war, it went without saying that a major defeat would mean heavy losses. Not just exploiting it, but waiting for ità
The idea put a bad taste in his mouth, even if it was logical.
But then, it was AnnabethÆs job to point out things he wouldnÆt consider.
ôùLike I said, letÆs just see how things progress.ö He said quietly. ôWeÆll decide how to approach them, laterùthat probably wonÆt be necessary.ö
Annabeth nodded.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
ôWell that was fun,ö Annabeth said, taking off her cap and suddenly appearing beside him.
He glanced at her, concerned.
ôYou okay?ö He wondered.
She gestured dismissively.
ôIÆll be fine.ö She said, sighing. ôSo weÆre really going to do this.ö
Not many people knew it, but Annabeth didnÆt really want to join the Accords. A lot of the campers had been hunted by monsters and hurt by them and even lost friends and siblings to themùbut not many of them had done so as much as Annabeth.
Unlike most, Annabeth had been chased by monsters since she was five years old. Percy distantly remembered a few things that had happened to him at that age, but heÆd be fairly lucky, all things consideredùheÆd been kicked out of pretty much every school he went to for something or other, but things had never gotten so bad that heÆd had to abandon his mom.
He hated Gabeùeven now, years later. Honestly, he doubted heÆd ever forgive the man for what heÆd put his mother throughùand he didnÆt feel an ounce of pity for the manÆs fate.
But he could at least admit that he was the only reason heÆd been able to stay with his mother as long as he had.
But AnnabethàhadnÆt gotten along nearly as well with her step-mother, at the time. Or her father, really. Because of her, theyÆd been constantly attacked by monsters and theyÆd just had two new children.
So she ran away. Annabeth never really talked much about that time, but he knew that sheÆd fought monsters for several months before meeting up with Luke and Thaliaùand that Thalia had ædiedÆ before sheÆd joined the camp. For a long, this had been the only place sheÆd called home.
A number of people heÆd known had died in the war. Silena, Beckendorf, Michael, Lee, Castor, and more. But Annabeth had been at this camp year round since she was seven years old.
He wondered how many of her friends had been killed by monsters. He also wondered how many had turned traitor. HeÆd probably beaten up some of the people sheÆd grown up with.
A part of him wanted to ask, but he knew that would be tactless.
So instead, he just put a hand on her shoulder.
ôIÆm hungry,ö He said. ôWanna go get something to eat?ö
She shot him a look that made it obvious she knew he was trying to distract her, but didnÆt call him on it.
ôYouÆre always hungry, Seaweed Brain.ö She stated, even as she stood.
ôSo, what do you think will happen now?ö He asked as they walked.
Annabeth shrugged.
ôWeÆll decide who we want to try negotiating with and approach them.ö She said.
ôBut who do you think weÆll approach?ö He wondered.
ôIsnÆt that for the camp to decide?ö She complained, but answered. ôNo oneÆs going to suggest the Reds. The other vampires are possibilities, butàwell, I doubt theyÆll get voted for either. Even the Cabins that wanted to sign the Accords arenÆt fans of anthropophagi.ö
A fancy way of saying people-eaterùPercy was somewhat surprised that he understood it, but realized after a moment that it was a Greek word.
ôThatÆs probably for the best,ö Percy admitted. ôIÆll try my best to get us on the Accords, but if I walk in to find them eating people, negotiations are gonna break down real fast.ö
Howeveràthat didnÆt leave them with a lot of options. Technically they could contact anyone on the Accords, butàwell, they didnÆt exactly have a listùand even if they did, a lot of the members were fairly obscure. Their best bet would be to contact one of the larger factions, simply because they were a lot easier to contact.
There were six. Three Vampire Courts, two Fairy Courts, and a Council of Wizards.
ôThe Fairies are a possibility,ö Annabeth continued. ôThe Accords were made by one of them, supposedly, hence their name. In addition, if their penchant for making deals if true, then it should be possibleùthough if theyÆre as good at making deals as the vampires say, we should be wary.ö
Percy nodded at that, having though the same.
ôI already talked to Travis and Conner,ö He said. ôTheyÆll be coming along to help me make any deals.ö
ôI did, too.ö Annabeth said. ôIÆve been pouring over everything I could find on fairies at the librariesùIÆll go over it with them, if needed.ö
He didnÆt bother asking if Annabeth would come with him, as well, and she didnÆt bother saying anything about it.
It was just the type of thing that went without saying.
ôThe Wizardsàö Annabeth looked uncertain. ôIÆm not sure. If there really is a War with the Reds, IÆm sure theyÆd support us in return for an alliance, butàö
ôNico said the Reds are mustering their forces for an attack.ö
Annabeth frowned at that, looking thoughtful.
ôWhatÆd you tell him?ö
ôThat we should wait and see how things go.ö Percy said. ôI donÆt want to join a losing battle.ö
Annabeth nodded approvingly.
ôGood. ItÆs probably best to wait. If the Council manages to hold their own, weÆll approach them.ö AnnabethÆs expression shifted as if she wanted to grimace at what she was about to say. ôThough from a strategic standpoint, it would best to wait even if they do wellùweÆd probably get a better deal if we waited until after they suffered a major defeat and then rode to their rescue.ö
Percy grimaced at that and saw why Annabeth wanted to.
It was strategic and logical and it was probably the best choice for the Camp, butà
In a war, it went without saying that a major defeat would mean heavy losses. Not just exploiting it, but waiting for ità
The idea put a bad taste in his mouth, even if it was logical.
But then, it was AnnabethÆs job to point out things he wouldnÆt consider.
ôùLike I said, letÆs just see how things progress.ö He said quietly. ôWeÆll decide how to approach them, laterùthat probably wonÆt be necessary.ö
Annabeth nodded.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
Deep as the Sea
Foreign Shores
It wasnÆt hard to convince everyone that sending an envoy to the vampires would be unwise. It was hard to convince them that openly siding with the White Council was unwise at this pointùthough it was also agreed that it wouldnÆt hurt if they helped them subtly. While sending soldiers to help them would be reckless, it was true that they had a great deal of information about the Red Courts movements. Percy eventually decided that it wouldnÆt hurt if they sent a warning to the White Council, sending Conner and Travis to do so, though ordering him not to say precisely who it was from, yetùand also not to steal anything or do anything mischievous.
If they ended up siding with the Council, heÆd remember to take them both along with him on the first meeting to make it obvious that theyÆd been to ones to help them. That was also the reason he sent the two in person, rather than dropping an anonymous tip.
Howeveràthe fact remained that if they refused to openly contact the White Council and wanted nothing to do with the vampires, then they were only left with the Fairies.
Fortunately, reaching them wasnÆt an issue.
Without a doubt, the Nevernever had been their biggestùand most unnervingùdiscovery. Not only had they missed hordes of monsters, wizards, and who knows what elseùthey had missed an entire plane of existence.
What exact the Nevernever was, they werenÆt sure. What they did know was that it was the realm of the supernatural and that it was separate but connected to Earth. They knewùor had heard, at leastùthat it didnÆt always obey natural laws and that it was a fluid sort of place.
But most interesting of all, it was a place that could be travelled to and from. According to the vampires Drew had interrogated, opening gateways anywhere you wanted was something only magic users could doùbut heÆd also said they werenÆt the only ones able to crossover.
Monsters could cross over the boundary in locations closely related to them, though it was difficult. It was how most monsters crossed over in the first place.
That had been very useful information.
Howeveràit was a bit unnerving to learn that they were similar to monsters.
But not as unnerving as actually doing it.
Percy stood by the window of his Cabin. All the windows in the Poseidon Cabin faced the sea, even in the real world, butà
This was definitely not any sea on Earth.
Crossing over had been a strange experienceùhere in the Cabin dedicated to his father, it had been easy. Too easy. It had like closing his eyes in one world and opening them in anotherùand now that heÆd done it, it felt like could slip between the worlds at any minute.
Worseùa part of him didnÆt think that was a bad thing. Half of him felt more at home in this world then his own, like he was a child coming home. It felt like heÆd been a fish in the desert and had just found his way back to the sea. It was like that part of him had always been suffocating and now it could breathe againùlike there was a discomfort and pain that had been there for so long that he didnÆt even notice any more, but now it was gone.
And yetàno matter how much this place felt like home to one halfàthe other half just didnÆt belong. HeÆd simply traded one discomfort for another.
Maybe that was just what it meant to be a demigod. He didnÆt fully belong in either world.
Still, if this was what the Nevernever was like, there wouldnÆt be a problem.
HeÆd volunteered to be the first to try entering the Nevernever, to make sure it was safe. And as he stared out the window, he wasnÆt sure what to report back.
Safeà?
No. This place couldnÆt be called safe. Maybe other areas were, but this one was dangerous.
In this world, his Cabin stood proudly atop the waves of an endless ocean. The light reflecting off its surface gave it an illusion of peace and beauty, but Percy wasnÆt fooled. The ocean could be beautiful, but peaceful was never a word that could describe it.
Not mortal oceans and especially not this one.
They were in water, so Percy just knewùthere were things moving beneath the surface.
Giant creatures like squid or octopi, large enough to stretch miles in the deep, and flowing, monstrous serpents. Endless creatures that were like shrimp in comparison, living, breeding and devouring each other in the depths. Amorphous creatures that had no more shape then water itself, flowing together and splitting apart, and countless fish that had no place on earth.
There were creatures the size of islands and a small as insects. Things that might have looked a bit my people or a bit like fish or a bit like nothing much at all. He could feel everything in the sea beneath him and knew one thing for sureùa mile of this ocean had more life in it then any city on Earth.
He could feel no bottom to it, nor any shores. It was deep enough to swallow worlds and vast enough to be without exit or end.
An ocean that wrapped around the worldàthat belief probably stemmed from this place.
It was bottomless, endless, and without pity or remorseùand it called out to him like it was a living being. Like a mother to a child.
Percy closed his eyes and let himself slide between worlds.
ôAh!ö Annabeth said behind him, sounding surprised. ôThat didnÆt take longùô
He ignored her, striding out of the Cabin. To him, the boundary between worlds was no more than a spider web in thereùand he could still hear the world-ocean calling out to him like he was its wayward son.
It would be a lie to say he didnÆt want to answer.
But all of that faded away to moment he stepped out of the Cabin, as if walls rose up all around him. He tried to slide again, but he couldnÆtùit was like trying to step through a doorway that didnÆt exist.
ôPercy?ö Annabeth asked, sounding concerned. ôAre you okay?ö
ôIÆm fine,ö He assured her, already missing the sea. ôI just wanted to see if I could do it out here, too.ö
ôAnd?ö
He shrugged.
ôNothing. What happened on this side?ö
Annabeth blinked once, before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
ôYou vanished and then reappeared a second later. That was pretty fastùdid you see something on the other side?ö
Yes, he thought.
ôIt was several minutes for me,ö He said instead. ôOdd, but we expected it.ö
ôCan we reach Faerie from here?ö
The thought scared him. If it was just him, it might be okayùhe was sure that he was as much a part of that sea as anything in the water, but even then heÆd be wary of what lurked beneath the waves. But if he had to take someone else?
TheyÆd be swallowed up by the waves themselves. More than even the Bermuda Triangle, he felt that place was truly a æSea of Monsters.Æ Even the ocean itself had seemed alive.
ôNo,ö He said. ôWeÆll need to find some other way.ö
XxXXxX
Foreign Shores
It wasnÆt hard to convince everyone that sending an envoy to the vampires would be unwise. It was hard to convince them that openly siding with the White Council was unwise at this pointùthough it was also agreed that it wouldnÆt hurt if they helped them subtly. While sending soldiers to help them would be reckless, it was true that they had a great deal of information about the Red Courts movements. Percy eventually decided that it wouldnÆt hurt if they sent a warning to the White Council, sending Conner and Travis to do so, though ordering him not to say precisely who it was from, yetùand also not to steal anything or do anything mischievous.
If they ended up siding with the Council, heÆd remember to take them both along with him on the first meeting to make it obvious that theyÆd been to ones to help them. That was also the reason he sent the two in person, rather than dropping an anonymous tip.
Howeveràthe fact remained that if they refused to openly contact the White Council and wanted nothing to do with the vampires, then they were only left with the Fairies.
Fortunately, reaching them wasnÆt an issue.
Without a doubt, the Nevernever had been their biggestùand most unnervingùdiscovery. Not only had they missed hordes of monsters, wizards, and who knows what elseùthey had missed an entire plane of existence.
What exact the Nevernever was, they werenÆt sure. What they did know was that it was the realm of the supernatural and that it was separate but connected to Earth. They knewùor had heard, at leastùthat it didnÆt always obey natural laws and that it was a fluid sort of place.
But most interesting of all, it was a place that could be travelled to and from. According to the vampires Drew had interrogated, opening gateways anywhere you wanted was something only magic users could doùbut heÆd also said they werenÆt the only ones able to crossover.
Monsters could cross over the boundary in locations closely related to them, though it was difficult. It was how most monsters crossed over in the first place.
That had been very useful information.
Howeveràit was a bit unnerving to learn that they were similar to monsters.
But not as unnerving as actually doing it.
Percy stood by the window of his Cabin. All the windows in the Poseidon Cabin faced the sea, even in the real world, butà
This was definitely not any sea on Earth.
Crossing over had been a strange experienceùhere in the Cabin dedicated to his father, it had been easy. Too easy. It had like closing his eyes in one world and opening them in anotherùand now that heÆd done it, it felt like could slip between the worlds at any minute.
Worseùa part of him didnÆt think that was a bad thing. Half of him felt more at home in this world then his own, like he was a child coming home. It felt like heÆd been a fish in the desert and had just found his way back to the sea. It was like that part of him had always been suffocating and now it could breathe againùlike there was a discomfort and pain that had been there for so long that he didnÆt even notice any more, but now it was gone.
And yetàno matter how much this place felt like home to one halfàthe other half just didnÆt belong. HeÆd simply traded one discomfort for another.
Maybe that was just what it meant to be a demigod. He didnÆt fully belong in either world.
Still, if this was what the Nevernever was like, there wouldnÆt be a problem.
HeÆd volunteered to be the first to try entering the Nevernever, to make sure it was safe. And as he stared out the window, he wasnÆt sure what to report back.
Safeà?
No. This place couldnÆt be called safe. Maybe other areas were, but this one was dangerous.
In this world, his Cabin stood proudly atop the waves of an endless ocean. The light reflecting off its surface gave it an illusion of peace and beauty, but Percy wasnÆt fooled. The ocean could be beautiful, but peaceful was never a word that could describe it.
Not mortal oceans and especially not this one.
They were in water, so Percy just knewùthere were things moving beneath the surface.
Giant creatures like squid or octopi, large enough to stretch miles in the deep, and flowing, monstrous serpents. Endless creatures that were like shrimp in comparison, living, breeding and devouring each other in the depths. Amorphous creatures that had no more shape then water itself, flowing together and splitting apart, and countless fish that had no place on earth.
There were creatures the size of islands and a small as insects. Things that might have looked a bit my people or a bit like fish or a bit like nothing much at all. He could feel everything in the sea beneath him and knew one thing for sureùa mile of this ocean had more life in it then any city on Earth.
He could feel no bottom to it, nor any shores. It was deep enough to swallow worlds and vast enough to be without exit or end.
An ocean that wrapped around the worldàthat belief probably stemmed from this place.
It was bottomless, endless, and without pity or remorseùand it called out to him like it was a living being. Like a mother to a child.
Percy closed his eyes and let himself slide between worlds.
ôAh!ö Annabeth said behind him, sounding surprised. ôThat didnÆt take longùô
He ignored her, striding out of the Cabin. To him, the boundary between worlds was no more than a spider web in thereùand he could still hear the world-ocean calling out to him like he was its wayward son.
It would be a lie to say he didnÆt want to answer.
But all of that faded away to moment he stepped out of the Cabin, as if walls rose up all around him. He tried to slide again, but he couldnÆtùit was like trying to step through a doorway that didnÆt exist.
ôPercy?ö Annabeth asked, sounding concerned. ôAre you okay?ö
ôIÆm fine,ö He assured her, already missing the sea. ôI just wanted to see if I could do it out here, too.ö
ôAnd?ö
He shrugged.
ôNothing. What happened on this side?ö
Annabeth blinked once, before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
ôYou vanished and then reappeared a second later. That was pretty fastùdid you see something on the other side?ö
Yes, he thought.
ôIt was several minutes for me,ö He said instead. ôOdd, but we expected it.ö
ôCan we reach Faerie from here?ö
The thought scared him. If it was just him, it might be okayùhe was sure that he was as much a part of that sea as anything in the water, but even then heÆd be wary of what lurked beneath the waves. But if he had to take someone else?
TheyÆd be swallowed up by the waves themselves. More than even the Bermuda Triangle, he felt that place was truly a æSea of Monsters.Æ Even the ocean itself had seemed alive.
ôNo,ö He said. ôWeÆll need to find some other way.ö
XxXXxX
It's more then just his realm--it's the place in the Nevernever for sea monsters and spirits in general. And yeah, it's not a nice place, cause literally every sea monster ever is in there and then some.
All the Cabin's lead to places like that; it's intentional. Their parents put them there to keep anyone from getting to their kids. Kind of like Lea, but ramped up to Divine Power.
Of course, getting from the Cabins to anywhere else is kind of a pain in the ass, too.
All the Cabin's lead to places like that; it's intentional. Their parents put them there to keep anyone from getting to their kids. Kind of like Lea, but ramped up to Divine Power.
Of course, getting from the Cabins to anywhere else is kind of a pain in the ass, too.
XxXXxX
After Percy confirmed that they could survive in the Nevernever, he hesitantly asked the other Counselors to check their own Cabins, to make sure they were æsecure.Æ
If they were anything like his Cabin, then they didnÆt need to worry about invaders from that side of things, but it also meant they wouldnÆt have much luck using them to get to Faerie. Indeed, they all quickly confirmed his suspicion that taking that route just wasnÆt gonna happen. The sheer amount of defenses around each of the Cabins made Percy wonder if they were natural at all, or if their parents had specifically placed the defenses there.
On the Brightside, it did mean that they had a new emergency escape plan. If things became bad enough in the mortal realm, they could all crossover in the sanctity of their Cabinsùthough going anywhere after that might be risky.
With their first plan to reach Faerie shot down, they attempted to pursue other routes. Percy lead the expeditionùwhich seemed to be his given role at this point, as the one most likely to survive if something went wrongùand confirmed his suspicion.
æWhat belongs to the sea returns to the sea.Æ
He could crossover effortlessly as long as he was in the seaùsomething he tested by simply heading for the one nearby. However, no matter where shifted from, he always ended up in that place.
Worse, unlike with his Cabin, when he crossed over in the sea, he ended up in the sea, floating adrift in some random place. As theyÆd head, distance in the Real World didnÆt correlate precisely with distance in the Nevernever. He had tried a number of places moving both down the beach and further from shore, and each time had ended up in some random place at the sea.
In the waters of the mortal realm, he had perfect bearings, and knew his exact location in terms of both longitude and latitude instinctively. In that strange world-ocean, his senses didnÆt work quite the same wayùprobably, he suspected, because longitude and latitude simply didnÆt, or even couldnÆt, apply to itùbut he was still able to tell where he was instinctively, and where that was in relation to the other places heÆd been, simply by æcomparingÆ the two places in his head and wondering how far apart they were.
From what the Red CourtÆs agents had divulged, he assumed this was due to the way places in one world linked to æsimilarÆ places in another. Which led to several questions, such as what would happen if he attempted to cross over at the bottom of the ocean, or in the Mariana Trench, or in other extreme places in the ocean.
Probably something bad. If just crossing over in water took him to a Sea of Monsters, he didnÆt want to know where the deepest place in the ocean would take him. He should probably avoid BermudaÆs Triangle, too.
However, it quickly became obvious that his ability to enter the Nevernever wasnÆt going to help them get to Faerie.
ôMaybe if we tried something besides the sea,ö Annabeth said, frowning thoughtfully. SheÆd apparently taken their so-far-failed attempts as a personal affront and challenge. ôMaybe if you tried crossing over in fresh water, as opposed to salt?ö
Percy shrugged.
ôItÆd probably just take me somewhere associated with fresh water.ö
Annabeth snapped her fingers.
ôExactly! Maybe if you crossed over in a lake or river, youÆd end up in a lake or river in Faerie.ö
ôOr maybe somewhere a lot worse,ö He said, grimacing. ôAt least in the sea, I now know roughly where IÆm going to end upùif a river could really take me anywhereàö
Annabeth hummed in agreement, waving a finger at him.
ôGood point.ö She pursued her lips for a moment. ôThen what if you tried crossing over in, say, a water park? If similar places are linked, that would probably take you somewhere positive.ö
She looked away, muttering to herself.
ôBut would it take you to fairyà? What type of body of water would be associated with fairiesàI know there are some; King Arthur had the Lady of the Lakeàö
ôWas she a fairy?ö Percy asked. ôOr something else?ö
He received a vague gesture in reply.
ôIt depends on the source.ö She replied absently.
Deciding he should intervene before his girlfriend decided to ship him off to England to search for a mythical lake, Percy stood.
ôFor now, letÆs just assume that finding a way there through water will be troublesome and try something else. If we run out of options, you can tell me to go jump in a lake.ö He promised.
XxXXxX
After Percy confirmed that they could survive in the Nevernever, he hesitantly asked the other Counselors to check their own Cabins, to make sure they were æsecure.Æ
If they were anything like his Cabin, then they didnÆt need to worry about invaders from that side of things, but it also meant they wouldnÆt have much luck using them to get to Faerie. Indeed, they all quickly confirmed his suspicion that taking that route just wasnÆt gonna happen. The sheer amount of defenses around each of the Cabins made Percy wonder if they were natural at all, or if their parents had specifically placed the defenses there.
On the Brightside, it did mean that they had a new emergency escape plan. If things became bad enough in the mortal realm, they could all crossover in the sanctity of their Cabinsùthough going anywhere after that might be risky.
With their first plan to reach Faerie shot down, they attempted to pursue other routes. Percy lead the expeditionùwhich seemed to be his given role at this point, as the one most likely to survive if something went wrongùand confirmed his suspicion.
æWhat belongs to the sea returns to the sea.Æ
He could crossover effortlessly as long as he was in the seaùsomething he tested by simply heading for the one nearby. However, no matter where shifted from, he always ended up in that place.
Worse, unlike with his Cabin, when he crossed over in the sea, he ended up in the sea, floating adrift in some random place. As theyÆd head, distance in the Real World didnÆt correlate precisely with distance in the Nevernever. He had tried a number of places moving both down the beach and further from shore, and each time had ended up in some random place at the sea.
In the waters of the mortal realm, he had perfect bearings, and knew his exact location in terms of both longitude and latitude instinctively. In that strange world-ocean, his senses didnÆt work quite the same wayùprobably, he suspected, because longitude and latitude simply didnÆt, or even couldnÆt, apply to itùbut he was still able to tell where he was instinctively, and where that was in relation to the other places heÆd been, simply by æcomparingÆ the two places in his head and wondering how far apart they were.
From what the Red CourtÆs agents had divulged, he assumed this was due to the way places in one world linked to æsimilarÆ places in another. Which led to several questions, such as what would happen if he attempted to cross over at the bottom of the ocean, or in the Mariana Trench, or in other extreme places in the ocean.
Probably something bad. If just crossing over in water took him to a Sea of Monsters, he didnÆt want to know where the deepest place in the ocean would take him. He should probably avoid BermudaÆs Triangle, too.
However, it quickly became obvious that his ability to enter the Nevernever wasnÆt going to help them get to Faerie.
ôMaybe if we tried something besides the sea,ö Annabeth said, frowning thoughtfully. SheÆd apparently taken their so-far-failed attempts as a personal affront and challenge. ôMaybe if you tried crossing over in fresh water, as opposed to salt?ö
Percy shrugged.
ôItÆd probably just take me somewhere associated with fresh water.ö
Annabeth snapped her fingers.
ôExactly! Maybe if you crossed over in a lake or river, youÆd end up in a lake or river in Faerie.ö
ôOr maybe somewhere a lot worse,ö He said, grimacing. ôAt least in the sea, I now know roughly where IÆm going to end upùif a river could really take me anywhereàö
Annabeth hummed in agreement, waving a finger at him.
ôGood point.ö She pursued her lips for a moment. ôThen what if you tried crossing over in, say, a water park? If similar places are linked, that would probably take you somewhere positive.ö
She looked away, muttering to herself.
ôBut would it take you to fairyà? What type of body of water would be associated with fairiesàI know there are some; King Arthur had the Lady of the Lakeàö
ôWas she a fairy?ö Percy asked. ôOr something else?ö
He received a vague gesture in reply.
ôIt depends on the source.ö She replied absently.
Deciding he should intervene before his girlfriend decided to ship him off to England to search for a mythical lake, Percy stood.
ôFor now, letÆs just assume that finding a way there through water will be troublesome and try something else. If we run out of options, you can tell me to go jump in a lake.ö He promised.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
For supposedly being the area in the Nevernever closest to Earth, they were having a surprisingly hard time reaching Faerie.
ôMaybe the Demeter Cabin?ö Annabeth suggested. ôTheir mother is the Goddess of Seasonsùhow can they not be associated with either Winter or Summer.ö
Percy shrugged.
ôMaybe they areùbut apparently their Cabin is a fortress on the other side. I have a hard time believing it can compare to an endless sea of monsters waiting to eat you, but Katie seems to think so.ö
ôHas she figured out where else she can crossover?ö
Percy nodded.
ôThe Forest worked, just like you thought, butàI donÆt think our forest was the best choice for that. WeÆve been playing war games in it since forever and itÆs already full of man-eating monsters on this side.ö
AnnabethÆs eyes widened.
ôIs Katie okay?ö
ôSheÆs fine,ö Percy assured her. ôI donÆt know what happened thoughùshe crossed over, jumped back her, and told me she was going back to her Cabin.ö
Annabeth winced.
ôIàshould go apologize to her. I didnÆt think it would be that badùwe all have happy memories of the forest.ö
ôMaybe some happy memories,ö Percy said, shaking his head. ôBut we play Capture the Flag there and thereÆs always a winner, but thereÆs also always a loser. Any happy memories of people winning would be equally matched by the memories of the ones who got beat.ö
Annabeth nodded reluctantly, raising a hand to her head and rubbing her temples.
ôAre you okay?ö He asked, concerned.
ôNo!ö She snapped, glaring at him, before wincing again. ôIÆm sorry. But no, IÆm not okayùthis whole thing is giving me a headache. I canÆt believe weÆre stumped by something like this! Not by an enemy or a puzzle or somethingùwe just canÆt even get through the damn door!ö
Percy moved to sit next to her, covering one of her hands with his.
ôDo you want to go get some sleep?ö He suggested. ôI can watch over our failed attempts for a whileùletÆs give Katie a break, though.ö
She sighed, all but shrinking in on herself.
ôYeah,ö She replied to both. ôSome sleep would probably do me some good. What are you going to do, though?ö
Percy smiled at her.
ôI figured IÆd just throw myself at the problem again and again until the Universe realized it had no choice but to give in to my unreasonable demands or else watch me destroy myself.ö
Annabeth laughed at that, which made his smile widen.
ôGood luck with that, Seaweed Brain.ö She said, winking as she left.
Percy watched her go in silence, his mind already on other things.
They were running out of options. Crossing over in random places in the hopes of striking gold wasnÆt workingùit was a big, big world and an even bigger Nevernever. It could take them forever to find a way there if they were restricted to places similar to themùand they didnÆt have time for that.
If they wanted to get to Faerie, they were going to need to try something else.
And he thought he might even know what.
Rising from his seat, he went to find Travis and Conner.
He had to go check if somethingÆs ran in the family.
XxXXxX
ôHey guys, can I have a minute?ö He said, stopping them. They were both heading towards the Demeter Cabin, probably in twisted concern for Katie. TheyÆd had a rivalry ever since they had redecorated the glass roof of the Demeter Cabin, but Conner and Travis were nice enough to want to make her feel better if she was down.
On the other hand, they were also the type to try and make her feel better by pulling pranks on her or something, so Percy didnÆt feel particularly bad about stopping them. As someone who got along well with both, heÆd convey the sentiment to Katie later and warn her to be careful the next few days.
ôBut we were justùô Travisùdifferent from his brother only in heightùbegan, before stopping at either his brotherÆs nudge or PercyÆs blank stare. ôI meanàwhat do you need, boss?ö
Percy took a step forward, leaning in. He wasnÆt really saying anything that needed to be a secret, but when dealing with Conner and Travis, the best way to get their attention was to make it seem like your doing something you shouldnÆtùor, in this case, saying something you shouldnÆt.
Sure enough, they both leaned in, plans for Katie forgotten for the moment.
ôI need you to do something for the camp.ö He began. Their faces became serious in an instantùfun-loving and mischievous as they might have been, heÆd punch anyone who doubted their bravery or loyalty in the face. ôYouÆre probably aware by now that our attempts to reach Faerie areàwell, letÆs be honestùfailing miserably.ö
Both flashed identical crooked smiles and nodded.
ôWell, I think youÆre the solution,ö Percy said. ôFollow me.ö
Percy led them down to the woods, quickly finding a place that brought back a lot of memories for himùnot many of them good.
It was a simple Creek that flowed through the forest, but it was the Creek where heÆd broken ClarisseÆs spear in Capture the flag four years agoùand more importantly, it was a place where a prophecy had been fulfilled.
æYou will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.Æ
Percy wandered around the edge of the creek for a minute, trying to remember exactly where it had been, before spotting something that brought it all back with perfect clarity.
He took a few steps forward before stopping in his tracks.
ôTravis, can you check something for me?ö He asked, already knowing the answer. ôStand right there.ö
He pointed to a spot right across from him and Travis moved into position, frowning slightly.
ôHere?ö He asked.
ôA few steps backàthere, perfect. Do you feel like you can crossover, here?ö
Travis stood silently for a few seconds before shaking his head.
ôI got nothing. Why?ö
ôFour years ago, this is where Luke betrayed me,ö Percy said, staring at the ground. ôHe snapped his fingers and burnt this hole in the ground.ö
He gestured to the hole that had drawn his attention earlier.
ôA Pit Scorpion crawled out and nearly killed meùbut before that, Luke had stood where youÆre standing right now, slashed his sword, and disappeared. At the time, I chalked that up to Kronosùwell, I did later, at least. At the time, I was preoccupied with the lethal scorpion. But now I wonderàö
Both twins frowned.
ôYou think Luke knew how to reach the Nevernever?ö Conner asked. ôHow?ö
Percy shrugged.
ôMaybe Kronos told him? He might have known.ö He suggested. ôIÆm getting the feeling our parents knew, too.ö
Conner nodded at that.
ôBut what do you want us to do?ö He asked.
ôLuke did it, somehow.ö Percy said. ôI want to see if you can too.ö
ôI still canÆt feel anything,ö Travis said. ôBut IÆll give it a shot.ö
He closed his eyes for several seconds and then opened them. He frowned when he saw Percy, but silently closed his eyes again. The process repeated several times, but they only thing that changed was how annoyed Travis was.
ôLet me try,ö Conner butt in before Travis could snap. ôMaybe youÆre not doing it right.ö
That was the wrong thing to say. Even Percy could see that.
ôExcuse me?ö Travis demaned.
Conner shrugged like it wasnÆt a big deal.
ôIÆm just saying maybe you should let me try. I mean, I did crossover first in the Cabin and all.ö
TravisÆ eyes widened before narrowing.
ôOh, no you did not.ö He said, each word coming out powerfully. ôI crossed over first.ö
ôHow would you know? You had your eyes closed!ö
ôSo did you!ö
Conner snorted.
ôWhatever. Just move out of the way and IÆll show you how itÆs done.ö He said, shoving his brother. He didnÆt even get a chance to close his eyes before his brother shoved him back, however.
ôNo, I think I felt something that last time,ö Travis said. ôIÆve almost got it, so step back.ö
ôHey,ö Conner said, stepping closer to his brother. ôIÆm not trying to start a fightùbut you had your chance. So why donÆt you just back off?ö
He raised a hand to push Travis again, but his brother caught his arm. Both opened their mouths to say something, and Percy decided enough was enough.
ôThatÆs enough, both of you!ö He said, taking a step forward to end their argument. ôLetÆs just call it quits; it was nothing but a thought I had anywayùô
But his step faltered along with his voice as the two of them faded away like ghosts.
ôùGuys?ö He asked the empty air, eyes widening.
He barely had a chance to realize what had just happened when the two of them reappeared before him, flat on their asses. Both were sweating, when they hadnÆt been before.
ôHoly shitùô Travis said, breathing hard. ôDid you see that thing!?ö
He sounded more excited than scared, however.
ôSee what?ö Percy asked.
The two of them jumped at his voice, looking at him before relaxing.
Conner scrambled to his feet.
ôPercy,ö He said, smiling. ôWe did it.ö
XxXXxX
For supposedly being the area in the Nevernever closest to Earth, they were having a surprisingly hard time reaching Faerie.
ôMaybe the Demeter Cabin?ö Annabeth suggested. ôTheir mother is the Goddess of Seasonsùhow can they not be associated with either Winter or Summer.ö
Percy shrugged.
ôMaybe they areùbut apparently their Cabin is a fortress on the other side. I have a hard time believing it can compare to an endless sea of monsters waiting to eat you, but Katie seems to think so.ö
ôHas she figured out where else she can crossover?ö
Percy nodded.
ôThe Forest worked, just like you thought, butàI donÆt think our forest was the best choice for that. WeÆve been playing war games in it since forever and itÆs already full of man-eating monsters on this side.ö
AnnabethÆs eyes widened.
ôIs Katie okay?ö
ôSheÆs fine,ö Percy assured her. ôI donÆt know what happened thoughùshe crossed over, jumped back her, and told me she was going back to her Cabin.ö
Annabeth winced.
ôIàshould go apologize to her. I didnÆt think it would be that badùwe all have happy memories of the forest.ö
ôMaybe some happy memories,ö Percy said, shaking his head. ôBut we play Capture the Flag there and thereÆs always a winner, but thereÆs also always a loser. Any happy memories of people winning would be equally matched by the memories of the ones who got beat.ö
Annabeth nodded reluctantly, raising a hand to her head and rubbing her temples.
ôAre you okay?ö He asked, concerned.
ôNo!ö She snapped, glaring at him, before wincing again. ôIÆm sorry. But no, IÆm not okayùthis whole thing is giving me a headache. I canÆt believe weÆre stumped by something like this! Not by an enemy or a puzzle or somethingùwe just canÆt even get through the damn door!ö
Percy moved to sit next to her, covering one of her hands with his.
ôDo you want to go get some sleep?ö He suggested. ôI can watch over our failed attempts for a whileùletÆs give Katie a break, though.ö
She sighed, all but shrinking in on herself.
ôYeah,ö She replied to both. ôSome sleep would probably do me some good. What are you going to do, though?ö
Percy smiled at her.
ôI figured IÆd just throw myself at the problem again and again until the Universe realized it had no choice but to give in to my unreasonable demands or else watch me destroy myself.ö
Annabeth laughed at that, which made his smile widen.
ôGood luck with that, Seaweed Brain.ö She said, winking as she left.
Percy watched her go in silence, his mind already on other things.
They were running out of options. Crossing over in random places in the hopes of striking gold wasnÆt workingùit was a big, big world and an even bigger Nevernever. It could take them forever to find a way there if they were restricted to places similar to themùand they didnÆt have time for that.
If they wanted to get to Faerie, they were going to need to try something else.
And he thought he might even know what.
Rising from his seat, he went to find Travis and Conner.
He had to go check if somethingÆs ran in the family.
XxXXxX
ôHey guys, can I have a minute?ö He said, stopping them. They were both heading towards the Demeter Cabin, probably in twisted concern for Katie. TheyÆd had a rivalry ever since they had redecorated the glass roof of the Demeter Cabin, but Conner and Travis were nice enough to want to make her feel better if she was down.
On the other hand, they were also the type to try and make her feel better by pulling pranks on her or something, so Percy didnÆt feel particularly bad about stopping them. As someone who got along well with both, heÆd convey the sentiment to Katie later and warn her to be careful the next few days.
ôBut we were justùô Travisùdifferent from his brother only in heightùbegan, before stopping at either his brotherÆs nudge or PercyÆs blank stare. ôI meanàwhat do you need, boss?ö
Percy took a step forward, leaning in. He wasnÆt really saying anything that needed to be a secret, but when dealing with Conner and Travis, the best way to get their attention was to make it seem like your doing something you shouldnÆtùor, in this case, saying something you shouldnÆt.
Sure enough, they both leaned in, plans for Katie forgotten for the moment.
ôI need you to do something for the camp.ö He began. Their faces became serious in an instantùfun-loving and mischievous as they might have been, heÆd punch anyone who doubted their bravery or loyalty in the face. ôYouÆre probably aware by now that our attempts to reach Faerie areàwell, letÆs be honestùfailing miserably.ö
Both flashed identical crooked smiles and nodded.
ôWell, I think youÆre the solution,ö Percy said. ôFollow me.ö
Percy led them down to the woods, quickly finding a place that brought back a lot of memories for himùnot many of them good.
It was a simple Creek that flowed through the forest, but it was the Creek where heÆd broken ClarisseÆs spear in Capture the flag four years agoùand more importantly, it was a place where a prophecy had been fulfilled.
æYou will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.Æ
Percy wandered around the edge of the creek for a minute, trying to remember exactly where it had been, before spotting something that brought it all back with perfect clarity.
He took a few steps forward before stopping in his tracks.
ôTravis, can you check something for me?ö He asked, already knowing the answer. ôStand right there.ö
He pointed to a spot right across from him and Travis moved into position, frowning slightly.
ôHere?ö He asked.
ôA few steps backàthere, perfect. Do you feel like you can crossover, here?ö
Travis stood silently for a few seconds before shaking his head.
ôI got nothing. Why?ö
ôFour years ago, this is where Luke betrayed me,ö Percy said, staring at the ground. ôHe snapped his fingers and burnt this hole in the ground.ö
He gestured to the hole that had drawn his attention earlier.
ôA Pit Scorpion crawled out and nearly killed meùbut before that, Luke had stood where youÆre standing right now, slashed his sword, and disappeared. At the time, I chalked that up to Kronosùwell, I did later, at least. At the time, I was preoccupied with the lethal scorpion. But now I wonderàö
Both twins frowned.
ôYou think Luke knew how to reach the Nevernever?ö Conner asked. ôHow?ö
Percy shrugged.
ôMaybe Kronos told him? He might have known.ö He suggested. ôIÆm getting the feeling our parents knew, too.ö
Conner nodded at that.
ôBut what do you want us to do?ö He asked.
ôLuke did it, somehow.ö Percy said. ôI want to see if you can too.ö
ôI still canÆt feel anything,ö Travis said. ôBut IÆll give it a shot.ö
He closed his eyes for several seconds and then opened them. He frowned when he saw Percy, but silently closed his eyes again. The process repeated several times, but they only thing that changed was how annoyed Travis was.
ôLet me try,ö Conner butt in before Travis could snap. ôMaybe youÆre not doing it right.ö
That was the wrong thing to say. Even Percy could see that.
ôExcuse me?ö Travis demaned.
Conner shrugged like it wasnÆt a big deal.
ôIÆm just saying maybe you should let me try. I mean, I did crossover first in the Cabin and all.ö
TravisÆ eyes widened before narrowing.
ôOh, no you did not.ö He said, each word coming out powerfully. ôI crossed over first.ö
ôHow would you know? You had your eyes closed!ö
ôSo did you!ö
Conner snorted.
ôWhatever. Just move out of the way and IÆll show you how itÆs done.ö He said, shoving his brother. He didnÆt even get a chance to close his eyes before his brother shoved him back, however.
ôNo, I think I felt something that last time,ö Travis said. ôIÆve almost got it, so step back.ö
ôHey,ö Conner said, stepping closer to his brother. ôIÆm not trying to start a fightùbut you had your chance. So why donÆt you just back off?ö
He raised a hand to push Travis again, but his brother caught his arm. Both opened their mouths to say something, and Percy decided enough was enough.
ôThatÆs enough, both of you!ö He said, taking a step forward to end their argument. ôLetÆs just call it quits; it was nothing but a thought I had anywayùô
But his step faltered along with his voice as the two of them faded away like ghosts.
ôùGuys?ö He asked the empty air, eyes widening.
He barely had a chance to realize what had just happened when the two of them reappeared before him, flat on their asses. Both were sweating, when they hadnÆt been before.
ôHoly shitùô Travis said, breathing hard. ôDid you see that thing!?ö
He sounded more excited than scared, however.
ôSee what?ö Percy asked.
The two of them jumped at his voice, looking at him before relaxing.
Conner scrambled to his feet.
ôPercy,ö He said, smiling. ôWe did it.ö
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
After proving it was possible by the creek, Percy had them practice in the Poseidon Cabin, simply so he could switch between worlds and watch from both sides.
He was a bit disappointed to find that it wasnÆt any different from watching them disappear in the real world, but crushed the feeling as thoughts occurred to him.
Hermes was the God of Messengers, Travelers, and Crossing Boundaries. If he thought about it like that, then it wasnÆt odd that their children could cross between worlds. There were still some problems that needed to be solved.
Now that they had a way to get someone there, where did they need to go to reach fairy?
Now that travel into it was possible, would they be able to navigate the Nevernever, entering and exiting in different places?
Was there a way to see if their target location was safe or not without crossing over?
But, most importantly of all, were the Hermes Cabin the only ones able to crossover, or could they take others with them?
In the end, the fact still remained that they wanted to send a delegation into Faerie, preferably one led by him. The Hermes CabinÆs loyalty and skill could not be denied, but heÆd still feel a lot better if he could send others in with them, just in case something went wrong.
Also, Annabeth had said that, as their leader, not appearing in person could be considered insulting, but that was a strictly secondary issue.
ôOkay, guys,ö He said, clapping his hands as they shifted in to the mortal realm. ôIÆm gonna need you guys to practice this a lotùit still looks like itÆs taking a lot of energy. Try and get to the point where you can do it easily if youÆre in danger or if youÆre alone. Start training your Cabin as well, once you think youÆve got it down.ö
Conner muttered something under his breath that Percy chose to take as an agreement.
ôAlsoàö He continued. ôBesides disappearing, Luke did something elseùhe opened a hole somewhere and that pit scorpion crawled out. IÆm gonna need you guys to see if you can do anything like that.ö
ôYou want us to summon scorpions?ö Travis asked, raising an eyebrow.
Percy rolled his eyes.
ôNoùI want you to open a hole,ö He said. ôTo the Nevernever.ö
The twins looked at each other, unsure.
ôCan you do that?ö Conner asked.
ôSure,ö Percy replied. ôThatÆs what wizards do.ö
Supposedly.
None of them had ever seen anyone do something like that, but there was no point in mentioning that.
ôBesides, Luke must have summoned that scorpion from somewhere.ö Percy continued. ôThis isnÆt that different.ö
They both looked at him skeptically.
ôPercy, we saw that holeùeven if we can do the same thing, youÆre not going to fit through that. Unless weÆre going to send mice into the Nevernever, thereÆs not much point to it.ö
ôWell, naturally, itÆs supposed to be a big hole. Big enough for people to pass through.ö
ôAnd how are we supposed to do that, if we even can?ö Conner asked. ôIf it was possible to get people through the Neverner that way, Luke could have led an army into the Camp, but he didnÆt.ö
Percy had no answer to thatùit was a good point and one heÆd already thought of. If Luke really could use the Nevernever, why didnÆt he use it to his advantage more?
He had several possible explanations, but the truth was that he didnÆt know the answer.
ôMaybe he didnÆt know the way in?ö He suggested.
The twins snorted derisively.
ôWeÆre the son of the God of Travelers,ö Travis said. ôIf a path exists, we can find it. ItÆs not that.ö
Percy raised an eyebrow, filling that away.
If they werenÆt exaggeratingà
ôWe know how dangerous the area around the camp is,ö Percy continued. ôMaybe he just couldnÆt find a safe way in? Or a practical way? Or maybe our parents put some defenses on the camp? Or maybe he just couldnÆt do it alone? It doesnÆt matter. Maybe youÆre right and itÆs not possibleùthatÆs fine; weÆll find some other way. IÆm not asking you for a miracle. IÆm not even asking for you to succeed. IÆm just asking you to try.ö
Percy shrugged awkwardly as they both stared at him.
They glanced at each other once and then nodded.
ôOkay, boss; why not? WeÆll give it a shot.ö Travis said, nodding along with his brother.
ôThanks,ö Percy returned. ôIf you donÆt get any results, then IÆll apologize for wasting your time.ö
Glancing outside, he noticed that it was already getting dark,
ôBut youÆre both probably exhausted. Why donÆt we call it quits for today and you can try tomorrow when youÆre rested. LetÆs get something to eat before itÆs too late.ö He said, standing to leave.
ôàAnd what if we succeed, but canÆt make the gate big enough?ö Conner asked.
Percy glanced at him and chuckled.
ôIf thatÆs the only problem, then donÆt worry about itùyou have my permission to dedicate the entire Hermes Cabin to this goal, if you feel itÆs needed.ö
XxXXxX
After proving it was possible by the creek, Percy had them practice in the Poseidon Cabin, simply so he could switch between worlds and watch from both sides.
He was a bit disappointed to find that it wasnÆt any different from watching them disappear in the real world, but crushed the feeling as thoughts occurred to him.
Hermes was the God of Messengers, Travelers, and Crossing Boundaries. If he thought about it like that, then it wasnÆt odd that their children could cross between worlds. There were still some problems that needed to be solved.
Now that they had a way to get someone there, where did they need to go to reach fairy?
Now that travel into it was possible, would they be able to navigate the Nevernever, entering and exiting in different places?
Was there a way to see if their target location was safe or not without crossing over?
But, most importantly of all, were the Hermes Cabin the only ones able to crossover, or could they take others with them?
In the end, the fact still remained that they wanted to send a delegation into Faerie, preferably one led by him. The Hermes CabinÆs loyalty and skill could not be denied, but heÆd still feel a lot better if he could send others in with them, just in case something went wrong.
Also, Annabeth had said that, as their leader, not appearing in person could be considered insulting, but that was a strictly secondary issue.
ôOkay, guys,ö He said, clapping his hands as they shifted in to the mortal realm. ôIÆm gonna need you guys to practice this a lotùit still looks like itÆs taking a lot of energy. Try and get to the point where you can do it easily if youÆre in danger or if youÆre alone. Start training your Cabin as well, once you think youÆve got it down.ö
Conner muttered something under his breath that Percy chose to take as an agreement.
ôAlsoàö He continued. ôBesides disappearing, Luke did something elseùhe opened a hole somewhere and that pit scorpion crawled out. IÆm gonna need you guys to see if you can do anything like that.ö
ôYou want us to summon scorpions?ö Travis asked, raising an eyebrow.
Percy rolled his eyes.
ôNoùI want you to open a hole,ö He said. ôTo the Nevernever.ö
The twins looked at each other, unsure.
ôCan you do that?ö Conner asked.
ôSure,ö Percy replied. ôThatÆs what wizards do.ö
Supposedly.
None of them had ever seen anyone do something like that, but there was no point in mentioning that.
ôBesides, Luke must have summoned that scorpion from somewhere.ö Percy continued. ôThis isnÆt that different.ö
They both looked at him skeptically.
ôPercy, we saw that holeùeven if we can do the same thing, youÆre not going to fit through that. Unless weÆre going to send mice into the Nevernever, thereÆs not much point to it.ö
ôWell, naturally, itÆs supposed to be a big hole. Big enough for people to pass through.ö
ôAnd how are we supposed to do that, if we even can?ö Conner asked. ôIf it was possible to get people through the Neverner that way, Luke could have led an army into the Camp, but he didnÆt.ö
Percy had no answer to thatùit was a good point and one heÆd already thought of. If Luke really could use the Nevernever, why didnÆt he use it to his advantage more?
He had several possible explanations, but the truth was that he didnÆt know the answer.
ôMaybe he didnÆt know the way in?ö He suggested.
The twins snorted derisively.
ôWeÆre the son of the God of Travelers,ö Travis said. ôIf a path exists, we can find it. ItÆs not that.ö
Percy raised an eyebrow, filling that away.
If they werenÆt exaggeratingà
ôWe know how dangerous the area around the camp is,ö Percy continued. ôMaybe he just couldnÆt find a safe way in? Or a practical way? Or maybe our parents put some defenses on the camp? Or maybe he just couldnÆt do it alone? It doesnÆt matter. Maybe youÆre right and itÆs not possibleùthatÆs fine; weÆll find some other way. IÆm not asking you for a miracle. IÆm not even asking for you to succeed. IÆm just asking you to try.ö
Percy shrugged awkwardly as they both stared at him.
They glanced at each other once and then nodded.
ôOkay, boss; why not? WeÆll give it a shot.ö Travis said, nodding along with his brother.
ôThanks,ö Percy returned. ôIf you donÆt get any results, then IÆll apologize for wasting your time.ö
Glancing outside, he noticed that it was already getting dark,
ôBut youÆre both probably exhausted. Why donÆt we call it quits for today and you can try tomorrow when youÆre rested. LetÆs get something to eat before itÆs too late.ö He said, standing to leave.
ôàAnd what if we succeed, but canÆt make the gate big enough?ö Conner asked.
Percy glanced at him and chuckled.
ôIf thatÆs the only problem, then donÆt worry about itùyou have my permission to dedicate the entire Hermes Cabin to this goal, if you feel itÆs needed.ö
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
Percy yawned as Annabeth sat down beside him at the dining pavilion. Technically, each Cabin had its own table and campers werenÆt supposed to sit anywhere elseùbut there were advantages to being the Hero and Architect of Olympus. Besides which, like all of the Gods, Dionysus was still absent, so the only one maintaining the rule was Chiron, who didnÆt really care where the campers sat as long as they behaved.
Percy smiled tiredly at her.
ôGood morning,ö He said, absently playing with his food. At the beginning of each meal, every camper sacrificed a portion of their best food to their parents, but since he was on such good terms with his father and Hestia, who received a portion of each offering, he sacrificed nearly half of his meal each time. The NymphÆs always gave him a lot of food anyway, so it didnÆt matter.
ôDid you do something yesterday?ö She asked, one eyebrow raised. She shot a pointed look at his fork and, receiving the wordless message, he stopped what he was doing and put it down, already done eating.
ôWhy? Did something happen?ö He asked, all signs of sleepiness disappearing as he assumed the worstùwhich was usually a fairly safe assumption for him.
ôNo oneÆs seen anyone from the Hermes Cabin since last night. They arenÆt in their Cabin or anywhere around camp and people are starting to get worried.ö
ôAnd instead, you assumed it was all my fault?ö He complained. Annabeth nodded immediately. ôThat hurts, Wise Girlùreally, it does.ö
But then he smiled, ruining any attempt to appear angry.
ôBut yeah, I did do something.ö He admitted, standing up. ôAnd I think I know where they are, too.ö
ôYou seem happy,ö Annabeth noted.
ôIf theyÆre all gone, then thatÆs probably a good sign.ö He stated, causing Annabeth to look at him strangely. ôI was working with Conner and Travis on the Faerie problem yesterday, because I had an idea. We made some progress and I told them that they could recruit the entire Hermes Cabin if they thought they needed to.ö
Annabeth frowned at him for a moment before widening her eyes.
ôYou meanàyou found a way?ö She asked. ôHow?ö
Percy shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable but not wanting to lie.
ôI, ahàremembered something Luke showed me once,ö He said.
The æbefore trying to kill himÆ went unsaid, but Annabeth heard it regardlessùit was the type of thing that could be broadly applied to just about everything involving him and Luke.
ôOh,ö Annabeth said, suddenly looking awkward.
Even now, Luke was still an uncomfortable topic, not just between him and Annabeth, but throughout the whole camp. Generally, most people just avoided talking about it whenever possible. Percy didnÆt really care, except when talking to Annabeth, because it was always a touchy issue with her.
The rest of the trip was made in silenceùand not their usual æthereÆs no need to say anythingÆ silence, but an actual, awkward silence. Percy led her down to the Creek he and the twins had trained by earlier, silently deciding against saying anything about why theyÆd chosen this spot.
And just as heÆd suspected, they were there. Scattered throughout the area, standing in groups of two or three, children of Hermes were either fading in and out of existence or standing completely still in silent circles.
Travis and Conner noticed them immediately and quickly approached, skin soaked with sweat, but proud, crooked smiles on their lips.
ôPercy, watch this.ö Conner said before they could say a word.
He and Travis both lifted a hand, holding them less than a foot apart. Immediately, their expressions shifted to ones of intense concentrationùand it immediately became clear why.
It was like looking at a TV screen. At first, the space between their hands looked like static as the colors and shades of the forest became to deepen or fade randomly. Then, it began to shift and swirl with strange colors, as if trying to show something that was completely out of focusùbut in seconds, the æimageÆ began to sharpen.
It had taken nearly twenty seconds, but between their hands, there was a window into another world.
ùNo.
Not a window.
Percy stretched out his hand, his fingers passing through the opening easily. There was no surface, like a windowùwithout a doubt, this was definitely a hole into the Nevernever. It was too small to be a gatewayùyetùbut that didnÆt matter.
Because they had done it.
Percy smiled openly at the twins.
ôThis morning, it was the size of a golf ball,ö Travis said proudly. ôBut weÆre getting better every time. All of us are. We may not be able to do it by ourselves yet, butàgive us some time and weÆll open a gate.ö
ôOur fieldtrip to fairyland is a go.ö Conner added with a smirk.
Percy yawned as Annabeth sat down beside him at the dining pavilion. Technically, each Cabin had its own table and campers werenÆt supposed to sit anywhere elseùbut there were advantages to being the Hero and Architect of Olympus. Besides which, like all of the Gods, Dionysus was still absent, so the only one maintaining the rule was Chiron, who didnÆt really care where the campers sat as long as they behaved.
Percy smiled tiredly at her.
ôGood morning,ö He said, absently playing with his food. At the beginning of each meal, every camper sacrificed a portion of their best food to their parents, but since he was on such good terms with his father and Hestia, who received a portion of each offering, he sacrificed nearly half of his meal each time. The NymphÆs always gave him a lot of food anyway, so it didnÆt matter.
ôDid you do something yesterday?ö She asked, one eyebrow raised. She shot a pointed look at his fork and, receiving the wordless message, he stopped what he was doing and put it down, already done eating.
ôWhy? Did something happen?ö He asked, all signs of sleepiness disappearing as he assumed the worstùwhich was usually a fairly safe assumption for him.
ôNo oneÆs seen anyone from the Hermes Cabin since last night. They arenÆt in their Cabin or anywhere around camp and people are starting to get worried.ö
ôAnd instead, you assumed it was all my fault?ö He complained. Annabeth nodded immediately. ôThat hurts, Wise Girlùreally, it does.ö
But then he smiled, ruining any attempt to appear angry.
ôBut yeah, I did do something.ö He admitted, standing up. ôAnd I think I know where they are, too.ö
ôYou seem happy,ö Annabeth noted.
ôIf theyÆre all gone, then thatÆs probably a good sign.ö He stated, causing Annabeth to look at him strangely. ôI was working with Conner and Travis on the Faerie problem yesterday, because I had an idea. We made some progress and I told them that they could recruit the entire Hermes Cabin if they thought they needed to.ö
Annabeth frowned at him for a moment before widening her eyes.
ôYou meanàyou found a way?ö She asked. ôHow?ö
Percy shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable but not wanting to lie.
ôI, ahàremembered something Luke showed me once,ö He said.
The æbefore trying to kill himÆ went unsaid, but Annabeth heard it regardlessùit was the type of thing that could be broadly applied to just about everything involving him and Luke.
ôOh,ö Annabeth said, suddenly looking awkward.
Even now, Luke was still an uncomfortable topic, not just between him and Annabeth, but throughout the whole camp. Generally, most people just avoided talking about it whenever possible. Percy didnÆt really care, except when talking to Annabeth, because it was always a touchy issue with her.
The rest of the trip was made in silenceùand not their usual æthereÆs no need to say anythingÆ silence, but an actual, awkward silence. Percy led her down to the Creek he and the twins had trained by earlier, silently deciding against saying anything about why theyÆd chosen this spot.
And just as heÆd suspected, they were there. Scattered throughout the area, standing in groups of two or three, children of Hermes were either fading in and out of existence or standing completely still in silent circles.
Travis and Conner noticed them immediately and quickly approached, skin soaked with sweat, but proud, crooked smiles on their lips.
ôPercy, watch this.ö Conner said before they could say a word.
He and Travis both lifted a hand, holding them less than a foot apart. Immediately, their expressions shifted to ones of intense concentrationùand it immediately became clear why.
It was like looking at a TV screen. At first, the space between their hands looked like static as the colors and shades of the forest became to deepen or fade randomly. Then, it began to shift and swirl with strange colors, as if trying to show something that was completely out of focusùbut in seconds, the æimageÆ began to sharpen.
It had taken nearly twenty seconds, but between their hands, there was a window into another world.
ùNo.
Not a window.
Percy stretched out his hand, his fingers passing through the opening easily. There was no surface, like a windowùwithout a doubt, this was definitely a hole into the Nevernever. It was too small to be a gatewayùyetùbut that didnÆt matter.
Because they had done it.
Percy smiled openly at the twins.
ôThis morning, it was the size of a golf ball,ö Travis said proudly. ôBut weÆre getting better every time. All of us are. We may not be able to do it by ourselves yet, butàgive us some time and weÆll open a gate.ö
ôOur fieldtrip to fairyland is a go.ö Conner added with a smirk.
Deep as the Sea
In Strange Waters
True to their word, in less than a week the twins were able to tear open a gateway large enough for grown man to walk through. While they had practiced, the other member of the Hermes Cabin had spread throughout New York City andùno longer restricted to crossing over only in locations that were connected to specific concepts alreadyùand found a path into Faerie with such ease that it left Percy feeling a bit embarrassed at having had such a hard time up to this point.
TheyÆd decided to open the gateway in a remote part of Madison Square Garden, away from prying eyes. Anybody who saw them would probably just be blinded by the Mistùbut the same would not be true of monsters.
It was still daylight, so they didnÆt need to worry about vampiresùwhich was why they were doing it in the daylightùbut theyÆd become quite aware that vampires were far from the only thing they needed to worry about anymore.
It was better safe than sorry.
ôYouÆre sure this is a safe place?ö Annabeth asked. ôI swear that if this thing opens up in front of some horrible monster, itÆs coming out of your asses.ö
ôWeÆreàö Conner paused, thoughtfully. ôNinety-nineàpoint nine percent sure this is a safe place. And if thereÆs anything dangerous on the other side, it doesnÆt matterùPercyÆs going in first, anyway.ö
ôGee,ö Percy replied emotionlessly. ôThanks.ö
ôTake it as a compliment, boss.ö Travis snickered. ôWe have so much faith in you that weÆd charge fearlessly into a drakonÆs lair after you.ö
ôFour or five minutes after you.ö Conner added, nodding.
Annabeth opened her mouth to ask another question, but Conner cut her off before she could ask it.
ôAnd, yeah, weÆre sure it leads to Faerie.ö He said. ôSons of the God of Travelers, etc. WeÆve crossed over a few times to make sure.ö
ôDid you talk to Faeries?ö Percy asked, curious as to what they were like. They still didnÆt know for sure.
ôNope.ö
ôThen how do you know you were in Faerie?ö Percy wondered.
Travis raised an eyebrow and smiled.
ôPart of traveling is reaching your destination, you know.ö He said.
Annabeth looked a bit frustrated at that answer, but Percy didnÆt really care how it workedùas long as it did work. And there was only one way to know that for sure.
ôYou ready, boss man?ö Travis asked.
ôDo it.ö He replied, nodding.
Unlike before, Conner and Travis now stood a good three feet apart. Almost immediately, the space began to bend and distort, twisting until it had ripped open a hole between worlds. Unlike before, when it was merely a window into the Nevernever, now it stood proudly as a full-fledged doorùsix feet tall and wide enough for them to walk through comfortable.
Standing right in front of it, Percy glanced once at Conner and received a nod of confirmation. Assured that it was safe, he stepped through it fearlessly.
ôSo this is Faerieà?ö Percy wondered, looking around as he stepped between worlds.
He was on a hill overlooking a forest. Above him, the stars shone fierce and bright and lights glimmered through the woods below like fireflies.
He glanced over his shoulder back through the portal.
ôDid you guys check out the forest?ö He asked.
ôOf course not, boss,ö Conner said. ôThere are probably monsters in the forest.ö
ôWhy do you say that?ö
ôBecause there are always monsters in forests,ö He said seriously.
Percy raised an eyebrow as he heard Annabeth sigh and mutter something.
ôHave you even been in a forest without monsters in it?ö Travis asked her.
ôàActually, thatÆs a good point.ö Percy said. He glanced around at the hilltop, searching carefully. ôThis hilltop looks safe, but this is us weÆre talking about. Come through and close the gate. IÆll go down and check out the forest; Annabeth, you guard these two.ö
Not even waiting to see if his instructions were followed, he made his way down the hill, stopping only at the edge of the forest to glance back. He nodded once, caught AnnabethÆs eyes for a moment, and entered the forest.
Neither of them needed to speak a word to convey what they wanted to say. Maybe that was part of being boyfriend and girlfriendùor maybe that was just the result of training and fighting monsters with each other for so long.
Either way, he knew she wanted him to come back safelyùand she knew that he would, no matter what monsters got in his way.
But they also both knew they had jobs to doùand neither of them were very good at accepting failure.
So he plunged into the darkness of the faerie woods without any hesitationùand there was no need to look back anymore.
XxXXxX
In Strange Waters
True to their word, in less than a week the twins were able to tear open a gateway large enough for grown man to walk through. While they had practiced, the other member of the Hermes Cabin had spread throughout New York City andùno longer restricted to crossing over only in locations that were connected to specific concepts alreadyùand found a path into Faerie with such ease that it left Percy feeling a bit embarrassed at having had such a hard time up to this point.
TheyÆd decided to open the gateway in a remote part of Madison Square Garden, away from prying eyes. Anybody who saw them would probably just be blinded by the Mistùbut the same would not be true of monsters.
It was still daylight, so they didnÆt need to worry about vampiresùwhich was why they were doing it in the daylightùbut theyÆd become quite aware that vampires were far from the only thing they needed to worry about anymore.
It was better safe than sorry.
ôYouÆre sure this is a safe place?ö Annabeth asked. ôI swear that if this thing opens up in front of some horrible monster, itÆs coming out of your asses.ö
ôWeÆreàö Conner paused, thoughtfully. ôNinety-nineàpoint nine percent sure this is a safe place. And if thereÆs anything dangerous on the other side, it doesnÆt matterùPercyÆs going in first, anyway.ö
ôGee,ö Percy replied emotionlessly. ôThanks.ö
ôTake it as a compliment, boss.ö Travis snickered. ôWe have so much faith in you that weÆd charge fearlessly into a drakonÆs lair after you.ö
ôFour or five minutes after you.ö Conner added, nodding.
Annabeth opened her mouth to ask another question, but Conner cut her off before she could ask it.
ôAnd, yeah, weÆre sure it leads to Faerie.ö He said. ôSons of the God of Travelers, etc. WeÆve crossed over a few times to make sure.ö
ôDid you talk to Faeries?ö Percy asked, curious as to what they were like. They still didnÆt know for sure.
ôNope.ö
ôThen how do you know you were in Faerie?ö Percy wondered.
Travis raised an eyebrow and smiled.
ôPart of traveling is reaching your destination, you know.ö He said.
Annabeth looked a bit frustrated at that answer, but Percy didnÆt really care how it workedùas long as it did work. And there was only one way to know that for sure.
ôYou ready, boss man?ö Travis asked.
ôDo it.ö He replied, nodding.
Unlike before, Conner and Travis now stood a good three feet apart. Almost immediately, the space began to bend and distort, twisting until it had ripped open a hole between worlds. Unlike before, when it was merely a window into the Nevernever, now it stood proudly as a full-fledged doorùsix feet tall and wide enough for them to walk through comfortable.
Standing right in front of it, Percy glanced once at Conner and received a nod of confirmation. Assured that it was safe, he stepped through it fearlessly.
ôSo this is Faerieà?ö Percy wondered, looking around as he stepped between worlds.
He was on a hill overlooking a forest. Above him, the stars shone fierce and bright and lights glimmered through the woods below like fireflies.
He glanced over his shoulder back through the portal.
ôDid you guys check out the forest?ö He asked.
ôOf course not, boss,ö Conner said. ôThere are probably monsters in the forest.ö
ôWhy do you say that?ö
ôBecause there are always monsters in forests,ö He said seriously.
Percy raised an eyebrow as he heard Annabeth sigh and mutter something.
ôHave you even been in a forest without monsters in it?ö Travis asked her.
ôàActually, thatÆs a good point.ö Percy said. He glanced around at the hilltop, searching carefully. ôThis hilltop looks safe, but this is us weÆre talking about. Come through and close the gate. IÆll go down and check out the forest; Annabeth, you guard these two.ö
Not even waiting to see if his instructions were followed, he made his way down the hill, stopping only at the edge of the forest to glance back. He nodded once, caught AnnabethÆs eyes for a moment, and entered the forest.
Neither of them needed to speak a word to convey what they wanted to say. Maybe that was part of being boyfriend and girlfriendùor maybe that was just the result of training and fighting monsters with each other for so long.
Either way, he knew she wanted him to come back safelyùand she knew that he would, no matter what monsters got in his way.
But they also both knew they had jobs to doùand neither of them were very good at accepting failure.
So he plunged into the darkness of the faerie woods without any hesitationùand there was no need to look back anymore.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
The light faded abruptly upon entering the forest. It wasnÆt a gradual fading as the canopy of the trees got thinker and allowed less light throughùno; heÆd taken three steps in and it was dark. He couldnÆt even see the light from outside, even though it was only several steps back.
ùIf he got lost in here, it would be bad.
Frowning at the thought, he uncapped Riptide. The gently glowing bronze blade cast some much needed light on the darkness of the forest and was sharp enough to easily cut through wood besides. Lacking any magical path finding abilities like Travis and Conner, heÆd just have to make due the old fashioned way.
He just hoped there were no nymphs around here to get mad at him. Frowning at that thought, he lowered his blade slightly.
Actually, he should probably just not carve anything into the trees, just to be safe; he had no idea how the faeries might respond to him carving arrows in the trees.
Glancing at the ground, he carved an arrow into it instead, pointing towards the way out. Satisfied, he continued deeper into the woods, letting the tip of RiptideÆs blade drag along the ground to mark the way out. The Celestial Bronze blade slide through the ground surprisingly easily, as if it were more liquid then solid.
As he walked, the firefly-like things moved around him, the only other light that he could see. They gathered together and broke apart and circled around him, becoming more and more numerous. And yet, they always stayed at distance.
He got the unnerving feeling that they were watching him and frowned at a particularly large gathering.
He tried approaching, but they just moved away in turn. He contemplated putting away his sword and seeing if he could convince any of them to approach, but decided against it. If they were what he thought they were, then he should wait until he had the others with him before approaching. His job was just to make sure things were safe.
So he decided to simply ignore them and continue into the forest. If they wanted to watch him, let them; he wasnÆt doing anything important and he was used to getting stared at.
Honestly, he was getting suspicious of this forest. Besides the ever watching eyes around him, he had yet to find anything or anyone. This forest was strangeùthe noises heÆd expect from a forest were still present, but they were always at a distance, and no matter how far he walked, he could never reach the sources of those noises.
Of course, nothing said the forests in Faerie had to be like the ones on Earth. But there should have been things in it, right? Maybe not human animals, but some type of creature, surely?
Were they hiding from him?
Well, he was holding a glowing sword, he thought, glancing down at Riptide. HeÆd probably avoid going up to him in a dark forest, too.
Shaking his head, he decided to go a little further before turning back. So far, despite being weird, the forest seemed harmless. All they had to do was figure out how to lure out someone they could talk too, which he was sure Annabeth could do.
He took another step, walking between two treesù
And suddenly, he was out of the forest. Behind him, the two trees formed an archway, their branches intertwining above his head. Just as he hadnÆt been able to see the light outside when heÆd first entered the forest, heÆd been blind to the exit as well.
All these things, Percy realized distantly, but they barely registered to his mind. He also wondered how heÆd managed to cross the entirety of the forest so quickly, but he put it out of his mind as well.
He no longer had time to worry about unimportant things.
HeÆd left the forest and entered a battlefield. Outside the strange woods, two armies clashed. The soldiers that composed them were outlandish and variedùsome were enormous and size and some were like insects. Some were beautiful enough to mesmerize him, but the horrific ugliness of others broke the spell. There were creatures that could fly and those that swam through the river that bisected the battlefield. There were things that reminded him of creatures on Earth, of plants, and of things out of nightmares. And still more were so strange, he couldnÆt think of anything to compare them too.
On the battlefield outside the forest, fantasies and nightmares clashed. The only thing that stood to separate who were allies and who were enemies was the side of the battlefield one stood upon. The river that bisected it defined the sides of the battle and the areas on either side of it were like warped reflections of each other.
The side upon which he stood was grassy and full of life. In any other situation, it would have been beautifulùa pure field of scattered flowers and powerful trees. However, the grass and the flowers had been stained by multicolored fluids that he assumed to be blood, tainting their beauty. The other side was barren and dead, with nothing but gnarled, withered trees.
However, despite how they looked, they were definitely æreflectionsÆ of each other. On the far side, behind the oncoming forces, there was an arch of twisted trees and if there had been life in them and leaves on their branches, they would have looked exactly like the one behind him. The entire line of trees, and maybe even the field itself, looked the same but for one thing.
One was in a state of life and the other of death.
Looking at it, Percy could honestly say that he had no idea what was going on.
It was obviously a battle, though that told him nothing important. A battle could occur for any of a thousand reasons and knowing that one was occurring wouldnÆt tell you why it was occurring. Nor would it tell you whose side you were, or should, be on.
Should he even get involved at allà?
He shook himself at the thought.
It was a stupid question.
Once you were on the battlefield, it was already too late to wonder whether or not you should get involved; at best, you could consider escape but you are definitely involved. Instead of wondering about that, he should just decide what to do.
If he was with the others, he would have stood back and looked for a way out, because he couldnÆt risk getting them hurt.
But right now, he was aloneùand he could take care of himself just fine. And whether they were human or not, he wasnÆt the type of person to just stand by while people were killing each otherùespecially since he didnÆt even understand why.
However, in a situation like this, it would be stupid to make important decisions like deciding whose side to join without knowing anything.
Fortunately, that was a problem that was easily corrected. He quickly scanned the chaos of the battlefield, zeroed in on his target, and waded into the fray.
Hopefully, Annabeth wouldnÆt be too mad at him later.
The light faded abruptly upon entering the forest. It wasnÆt a gradual fading as the canopy of the trees got thinker and allowed less light throughùno; heÆd taken three steps in and it was dark. He couldnÆt even see the light from outside, even though it was only several steps back.
ùIf he got lost in here, it would be bad.
Frowning at the thought, he uncapped Riptide. The gently glowing bronze blade cast some much needed light on the darkness of the forest and was sharp enough to easily cut through wood besides. Lacking any magical path finding abilities like Travis and Conner, heÆd just have to make due the old fashioned way.
He just hoped there were no nymphs around here to get mad at him. Frowning at that thought, he lowered his blade slightly.
Actually, he should probably just not carve anything into the trees, just to be safe; he had no idea how the faeries might respond to him carving arrows in the trees.
Glancing at the ground, he carved an arrow into it instead, pointing towards the way out. Satisfied, he continued deeper into the woods, letting the tip of RiptideÆs blade drag along the ground to mark the way out. The Celestial Bronze blade slide through the ground surprisingly easily, as if it were more liquid then solid.
As he walked, the firefly-like things moved around him, the only other light that he could see. They gathered together and broke apart and circled around him, becoming more and more numerous. And yet, they always stayed at distance.
He got the unnerving feeling that they were watching him and frowned at a particularly large gathering.
He tried approaching, but they just moved away in turn. He contemplated putting away his sword and seeing if he could convince any of them to approach, but decided against it. If they were what he thought they were, then he should wait until he had the others with him before approaching. His job was just to make sure things were safe.
So he decided to simply ignore them and continue into the forest. If they wanted to watch him, let them; he wasnÆt doing anything important and he was used to getting stared at.
Honestly, he was getting suspicious of this forest. Besides the ever watching eyes around him, he had yet to find anything or anyone. This forest was strangeùthe noises heÆd expect from a forest were still present, but they were always at a distance, and no matter how far he walked, he could never reach the sources of those noises.
Of course, nothing said the forests in Faerie had to be like the ones on Earth. But there should have been things in it, right? Maybe not human animals, but some type of creature, surely?
Were they hiding from him?
Well, he was holding a glowing sword, he thought, glancing down at Riptide. HeÆd probably avoid going up to him in a dark forest, too.
Shaking his head, he decided to go a little further before turning back. So far, despite being weird, the forest seemed harmless. All they had to do was figure out how to lure out someone they could talk too, which he was sure Annabeth could do.
He took another step, walking between two treesù
And suddenly, he was out of the forest. Behind him, the two trees formed an archway, their branches intertwining above his head. Just as he hadnÆt been able to see the light outside when heÆd first entered the forest, heÆd been blind to the exit as well.
All these things, Percy realized distantly, but they barely registered to his mind. He also wondered how heÆd managed to cross the entirety of the forest so quickly, but he put it out of his mind as well.
He no longer had time to worry about unimportant things.
HeÆd left the forest and entered a battlefield. Outside the strange woods, two armies clashed. The soldiers that composed them were outlandish and variedùsome were enormous and size and some were like insects. Some were beautiful enough to mesmerize him, but the horrific ugliness of others broke the spell. There were creatures that could fly and those that swam through the river that bisected the battlefield. There were things that reminded him of creatures on Earth, of plants, and of things out of nightmares. And still more were so strange, he couldnÆt think of anything to compare them too.
On the battlefield outside the forest, fantasies and nightmares clashed. The only thing that stood to separate who were allies and who were enemies was the side of the battlefield one stood upon. The river that bisected it defined the sides of the battle and the areas on either side of it were like warped reflections of each other.
The side upon which he stood was grassy and full of life. In any other situation, it would have been beautifulùa pure field of scattered flowers and powerful trees. However, the grass and the flowers had been stained by multicolored fluids that he assumed to be blood, tainting their beauty. The other side was barren and dead, with nothing but gnarled, withered trees.
However, despite how they looked, they were definitely æreflectionsÆ of each other. On the far side, behind the oncoming forces, there was an arch of twisted trees and if there had been life in them and leaves on their branches, they would have looked exactly like the one behind him. The entire line of trees, and maybe even the field itself, looked the same but for one thing.
One was in a state of life and the other of death.
Looking at it, Percy could honestly say that he had no idea what was going on.
It was obviously a battle, though that told him nothing important. A battle could occur for any of a thousand reasons and knowing that one was occurring wouldnÆt tell you why it was occurring. Nor would it tell you whose side you were, or should, be on.
Should he even get involved at allà?
He shook himself at the thought.
It was a stupid question.
Once you were on the battlefield, it was already too late to wonder whether or not you should get involved; at best, you could consider escape but you are definitely involved. Instead of wondering about that, he should just decide what to do.
If he was with the others, he would have stood back and looked for a way out, because he couldnÆt risk getting them hurt.
But right now, he was aloneùand he could take care of himself just fine. And whether they were human or not, he wasnÆt the type of person to just stand by while people were killing each otherùespecially since he didnÆt even understand why.
However, in a situation like this, it would be stupid to make important decisions like deciding whose side to join without knowing anything.
Fortunately, that was a problem that was easily corrected. He quickly scanned the chaos of the battlefield, zeroed in on his target, and waded into the fray.
Hopefully, Annabeth wouldnÆt be too mad at him later.
He didnÆt want to throw himself into the fray just yet, because he would only draw attention to himself and get attackedùand then, when the attack inevitably broke upon him, heÆd draw even more attention.
Instead, he circled around the tree line, on the outskirts of the battle. Most of the fighting was centered on the river and he deduced the battle was an attempt to either keep or take control of it and this area. However, the simple truth of battle was that no matter how much a commander tries to impose order on it, it never stays orderly.
In the overall clash of the two forces, a number of smaller groups had broken off from their respective armies and scattered throughout the battlefield. Some were trying to escape or even just get to safer positions, while others were chasing specific opponents. Some had probably just gotten disoriented in the sheer chaos of battle and ended up somewhere they hadnÆt intended to be in the constant pushing forward and falling back. Still others had probably been sent, or, perhaps, had decided themselves, to circle around behind the enemy group and attempt to attack from behind, where, naturally, others had moved to counter them.
Simply glancing at them was nowhere near enough to determine which was which, of courseùhe just had experience in this matter and had been taught by Chiron, who had an enormous amount of experience in the matter. As such he had to choose wisely when picking who he wanted to question. He didnÆt want anyone big, noticeable, or important looking. People that didnÆt look important had their dangers to, but going down that road would lead to the type of twisted logic that would only confuse him. HeÆd just have to pick someone that probably wasnÆt important in the overall scheme of the battle.
So he chose the tiny like pixie-thing that was being chased by a cat of some sort. Honestly, it was just stereotyping, but he had a hard time believing that screaming red sprite was someone in a leadership position and she was being chased around by a cat on the side of the field that he was pretty sure she was on, so she probably wasnÆt a spyàthough, that would make her a pretty great spy if she actually was oneà
Percy halted that train of thought as well, closing the distance between he and the two enemies in an instant. Knowing he had nothing to fear from the catÆs claws, he dropped Riptide and grabbed it by the neck without fear even as his other hand caught the little pixie it had been chasing.
It was only about halfway through that that he realized how big the cat was. It was like a bobcat; maybe three feet long and two feet at the shoulder. However, it definitely wasnÆt a bobcatùor any normal type of cat. The structure of its skull and face were different and the fell of its fur was rougher. Its paws had too many digits and were wider then a catÆs.
Its eyes, a bright, alien green, narrowed.
ôWhat are you doing, human?ö It asked, speaking in understandable English, though the inflections and intonations sounded strange. ôThis is not a matter that concerns you.ö
As it spoke, it revealed its teeth, already stained with multicolored blood. The fairy in his left hand squeaked at the sight and he got the distinct impression that knewùhad knownùthe people that blood had come from.
ôProbably not,ö He said, trying to keep his tone from cooling. ôBut IÆm getting involved anyway. I came here to speak with the fairies and this battle had gotten in the way of thatùô
The moment he said the word æfairies,Æ outrage had flashed through the æcatÆsÆ eyes. Percy fell silent as it lashed out at him; itÆs raking at his skin.
If he had been a normal human, or even a normal demigod, those claws would have severed the tendons in his wrist and cut deeply into the muscles of his arm, if they didnÆt actually reach the bone. HeÆd have dropped it immediately, his hand no longer able to hold anything, and heÆd be in serious danger of dying of blood loss from the wound to his wrist.
As it was, they glanced harmlessly off the surface of his skin, doing nothing but making his gaze cold.
ôThis,ö He said. ôIs why IÆm a dog person.ö
The creatureÆs eyes widened at its failure and before it could react in any other way, PercyÆs grip tightened immensely. He cut off its breath for several long seconds as it struggled, making it obvious that he could kill it.
The only thing stopping him from breaking its neck was the reasonable little voice in the back of his head that told him that killing random æpeopleÆ in a æforeignÆ could easily end very badly, especially if he had no idea who they were or what position they may have held in this place.
So he let go of the creature, allowing it to fall to the ground.
ôGet lost.ö He said.
For a moment, it seemed ready to attack, but a single flexing of his fingers was enough to convince it to do as he said.
He shifted his gaze to his other hand.
His first thought was that she looked a lot like a red-haired Tinkerbell. She was a tiny woman, maybe six inches in height, and fit completely into his hand. She was staring at him in awe, probably because of how heÆd dealt with her tormentor.
He released her slowly, letting her fly a bit away from his hands, and tried to smile.
ôHey, IÆm new around here,ö He said, trying to draw her attention away from the fact that heÆd nearly strangled someone in front of her with his best I-didnÆt-do-anything-wrong smile. It had never worked on his mom, but the fairy seemed to buy it. ôSince I saved your life, could you tell me whatÆs going on?ö
Blinking, the tiny woman glanced back at the battle which had, naturally, raged on unnoticing during everything, before looking back at him. After a moment, she seemed to decide something and nodded to herself.
ôWinter and Summer are fighting again,ö She finally answer, sounding upset.
Percy clicked his tongue, glancing at the two forces as well. Glancing once to the lively side of the river and once to the dead one, he made a guess.
ôThose guys are Winter, right?ö He asked, nodding to the dead side. ôThen this side is Summer?ö
The fairy nodded.
ôWhy are they fighting?ö
The fairy shrugged.
ôWinter and Summer are always fighting,ö She said, as if he should know this already. ôOne of them probably tried to take control of the river.ö
He turned his eyes to the river at that. Various creatures were clashing in the water, trying to keep from being pushed back while also taking any chance to push forward.
ôDoes it matter who has the river,ö He asked. The fairy immediately began to sputter. ôNever mind. The riverÆs important, then?ö
ôOf course itÆs important!ö He got the feeling that the only reason the word stupid wasnÆt in that sentence was because heÆd just saved her life. ôItÆs the boundary line!ö
Percy hummed at that. So it was what separated the two countries, basically. In that case, he could see why both sides were fighting for itùif you could cross soldiers from your side into the enemies side but they couldnÆt do the same to you, then you had the advantage.
ôWhich side was that cat on?ö
ôThe Malks are allied with Winter.ö She said. He assumed that the cat was one of those Malks.
ôAnd you?ö
She seemed to deflate at the question.
ôI was called, so I joined Summer.ö
ôCalledà? You mean you were drafted?ö He wondered, confused. When she didnÆt seem to understand, he rephrased it. ôI meanàyou arenÆt normally with Summer?ö
She shook her head quickly.
ôWyldfae are usually only drawn when thereÆs a war on.ö She said. ôIt hasnÆt really started yet, but things have been getting really bad this year. Local groups are getting called every battle.ö
Percy was curious what that meant, but decided to ask later. For a long moment, he pondered the battle, trying to make sense of what he knew.
Winter and Summer were at each otherÆs throats and war was on the horizon. If it was due to stuff that happened this year, the Battle of Manhattan could be the cause; but then, so could the war with the Red Court. Or, maybe it had nothing to do with that. It didnÆt matter at the momentùwhile important, he needed to decide what to do here and now.
If he wanted to get SummerÆs support, the logical thing to do would be to help their side, butàjust like with the White Council, he didnÆt want to be dragged into a war unless he knew what it was about and what his chances were. Supporting either side would be a mistake, then. Logically, he should back out of things, report back Annabeth, and let Winter and Summer fight it out.
ùHowever, he couldnÆt do that. Even if he didnÆt know the specifics, he at least understood that both sides were involving other people in this. If it was just two countries battling, he could stay out of things, but if they were making unrelated people fight for them when they obviously didnÆt want to, he couldnÆt approved.
Though, even if he said that, there was no real way to keep a country from drafting soldiersùespecially not one in which he had no real power or pull. Even if he did something here, it probably wouldnÆt change anything in the grand scheme of things.
That was fine with him, though; it was okay if he could at least help people that needed him here and now.
ôBy the wayàwhatÆs your name?ö He asked.
At that, the fairy fell silent for a moment, unsure.
ôI just need a name to call you by,ö He said, lifting an eyebrow at her hesitance.
ôàTana.ö She said, nodding, looking relieved for some reason.
ôWell, then, TanaàI just have to make sure of something. You and others like you live here in this forest, right?ö
She nodded, scattering hints of red pixie dust.
ôAnd you donÆt like them fighting here, do you?ö
She shook her head.
ôDo the others in the forest want to fight?ö
She shook her head again.
ôI need to be really sure of this, or IÆll get into even more trouble, so I have to ask; are you sure about that?ö
ôYes,ö She said. ôIf they wanted to fight for the Courts, they wouldnÆt be wyldfae.ö
Percy nodded at that; it made sense.
ôAnd this areaÆs not controlled by anyone? Nobody owns it or anything?ö
ôWinter and Summer wonÆt let each other control it.ö She said. ôThatÆs why there are so many battles here.ö
ôOkay then, one last questionàall that matters is who has control of the river, right?ö He asked, raising an eyebrow. When he received a nodded, he nodded himself. ôCool. Okay, Tana, if you want them out of here, hereÆs what weÆre going to doàö
There was no question about it; Annabeth was going to kill him.
XxXXxX
Instead, he circled around the tree line, on the outskirts of the battle. Most of the fighting was centered on the river and he deduced the battle was an attempt to either keep or take control of it and this area. However, the simple truth of battle was that no matter how much a commander tries to impose order on it, it never stays orderly.
In the overall clash of the two forces, a number of smaller groups had broken off from their respective armies and scattered throughout the battlefield. Some were trying to escape or even just get to safer positions, while others were chasing specific opponents. Some had probably just gotten disoriented in the sheer chaos of battle and ended up somewhere they hadnÆt intended to be in the constant pushing forward and falling back. Still others had probably been sent, or, perhaps, had decided themselves, to circle around behind the enemy group and attempt to attack from behind, where, naturally, others had moved to counter them.
Simply glancing at them was nowhere near enough to determine which was which, of courseùhe just had experience in this matter and had been taught by Chiron, who had an enormous amount of experience in the matter. As such he had to choose wisely when picking who he wanted to question. He didnÆt want anyone big, noticeable, or important looking. People that didnÆt look important had their dangers to, but going down that road would lead to the type of twisted logic that would only confuse him. HeÆd just have to pick someone that probably wasnÆt important in the overall scheme of the battle.
So he chose the tiny like pixie-thing that was being chased by a cat of some sort. Honestly, it was just stereotyping, but he had a hard time believing that screaming red sprite was someone in a leadership position and she was being chased around by a cat on the side of the field that he was pretty sure she was on, so she probably wasnÆt a spyàthough, that would make her a pretty great spy if she actually was oneà
Percy halted that train of thought as well, closing the distance between he and the two enemies in an instant. Knowing he had nothing to fear from the catÆs claws, he dropped Riptide and grabbed it by the neck without fear even as his other hand caught the little pixie it had been chasing.
It was only about halfway through that that he realized how big the cat was. It was like a bobcat; maybe three feet long and two feet at the shoulder. However, it definitely wasnÆt a bobcatùor any normal type of cat. The structure of its skull and face were different and the fell of its fur was rougher. Its paws had too many digits and were wider then a catÆs.
Its eyes, a bright, alien green, narrowed.
ôWhat are you doing, human?ö It asked, speaking in understandable English, though the inflections and intonations sounded strange. ôThis is not a matter that concerns you.ö
As it spoke, it revealed its teeth, already stained with multicolored blood. The fairy in his left hand squeaked at the sight and he got the distinct impression that knewùhad knownùthe people that blood had come from.
ôProbably not,ö He said, trying to keep his tone from cooling. ôBut IÆm getting involved anyway. I came here to speak with the fairies and this battle had gotten in the way of thatùô
The moment he said the word æfairies,Æ outrage had flashed through the æcatÆsÆ eyes. Percy fell silent as it lashed out at him; itÆs raking at his skin.
If he had been a normal human, or even a normal demigod, those claws would have severed the tendons in his wrist and cut deeply into the muscles of his arm, if they didnÆt actually reach the bone. HeÆd have dropped it immediately, his hand no longer able to hold anything, and heÆd be in serious danger of dying of blood loss from the wound to his wrist.
As it was, they glanced harmlessly off the surface of his skin, doing nothing but making his gaze cold.
ôThis,ö He said. ôIs why IÆm a dog person.ö
The creatureÆs eyes widened at its failure and before it could react in any other way, PercyÆs grip tightened immensely. He cut off its breath for several long seconds as it struggled, making it obvious that he could kill it.
The only thing stopping him from breaking its neck was the reasonable little voice in the back of his head that told him that killing random æpeopleÆ in a æforeignÆ could easily end very badly, especially if he had no idea who they were or what position they may have held in this place.
So he let go of the creature, allowing it to fall to the ground.
ôGet lost.ö He said.
For a moment, it seemed ready to attack, but a single flexing of his fingers was enough to convince it to do as he said.
He shifted his gaze to his other hand.
His first thought was that she looked a lot like a red-haired Tinkerbell. She was a tiny woman, maybe six inches in height, and fit completely into his hand. She was staring at him in awe, probably because of how heÆd dealt with her tormentor.
He released her slowly, letting her fly a bit away from his hands, and tried to smile.
ôHey, IÆm new around here,ö He said, trying to draw her attention away from the fact that heÆd nearly strangled someone in front of her with his best I-didnÆt-do-anything-wrong smile. It had never worked on his mom, but the fairy seemed to buy it. ôSince I saved your life, could you tell me whatÆs going on?ö
Blinking, the tiny woman glanced back at the battle which had, naturally, raged on unnoticing during everything, before looking back at him. After a moment, she seemed to decide something and nodded to herself.
ôWinter and Summer are fighting again,ö She finally answer, sounding upset.
Percy clicked his tongue, glancing at the two forces as well. Glancing once to the lively side of the river and once to the dead one, he made a guess.
ôThose guys are Winter, right?ö He asked, nodding to the dead side. ôThen this side is Summer?ö
The fairy nodded.
ôWhy are they fighting?ö
The fairy shrugged.
ôWinter and Summer are always fighting,ö She said, as if he should know this already. ôOne of them probably tried to take control of the river.ö
He turned his eyes to the river at that. Various creatures were clashing in the water, trying to keep from being pushed back while also taking any chance to push forward.
ôDoes it matter who has the river,ö He asked. The fairy immediately began to sputter. ôNever mind. The riverÆs important, then?ö
ôOf course itÆs important!ö He got the feeling that the only reason the word stupid wasnÆt in that sentence was because heÆd just saved her life. ôItÆs the boundary line!ö
Percy hummed at that. So it was what separated the two countries, basically. In that case, he could see why both sides were fighting for itùif you could cross soldiers from your side into the enemies side but they couldnÆt do the same to you, then you had the advantage.
ôWhich side was that cat on?ö
ôThe Malks are allied with Winter.ö She said. He assumed that the cat was one of those Malks.
ôAnd you?ö
She seemed to deflate at the question.
ôI was called, so I joined Summer.ö
ôCalledà? You mean you were drafted?ö He wondered, confused. When she didnÆt seem to understand, he rephrased it. ôI meanàyou arenÆt normally with Summer?ö
She shook her head quickly.
ôWyldfae are usually only drawn when thereÆs a war on.ö She said. ôIt hasnÆt really started yet, but things have been getting really bad this year. Local groups are getting called every battle.ö
Percy was curious what that meant, but decided to ask later. For a long moment, he pondered the battle, trying to make sense of what he knew.
Winter and Summer were at each otherÆs throats and war was on the horizon. If it was due to stuff that happened this year, the Battle of Manhattan could be the cause; but then, so could the war with the Red Court. Or, maybe it had nothing to do with that. It didnÆt matter at the momentùwhile important, he needed to decide what to do here and now.
If he wanted to get SummerÆs support, the logical thing to do would be to help their side, butàjust like with the White Council, he didnÆt want to be dragged into a war unless he knew what it was about and what his chances were. Supporting either side would be a mistake, then. Logically, he should back out of things, report back Annabeth, and let Winter and Summer fight it out.
ùHowever, he couldnÆt do that. Even if he didnÆt know the specifics, he at least understood that both sides were involving other people in this. If it was just two countries battling, he could stay out of things, but if they were making unrelated people fight for them when they obviously didnÆt want to, he couldnÆt approved.
Though, even if he said that, there was no real way to keep a country from drafting soldiersùespecially not one in which he had no real power or pull. Even if he did something here, it probably wouldnÆt change anything in the grand scheme of things.
That was fine with him, though; it was okay if he could at least help people that needed him here and now.
ôBy the wayàwhatÆs your name?ö He asked.
At that, the fairy fell silent for a moment, unsure.
ôI just need a name to call you by,ö He said, lifting an eyebrow at her hesitance.
ôàTana.ö She said, nodding, looking relieved for some reason.
ôWell, then, TanaàI just have to make sure of something. You and others like you live here in this forest, right?ö
She nodded, scattering hints of red pixie dust.
ôAnd you donÆt like them fighting here, do you?ö
She shook her head.
ôDo the others in the forest want to fight?ö
She shook her head again.
ôI need to be really sure of this, or IÆll get into even more trouble, so I have to ask; are you sure about that?ö
ôYes,ö She said. ôIf they wanted to fight for the Courts, they wouldnÆt be wyldfae.ö
Percy nodded at that; it made sense.
ôAnd this areaÆs not controlled by anyone? Nobody owns it or anything?ö
ôWinter and Summer wonÆt let each other control it.ö She said. ôThatÆs why there are so many battles here.ö
ôOkay then, one last questionàall that matters is who has control of the river, right?ö He asked, raising an eyebrow. When he received a nodded, he nodded himself. ôCool. Okay, Tana, if you want them out of here, hereÆs what weÆre going to doàö
There was no question about it; Annabeth was going to kill him.
XxXXxX
XxXXxX
In a wave of water and force that took everyone by surprise, the river exploded. Soldiers on both sides were roughly pushed out of the river, onto their respective sides, water rushing up the river banks to throw them out of it.
Then, just as abruptly, it all flowed back into its bed. For a moment, its pristine waters bubbled and churned violently, as if the river itself had been angered. And thenù
The river began to rise. It surged out of its banks, flowing up into the air and then curving back down again in a smooth arc. It stood suspended in the air, its flow unhinderedùa beautiful, flowing rainbow of clear water twenty feet high.
And at the highest point of the arc, he stood, as if the water beneath his feet were as solid as stone. He wore a breastplate of glowing bronze, along with greaves of the same material, beneath which he wore an orange shirt of some kind and jeans. A four foot wide shield was bound to his left arm and he held a three foot long sword in his right hand.
ôStop,ö He said.
Maybe it was the glowing armor or maybe it was the lifted river, but either way, everyone stopped. Surveying them all from his position above, Percy nodded, satisfied. The river promptly fell, collapsing back into its bed with an enormous spray of water, causing everyone on both sides to take several reflexive steps back. When everyone recovered and looked back at him, he still stood neatly atop the water, not an inch of him wet.
ôThis battle is over,ö He said. ôEveryone go home.ö
After a moment of silence, a man on WinterÆs side stepped forward. He wore armor of icy blue, though Percy could not tell what material it was composed of. His hair was white and his eyes were catlike and green. There was a slight point to his ears and when he spoke, Percy could see a sharp point to his incisors as well. He immediately decided he was the leader of WinterÆs forces in this battle.
ôAnd under whose authority do you say that?ö He said in a voice as cold and beautiful as winter itself.
Percy glanced at him once and narrowed his eyes.
ôUnder my own,ö He said. ôThis river belongs to me.ö
The cries of outrage were immediate and came from both sides. Percy kept his face expressionless and quickly silenced both sides by briefly sending water rushing up the banks again.
ôThis river is mine,ö He repeated once they were quiet, though he could see anger in their eyes; he knew his self-declared position wouldnÆt remain unchallenged for very long. ôAnd while I do not care who crosses it, I cannot allow this battle to continue.ö
He brushed a hand through his raven hair, drawing away a red pixie that had been seated upon his head. Holding out his palm, he let her speak, standing atop it.
ôTell them why, Lady Tana,ö He said, passing the bill.
ôI have been given authority over this River in my Lords stead,ö She declared. Fairies could not speak lies, but it wasnÆt oneùhe had given her that authority. About two minute ago. ôAnd I cannot stand by and watch this any longer! For what purpose have the Wyldfae been called? There is not yet war! You have forced us to involve ourselves in your battles, but that is not your right! Have you forgotten the agreements set down so long ago?ö
Percy had no idea what she was talking about, which is why heÆd let her talk instead. He could only hope she knew what she was talking about.
And by the way mutters began to spread through the ranks of both sides, it at least struck a chord.
WinterÆs leader narrowed his eyes, a sudden flash of anger appearing before giving way to something colder.
ôYour Queens called,ö He said lowly. ôThat is why you came.ö
Something in his tone made Tana flinch and for a moment she seemed like she wanted to run from those cold, catlike eyes. Percy noticed that and narrowed his own eyes.
ôWhoÆs Queens?ö He asked, reminding Tana he was still here, backing her up. ôOur Queens? Tana, do you have a Queen?ö
Tana recovered after a moment and shook her head.
ôI am a Wyldfae,ö She said quietly but firmly. ôI have no Queen.ö
Percy swept his gaze over the gathered armies.
ôAnd you?ö He asked. ôYou who were called to fight in a battle that didnÆt involve youàdo you have any Queens?ö
The murmuring began to get louder and the dissension in the ranks was clear.
Percy snorted, shaking his head.
ôAll of you have been wrongfully forced to fight.ö He stated. ôTana, escort them all back to their homes.ö
Tana hesitated for a moment, before nodding quickly when she saw what heÆd noticed. The leaders of both Winter and Summer looked angry; which was to be expected as heÆd just stripped both of most of their armies in front of most of the Wildfae in the forest, as well as the soldiers theyÆd brought with them. With their numbers so reduced, both forces seemed uncertain.
Even so, as many Fae on both side broke off from their groups to follow Tana, violence was still in the air.
ôBoth of you have unjustly called the WIldfae into your stupid conflict,ö Percy continued, even so. ôAnd further, have lead to the deaths of many by doing so. IÆm going to have to ask both of you to leave.ö
SummerÆs leader spoke up for the first time. He was a big man, nearly seven feet, and muscled like a bear. He had green hair and matching eyes, which fell down over his harsh face. Even so, he carried himself like a noble would, and seemed to be the type to get what he wanted. His armor was a shade of gentle green, marked with a symbol Percy didnÆt recognize.
ôEven if that is true,ö He allowed. ôYou have already corrected that mistake. With all the Wildfae removed, this is now purely a conflict between Winter and Summer. Surely you do not intend to interfere any further? You no longer have any right to get involved.ö
ôÆPurely a conflict between Winter and SummerÆ?ö Percy repeated, shaking his head and ignoring the rest of the sentence. ôYou came into this forest, forest those who lived here to fight for you, and then wasted their lives on your pointless little battle!ö
Yes, he was getting angry. He knew he should keep his emotions in check, but he couldnÆt help itùthere was no shame or regret in the eyes of either leader.
ôI told you already that this is my river,ö He continued. ôAnd you should know that this area was given life by this river. But you came here, spilt innocent blood on this ground pointlessly, and now you say I have no right to interfere? You are only still alive because I do not wish to anger your Queens. But you are both mad if you believe I will let either of you cross this river without my permission.ö
He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.
ôBut, more than anything, I just want all of you out of here,ö He said flatly. ôI donÆt care where you go as long as you donÆt trouble the people of this forest any further. And since neither of you seems ready to leave of their own free willàI see three ways to solve this. If you intend to continue, you have to make a deal with me.ö
WinterÆs leader glanced at him for a moment in interest at the prospect of a deal before anger took over again.
ôOr else what?ö He asked.
The river stopped flowing. It literally stopped moving at all or making any noise and, as if in response, the entire forest went silent.
Percy looked at him for a long quiet moment.
ôOr else IÆll be very upset,ö He said.
ôàWhat are your terms?ö SummerÆs man asked.
ôIÆll let you cross on one condition. Each of you may choose oneùand only oneùwarrior on your side and we will duel. If WinterÆs defeat, Winter may cross. If SummerÆs does, Summer may cross. Only the first person to defeat me counts. However, if I defeat both of you, you pack up your things, you take all your men, you leave this place, and you donÆt comeback.ö
Sumer immediately objected.
ôRidiculous! Deciding permanent usage of the River like thatùthe Queens will never allow it!ö
ôWho said anything about it being permanent?ö Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. ôAs I said, I have no desire to anger the Queens. I just want the ones who have wronged the people in this forest gone. And you will goùone way or another.ö
ôàVery well.ö SummerÆs leader decided. ôI will fight you, then. I am Foster, commander of Summer.ö
WinterÆs leader grimaced in annoyance as Foster spoke up, but it seemed to cause him to decide something as well.
ôI shall fight as well, then. I am Alston of Winter.ö He declared.
ôWonderful.ö Percy said tiredly. ôNow letÆs get this over with.ö
Immediately, the river began to flow again and the current, backed up by its stillness, exploded forth, flooding the entire valley.
ôùIÆm Percy, by the way.ö He said, already moving, the only one unhindered by the water.
In a wave of water and force that took everyone by surprise, the river exploded. Soldiers on both sides were roughly pushed out of the river, onto their respective sides, water rushing up the river banks to throw them out of it.
Then, just as abruptly, it all flowed back into its bed. For a moment, its pristine waters bubbled and churned violently, as if the river itself had been angered. And thenù
The river began to rise. It surged out of its banks, flowing up into the air and then curving back down again in a smooth arc. It stood suspended in the air, its flow unhinderedùa beautiful, flowing rainbow of clear water twenty feet high.
And at the highest point of the arc, he stood, as if the water beneath his feet were as solid as stone. He wore a breastplate of glowing bronze, along with greaves of the same material, beneath which he wore an orange shirt of some kind and jeans. A four foot wide shield was bound to his left arm and he held a three foot long sword in his right hand.
ôStop,ö He said.
Maybe it was the glowing armor or maybe it was the lifted river, but either way, everyone stopped. Surveying them all from his position above, Percy nodded, satisfied. The river promptly fell, collapsing back into its bed with an enormous spray of water, causing everyone on both sides to take several reflexive steps back. When everyone recovered and looked back at him, he still stood neatly atop the water, not an inch of him wet.
ôThis battle is over,ö He said. ôEveryone go home.ö
After a moment of silence, a man on WinterÆs side stepped forward. He wore armor of icy blue, though Percy could not tell what material it was composed of. His hair was white and his eyes were catlike and green. There was a slight point to his ears and when he spoke, Percy could see a sharp point to his incisors as well. He immediately decided he was the leader of WinterÆs forces in this battle.
ôAnd under whose authority do you say that?ö He said in a voice as cold and beautiful as winter itself.
Percy glanced at him once and narrowed his eyes.
ôUnder my own,ö He said. ôThis river belongs to me.ö
The cries of outrage were immediate and came from both sides. Percy kept his face expressionless and quickly silenced both sides by briefly sending water rushing up the banks again.
ôThis river is mine,ö He repeated once they were quiet, though he could see anger in their eyes; he knew his self-declared position wouldnÆt remain unchallenged for very long. ôAnd while I do not care who crosses it, I cannot allow this battle to continue.ö
He brushed a hand through his raven hair, drawing away a red pixie that had been seated upon his head. Holding out his palm, he let her speak, standing atop it.
ôTell them why, Lady Tana,ö He said, passing the bill.
ôI have been given authority over this River in my Lords stead,ö She declared. Fairies could not speak lies, but it wasnÆt oneùhe had given her that authority. About two minute ago. ôAnd I cannot stand by and watch this any longer! For what purpose have the Wyldfae been called? There is not yet war! You have forced us to involve ourselves in your battles, but that is not your right! Have you forgotten the agreements set down so long ago?ö
Percy had no idea what she was talking about, which is why heÆd let her talk instead. He could only hope she knew what she was talking about.
And by the way mutters began to spread through the ranks of both sides, it at least struck a chord.
WinterÆs leader narrowed his eyes, a sudden flash of anger appearing before giving way to something colder.
ôYour Queens called,ö He said lowly. ôThat is why you came.ö
Something in his tone made Tana flinch and for a moment she seemed like she wanted to run from those cold, catlike eyes. Percy noticed that and narrowed his own eyes.
ôWhoÆs Queens?ö He asked, reminding Tana he was still here, backing her up. ôOur Queens? Tana, do you have a Queen?ö
Tana recovered after a moment and shook her head.
ôI am a Wyldfae,ö She said quietly but firmly. ôI have no Queen.ö
Percy swept his gaze over the gathered armies.
ôAnd you?ö He asked. ôYou who were called to fight in a battle that didnÆt involve youàdo you have any Queens?ö
The murmuring began to get louder and the dissension in the ranks was clear.
Percy snorted, shaking his head.
ôAll of you have been wrongfully forced to fight.ö He stated. ôTana, escort them all back to their homes.ö
Tana hesitated for a moment, before nodding quickly when she saw what heÆd noticed. The leaders of both Winter and Summer looked angry; which was to be expected as heÆd just stripped both of most of their armies in front of most of the Wildfae in the forest, as well as the soldiers theyÆd brought with them. With their numbers so reduced, both forces seemed uncertain.
Even so, as many Fae on both side broke off from their groups to follow Tana, violence was still in the air.
ôBoth of you have unjustly called the WIldfae into your stupid conflict,ö Percy continued, even so. ôAnd further, have lead to the deaths of many by doing so. IÆm going to have to ask both of you to leave.ö
SummerÆs leader spoke up for the first time. He was a big man, nearly seven feet, and muscled like a bear. He had green hair and matching eyes, which fell down over his harsh face. Even so, he carried himself like a noble would, and seemed to be the type to get what he wanted. His armor was a shade of gentle green, marked with a symbol Percy didnÆt recognize.
ôEven if that is true,ö He allowed. ôYou have already corrected that mistake. With all the Wildfae removed, this is now purely a conflict between Winter and Summer. Surely you do not intend to interfere any further? You no longer have any right to get involved.ö
ôÆPurely a conflict between Winter and SummerÆ?ö Percy repeated, shaking his head and ignoring the rest of the sentence. ôYou came into this forest, forest those who lived here to fight for you, and then wasted their lives on your pointless little battle!ö
Yes, he was getting angry. He knew he should keep his emotions in check, but he couldnÆt help itùthere was no shame or regret in the eyes of either leader.
ôI told you already that this is my river,ö He continued. ôAnd you should know that this area was given life by this river. But you came here, spilt innocent blood on this ground pointlessly, and now you say I have no right to interfere? You are only still alive because I do not wish to anger your Queens. But you are both mad if you believe I will let either of you cross this river without my permission.ö
He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.
ôBut, more than anything, I just want all of you out of here,ö He said flatly. ôI donÆt care where you go as long as you donÆt trouble the people of this forest any further. And since neither of you seems ready to leave of their own free willàI see three ways to solve this. If you intend to continue, you have to make a deal with me.ö
WinterÆs leader glanced at him for a moment in interest at the prospect of a deal before anger took over again.
ôOr else what?ö He asked.
The river stopped flowing. It literally stopped moving at all or making any noise and, as if in response, the entire forest went silent.
Percy looked at him for a long quiet moment.
ôOr else IÆll be very upset,ö He said.
ôàWhat are your terms?ö SummerÆs man asked.
ôIÆll let you cross on one condition. Each of you may choose oneùand only oneùwarrior on your side and we will duel. If WinterÆs defeat, Winter may cross. If SummerÆs does, Summer may cross. Only the first person to defeat me counts. However, if I defeat both of you, you pack up your things, you take all your men, you leave this place, and you donÆt comeback.ö
Sumer immediately objected.
ôRidiculous! Deciding permanent usage of the River like thatùthe Queens will never allow it!ö
ôWho said anything about it being permanent?ö Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. ôAs I said, I have no desire to anger the Queens. I just want the ones who have wronged the people in this forest gone. And you will goùone way or another.ö
ôàVery well.ö SummerÆs leader decided. ôI will fight you, then. I am Foster, commander of Summer.ö
WinterÆs leader grimaced in annoyance as Foster spoke up, but it seemed to cause him to decide something as well.
ôI shall fight as well, then. I am Alston of Winter.ö He declared.
ôWonderful.ö Percy said tiredly. ôNow letÆs get this over with.ö
Immediately, the river began to flow again and the current, backed up by its stillness, exploded forth, flooding the entire valley.
ôùIÆm Percy, by the way.ö He said, already moving, the only one unhindered by the water.