Chapter 5

Karma POV (one of Artemis' hunters) at the time of the meeting

"Does anyone know what's been bugging Lady Artemis lately?" I said asking no one in particular as the hunters ate dinner.

"Ok so it's not just me." Mina said, many of the hunters nodded in agreement

"So I ask again, any ideas on what's got her so upset." I asked.

"It all started about a month ago after Artemis came back from that awards meeting on Olympus." Teana said.

"I-I know what's got Artemis like this" Carly daughter of Hermes and our youngest hunter said "But you all have to swear on Styx that this stays between us".

"Why?" I asked.

"This information hasn't gotten out in 3000 years and I doubt Artemis would want it becoming common knowledge."

"Fine." Teana said. all the hunters took the oath and Carly told them about the conversion between Artemis and Thalia right after the meeting on Olympus.

Everyone was silent for a while as they processed the information. "I can't believe Artemis has well had a son." I said.

"Well I guess that explains her bad mood." Teana said "And it does explain the conversation I overheard back in Texas. I didn't understand it then but I do now. You know that big wolf Wuk, apparently he was Silver's pet and best friend."

"Doesn't it bother anyone that Artemis isn't a maiden but we're required to be just to stay in the hunt?" Mina asked.

"Not really, from what I've heard Perseus and Silver died during the titan war and the whole incident with Orion happened only a few decades after the war ended. Artemis probably gave up hope that good men even existed anymore and who could blame her. First her husband and son die then the very next guy she opens up to even a little bit tries to rape one of our sister's." I said.

"Besides you know Artemis thinks of us as her daughters, she only added the rule to protect us and if anyone of you want to leave the hunt because of it speak up now." Teana said. No one spoke up and I couldn't help but smile 'sisters till the end' I thought looking up at the constellation of Orion which literally faded right in front of me.

Percy POV (the next day)

I looked out over the ocean and took a deep breath drinking in the salty air, me, Leo, Nico and Reyna had been moving non stop for the past month and to be honest it was starting to

catch up with me. Reyna and Nico had actually enjoyed themselves quite a bit but then again they were dating, meanwhile me and Leo were basically the third wheel.

Our latest target was a group of cyclops' that had been roaming around just a little south of Camp Jupiter. We were having a bit of trouble keeping up with them so I called Mrs O'leary so we could track them better "Come on girl where are they?" I said. She sniffed the air and bonded off into the trees.

"I really need to get a leash for her." I said sprinting to catch up. We heard someone scream and came out of the trees just in time to see Mrs O'leary shaking a small cyclops like a frisbee "Good girl!" I said scratching her behind the ear.

The cyclops turned to dust a few seconds later "Well if they're all that easy we should be able to finish just in time for dinner." Leo said.

"I don't know about that." Reyna said

"Why not?" Leo asked. Instead of answering Reyna just pointed, about 100 yards or so away was a dam which would have been perfectly fine except that there were two separate groups of cyclops' fight all over it. One side had a green trident on their armor marking them as part of Poseidon's army. The other had the symbol of Oceanus, a red sea serpent.

Straining my eyes I noticed that Oceanus' soldiers were putting these little glowing green packages all over the front of the dam 'greek fire' I thought.

"So who do we help?" Leo asked

"The ones with a green triton are part of my father's army." I said. "Nico take Leo up to the bombs to disarm them and shadow travel him away if necessary you're job is to keep him safe while he works. Me and Reyna will go help out my father's army any questions." nobody said anything. "Good then let's move".

Nico disappeared with Leo and I tackled a cyclops that was about to decapitate one of my dads soldiers. This distracted him long enough for Reyna to stab him in the heart killing him instantly "Brother?" I heard someone say.

I turned to see the cyclops I just saved was my half brother Tyson, he open his mouth to speak but I cut him off "Talk later fight now." he nodded and ran to help one of his soldiers. After 10 minutes or so I risked a glance up to find Leo standing on what looked like a little platform made of pure shadows dismantling another bomb like he had been doing it his whole life "He's like a mexican batman." I thought as he kept pulling things out of his belt.

I looked back down to see that there were only a few enemy cyclops' left "Give up, you've lost surrender now and you will live." Tyson said and I couldn't help but smile at how much Tyson had grown up over the last year, going from clumsy and shy to a powerful leader.

"We may have been defeated but our mission will still succeed." one said holding up a small bronze box and pressing the button in the middle.

I realized what he was doing and shouted "Nico!" thankfully Nico understood and shadow traveled away with Leo just before the bombs blew.

Dozens of craters were blown into the dam and a small web of cracks appeared around each one. The bombs Leo disabled prevented it from completely failing right then and there but the cracks were spreading and getting bigger by the second "Everybody move!" Tyson shouted leading everyone to high ground where they would be safe.

I started to follow them but something caught my eye, directly behind me was a small town. There was no way to evacuate it in time Hades we wouldn't even be able to warn them. In the back of my mind I could almost hear someone say "You can save them."

The voice sounded like me but seemed older almost like my fathers 'But how.' I thought

"You are a son of Poseidon are you not? Control the water, guide it with your will." the voice replied

'I can't control that much though.' I shot back.

"Yes you can, remember you swore you would always protect your loved ones."

'I have nothing'.

"NOTHING!" The voiced sounded enraged by what I had said. "Are your friends nothing, are your parents nothing, is the woman you love nothing! Get off your butt and stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

'But Annabeth hates me, she left me.' I said, but even as I did I knew he was right I had been feeling sorry for myself for too long.

Annabeth left me so what? I'm still here, my friends are still here standing beside me either in person or spirit. I still had my brother and sister Nico and Thalia not to mention my soon to be born younger sister. Determined I faced the dam just as it broke. I held up my hands and willed the water to stop.

I could hear Tyson and the others screaming for me to move as the water came carrying giant chunks of concrete. Understandably the water didn't want to be stopped and it was still coming at me. "Who said I was talking about Annabeth?" the voice said, an image flashed through my mind. I saw a girl standing in front of me, I couldn't make out her face but I could see a smile on her lips and I coulda sworn I heard her say 'I love you Perseus.'.

That was all I needed, I screamed in defiance and the water came to a halt the tug in my gut was painful and even the muscles in my arms seemed to burn but I felt stronger than I ever had before. With one last push I forced the water over the town and into the ocean beyond just before falling into unconsciousness.

Silver POV

I walked up to the edge of the San Francisco bay and took a deep breath it had been a long day but I almost couldn't contain my excitement. My dad was close I could feel it. I grabbed an apple of a tree as I ran around the coast, normally I would have run straight across the water but I thought it would be best not to make the news.

Three old ladies flashed in right in front of me which made me have to just about snap my ankle as I tried to stop so I wouldn't crash into them. "Hello Silver." they said in unison.

"Can I help you?" I asked lightly grasping the hilt of my sword.

"We are the fates." they said giving each other confused glances. Guess the don't normally have to introduce themselves "Do you not remember us?".

I paused for a moment as I racked my brain for something but in truth I didn't really know them. "Sorry I don't." I said finally praying this wouldn't be like the time I failed to notice phoebe's hair cut. That beating was brutal.

"I guess it's of no consequence right now." the middle one said "We know of whom you seek but it is not yet time for him to be found."

"Why not he's been missing for over 3000 years I think it's time he was found." I stated flatly sure it was a little rude but seriously you wait till now to inform me that everything that I have been doing for the last 3 months has been for nothing.

"We will allow to find him only after you have completed 4 tasks of our choosing. Till then he will always remain out of your reach understand?" the left sister asked.

Artemis POV

I sat on a tree stump staring up into the night sky at the spot where Orion's' constellation used to be. Honestly I was overjoyed that it was gone. When I put him up there I still thought he was a decent man. It wasn't till later that I found out what he had done but by then I was stuck with a constant reminder of what he had done. Still I was curious why it disappeared, never before had I ever seen a single constellation disappeared I couldn't help but wonder why? I looked over to my favorite constellation which also happened to be Zoe.

For some reason it shown abnormally bright that night but as I stared at it it seemed to be dimming. With a start I realized it really was dimming, I watched in utter shock as the last trace of my former lieutenant disappeared from the sky. I felt like crying but a loud crash outside of camp didn't give me time to mourn. I grabbed my bow and ran to see what the cause of the sound was, 20 or 30 feet from camp I saw a large smoking crater. I looked inside and I couldn't believe what I found at the bottom of the crater was Zoe unconscious but alive.