Several Days Later
( Jason POV )
The primordial of light cracked a slight grin as he watched the sight before him. Just over the open courtyard of the Temple of Primordials, Andromeda was currently helping her daughter master her flight skills.
Andy was currently at her godly form as Raven flew around her, practicing dives and barrel rolls under the careful observation of her mother. So far she had gotten a good handle on herself, even if the start had been rather rocky but between Percy and Andy, Raven had progressed quickly and had already shown talent in wielding swords much like her father.
Raven had also wormed her way into the heart of the council members within hours, being simply too adorable and bubbly to the point that Rhea nearly hugged the stuffing out of her. Though Jason was a little worried when said goddess got a mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked to Percy.
Hestia wasn't far off either and now that the queens had only started collecting their pounds of flesh from their new fiancé, their attention was turned towards the war and any possible mischief at Percy's expense for the time being.
Speaking of pound of flesh, Jason glanced over his shoulder and looked out past the edge of the mountain to see a nearly hundred meter trench still marring the view with trees and boulders crushed around it.
That had been the first payment when Rhea walked out with Andy and slugged her across the cheek with enough force to launch her like a canon.
Hell, even days later Andy was still sporting that shiner along her right cheek. His shivered at the thought of what other possible punishments the queens would enact until they allowed Andy to officially marry and consummate said union.
He shook his head with a rueful smile as he glanced back and noticed his friend arriving, his own fanged grin being ironically bright for the god of Darkness.
"Percy," he greeted.
"Jason," Percy returned as he stepped beside him and looked up fondly at his fiancé and daughter.
"Ready to head out?" Jason asked as he noted the sun's descent.
A predatory smirk was the answer as Percy opened and clenched his hands.
"The pack is in positon, all they need is some timely Deus ex Machina," he returned as they both looked to Raven and Andy, who'd returned to mortal size, as the pair descended towards them.
"Papa!" Raven shouted in glee as she tackle-hugged her father in the chest, getting a hearty chuckle from Percy as he returned the embrace. "Did you see that? I finally got my flying down!"
"Yes and good job, hatchling," he teased making Raven blush and pout. Leave it to Percy to find a way to annoy someone within days of meeting them. "Anyways, I'm going to be heading out."
"Aww, do you have to?" Raven asked with big eyes that Percy expertly avoided by focusing on Andy, leaning over Raven to give Andy a quick peck of a kiss.
"See you all later," he said with a wink before dissolving into shadows before Raven could react, otherwise she would have used her new abilities to hitch a ride with him.
Dotting father and clingy daughter, what a pair indeed. Chaos save whatever poor fool or girl tries to get Raven's attention in the future. Girl was practically the princess of the mountain at the moment and had several overly powerful parents, uncles, and aunts all too willing to skin possible suitors alive.
Still, Raven was already maturing and within the next week or so she would probably come into the fully adult mindset necessary for her purpose. She was her mother's guardian after all. Born with the necessary powers and already fully blessed, all that was left was getting her proper attire and weapons before she was set loose.
Still, for now he gave a cheery wave to the mother and daughter pair before dissolving into light particles. His world distorted around him for all of five seconds before he solidified again in the House of Primordials, near the balcony overlooking the planet below them. He quickly spotted his sister sitting comfortably on the edge, her bow, Genesis, held lazily across her lap.
"Is it time?" she asked without turning to face him, her face set in stone as her eyes narrowed over the continental US.
"Percy's already left to meet up with his pack," Jason supplied as he stepped up beside his sister and looked down at the world. "It would be so easy, you know," he idly murmured as he looked at the silent globe while his sister glanced at him.
"To just attack from here and destroy them all," he continued as a spear of white lightning formed in his hand as his eyes landed on Olympus, the clouds doing little to block his sight.
"Yeah but it looks like we're keeping to the moral high grounds rather than going with Armageddon mode," Thalia replied with a finishing snort while Jason rolled his eyes. Sure, they were better than the Olympians at this point, but a moral high ground, there was not. "Don't worry, you'll get to shoot good old Olympus out of the sky … eventually."
"Speaking of shooting things out of the sky," Jason continued as he tracked the little sliver dot currently heading out over Missouri.
"Way ahead of you," Thalia returned as she leveled Genesis, a narrow bolt of lightning forming a notched arrow.
"Remember, shock and awe. We want there to be survivors … mostly,' he commented idly.
"Makes me wonder if it would be more merciful to just take them all out in one shot. Are we sure pushing Artemis into a corner this far will be best?"
"One, ancient laws still apply. Artemis is fair game but intentionally targeting her hunters without a challenge or them attacking first is a big no … unless you pass it off as a freak lightning strike."
"We declared war though so hostilities are open," she returned with a quirked eyebrow.
"It's the principle of the matter," he refuted while doing his best to down his embarrassed blush. Forgetting the war loophole of all things! "Anyways, two, the idea isn't elimination just yet. Cutting the numbers down sure but it's the moral we're going after. It will make her more dangerous, sure, but also enrage her beyond thinking rationally.
That and being one of the pillar goddesses in time of war, her temper will have worse results on her own allies," he replied as he formed many, smaller bolts of white lightning as he picked out his targets.
Best not to have the other Olympians jump in for back up. What better way than numerous attacks on possible key points for them such as the locations of hidden weapon stores, armories, and currently empty spots within the camps?
With that thought, the siblings watched as the silver dot kept moving westward, zipping past some clouds and over cities without any form of protection.
"Just before she reaches the Rockies, right?" Thalia asked as she started to pull her arrow back.
"Mhm," he hummed as he narrowed his eyes and spread the mini bolts further apart. "Wait for it … oh, an try not to one-shot Artemis out of this whole war either."
"…" Thalia grumbled something about patience and his unnecessary talking making him smirk slightly.
"Don't miss," he quipped just as Artemis was leaving the border of Kansas and into Colorado.
Thalia released the shot with a whip like crack, the bolt parting through the atmosphere and the few clouds in that way.
"That's the thing little bro," Thalia said as she gave him a sidelong glance. "… I don't miss."
...
Hunter (Kelly)
Kelly squinted her eyes as the winds pulled at her hair, standing right behind Artemis as her new lieutenant of the Hunt.
Artemis kept her sight forward on the reigns, constantly urging her reindeer to go faster even as half the Hunt gripped that mere ropes along the edges of the sleigh in death grips. As they passed over the middle of nowhere, otherwise known as Kansas, Kelly couldn't help but get a troubled feeling.
Ever since that meeting just days ago Olympus and the camps had been a wreck. Anyone having even a slightly positive view of Ares (the amount actually surprised her) were akin to rabid dogs at the moment, and plenty were calling for justice on Lady Hestia's behalf as well.
Having Deimos bedridden and in shock for two straight days, having lost his shield arm and driving Phobos into a rage had only increased the panic and near hysteria. Now the gods were trying to rapidly move the demigods to one location, having chosen that Camp Jupiter and New Rome were far more suitable.
However, not wanting to risk possible exhaustion through flashing all the campers and supporting satyrs when attacks from Umbra could come at any minute, the gods had each taken turns making trips with campers.
Artemis and Apollo having some of the fastest none teleportation methods of the present gods had made a schedule to alternate on their nightly trips.
That was why along with the 22 hunters, there was also nearly 15 added campers on Artemis' extended sleigh. Now though they were out and in the open, and Kelly was not liking how her gut decided pulling crunches at this time was in anyway helpful.
"My lady!" she called over the roaring winds, though luckily Artemis heard her somehow.
"Yes?" she asked with a glance over her shoulder, her once empty blue-silver eyes burning with indignant fury ever since being speared through by Umbra.
"How much longer will it be before we arrive?" she asked, wanting to get out of the open skies as soon as possible.
"Less than an hour," she replied before turning to face the battering winds.
Kelly bit her lower lip as she glanced back again, making sure none of the campers (females obviously) had somehow fallen off in the time it took for that small exchange. Wouldn't be the first time someone, usually a new hunter, fell off during a ride on the sleigh.
However, her inspections were cut short as she heard a distant rumble overhead. It seemed that Artemis heard it too as both looked up only for their eyes to widen at bolt heading their way.
"Get down!" Artemis roared over the winds as she violently jerked the reigns to turn out of the way … too late.
"Artemis!" she screamed as the bolt struck right through the front of the sleigh, grazing the goddess' right side and destabilizing the sleigh.
Several of the hunters and campers screamed as Artemis, bleeding from her right side with her right arm hanging limp, trying to regain the reigns but it was no use as the sleigh took a dive with the panicking deer.
Kelly watched in horror as the beginnings of the Rockies and forest rapidly approached them, her stomach dropping and ears popping painfully at the sudden drop in pressure.
The crack of wood and metal tipped her off that the sleigh wouldn't hold much longer as it was, some of the deer pulling off when their harnesses were strained beyond hold.
'We're gonna die,' Kelly suddenly thought as she looked at the ground less than a thousand feet away and getting closer. They were going too fast and Artemis couldn't pull them up.
Only enough she felt no fear at the realization, only cold resignation and detachment. Her last moments were amusement of all things as Artemis suddenly turned to her, horror flashing in her eyes, before the goddess pulled her into a tight embrace.
Kelly smiled at that, almost remembering the days when Artemis was so much kinder before the second Giant War's conclusion.
"It was an honor my lady …"
Crash!
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
...
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