A Week Later.
( Percy POV )
Percy sighed as the council session ended, several of said members heading out to go about their own business or prepare for the Olympians. They'd tracked the movements and so far those 'task forces' or specialized groups had formed up rather quickly however it wasn't to the joy of their demigods.
His words in Ares' execution had done much to cast doubt on the Olympians, added their constant losses and their own treatment of the demigods and it was a recipe for disaster.
Granted a good chunk of the demigods were gunning for them for similar reasons though it was their assumption that Hestia was dead too but they could work that to their advantage soon enough.
So far the discussion had been on the point Persephone had brought up to him before, though he omitted her name or the circumstances of how she told him just to respect her privacy on the matter. Of course there had been some immediate voicing against even the thought of sparing any of the Olympians.
Thalia in particular wanted them gone considering she had next to no positive view of them and calling them negligent, abusive, opportunistic bastards willing to pop out demigods only to suite a purpose. He really couldn't blame her on that front but he still thought to give some doubt.
His motion to spare Demeter had passed but she wasn't off scot free by any sense of the word and Rhea had been appointed to handle that particular case though they decided any captured or willingly surrendered Olympians would face a trail before any sentencing.
Apparently she intended to give the spanking that was millennia late to her wayward daughter and Hestia had some choice words for the goddess she once called sister as well.
Other gods were under a grey area leaving their fate undecided for now though the council had agreed to offer surrender any time said gods were encountered in combat, with willful surrenders gaining them far more leeway.
Others were straight up getting the noose or sword the moment they were encountered unless a specific primordial or chosen god was placed with the responsibility of the fate of the Olympian in question.
That matter had actually gotten his attention, or more specifically, Andy's actions on taking responsibility for a particular goddess. His fiancé was in fact still sitting on her throne and intently reading one of her monitoring tablets.
The golden edges and heart let him know that the tablet was set for a god. Getting up from his throne he walked towards her until only just a step or so away before clearing his throat to get her attention.
"Oh, hey," she said after a small start while setting down her tablet. "Can I help you with something?"
He looked at her silently for a few moments, before simply asking, "Why?"
It wasn't hard to get what he was talking about as she got more comfortable in her throne and hummed in thought before answering, "It's complicated."
"I've got time," he continued, standing comfortably.
"So you do," she murmured before sighing and then looking at him in the eyes. "I think she could change."
"Millennia old goddess with one of the biggest egos of the Olympians."
"And one of the most adaptive that actually pays attention to the mortal world without screwing it up by sleeping with half the population or murdering the other half just for shits and giggles. Yes, she's got a lot of injustices and abuses to answer for but I really think she can if given the chance."
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" he asked somewhat skeptically.
Really, of all the gods on the council to redeem or reform, Andy had to pick one of the toughest cookies. At least she wasn't trying to pull Artemis' ass out of the fire. Now that was one goddess Percy was killing regardless of what anyone else said about reform and mercy. Was it for personal revenge? Absolutely. Did he give a damn? No sir!
"I'm keeping my plan a secret for now but first I have to get ahold of her," Andy answered as she made the tablet disappear and stood up. "Though, if things go well, part of her punishment could be used to help you deliver one of the final blows to Artemis."
"You devious little minx," he commented with a fanged grin.
"I know, I'm spending too much time with you," she retorted before closing the distance and giving him a quick peck.
"Now get going, I believe that Rhea wanted to show you something and even Raven tagged along with her. Wouldn't want both of them upset with you for taking your sweet time, would you?"
Percy felt a shiver of fear run down his spine at the thought. Between Rhea's steely glare and Raven's kicked puppy face he was a goner.
"Right," he said before all but dashing off to the sound of Andy's laughter.
'I'll get her later,' he swore as he moved out of the throne room, shrinking all the while, and raced towards the hall with the doors leading to the offices.
He jumped over some god in his way and ducked under another carrying a log before passed into the hallway and skid to a stop right at Rhea's office. The thick oak door opened without him even having to knock, letting him know he'd been a tad too slow and now Rhea was antsy.
At least with Raven he knew he could fix it with a trip to a recently opened ice cream parlor in the residential district. Sighing in resignation to his fate he walked in but was surprised to see what was usually a dense forest thick with all manner of trees was covered in a light coating of snow.
Normally Rhea's office looked a forest straight out of one of those dinosaur documentaries covering a large mountain with a large, two floor cabin somewhere in the center.
The forest itself she used as a testing ground for new plants and animals she was creating or she could will a portion of her forest to mirror somewhere in the world and let her get a direct view of the natural conditions.
However he didn't think that would need her to cover the whole mountain and forest in snow. Well, at least it gave him an idea of what she was working on and it had to do with cold weather.
Knowing that he was already on a tight schedule he seamlessly shifted into his wolf form, keeping his size to that of a rhino, and dashed across the terrain. His footfalls were almost silent as darkness and cold mist wafted off his pitch black fur, his movement little more than a blur to the observing eye as the shadows cast by the trees almost merged with him as he passed.
It took him little more than ten or so minutes to ascend the mountain in the direction of Rhea's cabin at his pace. He could see it closing in, the single chimney billowing smoke, no doubt with a kept of some hot soup cooking inside.
He slowed to a trot of sorts as he neared, pausing when he caught the sound of flapping. Knowing what was coming he glanced up in time to see a bright and cheery face and icy blue eyes of his daughter.
"Papa!" she eagerly chirped as she tackle-hugged his head, wrapping her wings around his snout and looking at him without a care in the world.
"Hello," he returned, his voice carrying the underlying growl as she scrambled over his head and quickly moved to sitting on his shoulders making him sigh. "… Reduced to a pony of all things," he muttered with a low chuckle.
"Aunty Rhea is in the back with the surprise," she instructed, nearly vibrating with excitement about whatever it was. "So giddy up!"
He gave an indignant snort but moved regardless, purposely bumping his shoulders up to bug her because why not? A father should strive to annoy and embarrass his daughter on principle, regardless of suffering feminine retribution later on.
In another minute or so he got around Rhea's cabin to spot said goddess standing to a massive, light blue crystal measuring nearly three stories in height and wide enough to fit a decent sized house. Within the massive structure was an equally large animal as far as he could tell though he couldn't get a definitive shape.
He walked up to Rhea's side as Raven slipped off and then shifted back to his regular form, all the while keeping his eyes on the crystal. He then looked to Rhea with a questioning gaze as she finally looked at him too.
"You're late …"
Her tone alone rang danger bells in his head.
"Had to talk with Andy for a moment about the session," he explained quickly.
She gave him a stern look, probably taking joy in watching him sweat it out, before nodding. He wasn't sure whether to sigh in relief or not. Regardless they both turned their attention to the crystal again before he asked, "So … what am I looking at?"
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
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