"At one point that crossed a large building that reminded Annabeth slightly of a Church though without any obvious crosses or other such signs but only in design. Outside in a rather large yard with a few trees were dozens of children milling around playing with several nymphs, wolves, and some mortals playing with them.
She even spotted some minor goddesses amongst them much to her shock before noticing a small sign near the path leading to the building that red "Leto's Orphanage".
...
Still Atlas didn't stop so she didn't get a chance to pause and ask about it before they passed a third and apparently final set of gates leading them into the third portion of the city. She looked around to see all manner of small temples scattered around with some gods and satyrs or wind spirits milling about carrying documents, small supplies, and expressos. She was also surprised that most if not all gods she saw looked to be dressed for business or at least a blend of casual-formal wear.
Again Atlas remained silent as they walked to the largest temple by far with a roof several stories tall and doubled doors larger than those of Olympus that were open for all to see. Some gods were buzzing in and out with their duties with there even being a nymph at a reception desk that waved at them as they entered, though her eyes watched Annabeth intently. She followed silently until they stopped in front of a massive hallway, the only thing visible at the end being a large hearth filled with golden fire with some flecks of reds and whites.
"They are waiting," Atlas said suddenly, making her jump at bit at the abrupt end to the silence.
Looking at her guide she steadily nodded before slowly walking forward, now really becoming aware of the pressure at the end that steadily built as she got closer. Annabeth felt her confidence waning as she moved, the pressure mounting as even her breathing got heavier until she finally arrived at the end and almost stumbled at the sight.
Eight Primordial Gods looked at her as one, each easily measuring close to a hundred feet in size while standing before their thrones, their eyes glowing with their respective power as the very air around them shimmered and distorted under their presence. Then, with some silent signal all sat as the fire in the hearth fizzled out to reveal a small seat and desk, even a damned cup of water and jug on it fit to her mortal size.
She very audibly gulped as she got the order and message. Sit there and if she said one thing wrong or pissed someone off, that fire was coming back with her in the center of it.
Taking a deep breathe to stop the shaking of her legs, she walked steadily, wearily glancing around at the strongest deities around her and recognizing each with more or less an idea of what each controlled and represented. Once at the chair she sat with her hands on her lap, feeling like some school girl called before the school board. Granted detention and expulsion were the least of her worries.
Tense silence filled the atmosphere for several minutes making the minor goddess squirm in her seat, not daring to look directly in front of her for several reasons. First being that Percy, Rhea, and Hestia all sat before her.
She wasn't ignorant of the meaning behind all three having such an arrangement and had quickly spotted Rhea's matching ring to Percy's and Hestia's letting her know that Rhea was also married to Percy, and therefore queen as well. She could literally feel the hostility pouring off Hestia and she was pretty sure it was why the seat felt uncomfortably hot whereas Rhea wasn't as overtly hostile but there wasn't an exactly warm and inviting presence around her either.
Percy again had that near unreadable look to him, seemingly indifferent to her aside from the narrowed eyes. However it was what was at their feet that really made her nervous. Sitting at Percy's feet was a very familiar, T-rex sized wolf with silvery-yellow eyes staring right at her.
Bedside Lupa was another familiar monster of equal size, the Namean Lion lying next to Rhea's feet. Lastly and most worrying in her opinion was the fact that Ladon was sitting behind Hestia's throne with several of his heads around it, the largest reared up and over the throne itself, all large orange eyes watching her every move.
Just feeling the power of those three alone told Annabeth that she stood no chance if hostilities erupted and judging by the looks, all three were itching to pounce but were kept at bay. The silence persisted for some time and she actually gave in, taking a quick sip of the water provided before hastily putting it back down and resuming to sit still.
The silence was finally ended as Percy sighed before speaking in a baritone, his voice laced with authority.
"We are gathered here at the request of Annabeth Chase, minor Olympian goddess of Architecture and Guerilla War Tactics."
Annabeth resist the urge to flinch at the mention of her second domain, one that had less than pleasing symbolism, even being the key note in relation to the formation of her own symbol of power and its ability. Still, she kept quiet as Percy began her hearing, of what exactly she wasn't entirely sure.
"So goddess," he continued, his eyes of black fire and icy pupils pinning her to her seat. "What did you want?"
Shifting slightly as she looked up to meet his gaze, she spoke clearly and evenly, "I came to make a request to have my siblings and other demigods spared."
"We already made the offer," Rhea spoke up as she looked down at Annabeth, a finger lazily tapping her arm rest. "They can choose to turn back and withdraw. However, if they make the choice to face us on the battlefield, to attack our city, then that is that. They've made their beds and now they will lie in them."
"But the Olympians would never allow it," Annabeth retorted, keeping her demeanor respectful and voice even. "Half the demigods are marching under duress and don't even want to be near the war but turning back is to betray and the remaining Olympians would sooner cut them down themselves," she argued, watching as some of the protogenoi glanced amongst themselves with some murmuring.
It seemed that this very subject had been debated before and seeing the wavering opinions, she pushed forward.
"Please," she said, getting them to simmer down and return their attention to her. "This isn't war, it's slaughter and we have even fighters as young as 12 that just aren't even remotely ready for this."
"Plenty marched at the age of 12 during Kronos and Gaea making their bids," Jason spoke up as he looked at the minor goddess, his back straight and rigid, nothing but a professional air around him. "Not that I agree with them being brought to battle either but they are demigods, their resilient and adaptive."
"Not for this," she countered. "This isn't some bumbling horde of monsters thrown together by one or two competent commanders with general mayhem as a goal. They are facing you," she said pointedly as she looked at each and every former demigod and legends in their own rights. "You aren't some singled out titan or Giant with a known weakness and a past history of failure at your backs. No, each of you is a hero/heroine that have bested ridiculous odds and faced the impossible only to come out on top.
Primordial, and I presume, each more powerful than Gaea had been but unlike her, you are all tried and true warriors. I've already seen what you can do and I would bet my left foot that it was only the surface and that the only reason you haven't simply won yet is because you don't want wholesale slaughter."
With her words she didn't see any of them protesting against it, acknowledging that she right in regards to just how powerful they were. Even the Olympians being dangerous in their own rights, had dulled over the millennia after the defeat of the Giants with nothing else to truly challenge them and no apparent reason to try and get better.
While before her were several beings who already had talent unlike most others and then trained and worked that talent to the very bone, making them go from being dangerous to outright lethal.
Even looking at the four new primordial goddess that weren't of note for being warriors held an air about them that tipped Annabeth off. Rhea's subtly flowing power was the only one truly close to matching Percy's and she held the poise of a seasoned warrior as well and Hestia's feral eyes alone were enough for the goddess to know that Hestia was just as easily to be feared on a battleground. Still, shaking herself of those thoughts she pressed on.
"Please, their desperate, I'm desperate. We don't want to have to fight but unlike me they can't just run away or flash here.
They can't travel without rest or food while fighting anything that might get in their way and avoid the enemies at their back at the same time. Staying with the army is their only option at the moment," she said, her tone pleading as she looked at the council around her.
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
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