The Spirit Of Chaos | ✔

The Hunter, Part 2

Percy

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Percy was worried. Percy had been walking along the river for about an hour now and he wasn't sure exactly where he would meet this Hunter. Percy was also worried that he was going paranoid. Percy never referred to himself in the third person and he also didn't talk to himself so much.

I was walking along Achelous' river, and yet there was no sign of The Hunter or even the god. It was almost sunset and I was getting even more paranoid.

I spoke too soon. On the other side of the river, the banks gave into a stone pathway lined with marble pillars on either side of the path. Just beyond the line of sight, the path curved towards the left, probably going towards the backside of the Island of Hercules.

Since my time in the Greek world, I have learned this one thing: Whenever looking for enemies of the Gods, follow the path that shows off the most.

Well, you would think a son of Poseidon would have no problem crossing a narrow river on his own. Well, I thought so too, until now.

As soon as I placed my foot in the water, it became scorching hot. Burning my feet, and to my surprise, I couldn't will off the water and my sneakers. My foot was still hurting as I bent at the bank of the river to closely inspect the water.

I inched my palm closer to the surface of the river and the water near my palm started boiling. Just as I was about to blink myself across the river when a whirlpool formed at the center of the river and the deity himself rose from the depths. Both of Achelous' horns were broken, and he looked pissed.

"Ahh, the famous Perseus Jackson, Slayer of Kronos. To be honest, I was expecting a lot more, but... you don't seem like someone who could have stood against Kronos and defeated him."

"Well, that's hard coming from someone who lost both his horns to demigods," I smirked at the God. If he thought he could provoke me, I was going to show him that two could play at that game.

"Tricks and sweet-talking won't get you anywhere demigod! Even the daughter of Aphrodite wasn't able to fool me into her vile tricks. I am a patron of the Sirens and my charmspeak is much more powerful than any god," He bragged.

"Well then, it's a good thing I never relied on words," I say and will the water from the river towards me, acting like surfing on a wave. As soon as Achelous showed himself, the spell cast over the river broke and I had regained control over it again.

Sumarbrander met Achelous' twin icicle blades in a furious clang as we both battled. For a Potamus, he had quite the skill in sword fighting. The intensity of our battle grew as we progressed. The river itself was responding to our battle. Whenever our swords would meet, the river would form a crevasse, and then soon the water would engulf us again.

In a quick movement, we switched positions and I was able to see the sun setting. And that's when I understood Achelous' plan. He wasn't here to kill me. He was just wasting my time.

"Ah, I see you've figured out my plan to hold you back, huh. I told him plan B will come in handy."

"Plan B?"

"Yeah. Kill the Demigod."

If I was actually a demigod, I would have been turned to vapor. I hadn't expected Achelous to burst into his true godly form. I hadn't even expected him to have so much power.

From so close, I could feel the extreme heat of the god's true form. Sadly, I cannot describe how it looked like, or else you guys will spontaneously combust and we wouldn't want that would we?

The pure heat emanating from the God was making the water from the river sizzle.

Soon, the bright light faded the River God was left panting, exhausted from using so much power.

"W-what? Impossible."

"Well, seems Plan B was also faulty since your friend didn't warn you about the change in plan. Goodbye, brother. (LOL Again! Anyone gets this reference?)"

In just a second, I had willed the currents of the river to take down the God, and using some of Chaos' power, I forbade him from rising again.

I landed on the other side of the river as the God faded into the depths of the river.

The sun had almost set as I dashed through the path leading, hopefully, towards Annabeth.

-

The stone path gave away into a large clearing with even more marble pillars surrounding what looked like a sacrificial altar.

The altar was a small platform that was standing in between a chasm. On the platform, Annabeth was bound by chains that were bolted to triangular rocks that jutted from the chasm.

"I am here before sunset!" I shouted to the unknown Hunter. "Show yourself!"

"Well, well, I almost expected you to fall at the hands of Achelous. Almost."

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Short chapter, I know, but I really want to build suspense because something unpredictable is going to happen!