H Y P E R T H Y M E S I A // draft

002: the beginning of an end

She tried not to cry- Penelope really did, but as she crouched behind a large piece of debris from the explosion and hover above the limp body of Thalia, she choke back frusrated sobs. A result of her incompetence. She grasped the side of the young girl's abdomen with pressure to stop the flow of crimson gushing out. The injury wasn't fatal, but it was enough to knock the young girl unconscious. Hurriedly shrugging back her packback, she carefully wraps the girl up and feed her a square of ambrosia and some nectar. 

 Penelope staggers to her feet as her breaths rattled against her chest, one slower than the next, her movement becoming almost sluggish until she forced herself back up, she cannot afford to make mistakes. She clenched her red stained hand against the sword hilt tighter, as she faced the grotesque monster - a leucrotae, without hesitation she pivolted on her heel and charged at the monster. Slicing through the abundance flesh and muscle as it's pained scream rang through her ears, she could vaguely hear Luke shouting the word Aegis before a shield slash through the monster neck. Ichors splash from the clean cut, with a grunt she raised her sword and finish it. The monster wails stopped as golden dusts explodes from what was left of it. 

Staggering toward a safe hide out as they carried a wounded Thalia, Luke and Penelope struggles to lay the unconscious girl down gently as they themself couldn't walk straight. As the adrenaline worn off, guilt make it ways to the girl's heart. It could have not escalated like that. However the escalation was inevitable, it was necessary for Penelope to complete the quest. 

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Penelope was given a quest, granted it was not really a suprise as she gets quest all the time, but this time it was a quest from Apollo- on behalf of the Fates. She was instructed to "Follow Almatheia to the Halcyon Mansion, retrieve the treasure, give it to Apollo." Alright, no biggie, it's just another quest to retrieve an item. What Penelope didn't expect was to personally meets the Fates, and receive oddly detailed instructions from them. From what she recalled from the long conversation, she will find three demigods named Luke, Thalia and Annabeth along the way. She needs to give them to the care of a satyr named Grover Underwoods, and to stay away from their journey to camp.

Now that spooks Penny out, that instruction was weird (an understatement), no demigods have ever received such attention from the Fates. What spooks her evenmore was the attitude of not only the Fates but the gods, they made her swear on the river styx to do exactly what the Fates wanted. The quest was up to a rocky start....

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If only Penelope have been faster in retrieving the item, Thalia wouldn't have waited for her and got caught in the explosion. But the quest was progressing like it suppose to, she found some relief in that. 

Annabeth met Penelope in a dishevelled state, she have just ran away from home and there is this monster thingy chasing her. The daughter of Athena was bracing for her imminent death, she have reached a dead end. Tears rolled down the 7 years old cheek as horror filled her eyes, the manticore seems to particularly enjoyed the sight of the terrified child. 

Just as the monster lean closer to the girl, preparing to devour her whole, an arrow shot through it head. Annabeth tried not to puke as the metallic-smelled liquid splurt onto her clothes, and the monster explodes into golden dust. But it was better than to be eaten alive. In front of her stood an older girl, her nose scrunched up at the sight of the bloodied child, as if she herself didn't make the mess. Then a sort of relization dawned in the girl eyes, and her face soften, muscle morphing into a kind smile.