Now, I'm not exactly what you'd call superstitious, but when I heard Zeus wanted to se me, I'm not gonna lie, I walked in gripping Riptide just a little tighter than normal. Don't get me wrong, Zeus hasn't tried to kill me in like, 4 years, so I think were cool. However.... Well, lets just mention how fast a thunderstorm can roll in.
Where was I? Oh yea, right. So anyways. The 3 of us make our way into the Olympian Throne Room, where we see the 14 thrones of the Olympian gods. They are arranged in the familiar half circle, the middle hosting a raised platform for a speaker of sorts, when they have one, but I've seen that platform just as easily host a godly sized foosball table when they're especially bored. Today, the mood in the room was something odd. Some of the gods looked a bit angry, which worried me, but most just looked concerned.
In the room when we got there, were 12 other people, that lightened my heart a bit, for they were my friends. Hazel, Leo, Katie, Clarisse, Frank, the Stoll twins, Jason, Thalia, Piper, Malcom and Will were all gathered. We joined them and after some quick smiles and a few hugs, we turned to the gods. For a long while, none spoke. My friends awkwardly fell to their knees and waited to be addressed, but I stayed standing.
I approached my fathers throne and bowed slightly before moving to be in front of Zeus's throne, doing another curt bow before speaking. "Lord Zeus, may I ask why you have summoned us?" My voice echoes in the marble chambers until it dies out a full second later. There is some awkward shifting through the gods and I realize they weren't just not speaking, they were arguing in each others minds.
"Perseus Jackson, we apologize for pulling you from your festivities today, I understand you've recently taken a bride." Zeus started, earning a smile from me, and a slight blush from Annabeth. "However, fate does not favor you so, as we've seen through your life." Already, I was beginning to get a bad feeling about this. "Let me state before, that we do not know if it will take into effect in your life time. Athena claims the probability of 3 great prophecies all taking place with in a 10 year time frame is neigh impossible. But, given your streak of igniting every single great prophecy spoken in your general vicinity, were not taking any risks with this one. As you may have guessed, yes, another prophecy has been spoken, and we require the aid of you demigods."
Murmurs flit up from behind me where my friends were gathered as I slowly backed away from Zeus's throne. A million thoughts were running through my mind. Another one? Surely I'm not THAT unlucky... right? Before I could gather my thoughts, Zeus started up again, his voice booming in the polished marble room, silencing my friends hushed whispers instantly.
"While we do not like to or wish to admit it, we are still too weak from the rise of the giants to comfortably defend against this ourselves, should we face the dangers today." He opened his mouth with intention of continuing, before Annabeth cut him off.
"Uhm, Lord Zeus? What exactly did the prophecy say? Who else could be rising?" The gods all looked between themselves before Apollo stepped forward. Like Rachel, our oracle back at camp, his eyes flooded with an eerie green light, and smoke billowed from his open mouth. Unlike Rachel however, a half transparent, green viper wrapped around his lower body, raising him into the air as his gaping mouth echoed words with no movement.
15 Guardians, all shall stand
Against their wrath, once again
The beaten one raised, with a loved ones blood
The hunters gaze, soon to rut
One oath broken in death
Another oath broken in life
The broken ones heart, mended again
After the last of the prophecy left his mouth, he collapsed onto the ground. Hermes helped him back into his chair while Apollo rubbed his head, like he had a godly migraine. The throne room was silent as we all thought over the lines of the prophecy. Once again, little made sense about it.
"Yes, very troubling. But as I was saying, were not strong enough to, 'take care' of this as we normally would. So, you have all been chosen, the elite few of your brethren, to act as protectors, or guardians of an Olympian. As you know, immortal beings can not directly fight or kill any lesser being, without first being challenged by them. Demigods however, can challenge whoever they please. And with a demigod protector assigned to each Olympian, if someone were to say challenge the demigod, or the other way around, it would then, in turn, open up the Olympian to use the full reaches of their power on them, the same with Artemis and her hunters." Zeus stated.
"Which is exactly why I don't see a point in me even being here, father. I already have a group of 40 'protectors', I do not need another one, certainly no-" Artemis cut in, just for Zeus to roar "SILENCE!!" The throne room shook with the force of his cry, and thunder ripped through the skies outside. Artemis grit her teeth and sat ramrod straight in her throne, looking straight ahead.
"In short," Zeus sighed, "You have all been chosen to be guardians. I will inform you of your respective patrons momentarily, but for now, some things need to be said. As guardians, you will be guarding the respective Olympian you are assigned to, but you will also be helping them when guard is not needed. Helping them with quests, getting items, other things. Whatever comes up. You are to do as we say, we are your patrons. That being said, lets let everyone know where you're going."
He pulled a piece of parchment from his robe and started reading off the names of the gods, followed by a demigod name.
Zeus - Hazel
Poseidon - Leo
Hades - Katie
Ares - Annabeth
Athena - Clarisse
Artemis - Percy
Demeter - Nico
Hephaestus - Frank
Hestia - Stolls
Hera - Jason
Aphrodite - Thalia
Apollo - Piper
Hermes - Malcom
Mr. D - Will
When he finished, we were left speechless. I was supposed to guard Artemis? Annabeth would be stuck with Ares? It was now that I realized why so many of the gods were so upset when we got here, they must have just learned of their "protectors". "Uncle, sure there is a better way to do this." I started but he waved his hand and my mouth closed against my will, no words leaving.
"This is not up for debate. Gather your things, you leave immediately." He stated with authority, before disappearing in a crack of tremendous thunder. As soon as he left, I regained power over my lips. The gods one by one left the throne room, most just saying for their protectors to meet them in their respective temples on Mount Olympus. When all had left but Artemis and my friends, one look from her told me we needed to have a talk. I turned to my friends and after a few words, and some promises to talk this through later, I sent them all on their way. Annabeth agreed reluctantly, and she followed them out.
As the throne room doors closed, I slowly turned to face Artemis, who was standing now. She had the same long, auburn hair and silver eyes as normal, but now she seemed to be around the same age as me. Hestia watched from the corner, having never really left but merely moved back to the hearth. Artemis was dressed in her hunters uniform, and only then did I notice she had her bow out and held in her hand. She was shooting me daggers from across the throne room, and I gulped.
This is gonna be rough.
YOU ARE READING
Titans Wrath
FanfictionYears after the Giant War, things are going well. The 7 are all happy, the camps, while they still hate each other, no longer want the other dead. Things are looking up for Annabeth and I. But, the life of a demigod is never easy. Shortly after prop...
