Unlikely Heroes

Chapter 70: Untold Tales

The night is illuminated by the fire as we sit around it. This is probably the last night before we arrive in San Francisco. I am not sure whether I am at ease about how quiet the journey has been. The warriors Percy spoke about have not been seen yet, and nothing about the mercenaries or other enemies. I expected to be attacked at least once.

Zoe walks back to us as she came from the forest with a handful of forest fruits and vegetables. We're lucky that she has such good knowledge about the forest or we would be living of meat mostly. Grover would be starving and complaining. We soon are baking our meat and vegetables in the fire by putting it on wooden sticks.

Zoe looks at the fire intently, like she is asking herself if she should tell us something or not. Most of us have noticed it and stayed quiet to let her think. We all have noticed it to some degree. Zoe has been struggling ever since we left camp. For now, I am the only one that knows the most. Even so, I suspect there is more to it than just betraying Artemis and her beliefs.

Zoe's gaze goes to Percy briefly, and he smiles softly as he noticed it. She stared at him for a good moment as if she is looking for anything that could contradict what she has observed. Percy was getting uncomfortable as he glances at the rest of us.

"Percy, may I hold thy sword?" Zoe asks after the moment of silence. Percy seems a bit surprised about the request, but nods while handing her the pencil. The pencil is opened and the sword forms in Zoe's hand.

"Do thy know where the blade is from?" She asks him. Percy shakes his head as he thinks about it.

"I don't know much. Chiron gave it to me when he was disguised as my teacher. It makes me feel connected to the sea and oceans on a deeper level. As if it is part of it," Percy answers her. Zoe smiles softly as she nods, her gaze on the sword.

"Yes, Anaklusmos was made by my mother and given to me as a gift. My mother, Pleione, is the Oceanid of Arcadia. This was her last gift to me," Zoe explains. "She never showed herself to me or my sisters again. At least as far as I am aware of it."

"It was you... You met Hercules and gave him this sword," Percy says with surprise. Zoe looks at him with a pained expression and softly nods. She hands him the sword again as she sighs.

"Yes. I gave it to him. Did you see it in a dream? It seems Demigods have them often."

Thalia, Grover and I were very silent as we watch them speak. I feel pride as I watch Zoe. The answer she found is to open herself up. I am not sure if she sees it as I do, but I believe she will heal by opening up and exposing herself to us.

"Last night, I saw through the eyes of Hercules. You helped him in stealing the Golden Apple by guiding him to your father. The dream did not reveal much more. Although, I read the story of Hercules. There was no mention of someone helping him."

The hands of Zoe turn into a fist as a deep hateful frown is etched on her. Disgusted at the man called Hercules is clear, as her words are laced with anger and venom. Even Thalia looks a bit fearful of how much darker Zoe looks. Grover seems completely lost for words as he is saddened. His senses can pick up the emotions of Zoe, and I feel them all too well.

"Of course not, he left me to face everything alone! All the promises he made, he easily broke them without a second thought. My father hated me afterwards. My sisters hated me and exiled me from my home. Hercules is an arrogant and prideful man that treated me like I was a tool to be used! Dirt that can be scraped off his sandal! All he cared about was fame, fortune, and to gain the credit for his deeds! The rest can suffer and be forgotten. I lost everything! My home, my family, all of it..."

The words of Zoe eventually fade as tears seem to stream down her face. The shoulders going up and down as she relives her past. Zoe's past is not as I expected. Such pain, such deceit. It is not a surprise Hercules awakened her hatred for men.