Titans Wrath

Percy: Chapter 10

Our first hint that a war was coming arrived 3 months after the Guardian Program was established. Frank came back one day for our one on one training, claiming Hephaestus had been attacked by some of his failed inventions. Normally, Hephaestus getting a few cuts and bumps from a failed experiment, or even several machines coming to life spontaneously and being entirely haywire, wasn't an odd occurrence. But Frank claimed upwards of 200 previously properly deactivated and safe machines, were suddenly all at once filled with a new life. They charged at the god of the forges, and tried to take his head off. After a brief council meeting, in which Hephaestus claimed to be fine, save for an impromptu shave of his beard, and a newfound appreciation for Frank's ability to turn into an elephant on a whim. Time passed, another 3 months, almost on the day, before the next attack. Clarisse reported that Athena had been attacked by a group of Hyperborean Giants, while visiting a science fair in Canada. The normally docile creatures, a good dozen of them, suddenly turned violent, near ravenous when the goddess appeared from the gymnasiums doors. 

This continued for nearly a year. The attacks getting closer and closer together, and growing in severity. One by one, every single Olympian and Guardian were hit, until only one pair remained, Artemis and I. Zeus had ordered her to bring her hunters to Camp Half-Blood, and she was to stay there with them for the time being. I was at Artemis's side nearly at all points in time, only taking shower and sleeping breaks, most of which were spent with Annabeth. I was standing in the bathroom of my cabin, brushing my teeth, when Annabeth's voice filled the air. She looked over at me from our bed, clad in only one of my baggy t-shirts. I spit and looked over at her in confusion, causing her to sigh. 

She got up and sauntered over to me, leaning on me as I started rinsing. "I said, you're lucky I trust you so much. I don't know any other girl who would be comfortable with their husband spending so much time with another woman." She poked my side teasingly. I laughed and turned, pulling her close as I did so. 

"Come on Wise Girl, don't joke like that. She's a maiden goddess, and my charge. Besides," I picked her up, causing her to yelp and blush as I carried her easily back to the bed, "I got my own goddess, right here." She blushed a deep shade of red, and as we leaned in to kiss, a sound filled the air. It was damped by the cabin walls, and hampered by the distance from the front of the camp to my cabin, but it still pierced through the air, clear as day. 

The conch shell, blowing loud, signaling an attack. The moment the shell sounded, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Every single guardian, since our titles were placed upon us, had an innate sense for when our charge was in danger, and mine was screaming at me that something was very wrong. I threw my cargo pants on and a fresh t-shirt, pulling on my combat boots, all while Annabeth dressed as well. As I started for the door, still strapping leather bracers onto my forearms, my breastplate already strapped in, I called over my shoulder. "Gather the others, or as many as you can find." I didn't wait for a response before mist traveling to Artemis's location. 

When I got there, a lot of things were going on. I reformed just outside of the Artemis cabin, which was aglow in a tower of roaring flames. Hunters and campers alike were running back and forth, trying to put out the blaze, but it wasn't working. The powerful, uncaring energy that was the inferno continued to blaze. I grit my teeth and felt the familiar tug in my gut as I reached for my control over water, raising my hands towards the sky. In the distance, the creek was lifted from its spot in the forest, coming towards us quickly. The large tendrils of water hovered over the burning cabin as I yelled, "STAND CLEAR!" It took a moment for the hunters and campers to figure out what I was doing, but when they saw the large mass of water, hundreds of gallons, hovering over the cabin, they broke ranks and dove away from it as I let go of my control over the water. 

The flames were doused, and after a quick look around, I found Artemis nursing a large burn across her left forearm. Already, she was applying necter to the wound, and she looked up and met my eyes, her own burning with rage. "What happened, Artemis?" I called, dropping to a knee in front of her and taking the necter from her grasp, applying it myself to her arm. She winced and looked around, doing what I assume was a headcount of her hunters present. 

"I'm not sure, we were all sitting and sharing our discomfort being in this camp, when our front window was smashed in and some sort of molotov was thrown in. I got us out as fast as I could, but the fire got me pretty good in the process. Whos sounding the conch?" She asked, and I shook my head, looking over and waving Phoebe over. She came jogging over and I stook, my voice coming out dark and commanding, not leaving room for argument.