𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

3

"Who the fuck are you?"

The woman was beautiful in a way you could call nature beautiful. Pleasing to look at, but you could also see the threats that it posed. Dark brown skin, full lips, closed eyes, dark hair that reminded Hadrian of potting soil. Her dress was green, like she was a part of the earth itself, draping the grass over her. When she laughed, the ground underneath him seemed to shake.

"If I were you, I'd watch your mouth young hero"

Kira looked petrified, frozen on the spot. "Hadrian-"

"Let them go"

He should have known something was wrong. Kira never called him Hadrian. She had started to call him Hads the second they dug into their pizza- the first day they met. Said his name was too long and old timey.

The woman only shook her head, her right hand was gripping Kira's shoulder so tightly Hadrian had no hope of pulling Kira to safety, "You haven't even thanked me yet"

"Thanked you?" Hadrian was so overcome with rage he could have tackled her. But the way she talked, the way she stood, the way she seemed to see even with her eyelids closed. She looked beautiful in a timeless way. She may have lived a thousand years ago or even in modern day. She looked forty years old and twenty years old at the same time.

Hadrian could tell she was a goddess.

"Not just a goddess" She spoke as if she had read his mind, "I think you know who I am"

"I don't give a flying fuck who you are" Hadrian's voice was dangerously low, but it was all he could do to stop it from shaking "Let. her. go."

"For someone who claims to be smart, you really are quite idiotic, Hadrian Allaire" Her voice was rich and she smelled like petrichor.

Goddesses had the annoying ability to know your name sometimes. He didn't let it bother him usually.

"You may be idiotic, but I hope you're good at following orders"

"I'm not following anyone's orders" Hadrian let an arrow loose, but the bow had dissolved in his hands like he never had it at all. what the fuck? One second it was there and the other it was gone, and he hadn't even been aware of it. A trick of the mist? No.

There was no quiver on his back either. What the hell was going on? He could have sworn he had it in his hands just a second ago. He searched around the graveyard frantically. Nothing else seemed out of place, except maybe the fact that he could read what was written on the gravestones.

Here lies Juliet Allaire

Beloved Mother

And next to it-

Here lies Kira Shah

look for me in the sunrises and sunsets and everything in between

Hadrian was definitely going to throw up.

When he looked back at the woman, he almost yelled out in panic again. Kira was gone. They had been right there. He had held her in his arms a moment ago and now she was gone? He tried not to let his panic show as he whirled around, looking for any sign of them. Where were they?

"What the fuck did you do?"

"Language and patience are some things you could start by learning" The woman sounded calm, a tone of humor in her voice. Hadrian wanted to punch her.

"Please, I'm sorry. Just bring them back. Where did she go?" He couldn't hide the way his voice broke. But damn it. It was fucking Kira, Kira of all people. He would beg if that's what it took.

"I'm afraid she's still quite dead." Said the woman, "I thought you'd be smarter than this, maybe I judged incorrectly"

"This is a dream" He realized with a start. Oh gods, why couldn't he have a normal dream about wetting his bed or going to school naked? Why did all his dreams have to be so torturous and prophetic? "Wait so- she's really gone? I just saw her! They were right here!"

Maybe it was the desperation in his voice, but the woman's voice grew sympathetic. "I'm not a monster, Hadrian"

"You're Gaea"

"Finally!" She sighed, "Guess you're not completely stupid after all"

"What do you want?" Hadrian grit his teeth. Would this torture never end? Would he be called by gods and titans again and again until he died? How the fuck was that fair?

"I have something you want and you can do something to get it... to get them"

Them. Kira.

"What?"

"There is a prophecy" The woman began, "I heard of a red haired girl who took on the spirit of Delphi. It was her first prophecy, the prophecy about seven heroes rising to stop me"

Hadrian opened his mouth to ask a question but no sound came out of it. His rage was barely contained. But he understood the message. He kept quiet (not like he had a choice).

"I haven't yet had the time to set my plan in motion" She looked a little frustrated at that, though it was hard to tell with her eyes closed, "But I am positive it is about me, about what I plan to do"

Try to take over the world? Destroy it? Overthrow the gods? This was not Hadrian's first rodeo. Gaea had to know that.

"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire, the world must fall.

An oath to keep with the final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of death."

She recited the words or more like she spat them out. It looked like she had trouble getting through them, talking about a prophecy that was about her.

"I control the doors of death, young hero." Gaea laughed and it shouldn't have sounded as peaceful as it did. It should have sounded evil. "And that makes me the strongest primordial- the biggest threat to demigods and gods alike right now"

"You, Hadrian Allaire are one the seven from the prophecy" She smiled a little like she found it humorous. Hadrian did not. "And I need you to do me a favor- Go on the quest to Rome"

"Time out" Hadrian realized he could speak again. He made the time out gesture (pro tip: don't make the time out gesture towards evil primordials, they get angry). "Um... If you want to prevent the prophecy, shouldn't you be telling me not to go?"

"No" She said firmly, "Stupid child"

"Chill, dude, I was just curious"

"Do not tell me to chill"

Hadrian took that as his queue to shut the fuck up and held up his hands defensively.

"You must go on the quest, there is no other way. You must travel to the doors of death, make the other six demigods believe you are allied with them" She spoke in a low voice, the earth reverberating as an echo. "And when the timing is right, you need to sacrifice two of them"

Hadrian wasn't going to lie, that sounded like some supervillain shit.

"I have several questions" He said, "First of all, are you trying to take over the world"

"What else do you think centuries old titans and primordials have to do in their free time?" Gaea shrugged.

"Second of all, what about Thanatos? I don't think he'd just let you take control of the doors of death"

"Thanatos is temporarily out of the equation" Gaea smiled and it looked like mountains- old and terrifying. All it would take was one misstep and Hadrian would lose his life. "Don't worry about him, Hadrian"

"Third of all" Hadrian held up four fingers. Gaea cleared her throat. He put down one finger. "Third of all: Why me?"

"You are the only one who stands to gain anything from helping me" she laughed as if she'd already won. "Do as you are told and I'll let her come back to life through the doors of death, I swear on the river Styx"

With a wave of her hand, the dream dissolved.