DEVOTION, percy jackson

PROLOGUE

TWO MONTHS AFTER THE LIGHTNING THIEF QUEST 

"Tallulah, you have to do better." Demeter said as she threw stones at her daughter.

That probably needs some backstory.

Tallulah has been training with her mother for around two months after her last quest ended. They had been working on her plant manipulation. Her mom claimed "she needs the help."

Demeter would throw stones at her and Tallulah would have to catch or block them with a vine. If she failed she would get hit. Simple as that. 

Soon enough different things had been thrown. Larger, more dangerous objects. She acqired  a knife slash along her left shoulder from an almost failed block. The longer they trained the more unhinged it got. 

The most recent drill she had to complete was creating a shield around a group of mice . The goal was to not allow the house cat sized lions to eat them. Her mother would frown in disapointment when she cried.

They had been training for two hours already. Tallulah's body was littered with bruises from all the failed attempts and her energy was depleated.

Her mother said, "That's all for today. You have improved Tallulah. You need to be prepared for what lies ahead."

"You won't tell me what 'lies ahead'! How can I be prepared?" Tallulah snapped at her mother.

She was tired of her being cryptic. She was tired of being kept in the dark. She was tired of being thrown around.

Demeter ignored her and said, "I will see you next week. Goodbye Tallulah." And with that Tallulah was transported to her house where her dad was waiting for her.

–

Tallulah is tired. She misses her friends, yet she hasn't been able to make herself make the effort to call them.

She also never thought she would hate having to see her mom. Bruises from stones felt like permanent parts of her body. The training worked, that's for sure.

She had more control over her powers, she couldn't deny that. She was able to make walls of vines with a mere thought. She hasn't had time to explore her emotional abilities yet.

Tallulah sat in her room under her covers. She had just showered after a training session with her mom. She was half asleep when she heard a knock on her door.

"Tallulah, honey. You have a visitor." her dad said. Tallulah groaned as she got out of her bed. She could feel the anxiety through the door. She trudged over to her door, and opened it with a glare.

Standing in the door with her father was the one and only Annabeth Chase.

Tallulah's eyes widened. "Beth? What are you doing here?" Annabeth gave her a hug before she answered with a grim look. "We have to get to New York. Camp is in trouble and we need to pick up Percy."

Tallulah rolled her eyes and said, "Of course we do." "I'll help you find everything you need." Annabeth said.

Tallulah changed into black jeans and a muted blue crop top. She grabbed a pair of green socks with flowers that Grover gifted her for her birthday and slid her black combat boots on.

Over the past year Tallulah changed. She knows she's changed. She struggles to be optimistic. Her style has even changed slightly.

She made sure her ring was still on her finger. Annabeth hailed a very special taxi to New York.

Author's Note:

WHOOP WHOOP PROLOGUE LETS GO

i wanted to use this chapter to really show how taxing working with her mother is and how it has changed her. AKA trauma 

She is mad that her mother wont tell her what 'lies ahead' which is understandable.

how are we feeling?