Shattered

Piper

Chaos.

Madness.

Those were the only words Piper thought came close to describing what was happening all around her. This was nothing like the battle she and the rest of the seven had arrived to at camp after defeating the giants and looking back she wanted to laugh at how pathetic everyone had carried on about a spat between children. There hadn't been the horror-stricken screams of men, women, and children being disemboweled. There had been no survivors walking around in a daze carrying their severed limbs or the remains of what had been their friends or family. No one standing in shock as the warrior next to them was carried into the sky and torn asunder, only for them to meet a similar fate for being distracted. No one had to see their youngest child have their limbs cruelly torn off one-by-one as they frantically raced across the battlefield in vain, as Coyote did for Levi. There had been nothing like the sight of a lifeless Awinita clutching her granddaughter's severed head to her chest; that scene would echo in the daughter of Aphrodite's mind every time she closed her eyes.

No, they had just been children playing with war with pointy sticks, goaded on by terrible parents.

She held on tightly to Coyote's fur as the trickster tore through another shoggoth; with Jason wrapping his stumped arm around her waist, and her stomach sank to depths unknown. Her childhood protector had seemingly cast aside his reasoning after the death of his son, only living to protect her and kill as many as the black demons as possible. She and Jason did their best to fight off any attacks that Coyote was blind to, but fangs and claws still got through, along with the occasional hit from an Avalon controlled god. To make matters worse, every so often the god would flicker; going transparent for a split second before returning to normal.

"On your right!" Jason shouted in her ear, his voice still full of hope despite the hell that surrounded them. She wished that she had even an ounce of the hope Jason possessed, that this was a battle that could be won with the strength of man and god.

She wordlessly nodded, as despite having her tongue and vocal chords restored, she found it hard to speak to the blond, to one of the men she loved. Piper looked up to see a large monstrosity rapidly approaching them, stampeding over members of the Nation as if they were nothing but blades of grass. The daughter of Aphrodite drew back on her bow, a shaft of pure light appearing in place of an arrow, and quickly released it. The arrow found its mark, a giant purple eye just above the head of a bull, and the creature shrieked in pain before falling over dead.

"Great shooting, Pipes!" Jason cheered.

Once again, she nodded, but the corner of her eyes started to water, so she turned her gaze forward. She wanted him to stop being so damned enthusiastic and hopeful, but at the same time wanted it to last forever. She wanted to go back to that stupid farm, pick up their relationship, and pretend that her visit with Reyna, Veronica, and Atlas had been just a dream. Or, at the very least, tell Jason and everyone else the truth.

But that couldn't happen, or it shouldn't happen; she wasn't sure which.

Is it better to die fighting believing victory is possible, or to throw down your arms and wait to die?

She didn't know the answer to that question, and each option left her feeling like a monster. She went with what made her feel less terrible, taking into account the members of the Nation's pride, and deciding that it was better to die with hope. A choice that Kokyangwuti, the spider woman, knew all about and found some sick amusement in. It was the greatest lie she had ever told.

And I am the Gayegogi. The liar.

She dared to glance back at Jason, the son of Jupiter clutching at his obsidian-tipped spear with the same determined look on his face that she used to find so attractive.