Percy Jackson and The Sands Of Time

| Chapter 14 || Men Suck! |

Hello, readers! Sorry about the delay once again.

~CSP2708~

*Dylan_Walts*

| Chapter 14 |

| Men Suck! |

Though I wasn't able to figure out my next move, I did manage to settle my rushing thoughts, and once they were calm, I returned to the others. My feet shuffled as I walked, resisting the forward movement. The soft breeze brought sweet nectar to my nose and ruffled my messy locks of hair; it tickled its way along the back of my neck and around my arms. With it came the cries of small children; Artemis and Apollo were now in the world. The air grew thick, the breeze sinking with the weight of the new power among us.

A smile curved along my lips. Who else could say that they'd witnessed the birth of the twin archers? (Not me, but pretty close)

Leto sagged against the grooved bark of a palm tree with beads of sweat trickling down her face, and yet, despite this, the smile adorning her lips nearly split her face as she watched the two young gods frolic in the grass in front of her. A boy and a girl, already clothed in gold and silver fabric respectively, darted back and forth in the forms of toddlers. They were playing...rather, Artemis was chasing after Apollo, who sang teasing remarks at the top of his lungs back at her. He clutched a stick in each of his chubby toddler hands, pausing every chance he got to smack them against the rocks and trees, tapping out funky rhythms.

I guess this was where their rivalry began because even as they remained innocent to the harsh realities of the world, I could see hints of their signature personalities already shining through. Apollo's taunting grew ever louder as Artemis ground her teeth, wielding a large branch - that seemed to be far too big for a child of her size to be able to lift, let alone run with. I chuckled.

"Perseus." Leto smiled as she saw me. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me. You found a place for my children to be born, and you brought me to it, all without concern for yourself. Please, what can I do to repay your great kindness?" She met my eyes with large, searching ones.

"I...um..." I paused, my tongue in knots. "Nothing, my lady; I need nothing from you; I expect nothing from you. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do, no more, no less."

Leto laughed, her breath coming in short puffs. "You amuse me with your humility, my hero. Please, if you take no reward for your actions, I invite you to stay with us; feast and be merry, for this is a momentous occasion." Her eyes flickered over to her children and sparkled with joy I'd only ever seen before in my own mother's eyes.

"Believe me, I know," I agreed. "I would be honoured to stay." For as long as I can...went unsaid. I wondered when this task would be complete. Of course, maybe helping Leto wasn't my task, but seeing her, I knew that I had to do something. While the jumps were still a mystery to me, I found myself thinking of Kronos' curse as less of a curse with each moment that passed. After all, how could this possibly be a curse? There was the possibility that he expected me to fail in these tasks - that history would be rewritten (maybe destroyed) and I'd feel the pain of guilt weighing on my shoulders in knowing that I was at fault for the rest of eternity. Then again, I hardly doubt that Kronos had enough time in his last seconds to come up with this entire, dastardly scheme. His intentions would always remain a mystery, but I would make the best out of this situation, and maybe, just maybe, I'd see my family again.

***

I'd been staying with Leto and her children for three whole weeks and yet, the jump had not occurred. How come? I spent almost every waking minute pondering the logic of my curse, however - like Annabeth was always telling me - I wasn't one of many brains, so nothing came to mind except for a craving for blue corn chips (which lasted for a span of three days).