Celestial: the Destined (PJO x WoD) [Celestial Forge]
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"Magic isn't real" and 10 other fun lies we tell ourselves
New York in the springtime, there's nothing quite like it. Rats scampering the smell of sewage from the Hudson river, and the sound of gunfire in the night. I live in the shittiest apartment in the shittiest part of town, Brownsville. You're about four times as likely to be murdered in this part of town rather than anywhere else in New York, and it shows. Crumbling edifices and extreme squalor mar the once prosperous face of this community as urban blight and the ravages of time have caused the withering of this community. On the upside rent is dirt cheap, which is perfect for a guy like me who has basically no assets, no prospects, and no future.
Let's paint you a picture of the guy that I see in the mirror every day. Ratty jeans, shirt with holes in it, gaunt and slightly emaciated face, and countless other traits that scream desperation and the ravages of poverty. At least I have my health I think to myself as I let out an exaggerated cough.All in all very Aaron Smith.
Let's be honest with myself if I don't die due to murder I'm gonna die from complications due to poverty. Between the black mold and the asbestos in my apartment and all the second hand smoke from when I was a child I'm probably gonna have lung cancer. That being said, I'm at least grateful that I can have a roof over my head and a couple of hot meals if I don't have any outstanding expenses. It's more than many people can say they have. Bicycle couriers like me at least have enough money to exist in this environment not comfortably but existing nonetheless.
Generally there's nothing more I like to do at the end of a long day than have a lukewarm shower and vegetate on the couch, but this night was different. The past few weeks I've been restless and antsy and have been plagued with bizarre dreams filled with stars that shift and writhe like the coils of some black speckled snake caught in a spider's web. With another restless night on the way and my mind muddled I slipped my shoes on and went for a suicidally dangerous midnight stroll. So here I am minding my own business when I hear a scream, normally I would just ignore it and save my own skin, but tonight I don't know what struck me perhaps it was a sick voyeuristic bent or if I subtly wanted to be a hero.
Creeping slowly towards the source of the noise through the rat infested darkness I spied a peculiar sight. In the darkness were three leather clad bikers with strange looking features cornering a petite woman. Biker gangs aren't necessarily an uncommon site, but something about these guys unsettled me to no end. It was like every instinct was screaming at me to run and abandon that woman, or to curl up and hide like a small child and wait for the dawn to bring the safety of the light. At that moment there was a loud sniffing sound from their direction, and they began to check around as if somehow my scent reached them over the ambient stink of garbage in the alley way in which I was hunched in hiding. That was when they began to speak, it was like something out of your worst nightmares, all consonants with an almost barking like quality as if the vocal cords were replaced with barbed wire. That's when I spotted the worst part, each one of them in the dim light had eyes bright and shining like a nocturnal predator ready to strike, and ready to eat.
It was all too much to bear, and I broke skittering and slipping on the refuse in the alley scrambling and scrabbling to get any purchase. Their footsteps slowly growing louder and closer yet changing, their quality. What once was the sound of boots shifted to the sound of claws and the padding of skin on concrete.The woman let out a scream and fell silent as the clear sound gurgling was heard, and the scent of blood. Finally finding purchase my overdeveloped leg muscles burst into action propelling me at speeds barely thinkable adrenaline pushing me harder and faster than ever before. I could not shake the terror of the chase, I was so focused on the fear that I could not even look back at my pursuers. Blind panic began to cloud my judgement, and I did the only thing I could at that moment, I ran. The sound of the gnashing of teeth and the hot breath of my pursuers was almost on top of me when I arrived at the destination my feet had unknowingly carried me.
Once an object of fear now a symbol of reprieve, the local gang hideout proved to be my destination, leaping blindly with raw desperation I crashed through a window that was spray painted solidly black. I landed ungracefully slipping and sliding on the shattered glass and blood babbling and ranting like a madman at the multitude of faces that stared at me confused and angry. At least they were angry while their attention was on me, stooping and tearing with claws the size of pizza boxes my pursuers came into sight. Everything was wrong: sleep deprivation, panic and blood loss all combining into what had to be hallucination as the snout bared its massive fangs in my direction. That's when I heard it, the clicking of a multitude of guns and then the deafening sound of automatic gunfire mixed with an unearthly hissing noise from my hosts. Of course, I was too far gone at that moment to truly process any of this before I began running in earnest again. My consciousness had begun truly fading as my shoes began blindly and erratically running the few blocks it would be till I was home.
The final stretch in sight I only hoped that whatever the source of my terror had finally been lost. Slipping the key into the lock of my door, that's when it happened. What should have been a shabby interior was now instead a white featureless plane. Stumbling and landing in this space the door behind me slammed shut the door vanishing. At that moment a mass of roiling stars expanded in my mind erupting in a flaming aura of light of creation and destruction. In my mind etched into the fibers of my very being was the knowledge of creation locked away but there itching to be unleashed. Simultaneously as this galaxy of stars burned into view it began to magnify until a single star came into view and in moments its radiance expanded into a supernova infusing me and escaping its confines. I now had the knowledge of an education that could not exist, and yet it did. I knew of monsters and their forms of alchemy, blacksmithing, and of magic. At this point I lapsed into unconsciousness, the cumulative stress being far more than I could conceivably handle.
______________________________________________________________________________
Coming to, in my dingy apartment kissing the floorboards is not a pleasant experience to say the very least, especially not given the fact that I know what I've done in this place. Pushing against the floor pain flared across my hands as I realized the full extent of my injuries. Shallow cuts and scrapes totally coat my hands. It seems that in my mad dash to escape the pursuing bikers l managed to seriously hurt them. Gritting my teeth and pushing through my pain successfully detach my face from the ratty and dusty wood floor. Grumbling, I head to the bathroom to take some Ibuprofen, and contemplate life. Fiddling with the bottle inspiration strikes me. Last night was insane and clearly a hallucination brought on by stress but I might as well try out some of the nonsense in my head. Making a decision I figure the best bet would be a healing potion of some sort since you know I don't like the idea of having massive infections in my hands. According to my mental recipe I can make them with three blue fruits and one blue liquid, at least whatever the fuck that means.
Shrugging I head out the door and down to the local grocery store. Once there, looking around I spied some absolutely massive blueberries figuring ehh since they're fruit and blue they're probably a good enough substitute for whatever the hell blue fruits are. Heading over towards the checkout I see it, the perfect blue liquid for the job. The nectar of the gods itself, blue gatorade. I figure I might as well make my potion as tasty as possible since there's no way in hell that it will work. Ringing my items up as well as lifting a candy bar I headed home to concoct my tasty beverage.
As I reach into my pocket I withdraw an unfamiliar key, shaped like an old timey with the thick trunk and simple prongs with the major exception being that the key was made out of the void of space glittering with stars to boot too. Blinking rapidly at this I fumble with the key inserting it into the lock of my door fitting it into an impossibly thin opening and turning it without resistance. My door swings open to a casually impossible space, a mostly white void with the exception of some of the most basic crafting tables and a weirdly complete stockpile of mundane building materials.
Like any sane person I closed the door and fished out the correct key and entered into my now existent apartment. Pulling over a chair I stared blankly at the wall and silently tore into my snickers bar as I dissociated for a moment. Slapping myself on the face I began to refocus hauling out my blueberries and gatorade. Reaching into my cabinet I pulled out my special mug emblazoned with the Monster Donuts logo and with only a little bit of lead paint. Crushing the berries with a spoon I began grinding and mixing before opening a bottle of the gatorade and pouring it, mixing it thoroughly produced a strange result. Somehow the mixture was actually becoming homogenous rather than bits of berry mixed into gatorade. Looking at my hands I steeled my resolve and downed the potion from the mug. Gazing intently at my hands I began to notice changes slowly at first but accelerating I noticed the cuts and scrapes healing before my eyes as the scabs and the criss crossing cuts sealed and faded as if they had never been there.
"HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF FUCK!" I shout as the impact of what this means comes over me. All of this is real, and most of all I'm magical, but most importantly what am I going to do with these abilities?
Thinking for a moment as I gaze around my dingy apartment, one thing jumps to mind: part of my mental database regards the creation of furniture, not just that, but furniture that increases the user's capabilities. Pulling out my key I slotted it into the door to my bathroom turning it and opening it I stepped into my workshop and set myself to working. Sawing and going to work on my projects I prioritized the special tools that can assist productivity to speed my efforts further.
As the hours passed by I grew hungrier and hungrier before it became too much for me to continue with my focus. Setting out I found myself walking a familiar path down to my favorite restaurant O'Tolley's. It's not my favorite due to quality but the fact that it's cheap and has enough grease to render any bag see through. Otherwise it's just fast food, it does have a really catchy slogan that people eat up 'A family place'.
Either way, having finished my meal I went back to work, sanding and grinding away any sharp and pointy edges, and in short order my first true project was done. A sizable workbench now stood in the room and would prove a massive asset in the future.
It was at the very moment that I completed the workbench that stars erupted in my vision, like standing too quickly after sitting for a while. It was as if my brain reached for something on the top shelf and missed giving up their arms being just a few inches short of grabbing it. I sighed and made my way back into my apartment before crashing on my bed dead tired.
______________________________________________________________________________
Falling and falling without end I am plunged into the blue abyss of the sky as I am flung far wide from some long forgotten perch. There is nothing save for the fall in this blue void. As I gaze downwards or what I think to be downwards I feel the call of the ground and the inexorable pull of gravity. Yet I resist and in doing so learn that falling is a matter of perspective, and I am beyond perspective. And In this moment I began to fly in this blue void.
______________________________________________________________________________
Waking gently something returns to my mind. In my ecstasy and focus on magic in addition to my denial of my previous experiences I have forgotten one of the most important things when dealing with monsters, weapons. Realizing this I bolt upright in a cold sweat. Those creatures or creature, in my delirium I was unsure as to their identity, might still be out there, and might still have my scent. I needed a weapon and fast. Contemplating my options and this training I did but didn't receive, I decided to make a spear. Of the options one stood out above the rest, a so-called "Partisan of Light" that would smite unholy enemies and provide healing for myself. The other thing that made it so attractive was the fact that I actually don't need any rare monster parts for this, and can compensate for the different world I'm in. Turning my thoughts to the question of armor, my vague memories are drawn to the knife-like claws of the beast that could puncture even the hardest of steels that I have access to. All of the armors save for generic steel with no modification would be out of my reach, and ineffective that I decide to forgo it to instead focus on dodging and keeping the enemies at range with my spear. Taking a quick shower I check the time and head out the door and begin biking in the direction of the nearby flea market in search of "white stone" and other crafting ingredients. Bee lining my way to the area of the market where I knew jewelry and other minerals would be sold I began glancing around at the vast display of wares. Looking up and down the rows I spotted something that sparked ideas to mind. Some simple semi-precious stones had caught my eye, but what they could be used for was the important thing. Garnets in the whole color of the rainbow for incredibly cheap prices and in decent size, the perfect stones to set into rings that can channel magical energy. Looking into my meagre wallet I picked 3 of the raw unpolished garnets for a cheap $60 leaving me with a grand total of $20 to my name, just barely enough to stretch out the last of my food for one week. Sighing temporarily but looking at my precious loot consisting of a white, green, and red garnet I smile for what I can do with them.
Eagerly I begin my work back home beginning by heating and alloying my steels in my shop. I begin the long process of forging my new weapon and my rings. Slowly raising a combination of nickel, iron, carbon and a trace amount of gold in a crucible to form a new alloy I dubbed seton steel to act as a mana conductor. In a second crucible I rapidly heat to a white hot, a combination of some of the previously made seton steel, vanadium, chromium, and titanium oxide. As soon as the titanium was added the mixture began to violently react, and in that moment I rapidly cooled the metal to form a large workable billet of albunea steel. The properties of this build off the mana conductance of the seton combined with the toughness of the other metals to create a mana reinforced crystalline layer. Carefully I began working the albunea steel on my anvil delicately shaping and moving the crystalline lattice into the shape of a partisan. Reaching into the pile of materials I withdraw gold and silver jewelers wire and begin to carefully engrave a large setting into the spear with concentric rings of runes spiraling outwards. Lastly I engrave the white garnet with runes of power designed to hold the magic in place and then carefully begin the arduous process of setting the stone. Once placed I begin to gather my meagre energy and pour it into the stone focusing on thoughts of life and protection as the magic begins to conform to the patterns I inscribed. Quietly and almost imperceptibly the spear began to glow with a warm gentle light.
Placing this to the side, I began work on my rings slowly shaping the seton steel into long thin pieces. Carefully tempering the steel as I go, I begin inducing a gentle curve until the ring is joined at both ends. Heating the joined end I abruptly hit it until it joins properly and shape the now flattened area into a robust and tough setting for a jewel. Cooling the ring I scribe incredibly small text into it producing a spiraling band of characters around each band. I carefully replicate matching symbols on the remaining two garnets and carefully lower each one into the bands. Steeling myself I channel my raw will into each, embedding the magic of strength into each.
Once again finishing the project results in the brief field of stars reaching out and failing to grasp anything. Shaking my mind clear I look down at the beautifully created rings before slipping the green one on first. The energy begins moving outward from the ring touching each and every cell of my body, hardening them and enhancing the metabolic function of each. The feeling blossoms into a full body comfort making me feel the best I have in years. I smile gently bathing myself in the glow of comfort. Rousing myself from my stupor I reach for the red ring and place it on my left hand. If green was an immovable object this felt like an unstoppable force. Each fiber of my muscles tightened and then relaxed yet ready to act at any moment. Standing up I walked over to my anvil and began to lift. Although heavy it was not a difficult lift by any means, and by my estimation this has boosted me up to peak-human levels to say the least, with my endurance matching, but the best part is that it's additive rather than setting my body to a certain level.. Smiling I say to myself "Those bastards if they show themselves will never know what hit them."
Let's paint you a picture of the guy that I see in the mirror every day. Ratty jeans, shirt with holes in it, gaunt and slightly emaciated face, and countless other traits that scream desperation and the ravages of poverty. At least I have my health I think to myself as I let out an exaggerated cough.All in all very Aaron Smith.
Let's be honest with myself if I don't die due to murder I'm gonna die from complications due to poverty. Between the black mold and the asbestos in my apartment and all the second hand smoke from when I was a child I'm probably gonna have lung cancer. That being said, I'm at least grateful that I can have a roof over my head and a couple of hot meals if I don't have any outstanding expenses. It's more than many people can say they have. Bicycle couriers like me at least have enough money to exist in this environment not comfortably but existing nonetheless.
Generally there's nothing more I like to do at the end of a long day than have a lukewarm shower and vegetate on the couch, but this night was different. The past few weeks I've been restless and antsy and have been plagued with bizarre dreams filled with stars that shift and writhe like the coils of some black speckled snake caught in a spider's web. With another restless night on the way and my mind muddled I slipped my shoes on and went for a suicidally dangerous midnight stroll. So here I am minding my own business when I hear a scream, normally I would just ignore it and save my own skin, but tonight I don't know what struck me perhaps it was a sick voyeuristic bent or if I subtly wanted to be a hero.
Creeping slowly towards the source of the noise through the rat infested darkness I spied a peculiar sight. In the darkness were three leather clad bikers with strange looking features cornering a petite woman. Biker gangs aren't necessarily an uncommon site, but something about these guys unsettled me to no end. It was like every instinct was screaming at me to run and abandon that woman, or to curl up and hide like a small child and wait for the dawn to bring the safety of the light. At that moment there was a loud sniffing sound from their direction, and they began to check around as if somehow my scent reached them over the ambient stink of garbage in the alley way in which I was hunched in hiding. That was when they began to speak, it was like something out of your worst nightmares, all consonants with an almost barking like quality as if the vocal cords were replaced with barbed wire. That's when I spotted the worst part, each one of them in the dim light had eyes bright and shining like a nocturnal predator ready to strike, and ready to eat.
It was all too much to bear, and I broke skittering and slipping on the refuse in the alley scrambling and scrabbling to get any purchase. Their footsteps slowly growing louder and closer yet changing, their quality. What once was the sound of boots shifted to the sound of claws and the padding of skin on concrete.The woman let out a scream and fell silent as the clear sound gurgling was heard, and the scent of blood. Finally finding purchase my overdeveloped leg muscles burst into action propelling me at speeds barely thinkable adrenaline pushing me harder and faster than ever before. I could not shake the terror of the chase, I was so focused on the fear that I could not even look back at my pursuers. Blind panic began to cloud my judgement, and I did the only thing I could at that moment, I ran. The sound of the gnashing of teeth and the hot breath of my pursuers was almost on top of me when I arrived at the destination my feet had unknowingly carried me.
Once an object of fear now a symbol of reprieve, the local gang hideout proved to be my destination, leaping blindly with raw desperation I crashed through a window that was spray painted solidly black. I landed ungracefully slipping and sliding on the shattered glass and blood babbling and ranting like a madman at the multitude of faces that stared at me confused and angry. At least they were angry while their attention was on me, stooping and tearing with claws the size of pizza boxes my pursuers came into sight. Everything was wrong: sleep deprivation, panic and blood loss all combining into what had to be hallucination as the snout bared its massive fangs in my direction. That's when I heard it, the clicking of a multitude of guns and then the deafening sound of automatic gunfire mixed with an unearthly hissing noise from my hosts. Of course, I was too far gone at that moment to truly process any of this before I began running in earnest again. My consciousness had begun truly fading as my shoes began blindly and erratically running the few blocks it would be till I was home.
The final stretch in sight I only hoped that whatever the source of my terror had finally been lost. Slipping the key into the lock of my door, that's when it happened. What should have been a shabby interior was now instead a white featureless plane. Stumbling and landing in this space the door behind me slammed shut the door vanishing. At that moment a mass of roiling stars expanded in my mind erupting in a flaming aura of light of creation and destruction. In my mind etched into the fibers of my very being was the knowledge of creation locked away but there itching to be unleashed. Simultaneously as this galaxy of stars burned into view it began to magnify until a single star came into view and in moments its radiance expanded into a supernova infusing me and escaping its confines. I now had the knowledge of an education that could not exist, and yet it did. I knew of monsters and their forms of alchemy, blacksmithing, and of magic. At this point I lapsed into unconsciousness, the cumulative stress being far more than I could conceivably handle.
______________________________________________________________________________
Coming to, in my dingy apartment kissing the floorboards is not a pleasant experience to say the very least, especially not given the fact that I know what I've done in this place. Pushing against the floor pain flared across my hands as I realized the full extent of my injuries. Shallow cuts and scrapes totally coat my hands. It seems that in my mad dash to escape the pursuing bikers l managed to seriously hurt them. Gritting my teeth and pushing through my pain successfully detach my face from the ratty and dusty wood floor. Grumbling, I head to the bathroom to take some Ibuprofen, and contemplate life. Fiddling with the bottle inspiration strikes me. Last night was insane and clearly a hallucination brought on by stress but I might as well try out some of the nonsense in my head. Making a decision I figure the best bet would be a healing potion of some sort since you know I don't like the idea of having massive infections in my hands. According to my mental recipe I can make them with three blue fruits and one blue liquid, at least whatever the fuck that means.
Shrugging I head out the door and down to the local grocery store. Once there, looking around I spied some absolutely massive blueberries figuring ehh since they're fruit and blue they're probably a good enough substitute for whatever the hell blue fruits are. Heading over towards the checkout I see it, the perfect blue liquid for the job. The nectar of the gods itself, blue gatorade. I figure I might as well make my potion as tasty as possible since there's no way in hell that it will work. Ringing my items up as well as lifting a candy bar I headed home to concoct my tasty beverage.
As I reach into my pocket I withdraw an unfamiliar key, shaped like an old timey with the thick trunk and simple prongs with the major exception being that the key was made out of the void of space glittering with stars to boot too. Blinking rapidly at this I fumble with the key inserting it into the lock of my door fitting it into an impossibly thin opening and turning it without resistance. My door swings open to a casually impossible space, a mostly white void with the exception of some of the most basic crafting tables and a weirdly complete stockpile of mundane building materials.
Like any sane person I closed the door and fished out the correct key and entered into my now existent apartment. Pulling over a chair I stared blankly at the wall and silently tore into my snickers bar as I dissociated for a moment. Slapping myself on the face I began to refocus hauling out my blueberries and gatorade. Reaching into my cabinet I pulled out my special mug emblazoned with the Monster Donuts logo and with only a little bit of lead paint. Crushing the berries with a spoon I began grinding and mixing before opening a bottle of the gatorade and pouring it, mixing it thoroughly produced a strange result. Somehow the mixture was actually becoming homogenous rather than bits of berry mixed into gatorade. Looking at my hands I steeled my resolve and downed the potion from the mug. Gazing intently at my hands I began to notice changes slowly at first but accelerating I noticed the cuts and scrapes healing before my eyes as the scabs and the criss crossing cuts sealed and faded as if they had never been there.
"HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF FUCK!" I shout as the impact of what this means comes over me. All of this is real, and most of all I'm magical, but most importantly what am I going to do with these abilities?
Thinking for a moment as I gaze around my dingy apartment, one thing jumps to mind: part of my mental database regards the creation of furniture, not just that, but furniture that increases the user's capabilities. Pulling out my key I slotted it into the door to my bathroom turning it and opening it I stepped into my workshop and set myself to working. Sawing and going to work on my projects I prioritized the special tools that can assist productivity to speed my efforts further.
As the hours passed by I grew hungrier and hungrier before it became too much for me to continue with my focus. Setting out I found myself walking a familiar path down to my favorite restaurant O'Tolley's. It's not my favorite due to quality but the fact that it's cheap and has enough grease to render any bag see through. Otherwise it's just fast food, it does have a really catchy slogan that people eat up 'A family place'.
Either way, having finished my meal I went back to work, sanding and grinding away any sharp and pointy edges, and in short order my first true project was done. A sizable workbench now stood in the room and would prove a massive asset in the future.
It was at the very moment that I completed the workbench that stars erupted in my vision, like standing too quickly after sitting for a while. It was as if my brain reached for something on the top shelf and missed giving up their arms being just a few inches short of grabbing it. I sighed and made my way back into my apartment before crashing on my bed dead tired.
______________________________________________________________________________
Falling and falling without end I am plunged into the blue abyss of the sky as I am flung far wide from some long forgotten perch. There is nothing save for the fall in this blue void. As I gaze downwards or what I think to be downwards I feel the call of the ground and the inexorable pull of gravity. Yet I resist and in doing so learn that falling is a matter of perspective, and I am beyond perspective. And In this moment I began to fly in this blue void.
______________________________________________________________________________
Waking gently something returns to my mind. In my ecstasy and focus on magic in addition to my denial of my previous experiences I have forgotten one of the most important things when dealing with monsters, weapons. Realizing this I bolt upright in a cold sweat. Those creatures or creature, in my delirium I was unsure as to their identity, might still be out there, and might still have my scent. I needed a weapon and fast. Contemplating my options and this training I did but didn't receive, I decided to make a spear. Of the options one stood out above the rest, a so-called "Partisan of Light" that would smite unholy enemies and provide healing for myself. The other thing that made it so attractive was the fact that I actually don't need any rare monster parts for this, and can compensate for the different world I'm in. Turning my thoughts to the question of armor, my vague memories are drawn to the knife-like claws of the beast that could puncture even the hardest of steels that I have access to. All of the armors save for generic steel with no modification would be out of my reach, and ineffective that I decide to forgo it to instead focus on dodging and keeping the enemies at range with my spear. Taking a quick shower I check the time and head out the door and begin biking in the direction of the nearby flea market in search of "white stone" and other crafting ingredients. Bee lining my way to the area of the market where I knew jewelry and other minerals would be sold I began glancing around at the vast display of wares. Looking up and down the rows I spotted something that sparked ideas to mind. Some simple semi-precious stones had caught my eye, but what they could be used for was the important thing. Garnets in the whole color of the rainbow for incredibly cheap prices and in decent size, the perfect stones to set into rings that can channel magical energy. Looking into my meagre wallet I picked 3 of the raw unpolished garnets for a cheap $60 leaving me with a grand total of $20 to my name, just barely enough to stretch out the last of my food for one week. Sighing temporarily but looking at my precious loot consisting of a white, green, and red garnet I smile for what I can do with them.
Eagerly I begin my work back home beginning by heating and alloying my steels in my shop. I begin the long process of forging my new weapon and my rings. Slowly raising a combination of nickel, iron, carbon and a trace amount of gold in a crucible to form a new alloy I dubbed seton steel to act as a mana conductor. In a second crucible I rapidly heat to a white hot, a combination of some of the previously made seton steel, vanadium, chromium, and titanium oxide. As soon as the titanium was added the mixture began to violently react, and in that moment I rapidly cooled the metal to form a large workable billet of albunea steel. The properties of this build off the mana conductance of the seton combined with the toughness of the other metals to create a mana reinforced crystalline layer. Carefully I began working the albunea steel on my anvil delicately shaping and moving the crystalline lattice into the shape of a partisan. Reaching into the pile of materials I withdraw gold and silver jewelers wire and begin to carefully engrave a large setting into the spear with concentric rings of runes spiraling outwards. Lastly I engrave the white garnet with runes of power designed to hold the magic in place and then carefully begin the arduous process of setting the stone. Once placed I begin to gather my meagre energy and pour it into the stone focusing on thoughts of life and protection as the magic begins to conform to the patterns I inscribed. Quietly and almost imperceptibly the spear began to glow with a warm gentle light.
Placing this to the side, I began work on my rings slowly shaping the seton steel into long thin pieces. Carefully tempering the steel as I go, I begin inducing a gentle curve until the ring is joined at both ends. Heating the joined end I abruptly hit it until it joins properly and shape the now flattened area into a robust and tough setting for a jewel. Cooling the ring I scribe incredibly small text into it producing a spiraling band of characters around each band. I carefully replicate matching symbols on the remaining two garnets and carefully lower each one into the bands. Steeling myself I channel my raw will into each, embedding the magic of strength into each.
Once again finishing the project results in the brief field of stars reaching out and failing to grasp anything. Shaking my mind clear I look down at the beautifully created rings before slipping the green one on first. The energy begins moving outward from the ring touching each and every cell of my body, hardening them and enhancing the metabolic function of each. The feeling blossoms into a full body comfort making me feel the best I have in years. I smile gently bathing myself in the glow of comfort. Rousing myself from my stupor I reach for the red ring and place it on my left hand. If green was an immovable object this felt like an unstoppable force. Each fiber of my muscles tightened and then relaxed yet ready to act at any moment. Standing up I walked over to my anvil and began to lift. Although heavy it was not a difficult lift by any means, and by my estimation this has boosted me up to peak-human levels to say the least, with my endurance matching, but the best part is that it's additive rather than setting my body to a certain level.. Smiling I say to myself "Those bastards if they show themselves will never know what hit them."
The Four Horsemen of Unemployment
Having spent a productive weekend altering the very fabric of reality with hitherto unseen primordial forces of magic, I awoke and dressed myself for another day of drudgery ferrying the inane and banal messages of corporate america. Despite having gained an extraordinary power, I was still yet a slave to the grinding gears of capitalism, and after all I still need to be able to afford rent, utilities, and O'Tolleys. So with determination not to starve I wore my rings and broke down my partisan collapsing the shaft into various pieces and stowing it in my backpack.
Despite the drudgery and mundane nature of being a bicycle courier it was not the most uninteresting job I could have had. I still have to contend with New York Traffic and consistently ruch back and forth at breakneck speeds, so at the very least I'm constantly being challenged to react quickly. Usually this would leave me tired with my weak human physiology, but not today.
As soon as I began pedaling my bike down the street I could feel the remarkable difference. What hills I once crossed with difficulty felt like nothing more than bumps in the pavement. Truly the rings I had spent so much money making were already paying off, the bike ride into Manhattan only took about half the time. The best part being that I felt no exhaustion from this, and since I'm paid by delivery with a bonus for delivering sooner I'm poised to make much more money for this job, at least that's what I thought.
My first delivery of the day was a doozy. Apparently some bigshot from the Empire State Building wanted some mail dropped off to some Fancy Boarding School. Easy cash, but super out of the way. Not ideal because that would lower my delivery rates for today and since I was the only person in at the time I got saddled with the responsibility. And so that was how I found myself pedaling my way to a moderately well maintained boarding school for troubled youngsters with a parcel addressed to a Mrs. Dodds in the math department.
Approaching the school I take the time to stop and lock my bike up out front, since you can never be too careful when it comes to kids as troubled as these. All around me these annoying brats cause an awful racket as they just do as kids do. Admittedly I'm a bit of a grouch when it comes to kids. I'm resentful and bitter because I had to grow up fast and take care of stuff after my dad died, so I never really got to have a childhood. Despite that I know especially shitty people just by the look of them, and boy did I ever see the epitome of that, some redheaded kid berating and bullying those around her. I shake my head and move along since it's not my job to resolve schoolyard battles.
At the front office I stop by to drop off my package to some otherwise preoccupied simpleton. With a loud pop of bubblegum she looks up from her romance novel eyes glazed over.
"Package for a Mrs. Dodds." I say calmly as I look at her
She sighs and says slowly. "I'm not authorized to sign for any packages mister. You'll have to hand it over to her directly." She loudly returns to chewing her bubblegum and turning the pages of her trashy book.
"Well then could you point me in her direction then?" I huff annoyed with the terrible secretary.
Looking back up from her paperback she shoots me a silent glare before angrily pointing at a map of the building.
Taking a quick glance towards the map I begin shuffling out and towards the 2nd floor math wing. Slightly lost and confused I took way longer to find it than I should have. I swear this building is like a labyrinth. By the time I'm there the lunch bell has sounded leaving the room empty save for two people, one a scrawny black haired kid writing lines on the chalkboard, and utterly failing to do so. The other was a short 50 something woman with an ill fitting leather jacket, a permanent scowl etched into her face that could easily kill from a thousand paces.
Stepping into the room I intone a simple question "Package for a Mrs. Dodds. Are you her?"
With a fury unbecoming of the situation she snarled out "Yes, now can't you see I'm busy? Just put it on the desk over there."
"Sorry ma'am but this is a priority package and I have to have you sign for it." I sigh and bring the package to her.
Gripping her gnarled talon like fingers she grasps and angrily signs the clipboard before taking a deep inhale, and that's precisely when shit hit the fan. Her eyes snapped open and burned with an unearthly rage before her hand shot out grasping my throat. Her sharp finger nails bit into throat causing massive pain as she lifted me into the air with an inhuman strength. Struggling to breath I began clawing at her fingers around my throat futilely.
In a monstrous hiss she shouted "WHO SENT YOU?! THE BOY IS THE THIEF AND NOTHING YOU COULD DO WOULD EXONERATE HIM."
I did the only thing I could think of at that moment and reached into my bag grabbing the head of the partisan and wildly slamming it into the neck of my enemy. Clearly unexpected, I met the eyes of this once human shaped thing in shock as it revealed a shrunken bat like form that had golden light escaping from the wound. And then in just seconds it had rendered itself into golden dust, the head of the partisan clattering to the ground.
Sitting on my butt I looked over, and the boy was staring at me mouth agape as we shared a long uncomfortable silence.
"You saw that too right?" I croak out in a hoarse whisper
The boy stood there blinking in shock for a moment before replying "I always thought Mrs. Dodds was an insufferable bat, but I didn't think it was literal."
"Yeah and well I never thought that the package delivery world would be this cutthroat but here we are." I chuckle to myself.
At that moment there was a crashing sound as a goatish looking teenage with a weird looking burst through the door shouting. "Percy are you okay?!!"
Shortly followed by the sound of a wheelchair and an older man following behind this teen. In this moment the pain flared and the stars passed over my vision but ultimately accomplished nothing. Slowly the two newcomers' heads swiveled and fixed upon my position as their brows simultaneously furrowed in confusion.
"I hope to god neither of you are weird monsters either, especially ones who try to kill random delivery men trying to do their jobs." I croak
There's a strange tension that crosses both of the newcomers' faces.
"You have to be shitting me… more weird non-human creatures in one school?!?"
The lad takes a sniff of the air and then turns to the man "He doesn't smell like a demigod or monster, but he does smell like magic. What should we do Chi… uh Mr. Brunner?"
Mr Brunner looks at Percy and then at me and says "Looks like the cat's out of the bag now Grover so I think it might be time for full disclosure since both parties are now involved even if they wouldn't like to be."
Percy looks at Grover and asks "What are you guys talking about? Grover, what do you mean monster and demigod?"
Grover sighs and says "Listen Percy gods monsters and heroes are all the real deal, and best guess your dad was one of the gods of Olympus and a powerful one at that." He looks over to me and says "You may not be a demigod but you're now involved in this and there's no fixing that looks like you're going to be joining us."
At that moment my phone buzzes with a text notification from my job "Maia courier services has terminated your employment due an incident during your job today."
Clenching my fists I shout "MOTHERFUCKER! I JUST WANTED TO PAY BILLS GODDAMNIT NOT GET DRAGGED INTO ALL THIS BULLSHIT! FUCK."
Recoiling from my shouting all save for Mr. Brunner, he responds "Well that was far quicker than what I was expecting, it appears that you've pissed off someone who wanted Percy dead, But Pardon my french you're fucked."
"Well dang my life is over I guess, figured it'd be because I got shot during a crossfire. So what now? Do you have somewhere I can go or am I supposed to fend for myself?" I reply, my heart sinking.
"Depending on many different factors we have many different options for how we deal with your situation. Most important in this is your age, since you look pretty young you might qualify to be a resident of Camp Half-Blood, But there are other options should that fall through." He says as he thoughtfully strokes his chin.
"I'm Eighteen this coming summer, but I don't follow what's Camp Half-Blood?" I sigh.
"Listen up Percy, this applies to you too. Camp Half-Blood is a camp that teaches young demigods how to use their abilities and exist in a world where monsters are constantly trying to kill you. Percy is a demigod but you young Aaron are not, but a special clause can instead be invoked in your case. Since you risked life and limb to defend Percy from a high class monster you can invoke the protector clause. Provided you work to protect Percy your access is guaranteed. I highly recommend this course of action since Camp Half-Blood is protected by an extremely strong wards scheme and is a forced neutral ground when it comes to the interaction of gods. Anywhere else you might be subject to godly retribution and not under the same protections given that you aren't a demigod." Mr. Brunner finishes with a flourish.
"Ugh, I guess there really aren't any other options that are as safe as this then I really only have one real choice. So how does this work? Do I wait for the end of the school year and exit with Percy or do I just go ahead of him?" I furrow my brow in contemplation.
"Ideally yes to the first one, but since Hades's monitoring of Percy after the dispersal of one of his furies has been disrupted I fear he will take drastic action to end you prior to either of you getting to camp. Hence why I've already cleared this early movement to camp with Percy's mom." Mr. Brunner calmly explains.
Suddenly a searing pain presses into my mind as the field of stars grows to an intensity reaching a fever pitch as the constellations swing towards its correct position before an unseen force rips at the field of stars forcing a new destination. As this settles into position the ringing in my ears is drowned out with a chorus of laughter from a group of 3 women. Floating in this void of stars 3 women measure and cut a massive tapestry of stars mimicking the background of this space. They each in turn smile at me as they snip and tuck the final thread. At that moment a screaming pain erupts in every cell in my body as something changes, a hidden potential is forced into my body, my bone structure scraping and being forced into a new configuration. Just as the pain from this began to subside another round began as I literally burst into flames my skin charring before flaking away to reveal unburnt skin that again burns, with several cycles repeating.
All around me in horror stares Percy, Grover and Mr. Brunner. Frozen until finally Percy does something entirely sensible and clever, he grabs a fire extinguisher from the hall and douses me in the foam putting an end to my suffering in a heartbeat.
Grover sniffs the and then bleats in an utterly goatish manner in confusion and shock. "HE SMELLS LIKE A DEMIGOD NOW, WHAT IN HADES JUST HAPPENED?!?"
Stroking his chin he stops for a moment to think before stating. "That's certainly nothing I've ever seen before and I'm older than the majority of Olympians. We'll get you to Camp Half-Blood as soon as possible to try and figure out what is going on with you."
I cough out a small puff of smoke as I murmur faintly "At least no one will dispute my right to be there now. Now get me out of here before someone else can smite me some more." Seconds later I fully collapse into a heap in a semi-conscious state.
Minutes later still reeling from the aftershocks of my pain, I'm loaded into the back seat of a car piloted by Percy's mom to the end of long island to safety.
______________________________________________________________________________
A few hours later true consciousness returns to me, with rain pattering the windshield providing a pleasant white noise. Sitting up I look at Percy, Grover, and Mrs. Jackson and clear my throat.
"Uh hi people, I'm still hurt but uh I'm getting better, and not to freak any of you out I wanna put together and hold my spear. It'll help me recover fully faster. Is that okay with y'all?" I ask awkwardly, rubbing my neck.
Quickly Mrs. Jackson responds "Sure sweetie, I don't sense any bad intentions around you so go for it."
Grover nervously glances at me, skeptical and skittish like an animal. I pay him no mind as I slowly assemble my partisan gripping the hilt and letting the regenerative magic wash over me. Yet something felt odd and different only now was I realizing that I could sense something beyond my normal perceptions. I could feel the motion and heat of each piston pounding, of the electronics in the car and the power that lay just beneath the surface of my skin ready to be unleashed at a moment's call. All these senses did much to ease my mind wrapping me like a warm comforting blanket, a completeness that I never knew I could be missing.
That's when everything went wrong for the second time today. Minutes before we were supposed to reach the camp the pounding of hooves and a horrid roar of not quite human variety. It was as if a human's lungs were grafted to the vocal cords of a cow. Which was fitting because charging from behind us I could see in the rearview mirror the horrid beast known as the minotaur. In all the pictures and media I had seen of it none truly captured the foul stench it seemed to be emitting, it was much like the boy's locker room if the boys in question were in fact cows and fed nothing but raw meat. Something was strange because just this morning I wouldn't have known jack or shit about a minotaur. Maybe if you gave me a matching puzzle I might have pieced it together but certainly not off the bat and while being chased by said monster under pressure.
Before I even realize what I'm doing I've already opened the door and rolled out of it with my spear in hand landing in a fighting stance that I had never been taught. As the beast continued its charge a slave to its momentum and unable to effectively change course. At this moment I knew precisely what to do, planting my spear firmly in the ground. I angle the head towards the monster and prepare to skewer it under its own weight. As the beast bares down on me its hot breath on my face my spear lands true sinking deep into the flank of the minotaur. However I failed to account for a vital fact: its momentum is truly uncontrollable there would be no way the shaft could withstand such forces. The sickening crunch of wood splintering pierces the night.
Also standing in place leads to a nearly fatal mistake, I am swept off my feet by the rushing bull and tossed carelessly into a tree like a ragdoll being tossed by a tantruming toddler. The popping and splintering of my bones fills my ears as a few of my ribs dislocate. I struggle to stand as the beast closes in to attempt to finish its job.
In that moment there's a flash of bronze as Percy steps behind the slashing at its heels distracting it long enough for me to circle back around to the car.
Out of breath and in extreme amounts of pain I pant out "Mrs. Jackson, do you trust me? Doesn't matter right now, we need to keep you safe." I pull her out of the driver seat before I begin fumbling in my pocket for the key. Grasping it I shove it as hard as I can into the lock of the car door before I shove Mrs. Jackson into my pocket dimension before slamming the door shut keeping her most definitely out of harm's way.
Looking back to Percy with his daring battle with minotaur I see him ducking and rolling out the way of massive blows. The spear head is still embedded in the side of the monster, from it drips a fetid monstrous blood or ichor that splatters on the rain soaked ground. Yet Percy's luck was beginning to run out as he was grazed by one of the horns he began to grip his side as a crimson stain began to spread out.
White hot rage begins to fill my heart as I see this. I begin to throw all caution to the wind as I scream with the potent fury of a mama bear protecting its cub. I actually didn't despise Percy which was tantamount to me actually being really fond of him. My feet began to move without thought pounding the ground as white fire blossomed around my hands.
Reaching out my hands grasped the shattered haft of my partisan I felt the energy course through myself as I violently tore my weapon free. The fire grew to envelop the length of the weapon as I swung it in a brutal arc aimed squarely at the neck of the beast. As it impacted the fire was so hot that it began to vaporize flesh like a lightsaber would yet there was still the audible sound of a crunch as the bones in its neck were pulverized with the force of the blow. Yet the arc continued striking true and carrying the force all the way through violently decapitating the abomination in one fell swoop.
Like with Mrs. Dodds earlier in the day the beastie began to disintegrate into dust all save for the head. Some instinct unbidden made me pick up the massive head in one arm and lift the injured Percy.
Through the pouring rain I shout to Grover "Which way is camp!?"
Squeaking skittishly he begins bounding off in the direction of a big hill with a pine as I follow after him. Partway up the hill again I am hit with the vision of stars as I continue to push through it intent on getting help for Percy. Normally moving with broken bones would have been a problem but the regenerative functions of my weapon were keeping me steady.
Cresting the top of the hill I could feel the aura of the barrier pass over me and soothe me, which well reacted negatively with the fact that I was only propped up with adrenaline. Consciousness faded for the second time this day.
Despite the drudgery and mundane nature of being a bicycle courier it was not the most uninteresting job I could have had. I still have to contend with New York Traffic and consistently ruch back and forth at breakneck speeds, so at the very least I'm constantly being challenged to react quickly. Usually this would leave me tired with my weak human physiology, but not today.
As soon as I began pedaling my bike down the street I could feel the remarkable difference. What hills I once crossed with difficulty felt like nothing more than bumps in the pavement. Truly the rings I had spent so much money making were already paying off, the bike ride into Manhattan only took about half the time. The best part being that I felt no exhaustion from this, and since I'm paid by delivery with a bonus for delivering sooner I'm poised to make much more money for this job, at least that's what I thought.
My first delivery of the day was a doozy. Apparently some bigshot from the Empire State Building wanted some mail dropped off to some Fancy Boarding School. Easy cash, but super out of the way. Not ideal because that would lower my delivery rates for today and since I was the only person in at the time I got saddled with the responsibility. And so that was how I found myself pedaling my way to a moderately well maintained boarding school for troubled youngsters with a parcel addressed to a Mrs. Dodds in the math department.
Approaching the school I take the time to stop and lock my bike up out front, since you can never be too careful when it comes to kids as troubled as these. All around me these annoying brats cause an awful racket as they just do as kids do. Admittedly I'm a bit of a grouch when it comes to kids. I'm resentful and bitter because I had to grow up fast and take care of stuff after my dad died, so I never really got to have a childhood. Despite that I know especially shitty people just by the look of them, and boy did I ever see the epitome of that, some redheaded kid berating and bullying those around her. I shake my head and move along since it's not my job to resolve schoolyard battles.
At the front office I stop by to drop off my package to some otherwise preoccupied simpleton. With a loud pop of bubblegum she looks up from her romance novel eyes glazed over.
"Package for a Mrs. Dodds." I say calmly as I look at her
She sighs and says slowly. "I'm not authorized to sign for any packages mister. You'll have to hand it over to her directly." She loudly returns to chewing her bubblegum and turning the pages of her trashy book.
"Well then could you point me in her direction then?" I huff annoyed with the terrible secretary.
Looking back up from her paperback she shoots me a silent glare before angrily pointing at a map of the building.
Taking a quick glance towards the map I begin shuffling out and towards the 2nd floor math wing. Slightly lost and confused I took way longer to find it than I should have. I swear this building is like a labyrinth. By the time I'm there the lunch bell has sounded leaving the room empty save for two people, one a scrawny black haired kid writing lines on the chalkboard, and utterly failing to do so. The other was a short 50 something woman with an ill fitting leather jacket, a permanent scowl etched into her face that could easily kill from a thousand paces.
Stepping into the room I intone a simple question "Package for a Mrs. Dodds. Are you her?"
With a fury unbecoming of the situation she snarled out "Yes, now can't you see I'm busy? Just put it on the desk over there."
"Sorry ma'am but this is a priority package and I have to have you sign for it." I sigh and bring the package to her.
Gripping her gnarled talon like fingers she grasps and angrily signs the clipboard before taking a deep inhale, and that's precisely when shit hit the fan. Her eyes snapped open and burned with an unearthly rage before her hand shot out grasping my throat. Her sharp finger nails bit into throat causing massive pain as she lifted me into the air with an inhuman strength. Struggling to breath I began clawing at her fingers around my throat futilely.
In a monstrous hiss she shouted "WHO SENT YOU?! THE BOY IS THE THIEF AND NOTHING YOU COULD DO WOULD EXONERATE HIM."
I did the only thing I could think of at that moment and reached into my bag grabbing the head of the partisan and wildly slamming it into the neck of my enemy. Clearly unexpected, I met the eyes of this once human shaped thing in shock as it revealed a shrunken bat like form that had golden light escaping from the wound. And then in just seconds it had rendered itself into golden dust, the head of the partisan clattering to the ground.
Sitting on my butt I looked over, and the boy was staring at me mouth agape as we shared a long uncomfortable silence.
"You saw that too right?" I croak out in a hoarse whisper
The boy stood there blinking in shock for a moment before replying "I always thought Mrs. Dodds was an insufferable bat, but I didn't think it was literal."
"Yeah and well I never thought that the package delivery world would be this cutthroat but here we are." I chuckle to myself.
At that moment there was a crashing sound as a goatish looking teenage with a weird looking burst through the door shouting. "Percy are you okay?!!"
Shortly followed by the sound of a wheelchair and an older man following behind this teen. In this moment the pain flared and the stars passed over my vision but ultimately accomplished nothing. Slowly the two newcomers' heads swiveled and fixed upon my position as their brows simultaneously furrowed in confusion.
"I hope to god neither of you are weird monsters either, especially ones who try to kill random delivery men trying to do their jobs." I croak
There's a strange tension that crosses both of the newcomers' faces.
"You have to be shitting me… more weird non-human creatures in one school?!?"
The lad takes a sniff of the air and then turns to the man "He doesn't smell like a demigod or monster, but he does smell like magic. What should we do Chi… uh Mr. Brunner?"
Mr Brunner looks at Percy and then at me and says "Looks like the cat's out of the bag now Grover so I think it might be time for full disclosure since both parties are now involved even if they wouldn't like to be."
Percy looks at Grover and asks "What are you guys talking about? Grover, what do you mean monster and demigod?"
Grover sighs and says "Listen Percy gods monsters and heroes are all the real deal, and best guess your dad was one of the gods of Olympus and a powerful one at that." He looks over to me and says "You may not be a demigod but you're now involved in this and there's no fixing that looks like you're going to be joining us."
At that moment my phone buzzes with a text notification from my job "Maia courier services has terminated your employment due an incident during your job today."
Clenching my fists I shout "MOTHERFUCKER! I JUST WANTED TO PAY BILLS GODDAMNIT NOT GET DRAGGED INTO ALL THIS BULLSHIT! FUCK."
Recoiling from my shouting all save for Mr. Brunner, he responds "Well that was far quicker than what I was expecting, it appears that you've pissed off someone who wanted Percy dead, But Pardon my french you're fucked."
"Well dang my life is over I guess, figured it'd be because I got shot during a crossfire. So what now? Do you have somewhere I can go or am I supposed to fend for myself?" I reply, my heart sinking.
"Depending on many different factors we have many different options for how we deal with your situation. Most important in this is your age, since you look pretty young you might qualify to be a resident of Camp Half-Blood, But there are other options should that fall through." He says as he thoughtfully strokes his chin.
"I'm Eighteen this coming summer, but I don't follow what's Camp Half-Blood?" I sigh.
"Listen up Percy, this applies to you too. Camp Half-Blood is a camp that teaches young demigods how to use their abilities and exist in a world where monsters are constantly trying to kill you. Percy is a demigod but you young Aaron are not, but a special clause can instead be invoked in your case. Since you risked life and limb to defend Percy from a high class monster you can invoke the protector clause. Provided you work to protect Percy your access is guaranteed. I highly recommend this course of action since Camp Half-Blood is protected by an extremely strong wards scheme and is a forced neutral ground when it comes to the interaction of gods. Anywhere else you might be subject to godly retribution and not under the same protections given that you aren't a demigod." Mr. Brunner finishes with a flourish.
"Ugh, I guess there really aren't any other options that are as safe as this then I really only have one real choice. So how does this work? Do I wait for the end of the school year and exit with Percy or do I just go ahead of him?" I furrow my brow in contemplation.
"Ideally yes to the first one, but since Hades's monitoring of Percy after the dispersal of one of his furies has been disrupted I fear he will take drastic action to end you prior to either of you getting to camp. Hence why I've already cleared this early movement to camp with Percy's mom." Mr. Brunner calmly explains.
Suddenly a searing pain presses into my mind as the field of stars grows to an intensity reaching a fever pitch as the constellations swing towards its correct position before an unseen force rips at the field of stars forcing a new destination. As this settles into position the ringing in my ears is drowned out with a chorus of laughter from a group of 3 women. Floating in this void of stars 3 women measure and cut a massive tapestry of stars mimicking the background of this space. They each in turn smile at me as they snip and tuck the final thread. At that moment a screaming pain erupts in every cell in my body as something changes, a hidden potential is forced into my body, my bone structure scraping and being forced into a new configuration. Just as the pain from this began to subside another round began as I literally burst into flames my skin charring before flaking away to reveal unburnt skin that again burns, with several cycles repeating.
All around me in horror stares Percy, Grover and Mr. Brunner. Frozen until finally Percy does something entirely sensible and clever, he grabs a fire extinguisher from the hall and douses me in the foam putting an end to my suffering in a heartbeat.
Grover sniffs the and then bleats in an utterly goatish manner in confusion and shock. "HE SMELLS LIKE A DEMIGOD NOW, WHAT IN HADES JUST HAPPENED?!?"
Stroking his chin he stops for a moment to think before stating. "That's certainly nothing I've ever seen before and I'm older than the majority of Olympians. We'll get you to Camp Half-Blood as soon as possible to try and figure out what is going on with you."
I cough out a small puff of smoke as I murmur faintly "At least no one will dispute my right to be there now. Now get me out of here before someone else can smite me some more." Seconds later I fully collapse into a heap in a semi-conscious state.
Minutes later still reeling from the aftershocks of my pain, I'm loaded into the back seat of a car piloted by Percy's mom to the end of long island to safety.
______________________________________________________________________________
A few hours later true consciousness returns to me, with rain pattering the windshield providing a pleasant white noise. Sitting up I look at Percy, Grover, and Mrs. Jackson and clear my throat.
"Uh hi people, I'm still hurt but uh I'm getting better, and not to freak any of you out I wanna put together and hold my spear. It'll help me recover fully faster. Is that okay with y'all?" I ask awkwardly, rubbing my neck.
Quickly Mrs. Jackson responds "Sure sweetie, I don't sense any bad intentions around you so go for it."
Grover nervously glances at me, skeptical and skittish like an animal. I pay him no mind as I slowly assemble my partisan gripping the hilt and letting the regenerative magic wash over me. Yet something felt odd and different only now was I realizing that I could sense something beyond my normal perceptions. I could feel the motion and heat of each piston pounding, of the electronics in the car and the power that lay just beneath the surface of my skin ready to be unleashed at a moment's call. All these senses did much to ease my mind wrapping me like a warm comforting blanket, a completeness that I never knew I could be missing.
That's when everything went wrong for the second time today. Minutes before we were supposed to reach the camp the pounding of hooves and a horrid roar of not quite human variety. It was as if a human's lungs were grafted to the vocal cords of a cow. Which was fitting because charging from behind us I could see in the rearview mirror the horrid beast known as the minotaur. In all the pictures and media I had seen of it none truly captured the foul stench it seemed to be emitting, it was much like the boy's locker room if the boys in question were in fact cows and fed nothing but raw meat. Something was strange because just this morning I wouldn't have known jack or shit about a minotaur. Maybe if you gave me a matching puzzle I might have pieced it together but certainly not off the bat and while being chased by said monster under pressure.
Before I even realize what I'm doing I've already opened the door and rolled out of it with my spear in hand landing in a fighting stance that I had never been taught. As the beast continued its charge a slave to its momentum and unable to effectively change course. At this moment I knew precisely what to do, planting my spear firmly in the ground. I angle the head towards the monster and prepare to skewer it under its own weight. As the beast bares down on me its hot breath on my face my spear lands true sinking deep into the flank of the minotaur. However I failed to account for a vital fact: its momentum is truly uncontrollable there would be no way the shaft could withstand such forces. The sickening crunch of wood splintering pierces the night.
Also standing in place leads to a nearly fatal mistake, I am swept off my feet by the rushing bull and tossed carelessly into a tree like a ragdoll being tossed by a tantruming toddler. The popping and splintering of my bones fills my ears as a few of my ribs dislocate. I struggle to stand as the beast closes in to attempt to finish its job.
In that moment there's a flash of bronze as Percy steps behind the slashing at its heels distracting it long enough for me to circle back around to the car.
Out of breath and in extreme amounts of pain I pant out "Mrs. Jackson, do you trust me? Doesn't matter right now, we need to keep you safe." I pull her out of the driver seat before I begin fumbling in my pocket for the key. Grasping it I shove it as hard as I can into the lock of the car door before I shove Mrs. Jackson into my pocket dimension before slamming the door shut keeping her most definitely out of harm's way.
Looking back to Percy with his daring battle with minotaur I see him ducking and rolling out the way of massive blows. The spear head is still embedded in the side of the monster, from it drips a fetid monstrous blood or ichor that splatters on the rain soaked ground. Yet Percy's luck was beginning to run out as he was grazed by one of the horns he began to grip his side as a crimson stain began to spread out.
White hot rage begins to fill my heart as I see this. I begin to throw all caution to the wind as I scream with the potent fury of a mama bear protecting its cub. I actually didn't despise Percy which was tantamount to me actually being really fond of him. My feet began to move without thought pounding the ground as white fire blossomed around my hands.
Reaching out my hands grasped the shattered haft of my partisan I felt the energy course through myself as I violently tore my weapon free. The fire grew to envelop the length of the weapon as I swung it in a brutal arc aimed squarely at the neck of the beast. As it impacted the fire was so hot that it began to vaporize flesh like a lightsaber would yet there was still the audible sound of a crunch as the bones in its neck were pulverized with the force of the blow. Yet the arc continued striking true and carrying the force all the way through violently decapitating the abomination in one fell swoop.
Like with Mrs. Dodds earlier in the day the beastie began to disintegrate into dust all save for the head. Some instinct unbidden made me pick up the massive head in one arm and lift the injured Percy.
Through the pouring rain I shout to Grover "Which way is camp!?"
Squeaking skittishly he begins bounding off in the direction of a big hill with a pine as I follow after him. Partway up the hill again I am hit with the vision of stars as I continue to push through it intent on getting help for Percy. Normally moving with broken bones would have been a problem but the regenerative functions of my weapon were keeping me steady.
Cresting the top of the hill I could feel the aura of the barrier pass over me and soothe me, which well reacted negatively with the fact that I was only propped up with adrenaline. Consciousness faded for the second time this day.
- Location
- Brazil
- Pronouns
- He
Nice, percy jackson fics are very rare ( wod is rarer)
Hope lady GACHA will play in your favor
Hope lady GACHA will play in your favor
The premise is interesting, for once it's not a Celestial Forge on Worm and that's good. The start felt a bit mechanical, he feels urges to build without a build up (I mean he doesn't question anything he just gets to it, maybe you have an explanation but in story it feels forced).
I dont get how the fates can mess with the forge.
It's random results and the Fates can dictatet the result of random things
Yeah but is the forge not an out-of-context power. I dont see how they could even touch it, unless this forge was created by chaos and he let them control it, but I dont think that is it.
Why would it need to be understood to be controlled. It's still comprehensivable and thus it can be interacted with.
- Pronouns
- Male
they cant, theres a perk called fate finds you intresting, and thats LITTERALY the fates taking notice of you.
- Location
- Brazil
- Pronouns
- He
You know , I have a question
it's a Wod crossover and the forge has Exalted perks
...... does that mean that with a bit of luck he could exalt ?
it's a Wod crossover and the forge has Exalted perks
...... does that mean that with a bit of luck he could exalt ?
- Location
- United States
Hopefully without the curse...
Nonsense. From a very safe distance with the curse. Seriously, Greek myth inspired half the Curse just from the Greeks being that much of epic jerks.
The answer is yes, the other thing is if he gains enough magic perks he will gain an avatar
I actually did roll it. I didn't believe it at first but I freaked out when it happened. It was like fate itself decided that my story would go that way. So I made the fates get involved in the roll in the story.
UnknownGIND
Change my avatar because my mom didn't like it
- Location
- Jakarta, Indonesia
No, Percy Jackson fics is not rare, instead there is plenty of them. The good ones are
That's not true, nothing in the forge itself states anything about doing that. And it is perfectly within the authors ability to have it be effected by in universe elements.
clonezero
Is it a bad thing if my t read list keeps growing?
I agree with this, the CF in most cases is a well of power and most of the time is not governed by someone on the backend. I don't see anything wrong with beings with power giving it a nudge here and there.
- Location
- Earth
The forge is a collection of perks, perks by fiat are power backed by rob levels of strength that can warp entire multiverses to their whim to make them playground for jumpers.
If the perk giving mechanism can be messed with some low power gods then it means the greedy gods would suppress this mechanism and would never let mc get stronger than them. If they can mess with what perks he gets then they can mind control him and then prevent him from getting any perks to get rid of said mind control.
All in all letting anything mess with the perk giving mechanism which is pretty much equal to jumpdoc breaks a ton of perk mechanics, drawbacks, the real power of perks etc.
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That's never been a thing, it doesn't say so in the forge and it's basically your head canon.
Yes, it's almost as if a characters power isn't supposed to solve everyone of a characters problems. That a god in a story is supposed to be a dangerous opponent that could kill the MC if not for the rules of that reality.
If the forge can solve every problem, than the characters personality and shit doesn't matter, just wait to roll a power on the forge and then just kill gods without any trouble.
That would make a terrible story. The forge is a framing device, nothing more or nothing less.