The Thief of the White Lily (PJO/ATLA)

[Caasi]

A crossover between Percy Jackson and ATLA/LOK. Happens on modern world, following the events of the first PJO series in 2012.

Spoiler: Sinopse

Jean Hobbes is a 20 year old lightening bender. Currently a college student at Marie-Curie University, he balances his mundane life with the dealings of the White Lily, a separate group from the militarized White Lotus that has taken to heart the wish to free humanity from the Olympians. With the Olympus in disarray ever since Kronos' attempted return, all factions make their moves, and Jean himself finds a chance like no other at tipping the war.

Spoiler: On Reading this story

All of my stories end up having not only an OC as a main character but a cast of OCs, and usually a world quite different from the original worlds I'm borrowing elements from. However, The Thief of the White Lily is a more brand experiment. It is set in the world of Percy Jackson, and I dare say it is absolutely in accordance to 'first' canon (first five books, the originals). Since the story starts in Europe, 2012, you will realize how the lack of any description of the rest of the world allows one to take it and bend it. Don't worry though, this isn't an AU gone full alternate history. The most AU element you have is the inclusion of the spirit world, which is an integral piece of ATLA.

I've done my best to integrate characters from both series in the way it felt most natural, together with a somewhat original story. You will know what the plot of this story is about on the first 10k words. No mystery bullshit.

On to the Original Character. OCs are a dangerous bet, and that is why I'm want you to get familiar with him from the get go. I'm working to have him shown plainly to you in the first ten thousand words, along with the basic plot of the story. This should give you an idea of whether this story is something you find enjoyable, which is is always a hit and miss with OCs.

Incidentally, that might also make the first thousands of words feel somewhat heavier on the exposition side, but I promise it's just for the basic introduction of this story. If it helps, most of it is planned. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Now onto the story. Enough of my ramblings.

The Thief of the White Lily
A Percy Jackson/Last Airbender Crossover

Chapter 1
The Railroad to Hell
​

The perfect crime has two conditions to be considered perfect. First, you must not be caught in the act. Second, if your crime is eventually uncovered, be it by authorities or other less pleasant entities, it must be untraceable. Give it enough years, or maybe simply months, and the sands of time will erode any leads back to you. The first condition though, its all on you. Your performance, and if the case, on the competence of your subordinates.

Camille was by far the most proficient in German out of all of us, so she had the right seat, the one right besides our target. Well, there was another reason too. Every time they made small talk the guy couldn't help but turn his eyes around at her, taking them off the corridor, and generally just distracting his sight. She was pretty girl after, and even better, she was pretty as in a girl-next-door way. It let others think she was within their reach. I had let myself fall for that trick a couple of times, and I can tell you, it only ends one way.

But I have learned my lesson, but for others who hadn't, it was bone they could chew on for hours. Camille knew, of course, and she loved every minute of it. Despite being the closest of us to a man who could, for all we knew, pull a sword out of his pocket, she was enjoying herself. Maybe he was interesting, maybe she just loved her job. I didn't know and I didn't care, as long as the results give me what I need.

I looked at my hands, what I had on my hold. A cheap smartphone, far from being a iPhone or whether was considered nowadays a god phone. My Motorola had but a single message on its screen. It read 'I'm at the platform'. I clicked my neck in satisfaction. It was great when things worked out as planned. It wasn't easy, but it couldn't get easier then this, as long as we followed the script. Else it turned hard, rock solid, beyond the control of any earth bender. That much I can tell you.

Camille's and our Target's small talk continued until we came to a full stop at the platform, a female voice announcing our arrival at 'Strasbourg Gare Centrale'. The station was covered by a sheet of glass, rising at the edge of one side of the station and going over the central brick building over ground, the same sheet then falling on the other side. It was already 17:36, so the light of the sun shone an orange color tone over the station and the train with few, if any, clouds in the sky. It was a peaceful December afternoon.

A relaxing view I couldn't make myself appreciate. I was too tense, too worried. My eyes drifted along the platform, spotting a good number of passengers ready to embark. I moved my eyes around my carriage. A considerable amount of people had also started to clog the exit door, which made sense. In this route, the two big stops were this one and the last, Frankfurt.

I eyed two of my friends. Jacques and Abel, their eyes firm on each of their targets, keeping track of their positions. Jacques was also watching the man as Camille talked with him. For both her safety and of the mission, having an extra pair of eyes was vital were she not able to communicate with us without ruining her disguise. My second friend, Abel, had his eyes on the man's blue backpack, the precious cargo we had come here for with no lack of reasons. For me, though, the content of the backpack wasn't just desirable. It was essential—critical even! A piece to a greater puzzle. A part of a greater whole.

Oh. What I mean by this? I guess I should explain the objective of our mission. It might sound silly, mind you, but I can't help but state the truth. Our goal is simple, as most things in life. That blue backpack, right there on the overhead compartment, right above our target, is our real target. Weeks ago, I found out about an interesting piece of cargo demigods wanted to get to the Olympus. That cargo was, for all intents, right there inside that damned backpack. I could feel it within my grasp.

I was taken out of my thoughts when my arm felt a light pinch, and I didn't need to be a genius to know who had done it. Muriel had her nails over my long sleeve, her eyebrows narrowing as her eyes made me look at a specific spot on the crowd outside.

"Bingo." I said satisfied.

Franklin hoped on the train eventually, not easy thanks to the numerous exchanges of passengers. He was older then me, had probably finished college even. I didn't know many details, as usual. You didn't prod more than you had to in this particular areas of business. Personal questions were out of the table, always. He handed Abel a blue backpack, equal not by chance to our target's own backpack, and kept looking at Abel with expectant eyes. He was surprised then at my touch on his arm, turning with a frown. Such frown disappeared when I pulled from my jacket an enclosed letter, placing it at his hands and signaling him to move along the train.

Inside the letter he would find a few hundreds of Euros, instructions on where to stay for the rest of the trip until Frankfurt, and where to spend the night for a penny before returning to Strasbourg. As he properly followed my eyes and made to move, I let out a sigh. Theoretically, the most complicated part had gone by, but now came the most stressful.

Abel took the backpack, but waited before moving to the other end of the carriage. In the meanwhile, he closed his eyes, and I imagine he was spending some time feeling the bricks of stone inside the bag he had just received. Once we had the signal, he would find his seat, one that we had bought from the very beginning, but not occupied until the time was just right. It was located on the opposite side of our target, on the window, facing backwards. This allowed Abel to have his head turned slightly in the direction of the man without suspicion, since right above our target was his backpack. Our praised goal.

You may have noticed by now I haven't named him, our person of interest, by name. You know why? Because it doesn't matter. One thing I've learned after all these years is that demigods, no matter whose godly parents, are some motherfuckers you don't want on your ass. They were lethal creatures. His name was James Rodriguez, but I didn't refer to him as such. It was a way to constantly remind myself that I wasn't dealing with a human. None of us were after all, and that sort of understanding was critical.

Eventually, with the train still at the platform, Camille excused herself to retrieve her purse. It was conveniently stored besides the man's blue backpack, and Abel made to move, but with great lack of speed. He let Camille sit down again and settle herself on her seat before sweeping in and placing his backpack where Camille's purse was but seconds ago. I let out another sigh as he settled in his seat opening some random book he had chosen. It was useful to hide one of his hands if bending the stones came to need more of a physical effort. You never knew, and I definitely didn't since that wasn't my element.

I clicked my fingers in anticipation and quickly received a tap on the back of my hands.

"That gives you arthritis." Muriel chided me, and I rolled my eyes, both at her and at myself. I knew one of my faults was my impatience, which was both part of our successes and failures. It drove me to draw the quickest and most efficient plans we could, but it also risked missing a detail that could bite us in the ass later on.

I huffed and made myself quiet, and I remained so until after the train had left the station. Its sweet rocking and soothing sensation with the sunset coming from the windows at one side of the train made me want to take a nap. The prospect of taking a step forward in my objectives, however, was exhilarating. The light crossed the train, from Abel's side to James, which meant James had trouble setting his eyesight over Abel with ease. I could only hope Abel knew of his advantage. It could make earth bending undetected a less strenuous task.

If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't notice, unless you knew Abel. I could recognize in his face marks of his focus, his expressions slightly tense as did his best to earth bend in the least conspicuous way. The focus—the energy—one could even feel it. If so long as they searched for it, they could find it. The slight pushes, the rebounding of energy, it was obvious to me and my sense that he was doing something. But I was expecting it. James, our target, did not. Or I hoped so.

And eventually Abel stopped. The job was done. Had he thought it had been enough? Had he slid the backpack as much as we needed to sweep it out, leave him with the fake and take away the prize? I couldn't know, since I couldn't see, and neither could Muriel. I couldn't even send him a text message since none of us had any phone plan in Germany. Nevertheless, I trusted him, and if I didn't I wouldn't have chosen him for the job.

Imagine then my dread when we arrive at our next stop, our destination by the way, and everything might be going wrong.

'Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof' the female voice announced, as the train came to a full stop with a hard jolt and one of the backpacks fell down. I didn't know which one had fallen, I had absolutely no idea, and furthermore, I had no idea about the weight difference between the two backpacks.

"Merde." I muttered, my eyes only not wide open due to my exquisite self-control. Our target himself left his chair, grabbing the backpack on the floor and… I didn't know. Was there a second of hesitation? A moment of doubt? I didn't know, and the ignorance was already killing me within seconds of the event. He handed it back to Abel, somehow knowing that backpack was his. Had he seen him sit? It was quite possible, and in fact, the most probable explanation.

They had no idea we were coming. We had the element of surprise, but perhaps we had given it away. No, we must have. What are the chances someone, on this day, has the same exact backpack as the man who knew he was carrying precious cargo? I needed to ask Camille for details. She was good at reading people, though one could never be sure about demigods.

I was up not before long, I and Muriel following a few who were leaving at this station too. I managed to catch Camille out of the corner of my eye saying her farewells, Abel too coming even before her. After I left the train, however, I didn't look back until I left the platform through the exit sign, lest I give away I was observing either him, Camille, or Abel.

I also didn't need it. I focused on the presence of my friends, on the energy that was so familiar, that had surrounded me for many of the last years. They were all coming along, out of the train and into the platform.

Had our mission been a success? I didn't know, and the wait was killing me. I stood behind as the others followed forward. We had a meeting pointing at this station, but I wanted to make sure the train would leave, and leave nothing behind, not one more passenger than it needed. I dreaded finding the demigod at the platform after the train hag gone away, but it was empty.

It was empty. If they had noticed, then they could've let us go in the case we had stolen our own backpack. If not, they might try to follow us after we feel safe. It was then, somewhat satisfied with the empty state of the platform that I turned around, ready to meet the group. However, in the midst of the movement, I seem to have blinked.

As I opened them, I realized I was at the train station any longer. To be more specific, I was also down on the ground, my hands and body over gray sand in what seemed to be an encased desert. There was a ceiling over me, not higher than 2 meters, but no walls, no matter which direction I looked, and also no direct source of light, despite being able to clearly see. The endless horizon, sand all the way to the four corners of the world, or at least as far as I could see.

And I saw everything in dead colors, the life sucked out of them. I felt like I was back in London, living one of its typical cloudy and rainy days where you couldn't tell the time from looking up at the sky. At the horizon, because there was a horizon no matter which direction I looked at, I saw what seemed to be the sky, clouds touching the ground. But despite the slight mist, the air felt dry, coarse.

And none of my friends were around me. The train station had disappeared. The day I was living forgotten as if it was an old memory. And this old memory held quite the similarity with another. It was a difficult stretch, but I started to gain confidence once I remembered better what we were stealing. I had after all, been very interested in our package not only for the White Lily, but for myself. Inside that backpack was, after all, a key to the spirit world, a plane of existence that had denied me entrance for years since my first time, and I had never been told why.

Had it been done? Had I come to have it in my possession? Why couldn't I remember using it? Seeing it? Touching it? Those questions nailed doubt inside my heart, and weakened my certainty of where I was. At least I realized something amidst my confusion. It didn't matter where I thought I was if I still couldn't recognize it. If I wanted to leave, then I better start walking.

Setting a calm pace, I moved forward with great annoyance. This had been, in my humble opinion, far from the perfect crime.

Spoiler: Next Chap

Will post next chap soonish

 

[Caasi]

Chapter 1.b​

I eventually lost track of how much time it had passed. I wouldn't claim to have been days, but I also wouldn't say it had been only a few hours. A good amount of time had passed, and I knew I had been awake enough time to warrant some sleep, and yet, I wanted nothing of it. If this was supposed to tell me I was in the Spirit World, then shame, because I could still bend. It was exhausting, but then again, it was always exhausting, so nothing new there.

I got bored eventually. As I walked forward towards an unreachable horizon, I danced with a finger of mine the cracks and contours of the stone like ceiling, which was for all I knew, floating over me. I couldn't see its supports. It had neither walls or columns, and I figured falling wasn't the point of the stone over me. Granted, believing things had a point was somewhat of a spirit logic to things, that didn't work very well in the material world, but it was nevertheless a claim I felt it was instinctively correct.

It was when the sun decided to come down at an arbitrary time that the landscape changed. There was a shadow, a shadow that ran trough the floor up to me, but I couldn't see the object. It was around the far away horizon, hidden by some sort of veil, or it was all just part of a game that hadn't loaded properly.

I pinched my nose. I started walking.

It seemed the sun had decided to settle at its setting, never quiet coming down, imprisoned over the horizon by the weakest of threads. I couldn't help but feel it was somehow fragile, knowing very well that the sun was supposed to be a ball of fire entire orders of magnitude bigger and heavier than Earth. Six thousand Kelvin were not a delicate temperature.

I looked at my wrist watch, only to find its pointers stuck at the most random of times. It didn't leave 1:43, and I had no idea it meant am or pm since it was an analog. It hadn't changed even when the sun had started to move again. It was simply stuck in time, and my interference made no difference. I couldn't change the hour.

My wrist watch, however was quickly put in the back of my head. I could see it, something above the sand, the owner of the shadow that gained detail as I got closer to its origin. I only realized I had started to run when I came to stop in front of the objects. Two pillars of wood somewhat thinner than my legs, and I was skinny, and a fireplace in between them. It burned a bright blue fire. Its flames were dancing graciously, and I felt an open invitation to sit down.

With nothing else to do, I decided to take the opportunity the world was giving me. I sat at the fireplace, a good distance away so that the heat was bearable and contemplated. Whether this was the Spirit World or not, it sure looked like it, but I could bend could I not? I flexed my fingers, letting sparks of electricity circle around my hands, but far from putting enough energy to let the sparks fly through the air.

Curious, fascinating even. My body didn't seem to be any sort of astral projection. I even dug my hands in the gray sand and pulled them out, feeling it drop against my skin. I felt all the touches and sensations as if this was my real body, and I had the heat of the fireplace to nail the point further. When I changed position slightly, flexing my legs, and started feeling an aching on my back, as if I had stayed put in the same position for hours to no end. The passage of time was starting to get on my nerves, but a new look at my wrist watch reminded me that nothing could fix itself. It was still just as before.

Then finally something happened. My curiosity, however, was quickly flushed out by dread. The stone celling started to break, its cracks extending far beyond what I could see in all directions, all born from between the two pillars. As the stone started falling apart, I stood up and threw myself out of the way of a falling block. From it, rays from the light of the cloudy day started to go through, but I didn't have the privilege to stop and admire. Again, I moved as quickly as I could to avoid the falling structure, eventually settling between the wooden pillars who hadn't contrary to expectations, given in to whatever was causing the structural failure.

I wasn't optimistic, nevertheless. I clenched my teeth, and my feet were dug in as a spring, ready to jump in case the ceiling above me started to fall apart. It wasn't needed. Soon, in a matter of seconds, it al came to a stand still as the entire structure, the same that I had spent hours on end walking under, had disappeared. All that lasted was the small piece held by the two pillars and the the fireplace, who had somehow defied expectations. I hadn't seen it fall victim to debris, but that should be impossible, no? All that my eye could see was under the rocky celling, and yet, after falling down, the fireplace kept its roaring fire, untouched and even more dignified.

What followed soon after were tremors that I felt with my very feet. I hadn't ever experienced an earthquake, but it couldn't be much of a difference. The sand jumped in small packs from the movement, and keeping my balance was only possible thanks to one of the wooden posts that helped me support myself. Then I heard something slide against the sand, right behind me, and when I turned I saw constructions rise from the desert, coming to a stop almost as a movie set.

It all became quiet once again, and I started moving. In front of me now was a street, with all its lamp posts and parked cars. There was a lot of sand though, something I knew didn't belong here. And here… was home. I knew this street. Knew it from my childhood, and at that same moment I had arrived at such realization, I heard kids yell. I kept walking at a calm pace, the small piece of a city from my memories completely still and empty, just not silent due to the voices I could hear.

"Pass! Right—"

"—Back!"

"Mark him—don't leave—"

"He's gonna shoot!"

"God damnit!"

I recognized those voices. One of them, in particular, struck me with not just familiarity, but with complete surprise. I got closer, crossing the street and following the directions of their voices, eventually finding a small alley where a group of kids were playing football. In the midst of kicks and dribbling, I could recognize all the owners of those pairs of feet. Alexis, Andree, Francis, Josee, and myself. I could see myself playing with my friends, just like I had done many times years ago.

I could speak, not because something was holding me back, but simply because I couldn't find words. It was then that a girl passed by, but not by much. She stood in front of me for a while before crossing into the alley. Her pale skin contrasted with the red summer dress, and her hands were clenched into fists. Her curly hair made it impossible to even take a look at the side of her face, but I didn't need to. I knew who she was, and I knew what I was seeing.

She eventually took a step, not stopping any longer. She called my name, but I didn't want to stop playing. I didn't want to leave just yet, and my friends silently agreed, them too ignoring the girl. She called me again.

"Don't—" I muttered, stopping myself quickly after. I couldn't help wanting to put a stop, and yet, my heart begged me to let myself see the end of this.

She called me again, and this time, I answered. Both the kid and I.

"Julie."

Kid me said something, but I didn't care any longer, and so I didn't listen. I didn't have to though, since Julie didn't say anything either, so there was no conversation. It was just her, pulling along her silly brother. I didn't want to stop playing, and I kept asking why I had to leave, but she just pulled me along. Eventually the pair came close to the exit of the alley, right where I was standing, when they stopped.

My sister opened her mouth and I closed my eyes.

When I failed to hear anything, I opened them again, finding myself not on the streets, but in an office. Again, sand covered most of the surfaces, but my memory play along just fine. I was sitting there, small, in a chair for someone far bigger than I was. I was just a kid after all. Besides me in another chair was my sister, though she fit in her chair much better. Perks of being the older sibling I suppose. She held herself high against the man on the other side of the desk.

The man wore a formal attire, somewhat militaristic. His trimmed bear was white, but he was bald. Two dark circles were settled under his eyes, something I hadn't personally noticed, and his fingers were crossed in front of them. He eyed the children in front of him with nothing short of an unnerving and lost look.

"The will of their parents is clear, and I can't help but oblige. From now on, I will be your guardian. We've met before, but children tend to forget. I'm Pierre."

I felt a punch in the gut, and I couldn't help but mimicking the expression my younger version felt. A wave of loneliness and heartache hit me. I stood there in the office as I saw my memory play out. Pierre telling a bit about himself, explaining some details on how our lives would be from now on. They were rare, but Pierre showed some rare glimpses of optimism, something unheard of in later years. They felt alien in his face, although I suppose that has to do with my most recent memories of the man.

Eventually, the younger version of myself and my sister left the room, but I stayed. I stood besides the desk, unnoticed by what I remembered of Pierre. Except I didn't remember any of this, since I had left the room. Was I seen a glimpse of the past I hadn't seen? I reached out, my hand almost touching his shoulder when the scenario changed. Everything sank in the ground, the sand rising up at an alarming rate. I couldn't leave, however, stuck in the room and there was less space by the second, until I drowned, suffocating.

Seconds later I felt a push, and I saw myself being thrown out of the ground into the balcony of an apartment I was extremely familiar. I was stuck outside, the doors locked, but I could see clearly inside. I saw at home, and by home, I mean studio. Everything was a mess, per usual, since I and my sister lived by ourselves. At that time however, it was only me left. I was slightly older, years had gone by since meeting Pierre. I saw myself sitting at our plastic table, Pierre right across the younger me.

I couldn't hear them, but I knew every single word the older man was muttering, and it was deafening. I choked, my eyes felt wet, and I couldn't stay there. But I hadn't just ran from it. I went around the empty streets, no life in sight, hoping to do what I failed to do for years on end, at least before it was too late. Obviously I failed, since there was no way I could find her inside a fictional world made up of my nightmares, of memories of the worst moments of my life.

My legs eventually gave out as I reached the end of the set, my feet again stepping over sand, the gray desert extending until the horizon. The frustration had finally built up, and my desolation turned to anger.

"Why?!" I asked to no one. Why was I seeing this? Why was being forced to see what I had chosen to forget. These damned moments, this cursed collection of glimpses of my past.

The earth rumbled. The sand rose up high, a creature lifting itself out of it. Its scales were red, but faded, as if the age had taken out the life of its colors. Wings opened themselves against the cloudy sky, mountains of sand being thrown away with the consequent wind, ad its serpentine body finally came fully into view. The strong breeze even threw me out of balance, and I fell back on the ground as a dragon stretched its long neck. Its snout was short and flat, and like a cat, it had long whiskers.

The dragon then sat, its body settling curled, and eventually it looked at me. His eyes were of a light shade of brown, and despite the incredible fear I felt, his gaze was somewhat reassuring. It could be a trap I realized, but as I looked around, I saw that I was still in the same desolate place as I had woken up to what felt like ages ago.

My throat found courage--perhaps due to the emotional drain I had a hard time to care--and I spoke against the monumental creature with palpable anger. "Why am I seeing this?"

 

[Caasi]

Chapter 1.c​

The dragon moved its neck, and the world seemed to shake with every act of the creature, as if he was too heavy for the world to hold. Its head come closer and closer to me until its eyes were levelled with mine. I could feel his breathing, the air being pulled and pushed by his lungs, no doubt enormous, and the strength behind such act. Was he intimidating me? Was he measuring me? Could he understand what I said? I knew the spirit world held wonders, and dragons weren't something farfetched. But if I was wrong, then I could be about to become his next meal, though I felt that couldn't be.

Hour and hours on a desert, exposed to an age of solitude, then thrown against my worst memories, only to end in the stomach of an overgrown lizard? I had embarked on some sort of journey, pulled by some force to notice—

"You think far too loudly." The dragon muttered hoarsely in what would be a whisper to him. I imagine he could be a lot louder if so he wished, but to me, that was more than enough. His voice was low, quite deep even.

I nodded. "You are not the first one to tell me that. Where am I?"

The dragon kept his breathing levelled, but I felt his impatience at my questions. "Somewhere you can see."

"The stone," I started, "it has something to do with this. The stone I acquired—"

"You mean 'stolen', thief." The dragon spat, but I noticed the lack of venom. He just sounded tired, frustrated even.

"There's more for you to face." He told me.

I shook my head. I couldn't follow on, but having a dragon breathing down on your neck did wonders to calm you down. "I can't." I simply stated.

The dragon lifted its head, his eyes now on the cloudy sky, the sun setting behind the mist. "But there's so little time."

Tremors returned, and as I turned, opposite to the dragon was the resurgence of another memory of mine. My heart felt weaker, and my legs seemed to have lost any will. I knew which one this was, and perhaps because it was so afflicting, I couldn't help but move in to meet it. A part of me wondered if I had missed something, if perhaps things could change, but I instantly knew I was lying to myself. Nevertheless, I moved through the city, empty yet again and with sand over everything. Coarse gray sand, polluting every inch it could find.

Suddenly there was gunshot and a window pane broke on the second floor of a building. There was also a loud noise, as if something heavy crashed against a wooden floor. Two figures stood close to the window, but the sky had turned into night, and I couldn't see them in detail. But the memory was still fresh in my mind, so I knew exactly what was going on. I knew I had the option of taking the stairs up, but I faltered, disappointment downing over my shoulders.

I had seen myself back here so many times, wishing I had done something different. Wishing something had diverged from its ultimate fate. I saw now that despicable night play yet again in front of me, and again I was paralyzed.

Eventually, one of the figures jumped out of the window. She wore all black, and only her curly brown hair was a feature distinct enough to notice. I saw my sister, now a grown woman, land over an old fiat parked outside the building, its ceiling crashing due to her momentum. She was fine, however, and she darted away with incredible speed into the night.

"Why you didn't stop her?" The dragon asked, and I heard his voice as if spoke inside my head.

I shrugged. "I couldn't."

"And why do you think so?"

"I didn't have the resolve to do otherwise."

"What otherwise?" the dragon spoke, prodding further, but I didn't answer. "You let not only a terrorist, but a Red Lotus member escape mostly unscathed even after a friend of yours sacrificed himself to give you a chance. And yet you know of this, since that is how I came to know too. Tell me then, with your voice what should've you done?"

I didn't say anything at first, and by doing so, I felt I had failed. Yet, I had failed in what?

"How can they ask me to kill my own sister?" My voice croaked, but nevertheless strode on. "She didn't kill me that night. She couldn't do it too."

"Than you were a fool to not use the opportunity. She may have faltered that night, but you shouldn't expect that to happen again. Perhaps, for being the first time you came face to face she didn't abandon, her oldest memories may have stopped her from doing worse. It doesn't change the fact she abandoned you, a child, after also losing your parents. Give her enough time, and she will bite if it serves her."

I shook my head, a recent memory resurfacing with violence as the dragon continued speaking. "It now makes more sense as to why your next remembrance is what you believe to be your worst."

My surroundings changed, and all around me another scenario spurted into life. A room built itself, furniture was spilled from the ground, falling into the perfect position according to the script inside my head. This was a small apartment, a studio too, but it had been my home until much more recently.

This time, however, there was no sound. I stood at a corner, seeing myself and my girlfriend at the time having a fight. We were yelling at each other and we weren't exchanging just petty insults. Every single sound still played out inside my head though, the memory engraved into my brain, despite myself fighting to stop it. The fight only got worse. You had to wonder why none of us had walked out yet, since it was clear this couldn't end nicely. It had gone way too south for that.

But we kept at it, and for a surprisingly long time until the moment I hated the most came. I had seen her lips move, hearing her voice inside my head. Hearing those words that had made myself before losing it. I covered my face with one of my hands, my eyes covered as I cowardly hid myself from my own actions. I felt my hand burn just as I had before, and I didn't need to uncover my eyes to know one side of Muriel's face wasn't just red, but bleeding even.

Suddenly, my surroundings sank into the sand.

"You are obsessed with the worst sort of attachment, with the concept of family—granted—it is something you never had."

"I hit her, the only family I ever—"

"And never again you will." The dragon spoke firmly. "Before, your sister was the only family you had, and until today, no matter her cruel acts, you are unable to stop her. That night you faced your beloved, a night where she told you much of what I'm telling you now, and you lashed out. You did also, however, learn to never do so again, because losing her taught you don't need shared blood to be a family. Now you are someone who can watch the world burn, if it meant saving your closest friends."

I didn't know what to say at first. That had been the lowest point of my life. A time where thing had gone wrong not because of the stupidity of others, but entirely due to mine. I lived myself believing every day I woke up better. I strove to improve myself, exceed my goals of yesterday, and raise the bar for my objectives tomorrow. But what mattered all that when you failed not just someone you loved, but someone that loved you back?

"My lack of luck hardly justifies hurting those besides me." I said firmly.

"Indeed." Dragon agreed and this time, I heard his voice coming from behind me. I turned, only to find the dragon laying down with its wings closed over his own body. He had his head turned to me with an judging gaze, "An honorable thief, I suppose, but still a thief. Your kind is pest in times of peace, but quite useful at the world's end, when our interests align."

"What—wait—what?" his last words threw me out of the loop. Suddenly, the pain of hearing the cold truth was washed away by not just confusion, but outright concern.

At his prolonged silence, I asked, "Why am I here?"

"You've survived inside the stone long enough. You succeeded on your first and second trial, and yet I can't help but inform you that you have fallen short on your last. Driven and passionate, but possessive to a fault. Although, I suppose it doesn't help not knowing what you've gotten into. No preparation at all, absolutely no training, no focus, no determination. You came with all wrong priorities after all."

I still couldn't be sure of what had said before, and I wondered if showing my most fragile memories wasn't a way to make me more susceptible. Some demigods had, after all, access to magic and illusions. Had he tried to use my moments of weakness to make more prone to believe him? "Would you care to enlighten me then? Maybe I can do a better job."

The dragon huffed. "Someone like you… I'm unsure if before you would have made this far. But your fate is still mine to decide. Such is the will of Raava."

"My fate?" I inquired with a frown. Raava… where had I heard that name before?

"Many have tried to use this gem for their own self-interest. Attempts for its power, its strength. Those souls have lost themselves in the desert, withered away by the sands of time. Then the ambitious were left, but only those with a passionate heart were not burned by their own greed when facing the her flame. Far and few in between came to see their own torments at the end. In almost ten thousand years, only 8 souls made both across the caged desert and through the fire. You are the ninth."

"I'm honored." I said flatly.

"You should be," the dragon assured me despite the sarcasm, "of the nine, only five have made it this far. The nightmares of their pasts has taken the life of four."

"Wait," I asked, realzing something wasn't adding up, "you speak of the desert as if it had been some monumental task. I've been here for a day at most—"

"Your watch stopped working not yesterday, but three hundred years ago."

My heart skipped a beat. "What?" For how long had I been here?

"Time inside the gem passes much quicker. A few hours out in the world have passed at most. It is a testament of your strength to have gone by the desert so easily, when other souls failed so harshly. And yet, as I've said before, your second trial hasn't gone as well. Makes me think if Raava hasn't let you survive the desert out of desperation for a Guardian, for time is ticking."

I shook my head, the name finally rang a bell. "The Spirit of Order?"

The dragon measured me in silence.

"The supposed Keeper of Time, Judge of the Scale?" I continued, "The Titans came long after she disappeared—"

The dragon sighed audibly. "The Titans brought upon her downfall, and the Olympians made sure she remained out of the picture. This gem is a proof of her existence, and proof of her mission!" He exclaimed with pride.

"A mission?" I asked with skepticism, "After thousands of years?"

"Almost ten thousands, to be exact," he contemplated me, "that is, for as long as it needs. Raava, if anything, is persistence, as it is consequence itself. With the Harmonic Convergence upon us in two years, without her light, the universe will fall into chaos once again by the will of Vaatu—her opposite—the Spirit of Chaos and Disorder.

My eyebrows couldn't be any higher. "You are telling me the world is ending in two years?"

The dragon nodded.

This could all be a hallucination. Perhaps a terrible dream, a nightmare. An invention of my mind, a desperate attempt—

"Your mind is not lost, worry not little creature." The dragon spoke in a condescending tone, but little did I care at the moment.

"If that is the case, if that is really the truth, what can I do?" I ultimately asked. No matter what happens in your life, you always have two basic choices. Are you going to be passive or active about it?

The dragon brought its head back down once again, its eyes holding a hard, cold gaze into my own.

"This gem is but part of a group of four. Sisters, in a sense of the word, each carrying a small part of her essence in order to empower those who wish to do what is right. For thousands of years, different entities fought Raava for her power, seeking to tame her will. Gradually, she was weakened, until those who called themselves Titans chained her to their will. Their children, the Olympians, managed to defeat their father by promising Raava her freedom if she willingly gave them her strength. Their betrayal was but the last straw."

I just couldn't believe it. "The Olympians were supposed to save Raava?"

The dragon acquiesced, almost in shame. "Raava learned an important lesson. She looked down on humans, creatures of the mortal plane, and preferred the helping hand of entities of slightly higher power. The creation of the gems, her last act before changing hands, is proof of her humbling. She now can only hope humans will rise to the challenge. Although they have been few, the gems' Guardians have been careful to choose suitable heroes. It may be time, however, to update the requirements. Wishing for perfection has led our chosen to other kinds of shortfalls."

I blinked. "You think a thief might now do the trick?"

The dragon didn't answer at first, leaving between us a prolonged silence before speaking again.

"Each stone holds one element. In case a soul is found adequate, it must either one which cannot bend, or one that bends the same element of the stone. No human soul can hold more than one of the four. For this stone to have found you, or better, for you to have found this stone unknowingly, it must have been the work of third party. It was, ages ago, the job of the White Lotus to find potent suitors."

I couldn't help but notice he had just told me this stone could give me my fire bending back. Perhaps the elements were the boost which as meant to be used against the goods. The four stones, together, as a group of four individuals, could maybe take on the task. But for such a project to be in the making, and for me to have never heard about…

"You've seen my memories." I said with a hand under my chin, "You know I am part of the White Lotus, and yet, this is all news to me." And it felt like quite the big deal. I could understand them trying to keep it quiet, but it still felt as a stretch. Perhaps it was, not that I wanted to admit, that I felt stung for Pierre to have never shared this with me. He was a high officer in the White Lotus, and although he obviously has the right to not tell me anything, he still did of an interesting number of things. Usually when I could be useful.

"The Red Lotus. It was born out of mistrust of any higher entity. Not only against the Olympians, but even against Raava. Before I lost contact with the White Lotus, that is, before this gem was lost, they planned to erase their purpose from their history, as to hide their true goal from their enemies." The dragon explained, smirking as he continued, "they must have succeeded so well, the purpose was lost not only to most, but to all."

Talking with Pierre would clear things up. If he didn't know, that he might as well start being in the know, because he could be of great help. I also trusted him with this against the Red Lotus, as the dragon had just mentioned our oldest enemy. Through Pierre, the Red Lotus wouldn't hear a thing. He wouldn't be the one to leak it. He had lost too much to them. But then again, so had my sister, and yet…

"It doesn't matter." The dragon told me.

"Huh?"

"This gem has purpose again, no matter how imperfect. You can cut the right corners as you go, Jean Hobbes." Hearing the dragon say my name, his voice low and loud at the same time, a thunder hidden beneath massive self-control. I felt a chill down my spine.

Again, the temptation of recuperating my control over the element of fire was great, but I had listened attentively to all caveats. If this was really the truth, then I was supposed to accept an impossible challenge. He hadn't spoken of a contract per say, so maybe nothing could actually obligate me to follow my word. However, crossing Raava, a legend among the White Lotus, a spirit remembered to this day as one of the central figures of our history, didn't sit well with me. Good to know I still had a sense of morality.

"You don't expect me—"

"I do."

I shook my head. "I can't face gods. I can't… kill them." I wasn't a character from God of War. I wasn't Kratos. It didn't matter how good I was at bending lightening, I had the humility to admit I would never shoot Zeus himself down the sky.

"The mission is to bring down the Olympians. Not kill them." The dragon reminded me. "Many have tried before frontal assaults. Some almost succeeded, but 'almost' doesn't cut it. That is why I'm not asking Jean Hobbes, the first lightening bender of the White Lotus in centuries, but Jean Hobbes, the thief of the White Lily, their most incompetent fire bender yet."

"You wouldn't know why, would you?" I asked him, the subject reminding me of one of my greatest questions. "Years ago, after visiting the Spirit World for my last time, I returned to the mortal plane unable to fire bend, but gained the ability to create thunder."

"No doubt an interesting phenomenon. No, human, I do not know what could've brought upon you such change. I do not believe in coincidences, however. Keep your eyes open." The dragon sighed. "Let us now bring this to a closure, someone waits for you in the outside. Jean Hobbes, what will you do?"

Take up the mission? Embark in a suicidal journey, if what he told was actually the truth? Of course, there was the probable prospect that nothing that I had just experienced was real, and was in fact something of my mind's creation. I didn't think of myself as extremely imaginative, at least not to the point of creating such a real illusion. I knew some substances that could me a trip of a lifetime, but I had never used them.

"Where is Raava?" I asked suddenly.

The dragon inclined his head, and I didn't know what to make of his motion. "Not in my thousands of years, a user of my gem has ever found her. Traces—clues as to her whereabouts never pointed to only one direction. Nevertheless, it will be under the strictest protections, from Lord Zeus himself."

Stealing from Zeus did sound enticing, but I had heard of someone managing a similar feat a few years ago. But to steal the source of their power, it wouldn't just be a hit at the gods. It could well be a finishing blow. Should I then perform the greatest heist of human history? The prospect of such a legendary act wasn't lost on me, but I also knew my limitations, and I also knew about what I was up against. I still had to find Raava, the other three stones, as well as a suitable replacement for myself.

For something like this, it was becoming clearer I belonged in the backlines. The silent workhorse, someone who could work in the shadows. I felt there more comfortable. The limelight wasn't for me. Realistically, my chances are slim. In a direct fight, which could very well happen, I didn't feel like I belonged in the front lines.

"I will be a placeholder." I finally said. "I know what I can't do. I know—at least somewhat—when to cut losses. I will find someone more suitable for the task—"

"You think your eye is better than mine?" The dragon voiced, for the first time with real sharpness to his tone.

"You will judge all of them." I assured him, "I'm a simple carrier for the gem. A messenger of Raava—if you can take it. Furthermore, I will endear in finding the other gems. You haven't been very specific, but I have the impression that you do not know of their current state."

"We are supposed," the dragon informed me. "We are to know of where our sisters are if they find a suitable Guardian."

"Very well." I said. "Then it is set. If you speak the truth, then I give you my word. I may not be Raava's champion, but I will help you find either him or her."

"A disappointment." The dragon voiced halfheartedly. "Should not have expected anything less than a thief."

I clenched my teeth, but I managed a smile. "You will learn to lower your expectations with me, while keeping the aim high. Now, you said I was keeping someone waiting?"

The dragon smiled, and I think I saw the back of his mouth light up ever so slightly. "Keep your eyes open. I believe you are no longer among friends."

But before I could ask him for more details, his mouth was engulfed in flames, and little to late I realized at where exactly he was pointing his mouth to. With my body surrounded and swollen by his flames, I felt my surroundings change. When I was back at my body, I didn't need to open my eyes to feel I had been restrained.

Spoiler: A/N

You now have an idea of the plot and about who's the character, though until now, it has been more speaking about it then showing. That will change with the next chapter. I will probably post the next part on the weekend though. College has been a tense experience.

 

[Caasi]

Chapter 2.a
Loud Beginnings​

I immediately realized my senses were dulled. The back of my neck felt dormant, and my head was aching all around, but specially from the sides. My own breathing sounded weary, and every time my lungs pulled and pushed air, I felt my insides quiver.

"Do it again." I heard a man say in British English.

Opening my eyes in the next instant proved to be a bad choice. I managed to look at the bucket, but quickly my sight was covered by water splashing against my face. Despite my brain telling my head to turn, my muscles were too slow. My reflexes were laughable. My eyes hurt from the water, and I was coughing from having breathed some of the water.

"There you go." The same voice said yet again, but this time I managed to look at where it had come from.

The man was dressed elegantly. He had a formal dark blue coat, white shirt underneath, gray khaki pants and a pair of oxford shoes. His beard was shaved, and his hair was cut short. He seemed well-groomed all around, while at the same time feeling like a sore-thumb at where we were. I would guess we were inside some sort of abandoned compound, perhaps an old factory.

Our room was badly lit, which had but a few cracks on the walls to let light from the outside lamps come in. It also wasn't spacious, having at most a few square meters. Yet, it was more than enough to hold a man on his knees tied to a few bars and pipes on one of the walls. It seemed they had put me in both metal chains and rope loops around my wrists, feet, and even my fingers were stuck together by rubber gloves. With most, if not all, of my limbs restrained, they had me at my most vulnerable.

"Which—what have you given—done with me?" I managed to ask, my vocal cords themselves tired.

"How curious. You've returned." The man answered in perfect French with great interest.

He approached me, crouched, and he took hold of my face, grabbing me by my jaw. He turned my head around slightly to one way, eyeing me like I was a piece of an experiment. He then let go of me and prodded my clothes, pressing against a series of areas on my chest and abdomen.

"Truly an enlightening day." He muttered, "What did you see?"

The question took me by surprise for a simple reason. When I intercepted these people's communications about moving this mysterious stone, they seemed to have an idea of what it was capable of. In fact, I had come for it specially because of how they had described it.

I shrugged, "In case you didn't notice, I have the feeling I've been nocked out for the past few hours."

They man clicked his tongue, "I know you still have it. All others who I've seen consumed by the stone let it go quickly afterwards, usually followed by their deaths and a short glow. You are still alive, you eyes have glowed for a couple of seconds, and the stone is nowhere in sight."

They hadn't mentioned any of that in their Iris messages, and these were pretty important details. The stone was dangerous, since despite its somewhat noble mission, its soul consuming method was less than stellar. And since they would need to get in the stone and leave to know about its goal, the gem must have been seen mostly as an ungodly and cruel life-severing mechanism.

I was about to look back at the man when I spotted someone behind him. It wss James, who stared at me from above as an adult does to a petulant child. I knew immediately I wouldn't feel bad about hitting him. He was slightly tanned, brown eyes and dark hair with a thin chin. He also sported a black jacket. I didn't remember seeing him with that on the train.

"James, who's this guy?" I had the feeling James was at a lower level of the hierarchy than the well-dressed villain, so asking James at the same time I rudely ignored the man in a suit gave me some satisfaction. I hated seeing people enjoying their view from their high horses.

James flinched at me, but he didn't answer. He only looked at the man besides me, still crouched, and I felt compelled to look at him to.

"I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Daniel Wilson, pleasure to meet you Jean Hobbes."

I nodded, making sure to make noise with my chains. "I wish I could say the same."

Daniel rolled his eyes before standing up. "Safety procedures. I have underestimated your kind in the past. Not making that mistake again. Now, where were we? Oh, right. You were about to tell me what you saw."

"Excuse me, but what makes you think I saw anyth—"

"Don't—" Daniel said loudly, "—play me for a fool. I know exactly how you got to know about this operation. You heard what I wanted you to hear. You thought what I wanted you to think. You may have gotten the best of me during these last two years, but I caught up. The gods will enjoy punishing you for spying on their Iris messages."

Oh fuck. Daniel grew a smile as I grimaced, happy that his suspicions were perhaps proving true. However, before I could retort, James surprised me.

"You knew this would happen?" he asked with indignity, but he was quickly silenced by Daniel's threatening look.

"Sometimes we must take risks, James. That's how life is. The gods will be pleased."

My eyebrows went up as I realized what was happening. "Mr. Wilson, you lying to the gods now?"

Daniel looked back at me with a hateful look. "What you care for them, thief? You, who have been a thorn on our side for so long."

I smirked. "It is the greatest of compliments to be praised by my enemies."

He foot didn't take long. I saw the trajectory, but again my numbed senses didn't help me, and is foot met my cheek. I twisted to one side, the momentum throwing me, but the chains and rope restricted me, pressing against my limbs and worsening the pain. In fact, I started feeling a warm liquid under one of my wrists. I was probably bleeding.

"That stone has taken some lives of good people. Courageous men, worth ten thousand of you." Daniel spat, "Now, don't sully their memory, and tell me what you saw. Do this, and I can appeal the gods for a lesser punishment."

The prospect of receiving a fate slightly better than the worst they could give me was certainly attractive over simply being condemned to whatever they thought worse than death. But since I was sure it would involve an eternity castigated, I wisely preferred to simply not go along. Although I didn't know how yet, it didn't mean I wouldn't know in a couple of seconds. Maybe a couple of hours. Just had to wait for the right opportunity. I bit my lip as the pain on my wrists got worse, but at Daniel's expectant gaze, I knew I couldn't delay it much longer.

"I saw the Spirit World. A path to it at least." I told him then exactly what he had said on the Iris messages.

"Bullshit." Daniel almost yelled, but I suspected he wasn't so sure. James outburst had served me greatly. If there were people on this operation that weren't aware of the risk Daniel had taken, then he might have molded the mission in a way to allow this to happen, while still acting in front of other members as if the operation was solid.

He either lied through his teeth to a number of people, or he had simply omitted a couple of facts. Since he had told me some individuals had lost their life's trying to crack the mystery behind this stone, that meant there were more people invested in this than just him. Which could mean that the Iris messages actually contained real information. They simply hadn't discussed the more critical elements behind the stone, which weren't exactly vital when all they wanted was to get it out of here and send it to New York.

All this could only be true, however, if Daniel held some power, enough that he could twist a couple of pieces on the board so as to open space for me and my team to get in and take a chance at it. But then, why would someone with power be here at ground level, and not someone else?

Because very few knew, or maybe only him. He seemed to be an ambitious type, and honestly the kind that I respected. He had come all this way to ensure the success of his own little bet, with the intent of showing his efforts to the gods. Such classical demigod bullshit, trying to impress their powerful parents even at the age of 40. Honestly, long live meritocracy.

"You sure seem confident on what I, myself, had the chance to see, you did not." I noted.

Daniel shook his head. "You are just repeating what was exchanged in the Iris messages!"

"I should now take the chance to clarify that I have no idea what you are talking about." I said with a straight face. Since the pain on my cheek and wrists was really bothering me, faking a truthful tone was easy as I was angry.

James remained in silence while Daniel just looked at me with annoyance. "Artemis herself is on her way, Mr. Hobbes. For many of my enemies, I would tell them such to calm them. But seeing you as the thief you are, I'm afraid Artemis will spare little of her good will." He then turned to James, "Tell the men to capture the rest of the White Lily. Try to not kill any of them, but I care little if they are maimed."

I gasped as James left the room. Artemis might be one of the few gods the White Lotus had some respect, but little that would matter.

"What? Your cute group has managed to track us down until here, Jean, to valiantly rescue you. They are outside, probably hatching a plan. Doesn't matter. If you won't say anything, then having their lives on the line will help discipline you."

"Who are you?" I asked him with a glare.

Daniel turned around, pleased as ever. "Just like you have been commanding the White Lily from the shadows, someone has to do the same for the demigods, no?"

"Demigods work around camps, small communities. Having a office like man mastermind behind their activities doesn't exactly suit their modus operandi."

"There's been a couple of recent changes in the last few years. The Titan's fiasco really woke them up to the threats behind their rule."

I couldn't help but think he was referring to the gem, despite not having seen what was inside. Then again, it wasn't a far-off suspicion when the stone was being taken directly to the Olympus, was it now? My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the earth rise and fall outside. The distinct sound of earth bending, and I knew either Abel or Benjamin were right now facing some number of demigods.

"You can save them at any time, Jean, so long as you share what you know. Offer yourself, and Artemis won't take them too."

"You know—been thinking on how you know my name. You didn't steal my wallet now did you?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and made to leave the room. "Your choice. Well, I shall go and make it quicker."

"Alright." I said, and he stopped right before the door. If I could help my friends by keeping one less demigod out of the fight, than I would fucking do it. "I meant it when I saw something spiritual. I heard a prophecy—"

"Spare me the lies," Daniel said unsatisfied, but he did take a few steps away from the door. "Only the Oracle can bring us news of the future, and she is well and alive in New York."

"Not that kind of prophecy." I spoke carefully, realizing something vital. The gods were ultimately what I had to be careful about, but if demigods knew about what was coming, surely a few would question the gods action? Hadn't the Titans themselves used a few to strike at the Olympians? "It spoke of a catastrophic event in two years."

Daniel laughed lightly, "And the oracle hasn't heard about it? Laughable, Jean. You can do better than that. You can give me the truth."

I started to get annoyed. I hadn't thought about things clearly from the beginning, when my head was by far at its worse. If I had been straightforward from the beginning, maybe I could've convinced him. Right now, despite telling he the truth, he was hardly taking me seriously. Either than, or there was something he wanted to hear, and I wasn't confirming the truth he wished for.

I calmed myself, and I tried to put as much honesty in my words as I could. The life of my friends was at risk. "Daniel, I'm serious. The god's themselves will bring about a catastrophic event!"

"That strangely sounds like both the usual White Lotus and even Titans' propaganda a few years back. You are really not helping your case, Jean." Daniel said, but there was more firmness in his voice. He was taking me more seriously and he approached me once again.

"There's no prophecy. There's no imminent catastrophe." He muttered.

"Who says that? You? The gods? Cause you can trust both, right?" I shot.

I didn't hear his response, but a large metallic clank. Dropping from above us came a large metal plate, a figure over it as it descended right on top of Daniel. The demigod managed to lift one of his arms, covering his head and using a forearm as a shield as the plate fell on top of him. He rolled then backwards, while the figure on top rolled forwards in my direction.

Abel, in all his glory, swiftly unmade the chains that bond me to the pipes and used them to cut through the ropes. Seeing myself finally free, I took off the rubber gloves and stood up with Abel's help. The happy reunion, however, didn't last long. Daniel came forward with a short lance, slightly over one and a half meters. Its tip came between I and Abel, who had been the one to throw myself out of the way, and consequently, himself by Newtons third law.

I almost fell straight to the ground since my senses were still crap, but I had to work with what I had. Abel, as always, managed to do everything ever so elegantly, landing in a ready to earth bend position. I immediately realized our great disadvantage. Inside this room, the lack of space would put is without a doubt in close quarters, which was where demigods shined. Moreover, I couldn't use any lightening technique since I wouldn't just be hurting Daniel, but myself and Abel in the process.

We stared at one another. Daniel had a calculating gaze, and his form, I knew he had experience, which meant he hadn't reached the decades he had by staying out of danger. Abel was by my side, and though he too had his eyes on Daniel, he also glanced at me a few times. He had probably noticed I was in no condition to fight, and I acquiesced by taking a step back. He needed to take the lead, but I would support him.

Abel did so without an issue. He spun a leg, and the metal plate flew from his side in Daniel's direction. The demigod, in one swoop, twisted himself out of the way and managed a couple of steps forward, more than enough to put both I and Abel within his lance's range. He thrusted forward its tip, not at Abel, but at me.

I was caught out of surprise, and so was Abel, who had already been preparing for Daniel's counter attack. My senses flared. Seeing the tip of his weapon approaching at such blazing speed cleared my clouded brain. My reflexes came back to me as I rotated myself out of the way, bring forth one hand of mine cracking with electricity along my fingers. The tip of his lance still managed to cut at my shoulder, but my hand too descended mercilessly at the lance's structure. I managed to break it, slashing it in two pieces. The front flew off after leaving its mark on me, while the other remained on Daniel's hold.

Abel hadn't stood put. He was already on his way pulling at a pipe on the wall, transfiguring it midway so that it reassembled more of a spear, its tip sharp as a knife. Daniel had seen it coming. He used his lance's new size as a baton, hitting me on the opposite shoulder he had cut before. My lack of balance jerked me out of my previous position, and Daniel managed to put himself behind me as Abel makeshift spear approached.

"NO!" my friend screamed as he put great effort into taking his projectile off course, now landing and piercing the wall behind myself and Daniel.

Daniel himself was about to hit me I the back, but I dropped and spun on the ground. My leg covered a nice arc that took the demigod down as his legs were swept away by mine. Frustratingly, Daniel managed to use his hands to throw himself out of the way, avoiding another kick I desperately tried to connect. As I overextended myself, the clearness of my mind seemed to be draining away. I realized the adrenaline spike wasn't going to last much longer.

The demigod took this opportunity to now advance over Abel, who was carefully trying to hit Daniel with small projectiles without hitting me. With Daniel out of my reach, I now had to reposition myself, both to join the fight and to be sure I wouldn't be used again by him against Abel.

I pushed myself off the ground and gave Abel a look. I had started this fight all wrong. We needed to cooperate, or else Daniel would use one of us against the other. Abel was somewhat apprehensive as we crossed glances, perhaps due to the way I had been terribly handling myself, but there was still acknowledgement in his expression. I jumped to Daniel's side, and although I could swear his eyes had been in Abel, Daniel's lance now baton found way into my stomach.

The demigod himself lowered his body, avoiding a larger projectile Abel had thrown, and twisted. He came face to face with me, pulling the baton and preparing to block my punch. Instead of punching, however, I used my had push myself away from Daniel and into the ground. From our side, a metal projectile came from an unexpected direction—unexpected to Daniel at least—finding itself embed into Daniel's stomach. The demigod took a few steps back, perhaps even shocked, but he remained steadfast. He still managed to avoid the next of Abel's projectiles, until he grabbed my leg and pulled me forward. He threw me like a disk at Abel's feet, my friend falling on top of me with Daniel running to jump over both of us.

The room then became less dim, its colors becoming redder. I forced myself to do what I had a feeling I shouldn't. I again soaked my hand in energy, my hand cracking with blue sparks, and made my fingers straight. As a spear, I turned and used my legs to propel me, to get to Daniel at least at the same time he would get us. My hand went by the air as Daniel came from above with a leg and the broken end of his lance pointed at us.

His foot found my abdomen, but despite the shock my hand struck true. Like a lance, I found the spot Abel had perforated before, and I pressed forwards even when I should be going back due to his kick. I didn't see where Daniel's broken lance had landed over Abel, but I know his body fell on us with suddenly much less danger.

When the energy on my hand had dissipated, I was able to feel again its touch. I had done this very few times in my life, both due to the danger at being so close to a demigod as due to the risk of being ultimately fatal. The feeling of burnt flesh, however, was undistinguishable, and I knew my hand had gone completely in. Daniel's body was now much weaker, and now that I had regained some footing I pushed him off us.

Daniel fell backwards on the floor. He managed to drag himself, lying his back on the wall while sitting on the floor. His face getting paler by the second, but he still managed to gaze at us with ferocity. I checked Abel for injuries, but it seemed that Daniel's baton had missed its target. We the turned to the dying man, who despite having some of his wounds cauterized, it was not completely. Blood was starting to color his white shirt beyond the simple dust and grime from our fight.

"Fight as much as you want—benders—but know that it's been over for the last two thousand years. The Olympians have won."

"They are parasites of our world—" Abel started, but Daniel wasn't having that on his last moments.

"They are our world." He said, with both firmness and solace. "Their will is the will of the divine. They are nature incarnate. How can you keep fighting against the natural state of things? Doesn't it ever feel childish?"

His question felt like a silly jab, but I sensed, deep down, an attempt at understanding what he honestly thought was ludicrous. Daniel was dying though, so I didn't think he had a lot of time to discuss philosophy. "Because we know there can be a world where no one has to bow to a thousand years monarchy." I said briefly, "A world where might isn't a synonymous of right."

Daniel looked at me with a bitter gaze, and the last he would ever give. "So, you think."

 

[Caasi]

Chapter 2.b​

Everything had gone so wrong, it was hard to put it into words. Maybe because I had also lost some memories along the way, but it was nevertheless the epitome of a plan gone awry. I had been kidnapped, taken to some forgotten place in Germany, strapped into a bunch of pipes and awaken by both an imaginary dragon and a bucket of water. Jump to a few minutes later and I had at least been rescued by one of my friends, but not before I tried to convince a demigod to fight against his parent, whoever he or she may be, before ultimately killing him. I was taking in the sight of his corpse still against the wall when I felt a light touch on my shoulder.

Abel had his eyes on me with a decidedly confused expression, "What the fuck is happening, Jean?" he politely asked.

"I don't have a fucking clue." I elegantly answered.

"Jean," Abel said carefully, "I heard it all. What did you mean with—with what you saw? I mean, what did you see?"

"Oh, not you too Abel." I faux complained, but at his worried sight I knew I had to say more, "What I said was just to buy time. Keep him away from the rest. By the way, I imagine the other three are outside?"

Abell nodded, but he seemed unsatisfied with my answer.

"Okay, so we need a thing—a mask." I calculated, "Five of them. Think you can cook them up out of metal?"

"Masks?"

"Well, I may have been bullshitting, but that guy," I pointed to Daniel, "I don't think so. If Artemis is on her way, then we need to cover our faces. If we leave alive, we don't want a god to know what we look like."

Abel gave me a miserable laugh, "You think that's enough? Jean, we need to leave—like now. We can't stay here."

"Do it anyway, just to be safe."

I did realize he was right. We had to go, but I couldn't help wanting to know, wanting to see what a god was capable of. I had seen them before, from afar, but never in a fight. Rarely I got us into jobs we couldn't take and having a god as a potential threat was enough for me to make us stay away. We couldn't handle that.

Silly as it might be, that might have been the reason why I had lied to Abel about what I told Daniel. What were the stones, and why they existed was simply beyond our scope, and involving any of the White Lily felt irresponsible. Whoever was the hero I needed to wield the gem in my possession, I wouldn't find him or her in the White Lily. Or at least I didn't want. I didn't want to send any of my friends on a mission they would probably fail, be it with my gem or with any of the others.

I nodded. "Let's go."

We made way into the compound, finding it deserted, but the sounds of fight on the outside become clearer and louder. We took a detour, exiting the building through a side entrance and managing to get a good angle on the fight from behind a large fuel deposit. We saw that Benjamin, Muriel and Camille had made sure the fight remained over long range.

Benjamin, our second but not least earth bender, had built a trench and a bunker on the outskirts of the compound, from where he could control the battlefield safely. Muriel, our fire bender, skirmished from one of the sides, while Camille stood in the center, though obviously behind cover, from where she could get a good view on the water ponds around the demigods to water bend.

Four demigods were facing them, all using bows, though two clearly had more practice than others. The shots were landing awfully close, but never hitting the target. It was, however, good enough to disrupt both Camille's and Muriel's attempts. Ben would lift protections, walls of stone rising from the ground, in case either of the girls was in any perceivable danger.

"James isn't there." I noticed immediately, stopping Abel from flanking them and joining the fight. "It's not worth it. We need to leave, Artemis might arrive at any second now. Probably why the demigods content at the status quo. They are just buying time."

"So, what we do?" Abel asked, and I could see his worried eyes focused on Camille, despite the makeshift mask.

"I assume you guys got here by car?"

Abel nodded.

"I wouldn't know where it is, so go get it, park it outside—"

"Wait, and you? You aren't in a state of helping them retreat!" Abel asked.

"They won't need it, and if they do, just leave the car and help Ben evacuate the girls. You guys do that while I'm hunting James—"

Abel shook his head and hissed, "Forget about that guy!"

"Not only I'm sure he knows my name, he also possibly knows more about the stone."

"Where is it by the way?" Abel asked intrigued.

He really didn't have it? I had searched my pockets already and I had found none of it, despite, according to all who knew something about it, I was the one with the stone. I shrugged at Abel and he sighed.

"I'm going to get the car. Don't make me regret this."

Abel was clearly having his doubts, but he left anyway. He ran crouched and jumped over the fence with no one to notice, all other players too distracted, disappearing within the light forest that covered much of the outskirts at one side of the compound.

Left alone, I looked around the battlefield with my eyes closed. I tried to search with my spirit my surroundings, but quickly realized all my attempts were futile. At least I confirmed what I had suspicions of since I had woken up. My internal spirit was in disarray, which I had felt all too well during the few times I reluctantly bended against Daniel. Ironically, this was also familiar.

Years ago, I had lost my fire bending after visiting the Spirit World, and I had found myself much like I was now back then. Piecing together what the dragon had shared with me, I imagined that now I was feeling the same turmoil, but in reverse. I felt it, deep down, a flame much similar to what I once had. But could I now fire bend? I didn't think so.

The drive one needed for lightening was different from fire. To guide the thunder one needs a solid direction, a marked path. But such strong resolve isn't put into question. It doesn't ask you question about how or why. Fire bending, although it required much of the same drive, it was also more perceptible to one's faults, and it mirrored the internal state of one's spirit much closer than lightening could ever do. It beats as strongly as your heart, while lightening rises only to one's purpose, however misguided it may be. Thus, I was in no state to fire bend.

I opened my eyes and moved back into the abandoned factory. It was quite possible that Abel and I simply missed James as we left the building while James returned. We did take an alternative route outside. This could potentially mean that James was looking for us. By now he must have seen the Daniel's body, and knows we are at large.

I went from room to room, my legs slightly bended as a spring ready to jump. I had my arms ready for both defense and offense, and despite both my headache and the noise from the outside fight, I was focused on my hearing. The currents of air, dancing through the corridors of the factory, could at any moment carry possibly incriminating sounds.

The sound of a sword leaving its scabbard was the only warning I got. I rolled forward, but my eyes were to my side as James took his short blade out and swept it at my previous position in one go. I managed to roll into position this time, my arms high up, but my lungs betrayed me. I was already panting.

"You are no state to fight, Jean." James said in English despite my mask, "You neither have weapons nor have a body in conditions." His expression was grave, but I felt his tone honest. "Please, surrender."

I was surprised at his suggestion. He clearly had the upper hand on this fight and had been ready to slay me a second ago. Had Daniel's body put fear into him? Maybe he was just smart enough to know that I, and what I knew, was more valuable than just my corpse.

"Giving myself willingly to Artemis isn't on the table, James."

He looked at me weirdly for a second. "Your accent is atrocious."

"I have heard." I answered curtly.

We stood face to face, thought there were more than a few meters between us.

"I will be honest with you, Jean. Back in the United States I never met a bender, so this is all still new to me. This doesn't feel right. From what I have heard, I have the feeling this is all part of one big misunderstanding."

I felt bad for the guy momentarily, but felt the question had merit. "You came all the way from the United States just to bait?"

"I… Apparently. I don't know. I'm not used to fight other people. Back in the US we usually only deal with monsters, apart from the Krono's army. There's enough of them that you don't have time to worry about much else."

I rolled my eyes. "Monsters are attracted to divinity. The Olympus, by being at the other side of the ocean, bestows a blessing on the 'Old World'. It has certainly given us more time to take in the bigger picture. But look, now's not the time for a history lesson."

"I just want to hear from the other side," James told me carefully, "aren't we fighting for the same thing?"

"You would have to be more specific. Do you fight for something different on the other side of the Atlantic?"

James seemed to think it over, which might have been fine for him, but I knew I had to start heading out.

"I have heard that the White Lotus fights for men, but that's also what we do. Demigods are humans too—"

"That's where you are wrong," I interrupted him, "fighting for humanity isn't just about men and women, but about the world. The Olympians are guilty in all but the deed itself of killing Pan."

"Which was also an Olympian!" James retorted hotly.

"And an outcast." I spat.

James' hold over sword tightened. "And you are so sure the Olympians are the ones guilty? Not the men, women and children who live in ignorance?"

I regained my footing, knowing the conversation was almost over. "The Olympians have long ago ceased to be a mirror of Western Civilization. They continue to hold onto their thrones not by the wish of mankind, but by their own selfish means. To have them ruling over us, even in the age of reason, is just not acceptable."

"They are but the one thing holding everything together, Jean—"

I lost my patience, "What do you know about the stone?"

"What?" he asked me befuddled.

"The stone—god damn it—what you know about it?"

He glared at me. "It presents a corrupt mean to reach the divine world—"

"Who told you that?"

James didn't answer immediately. "The gods, of course."

I was satisfied. "You answered an important question of mine. Do you have any for me before I leave?"

James raised his sword ever so slightly. "What makes you think I'm letting you leave?"

I cringed. "I really hope that's not your question."

James rolled his eyes. "What you want with the stone?"

This is one of those times were telling the truth was more beneficial then lying to your enemy. Why had I wanted the stone? I didn't know before of its true purpose. Tripping over a powerful artifact made to wage a war against the Olympians had certainly been an accident. I had told my friends this was supposed to help me return to the Spirit World and regain my fire bending, which by an amazing miracle, the stone did provide me, though I still had to retry connecting myself with the Spiritual World. I didn't even have to feel bad about lying.

But my true purpose? I wanted to do what I hadn't done before after all these years. I wanted to use the Spirit World to find my older sister. I hadn't exactly planned what came afterwards. Did I take Julie to the White Lotus, to face punishment for her crimes? Did I bring her home, expecting everything to be fine? That is, if she cooperated, which I knew she wouldn't. In the end, I knew we would fight. That was why none of my friends believed my sister was worth the trouble. Well, that, and the fact she had killed and acted as part of the Red Lotus, a terrorist organization that would go through any means to kill all demigods, no matter the civilian casualties. Their methods were less than stellar.

But James didn't know any of that.

"To find my lost sister." I told him honestly, and I felt his resolve falter.

He was an honorable kind of guy. A good one. I had to admit that much. If not for the fact he still had his swords pointed at me, and was decided to give me to the gods by that same sense of honor, I might have paid him for a shot of tequila at a random club. As it stood, however, we were at an impasse.

Good guy as he was, he was still facing me, decided to let me leave. I couldn't even appeal for the fact I didn't know where the stone was, which was technically true, despite all clues telling me I did have it. On James eyes, I wasn't just a thief, but a murderer. I had the feeling that explaining to him that Daniel wouldn't let me escape with my life wasn't going to cut.

So, I took my chances at the moment he showed hesitation, or I was about to when he lowered his sword.

"Daniel… he did bad things. He really crossed some limits. I was expecting the world to return the favor very soon in fact." James was pensive, his voice faltering but continuing nonetheless, "You don't have time to escape before Artemis arrives, not unless we let you go. Tell me, Jean, will you give back the stone, after finding your sister?"

I gaped. "You joking."

He shook his head. "You don't have a lot of time."

"How will you explain this Artemis?"

She must know what the stone was for. In fact, it was almost certain. She was the daughter of Zeus, a Huntress too. She was perfect for Zeus to use to cover his tracks without himself interfering. What would Artemis do with James? Was he expecting to appeal to Artemis sense of justice? Surely, she knew about how bad things were between demigods and benders, something James seemed to be utterly lacking.

"She trusts me." He spoke surely.

"The goddess of maidens trusts a man?"

He gave me a smile, and I lowered my fists, unmaking the small concentration of lightening I had put together.

Still, I was unsure. "What stops Artemis, or the other demigods, from coming after us afterwards?"

"Only I and Daniel know your name. Well, Daniel knew. I will keep my mouth shut. The others have seen your face, but not enough. And I can convince them to follow you, my name has some weight."

Who the fuck was James? It was unbelievable, but it was happening all the same, and I decided this was my best chance. "Alright. I accept this truce." I wasn't really sure if it was a truce though, but I couldn't find a better name for it.

James wasn't afraid of taking the lead, leaving his back to me as we came to the forefront of the factory. I took a quick detour at the last door though, leaving then through another side exit than through the front. I ran as much as I could around a series of outside structures, managing to caught Abel drive a car down the highway and turn on the right exit for the industrial compound we were in. I heard shouts to my side, but I couldn't discern what James was saying.

Nevertheless, I complied with my side of the bargain and did the same. I told Camille, Muriel and Ben to retreat immediately. They were at first surprised at my sight, and only then I remembered that the last time they had seen me was when I was probably unconscious. Nevertheless, they went along with it.

Abel parked the car close by, and he was incessant with the horn. Ben and Muriel were racing at the front, with myself and Camille following close. Camille managed to glance at me, panting hard as we went as fast as we.

"If they gave us a truce, then why is there such a hurry?!"

I tried to shake my head but that was probably difficult to point out since we were running. "Artemis is on her way. We have a truce with the demigods, not with her!"

Camille visually palled.

As we got close to the car, an old Volkswagen with an early 90s design, Abel metal bended literally all the doors open, windows put down included. Benjamin through himself over Abel in the front seat to reach the other seat besides the drive, while Muriel did the same in the back. Camille and I joined her a second after, and before we could even close the doors, Abel had a foot on the pedal and a hand on the gear.

First, second, third gear... Abel was taking this car as fast as he could, and a glance at Benjamin confirmed it. The other earth bender was somehow pushing or puling the car forward, increasing the acceleration much faster than a car of this age was expected. We got to a crossing right before the Highway entrance, and we ignored its red light. The car was running as fast as it could, and I'm sure we didn't even look at which direction we were going. Getting out of there was our only priority, but then I remembered something essential, just to be sure.

"The masks!" I said looking at three on the floor. I threw them at Benjamin, Camille and Muriel, who despite their questioning look, they followed my and Abel's lead. We were still using our masks after all.

The car finally managed to set its wheel on the highway proper, and we found ourselves parallel to the abandoned compound, with quite the perfect view over it. It was at that moment too that a blinding light appeared close to the factory, almost as if lightening had struck the ground. Abel lost control of the car momentarily, and the vehicle threatened to drift. He managed to keep it under control with Benjamin, and as they focused on that task, I focused my sight on the factory.

One—two seconds. A flash. I knew Artemis weapon of choice was a bow and a pack of arrows, and that when she took aim, she would hit. She would surely succeed, unless the arrow was intercepted.

I lashed out, and as Artemis' light dimmed, a red tone took its place inside the car while the rest of the night was colored blue, lightening flying and meeting Artemis critical shot. There was a loud bang from where our blows met, but I didn't let the ringing inside my ears steal my attention. I still had my eyes on the compound, and I knew Artemis was looking at me. Seconds went by and silence reigned in the night.

As the highway turned and we lost sight of the compound, I still waited a bit longer, just in case one more arrow, one more time flew against us by any chance. The ringing of our ears had stopped long ago, and I knew we could now all hear and talk, but not a voice took its chance.

A couple of hours passed just like that. The questions would come in the morning. As the moon became our only source of light, so did the rumbling car engine become the only sound of that night, that is, until one of our phones, which should not be working in Germany, rang.

While all my friends were sleeping, I couldn't close my eyes, and so could not Abel since he was driving. But Muriel stirred in her seat, raising her head from the window, her eyes opening groggily as she recognized her own ring tone. She took her phone out and gave a strange look at her screen, before turning and handing me her phone.

"It's Pierre." Her voice was hoarse, typical after she just wakes up.

I took it and pressed the green button, placing the phone on my ear. I had a bad feeling about this. "Pierre? It's Jean."

I heard Pierre sighing before asking me—no, he was pleading me, "Tell me you can get to Paris in six hours."

I took the phone out of my ear and looked at the hour on Muriel's screen.

02:21

I placed the phone on my ear again. "Why you need me back home at eight in the morning?"

"It's not for me, it's for yourself," Pierre explained, "You will be taken into questioning by authorities at around nine o'clock."

I got a headache spike, taking my free hand and massaging my temples. "What?"

"It's your sister, Jean." Pierre started, and I could hear him facepalming as his voice changed volume, "Julie is the prime suspect of killing the current Director of Europol."