What is Fate? (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Quest)
- Thread starter Monk Penguin
- Start date
- Fantasy Modern
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
I always thought that was a way of cleaning things up for a younger audience.
Having half of your pantheon being ambiguous, maybe-maybe not rapists and so forth isn't all that safe for work.
There's no reason why you yourself couldn't play a little looser.
- Location
- Germany
@Monk Penguin
BTW, are we going to split those between the three quest-participants now that the quest is over?
Will we meet Pear and the other dryads during this again?
[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Allocate to…
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Archery - Apprentice 11/15 - 4
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Parkour/Climbing - Apprentice 7/15 - 8
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Trapping - Untrained 5/10 - 3
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
--[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Purity (11/15) - 4
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
-[][Allocate Ability Exp] Dirt Manipulation (Edafokinesis) - Apprentice 4/15 - 1
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks #2
[X][Event] PT with Blossom.
[X][Event] College?
I wonder what master dirt manipulation looks like, is it just likr Garaa but with dirt or is it less. Also what I wouldn't give to see the looks on Blossom's brother and sisters when she came back from this alive and regained some of her ability to walk again.
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Archery - Apprentice 11/15 - 4
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Parkour/Climbing - Apprentice 7/15 - 8
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Trapping - Untrained 5/10 - 3
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
--[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Purity (11/15) - 4
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
-[][Allocate Ability Exp] Dirt Manipulation (Edafokinesis) - Apprentice 4/15 - 1
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks #2
[X][Event] PT with Blossom.
[X][Event] College?
I wonder what master dirt manipulation looks like, is it just likr Garaa but with dirt or is it less. Also what I wouldn't give to see the looks on Blossom's brother and sisters when she came back from this alive and regained some of her ability to walk again.
- Location
- Mt. Holly, North Carolina
It was probably Ares who cursed her. "You had a kid without me? Fine, she's crippled just like your husband!" seems entirely in character for him, both mythologically, and according to modern interpretations. Then again, Hephaestus probably likes her personality enough to have set it up. Considering one of the few possible potential kids they could both lay claim to being Galatea the statue that was loved by her carver...
So until we see someone else claim her, it's either Ares, angry about being cheated on, or Hephaestus giving subtle approval of her as a person.
So until we see someone else claim her, it's either Ares, angry about being cheated on, or Hephaestus giving subtle approval of her as a person.
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
I'm with the first theory. You're gonna have sell me a bit more on the Hephaestus.
- Location
- Mt. Holly, North Carolina
Hephaestus is similar in outlook and action to Hestia. Only, he is a literally divine Smith. Consider he does literally all the metal work of the entire Greek Pantheon. Every stupid weapon Ares thinks up, every piece of armor, every fitting, nail, literally if it involves metal and is divine, it spent time getting worked on by him at some point. What sort of person do you think it takes to deal with that, and know that your wife literally cheats on you every second she isn't in direct sight of you, and still be known as the third nicest god to exist?
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
There's a lot of Hephaestus children. IIRC the marriage between Aphrodite and Haphaetus was a political one regardless, so Aphrodite would not be too powerful.
Conclusion: Hephaestus doesn't care about his marriage with Aphrodite, seeing it as the sham it is.
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
Okay, your edit sits with me a lot better. I don't really have a feel for Blossom's upbringing, so that's farther out there.
- Location
- United Kigdom
Interesting chapter; I particularly enjoyed Persephone here
The irony comment made me immediately think of Nemesis but I can't really think of something that Blossom could have done so I guess Hepaestus might be possible
[x] Goricnac
The irony comment made me immediately think of Nemesis but I can't really think of something that Blossom could have done so I guess Hepaestus might be possible
[x] Goricnac
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
@Monk Penguin
The vote's closed right?
The vote's closed right?
Monk Penguin
Way of the Open Flipper
- Location
- USA
No. I'm leaving it open for a bit since I'm not gonna have a lot of time to write in the near future.
[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Allocate to…
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Archery - Apprentice 11/15 - 4
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] War-Scythe-Wielding - Intermediate 5/25 - 11
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
-[X][Allocate Ability Exp] A Concept
--[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Purity (11/15) - 4
--[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Life (6/??) - 1
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks
[X][Training] Practice with your War-scythe on your own.
[X][Event] PT with Blossom.
[X][Event] College?
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] Archery - Apprentice 11/15 - 4
-[X][Allocate Skill Exp] War-Scythe-Wielding - Intermediate 5/25 - 11
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
-[X][Allocate Ability Exp] A Concept
--[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Purity (11/15) - 4
--[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Life (6/??) - 1
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks
[X][Training] Practice with your War-scythe on your own.
[X][Event] PT with Blossom.
[X][Event] College?
- Location
- U.S.
[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Allocate to…
-[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Macro-Chlorokinesis - Intermediate 0/25 - 5
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks #2
[X][Event] PT with Blossom.
[X][Event] College?
master macro chloro + master growth = summon Tree Titans? Hashirama wood dragon? Wooden Bird mount?
-[X][Allocate Ability Exp] Macro-Chlorokinesis - Intermediate 0/25 - 5
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks
[X][Training] Train Macro-Chlorokinesis in the parks #2
[X][Event] PT with Blossom.
[X][Event] College?
master macro chloro + master growth = summon Tree Titans? Hashirama wood dragon? Wooden Bird mount?
Last edited:
TohsakaRinfinity
The Gandr Machine Gun
- Location
- Kaleidoscopic Void
- Pronouns
- She/Her
@Monk Penguin Is this going to be updated again, it's shown on your *current* quests, so...?
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
Not sure if it's considered being complicit in a necro to reply to you.
But I too would like a word from our QM.
From what I could glean over the last year, it doesn't seem like this quest is coming back any time soon. That's obvious enough on its own.
I'd just like a final word.
There aren't a lot of good Percy Jackson quests, so the absence is felt.
In any case, Merry Christmas to everyone that got notified to come by the thread.
Last edited:
- Location
- nowhere
Unfortunately, Sufficient Velocity does not have a rule against thread necromancy however it is considered more polite on treads dormant as long as this one to go to the OP's profile page to ask or PM the OP
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
I've never thought of necromancy rules as reasonable, personally.
They always seemed arbitrary.
- Pronouns
- He
Merry Christmas, everyone!
- Location
- nowhere
Necromancy rules aren't arbitrary at all if the thread has been dormant for 30 days but less than 6 months use common sense and don't post unless you wrote an Omake or something equally substantive. If the thread has been dormant longer than 6 months don't post at all unless you're the OP
Last edited:
Omake: The Echoes of A String
A hand teasingly plucked at a string, a little laugh echoing before a rush of potentials flowed forth like rivers.
"I swear, if someone else comes up to me and ask me if plants have feelings, I'm going to dropkick them," Lily complained, earning a snort from Sam.
The demigods shuddered as Gaea's eyes opened slowly. She gazed at them imperiously through half-lidded eyes. Her gaze lighted upon Sam. He shuddered and prepared to have to dodge.
"Grandson!" came the cheerful cry.
"What."
Sam's flat response was all that escaped him before he was suddenly barreled over in a big hug.
"Oh, you've been doing so well with your Earth manipulation, I'm so proud of you!"
"What is happening?"
"The way you crushed those dracaena was simply impressive, a wonderful show of skill on your part!"
"No, seriously, is some higher power just fucking with me?"
Sam stared down a sheepish Percy Jackson as the other made the futile effort to fight down his blush.
"Thanks for not ratting me out to Annabeth," Percy laughed nervously.
"I don't even know where I would begin to explain this," came the deadpan reply.
"So… you're… the Oracle now?" Kurt's question was confused and mildly incredulous.
"Apparently but only for a little while," came Sam's reply.
There were a few beats of silence.
"Does this mean you're a woman, now?" a random camper's voice asked. This was swiftly followed with a smack and a pained exclamation.
"Sure! Okay! Whatever," Kurt threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, "I don't understand what's going on anymore so I'm just gonna go and lay down till the world makes sense again."
"Thalia was outnumbered and the satyr had to get the other demigods to the camp," Grover's voice was soft as he explained, "But Samuel ended up right alongside her, trying to defend her."
He trailed off, looking mournfully down at his hooves.
"They didn't make it, did they?" Percy asked, blood roaring in his ears.
"No, they didn't. But as they died, their parents took pity on them. Thalia became the pine tree at the top of the hill, while Samuel became the tulips that cover it and mark out the edges of the border. That's why that hill is called Half-Blood Hill."
"Sam," Blossom's voice echoed in his ears, "When was the last time you slept?"
Sam paused and stared her in the eyes as if he was a buffering computer.
"What day is it?"
"It's Tues-"
"Three days ago."
"Not even gonna let me finish my sentence, huh?"
"Death isn't the worst thing, you know," Sam's voice was terrifyingly calm, "Death is merely an ending so that a new story may begin. I have died once before, Perseus Jackson."
"What?" Percy's voice was numb to his own ears as he spoke.
"I cannot remember the full speech but I do remember the last two lines. 'What is hate but jilted love? What is life… but death pending?'" The boy's eyes were green and, even from where he stood, Percy could see the trees and bushes and vines wrapping around themselves in his irises.
A memory of Blossom explaining that something in Sam had… broken rang in his ears. And Percy could understand. Sam's mortal half… was bleeding away, leaving behind only the divinity.
In hindsight, this was a horrible idea. Pulling Bianca and Nico out of the Lotus Hotel and Casino so early? Sam had probably irreversibly fucked up any future knowledge he had. Sure, he had changed a lot just by existing but now it was almost certainly worse.
"I really should have thought this through first," Sam muttered under his breath.
"Oh, you think?!" Blossom yelped as she ducked beneath a roulette table.
"Oh," was all Sam said.
*'Oh?' That was it?* Blossom though hysterically.
"That can't be a good sign," Sam continued, deadpan, as an awfully loud cracking noise emanated from the wood bridge beneath them.
"So I know you wanted to talk to me about something important, Sam, but before you start saying anything I just want you to know that I fully support you," Lily stated, self-assured.
"O… k?" Sam was a tad confused.
"I mean, it's perfectly normal for a guy to be attracted to another guy and that I will fully support you when you're ready to come out of the closet to other people and-"
"I think there was a miscommunication somewhere," Sam said, being completely ignored by Lily as she continued to talk over him, "I just wanted to tell you that I was headed off to college this year."
"And if anyone gives you trouble for it, I'll help kick their ass, so don't be afraid to come tell your big sister Lily if people give you a hard time-"
"Wait, do I like guys? I mean, I'm pretty sure I like girls but what about guys? Huh, something to think on."
"Honestly, I doubt that anyone will care since this is a camp full of greek demigods and ancient greece was historically very homonormative-"
"Wow, you're still going? You really thought up an entire speech for this, huh?"
"I'm dying," came the melodramatic words from Percy Jackson, "I would have liked to hear Sam's voice… telling me to piss off one last time."
He let his eyes slip shut.
"Percy, nooooooo!" Grover cried.
"May I kill them? That wouldn't count as overexertion, right?" Sam asked Chiron, sitting up in the bed next to Percy as Percy flopped his head to the side and stuck out his tongue.
"Sam eats everything," Blossom semi-explained.
"... Why does that sound wrong coming from you?"
"I don't know, it felt wrong to say."
"Go to sleep, Sam," Lily sighed, looking over from her bed.
"No," came the response.
*Morning*
"Wake up, Sam!" Lily called.
"No."
"Why is this line so long?" Annabeth complained.
"Wanna know what else is long?" Percy said aloud in the tone of voice that when someone uses it, it makes you think their about to say something inappropriate and stupid, "Sam's hair!"
"Annabeth, how much is bail for homicide?" Sam asked, a flat expression clear on his face. His hair was long since he just hadn't had time to get a haircut.
"Hey, since we have an early head counselor meeting tomorrow, you guys should turn in earl-," Sam looked up from his clipboard to find several people all gathered around a burning Monopoly board as Evanescence blasted in the background. His face slowly shifted to that of a long suffering soldier as several people started to bemoan their luck at losing to Percy of all people.
"I don't get paid enough for this," he decided, walking away.
"So many interesting fates. But which will become reality?"
An almost cruel smile dances upon the figure's lips.
"I can't wait to find out."
So in order to help inspire some more interest in this (in my opinion) criminally underrated quest and to hopefully tide over a few people waiting for updates, I created this omake. I hope you enjoy.
A hand teasingly plucked at a string, a little laugh echoing before a rush of potentials flowed forth like rivers.
"I swear, if someone else comes up to me and ask me if plants have feelings, I'm going to dropkick them," Lily complained, earning a snort from Sam.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The demigods shuddered as Gaea's eyes opened slowly. She gazed at them imperiously through half-lidded eyes. Her gaze lighted upon Sam. He shuddered and prepared to have to dodge.
"Grandson!" came the cheerful cry.
"What."
Sam's flat response was all that escaped him before he was suddenly barreled over in a big hug.
"Oh, you've been doing so well with your Earth manipulation, I'm so proud of you!"
"What is happening?"
"The way you crushed those dracaena was simply impressive, a wonderful show of skill on your part!"
"No, seriously, is some higher power just fucking with me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam stared down a sheepish Percy Jackson as the other made the futile effort to fight down his blush.
"Thanks for not ratting me out to Annabeth," Percy laughed nervously.
"I don't even know where I would begin to explain this," came the deadpan reply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So… you're… the Oracle now?" Kurt's question was confused and mildly incredulous.
"Apparently but only for a little while," came Sam's reply.
There were a few beats of silence.
"Does this mean you're a woman, now?" a random camper's voice asked. This was swiftly followed with a smack and a pained exclamation.
"Sure! Okay! Whatever," Kurt threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, "I don't understand what's going on anymore so I'm just gonna go and lay down till the world makes sense again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thalia was outnumbered and the satyr had to get the other demigods to the camp," Grover's voice was soft as he explained, "But Samuel ended up right alongside her, trying to defend her."
He trailed off, looking mournfully down at his hooves.
"They didn't make it, did they?" Percy asked, blood roaring in his ears.
"No, they didn't. But as they died, their parents took pity on them. Thalia became the pine tree at the top of the hill, while Samuel became the tulips that cover it and mark out the edges of the border. That's why that hill is called Half-Blood Hill."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sam," Blossom's voice echoed in his ears, "When was the last time you slept?"
Sam paused and stared her in the eyes as if he was a buffering computer.
"What day is it?"
"It's Tues-"
"Three days ago."
"Not even gonna let me finish my sentence, huh?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Death isn't the worst thing, you know," Sam's voice was terrifyingly calm, "Death is merely an ending so that a new story may begin. I have died once before, Perseus Jackson."
"What?" Percy's voice was numb to his own ears as he spoke.
"I cannot remember the full speech but I do remember the last two lines. 'What is hate but jilted love? What is life… but death pending?'" The boy's eyes were green and, even from where he stood, Percy could see the trees and bushes and vines wrapping around themselves in his irises.
A memory of Blossom explaining that something in Sam had… broken rang in his ears. And Percy could understand. Sam's mortal half… was bleeding away, leaving behind only the divinity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In hindsight, this was a horrible idea. Pulling Bianca and Nico out of the Lotus Hotel and Casino so early? Sam had probably irreversibly fucked up any future knowledge he had. Sure, he had changed a lot just by existing but now it was almost certainly worse.
"I really should have thought this through first," Sam muttered under his breath.
"Oh, you think?!" Blossom yelped as she ducked beneath a roulette table.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh," was all Sam said.
*'Oh?' That was it?* Blossom though hysterically.
"That can't be a good sign," Sam continued, deadpan, as an awfully loud cracking noise emanated from the wood bridge beneath them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So I know you wanted to talk to me about something important, Sam, but before you start saying anything I just want you to know that I fully support you," Lily stated, self-assured.
"O… k?" Sam was a tad confused.
"I mean, it's perfectly normal for a guy to be attracted to another guy and that I will fully support you when you're ready to come out of the closet to other people and-"
"I think there was a miscommunication somewhere," Sam said, being completely ignored by Lily as she continued to talk over him, "I just wanted to tell you that I was headed off to college this year."
"And if anyone gives you trouble for it, I'll help kick their ass, so don't be afraid to come tell your big sister Lily if people give you a hard time-"
"Wait, do I like guys? I mean, I'm pretty sure I like girls but what about guys? Huh, something to think on."
"Honestly, I doubt that anyone will care since this is a camp full of greek demigods and ancient greece was historically very homonormative-"
"Wow, you're still going? You really thought up an entire speech for this, huh?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm dying," came the melodramatic words from Percy Jackson, "I would have liked to hear Sam's voice… telling me to piss off one last time."
He let his eyes slip shut.
"Percy, nooooooo!" Grover cried.
"May I kill them? That wouldn't count as overexertion, right?" Sam asked Chiron, sitting up in the bed next to Percy as Percy flopped his head to the side and stuck out his tongue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sam eats everything," Blossom semi-explained.
"... Why does that sound wrong coming from you?"
"I don't know, it felt wrong to say."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Go to sleep, Sam," Lily sighed, looking over from her bed.
"No," came the response.
*Morning*
"Wake up, Sam!" Lily called.
"No."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why is this line so long?" Annabeth complained.
"Wanna know what else is long?" Percy said aloud in the tone of voice that when someone uses it, it makes you think their about to say something inappropriate and stupid, "Sam's hair!"
"Annabeth, how much is bail for homicide?" Sam asked, a flat expression clear on his face. His hair was long since he just hadn't had time to get a haircut.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, since we have an early head counselor meeting tomorrow, you guys should turn in earl-," Sam looked up from his clipboard to find several people all gathered around a burning Monopoly board as Evanescence blasted in the background. His face slowly shifted to that of a long suffering soldier as several people started to bemoan their luck at losing to Percy of all people.
"I don't get paid enough for this," he decided, walking away.
"So many interesting fates. But which will become reality?"
An almost cruel smile dances upon the figure's lips.
"I can't wait to find out."
- Location
- The Colored Room
- Pronouns
- TheOne
Forgive me if this wasn't your intention for this snippet, but I've been fiending for a Cthonic Percy Jackson fic for as long as I've been alive. And this gave me a springboard.
The Labyrinth has a thousand entrances and another thousand exits. Any soul that could survive the journey could travel the breadth of the world through the maze of Daedalus. To every corner of the mortal world from its every crevice. There's always a way to anywhere.
And it was anywhere they could have gone, anywhere at all, and they had to go to Crete.
At least on the Mainland of Greece things were familiar. Run down? Vicious? Ancient? Of course and more. But Crete was more than that, worse than that. The order of the world seemed to flip on its very head. The sky was dimmer here, the wind was weak, air was thick, and the tides themselves hardly budged from dawn to dusk. Planting his feet in the sand, Kurt understood that this was beyond depth. Mortals shouldn't have been there, but it didn't stop there. The magic welling up from the earth on this island was out of step, it lagged behind the rest of the world more with every passing moment and it would never catch up. He felt like he was in a sinkhole in reality.
"The Kingdom of Minos, in all its terrible, ancient glory. Too stubborn to fade, too old to even age properly." Kurt said, trying to philosophize away his fraying nerves. Percy nodded his head from the tidepool. Wading deep into the dark green waters for the umpteenth time, Jackson still couldn't quite get a feel for the island.
"I'm starting to think you're swimming just to relax."
"There's nothing relaxed about this place. Nothing." Percy submerged himself just to punctuate the feeling.
The water couldn't clear his head like he was used to, but it could still physically shut out the rest of the world. It let him think, restlessly, but still. And between the tenseness of the water passing through his fingers at every stroke and the way light barely broke the surface of the pools, it was getting clearer and clearer that he wasn't, out of his element.
The thing about the island that felt the most off was how much he didn't feel off.
The water was stranger, tougher, and the environment felt alien. But it felt more a challenge than inhospitable. The water was still the water, and it moved when he told it to, he could swim just as well at Camp Half Blood as he could in these eerie shallow waters.
He wouldn't dare go past the shore line, but it wasn't the water that scared him there, it was what was in the depths. At least here, all they had to worry about was the magical aura of the island, some purple snails and lichens that made the rocks slippery.
It wasn't hell, is the point. Some parts of the actual labyrinth were worse than this.
But for everyone else but him and Lou Ellen, just breathing the air here was "sucking the life out of them". They had to be left at the opening to the Labyrinth because traveling on the island damn near put them all in a coffin.
Kurt was the same way, and he pushed on until he dropped.
If it weren't for Athena's blessing, he'd be dead.
And if that bothered him at all, Kurt wasn't showing it.
"I've gotten used to this near death thing, sadly." He said once, and Percy's stopped doubting that years before this point. During the days of the Great Prophecy.
So long as Athena still had power, Kurt had a lifeline, and that was the best they could hope for. But it wouldn't hurt to head back to camp.
This island might have their man, but they were going to lose one if they didn't head back to camp.
They've found nothing, but that's been more than enough.
"Let's head ba-." Percy started as he rose from the water, but no one was there. "Kurt?"
Looking around topside, there wasn't a trace of the guy.
I've been meaning to write another omake for this story, but I always catch myself before I do it.
Sam Retrieval Arc
Parts Α
The Labyrinth has a thousand entrances and another thousand exits. Any soul that could survive the journey could travel the breadth of the world through the maze of Daedalus. To every corner of the mortal world from its every crevice. There's always a way to anywhere.
And it was anywhere they could have gone, anywhere at all, and they had to go to Crete.
At least on the Mainland of Greece things were familiar. Run down? Vicious? Ancient? Of course and more. But Crete was more than that, worse than that. The order of the world seemed to flip on its very head. The sky was dimmer here, the wind was weak, air was thick, and the tides themselves hardly budged from dawn to dusk. Planting his feet in the sand, Kurt understood that this was beyond depth. Mortals shouldn't have been there, but it didn't stop there. The magic welling up from the earth on this island was out of step, it lagged behind the rest of the world more with every passing moment and it would never catch up. He felt like he was in a sinkhole in reality.
"The Kingdom of Minos, in all its terrible, ancient glory. Too stubborn to fade, too old to even age properly." Kurt said, trying to philosophize away his fraying nerves. Percy nodded his head from the tidepool. Wading deep into the dark green waters for the umpteenth time, Jackson still couldn't quite get a feel for the island.
"I'm starting to think you're swimming just to relax."
"There's nothing relaxed about this place. Nothing." Percy submerged himself just to punctuate the feeling.
The water couldn't clear his head like he was used to, but it could still physically shut out the rest of the world. It let him think, restlessly, but still. And between the tenseness of the water passing through his fingers at every stroke and the way light barely broke the surface of the pools, it was getting clearer and clearer that he wasn't, out of his element.
The thing about the island that felt the most off was how much he didn't feel off.
The water was stranger, tougher, and the environment felt alien. But it felt more a challenge than inhospitable. The water was still the water, and it moved when he told it to, he could swim just as well at Camp Half Blood as he could in these eerie shallow waters.
He wouldn't dare go past the shore line, but it wasn't the water that scared him there, it was what was in the depths. At least here, all they had to worry about was the magical aura of the island, some purple snails and lichens that made the rocks slippery.
It wasn't hell, is the point. Some parts of the actual labyrinth were worse than this.
But for everyone else but him and Lou Ellen, just breathing the air here was "sucking the life out of them". They had to be left at the opening to the Labyrinth because traveling on the island damn near put them all in a coffin.
Kurt was the same way, and he pushed on until he dropped.
If it weren't for Athena's blessing, he'd be dead.
And if that bothered him at all, Kurt wasn't showing it.
"I've gotten used to this near death thing, sadly." He said once, and Percy's stopped doubting that years before this point. During the days of the Great Prophecy.
So long as Athena still had power, Kurt had a lifeline, and that was the best they could hope for. But it wouldn't hurt to head back to camp.
This island might have their man, but they were going to lose one if they didn't head back to camp.
They've found nothing, but that's been more than enough.
"Let's head ba-." Percy started as he rose from the water, but no one was there. "Kurt?"
Looking around topside, there wasn't a trace of the guy.
I've been meaning to write another omake for this story, but I always catch myself before I do it.
Last edited: