Artemis' Apprentice - The End of Olympus - Inspired By Rick Riordan - Book 1 - Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Perseus Jackson

Finally, midnight came.

I had been up, studying for hours, the hands of my clock turning slowly.

Was Kronos still mad at me for ending his first chance in a millennium to slay the gods?

I was positively sure of that.

Time seemed to slow. Maybe somehow he had made it back from Tartarus to torment me. That would explain the whole scene that went down the night before.

When my clock read five before midnight, I got up from my desk and crept across the room. I stepped on a loose board and it squeaked. Annabeth was up and quickly grabbed her New York cap. We both quickly snuck out of the room.

The hallways were just like last night, cold and dark, with only the moonlight from the windows to illuminate it.

I quietly shut the door behind me and leaned against the hallway wall. Annabeth leaned on my shoulder, and we stood there for a minute.

I suddenly heard the pounding of footsteps.

I turned and was surprised to see Piper. Her face was pale and worrisome.

“Hey Piper,” I examined the worried look on her face, “What’s wrong?”

A desperate tear slipped down her cheek, “I heard something outside” she gulped, “I'm sorry, it just freaked me out. What are you two doing?”

I explained to Piper Annabeth’s plan as we ran quietly down the hallway. Pipers mouth hung open in mid-air.

“You're going to sneak out to see?!” she gaped, “If you're caught you’ll get suspended.”

I smiled, “That is exactly why we didn't tell you.”

Piper looked a bit hurt by the lies. “I just really hope whatever I saw isn't out there still.”

I nodded. We rounded a corner and came face to face with the entrance doors to the college. I turned the knob and the doors opened.

“Well,” I took a step back to examine the wilderness at night. “Here goes nothing.”

We plunged out into the darkness of the night.

At first, it was easy. We rounded the corner from the outside of the building, hiding from security cameras that guarded the structure.

We came face to face with the wall Annabeth had described. I noticed she was correct about the small pond beside it.

As I stared at the water, I felt power coursing through my veins. I commanded it to rise, and a small tidal wave soared up out of the small pond, draining most of the water in it.

The wave of water lowered at our feet. I took Piper’s hand to secure her as we stepped on the wave. The water sucked us in by our feet and Piper screamed like Elvis Presley. A part of the wave quickly branched out and filled her mouth the brim before she could scream again. Annabeth stepped into the wave and inhaled sharply as it sucked her in as well.

With ourselves in place, the wave ascended higher, growing thinner as it rose. It was only a foot long by the time it reached the top. Piper looked like she was going to pass out.

The water rested us on the wall, and the quickly dissolved back into the lake. Even the water in Piper’s mouth retreated, and she almost fell off the wall in surprise.

“Now, we climb down” I took a shaky breath. I could already feel my energy being drained slowly from me. I hastily lowered myself until I found a ledge for leverage. Piper followed me cautiously as we climbed down together.

When we reached the ground I collapsed, wheezing. Annabeth rushed over to my aid.

“Are you alright?” she asked worriedly.

I stood up shakily, my legs feeling like sticks, “Sorry, just cooling down.”

Piper glanced behind me and her eyes went wide. “What-”

I turned around and gasped. The garden had been destroyed.

The pavement was cracked, the cracks themselves snaking like spider legs to the end of it, facing the woods. All the brick pedestals holding flower beds were reduced to rumble. The walls were also cracked, and a chunk on the corner was missing. The whole place looked like it had been bombed.

“Oh gods” I muttered, “What happened here?”

“Maybe there was some monster attack?” Piper guessed. I shook my head.

“What would the gods be here investigating about a monster attack?”

Piper shrugged, “Whatever was here was freakishly powerful if they did all this.

“Maybe.”

Piper sighed and massaged her temple, “What on earth is happening?”

“We don't know yet” Annabeth noted, “But whatever you saw must have gone in the woods-.”

She opened his mouth again but it was cut off by a howl, sounding very close. A chill went up my spine.

“But won’t Terminus notice if we all cross the pomeranian line?”

Annabeth nodded, “He might, but if we run fast enough and dive into the forest, he might not know who crossed it.”

I nodded, “Let's hurry before we get noticed.”

Piper and I followed Annabeth as we quickly leaped across the pomeranian line. As soon as we crossed through, we dived into the nearest thicket.

Terminus quickly appeared on the line.

“Who was that?!” he bellowed, he whirled around looking in every direction. His face suddenly filled with concern.

“Dari!” he called. A roman eagle landed beside him.

“Go find Poseidon,” he told the eagle. Another chill went down my spine hearing my father’s name. Is he here somewhere? “Inform him that a group has crossed the line heading into the woods,” he paused to inhale deeply, “And they’re lives are now at stake.”

My heart pounded as Dari nodded, turned, and flew away into the woods. Terminus bowed his head deeply, “Whoever crossed the line” he mumbled, “I wish I could personally strangle you if I had hands.”

Then, Terminus melted back into the line, leaving us three alone in the woods.

“Poseidon?” Annabeth stammered, “What on earth is the Greek god of the Sea doing in New Rome?”

I shook my head, “I don't know,” I turned back towards the forest, “But whatever’s going on must be big.”

“Well,” Piper was the only one that seemed unfazed by the situation, “Let's go see what’s going on then.”

I nodded. I mean, anything that has to do with my dad is my business, right?

The forest was dark and cold. It was eerily silent, and the only light came from Riptide glow. Shadows danced along the dark ground and the air held up heavy and moist.

Annabeth lead the way, followed by Piper and I, in the direction she thought this being went. Annabeth held her dagger at her side. Piper was also holding a new, polished dagger.

“Wait,” Annabeth stopped and held out her hand like an arm guard. She paused like he was trying to figure something out.

“Can you, feel that” his voice shook at the end. I didn’t what she was talking about.

“Feel what-”

''Boom. Boom.''

The sound came softly but then started to get louder, thudding like a heartbeat. I felt my own coursing with it.

The sound suddenly stopped, and I exhaled, realizing I had been holding my breath. This whole Poseidon thing was freaking me out.

“It was coming from that way,” she mumbled and pointed in the direction of the noise. Our group advanced slowly, creeping through the wilderness.

“AHH!!” Piper exclaimed and crumbled to the ground with another great Elvis Presley impersonation. Annabeth drew her dagger and I thrashed Riptide where Piper had been looking.

Annabeth and I turned in sync to look at Piper when we realized nothing was there. She blushed with embarrassment, “Sorry, I tripped.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes with a grin and helped Piper up.

“I think what Terminus said freaked me out, about how our lives are at stake” Piper confessed

I ran my hand over the flat side of Riptide, “Our lives have always been in danger, it's like a second nature to me now.”

Piper sighed, “C’mon, let's get going then.”

We continued to follow Annabeth deeper into the woods. The sound started up again, booming like miniature earthquakes. Annabeth redirected herself so that we were directly facing the noise.

Another howl split the air, making Piper jump behind us. Annabeth signaled us to be quiet by holding a finger to her mouth.

As if we weren’t quiet enough already?

The sound stopped again, and Annabeth motioned us behind another shrub. Piper sat beside him and I sat the right of Piper.

“The noise is right beyond this thicket” she whispered. I nodded and slowly began to open a part of the thicket to watch.

Oh, gods!

Blocking my way was a pair of black leggings. The leggings were followed by a black hoodie, but I couldn’t see above that. I could see an opening around the area, a small opening in the forest.

“Selene.”

I knew that voice to well. It sounded like soft sand and rolling waves. It had been two years since I heard that voice. And then I realized the horror.

I'm staring at my dad’s backside?!

I motioned to Annabeth that we need to move immediately. My eyes would never unsee that.

This time, Annabeth and Piper followed me as we crept around the small opening, staying hidden in the shrubs and bramble. I signaled them to pause and peeked out again.

It was definitely Poseidon.

It was strange to see him in all black, acting suspiciously. His dark brown hair was wet and curly, and short beard cropped the sides of his face. His sea green eyes were dim and sad. I had a sudden vision of a dolphin trying to escape an oil spill. I quickly shook it off and examined the rest of the area.

I looked to the side of Poseidon and noticed a large, grey and white wolf, with piercing eyes. Lupa swished her tail and repositioned herself next to Poseidon.

On the other side of Poseidon, I was even more surprised to see Artemis. She had long, brown locks but a serious expression. She wore a sleeveless white v-neck and shorts. Her longbow was at her side and a quiver of arrows hung to her back.

They all stared in the same direction. I followed they’re gaze.

They were all staring at a girl, about my age. She had long, blowing dark brown hair and a bow at her side. She also had a quiver full of arrows equipped to her back, and an eyepatch over her eye. I could only see one side of her from where I was. A white wolf snarled at her feet, with piercing ice blue eyes. The ground steamed at the wolves paws.

I slowly began to notice the cracks in the ground running from the girl’s feet.

“We have discussed this” Poseidon spoke, his gaze stern. “You have been ordered to return. You have risked the lives of many just being here.”

The girl clenched her fist, “Father, I am dying for freedom. I am old enough to care for myself.”

How she said father rolled over me like a frozen wave. Another child of Poseidon?

“Selene,” Artemis said firmly, “You have much freedom, but every time you act rationally you are testing it.”

The girl, apparently named Selene growled. The white wolf at her feet howled as a response, sounding exactly as the howls I had heard throughout the day.

Lupa snarled at the white wolf, and the white wolf barked a response. Both creatures bared their fangs.

“Selene, please” Poseidon pleaded. I could hear the desperateness in his voice. I felt a twinge of jealousy that I swatted away like an annoying bug.

Annabeth, suddenly too tired of sitting there, shifted too fast. A twig cracked.

Artemis turned towards our hiding place.