Percy formed, "what could it mean?"
"I have a theory," Annabeth told him, "I think it's a question," she motioned to the book and pointed at three underlined words, "they all appear in the same like and next to it is a question mark. Granted it is an english question mark and could not even be related to the text....but... I don't know. Something feels off about this whole thing."
Percy nodded, "yeah, it does. Listen Annabeth I don't want you to continue solving this topic, got it?"
Annabeth looked surprised, "what? Why?!"
"Because anyone who does will die," Percy wanted her. "Apparently it is a big deal in Olympus. When I asked Hermes he freaked out. He kept looking around trying to see if anyone had overheard me ask him, because technically anyone who even asks about this should be put to death."
"W-what the hades is this thing?" Annabeth looked at the book in her hands and began to shake.
"It's okay Annabeth," Percy told her and he took the book from her, "we'll never mention this, to anyone. Got it?"
Annabeth nodded, "we need to destroy it, now." Percy nodded as he tore off the pages that contained the note about what happened 2000 years ago and put it in his inventory, "don't forget to destroy that."
Percy nodded, "I won't, I promise."
Lie Succeeded!
Annabeth nodded and slowly the two friends walked away in silence.
Dinner that day was a very somber affair. People weren't really in a celebrating mood. Percy was even more angry at Argo now. Today was supposed to be a good day, a day where the demigods could relax and be kids. But even then something had to come in and fuck everything up for them.
Percy walked back to his cabin and saw Leo waiting outside for him. Percy smiled, "Hey boy."
"Bad day master?" Leo asked looking at Percy sadly.
"Kind of," Percy said sitting next to Leo on the porch, "how was your day?"
"I meet a Nymph today," Leo said wagging his tail, "she was really pretty."
Percy chuckled, "I'm sure she was. So, you coming inside?"
Leo shook his head, "no master. I want to....well if you don't want me to that's fine but-"
"Leo," Percy cut off the dog's rambling, "just tell me what you want."
Leo turned to the Forest, "I want to sleep in there tonight monster. There is something....familiar about it."
Percy smiled as he scratched under the dog's ears, "okay then. It makes sense, you are a wolf after all."
Leo barked in happiness as he got up and licked Percy's face, "thank you master!" Leo then jumped forward and ran towards the forest as fast a he could. Percy chuckled, the dog was growing up so fast. Maybe he should take him training later on, teach him a few more moves.
Percy walked into his cabin and closed the door behind him. He took out the pages he had ripped out of Argo's personal journal. He didn't want Annabeth getting involved with all of this, but that didn't mean he was going to stop.
Percy looked over the notes and sighed, if Annabeth couldn't' do it then he had no chance, obviously. If only he knew someone who.....Parallax.
Percy put the notes inside his inventory and pulled out the orb of Parallax. Fear hit him like a wave but Percy was ready for it. He pushed back and took a deep breath to ready himself. He need to frame and speak his question clearly, he wasn't going to waste this question.
"Parallax, it's me Percy. I have a question for you."
It took a minute but the entity of fear responded, "ask your question and I will answer."
Percy sighed in relief. He took a deep breath and spoke again, "what happened 2000 years ago that caused man to stop believing in God?"
Percy waited and waited as he held onto the glowing yellow ball. Suddenly Parallax spoke again, "I am not allowed to answer your question."
Percy blinked, "what? Why?!"
"Is that your next question?"
Percy shook his head, "no....thanks." Percy shoved the orb into his inventory and sighed. He didn't know why Parallax didn't want to tell him. Was because he didn't know? No...he is an entity of the Universe, he had to know! So.....why? Was because he wasn't allowed to tell him? If so by who?
The answer came clearly to Percy, 'The Fates.'
Argo kept pushing the idea of Percy being their slaves....maybe in someway he was. But he never minded working for them, after all they both wanted the same thing. But now....they were trying to limit his sight. Keep things from him, true it might be dangerous things, but he needed to know, he deserved to know.
Percy sighed lying down on his bed. He was still in his swimming trunks and his spare shirt, but Percy really wasn't in the mode to change.
'Hmm, maybe I should use that skill disk,' Percy decided, after all who didn't like leveling up their skills right?
Percy took out one level 10 skill disk and began looking over the skills he had.
'Water control? Nope. Ice? No. Shadow? No. Mana......nah, too dangerous to suddenly level up in. I am barely getting by as it is right now. Last thing I need is it going places I can't follow. Obsering? No. Critical strike? No. Mana's sense...hmm no. I am probably going to level that up myself.'
Percy threw his head back in frustration, all of these were things he could ether level up himself or to dangerous to level up at all. If he leveled up something like ice control, it would take him weeks to get his powers under control. And seeing how anyone can attack any time Percy always needed to be in control.
Slowly Percy went down the list and his eyes fell on healing, Percy shrugged, 'might as well.'
Percy used the skill disk;
Ping!
A skill has risen by 10 levels!
Healing, Lv— 23 (0%)
Allows the user to heal any disease or ailments threatening himself or others.
Limit— 3 aliments per use, 5 targets at a time, restores 25% of MP and HP
Cost— 250 MP
Percy blinked at the new additions he got. Apart from the 50 MP lesser cost and the increase in the amount of people he can heal at once there was also a new effect of his healing powers. It restored HP and MP by 25%. That may not be much looking at it now, but in battle that could mean the difference between life and death.
Percy closed the box and took out the second skill disk. He knew logically he should use it to level up Healing again.....but he honestly didn't want to.
The way Percy saw it was that Healing was a skill he absolutely needed, something that reminded him that yes, he was in fact in a war. He never really got to use the skill disk for something fun, like not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
Before he wanted to improve his telekinesis with a skill disk, but he chose healing instead because he had to. But now.....after all of this Percy felt like he had the right to spend the disk on anything he wanted. Plus it was his birthday, so fuck it.
Percy looked through the skill list again, this time for skills that he wouldn't usually consider. There was lots of skills he could improve on. Like dancing, singing, around four different musical instruments he could practice. Cooking, Architecture, his Alcohol resistance and maybe he should even spend the disk on telekinesis, that would be so cool! Maybe the next time Argo attack he could throw a bus at him or something!
But just then Percy noticed a skill that he got a month back during his trip to Alaska, Foreplay. And the other skill he gained via photographic reflexes, sex. Thank you Sasha Grey.
Percy blushed at the idea of using a skill disk to be better at sex or foreplay. He was a teenage boy and no matter how confident he was about his fighting skills or how great his skills in the bed where, he is always going to be worried about things that involved sex.
True he and Thalia didn't really, you know, do it. But he wanted to be good for when they do do it. And even though he technically does have the moves of a male porn star he still wondered whether that was enough.
Percy spun the disk in his hand wondering what he should level up. Sex was out of the question, Thalia wasn't ready for that and he wouldn't push it. But foreplay....well they have been doing a lot of that lately.
Percy felt a blush creep on his face as he used the skill disk to level up foreplay. He could have picked fingering in particular, but foreplay gave a general bonus that Percy really wanted;
Ping!
A skill have been raised by several levels!
Foreplay, Lv— 12 (0%)
The actions you perform before sex.
60% skill bonus towards partner's orgasm.
Percy smiled at the bonus, this plus the 40% bonus he would receive when using his vibrations would guarantee Thalia came. Percy giggled sheepishly, 'boy is she going to be in for a surprise the next time we make out.'
Percy closed the boxes and laid back down on his pillow looking at his cabin roof. Percy relaxed as he slowly closed his eyes.
Knock knock!
Percy blinked them open as someone knocked on his door. 'I wonder who it is? Well maybe it's Thalia, this is usually when she would sneak over to my cabin.'
Percy quickly got off his bed and went to is door which he threw open with a grin, "well hello beautiful, I-"
Percy stopped mid sentence as he looked into two silver globes that stared back at him. Artemis stood there with a gentle smile with her hair tied back in ponytail, "I didn't realise you felt that way about me Percy. I'm touched, though your girlfriend might have a few things to say about that."
"A-Artemis?" Percy asked looking at the Goddess.
"Yes...why? Were you expecting someone else?"
Percy recognized the tone in her voice and gulped, "ah, no, no, it's just," 'quick Percy think of something!' "I thought there was a meeting in Olympus or something." 'Safe!'
Artemis nodded, "it got over. Now, are you going to invite me in?"
Percy blinked, "what? Oh, right sorry. Please come in!" Percy stepped aside letting Artemis inside while he closed the door behind her. "So ah...what's the matter?"
"Does something have to be the matter for me to visit a friend?" Artemis asked as she sat down on Percy's bed bouncing up and down, "your bed is very comfortable Percy."
Percy smiled, "thanks Arty, and no, friends can visit friends any time. But if one of those friends happens to be a Goddess and it also happened to be the other one's birthday...well you see where I am going with this."
Artemis smiled "you want a gift?"
Percy shrugged, "can't possibly imagine you're here for any other reason," 'unless it's to take me back to Olympus for knowing about the question.....shit, is it because of that? Artemis knows I would run if she came in guns blazing so did she-'
"-Relax Percy," Artemis spoke up, "I'm not here hurt you or anything."
Percy raised an eyebrow, "did you read my mind?"
Artemis chuckled, "no, I can't do that. But your fears were clearly written on your face."
Percy smiled, "okay face reader if you aren't here to arrest me and it's not to give me a gift, then why are you here?"
Artemis smiled as she snapped her fingers causing a silver box to appear in her hand. "Here, for you."
"You did get me a present!" Percy exclaimed as he carefully opened the gift.
Artemis smiled, "why are you being so gentle about it?"
"Because if I don't like it I can just return it to you for your birthday."
Artemis huffed, "are you saying I cannot select a good gift."
"No, I'm saying that you don't have very many guy friends, meaning you probably don't know what to get them."
Artemis huffed, "well now you're just being rude Percy. And for your information we Gods don't have birthdays, so ha!"
Percy blinked, "wait, for real? You guys don't have birthdays?"
Artemis shrugged, "well we do, but we don't really remember them. 3000 years is a long time you know."
Percy chuckled as he carefully removed the ribbon opening the silver box. Inside was a simple silver ring that glowed white. Percy gasped as he looked at it.
"A-Artemis, it's beautiful." Percy reached in and took the ring. He carefully put it on his right middle finger and saw that it was a perfect fit.
Ring of Artemis,
Can contact Artemis anytime
"It's made out of normal silver but I blessed it with a little bit of my magic," Artemis said smugly, "now if you are ever in danger or need my help just touch the ring and focus on me and I'll be able to talk to you. It's kind of like an instant Iris message but it's only-OPH!"
Percy hugged her so hard Artemis got the wind knocked out of her. "Thank you," Percy told her as he hugged her tightly, "it's awesome."
Artemis smiled as she hugged him back. They broke the hug and Percy sat down next to her admiring his gift, "you sure you don't want to gift it back?"
"Not on your life," Percy told her as he grinned like the cheshire cat, "this is so cool. And not at all girly, I'm proud of you Arty! You have now mastered the craft of buying jewelry for guys, a difficult and rarely sought after skill set."
Artemis smiled, "yes well I figured something like a wolf pet or an arrow head wouldn't be well received, so I thought, 'what would an idiot think is great?' And presto, a shiny object that captures the attention of small minded men."
Percy smiled, "oh look at you, insulting me. Why if you were a little better I might consider insulting you back," Percy patted her on the head as Artemis grumbled, "don't try to play with the masters kido, you'll only get burned."
Artemis crossed her arms, "you sound so much like Apollo."
Percy blushed, "yuck. Never mind then, insult me all you want I won't say a thing. Just don't compare me to that gross brother of yours."
Artemis raised an eyebrow, "you know I never did find out why you two hate each other. When I finally managed to find him he had this huge scowl on his face. He looked like he wanted to blow Olympus up."
Percy shrugged, "did he have a bruise?"
Artemis thought about it before nodding, "yeah, he did. Like a big one around his jaw. Stayed there for a day or so."
Percy grinned, "good." Artemis raised an eyebrow but remained silent. Percy sighed, "I am extremely possessive when it comes to Thalia. He was flirting with her and then implied he would also like to sleep with her, so I punched him out of Olympus."
Artemis raised an eyebrow, "well......that's certain informative. If you ever need help punishing my brother just call. And I promise next time I see him I'll be sure to give him a new black eye."
Percy chuckled, "has he done this a lot?"
Artemis groaned, "more than you can imagine. It's like nobody is off limits to him, wife, girlfriend, husband, doesn't matter. He's like a bunny on viagra."
Percy chuckled, "then the only way for anyone to be sure Apollo won't flirt with their girlfriend would be if that girlfriend was you huh?"
