Percy smiled, "apology accepted. But you know there is something you can do to make it up to me..."
"What do you need kid?"
"Can you teach me how to fight?" PErcy asked putting on his serious face.
"You can already handle yourself pretty well kid," Galen said pointing to his wounded jaw, "you're pretty strong."
"Yeah but you completely outmaneuvered me, I got in a couple of lucky shots but...."
"Well that's because of experiance kid. I've been alive for a long time, I just kind of picked up my own fight style."
Percy blinked, "wait....how old are you?"
"Huh, somewhere around 3000-4000 years old, why?"
"Wait?! You're an immortal?!"
"Keep it down will you! Some of us aren't immune to hangovers!" Galen hissed as he healed his head in pain.
"Sorry," Percy whispered.
"It's okay, but yeah, everyone on the crew is immortal...didn't you know?"
"Well I knew Odysseus was immortal but not all of you!" Percy recalled his observation of Galen and remembered seeing Immortal next to Human, but he was distracted at the time so it didn't really register until now.
"Yeah well it's a funny story that. After Odysseus left the Underworld he was confronted by Hermes and Athena, they were pissed but Odysseus always was their favorite. Athena loved his craving from new and exciting thing and he Hermes was his grandfather. They granted him partial immortality and gave his this ship," Galen knocked on the Accession.
"What's partial immortality?" Percy asked.
"It's temporary immortality. It basically means that you live forever unless someone or something can kill you. So while a full immortal like a God or titan could reform later, a partial immortal can't."
"I see," Percy said, "so everyone here has partial immortality?"
"Yup. Anyway, so Odysseus then set sail forever looking for adventure and knowledge," Galen continued as a smile creeped on his face, "he eventually found me and I joined on as his first crew mate. Soon more and more people joined up each from different time period, your friend Marc? He's from the era of the French revolution. Our Chef Zed is probably the youngest member born in the 1950's while others are from Ancient Egypt or even from Iceland."
Percy whistled, "so basically you guys just do whatever you want?"
"Yup," Galen smiled, "the God's own Odysseus for popularising the story of the Greeks for the entire world to remember. It was his story that basically made everyone acknowledge the Greeks as the best, at the time. So the Gods just let u do what we want. We are basically like the Hunters of Artemis but with more freedom."
Percy raised an eyebrow, "Artemis's hunters have partial immortality as well?"
Galen nodded, "yup. Anyway I need to go to bed kid, still have a nasty headache. Good night."
Percy smiled watching the giant man wobble back to the sailor's quarters, "you do realise the sun is coming up right?"
"Bite me kid," Galen shouted back as he went inside to sleep.
Percy smiled and turned back to look at the sun's rays slowly coming up the horizon. Percy smiled and looked across the sky. The stars were slowly fading away to nothing, but the moon was still hanging in the sky. It was a crescent moon and though the sun was coming up the moon was still clearly seen.
"I wonder what your doing right now Artemis," Percy whispered as he looked down at the sea and smiled.
"Nothing much Percy what are you doing?"
Percy jumped in surprise and fell over board crashing into the waters below. He quickly gathered his senses and pulled himself up back on the ship with the help of the water. He got on again and there standing where he was and laughing his ass off was the red haired goddess of the hunt.
"Artemis what are you doing here?" Percy hissed as he got back on the ship and allowed his powers to automatically dry himself.
"Oh I just came to see how you were doing Percy," Artemis smiled as she looked around, "I haven't seen this ship in a long time."
"Yeah well I'm doing fine, I guess. Until you nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"
"Oh calm down,"Artemis said chuckling, "you are acting like Her when she fails to seduce Zeus."
Percy looked away and huffed, "well thank you very much."
"Oh are you going to pout now?" Artemis asked leaning back against the ship's railing.
Percy grumbled and sighed giving up on his anger, "so what's new with you?"
"Nothing really, the hunt is currently tracking down-"
"-Something powerful, something which if we fail to get would mean the fall of Olympus. Yeah I remember."
Artemis nodded, "yes well we haven't really made progress, but luckily neither have the Titan's."
"What are you looking for anyway?"
"It's....I can't say."
"Can't or won't?'
"Can't, strict orders from Zeus himself. We need to keep this information secret for as long as possible."
"Why? Don't the one group of people we don't want to know already know?"
"Yes but we know that they know and if we say that we know that they know than they know that we know that they know."
"...you just got very confusing all of a sudden," Percy said as his stomach grumbled, "hmm, time for breakfast."
Artemis nodded, "yes it is getting late I suppose."
"How are you even here anyway? Don't you like have to chart the moon around or something?" Percy asked curious to know more about Artemis.
"Well yes, but right now is the time between morning and night when Apollo takes over and I can stop. It's still a bit early so I don't have to go back to my Hunters yet so I spend this free time doing whatever I want."
"And you chose to spend it with me," Percy grinned, "I feel so special."
Artemis huffed, "don't get any ideas boy, you are on a very important mission and I just wanted to make sure you didn't screw up already."
Percy sighed, "can't you just admit you came because you like talking to me? I mean it wouldn't be lie or anything if you did admit that."
"I don't....fine. You are very...interesting to talk to. You just might be one of the few people I have left to call friend."
"Don't you have like an entire group of girls you lead?"
"Yes but I look at them more as my daughters than my friends. I do consider my lieutenant as a friend, but she still sees me as he mistress first before anything else. Plus with the unofficial title I hold...."
"The man hater one?"
"Yes...that. It's just difficult to get along with any one."
Percy smiled, "well I'm honoured," he bowed low, "my lady."
Artemis rolled her eyes but laughed at Percy's action. Just then her stomach rumbled loudly causing the goddess to hold it and blush.
Percy smiled, "breakfast time."
"Percy it's okay I'm a God I can go for a few minutes without food. I usually go to my Hunter's camp and cook food with them."
"Oh shut up Artemis," Percy said as he grabbed the goddess by the hand and dragged her to the upper deck, "besides you owe me dinner."
"That's dinner, this is breakfast!"
Percy shrugged, "it's a meal isn't it?" He walked into the kitchen and saw it empty.
"I don't think your cook is awake right now," Artemis said.
"Neah it's okay I got this," Percy replied as he found a seat next to a window and motioned for Artemis to sit next to him.
"Percy I really must go," Artemis replied as she sat down on the seat opposite to Percy.
"And yet you sat down," Percy said with a smile opening his inventory. He had stored plenty of food from camp over the days and all of it was hot and freshly made since it was stored in his inventory. Percy pulled out a plate of pancakes and some waffles and laid it out, "there, the food of the Gods."
"Where did you get that from?" Artemis questioned as she took the plate of waffles for herself.
"Magic," Percy said wiggling his eyebrows.
Artemis rolled her eyes and looked at her plate, "where's the fork?"
"Your a goddess of the hunt and you need a fork?"
"I may be a goddess of the wild but I'm also civilized,' Artemis snapped her fingers causing two silver forks to appear in hand.
"Cool," Percy said as he took one from Artemis, "is this real silver?"
"Yes it is," Artemis turning to her food. Percy smiled and pulled out a jar of maple syrup from his inventory pouring it all over his pancakes. The two then ate in silence as they relished every single bite of their food.
"This is so good," Artemis said as she poured more maple syrup onto her food.
"Thanks, my mom made it," Percy replied as he finished the second pancake.
"Your mom's a good cook," Artemis said as she quickly finished her plate of food, "oh Zeus that was good."
Percy smiled as he finished his own food, "so what now?"
"I have to leave I suppose, the hunters will be getting up anytime now."
"Well..bye,"Percy waved.
Artemis chuckled, "by Percy, thanks for breakfast."
"See you around Artemis," Percy replied as she snapped her fingers disappearing in a flash of light. "Show off," Percy grumbled and just then a note appeared in front of him in another flash of light. Percy took the note and opened it. It read, 'I'm not a show off.'
"Okay now you are definitely a show off," Percy replied with a big smile.
Afternoon,
Percy stood once again at the very tip of the ship to give it a boost in speed. Odysseus and the rest of the crew stood behind him as Percy lifted his hands up and slowly made a connection with the sea once again.
The rope of water connecting him to the sea pulled him forwards but Percy was used to it now. He pulled back commanding the ship forward which slowly drained him of his mana.
Percy relaxed and slowly opened his eyes. He was about to disconnect from the sea when suddenly a feeling of fear ran through him.
'HELP US!
'Percy's eyes winded as the fear filled his very being up. Something out there in the sea was calling for help, it was calling for him.
Percy turned to Odysseus, "something out there is in danger captain."
The hero raised an eyebrow, "really? How do you know?"
"Through my connection with the sea,"Percy explained as he pointer towards the north, "it came somewhere over there."
"If we stray from the course it will take longer to reach Nassu you know," Odysseus said with a calculating eyes.
"It's okay," Percy looked right at the hero's eyes, "something out there asked for my help, and I intended to help it."
"It could be a trap."
"The amount of fear I felt can't be faked," Percy replied back harshly, "we need to help it."
Odysseus and Percy started each other down until the captain smiled, "you have a big soft spot kid. Careful now or that might be the end of you."
Percy nodded, "I will be."
"Alright everyone you heard the boy! Turn this boat around towards the east! We have somebody to save!"
Percy moved as he helped the crew move the ship. Luckily the boost he gave to the ship still was in effect allowing them to reach their destination in a hour.
"Where are we now captain?" Galen asked as he stood next to Odysseus and Percy near the front of the ship.
"Well according to my kin sense of directions," Odysseus wet his finger and raised it into the air, "we must be somewhere off the gulf of Mexico." He then turned to Percy, "so this is where you got the cry for help?"
Percy nodded, "yeah it should be here somewhere," Percy closed his eyes concentrating on his connection with the sea. He pulled on it until he felt the fear once again.
'Somebody please help me!'
Percy's eyes shot open, before it was 'us', not it was 'me'. Percy knew he was running out of time and without a second though he dived into the water swimming downwards.
You have entered a water body! Due to your parentage you have gained a boost!
+1000 HP
+1000 MP
All wounds are healed
All ailments cured
Water Breathing ability active
+1000 HP(+1000 HP due to necklace of Poseidon) = +2000 HP
+1000 MP (+1000 MP due to necklace of Poseidon) = +2000 MP
Percy ignored the box and quickly commanded the water to pull him downwards. He swam down faster than a missile. '100 meters,' Percy told himself. That was how dep he was. He didn't know how he knew it, he just did.
The fishes and all other creatures of the sea around him moved away giving Percy plenty of space to move as fast as he could.
'200 meters.' Percy pushed himself as his muscles began to strain, but the water healed them un instantly causing Percy to become even stronger.
'400 meters,' by now Percy's connection with the sea grew stronger. He could feel the water all around him. The sea creature's presence shined like a light bulb in the dark.
'500 meters,' all the sea creature slowly started to thin out. Most couldn't swim this deep.
'Help'
The voice was becoming softer, like a life from it was gone.
'700 meters,' it started to become darker now. Percy's breathing became more rapid as his body struggled to get used to the pressure.
'800 meters,' Percy's eyes slowly started to adjust again.
'Help'
The voice faded even more. Percy could now feel the creature dying.
'950 meters,' Percy gritted his teeth. His body felt like it was moving through jelly, but Percy kept pushing forward.
'hel.....'
'1,100 meters,' Percy could feel he was close. He searched with his connection to the sea and felt for the cry of help calling out to him. It was very quite now, almost silent,, but it was still there. Percy moved and soon the darkness of the deep spread out revealing a figure floating in the ocean.
As Percy approached he could make out more and more and for a moment he couldn't believe what he saw.
'Beautiful,'was all Percy could think the moment he laid eyes on her.
She had hair redder than blood with a sea shell thread plated into her hair. He scaled were bright green and around her neck was a necklaces of pearls and shells. The beautiful creature had a bra made out of seaweed strung over her breasts hiding what it could of her impressive bust.
'She-she's a mermaid,' Percy quickly realised. He looked at her closely and found that she wasn't moving, it didn't even look like she was breathing. The mermaid had gills along her neck, and they weren't moving. Percy quickly approached her and found her skin cold to the touch. Her skin was a hue of blue, a colour Percy assumed a mermaid shouldn't naturally be. He quickly used Observe on the creature;
Mera, Mermaid of Atlantis
Lv-18
HP: 10/1,000
MP: 3,000/3,000
Race-Mermaid
Str-12
Vit-34
Dex-11
Int-53
Wis-43
Luc-21
The daughter of Triton, Mera is considered very magically gifted and is known to be very rebellious. She often loses her temper at other people and her attitude has caused her number of friends to be limited. She recently went out on an adventure with her friends but due to a series of unfortunate events is now hurt badly.
