Percy Jackson and The Olympians:Half-Blood Struggle[PG-13] [Accepting via PM,Started]

[Corvidae]

'Zephyr stays upstairs.' She told him. 'Zephyr?' Xaiklez called again. 'He must be sleeping again. He spends more time dreaming now than ever. Come.' And Xaiklez led Harry upstairs, where he saw Zephyr passed out on the floor, with a shattered glass on the ground, a brownish liquid spilled everywhere, and a teenaged boy desperately trying to clean up the mess.

'He tried to recite a prophecy while he was drinking his tea.' Tiaden explained apologetically. 'He nearly choked. I'm sorry, I should have been watching more carefully.'

'It's fine, Tiaden.' Xaiklez replied exhasperatedly. 'Just because you agreed to watch him doesn't mean everything that happens here is your fault.' She turned to Harry. 'Harry, this is Tiaden, Zephyr's housekeeper. Tiaden, this is Harry, a camper at Camp Half-Blood. Now can one of you tell me what I'm not seeing? What happened, Tiaden?'

[Luna Lovegood]

"Can I just ask a few questions before we get to involved in a reunion? First off all, who are you people? How do you know Xaiklez? How will you help us beat up some monsters and save a cabin? Do you know something about the prophecy that I don't? Did I already ask who you people were? if not, then who the heck are you!?" he said it so fast that the listeners could do nothing but wait for him to stop talking. After speaking, he took a few deep breaths then said, "Well?"

[Corvidae]

'I am Tiaden Nakron, son of Iris, Goddess of Rainbows.' Tiaden stood up. 'I know Xaiklez through Zephyr; he needed a housekeeper, I needed a job. When Xaiklez visits Zephyr, she visits me too. That's how I got to know her. I don't know anything about any cabin, or any prophecy, but Zephyr probably does. Ask him when he wakes up. Meanwhile, I've got to clean up this mess before he does.'

Xaiklez added, 'This,' she motioned vaguely towards the unconcious man, 'is Zephyr. He's the strongest Apollo demigod I know.'

At that moment, Zephyr groaned and sat up. 'What happened?' He asked, confused.

'Zephyr,' Tiaden gently spoke. 'Xaiklez is here, and she's brought somebody.'

'Oh yeah, Harry wasn't it?' Zephyr got up. 'So you need help about a prophecy, do you?' He looked at Harry long and hard, his bright red eyes staring into Harry's. 'Have a seat.' He finally said. 'We've got a lot to talk about.'

[ArtemisFowl]

Jecht put Nikki's head on the pillow and gave her some more necter. He set the blankets on the ground beside her. He strung his bow. He hadn't gotten much sleep in a couple of days but knew he couldn't risk it now. Jecht kept his bow pointed at the ground and sat down under a tree. His eyes were darting around for monsters because he knew whatever "defences" they had back with the van were gone now. His gazed would occasionaly drift from their surroundings down to Nikki's unconious form and examine her beautiful good looks. It would put a small smile on his face but he shook his head got back to his look out job.

[Luna Lovegood]

"Yep. You see, we don't exactly know where Nyx lives. Also, we don't really understand the prophecy. And we need a third member to go on our quest. In fact, the list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on... Need I say more?" Harry really didn't like the prospects: Zephyr was an old dude and as much as he said to the contrary, didn't seem helpful in the slightest to the quest. In fact, an old dude seemed like a disadvantage. He would be slow.

[Corvidae]

Zephyr nodded. 'The final sight. That likely refers to the last sight before death. So, to get to Nyx's realm, someone will have to die. But, before death, the person in question will admit to something done years ago, and that will awaken Nyx. A god discovered will refer to a god that is in hiding, such as Pan, god of the wild. I honestly doubt that it will be Pan, but still...' He squinted at something behind Harry. 'I'm not going.' He turned to Xaiklez. 'I'm sorry, but I'm getting too old to do this. I nearly died drinking my afternoon tea. There's no way I'm going to the Land of Night, especially not if it'll be my final sight.'

'But Zephyr-' Xaiklez began to complain, but Tiaden cut her off. 'I'll go instead. You gonna be okay alone for a few days, Zephyr?'

Zephyr nodded. 'Better than I will be if I went on the quest instead. Keep in touch with Iris Messages.'

[ArtemisFowl]

Jecht heard something and stood up, his bow turning around at every point trying to find out where the sound came from. He heard footsteps then a twig snap. "Who's there?!" He yelled igniting the arrow.

Then a man in a mailman suit stepped out with his hands held up. "Hey man put that up, I got a message for ya."

"Hermes?" Jecht questioned blowing out the flame.

"Yup. Since you found the boy Chris Zeus thought you'd like to hear this. Ahem." He said clearing his throat. "After much disscusion and arguing the fate of the son of Kronos has been decided. Most said the boy was too dangerous and must be killed. Others said that he could be a very valuble part in this battle. Being a controler of time he could give us an advantage but it has been decided that he could be too easily manipulated by Kronos and be used against us and will be put to death."

"No! Wait can't we teach him to control his power. I bet it was Athena the goddess of wisdom that said he could be used as an advantage." Jecht protested.

"Good point kid. It was her who said that but she was also a supporter of exucuting him because he is just a small boy." Hermes said as a comeback. "Its unanimous discision. There's nothing you can do kid. Sorry." And he flew up into the sky using his winged sandles.

[Luna Lovegood]

"So Tiaden is coming on the quest? Coolio. It'll be good fun for the lot of us. Now, Zephyr, there's something we need to know. Where is Nyx's lair? Is it up, down, left or right from here? We need to go, go go!" Now that the final member of their party was decided, Harry needed more information on the quest itself. He wasn't about to blindly jump into a quest were he might die without a bit more information.

[Corvidae]

Zephyr shook his head. 'I don't know everything. But Nyx is somewhere. You will have to find the midnight hour. Wait until midnight, and then start moving, preferably in a plane. Continue moving as far West as possibly, as fast as possible, keeping sure that it stays midnight. I think that Nyx will notice you if you stay in her realm for too long. So fly West, never straying from midnight, give or take a few minutes. That will attract Nyx's attention.'

 

Nikki stirred, and opened her eyes a tiny bit, straining to achieve this momentous feat. She saw Hermes leave, and she heard the last bits of their conversation. '-you can do, kid. Sorry' Nikki groaned slightly, and dropped her head back onto the pillow Jecht had placed below it. Can't... sleep... must stay... awake....

[Luna Lovegood]

"Then we need to get to an airport. It 7 PM, so that gives us 5 hours exactly." He paused and thought for a moment, "Hold on. Isn't Nyx in an eternal slumber? How is she supposed to notice us?" Suddenly, a bright light flared in the room.

 

"I can answer that." said a voice calmly.

 

"Father? Is that you?" asked Harry, thinking he recognized his father, Dionysus.

 

"No. I am someone who many have forgotten, but still I blow strong. My name is Zephyrus, God of the West Wind. I travel with midnight and any other time of day. I have noticed the night growing strong. Nyx has been waking for many years now. She will notice if powerful biengs like you remain in her domain for too long."

[ArtemisFowl]

Jecht turned to hear Nikki. "Nikki?" He knealt down, setting down his bow, and gave her a little necter. He made sure not to give her much because she already had so much before. "Don't talk. Just save your energy." He advised her. Jecht didn't want to alarm her or anything in her current state so Jecht decided not to tell her about Hermes devilering the message of what the gods decided about Chris right now but would wait until she was a little better.

[Corvidae]

Nikki shook her head weakly. 'H-Hermes?' She rasped.

 

Zephyr greeted Zephyrus. 'Hello, my namesake Zephyrus.' He turned to Harry. 'A public plane will not work. You need a private one.'

Tiaden grinned. 'I can do that.'

Xaiklez raised an eyebrow. 'Zephyrus? I don't know what you're talking about, but Tiaden, you aren't stealing a plane. Stealing planes is for sons of Hermes, not Iris.'

Tiaden froze. 'Of course!' Then he ran out. Oh gods! He thought desperately, as he ran out to Zephyr's yard. 'Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Desiree Nakron!' If Damian thinks I'm dead, he won't bother keeping Desiree alive. I have to know if she's still alive. When the Iris message showed him his sister unconcious on the floor, his hopes were crushed. Oh, gods, no! He fell to the ground, as the image vanished.

[Luna Lovegood]

"I think... I think I can come up with something much more comfortable then a plane." said Zephyrus. "How would you like to fly... Like a god!" proposed Zephyrus.

 

"What do you mean? We are mortals. AHow would you propose us to travel?" asked Harry.

 

"I have quite a few planes at my demand. I will let you travel in a very nice one, and I will regulate your speed." Zephyrus' idea sounded quite pleasant to Harry.

[ArtemisFowl]

Jecht knew he couldn't keep it from her for long since she had seen Hermes leave and she wouldn't stop until he told her so he nodded his head. "Yeah, he was delivering a message from Zeus. He said that after some arguing the gods had decided what to do with Chris." He repeated what Hermes had told him to the very weak Nikki. "He said it was a unanimous decision and that we couldn't do anything to stop them from doing it." He was now staring at the ground thinking. "I'm starting to think it could be for the best." He told her. "They were right he his just a young guy and if Kronos could even just speak to him it could be too easy for him to be put under his influence."

[Corvidae]

'I'm in.' Xaiklez laughed, not noticing that Tiaden had left. Zephyr, however, followed him outside, and saw him on the ground.

'What is it, Tiaden?' He asked.

'Desiree is dead.' He stood up.

'How do you know? You saw her?'

'I tried to IM her. I only saw her corpse.' Tiaden replied sadly.

'I doubt that.' Zephyr shook his head. 'You can't send an Iris massage to a dead person. She's alive, if only barely. Show me her.'

Tiaden nodded and activated another Iris message, which showed his sister spread-eagled on the floor. Zephyr examined the picture, then laughed. 'She's sleeping, Tiaden. Not dead. Whatever gave you that idea?'

 

Nikki nodded. 'Best decision.' She tried to reach for the canteen of water. 'Cruel, though.'

[Luna Lovegood]

"Good to know. Now when can we leave, Zephyrus?" asked Harry. His voice remained calm.

 

"We must be at my 'private' airport in time to depart at exactly midnight. We must leave very soon. Go, follow your friends, have them prepare. When you are ready, i will return and we will set off into the darkness." And with that, Zephyrus departed in a flash of light. Harry turned to Xaiklez.

 

"So it begins." he said.

[ArtemisFowl]

Jecht handed her the water and layed back beside Nikki, staring at the sky above wishing there was some way he could save Chris. Then something very important occured to him. "Nikki, do you know where we are right now?" He asked but then a chlling breeze came through that made even Jecht shiver. He stood up and grabbed the blankets, laying one overtop of Nikki and returned to his tree with his bow.

[Corvidae]

'Yes' Xaiklez nodded, then she noticed that she and Harry were alone in the room. 'Where's Zephyr and Tiaden?'

Zephyr led Tiaden back inside, and they went upstairs. 'Here we are.' Tiaden replied cheerily.

 

'Thanks.' Nikki took a drink of water, then answered his question. 'Door of Orpheus. Safer than LA. Nobody to hide from.'

 

The man who had attacked Zelkiax and Diana hopped into a random car, and started driving, at the same time he opened his laptop and emailed Damian. "Zekliax has escaped withthe girl. Used a sttrange magic item by yelling invert. Please advise. Request bckup."

 

Damian read the email with disgust. 'Why is it that none of my agents are capable of even the simplest missions? Stealing paper from an old man, killing a pair of demigods, how hard can it be! If I was doing that, they'd both already be done!'

[Luna Lovegood]

"Where did you go? Tiaden, Zephyrus has departed. He is preparing our transport. He will return when you are ready to depart. Go prepare!" Tiaden exited without saying another word.

 

"Zephyr? What Gods are missing? Who will we discover?" Harry asked. Even with an explanation of the prophecy, it confused him to no limit. So many questions remained unanswered.

 

OoC: Is it OK that I had Tiaden leave?

[Corvidae]

Zephyr shrugged. 'I don't know everything.'

Tiaden ran into the small room that he stayed in. He packed some of his things, and then he stopped, thinking. Desiree looked... different. Really different. More different than even a few years can do. What's going on? He shook his head, and continued to pack. Throwing knives, scimitar, nectar and ambrosia, mortal cash, golden drachmas, spare clothes... He trailed off. There's no way that that person in the Iris message was my sister. It wasn't her. I may have thought it was just because its been so long since I've seen her, but it's not that...

 

Nikki fell into a troubled sleep again.

[Jakeronijo]

Brian got a text. "No." He said recieving a video message from Martha about Chris. "they can't do that." He looked at the small boy who did not know where he was or what was to become of him. "Dante they want to kill him." Brian said before lightning crackled through the air and blasted a huge chunk of smothering earth away at Chris's feet. "sheet." Brian swore leaping through the fire and the flames and grabbing Chris and taking off through the air toward the barn. Brian saw no reason to bring Dante and left him there as he blasted off at the speed of sound arriving at the barn in under a minute. H noticed he hadn't used his caduceus to fly and had just taken off but realized that was of little importance as the wind picked up swiriling the wind in the barn. An owl hooted and the horses trotted nervously and whinned at the two trying to climb on. It began to rain through the barrier and the sky grew dark. Lightning hitting every where. Lightining from zeus' bolt. "NO WHATS HAPPENING!" Chris yelled out in fear. As a bolt of lighting hung in the air above him. Brian looked around as it had grown quiet and the owl was suspended in mid air flying towards them. The horses on their hind legs about to charge Chris just stood there. It was as if the gods were all trying to kill chris at that exact moment but nothing was happening. Brian realized Chris' eyes were slammed shut and he was whimpering. "Chris what did you?" He asked but everything sprang back to life and Brian grabbed Chris and sped off out of the barn as the place they were standing exploded.

 

The boy scoffed as the two disapeared. "Fools." He said. Walking through a shadow and colapsing in a tree above the two.

[ArtemisFowl]

"Hey what are you doing?!" Chris protested. He didn't like being suspended in the air with lightning attacking him.

 

Jecht immedatily jumped up with his bowed strung. "Don't move!" He yelled but then noticed it was the same kid from the side of the road. He stared at the boy confusingly but kept his bow strung, not trusting him. "Who are you?" He questioned. "Why and how are you following us." He said not knowing any other way he could have gotten there as fast as them besides shadow travel and there was not many 10 year old's that could do that.

[Corvidae]

Dante ran over to where Chris had landed. 'Oh my gods, what the Hades is going on!?!' He pulled Chris out of the way as a bolt of lightning blasted the ground near him. 'Why is this happening?!?'

 

Damian put his laptop into his pack, along with some other equipment. Then, he jammed the gas pedal with a metal rod, and removed his foot from the gas pedal, which stayed activated. Damian grinned. Now he could use his foot for more important things than driving. Damian grinned, and started driving towards the nearest airport. 'Titin, get ready to get out.' Damian warned him.

 

Nikki stirred again, groaned and opened her eyes, seeing the boy who had appeared again. 'Who are you?' She asked quietly and weakly, sitting up and swaying slightly.

[Corvidae]

Nikki jerked, and started looking... different. Her black hair was several inches shorter, her skin was a shade darker, and her eyes were now a dark brown. 'Luke's getting stronger.' She breathed, wincing. 'He's- he's trying to fix his mistake. With the Scepter. But- but that means...'

An Iris message appeared, from Desiree. She looked grave, in addition to that her hair was streaked with brunette, her eyes were green, and she seemed pale in comparison to Nikki. 'It's happening.'

 

Marissa sat up in pain. Her dark hair was now much longer, and tied in a ponytail. She turned to Desiree, who was sending the Iris message. 'Luke?' She breathed weakly.

Desiree nodded. 'Luke.' She turned back to Nikki. 'You have to get that Axe now more than ever! Meanwhile, we'll research how to cancel Alkahestian magic. I doubt taking a swim will cut it this time.' She terminated the call, and Nikki fell to the ground in pain.

[Luna Lovegood]

Tiaden returned to the rome with his bag packed. Almost instantly Zephyrus returned with a flash of light. "Come. Follow me. Try and keep up." Zephyrus turned and walked quickly out of the door.

 

"Let's go!" said Harry as he began running after Zephyrus. Harry had trouble keeping up with Zephyrus because the god could really book it. meanwhile, Xaiklez and Tiaden kept up easily. "Memo to self: get into shape very soon!"