A Champion Chosen
"We failed."
"Now it is even more impossible to erase than before."
"What do we do?"
"We cannot do anything."
"We should try other methods."
"And possibly cause the quality of reality itself to become impossible."
"What if we ask the others for help?"
"No."
"Never."
"Then what do we do?"
"All we can do is try to keep the destinies aligned correctly and try to remember them all, just in case one of them crosses paths with him and is erased."
"I suppose that is all that remains."
…
Miraak appeared directly in front of the cabin by the beach. From there, he could hear the shouts of joy from Sally and Percy as they reunited. It seemed Hades had sent him there just moments ago, right after Miraak sent Percy to a safe place. He could have sent him with his friends to the camp, but at the last moment he remembered that, technically, it was enemy territory. He did not know whether, under Zeus's orders, the god there might do something to him. So he simply sent him here.
Miraak let out a tired sigh before taking a step toward the cabin, but he stopped.
Almost immediately, a rather familiar man walked toward him. He carried a messenger bag over his shoulder and casually ate from a bag of chips. He wore delivery clothes and the characteristic cap with the company's logo.
Hermes.
"Hey, looks like you really made the old man angry. Though seeing my house completely demolished is not really fun. Seeing Ares's and Apollo's, that was," Hermes said with an amused smile.
Miraak stared at him for a moment.
"What do you want?" he asked bluntly.
"Didn't anyone tell you that you have a very unfriendly face?" he said while reaching into his bag and searching for something. He pulled out what looked like a completely black letter, with golden edges. "You know, this is the first time I've ever delivered one of these. Though supposedly, before I was born, there were plenty of them going around," he added as he handed it to him.
Miraak glanced at the letter briefly before opening it. As he read it, it confirmed more or less what he had expected. As soon as he finished, the letter burst into flames and vanished, as if refusing were impossible. The moment he read it, the pact was already sealed; date and time included.
"Well, that's all on my end. By the way, according to the pact, your champion cannot be touched by any of the gods. And if any of them do, all those who formed the pact in the past will intervene to punish the one who breaks the rule. It's a way to prevent cheating, because there were a lot of cheaters in the past," Hermes said before turning around, as if his job was already done.
However, he stopped for a moment. His expression showed genuine hesitation.
"Hey… my son… no, nothing," he said before continuing on his way and disappearing.
Miraak raised an eyebrow as he watched him go, then turned back toward the cabin.
…
Percy entered Half Blood Hill feeling somewhat nervous. The moment he crossed the boundary, every gaze fell on him. Annabeth and Grover, who seemed to have been waiting for him for quite some time, were the first to run toward him and give him a truly happy hug.
The rest of the campers watched him with excitement, as if they had been waiting for a celebration. After all, he had completed a mission that had been pending for a long time.
It seemed they had not yet heard about the attack on Olympus, or more accurately, they probably never would. It was not something the gods would be proud of.
Mr. D's look clearly told him not to even think about saying anything. After all, it had everything to do with his parents' pride. Although, to be honest, Percy did not care much about that man's stare, especially now that he knew he was untouchable by the gods.
But then he realized the detail. He was untouchable by the gods. Gods. Not by demigods or other things.
When he noticed Dionysus's now openly smug smile, Percy understood that he knew exactly what he was thinking. The look he gave him was almost a silent warning.
So he decided not to say much. If he told those kids that their parents had lost their home and their pride, it was likely they would all jump on him. Percy was confident he could defeat many of them, but his endurance had limits, and he did not want to destroy the entire camp if he could avoid it. Thinking about that, now that he analyzed it, was really a bad idea.
Now that he thought about it more carefully, he probably could destroy a camp by himself. Maybe not now, but in the future. It was not like he intended to.
"Let's stop thinking about that," Percy told himself as he shook his head.
He did not want to return to the camp, but Miraak was busy and could not watch over him to make sure a monster did not eat him for a couple of days, so he sent him there. It was strange, because technically they were enemies. But knowing Miraak, it was a way to mock the gods. And that fit Percy rather well.
Percy sat there, looking around, thinking that maybe one of those kids would be his opponent in that strange duel Miraak had mentioned. He did not have all the details, he only knew that he had to defeat whoever was chosen.
His gaze settled on Luke. Maybe he was one of the most likely candidates. He was strong; Percy had seen him train with a sword several times alongside the Hermes cabin siblings. He had popularity and strength, a dangerous combination.
Then there was Clarisse. She had already recovered from the blow Percy gave her, and now she trained with real dedication. Her hands were covered in fresh calluses, and from time to time she shot Percy looks filled with competitive energy. She wanted to reclaim her honor by defeating him.
The others from the Ares cabin looked at him with hatred. Embarrassing their father seemed to be something they would never forgive. But honestly, that did not bother Percy very much.
Annabeth was unlikely. She was the smartest, but in terms of physical power she lagged behind those two.
Grover, on the other hand, had received his permission as a searcher. He ran happily all over the place, which made Percy smile slightly.
That night, Percy returned to Poseidon's solitary cabin, still immersed in that thoughtful state.
The days passed. Eventually came the moment when Grover said goodbye to leave on his expedition in search of Pan.
Percy wanted to go with him, but he knew he had to prepare for whatever that duel would involve. His master had still not returned, which increased his irritation, but he was sure there was a reason he had been sent to the camp.
So he would stay there, waiting.
Until he discovered why.