When the moon was at its highest Lucas started praying.
"I call to Lady Hecate, goddess of magic, ruler of the mist; I beseech thee to to conceal the gaze of those who wish to see, so that this potion may be completed in secrecy"
There was no answer but feeling the concentration of mist increase and the surrounding colours becoming dim, Lucas understood his call was answered.
Taking out a flask Lucas willed the Mist into it, closing the flask.
Back at their makeshift camp, Luke was already unpacking vials and notes. He looked up when Lucas approached, nodding once.
"You're sure?"
"I trust you, that's enough"
The ingredients had been prepared days prior, but only now did the potion take form. A feather from a magpie. Mist collected during magic's peak. Shards of a mirror. Moonlit water. All added in sequence, stirred with care. Luke watched closely, handing over tools, never speaking more than needed.
When the potion turned silver and thick, Lucas dipped a finger into the fluid. It shimmered against his skin. Understanding it was complete he collected it into the previous flask. Nodding towards Luke, he drank.
For a moment nothing, then the mist surged twirling around him into shapes. Sometimes people sometimes beasts, voices called for him and he turned, seeing various copies of himself doing the same, this continued for what seemed like hours before it suddenly vanished leaving Lucas and Luke alone.
Luke came forth, concern etched upon his face
"Did it go well? Everything all right?"
"Yeah...just a small headache; how long was I zoned out?" Lucas asked gazing at the still dark night.
"No more than five minutes, you sure everything is alright?"
"Yeah, i'm fine. Get some rest; i'll take watch"
Luke turned and went to his tent, he didn't know what that potion was nor was he curious. He had picked up some habits from Lucas during their travels and respecting other's secrets was one, all Luke had to know was could he trust Lucas...And that wasn't a hard question to answer.
Lucas set down beside the fire, using its glow to scan the tarot card:
Sequence 7 -Trickster
Illusion Creation: They can influence the environment, creating illusions with colors, sounds, and smells that would be close to reality, allowing them to pass off the false as true.
Illusory Doppelgangers: Can craft short-lived illusions of himself to distract or confuse enemies. These are mist-based and disappear upon contact but respond to threats and mimic his movement patterns.
Spirit Manipulation: They possess ways to interfere with the Spiritual Intuition of a target. Causes a target to ignore one's intuition or be given a false intuition.
Potion Ingredients:
Feather of a magpie
Mist touched by magic
Supplementary Materials:
10 ml of moonlit water
Shards of a mirror
...
Knowing they couldn't travel by sea, the group continued their journey across the land. As they crossed into Brooklyn, the city loomed ahead with all its noise and chaos. But just as they crossed the bridge, Lucas halted. His danger sense flared.
He raised his hand to signal. The group paused. Weapons were drawn.
From the shadows stepped figures clad in silver, women...no girls followed by wolves.
The Hunters of Artemis. Lucas thought
Their leader stepped forward, tall, graceful, and gorgeously beautiful: she had brown eyes, a slightly upturned nose, copper-colored skin, and the silver circlet braided into the top of her long, dark hair gave her the impression of a Persian princess.
She ignored the boys and instead turned towards Thalia scanning her before introducing herself.
" I am Zoë Nightshade, lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis" The pride in her tone radiating out
"I offer you sisterhood. Immortality. Purpose beyond Olympus. Join the Hunt. Leave behind the pain and chaos of men."
Thalia stood flabbergasted before looking at Luke from the corner of her vision, seeing him do the same. Turning to Annabeth she saw the worry on the girl's face and as for Lucas, she didn't bother, she knew he would simply find her predicament amusing already knowing what she would choose. And he was probably right.
"No thanks"
Silence reigned, obviously Zoë hadn't expected such an answer.
"No?" Zoë weas incredulous that someone would reject such an offer. Soon she understood the reason.
"Foolish girl. You will regret this. You choose love, when love will only betray you. He will leave you, as Heracles left me."
Thalia's nostrils flared. "I make my own choices. And I don't need your approval."
Zoë looked as though she would step forward again, fury and memory etched deep into her posture, but a slight cough from a young hunter behind cut her off. Knowing they had to leave, Zoë turned, leaving, the Hunters followed, silent as wind as graceful as moonlight.
Thalia exhaled. Lucas said nothing. Luke gave her a quiet look, but said no more.
They continued on.
...
The horde of monsters was on their heels. She did not need Lucas to confirm their origin. Monsters of the Underworld, led by the Furies.
They were coming for her.
"I'll stay," Thalia said, turning sharply. Her spear glinted, her stance fierce.
"No." Lucas caught her arm. "You go. Luke, take them. I can buy time."
"Don't be stupid, they're coming for me. You guys can still escape."
"There isn't time for this nonsense. Thalia, come on." Luke turned, grabbing Thalia and pushing her toward the hill. A crowd had gathered upon it. A camp beyond. He gave one last glance to Lucas, eyes filled with worry and silent promise.
Lucas nodded, turning back toward the oncoming horde.
He called upon the Mist. He drew it like a curtain and wove with it. Illusions sprang forth. Trees twisted, paths shifted, shadows multiplied. And from the Mist, copies of himself emerged, mist-born doppelgangers darting left and right, sowing confusion and killing where they could.
The Furies shrieked above, commanding the horde.
The monsters snarled, scattered, lunged; biting at phantoms and dispelling unfortunate doppelgangers.
Lucas took a breath. He knew what was to come. But he smiled.
Laughed.
At unfulfilled dreams. At the absurdity of it all. At the names that passed through his thoughts like prayers. Luke. Annabeth. Thalia. His father. Mother. Even Elizabeth.
He charged into the horde.
Ash. Sulfur. Blood.
That was all he smelled. All he knew. He danced through the chaos, flipping over skeletons, slaying Hellhounds. But he was tiring. He knew he would fall soon. The Furies knew it too. Yet the grin never left his face.
Then came the shift.
The horde faltered. Not from his illusion.
From something else.
While dodging a skeletal slash, he saw why.
Thalia and Luke had returned.
But that was not what caught his eye.
Flaming red hair.
"Elizabeth?!"
She tore out the throat of a Hellhound, blood spraying across her cloak. She nodded toward Lucas before vanishing into the fray. Behind her, a line of empousai followed, slashing through the Underworld spawn.
Luke grabbed him. "Move."
Together with Thalia, they rushed up the hill. The empousai guarded their rear.
The Furies screamed, diving from above, whips drawn.
But arrows rained from the trees, driving them back.
Lucas looked up.
A centaur. And behind him, a group of armored teenagers. Their bows bathed in golden aura.
Camp Half-Blood had arrived.
Once the group reached the peak of the hill, thunder rattled. A sudden storm cracked the sky open. Lightning arced between clouds while rain drenched the blood-soaked battlefield.
Lucas sensed something. He gathered the last of his strength and whispered a message through the Mist, one only Elizabeth could hear.
Run.
Though confused, she trusted him. Without hesitation, she turned. The remaining empousai followed her lead, retreating from the edge of the field.
The monsters paused, momentarily disoriented. The target was ahead yet they felt reluctant to let the empousai leave. The choice paralyzed them.
Then the first bolt fell.
Followed by another.
And another.
The ground exploded in fire and light. The battlefield was scorched. The air turned electric. Thunder cracked through the heavens, and howls were drowned in rain.
Lucas could not see what became of the Furies.
It did not matter.
They had survived.