Masters of Defying Destiny
Book 1: The Frozen Trails
We do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians or any works of Rick Riordan. All rights go to their original owners. We only own OCs and concepts we're introducing to the canon.
Writing credits go to Uzumaki Ricky, Monsterhuntergod, Sharad the hedgehog, and Traines.
Chapter 1: Last Stand of the Princess
Thunder. Thunder was what proclaimed the coming of the storm and echoed long after its passing. Thunder was what drove animals away in fright and what put fear in the hearts of men. Normally such simple nonsense would not hold any sway with Thalia. Yet, as she marched from the woods and the shadows of the storm forming above her, she began to heed those words. The wind nipped at her black leather jacket and tugged at her black mop of hair. Her tanned hands twitched, ready for action at a moment's notice. She then turned to look ahead of her towards her Satyr guide.
His brown goat legs twitched and fidgeted as he ran, a wispy beard waving about as his head moved back and forth across the horizon. She swore his head would fall off if it were not screwed on at this rate. However, soon his brown eyes looked back at her, as if motioning her to speak.
"Grover. How much farther is it to camp?" Thalia asked, brushing away a bit of her black hair from her eyes.
"We're almost there. We just have to keep going." the young Satyr said, glancing over his shoulder as they ran.
As they scrambled over a set of large rocks, Thalia reached down to help the others up. Grover with his goat legs scampered up past them like a Billy goat. However, the rest of the party needed help. She initially only saw a set of golden blonde hair poking above the rocks, forcing her to squat down. Despite the boy's muscular build, his arms were occupied carrying their charge. He gave Thalia a mischievous smile as she pulled him up by the shoulders. It was then that she got a good look at who he was carrying
Upon his back was a newbie, a young girl of about seven years old with grey eyes. Her skin was deeply tanned, covering a very slender body even for her age. Long, honey blonde hair ended in perfect princess curls, almost like a Disney princess she saw in her youth. Across her face and in the depths of her eyes was exhaustion setting in. The trip was not easy on her. Mercifully, it was almost over.
"Never thought I'd see the day where I had to help you up, Luke." Thalia said with a smirk.
The boy, now identified as Luke, gave a wry smile. "Hey, I gotta carry Annabeth. She's still only seven, so she can't run or climb as fast as us." He told his friend as the two looked at the little, beach blonde California girl on his back.
"I just wish there was a faster way to get to camp than this. Our head start isn't going to last much longer." Thalia replied before the two swiftly caught up with their Satyr guide.
"Speaking of which, do you smell any monsters, Grover? It's quiet. I don't like quiet." Luke said to the goat boy, looking around cautiously at the eerily quiet forest around them as the silence was only broken by the sound of thunder.
The brown-haired boy sniffed the air, a sharp blaaaah leaving his lips. "Oh no.." he said, looking at his companions, eyes widening in fear.
"What flavor of death is it this time?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow at his assertion.
"Furies…" he answered simply, glancing up into the sky, eyes darting around fearfully.
Luke groaned in frustration. "Great. Hades' personal torture monkeys are after us. What's next, an army of hellhounds…?" He grumbled.
In the distance, the four soon were serenaded with a cacophony of howling. An instinctive dread filled them as all, but Annabeth knew what was coming. As they tensed up, Annabeth finally spoke.
"Wh… what was that…?" Annabeth stammered nervously.
"The sound of what happens when I tempt fate…" Luke said, wishing he could facepalm without risking dropping Annabeth.
"Grover. I need you to lead Luke and Annabeth back the emergency route." Thalia said sternly as she brought out a spear and shield made of glowing bronze, the shield having a snarling gorgon face imprinted on it, before gripping them firmly as they crested the hill near the camp.
"I'm on it! C'mon, we have to run!" Grover cried, leading the way.
"What about you, Thalia?" Luke asked, tentative about leaving her behind.
"I'm the reason they're here, Luke. I've endangered this entire quest by coming on it. And I'm going to fix that here and now." Thalia answered, getting into a running stance.
Luke's eyes widened in shock. "You're not thinking of…" He began to say before Annabeth cut him off.
"You can't, Thalia! You said we'd make it to camp together!" Annabeth cried out in denial, not on board with this plan in the slightest.
"Being a Hero isn't about what you want to do, Annabeth. It's about what you have to do. Luke. Either get running now, or I am going to throw you the rest of the way to camp." Thalia sternly said, her eyes smoldering in frustration at their inaction.
Luke's face set in the grim line of a frown, but he nodded in understanding. "Okay. We'll be back with help. Just make sure you don't get yourself killed before we make it back." He told his friend, clearly seeing that the Daughter of Zeus had made up her mind.
"But Luke-" Annabeth began to protest only for Luke to cut her off.
"It's too late to change her mind, Annabeth. All we can do is have faith that she can hold on until we get back with backup…" Luke told the little girl sadly.
"WE HAVE TO RUN, PEOPLE! WE'LL BE BACK WITH HELP, WE GOTTA GO!" Grover cried, grabbing Luke's arm and pulling him along.
Annabeth looked back at Thalia from Luke's back as they went. "Make sure you don't die, Thalia!" She called out to the older girl as they left.
"Me? Die? If they wanted me dead, they should have brought Thanatos." Thalia said with a warm smile, but as soon as she disappeared in a burst of speed, it shifted to a frown.
It did not take long for Thalia to reach her chosen ground. The thunder boomed and rippled through the forest as the wind and rain picked up. The air hung thick with dread as she saw the dark forms of the monstrous canines that stalked them. Soon, three-winged hag-women with fiery whips and spears landed across a small clearing from her. Their eyes glowed in the ensuing darkness, three pairs of golden orbs staring at her.
"Well, well, well. The little hero who should never have been born finally stops running." One of them hissed.
"You gave us quite a bit of trouble, girl. Have you finally grown tired of being a coward and decided to face your death?" Another hissed, cracking her flaming whip.
"I figured you girls had enough cardio for one day. Can't have you three smelling of sweat and hellhound before your next court case." Thalia answered with a smirk.
The three Furies cackled with laughter as the third spoke. "Amusing! You believe that one godling can defeat an army of monsters alone!? You are a bigger fool than Heracles, girl!" The third laughed.
"Seems like you're forgetting something about heroes in your old age. Especially ones from the Big Three." Thalia answered cockily, tapping the butt of her spear against a rock, clearly annoying the amassing monsters.
"And what might that be, foolish little demigod?" One of the Furies asked, humoring the girl.
Thalia then, with a big smile, began to crackle with electrical might, lighting up the darkness like a lighthouse. "Our job isn't to jump face first into Hell. It's to make sure it's full when we get there." She answered before blinding them with a flash of lightning.
The Furies screeched as one of them howled in pained fury from a bolt of lightning hitting her from Thalia's spear. "KILL HER!" Another one of the Furies howled in rage.
The hellhounds howled for blood before rushing in, snarling as they drooled. Their appetites were wet for the blood of a fresh, young hero. Letting out a roar, Thalia rushed into the fray as she lit herself ablaze with electrical power. Leaping into the air, she roared again as she slammed her shield into the ground amidst the crowd of hellhounds. An explosion of thunderous power like the strike of a levin bolt from the heavens was unleashed as she landed, the blast of lightning vaporizing several demon canines as the rest were blown back.
One tried to rush at Thalia as the dust cleared, only for it to get an eye full of the Medusa head emblazoned on Thalia's Aegis. Whimpering in fear as it stepped back, it left itself open to a slash from the bladed tip of the spear of the Daughter of Zeus that cleaved off its head. A line of hellhounds rushed at her only for her to unleash a levin bolt from the tip of her spear that blasted straight through them, killing them. Dodging a lunge from another hellhound, Thalia slammed the edge of her shield down onto its neck, breaking it, before spinning back and stabbing another through the eye, spearing its brain and turning it into dust.
Turning, Thalia's eyes crackled with lightning as she slammed the butt of her spear into the ground. "COME AT ME, YOU SCUM!" She roared before charging deeper into the army of Hades' dogs of war.
Meanwhile: Near the Boundary Line of Camp Half-Blood
Grover and Luke pushed themselves harder than they ever had before. Their legs burned, sweat poured down their skin, and their chests heaved for every scrap of air. Annabeth, however, kept looking back, hoping beyond hope to see Thalia. Each time she did, it nearly threw off Lukes's balance, forcing him to look back at her.
"Can you please stop doing that, Annabeth? I can't afford to trip right now." Luke sternly said.
"But I'm worried about Thalia. Are you sure she can handle them…?" Annabeth replied, clearly concerned.
"All we can do is hope she can. And never forget her heroism if she can't." Luke answered solemnly.
"We made it!" Grover cried in relief as they stepped into the boundary of Camp Half-Blood.
As soon as they crossed the boundary line, the two collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Seeing this, campers began to rush over to see what was wrong. As Grover and Luke were helped up by some campers, the distinct sound of horse hooves could be heard between the monstrous crashes of thunder. Looking up, they saw a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair, bushy eyebrows, intense brown eyes, and a brown beard trotting up to them. Quite literally trotting, considering that he was a white stallion from the waist down.
"Chiron… we need help…!" Grover panted out in exhaustion.
The now identified Chiron soon loomed over them, looking at them with a pair of concerned, wizened eyes.
"Where is Thalia?" the centaur asked bluntly.
"She… she stayed back to hold the line! Hurry! She doesn't have much time!" Luke told him, panting heavily.
"Light the signal fires! We must prepare for the worst!" Chiron ordered.
"You heard the centaur! Get your weapons and get moving, people! We got monster butt to kick!" roared the voice of one of the members of Ares cabin.
"Let's just hope we aren't too late…" Luke muttered tiredly as the camp began mobilizing into action.
Meanwhile: Back with Thalia
Thalia slashed through the head of another hellhound with her spear before jumping back to avoid another pounce. Slashing upwards with her spear, she sheered the beast in half horizontally before turning and stabbing another through the mouth and blasting it with lightning. The resulting explosion of electrical might blew apart multiple hellhounds, reducing them to dust. Allowing herself a cocky smile, Thalia soon cried out in pain as what felt like boiling hot pain ripped through her back as the crack of a fiery whip was heard. She had been so focused on the hellhounds that she had forgotten about the Furies.
"Keep your eyes on the prize, dearie! Why don't I help reinforce the POINT!?!" One of the Furies cackled as she dived down, ready to skewer her with her spear.
With pure instinct, Thalia blocked the tip of the spear with her shield before charging lightning into it. The white-hot electricity shot up through the spear and electrocuted the Fury, losing a screech of pain from her as her spear was blown apart and she was forced to back off. Hissing in rage, the bat-winged hag monster lashed out with her fiery whip only for Thalia to deflect it with her electrified shield. However, Thalia then felt razor sharp claws rake across her burned back as she turned and shield bashed a hellhound in the face, caving its skull in before it turned to ash.
Hearing the crack of a flaming whip, Thalia leaped to dodge aside as the whip made of fire hit the ground where she had once been, lighting the grass ablaze. Panting, she pointed her spear and shot a bolt of lightning at the Fury, knocking her out of the sky. As the Fury fell to the ground, Thalia was forced to dodge a lunge from another hellhound as she brought her shield down onto the top of its skull, reducing it to dust in an explosion of lightning. Panting, Thalia looked over at the army of monsters surrounding her as the downed Fury began to get back up, hissing in rage. Gritting her teeth, Thalia knew that this would be her final battle.
"Sorry, Annabeth… Luke… it looks like this is it for me…" Thalia whispered apologetically before setting her face in a stony mask of resolve. "If I'm going to Hell, I won't be going alone! I'll be dragging you all down with me, kicking and screaming!" She roared before engaging the army of monsters once more.
Meanwhile: Up On Mount Olympus
From atop the Empire State Building, the heart of the storm swirled around Mount Olympus. From one of the many awe-inspiring balconies, two men stood looming over the world below them. One was a very tall, imposing, and muscular man with shoulder length black hair and a neatly trimmed gray-and-black beard. He had brilliant electric blue eyes and a very handsome face that was marred by sadness, his gaze seeming as distant as the ozone layer above. He wore a dark blue pinstripe suit as he gazed down at the sight below of Thalia fighting for her life.
The other was a middle-aged man with a muscular build, curly black hair, blue eyes, and elfish features. He was wearing a business suit and carrying a cell phone. The oddest feature on him was the wings on his shoes. The two men looked down upon what was unfolding on the hill near Camp Half-Blood. Yet the normally talkative elfish man dared not speak. Since the start of their observation session, the pinstripe suited man had not said a word. He simply stood there, looking. Indeed, one would even be so bold to say staring at what was going on. It caught the elfish man off guard when he did finally speak.
"Have I made an error, Hermes?" The pinstripe suited man asked coldly, not looking at his fellow god as he spoke.
"I… do not understand the question, Lord Zeus. What do you mean?" The now identified Hermes asked, visibly confused.
"Have I made the same mistake as my father did? To throw to the wolves those that I have allowed to be uplifted?" Zeus asked cryptically.
Hermes looked stunned at the question. "This kind of talk is not like you, Lord Zeus. The girl will make it. She is your daughter, after all…" He replied, trying to offer some form of comfort to the King of the Gods.
"But did it have to happen? Did it have to reach the point of her being hunted by the Furies?" Zeus asked, the storm rumbling as he spoke.
Hermes looked down thoughtfully at that. "I… don't know if I can answer that with certainty, Lord Zeus…" He replied sadly, knowing that his father would not like that answer.
"Do you believe that we can change fate, Hermes?" Zeus asked, as if trying to get some kind of answer out of him.
"I… do not know, Lord Zeus. The Sisters of Fate do not like being defied. Even we, the gods, are at the mercy of their whims…" Hermes told the Skyfather, trying to choose his words carefully.
Zeus stood there silently, falling into deep thought. He looked upon his daughter, fighting with a ferocity and valor even his own divine children had yet to display. She fought not merely for her own survival, but to rise above what was certain. To dare to try to defy fate itself.
"I envy them sometimes, Hermes." Zeus said sadly, his demeanor beginning to sadden along with his voice.
This shocked the God of Messengers greatly. "Envy who, my lord?" Hermes asked, uncertain of where this was going.
"Demigods. I sometimes envy their naivety. Their ignorance. Their belief is that they can change their fate. To rise above adversity and perform the impossible." Zeus explained, leaning against the railing.
Hermes looked on at his half-sister's struggle sadly. "To tell you the truth, Lord Zeus… so do I. However, having spent the most time with the heroes and mortals, I can say from experience that, sometimes, that belief is founded. Sometimes, through sheer force of will, the impossible can become possible…" He told his father, beginning to silently root for the girl as they watched on.
Hearing this, the God of Kings then stood up to his full height and his hands began to crackle with raw divine power. "If they can make it possible, then so can I." Zeus answered, his voice booming like thunder.
This shocked Hermes. "My lord…?" He asked, genuinely confused and surprised.
"If Hades has such a problem with me, then he can face me with his displeasure. These shadow games end today." Zeus answered, ready to unleash his divine will upon the world.
"But Lord Zeus, you know that it's forbidden for gods to fight amongst themselves!" Hermes pointed out, trying to not overstep his boundaries.
"The only way this will become a fight is if Hades makes it one. And I intend to make sure that this will never happen again." He replied, before unleashing a bolt of divine energy. A bolt heading straight towards Thalia.
Meanwhile: With Thalia
Thalia panted heavily as blood from multiple grievous injuries on her body soaked her clothes. Acting quickly, she slashed through a hellhound, shield bashed another one's head off and deflected a spear from a Fury. Dodging a whip from another Fury, she grabbed onto the fiery whip and gritted her teeth in agony. Pulling down with all her might, she yanked the Fury out of the sky before impaling the bat-winged hag through the heart on her spear. The Fury screeched in agony as she turned to dust. The other two howled in fury as they saw their sister disintegrate.
"You dare, godling!? You will suffer in the bowls of Erebus for this!" One of the two remaining Furies shrieked in rage.
"Come… and get me… you bitches!" Thalia panted, sweat pouring from her brow as she leveled her spear at her foes while she felt her stamina drain from the attack.
"I am not a bitch! That is a bitch!" One of the Furies roared, pointing to a female Hellhound next to her.
"Focus!" The lead Fury growled.
With a roar, Thalia launched the strongest blast of lightning she could at the Fury that spoke. The blast hit her like a freight train, knocking her out of the sky. Dodging a lunge from another hellhound, Thalia stabbed it through the back of its skull before swinging her spear in an arc to cut through three lunging hellhounds. Dodging a crack of a fiery whip, she launched another levin bolt at the offending Fury to knock her out of the sky. Shield bashing another hellhound in the face, she slashed it through the face with her spear's bladed tip.
Jumping aside, Thalia barely avoided a direct blow from a hellhound's claws, her side getting nicked. Panting, she stabbed the hellhound in the back of the head before frying it with lightning, resulting in a large electrical explosion. Panting, Thalia looked around the battlefield grimly. There were still far too many. At this rate, she was not going to last. But she could not give up. She had to keep fighting. Digging down deep, Thalia drew out as much power as she could before letting out a roar as she swept her spear and shield outward. A massive wave of white-hot lightning swept across the battlefield and blew multiple packs of hellhounds into dust. Panting heavily, she braced herself on her spear as she tried to remain steady, the last of her strength beginning to fade.
"Who… else… wants… some…?" The Daughter of Zeus panted in exhaustion, trying her best to stay standing.
With that, Thalia fell backwards and collapsed to the ground. Struggling to move, she tried to get back to her feet. Her shield and spear felt heavy in her hands, as if gravity had been increased on them by a hundred times. She could not lift her arms. Could not move her legs. She saw her vision fading. She was dying. She knew it… and so did the monsters.
The Furies cackled as they watched Thalia begin to bleed out and lose consciousness. "Foolish girl! You used up the last of your strength!" One laughed.
"We will see you down in Erebus, godling! We have no need to finish you off now! Hellhounds, feast on her flesh!" The other roared with laughter as, one by one, the monsters began to close in while Thalia lay dying on the grassy hill of the camp.
However, the monsters were denied their meal. From the heavens above, a great bolt of energy slammed into the hill. The remaining monsters were, in an instant, incinerated by its power. Caught off guard, the remaining Furies were sent flying from the shockwave produced. The hill soon began to crack open and split, rising into a more impressive mount. Yet as the Demigod war party arrived on the scene, Thalia's body began to melt into the earth alongside the divine energy.
Where she once lay, the energy began to coalesce. Sprouting from the grass came a rapidly growing pine tree. Within a matter of minutes, it towered over them with a great bole as thick as a Cyclops. And with it began to emanate a shimmering boundary. The stunned onlooker soon began to feel a calming sensation in their chest. Whatever this new boundary was, it was a gift of protection. The only question now that anyone had was… why?
Back On Mount Olympus
"That should buy them some time." Zeus said cryptically as he looked upon the tree.
"Time for what, Lord Zeus?" Hermes asked, confused by the words of his father.
"That will keep the monsters and other Olympians at bay until we can sort out some… necessary new arrangements." Zeus answered him, not elaborating any further.
"What has brought about this sudden bout of compassion for the godlings, Lord Zeus?" Hermes asked, trying to pick his words carefully.
"Demigod, Hermes." Zeus pointedly said, correcting him.
Flinching, Hermes nodded. "Y-Yes, Lord Zeus. But what has brought about this sudden bout of compassion for them from you?" He nervously replied.
"I am not going to let my daughter's sacrifice be for nothing. Assemble the Council, Hermes, at once. Including Hades." Zeus ordered, the force of his voice rocking the balcony they stood on.
Hermes' eyes widened in disbelief at that. "But Lord Zeus, you only ever allow Lord Hades up here once a year…" He began to point out.
"I'm in a good mood this year." Zeus answered coldly.
Flinching, Hermes saw that that was far from the truth. A storm raged behind the electric blue eyes of the King of Olympus. One that, if he did not obey, would soon be turned upon him.
Bowing, Hermes acquiesced his lord's command. "A-As you wish, Lord Zeus…" He stammered before, with a speed only he could manage, taking his leave.
With Hermes leaving, Zeus turned to look at the pine tree he had created. He stood there for far longer than he should have, but it mattered not. Fate may not be defied, but it most certainly can be altered.
To Be Continued…