A Crown of Golden Leaves: A Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Caput LVII: Diana's Forces

"Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all."

― Emily Dickinson

Caput LVII: Diana's Forces

Well, if that's not the enemy's fortress, then I'm an idiot.

Although being an idiot was debatable, Percy also knew that he wasn't blind. The fortress loomed over him, blinding in its darkness as the harsh sun shone in the sky, beating down on him. It couldn't be summer already, could it?

For a moment, he contemplated walking away. After all, he shouldn't care, it wasn't his responsibility anymore. He should be just trying to survive out here.

But...

There might be something in there. Something, something...

Maybe he was an idiot, but surely Nox wouldn't expect him to march into her fortress in broad daylight. It would be just like hiding in plain sight.

Idiot, he groaned at himself as he began the trek through the open mountains, carefully keeping to the shadows so that they might notice him there.

~...~

The inside of the fortress was filled with monsters.

For a moment, the sheer number of these creatures stunned him. There were so many. There was no wonder they kept coming at them – and they only came back from Tartarus, according to Annabeth.

I am so glad I'm not a demigod, he decided. There might be times where he felt out of place when Thalia and Nico started messing around with their powers, but at least he wasn't hunted for the way he had been born.

There were people here too – Romans. He swallowed, and carefully blended in with their dark heads. They turned through the corridors, and Percy carefully kept track of which turns he went down. Maybe this was a worst idea than he had realized – They might die after all.

There was a room that caught his attention – It looked like a war room. He glanced around, making sure that no one was looking at him, and slipped into the door. He closed it behind him with a click.

His heart was pounding as he walked into the room, taking in the round table. There were scrolls on the walls, and he pulled one down.

Greek swam in his eyes and he read through the scroll. There's ... a comet? What is a comet? He frowned. That word was familiar, like it had come from somewhere... The summer solstice. Why do they keep mentioning the summer solstice?

Suddenly, there was a presence. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled as he stilled. Held his breath. The ... the shadows were moving. How could they move?

He moved, bolting up. A shadow lashed out at him as he slammed the door shut behind him – but no, where there was light, there was a shadow. He ran through the halls, and he saw—

Green fire?

A horrible plan formed in his head. Green fire meant Greek fire. And maybe he could sever the shadows.

He veered off to the side, grabbed a grenade, and chucked it at the surging shadows. It exploded, and Percy covered his eyes from the glare as he lost his balance and fell on his bottom. Someone cursed.

Out of the shadows, a tall, beautiful woman formed. Percy blinked, taken aback by her beauty.

Then her swirling purple eyes opened and she glared at him.