Order of the Olympians

Order of the Olympians Chapter 1

Note: I'm not Rick Riordan or JK Rowling, so I don't own any of the characters, plots, etc.

Revised 10/02/2020

The Order of the Olympians

Chapter 1

"The landscape below them was a bleak, ash-gray plain bristling with black trees, like insect hair. The ground was pocketed with blisters. Every once in a while, a bubble would swell and burst, disgorging a monster like a larva from an egg.

Suddenly Percy wasn't hungry anymore.

All the newly formed monsters were crawling and hobbling in the same direction-toward a bank of black fog that swallowed the horizon like a storm front. The Phlegethon flowed in the same direction until about halfway across the plain, where it met another river of black water-maybe the Cocytus? The two floods combined in a steaming, boiling cataract and flowed on as one toward the black fog." (House of Hades)

Strong hands gripped Percy's shoulders, and terror swept through him. He thrashed out, trying to escape whatever monster had discovered him in Tartarus.

"Percy, Percy! Wake up! It's just me!" A familiar voice sliced through his nightmare, and he forced his eyes open to see a hint of tangled, curly blond hair. Annabeth.

His tense muscles instantly relaxed and let himself look at his girlfriend as he took a few deep breaths. Her brilliant grey eyes were brimming with worry, and he could see a milky reflection from the moon that told him that she was on the verge of tears. Loose strands of her long curls drifted over her clear face. She had on a dark blue tank top with cotton white pajama bottoms, and Percy really tried to keep his eyes from sweeping across her body.

Instead, he reached up to touch her face, sweeping his thumb over her sharp cheekbones and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, and felt a surge of calm wash over him as she placed her hand over his and leaned into it.

"Nightmares again?" She whispered. Percy nodded his response. Annabeth waved her hand towards Percy, and he moved over on the bed to give her room. She snuggled underneath his outstretched arm and placed her head gently on his chest so that she could feel his quick heartbeat. "Where were we this time?"

He carefully ran his fingers through her hair and whispered back, "It was when we followed the Empousai to the cliff. Where we first saw Tartarus." Annabeth didn't respond, instead taking his free hand and squeezing it tightly.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a rare occurrence. It had been two months since the war with Gaea, and Annabeth and Percy continued to be haunted by the depths of Tartarus. It wasn't every night, but it happened often enough that Chiron had begrudgingly allowed these "sleepovers" when one of them was haunted by their memories.

"I love you Wise Girl." Percy murmured against Annabeth's temple.

"I love you too Seaweed Brain." She responded, and the two of them drifted into a dreamless sleep.

XX

Percy awoke to a wave of sunlight creeping through his windows and a nagging sense that something was missing. He sat up in his bed, feeling a cold spot next to him, and remembered that Annabeth had slept with him last night. He immediately leaped out of bed on high alert with pen in hand, eyes tracking the empty cabin around him, convinced some god or another had taken her away from him. Again.

Just as Percy was about to sprint out the door, Annabeth walked through it wearing her ripped blue jean shorts and fading orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. His heart fluttered at the sight of her, and he took three deep breaths to calm himself down, something Annabeth had taught him.