The Male Hunter | Olympus' Traitor #1

Chapter 46: Wisdom's Fall

The Legion was gearing up once again to go to battle, giving Percy and Thalia some time alone. "So, we're going to be parents," Percy said as they were watching the forces mobilize for battle.

"Sounds like it," Thalia sighed while subconsciously rubbing her stomach.

"How are you feeling?" Percy asked after another moment of awkward silence.

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's only been a few days, so I haven't been feeling sick or anything."

"That's not what I meant," Percy said with a pointed look. "Are you ready for this? I know we never talked about it."

"I'm, I'm fine," Thalia tried to say, but her voice cracked and she started sobbing. Immediately, Percy wrapped his arms around her and started whispering sweet nothings to calm her down. "I'm scared," Thalia whispered after a few moments. "I don't feel ready for this. What if something goes wrong? What if I'm a bad mom? What if I turn out like my mom?"

"I'm scared too," Percy said as he rocked her back and forth in his arms while they stood in the hug. "But I know you'll be a great mom. We'll figure this out, together."

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Annabeth, with her honor guard of demigods and monsters, stood in the inner sanctum of the fort. A black pit about ten feet in diameter lay at her feet, a trail of black most emerging from it and going through a hole in the ceiling. Suddenly, the door burst open and a messenger rushed in. "What is it?" an annoyed Annabeth demanded as she turned around.

The demigod gulped nervously. "I apologize for the intrusion M'Lady," he gulped. "But our attack. . . has failed."

"What?" Annabeth asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Our forces almost overran the Romans, as you said they would, but then out of nowhere reinforcements appeared and pushed us back."

"Reinforcements?"

The guy gulped once again to steady himself. "yes," he said shakily. "Their forces nearly doubled in size at the appearance of multiple cohorts of Roman troops and a herd of soldiers dressed in Greek armor."

"Curious," Annabeth said thoughtfully. "Where did they come from?"

"No idea," the demigod confessed. "One second we were winning, and the next our lines were charged by fresh troops."

"I see," Annabeth replied, the wheels spinning in her head. "What of Piper and Jason?"

"Captured," he said meekly.

"Captured?" Annabeth questioned, a dangerous edge entering her voice.

"Unfortunately. Jason was defeated in a duel against Thalia Grace, and Piper's troops mutinied and turned on her for some unknown reason."

"Acceptable losses," Annabeth declared before motioning for the Son of Apollo to join her next to the pit. Turning back around to face the pit the mastermind started speaking again. "Luckily, the ritual is almost complete, we just need one more ingredient. You." With that, she shoves the unsuspecting demigod into the pit where he fell for about twenty feet. before before dissolving in a flash of purple light.

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Hannah and Clara stood watching as Jacob, along with his fellow centurion they now knew as Alice, were preparing their cohort for battle. His cohort was manning a siege tower and a set of ladders, and would be one of the first to breach the walls. This worried the two girls because Jake insisted that he be in the squad that initially cleared the wall for the rest of the forces saying, 'I won't risk the lives of my troops if I can do it myself'. Naturally, the two girls protested, and when that didn't work insisted on going with him. "He's really determined not to let anything happen to you guys," a voice said from behind the pair, causing them to jump slightly before turning around. They could now see that it was Luke who had spoken, and that Ethan was standing slightly behind him. "Hi," he waved nervously before crouching down to Clara's level. "And you must be the famous Clara that I've heard so much about. I'm Luke."