Fan-Girl
She staggered out of thin air, clutching her head and groaning. She was not going to get used to that. Kassandra didn't know it at the time, but Hermes was actually out there helping with her air transport. Until she could truly practice she'd need the help to get anywhere. Instinctively, she put a hand out to stabilise herself. Her hand was smacked away when she tried to grab the nearest thing to her.
"Hey! This is a new Italian suit and I won't have it ruined by some kid!"
She wiped her eyes and came face to face with a woman who she could see through. At first she thought it was a ghost, but upon closer inspection it was a wind nymph. She'd never met one of them before.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I just... I just need to find a few kids."
She took a step back and brushed herself down. The suit worn by the wind nymph was sharp to say the least. Silver grey fabric rippled with her movements, the jacket a slim fit that perfectly fit her.
With trousers tailored to perfection cut off at the ankle, she found herself staring at the woman with a hint of jealousy. She looked perfect to say the least, and that is something Kassnadra found herself chasing far too often.
"Kids huh? Well, there were a few just now escorted in to see King Boreas."
"Great! There was a blonde muscular one, a little elf one and a really ho-"
"Yes, yes I know what they looked like."
"Thank you!" thanked Kassandra, moving around the wind nymph. Just as she was ready to enter the hotel looking place, something grabbed the back of her shirt.
"Who said you could enter?"
"Uhh, me?"
"I don't think so little lady. This is King Boreas' palace, not the sort of place you can just walk into. If you want an appointment to get in, you'll need to book at least a year in advance."
Realistically that wasn't too bad for an immortal, but those three demi-gods were very mortal and she doubted they'd still be questing in a years time.
"Is there anyway I could get in? Anything?"
The wind nymph looked her up and down. She could tell something was off about this girl, she seemed eerily uncanny.
"Say, what's your name?"
"Kassandra ma'am."
"And your last name?"
"Well, I don't really use it but my fathers last name was (L/N)."
"Like... like the god?" gulped the porter. "The demi-god made god?"
"Yes! That's him!" she beamed. Even if her father was missing, maybe his name could help her cut a few corners.
"And you're his daughter?"
"Yes!" she beamed. She inherited most of her looks from her mother, but if you looked close enough you could see traces of her father.
The nymph turned her back to her and pulled out something from one of her pockets. She mumbled a few words into it, probably a walkie-talkie, before spinning around again.
"Well, good news; you've got an invite from the King himself. Apparently those kids you were talking about are being escorted to see him by the Boreads as we speak. If you're fast enough you'll reach them before they get to the throne room. But do be careful with those weapons."
"I will, thank you so much!" said Kassandra delightedly.
As she was about to sprint through the rotating doors to find the demi-gods, the nymph spoke again. It was quiet, barely audible to the point where she couldn't hear what was said She stopped dead in her tracks.
"Pardon?"
The nymph was a little flustered now, rosy cheeks and all. (Don't ask me how a wind nymph can have red cheeks)
"I was wondering if you would, well if I could get a picture with you?
She held a phone in her hands, fiddling with it profusely. Kassandra smiled.
"Of course! I didn't know I had fans," she joked, coming back to stand next to the nymph. "What's your name?"
"Aella," responded the porter, snapping their picture. "It's just... I met your father a while back when he was still a demi-god. I knew he had a child, I just didn't expect to get to meet them."
"Oh, what sort of quest was he on?"
"Well, he was more of an overseer if anything. It was back in Greece, he was helping sons of Hermes and Poseidon kill some wild beast in Macedon. He was quite the charmer," she said dreamily. She wanted to know more about her father, but preferably stay away from his love life.
"Well, I have a children of Jupiter, Aphrodite and Hephaestus to guide, so thank you!"
"Of course. Now shoo, I have other duties to attend too."
She sprinted through the hotel at unnatural speeds, occasionally bumping into dead ends and people, but she kept on going. The place was like a labyrinth, twisting paths and endlessly long corridors.
From what she vaguely knew the Boreads were the children of Boreas, the king and god of the north wind. Calais was one, an idiot who couldn't pronounce long words but would destroy whatever was in front of him if he got the chance. Zethes was a romantic fool who had a head larger than Zeus'. She didn't know what they looked like, but figured she would if she saw them.
It was cold in the palace/hotel, as if some force was actively freezing the place over. She slid around before smashing into the form of some guy.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
"Kassandra?"
At least she had found the kids.
As she took a hand offered out to her, she was pulled up by Jason, with four others around them. There was Piper, Leo, and two others she recognised to be demi-gods.
They looked like regular teenagers except for their icy white hair and feathery purple wings. Their bronze swords were jagged, like icicles. Their faces looked similar enough that they might've been brothers, but they definitely weren't twins.
One was the size of an ox, with a bright red hockey jersey,baggy sweatpants, and black leather cleats. The guy clearly had been in too many fights, because both his eyes were black, and when he bared his teeth, several of them were missing.
The other guy looked like he'd just stepped off a rock album cover, something the daughter of (Y/N) could never understand an appeal towards. His ice-white hair was long and feathered into a mullet. He wore pointy-toed leather shoes, designer pants that were way too tight, and a god-awful silk shirt with the top three buttons open. Maybe he thought he looked like a love god, but the guy couldn't have weighed more than ninety pounds, and he had a bad case of acne. Kassandra probably had more muscle than him.
From such visuals, she could already tell she had found them; the Boreads. Complete airheads.
"Calais, Zethes," regarded Kassandra.
"Do we know you?" asked the love god, his idiot brother staring at her confused.
"No, but I know you and you probably knew my father. I'm here to tag along with these three to see your father."
Calais looked completely lost. "Destroy her?" he asked his brother.
Zethes sighed, "No you buffoon. This one will come with us. Father awaits, so lead them on brother."
"What are you doing here?" whispered Jason to Kassandra as they started to walk.
"Olympian duties." She really didn't want to bring up the prophecy, what with them being a secret and all. Plus, no one would question the word of the gods. Okay, maybe a few would, but that wasn't an issue for now.
"How long will you be with us?"
"The rest of your quest. But since three is the sacred number for Greeks, I won't be an official member. More like a guide to speed things up and help you along. It's how my father did things back when he was working at camp."
"So, who are you demi-gods?" asked Zethes out of the blue.
"Leo's a son of Hephaestus. Piper here is a daughter of Aphrodite. I'm the son of Zeus. We're on a peaceful..."
Jason's voice faltered, because both Boreads had suddenly turned on him. Kassandra instinctively reached to take her bow from her chest, but restrained herself. She didn't want the situation to spiral out of hand.
"What did you say?" Zethes demanded. "You are the son of Zeus?"
"Um... yeah," Jason said. "That's a good thing, right? My name is Jason."
Calais looked so surprised, he almost dropped his sword."Can't be Jason," he said. "Doesn't look the same."
Zethes stepped forward and squinted at Jason's face."No, he is not our Jason. Our Jason was more stylish. Not as much as me- but stylish. Besides, our Jason died millennia ago."
"Wait," Jason said. "Your Jason... you mean the original Jason? The Golden Fleece guy?"
"Of course," Zethes said. "We were his crew mates a board his ship, the Argo, in the old times, when we were mortal demigods. Then we accepted immortality to serve our father,so I could look this good for all time, and my silly brother could enjoy pizza and hockey."
"Hockey!" Cal agreed."But Jason- our Jason- he died a mortal death," Zethes said. "You can't be him."
"I'm not," Jason agreed.
"So, destroy?" Cal asked. Clearly the conversation was giving his brain a serious workout.
"No," Zethes said regretfully. "If he is a son of Zeus, he could be the one we've been watching for."
"Watching for?" Leo asked. "You mean like in a good way:you'll shower him with fabulous prizes? Or watching for like in a bad way: he's in trouble?"
A girl's voice said, "That depends on my father's will."
Kassandra spun so fast she was worried she'd snap her neck.
At the top of the staircase they had come to stood a girl in a white silk dress. Her skin was unnaturally pale, the colour of snow, but her hair was a lush mane of black, and her eyes were coffee brown. She was beautiful like how an ice skate's blade can slice through flesh with a trace. She was recognisable, somehow.
"Father will want to see the one called Jason," the girl said."Then it is him?" Zethes asked excitedly.
"We'll see," the girl said. "Zethes, bring our guests."
Leo, who practically had hearts for eyes, made a move forwards in attempt to lug some weird metal suitcase, but he froze when the girl looked at him.
Not you, Leo Valdez," she said.
How'd she know his name?
"Why not?" He sounded like a whiny kindergartener who had his favourite toy put just out of reach.
"You cannot be in the presence of my father," the girl said."Fire and ice- it would not be wise."
"We're going together," Jason insisted, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder, "or not at all."
The girl tilted her head, like she wasn't used to people refusing her orders. "He will not be harmed, Jason Grace,unless you make trouble. Calais, keep Leo Valdez here. Guard him, but do not kill him."
Calais pouted. "Just a little?"
"No," the girl insisted. "And take care of his interesting suitcase, until Father passes judgement."
Leo looked crushed.
"It's fine, guys," he said, defeat in his tone. "No sense causing trouble if we don't have to. You go ahead."
The ice princess stared at Kassandra, and she stared back. There were no words between the two.
"Listen to your friend," the pale girl said. "Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe. I wish I could say the same for you, son of Zeus. Now come, King Boreas is waiting."
Kassandra didn't trust either of the two that guided them. As they climbed the icy staircase, Zethes stayed behind them, his blade drawn. The guy might've looked like a fool, but if he decided to sneak in a slice at them Kassandra didn't know if she could respond in time.
Then there was the ice princess. Every once in a while she'd turn and give a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. As they walked, Kassandra racked her brain through memories of lessons from Chiron about the family tree of the gods.
It was pretty clear this girl was the third child of Boreas, his more competent daughter, but who exactly was she? Pale skin, white hair, cold look; not much to go off that was traditionally out of the ordinary to give any hints.
Ahead, Piper and Jason held hands. How cute. Apparently, the ice princess thought otherwise as when she noticed, her smile faded and she made some weird gestures. The two broke their hold as if their hands were on fire.
"Warmth is not a good idea here," the princess advised,"especially when I am your best chance of staying alive. Please, this way."
Zethes prodded Kassandra in the back with his blade, despite her not being the cause of such hold up, and they followed the princess down a massive hallway decked in frosty tapestries.
Walking by herself in the cold, she wished she had someone with her. Sure, Piper and Jason were right there, but she didn't really know them. Hades, she didn't even know anything past their godly parents really.
She needed someone like Annabeth to make the decisions and get the job done with maximum efficiency. She needed someone like Aspen to raise her spirits and give her confidence (though if anything she was her weakest around that girl). She needed someone like her father, who could do everything in the blink of an eye.
At the end of the hallway they found themselves in front of a set of oaken doors carved with a map of the world.
The princess turned. Her brown eyes glittered.
"This is the throne room," she said. "Be on your best behaviour, Jason Grace. My father can be... chilly. I will translate for you, and try to encourage him to hear you out. I do hope he spares you. We could have such fun."
"Um, okay," he managed. "But really, we're just here for a little talk. We'll be leaving right afterwards."
The girl smiled. "I love heroes. So blissfully ignorant."
Piper rested her hand on her dagger. "Well, how about you enlighten us? You say you're going to translate for us, and we don't even know who you are. What's your name?"
The girl sniffed with distaste. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you don't recognise me. Even in the ancient times the Greeks did not know me well. Their island homes were too warm, too far from my domain. I am-"
"Khione!" burst out Kassandra. "The goddess of snow!" She knew she knew who she was. In all honesty, it was because she found her the most beautiful when learning about the pantheon family tree. Just a silly childhood crush that she had left behind. She was pretty sure she had left it behind anyway. But right now she was totally fan-girling, which really ruined her cool and mysterious aura.
Khione smiled and stirred the air with her finger, a miniature blizzard swirled around the daughter of Bellona- big, fluffy flakes as soft as cotton. She laughed at the display.
"Thank you, it is refreshing for someone to know my name. Now, come," Khione said. The oaken doors blew open, and cold blue light spilled out of the room. "Hopefully you will survive your little talk."
The throne room resembled the temperature of the arctic. Mist hung in the air. Kassandra shivered, and her breath steamed. Along the walls, purple tapestries showed scenes of snowy forests, barren mountains, and glaciers. High above,ribbons of coloured light- the aurora borealis- pulsed along the ceiling.
A layer of snow covered the floor and all around the room stood life-size ice sculpture warriors- some in Greek armour, some medieval, some in modern camouflage- all frozen in various attack positions,swords raised, guns locked and loaded.At least they seemed to be sculptures. Then Jason tried to step between two Greek spear men, and they moved with surprising speed, their joints cracking and spraying ice crystals as they crossed their javelins to block Jason's path.
From the far end of the hall, a man's voice rang out in a language that sounded like French. The room was so long and misty, Kassandra couldn't see the other end; but whatever the man said, the ice guards uncrossed their javelins.
"It's fine," Khione said. "My father has ordered them not to kill you just yet."
"Super," Jason said.
Zethes moved forward and prodded him in the back with his sword. "Keep moving, Jason Junior."
"Please don't call me that."
"My father is not a patient man," Zethes warned, "and the beautiful Piper, sadly, is losing her magic hairdo very fast.Later, perhaps, I can lend her something from my wide assortment of hair products."
"Thanks," Piper grumbled.
"Has anyone ever told you you're a little cocky?" asked Kassandra.
"Of course not. I'm not cocky if I am actually what I claim to be."
"Sure."
They kept walking, and the mist parted to reveal a man on an ice throne. He was sturdily built, dressed in a stylish white suit that seemed woven from snow, with dark purple wings that spread out to either side. His long hair and shaggy beard were encrusted with icicles and his arched eyebrows made him look angry, but his eyes twinkled more warmly than his daughter's- as if he might have a sense of humour buried somewhere under that permafrost.
"Bienvenu," the king said. "Je suis Boreas le Roi. Etvous?"
Khione was about to speak, but Piper stepped forward and curtsied.
"Votre Majesté," she said, " je suis Piper McLean. Etc'est Jason, fils de Zeus."
The king smiled with pleasant surprise.
"Vous parlez français? Très bien!"
"Piper, you speak French?" Jason asked. Piper frowned.
"No. Why?"
"You just spoke French."
Piper blinked. "I did?"
The king said something else Kassandra couldn't understand, and Piper nodded.
"Oui, Votre Majesté."
The king laughed and clapped his hands, obviously delighted. He said a few more sentences then swept his hand toward his daughter as if shooing her away. Khione looked miffed.
"The king says-"
"He says I'm a daughter of Aphrodite," Piper interrupted,"so naturally I can speak French, which is the language of love.I had no idea. His Majesty says Khione won't have to translate now."
Kassandra wondered what sort of powers she'd awaken when (or if at this point) she had her godhood ceremony. Hopefully a language or two came with them. She had always wanted to know how to speak Japanese, she found their alphabet looked funny.
Behind them, Zethes snorted, and Khione shot him a murderous look. She bowed stiffly to her father and took a step back.The king sized up Jason, and Jason decided it would be a good idea to bow. The daughter of Bellona followed.
"Your Majesty, I'm Jason Grace. Thank you for, um, not killing us. May I ask... why does a Greek god speak French?"
Piper had another exchange with the king.
"He speaks the language of his host country," Piper translated. "He says all gods do this. Most Greek gods speak English, as they now reside in the United States, but Boreas was never welcomed in their realm. His domain was always far to the north. These days he likes Quebec, so he speaks French."
The king said something else, and Piper turned pale.
"The king says..." She faltered. "He says-"
"Oh, allow me," Khione said. "My father says he has orders to kill you. Did I not mention that earlier?"
Kassandra took a step back so she was next to Khione, slightly hiding behind her. Khione frowned, but said/did nothing against her. The ex huntress hoped she wasn't included in such orders, and that if the king didn't notice her being there she wouldn't have to deal with execution orders.
"Kill us?" Jason said. "Why?"
"Because," the king said, in heavily accented English, "my lord Aeolus has commanded it."
Boreas rose. He stepped down from his throne and furled his wings against his back. As he approached, Khione and Zethes bowed. Jason, Piper and Kassandra followed their example.
"I shall deign to speak your language," Boreas said, "as Piper McLean has honoured me in mine. Toujours, I have had a fondness for the children of Aphrodite. As for you, Jason Grace, my master Aeolus would not expect me to kill a son of Lord Zeus... without first hearing you out."
The daughter of (Y/N) shuffled behind one of the guards, but not far enough so that if she were caught she could be accused of hiding.
"Aeolus is the master of the winds, right?" Jason asked."Why would he want us dead?"
"You are demigods," Boreas said, as if this explained everything. "Aeolus's job is to contain the winds, and demigods have always caused him many headaches. They ask him for favours. They unleash winds and cause chaos. But the final insult was the battle with Typhon last summer..."
Boreas waved his hand, and a sheet of ice like a flatscreen TV appeared in the air. Images of a battle flickered across the surface- a giant wrapped in storm clouds, wading across a river toward the Manhattan skyline. Tiny, glowing figures- the gods, Kassandra assumed- swarmed around him like angry wasps, pounding the monster with lightning and fire.Finally the river erupted in a massive whirlpool, and the smoky form sank beneath the waves and disappeared.
She had heard about how with the help of Poseidon, Olympus defeated the father of monsters last summer at the battle of Manhattan. It was some of the only information she had been privy to.
"The storm giant, Typhon," Boreas explained. "The first time the gods defeated him, eons ago, he did not die quietly.His death released a host of storm spirits- wild winds that answered to no one. It was Aeolus's job to track them all down and imprison them in his fortress. The other gods- they did not help. They did not even apologise for the inconvenience. It took Aeolus centuries to track down all the storm spirits, and naturally this irritated him. Then, last summer, Typhon was defeated again-"
"And his death released another wave of venti," Jason guessed. "Which made Aeolus even angrier."
"C'est vrai," Boreas agreed.
"But, Your Majesty," Piper said, "the gods had no choice but to battle Typhon. He was going to destroy Olympus!Besides, why punish demigods for that?"
The king shrugged. "Aeolus cannot take out his anger on the gods. They are his bosses, and very powerful. So he gets even with the demigods who helped them in the war. He issued orders to us: demigods who come to us for aid are no longer to be tolerated. We are to crush your little mortal faces."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"That sounds ... extreme," Jason ventured. "But you're not going to crush our faces yet, right? You're going to listen to us first, 'cause once you hear about our quest- "
"Yes, yes," the king agreed. "You see,Aeolus also said that a son of Zeus might seek my aid, and if this happened, I should listen to you before destroying you, as you might- how did he put it?- make all our lives very interesting. I am only obligated to listen, however. After that, I am free to pass judgement as I see fit. But I will listen first. Khione wishes this also. It may be that we will not kill you."
"Great.Thanks," said Jason.
"Do not thank me." Boreas smiled. "There are many ways you could make our lives interesting. Sometimes we keep demigods for our amusement, as you can see."
He gestured around the room to the various ice statues.
Piper made a strangled noise. "You mean—they're all demigods? Frozen demigods? They're alive?"
"An interesting question," Boreas conceded, as if it had never occurred to him before. "They do not move unless they are obeying my orders. The rest of the time, they are merely frozen. Unless they were to melt, I suppose, which would be very messy."
Khione stepped behind Jason and put her cold fingers on his neck. "My father gives me such lovely presents," she murmured in his ear. "Join our court. Perhaps I'll let your friends go."
"What?" Zethes broke in. "If Khione gets this one, then I deserve the girl. Khione always gets more presents!"
"Now, children," Boreas said sternly. "Our guests will think you are spoiled! Besides, you moved too fast. We have not even heard the demigod's story yet. Then we will decide what to do with them. Please, Jason Grace, entertain us."
Then, something most odd happened. There was a spark, and bang, Khione was sent flying across the room. She flew over Kassandra who was still 'hiding' behind one of the statues, sending her skidding across the floor.
Zethes laughed. "That is good! I'm glad you did that, even though I have to kill you now."
For a moment, Khione was too stunned to react. Then the air around her began to swirl with a micro-blizzard.
"You dare-"
"Stop," Jason ordered, with as much force as he could muster. "You're not going to kill us. And you're not going to keep us. We're on a quest for the queen of the gods herself, so unless you want Hera busting down your doors, you're going to let us go."
Khione's blizzard swirled to a stop. Zethes lowered his sword. They both looked uncertainly at their father.
"Hmm," Boreas said. His eyes twinkled, but Jason couldn't tell if it was with anger or amusement. "A son of Zeus, favoured by Hera? This is definitely a first. Tell us your story."
Jason looked ready to botch the entire mission, but luckily Piper stepped in.
"Your Majesty." She curtsied again with incredible poise, and began to tell her and Jason's story.
As Piper was telling her story with Boreas completely entranced, Kassandra heard something. The shatter of ice on the floor. Very quiet, but she heard it none the less. Poking her head from out her 'hiding' spot, she looked around for the source.
Just behind the throne, a statue- no, a person- moved. They wore a large robe that was probably making this room feel warm, and long black hair let loose. Who was this guy?
Whoever he was, he definitely wasn't there for peace talks. As he crept in the shadows towards the throne, some sort of dark ash began to trail from his robe sleeves. It gathered on the floor next to him, and from it emerged an empousa with talons as sharp a any blade.
Kassandra's eyes snapped and she grabbed her bow from her chest.
"Behind you!" she yelled, leaping from her hiding spot and firing a volley of energy arrows.
On instinct, Jason flipped his coin and came up with his pilum, and Piper brought out a dagger. Zethes was stunned as the arrows flew past him and five of the projectiles impaled in the monster, bringing her down.
Her shots were followed up by shards of ice from Khione, but the mysterious new figure dodged them with ease.
Boreas spun around, everyone in the room now aware of the intruder.
"Tsk, I was hoping you wouldn't be here," they spoke.
"You dare attack me in my own palace!" roared Boreas, the pressure in the room rising at a drastic rate.
The intruder waved the accusation with a swat of his hand. "I am not here for you, Lord Boreas, but the three here who attempt to trick you into fulfilling their own demands."
Boreas spun again, his eyes locking on to Kassandra.
"Oh, I didn't know you were here, perhaps I'd have been more lenient if I knew. S'il te plaît, bienvenue chez moi, (Please, welcome to my home,)" he finished off in French. Kassandra had no idea what he just said.
"Of course, it's a pleasure to meet you King of the North Winds." She kept her bow taut on the robed man. "Now who in Hades are you?"
They smirked, more ash leaving their robes and accumulating on the floor.
"An old, and current, business associate of your father. Not that he knows me, but it's still the same thing."
She assumed he didn't want a selfie.
"What do you mean you're here for us?" asked Piper, conviction poured into every word.
"Ahh, charm speak. A technique rarely passed down from Aphrodite to her spawn. I'm afraid that won't save you here."
As he spoke, the ash grew and grew to a staggering height that towered over the man. Well, man might be pushing it. He looked 17 or 18.
"I'm in a good mood, so I'll give you a chance to leave now," threatened the king.
"Don't worry my Lord, no harm shall come to you or your kin," he spoke.
The ash finally took proper form. An eagle's wings, birds beak and lion's legs. The beast stood tall and proud, mystery man climbing onto its back.
"A griffin," said Jason in awe.
Before Kassandra could admire the monster any further, she was grabbed in its claws and was being carried directly towards the window.
"I'll deal with this!" yelled Kassandra to the two demi-god lovers. "Do what you need to do and I'll find you after this is over!"
The beast, with master, atop barrelled through the window, leaving the throne room silent. Jason and Piper looked at each other with great confusion.
Griffins weren't as cool as she thought they were up close. The talons on this one were filthy and they dug into the sides of her chest. If she were mortal she'd probably die from infected wounds. But this guy must've known that, so he knew she was a god. And what was all this about being her fathers business associate but also not?
They got a good few hundred metres from the building when they began to overlook a cliff with a river below. Who the Hades built a city next to a cliff with erosion potential? Probably some idiot who thought it looked pretty. She could survive the fall, but would probably not be in shape to fight the guy if he pursued after. So it was now or never.
Making a grab for her knife, she plunged the silver dagger deep into the leg of the griffin, causing it to screech and release its grasp on her. The fall couldn't be too bad, right?
Well, it definitely wasn't a light one. Similar to when she fell from the chariot bringing back the three, she slammed into the ground just a few metres from the edge of the cliff, leaving a relatively large dent.
There was a road leading to the town that she landed on, but besides that the rest of the land around her was forests. As she dusted herself down, she could hear the griffin coming down to land behind her.
"You know, the plan wasn't to fight you. Sure, the others can die, but the mistress believes you to be far too valuable of an asset."
"An asset, huh? To talk to a god like that is bold."
"Maybe a proper god, but we both know that's not what you are."
Kassandra turned to face him and the griffin was already disintegrating to ash, returning up the robe of the attacker.
Controlling monsters? Could this be?...
"Underestimating your adversary is always the first step to loss," said Kassandra, drawing her bow once more. Energy arrows would do for now.
"When you've been around for as long as I have, you find people often disappoint."
"Well then, I hope I can live up to your standards."
The second she finished speaking she released three arrows, one for the head, one for the chest and one for his hand. He knocked two away with some invisible force and the last was dodged with ease. Maybe he did deserve high standards...
Once again, ash began to trail from his sleeves and gather around him, shifting mass and growing.
"Do you plan on fighting me yourself? Or will you hide behind monsters to do your dirty work for you?"
"I fight those worthy of my proper attention," he smirked.
Great. The ash gathered pretty fast, faster than last time to create some 15 foot tall shape. Golden wristbands, a pot belly with a relatively muscular physique to accompany it, and scars around its shoulders and neck.
The final piece was a single eye in the centre of its head. Well, not an eye, an eye socket.
"A cyclops," said Kassandra.
"Yes, Polyphemus himself. He has bad blood with your family after your father... well lets just say he was a little rough with the guy when they met."
The cyclops roared at the mention of his death, but it came out rough and weak.
"Ahh, his vocal cords are still healing. Courtesy of me having to reattach his head. Unfortunately I could never find his eye. I'm pretty sure he can still see you through his other senses though. But I must thank your father, he did a lot of the work for me over the years."
"You talk too much," grunted Kassandra firing twice again. They flew at Polyphemus, and it was clear the cyclops lacked the ability to react as fast as his master. They impaled into both his pecs, and he grunted a little, pulling them out.
If that wouldn't work, she'd just have to get a little more personal.
Unsheathing her knife, she twirled it in her hand before charging in. She was faster than any demi-god could hope to be, but this guy was clearly no demi-god. He sidestepped her attack, sending her past him by a good few feet.
She made a good recovery, but before she could go back in again she was confronted by Polyphemus. The beast made a wild swipe to knock her off her feet, but she leapt over the lunge and onto its back.
Now in an advantageous position, she began to drive the knife in and out of the monsters back over and over again. If her father could kill this thing as a demi-god, then surely she could do it even easier as a god.
It was on the seventh plunge though that a huge hand grabbed her and gripped her tightly in a fist. She would've broken a few ribs had just a little more pressure been applied. Before she could break out, she was thrown across the clearing, hitting a tree side on.
Black dots faded in her vision as she stumbled up. Between sways of confusion, she could see Polyphemus charging straight at her.
She made a roll dive out of the way just in time, the cyclops crashing into the tree and taking it down. Kassandra went for her knife, but grasped at thin air. It was still implanted in Polyphemus' back.
Speaking of weapons, the cyclops grabbed the tree with one hand and held it high above his head, roaring with satisfaction more confidently now. He wiped the branches and leaves from it with one hand, so it was now like a makeshift club.
"So uncivilised," mused the mystery man, who was sitting down on a log to watch.
She rolled her eyes. Gods this guy was frustrating.
Polyphemus moved first, clumsily lunging forwards and blindly swinging his club. She nimbly dodged, and with a slight kick sent the oaf stumbling towards the cliff edge. Unfortunately he recovered fast enough to stop himself tumbling over the edge. Maybe that could work...
Reconsidering her options, she didn't have much to go on to do a frontal attack. There wasn't much she could do to injure the monster, but he was clumsy and she had training as a huntress. That would do for now.
With Polyphemus' back still turned, she fired another five shots which all hit before scurrying up one of the trees behind her as quietly as possible. Polyphemus spun around and that gaping hole in his head really was disgusting.
The cyclops growled, stalking back in her direction as quietly as possible. Meanwhile, the robed guy was watching with amusement. He could easily get involved, but was choosing to watch instead. Why was he so relaxed? Did he not care what happened?
Gathering energy in the palm of her hand, she created a tiny acorn that she was pretty proud of. Holding it between the tips of her fingers, she dropped it directly onto Polyphemus' head. It was a silent hit that really didn't do anything, but he blew up in rage.
"SHOW YOURSELF!" he roared, smashing his club into everything around him, cutting down at least thirty trees as he rampaged blindly.
However, Kassandra kept up with him with ease. She darted amongst the tree tops like a monkey, continuing to rain down her acorns on the beasts head, further enraging him. When they reached the edge of the cliff once more, she jumped down and stood with half her sandals off the edge.
"Polyphemus! It's me, (Y/N)!" she called out in a voice, trying best to replicate how she remembered her father sounding. It must have been a good enough impression as it easily caught the cyclops' attention.
"SLAVE! I SHALL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" he bellowed, smashing his club into the ground.
"Oh yeah? Then come get it!" she teased, stamping on the ground to further reinforce his knowledge of where she was.
Smoke could've come out of his nostrils with how mad he looked, lowering his club and charging forwards surprisingly fast. She just had to time her move for this to work. He got closer and closer, yelling insults and profanities as he did so. Any second, any second now.
Now!
Diving to her right, the cyclops brought his club smashing into the ground where she just was. Kassandra scrabbled back, eager to not join Polyphemus in where he was going.
There was a cracking noise, with many cracks stemming from where the club hit the ground. The earth beneath where the cyclops stood was weak and thin, unable to support his weight.
"Enjoy your flight!" joked Kassandra. Then she remembered something. Her knife!
She could still see it in the back of the cyclops. The earth was already giving way, trembling under the cyclops.
Dashing forwards, she jumped on the back of the beast once more and pulled from it her dagger. Pushing off from Polyphemus, she wiped it clean of his blood on her arm. She was going to need new clothes when she got back to camp.
"DAMN YOU (L/N)," roared Polyphemus as he fell from the cliff, helpless to do anything to prevent his death.
When the shouts of Polyphemus came to an end, Kassandra heard clapping from behind her. Mystery man had decided to finally do something.
"It's not much of a shame he lost, he was blind, stupid and draining. I don't even think I'll go collect him after that horror of a performance. I guess you are worthy of my attention, and that is a surprise given what I was told about you."
"So will you fight me now?" she challenged, getting into an offensive position to charge.
"No, I don't think I will. We'll have plenty more confrontations, that I can promise you. For now, you should probably go find your friends."
She contemplated her choices. She could just attack him now and get rid of a possible future problem. But then again, who knew what other monsters and tricks he was hiding up his sleeve to summon.
Summon monsters...
But it would probably be smarter just to go back to the others. Who knew what had happened to Leo, or if Piper and Jason had gotten what they needed from King Boreas.
She put her knife back on her waist.
"Alright. But don't think I'll let you go so easily next time."
"I wouldn't dream of anything easy coming from you," he responded.
More ash came from his sleeves, but she knew she didn't have to worry. It took the form of the same griffin from earlier, but now the cut on its claws was gone.
He took a step up and climbed atop the marvellous beast.
"I have a brother out there who's also looking for you and your friends, but he won't be as lenient as me. Pray you don't run into him, he really is a sadistic moron," and with that he and the griffin took off into the sky.
She wasn't sure what to make of him. He was acting on orders against her, but didn't seem like he cared about them all that much. And a brother? She wasn't looking forwards to that.
Snapping her fingers, she shut her eyes and teleported away.
She reappeared back in the throne room, on top of the rubble that the griffin had created when it burst through the window. The place was still freezing, and the frozen guards all turned to face her when she appeared before them.
"Hello again," she waved awkwardly.
"Stand down!" ordered a voice, one from the throne. "Kassandra, good to see you again!"
The winged king stood from his throne and clapped his hands. The guards went back to their original positions.
"Ah, hello again my Lord. I trust Piper and Jason got their point across to you?"
"Yes, I sent them along to Chicago to find who they were looking for. I must thank you for dealing with that intruder, I hope he wasn't too much of an issue for you."
"Of course not. We are gods after all."
Boreas laughed. "Is there anything I can do for you though my dear? It's only fair since you helped save me from a possible assassin. Anything within my power."
She rubbed her chin. A favour from the god of the North Wind had a lot of potential. She could ask for an army to summon at will, temporary use of the northern winds; so much potential that she could use. Deep down though it wasn't much of a contest, she already had a favour in mind.
"Information on my father, (Y/N). What did you know about his disappearance?"
Boreas sighed and tapped his foot on the floor. "Well, we are prohibited from speaking of the event from Lord Zeus. But I swore on it, so I'll tell you what I know."
Finally, someone willing to give her even a sample of the truth.
"After the battle was over, one of my wind spirits returned after protecting Olympus from aerial assaults. And he caught a glimpse of something he shouldn't have seen. When the vessel of Kronos killed himself, the gods arrived to find his body along with two demi-gods and satyr. But that wasn't all; your father was there."
"What happened to him?"
"Well, that's the thing. My spirit was watching above and didn't have the best view and couldn't hear anything, but he did see one important thing. At one point something came through the floor and grabbed a person in the shadows. It dragged them along the floor and pulled them from the throne room."
"Who... who was that?"
"He couldn't get a great look, but an educational guess would say your father."
Her breath caught in her throat. So her dad wasn't missing.
"Thank... thank you my Lord. I must be going now."
"Well, feel free to return any time. It's not any day the fated one comes to my palace! But anyway, I'll send you to your friends now. I know teleporting for the first few times over such large distances can be difficult."
"The fated- what?" she began to ask, but her surroundings were already vanishing.