Wrath of the Earth

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire, the world must fall,

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

-The Great Prophecy

The Earth shakes so hard. The concrete forms a whirlpool of solid asphalt and cement. Later does Percy realize that the whirlpool is forming a face of a woman – a beautiful woman with sharp features. She has a perfect nose and perfectly pursed lips. The woman’s face is indeed beautiful except for the fact that her skin’s made of asphalt. Percy noticed another thing: the woman’s eyes are closed. He stares on the ground for a while then the woman opened her lips and said, “Come Percy. Be my pawn, and I promise you that in my kingdom, you will have your throne.”

Percy answered, “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

She said, “You don’t know me? I am the mother of all that exists in this earth.  I am the ground you walk on. I am the earthquake that moves mountains and engulfs everything in whole. I am the landslide that buries millions on the ground. When I become fully awake, no one can stop me. I will reign in power. I will take revenge on the gods for defeating my children. Now Percy, come with me and we will reign. Help me overthrow the gods and you will get your reward.”

“No! And whoever you are, no matter what you give, I won’t go with you! I’ll tell the gods about you and we will prepare for battle. We will crush you like what we did to Kronos!”

“Tough guy, Percy. Well then, tell them. As you’re preparing for the final battle, I’m already steps ahead of you. You will regret this Percy! You too, will feel my wrath!” Then the woman laughs and the earth shakes again, like her voice caused it. Her laugh resonates supernatural power much stronger than Kronos’. Then the concrete turns into a whirlpool again and she disappears.

Percy wakes up. It was all just a dream. But who the heck was that woman? Percy has to know. Percy has to ask someone who knows. He gets up and goes to Chiron’s office. 

The Fallen One (My Version of How Percy met Kronos for the First Time)

*this story is purely made up so don’t believe it and just read Rick Riordan’s Last Olympian to know the true story.*

The demigods’ defenses are depleting. Many of them are already injured. Their enemies are advancing through their defenses. As the battle continues in the streets of Manhattan, the most parts of the city were put to sleep by Hypnos. There is no one to help them. Even the gods are already drained out of their power. Out from the horizon, they can see Kronos surrounded by his own demigod army and they are coming towards them. There is a very slim chance to win this battle.

Percy runs towards the Titan Lord’s direction when suddenly he feels heavy and slow. He tries to run as fast as he can but it feels like his feet were stepping on a pool of tar. He sees the Titan Lord smirk, as if he’s been expecting to meet him. Then he blinks his eyes slowly when suddenly he feels like everything around him rushes like a strong gust of wind. He opens his eyes. 

Percy is now face-to-face with the Titan Lord of Time. As he stares at the mighty Titan, it seems that time slowed down. The seconds feel like minutes. He looks from left to right. Everything around him is in slow motion. Percy looks at the titan’s eyes. His eyes are look like they’re made of molten gold. They are shimmering and swirling with an unexplainable power.  It feels eerie because he is staring at his ex-co-camper. He is still the Luke Castellan he met before, except for the golden eyes, which resonate an uncomfortable feeling like he is melting – literally melting. It feels like the titan sees through his weakness and seeps the soul inside him. Percy blinks again. Now Kronos is a few feet away from him with the gigantic scythe on his right hand. 

Kronos laughs so loudly. His voice sounds like metal scraping with metal. “Hello, Percy Jackson. Nice to –“  then the Titan Lord of time disappeared under a big blue butt of a fallen hyperborean giant. 

Revenge of the Fallen

Luke Castellan

After eons of living inside a sarcophagus, not to mention that his own son tore him into pieces with his own scythe, Kronos craves to sit back in power. He manipulated Luke Castellan and other demigods to go against the Olympian gods by telling them how neglectful their godly parents are. He also promised them a reward to spare them from death and to give them more perks if they choose to follow him. He influenced the demigods to go against the Olympian gods and start the second Titan War. His sarcophagus was fished out from the depths of Tartarus. 

Now, he is inside of the ex-half-blood camper named Luke Castellan. He is just waiting for the right time to kill the demigod to let out his true form. He possessed Luke Castellan because his original body was destroyed during the first war between the Titans and the Olympians where Zeus and his siblings tore him into pieces with the use of Kronos’ own scythe. Luke, now embodied by Kronos, appears to have golden eyes and a voice that sounded like knives scraping against stone. It says that wherever Kronos would go, everything around him seems to slow down. Anyone who attempts to go near him seems to go in slow motion.  As a lord of time, he could pretty much manipulate it for his own advantage. 

Kronos, the Titan Lord of Fate, Harvest, Justice, and Time was also known to be an evil father for swallowing his children whole. Gaea warned Kronos that one of his children would replace him in his power. To avoid the prophecy, he swallowed each of his newborn children to keep his throne. Enraged, Rhea tricked him by replacing her last newborn baby with stone and wrapped it in swaddling cloth. She let Kronos swallow the stone and let the baby grow up away from his Father. When their youngest child Zeus grew up, he got into his father’s kingdom and mixed (insert word here) and vinegar into his father’s drink, forcing him to spew out  his children, namely: Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Hera and Poseidon. The children waged a war against their own father and they won. Kronos’ body were torn into pieces with the use of his own scythe: the same weapon he used to overthrow his own father. His followers were thrown out into the pits of Tartarus and suffered eternal suffering. Now, he’s back in action in his new form.

Beware my fellow demigods. Kronos might be anywhere you think is possible. If you see Luke Castellan, just go the other way. You already know him. He’s tall and blonde. He has a scar on his face and he has a bunch of his minions with him. If you see him, just get away from him before it’s too late! 

I Am The Last Olympian

I am the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea. My name means "hearth" or "fireplace." As I was the first to be born, I was the first child to be swallowed but the last one to be thrown up by my own father. That’s how I got my title as the oldest yet the youngest – the first and the last.

I look like an eight-year-old girl with mousy brown hair when I ‘m not in Olympus. My eyes may be fiery like Ares, but they give you no harm. Instead, my eyes will make you feel warm and snugly.  You may see me holding an iron staff that I use in stoking the fire. I am not the flashy kind of goddess. I am contented having dominion over homes and hearth.   

 I have the power over fire. I can let others see the past, present, and future that deal with family affairs, just like how I let Percy see Luke’s past to make him understand why he’s become what he is now. As the goddess of home and family, I have power over keeping family relations strong and stable. I, too,  vow to be chaste for all eternity. I treasure my innocence and purity. My sacred animal is the donkey for this is the creature that saved me from harm and kept my chastity.  

In my Greek counterpart, I may be a frail-looking goddess. I may be a serene and gentle guardian. However, in my Roman counterpart, I can be more aggressive. I tend to become more disciplined, more logical – more warlike. I give no considerations when one goes over the line.  I can be a harsher guardian than you can ever imagine. So if you ever meet me along the way, just make sure I’m in my Greek counterpart.

They say that I am the weakest Olympian, but being a descendant of Kronos and Rhea still gives me an edge over others. I don’t brag about it, though. I don’t crave for power, attention and recognition. I even gave up my throne to Dionysius and chose to lie low. I don’t want to be easily noticed by anyone. But I assure that I will be there when there is no one to turn to.  I am usually quiet and reserved. I am known to be calm and docile. I don’t start a war between my siblings just because of little things. I am the mediator. I keep the peace between my brethren and I.   

I am the goddess of hearth, home and family. I will be your refuge when you have no one to run to. Even if the gods’ thrones will be destroyed, mine will remain. Even if they will lose their power, mine will stay. I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian.

When Will I Escape Out of This Labyrinth?

                Are you into adventure? Do you want to go to a maze of myth, magic, mystery and more? Just enter the famous underground labyrinth of Daedalus and prepare for the endless maze full of unknown creatures that will come your way. I’m serious about the endless, by the way.

                The labyrinth is an actual underground maze found under the island of Crete. A demigod named Daedalus made it as a trap for the Minotaur. Because Olympus moved to the America in the modern time, the maze did too. There are tons of entrances that will lead you to the labyrinth. Just look for any passageway which has a Delta (Δ) sign somewhere on it. Look somewhere inside your house, maybe there’s one on it. Check all your doors, your closet, and your basement. Did you see one? 

               Daedalus’ labyrinth has four rooms you can get into. The first chamber is called the Roman Room.  This room has paintings of the Roman gods at a feast on one wall. There’s an old fountain in the midst of the room. Too bad it doesn’t work. It could’ve been a great view.  You may also be astounded to see a guy with two faces in this place. What’s weirder is that the guy’s two faces often squabble with each other! He can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, if only he doesn’t have two faces. Anyway, the guy’s name is Janus.  He’s the god of doors and passageways. He is somewhat confusing, just like the way it’s confusing to see a guy with two faces.

              The second is the Pit Room. You will see several waterfalls here. The waters here are crystal clear, refreshing and enthralling.  You’d really be tempted to jump on it.  You can take a dive if you want to. Be careful, though.  Every waterfall leads you to dark pits of Tartarus. Now you understand why it is called the ‘Pit Room’.

 The last division is called the Classroom. However, do not be fooled by its name. You may think that it’s just a typical middle school classroom, but it ‘s not. Inside, skeletons make up the walls of the room. There’s a grading machine at the right corner of the room and the Sphinx uses it for her  deadly gameshow. Do you know the Sphinx? She’s a half-woman half-lion who enjoys giving people puzzles and riddles. She’s a smart girl indeed, but she’s very brutal. She kills anyone who can’t get an answer right. So if ever she asks you a question, you really should answer it or you’d be one of those skeletons stuck on the walls.

As I’ve said before, you can get in and out of the labyrinth in any portals with Delta signs on it. You may be surprised to see a ranch with bunch of man-eating horses and cattle on one door and a beautiful girl proposing a marriage to you on the other. You can even get to the different states of the America through this maze. You’d be lucky if that’s the case. Sometimes, the ways can also lead you to sudden death. The maze is infested with terrifying, man-eating monsters. Remember, this labyrinth was purposely made to trap monsters particularly the walking bunch of muscle with huge horns called the “Minotaur”.  But if you get right on track, the labyrinth actually brings you to its center, the heart of the labyrinth – Daedalus’ workshop. His workshop houses all his great works of art and automatons. From sketches, to manmade wings, to robots – name it. He has it.

What’s more astonishing about the labyrinth is that it has a life on its own. It expands and the walls shift constantly.  Remembering which way you came from is no use. The walls can tell how old the labyrinth is. Every part of the mind-boggling maze is made of different materials varying from corals to stones and to cement. It is like the labyrinth’s own timeline! And also, time in the labyrinth is much slower than that in the outside world. You may feel like you’re just minutes gone from the world, but actually, you’re gone for like an hour or two. Pretty cool, huh?

           Now, about going to the right entrance and exit, you can do it by using Ariadne’s string. The problem is, no one knows where is it now. The other way is to befriend a clear-sighted mortal who can see monsters. Bring them with you when you get inside the labyrinth and they’ll tell you the way. They can see it.  Don’t let them be killed, though. It’d be your problem eventually.

         Are you ready for the best adventure in your life? Please say yes so I can wish you a happy journey on the underground maze.  Oh, I forgot. The labyrinth’s life force is tied to Daedalus. He is dead, so the labyrinth’s dead too. It’s crumbled into pieces. My bad. Anyway, let’s just play video games instead! 

Keep Calm and Save the World with a Pen

“This is a pen. This is a pen!”

-Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief)

               

Anaklusmos – it is the Greek translation for Riptide. Riptide is Percy’s main weapon in his battles.  Chiron gave Riptide to Percy after Poseidon claimed him as his son. The sword took form as a normal ballpoint pen. It’s just a simple, disposable pen with Anaklusmos written on its side. However, when uncapped, becomes a three-foot long, leaf-shaped sword made of celestial bronze. Crazy, isn’t it?

Before Chiron gave Anaklusmos to Percy, the original owner of the sword was the famous son of Zeus: Hercules. Before it looked like a ballpoint pen, it was Zoe’s hair clip. It’s just a simple hair clip. Zoe is one of the beautiful immortal Hesperides who are daughters of the powerful titan, Atlas. In The Titan’s Curse, Percy dreamed of Zoe giving the hair clip to Hercules, which turned into a bronze sword in his hands. That’s how he knew where his sword came from. Zoe gave it to Hercules to fight the  dragon Ladon on his twelve labors, but after the fight Hercules didn’t acknowledge Zoe’s help so she had to face his father Atlas and  her sisters’ anger for giving Hercules the sword. That betrayal made Zoe hate male demigods and decided to join the Hunters of Artemis to keep away from them.

Because the sword was from Atlas’ daughter, Riptide became heavy in Percy’s hands when he was face-to-face with the titan. Percy failed to defeat Atlas and forced to hold the sky to let Artemis fight him. The sword is perfect in Percy’s grip as it gets its power from the ocean and Percy is a son of Poseidon so they really make a good connection. The sword is made of celestial bronze, which is known to be very deadly to monsters and immortals. But don’t worry, if you’re no immortal or demigod, you’d be safe. The blade will just pass right through you, leaving no scratch at all! What makes the sword very interesting is that even when lost, misplaced, or simply thrown away, Riptide will just return to Percy’s pocket as an ordinary ballpoint pen. Percy won’t have to worry about missing weapons...unless he has no pockets or that would really mean trouble. Its only drawback is that even if it takes form as a pen, it can’t be used for writing. Uncapping the pen would simply just free Riptide from its disguise. 

So my co-demigods, be careful with sharp objects. Another word of warning: be extra careful of sharp objects disguising as safe and harmless objects. You don't want to die because you did not know that a mobile phone was a scythe when you pressed its call button. That would be the most ridiculous death ever. 

Escaping the Titan’s Curse

              Do you know a guy named Atlas? He’s very famous, actually. Does he sound familiar to you? Your book of geographical figures is named after him. Anyway, we are kind of searching for him right now. He’s neglecting his heavy responsibility.

            This Atlas guy is bound to carry the sky on his shoulders forever and he escaped. He was punished by Zeus to hold the sky throughout eternity for leading the armies of Kronos against the Olympians during the Titan War. His work is somewhat tedious so I really would not wonder why he wants to escape, but still, he’s on the loose! We need to go and find him! If you are wondering who’s carrying the weight of the world right now, it’s Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. And she’s losing her strength! Percy and the others are on their way there though. I just hope it's not too late when they get there. So fellow demigods, we need to hurry up! You don’t want to know how it feels like if the sky falls down on you.   

Will you help us in searching for him?  This mighty Titan of endurance and strength is also known  as ‘The General’. He is Kronos’ second-in-command. He has a slicked back hair. His skin is light brown. He is tall and muscular with a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. He wears a black business suit. He looks like a member of the mafia. He was recently seen in the Air and Space Museum raising a bunch of skeleton soldiers.

 We really need to find him. We are all in humongous trouble if we can’t catch him. He and Kronos is up to something and I swear, what they’re up too is really not good. It is not good at all! They just want to overthrow the Olympian gods and sit in power again. If their own kind will reign, that would mean the end of the world, my fellow demigods and mortals. He’s very strategic and smart by the way, I bet he’s halfway on his plan to world domination. Are you smothered with fear right now? You should be. Our lives are in grave danger while he’s on the loose!

So if you have seen this guy in your neighborhood or maybe near your school or at the mall, don’t ever go near him. He is very dangerous. Call us instead.  Just produce a rainbow in any way you can and throw a golden drachma on it. A golden drachma is the Greek currency by the way. If you don’t have it, just throw any coin on the rainbow. A girl with iridescent eyes will appear and talk to you. Just tell her to connect to Camp Half-Blood. Thanks a lot. Your help is of great use right now.