30+ Advance chapters on [email protected]/Saintbarbido.
(Loth's P.O.V.)
The train station buzzed with noise—announcements crackling overhead, footsteps echoing off tiled floors, the low murmur of conversations.
But the world seemed to narrow as I locked eyes with the woman sitting across from me.
Her presence was simply put...magnetic-the mist swirled around her like an eager puppy with It's master-as if the universe itself held it's breath in awe.
Hecate. Goddess of Magic and Crossroads. My matron. Or if I pissed her off, my destructor.
Her dark eyes glinted with amusement, lips curling into a knowing smile as she studied me like I was an open book.
"Pardon the unexpected visit," she began, voice smooth and rich like velvet. "I was in the area and thought to drop in."
My breath hitched, but I forced myself to meet her gaze, refusing to show weakness. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting something like this. A magical curse like mine doesn't exactly fly under your radar."
Her smirk deepened. "Clever boy. Yes, your… predicament has indeed caught my attention. But your curse is only part of why I'm here."
And so it begins.
I leaned back in my seat, feigning nonchalance despite the unease prickling at the back of my neck. "Then let's skip the small talk. Why are you here, 'Mother'?"
She caught the inflection in my voice, yet her amusement didn't waver, but her tone grew sharper, more deliberate. "Very well. Let us speak plainly. The theft of Zeus' Lightning Bolt has thrown Olympus into disarray. The gods bicker like children, and their squabbles haven't gone unnoticed."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Other Pantheons are watching. They sense weakness. Some may even… act."
The implications hit me like a thunderclap. "You think they'd move against Olympus?"
That...would be suicidal. Say what you will about the Greeks but very few Pantheons had the power to directly go against them. I can only think of the Hindu, Shinto or Egyptian Gods acting so bold.
Her expression remained the same, but there was a weight in her gaze that made the question feel rhetorical. "Weakness breeds opportunity. And your little quest to retrieve the Bolt? It's a beacon for those who would see Olympus fall. Sabotage is inevitable. The question, my dear Loth, is whether you will survive it. Boop."
She flicked my nose, expecting a reaction.
I gave none save for clenching my fists, mostly because her words had ignited a storm of frustration and unease.
"I've had… dreams," I admitted after a moment, recalling the incident with Kronos."Something's lurking behind all this, pulling the strings. The gods might think Hades is behind the theft, but they're wrong."
Her expression sharpened, though she masked it well. "Oh? And what, pray tell, do you suspect?"
I hesitated, then described the presence from my nightmares—a voice ancient and cruel, whispering promises of power and threatening vengeance.
The memory sent a shiver down my spine, but I pushed through, careful not to name him directly as that would lead to questions I wasn't eager to answer.
Hecate's lips tightened ever so slightly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face. I'd been careful not to let my guard down in front of her even when she was acting playful, but damn if the sudden seriousness didn't surprise me.
"That is indeed… troubling," she murmured, her voice quieter now, with an edge.
"Olympus is looking in the wrong direction," I insisted grimly. "If they don't act soon, the real mastermind will tear them apart from the shadows."
It took Gods and Demi-gods to fight off Kronos and the Titans and they almost lost. The world was better off if his escape could be avoided altogether.
Hecate leaned back, her gaze distant for a heartbeat before snapping back to me. "Perhaps. But let us not dwell on hypotheticals. I came here with an offer, and I suggest you hear it before dismissing me entirely."
My wariness deepened. "What kind of offer?"
Her demeanor shifted, gaze growing heavier, charged with potent magic. "Listen Lothal. The curse you bear is deeply rooted in your essence, intertwined with your magic circuits. Removing it would destroy you body and soul, not removing it and you would lose that special magic. However," she paused for effect, her voice dropping to a low, almost seductive tone, "there is another way."
I narrowed my eyes, bracing for the catch. "Go on."
"I can free you from your mortal constraints," she said, her words deliberate and precise. "Burn away your body, painlessly, thus shedding the curse, and help you ascend to a higher form. As a spiritual entity, I will teach you to unleash your full magical potential, become immortal, and escape the whims of the Fates. Join me in the moonlit kingdom, and you'll never be bound by mortal frailty again. We would truly be family."
The offer hung in the air, intoxicating and dangerous. For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine it—freedom from the curse, from pain and fear, a life of limitless power.
But there was just a tiny little issue. Hecate was offering me something I was already capable of. An anodite could shed their physical body and become an energy being, with all the perks and powers she outlined.
Her offer was redundant and unappealing, but she didn't know that and I wanted to keep it that way.
"Generous," I said, carefully measured. "But nothing in this world is free. What's the price?"
Her laughter was light, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Sharp as ever. Yes, there is a price. You would be under my protection, but also my jurisdiction. Your loyalty to me would be absolute."
And there it was. The chains beneath the gilded offer. She didn't just want to help me—she wanted to own me.
I forced myself to remain calm, masking my anger behind a neutral expression.
"I'll pass," I said firmly. "This body may be cursed, but it's mine. I'm not giving up on it without exhausting every other option first."
Her eyes narrowed, her amusement thinning into something colder. "Stubborn boy. Perhaps a little too clever for your own good."
The tension between us thickened, the air practically crackling with unspoken challenges.
But then, as quickly as it appeared, the heat dissipated.
Hecate's expression softened, her smirk returning, though this time it felt almost genuine.
"Very well," she said lightly, standing with a grace that made the motion seem otherworldly. "Keep your body. But if you wish to tame the curse and regain control, there is only one other way."
I leaned forward, her words drawing me in despite my better judgment. "How?"
Her smile widened, enigmatic and sharp. "Remove Luna's bracelet and embrace what you can be. A monster capable of magic. An abomination."
Her suggestion sent a chill down my spine.
Before I could respond, her form began to shimmer, dissolving into soft ethereal motes of purple. "One last thing," she said as her voice faded. "You'll find this useful."
When she disappeared, I noticed a small purple booklet resting on the seat where she had sat.
It's cover was adorned with stars, and a handwritten note was tucked inside.
'Not a replacement for magic, but it will come in handy when you need to hide the fangs and claws.'
I picked it up, flipping through the pages. My breath hitched in pleasant surprise.
"Holy underwear..."
It was a guide to manipulating the Mist.
My lips inadvertently curled into a faint smile. Maybe she wasn't entirely against me after all.
I did my best to ignore the small voice calling me stupid for trusting a God. Especially one whose final advice was for me to embrace my monstrous side.
For the rest of the three hours, I pored over the booklet, learning the basics of Mist Control and attempting subtle manipulations. Anything to help us in the Quest.
My talent was obviously very very lacking in comparison to someone like Luna, but the booklet was simple enough to understand, almost like it was tailored for me.
In little time I went from seeing through the mist to pushing and pulling it. It was ethereal and intangible like unrefined and thin magic but there was a lot of it.
Next was actually using it to my benefit. This was achieved through simple suggestions- basically self hypnotizing myself into believing that reality was wrong and I was right.
It only worked for a few seconds and nothing too complex.
For example, I could change the color of the seats from blue to green, but not the material itself. And the effect broke if I turned my attention away or someone else looked at the seat and wondered why one was green and the others blue.
Illusions- that was how I chose to interpret Mist Control. And sight wasn't the only thing that could be changed.
I experimented with changing the scents in the cabin, switching from pinewood to strawberries to something that Percy would later describe as "Gabe's disgusting socks."
When they returned, they were both startled and amused by the lingering smell.
"You figured out how to use the Mist?" Annabeth asked, her tone begrudgingly impressed.
I held up the booklet, grinning. "Looks like we've got a new way to stay under the radar."
They sat down, eager to tell me about their encounter with a Chimera and a Naiad, culminating in a helpful hint, and three crystal marbles that Percy promised would be useful for our mission.
But as the train lurched forward toward Denver, my thoughts drifted back to Hecate's warnings and her cryptic advice.
Remove the bracelet? Embrace the curse? How would that help? The whole reason I came on this stupid quest was to get rid of it.
The questions lingered, unanswered. All the while the fate of the world hung on our shoulders.
By the time we arrived in Denver, it was 7 days to the Summer Solstice and we had exhausted all our money.