Son of the Moon 68

Chapter 68

-Percy-

The mist and the Mist were heavy in the air as Percy stood outside the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, the largest forest in the United States that wasn't in 'the land beyond the gods'. Perses had proved more than willing to provide information, to Percy at least, and revealed that Gagea had set up her stronghold in its depths.

"Are you ready?" his mother asked softly as she stood at his side.

"Yes." Percy nodded, sounding more confident than he expected to but it wasn't a lie, "I…I'm still getting used to these changes." Divinity, his arms having sensation again, the draconic giant scales that had caused who knows how many changes "But with everyone here? What we're doing? I feel stronger than ever." He was the god of heroes now, the god of quests. Not only was this war the biggest quest in Olympian History, with both the enemies of the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy, but there was an army of heroes at his back.

After they'd learned were Gaea was, Grandfather had put out the call to the demigods of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Volunteers were asked for the final push, to lead the assault for the last part of the war to take the fight to Gaea herself. Not a single person had refused the call, all of them eager for blood and vengeance for every friend and ally slain.

He felt them. All of them. Their strength, their conviction, their pain, their rage. He had four domains and the army at his back was bolstering three of them, fueling his power as he cracked his neck.

He also had a plan.

"Puny gods, coming to my doorstep?" Gaea's furious and derisive voice echoed from the earth as the footsteps of her children resounded with thunderous booms "You slew my beloved Kronos once again, and now think to come for my Giants?"

"Kronos died like a dog." Percy let his voice carry, slamming Porphyrion's trident into the ground "And now it's time to put down the rest of you." At his back, the demigod armies roared in agreement, baying for blood and vengeance.

The giants had come into view, towering figures with Gaea standing above even them. With his vision enhanced through Apotheosis he could see Thalia far in the back of Gaea's forces, safely sequestered behind the legion of monsters. Gaea's gaze went to the trident in his hand and the silver scales on his skin now, her eyes widening as she realized what that meant.

"You think your legion of insects will be enough to steal victory?" Porphyrion asked with a sneer, "You are ants beneath us, and will fall like ants."

"Spoken like one who never kicked an anthill." Percy grinned viciously "We bite." As if to prove his point, the legion of demigods fired a volley of arrows toward Gaea's forces. Many lesser monsters burst apart on contact while the Giants shrugged off the opening strike, seeming more annoyed than hurt.

"Quaint." Porphyrion "Monsters, at-"

"SLAUGHTER THEM!" Percy, done with the banter and 'niceties', gave the order as he charged at the front. The gods of Olympus charged with him as the front line, crashing into the horde of monsters first, the Gigantes rising scattered throughout like ancient sequoia trees. The monsters let out startled shouts as Percy and the other gods trampled them underfoot, the demigod legion cutting down any who survived the charge.

This was no orderly Roman formation, this wasn't a rigid Greek Phalanx, this was a charge of pure rage, and it threw Gaea's forces off guard. As he reached the first giant, Percy threw a hard punch to their jaw, his fellow deities splitting off to target other threats with most going after Gaea herself.

"Impudent child." Thoon, the bane of the Fates, snarled hatefully as Percy hammered him with heavy blow after heavy blow. The giant looked like a wizened old man, but each blow was like hitting iron and his cane was definitely harder than it looked as he fought back, "You will not find me as easily bested as Kronos!"

"At least Kronos had the courage to leave his mother's skirt." Percy shot back, hating giving anything even remotely adjacent to praise toward Kronos but wanting Thoon too angry to notice the glow forming around Percy.

During their journey through the Labyrinth, Nico had suggested Percy use his light speed ability to deal with the monster. He couldn't use the power then as it would have torn his body apart…but as a god, things were different.

Feeling enough energy infused within him, Percy shot forward faster than Thoon could prepare for.

He slammed the giant into the ground, a silver spear pieced through their chest and into the dirt with two more going through their arms to keep them from escaping.

Percy left the giant still alive and pinned to the ground, going from one Gigante to the next as he cut off limbs, impaled them with spears, and any other major attack that could leave them either capable of being slain by a demigod or at least hampered enough for the others to handle.

He wasn't able to get every giant before his hold on the draining ability ran out, but he got enough.

Thoon, Enceladus, Ephialtes, Otis, Mimas, and Periboia were left as easy prey for his forces who fell on the giants without mercy.

This left Clytius, the bane of Hecate who absorbed all magic used in his vicinity being fought by Ares and Clarisse while Hippolytos was being fought by Hermes himself along with Amanda.

Then there was Porphyrion who was fighting Grandfather and Gaea herself who was battling most of the other gods.

"Well done Percy!" Zeus shouted, blasting at Porphyrion with lightning while Nico and Bianca did their best to land their own strikes.

"I'll take this bastard!" he shouted to his grandfather, "Go deal with Gaea!" she was the earth and would be truly immortal so long as she was on the earth. They had to get her out to sea or into the sky and with there not being any ocean or lakes nearby, Zeus weas their best chance.

"Very well." Zeus didn't argue, shooting past Porphyrion who tried to stop him but in doing so opened his back to Bianca who launched an arrow between his shoulders. Stepping between Porphyrion and the god they were meant to fight, Percy threw a sharp jab to their face, staggering them back.

"You dare get between me and my prey?!" Porphyrion snarled with fury, the giants having a one-track mind when it came to the deities they were meant to rival.

"Easily." Percy smirked, "You aren't worth grandfather's bolt." The king of the giants snarled at that, lashing out with their sword as Percy parried it. From behind, more arrows were flying in as the demigod army finished off the giants Percy had left pinned and had turned to the hordes and hordes of monsters.

Bolt and bolt fell upon the Giant's and their forces and they, much like a human when the ant hill was focused on them, were becoming highly distracted.

Parrying another strike from Porphyrion, Percy put extra strength into the upward motion, knocking the giant off their footing as he called forth Polybotes' trident and rammed it into the giant's throat. The Bane of Zeus let out a choked gurgle, ichor bubbling up around the weapon as Nico and Bianca fell on the giant, making sure the monster wouldn't get back up again.

Turning toward Gaea, Percy's eyes widened when he saw the earth mother high in the sky, floating in a tornado and impaled by several divine weapons.

Yet she was not dying. Her weakness when in the sky had been severed.