Chapter 58: Boons
A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!
Percy spreads the wealth.
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No. He would let Athena rest for now. She’d earned it and he had a Camp to secure anyways off of the back of what she’d given him.
Letting out an explosive breath, Percy looks around the clearing for a moment more just to make sure no more Monsters are going to show up along this part of the border right after he goes back inside. Then, when the forest stays quiet and it seems that everything is silent for the time being, Percy heads back in, making his way to Camp Half-Blood.
As soon as he’s back, he rounds everyone up. Some are still out on patrol, but most are already in for the day what with dinner just around the corner. Once he has the people who have been fighting alongside him arrayed before him, Percy sweeps his gaze across them and smiles.
“Good news, everyone. We’re not in this alone anymore.”
That gets some blank looks and blinks from all of the demigods. Bianca in particular looks cutely confused until Percy finally explains, letting his smile widen while he does so.
“The Goddess Athena has seen our work. She’d seen how hard we’ve been fighting and how deep our resolve runs. As such, she saw fit to give me her blessing in battle. And as her Champion, she’s also seen fit to allow me to give out her blessing to others as well.”
That causes quite the stir among the other demigods. And to think, Percy isn’t even telling them the full story. Not that he has any intention of doing so. Nope, there’s no way in fucking hell that he’s telling them all he fucked a Maiden Goddess and laid claim to her virginity. And he’s certainly not about to tell them that Athena was calling him her ‘liege’ rather than her champion.
Admittedly, even without those outlandish truths, the rest of his claims are pretty hard to accept for the demigods anyways. Especially…
“You lie! Why would she approach you and not one of us?”
Just because Annabeth was off helping Clarisse with her quest didn’t mean the Athena Cabin was empty. The demigods that make up said cabin look most aggrieved to hear that their progenitor has claimed him as her Champion instead of one of them. Thank fuck they didn’t know how much further it went than that.
“For what purpose do I have to lie to you? Goddess Athena challenged me to prove myself to her and I did.”
Before the one who spoke up before can respond to that, there’s a sudden interruption… in the form of one of the few patrols who had still been outside the borders coming back.
“Percy!”
Turning, Percy regards them along with the other gathered demigods, even as they approach with broad smiles.
“You won’t believe it! We didn’t run into a single monster on our patrol just now! The whole northern border is currently cleared! Maybe things are finally starting to calm down!”
Percy shakes his head, smiling back.
“They aren’t yet, but we’re definitely about to be better situated to fight them all off then we were before.”
Indeed, it had been something of an unspoken rule between them, but Percy and Athena hadn’t allowed themselves to be seen by anyone else while they’d been on their three hour hunt. The competition had been between just the two of them, after all. And frankly, Percy hadn’t wanted to answer any questions or be distracted for even a single second while he’d been trying to win the day anyways.
Turning back to the demigods, specifically to those of Athena Cabin, Percy reaches out, offering his hand.
“I understand the disbelief and confusion. Let me prove it to you. If anyone can recognize Athena’s touch, it would be you all, right?”
That gives the naysayers pause. After a moment, their spokesperson finally hesitantly steps forward and places their hand in Percy’s. He feels it then, the power Athena has given him rising up. He also feels more. Not everyone is worthy of Athena’s Blessing, and there isn’t enough power for him to bless literally every demigod in camp anyways. Despite her calling him her ‘liege’, Percy doesn’t suddenly own Athena’s godhood or divinity.
Fortunately, the one who has presented themselves IS worthy. With a smile, Percy confers Athena’s Battle Blessing onto the demigod in front of him, watching as they gasp and shudder, their eyes widening and their mouth dropping open in astonishment. After a moment the act is done and Percy pulls back to watch them stare down at their hands for a heartbeat before finally turning to everyone else.
“He… he speaks the truth. Lady Athena has empowered him to give out her Blessing.”
Everyone tries to speak at once at that, clamoring amongst themselves. Some want the blessing for themselves immediately, some still aren’t entirely sure they trust it. Some don’t want the blessing at all because Athena is at odds with their godly parent. In the end, Percy has to bring his hands together in front of him, clapping hard enough that it buffets the gathered demigods with wind.
“Enough. The power conferred to me by the Goddess of Wisdom is not limitless. Nor will everyone who wants this blessing be deemed worthy of it. Some of you have taken charge of your own groups since I started all of this. Some of you have proven yourselves leaders. Those will be the ones to receive Athena’s Blessing first. Others may follow in time, but for now do not forget what this is for. It’s not about personal power. It’s not about becoming the strongest. This is about protecting Camp Half-Blood and Lady Hestia from those who would do us all harm.”
His words wash over them all and he can see the effect he has on the assembled demigods. Even the ones who might not like what he has to say are cowed by him saying it. There are some disgruntled expressions on a few faces, but when Percy makes eye contact with them, they’re quick to look down at the ground or away entirely, averting their gazes.
One by one, Percy calls up those who have helped him in leading patrols of Camp Half-Blood’s borders. Fortunately, Bianca is one of them, so he doesn’t even have to feel like he’s guilty of nepotism as he conveys Athena’s Blessing to her. Also fortunately, every demigod he calls forward is worthy of the blessing, meeting the exacting standards of the Goddess of Strategy.
By the time he’s done, they’re all a little late to dinner, but Percy considers it well worth it. The monsters would likely be back in force by the morning, but that was okay because now… now the demigods of Camp Half-Blood were truly ready to face their foes.
As everyone else heads off to dinner however, Percy is stopped… by Chiron. The Activities Director has a curiously pinched look on his face as Percy approaches him. The centaur had actually shown up a while ago, but hadn’t interrupted. Still, it was obvious he wanted to talk to Percy.
“Chiron? What’s up?”
“… The Goddess would like to speak to you up in the Big House, Perseus.”
Percy frowns, both at the use of his full name and Chiron’s tone.
“Is something wrong? Is Hestia okay?”
Giving him a distinct ‘look’, Chiron shakes his head.
“LADY Hestia is just fine, Perseus… just go and speak with her. She wishes for you to join her immediately.”
Well… alright then. Giving Chiron one final look, Percy heads up to the Big House. He enters through the front door, heading to the living room… but to his surprise, Hestia isn’t there in her chair. Alarmed now, he heads upstairs to the bedrooms.
“Goddess? Where are you?”
“In here, Percy.”
Her voice sounds strong, and yet for a split second Percy worries he’s going to find Hestia laid up in bed, somehow worse off than when he’d first arrived at Camp this year. How that could possibly be the case after the productive day he’d just had, he didn’t know… but then, fears and worries were often irrational.
In the end, that’s not the case anyways. Rather, when Percy pushes open the bedroom door, he finds Hestia standing and looking out the window, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Hestia! You’re up and moving about! That’s great!”
Even on his best days these past few weeks, when he and his fellow demigods had killed as many monsters as they could, the best Hestia had gotten was finding it in herself to attend a Camp Meal, usually at dinner in a wheelchair pushed around by Chiron. Those days, her radiant smiles were blinding and filled the Camp’s Meal Pavilion, bolstering all of their spirits and making them try even harder on the morrow.
Now though… as she turns to regard him with a frown, Hestia looks perfectly healthy. She looks great, in fact. And yet, there’s no denying that scrunched up expression of hers. Nor the words out of her mouth.
“Oh Percy… what am I going to do with you?”
Immediately, Percy flushes. Because frankly, he can only think of one thing that could possibly leave Hestia… disappointed.
“Ah. You… um… I-I thought maybe since it was outside of your borders, you might not have seen all of that.”
Hestia’s expression becomes pure exasperation at that.
“You were only barely outside of my Domain, Percy. Of course I saw. Especially since Athena wanted to be seen.”
Percy’s eyes widen at that and he blanches. Wait, if she wanted to be seen, just how many…?
Correctly deducing what he was suddenly worrying about, Hestia shakes her head.
“Athena saw fit to hide what happened between the two of you from the Greek Gods… but not the Greek Goddesses. The moment she decided you were going to claim her virginity, she also gave an open invitation to all of us to… watch.”
Oh no. Not as bad as he initially thought, but still… oh no. For a long moment, Percy just stands there, swaying back and forth. And then… he starts to get a little angry. The words come flowing out without a filter after that.
“Oh that bitch. The next time I see her, I’m going to bend her over my knee and spank her silly!”
He means it too. Every word. That said, he still gets embarrassed when he realizes he said those words in front of Hestia of all people. Before he can apologize to the Goddess of the Hearth however, she simply smiles magnanimously at him.
“That sounds like more than an appropriate punishment for one such as her, yes. Athena has ever been too arrogant for her own good. Perhaps a good spanking will humble her.”
Well now, he definitely wasn’t expecting her support. Then again, there’s an edge to Hestia’s smile that makes it clear she’s not happy with Athena all but broadcasting their coupling. Percy grimaces and rubs the back of his head with his hand.
“Err… sorry you had to see that, Goddess.”
Hestia scoffs in response, catching him a little off guard.
“Whatever for? I’m not sorry I watched. It was certainly an impressive showing.”
Wait, what? Suddenly, Percy is reminded of their… past experiences with one another as Hestia steps away from the window and walks over to him. Surely he’s imagining the almost purposeful sway of her hips though, right? Surely there’s no way that Hestia is sashaying over to him in… a purposefully seductive manner, right?
Suddenly, Hestia’s hands are on his shirt. Suddenly, the Goddess of the Hearth is pulling him down a bit to her level and smashing her lips against his. Percy startles and jolts at first, but ultimately reaches down and grabs Hestia by the hips, kissing her back for several moments before she suddenly gasps and shudders before pulling back.
“Goddess?”
Face flushed, lips swollen, Hestia looks to the side for a long moment.
“I suppose I’m sorry that I didn’t go as far as Athena did sooner. I suppose I’m sorry that I allowed my insecurities and worries to keep me from doing what she did last year.”
Wait… what she talking about giving up her virginity? About ending her status as a Maiden Goddess? Percy gapes at the idea, until finally Hestia looks back at him.
“Alas, we can’t do that now.”
Ah… but…
“Why not?”
Letting go of his shirt, Hestia snorts in amusement at his perhaps slightly plaintive tone. She takes a step back, looking out the window once again.
“Because even if I look fine, the poisoning of Thalia’s Tree still inhibits me, Percy. What you did today… you changed the core of Athena’s very nature with your actions. Even if she hid what happened between the two of you from the Gods, it won’t be long before the male half of the Pantheon knows something has happened all the same. It is undeniable that Athena is no longer a Maiden Goddess.”
Hestia sighs.
“If you were to take my virginity right here and now… you would alter the very core of my being as well. I wouldn’t mind it, but such instability would make it impossible to focus on keeping Camp Half-Blood safe and Thalia’s Tree alive. It would exhaust me on a deep, metaphysical level just as it exhausted Athena. Everything could wind up ruined.”
Well shit. That sucked. Frankly, it wasn’t fair. But then life rarely was fair, in the end.
“I didn’t call you here to have you take my virginity, Percy. I called you here to warn you. Goddesses such as Hera were after you before for their own designs, yes. But in the wake of this latest action, there will be even more who might come for you. Some with quite ill intentions indeed.”
Shit. Yeah. If Athena had broadcast his claiming of her to every Greek Goddess, that was… well, it was a lot wasn’t it? Percy finds himself reeling as he thinks of the number of women who just watched him have sex. One specific name comes to mind though and he pales a bit.
“Artemis.”
Hestia continues looking out the window even as she slowly nods.
“Yes. She is one of them. I do not yet know how she will react to having one of her fellow Maiden Goddesses… deflowered right before her eyes. It might be that she decides to hunt you down, though so long as you remain close to my Domain, she wouldn’t dare. Still, I cannot protect you forever, Percy. One day soon you will ascend to godhood. It is inevitable. When that day comes, the enemies you make as a mortal will-mmph!”
He catches Hestia off guard a little when he sneaks up behind her and hugs her from behind while turning her head and kissing her on the lips. Unlike her rough, savage kissing, Percy is more tender about it… but that doesn’t change how deeply he kisses her all the same, his tongue pushing into her mouth and silencing her.
Hestia all but melts into his hold, moaning into his lips until Percy pulls back. She bites her lower lip as she searches his eyes with her own.
“I already told you why you can’t take my virginity right now, Percy.”
But Percy shakes his head.
“I don’t care. I won’t take your virginity then. Not yet anyways. But we’ve done other things before, haven’t we? I don’t see why we can’t do them again now. I want to be with you, Goddess. However you’ll have me… and however you’ll let me have you.”
Shuddering, Hestia doesn’t exactly resist as Percy pulls her over to the bed. Who knew how long she would be in good physical health like this? Who knew how long before Percy would have to get back out there and slaughter more monsters? For the time being, he intended to take advantage of this momentary reprieve that his and Athena’s competition had created. Hestia deserved his attention, so Percy was going to give it to her.
[X] Introduce Hestia to Anal Sex as well. It's not her virginity if it's in the ass - 77%
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Thanks for reading!