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It was a silent midnight in Japan.
Deep inside a mansion in a wooded valley stood a young woman. Wearing a white flowing dress, she stood in the middle of a dark room. Illuminated only by candles, their flickering light casting ominous shadows all around her. On the floor beneath her feet, Patterns and circles of varying complexity was drawn in the color red.
"It's time" a male voice sounded from behind her. A man appeared from the darkness and stepped towards her, carrying a tray with a blue cloth on it. As the man neared, she turned and they started at each other. The man stopped beside her and she looked down on the tray. On it she saw metal pieces, 4 metal pieces the largest being a few inches long. They were glowing faintly blue, cluing to there supernatural origin.
"Our family has held on to these relics for centuries. Passed down from generation to generation. It was said that these belonged to the greatest warrior from Greek Mythology. It was once that warrior's sword. Now it belongs to our family." The man said, presenting the relic to the young woman.
"And now, with these relics. you shall call forth a champion for our family!" he declared as the woman collected the pieces. She knelt down and placed them in the center of the ritual circles.
"For wisdom and glory." the woman said as she pulled a knife from inside her dress. "For wisdom and glory" the man repeated. And with a nod he stepped back to the shadows, leaving the woman alone in the center.
"For wisdom and glory!" numerous voices chanted, she looked around and saw her family standing along the wall. Present and showing her support. Her father, the one that brought the relic. Her mother, standing opposite her father. Her step-mother and her half-siblings, standing to the side.
She gave them a small smile before she turned and faced the relics. Taking a deep breath she raised her hands and began the chant.
Through the flow of time, I reach for thee
with these relics, I summon thee
With my blood, I invoke thee
With my words, I call on thee
Through the ancient pack, I swear
Partnership, until both wishes are met
Through trials we face together, prevail
Holy chalise, in our hands, in the end
Answer my call, oh glorious spirit
If thy wish and mine, are met
together, we shall fight until the end
Cross the river, and fight once again!
The formation on the floor shone in bright blue light as she chanted. The longer she did, the brighter they got. Sweat appeared on her brows as she concentrated. She brings the knife to her hand and with one shift slash, red-blood drips to the center of the formation. Her Blood and the relic begin to vibrate. The magic she was performing draining her more that she though it would.
Knowing that they only have tonight to attempt to summon a servant to fight for their family for the coveted grail. She gave her best to ensure that they summon the best, only the best. Her pride would not allow anything but the best.
Her family has done their part, the best ingredients, the best education for her. Now it all rest upon her. She closed her eyes as she came upon the last line of the chant. She felt the warmth that signaled the answer and she let herself smile. She opened her eyes to see the formation lit up at the brightest, then they floated up and her elation turned up.
Success!
That was a sign of a successful summoning. All that's left is to wait for the spirit to materialize and to sign the pact. She, along with her family waited for the Heroic spirit to conjure a body for itself using the relic they are sacrificing.
The young woman looked down and saw the relics shining brightly and she frowned. According to the records of those of her family who tried the spell in the past and failed. The relics would always float together with the ritual circles. 5 times her family tried the summoning in the past and they all failed. But even though they failed, their records show that the relics always floated with the ritual circle. Always.
Nervous, she looked to her father for answers when she noticed him starting at the relic. She turned and saw her mother and the rest of her family doing the same. She turned back to the relic and saw a sight that almost stopped her heart.
The relic, It was disintegrating. It was turning to dust.
No!
That can't be! Flustered, she tried to stop the ritual. Intending to save the relic her family has kept for centuries. Just a she was about to cut off the flow of mana to the formation,
Boom!
An explosion happened, rocking the room they were in. The young woman watched in horror as the last of the relic disappear, turning to dust in front of her eyes. Disbelief flooded her as her family began to get frantic. "Annabeth!" her father's call brought her back. She turned and saw her father walking towards her. She braced herself to be berated, for failing the ritual and for losing them the relic.
"Get up! That might be an attack!" His father's words stopped her short. 'It makes sense' she thought. The best way to stop a potential competitor to the grail is to stop them from summoning a servant. And a lot of family knows that her family has been trying to join the fight.
Anger surged in her veins at the thought of their enemies being responsible for the blunder that happened tonight. She stood up and followed her father out. One last glance at her step-mother confirmed that she is taking care of her half-brothers. Her mother has already followed her father out. More of a warrior than a wife, her mom is.
"Lock the door" She told her step-mother who nodded before she pulled the door closed. With anger and determination, she walked through the halls of her home, up the stairs and followed where she sensed her father to be. She stepped out of the back door towards the pool that she and her siblings spent a lot of time having fu in their youth. Now the place is destroyed. The columns, inspired of ancient greek architecture lay in pieces. The tiles and mosaic depecting ancient myths, cracked and upturned.
Enraged by the destruction to her home, Annabeth strode through and join her father and mother. Finding them both standing at the edge of the pool, gaping silently at the waters. The waters of the pool, she found was raging and floating high above, she braced herself for an attack when her father blocked her from doing anything.
"Father we should,," She was about to attack first when she was stopped by her father. She turned, curious as to why she was being stopped. "I feel no magic" her father whispered, surprising her. She turned back to the water and used her training to sense tha magic in her surroundings. And like her father, she sensed none. Not on the water. Not at the pool and exempt her father and mother. There was none around them with magic in their bodies.
Unless the enemy was an expert at hiding their magics, meaning an assassin which was bad for them. Or the enemy was so far above them in mastery of magic that they are unable to sense it. Which was worse than any assassin targeting them.
She was about to speak when she noticed a form beginning to appear from the middle of the pool. The water swirled and swelled as a humanoid figure coalesced within. It took a few minutes for the form to be complete. All the while, Annabeth and her family stood by and waited.
"It would seem you were successful in your attempt daughter." Her father told her at one point. She nodded, keeping her eyes on the swirling waters. Curious as to the heroic spirit she managed to summon.
Despite having the shards in their possession for centuries, their family have failed on discovering who they belonged too. It was only the mysterious glow and the apparent indestructibility of the shards that guaranteed them that it once belonged to an illustrious warrior of great history.
And as the wild water subsided and fell back on the pool, a man clad in ancient bronze armor in Greek design came out. Wearing a helm covering his face, Annabeth studied the warrior in great detail. Using her senses, Annabeth was surprised to detect no magic from him. Hiding her disappointment she stepped forward to meet the warrior she summoned.
Annabeth stood on the pools edge and spoke in a authoritative voice, "Who are you?" she asked.
Annabeth felt more than saw the warriors gaze turn to her. His gaze burning even from a few meters away. She gulped and steeled her nerves, 'I'm the master here' she reminded herself. She watched with wide eyes as the warrior began walking towards her. On top of the water. The warrior she summoned started to walk on top of the water.
Annabeth did a double take and saw that he really was walking on top of the water. She risked a glance towards her parents and saw her father gaping at the warrior just like she was. She sensed the warrior getting close nd she turned her attention back to him. He stopped a few feet away from her and she could feel his gaze on her. He was studying her just as she did.
Then the warrior lifted his hand to his helm and pulled it off. Annabeth's breath hitched as she gazed at a handsome face, a Godly face is she was honest. Sun-kissed skin and raven-black hair. Shapely nose and high cheekbones. Cherry-red lips and deep soulful eyes. Sea-green eyes that seems to drown all that looked into them.
The warrior tucked his helm under his arm and smiled at her and Annabeth's heart skipped a beat. She could feel her face heat up but she shook her head and ignored her reaction to the summoned spirit in front of her.
"My name is Percy Jackson" the warrior introduced himself.
Annabeth racked her mind, trying to remember if she has read any myth of him. Coming up empty, Annabeth felt disappointed. "I don't recognize your name" she sighed heavily. Feeling a weight settle on her shoulder about summoning a subpar hero for the war.
After a while, Annabeth looked up at the hero "Percy" and saw anger in his eyes. Annabeth took a step back, reeling from the intensity of the anger rolling off from the summoned warrior in front of her.
The wind picked up and the water roiled wildly.
"You think that just because you don't know my name you can judge my worth?" Percy asked heatedly. The wind now blowing around them, forming a tornado. Cutting them off from their surroundings
Annabeth looked around and saw her parent keeping a safe distance, she looked up and saw storm clouds gather. Lightning, striking across the sky.
"Well, sorcerer. Let me properly introduce myself to you." Percy followed.
"I am Percy Jackson, Son of Sally Jackson and the the God Poseidon, God of the seas" Percy started.
And just from that, Annabeth knew she hit the jackpot. A demigod of a major god was always a powerful heroic spirit.
"I am the Hero and Saviour of Olympus, Twice over!" Percy added and Annabeth's eyes widened. being caller hero of Olympus has only been bestowed on one demigods in the myths. Hercules. And Percy apparently has done it twice.
"I fought and defeated Kronos, the Titan of Time. I defeated the Titans Atlas, Iapetus and Hyperion in single combat. before I was the age of 16!" At this Annabeth was panting, not out of fear but of excitement. She was sure now, Her family has a real chance of winning the grail! If only she can figure out a way to calm the Demigod in front of her.
'why did I have to sound so disappointed earlier!' she complained in her mind.
"I fought and defeated the God of war Ares when I was 12 years old and I defeated the Lord of the Underworld, Hades and his armies and escaped the underworld, Three times." he added. Annabeth thought how such a celebrated hero could be unknown.
"I fought the Primordials, Gaea, Tartarus and Nyx" How did he survive such ordeals?
With every achievement he shared, Percy took a step forward forcing me to back off. The wind intensified with his words and the ground itself shook with every step he took. Soon enough, I found myself backed to a broken pillar. Unable to move backwards anymore as an enraged Demigod advanced on me.
"I survived a fall in Tartarus and escaped the Darkness of the Pit" I gasped, I have read about that place from books. The place where the Monsters go after being vanquished. The prison of the most vile of souls. A place where even Gods don't thread.
And he was there, and he survived, He escaped.
He was standing right in front of me now. Staring right at me with eyes that glowed with Power.
"I killed Akhlys, the Protogenos of Misery and Poison. And took over her domain while remaining mortal" he said with a steady voice, the wind calming down. I dared to look back at him now.
"And I turned down the Gift of Godhood, twice"
His last words was almost a whisper but I still heard it, close as we are. Turning down a chance at being a God. Why would someone do that? Only he, who has done that can know.
"After hearing all of that, Are you still disappointed?" He asked me and it confirmed why he was enraged. It would seem that I managed to summon not just a strong and powerful warrior. But a perceptive one as well.
I tentatively looked at his sea-green eyes and shook my head.
"I apologize for insulting you, It shall never happen again." I apologized, hoping to rebuild the trust needed between us if we are to win the grail.
I waited as Percy studied my sincerity, slowly he smiles and reached for my hand. I quickly made a grab for it.
"I shall hold you to that, Master!" he said as he held my hand.
His words and the contact between us sent a bolt of electricity through me. From our hands to my spine and up my back. My eyes widen as I recognized the tell-tale signs of attraction within me.
I gulped as I replied.
"Likewise!"