LoSP Ch.60: BURN!

Third POV

Around the Greek World, flames burned brighter, flaring, and turning golden as Hestia’s power rolled over the world in a colossal wave. 

At Camp half-blood, Chiron and the few campers who had stayed year-round, jumped in the air as golden flames shot up from the hearth in a high blaze, its warmth permeating through every camper present. 

They watched as the energy ran through Thalia’s tree, and over the golden fleece, spreading over the barrier surrounding the camp, strengthening it. Plants and berries thrived with life within the walls, growing faster than Satyrs and Katie Gardener could comprehend. The streams were cleansed and injuries healed, disappearing as the flames rose and swirled.

In Atlantis, Poseidon shot up from his throne as he felt the power reach him, the flames in the throne room rising in height and helping his armies fight back.

Across the state, in Artemis’ camp, every single flame turned to gold and flared, the huntresses scrambling away while Artemis herself ran toward her tent, her heart thumping in her chest, stabs of fear lancing through it. The power churned through her body, reflecting in every leaf of the forest and breath of the wild. She felt animals being healed and revived, as the wild thrived.

She squashed everything that came to her, stopping the flood of information from the wild, and disappeared from the hunter's camp in a flash of silver. 

Artemis stumbled the moment she stepped foot into Olympus, falling onto her throne as power rang in the air, greater than she had ever felt.

Everything in the room was warm, their thrones growing in size as Hestia’s aura spread through the eternal city of gods. Artemis felt her breath leave her lungs as she saw Hestia rise above the Hearth of Olympus, growing in height, wreathed in golden flames.

Her eyes, her body, burned with the golden flames, as flashes of power popped through the throne room, barely noticeable, drowned under her power.

“HESTIA!” Someone yelled as the Olympians made their way toward the Hearth, the heat warming their skin, yet not harming them.

“What is happening?” Apollo screamed in her ear, shielding his eyes as the flames burned brighter. A second later, his eyes widened. “Oh, my word. Damn. Damn. Bloody fucking damn.”

“What?” Artemis turned to him. “What did you see?” Her heart clenched. “This is not Aunt Hestia, is it?”

On the other side, Zeus and Poseidon attempted to grab Hestia but were rebuffed, a spark of gold slamming into them, sending them stumbling.

“It is Aunt Hestia, but she’s not the one causing this.” Apollo gulped. “It is your boyfriend.”

Once Artemis would’ve reacted, probably slapping Apollo on the head, but she was too stunned to speak as Hestia rose higher, towering over all the gods, taller than anything that she had ever witnessed.

“What’d he do?” Artemis asked. “And why?”

Hestia’s eyes snapped upward, and the golden flames swirled around her. Then a voice came from her, half hers and half male— one Artemis recognized all too well.

“BURN!”

The gods flinched and raised shields as flames rocketed through the throne room, seeping through every spore, as Artemis felt power flood into her— into Olympus itself, followed by the domain of the hunt reacting within her. She fell to her knees and screamed as she connected with the wild and the hunt, raw information flooding her brain as she felt monsters of all kinds and sizes, the sights and senses untamed by her usual concentration.

The next second, she felt the monsters for several miles around Olympus, perish, her hunt for them over before it even began.

At the center of the camp, Chiron whirled in the direction of the forest, summoning his bow as eerie screams rang from the forest and a cloud of golden dust rose over the trees.

Far beyond, under the ocean, Triton felt the thrum of power lance through the sea, as he faced an army of Oceanus, which were reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye, as his power replenished, his injuries fading away while the city of Atlantis glowed behind him.

Above, in the ocean, Princess Andromeda swayed violently in the waves, threatening to capsize, only prevented by Tethys, who stood at its helm, pouring all her power into the ship. Kronos, in Luke’s body, held tightly to the railing, feeling sickness churn in his gut.

Across the state, the Titan’s palace, Othrys shook, its stone walls crumbling to dust, while the two Titans there, scrambled away with a handful of demigods, seeking cover.

All the while, as the house in Salem crumbled to flames, its enchantments stripped, revealing two terrified titans and two terrified gods, who stood rooted in fear, as Percy advanced.

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PERCY POV

The golden flames seared through the air, swirling through the mansion, turning all it touched to ashes. Each flicker of the fire ran through my blood, throbbing in my veins as I took a step through the ashened ground. Pure, raw power ran through me, and my senses opened. 

At once I felt every home, every family, friendship, and all the empires that had been built and stayed since time immemorial. I felt Olympus itself respond to me from the heavens while Atlantis called to me from the oceans, the land ready to turn to my will. 

In a single moment, I could end fights, reunite families, reforge friendships, and raise new empires. I could also end all those who dared harm families or betrayed them. I had the power to lay ruin to empires or burn them to ashes with a thought. I could’ve done anything I wished because I had the power to do it.

This was the very power that had held Olympus together since it had been founded. It was the power upon which the mightiest empires had risen and fallen. It was the power that ran through every home and every family in the world. It was the power that made gods what they were. 

I reached out with my senses, seeking the enemies of my family— of Olympus. The very world responded, and I knew where Monsters, titans, enemy demigods… and Kronos himself were. I felt them, and my anger rose, like a tide. 

And I willed them to burn.

The flame responded. It thrummed through every fiber of my being, as vast and unconquerable as the ocean. It responded to me, and it obeyed me. 

It was what it felt like to be a god. 

A second later, I felt a sharp pain in my head, and my senses shut down, pulling me back to the present so fast that I felt dizzy.

#Percy are you crazy!?# Alexander yelled in my head, his voice ringing through my brain. #This power is not for any mortal to wield, much less a hero. Are you insane?#

I reached up as I felt a familiar weight on my head, feeling the cold metal of the warrior’s helm. 

‘What happened?’ I asked, watching as the golden flames lunged at Hecate who created a vast shield of magic, the air above her darkening as clouds formed. 

On the sides, her remaining companions— Deimos, Phobos, and Eris backed away, their disguises stripped and their eyes wide and afraid.

The flames rolled around me, turning the mansion to ashes, and stripping it of Hecate’s magic. The goddess herself hurled spells at the fire as the clouds above her poured rain onto the flames, but barely did anything to slow them, while she floated away.

#You took on the power of Hestia, sharing it with her for a moment. For it, you became one with the gods. A god, with the freedom of a hero, who turned the fire of Olympus on its enemies.#

‘Which means I probably killed a lot of them, saving dozens of my friends and fellow demigods.’ I smiled. ‘Good. Those who burned, deserved it.’

From the golden haze, I saw Thalia’s electricity-wreathed ax tear through the air toward Eris and Deimos. The sons of Ares dove to the ground, the ax soaring above their heads and bouncing off Hecate's shield, tumbling into the flames. Hecate thrust her torches out, and a wave of magic rebuffed the golden flames before the wall of her magic darkened, as if fortifying. 

#You also very nearly turned yourself to ashes and might have impacted the tapestry of fate irreversibly, had I not stopped you.# Alexander bit back. #There’s a very very good reason why gods have restraints, Percy. And had you had your way, you would’ve reminded us all why. Moreover, you would’ve burned down by the sheer power flowing through your body, had you continued to revel in divinity.#

‘I didn’t burn. I am not even feeling the strain.’ I scowled, flexing my fingers. The flames obeyed me, spreading around, lunging at the gods who scrambled away. 

“Percy!” Grover bleated and I turned to see the flames surrounding him and Clarisse, who looked around groggily before jerking up as she spotted the fire 

“It isn’t burning us!” Thalia charged through the flames, lightning wreathing her arms as she summoned her ax back. “Kill these bitches!” 

Deimos stepped in her way, his spear meeting her ax in a burst of electricity that sent the minor god stumbling. Behind him, his brother, Phobos went to attack Thalia from the side, but I raised my hand, and the golden flames lunged.

#Percy, NO!# Alexander screamed as the flames hit Phobos like a tidal wave, pulling him under.

Phobos’ screams rang through my bones, and I felt my blood boil in my veins, as the flames consumed Phobos, burning him to nothing, consuming him whole. The flames rose like an inferno, burning higher and higher, the gold searing my eyes, as I felt my muscles cramp, pain lancing through my limbs.

#Percy, let go of the flames and fight the rest normally!# Alexander's voice rang above the ringing in my ears and the dizziness ebbed away. #The only reason you’re standing— or alive for that matter is me. Pray to Hestia to squash these flames while you try to take some of it. The flames will heal you, but you cannot use them to kill.#

I gave him a feeble nod and dipped the blade of my sword into the golden flames, feeling little blazes climb onto my arm and sink into my skin, the pain vanishing as the flames healed me. I felt my senses tingle and turned, twisting away on instinct. 

A spell to lance past me, the crimson power tearing a gauge through the ground, ash rising in the wind. I scowled and glanced up, from where the attack had come.

High in the air, Hecate continued to rebuff the flames, keeping them away from her shield. The clouds continued to rain down around her, yet failed to douse the flames. 

I scowled and clenched my fist, seizing every droplet and turning it into ice. Her eyes widened, purple flames leaping from her torches to protect her. The golden flames on the ground lunged on their own, burning through her shield and she let out a scream, a burst of magic rebuffing the flames toward Eris. 

Twisting my sword, I held the flames in place, nudging them toward Eris, who swung her spear, trying to protect herself. The goddess of discord screamed in pain, as the flames began to burn her, waves of power rolling off her, trying to protect herself to no avail.

#Percy, no,# Alexander said, and I stumbled into a puddle of golden fire, which climbed onto me, thin ribbons of flame curving around my body and sinking into my skin as I felt their power pierce through me.

On the other side, Thalia advanced on Deimos, her lightning-wreathed strikes cutting through his feeble defense, as he tried to stay away from the flames. Thalia slowly cornered the minor god, her eyes flicking to Annabeth as she snuck up to Deimos from behind. With a twist of her Ax, Thalia caught Deimos’ spear in a deadlock.

The next moment, Annabeth struck from behind like a viper, wielding Clarisse's spear, which she thrust through a gap in the god’s Armor, the electricity-wreathed tip sinking into his back and piercing his heart. Deimos gurgled and Thalia spun, her Ax slicing into his throat. 

A spurt of ichor splashed across her face and Deimos fell to the ashened ground, the flames rolling to consume the golden dust that he disintegrated into. 

Annabeth jumped slightly as the flames spread under her boots but relaxed as they didn’t harm her, while Thalia swept her short hair back, breathing heavily.

I looked up to see the only foe who was still standing; the one who was the cause of all of this— Hecate. 

The Titaness floated high above us, doing all she could to stay away from the golden flames that had consumed her companions and were spreading rapidly, burning through her mansion, rising higher and higher on their own.

“Bianca, shoot her!” Thalia barked and I turned my head.

Nico and Bianca sat amidst the golden flames, holding each other tightly, as tears streamed down their cheeks. The flames around them burned a soft golden, unlike the harsh inferno that was trying to burn Hecate.

The Titaness flicked her torch, sending a spell screaming toward Annabeth and Thalia, and I felt anxiety claw up my throat. The spell burst against the Aegis, sending both the girls flying away like ragdolls, while Hecate cackled loudly, her white hair flowing in the wind.

Anger bubbled in my veins and the fire around me darkened as I rose to my feet. 

“Hecate!” The flames around the room flared dangerously. “Die!”

A column of golden flames shot from my sword, smashing through her shield, sending Hecate spinning. I turned a deaf ear to Alexander’s protests, seizing a ball of flames, ignoring the burning pain that shot through my arm, as I hurled it at Hecate. 

She brought her torch up to intercept the fireball, and it burst in a fiery explosion that shook the ground. The torch shattered, its pieces melting and a colossal wave of magic burst, from it, sending my friends flying back, obliterating all that remained of the mansion.

I sunk my blade into the ground and held on as the waves of magic smothered the flames around me, while Hecate herself crashed onto the ground, golden ichor running like a small stream from her torn, withered hand.

Fear brimming in her old eyes, as spells weaved from her hands, falling over the inferno, keeping it at bay. Slowly, I stood, walking through the embers of the remaining flames, toward Hecate.

“I told you,” I whispered, raising my sword. “I’ll kill you for what you did.”

Her throat quivered, her eyes brimming with fear. 

Suddenly, a cold breeze blew through the room and the temperature plummeted as time slowed, my blade feeling like it was moving through jelly. 

Time. Which meant Kronos had intervened.

Before I could do anything to counteract it, Hecate snapped her fingers, and a bright flash seared my eyes, sending me stumbling. The power of time left its hold on me, and I blinked my eyes open, looking around wildly. 

“Fuck!” I cursed, stomping my foot. A tremor ran through the ground as I clenched my fists “She escaped! Fuck!”

The flames hissed around me, dark and golden, their power pulsing in time with the beat of my heart. My ragged breaths rang in my ears as my vision blurred, the golden fire crawling along my skin burned hotter with every second. 

Hecate was gone, her escape leaving behind only the smoldering ruins of her mansion. She had set us all against each other, tried to kill all my friends, and tortured them with her illusions for gods knew how long. And then, she escaped right in front of my eyes.

Rage burned in my veins, the wish to kill her off stronger than ever. The inferno surged, feeding off my anger, the flames turning a harsh golden.

#Percy, NO!# Alexander barked. #Don’t use the flames. For the love of gods, don’t. Stop!#

‘Why should I?’ I clenched my fists, staring at the wreckage before me. ‘She ran, thanks to Kronos but she’ll come back. And next time, she’ll bring more of them. Right here, I have the means to stop them all.’

#No, you don’t!# Alexander roared. #Do you think you can hold this power or even control it? And if you could, do you think you’ll survive it? You’re a mortal, Percy, no matter how much you want to pretend otherwise. You’ll only end up destroying yourself. And that’s the best-case scenario. If you lose control, this fire, despite being Hestia’s, might burn your friends. It might raze Olympus itself!#

I staggered, the weight of his words cutting through my anger like a sword.

“Percy! Please! Stop this!” Grover’s trembling voice snapped me back to reality and I looked around as the flames rose higher, swirling around me like a storm. 

I turned to see him crouched low to the ground, his hands covering his head, his eyes wide with fear. Clarisse stood beside him, a hand clutching her head, as she looked at me with concern. 

#Percy, please. Pray to Hestia. You’ve to let go of these flames.# Alexander whispered

The fire around me dimmed, flickering weakly. My knees hit the ground, and I let the sword fall from my hand. “Hestia,” I said, my voice breaking. “Please. Help me.”

The flames rippling along my skin wavered as if resisting. But then a warmth unlike anything I’d ever felt—gentle, soothing, and steady—settled over me. It was calm, like a hearth on a cold night. The fire around me dimmed, drawing back into the earth, into the air, vanishing slowly. 

“Thank you.” 

I felt a wave of dizziness washing over me, and I slumped to the ash-covered ground, watching the last of the flames burn away. 

The warm ash below me felt like a soft mattress as my eyes drooped close. And I knew no more.

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AND… DONE! I hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes. Fire, fire, fire. :) A little about the ‘golden flames’ that emerged from Hestia’s power to clarify any doubts that might’ve arisen. 

To give the briefest summary, they are fuck-off powerful, and in few ways, way more dangerous than any other weapon or power. Greek fire has nothing on this fire. Even the weapons of the big three would pale in the destructive comparison to these flames.

The fire literally consumed and faded, yes, FADED two gods of very much decent power out of existence and shattered a godly weapon with a single touch. And let me tell you, those torches of Hecate are nothing to scoff at. In raw power, they would easily match something like Hermes’ Caduceus and this fire melted it into a puddle with a touch. 

Percy would’ve in fact burned to ashes from the overload of power by the time he killed off Deimos, had it not been for BOTH Hestia and Alexander protecting him. And I don’t need to tell you how powerful they exactly are.

Also, before you ask, no, Percy cannot use these flames or even call upon them at will. This was caused by the fact that he called upon Hestia’s help by sacrificing a fucking GODDESS to her, like she was an everyday monster, lol.

The next update will be RoLP, which I am yet to begin writing, but I will in a few hours.

A huge thanks to Tulayb for betaing this chapter. Here, I would like to give him a special commendation, as he betaed this chapter within minutes on my request, as I was running late by a day or so in writing this chapter. It is only thanks to him that we’re getting the update today, instead of tomorrow, as I had anticipated when I sent the doc for betaing. 

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66