✦ ༉‧₊˚⋆˚( ᵖᵉʳᶠᵉᶜᵗ ʷᵒʳˡᵈ )˚⁺✧₊˚.*♡

🍦— 005. dreams, gods and goddesses.

ANNABETH HAD EXPLAINED TO Vivi that, sometimes, their godly parent visits their dreams so they could talk with them. Vivi didn't think much of it. So far, her only dreams were either blank or random stuff ─ she once had a dream that Travis was riding some kind of one tire bike. It was weird, so she never brought it up. But now, she didn't know if she should be honored, mad or just wanting to wake up as fast as possible.

Vivi dreamt of some kind of open market. The dark sky was decorated with shinning stars as the lanterns glowed around the stands filled with various foods. She could smell the distant scent of cooked rice that brought joy to her. The streets were crowded with chatting people, all looking excitedly around. 

"Vivienne."

She jumped at the sound of someone calling her name. People around her were moving, not paying attention to her nor the figure that appeared. Vivi looked next to her. The man had a muscular build. His curly black hair sat short a top his head and blue eyes fixed ahead, not onto her. His elfish features, and a sly grin that decorated his face seemed familiar to her, seeing it everyday in the mirror.

"Hermes."

His gaze went down to her. A sad look adoring his features, but Vivi didn't care. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to see the man who left her. She didn't want to see the man who she wished was there when her mother died. She didn't want to see the man who never once cared to visit his daughter. She didn't want to see him.

"Not dad? Father? Fùqīn even maybe?"

"Why are you here? What do you want?" her tone was harsh as ice, but she didn't care.

Hermes sighed, and looked back at the crowd of people happily shopping, "Whenever I come here, I think of Amelia. She loved this place. She always told me it was like a small part of her tradition was with her."

Vivi stayed quiet as Hermes guided her down the street, stopping in front of a fountain surrounded by young couples, elderly one, parents with their kids. It was crowded, but no one seemed to mind. They were enjoying the place none the less.

"When you were a baby, the Fates already decided your future." Hermes said after a few quiet moments, "They shared your prophecy to your mother, grandmother and I, but, like you know by now, godly parents cannot be with their children as they grow up. I wanted to. I wanted to be there for all of my children, but Zeus never listens. It's forbidden."

Vivi frowned. She heard from Annabeth that Zeus is, well, not a very parent oriented figure.

"But you had someone watching over you. You just didn't realise it."

"What?"

Hermes sat down at the side of the fountain, tapping place next to him for Vivi to sit. She did.

"A heavy layer of Mist covered everything," Hermes said, "Do you remember your babysitter? Julie?"

Vivi thought back to it. When she was younger, Vivi had this babysitter that she loved. Her name was Julie. Whenever her mother went to work, Julie would be called to watch over Vivi. She was nice, kind and friendly. She was a teenager if Vivi remembers correctly, just finished High School where Amelia used to work at. Julie needed a job and Vivi's mother gave it to her. Vivi can still remember the beauty that Julie possessed. With her curly, blonde hair that went past her waist and smile that always met her eyes; with porcelain clear skin and plumb, pink lips, Julie was nothing but beautiful.

Vivi nodded, "She used to bring me macaroons whenever she came to babysit me."

"Yes," Hermes said, "She loved you. She still does."

"How would you know?" Vivi asked, "She moved away from collage when I was young, few months before mom died."

"But she didn't move away. She just couldn't be there anymore."

Vivi was extremely confused right now.

"Like I said, it is forbidden for a godly parent to look after their child. But, it is not forbidden for another god to watch over a half-blood. Julie was not a mortal. She is a goddess, a goddess of human soul, that's why she loved you so much. Psyche didn't want to leave you, but she couldn't be there if you were to move to your grandma's house."

"Psyche is. . . Julie?" Vivi asked, her brain buzzing with information. "My babysitter is a goddess?"

Hermes hummed, "She's more then your babysitter. You're her legacy, her descendant. If gods had DNA, she would be your great-grandma."

"She's granny's mother?"

Hermes smiled, "You're smart, just like she said. . . You destiny is hard, I won't lie to you. Not anymore. Hardships await you in life. But you won't be alone. Your friends, grandma, Psyche, I, will be there for you from now on, but we can only guide you so far."

"I don't want to think of it," Vivi grumbled, "Future is future, it can wait."

Her father laughed, "You're so much like your mother. Amelia loved to live in the moment. I miss her."

"You have loads of children, you surely can't remember all."

"That is bold even for you to say," Hermes raised an eyebrow, "You don't believe me?"

"No. I don't want to believe you."

"Yet, you're lying right now."

Vivi stammered, "No, I'm not."

"You're doing it again," Hermes sighed, "You inherited a very rare ability of mine, not a lot of people posses it."

"So, I wasn't hallucinating the other day."

Hermes shook his head, "The ability comes from me being a god of thieves. I can tell when someone wants to trick me and prevent it from happening. It rare, for any of my children to posses it, but I'm glad you're the one who got it."

The people's voices around them started to get louder. There was buzzing in Vivi's ears, making her cover them.

"This is my cue to leave," Hermes said, "But this won't be the last time we're going to see each other. Next time, I'll even bring you a gift," he sighed, "Hardship awaits you, Vivienne, but I know you can win it all."

Just after dawn, the quest group met at Zeus's Fist. Travis and May packed Vivi's bag for the quest last night ─ thermos with nectar, bag of ambrosia, bedroll, some snacks, water, clothes, flashlights, and lots of extra batteries. Her bracelet was on her wrist, shinning in the morning sun. The Hermes children, plus Isa, walked with Vivi to Zeus's Fist where everyone else stood around. Isa wouldn't let go off Vivi's arm, not wanting the older girl to leave.

"Do you have to go?" Isa asked, still clinging to Vivi's arm.

"Annie needs me," Vivi said, "And I'll be back before you even know it. Take care of yourself."

"I will. . ." Isa sniffled, before breaking down. "I don't want you to go," she spoke, "I don't want something to happen to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to," Vivi assured her, hugging the younger girl, "I promise."

"I'm going to miss you so much, eonni," Isa mumbled, squeezing Vivi more tightly, "Come back safe, all of you need to come back safe. Promise."

"We will."

It was a clear morning. The fog had burned off and the sky was blue. Campers would be having their lessons today, flying pegasi and practicing archery and scaling the lava wall. Juniper and Grover stood apart from the group. Juniper had been crying again, but she was trying to keep it together for Grover's sake. She kept fussing with his clothes, straightening his rasta cap and brushing goat fur off his shirt. Since they had no idea what they would encounter, he was dressed as a human, with the cap to hide his horns, and jeans, fake feet, and sneakers to hide his goat legs.

Chiron, Quintus, and Mrs. O'Leary stood with the other campers who'd come to wish the group well, but there was too much activity for it to feel like a happy send-off. A couple of tents had been set up by the rocks for guard duty. Beckendorf and his siblings were working on a line of defensive spikes and trenches. Chiron had decided that they needed to guard the Labyrinth exit at all times, just in case. 

"Well, it appears you are ready!" Chiron tried to sound upbeat, but Vivi could tell he was anxious. 

"Hey, uh, Chiron," Percy said, "Can I ask you a favor whileI'm gone?"

"Of course, my boy."

"Be right back, guys." Percy nodded toward the woods and he and Chiron disappeared.

Annabeth walked over to her best friend, "You ready?"

"Not in a slightest bit."

"Me neither," Annabeth sighed, "Thank you for coming."

"Annie, we talked about this," Vivi said, "Of course I would come. You're my best friend. I'll do anything for you."

Annabeth smiled, before her eyes travelled to Percy and Chiron, "What are they talking about?"

"I don't know," Vivi said, "But I'll find out." she trudged over to them, "Percy, you ready?"

The boy nodded, putting his hand in his pocket and looking past Vivi's figure. She raised an eyebrow and turned around. Quintus was watching Percy carefully. He raised his hand in farewell.

"Take care," Chiron told them. "And good hunting."

"You too," Percy said

The pair walked over to the rocks, where Annabeth, Tyson and Grover were waiting. Vivi stared at the crack between the boulders ─ the entrance that was about to swallow them.

"Well," Grover said nervously, "good-bye sunshine."

"Hello rocks," Tyson agreed.

And together, the four of us descended into darkness.

They made it a hundred feet before getting lost.

The tunnel looked nothing like the one Percy and she had stumbled into before. Now it was round like a sewer, constructed of red brick with iron barred portholes every ten feet. It opened into infinite darkness. Annabeth tried her best to guide them. She had this idea that they should stick to the left wall.

"If we keep one hand on the left wall and follow it," she said, "we should be able to find our way out again by reversing course."

Unfortunately, as soon as she said that, the left wall disappeared. They found themselves in the middle of a circular chamber with eight tunnels leading out, and no idea how they had gotten there.

"Next time, let's not speak our thoughts out loud," Vivi said.

"Um, which way did we come in?" Grover said nervously.

"Just turn around," Annabeth said.

Vivi  turned toward the tunnel in front of her, while everyone turned to a different tunnel. It was ridiculous. No one knew which way led back to camp.

"Left walls are mean," Tyson said. "Which way now?"

Annabeth swept her flashlight beam over the archways of the eight tunnels. 

"That way," she said.

"How do you know?" Percy asked.

"Deductive reasoning."

"She's lying." Vivi said. Even in the dark, she could see the words leaving Annabeth's mouth, swirling around her.

"Piss off," Annabeth said.

"She's swearing," Vivi said, "She's mad."

"Just come on!" 

The tunnel Annabeth had chosen narrowed quickly. The walls turned to gray cement, and the ceiling got so low that pretty soon we were hunching over. Tyson was forced to crawl. Grover's hyperventilating was the loudest noise in the maze.

"I can't stand it anymore," he whispered. "Are we there yet?"

"We've been down here maybe five minutes," Annabeth told him.

"It's been longer than that," Grover insisted. "And why would Pan be down here? This is the opposite of the wild!"

They kept shuffling forward. Just when Vivi was sure the tunnel would get so narrow it would squish them, it opened into a huge room. She shined the light around the walls. The whole room was covered in mosaic tiles. The pictures were grimy and faded, but you could still make out the colors ─ red, blue, green, gold. The frieze showed the Olympian gods at a feast. There was Poseidon, with his trident, holding out grapes for Dionysus to turn into wine. Zeus was partying with satyrs, and her father was flying through the air on his winged sandals. In the middle of the room was a three-tiered fountain. It looked like it hadn't held water in a long time.

"What is this place?" Percy muttered. "It looks ─ "

"Roman," Annabeth said. "Those mosaics are about two thousand years old."

"But how can they be Roman?" 

"The Labyrinth is a patchwork," Annabeth said. "I told you, it's always expanding, adding pieces. It's the only work of architecture that grows by itself."

"You make it sound like it's alive."

A groaning noise echoed from the tunnel in front of them.

"Let's not talk about it being alive," Grover whimpered. 

"I agree." Vivi said.

"All right," Annabeth said. "Forward."

"Down the hall with the bad sounds?" Tyson said. Even he lookednervous.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "The architecture is getting older. That's a good sign. Daedalus's workshop would be in the oldest part."

That made sense. But soon the maze was toying with them ─ they went fifty feet and the tunnel turned back to cement, with brass pipes running down the sides. The walls were spray-painted with graffiti. A neon tagger sign read MOZ RULZ.

"I'm thinking this is not Roman," Percy said helpfully.

Annabeth took a deep breath, then forged ahead.

Every few feet the tunnels twisted and turned and branched off. The floor beneath them changed from cement to mud to bricks and back again. There was no sense to any of it. The group stumbled into a wine cellar ─ a bunch of dusty bottles in wooden racks  ─ like they were walking through somebody's basement, only there was no exit above, just more tunnels leading on. Later the ceiling turned to wooden planks, and Vivi could hear voices above them and the creaking of footsteps, as if walking under some kind of bar. It was reassuring to hear people, but then again, they couldn't get to them. They were stuck down here with no way out. Then, the first skeleton appeared. He was dressed in white clothes, like some kind of uniform. A wooden crate of glass bottles sat next to him.

"A milkman," Vivi said.

"What?" Percy asked.

"They used to deliver milk, bèndàn ( idiot )."

"Yeah, I know what they are," he rolled his eyes, "but. . . that was when my mom was little, like a million years ago. What's he doing here?"

"Some people wander in by mistake," Annabeth said. "Some come exploring on purpose and never make it back. A long time ago, the Cretans even sent people in here as human sacrifices."

"How nice," Vivi grumbled.

Grover gulped. "He's been down here a long time." he pointed to the skeleton's bottles, which were coated with white dust. The skeleton's fingers were clawing at the brick wall, like he had died trying to get out.

"Only bones," Tyson said. "Don't worry, goat boy. The milkman is dead."

"The milkman doesn't bother me," Grover said. "It's the smell. Monsters. Can't you smell it?"

Tyson nodded. "Lots of monsters. But underground smells like that. Monsters and dead milk people."

"Oh, good," Grover whimpered. "I thought maybe I was wrong."

"We have to get deeper into the maze," Annabeth said. "There has to be a way to the center."

She led them to the right, then the left, through a corridor of stainless steel like some kind of air shaft, and back to the Roman tile room with the fountain. This time, however, they weren't alone. The man with two faces stood in front of them. His two faces jutted out from either side of his head, staring over his shoulders, so his head was much wider than it should've been, kind of like a hammer head shark's. He was dressed like a New York City doorman: a long black overcoat, shiny shoes, and a black top-hat that somehow managed to stay on his double wide head. 

"Well, Annabeth?" said his left face. "Hurry up!"

"Don't mind him," said the right face. "He's terribly rude. Right this way, miss."

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Uh. . . I don't. . ."

Tyson frowned. "That funny man has two faces."

"The funny man has ears, you know!" the left face scolded. "Now come along, miss."

"No, no," the right face said. "This way, miss. Talk to me, please."

The two-faced man regarded Annabeth as best he could out of the corners of his eyes. It was impossible to look at him straight on without focusing on one side or the other. And Vivi knew what he was asking ─ he wanted Annabeth to choose. Behind him were two exits, blocked by wooden doors with huge iron locks. They hadn't been there their first time through the room. The two-faced doorman held a silver key, which he kept passing from his left hand to his right hand. Behind them, the doorway they had come through had disappeared, replaced by more mosaics. 

"The exits are closed," Annabeth said.

"Duh!" the man's left face said.

"Where do they lead?" she asked.

"One probably leads the way you wish to go," the right face said encouragingly. "The other leads to certain death."

"I-I know who you are," Annabeth said.

"Oh, you're a smart one!" the left face sneered. "But do you know which way to choose? I don't have all day."

"Why are you trying to confuse me?" Annabeth asked.

The right face smiled. "You're in charge now, my dear. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"I ─ "

"We know you, Annabeth," the left face said. "We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later. And the choice may kill you."

The color drained out of Annabeth's face. "No. . . I don't ─ "

"Leave her alone," Percy said, stepping forward to defend her. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm your best friend," the right face said.

"I'm your worst enemy," the left face said.

"I'm Janus," both faces said in harmony. "God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices."

"I'll see you soon enough, Perseus Jackson," said the right face. "But for now it's Annabeth's turn." he laughed giddily. "Such fun!"

"Shut up!" his left face said. "This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your whole life. It can kill you and all your friends. But no pressure, Annabeth. Choose!"

The child of Athena's final stand.

"Annie," Vivi shook her head.

"I'm afraid she has to," the right face said cheerfully.

Annabeth moistened her lips. "I-I choose ─ "

Before she could point to a door, a brilliant light flooded the room. Janus raised his hands to either side of his head to cover his eyes. When the light died, a woman was standing at the fountain. She was tall and graceful with long hair the color of chocolate, braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colors like oil on water.

"Janus," she said, "are we causing trouble again?"

"N-no, milady!" Janus's right face stammered.

"Yes!" the left face said.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"Not you, milady! I was talking to myself."

"I see," the lady said. "You know very well your visit is premature. The girl's time has not yet come. So I give you a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn you into a door and break you down."

"What kind of door?" the left face asked.

"Shut up!" the right face said.

"Because French doors are nice," the left face mused. "Lots of naturallight."

"Shut up!" the right face wailed. "Not you, milady! Of course I'll leave. I was just having a bit of fun. Doing my job. Offering choices."

"Causing indecision," the woman corrected. "Now be gone!"

The left face muttered, "Party pooper," then he raised his silver key, inserted it into the air, and disappeared. The woman turned toward them, and Vivi could see power in her yes. She smiled. "You must be hungry," she said. "Sit with me and talk."

She waved her hand, and the old Roman fountain began to flow. Jets of clear water sprayed into the air. A marble table appeared, laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade. 

"Who. . . who are you?" Percy asked.

"I am Hera." the woman smiled. "Queen of Heaven."

Now, Vivi had never met Hera, but her aura was questioning? Right now, she looked like a regular mom, serving them sandwiches and pouring lemonade. But there was something hidden under those eyes that she didn't want anyone to see.

"Grover, dear," she said, "use your napkin. Don't eat it."

"Yes, ma'am," Grover said.

"Tyson, you're wasting away. Would you like another peanut butter sandwich?"

Tyson stifled a belch. "Yes, nice lady."

"Queen Hera," Annabeth said. "I can't believe it. What are you doing in the Labyrinth?"

Hera smiled. She flicked one finger and Annabeth's hair combed itself. All the dirt and grime disappeared from her face.

"I came to see you, naturally," the goddess said. 

Vivi saw Grover and Percy exchanged nervous looks. From what she learned, usually when gods come looking for you, it's not out of the goodness of their hearts. It's because they want something. Vivi was nibbling on her turkey sandwich, paying attention how the goddess held herself. Next to her, Percy was eating like it was his last meal. He looked at her and when he noticed her grimacing; he grinned and swallowed the food. Tyson was inhaling one peanut butter sandwich after another, and Grover was loving the lemonade, crunching the Styrofoam cup like an ice-cream cone.

"I didn't think ─ " Annabeth faltered. "Well, I didn't think you liked heroes."

Hera smiled indulgently. "Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement."

"Didn't you, like, try to kill him," Vivi said, titling her head, "a lot of times? Or did granny tell me wrong." 

Hera regarded her. Her eyes went over her, up and down, before settling on her face. "Vivienne Wu. . . daughter of Hermes."

"Yes," Vivi said in a semi-polite tone. 

She didn't like this woman.

Hera flickered her finger again. The dirt from her face vanished. Vivi felt her hair falling down from her ponytail. It fell down her back in pretty waves; some pieces coming down to frame her face. Vivi scowled.

"I see you finally arrived at the Camp," Hera said, "but such a pretty face shouldn't be down here, on a dangerous quest. Beauty like that shouldn't get damaged. . . yes, not a face of a warrior. It should be admired, not scarred."

Vivi wanted to lunge herself at the goddess and show her who the warrior was. Percy grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him, so she was glued to his side. Yeah, she definitely didn't like Hera.

Hera waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband's children by another woman. My patience wore thin, I'll admit it. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counseling sessions since then. We've aired our feelings and come to an understanding ─ especially after that last little incident."

"You mean when he sired Thalia?" Percy guessed. Vivi heard about Thalia Grace, the demigod daughter of Zeus. She became a Hunter of the goddess of hunt, Artemis.

As soon as Percy said the girl's name, Hera's eyes turned toward me frostily. "Percy Jackson, isn't it? One of Poseidon's. . . children."

Vivi got the feeling she was thinking of another word besides children.

"As I recall, I voted to let you live at the winter solstice. I hope I voted correctly." she turned back to Annabeth with a sunny smile. "At any rate, I certainly bear you no ill will, my girl. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest. Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with."

Annabeth lowered her gaze. "Why was he here? He was driving me crazy."

"Trying to," Hera agreed. "You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by the small parts they play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father."

"Your father?" Percy said. "Oh. Right."

"We must watch the minor gods," Hera said. "Janus. Hecate. Morpheus. They give lip service to Olympus, and yet ─ "

"That's where Dionysus went," Percy remembered. "He was checking on the minor gods."

"Indeed." Hera stared at the fading mosaics of the Olympians. "You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things, petty things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish. But I'm the goddess of marriage, you see. I'm used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos, and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind."

"What are your goals?" Annabeth asked.

Hera smiled. "To keep my family, the Olympians, together, of course. At the moment, the best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish."

"A wish?"

"Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you seek Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it isto you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus's heart. There has never been a mortal Hephaestus admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is Hephaestus."

"But how do we get there?" Annabeth asked. "That's my wish. I want away to navigate the Labyrinth."

Hera looked disappointed. "So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given."

"I don't understand."

"The means is already within your grasp." she looked at Percy. "Percy knows the answer."

"I do?"

"He does?" Vivi asked.

"But that's not fair," Annabeth said. "You're not telling us what it is!"

Hera shook her head. "Getting something and having the wits to use it. . . those are two different things. I'm sure your mother Athena would agree."

The room rumbled like distant thunder.

Hera stood. "That would be my cue. Zeus grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem."

She pointed toward the two doors and they melted away, revealing twin corridors, open and dark. "One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice. I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you will have to make a decision. Farewell!"

She waved a hand and turned into white smoke. So did the food, just as Tyson chomped down on a sandwich that turned to mist in his mouth. The fountain trickled to a stop. The mosaic walls dimmed and turned grungy and faded again. The room was no longer any place you'd want to have a picnic.

Annabeth stamped her foot. "What sort of help was that? 'Here, have asandwich. Make a wish. Oops, I can't help you!' Poof!"

"Poof," Tyson agreed sadly, looking at his empty plate.

"I really don't like her," Vivi frowned.

"Well," Grover sighed, "she said Percy knows the answer. That's something."

They all looked at him.

"But I don't," Percy said. "I don't know what she was talking about."

Annabeth sighed. "All right. Then we'll just keep going."

"Which way?" 

Grover and Tyson both tensed. They stood up together, like they'd rehearsed it.

"Left," they both said.

Annabeth frowned. "How can you be sure?"

"Because something is coming from the right," Grover said.

"Something big," Tyson agreed. "In a hurry."

"Left is sounding pretty good," Percy decided.

Together they plunged into the dark corridor. 

niki speaks!

new chapter of 'perfect world'
yay!
i'm really proud of this series
and so in love with the characters.

let me know what you think
so far and how are
you enjoying it.

have a nice day/night!
bye!