The Broken Hero

Chapter 5

TW: Blood, Blood drinking, knives, restraints, eating, pain, fire, burning, needles, syringes

Percy slowly opened his eyes, a light slowly entering them. Once he fully opened them, he looked around the room. He could of sworn Apollo was in here when he fell asleep. After he was able to open his eyes, and them not feel heavy, he got up and went to get changed. He opened the closet of clothes his father provided him. He found a blue silk shirt that had Velcro where buttons are normally. Attached to the shirt's hanger was a pair of pants, these were made of cotton, they had no buttons and could be slid on and off easily. The shoes and such were Sneakers, the solid base color was white, the design was blue waves coming off the back. Attached to the pants was note, 'Got the lightest clothes I could think of. Everything is easy to put on and take off. Get dressed and meet us in the throne room. Today is a busy day!! Signed, Apollo'  Percy smiled, "I knew it!" He smiled taking the clothes off the hanger. 

Percy entered the throne room, to be met with Apollo putting a chair in the front of the room.  It was a lot like a dentist chair. It was blue, it had a table next to, there was two chairs near by. Then the next thing he noticed was Hermes, he was taking the nectar and ambrosia out of the basket and putting it on the table, he pulled out a bottle of oil and sponge. Poseidon then came forwards, he had a knife in one hand and a cup in another. "This will be the least painful part of today, I need your hand." Percy gave it to him, Poseidon cut a line then turned it to the cup to collect blood. Once the wound stopped bleeding, Poseidon cut his own hand and did the same. Once his wound healed he handed the cup to Dionysus. 

Dionysus started to spin the cup muttering, "μια φορά από το αίμα του θνητού. κάποτε αίμα αθανάτων." (1) Percy watched it glow, he looked around some more once it stopped glowing. Poseidon's throne had restraints on the arms. "Why is there restraints on your throne?" Poseidon looked at Percy, "So I don't try stopping the ritual." Percy nodded, watching Apollo and Dionysus were sprinkling a herb around the chair, in the basket, and on the table. "Percy!" Apollo yelled after he finished spreading the herb. "Come here." 

Percy walked over, Apollo opened a small jar. "Take off the shirt." Percy did so, putting in the basket as instructed. "Okay. I need you to stand very still." Percy nodded. Apollo got close enough that he could poke him. "με κάθε άγγιγμα, η ελιά θα προστατεύει" (2) Apollo put his finger on the rim of the bottle, then tipped it after a few it put the bottle back right side up. He put his finger on Percy's forehead. "με ένα άγγιγμα" (3) Apollo than put his hand on Percy's right shoulder. "προστατεύω," (4) Apollo than put his finger back on the bottle tipping it, then after a while he put it back right side up and put his finger on his other shoulder. "Εστία, ευλόγησε αυτόν τον πολεμιστή" (5) Apollo then put his finger between Percy's ribs. "Εστία, ευλόγησε αυτόν τον πολεμιστή" (6) 

Percy was then guided to the chair by Dionysus. He was guided to sit down. "Now, this going to hurt, it is okay to cry, scream, anything. Okay?" Dionysus told the hero. Percy nodded, Hermes came up to Percy, "If i find out you held in your tears or anything I will personally hunt you down after all this." Percy nodded. Apollo sat down next to the dentist chair. "I need everyone ready." Apollo said as he held the cup with the blood. "Percy, this is going to burn, it will feel like swallowing lava." Percy gulped, "So instead of exploding a volcano, I am swallowing one..cool." Percy saw Apollo's face turn sad, "Percy, you don't have to put it up. We won't judge you for being scared." The rest turned to him, Dionysus looked at Percy, "Hey, your not leading them right now, you can stop. You don't need to be in that mode okay." Percy nodded, letting his emotions show through his eyes and face. "Better?" Apollo asked, Percy nodded. "Good, now don't put it back up, your safe here, you can be scared and sad." Poseidon and Ares watched with empathy. Both understood the bearing of emotions and responsibility that comes with being a general.