"It was discussed," Percy nodded reassuringly, rolling his eyes at Bacchus' following satisfied smirk, "I think you were just too lazy to do it."
"Though if you ever find the energy," Aza peeked over her best friend's shoulder again, giving the god a toothy smile; she almost missed talking to Mr. D, in a way - especially when Percy was involved, "I think he'd make a beautiful bottlenose."
Piper slipped off Tempest's back and shot the two dark-haired demigods a slightly irritated gaze as she interrupted, "Lord Bacchus. We're sorry to trouble you, my lord, but we actually came here to get your advice. Please, we need your wisdom."
Aza was sure the daughter of Aphrodite was oozing charmspeak, but no amount of it could ever convince her that Mr. D could give them any shred of wisdom (the only sage advice he had ever given her was pinochle tips, and he had deeply come to regret it), but the violent purple glow faded from the gods eyes and he nodded, "You're well-spoken, girl. Advice, eh? Very well. I would avoid karaoke. Really, theme parties in general are out. In these austere times, people are looking for a simple, low-key affair, with locally produced organic snacks and-"
Aza pounded her fist into Percy's back, and the two began to shake with stifled laughter when Piper blinked quickly and shook her head, furrowing her brows and snapping slightly, "Not about parties," she quickly soothed her tone, "Although that's incredibly useful advice, Lord Bacchus. We were hoping you'd help us on our quest."
Once Piper told the god about their quest and her vision in her knife, where Bacchus offered her a silver goblet, the god grabbed a Diet Pepsi can from thin air and popped the top, "Silver goblet?"
"You drink Diet Coke," Percy frowned. Aza peeked over his shoulder again and added, "The superior cola, we agreed."
"I said stop thinking about me in Greek," Backups snapped - once he took a drink from his chilled can he relaxed, rolling out his shoulders and in a much more amicable tone said, "As to this vision of the goblet, young lady, I have nothing for you to drink unless you want a Pepsi. Jupiter has put me under strict orders to avoid giving wine to minors. Bothersome, but there you have it. As for the giants, I know them well. I fought them in the first Giant War, you know."
"You can fight?" Percy asked incredulously. Aza's laughter died in her throat when Bacchus snarled - his Diet Pepsi transformed into a thyrsus, a five-foot staff topped with an abnormally sharp pinecone. She had never seen Mr. D brandish a weapon - or if she had, she had certainly forgotten.
"Oh, what a mighty weapon," Piper cooed, though Aza just got the feeling she was trying to prevent the god from gutting Percy with a pinecone, "A thyrsus!"
"Indeed," Bacchus lovingly rubbed his weapon, "I'm glad someone in your group is smart. The pinecone is a fearsome tool of destruction! I was a demigod myself in the first Giant War, you know. The son of Jupiter."
Aza snickered when Jason flinched, looking utterly displeased to be reminded that the god was his older brother. She could only hope he wouldn't turn out to be like Bacchus - and especially not Mr. D - in his old age.
"Of course," Bacchus swung the thyrsus expertly in the air, though Aza thought his stance was slightly off, "that was long before I invented wine and became immortal. I fought side by side with the gods and some other demigod... Harry Cleese, I think."
"Heracles?" Piper sweetly asked, but the god simply rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Anyway, I killed the giant Ephialtes and his brother Otis. Horrible boors, those two. Pinecone in the face for both of them."
Aza cheered slightly - she couldn't promise to give them a pinecone in the face, but if the god asked her to run her sword through them she would certainly agree. She itched for a fight; it had been far too long since Aza had been allowed to swing Mind-cleaver. They hadn't even gotten to play Capture the Flag before they departed to New Rome.
"Lord Bacchus," Piper's voice shook slightly, "Those two giants, Ephialtes and Otis... would they happen to be twins?"
"Hmm," Bacchus didn't seem to quite hear her question, but he nodded nonetheless, "Yes, twins. That's right." So that meant they were the twins in the prophecy, who would snuff out the angel's breath.
"That's why we're here," Piper exclaimed, "You're part of our quest."
"Oh, I'm sorry, my girl," Bacchus shook his head and stopped twirling his thyrsus, "I'm not a demigod anymore. I don't do quests."
"Not even to give them a pinecone to the face?" Aza asked from over Percy's shoulder, but the god shook his head and sniffed indignantly, like he was offended they would even think he would help them.
Piper stamped her foot slightly, luckily too subtly for Bacchus to notice, and she protested, "But giants can only be killed by heroes and gods working together. You're a god now, and the two giants we have to fight are Ephialtes and Otis. I think... I think they're waiting for us in Rome. They're going to destroy the city somehow. The silver goblet I saw in my vision - maybe it's meant as a symbol for your help. You have to help us kill the giants."
The four demigods realized Piper's mistake at the same time, as the violent purple glow returned to Bacchus' eyes and in a low, cold voice he said, "My girl, I don't have to do anything. Besides, I only help those who give me proper tribute, which no one has managed to do in many, many centuries."
"Is it by any chance a refreshing Diet Coke?" Aza asked, her lips pulling into a slightly canine smile. Bacchus' eye twitched, the violet glow returning. A soft wave of fog rolled over her brain, her thoughts slowly disconnected and faded into oblivion. The feeling lasted only a second, and she felt cloudy - but almost free, in a sense. When the purple light faded from Bacchus' eye, and he waved a dismissive hand in the air, the clouds parted and Aza blinked a few times, shaking her head slightly.
Bacchus sneered, "I told you to stop thinking about me in Greek. It's nothing you insolent demigods could handle. But I will give you some free advice, since this girl," he jerked his chin in Piper's direction, "does have some manners. Seek out Gaea's son, Phorcys. He always did hate his mother, not that I can blame him. He didn't have much use for his siblings, the twins, either. You'll find him in the city they named after that heroine - Atalanta."
"Oh, you'll talk about Greek heroines, but I can't offer you a refreshing Diet Coke," Aza rolled her eyes, though a semi-pleased smirk tugged at her lips. She could tell from the pleading looks that Piper and Jason were sending her that they didn't think she was helping much, but she couldn't help it - every time she looked at him, all she could think of was Mr. D. Maybe it was a curse, rather than a blessing, that she had taken it for granted that the wine god couldn't kill her whilst she was under his care at camp.
"I think Aza means to ask if you mean Atlanta?" Piper asked after a moment of hesitation, giving the god a nervous smile. Bacchus sniffed, and he shot Aza a disapproving glance, "I most certainly don't think she did - but yes, that's the one."
"This Phorcys," Jason asked, glancing at Aza as she covered her toothy grin poorly with her hand, trying her best not to look too pleased with herself, "Is he a giant? A Titan?"
"Neither," Bacchus said with a mischievous giggle that she thought sounded oddly akin to the Stolls - like he knew something they didn't, "Seek out the salt water."
"Salt water," Percy said slowly, and he looked over his shoulder to furrow his eyebrows at Aza (she knew he was wondering if, since Bacchus was allowed to drink, he had a little too much wine whilst waiting for Ceres). "In Atlanta?"
"Yes," Bacchus's lips pulled into a tight line, "That's what I said. If anyone can give you insight on Gaea and the twins, it's Phorcys. Just watch out for him."
"Watch out for him how," Jason asked, glancing at his companions uneasily. Bacchus merely glanced up at the sky - it was almost noon, if Aza had to guess, but she had never been the best at telling the time merely by the sun's position. The god looked far more uneasy, "It's unlike Ceres to be late, unless she sensed something dangerous in this area. Or..."
His face went slack, like he had suddenly lost control of all his muscles, "Or a trap. Well, I must be going! And if I were you, I'd do the same."
"Lord Bacchus, wait," Jason protested, but the god shimmered and disappeared with a sound like a wine cork being popped - not a moment later, a cold wind rustled through the field of sunflowers; Blackjack clicked his hooves in agitation, and a familiar seeping chill crept up Aza's spine, like she was slowly being submerged in ice water.
"Bacchus is right," Piper shivered, "We need to leave-"
"Too late," the voice was lulled and soft, like the owner had just awoken severely disoriented from a long, restful nap. It seemed like the entire earth hummed; the sunflowers vibrated slightly, like it was them speaking to the demigods. Aza ran her fingers over the inscription on her cuff, and the familiar weight of her sword fell into her hands.
When Percy and Jason did the same, the sleepy voice continued, "Welcome to my party. What did Bacchus say? A simple, low-key affair with organic snacks? Yes. For my snacks, I need only two: the blood of a female demigod, and the blood of a male. How glorious that my only issue is how to decide."
"Gaea," Jason's voice came out almost gutturally, his blue eyes flashing with the same lightning as his steed. "Stop hiding in the wheat. Show yourself!"
"Such bravado," Gaea sounded so horribly pleased with herself, "But the other one, Perseus Jackson, also has appeal. I know - little Aza-Everett, are you so brave now without your father? Your best friend or your boyfriend; which one shall precede your death?"
To say that Aza's blood ran cold would be an understatement. The worst, most suffocating, mind-numbing fog of anxiety clouded her system. She couldn't - she wouldn't - choose between the two. But perhaps the worst sensation of all were the cold words in the back of her mind; a poisonous, horrible voice creeping from the Tartarus of her mind that she couldn't claim belonged to anyone but herself. She refused to listen, but she knew something within her knew if the worst were to happen, who she would choose.
But Aza swallowed her fear, and she boarded up that pathetic, dark space in the depth of her mind, instead glaring out into the field of sunflowers with a fierce glare, a vicious snarl coming from her throat, "Don't worry, Gaea. I'll put you right back to sleep."
She held her sword aloft in the air, but there was no physical sign of the earth goddess; and Aza knew there was no point in stabbing the tip of her sword into the dirt below. She startled when Jason gasped like he had been electrocuted, straining in his saddle.
"Jason," Piper called from the ground, "What's wrong-"
Aza had always known Jason to keep a level head. He was the most likely of them to stay clear and calm; a true leader, as he had proven time and time again. But there was something so fundamentally wrong with his slack-jawed expression, like he hadn't a care in the world. His eyes no longer crackled with lightning; they glowed a solid, crisp gold.
It had been a long time since Aza had felt fear grip her throat with quite the same grasp, leaving her choking. She almost fell off Blackjack as she stared at the boy who no longer held any warmth for her. She thought it was horribly reminiscent, that both Jason and Luke's eyes could be such a warm, loving blue and such a cold, hollow gold.
Aza had taken it for granted that she would never look into Kronos' eyes again. And she supposed she wasn't, but they were the exact same cruel metal. She tapped Percy's shoulder blade urgently and in a small, almost childlike tone said, "Uh, Perce-"
The son of Poseidon reared Blackjack so quickly that Aza harshly fell from the black pegasus, skidding on the ground and yelping when her sword fell from her grasp, slicing a tear in her leather jacket. Blood quickly began to ooze, staining the sleeve crimson.
"Aza," Piper scrambled to help the girl to her feet, and the two watched Percy gallop thirty feet down the road, wheeling his pegasus around. He raised Riptide and pointed the tip towards Jason in a swift, smooth motion.
"One will die," it wasn't her best friend's voice - it was deeper, more hollow with a cold, ancient edge. No longer were her best friend's eyes the same enchanting shade as his father's, and no longer did they hold the same loving shine of his mother's. They were the same cool, shallow gold as Jason's.
"I will choose," Jason responded in the same cruel voice. Aza bent down and retrieved her sword, using the flat of her forearm to cover the wound on her other. She stomped her foot on the ground and hated the way her voice cracked, "Stop it."
The fields crackled and hissed with an ancient laughter as Percy and Jason charged at each other, their weapon at the ready. Aza quickly grabbed Piper and rolled to the side just in time to dodge the boys' crossed swords. It was a flurry of gold and bronze, almost too difficult for Aza to see; but she knew that neither could get the upper hand when the horses pulled away from each other.
"Stop it," Piper echoed helplessly. When Jason seemed to recognize her voice for a moment, turning to fix the girls with his golden gaze, she almost hoped he would break through. But the smile that came across wasn't his - she didn't think Jason was capable of smiling so cruelly, and Aza decided the time for words was over. She cracked her neck and added, "Or I will put you both down."
She regretted attracting his attention when Percy charged, managing to catch Jason off guard. She didn't know if it was accidental or on purpose, but the son of Poseidon turned his blade so the flat of it slammed into Jason's chest, sending him careening off Tempest; his golden gladius skittered down the road, far from his grasp.
Aza held the palm of her hand out to Piper and hissed as she readied her sword, thankful that her cut had mostly begun to congeal. She approached Jason, defensively holding her sword, whilst Blackjack cantered away and Tempest charged into the sunflowers, dissipating into vapor.
Whilst pointing her sword at the blonde in front of her, who only took a moment to glance at her, Aza fixed her gaze on her best friend and called, "Percy. Drop your sword. I don't want to fight you."
She hoped her best friend was fighting for control beneath the surface, because his sword arm dipped - and for a moment he almost looked slightly confused. But then something gripped Aza's ankle and she was yanked to the ground - oh, fuck - everything hurt, and she lolled her head from side to side.
It took her a second to process something slip out from her fingers, and when she opened her eyes Jason wielded Mind-Cleaver - he roared, and a bolt of lightning arced from the clear summer sky. It ricocheted off her sword with a sickening crackle, like it wasn't meant to conduct the blast, and shocked Percy off Blackjack. Jason charged him, utilizing Percy's moment of weakness as he lay on his back, smoldering from the blast.
Aza forced herself to her feet, trying her best to ignore the pounding in her head and she managed to tackle Jason just as he raised the tip of her sword inches from her best friend's nose. She pinned his elbows down with her knees, forcing his wrists into the ground with the palms of her hand. As Aza straddled his stomach, successfully trapping him on the ground she spat, "Stop this, now."
"I cannot stop," Jason said in the cold voice, but the gold flickered uncertainly, in the same heartbreaking way Luke's had, "One must die alongside you."
Aza forced her knees harder into his elbows and asked, "Who are you?"
Jason's smile usually made her heart beat slightly faster, spreading a warm feeling in her stomach; but the gruesome, cruel smile his lips twisted into made her sick, "We are the eidolons. We will live again."
"Eidolons," Aza echoed, peeking over her shoulder to see if Piper was more familiar with the phrase; but from the empty look the girl gave her, the two were stuck. Jason twisted his head to look back at Percy, "He must die," and Aza realized a fraction of a second too late that Percy had recovered more quickly than she thought, and he knocked her to the side.
"Percy, stop it," Piper screamed desperately, and Aza rubbed her head and forced her eyelids open in time to see Percy crash the hilt of his sword into the boy's temple before raising Riptide over Jason's chest. A weak, helpless feeling flooded Aza; she felt like someone had placed weighted chains over her, preventing her from getting up.
"Eidolons, stop." Piper's voice sounded far more powerful - rich with anger, in a way that reminded Aza almost of her grandfather. Percy froze, and he turned to face the daughter of Aphrodite with a brutish expression Aza had never seen on his boyish face.
"You have not chosen," Percy tilted his head slightly, "So this one will die."
"No," Aza whispered, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get up. Panic gripped at her throat like the claw of death, suffocating her - her chest began to rise and fall rapidly, her brain losing its drive.
"You're a spirit from the Underworld," Piper's voice sounded hazy, further away than Aza remembered, "You're possessing Percy Jackson. Is that it?"
Percy sneered, "I will live again in this body. The Earth Mother has promised. I will go where I please, control whom I wish."
"Leo," Aza whispered - it was them who had made him fire on New Rome. Percy's laugh was cold and heartless, too alike to Kronos' for her like, "Too late you realize. You can trust no one."
Behind Percy, something rustled in the wheat. She had to squint to see the tip of Blackjack's wing just barely poke above one of the stalks - she had never been so glad to see the Pegasus. When Percy began to turn towards the sound, Piper yelped, "Ignore it! Look at me."
Luckily, Percy raised a brow and obeyed, though it looked like he did it more out of amusement than of the charmspeak in her voice, "You cannot stop me. I will kill Jason Grace." Behind him, Blackjack emerged from the wheat field, stealthily creeping closer towards the son of Poseidon.
"You won't kill him," Piper said, "You will knock him out."
Percy shifted his weight from side to side, furrowing his eyebrows, "I will... knock him out?"
"Oh, sorry," Piper smiled. "I wasn't talking to you."
"Lights out, Perce," Aza said, and the boy had just enough time to shoot her a confused look before Blackjack reared and brought his hoof down on Percy's head. She groaned, allowing Piper to slowly pull her to her feet, wrapping her arm under the daughter of Phobos' shoulders.
The two checked on Jason - he was breathing steadily, but he had taken a beating the past two days, and would certainly need ambrosia and rest. Percy looked better, but she didn't expect him to be conscious any time soon enough to be helpful. So Aza motioned over Blackjack, and the pegasus knelt to the ground to allow her to drape Percy and Jason over his back before pulling Piper on and taking the reins.