✦ ۰ —ᣞ ACT . TWO ii.
from ash and bone.
half. ﹙ corpse ﹚& half god : 🎥
YOU.
——- Y/n saw as Leo got distracted with appliances on the second floor.
"No way, is that an armored forge?" He said, walking over to it.
Before Y/n could stop him, he jumped off the escalator and sprinted over to a big, oval oven that looked like a grill on steroids.
When the rest caught up with him, Medea chimed in, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold."
Jason flinched, "Imperial gold?" He said as if he remembered that term.
Her Highness nodded, "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade..."
She pleasantly smiled. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here — this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped."
Leo apparently took this as an order and began walking toward it in a trance.
"Leo, don't!" Y/n ordered.
He blinked, stopping in his tracks. "How much for both?"
"Oh, the seat, I could let you have it for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength — " She gave Leo prices on various items in the appliance section.
Y/n wasn't comfortable with the idea of leaving him with the witch and followed the two as Piper branched off to speak with Jason. It probably wasn't a good idea to split up, but they were still close enough in case of emergency.
She took place next to Leo, with Medea on the other side of him. Y/n quickly glanced back over her shoulder and saw Piper slap Jason across the face. She snickered.
"And here, is my Celestial bronze oven, with electric stove tops powered by none other than my storm spirits themselves. Their lightning is perfect for powering the stove to temperatures of over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit!" The princess gushed.
Y/n scowled, "That's, like, double the heat of a kiln, the hell would either of us need that for?"
Medea growled lightly when she saw Leo agreeing with the girl, nodding and moving on to the next thing.
"This fridge is modeled after the Medusa's powers, turning your food and drink to stone for the strongest preservation in the world."
Y/n walked past it, "Why would I want to eat food that tastes like rock?"
Leo followed her, and Medea clenched her fists in rage.
The princess stood in front of the two, cutting them off from wherever they were walking, "What about this? This is a high-power, instant cleaning washing machine approved by Poseidon himself!" She offered. Medea then turned to Y/n.
"Or rather, Neptune?"
Leo just walked past and gazed at the next thing, and Y/n hesitantly followed him, without a snarky remark. (Although, she did consider asking if "Poseidon approved" meant it was salt water.)
They got to the end of the appliances, and Leo looked bored. Medea, refusing to give up, wrapped her hands around both Leo and Y/n's shoulders, leading them back to where they'd left Piper and Jason. The woman's hands dug particularly deep into the girl's shoulder.
"Children, if you please, we will now see what you came for. That is what you want, yes?" They had now met back up with Piper and Jason, who looked like they had an important conversation. Y/n hoped Piper had somehow gotten through to Jason.
They took the escalator down to the base of the fountain.
Y/n then noticed two large, trampoline-sized bronze sundials, built into the marble tile floor on the North and South sides of the fountain.
To the East and West stood the gilded, oversized cages for canaries. The farthest one contained the storm spirits, tightly packed and spinning like a concentrated tornado. Y/n couldn't discern their exact number, but there were at least dozens of them.
"Hey," Leo said, "Coach Hedge looks okay!"
They hurried to the closest canary cage where they found an old satyr who was frozen in time from when he got sucked up into the sky above the Grand Canyon.
With his club raised high, he was shouting as if ordering his gym class to do push-ups. Y/n couldn't help but notice his curly hair sticking out in different directions and the bright orange shirt, wispy goatee, and whistle around his neck, all of which reminded her of Coach Hedge at the start of the field trip. However, she couldn't overlook his goat legs, furry hooves, and short horns on his head, which were a far cry from the workout pants and Nikes she had anticipated.
"Yes," Medea agreed. "I always keep my wares in good condition. We can certainly barter for the storm spirits and the satyr. A package deal. If we come to terms, I'll even throw in the vial of healing potion, and you can go in peace."
She gave Piper a shrewd look. "That's better than starting unpleasantness, isn't it, dear?"
"We can negotiate," she decided.
"Totally!" Leo grinned. "Name your price."
"Leo!" Piper snapped.
"That's not what negotiating is," Y/n scolded.
The princess chuckled. "Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy, but at least you know a thing's value. Freedom is very valuable indeed. You would ask me to release this satyr, who attacked my storm winds — "
"Who attacked us," Piper interrupted.
The princess shrugged. "As I said, my patron asks me for small favors from time to time. Sending the storm spirits to abduct you — that was one. I assure you it was nothing personal. And no harm done, as you came here, at the end, of your own free will! At any rate, you want the satyr freed, and you want my storm spirits — who are very valuable servants, by the way — so you can hand them over to that tyrant Aeolus. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The price will be high."
Y/n noticed that Jason and Leo were willing to promise anything. However, before they could say anything, Piper used her final strategy.
"You're Medea," the brown-haired girl stated. "You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You're one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo — don't trust her."
Piper infused all her intensity into those words, and Y/n could see that she was entirely genuine. It appeared to have some impact as Jason moved away from the sorceress and scratched his head while looking around as if he were awakening from a dream.
"What are we doing, again?"
"Boys!" The princess opened her arms in a welcoming gesture, and her diamond jewelry shimmered as her painted fingers curled like crimson-tipped talons.
"It's true, I'm Medea. But I'm so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, my dear, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis."
Jason — Y/n's friend Jason — scowled, "Then... you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?"
"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Her Highness.
"Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again."
"You... re-formed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?"
Medea extended her fingers, and as if water had been splashed on hot iron, steam hissed from her nails. "My dears, you have no idea what's happening," she said. "It's far worse than stirring up monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not the most potent of her servants. I am mortal, and I learn from my errors. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be deceived again. Now, let me tell you my price for what you are asking."
Piper urged, "Guys, the original Jason left Medea because she was insane and bloodthirsty."
"Lies!" Medea countered.
Piper continued, "On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to abandon Medea and marry the king's daughter."
"After I bore him two children!" The princess yelled, "Yet he broke his promise! Was that right?" Jason and Leo shook their heads, but Y/n objected.
"It may not have been right," Y/n said, "but neither was your revenge. You killed your children to get back at Jason. You poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom; you're a psychopath."
The princess snarled, "A falsehood to destroy my reputation! The people of Corinth — that unruly mob — killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So, yes, I crept back into the palace and poisoned his beautiful new bride. It was only a fair price."
"You're insane," Piper insisted.
"I am the victim!" Her Highness wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"
The fountain turned bright red. Piper drew her dagger and Y/n her sword.
"Jason, Leo — it's time to go. Now." Piper ordered.
"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea questioned. "What about your quest, boys? And my price is simple. Did you know that this fountain is enchanted? Even if a dead man is thrown into it, even if he is dismembered, he will emerge whole again — stronger and with greater power than ever before."
"Seriously?" Leo asked.
"Leo, she's lying," Y/n said.
"She did that trick with somebody before — a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!" Piper explained.
"Ridiculous," Medea said, and Piper could hear the power charged in every syllable.
"Leo, Jason, my request is simple," the princess said. "Why don't you two battle it out? If you're hurt, or even killed, it's not a big deal. We'll toss you into the fountain, and you'll be as good as new. You do desire to fight, don't you? You hold a resent eachother!"
"Guys, no!" Piper protested. But they were already glaring at each other as if it was just dawning on them that they had hated each other the whole time.
Y/n felt utterly powerless as she watched Medea's sorcery at work. Both Medea and Piper had the power of voice, but Y/n had nothing; just a sword and a will. She was getting impatient waiting for her powers to show. Jason, Piper, and Leo all had cool and powerful abilities, but Y/n, nothing?
Leo scowled, and Jason drew his sword, ready to face off with him. "Jason's always the star," Leo complained. "He always takes me for granted."
"You're annoying, Leo," Jason countered. "You never take anything seriously. You can't even fix a dragon."
"Stop!" Piper interjected, but it was too late, and both boys were poised for battle.
"Let them go, Piper," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"
"And you — " she directed to Y/n, "I don't understand you. My patron's orders were clear, why do you stand in my way?"
Y/n furrowed her eyebrows, "I don't know what you mean."
Medea's eyes widened in shock, "Could the healing potion be for you then? Have you forgotten?"
Piper shot a confused look at the girl, but she wasn't paying attention to her friend. As far as Y/n was concerned, it was only her and Medea in the room.
"What do you know about my past?" She asked.
Medea smirked, "So, it's true then. You have forgotten. No matter. I'll take care of the others, then you can come with me."
Y/n lowered into a defensive position, "As if I'd go anywhere with you."
"Such a shame. I suppose our patron won't be happy with this, but nonetheless. You'll come to your senses."
"Our?" Piper reiterated, and Y/n's worst fear was becoming apparent, but it was something she'd dwell on later.
"You work for Enceladus, don't you," Piper said.
Medea laughed. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause — a patron that you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free."
Leo and Jason were still facing each other, ready to fight, but they looked confused and unsteady as if they were resisting the charmspeak.
"Listen to me, girl," Medea said, as she plucked a diamond from her bracelet and threw it into the fountain's spray. "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean."
Y/n saw a clean, professional study through the mist. Sitting behind a desk while talking on the phone was a woman in a dark business suit with her hair swirled in a tight bun.
"Hello, Jane," Medea greeted.
Jane hung up the phone, "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper."
"You — " Piper began, shaking with rage.
"Yes, child," Medea said. "Your father's assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak."
"Thank you, ma'am," Jane said.
"I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane," Medea grinned. "Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police — well done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And telling him his daughter's life was on the line — that was a nice touch to get his cooperation."
"Yes," Jane agreed in a bland tone as if she were sleepwalking. "He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger."
"I may have new orders for you, Jane," Medea added. "If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital?"
"Yes ma'am. I will stand by."
The image faded and Medea turned to Piper, "There, you see?"
"What have you done to my father?" Piper demanded.
Piper looked down at her dagger, trembling in her hand. Y/n felt bad for the girl and realized this must have been what she was dealing with the whole time.
"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper gritted through her teeth. "You helped the giant — "
"Oh, please, dear," Medea interrupted. "You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the eight in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little — just enough to visit him."
"Leo's mother," Piper realized. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"
"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. "So... I just attack Jason? That's okay?"
"Perfectly safe," Medea promised. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake."
"Stop it! Don't listen to her, you'll both just end up dead!" Y/n pleaded, but it seemingly had no effect.
"Medea is manipulating you through her magic," Piper shouted. "You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"
Her charmspeak was so strong Y/n felt her body almost turning to strike Medea, but she held herself back.
Jason and Leo hesitated, and Y/n could sense the spell breaking. She knew Piper had shattered the charm's power.
Jason stumbled, "Was I going to stab you?"
"Something about my mom..." Leo muttered. "You... you're working for the Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop."
He lifted his hammer, "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it."
"I'll simply collect payment another way," Medea sneered.
She pressed a mosaic tile on the floor, and the building rumbled. Jason swung his sword at Medea, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator.
"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"
Jason and Leo were caught up in the excitement of the fight and faced two snarling gold beasts — flesh-and-blood winged dragons that crawled out from the pits below the now-opened sundials.
"So that's what's in the kennels," Leo said meekly.
The dragons spread their wings and hissed. Y/n could feel the pure heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on her and Piper.
"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warned. "They'll paralyze you!"
"Indeed!" Medea was leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun, leisurely riding the escalator up.
"These two dears have been with me a long time — sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta-ta!"
The dragons lunged, and Leo and Jason charged to intercept. Y/n was surprised at how bravely the boys attacked — working like a team who had trained together for years.
Medea was almost to the second floor, where she'd be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.
"Oh, no you don't," Piper growled, and took off after her, Y/n following in tow.
When Medea spotted the girls, she started climbing quickly. She was quick for a three-thousand-year-old lady, and Y/n climbed at top speed, taking the steps three at a time. Still, she couldn't catch her. Medea didn't stop at floor two; she hopped the next escalator and continued to ascend.
Y/n thought of the potions, and of course, that was what she would go for. She was famous for potions, and down below, Y/n heard the battle raging. Leo was blowing his safety whistle, and Jason was yelling to keep the dragons' attention. She sprinted at a speed she didn't think she was capable of, more athletic than she previously thought she was. Jumping up extra steps even while clutching her sword, and accidentally leaving Piper in her dust.
Y/n reached the top floor, breathing hard, but she was too late. Medea had reached the potions counter. She heard Piper arrive from behind her.
The sorceress grabbed a swan-shaped vial — the blue one that caused painful death — and Y/n heard Piper shout: "Duck!" And so she did.
Piper then threw a large, bronze shield at Medea.
The princess turned triumphantly just in time to get hit in the chest by a fifty-pound metal Frisbee. She fell backward and to the ground.
"Are you really so stupid to forget your place in this war?!" Medea shouted at Y/n. "You've earned the highest rank you could ever hope to obtain! Why must you stop me?"
Y/n felt anger bubble inside her. Back at Medea's last conversation with her, she dreaded what she had realized; she was not fighting on the side of this war that she thought she was. She didn't know why, or how it happened, but she was the villain. Siding with the monsters, and whoever their patron was. She had no idea why she would ever do that, but she knew; it wasn't her. She knew herself, and Y/n would never side with someone like that.
She felt frustrated, why? She ground her teeth and clenched her sword hilt, her knuckles turning white. Why would I do that?
"There's still a chance, you can come back! Don't you remember? How I helped you? I convinced our patron to spare her! Why do you punish me? We're the same!"
"I'm nothing like you!" Y/n shouted.
Medea crawled to her feet, "Oh, sure you aren't. We've both been betrayed, feared, abandoned. You don't have to be alone, not anymore." She reached a hand out, asking Y/n to join her.
Y/n didn't hesitate.
"I'm not alone. I have friends. I don't know why I would've done, whatever things I've done, but I have people now; people I care about. I don't need you, or anyone like you."
Y/n's body went on autopilot. She didn't know what she was doing, but it felt like muscle memory; she lifted her left hand, aimed at the vials, and focused on the potions.
Her hand shook, and in a moment, BOOM!
The glass exploded. Potion flew everywhere, mostly in Medea, and Y/n felt a drop land on her cheek; it burnt.
"Fool!" Medea wailed, covered in numerous liquids. "Do you have any idea what so many potions will do when mixed?"
"Kill you?" Piper said hopefully.
The carpet began to steam around Medea's feet. She coughed, and her face contorted in pain — or was she faking?
Below, Leo called, "Jason, help!"
Glancing swiftly, Y/n was overcome with fear as she witnessed one of the dragons holding Leo down on the ground with its teeth bared, poised to attack. On the other side of the room, Jason was engaged in combat with the other dragon, too far to help.
Medea screamed in despair, as smoke billowed across the carpet and flames ignited in the clothing racks, spreading rapidly and leaving destruction in their wake. "You've doomed us all!"
"You have only seconds before this concoction consumes everything and destroys the building!"
Y/n shrugged, "That's kind of what I was going for."
CRASH! Multicolored shards of the stained glass ceiling shattered as Festus, the bronze dragon, descended into the department store.
With great strength, he dove into the chaos and seized a sun dragon in each claw, leaving Y/n and Piper in awe of his power.
Leo cheered, "That's my boy!" as Festus soared halfway up the atrium and flung the sun dragons back into their pits. Meanwhile, Leo rushed to the fountain and closed the sundials by pressing the marble tile.
The dragons relentlessly pounded against their enclosure, causing them to tremble. However, they remained contained for the time being. Medea uttered a curse in an ancient language while the fourth level became engulfed in flames, emitting toxic fumes into the air.
Despite the roof being open, Y/n sensed the escalating temperature. She retreated towards the railing with her sword aimed at Medea.
"I will not be abandoned again!" The sorceress knelt and snatched up the red healing potion, which had somehow survived the crash. "You want your memory restored? Take me with you!"
Y/n turned her head and caught sight of Leo and Jason on Festus' back. The bronze dragon swiftly snatched the cages containing the satyr and the storm spirits with his claws and flew higher into the sky. As they soared, the building trembled and the surroundings were engulfed in flames.
Y/n could feel the air turning acidic. Medea growled, warning them of their impending failure without her help.
"You'll never survive your quest without me!" Medea growled. "You and the boy hero will stay ignorant forever, and the girl and her father will die. Take me with you."
Y/n was quick to see the sorceress's true intentions. Medea was confident that she could always manipulate her way through any situation. Y/n was momentarily tempted but saw through the witch's facade.
She turned back to Medea, "You've got some serious abandonment issues." Y/n stuck a hand out towards the potion, and the vial quickly obeyed, leaving Medea's grasp and floating up to Y/n's quickly. She shoved the vial into her coat pocket.
She put her sword back in its sheath and grabbed Piper's hand and jumped off the side, quickly being caught by Leo and Jason. They pulled the two onto the dragon as Medea screamed in rage.
As they flew away, the department store exploded behind them.
(unedited.)
a/n: finally at act two! pumping out chapters now, so prepare for that 💪 pls correct mistakes so i can fix them, and comment! i love reading comments 🫶🏻
+ this is my longest chapter so far so pls support it!! i spent a long time on it <3