━━ chapter thirty-two
child of rome
( savreen )

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

    ━━It happened so quickly. 

   Savreen clutched tight onto Jason, doing her best to keep him from attacking the snow goddess then and there. He struggled, but soon he stopped, heaving down at his sister's frozen body━as if she had been touched by Midas's hand, except instead, she had been cursed by the cold breath of ice. Savreen was sure they couldn't turn her back with a tap of running water. 

    They were outnumbered, she knew. Thalia was frozen, Jason's golden sword was broken, and they were surrounded by monsters and a psychotic greek goddess. She was sure they had less than five minutes before the King of the giants rose from the ground and then that would be it, they would be gone━after everything they've went through to get here, this was going to be their final stand. They were going to lose. 

     Savreen was exhausted. She was bruised. She was in pain and she was ready to drop. All they had was each other: a son of Jupiter who had used his last hurrah, a daughter of Aphrodite who's dagger matched her short fuse, a son of Hephaestus who could summon breath mints, a whining goddess and herself━a daughter of Harmonia who hated to fight, who hated the chaos, who was scared of what Hera wanted her to do ... and the tragedy she had always been cursed with, holding a weapon she barely knew how to use. 

     Khione smiled at them, her dark eyes glittering as sharp as the ice dagger she materialised in her hand. 

     Jason took a sharp breath through his nose, his gaze turning deadly, "What have you done?" he demanded.

     "Oh, so many things," she chuckled to herself, as if such a question and answer was hilarious. She trailed a finger down the side of her dagger, quite proud of her creation. "Your sister's not dead, if that is what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be the pray for once."

     The wolves snarled━liking this idea very much. 

     "Yes, my dears," she purred at them, but she kept her eyes on Jason. "Your sister almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

     "Traitor!" shouted Hera furiously. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world!"

     Khione sighed, rolling her eyes, "Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for a millennia━" with a wave of her hand, ice encased the goddess's prison, sealing her in completely amongst the earth tendrils. "That's better," said the snow goddess once she did. "Now, demigods, about your death━"

     "You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here," realised Jason. "You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus."

     The wolves bared their teeth and the storm spirits threw their heads back, ready to attack. Khione held up her hand to stop them. "Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk, what matter? The sun is setting, and time is on our side. Of course, Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It is easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an oder to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be rewarded when her sons, the giants, come to power."

     Jason narrowed his eyes, "You could have killed us in Quebec. Why let us live?"

    Khione wrinkled her nose, "Messy business, killing you in my father's house, especially when he insists on meeting all visitors. I did try, you remember? It would've been lovely if he agreed to turn you into ice. But once he'd given you guarantee of safe passage I couldn't openly disobey him. My father is an old fool. He lives in fear of Zeus and Aeolus, but he's still powerful. Soon enough, when my new masters have awakened, I will depose of Boreas and take the throne of the North Wind, but not just yet. Besides, my father did have a point. Your quest is suicidal. I full expected you to fail. Tragedy had followed you from the very beginning," her cold gaze settled on Savreen, and she felt a chill down her back. 

    Leo quickly stepped forward, "Tragedy didn't follow us," he defended Savreen and her gaze shot to him, startled━but filled with gratitude that brought warmth to her chest. "You followed us. You knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Those frozen wires in his head━that was your fault. You're gonna pay for that."

    "You're also the one who kept Enceladus informed about us," added Piper. "We've been plagued by snowstorms the whole trip. The necklace Savreen had been forced upon did nothing━you did."

    She didn't deny, nor did she agree━Khione just shrugged, a little coy smirk playing on her lips; however they all could tell the things they said were very much true. Savreen glowered at her, though she didn't think she would be very scary to a goddess. "Yes━I feel so close to all of you now!" said Khione. "Once you made it past Omaha, I decided to ask Lycaon to track you down so Jason could die here, at the Wolf House." She smiled at him. "You see, Jason, your blood spilled on this sacred ground will taint it for generations. Your demigod brethren will be outraged, especially when they find the bodies of these three from Camp Half-Blood. They'll believe the Greeks have conspired with the giants. It will be ... delicious."

    Savreen didn't quite understand what she meant━but she didn't need to think too long to put together the dots. Everything they've heard, all of Jason's lost memories and his contradicting thoughts between Greek and Roman ... she knew they weren't alone. There were others out there. Others that were like Jason━where he had been before he was forced to wake up on their bus. And perhaps there was a reason ... a terrible reason ... why his memories had to be erased━why they were separated to the point the other seemed impossible to think existed.

     "Demigods against Demigods," muttered Savreen. "Gaea wants us to kill each other so she doesn't have to do the dirty work herself."

     "Why sharpen another blade when you have one already," said Khione. 

     "But why?" she then asked, confused. "Why would you want to do this? You want to be seen, is that it? Remembered? Once the demigods are gone, who do you think Gaea will go after next? You think she'll spare one single goddess amongst every other Olympian? She's just using you. Once she gets what she wants, she'll get rid of you, too. War is not the answer, Khione━call off your monsters."

     She could see Khione hesitate. For a moment, she considered her words━and Savreen begged that for some reason, she might listen. But then, she laughed. "Oh, you naive girl, Savreen Arora. Peace does not exist without control. Just as you are trying to control me with your words━but it won't work. I am a goddess, girl. We wind gods are creatures of chaos! I'll overthrow Aeolus and let the storms run free. If we destroy the mortal world, all the better! They never honoured me, even in Greek times. Humans and their talk of global warming━pah! I'll cool them down quickly enough. When we retake the ancient places, I will cover the Acropolis in snow."

    "In ancient places," murmured Leo━then, his eyes widened. "That's what Enceladus meant about destroying the roots of the gods. He meant Greece."

     "You could join me, son of Hephaestus," Khione offered. "I know you find me beautiful. It would be enough for my plan if these other three were to die. Reject that ridiculous destiny the Fates have given you. Live and be my champion instead. Your skills would be quite useful."

     Leo looked stunned. He arched a brow, then slowly turned to his friends. He glanced back, as if he thought she was talking to someone else, then, he laughed. He laughed so hard, he doubled over. Khione's smirk dropped, annoyed. When he finally stopped, he took a deep breath and pretended to wipe a tear from his ear. "Oh, chica━" he continued to chuckle. "Me? Join you? Right. Until you get bored of me and turn me into a Leosicle? Lady, nobody messes with my dragon and gets away with it. Besides," he shrugged, looking her up and down, "I've learnt you're not really my type. Hot, but like ..." he kissed his teeth, shaking his head, "no."

    Khione's face turned red. "Hot?" she let out, furious. "You dare insult me?! I am cold, Leo Valdez. Very, very cold!"

    She threw her hand and a blast of wintry sleet flung towards them. Savreen gasped and went to shield her self but Leo held up his hand. With little effort, a wall of flames roared to life in front of them. Sav glanced upwards, and was breathless with awe as she watched the snow dissolve into nothing more than a steamy cloud. 

     Leo grinned at the look of horror on her face. "Aguas princesa, that's what happens to snow in Texas. It━freaking━melts."

    Khione hissed like ice melting on a hot frypan. "Enough of this. Hera is failing. Porphyrion is rising. Kill the demigods━let them be our King's first meal!"

    They all shared a glance. Jason hefted his icy wooden plank. Savreen took a deep breath, holding her weapon up━and the monsters charged. 

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

    ━━They were fighting for their lives. 

   Savreen━at first━froze. Her breath hitched and her eyes widened as the monsters attacked; and in that moment, she had been terrified. Her friends ran head first into the battle, and she wanted to follow them, but she couldn't move. She watched Jason slam his icy wooden weapon against the snout of a wolf, sending it spiralling away mid leap. She watched Piper attack the Earthborn with no mercy, welding a dagger not meant for battle as if it were the deadliest weapon━she tricked the creatures, she made them smile, she made them fall under her trap before she tore them apart with a single strike. She watched Leo take on Khione himself━courageous and a perfect match for her icy talents, stopping them before they could even reach him with bursts of flames. 

    She didn't know why she had become so still. She had fought well, she thought, back on Mount Diablo━she had fought well this entire quest, but when it came to here; standing on this ground and facing a battle they were outnumbered for, all the adrenaline left her. She saw them fight, and she saw them battle, and she saw just how violent they needed to be to survive, and she suddenly wanted to cry. She wasn't violent. She wasn't a fighter━she just wanted it all to stop. 

    Savreen glanced back to where Hera was hidden behind earth and ice━where Thalia still lied, motionless and frozen. She glanced at her own weapon and found herself wanting to throw it far away. She wasn't a demigod. This wasn't her. She couldn't throw herself into this fight and call herself some hero of a prophecy━she wondered why on earth she could be chosen for this in the first place. 

    She had gone on this quest to prove herself━to prove herself to herself more than she wanted to prove to anybody else; to her mother who spoke to her that night and warned her of how little capability she held━how beautiful, and sweet and naive she was to face this; to face the tragedy that this quest would bring. She had been desperate to show that she could handle it. That she could be better. Now, she felt like she was only proving them all right. 

    She could hear the spire rise once more━getting closer and closer to revealing terrible destruction. Savreen was breathing heavily. She heard Piper shout and Leo taunt━she heard Khione grow more and more frustrated and saw Jason wield the power of the wind to his own advantage, taming the wild to a storm spirit he managed to ride through battle━galloping through forces of venti like they were nothing. She wasn't like them. She was far from being like them. 

    Savreen remembered what Hera had told her. That she was her gamble; her dangerous gamble. That she had to fight tragedy to use it. But how could she? How could she use the one thing that has caused her so much pain. That took her father, took her grandparents, took everything from her and lead her to this?

    How could she use it and cause more pain? 

     She was terrified of that pain. 

    When she heard a growl behind her, her hairs stood on end. Savreen glanced around and she gasped, staggering backwards as she saw the entire pack of wolves bare their teeth at her. They followed her, their hackles raised and their eyes set upon her with nothing else other than a taste for blood. She was the weakest━they sought her out knowing she could not━would not━fight back.

    "No━" Savreen stumbled back━her heel hit one of the broken stones of the patio pavement and she fell back. She hit the ground, scathing her elbows━pain jarred all the way up her arms. She couldn't fight them all━she didn't know how to. She felt like an utter failure after everything she has survived in this quest. "Please don't━leave me alone━stop━"

    She continued to push her way backwards, shuffling along the dirty, broken cobblestone with scathed palms and elbows━desperate to get away from the pack of wolves that had cornered in on her. 

     Savreen tried to tell them to stop, like she had done in that cave, but nothing seemed to be working. She searched for her friends, hoping that one might help her━but they were all occupied. Piper was surrounded, Jason was ploughing through storm spirits, and they burst into an explosion of lightning and thunder. Leo noticed her. He had glanced back, and his face dropped. He shouted her name, but had to defend himself as Khione propelled a snowstorm of ice━and soon he was engulfed within fire. 

     Her breathing quickened. Her back jolted with sudden pain as she hit the crumbling manor facade. The wolves closed in. Savreen's heart pounded. 

    Please stop, she begged. Please, all of this stop━leave me alone━!

    And then, she started to feel it. Her pocket to which her necklace was hidden started to grow warm━and then it started to burn. Savreen glanced down and was shocked to find it glowing━radiating that same, deep pink colour it had in the cave. Breath hitched, she looked up and heard the wolves whimpering ... they started to back away, wary of the light that started to wrap around her━as if it was very much apart of her. 

    And it listened to her plea━without another word, it seemed to explode from her. Savreen watched, eyes wide as it flung towards the wolves in a cloud of dusty pink with the exhale of her breath. And just as she asked, they did━they froze. They did not move. They stopped ... as if she had frozen them within ice herself. 

    Savreen sat there, unable to comprehend what she had just done. She waited for them to move━for their eyes even to twitch. But the wolves did not flinch a muscle. She scrambled back onto her feet, still breathing heavily. She glanced down and pulled out the necklace from her pocket. For the first time in a while, she stared at it in the palm of her hands: beautiful, and deadly ... it was still warm at the touch, and it vibrated━it hummed to her, as if whispering a secret language ... and for some reason, Savreen seemed to understand it. A song; a hymn she knew. Like a siren taunting her to use it again. 

     All around her, the rest of the monsters seemed to get the same idea. The Earthborn's swings and cries stopped mid-air; their voices stuck in the back of their throats. Piper frowned, lowering her dagger to wonder what happened. The storm spirits dissipated into nothing━becoming just flickers of lightning and storm clouds above. Both Piper and Jason turned to see what happened, only to meet Savreen's terrified gaze as the light disappeared around her. 

    The only one who didn't seem to be affected was Khione. She kept trying to fight a losing fight against Leo. The two of them continued to go back and forth, turning the battlefield into a raging storm of ice and fire. She kept summoning ice daggers, blasts of winter air and blizzards of snow that funnelled towards him━but Leo burned through them all. His whole body flickered with red tongues of flame like he had been doused with gasoline. 

    For a moment, Savreen felt terrified of him. Of the flames that were of his own making━of the way he controlled them and brought fear even into the eyes of a goddess. He melted the snow and ice at his feet, the frozen figures of hunters started to melt whenever he passed them━he was so powerful, that the cold air had even turned flustered and hot, as if they were standing within a forest fire. 

    Khione slowly backed away. She was growing panicked as Leo got closer. Before they knew it, he bore down upon her. She flinched at the heat that hovered around him. "You're too late!" she snarled. "He's awake! And don't think you've won anything here, demigods. Hera's plan will never work. You'll be at each other's throats before you can ever stop us."

    Leo gave them no time to ponder upon her words. He conjured a ball of white-hot fire in his palm and threw it down at her━but she turned into snow ... his flames exploded a white, powdery image of herself ... and all that was left was a steaming mound of sleet at his feet. 

    He glared down at where she had been for a moment before turning around. Immediately, he rushed forward towards Savreen. 

    "Sav!" he called, his feet stumbling through mud and sleet. 

     She frowned towards him━not even able to blink before she felt his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. But as soon as she felt it; could hear his breath and feel his heart through his chest, she settled and melted into his touch as if she was snow herself. Savreen held on just as tight, hiding her face into his shoulder━and for some reason, she shook, and she didn't realise how much she needed to be this close to him until he was. She didn't realise how much she needed him to finally breathe. 

     It wasn't over, but at least he was safe. At least he was back with her. At least she was back with him. 

     One of his hands lifted up to rest high on her back, and there, she felt him tap a gentle pattern: Are you okay?

    "I'm okay," she whispered to his shoulder. Are you okay? 

    "I'm okay," he answered her question. 

    When they heard the others return, they pulled away. Savreen watched Leo for a little longer than she meant to, focusing on the way he grinned to see Piper and Jason all right. She didn't understand how he could be that person who stood in the flames, not holding anything back against Khione and then just run towards her like nothing had happened. To switch focus like nothing else even mattered. And then he grinned that crooked, mischievous grin━his eyes brightened, and Savreen found herself unable to look away. 

     She forced herself to fix her gaze upon Jason, pulling a furious stallion to a stop made of nothing except ferocious wind and lightning. He thundered and cracked━an entire storm swelled in the silhouette of a mighty horse. Savreen couldn't help but manage a chuckle, "How did you do that?"

    The stallion reared on his hind legs, arcing electricity across his hooves. As he settled back down, Jason's brows shot up, shooting back an immediate, "How did you do what you did? That was amazing!"

     "You were amazing!" added Piper, rushing forward to hug Savreen as well. She pulled back, grasping her shoulders. "I didn't know you could do that!"

     She didn't feel as excited about it as her friends did. So, she decided to shrug, managing to force out a sheepish chuckle. But Leo noticed. When Piper turned to compliment Jason's steed, bright and exhilarated from the battle, the son of Hephaestus reached for the daughter of Harmonia's hand. And she squeezed his warm palm, feeling it calm her down just like every other time before. Savreen glanced at him again, and there was something different that settled between them. Something that she couldn't quite explain━not just yet. He smiled at her sweetly. She smiled back. 

    Then, she heard a cracking sound behind them. The group of them spun around. The melting ice on Hera's cage had started to slip away, and the voice of the Queen of Olympus finally broke through: "Oh, don't mind me! Just the queen of the heavens, dying over here!"

    Jason dismounted and told his new storm spirit friend to stay put. The group of them jumped into the pool and ran to the spire. 

    Leo frowned. "Uh, Tía Callida, are you getting shorter?"

    "No, you dolt! The earth is claiming me. Hurry!"

    As much as out of all the gods, Savreen was sure she disliked Hera the most, the sight of what was happening inside the cage made her feel unsettled. Not only was Hera sinking, but the ground was rising around her like water in a tank. Liquid rock had already covered her shins. "The giant wakes!" warmed Hera. "You only have seconds!"

     Leo's gaze flickered━he examined the predicament; his mind running miles for an answer, and receiving one in barely a breath. "On it," he said. "Piper, Sav, I need your help."

     Savreen nodded. "Yes, what do you want us to do?"

    "Piper," he nodded to the daughter of Aphrodite, "I need you to talk to the cage."

    "What?" she made a face.

    "Talk to it. Use everything you've got. Convince Gaea to sleep. Lull her into a daze. Just slow her down, try to get the tendrils to loosen. Sav, I need you to help her. I need you to calm her down━what you did to those wolves, do it again."

     She frowned at him, confused. She wasn't so sure━she was too scared of it. She didn't know how to control it━she didn't even know how to consciously calm anyone down, let alone a powerful goddess of the earth. "Leo━"

     He cut her off, taking her arm and giving her a reassuring nod. "You can do it. I need you to do it."

    Savreen pursed her lips, but she found herself nodding. "Okay," she whispered. 

    Piper rubbed her back, "We can do it ... even though I'm talking to actual earth ... we can do it!"

    With that said, she crouched down at the base of Hera's cage. Taking a deep breath, Piper awkwardly started, "Hey, Gaea. Nice night, huh? Boy ... I'm tired. How about you? Ready for some sleep?"

    The more she talked, the more confident she sounded. Savreen felt her own eyes start to grow heavy, and she had to fight herself to not fall under her friend's spell. Instead, she crouched down with her. She watched the mud start to rise slower━sluggish as if it finally felt the weight of everyone walking on it. She closed her eyes, but she did not let herself feel tired. She searched within her, trying to find the part of her that managed to be a calming voice to everyone around her when she didn't realise it. The part of her that the necklace amplified━the part that managed to make those wolves stop and listen to her every word. And it was terrifying, but the thing that will rise and swallow Hera within the earth's grasp would be even more terrifying. She had to fight for peace━and she ignored what Khione said, how peace is only kept by control ... and how she seemed to be right, for wasn't that just what Savreen achieved? Peace on the battlefield by controlling those who fought it? 

     That unsettled her. That made her feel sick. But she ignored it. She had to ignore it. 

     Even though she felt as if she was the last person to be chosen who would be right for what lied before them. Even though she felt as if she has only proven all that doubted her right, Savreen kept going━for she always felt bravest, it would seem, when she was with her friends rather than alone. 

     Reaching out, she gently set her fingers against the tendrils. She thought of things that kept her calm. A sweet smile, a loving hug, the smell of her Dadi's cooking and her Dada's voice that she could only just remember. That picture of her father standing between them just after he graduated━and how proud they were of him, and the peaceful thought that maybe, her father was just as proud of her, now, no matter what. And Leo. Leo━in all his jokes, his laughter and his crazed personality, he seemed to be the one who could calm her down the most. 

     Her gaze snapped open, and the pink rimmed her deep brown gaze. She was concentrating so hard, she didn't notice the tendrils soften━becoming more like tree root rather than rock. Leo pulled a circular saw out of his tool belt, then he looked at the cord and grunted in frustration. "I don't have anywhere to plug it in!"

     Jason's spirit horse jumped into the pit and whinnied. 

    "Really?" Jason stared at the stallion with a breath of incredulous shock.

    His steed dipped his head and trodded over to Leo. He looked dubious, but he held up the blue and a breeze whisked it into the horse's flank. Lightning sparked, connecting with the prongs of the plug and the circular saw whirred to life. 

    "Sweet!" grinned Leo, amazed. "Your horse comes with AC outlets!"

     Their moment of victory didn't last long. On the other side of the pool, the giant's spire crumbled with a sound like a tree snapping in half. Its outer sheath of tendrils exploded from the top down, raining stone and wood as the giant shook himself free and climbed out of the earth. 

     Savreen was desperate not to lose her concentration, but she couldn't help it as she gazed upwards at the giant━she felt something inside her quiver with terror. 

     Porphyrion was even taller than Enceladus. He towered over the height of the crumbling manor around them━so tall he seemed to block out the setting sun, leaving them in nothing but dark, horrifying shadow. He didn't seem to breathe fire, or radiate a choking heat, but he held something else━something that was far more terrifying: a kind of strength, even magnetism, as if the giant was so ginormous he held his own gravitational pull. 

     From the waist up, just like his brethren they fought just under an hour ago, he was humanoid━clad in bronze armour and from the waist down, his legs were scaled and met to a taloned point. But unlike Enceladus, the King of Giants had skin the colour of lima beans; his hair was as green as summer leaves, braided in long locks and decorated with weapons━daggers, axes and swords, most of them bent and bloody. He had grown from the earth, and he looked like it━he was made from the grass they trod, the trees they cut down and as strong as the roots that labyrinth their way through the soil. When the giant opened his eyes, they were a blank-white, like polished marble. He took a deep breath.

    "Alive!" he bellowed, and his voice shook the ground. "Praise to Gaea!"

    The four demigods stared up at him, in a shocked, petrified daze━none of them could have prepared themselves for this. 

     Savreen glanced at Jason. She caught the moment his terror flickered; the moment he clenched his jaw and realised what he must do. No matter his fear, no matter his exhaustion━he took a deep, determined breath through his nose and squared his shoulders. "Leo," he said.

    "Huh━?" Leo's jaw was agape. 

    "You guys keep going," Jason clenched his fists and started his way out of the pool. "Get Hera free!"

    Piper frowned at him, startled. She began to realise what he was going to do, and she forgot all about the cage and started forward, "Wait━what are you going to do?" Her gaze became frantic with worry. "You━you can't seriously━?"

    "Entertain a giant?" he glanced back at them by the edge. At that moment, Jason Grace really looked like the son of the King of the Gods. "I've got no choice."

     He climbed out of the pool to stand before the giant. An ant in comparison, but he didn't let it deter him. As he approached, the giant roared: "Excellent! An appetiser! Who are you━Hermes? Ares?"

     He stopped before him. "I'm Jason Grace," he said loudly in reply. "Son of Jupiter."

    Behind him, Savreen, Leo and Piper had to continue. They had to force their concerned focus from their best friend onto Hera's cage. The circular saw whirred to life once more. Piper continued her words and Savreen thought of any calm thought, desperately trying to ignore what was happening just paces away that made her heart race with fear. 

     Porphyrion threw back his head and laughed, finding Jason amusing. "Outstanding!" He looked up at the cloudy sky. "So, Zeus, you sacrifice a son to me? The gesture is appreciated, but it will not save you!"

    The sky made no noise━not even a low rumble. Jason was alone. He dropped his makeshift weapon. 

     "If you knew who I was," he yelled back up, not a single tremor in his voice, "you'd be worried about me, not my father. I hope you enjoyed your two and a half minutes of rebirth, giant, because I'm going to send you right back to Tartarus."

     The giant's eyes narrowed. He crouched to get a better look at his opponent. "So ... we'll start by boasting, will we? Just like old times! Very well, demigod. I am Porphyrion, King of the giants, son of Gaea. In olden times, I rose from Tartarus, the abyss of my father, to challenge the gods. To start the war, I stole Zeus's queen." He grinned at the goddess's cage. "Hello, Hera."

     "My husband destroyed you once, monster!" Hera shouted back, not at all pleased. "He'll do it again!"

    "But he didn't, my dear! Zeus wasn't powerful enough to kill me. He had to rely on a puny demigod to help, and even then we almost won. This time, we will complete what we started. Gaea is waking. She has provisioned us with many fine servants. Our armies will sake the earth━and we will destroy you at the roots."

     "You wouldn't dare," Hera said, but she was weakening. Savreen pursed her lips and closed her eyes once again, growing desperate. She heard Piper's whispers, heard Leo's work━but the earth was still rising inside the goddess's prison, covering her up to her waist.

     This wasn't working. 

     Savreen grew frustrated. She opened her eyes and let go. She glowered at the cage and found herself wanting to cry. They were losing. She knew they were losing. 

    "Oh, yes," said the giant. "The Titans sought to attack your new home in New York. Bold, but ineffective. Gaea is wiser and more patient. And we, her greatest children, are much, much stronger than Kronos. We know how to kill you Olympians once and for all. You must be dug up completely like rotten trees━your eldest roots torn out and burned."

    The giant frowned at Savreen, Piper and Leo━finally noticing what they were trying to do. Jason surged forward and raised his voice to get back Porphyrion's attention. 

     "You said a demigod killed you!" he shouted. "How, if we're so puny?"

    "Ha! You think I would explain it to you? I was created to be Zeus's replacement, born to destroy the Lord of the sky. I shall take his throne. I shall take his wife━or, if she will not have me, I will let the earth consume her life force. What you see before you, child, is only my weakened form. I will grow stronger by hour, until I am invincible. But I am already quite capable of smashing you to a grease spot!"

     He rose to his full height and held out his hand. A twenty-foot spear shot from the earth. He grasped it, then slammed the ground with his dragon feet. The ruins shook. All around the courtyard, monsters started to regather━storm spirits, wolves and Earthborn, their frozen figures returning to life, and Savreen's work had been undone as they answered the Giant King's call.

    "Great," Leo muttered. "We needed more enemies."

    "Hurry!" said Hera.

    "I know!" he snapped at her. 

    "Go to sleep, cage," murmured Piper. "Nice, sleepy cage. Yes, I'm talking to a bunch of earthen tendrils. This isn't weird at all."

    Savreen felt eyes on her. She glanced over and swallowed harshly as she met Hera's gaze. An understanding passed between them. My gamble, she seemed to say to her. You know what you must do. Do not let your fear control you. 

     Her heart dropped into her stomach. Her necklace burned in her pocket, as if it listened. Savreen looked down to where it glowed. Gamble━she was called. A gamble. Naive, pretty, quiet and gentle━people doubted her, even herself. The one one who didn't, seemed to be her worst enemy ... and now, she supposed the gamble was, would she accept her worst enemy as her closest friend? 

     She understood tragedy, she was used to it. She knew it perhaps better than she even knew herself━it was a curse she was born with; something she will never get rid of. It was something everyone was cursed with. 

     Savreen slowly pulled the necklace out. It was almost burning━pulsing, pleading, begging for her to wear it. 

     What would happen if she did? What would happen if she finally gave into it? Who would be punished for it? Who close to her would face the consequences? Or were the consequences to which what will happen if she didn't take the gamble and finally play the game? She was a pawn, she knew that much, fighting to protect the King on a chess board ... but also fighting to reach the other side━and maybe she will be the one to lock the enemy into a Checkmate. 

     Savreen was terrified. She felt herself frozen all over again. But if Jason could stand before a giant through all of his exhaustion and terror, the least she could do was make sure that they had a chance to win. 

     Leo and Piper realised what she was doing far too late. Leo's eyes widened, and he stopped what he was doing to reach out, as if he thought he could stop her, "Sav, no━" 

    She slipped the necklace on over her head. 

    Savreen almost passed out. 

    Meanwhile, the Giant King raked his spear across the ruins. He cut straight through a chimney; stone and wood shattered across the courtyard. "So, child of Zeus! I have finished my boasting. Now, it is your turn. What were you saying about destroying me?"

    He glance around━the ring of monsters, waiting impatiently for their master's orders to tear them to shreds. He glanced back at his friends, and saw panic as Hera's cage was almost completely filled with earth. He noticed Savreen━he saw her double forward and Piper rush to catch her, and he knew that he had to buy them time. He had to buy her more time. He didn't know what she was doing, but he knew it was important━he trusted her that whatever decision she had made, it was in their favour. He just had to provide her enough time to make it work. 

    So, he turned back to the giant and summoned the winds. With a gust of air and a pull to his gut, Jason felt himself rise a few feet off the ground. "I am the son of Jupiter!" he declared, sounding far braver than he felt. "I am the child of Rome━consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion!" He didn't quite know what he was saying, but he knew his words were true━he felt as if he had said them many times before. He brandished his arm, showing the tattoo of the eagle and SPQR━and the giant seemed to recognise it.

    And he looked uneasy because of it. 

    "I slew the Trojan sea monster," continued Jason, the words flowing naturally off his tongue. "I toppled the black throne of Kronos and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands! And now, I will destroy you━in the name of the First Legion, of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, in the name of Rome━I will destroy you, Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves!"

    Jason then launched himself at the giant, determined to tear him apart. 

    Black dots danced within Savreen's gaze. The necklace weighed her down━it made her want to drop to the ground and let herself be swallowed by the earth as well. Something surged within her, a power she could barely control━she couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, all she felt was the necklace━and it's overwhelming power. 

     Her friends were freaking out, she knew. She could hear the sky crack━splinter through with lightning that struck Porphyrion behind her as Jason took him on with nothing more than his bare hands. But it was distant. It was in the back of her mind. She was in another world, and it took everything within her to not be completely sucked into it. 

    She forced a breath from her lips into her lungs, pushing herself back up. Her collarbone burned from the heat of the jewelled necklace━and it consumed her; burned right into her heart and ran through her veins until it felt as if the necklace had morphed into her; became a part of her so she could never take it off. 

     And then something else replaced the horrible feeling. Savreen felt her chest lighten, she felt her mind clear. She was no longer tired. The pain of her bruises, cuts and scathes no longer plagued her━it was as if she had been drained of everything left inside her and filled with a breath of fresh air. The blemishes on her skin disappeared, the dark circles under her eyes━in a blink━were gone. Her skin glowed a healthy bronze, her hair tingled, and suddenly, it was as if she had only just washed it. Savreen had been reborn, and she had become stunning━the necklace made her ageless. 

    And she knew she had the power to finish this. 

   She'll pay a price━and she knew it was going to be a terrible one. She was going to end up like every other tragic soul who decided to wear this necklace, but right now, she had to make her worst enemy her closest ally. 

    As Jason hit the ground, flung off his feet from his lightning blast. As Porphyrion almost fell, his hair on his fire, the side of his face blackened and smoking; golden ichor running down his jaw. As the circle monsters let out a collective growl and moved forward. As the King of the giants regained is stance and raised his spear before Jason's dazed figure━the tip glowing with horrific power. As they all thought it was going to end, Savreen opened her eyes once more. 

    The shadow of the giant was blinded by waves of bright pink light. It exploded from the daughter of Harmonia━and in its wake, the cage crumbled; the tendrils turned to dust and the mud around Hera disintegrated. It swallowed the monsters and they stopped their advance, becoming hauntingly still; their eyes within a pink haze━ghosts of who they were and instead under the light's control. It swept up the side of the giant and drifted in through his nose; like a puppet on a string, he slowly stood back ... he lowered his spear. 

    Hera emerged through the haze; she grew in size, she glowed with power. 

    "Yes!" she cried. She threw off her black robes to reveal a white gown, her arms bedecked with golden jewellery. Her face was both terrible and beautiful, and a golden crown rested in her long black hair. "Now I shall have my revenge!"

    The giant couldn't even react. He had no chance━no choice to defend himself. He and the monsters were forced to face their horrific fate. 

     Hera glowed brighter. She shouted. "Cover your eyes, my heroes!"

    When Savreen didn't move, Leo tugged her down himself. When she hit the ground, the haze dropped. Hidden under Leo's arms, she closed her eyes━not for the explosion of light that followed, but in absolute horror of the screams and cries as her victims awoke to something far worse. And she cried. 

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

    a/n: this series (both claire's and this one) is literally about me exploring writing extremely powerful characters and learning/exploring how to balance them out. Whether it is with physical limitations, extreme tragedy, or moral battles. Power comes with great responsibility (*quotes aunt may*), but it also comes with an extreme price. Like with claire, she had to battle her past, her own faults, she died, she came back and lost her powers, and then had to learn how to manage without them and then fight herself and her fatal flaw to get them back. But she also lost many that she cared about. Cain was faced with loneliness, plagued with nightmares and faced everyone else's fears-he ended up becoming their fears and in consequence, was isolated. Then, he lost his arm, which I'm super excited to explore in the next book where his story is also a main focus. savreen is cursed to face tragedy and horrors in order to wear the necklace and amplify her powers. and her powers then contradict with her own morals of peace. they explore the bad side of it; the way some have tried to achieve their own ideology of peace in the past. and she constantly battles with her fears, her morals, and the consequences of the necklaces power.

     it is very hard to write powerful characters without making them too OP and cause potholes. So, the ratio is:

    the amount of power your character has : the amount of faults/limitations/tagedy/shit they go through 

     wanda is a good example of this. though she is quite OP. she is crazy powerful, but then the mcu put her through tragedy after tragedy, turned her into a villain, and then she ended up destroying herself. 

     also daisy. daisy is another example. also alina starkov-

    if u want one in pjo, just take a look at percy's story. making him an unreliable narrator in the first series was a creative way of balancing it out, as well. like he didn't know how powerful he could be, and so it didn't seem that way until we see the reaction/pov's of others and we're like oh shit, percy is actually super scary--

     and you also make it in their character that they choose not to use the true extent of their powers, like I have in my thy rival series with Clara because of her personality, experiences and morals. 

     on another note, I love savreen and jason's friendship - they are platonic soulmates. it's sweet and caring, and they have each other's back. just - their friendship is really important to me. like he's quite dutiful and rigid and stern - he doesn't share his feelings he keeps them in; sophisticated and just - you know - disciplined since he was young. savreen is calming, she's gentle, she's understanding and she's also quite serious. they're just those characters whose friendship grew from the chemistry they had when I was writing and so I developed it as I went along. 

    (minimal editing)