《Son of Artemis Book 4》Chapter 23: TELL THE WORLD THE GREAT GOD PAN HAS FADED
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Annabeth propped me up along one of the walls and quickly went through our bags for ambrosia and nectar before force feeding it to me.
She gave me the recommend amount for demigods that Apollo set out, and no I don't know how he determined that. I thanked Annabeth before casually downing another ambrosia square.
She looked at me as if I had gone insane and was surprised when I didn't burn up but was able to stand up as if I hadn't just used my powers to summon a magnitude 9, at least, earthquake on the top of a mountain.
"If you die from burning up, it's on you not me" Annabeth said. I wanted to tell her then and there I'll be fine. But Apollo said I couldn't tell anyone about my future, including the part about being destined to godhood.
Which is why my dosage for godly food medicine is higher. I'm more immortal than mortal. Which the normal demigod is 50/50 no matter but my mothers adoption of me, the blessing I've received, and the way in which mother feed me when I was a baby changed that.
Sorry ADHD. Anyways Annabeth force fed Nico the same amount as she forced me to eat. He stirred a little. He was ready to wake but his body wasn't.
"Come on we need to start moving" I said putting one of Nico's arms over my shoulder and lifting him up. Annabeth looked back down the corridor to mount Othrys. Even if we couldn't see it, she and I both knew it was only a matter of time before monsters started coming our way.
"We need to go Rachel. We just need to get out of this section of the labyrinth fast" Annabeth said, shouldering the other side of Nico. With the height difference between us and Nico we were practically carrying him.
Rachel began leading us through the labyrinth taking us on a path with no conflicts along the way.
Though for some reason deep down. Like really deep. I felt like we weren't being lead to camp but somewhere else. I didn't comment on it though. It was the same feeling I got when I was in the forest hunting with mom. A feeling of safety and home.
I don't know if Annabeth was feeling it too, but I didn't mention it in case she didn't sense it.
I had no clue where we were but these beautiful crystal formations started over taking the walls and the feeling I had just kept growing stronger.
The corridor eventually opened up into a giant hall and I felt perfectly at home. I kinda dropped Nico and almost shot the deer standing there...wait deer. That's not. I looked around and saw Grover Tyson and Thalia, as well as very a old looking Satyr and numerous other wild animals
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"Thanks for not killing Henry" the old Satyr said
"You're welcome I guess...sorry Henry force of habit" I said. Henry bowed, before heading back to the old Satyr.
"PERCY ANNABETH" Thalia shouted and tackled us in a hug, which woke up Nico
"Thanks for the alarm cuz" Nico said sarcastically as Tyson welcomed us back crushing Nico in a hug
"Pan you can't be dying" Grover said, "we need your help more than ever now"
I looked at the old satyr, and realization hit me like a runaway train. "You're the great god Pan" I questioned, "the one who gave my mother her hunting wolves to help the hunt when she was away" I asked
Pan chuckled, "yes that's me"
"Why bring" I started
"Mortals and demigods here" Pan finished
"Your mother knows Perseus, just as well as you do, my domain is far too destroyed for me to continue on. It's time for me to go" Pan said, "the world no longer needs me and it's time for me to fade" Pan finished, flickering to smoke and reforming a body.
"I tried to tell the world...I announced it millennia ago"
"The old story of the sailor passing by Ephesos is true then" Annabeth asked
Pan nodded, "I told Lysas, a young satur much like you, Grover...but your kind never believed it"
"That's because it was not true milord" Grover defended
Pan let out a soft sigh, "you sweet and stubborn Satyrs. Your refusal to accept my passing has only served to delay what is inevitable. You only prolong my passing. It must happen" Pan said
"Please no" Grover said
"Oh dear Grover" Pan started, "you must understand. Your friend Nico. He understands"
Nico looked uncomfortable, at being called out, "he's dying Grover. He should have died long ago" Nico said
"But gods can't die" Grover defended
"No but they can fade" I said, "when they cease to have power, when their sacred places are no more, when all they were is gone. Then they will fade"
Pan looked at me and nodded. "Perseus is right my satyr. My realm is gone. It is why you must delivery my final message to the nature spirits and satyrs. You must tell them the great god Pan is dead. You must make them know that I cannot come and save them. That they cannot wait for me to save them. You each must make your own salvation. Each of you must..." Pan said and paused to look at a...dodo bird...I know they aren't extinct. My mother has a few that are protected on Olympus.
"Dede stop that humming. It's not nice" Pan said, "even if it is true"
The dodo bird stopped humming, "was Dede really humming nanana hey hey hey goodbye" Thalia asked
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"Yes. For the fifth time this week" Pan answered, "but as I was saying. Dear Grover you must take up my calling"
Grover looked like he wanted to protest, "be strong. You have found me. But now you shall release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be held by a god. It needs to be taken up by all of you"
I bowed my head in respect to the old god, "if your friends here need a place to stay. I'm sure my mother and I can watch over them" I said, though none of them replied
"Young Perseus, what your mother did was unforeseen. I did not expect her to call any her child nor stand by that child regardless of all trials and tribulations" Pan said, "she was right in giving you your titles young prince. But my friends here are sustained by what little life I have. When I go they too will pass to the realm of the faded with me"
I bowed sadly, "I shall inform my mother and sisters then"
Pan looked at Annabeth, "young Annabeth, your time is coming, you will play a great role. Just not the one you think"
Annabeth nodded and gave a small bow to the god, "for what it's worth this place is better than any architecture I've ever seen"
Pan gave a smile to Annabeth and moved onto Thalia, "daughter of Zeus. Don't blame your father for your troubles. He loves you. But like most gods with their children, he doesn't know how to show it in a way that it's easily received. You like your lovers have a great role to play in the coming times" Thalia nodded respectfully and bowed as well. I don't know how she did it, but I could tell most of Thalia's resentment was lifted and gone.
"Master Cyclops" Pan said directing his look at Tyson, " do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to what they are made to be. But you, you shall be legend to your kind for generations and your name will be well known to them" Tyson wiped a big tear out of his eye. Then bowed to the god, "The great god Pan shall be known to them as well" Tyson said, though Pan looked skeptical at Tyson's statement, but thankful the big guy didn't crush him in a hug like he did with Nico
"Young Nico" Pan addressed, "out of your time. Your fate changed by an overprotective father. You like your cousins mustn't resent your father. But you also must not resent your sister. Only together will you two be able to convince your father" Pan finished, though Nico looked confused as can be.
"And now the mortal miss Rachel Dare" Pan started, and Rachel flinched back when he spoke her name, "I know you feel you can't make amends. But like the others you are important to the future. Look for opportunities and they shall come" Rachel bowed though I think we could all feel the guilt roll off of her, " I do not blame you miss Dare. Your father's and ancestors actions are not your own. I am a fair god and judge based on the actions one takes" Pan said trying to comfort
He turned to look at Grover, "my brave satyr, you must release me. You must carry my message and be the first to release me. I know you don't want to"
"I don't want to" Grover confirmed
"You know my name Pan. Originally it meant rustic. Over time though it eventually morphed to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must spread word to all you meet: if you want to find Pan. Take up his spirit. Remake the wild in your own corner of the world little by little. It is to late to wait for someone to save you, especially a god"
Grover started crying a little, "I spent my whole life searching for you...and now" Grover started choking up on his words, "and now...I...I release you" he finished crying. I could tell he didn't want to, and it was probably the hardest thing he's ever done in his life...at least emotionally.
Pan looked at me, pleadingly, I knew now that I too was a roadblock on his path to finally passing on, "I too release you" I mentally whispered, I didn't think it would be that hard to me, but my sisters and I all valued the wild, and I guess by extension Pan as well.
"Thank you, my dear Satyr" Pan said, "one last blessing"
Pan then dissolved into a white mist which broke up into numerous parts. The smallest bit went to Nico. Four more larger and equally sized bits went to Tyson, Rachel, Annabeth, and Thalia. Which left the two largest bits remaining. The larger of the two went to Grover while the other came to me.
Once the last of the mist was gone, the room seemed to loose much of its life. The animals crumbled to dust, the plants withered away to nothingness, and the light that previously illuminated the room disappeared.
I used my fire power to light a fire on my hand for light.
Grover looked older and depressed.
"You ok Grover" Thalia asked
"We should go now" he said, "we shall tell them the great god Pan is dead"
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