I hope you are able to view these chapters, my lovely readers. I have done everything to see if it works and it never does. So, after the long wait and for my beautifully patient readers and followers, here you are.

P.S. College is a bit occupying, but I vow to try to make some time for you. Also, my other laptop had a malfunction and needs a new battery. It is an older model, so, yeah. Here you are! Love you, my lovely readers!

Chapter Eighteen: The Final Stage

Point of View: Ebony

I scowl as I turn human, knowing I am eighteen and it makes Thalia and Phoebe both uncomfortable in their own ways. 

Lycaon, that bastard.

I pray that Aroen is finally healed, I took less time. 

Phoebe is dressed in less than two minutes following after me as we head to the dining tent. She is silent for a very long time as everyone joins us. I eat nothing and she is frowning, but she leaves me be.

"When are we leaving, Ebony?" Phoebe smiles up at me, no longer having to look down at my younger form.

"When you are ready for the first hunt we shall share together." I reply.

"Is something the matter, Ebony?" Artemis questions, looking deeply concerned.

"I am eighteen again, the shadow of my past life will loom over me until Phoebe and I eradicate it by hunting. It will open my heart to new possibilities. Then I shall hunt with you before I return to Aroen to be welcomed into the Wolf Family. I have to remind myself that I am Ebony now, I have a better life." I answer.

"The Council is looking for Perseus Jackson, I am afraid. I have been tasked with finding him it seems." Artemis is downhearted. 

"They must find out the truth themselves. Tell them the Fates have intervened and forbade you of speaking of his whereabouts." I tell her. 

"Brightest idea today." Atalanta mutters. "My father was in my dreams last night asking if I had seen him. It was annoying"

"If and when they find out, they will want Ebony." Thalia inputs and Phoebe and I both glare at her. "Listen, I don't mean to put a damper on the idea, but if Lady Artemis refuses to follow orders despite the involvement of the Fates, he'll sick Athena on the case. She has too much pride to ever give up. I bet she already suspects Artemis of hiding something. The Council is always the first to cast suspicion, even on their own ranks." 

"Yes, I suppose so." Phoebe agrees, sighing heavily. 

"On to happier thoughts," I turn to Phoebe. "What would you like to hunt, sister?"

"What is appealing to you today?" She inquires.

"Whatever is appealing to you." I turn it back on her again.

She snorts. "Let's go catch us a Minotaur."

I chuckle. "Restarting my life, very well."

"Huh?" She blinks.

"That was the very first monster Perseus Jackson killed when he was fully aware of the power stirring inside. Alecto was just the kick-start of his life and an accident." I apprise her. 

"Sounds good to me." She smiles.

"Ebony." Artemis calls and I stop in the entrance with Phoebe.

"Yes, mistress?" I respond.

"How do you feel today? You seem different." She stares right into my eyes, looking into my soul.

"I already answered that, milady. It is mere sentiment. I am an emotional person for a reason, my very being is based off of love. I feel sorrow in my chest and that is all. My childish mannerisms are now blossomed into actions that would surprise you. Until our own hunt, my lady." I leave the tent.

After two days of running in wolf form, I hit the brakes and hide under the foliage. My black fur letting me blend in next to the volcanic rock. Phoebe comes to crouch next to me.

'His scent ends here, but I do not see him. Just that man.' I tell Phoebe in my head.

She struggles at first, the feeling still foreign to her, but she manages to respond back in her own mind. 'I do not have a clear line of vision, his back is turned. Do you recognize him at all before we chance moving?'

"Sea spawn." The man whirls and sniffs the air before looking right at me. 

Phoebe is stiff and I bristle.

"Come out!" He booms and Phoebe is knocked over by the sheer force his voice makes in the air.

He broke the sound barrier just by yelling?

What kind of monster is he?

He looks a bit familiar, to be honest.

Next thing I know, he is standing above me and Phoebe is firing her bow at him.

"Phoebe, run!" I yell at her aloud as I growl at the man.

"A wolf of the sea?" He looks vicious and irritated.

I jump back, changing forms.

"Ebony! What are you doing?!" Phoebe calls as she remains at a fair distance from this thing.

'I am not the best fighter in my wolf form, yet, I have not been taught.' I respond so the monster does not hear me.

"Run!" She yells.

'Cornered.' I say, my back hitting the tree as he advances on me. 'Find a weak point. The Minotaur scent is faintly coming off of him and there's a big pile of bones where he was standing.'

'You don't think...' She sounds horrified.

'Definitely. He ate Beefhead.' I answer as the man leans down and gets in my face, forcing me to press against the tree.

"Are you a werewolf, sea child?" The man sniffs at my neck.

"No. Who are you?" I reply.

"Mother found a way to raise us faster and I like the power surge. Less of a nuisance and easier to move. More speed when the muscles are crunched down into a smaller body, more concentrated power. Not as limited in range of sight. My name is Polybotes." He sneers. "I just found my new plaything." His tongue darts out and it travels up from the base of my neck to my jaw. "Taste so good." 

I shudder.

Disgusting.

"Get away from him!" Phoebe yells, but he just ignores her.

He talked about a power surge.

He is now focused into a controlled being. I bet his healing is off the charts now that there is less of him. 

We are in some seriously deep shit.

'He acts like I am not here.' Phoebe sounds alarmed.

'You are a pest to him, not a threat. His interest is solely in me. You are not even worth a morsel or snack to him either. He knows I am still connected to the sea. It won't be long 'til he finds out who I used to be. If we can at least mortally wound him, our hunt will be a success for the Bonding. He stole our prey, so injure him enough and we will finish.' I tell Phoebe, Polybotes sniffing more as he inhales and sifts through my scent.

'Why aren't you attacking him?' She hisses in my head.

'You have to be joking.' I glare over at her.

'No. Why?' She sounds aggravated.

'Old father's bane. Touch is poisonous if he wants it to be. If I bite him, I'll get injected with the stuff. His touch alone is agony. When he does not want it to be, it still causes my chest to constrict. I am practically useless. If my skin was covered, it would be a lot easier.' I explicate.

'Ebony!' She sounds panicked. 'I only have a bow and knives. The Giants heal. I am next to useless.' 

'Then find me a weapon.' I tell her. 

'We need a god!' She screeches.

I wince at both her voice high-pitched in my head and at the hand that trails along my jaw. My eyes have never left his and he is amused. 

"You smell absolutely delicious. Only one person had this scent before, Perseus Jackson. Your aura is slightly altered and your coloration, but you are him, aren't you?" He is extremely excited. "Yes, you are. Tell me you are."

His face comes closer to mine and I strain my neck back  until my body is completely pinned between his and this damned tree. 

"Yes, my name is Ebony now. My soul is bound to the Moon, Polybotes. My former life merged with this one. I am no longer Perseus Jackson." I give him what he wants.

"I wanted to covet you. Torturing you is no fun anymore. You are one of the sea's most precious jewels, boy. Now the moon's as well. You are stronger and faster and more regenerative than before, like me. I want you." His face is mere inches from mine now.

"In what way? To eat me?" I demand.

"No, no. Entertainment in all forms. I will have you. I will take you with me. You can be mother's pawn this time. Everyone will want to meet what is mine." He grabs onto my right bicep, leaving an immediate bruise at the strength he puts into it. 

'I found a sword, will that work?' Phoebe finally returns to my head. 

'Phoebe! Phoebe! Shoot me!' I am scrambling for a plan. 

This one is truly reckless.

'What?!" She screeches again.

'Then run for your life!' I warn.

'Are you crazy?' She screams.

'Absolutely, now do it! Trust me.' I howl as his grip tightens on my arm and he drags me away from the tree. 

"Such a splendid sound." Polybotes chuckles. 

A silver arrow plants itself in my shoulder, right above his hand. 

Oh gods, his eyes.

Pure red, filled with rage. 

'Phoebe...' I say worriedly as his hand slowly moves to the arrow in my shoulder.

'Ebony.' I can hear her gulp from here.

'I suggest you start running, right now. Drop the sword and shag it out of here.' I tell her as his fingers caress the arrow slowly.

'He's fast, I won't be able to outrun him.' She whispers.

I scan our surroundings.

'Then I suggest you out-climb him. Get to that mountain.' I tell her and watch as she nods and bolts for the cliffside.

I return my eyes to his and see as he slowly pulls the arrow out. 

"She marred your beauty. She will pay." He snarls.

I yelp as he grabs onto me again, but he walks right past the sword. I grasp it as best I can and shove it through his neck, unable to pull it back out. 

"We can't have that." He throws me to the ground, drawing out the blade and sticking it right by my head. 

I roll out of the way of his foot and yank the sword out of the ground, wielding it like I used to.

"Definitely. Your battle stance is an exact copy. No doubts. You don't want to fight me, pet." He begins like I am his prey before his voice turns enchanting and the sword point slowly comes to rest on the ground.

Why can't I move?

He comes up to me and I growl, forcing the sword to go through his chest.

I stare in disbelief as the hole seals around it, earth swallowing the sword at the site of the wound. 

"That tickled." He chuckles.

I knew his regeneration must be monstrous, but this is unearthly. 

Acceleration.

'Phoebe, he is sped up in every attribute. We need to slow him down or give him a constant wound. Regular weapons won't work.' I call out to her. 

'We still would need a god, Ebony.' Phoebe tells me. 'His attention is solely on you.'

'What if it takes more than a god and demigod now?' I ask in fear.

'Then we are royally screwed.' She says in response.

'That's it, the mountain. Get down and clear the vicinity. I will come to you, just watch the sky.' I get the worst deja vu in history.

She does not respond as she listens to me.

"Will you come with me?" Polybotes murmurs as his arm goes around my waist, crushing me up against him.

Now I get an even clearer image of what he wants.

Creep.

Not happening.

I put a warm smile on my face and he lights up. "Whatever for?" My voice takes on an appealing tone. 

"To be mine. My only. My consort." His other hand goes to my arm and my wound is healed in an instant. 

"How would that work?" I stall, move faster Phoebe.

"You are a child of the sea. You have all kinds of abilities. Poseidon locks many away in the child at birth, it's the main reason why he visits you. I can open new possibilities for you. It is another reason he fears his children near me. Why he always has male children. I see you have discovered a few of the more powerful and useful ones on your own through training and experience that the others had no way of achieving in their greed." He brings his free hand to my back now.

Ugh.

"Still, why would Lady Gaea accept me after I shoved my sword through her beating heart?" I ask sweetly, only to get the wind knocked out of me as he growls and slams me against a tree, flitting over to me to hold me there by my throat.

"Careful, pet, I can always damage you and then heal you." He threatens. "You are favored by the Fates. If we have you, we will surely win."

I gasp for air and he releases my throat.

'How far?' Phoebe asks anxiously.

'Far enough. Do not move from that spot.' I push off of the ground as I focus on the volcano.

The ground begins to rumble violently, making Polybotes nervous. 

"What is happening?" He looks down at me, expecting me to have the answer. 

"Poseidon is not just God of the Sea. You are not the bane of every one of his powers, Polybotes. Poseidon is the Earthshaker and if Gaea knew better, she would have warned you this time 'round. I blew up a volcano when I was fourteen and now I can crack the very earth apart." I hold my hand out to him and he reaches happily. I close it into a fist and he drops into the little pit I made for him. I cannot just destroy the forest. 

Crap.

I focus on the ground as I place my hands against it and concentrate on making an underground ditch to Polybotes' hole from the magma chamber. 

I know I have succeeded when I hear his pained screams and I glow a vibrant purple, the color signifying my bond with my sister. I cut off the channel and hurry to race for Phoebe. I make it to her and she hugs me tightly.

"What did you do?" She asks as she pulls away, flinching as Polybotes screams in agony. 

"Volcano." I point at the mountain. "I decided against my original plan and went with not destroying the forest for miles." 

"Good. Let's get out of here. We have some important information." She tells me.

"Agreed." I nod and we take off, me shifting into my wolf form as I bound alongside her.

Good? Interesting? What is going on, my lovely readers? What theories do you hold? Tell me, I am interested to hear. I will go and write the next chapter. I owe you that much before my break is over in a few days.