Hey guys. An AN will be added in the end of this chapter that explains myself and the background of this experiment, if you care to read it. If not, I hope you enjoy the story. T.I.

Gladius Philosophi
Chapter I

Percy stared at the page before him with a blank look in his eyes.
"Do I really have to do pick one Ms. Nancy? You out of all the people here know just how messed up I am when writing or reading in English, so a foreign language? I'll die during the first fifteen minutes of class!" Percy exclaimed theatrically, waving his arms as if it would help him get his point across.

"Look Percy," Ms. Nancy started. "I know you don't much care for your English classes, but It's the school's policy that any freshman entering choose a foreign language at the beginner level for at least two terms. I suggest you choose whichever one you find interesting and has any room left, and at least try to learn and have fun. Language is power as I'm sure you were told." She lectured, her gaze directed straight at him. Percy always felt she could pierce armor with that gaze, and it also told him she was serious, and her suggestion was non-negotiable.

After three rather difficult years in this high school, due to his social status and academic achievement – or lack thereof – Percy found himself at the office of the headmaster's assistant, Ms. Ann Nancy, rather regularly. The first time he got there was due to a rather mean prank one student inflicted on another, which he happened to witness, and so was brought to the principal's office to give his account of the incident.

The first question she asked him when she saw him was if he liked the sea. When he asked her why she was asking she just casually remarked that his eyes had the color of the ocean, and smiled wide. And he smiled back. Percy never knew why, but from that moment she said those words, he felt like he could trust her. And so an unlikely friendship emerged between them that on occasion got him out of the more annoying and troublesome aspects of the school year.

Percy sighed and took the paper in his hands once again, forcing his eyes and brain to cooperate in order to read his options with as much accuracy as he could muster after a whole day of dull classes. There was a surprising amount of options for him to pick from, and he wondered just how many teachers they actually had in this school.

Three of them, Spanish, French and Italian were already full, marked with a red line to emphasize the fact. The rest were all rather bland in Percy's opinion. Germen was too aggressive, Japanese or Chinese too confusing, and Hebrew had only two students in it. That'll be a rather easy class with just two students. Then an idea formed in his head. As he scanned the rest of the list, he saw a few languages that had no students in them. Percy smiled internally.

Teachers were obligated to teach a subject even if only a single person wanted to learn a course that was offered in the school. He heard about teachers that simply gave the single student in their class some stuff to read and report to them at the end of the semester and that was it. No homework, no difficulty, and no extra stress.

Percy scanned the languages that were currently vacant of any students. Hieroglyphic Egyptian, Sumerian, and Latin. Three dead languages. Great. Percy found Egyptian and Sumerian to be rather intimidating, so he just wrote his name next to Latin, and handed the form back to Ms. Nancy. To say she was surprised would've been an understatement. Then again, Percy thought, she could be faking.

"Latin, huh?" She inquired. "Mr. Goldberg is new, he came just last year, but no one took Latin last year. A Harvard classics graduate to boot. I've always wondered what brought him here, When I asked he just said he felt a calling to teach here. He's weird, but in a good way. I think you might like him Percy." She pondered.

Percy was a bit taken aback by Ms. Nancy's musing, but now felt relief in knowing that the most he's probably going to do in Mr. Goldberg's classes is sleep and play with his phone. He couldn't wait.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, can I go home now?" Percy asked.

"Let me just give you the timetable for your classes and I'll set you free." Ms. Nancy promised.

With his classes freshly printed and in his bag, Percy waved Ms. Nancy and exited the headmaster's office. As he left towards the gates of the school where his bike was parked, he noticed it was beginning to get dark. His mom would be worried if he got home late, but Percy felt like the scenic route home today. Getting on his bike, he rode out of the school's gates and towards the steep downhill drive that would take him to his favorite spot.

The wind was particularly strong when Percy arrived at the ocean, barely lit by a dimming line of street lamps that looked about as old as the seashells that he liked to collect on the beach. He put his bike against the pole of one such light, took off his shoes and walked forward, feeling the hard concrete change to soft sand. The sound of the waves hitting the shore comforted him, and smell of the sea breeze made him feel like home. This is where he felt most protected. Most secure.

He couldn't explain it to anyone even if he tried. It was as if the sea was calling out to him, embracing him, wanting him to go inside and never leave again. Okay that might've sounded to dramatic, or even dark, Percy thought. But that was what he felt. In this world and age of social networking, where you could be anyone and fit in anywhere you wanted, Percy felt like he almost didn't belong anywhere in this world. The sea was a different world. He would always belong to the sea.

Percy returned home rather late, and when he got in, him mother was already asleep. On the couch, waiting for him. Percy cursed inwardly. He loved his mom more than anything, but he wished she would treat him as the young adult that he really was. He would turn sixteen this year, and his mom should've realized by now that he isn't stuck in the age of ten. With a sigh, he woke her up, gently tapping her shoulder.

"Mom, wake up. I'm here. Go to bed." He whispered.

"Percy? What time is it? Where have you been?" Sally asked.

"My usual place. I needed to clear my head. Ann needed to see me. Something about a foreign language. Apparently I'm taking Latin. Maybe by next year I could read commercials from two thousand years ago huh?" Percy added with a slight chuckle.

Sally went rigid, her body tensing. Percy could feel it. "Mom... Are you okay?" He asked. But just as soon as he felt her tensing, she went loose again, as if nothing happened.

"That's great honey. I've always told you that knowledge is power." She smiled, albeit rather weakly. Percy sensed something was off.

"I'm off to bed dear, please shut off the lights and lock the door." Sally got up and started heading upstairs, towards her bedroom. "Oh, and next time you plan on freezing yourself on the beach somewhere at least let me know would you?" This time Percy felt her usual sense of humor.

"Sure mom. I'll let you know." He smiled. Sally gave another warm smile and proceeded to go upstairs, and inside her bedroom.

Percy felt something was not okay. He never saw his mom so… afraid? Nervous? He couldn't quite pin the emotion. His mother was calm, collected, smart, and funny. He never once saw her lose her temper or yell at anyone. Just what caused her such a reaction?

Feeling the weight of his sidetrack on the way home hitting his eyes, Percy decided that he'll have to contemplate it tomorrow. He locked up and turned off the lights, climbed upstairs to his room, still painted blue from the time he was just a kid, got on his bed, and fell asleep as soon and his head hit his pillow, not even bothering to change his clothes.

Percy never remembered his dreams. All he always remembered was darkness. A complete and black void of nothingness. But this time Percy Remembered, and he remembered very well. Almost lucidly well.

He was drowning. Well, not exactly drowning. He could breath, and he didn't feel the pull of the water, he felt like he could control the situation in whatever way he wanted. He felt empowered. Then, from within the depths of the sea that he was currently residing in, something stirred, sending shockwaves towards the surface. Percy had no idea what could actually cause such a phenomenon except earthquakes. But this was no earthquake. Percy didn't know how he knew. He Just knew.

It was getting closer, each time a tremor fiercer than the last. It was almost upon him, and Percy now felt nervous. It wanted something. Something he had. It would do anything to take it. It would kill him. Almost upon him. Percy heard an ear piercing shriek, almost roar like, his eyes widened.

Percy stared at the ceiling of his room, completely blue. Almost like the ocean. And it was then when he realized he was wet, almost soaked. And it wasn't water, Percy knew. It was sweat.

Shaken, Percy took a quick shower, and panicked even further when he saw that he was almost late for his classes. His mom wasn't happy when he was late, and he wasn't happy that his mom wasn't happy.

He arrived in school with just a minute to spare. And so the tedium of the day started all over again, in an almost never-ending cycle of math, biology, chemistry, American history and much more. By the time it was time to head home, he was completely out of it. And then he remembered. He still had Latin left. Percy groaned.

Making his way for the assigned class for Latin, he was already thinking of what the teacher, Mr. Gold-whatever might give him to pass the time in class after seeing that he only had a single student.

He opened the door, it's hinged squawked, alerting anyone inside of his arrival. Inside the classroom was a man. But he didn't seem like a regular teacher, Percy mused to himself. He was tall and clearly athletic, spurting a solid build. His hair was dark and curly, and it appeared he was writing his name on the blackboard. His full name was apparently Mark Goldberg, and he was teaching an "Introduction to the Latin Language" as was written in a clear and neat handwriting. If Percy hadn't seen this man write it himself, he would've thought that it couldn't be a man's handwriting.

Realizing that he was still standing in the entrance to the classroom, Percy decided to take a seat in the middle row. The man finished writing and turned around to address the class. When he turned around Percy was once again surprised. The man had a neat and curly medium length beard, reaching his chest. He wore a purple sweatshirt and dress pants, all in all a rather bizarre outfit. But that wasn't the reason of Percy's surprise.

What surprised Percy most of all were the man's eyes. He couldn't say he saw them before but something about them yelled at him to respect and listen to this man. That he held importance and gravitas, and was to be obeyed without question. Then, when the mysterious Mark Goldberg opened his mouth and spoke to Percy, Then Percy felt truly and utterly confused.

"Salve, discipulus. quis es?" His tone was as commanding as his eyes.

"Umm… What?" Percy replied.

AN:
Hey guys and girls.
This is my first ever attempt at fanfiction. After reading several AU's about Percy being roman, I found that he usually gets too strong as he is beginning his adventure with the Romans only in "The son of Neptune". This is an attempt to make Percy a more mature and rounder character that starts slow and ends up a legend through development and learning.
As such, the first few chapters are going to be a bit expository, and not much action in them. I assure you that action is coming, and it'll hit hard, but in order to make the world move you need to build a world first.
Hope you enjoy, and I'll see you on the next chapter! T.I.