The sun was shining high in the sky. All of the campers, from both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, were wandering around leaving a pleasant buzz in the air. They were excited.
The Giant War had come to a close a couple of days prior. Everyone was gathering for a party to celebrate a victory.
Percy was lounging in the sun on the beach next to Annabeth, who was reading a book. The sea lapped calmly at the shore.
The other of the seven were off doing another thing. Whether it was helping set up for the party or doing their own relaxation.
Annabeth nudged Percy, tearing him from his thoughts. He turned to look over at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you alright Seaweed Brain?"
Percy blinked in surprise at her question and he tilted his head to convey his confusion to her.
"I mean, I understand you not OK. I don't think anything can really be ok after a war and all. Especially after...that place. But you seem more off than normal. I mean, your quiet and reserved. And that's not you. I'm just-"
The blonde cut herself off with an annoyed groan, "I can't really describe it because it's subtle. But you're off. So are you alright?"
The son of the sea god snorted through his nose. It wasn't every day that he saw Annabeth flustered, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired and glad I can finally relax."
Annabeth pursed her lips. Not quite looking convinced, but Percy went back to staring out at the ocean. He was already lost in his thoughts and Annabeth knew that she wasn't going to get anything out of him. At least not until the celebration was over.
Shaking her head, the child of Athena went back to her book. It was a short story written by Bonnie Jasmine on the topic of museums and how they treat the artifacts that fall into their possession.
She didn't realize how into the book she was getting until the conch horn blew signalling that the celebration was starting.
The blond girl looked over at Percy who had jumped. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other. Both of them rose to their feet, Annabeth dusting her shorts off before they linked hands and began to walk towards the amphitheater.
The structure was decorated with streamers. There were tables set out with food of all kinds. A small bonfire burned in the center and people gathered around it talking and laughing quietly. There was a stage like protrusion on one of the walls with twelve seats all gathered, most likely for the gods when they decided to join them.
Jason and Piper were near one of the tables with plates of food. Leo was already sitting down talking with Hazel. Frank wasn't there yet, or maybe he was. Annabeth didn't know.
"You hungry?" Percy asked her as they stopped to look around.
"Not really." Annabeth answered, "At least not yet."
The male nodded, "Let's go talk to the others then."
She nodded and followed him when he walked over to Leo and Hazel.
"I'm telling you, Hazel! Modern video games are amazing. I'm going to have to beg Chiron for access to the Big House computer room. I'm going to have to update my steam account too." Leo was waving his arms as he talked, a slight smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Trying to catch Hazel upon modern times?" Percy asked as he sat down next to the frizzy-haired girl.
Hazel rolled her eyes, "I don't know when I will ever find video games useful. When I was living with my mom, they weren't all that important."
"That's because you don't know what they're like nowadays!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes at the antics of the Latino. She quietly greeted Piper and Jason when they sat down next to her.
"You should try the potato salad. It's amazing!" Jason said through a mouthful of food.
Percy turned to him and wrinkled his nose, "I think you should swallow your food before you start talking."
" Says Mr Stuff-My-Mouth-With-Pizza-While-I'm-Talking." The blond male shot back.
"My manners have gotten better!" Percy exclaimed.
Annabeth giggled lightly, "If anything they've only gotten worse."
Her boyfriend shot her a wounded look. His eyes filled with fake betrayal and a high pitched whine escaped him.
This caused their entire group to burst out laughing.
Annabeth leaned her head against the male's shoulder, "Your a dork Seaweed Brain."
"So, where is Frank?" Jason asked Hazel, changing the subject.
Hazel shrugged, "He went off with Reyna to discuss praetor stuff."
Percy and Jason both made a face, "Praetor stuff."
The rest of the group snickered.
Chiron's hoof tapped against the stone floor. It echoed through the amphitheater causing it to fall silent.
"The gods will arrive shortly to bestow gifts on the camp." He looked happy and content but the lined around his eyes told Annabeth that he was exhausted.
A cheer rose up in the crowd around the amphitheater.
"I wonder what they are going to gift all of us." Hazel murmured.
Frank approached their group, smiling softly at Hazel. He tilted his head and let the conversation continue.
"There isn't much that they can do to compensate for us going to war against Gaia by ourselves." Jason commented, "And they never rewarded Camp Jupiter after the Titan War."
Annabeth looked over at him, "Really?"
Jason nodded, "We all figured that they were being how they always were."
"They rewarded us last time!" Percy commented, "So that's not fair."
Leo snorted bitterly, "I've known the gods for less time than you have and I know they are never fair. How have you not learnt that yet?"
"Well, they gave everyone a reward last time. Even those that didn't really contribute to the main quests of the War." Percy huffed.
Before anyone else could talk there was a bright flash that had everybody covering their eyes. When the light faded the gods were all sitting in the seats on the stage. Hestia flickered into place next to the fire, Hades sitting next to her. Zeus rose from his chair to address the crowd.
"Is everyone gathered?" He asked in his booming voice.
The campers all looked around before turning back to him and shrugging. Chiron cleared his throat and spoke for them.
"Everyone appears to be here."
"Splendid. Let us get on with the awards."
The god of the sky straitened his tie and gave the amphitheater a stiff smile.
"Alright. So for both camps, we are going to create a portal between each camp to give them an ally to rely on should the need ever arise. The hunters of Artemas are now welcome to recruit girls from the Roman camp. Us gods will stick to a promise we made not so long ago to claim all of our kids as soon as they cross the borders of either camp. I think that's all the formal awards. Now, let's move onto the leaders of this war."
Argus walked over to the group of seven onto the stage. They were joined by Reyna, Coach Hedge, Nico, and Ella.
"Let us begin with the Harpy. Ella, you were a major help to Camp Jupiter in the very beginning. Apollo and Athena are willing to help you recreate the Sibylline Books of Rome if you so wish." The sky god fixed his electric blue gaze on the Harpy who fluttered nervously.
Ella's red wings were covered in a light coat of glitter that didn't look like it was there on purpose. The blond supposed that Ella and Tyson were doing some arts and crafts with Grover. Her jean shorts and brown shirt hung loosely on her frame, which worried Annabeth considering that Ella now had access to all kinds of foods and had for a while.
"Ella would like that. Yes, Ella would like that very much." The bird muttered, her unfocused reddish brown eyes roving over the crowd nervously. She likely didn't like all of the attention on her, but it couldn't be helped.
Zeus nodded, "Now the Satyr."
Coach Hedge puffed his chest out proudly. He wore the clothes that he always wore. Jeans, a white t-shirt with 'Cupcakes' written on it, a baseball cap to cover his horns.
"Your child and wife shall have a safe haven on Olympus with the gods. They can leave and visit the mortal realm whenever they wish."
The coaches eyes bugged out of his head, but he cleared his throat and nodded respectfully to the King of Olympus.
"Thank you My Lord!"
"Nico di'Angelo, because of your major role in the war, we are willing to allow you a request. Anything you wish of us, should it be possible, shall be granted."
The son of Hades stared at Zeus uncomprehendingly for a moment before he swallowed and bowed low to him, "I wish for the pact between the big three to be resolved. It didn't work in the long run." He muttered the last part under his breath, "And for a new one to be made. You made the pact last time because of a prophecy. Something that couldn't be delayed forever. It was inevitable for a child of the three to be born, but it got out of hand. Now I want you to make one for the sake of a demigods life. I would never wish what I have gone through on another person. And I don't want that to be the fate of another child."
Zeus looked disgruntled, "You want my brothers and I to make another oath to not have children? Again?"
"I never said to never have children. Just that you can't have demigod children. It's not fair to a child to constantly be chased around by monsters or vengeful gods because you gods can't keep your dicks in your pants. And it's not fair to your wives. Many of the problems hero's of old faced were because of jealous wives or husbands. Hera's rage to be specific drove a man who could have been good to insanity. I want the three of you," He gestured to his father, Poseidon and Zeus,"to be loyal to your wives and your wives only. It will make a life for many people that much easier."
Annabeth was impressed. She had never really pegged Nico to be that sympathetic to others. Though it did make sense. He had experienced danger that most demigods would not have to face. Heck, he brought his half-sister back to life because she did not deserve to be dead and traversed the very depths of Hades. And the request might have been selfish on his part, but it was also very selfless to others.
It was better for a child to never be born than have to spend their life looking over their shoulder because they smelled like a tasty snack to monsters.
Zeus inhaled deeply, "Is that all to your request?"
"I know that no matter how the oath is made, it will be broken. But I hope that you can go a few centuries without breaking it. I know you could never understand what we demigods do, but please try to uphold it."
"Very well. I Zeus, god of the sky and king of the Olympians swear on the river Styx and my power as king to never sire a demigod child again."
Thunder boomed across the valley, sealing the god's oath.
Poseidon rose from his seat and met Nico's eyes, "I, Poseidon, god of the sea and king of Atlantis swear on the river Styx to never sire a demigod child again," The god's eyes flashed to Zeus, "And I swear to remain loyal to my wife."
Annabeth sighed. Gods would always be gods.
Hades stood from his seat next to the fire. His beady black eyes met his sons and they softened, "I, Hades, god of the dead and riches and king of the Underworld swear on the river Styx to never sire a demigod child again and to remain loyal to Persephone for as long as she will keep me."
His eyes never left his sons until the thunder boomed across the valley. To Annabeth, it felt more like a private promise to Nico than an oath in general, but she could have just been seeing things.
Nico nodded, satisfied with their oaths. He looked at Zeus and bowed again, "Thank you for allowing me a request."
Zeus nodded at him with pursed lips. He did not look happy, but he turned his gaze to the next person in line.
Reyna was wearing more casual clothes than what she normally wore. A purple Camp Jupiter shirt covered by a light grey jacket and a pair of shorts with sneakers. Her long black hair rolled down her shoulders, reaching her waist. It was so unusual of a sight that it threw Annabeth off.
"We shall allow the same courtesy to you, child of Rome." The god grumbled. He wasn't happy, and likely wouldn't cheer up for a while.
'Well, this is going to make the rest of the ceremony uncomfortable.' The child of Athena thought to herself.
Reyna stepped forwards. She faced the god with no fear or hesitation in her eyes.
"My request is simple. Camp Jupiter is not as protected as Camp Half-blood. Yes, we have Terminus but he only protects the main city, leaving the rest of the camp undefended. While it might be considered dishonorable to ask for a barrier, it would make the Camp Jupiter safer and easier to defend should the need come."
"I shall speak to Terminus and ask him to expand his reach. He shall guard the entirety of New Rome." Zeus said.
Reyna bowed her head, "It is much appreciated, Lord Jupiter."
The god briefly flickered to another form before settling back on the image of Zeus. Then he fixed his gaze on the group of seven.
"Now, for the children of Prophecy. The same courtesy shall be bestowed upon you, as well as the offer of partial immortality. We know that it is not likely you will accept that gift, but it is offered none the less. Now, Jason, what is it that you wish?"
Jason closed his eyes for a moment, pondering over his options. Annabeth could guess a few things that he would want.
"I want all of the gods to be respected for who they are. And I don't mean just the more noticed gods, I mean all of them. Every god that has been created on the Greek or Roman pantheon. They all deserve more respect than they are given. If it is reasonable, I want there to be two temples built to honor every god. I want a picture of every god, and their name to be displayed where they can be worshiped. If this had been done sooner, then many of the problems faced on our quest to close the doors would have been nonexistent."
The gods in the semi-circle all shifted uncomfortably. This request would require a lot of work, Annabeth reasoned, but it was still plausible.
Zeus nodded from where he stood, "It shall be done. And I believe that we have the perfect architect for the job as well." His eyes roved and landed on the daughter of Athena. Annabeth felt pride fill her chest as she nodded. Not only was the architect of Olympus, but also the architect of a building that could alter the course of history.
"Now, what of the offer of partial immortality?" Zeus asked turned back to his son.
Jason shook his head, "I have seen what immortality does to people, and I don't want it to happen to me."
The god accepted that with no words and turned his eyes to the next person.
Frank stepped forward. His brown eyes looked straight into the sky gods.
"I don't know if this is plausible or not, but I wish for my life to be normal. I don't want my fate to be tied to a piece of firewood that could so easily burn. Or I want the wood to be placed somewhere that it can't ever be touch or bothered until I am already dead. I want to be able to live life with the least amount of worries." His voice had dropped from confident to uncertain as he talked.
And Annabeth was impressed. She wasn't sure if she could upend a weakness such as that in front of an entire crowd of people. Especially since some of them were complete strangers.
"Very well. I shall request Athena and Hephaestus find or make something that it can be placed in where it cannot be bothered. There is nothing I can do to change what the fates have already written. As your request has been stated, it is clear that you do not want partial immortality, or am I wrong?"
Frank shook his head, accepted the answer to his request and stepped back.
Hazel took a nervous step to the spotlight. She closed her honey eyes before opening them and speaking.
"I think this has already been resolved, but if it hasn't, I want it to be my wish. Thanatos has already overlooked my death. Twice now. And I know that I'm not in danger of him claiming my soul anytime soon, but I do want my mother to be moved from the fields of Asphodel to rebirth. She made an honest mistake, and I know that she could be a better person if she was given a second chance." She paused and drew another breath, "And the same with Sammy. He didn't deserve the curse that was forced on him. So please."
The child of Athena looked over at Hades who's face was currently turned to face the flames on the fire. He looked deep in thought.
"It can be done." He said as he turned back to his daughter, "I shall give them both a second chance at life."
Hazel began to tear up as soon as the words left her fathers lips. She raised her hands to cover her mouth, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
The caramel skinned girl retreated to her boyfriend's arms as she completely broke down into sobs. Zeus shifted uncomfortably again, not wanting to interrupt whatever feelings the girl was feeling. That and he didn't know how to console the girl. He gave up on asking about the immortality before he looked at the next person.
Piper walked towards him, "I..."
She paused as if rethinking, "I don't want the immortality, so don't even ask. I want there to be a place where people can go to talk about their problems. Not every demigods life has been easy. Especially not in these times. But there is no one to talk to about these problems. No one to confide in. I want a place to be built where people can go. And I want someone certified to run it. Be it a god or a demigod. It would be nice to have something like that."
'That,' Annabeth blinked, 'That actually sounds really nice.'
No one escaped a war without scars. And normally, the demigods would have to deal with it. But something like that, something like that would help so many people.
The god of the sky again turned to Annabeth who again nodded. She would really have her work cut out for her when this was all over.
Leo stood and took Piper's place, "I want you to actually hold up on your end of the deal."
His voice was actually a snarl. It surprised everyone.
"After the Titan War, you made a deal with Percy. You would let all peaceful titans free from their cages as well as claim your children when they entered the camp. You held up on one side of the deal and used it as a cover-up to ignoring the second part of the deal. I want you to complete it. Its only fair that you do so after breaking a promise in the first place."
The king looked shocked and ashamed at being called out. Annabeth could tell he was confused as to the son of Hephaestus' anger. While the blond female could understand his shame, she also felt fury. She could only imagine the fury and pain that Leo felt.
She had been cursed because the gods flaked out of a deal. And that had put her and Percy in a lot of danger.
Leo, on the other hand, had watched Calypso die before he could save her. Had to watch her island burn before he could stop the destruction. Had to listen to the girl he had fallen for scream in pain as she was burned alive. It was why he had been acting so weird, and why the rest of the group hadn't even bothered commenting on his actions and mood. They knew he was grieving and would need time to heal. That must have been what had prompted Piper to ask what she did.
"Of course." Zeus squeaked nervously.
"And I mean, i want to be there for every titan that you set free. I want to watch you allow them out. And I want you to swear on the river Styx that you will uphold your goddamn side of the deal this time." It almost felt like his anger was palpable.
"It shall be done as soon as this is over." Zeus mumbled this time. His eyes couldn't meet Leo's.
Leo's face turned into a mask of anger, "That's not a swear!"
"I swear on the river Styx that I will take Leo Valdez with me as I release all of the peaceful titans from their wrongfully built prisons."
Leo finally backed down, "Good."
Annabeth was the one to rise from her seat this time. She walked to where Leo had previously had been standing.
"My request will not be simple. I know that I have been entrusted with the architecture of both the Temples of Respect and the therapy building, as well as Camp Half-Blood and if Reyna requests it camp Jupiter. What I request is for our stories to be written down. Recounted word for word and placed where they can be told to every demigod and god. Our struggles were hard, and we lost many people to the wars. I also want a statue built in the middle of our camp to commemorate every lost companion and sibling in this war. A slate of enchanted stone that every name of a child lost to a monster is written. So we know that they fought for a cause. And I want the first three names to be Bob, Damasen, and Luke. Those four above all gave their lives to directly change the flow of the wars. Luke gave his life to kill himself and Kronos along with him. Without Bob and Damasen, Percy and I would not be here. And the doors of Death would never have been closed on the side of Tartarus. We would still be at war, and we would be loosing."
Annabeth knew that her request hit hard by the looks in several of the gods eyes as well as the muffled sobs that had started up in the crowd.
Zeus's face had turned stoic. He nodded his head, "The statue shall be created first in respect for the heroes that were lost."
Annabeth bowed her had to him and went to take a seat. She ignored the god's other question when it was asked of her as she walked away. She didn't even want to acknowledge it.
She watched Percy stand and walk to the center of the stage. He looked nervous which was something that no one was expecting. Percy, even if he was panicking, always looked calm or at least more in control than he actually let on.
His shoulders were hunched and he dragged his feet as he approached Zeus. The stoic look on the god's face had faded into one of nervous discomfort to anger and righteous reasoning. His blue eyes were hard and unforgiving.
"And that shall be the last of the rewards. Now, onto the punishments.
Annabeth felt her heart stop as soon as those words left Zeus's lips.
Percy had known all along that he wasn't going to get a reward. Both Hestia and Hades had approached him to voice their concerns on what Zeus was planning before he had even reached his cabin the night after the war ended.
"I know my brother, and he is not going to like what you did."
"My brother can be rational at some points, but most of the time, he is wrathful and disillusioned. He will not take your power lightly and will likely punish you."
When Zeus had spoken that the award ceremony was over, and they were moving onto punishments before he even reached the center of the stage made him sigh. Could his life never be simple. Did the fates simply hate him?
Percy was beginning to think that they hated him.
"This war has brought many things to light. From mistakes that us gods have made to how powerful we let our enemies get with our absence, it has also brought to light a child who should have never been born."
Percy rolled his eyes as Zeus continued talking. He let his eyes wander to his father and then over to his friends, stopping on Annabeth. All of them looked worried and shocked. Then he turned back to Zeus.
"Before the Roman and Greek sides were unified, it was a crime to mix the two. But it seems that Poseidon had broken that rule. He created a child that was both Roman and Greek. Not only that, but this child is far too powerful to let live. From stories that have been recounted by my fellow gods as well as stories told to you demigods, he holds powers not even the gods have. The rivers of the underworld bend to his command, as does poison and blood. If his power is allowed to grow, he will be the downfall of Olympus. I have taken the liberty of taking out this threat before it becomes too much for us to handle. Already has he fought a god and won. I will not allow this to continue."
Percy sighed as Zeus spoke. He could see the faces of the campers changing from disbelief to shock and fear.
This was precisely the reason that he tried not to show anyone those powers. And he knew that Annabeth hadn't been the one to cheat him out. So it was the fault of some god for poking where he wasn't wanted.
'There is not much that I can offer as aid, but I can send you to another world. You would have to leave everything behind, and I'm not sure how Annabeth would feel about it,' Hestia's voice flooded my head.
Percy pursed his lips as Zeus continued talking. It wasn't fair of him to drag Annabeth with him when he went wherever he was going. She had a life here. A family and siblings as well as the responsibility of caring for her cabin and the buildings she had been charged with building. Percy would have ended up in prison one way or another, so he couldn't ask her to abandon them.
The male had no doubt that she would if it meant supporting him, no matter how fair it was.
'No. Leave her and the rest of them alone. They have done nothing that would make me force them to leave their lives.'
The son of the sea god lifted his eyes from the floor of the stage to meet the goddess of the hearths eyes. They were hard and sad, filled with doubt and pain but there was also a hint of fear. He knew she regretted what her brother was doing, but knew that there was no way that she could change his mind. That and she was scared of Percy. Percy knew he could feel it even if she was trying her best to hide it.
And he didn't know why. He would never betray them. He couldn't. They were his family, and while he didn't necessarily like the gods, he favored them over whatever else was out there. He had fought for them and only them.
He tuned back into Zeus's rant. He was still going on about how much of a threat that Percy posed. It made him sad that the god didn't trust him.
Before he could continue, Poseidon was standing, "I cannot allow you to do this brother. He is my son, and it is my decision on weather to ban him or not.'
"Poseidon, you have no power here. He may be your son, but I am in charge of keeping Olympus safe. I must do this to ensure our safety."
"He has been loyal to us no matter what pressure he was put under. To punish him for doing what he could to survive is ludicrous!" This time it was Demeter who was standing and staring at her brother.
Zeus took a deep breath, "You will all understand some day that what I am doing was for all of us."
The whole semi-circle of gods began to argue. The wind picked up and blew through the amphitheater filling the air with a chill. The demigods in the audience were watching them with fear and uncertainty. The seven on the stage remained silent. They all faced forwards, knowing that there was nothing they could do to change the decision in the end.
Percy met Annabeth's eyes. They were filled with panic. He smiled tightly at her, and felt his heart shatter when she began to tear up.
'Percy,' He turned back to Hestia, Hades now looking at him as well, 'I have come into contact with the person who will take you from this world and into the next. He will only be able to hold open the portal for a few seconds. Are you certain that you want to leave. There is still a chance that Zeus can be swayed.'
'Dear sister, we both know that he has made the decision. There is no changing it when he makes one. And he will make sure that Percy is illuminated as a 'threat' to us, even if he has to do it behind our backs.' Hades' voice chimes in. He sounded grim.
Percy sighed and glanced back at Annabeth one more time, 'I'm positive. As much as I want to stay here and stay with Annabeth and my mother, whatever punishment Zeus has could very well turn me against the gods. I would rather exist in another world than that.'
'Very well.'
The son of the sea tuned back into the argument happening on stage.
"Quiet!" Zeus bellowed, "All in favor of sending the boy to Tartarus?"
His rage-filled blue eyes burned over the council.
Slowly, Ares raised a hand. He looked passive, so Percy couldn't tell what he actually felt.
The next to raise their hand was Athena. She had regret on her face, but her eyes were analytical as they searched his.
Hera and Dionysus raised their hands as well, both with the same look on their faces as Area.
After a moment, Zeus puffed his chest out, "Is that all? Only four of you see my reasoning?"
"I must say, father, is right. Having Perseus with us will only raise the risk of getting into another war. And it is likely that his bitterness towards the immortals in his life very well could turn him against us." Athena commented, trying to aid her father.
Her comment prompted Hephaestus and Apollo to lift their hands from their laps.
The Sea-god snarled, "If you have forgotten, his fatal flaw is loyalty. He would never turn against us unless we betrayed him first!"
The wisdom goddesses eyes flashed for a moment, and her hand slowly lowered. As did all the other gods.
"But the result has already been determined. Seven of the council have voted in favor of punishing the sea spawn for his power."
Apollo jumped in at that moment, "I revoke my vote!"
"As do I." Hera declared.
This was met by the nods of the rest that had voted for Percy's punishment.
"You cannot revoke your vote. Once it has been cast, it is final!" The sky god growled.
"That is not how this council works!" Athena shouted out, her gray eyes widening in surprise at her fathers words.
"It shall be done. A punishment will be given to the son of Poseidon."
Percy looked once more over to Hestia and Hades, 'How much longer?'
'He is coming now,' Hestia's voice sounded sad.
This time Annabeth was the one to stand up, "My mother has a point. Percy could never betray us unless we did something like this. It would never even cross his mind."
The rest of the seven nodded.
"You have no say in the matter. He could easily poison your minds with his lies. He holds to much power and has already threatened the gods." Another snarl filled the air.
Annabeth was about to speak again when the temperature in the amphitheater skyrocketed and then froze. Lightning flashed angrily across the sky as the fire spluttered and calmed into embers. The stars in the sky glittered brightly, some moving and congregating together to form a figure.
It was a door, Percy belatedly realized. A loud chime echoed across the valley of Long Island. While the gods were busy gawking at it, Percy raced over to his friends. He grabbed Annabeth's hand and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm going to miss you wise girl." He whispered into her ear, "I want you to move on. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this."
The blond tore her gaze away from the star like door in the sky to stare into Percy's eyes, "Take me with you!"
The son of the sea god shook his head, "I can't. And for that, I'm sorry! Goodbye Annabeth. I love you. Tell my mom that I love her too."
A man swept through the starry gate. His appearance was absurd.
He was huge. About the size of a giant. Large horns protruded from his helmet? Or maybe it was just his head along with wispy white feathers. His eyes were pits of black with red outsides. A large smile that showed off his perfectly straight white teeth. Two long hair like protrusions that looked like he was huffing a breath extended from his nose. His face was framed by fin like scales. The rest of his body was hidden by clothes, but his outfit looked vaguely Japanese.
Thick aquamarine armor covered his upper body trailing down to a gray breastplate. His hands were hidden where they were folded against his chest. His pants were leather and covered in gold and white armored plates. His feet were adorned in midevil suit like shoes.
"I have come to claim a wandering spirit that has run away from me!" He bellowed, "He goes by the name Perseus. Is he in this location?"
Zeus looked enraged as he answered, "What business do you have in interrupting a council meeting of the gods?"
The giant man looked over at the god, "As I stated, I have come looking for one of my dear spirits. He left the sky a while ago, and I have been looking for him since then. His spiritual signature is withing this area. Should look like a teenager with black hair and powers over water."
He stopped as if considering something, "Though he could be going by the name Tide. That would kind of be counterproductive as it would make it easier for me to find him. After all, very rarely are my spirits actually called by their given names. They give them up when I take them to my refuge."
Percy was impressed by the mans acting. He was very believable.
"Well, he is not here. I'm afraid that there is no one named tide!" Zeus shouted.
"What about Perseus?"
"There is no one here named that either!"
"Hmm, I could have sworn that he was here somewhere. I was sure that i felt his signature!"
The man rested his reddish black eyes briefly on Percy's and the boy realized that he was asking him to prove himself worth saving.
There was a moment of panic in the pit of his stomach because he wasn't sure how to act towards this man. He didn't want to anger him and have the whole plan backfire on him, but at the same time, he didn't want to be thrown in Tartarus again.
Percy walked swiftly forwards into what would be the mans direct line of sight, "I am here my king."
The man's smile seemed to brighten even more as he saw Percy walk over to him.
"Ah, Perseus. So this is where you have been hiding?"
"It appears that you have found me, and as our deal was, I shall return to the stars with you."
That was a wild shot in the dark and Percy knew it. This man could just have a gate made of stars to cross over. There was little actual chance that he controlled anything in the stars. After all, Percy knew nothing about him.
"Yes. The rest of the spirits have been worried about you. You have spent so long in a mortal realm that your constellation has started to fade. Your sister has become extremely worried about you!"
Percy grimaced, his hand twitching at the word sister. That hit a little close to home consider that his mother and Paul had had a child while he had been on his quest.
"Of course." He muttered, "She's always worrying about me."
The giant shrugged, "Well, come along then my boy. Let us return home.!"
Percy shot one last glance at the seven. They were staring at him in astonishment.
'Thank you Hestia, Hades. This means a lot to me. Keep the rest of them safe.' He thought, hoping that the goddess and god heard it.
He nodded to the giant man who beamed at him. A wave of his hand and power flowed through Percy's body.
He saw an ethereal glow surround him, much like the hunters of Artemis, but brighter. Light swam around him before stopping in front of him. It swirled and formed a symbol.
It was a silver blue circle. At the very center was a waterlily shaped flower outline. Long vine like tendrils trailed out from it to touch the edges of the circle. It glowed brightly for a moment before it faded and the wisps of light drifted into Percy's body.
"Now come home, my boy. We have missed you dearly."
The large man gestured to the large gate behind him and the son of the sea god felt a tug on his body. The entirety of his body melted into a soft silver light that flowed easily towards the gate.
He could vaguely hear Zeus throwing a tantrum in the back, "You can't do that! He is not your son or spirit or whatever. He is a fugitive of the gods. Who do you think you are to come and take a prisoner!"
The light that held Percy stopped and lingered just outside the gate.
"I am Seireiō, more commonly known to you as Uranus. When my sister-wife and my bastard children killed me and sent my soul to live forever in the stars, I used my powers to create my own world. From there I took the spirits from the noblest of heroes and gentlest of souls into the realm of the stars to give them a chance at a different kind of life."
Zeus took a frightened step back, "You shouldn't be able to keep a physical form in this realm!"
The king's smile brightened, "And this is not a physical form of this realm. It is the form I take when i am among the stars. When I am among my people, the Celestial Spirits. This means that you have no control over what I do to my subjects. They belong in the stars and not on earth. You cannot punish Tide."
Zeus continued to stare flabbergasted at the primordial, as did the rest of the gods and occupants of the amphitheater.
Percy wasn't surprised when Annabeth stepped towards the man, "Is there anyway to earn a place among the stars with you?"
"There is, but it is not something that you could accomplish in this day and age. The stars in this realm have faded from your humans light pollution. To accomplish a place in the stars would require you to reverse time. And as far as I am concerned, there is no way to do so."
'It is alright Annabeth. I will find you again someday. Perhaps I can bring your soul to the Celestial Realm when you die.' Percy thought in Annabeth's general direction. He wasn't sure if it went through or what he sounded like considering he was a cloud of dust and light at this point.
The king finally turned to the door and ushered the young demigod through it. He waved once as a goodbye to the gods before the gate began to glow brightly and unstable.
There was a rushing sound as dark surrounded the two of them. A crackle and then a pop.
The dark faded away to reveal the two of them, well only Percy really, standing on the edge of a dock like area. except, instead of water below it was an endless void of stars. The Celestial Spirit King was floating a few feet away from the dock with his arms crossed.
"You are a smart child. It is a shame that Zeus is such an idiot. If he were not, you could have done great things for the gods." He commented.
Percy continued to look around the area in awe. There were small floating planets around him as well as bubbles. The sky was an indeterminable shade of sky. A mixture of purples, blues, and reds. A city floated among the star-like backdrop. Buildings of all sizes and shapes and textures. There was also shouting and laughing echoing from within it.
"This place is amazing," Was all he was able to mumble in response.
The King laughed, "Indeed it is. Welcome to the Celestial Spirit Realm. I am Seireiō, the king of said realm. You can refer to me as the Celestial Spirit King!"
Percy looked back over at the man with a confused face, "Isn't that a little conceited?"
"No, it is what I am. I do not really have a name. I have that name for situations like this, but most call me by my title. I have not been called by name for a long time."
The ex-demigod nodded, "Alright. So, like, is there an orientation or something?"
Another boisterous laugh bubbled up from the king, "I suppose I can tell you what you need to know to survive."
"This is the Celestial Spirit Realm where Celestial Spirits, warriors that can be called into battle to aid their contractor, reside when they are not busy. They are available to do anything while they are here. Weather is is train to get stronger, not that it matters when they are summoned, or create relationships with the other spirits. You will reside here until your key is found by a mage with the power to wield it. They will summon you and create a contract, which is discussed between the two of you.
"In the meantime, you are a spirit. There is no way that death can claim you unless you wish to pass into its embrace. And come speak to me so I can remove your divinity. There are a few rules that come with the keys and the powers you now have. You cannot open a gate onto Earth-land unless there is a Celestial Spirit Mage to keep your magic stable. Your powers in the real world are determined by the magic capacity of your contractor. Your powers are still the same as when you were a demigod, but I ask you to keep the more dangerous ones a secret unless absolutely necessary. And for the sake of keeping you all safe, I ask that you not harm your contactor in any way, no matter how cruel they are. I would rather not have to cast out one of my spirits because of misunderstanding again."
"Your key has already been sent to Earthland where I hope a mage will pick it up. In the meantime, find a house and mingle with the other spirits. And don't worry about paying for a house. There are several empty already stocked houses. Just go to (clothing spirit) for clothes and (furniture spirit) for furniture if you wish to change it."
"Alright. I think I got it," Percy said. The King nodded and waved goodbye before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Percy turned on his heel and stared at the foreboding city in front of him. Then he walked into it.