Hello, hello! I'm Rae, obviously, and this is my second PJO story :D If you've been reading "That's My Seaweed Brain" I hope you enjoy this story just as much, and be assured that I'm not giving up on TMSB, just that I had another idea flying around my head which needed to be put out there... in case you were wondering, this is it ;D
This story takes place after "The Last Olympian" – it's possible that this could have happened after the Prophecy of Seven was fulfilled, or we could say that the prophecy won't happen for a whole other lifetime (like Annabeth and Percy speculated at the end of TLO), either way works for this story. It's the summer after the Battle in Manhattan, Annabeth and Percy are dating, and Nico's been hanging around camp more to take part in the counselor meetings – guess he got fed up with Persephone and Demeter's complaining about him hangin' around the Underworld ;)
The basic idea for this sprung from a conversation between Poseidon and Percy at the end of TLO: He grinned. "You're doing well with those new cabins, by the way. I suppose this means I can claim all those other sons and daughters of mine and send you some siblings next summer."
"Ha-ha."
Poseidon reeled in his empty line.
I shifted my feet. "Um, you were kidding, right?"
Poseidon gave me one of his inside-joke winks, and I still didn't know whether he was serious or not. "I'll see you soon, Percy. And remember, know which fish are big enough to land, eh?"
Intriguing, no? lol Anyway, I hope you enjoy and if you enjoy, please review – they make me so happy and a happy writer means faster updates! ^_^ *cough* hint *cough, cough* ;D Onward!
Children of the Sea
Chapter 1
The whole thing started during the first week of summer. It seemed normal enough actually. The events that led up to one of the craziest summers of my life to date weren't all that extraordinary. I was totally clueless to what would happen over the months when I arrived at camp. By the time I left, my life had changed forever. You're probably sitting there thinking, 'what happened this time Percy? Did you start another war?' Well, no, not exactly. Er… Let me explain.
It all started when I stepped into the Big House's living room, looking for Chiron. However, in the centaur's place, I found Grover speaking to someone through an Iris Message. I thought about calling out to ask who he was talking to, but something stopped me. Instead, I inched forward quietly to listen.
"…They've been lucky so far, the monsters have been few and far between. I think their father has been shielding them somehow, because they live so close to his territory. It's the only way these girls are still alive," A voice on the other end of the IM reported.
Grover nodded, looking a little nervous. "Are you sure about their father being…?" he trailed off suggestively.
The other person, who I figured must've been a seeker satyr, said, "Yes, positive. There's no doubt in my mind... But, of course, we won't know for sure until I can get them to camp and they're claimed."
"How old are they?" Grover asked.
"Thirteen. They don't quite believe me or their mother yet, I can tell. They still think it's all a big joke… not that I blame them," The seeker added, almost as an afterthought.
"How soon can you get here? How are you traveling? I hope you're not thinking of…"
The seeker interrupted hastily. "No! Of course not, do you think I'm stupid? We're taking a boat and we'll be there in two, three days time with luck."
Grover apparently chose to disregard the disrespectful tone the satyr had used. "Don't count on luck, Jasper. With demigods – especially the kind you're escorting – there is no such thing. Trust me I know, I've been around this type of half-blood for a long time," the Lord of the Wild rubbed his temple, as if he was getting a headache just thinking about it. I found the gesture mildly funny, considering satyrs don't get headaches.
"I'll do my best, Grover, I promise. I'll make you and the counsel proud. These girls are in good hands," Jasper vowed.
Grover nodded and sighed. "I send my blessing with you. Pray their father and the other gods will be in a good mood as you journey north. The last thing we need is another Thalia Grace incident."
Jasper chuckled wryly. "I'll be sure to tell her you said that when I get back."
"If you want to keep your seeker license and your horns intact, you'll do no such thing!" Grover warned, looking panicked even as he tried to sound stern.
"Oh, would you look at the time? I've got demigods to escort! See ya, boss!" Jasper waved his hand through the Iris Message and the mist dissipated.
Grover sat back on the couch and groaned. "That satyr is going to be the death of me," he muttered. Seymour the leopard – a parting gift from Dionysus when he went back to Olympus – growled, obviously wanting a treat. Grover ignored the magical stuffed head and got up from the couch, turning towards the door.
Thinking swiftly, I ducked into the medical ward, and pressed my back against the wall. A part of me thought I was being stupid, but another part was kicking into high gear. Given the information I'd obtained, it was a good possibility that these new demigods were children of the Big Three. Why else would Grover be so worried, or mention Thalia? What was it he said? That there was no such thing as luck around this type of half-blood – that had to mean they were probably at least Big Three material, if not the real deal.
I also had to wonder why no one had told me that these kids were coming. I was a camp counselor now, just like Annabeth, Clarisse, Travis and Connor Stoll, and any number of others. Being the oldest, and only, member of the Poseidon cabin put me in line for all kinds of extra stuff like that, not all of which was very fun. I could have helped get these girls – there was apparently more than one – to camp. I at least should have been notified they were coming. If they were Big Three, they'd need all the help they could get.
Then again, maybe Grover was keeping things on the down low. That way, if the gods didn't suspect yet about the kids' parentage, they wouldn't know until they were at camp. Despite the pact being abolished, the idea of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades having kids was still a sore subject among the Olympians. If the girls were thirteen that meant they were born before the pact was dissolved, which could still put them in danger.
But, maybe I was getting ahead of myself. Maybe they weren't Big Three. Jasper had said that they hadn't been attacked by a lot of monsters, so it could be they were actually children of another god like Apollo, Dionysus, Hephaestus, or Ares, or even a minor god like Hypnos. There would be no way to tell until they arrived at camp and were claimed.
I couldn't help but send a prayer to my dad, asking him to keep the mysterious new campers and their seeker safe as they journeyed through the sea god's territory. Through the open windows of the infirmary, a sudden fresh breeze of salt air drifted in and filled my senses, assuring me that my dad was listening.
Deciding firmly to put the whole scenario out of my mind until the group arrived, I left the Big House – first making sure that no one saw me come out and that Grover had already disappeared – and went to the sword arena. I needed something to keep myself busy, and having gone the whole semester this year with no monster attacks – a record for me – I'd fallen out of practice.
Still, as I clashed swords with some of the campers from Hermes cabin, I couldn't help wondering who these girls would be, and how they would affect the rest of the summer. One thing was for sure, it was going to be an interesting year at camp – it always was.