Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings in this fanfiction. Some of them I have created, while most are either the work of Rick Riordan, or other fans, whose permission I have obtained for use of their characters. Again, all Percy Jackson characters and settings go to R.R.

Chapter 1: I Meet the Queen of Olympus

The first thing I remember when woke up was that God-awful smell. I found myself lying in a open field. The sun was high and there was a small cow, standing next to me. It smelled of manure. Terrible stuff. I made sure I got up before the cow got any funny ideas.

When I got up, I realized I wasn't alone. Behind me was a woman sitting on a throne... in the middle of nowhere. She wore clothes that made her look like a queen. Her scepter, made of gold, only emphasized the role. Aside from that, there were peacocks sitting beside her. Peacock feathers were the theme of her style.

"Ah, you're awake, good," the woman said. She had an air of superiority and confidence, something I lacked in. I just got here, but I got the feeling she knew how. "The race is about to begin."

"Uh, I'm sorry, what race?" I asked, my head throbbing a little bit. "Do you know how I got here?"

"Yes, I do, Aidan Fenton," the woman answered.

One of the peacocks worked its way onto her lap, where she stroked its back gently.

"This race will decide who is the champion of Olympus." she continued.

"I don't remember signing up for any race for the Olympics," I admitted.

I was a scrawny little kid. I couldn't even pick up that cow calf if my life depended on it. I doubted I would stand a chance against a fully-grown peacock.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" I asked quickly.

"This race wasn't voluntary for your kind, mortal," she explained. "I selected you to represent me, for I have not any demigod children. Therefore, I must resolve to using mortals. But perhaps it was rude of me not to introduce myself. I am Hera, Queen of Olympus, goddess of marriage, home, and family."

Mortal? Yeah, I was mortal. I would die if I went through some horrible accident or got really old. But I didn't like doing things that I was forced to do. That meant a lot of things, but this one took the cake. Strange thing is, I don't even remember getting here. The last thing I remember was...

"Your memory has been altered to prepare you for the race," Hera said. Apparently she was a goddess.

"Right, if you're a goddess, then I'm MVP of the Superbowl," I said sarcastically. The whole setup was a bit overdone, but now she was off in the deep end. "Sorry lady, I don't deal with crazy people. But if you would be so kind as to- "

Suddenly, her size multiplied. The peacocks scurried off to safety while Hera reached a height over 20 feet. She had a very angry expression on her face.

"YOU DARE MOCK THE QUEEN OF OLYMPUS?!" Hera shouted down at me with rage. I was in shock and wanted to retreat, but I was too petrified to move. She would probably stomp me before I got too far.

"OKAY, FINE, I'M SORRY," I shouted in fear, mostly of the thought of being killed.

She shrunk back down to regular size, her angry expression replaced by a more happier one.

"Good," she said, smiling.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking... do I really have to do this race?" I asked.

"You can walk away at any time if you so desire," Hera explained. "But you will be trapped here, unless you reach the end."

"So I don't have to finish first?" I asked. I immediately regretted asking that.

"It would be in you best interest to finish first," Hera said, more as a warning than as a friendly answer. "There will be three phases of the race. Each phase will be open for three days. If one is to fail to complete that phase in three days, they will be eliminated."

"Eliminated?" I asked. Sounds more like executed, but maybe she was right. Maybe it would be in my best interest not to finish last.

"Yes, eliminated," Hera replied. "They will be sent back to their home, but only once the race is completed."

"What happens in the meantime?" I asked.

"Perpetual madness for days," she said blissfully.

Perpetual madness for days?! I guess I didn't have much choice in the matter. Still, I was pretty resentful of Hera summoning me here.

"But time will not be your only obstacle," Hera warned. "The other Olympians, and Hades, have also summoned their champions to compete."

"But they're... demigods?" I asked, gulping. "How is it far to put up a mortal, like myself, against a demigod?"

"Their powers and abilities have been reduced, to make things fair," the Queen of Olympus replied. "However, they are still much more stronger than you and have other advantages over you. But that is why I chose you."

Me? I wasn't anything special. I wasn't strong or athletic. I wasn't smart, but I was a bit of a geek most of the time, but I still did pretty bad in school. And it wasn't like I could compensate my physicality or brains for good looks, because I didn't have those either.

I was the wimpy kid from New Jersey. What advantages could I possibly have?

"In time, those advantages will reveal themselves to you," Hera said. That made me feel a little better, but I was hoping I would got those advantages sooner, rather than later. "Quickly now, there isn't much time left. I still have much to discuss with you."

"Fine, tell me," I said. I was going to need every bit of information as I could get.

"That cow calf is my sacred animal, as well as the peacock," Hera pointed to the smelly cow, who was leaving behind some remains. Gross.

"The baby cow, really?" I said. I guess I could cross this off the list as not being one of my advantages. "Can't I get like a wolf or something."

"Wolves are for Apollo," Hera chastised. "And they are not mine. You get the cow."

"I get the cow," I muttered. How does a cow, a baby one at that, stand a chance against a wolf? Then again, it was better than the peacock. If I got hungry, I could always have a ready supply of steak.

"The sex of the animal is opposite to its partner," Hera explained quickly. "Therefore, you have a cow-cow. It will aid you in your trials. Also, I won't be able to directly intervene once the race has started, as will the other gods. But at times, I will be allowed to offer some clarity throughout your journey."

Sounds fair enough. So the animal, the cow calf, was my racing partner. Now I was wishing for a cheetah or a horse, but I got the cow. Great. It was supposed to help me... somehow. Like I said, steak. And Hera, despite being the Queen of Olympus, wasn't able to directly help me out, but could... talk to me sometimes?

Fine.

"Who am I up against?" I asked. The sky was beginning to darken very quickly, making me a bit nervous.

"12 others," Hera said. Just then, lightning struck a mountain. It sparked some kind of wood pile, instantly igniting it. "Tartarus! The race has started. I must go now."

"But, what about the others?" I asked desperately.

"Not enough time," Hera said. She pointed to a backpack that was on the ground nearby. "In their will be nourishment for the first day. From then on, you must provide your own means of food. Good luck, Aidan. This race will not be an easy for you."

And like that, Hera vanished, leaving behind a single peacock feather in her absence. I bent over to pick it up. Something told me I should hold onto stuff I find. It was then I realized that my t-shirt had a weird symbol on it. It looked like an asterisk on top of a sword. The color of the t-shirt was a royal blue color. Royalty sounded fitting, coming from Hera.

But then I realized needed to get a move on. I only had three days to get to the next part of the race... or face perpetual madness for days.

I got the feeling I wasn't going to enjoy this.