Disclaimer: I dislike repeating this, but it is a must otherwise I will have lawyers kicking down my front door on behalf of Rick Riordan. (I may also be hounded at school as well, which is the last thing I need what with exams, coursework and teachers trying to get me to work rather than write this as it is.) Back on topic, I do not own any of the rights to the Percy Jackson series of BOOKS. They're welcome to the movie rights. : P
Chapter Two: My Debut as a God
As expected, Percy found Chiron in the Big House games room, reading a difficult-looking book that Percy knew he'd have hell getting through. Obviously Dionysus wasn't back from Olympus yet, or he'd have roped Chiron into another game of pinochle. He looked up with his ageless eyes, and smiled at him, "Ah, Percy. How was your mother?"
"She's fine Chiron. Happy now that the war is over and I'm still living. She and Paul are planning their wedding for next spring and I think you're invited." Percy grinned.
"I would be honoured to accept such an invitation." Chiron closed the book, "But I am sensing this is not all that you wished to tell me?"
"Well..." Percy began, "I went to Olympus while I was in New York…."
Chiron held up a hand, "Does this have something to do with Dionysus' sudden disappearance from camp this morning?" he asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Yeah, quite a big part actually" Percy grinned, "You see, I was made a god." Silence.
Then….."Percy, that's brilliant news! I am so proud of you. Might I ask what are you the god of?" Chiron seemed genuinely happy at the news. It meant that he wouldn't have to watch another hero die, Percy mused.
"My titles are the God of Heroes, Quests and Bravery. This means that I'll be able to come down to camp as often as I want, because this is where I belong, with the heroes. But I won't always be here…." Percy tailed off, unsure of how to break the news of the Roman camp to Chiron. Finally, he sighed and decided to just come straight out with it. "Chiron, I need to tell you something."
Chiron looked up with interest as he could tell this was something important. He'd watched Percy's indecision on his face, and realized that being a god was giving more responsibilities to the young demigod - wait, god now - who'd already done so much for the world, and the demigods. You can't really give more after saving the world, but Percy somehow was. So, Chiron just sat patiently, as he knew that Percy would tell him when he was ready.
Whilst Chiron was pondering this, Percy realized, Chiron already knew! 'Well, duh!' he thought, mentally slapping himself across the face, 'He's been teaching demigods way longer than the Civil war!'
"Chiron, do you know about another camp of demigods?" Chiron froze in his chair. Percy knew that he did. "The gods have assigned me a task to complete in order for the next battle. And I think you know what I'm talking about."
Chiron sighed. "The Senatus Populusque Romanus, the Roman Camp. Yes, I understand." He paused. "But, why has Lord Zeus decided to tell you this now? Only the council knows of the Roman Camp."
"There is another threat to Olympus, but it's too big for one camp to fight alone. So, Zeus has told me to go there, and eventually unite the camps again. Any ideas?" Percy didn't really have a clue on how he was meant to do this.
Chiron just looked at him. "I see why Zeus gave you the titles that he did now. Of course, you did save Olympus, becoming in the process one of the greatest heroes, if not the greatest in the eyes of some of the gods, and here at camp too. But if you are the God of Heroes, then you have the right to go to each of the camps. Even Lupa cannot refuse the gods, though she will not like this plan at all."
"Who's Lupa?"
"My counterpart in the Roman camp. The she-wolf who raised Romulus and Remus. But I fear that she is not as mothering as she sounds. The camp is truly a wolf pack; only the strong survive and the weak are left to die." Chiron looked up and Percy could see the sadness the centaur felt at the loss of so many demigods. He would never understand why Lupa felt the need to let the weaker ones dies, rather than let them become stronger. "I must warn you Percy, Lupa does not see demigods at her camp as we do here. There, a demigod is a warrior. They live only to fight, and to be stronger. Every child must fight. Those who don't, die. Here, we know there are other things that can be done, such as healing and farming. We do not force people to fight when they do not wish to. That is why Lupa detests the Greeks. To her, we are weak and soft. And I fear that she may see you the same way. So, you must be on your guard." Percy nodded. Already, he wasn't liking the sound of this wolf, but he was thankful to Chiron for warning him.
"Before I leave, I have to tell the campers here of the plans, so that they can be ready to fight with the roman demigods. I think I'll bring them here once I gain their trust. It'll show them what the Greeks are really like." Chiron nodded.
"Are you planning on telling everyone of your new status?"
Percy shrugged absentmindedly. "I'll have to; otherwise they may not believe me. Gather everyone in the amphitheatre for an announcement in 10 minutes. Tell them it's urgent." As Chiron left, Percy took a seat at the table. Nonchalantly picking up one of the cards, he wondered how he was going to break the news to the campers. 'Should I start with the Roman Camp, or me being a god? Maybe I should just let Chiron explain? They're more likely to believe him.' Running a hand through his messy black hair, fingering that streak of grey, Percy thought. And thought. It wasn't till he glanced up at the clock that he realized he was meant to meet everyone 5 minutes ago. 'Oops…' he quickly ran to the amphitheatre, where the campers were starting to fidget nervously. The last time there'd been an 'urgent meeting'; it had been to plan the defense of Manhattan. Not many good memories there. As Percy walked in, the campers immediately focused on him, and he could practically feel the tension in the air, as he walked up beside Chiron and faced everyone. 'Where to start…'
"I have bad news." 'Yeah, great way to break the ice' Percy thought but at least it got everyone's attention. He was instantly the focal point of every demigod in the place. Taking a deep breath, Percy went on. "There's another threat to Olympus." There was a moment of deathly quiet. Then all Tartarus broke loose. There were demigods yelling, people demanding to know what it was. He could hear Clarisse bellowing her lungs out at him.
"BE QUIET!" he roared, and the earth shook violently. The riot froze, everyone looking at Percy, some a little fearfully. He swallowed; he hadn't expected his powers to be that much stronger. He'd have to keep a close rein on his emotions or he could cause some serious damage by accident. "Before you ask, it isn't Kronos. The gods have no idea what it is. All we know is that it's powerful, powerful enough to threaten the gods more than last time. Whatever it is, it's behind all those disasters that have been happening, and the number of monsters suddenly appearing." That brought a somber tone to the hall. For weeks now, the camp had been attacked daily. Clarisse was going mad trying to make sure there were enough patrols to guard the perimeter of the camp. If anything, it made her more dangerous than ever, especially with most of her cabin being the ones getting injured. Looking at Clarisse, Percy was surprised to see her actually listening to what he has to say. He'd expected her to be demanding to know more after that revelation. 'That's not a good sign', he thought.
"However, the gods do have a plan. It's risky, but it's got to work." 'Now's the moment…'
"We are not the only demigod camp in America." There was a collective gasp at his words. The campers looked to Chiron for confirmation, and he just nodded solemnly at them. That immediately turned their attention back to Percy. "When the Romans took over Greece, the gods also moved. They became Roman, and slightly different than the gods we know. The camp that I'm talking about is for the Roman demigod children."
"How come we've never heard of this before?" Clarisse yelled. 'Trust her to be the one to question it' Percy thought. He motioned for Chiron to take over, as he knew this better than Percy did. Chiron stepped up, and said "The last time the camps knew of one another, it was the beginning of the Civil War. After such a battle, the Council of Gods decided that it would be better for the camps to be kept separate from one another, to prevent any more wars from happening between them. Only the gods, the trainer at the Roman Camp, and I knew of the existence of the other camp. We were forbidden to speak of it to any campers, and to deal accordingly with any demigod who wandered into the others territory. That is why no demigod from this camp has gone anywhere near San Francisco, which is the location of the Roman camp. Anyone who has, their memory of it was cleared, and vice versa. That is, until now."
"So, what do we do?" a son of Hermes asked.
"Yeah, do we go to San Francisco?"
"How do we know they won't just attack us?" one Ares camper yelled, and Percy could see several of their siblings nodding in agreement.
"No. All of you will stay here, and ready for the upcoming battle. The gods have asked me to go to the Senatus Populusque Romanus, to gain their trust, and bring them back here. The Roman demigods have been raised to hate the Greeks, because they were seen as weak. We have to show them we are not."
Percy could see the indecision in their faces. "And why do you have to go?" a newbie camper called out. Immediately, the rest of the campers burst into laughter. Even Chiron was having trouble keeping a straight face. "Dude," one of the Stoll brothers said, "Do you know who that is?" Embarrassed, the camper shook his head, cheeks crimson. "That's Percy Jackson, you know, the Hero of Olympus?" the other Stoll brother chipped in (Percy thought it might have been Travis). Understanding dawned on the newbies faced, and he squeaked in surprise. "That's the guy who…beat the King of the Titans? Who saved the world?" Some of the other new campers looked amazed at this revelation. Percy could see the awe on their faces, 'Not again' he thought. "And I'll let you in on another camp secret." Malcolm, the head councilor of the Athena cabin said. "The gods offered to make him one of them, immortality, power, you name it."
"You mean, he's a god?" the new campers looked almost ready to pass out by now.
"Well, he isn't really because he…."
"Wrong." Percy cut in here. Now seemed like the perfect time to break the news. Of course, that one word had everyone transfixed on him at once.
"What do you mean 'wrong' Prissy? We were there, and we saw you say no." Clarisse argued.
"I said no then. The condition to becoming a god was accepting this task so when the gods remade their offer, I accepted." Percy grinned at the look on their faces. 'Priceless' he chuckled.
Then, all at once, the floodgates opened. He was almost overwhelmed by the tide of campers rushing at him, thumping him on the back; he'd swear he even saw a few tears being shed. "Alright!" he heard the Stoll brothers yelling together. Jake just about crushed him in a bear-hug, he even saw Clarisse crack a smile. Chiron stomped his hoof on the ground to get everyone's attention and, once things had calmed down a little, he said, "Perhaps we should welcome the new God to our camp properly?" The campers nodded in agreement, so Percy warned everyone to close their eyes. Allowing his new-found power to grow, he felt the energy gathering within him, and the light began to shine. Once the moment had passed, he allowed the campers to open their eyes. There was a gasp of awe at his new appearance.
He stood several inches taller now, well over 6 feet, clad in beautiful, but deadly bronze armour that gleamed in the sunlight. Engraved on the chest plate were depictions of quests; the Nemean lion, the hydra, the Argo, the Gorgon, and even some of Percy's own quests, with the Golden Fleece guarded by the dragon Peleus, Zeus's Lightning bolt, the defeat of Kronos and the battle of the Labyrinth. Percy's eyes shone brighter with sheer power, with Riptide hung on his hip, glinting threateningly, and in his hand he held a spear that glowed and crackled ominously with golden energy. The campers could feel the wind flowing across the camp hurriedly, bringing with it the scent of ocean spray and the glorious euphoria of adventure. Just by his presence, they could already feel themselves getting braver; ready to take on the world and do so laughing. "All hail Lord Perseus, God of Heroes, Quests and Bravery." Chiron announced before bowing. The rest of the camp followed his example, as Percy laughed, and a wave of power was sent over the camp. The young god was literally shining with happiness, as Percy found a place where he felt he belonged. He hadn't felt so complete in ages. "Chiron," he said, with even his voice holding the rumble of power and sending sparks of adrenaline shooting through the campers. He hadn't known he would have this effect on heroes. 'Must be because of my titles' Percy mused.
"I am still the same hero that I always was. Same old Seaweed brain" this elicited a few chuckles from the older campers who knew of his old nickname whereas it had the newer arrivals looking puzzled. "Of course, this isn't my true form. If it was, well, none of you would be standing here now." Percy grinned again, completely changing the atmosphere of the campers. "Percy, if I may ask, what is this effect that you are having? Chiron questioned, with a curious glint in his eye. The centuries old teacher was always searching for new knowledge.
"As I am the God of heroes, quests and bravery, I can imbue bravery into heroes when they need it, no matter what the reason, bravery for love, for a quest, bravery to stand up for what is right. It also means that I am not only allowed but compelled to assist heroes on their quests, whereas other gods may not be allowed to because of the involvement with their demigod children. So technically, you could say that I am the god that is closest to the heroes. Guess that means you'll be seeing a lot of me eh?" he addressed to the rest of the campers, who looked happy at this news, even the Ares cabin, which slightly surprised Percy. 'Then again' he thought, 'anything which lets them get more chances to fight monsters must be a good thing in their books.'
"Now, I have to leave for the Roman camp today. I will keep you regularly updated, through Chiron, but it will be hard to gain their trust. They have been taught to hate Greeks almost from birth." There were a few minor grumblings at this comment, which quickly died down. "So, I have decided to enter camp, pretending to be a half-blood, and to authenticate my disguise, I ask for some campers to accompany me. Who would volunteer for this quest?"
At once, the entire Ares cabin volunteered. "Should have known they'd be up for a potentially life-threatening task," muttered Percy to himself. On the up side, Clarisse had also resolutely put her hand in the air. She'd be a good choice, providing she didn't maim or kill anyone at the Roman camp. That would definitely put a damper on things. 'But she could also show that the Greeks aren't weak.' Glancing around, Percy saw that most of the other cabins had put their hands up too, along with Chris, Clarisse's boyfriend. If Clarisse was coming, Chris would definitely be needed. He was the only one who could calm Clarisse down all the time. Mentally getting rid of all of the Aphrodite and Demeter children, he decided on Nyssa. She was one of the only Hephaestus children who could make almost anything in her sleep, no jokes. 'I'd have preferred to bring Jake' thought Percy, 'but he's gonna be needed to here to get everything ready here.' Conferring with Chiron, Percy asked what the centaur thought. "Hmmm...I would recommend Clarisse; she'd make a good back-up."
"I agree." replied Percy, "But I'll also take Chris, in case her temper gets out of hand. What do you think about Nyssa?"
"Not Jake? He is the most experienced of cabin 9" the centaur asked, raising an eyebrow at the young god.
"No, he'll be needed here. Nyssa's almost as good as him anyway. I was thinking of bringing people from different cabins, to integrate better with the Roman demigods. Who else?"
"In that case, I would have Connor and Travis Stoll help you on this quest. Though they may be troublemakers", Chiron chuckled, "they're also good at getting to know people. You may think about taking Will Solace from the Apollo cabin too. You may need a good healer on this quest."
"Good idea," Percy mused, "He's also a faultless shot with a bow; I don't think I've ever seen him miss a bull's-eye. Travis and Connor too, though I'll have to keep an eye on them. Anyone else?"
There was a moment of quiet deliberation. "I think it would be best if you could keep this a small party; it may be for the best. Lupa may feel threatened by a large party of Greeks invading her camp. But it may be a good idea to take someone else with you. As an added precaution perhaps?"
"Nico!" Percy exclaimed, "Where is he? He'd be the perfect person; he'd definitely be powerful enough to be a good back-up."
"Sadly, Nico is not at camp at the moment; he is in the Underworld assisting his father, Lord Hades. If you wish, I shall ask him to join up with you when he returns."
Percy nodded, "Good. We'll be making regular reports between the two camps, to let each other know about progress. When I get to the camp, I'll include Lupa too. She'll know I'm not a demigod anyway. You can let me know when Nico is on his way, and I'll tell him a safe place he can shadow travel to in the camp, so I can meet him and fill him in on how it's going." Turning back to the audience of campers, Percy smiled when he saw that most of them had been straining to hear what had been exchanged between Chiron and Percy.
"Huh-erm" Percy coughed, to let them know that he was ready to announce the chosen campers. "We have decided," – dramatic pause – "that for this dangerous task, to have the more experienced campers accompany me to the Roman camp. Therefore, Clarisse la Rue shall be the representative for the Ares cabin." At this, the entire Ares cabin burst into yells, and immediately swamped Clarisse until all that could be seen of her was the tip of her spear. Percy banged his spear on the floor to regain their attention. "For the Hermes cabin, I have decided that Travis and Connor Stoll shall come, along with Chris Rodriguez." Again, the mass cabin celebration, this time from the Hermes cabin, as Travis and Connor cracked identical grins and Clarisse hugged her boyfriend. Percy had to wait until the campers had quieted down before continuing. "Will Solace from the Apollo cabin will also be joining us and lastly, from the Hephaestus cabin, I have decided that Nyssa will join this quest as well." Percy smiled as he saw Jake sling an arm around his little half-sister, as the Hephaestus cabin crowded her. She looked bright red, and so pleased to have been chosen. Will Solace looked surprised, but the rest of the Apollo cabin seemed as though they'd been expecting it, looking as proud as ever as they congratulated him. One little blond camper launched herself at him with a hug. Percy smiled, pleased with the choices he had made.
"There will be one more joining this quest, but he is not here at camp at the moment. As soon as Nico di Angelo returns, he shall join us at the Roman camp. But for now, the campers that I have chosen must be ready to leave within two hours. Meet me at the beach at that time, as we will be travelling by water. Bring any weapons you may need, and provisions from the Camp store. And Connor, Travis" Percy fixed his eyes on them, "No stealing. We need to know what we are taking, got it?"
"Aw man" they moaned in unison, before trooping off with the rest of their cabin in procession. Turning back to the others, he motioned for Clarisse to come closer. "The reason I need you on this trip is to make sure that the Romans take us seriously."
Clarisse snorted, "Yeah, cause demigods would never take a god seriously."
"No, I mean that the Romans need to see that the Greek demigods aren't weak. They'll probably accept me as strong once they find out I'm a god, but we also have to show that the demigods can fight too." Realization was dawning on her face, as she understood the meaning behind Percy's words."However," he continued, "this doesn't mean that you should just beat them up. We need to get them on our side, and because the Romans were so battle orientated, I have a feeling that the children of Ares would be a good place to start. So if you piss them off, it's gonna make it a lot more difficult, ok?" Clarisse nodded. 'Pretty good plan coming from Prissy' she thought.
"And I'd appreciate it if you would stop calling me that" Percy said, with a smirk, surprising Clarisse again. "God, remember?" he pointed to himself, before walking back to Chiron, leaving Clarisse to go and get ready. Percy had a feeling that Chris already knew why he'd been selected for this quest, but he'd still have a word with him at some point.
Raising his spear a little, Percy concentrated again on that power within him, and felt the surge of energy overwhelm him again. When the light died, Percy was dressed in a sea-green shirt, and a pair of faded jeans. A symbol of a sword, a spear and a trident were etched on the pockets. "Shall we?" he indicated to the centaur, leading the way back to the big house to discuss ideas before his departure.
CHAPTER END
I've updated this chapter pretty quickly as I'll be going away next week, so I don't know when I'll be able to update the next chapter. Other than that, feel free to review this story as much as you want, as constructive criticism is what makes a writer. :D
