AN: Thank you so much guys for the massive amount of support. I am so happy that I immediately went down to writing the next chapter and here it is; The second chapter of The Mysterious Wanderer, but first before we get down to the story I want to reply to a review:

Earpster13: That idea is AWESOME! I only think that he is a little too young now to go on a task for some godly powers. He first will be trained in his mind and power over the years and I surely will add this idea than! Only maybe when he is a little bit older. Don't worry this idea will and must be used because it is just too awesome!

Somewhere in the middle of the story I had to describe Athens... I am not really someone who was born in the ancient times so I just went with the flow of how I thought that it might have looked like. I studied some maps though only with my own added things. Soo Yea.

I used this map; wiki/ File:Environs_of_ ; just remove the space and take a look it for more understanding.

So now that is said let's get down to the story. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

Chapter 2

The next day - A farm between Athens and the South-West.

The sun was rising and different shades of orange and yellow were appearing into the sky. It was a beautiful morning and the odd family living at the farm were already up and making themselves ready for the trip to Athens. This was Perseus first time that he would be going outside the area of the farm and he was nervous. The questions 'What was it like?' and 'Was it like he had imagined it to be?' swarmed around in his head, but he knew that he only could get this answer by keeping his eyes open and taking in his environment properly. Another question was formed in his head yesterday when he had heard that he was going to Athens for the first time. 'Why did they allow him to go this time?' He had asked his parents before if he could go, but all the times they had denied him and this time he did not even ask and he was allowed to go. He shook the questions out of his head and went back to his task, preparing the horses. Well it depends on what you call preparing the horses though, the saddles were too heavy and the horses to big. The only thing that he could do was laying the provision ready for his dad to saddle it up and put it in the bags hanging unto the saddles.

Perseus had just taken some blankets and walked out the door to bring them to his dad who was really saddling the horses. The trip to Athens would not take long, but just to make sure that they would stay warm in the evening in Athens. He passed his mother who was wearing her Academy clothes, her father, who was one of the leaders of the Athenian Academy allowed her to wear it even if she was not really a member anymore. She still had a ranking in the Academy and her father loved it when she honored the ranking via wearing the toga from the Academy. Perseus' grandfather had always told that his mother had discovered something very special and important, but they never told him what she did. "Good morning mother!" Perseus said happily when he passed by with a cheerful grin spread over his face.

"Good morning Perseus!" Thyia replied while ruffling his hair, which was like a raven's nest. It would never stay in the position he wanted or she wanted it to be. One movement and the hair was back into its nest form.

Perseus was almost at the stables when he began to hop, while humming a song that he had learned years ago from his grandmother of his mother's side. It was about a hero who had slain a lot of monsters including the Hydra, Nemean Lion and the Stymphalian Birds. It was of course a song about Hercules and the twelve labors. He had always dreamed to be a hero like Hercules and be famous all around the world, but he did not have to training for it and it required a lot of time. But what he did not know was that his time was soon to come, maybe faster than he could imagine with his blessed Athena mind.

His father, who was saddling Alcon, came in sight and he was standing in the ranch next to the other horse which they had named; Davos. Both the horses were from the same birth mother and were both stallions. Davos was the horse used by Perseus' mother and Alcon by his father, he would ride with his mother on Davos, who he preferred due to his black horse fur which had the same color as his hair. Horses always seemed to be relaxed around him and it looked like they always understood him. He could calm them down really fast and they followed his orders without a hesitation, not that he had driven a horse alone before he always had an attendant to watch over him. In the past he had no idea why the horses were so attracted to him, but now after yesterday's talk he knew the answer; He was the son of the horse bringer named Poseidon. He did not really see Poseidon as his real father more like a thing where he came from, but did not love him. The gate of the horse ranch was now right before him and he opened it and closed it quickly not letting anyone in or out except for himself. He wanted to sneak up to his father, but he had already heard him.

"Good morning son." Crethos said and now he even felt more love for his family. Even though they knew they were not his real parents they still loved him more than anything in the world and it was also otherwise. Even though Perseus knew that it were not his real parents they were his loving parents and the ones who loved him and took care of him.

Perseus dropped the blankets to the floor and he ran over towards his dad to hug him. His dad expected this so he faked a fall to the floor and he began to tickle the seven years old Perseus. Perseus began to laugh really hard and the sound was the sweetest thing to hear on this ungodly point of time. "No dad! I am going to pee my pants!" Eventually they stopped and laid down next to each other gasping for air. Perseus rolled on his side so he could look at his father and said "I love you Dad." Perseus hugged his father around the neck.

Still embraced Crethos smiled widely and replied "Love you too, Perseus. Now get those blankets before Davos eats them." Perseus looked up and saw that Davos walked away from Alcon and was now sniffing at the blankets and even licking it. He stood up quickly and pushed Davos' head away and picked up the blankets.

2 Hours later - Horse ranch

"Do we have everything?" Crethos asked for the thousand time and Perseus and Thyia sighed. He was always like this even if he was just gone for a few hours he was determent not to forget a thing. The problem was that he always would forget something even if he checked it like a million times. Two moons ago he also made a trip to Athens, only a short one, to buy some new tools and he was stressing if he had everything. Eventually he went and it turned out that he had forgotten his money bag so he had to come back to take it.

"Yes dad, even I checked it once and we have everything." Perseus answered while going after the list that his mom made and repeating the things that he had seen in all the bags and packs. A photographic memory was really handy when your dad was such a chaos, he was like a check list who he could always trust.

Crethos nodded and Thyia came up with something to calm him down even more. "And if we forgot something we have enough money." To strengthen her argument she jingled with the money bag around her waist and they could hear coins clinging in it "So we can buy it if it is necessary."

"Okay then. Let's go." Crethos mounted his horse and rode to the group of Farm guardians which he had hired yesterday evening after Perseus had agreed to going with them to Athens. There were three guardians, two with bows and one with a spear, and they looked scary with all their scars and one even had a dead eye. Crethos talked with them for a few seconds and in the meantime Thyia helped Perseus mounting the horse and then mounting Davos herself. Perseus sat in front of his mother in a special saddle made for two people and if he wanted he could take the reins and steer Davos himself.

When Crethos arrived at the place Thyia and Perseus were waiting he smiled at them and said "Let's go visit Athens. The boys will manage to keep the farm intact." He grinned at the last part because the men who were assigned to protect the farm were rather known to Crethos. Not like friends known, but just like work known. They worked for them a lot of time previously and they kind of got a little bond.

Thyia and Crethos both put their heels in the thighs of the horses and they shot forward to a short journey, but an unforgettable journey for Perseus. He had no idea what was yet to come and discover in the city of Athens.

3 hours later - Main road to Athens

Davos and Alcon went over to walking because Crethos had announced that Athens was really close now. The road, which was around 19 feet wide, became busier and busier how closer they got the city. "When we are over this hill we can see Athens!" Crethos announced and Perseus got really excited. First the trip began rather scary, because he had never seen other people except for his family and that was not very often either. He had seen scary people in black cloaks, people who were missing limbs, but also people riding in a tilt car. Eventually he got used to it and when it became very busy his mother had put his cap on who was attached to his brown cloak. She had explained to him that some people would made him out for wizard or descendant of the gods, which he actually was, but some people would want to capture him and kill him. Just for the reason how he looked. So now Perseus was wearing a brown cap which made his eyes invisible for other people to see. He could still look around freely though and that was all that mattered to him.

They were almost at the top of the hill and Perseus was now bouncing up and down in his seat. A lot of question were wandering in his mind 'How would it look like?' 'Was it like he had expected it to be?' and much more. He only had to wait a few more seconds and he would get the answer on all his questions. They were only a few feet away from the top when his mother leaned forward and whispered in his ear "Have a good look my son. It is stunning." Perseus nodded and he waited impatiently.

When they reached the top of the hill his mouth fell open from the beauty that the city of Athens Radiated. The city was glowing in the sunlight with its gorgeous white walls made of sandstone, on every end of an Olympian Stadia(AN: It's a measurement which I found when I was investigating in ancient maps of Athens. It is a measurement of the Greek and it is around 1/16 of a mile. This will come back in the story later in the academy.) stood a tower, which had reed roofs. They were heavily guarded and that was even visible from a few miles away. From out of the middle of the city a hill stuck out of the city and it was a table mountain with all kinds of temples on it named; The Acropolis. All the temples glittering in the sun due to their marble pillars and walls. He knew from out of his head that the Parthenon, The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus and the Altar of Athena would lay there. He hoped that they would visit the table hill once at their stay. The horses walked on while Perseus was still checking out everything that was visible from there like; The gates of Piraeus, The Pnyx, The Citadel and so on. He could stay days or maybe even weeks here and not getting bored by the sight. All the houses were built in what looked like a random order and almost every house looked different in shapes and sizes. When they walked down the hill the walls were too high to see the city anymore so Perseus was now sight-free.

"Mom, where does the Academy lay?" Perseus asked while going past his photographed picture of the city in his mind. His mom had described the Academy lots of times before but according to the description he had not spotted it.

Thyia laughed at her curious son "It does not lay in the city. It lays north-west of the city and it lies behind Ceramicus. The Platonic Academy is the place where we will stay, but we will first give you a short tour through the city of Athens to then go through the Gate of Dipylon."

Perseus took in all the information and he was glad that his parents were so caring and they knew exactly what he wanted; A tour through Athens. He had only heard it from stories and when they described it in there he always created a vision of it, but that was rather difficult if you never went there or if you even never saw another city. "Are we also going to the Forum?" The forum of Athens is a very big market called the Agora and they sell there everything you need.

"Yes we are going there too." Thyia said while looking forward to the smell of fresh food and exotic spices.

"Awesome!" Percy said excitedly and they talked on about things what they were going to visit today and Crethos was watching them amusingly. His wife had always loved architecture and she even studied it a few months in the Academy. His son on the other hand was obsessed by it. He wanted to know everything what there was to know and architecture was one of them.

"Look Perseus." Thyia said and she pointed at the gate in front of them. Perseus followed her finger and he saw a massive gate, which was now opened, made of grey stone and an iron frame around it. There were two little towards on each side and in the middle was a walkway with battlements on the sides with guards walking on it. "That is the gate of Piraeus, which connects the street of Theseus to the city and if we turn around now we would be riding towards Port Piraeus."

Perseus eyed the gate with awe because the construction was beautiful. There were shooting holes on top of the gates and on tar hole in the middle of it. The gateways looked ready for defense and the with iron constructed gate was probably so strong that it could hold back a battering ram made by Hephaestus himself. They walked under the gate and they were controlled by some guards, but as it seemed Crethos knew them and they passed the guards with ease. Not that they had any intention of fighting or destruction anyway.

"Welcome in Athens." Crethos said with a smile when he saw his son with his eyes wide open and moving his head around rapidly to take in everything that could be seen.

"It is beautiful dad!" Perseus yelped excitedly and some people who were walking next to them looked up to the capped boy sitting on the horse and gave him a smile. Slowly on their horses they stepped through the city letting Perseus take in his environment correctly and when they walked past the Pnyx, a hill where the Athenians held their assemblies, which made it one of the most important sites of the creation of democracy, Perseus looked at the rock in awe, but he knew that he could not enter the assemblies unless he was older than 18, which of course was still 11 years away. Time flew by quickly while the family walked through Athens; they walked past famous houses, buildings and hills. They even walked past the Areios Pagos the hill for Court of Appeal for crime and civil cases. It literally meant 'Ares Rock' which got the name because Ares was justified here once for killing Poseidon's son Alirrothios.

They reached the Agora, the forum of Athens, when the sun was shining at its finest at its highest stand. It was around mid-day and they were getting hungry and the smell coming from all the stalls didn't do any good to their money bag. They bought a delicious meal which consisted out of; Meat, bread, fruit and water. Near the stall where you could eat was a stable for horses and Alcon and Davos were left there for the time being. After they finished their delicious meal they left the stall and roamed around the forum leaving the horses save behind at the stable under guard with water and hay. They walked past all stalls that you could imagine and they were not even past the half of all the stalls they had seen meat, vegetable, fish, drink, fortune tellers, weapons, wood, tools, furniture, slaves, armory, black smiths, animals, books and so on. No stall was the same and even if they sold the same the things were completely different. They walked past a book stall and they stopped so Perseus could look around in the book stall. He saw so much books and it felt like he was in heaven and he had not even seen a library how must that feel?

"Perseus?" Crethos said and he shook Perseus out of his own thoughts about heaven. "You may choose two books to buy." Perseus ran over to him and he hugged him tightly.

"Thank you dad!" Perseus said and he went down to searching two books. After a quarter of an hour of searching he had two books in his hands which he definitely wanted to read they were; The Great Encyclopedia about Greece and The Greek Monster Book. They were both very heavy and big but that meant nothing to Perseus. He wanted to fill himself with all the information that the books had to offer and he already looked forward to when he was going to open the books. They walked out of the book shop leaving a happy book seller behind and keeping a happy Perseus with them. It was a good deal.

3 hours later - Agora forum

They walked around for more than 3 hours and their pockets were full of things they bought. Thyia had bought some spices, a new set of knives and forks and a cooking book. Crethos had bought a new bow and some hunting knives. Perseus had only his books, but he was the happiest person at the forum. They walked back to their horses and paid the guards some drachmas for their job, which they took in eagerly. They continued their way towards the Academy with lighter money bags, but heavier packages and it did not matter for any of them. They had bought things they liked and needed so it was not a problem at all. They just left the forum on their horses when Perseus yawned and he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. It was a busy day and they were up early.

"Sleep my son." Thyia said quietly and she pressed a kiss on the back of Perseus head. He was already half asleep so tired was he. "I will wake you up when something special happens or when we arrive at the academy." Perseus nodded and he leaned back to the body of his mother. Her body radiated a warm and comfortable glow and Perseus yawned again. He closed his eyes slowly and he fell asleep against his mother with the bag filled with books lying firmly in his arms.

"Sleep tight." Thyia said and Crethos ruffled Perseus hair as sign of sleep tight. He could probably sleep for about an hour before they arrived at the academy.

1 hour later - The Academy

Perseus had slept tightly against on the back of the horse and even if it was a short sleep he felt more awake than before. They had passed the Gate of Dipylon when he was asleep as well as the town; Ceramicus. His mother had awakened him while walking through the gates of the Platonic Academy.

"Perseus, wake up." Thyia said while poking Perseus playfully in the belly, which was the place where he was the most ticklish. "We don't want you grandfather waiting for you." This made Perseus wake up instantly and he shot up.

"Slept well Perseus?" Crethos asked while dismounting Alcon. They had just rode through the gates of the Platonic Academy and Thyia's father and member of the leading council was waiting for them on the stairs, which led to the accommodation for special visitors. He stood there waiting patiently for his daughter, her husband and their adopted son.

"Very good, dad." Perseus said and his mother helped him with dismounting the horse. He looked around and he saw his grandfather standing on top of the stairs and he looked at his parents for permission to run over to him. They nodded in response and smiled at the sight of little Perseus running up the stairs to greet his favorite grandfather. "Grandfather Alph!" Perseus greeted him from at the half of the stairs. Alph's real name was Alpheos, but his family called him Alph and it seemed like he liked the name more than his own name.

Alpheos dropped to one knee and opened his arms widely for Perseus to fall in when he reached the top. When Perseus reached the top he ran into the hug. "Good afternoon Perseus." Alpheos said and Perseus began to rattle about everything that he had done. He described everything in detail and so fast that Grandfather Alph could not follow it very well. His parents walked up with a normal step and laughed at the sight of a rattling Perseus and an old man trying to keep up with the rapidly talking Perseus.

"Easy, Perseus." Crethos said laughingly. "Maybe you talk someone to death if you go on like this."

Alpheos laughed at that and Perseus blushed slightly. Alpheos ruffled Perseus hair and he stood up to greet his parents. Thyia hugged her dad while Crethos gave a strong handshake. Alpheos walked back to Perseus and gave him a proper welcome.

"Welcome to the Academy of Athens, Perseus. This Academy is set up by Plato himself and he would be honored to have such a special child in his Academy." He knew everything about Perseus' history and he also knew Perseus' heritage. A very special and bright child is maybe and understatement. Modest as Perseus was he began to blush heavily at the compliment and began to move uneasily on his place. Alpheos put a hand on Perseus' shoulder and said "Now let me show you my place Perseus. Just like you did all those years ago." Perseus remembered it all too well. Years ago when his grandfather had visited him he had shown him the whole farm and area around it in detail. It took him a whole day to show him and it was one of the best times of his life. Perseus and Alpheos shared one thing and that was; Hunger for more information.

Perseus smiled at the thought of an all-inclusive tour in the academy and together they walked towards their accommodation to drop their stuff and start their tour.

AN: I hoped you guys liked the second chapter of The Mysterious Wanderer. I certainly know I do :) They research was more fun than I had expected even though it took me four days. If you have any comments or ideas what could happen in the story leave them in the reviews!

I have this idea to let Perseus meet a fortune teller and let her predict his future. Is this a good idea?

I apologize for grammatical errors and/or spelling mistakes!

See Ya!