It happened that night. It happened that fateful, ill-marked night. Later, the people involved would wonder why they hadn't acted sooner, why they hadn't been more resilient, why they hadn't been more forceful. They would wish they had been smarter about the entire affair. As it was, two hours earlier, no one was any the wiser about the event that would be play a crucial role in the future of … well, not to sound cliché or anything, but it would play a very crucial role in the future of the world. It would also fulfill an obscure prophecy made by the Oracle at Delphi thousands of years before, one that only a handful knew about. Literally.

But right now, Percy was fighting very hard to contain his excitement, which showed you just how happy he was. Percy had never been an emotional boy. On the day he was born he didn't even utter a cry, much to the discomfort of the doctor and nurses present. He always had a direct gaze; a piercing and impaling gaze that stuck you to a wall and made you think it could see right through to your very soul. This was one reason why he had been ostracized as a child. No one could bear to be in the same room with a child that looked at you with eyes as intelligent as most adults. It was just plain creepy.

Anyway, Percy was treading very carefully today. He and his mom were taking Gabe's camaro, and he didn't want Smelly Gabe to rescind the "great gift" he had bestowed upon them. His mom had planned this trip for a long time, and he knew Gabe wouldn't have just handed over his camaro. She must have promised him something else in return. Gabe valued his camaro more than he valued his own life. Percy didn't care to think what she had promised Gabe, but if he could, he would help her. At the moment he was cleaning out the first floor, a greater task than he had imagined possible. He jokingly thought this should have been one of Hercules' tasks instead of cleaning the Augean stables. Later he would come to look upon that scene with the utmost disgust.

It was half an hour before he finished, and by then he was stinking beyond comprehension and in need of a bath. But he couldn't bath just yet. He had to make sure everything was well and truly ready. One effect of having ADHD was that deadlines weren't real to him at all until they were staring him in the face. This time he couldn't let that happen. He had to make everything perfect for his mom. It was the least he could do. As he looked around his room, noting every feature for the first time in ages, he wondered what tomorrow would bring. Filled with euphoria, he allowed himself to imagine a bright future where his mom would be happy, cared for and brimful of love. Another dream he would later look back at with disgust.

"I don't know, Sally," Gabe said in a grumbling voice

"But you promised, Gabe, remember?" said Percy's mom.

"I know I did, but I've been having second thoughts." Gabe gave her a side glance.

"I promise you, nothing's going to happen to your Camaro." By this time, Percy's mom was wringing her hands, nervous. After all this planning, she could feel the noose of failure tightening around her neck.

"And I believe you and all, but it's that crazy kid of yours I don't trust. I see the way he looks at me sometimes. He thinks I don't notice, but I do, and frankly I don't like what I see. Why, if I weren't the man I am, I swear he would knife me in the back!" There were chortles and snickers all round the tables from Smelly Gabe's friends. They were playing another round of poker, and as usual, Gabe was losing. Bad. He had lost over five hundred dollars in the past two days. That would have been alright had he won some back, but Gabe was well known for his bad luck. That's the reason why he actually had any friends, Percy thought. They were after his money … or his mom's money rather.

"Look, Percy will promise he won't do anything bad on this entire trip, and if he does, well…" Sally left the sentence unfinished, waiting for Gabe to pick the bait. He did.

"Alright then," he said in an obvious grudging voice, "but if I find even one scratch on my car, he will pay the damage." It was obvious Gabe was trying to hide a smile. There was no way Percy could pay, so that meant Sally would be giving Gabe more money. That was if Percy misbehaved, which Gabe obviously felt he would do.

"Thank you, Gabe," Sally said with gratitude. She turned round and looked at Percy meaningfully. He got the hint.

"I promise not to misbehave, Gabe," he said with his eyes cast down.

"You better not," Gabe said gruffly. "Barely eleven and already giving me troubles. I have enough of them, let me tell you." Percy nodded like he knew would be expected of him.

"Good," Gabe said, but his tone of voice clearly told all he didn't trust the little ruffian one bit.

"Now, Sally," Gabe said in an oily voice that sent shivers down Percy's back, "how about lending me some more money, baby. My luck's turned sour all o' the sudden, and I need a little booster in my finances if I wanna win back all that dough." The message in Gabe's eyes was clear. No money, no car. Percy nearly exploded with rage.

So that's what this little rascal's been leading up to! He wants more money! Percy knew that funds were tight enough as is. They didn't need another hole popping up in the wallet. But his mother merely handed over the money like she was supposed to, and got the car keys in return. After that, they wasted no more time inside the house. Gabe was as likely to change his mind as a chameleon changed colour.

Before long, they were well away from the neighborhood and making headway on the outskirts of town. They were quiet, the anticipation palatable in the air. This would be their second trip alone, and they wanted it to be as memorable as the first.

"Do you know where we are going?" Percy's mom suddenly asked. Percy blinked.

"No," he replied, a thoughtful look on his face. He realized he had been so busy he had forgotten to ask. Something he never did. It showed just how expectant he was. Apparently his mom was thinking along the same lines because he saw a big smile on her face.

"Good," she replied devilishly. She could tell the suspense was killing him. He never liked not knowing things. Later she would wish she had had told him. The secret could have made his decision easier and turned him away from the wrong path. Like everything else, Percy's life was full of and surrounded by regrets.

Percy suddenly felt a chill in his bones. It spread out into his entire body and soon he felt as if he was engulfed both from within and from without by an evil mist. He shuddered, not knowing what was happening to him. It felt so familiar somehow…

There was a sudden explosion on their right. Both mother and son jumped in their seats. Percy's mom instinctively swerved to avoid whatever it was.

"What the hell?" Percy's mom swore, and in the next instant added, "Sorry, honey." She never swore, and most certainly not in front of him. It was just one of the bad habits she aimed to dispel by example. Unfortunately, the method was lost on Gabe. There was another explosion, this time on their left. Percy's mom swerved to the right, and for a moment it seemed the car would tip over. After a second, the car regained its balance and Percy's mom wasted no time is accelerating. She glanced at her son from the corner of her eye. What she saw there both reassured and frightened her. Percy's face was calm and composed, all the joy she had seen but a moment ago in his eye gone. At least he wasn't panicking. But what frightened her was the fact he wasn't panicking. Any normal person would be having a nervous breakdown at this point. All he did was sit there, face intent; eyes faced forward, and his hands gripping the side of his seat. She wondered if this had anything to do with what had happened eleven years ago. She wondered if this had anything to do with the decision she had made. She wondered now if she had been wrong and had destroyed part of her son when she had agreed to - BOOM!

There was a sudden explosion, but this time it didn't some from the sides, but from under them. The car overturned in a roar of flames, turning three hundred and sixty degreed twice before turning an additional one hundred and eighty and coming to rest upside down. There was another explosion. This one happened right on top of them, and there was a rush of hot air as all the oxygen in the car was briefly sucked out. Percy and his mom had been taking a deep breath at that moment, and all of a sudden they found their lungs as hot as the afternoon sun. Agonizing pain they had never felt before suddenly seared into their body, and they could do nothing about it, not even scream. It happened within the space of a couple of seconds, but that was enough to nearly knock Percy's mom unconscious. The only thing that kept her awake was the patient but insistent voice of her son, telling her to try and calm down as he did all he could to free her seat belt, while his own was still fastened. It took a few minutes of frantic effort, but finally they were free. They wasted no time. They got out of the car as quickly as possible, which proved to be not too soon as Gabe's camaro blew up before they even five meters from the car. The shockwave threw them mercilessly into a tree ten feet away. This was just as well because an instant later they heard the flap of leathery wings, and then three huge thuds. A crunch of gravel told them the scene was being investigated and then they heard a voice that sent chills up their spines.

"They aren't here," one hissing voice stated. Percy nearly gasped. He knew that voice!

"I told you you were overdoing it," another similar hissing voice said.

"Shut up!" the first voice said. After a few seconds, the same voice asked, "What shall we do?"

"There is nothing we can do," a new voice said, but this one wasn't terrible like the other two. It was rather melodic, and carried an enticing note.

"You, sister," the same voice said, "shall have to tell the Lord what happened. We aren't going to suffer for your mistake." There was a low hissing sound, presumably from the first voice, but a second later there was a flap of wings, and soon the place was silent again. Still they waited. After minutes, Percy's mom got down the tree, wary as a rabbit. Percy wanted to tell her to be careful and to be safe, but it was obvious that none of those words would be very helpful. Besides, it would be better to keep the silence. There might be other things out there, just waiting for a sign of their location. So all Percy could do was watch as his mother disappeared from view. After a while, he heard the groaning of the car, and then the unmistakable sound of Gabe's trunk opening with a grinding noise. Percy winced, his ears instantly alert to any change in their surrounding environment. His mom came back moments later, her arms holding a big pack. She motioned for him to get down from the tree, and he did so obediently. She was already moving off by the time he got down. He followed, his mind churning with questions. His mother was slightly burnt from their experience, her clothes charred and her hair in disarray. But for all that, she didn't wasn't injured in any other way. And that was what worried him. Even he had reacted badly the first time he had met those things. She seemed calm and composed, as if she dealt this kind of danger everyday. Despite appearances, there had always been something about his mother he hadn't been able to figure out, some inner iron core that had always shone in her eyes whenever things got bad with Gabe. Such a light was shining in her eyes now.

"Sit down," his mother said commandingly after a few minutes of walking. They were in a clearing in the woods, surrounded by huge pines.

"Look, we don't have much time," she said breathlessly. For the first time he saw the desperation in her eyes. Something definitely wasn't right with his mother. He sat on the edge of his stone, suddenly worried.

"What were those things?" he asked

"I think you know," she replied with a steady gaze. He looked at her for a moment longer, and then nodded.

"They were Furies, as the Romans dubbed them. But the last voice didn't sound so … Fury-like," Percy added.

"True," his mother replied with a worried look. Abruptly she looked back at him, eyes intent.

"Now, no more questions," she forestalled him. He kept his mouth shut, more worried about his mom than he'd ever been.

"Take this," she said, and handed him the bundle. "It's yours now, by inheritance. Go to Grover. He will tell you all. I only wish I had been more honest with you in the beginning. Your heritage, you see, is very important, very secret. You must -" whatever she had been about to was suddenly cut off by two noises. One was a war cry of some sort; one was like a horde of gorillas. An instant later, two groups of people showed up in the clearing. One were some people dressed in armor, and one were some … well … gorilla-type-looking-thing - it was difficult to tell anything more in the gloom-. Percy had only time to take in their features before he was pushed to the ground by some strong hands. He tried to look up, but the arm kept its vicious hold. It was only when his "protector" was attacked that he was let go. He took the chance and immediately ran for his mom. She was also under the protection of another guy, but this one was older than most of the others. He looked nineteen, and had a scar on his face. Right now it gave his face a menacing cast as he surveyed the small battle. He only gave Percy one glance before dismissing him. This was alright by Percy. What he was after was his mom, and not approval. The guy gave them both some space, but he was still standing protectively in front of them.

"Are you alright," mother and son asked simultaneously. They both smiled then, suddenly alone in their own little world. But fantasies never last long, and this one lasted shorter than most as a sudden grunt brought them back to the real world. They both started, shocked out of their reverie. The guy who had been guarding them was lifted and thrown sideways by a particularly large gorilla-type-thing. It was only when he saw one close that Percy realized what it actually was. A sloth-demon. They had been recorded down the ages in connection with many bad events, and descriptions and details always varied as most mythology varied among cultures, but the one thing these stories all had in common was the description of the human-like face and the long talons of the sloth-demons. Percy shook his head, convinced he had gone insane.

"That's it," he muttered. "I have got to steer clear of those meatballs they serve at Yancy Academy."

"Oh, their real alright," his mom said grimly from beside him. Before he could turn to her and ask what she meant, she got up and rushed straight at the monster.

"Mom!" he cried in panic, but it was too late. She was already on top of the monster. However, what happened next completely and utterly amazed him. Merely feet away, his mother suddenly stopped in her tracks, the sloth-demon's talons falling short of her.

I didn't even see that attack! How did she?

His mother then folded both thumbs, pinkies and ring fingers into her palms. With the two remaining fingers, she stepped forward on her left foot and thrust both her hands at the monster. If was lifted of its feet as if it were a piece of paper in a gale force wind. It thudded into a tree and disappeared in an explosion of dust. All Percy could do was gawk.

"Percy!" His mother's shout awoke him, and picking up the sword dropped by the guy who had been protecting him, he made to go for his mother. He stopped when he heard her scream. A sloth-demon had managed to get behind her. It was now wringing her neck, and he could see her eyes glazing over.

"P-P-Percy," she managed to stutter, but she had used her last breath, and before his very eyes, his mom, the one person who loved him and was his rock, his foundation in an otherwise inconstant world, exploded in a glitter of gold. He shook his head. So far, he had been able to stomach all the strange happenings, thinking he would find answers later. He had been so happy only two hours ago, joyful at the notion of his mom and him, spending a few days alone, together. Now that was nothing but wishful thinking. His resolve, which he had worked so hard to keep, now shattered like glass. Amid the battle in which he could have been very helpful, he did the one thing nobody would have expected him to do. He dropped his sword and ran.

He ran for what seemed like hours, until he couldn't hear the clang of weapons on talons. He ran past trees and bushes, which were only blurs he couldn't concentrate on. He ran until his legs could no longer carry him. Only then did he stop. Only then did he drop to the ground. He sat there, pupils dilated, short of breath, and shaking very badly. His eyes kept replaying the scene he had last seen. The scene in which his dear, dear mother had been … no, he couldn't think about it. His mind wouldn't accept it.

He turned suddenly, looking into the wood to his right. He had heard movement. As if from smoke, a cloaked figure appeared. He inhaled sharply, in shock. It was him! The same man he had seen on his last night at Yancy Academy. The man who had begun it all. He uttered a strangled moan. The man raised his hands in response, in a gesture that said, "I mean you no harm."

"Listen, boy, I know it's difficult right now, but you must come with me and-"

"NO!" he screamed. He wanted nothing to do with these people. He wanted nothing to do with their world.

"Consider boy. Where will you go? Home? To Gabe? I don't think so." The way he talked grated on Percy, even his know-it-all mannerisms. No, Percy definitely didn't want anything with him. Then he suddenly felt a chill, similar to the one he had felt in the presence of the Furies, only stronger, and more deadly. He looked instinctively to his left. There, on a slight rise in the ground, stood a petrifying and fearsome figure. He was three meters tall, albino white with jet black hair, and a robe that seemed to move as if with a life of its own.

"Child," he said smoothly, reassuringly. "Come with me." Percy instantly felt that he should be the one being obeyed; he should be the one he should listen to. He was the one most experienced and knowledgeable…

"Yes, child. I can give you power," the man said as if in response to Percy's mood change. "I can have you taught by the best fighters and academics that ever graced your world, and mine too. I can have you taught things you never imagined possible. I can give you strength," the man said, crunching a fist, "and knowledge beyond your wildest dreams. I can give you the means to get revenge on your father. I can help you get revenge for what just happened to your mother." That was it. This terrifying figure had cinched the deal. Revenge on his father, who had run out on his mother without so much as having the guts to marry her when she was with child, and instead choosing to go on a sea voyage that had never made it back. And revenge on those sloth-demons, who had murdered his mother. Yes, they would all pay. He rose on silent feet, no longer shaking and afraid, but with new confidence and assurance. He had a purpose in life again, thanks to this stranger. The huge albino man took his hand, and as he turned round, Percy saw again the cloaked figure, still standing there, silent as a statue. But he could swear he saw sadness in the cloak, though he couldn't see the man's eyes.

"I will also settle my score with you," Percy said menacingly to the cloaked man. The man merely shook his head and drifted back into the trees.

"You lose, Half-Creature," the albino man beside Percy said haughtily. And then they were gone, disappeared in a silent explosion of shadow. From the trees, a voice came.

"You have made your decision, Percy, and now you will have to live with it. I am only sorry I couldn't be there when you needed me most. I am sorry I took your memories of our time together as mentor and student, friend and friend. I am sorry I left you alone." And then the cloaked man truly disappeared. He disappeared for a long time after that, losing contact with the world, until one day much later when he heard the whisperings in the wind, the whisperings he had been hoping for, but never dreamed would come to pass.