Chapter 3:

Percy POV

I squinted at the light coming though my window. My alarm clock was ringing. Six seventeen. After a few minutes I realised that Annabeth, Leo and I were going to Boston. I groaned. It seemed like I had slept for only a few seconds. I decided to get up and get ready before Annabeth was yelling at my ear. I got up and got ready.

I decided to wear ripped jeans, a blue T-shirt and my favourite blue hoodie. Then I opened the door and saw Leo at my door. "Hey Bro. What's up?" I asked. "Annabeth." He answered. Today he was wearing a green sweatshirt, blue jeans, work boots and his magic tool belt. " She wants to get going. I volunteered to come get you, so I didn't have to listen to her rant about what a seaweed brain you were. You should know how scary that chick can get." Leo stated. "Dude, I'm her boyfriend. Of course I know how scary that chick is. If I couldn't handle her scariness, I wouldn't be dating her."

"True."

We hiked up to the central hearth. That was our new dining area until the Hephaestus kids build the dining area. "Hey Leo, if you're coming with us who's overseeing the construction?" I wondered. He replied, "Harley and Nessa will. I wanted a break from all the camp routine stuff anyway. So what better way than to spend time with a demigod from another pantheon. Besides I want to compare how weird the Greek and Norse Gods are." As if the Gods were protesting, the sky rumbled in protest.

"You'll have lots of time for that." I replied "Just don't mess with her cousin's sword. Apparently it's the sharpest blade in the nine worlds. And has a bit of an attitude." From behind we heard a voice say,"Who has an attitude?" We turned round and saw Nico standing there. He was wearing his usual wardrobe of a black t shirt, black ripped jeans and a black bomber jacket. His Stygian iron sword was in his usual place hanging around his waist. "Hey Nic. What's up?" Leo greeted him cheerfully. The two of them had become good friends in the sarcastic – threating way demigods have. Or Greek ones anyway.

"We were talking about a sword belonging to Norse demigod related to Annabeth. What's his name? Marcus, Swagness ….. I remember now! Magnus, Magnus Chase." Leo finally remembered his name. Good thing Annabeth wasn't here or she would have strangled him.

"Oh, so you found out about the Norse huh?" Nico said. "You don't seem surprised." I noted "I met them before once." He Explained. "I was practising my shadow traveling when I accidentally landed in Valhalla. Everyone there was dead. It was giving me a weird feeling, different from ghosts or zombies. As long they stay in Valhalla they can die be resurrected." "I read about that. They train for Ragnarok." I said." Rags and Rocks?" Leo looked so confused. "R-a-g-a-n-a-r-o-k, idiot. When the final battle between Gods and Giants will occur." Nico explained. "Ohhhh. I get it." Nico asked, "So what are you nut jobs doing with the Norse?"

I answered," Well, Magnus needs some sailing tips and Annabeth came and asked me to give him some tips. He got a couple of sea gods mad at him." "I see. How do you plan to get there?" I was thinking of shadow travelling there with Mrs. O'Leary." I said. Nico thought about it for a while. "I think it's a good idea. You'll get there faster. Mind if I come with you guys? I have a few friends there anyway."

Leo and I were a bit surprised. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up a bit Ghost King! You're saying you have friends who are dead warriors?" Leo asked. "I passed out in their court yard. They were the first people to actually treat me like an equal. They didn't fear me and they sure as hell didn't care when I told them I was Greek demigod or that my father is the God of the Underworld."

Nico's eyes seemed to dance with happiness as recalled his time at Valhalla. Instead of radiating an aura of hate and death, He seemed to be radiating happiness at the thought of seeing his friends. "Hey, I have a question for ya." Leo asked. Nico replied," Sure go ahead." "Well you said you get this weird feeling around dead people, right?" "Yes." "So did you get a weird feeling being surrounded by dead warriors who weren't exactly dead?

Nico thought about it for a little bit before answering. "Yeah, I did. It was like a low buzzing in my head. It was more quite than if I was around a zombie or a ghost. I asked them about the souls there. The souls of those who died bravely are given new enhanced bodies. To their families, friends and any other acquaintance, their dead." Nico paused for breath. I had to ask, "What do you mean by enhanced bodies?"

Nico answered," By that they have more strength than a regular mortal. Quite a few of them never realised they were demigods until after their deaths. Others knew about their godly heritage. And then there are the ones who think they're crazy because they can see monsters." Leo asked, "If they don't believe in the gods then what happens to them? They go to the crazy house." "Actually Leo some do. Others end up on the streets." "One more question." Leo said. "If Valhalla is for the honourable dead, where do the un-honourable go to?"

I saved Nico from answering, "They go to Helhiem, Land of the Dishonourable Dead, ruled by Hel." "Looks like someone did his homework." Nico looked a little bit impressed. "I got a Norse mythology book from the library so I wouldn't completely be in the dark."

"So you guys didn't answer my question yet." Leo looked at him like he had no clue what Nico was talking about. "And which question is that Sonny Boy?" Nico looked really exasperated. "I'll say this one more time, so listen carefully, dummy. Can I please come with you?"

Putting on my best pirate voice I asked Leo. "Hmmm, what do you think, Captain McShizzle? Shall we let this Scallywag join our expedition to the great unknown of the Nine Worlds?" Leo put on his best pirate voice and said," I think we shall First mate. We will have great adventures with the Ghost King onboard!" Nico got really happy at that. He thanked us and said he would meet up with us at the arena while went to go tell his boyfriend where we were going.

I couldn't help but think how much fun it would be to meet another part of Annabeth family. "Hey, Aqua Man! Fire Butt! Get a move on over here! I don't have all day!" Annabeth yelled from us the Hearth. The both of us screamed back at her in unison "Don't call me that! We're coming!"

"Come on you two!" Annabeth said. "Camp Jupiter will be over in a 3 days and I'd like to be here to see my friends." I grinned and said, "What makes you think we won't come back?" Annabeth rolled her eyes but didn't give me her you're so stupid look. She answered my question though. "We're demigods. We always get caught up in some sort of quest for the gods. Also, we seem to have terrible timing when it comes to doing normal stuff. For example, the last time the two of us went out, we got attack by hellhounds." Leo looked at Annabeth and said, "I know. Calypso and I couldn't sit for more than fifteen minutes. "As an afterthought he added," Forgot to mention the Ghost King will be coming with us. Supposedly, he has dead Norse friends who live in Valhalla."

Alex POV

"Hey wake up Sleeping Beauty. You need to get up." Someone was saying in my ear. I cracked an eye open and saw Magnus in a red t-shirt staring down at me, giving me his signature smirk."What are you doing my room?" I asked. "More importantly why are you in my bed?" I would have reacted by beating the snot out of him, but I just didn't have the energy. Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"What, you don't remember what happened last night?" I tried to remember but I couldn't. "No." I said, sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "What happened?" "You were sleep fighting your dad." "What?" After Halfborn invited us to watch a movie you went to your room. I couldn't sleep so I went to take a walk. You were out fighting an invisible opponent. I had to slap you awake." By now he placed a hand on my head and started to move it back and forth. There was something really comforting about it so I didn't stop him.

He continued, "Then you asked if you could sleep with me. Something about monsters under the bed. You didn't even let me answer and you we're already in my room sleeping. "At that I swear I felt my cheeks heating up. Magnus then hurriedly added, "Um not that I don't mind."I just slept in the atrium. Reminded me of going camping with my mom though." He grinned like we were sharing a joke. Was Magnus always this cute?

"So before you get up I need to ask a very important question." Magnus asked. "Uh sure. What is it?" "You're female right now, right?" It always shocked me when he guessed my gender on the first try. No one guesses right. They always need me to tell them. I asked him so many times how he does it, but he always has the same answer: 'I have no idea how I did it'. After thinking for a few minutes I answered, "Right again Magnus. If you keep this up then I just might have to make you a trophy for your perceptiveness. Just don't get to cocky."

Magnus gave me another smirk. "We'll see. Now hurry up and get out of bed. We have to go meet Hearth, Blitz and Sam at the Duck statues by seven – MMFF. " That last bit was because I hit him with a pillow. "Thanks Magnus." I said "For what?" he replied, taking the pillow off his face. "For putting up with me last night." I answered. "I would have woken you up, but you looked really adorable." Magnus said giving me a smile. Then immediately he started to blush. "I'll keep that in mind." I said feeling my cheeks heat up. "Oh, could you do me a favour and not tell the others about it? I'd rather they didn't hear about it." I asked. "My lips are sealed." He proceeded to lock his lips and throw away the key.

I went back to my room and quickly got dressed. I remembered what Magnus told me about Alfheim. Sunny 24/7. I wore a ripped, lime green pair of jeans and my favourite argyle sweater on top of a white tee. Then I attached a few chains to my jeans and tied my knife around my waist. I put on a pair of black combat boots with fuchsia pink shoelaces. When I went to open my door, I noticed Magnus was outside holding a pair of dark sunglasses.

He had changed into a denim jacket with a flannel shirt underneath. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and hiking boots. "Here you'll need this." He gave me the glasses. "Alfheim has a lot of light so I went to the gift store to in the hotel to get a pair for the both us." "When did you that?" I asked him. He had gone straight to bed as far as I can remember. "Before I went to go ask you." He replied. "How did you know I would come?" He answered by imitating that blue cat from Fairy Tail, "Because you looove me." Before I could smack him he took off down the hall.

Breakfast was a bit interesting. This was mostly because everyone was looking for Jack. Jack was surrounded by a thousand fans all wanting him to do another round. Everyone was so preoccupied with Jack; getting breakfast was easy for once. No one attempted to kill me. No one pushed me or shoved. The buffet table was practically empty of hungry warriors. Taking advantage of the situation, I decided to get my food before anyone came back to the table. I soon found Magnus looking really dejected and maybe a bit shocked too. "What happened to Magnus?" I asked sitting down next to Mallory.

Mallory had switched out of her Valhalla clothes into a dark green jacket with worn out jeans and black army boots. Beside her was her boyfriend. Halfborn was wearing a t-shirt and cotton pants. T.J had his army jacket over a blue v-neck shirt and was wearing dark blue jeans

"Oh him? He just came running in grinning, when everyone charged him." Mallory explained to me. "That was so funny. Everyone came up to him, and begged him to take Jack out. When he did they all kicked him out. He actually landed in front of our table on his butt." Halfborn said before proceeding to laugh his butt off.

T.J added, "He's been looking like that for a while now." I sat there for a few minutes watching him. After a little bit I couldn't take it, watching Magnus look like that. So I did the most logical and least fatal thing I could think of. I stood up and pinched his cheeks. "Ow. Alex let go." He asked. "Not until you stop looking like a discarded pawn. Come on. So your Sword has a better social life than you. You're not alone. I don't have a great social life here too. Other than you guys I don't have anyone to call friends.

Magnus looked a bit skeptical. "Really?"

"Yes really you idiot."

"Fine I'll try my best." Magnus said and gave me a better smile.

"That's better. Now hurry up. We'll keep the others waiting like this. And I don't like being tardy."

"Oh, so you two are going out to Midgard?" Halfborn asked.

"Yep. We're going to help Hearth in Alfhiem."

"If you're going out after breakfast, the three of us might tag along too to see you off."

"Why?" Magnus asked immediately suspicious.

"Because the three of us need to go buy some Chocolate cake for one of our friends." T.J said.

"As long as it's nothing suspicious, I'm fine." I said.

"Now that's settle let's eat 'cause I'm starving." Mallory said.

At that exact moment, we heard the most terrible singing I ever had the misfortune of hearing. "What the Helhiem is that?!" I screamed. "Jack!" Magnus yelled back. "That's Jack?! I thought he was better than this." Mallory said. "Welcome to my world." Magnus muttered. All of Jack's new fans fled. After getting to the chorus of 'Highway to Hell' Jack realised that his fans were gone. I think he really did send his fans on the highway to hell. "I told them I sound better from a distance! But do they listen? Nooo." Jack floated back to Magnus and asked to be turned into a pendent again. Magnus happily complied. "I'm sorry we doubted you Magnus." T.J said. Magnus had this really smug look n his face and said, "That's right. I'm right. Pay your respects."

After breakfast I went to me and Magnus went to our rooms to get our bags. Blitz had made us two backpacks similar to the one he improved for Tiny. Mine was named Abyss and Magnus named his Bottomless Pit. We exited the hotel and proceeded to the Duck statues with T.J, Mallory and Gunderson in tow. We met up with Blitz and Hearth a few blocks before the statues.

"Hey Magnus! How ya doing Alex." Blitz happily greeted us. Hearth, signed,"What gender are you today?" Magnus had offered to teach me ASL. I do not like relying on others for help unless I have no other choice. "I am female right now." I said signing as I spoke. "You're getting better at ASL." Hearth said. "Thanks."

Blitz was wearing an army green three piece suit. He probably wore it to blend in with the tree. Hearth was wearing his usual wardrobe which included his black jacket and peppermint scarf. "Hey where is Sam?" I asked. "I thought she was coming" Blitz answered, "Sam is in Alfhiem doing something for the All Father. We'll meet her at Alfhiem."

We soon made our way to the statues. On the way we got up to speed on Blitz and Hearth's lives. Blitz was excitedly discussing about his invitation to a fashion show. "They really liked my designs! They had never seen anything like it!" He was acting like a schoolgirl who just got asked out to prom by her long time crush. His excitement was very contagious.

None of us could stop smiling. Hearthstone was smiling a really faint smile. Magnus had once told me that a faint smile was his version of fan-boying. I can't believe he has to go face his utterly pathetic father. Magnus was so mad when he told me; I offered him the pots that didn't come out right to break. Honestly I don't blame him. What kind of parent blames their kid for being deaf? Soon we were a block away from the statues.

"Well, looks like this is where we split ways." Gunderson said. "Looks like it." Magnus said. We were about to go when T.J's mouth hit the floor. "What? Is it something on my suit?" Blitz asked. T.J pointed behind us. We turned around to see four teenagers sitting on a huge dog. It was easily the size of tank. While we were still staring, the mutt charged us.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who commented. I am so happy. Hope you guys like this.