Despite being against drinking alcohol, Percy really liked his job. He worked from four in the afternoon until midnight.
His room was basic. A bed by the window, a desk, a clock and a cabinet for his clothes. He put all the clothes from his backpack in the cabinet and the bag that held the golden apple in a desk drawer.
Every night he took it out and would stare at it, wondering if that night would be the night he would eat it. But every night he would put it back, convinced that he would decide the next day.
It was three months of peace and Percy looked through his window as he sat on his bed. It was half past three and was told to put on his best clothes. He wasn't told why.
He put on the original clothes from the backpack he got from Hera. The colored shirt that represented the people who gave him his new life, the jeans, the sneakers, and the jacket.
He wasn't sure he should wear the sneakers though. They were too... modern for this world. But he put them on anyways.
He looked at his desk drawer one last time before walking out the door and down the stairs.
When he went reached the bottem floor he saw Randolph and the waitresses scrambling to tidy up the already clean tavern. Randolph noticed Percy and stopped cleaning. So did the waitresses when they saw him.
Confused by all the staring asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"
Everybody laughed as Randolph thought, 'Only he could make a day like this funny'.
"What happened to your hair man?" Rudolph questioned. Percy's hair had turned completely black when everybody stared at him.
Percy, however, was confused. "What?" He asked. "I got a haircut yesterday."
And he needed one. Before yesterday he had to put it in a pony tail so he wouldn't look like a girl.
Right when Randolph was about to answer the door opened. He turned to find The Elven Guard.
"Greetings," Randolph said while getting on his knee as a bow. The rest of the maids did so as well. But the guard scowled at something behind them. He turned to find Percy only bowing his head.
Percy lifted his head and walked behind the bar. His swords gleaned in the light that came through the door.
Randoph watched Percy as he walked behind the pillar and came out with his usual raven black, blizzard blue combo. He looked at the guards then looked down and grabbed four glasses.
"What can I get you gentlemen?" Percy asked. He highly doubted that they were gentlemen but he decided to be nice anyways.
The way they just came in here looking smug as everyone bowed gave Percy a trip to his past. He hated his past.
As he looked over to the guards he noticed a carriage behind them through the door. It was black and nicely crafted with two beautiful horses.
'Who are you carrying?' He spoke in the horses mind. He wasn't sure if it worked but hey, why not?
The horse spoke back. 'Who are you?'
'I'm the bar keep,' he said as he walked over to the counter of the bar. He could tell the horse wanted to ask more questions but Percy told him, 'Just answer the question.'
'The Princess,' the horse scoffed at him. 'It is her carriage after all.'
Percy said a quick thank you and asked the guards, "What can I get you gentlemen?"
They glared at him and Percy stared right back until they got tired and the captain nodded. "Aye, some ale would do."
Percy nodded and began to pour the drinks. "And will the Princess be getting anything?"
Instantly the guards had their swords out and the tip at Percy's chin. But he calmly mixed drinks.
The guards looked at him and thought he was either stupid or overconfident. Randolph happened to know he was neither.
They hadn't witnessed the one fight Percy got into his first week here. The reason most of Randolph's bar keeps are dead.
A big burly dude named Twig. He challenged Percy to a fight and he accepted. The fight was over in eight seconds with Percy as the winner. Let's just say Twig is a very nice statue.
Everybody knew not to mess with the Siren's Song. It was protected by Percy Frost.
Percy was calm but couldn't help but get angry. "I suggest," he said slowly, "that you put your swords down."
"Why should we?" The captain taunted. "And how did you know the Princess was here?"
"Because that's her carriage," Percy snapped. "I do have eyes you know. Now. Put. The Swords. Down."
Percy spoke with so much authority that all but the captain dropped their swords on the floor. This left the entire bar to wonder what he did before he came there. He never talked about his past.
Suddenly, when Percy was going to show his cold side, a voice rang out.
"Captain Barius what do you think your doing?"
Everyone turned to the door way to see the Elven Princess Leah (lee-uh) looking really pissed. The captain dug the tip of the sword into Percy's chin. No one but Randolph noticed that the liquor rose to the top of the bottles.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting, Princess." He told her, "I was just dealing with a street rat."
Suddenly Percy began to chuckle. Everyone turned to look at him weirdly.
"Sorry," he laughed. "I just remembered something funny."
In truth, he was thinking about the time he watched Aladdin with his mother. He imagined the captain breaking out into song about a stolen peace of bread.
With a roll of her eyes, she continued, "Captain Barius you are to return to the carriage and wait for me to give you further orders."
The captain looked at her and shock and looked like he wanted to argue. "That's an order."
The captain grumbled and left, leaving Percy to rub his chin subconsciously. Princess Leah walked up to Percy and examined him.
He had black and blue hair, changing eyes, and -in her opinion- a very nice body. He seemed young, maybe a year or two older than her. He wore a weird style of clothes she made a note to ask about later.
Percy was analyzing her as well. She had straight blond hair, full lips, a small cute nose, and elf ears. Her head was crowned with a tiara that reminded him of Thalia.
She wore a slim green dress that was poof-like but Percy could tell she was wearing pants. Percy internally smiled. At least she's smart enough to do that.
"I apologise for-" She begun to say.
"Don't." Percy told her. That one word made Leah's voice die in her throat. "You have nothing to apologise for," Percy told her.
Leah seemed to get back her voice, "But he's under my command-"
"And you're responsible for him," Percy finished. Leah could only nod. "But it was his decision to point that sword at me, not yours. Therefore you're not to blame."
He did a smile that every woman and the bar blushed to. But being Percy he didn't notice it. "Besides," Percy continued. "I could've taken him."
Leah just gaped at him. "You could have taken on the captain of the entire Royal Guard?" Leah asked incredulously.
"Well now that you say it like that," Percy said. "It's seems possible."
Percy heard the horse outside mutter, 'Stupid messenger opening the carriage looking for the princess.'
'It's fine,' Percy told the horse. 'The princess was just leaving any way.'
"What's your name?" Leah asked. Percy looked at her and she couldn't breathe. His eyes were like the sea with a blizzard overhead.
What Leah thought was weird was that the man waited a long moment and then a messenger appeared in the door way.
"Princess Leah," the messenger said. "The king wishes for your presence."
"Thank you," she replied. She turned to the bar keep to see him already walking away back behind the counter.
Percy's heart was pounding. When his eyes met hers, his breathe hitched. They were a forest in their own little worlds.
So he walked away as she was talking to the messenger. The look he saw her give him made Percy laugh internally. It was a mix between shock and a glare.
"Is there anything I can get you?" Percy asked. "Some ale or mead for the king, perhaps?"
Leah sighed. "No. But thank you. I shall take my leave now." Percy bowed with his back and watched as everyone else took a knee.
Leah looked at the bar keep with intrigue. Why did he not bow like everyone else in the kingdom? Why show so little respect?
She wanted to ask him those questions but she somehow knew he wouldn't answer them. Then another thought came to her head: who would disobey the princess?
She nodded and went out the door to her carriage, her guard following at her heels. She climbed into her carriage and took one last look at the Siren's Song. The bar keep was still looking at her and when she met his eyes, she felt she was dunked into the deepest part of the frozen sea. She will definitely come back that night.
LineBreak
"Don't think this gets you out of singing tonight," Randolph said.
Percy groaned. "Do I have to?" He asked. "I do it that one time and you start hounding me."
Randolph put his hands up. "It's not my fault you decided to sing on stage when you thought no one was there.
"Besides," Randolph continued. "Everybody loves it. The Song is packed tenfold on the days you play. No one can guess where you get your inspiration from."
Percy knew exactly where he got his inspiration. He just sang modern songs acoustic style. It wasn't his fault everyone seemed to like it.
He went on with his day as though that morning never happened. Of course that was all he could think about.
The day went on as usual. Percy served drinks and washed glasses. He only had to break up two fights, which stopped as soon as he was on scene.
When it was around ten, Randolph stood on the stage, immediately silencing everyone. He looked powerful standing there in his jeans and white shirt.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he bellowed. "You know what tonight is?"
Everybody in the tavern cheered except for one fellow in the corner wearing a cloak.
"That's right! Tonight is the night that Frost sings!"
Everyone clapped and hollered and whooped. Percy walked out from behind the counter and the cheering reinvigorated itself.
Percy walked up and took a guitar from inside a chest. He grabbed a stool, sat down, and looked at the crowd.
"So..." He said nervously. "What do you want me to sing?"
There was a lot of chatter between the people of the bar. This was a really big deal as all of Percy's songs were amazing.
The person in the cloak, who was Leah, had barely a clue what was going on. All she knew that the bar keep was going to sing and everyone liked this fact. She wondered why.
She snuck out of the castle, as she does every month to go back to the Siren's Song. There was something about the bar keep...
Suddenly, a guy stood up and shouted, "Way Down We Go!"
Percy smiled. To be honest, that was one of his favorites. He nodded and began to strum his guitar.
'Father tell me, we get what we deserve
Oh we get what we deserve
'And way down we go
Way down we go
Say way down we go
Way down we go
'You let your feet run wild
Time has come as we all oh, go down
Yeah but for the fall oh, my
Do you dare to look him right in the eyes?
'Cause they will run you down, down til the dark
Yes and they will run you down, down til you fall
And they will run you down, down til you go
Yeah so you can't crawl no more
'And way down we go
Way down we go
Say way down we go
Cause they will run you down, down til you fall
Way down we go
'Oh bab-bab-yeah
Wow baby
Baby
Bab, down we go
Yeah
'And way down we go
Way down we go
Say way down we go
Way down we go'
Percy finished strumming and the entire tavern cheered. Percy did an exaggerated bow, walked off stage, and put the guitar up. He went behind the counter, not noticing the flirty smiles he got from the girls and the glares he got from the boys.
Leah watched the bar keep in wonder. His voice was like everything she ever wanted at had come to life. A life outside the palace and a marriage that actually consisted of love.
Leah turned towards one of the girls she was next to that watched the bar keep play. She was practically drooling over the bar keep.
"Excuse me," she asked the girl, "but what's the bar keep's name?"
The girl turned to look at her. A little pissed that she was taken out of her... fantasy.
"That," she said in a lustful tone. "Is Percy Frost. The mysterious and downright gorgeous twenty year old who came from nowhere."
Leah's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?" She asked.
The lady explained, slightly annoyed. Shouldn't she know this? "As in," she told her, "that he just... appeared. As in there is no record of him. Anywhere. I know. I work as the apprentice to the castle's record advisor. I searched for a Percy Frost everywhere. He's not there."
To say Leah was intrigued was the correct answer. She looked back to Percy to see him yell at two people about to get into a fight.
"Hey," he called. "Quit fighting or I'll send you both to Tartarus without your consent!"
Leah had no idea what 'Tartarus' was, but apparently the two men did. They paled considerably and nodded to eachother before sitting down.
Could that word be a clue? Leah decided she'd look it up in the library and quickly went out the door back to the castle, brushing past a crying woman as she walked down the town streets.
LineBreak
Percy had just finished yelling at the same people as earlier when Daisy entered the tavern. She was crying and her cheek was bruised.
"Daisy!" Percy shouted in alarm. Half the tavern looked at him and Daisy as Percy vaulted over the counter. The only thought in anyone's mind was: Whoever caused that is going to die. You never mess with Percy. He'll give you a beating and that was that. But you never mess with Percy's friends. If you do... you better hope you ran fast enough.
"Perce!"
"What happened? Who hit you?. Percy was firing questions if like a rocket.
But Daisy just shook her head. "We can't talk here."
Percy, although confused, nodded and took her into the back room where Randolph was doing bills. When he noticed Daisy, he yelled the exact same questions Percy did.
"They took my brother," she sobbed. "They're going to hang him tomorrow morning."
Percy calmly replied, "Tell us what happened."
"I was with my brother," she told them, "He was trying to get me to stop escorting. Then the Heart Lord came in with his guard.
"They had their eyes on me and I didn't want to do it. And I told them so. Then one of the guards hit me and I fell. Darrek- my brother- hit one of them and they beat him and dragged him away. Talking about how they were going to hang him due to attempted murder and assault of a gaurd."
By the end of her story Percy was very angry. He watched her, using his wolf body reading skills. She was scared. For her brother and herself.
"Daisy," Percy said. "Did they hurt you besides the hit?"
The way he spoke in that deadly calm voice was scary. It dared her to lie to him. His eyes were the same. Swirling with power and change.
Daisy looked down defeated. "One of them stayed behind," she said quietly. Her insinuation clear as day.
"What's his name?" Percy asked. His voice only let a sliver of his anger through. And it scared both Daisy and Randolph.
Randolph has seen Percy mad. It was natural. He beat people who fought in the tavern and that was as far as it went. But Randolph has never seen him this... angry.
"Michael," she whispered quietly. Percy nodded.
"I'm going to get your brother back," Percy told her. He turned to Randolph. "Where would they have him?"
Randolph snapped into action like a soldier, though he had no idea why. He hadn't been in the Galleon Army for ten years. Though the way he thought Percy as a commander made him inwardly smile. "Most likely in the main castle's dungeon. As for the guards, they're most likely still with him with the Heart Lord."
Percy frowned. "What's the Heart Lord?"
"He's like the person in charge of the human district." Randolph said, "He was appointed by both dwarves and elvesmen. The human lord is the heart-"
"-And the elves are the mind and the dwarves are the body," Percy finished. Randolph nodded. This kid was not as stupid as he acts. "Alright. I'll go tonight."
Randolph made a split second decision. He promised he would never use it again, but maybe Percy could do more good than he ever could.
"Percy wait." Randolph called once he noticed Percy walking away. "Follow me. I may have something that can help you."
Percy followed his employer out of the room, up the stairs, and into his room; Daisy silently trailing behind him.
Randolph stopped and nodded towards his chest in the corner of the room. He couldn't bring himself to touch it after all these years... The lives he's taken...
Percy opened the chest and was amazed at was inside. Clothes. He looked at Randolph and made a face, who made a carry on motion with his hand.
Percy dug through the clothes. Pulling them out as he went. Finally, there was a small chest. But it was still large. It was smaller than the fist chest but still pretty big.
He opened it and caught his breath. Inside was a jacket. But it looked exactly like the Assassin's jacket from the games he used to play.
He looked at Randolph playfully. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Edward Kenway would it?"
Randolph looked at him in confusion and Percy muttered, "Nevermind."
He pulled out the jacket and shrugged the first one off and pulled the new one on.
It fit perfectly. Percy strapped the jacket closed and put the hood on. This time, both the warmth and the cold reacted in perfect harmony, spreading through his limbs and making their own investigation of the jacket.
They approved. Percy took off his hood and looked back in the second chest. Inside were two braces and Percy hoped they were what he thought they were.
"Here," Randolph said. "Let me put these on for you."
Percy let him. Randolph strapped the wrist blades to Percy, trying not to think of all the lives he took with those. He couldn't help but notice that Percy looked like a trained warrior. Acted like one too.
He watched as Randolph put them on memorizing the way it went. To say Randolph was curious about Percy's past now more than ever would be the correct assumption. But he didn't say anything.
Daisy watched in silence as Percy began to look like a badass. He looked like an old assassin from the Galleon Army. They were the worst of the worst. Killing both light and dark races alike.
Once the gauntlets were on, Percy experimented with them with a flick of the wrist. The blades came out. They were the size of half his forearm and clearly dangerous. He flicked his wrist again and they shot back into his braces.
He smiled to his friend. "Thank you." Percy put a hand on Randolph's arm, "I won't forget this."
Percy walked out of the door with both of his friends following. Suddenly, he stopped.
He thought about the apple. He could die; he was going into a heavily guarded castle. He went into his room and opened the drawer. He picked up the apple and stared at it, forgetting that his friends were there.
He thought about eating it. But stopped. No one in this world was immortal. If he ate it, he would be all alone. For eternity.
Then he had an idea. It might work, Percy had no idea. Carefully, Percy took out his knife and cut the apple in half.
He put one half of the apple back in the black bag and stared at the other half. It was dripping juice on to his palm and leaving behind a sticky feeling.
He took a bite. Then another. And another. Until all of it was gone. It tasted like the best thing that he's ever had. Except for his mom's blue cookies of course.
He shut his eyes as he felt his blood change into ichor. It was unsettling. He wondered if he slowed his aging? Or if he can only die in battle? He didn't plan to find out that last one.
He looked to Randolph and handed him the black bag. "Keep this safe for me," he told him. "And whatever you do? Don't. Eat. It. I have no idea what kind of effect it would have on you."
Randolph took the bag, wondering who the hell is Percy Frost, really?
Percy walked out the back door of the tavern as to not attract attention from the townspeople. He walked through the streets, using his uncle's gift to help him blend into shadows. He passed so many people without getting noticed, he started to have fun himself.
Soon he reached the castle gates. So how was he going to do this? He felt the need to make an impression...
He strolled in front of the gates and the guards were talking animatedly. When Percy strolled up, they didn't notice. Only when he coughed did they leap into action.
'Thanks Hades,' he thought to no one.
"Why are you here?" Asked one of the guards. They didn't think the man was a threat. So he put on a jacket and had two swords at his sides? That made him over confident for not pulling them out. Didn't it?
Percy decided to let his Jack Frost side take over. He felt his hair and eyes change. He could see his breath float in front of him as he exhaled. He leaned a bit forwards and put his hands behind his back. Like a little kid asking a question.
"I'm looking for something," he said as innocently as he could. Which was a lot. "Two things actually."
Despite their internal radar screaming 'RUN', they were curious as to why he was there.
"And what would that be?" A different guard sneered.
Percy smiled. "Oh you know, just the dungeon and the Heart Lord."
The guards stared at him. "And you think we'll just tell you?" One asked incredulously.
Percy's smile widened. "One of you will."
Percy threw a punch into the first guard's face so fast, none of the guards saw it coming. The guard crumpled to the floor, unconscious. There were four guards total now.
They surrounded Percy, their swords drawn and aimed at his chest. Percy let his instincts take over. He pulled one of the guard's sword forward and to the side causing the guard to stumble forwards. Percy delivered a kick to the back of the guys knee, making him fall to the ground.
The other guards attacked at the sane time. Percy used that to his advantage as he shoved one into another and kneed the third's stomach. Third gasped in pain but was cut off when Percy gave him an uppercut. He hit his head on the cobblestone road. His vision went fuzzy.
He watched the blurry figures of his friends crumple one after the other by the hooded man. He was afraid. It's not everyday a guy can take out an entire squad of guards.
Percy knocked the last guy unconscious and sighed. He looked towards the sky to see the moon. Then his ADHD started acting up. Moon. Artemis. Hunters. Thalia. Lieutenant. Zoë.
He looked around for the huntress and sighed in relief when he found her. Maybe even another dimension can't completely destroy the gods' influence.
Percy heard movement and turned. There was a guard crawling away. Or, trying to at least. To Percy, he looked like a fish trying to swim in air.
Percy liked this guy. He probably suffered a concussion but still tried to do something. Trying with a handicap...
"Hey," Percy called out to him. "How do I get to the dungeon?"
"Why," the guard asked, "would I tell you? You could let out the worst criminals that this kingdom has ever seen!"
Percy thought about it. "True," he told the guard. "But I like it here. And I plan on staying for a long while."
The guard could tell he was telling the truth, Percy saw it in his eyes. Eventually, the guard nodded his head. He then proceeded to give the hooded guy directions to the dungeon.
Percy thanked the man and explained that he would have to knock him out if he wanted to live. The man agreed. So Percy hit him on the temple with his fist and the guy fell flat on his face.
Percy walked through the castle halls, following the path that the guard gave him. Soon he came to a thick wooden door. It opened with a large creek and Percy froze.
Standing in front of him were guards with five swords aimed at his chest and throat. Percy really didn't want to kill anybody. He still had morals. Until his Jack Frost side whispered in his ear.
They were protecting the Heart Lord and his actions. Working for the wrong cause...
Percy knocked all the swords away and kicked the front one into the rest.
Two got up and charged him. Percy dodged the first and second slash and flicked his wrists. The blades came out as he locked a stand-still with the guards on either sides of him.
He shoved there swords away and pounced on one, shoving his blade up into the guy's chin.
Blood dropped down onto his wrist and down his arm. He didn't have time to think about what he'd just done when the other man attacked. Percy retracted both blades and got into his guard. He let both of his blades sink into the man's flesh.
The man died and Percy retracted his blades. He looked to the other guards knocked out. That was... easy.
He walked forward, stepping over the dead and unconscious. It was a long dark hallway with lanterns hanging off the walls.
Percy found a cell that was grouped together. There were only two people in there. A boy older than him and a girl younger, by like ten or eleven years.
"Are you Darrek?" Percy asked the boy. He nodded his head. Percy could tell he wasn't lying. "Your sister sent me," he continued. Darrek looked up in shock. "You're coming with me."
He froze the cuffs and chains and broke them. He had Darrek standing on his feet and was walking away when he stopped. He turned towards the girl who was probably nine years old.
"What's your name?" Percy asked her. "What did you do?"
She looked at him. He still had his hood on so she couldn't see his face. He had on this jacket that screamed "I'm A Deadly Warrior" but he didn't seem cocky.
"Chlo," she answered. She saw him grin. "And murder..."
She turned her head in shame. Suddenly, a cold hand took her chin and made her look at the owner. His eyes were the very definition of power. Swirling balls of power...
"You did it to protect yourself." It wasn't a question but she nodded anyways. The man smiled. "Then you have nothing to be ashamed of."
He froze the cuffs and broke them off of her. She stood, rubbing her sore wrists.
"Come on, let's go." He turned and it was like he was one of the cuffs he froze. Because standing in front of them is Princess Leah.
LineBreak
Leah couldn't believe what she just heard. A decorated guard had just told a group of guards how he and his squad were going to sentence an innocent man to death. Leah felt disgusted when the man began to tell- in detail- about the uncooperative escort.
She left and went through her secret hole just in time to see a man in a hood crouched low next to a squadron of guards. It looked like he was talking to the guard. Then out of nowhere, he hit the guard, making him fall back.
The hooded guy walked away quickly and leisurely, like he couldn't decide to be which one. As he walked away into the door of the castle, Leah checked the pulses of the guards and was relieved when she felt them alive.
Curious to know what the hooded man was doing, she followed him. He didn't seem to know the castle and that put Leah at the advantage. He walked a weird way. Leah could see that he switched between authoritative and sneeky and leisurely at a regular basis. He was walking straight towards the dungeon.
Leah waited behind the corner of a wall while he opened the door. It came with a loud creak and then all was silent.
Then a loud crash echoed through the hall and then clanging. It was half a minute later when the clanging stopped. Silence.
Five minutes later Leah couldn't take it anymore. She reached the door and almost lost her dinner. Inside was the bodies of two of the guards, dead. The other three were, thankfull, happily breathing. She was walking down the gloomy hallway when she heard, "Then you have nothing to be ashamed of."
There was a snap and she walked in. There were three people. The Hooded One, a boy, and a little girl. The last two rubbed their wrists. They had yet to notice Leah.
"Come on, let's go." He turned back towards the entrance, where she was standing. He froze. So did the other two, most likely following his example.
Suddenly, he shouted, "Look over there!"
She felt like an idiot as she followed his directions and turned. She blacked out quicker than she'd ever had.