Chapter Four: Moodiness

I swam over to the coral garden. It was one of my favorite places to hide, I mean, hang out. I looked up. There was no light from the sun what so ever. I couldn't even see the surface. It was just black water, where the light from the pearls and enchanted torches could not reach. It would be sunset right now. I leaned against a pillar and sighed. Right now the campers would be singing at the campfire. Annabeth would be leaning against me with my arm around her. We would all be teasing Nico and Will about kissing in the firelight. Katie would be lecturing Travis and Connor and then smiling and kissing her boyfriend. After the sing a longs, Mr. D would tell us how much he hated us and then go to bed. Chiron would say capture the flag would be tomorrow, and everyone would cheer.

I sighed again and pulled out my pen, taking off the cap. I studied the inscription. I didn't get to study my sword all the time, usually it was a blur. The metal was bronze. The sword itself was thicker at the handle and eventually narrowed into a deadly sharp point at the end. There were no inscriptions on the blade itself. The handle was nothing fancy. On the cross guard was the name Riptide in Ancient Greek. The handle was covered in black leather strips for grip. Everywhere else was bronze. I shook my head. Taking the cap I touched it to the pommel of the handle. The sword shrunk in my hands and became a pen. I wrote on my hand, Annabeth, in Greek. The pen worked underwater as well. Interesting.

"Percy?" Turning, I saw Triton coming over.

"Yes?" He looked at me closely.

"Why are you moping so much? What's gotten into you? You race the waves all day long and still come back long faced. You're so tense and restless that you put Father's moods to shame! Yesterday, Mako and I took you hunting and yet you still sighed at dinner as if you lost your…oh…"

I smiled. "Lost my love? Yes, I miss Annabeth."

Triton sighed. "Percy, it's only been three weeks! One more month and you'll return to the upper world." He looked slightly insulted that I didn't enjoy his company as much as Annabeth's.

I laughed. "I've enjoyed it here. I like Atlantis, I really do. It's just…I promised Annabeth I would never be parted from her."

"Why'd you promise something as silly as that? Of course you're going to be parted from her. Everyone has to be, that's called life!"

Elise swam over to us. The rest of the gang was with her. I gave her a hard look. The kind of look Triton sometimes gives them to remind them of their place. I was still a Prince, even though I hated being reminded of it, I did not enjoy it when Elise dissed my girlfriend and friends. She looked away and flushed slightly.

Triton cleared his throat, and I answered. "I was taken away by Juno, the Roman avatar of Hera, for a mission. Juno told no one where I was, or that she was the one that took me. She wiped my memory and left me with the Romans. For nearly eight months I was lost to Annabeth. She had no evidence that I was still alive. Imagine living eight months thinking that the one you love with all you life is dead, but you have no closure at all. It is for that silly reason that I promised never to be parted from her again, not even…" I closed my mouth with a click of teeth.

"Not even…what?" Fresca whispered.

I stared at her. My stare shifted into a glare. "That is not your concern." She swam a little away from me. Triton coughed.

"We have pried too much into Percy's life." He looked at a loss on how to change the subject. Mako's eyes lit up.

"Let's break surface! The mortals will never see us. Truly! They think we're dugongs!"

Fresca laughed, relieved at the break in tension. "They always do!"

Tolo barked a laugh. "Maybe they thought Mako a dugong because he truly does resemble one?!" Tolo took stock of Mako's glare and shifted a little behind me.

Hunt grinned. "Come on, Percy! Let's go!" He sent me a pleading glance.

I forced myself to smile. "Very well."

They swam on ahead, and Triton swam close to me. "Elise likes you."

I stared at him and muttered a curse. "Why in Hades would she like me?!" I hissed at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Because you're the great Percy Jackson! The one demigod who has spoken to, and is on good acquaintance with nearly all the Olympian gods. The demigod who has done more, seen most, and experienced all there is to experience. Percy Jackson, the only demigod to kill over two thousand monsters, maybe even three thousand! What is there not to like?" He stared at me, as if expecting me to agree with him.

I scoffed. "I'm just me. Half of those stories are exaggerated."

He was about to disagree when I put a hand on his shoulder. "Tri, please don't. I hate those titles. I hate them."

"But, why…?"

I raised an eyebrow. He genuinely looked confused. I shook my head. "I don't know how to explain it, but…the titles bring the memories. Memories that I don't want to remember. Titles…ruin friendships. They cause jealousy where there really doesn't need to be any. Titles…cause…" I searched for the right word, waving my hand slightly in the water. "Strife." Triton looked at me closely and then nodded.

"Very well. I shall not bring it up again."

I grinned. "Thanks man." I looked ahead in the blue water. We were swimming in the Atlantic well away from any ship lines. There was nothing in the water except fish. The bottom was too far for even me to see. The surface was about seven meters above us. The other had given us a decent amount of space to talk privately. I whispered slightly, sound travels through water surprisingly well. "Elise is jealous? Or is she above that?"

Triton looked at the silver haired girl. "I would like to say that she is above jealousies, but…", he shrugged, "with women, I really don't know."

I chuckled. "Who does?" He smiled. I looked forward and saw a dark shape in the water. Land. "Guys! Wait up!" I recognized this area. I swam over to them. We cautiously broke surface. I smiled. "It's camp!"

I swam over to the shoreline. Triton swam up after me. "Father said that he didn't want you on land, Percy."

I waved him off. "I'm not going to leave the water. Don't worry!"

I looked around. Mako, Fresca, Tolo, Elise, Hunt, and Triton crowded next to me. I started pointing out things to them. "Over there, beyond the bushes is the arena. That over there is the pavilion, where we eat. That big building over there is called the Big House. That's where Chiron and Dionysus live. That man made mountain is where the Oracle of Delphi usually stays."

Fresca cocked her head. "Usually?"

I smiled. "It's winter now. She's with her family." Fresca made an 'ah' sound and nodded. "Anyway, over there is where the cabins are."

"Who goes there!"

"Duck!" Mako shouted. The others splashed underwater again, but Triton and I stayed where we were.

"Clarisse! How are you?" I shouted.

"Percy? What's that all over you?"

I realized that she was talking about my new skin color. "It's my skin. Father made me a fish." I felt a sharp tug on my tail fins at that comment, no doubt from Fresca.

Clarisse came over closer. I laughed. "I'm not going to drown you! That's only fable."

She smirked and walked to the shoreline. Peering at me in the light of the sunrise she started laughing. "You're skin is green!"

I laughed. "Yeah, but green is better than any other color. You should see this one mermaid. She's got freaky orange skin." I felt a painful tug on my fins. I snickered.

Triton cleared his throat. I coughed. "Uh, sorry. Clarisse this is my immortal half-brother, Triton. Son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He's also the heir of Dad's kingdom."

Triton smiled and nodded at Clarisse. I continued. "This is Clarisse, daughter of Ares, Retriever of the Golden Fleece, Drakon Slayer, and Blessed of Ares."

Clarisse beamed at that. Unlike me, she liked titles.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." I felt another tug on my tail.

"Oh for the love of…get up here, all of you! Stop yanking on my fins!"

Clarisse's jaw dropped as Mako, Fresca, Hunt, Tolo, and Elise appeared. Mako smirked. "It was Elise that time. The other two times it was Fresca."

I glared at the two girls. They glared at Mako. Triton just chuckled.

Clarisse cleared her throat. "Uh, Percy, do you want me to…call Annabeth?"

My eyes lit up, but Triton decided at that moment to speak up. "Remember your vow to Father. This is pushing it already." I growled.

Speaking to Clarisse I said, "Never mind. Father made me promise not to spend too much time above surface. I shouldn't even be talking to you. He wants me to spend all my time with the people of the sea and my immortal family. Learning the culture of the Mers and their history. Give this to her though, will you?" I handed her a folded water proof page ripped from my journal. Triton made to grab it but Clarisse snatched it before he could. My brother glowered at me. The land trembled.

"Now father's angry. Good job." I shrugged. I could handle Dad.

"Bye Clarisse!" I dove under the water again, followed by my new friends.

Triton continued to mutter. "You know he's had a fight with Athena. You know that he forbade you from communicating with the children of that goddess. You know what you did was directly against his wishes. Yet you still did, why?" His eyes flashed.

I sighed. "She is my betrothed, Triton. I love her." I ignored the intake of breath from Elise. I shot him a grin. "Father will just have to either send me back or forgive me. Now, come on! Let's race! One, two, three…GO!" We shot off, leaving Triton slightly behind, but he caught up quickly again. I laughed. I loved racing with my friends.