CHAPTER 2: I MET MY LONG-LOST FAMILY

I never liked my dreams.

No, not dreams. They were nightmares.

As if having an abusive and drunk stepfather who had the stupidest name in the world (Gabe Uligano. Who names themselves Uligano), working odd jobs for making money to help our home and my mom's absence sometimes to take extra shifts and other jobs to put me through school wasn't enough? I had nightmares almost every night.

Until I was six, I used to wake up screaming and scared due to these nightmares. They involved horrible things. Manhattan being burned. My mom bleeding from her head on my lap telling me something. A wide opening with trees all over with withered winged hags trying to kill and eat me. The air was red and poisonous and the ground looked suspiciously like skin. A 100 feet long snake coming in to bite me in half. A man in his late thirties with sea foam white coloured hair and sea blue coloured eyes2 and a sword that looked like a snake trying to drown me and the most horrible of them all a pit.

This pit itself looked bad with darkness all over it and being so deep my mind couldn't comprehend. But there was a white fog all around me and the pit seemed to have a force of its own. It would try to pull me inside while ghosts showed up and tried to pull me away from the pit. A voice would speak at that time it would call me young and weak but it would also say I would have to do.

The voice was the most horrible thing I have ever heard. It sounded old no not old ancient. It held a weight and power trying to drown me. It also sounded mad making my hair stand up. But when it laughed it sounded like a cacophony of cat hisses and nails over a blackboard. It sent shivers down my spine, made my ear drums explode and melt my mind to crazy.

But this time the nightmares started different. They were surprisingly pleasant.

It first started with me sitting with an eight-year-old who was taking care of a camp fire. I moved on towards her.

There is something important you have to know about my dreams. Most of screams use to wake up Gabe and he used to come into my room and punch me on my face and make me go unconscious.

This caused me to develop a method of make me concentrate when I was asleep. This would help me to split my conscious from my body allowing me to watch my dreams in the third person perspective and not a first person. This made it easier for me to control myself and my screams when I had a particularly violent or horrible dreams. I didn't need to do it in the case of this dream. This dream reminded me of those dreams I had of my mom for the past month that made sad and happy at the same time. Happy cause they were the few bright spots in my horrible childhood. Sad cause – don't cry you idiot. You are not showing your emotions right now. Crying makes people think they can come after you. Don't cry.

But these dreams were pleasant so I stayed within myself to experience them. I should have known better.

Anyway, the eight-year-old had seen me and she smiled at me. The smile filled me with warmth. She suddenly became a thirty-year-old. Maybe stuff like this would have freaked me out a few years ago but after seeing huge demon dogs, snake legged woman and fire breathing lion cross breeds, I just sort of went with the flow. She had long brown hair reaching her waist and a calm and beautiful face. Her eyes were reddish brown like cinders of a camp fire. She stood up and extended her arms in a request for a hug. I rushed over and gave her that hug.

I looked older and little better. Like I had a meal every day for the past few months better. The both of us sat down and talked animatedly while she gave me blue cookies that my mom used to make. I could almost feel the buttery goodness from here.

I should probably explain the blue. Once Gabe, my dear stepfather, said there was no such thing as blue food. They had an argument about this and since then my mom was making blue food all the time. Blue pancakes, blue cookies, blue waffles, blue candy, blue cake and blue smoothies combining this with the fact she never took Gabe's last name made me believe she had a rebellious streak like I did.

Thinking about her brought tears to my eyes. If I ever found that giant of a man who attacked us after I put Gabe in his place, he would wish for death before I was done with him.

Anyway, the dream moved from the campfire to a different place. I was in what looked like an archery range. A bunch of targets were in front of me while I had a bow pulled and aimed to shoot. They bow was beautiful.

This dream seemed to be for me to watch from a distance so I did just that.

The Bow was ivory coloured. It had a unique look to it and had some kind of designs on it I couldn't make out. It gave out a faint yellow glow. I nocked and arrow stood in my position. I looked as I did right now only a little less skinny, healthier and taller.

A 20-year-old was circling my position. He looked good, with bluish gold eyes. Tan skin with a coppery tint and long blond hair tied back in a pony tail. He was tall and muscular and carried a golden bow. He was circling my position after I nocked an arrow and was looking over it and making correction to it. After he was done, he went a few steps back and nodded.

I released the arrow and it struck a bull's eye. I started jumping around glad I managed to hit the target. The man came over glowing like the sun and ruffled my hair. He gave me a good-natured smile.

Another man came over from the other side clapping. He was tall. He had a sharp nose, upturned eyebrows and a mischievous smile. He had light blue eyes and he looked at me with pride filled eyes. He had black hair, that looked wind swept like he just had a jog. He bent to my eyelevel while the other man looked at me.

The scene shifted again. I was in what looked like a campsite. Yet again I was watching from afar. Multiple silver tents were erected all over the wide space trees surrounding it. The campsite looked pretty empty. I kept walking around the place until I heard a laughter a lot of it in fact. A group of about 40 people were walking out of the trees. Upon, closer inspection I observed all of them except one were girls aging from 12 to 15. The other person was a boy and he had a black hoodie on and a pair jogging shorts. All of the girls on the other hand looked similar with same kind silver hunting parka's, silver wooden bows hung to their side, a pair of hunting knives strapped to their legs and another knife strapped to their arm. One of the girls had powerful glowing silver eyes. Another girl had a silver tiara on her head.

The other guy was walking in front of the group. He was tall about 6 feet tall. He was walking backwards talking the whole group he said something funny and the whole group cracked up. Even the twelve-year-old with the scary silver eyes had a smile on her face. The kid turned around and he was me. Four years older maybe but definitely me. Same scar over the eyebrows going into the forehead, same eyes, same hair. Everything he took out a rubber band tied his hair into a pony tail as the scene shifted to a nightmare.

I was at the pit again. I was trying to move out of my body but something was holding me inside.

The creepy voice spoke "Perhaps I underestimated you half-blood. You could still be useful. Strike a blow against the Gods. Join me and I will help you. You will be able to do things only other could hope to do. That man who put you through all those problems would be yours to do whatever you want to do to. You could have your mother back. Help me rise half-blood and you will be rewarded beyond what your mortal mind can comprehend."

During all the time he was talking the mist around the pit was getting denser. The ghosts were clattering horribly and pulling and pushing and causing massive panic. The surface suddenly became steep and I was being pulled and at the same time the gravity was aiding them into the pit. The ghosts were getting more anxious and were wailing.

I was panicking and started shifting around. The man gave out his maniacal laughter and my mind went blank and I froze, my legs turned to jelly and all energy left my body.

Just as suddenly this happened it was gone. I woke screaming and kicking in water in a pool. Calling it a pool would be wrong. It looked like one of those pods in Avatar where the humans connected to the Na'vi only it was filled with salt water and had no top. It had a golden base and the side were made of glass.

I looked down to see many of my scrapes were healed but the hits from Gabe were still on my body as scars. To add to them there were to puncture wounds on my left shoulder.

I awkwardly started floating in the pool with my half out of the water and my bottom part still submerged. I was in what looked like a hospital ward.

There were a hospital beds around and a few of those machines around. The room smelled of medicines and herbs and a faint smell of a sunny day.

But the whole thing was ruined by the gold. It was everywhere. The walls, the floor, the bed frame. Even the exit sign was glowing gold.

Suddenly the door which seemed to be both the entry and exit burst open and a man walked inside. Another man was walking in beside him.

Both of them looked exactly like the people I had seen in my dreams a few minutes (hours I wasn't sure) ago. The blond man walked over to me and looked into the machines by my side. The other man conjured a chair out of thin air and sat down.

After the blond was done fussing about the machine, he also took a seat beside the other man and looked at me.

Their gaze was unnerving and it was making me uncomfortable. I started looking into the water hoping for a shirt so that I could protect my chest from the onslaught of the air conditioner.

After some uncomfortable minutes the non-blond man spoke, "Why did you scream?"

My brain was broken out of its thoughts and I said something very intelligent along the lines of "huh."

The blond one now asked the same question again this time he was a little more relaxed "Why did you scream?"

"I had a nightmare" I answered honestly. Something told me it would not be good if I lied.

The non-blond man turned to the blond man who nodded his head.

The blond man turned to me and asked "What was the last thing you remember?"

Now I didn't know how to answer this question. Were they normal people who just knew about the crazy world I was now a part off or were they demigods or if they were with the monsters and their giant friend? I didn't know but I decided to tell them about my fight with the Chimera.

"I was being chased by an old lady and her dog. When we reached a clearing, her dog transformed into the Chimera and the lady changed into a scaled weirdo. They attacked me and I defended myself and killed them and then fell unconscious. After that I woke up in this pool and I am now talking to you."

Yet again the blond nodded to the other man but the other man had his eyes narrowed at me as if he was trying to pull out something from my words.

I held my breath and stared back at him when he spoke "You said Chimera."

I couldn't stop myself from uttering it "What?"

He smiled and said "You said Chimera and you said it with a lot of conviction. How do you know it is the Chimera and why are you not freaked out?"

"I had two weeks to freak out. Now I am just going with the flow."

As soon as I said that I wanted to slap myself. You are telling them more about yourself my brain said. I was scolding myself and looked up at the men. The non-blond man was looking at me and wasn't even slightly surprised as if he was expecting this. The blond on the other hand seemed to just comprehend the gravity of what I said.

"You knew what you were. How are you still alive?" the blond dude asked me his eyes wide open.

"I fought and survived. I killed a bunch of stuff like demon dogs and snake ladies. I have been on the street for the past one month." I told him. If anything, this only furthered dropped his jaw.

For the first time the non-blond was a little surprised.

"Okay kid. This is not helping. Tell us your story. From the start," said the non-blond.

I didn't want to tell them. But something in me was saying this was the right thing to do. So, I started,

"My name is Perseus Achilles Jackson but I prefer Percy. I am ten years old. My mother's name is Sally Jackson. We live in East One-hundred-and-fourth and First or used to…"

I was rudely interrupted by the blond guy who said, "We don't need all that boring stuff. Start from when you found about the Greek Gods being around."

I scowled at him. He just called my life boring.

The other man looked at him incredulously. He then smacked him at the back of his head.

He then turned to me and said "Forgive my half-brothers lack of tact, but what he meant is what lead you to find out that we are true? If you could start at that it would be good."

But my mind was stuck on a single thing, "The both of you are gods."

The non-blond man seemed to realize his slip up a little too late. The blond dude snickered at the other guy's expense.

But once they said that I realized how true these statements were. Both of them were radiating power and looked inhumanly good. Their eyes also seemed to hold a energy and light I mean literal light in the case of the blond dude like they were the sun.

"Yes, we are god's young half-blood. Now let me introduce myself. I am Phoebus Apollo God of the Sun, Archery, Music, Poetry, Healing, Plagues and a bunch of other cool things. While this is my half-brother Maia Hermes God of Messengers, Thieves, Travellers, Speed, Riches and a bunch of other uncool things."

I must have done something like bend a knee, or fall on my feet or something but I said something very very stupid.

"Oh"

Apollo's jaw dropped while Hermes eyes widened. After a few seconds Hermes managed to collect himself, he said

"Well, I have seen people bow, I have seen people kiss my feet, I have even seen people faint when I said that but you are the first one who has said 'oh'" said the man who was now identified as the Greek God Hermes. He chuckled to himself after this statement.

Apollo just managed to compose himself and said, "I like him. He has potential, a little spine and he is funny too."

"Now kid, tell me how did you find out about the gods," said Apollo.

I took in a deep breath and started

Flashback

It was August 18th. My birthday. We were going to Montauk. Finally, we weren't there for almost one and half year. I was excited and started packing my clothes. I placed some board games in the suitcase and briefly wondered if I should take any weapons with me.

"Wait weapons, what weapons? Why do you even have weapons?" asked Apollo.

I couldn't help it, "Maybe if you had allowed me to start from the beginning you would have found out."

Hermes snickered at Apollo while the Lord of the Sun looked at me with wide eyes and a scowl.

Before what would have definitely turned into an argument and my subsequent transformation into a pile of dust or a chipmunk Hermes put a hand on Apollo's shoulder and looked at me and said, "In that case, start from the beginning and try to keep it a little short. We have some duties to attend."

"Well, you see, my stepfather Gabe was an abusive drunk. Most of his time and our money he spent on poker parties and all kinds of other stuff. He had a job that gave money but he never used it to help around the house. This forced my mom to work multiple jobs, at different places and most of the week she would be away so as to earn enough money to put me in school. Whenever I came back from school either Gabe was present or no-one was home or he was. Neither of those options were good so I didn't stay. I used to roam the streets and took up some odd jobs to earn a little money to help."

"How old were you when you did this?" Hermes asked me. He didn't show me any pity much like Apollo but Apollo also had an angry expression on his face.

"I was six and a half when I started this. Anyway, I took these jobs and well sometimes I used to get bullied and sometimes hit by older kids. I dodged them most of the times but if they found me, I was surely going back with bruises. But one day a much older guy came at me. He had a switch blade and he tried to stab me. I dodged it once but he nicked me the second time he tried. The third time I reacted on instinct. I caught his arm brought mine down on his elbow in a karate chop. His arm broke and I kicked him in his stomach and he fell back. I then stamped his face and he went unconscious. I freaked out and ran from the alleyway. I reached another place and it started drizzling. The nick on my stomach which was stinging healed in the rain and I discovered water healed me. But a cyclops attacked me cause the use of this power attracted him. At that time, I didn't know. He was just a very horrible looking man and he came at me. He said he would cook and eat me and I freaked out. I got stuck in a dead end well I picked up a metal pipe and I tried to hit him but it passed through him. I managed to figure out normal metal didn't hurt him. I ran out of options and just smashed into him. He fell over and I started punching him where ever I could and after some time I struck concrete and it broke. Where the man was there was only dust. I freaked out more and ran home. But before I did a dagger fell out of the man's trench coat. I picked it up and dashed home. I slipped into my room and hid the dagger in a loose floorboard under my bed."

"How did you find a loose floorboard under your bed?" asked Apollo.

"How is that important?' asked Hermes.

"I just wanted to know. It's isn't like Uncle P to not take care of his children. He tends to try bend the rules to the most when it comes to his demigods," said Apollo.

But that statement quiet literally transformed my world upside down. Apollo's uncle and the letter P. "Poseidon Lord of the Seas, Earthshaker, Storm bringer, Lord of Horses. My father is Poseidon."

My jaw had hit the ground. So many things made sense. The lightning strike that hit a monster when I got desperate. The ice spreading everywhere when I got angry. The water reacting to my emotions and it healing me. Why couldn't I piece this together before.

Hermes shared a look with Apollo and then continued "Yes, your father is Poseidon."

I didn't know if I had to jump in joy or fell resentment towards by birth father.

Hermes was the one who spoke looking at the frown on my face. He spoke with what can be considered akin to loathing, hopelessness and melancholy. "You have to understand Percy that Poseidon probably wanted to help you. Take you in and raise you if he could. But the Ancient Laws forbad him from doing so."

I didn't understand what he meant by that and my confusion became prevalent on my face because Apollo picked up from where he left off with a similar sort of expression, "The Ancient Laws are a bunch of laws much older than the Titans that forbade us from directly interfering in the lives of mortals. They became even more strict after demigods came about. These laws only restricted the gods but demigods were only restricted by themselves. Allocated with the general abilities of the demigods we had to stop ourselves from interfering because it would only become worse. We got too involved in the Trojan War and half the known world was collapsing around us."

I read about the Trojan War in a book in the Library after I was on the run. Apollo destroyed half the Greek Army in a plague. Poseidon almost destroyed Troy when Achilles was killed. Ares slaughtered thousands of Greeks when he interfered. Aphrodite caused the whole war in the first place while Athena helped further the cause by getting her ego injured when she lost the contest and rallied the Greeks.

I nodded in understanding but whenever I thought about my father, I would remember strange things like a warm smile and faint glow and the words "I am proud of you" and "you are a true son of the sea." Knowing that he was restricted yet he gave me that watch whatever it did I was glad he tried to help.

I forgot to tell you about it. My father gave a watch to my mom to give to me. Gabe found out about it and tried to sell it for money. When no one was willing to buy it (maybe some kind of godly magic) he threw it off the sixth floor. I went looking for it and the place where it hit the pavement cracked and it seemed fine.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Hermes said, "Anyway, continue with your story."

"Before I do, my father left me a watch for my mother to give me after I turned four. She did but my stepfather found out and tried to sell it to use for his poker parties when no one brought it, he threw it out the window and it was completely fine. Not wanting to lose it I tried to hide it and I found the floorboard. I hid it there with some of the pictures of me and my mother minus the frame that Gabe sold for money and a guitar that belonged to my father that my mom placed in a cabinet. Do you think they are special in any way?"

"The guitar maybe the watch definitely. I wouldn't place it ahead of Uncle P to try to help his children. We must get that watch," said Hermes.

Apollo was sitting with his mouth wide open. He managed to compose himself and said, "Uncle P plays a guitar. I did not know or expect that. Wow, maybe I can convince him to hold a concert with me." His thoughts went further away down that road.

"Apollo focus," chastised Hermes. He turned to me and said, "Continue the story kid."

"Well after that I didn't leave my room for three days but when Gabe discovered that I wasn't doing my part to live under his roof. He punched me and made sure I left the house for the job. I managed to take the dagger with me and went around doing my job. I got attacked by bullies again but I didn't fight back much. Scared of what it would do. I was washing a particularly nasty scar away when a hellhound picked up my scent. It tried to eat me but I managed to dodge around until a homeless guy tried to help me thinking it was some kind of rabid dog or something. The hellhound ate him alive by ripping his torso off his body and I just sort of lost it. I ran at the beast and delivered a devastating uppercut to its snout. Two of its canines snapped out of its jaw and the thing went flying. I then lifted him up and threw him onto a rock. His back broke and he lay down whimpering. I collected the two 2 feet long canines and stabbed the horrible hound in the neck and stomach and then finally used my dagger to stab it in the heart. It turned to dust. I picked up the teeth and walked away. I placed a dollar where the man who tried to help me legs were and moved on which I later discovered were something we did in Ancient Greece. That was the day I discovered about the monsters and how horrible they were. So, I started hunting them whenever I went out. I used to face off the bullies and older guys and use that as an experience when I was dealing with all kinds of monsters in the past four years. But the Chimera was the first one which was very unique in terms of its nature. I discovered that other than my dagger that seemed to be made of bronze no other kind of metal weapon worked on the monsters but the monsters' own weapons were very useful to deal with them. So, I collected all kinds of trophies and stored them under that floorboard. My dagger broke about a year ago and I managed to use duct tape a lot of super glue and I stuck a huge bull horn in the blades place to use as a dagger. I once managed to kill this huge boar. I snapped out it's tusks and used them and made a vague sword shaped tools to fight…"

"So, let me get this you have been fighting monsters for the past four years with bones, teeth, tusks and a dagger" asked Hermes.

"Yes." I replied. I didn't know what was so surprising about that.

"I told you he was good" said Apollo elbowing Hermes in the side.

"We will have to go to your house and get all that stuff along with some clothes for you. Now…" I interrupted Hermes cause a question was bugging me from a long time.

"Why didn't people see the things like I did? I mean this huge snake like creature attacked me when I was 8 when I was on a vacation in New Orleans. I barely survived that attack the only reason was because a lightning strike that hit the snake like thing in the mouth and electrocute the crap out of it." I asked.

"I'll answer that question but first tell me if that snake creature left a snake skin behind" said Hermes he was trying to hide his surprise behind a raised eyebrow. He gave Apollo a significant look. Apollo almost fell off his chair after that look. His eyes were widened already while I was talking but now, he looked close to faint from shock.

"It did. I left behind a lot of bones. I took some of them and placed them in my suitcase knowing they wouldn't see anything when I passed through security. I used them for carving swords too" I told them. I didn't know what was so bad. I mean sure the snake thing was huge but I hardly did anything other than run like crazy in a swamp that was providing me some strength and a lucky lightning strike I might have or have not caused in my desperation.

I didn't know what to say and I said the first thing that came to my mouth, "I didn't mean to do anything. I am sorry. It was just luck."

"By the gods kid you killed a Drakon by yourself and choke it off as luck. I liked you before but you are just making me like you even more" said Apollo grinning like crazy almost blinding me.

Hermes cleared his throat and started "Good Job kid. That was no easy thing you did…" I mumbled I didn't do much but he either didn't hear it or decided not to comment "As to why the people don't see things as you do it's cause of the mist."

Hermes told me about how the mist obstructed the normal peoples eye sight and how Hecate controlled it. He also told me how the flame of west moved around and told me where some important things were like Underworld in Los Angelos, the sea of monsters at Bermuda Triangle, the Mt Olympus was at 600th floor on Empire State Building, and Mt Othrys was at Mount Tamalpais with the Garden of Hesperides. He told him about Camp Half-Blood and I assumed I would be going there when I was done collecting all my stuff and explaining myself.

So, in turn I told them what happened on August 18 exactly 32 days ago. I told them how my mom told Gabe about the trip and how Gabe who was drunk hit my mom for trying to do something like that. He hit her again when I made it out of the room. I knew he hit me. I had a bunch of scars from his belt that I didn't heal and they stayed like that. I didn't fight back because it would cause more problems for my mom but him striking my mom wasn't good and I beat him to pulp.

I then helped my mom and used the water to heal the scars on her cheek and forehead. She seemed surprised that I found out and not because I was able to do something like this than she went on to tell me how my father was a god and Greek myths were real. I than showed her all the things I collected and did and she said she was sorry for not being there and being stupid I also told them how she was close to telling me about some where I could go which I assumed was Camp Half- Blood but before we could do anything a bright light erupted in the room and a man showed up. He was about eight feet and well built like a cyclops.

This was the point from where I couldn't go on. Tears welled up in my eyes and I cried for the first time in the past one month. My mom was killed by that horrible thing. She took the sword meant for me. If I was stronger if I managed to fight him off better. I might have been able to save her. She just told me to run and save myself before the man came back again and I did.

Hermes moved from where he was and came over to me. He hugged me lightly and patted me on my back in a comforting way. Apollo stood up and came beside me and said "Go to sleep kid. We will talk later."

I listened to him and lied down into the quite literal water bed and he started to play a tune on his lyre and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

APOLLO POV

I gazed at the kid intently and for the first time I noticed a scar. It was on his face and another memory of his came to mind. How his stepfather tried to hit him with a kitchen knife and he dodged but the knife struck him on his face opening a scar from the eyebrow of his left eye into his scalp. He was careful not to show it by hiding it behind his hair.

"Did you check his memories too?" I asked Hermes.

"Yes. If I catch that vile man, I would torture him, give him off to Artemis and make sure he gets the punishment he deserves in Hades," said Hermes and quiet honestly I would have let him. Percy was downplaying what that bastard put him through. Hitting him. Using his knife on him. Smacking him with a belt. I couldn't get his horrible face out of my mind.

But everything about him learning to fight, the crude weapons he made all of that was true. The watch was also true. But what really caught my attention was the familiarity of the eight-foot-tall man who tried kill Percy and managed to kill his mom. He looked suspiciously like Menoetius, the titan of rash actions and violent anger.

"Herm he looked like…" I didn't have to finish the sentence because Hermes looked at me and he was pale. He came to the same conclusion as I did.

The Titan was indeed Menoetius that horrible red broad sword and his blood red eyes his cruel and frowning face and his fiery red hair. This meant two things one Hades sent him to kill Percy which was stupid cause Uncle H didn't do stuff like dear old dad did. The second one meant he was listening to someone else. Before Hades, he served only one master and he was K

"Don't even invoke his name. Not even in your thoughts." The room turned cold and the lights dimmed slightly somewhere so far from him. That was a testament to how dangerous an enemy he is. "Apollo this only further proves to the fact that what Uncle P and Uncle H have been telling dad for the past five years about The Crooked One rising is true and this throws us into deep trouble. The kid has already come into his eyes. This is not good." Hermes was sweating and looked scared and pale.

I looked at the kid. Ten years of horror in his life and only to become sixteen years of horror and maybe finally death to save or maybe destroy the whole world. His life was peachy thanks for asking.

But I couldn't. I couldn't allow something so horrible. I just couldn't. I knew our kids had a lot on their plate and they had a lot of difficulties. But this took the cake. I mean look at the kid. At the age of worrying about if he could collect a cookie from the cookie jar his mom hid somewhere. He worked jobs and had to learn to fight monsters. He had been through so much and I hated it so much he wanted to find those old withered string weaving hags and hit them with their own cudgels.

I controlled myself lest I causes some sort of explosion. My roman side was handling the chariot and Mercury was making all the deliveries so Hermes and I could talk to the kid.

I came to a conclusion right there and I think Hermes did too. His eyes were determined. Before it was about the survival of Olympus but now it was about the kid no Percy. We would make sure he survived the prophecy.

PERCY POV

My 11th birthday had come and honestly speaking it was not really an occasion to celebrate. I mean if your birthday was an indication telling you only had a few more years to live it would also not make you celebrate it.

How would I know? Well, I overheard Hermes and Apollo brainstorming alternate meanings to the prophecy so as to ensure I would survive. The only option that would ensure my survival was me not being the child of the prophecy.

A little later they figured out I overheard them and they tried to comfort me but honestly speaking I was sort of expecting something like this. My life was very bad and it only made sense to end like this. Secondly, Hermes and Apollo had given me a second chance at life. They gave me a family. I was willing to die so as to save them. They were good people even if they had their flaws and doing something like this would make me feel at peace and maybe finally, I will meet my mother again.

When I said the same thing to my trainers both of them hugged me and all of us shed some man tears or at least Hermes and I did while Apollo cried like a little girl and kept saying he was very proud of me and he never will train another person in my memory.

Other than that, blotch these 11 months were the best time of my life. Granted, the time I spent with my mom was surly better than this but the threat of Gabe and the fact he would always interfere sort left a sore spot in those few memories.

Anyway, with that positive thought I woke up and moved on to brush my teeth and take a shower. As I went into the shower, I started to look back at these 11 months fondly.

After I woke up, on that faithful day, I thanked Hermes and Apollo for helping me out and said I was ready to leave for Camp Half-Blood. They were utterly bewildered by what I said. They went to explain how I would be staying with them. They told me about the pact and a little about the prophecy which I found out later goes as this

A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze.

Anyway, the prophecy scared me but I pushed it out of my mind and said to myself to think of one step at a time.

After that Hermes went to my old house which was rented to someone else and they got all my trophies and the watch along with pictures of my mom and the guitar back for me.

The pictures Hermes got for me were neatly arranged into an album and placed in a drawer.

The guitar apparently belonged to my mom. She played music and she never told me. Apollo told me my father had no such gift but my mom was talented. He said my dad must have gifted it to my mom. He promised to help me play when I asked him but after hearing one of the monstrosities, he called Haiku's I was sceptical. But he proved me wrong. He would play. He was very good to. It was when he tried to do poetry that he totally failed.

Anyway, I was learning and I was decent but Apollo said I had a lot of talent and a few more years I would be doing concerts with him. I wasn't so sure about that.

But the same success couldn't be replicated in Archery. The first time I tried the arrow flew backwards and almost took out mini-Apollo. I was in no way better now but at least it was flying straight now.

The blue guitar with sea patterns and a dolphin on it was hanging on the wall beside by Drakon bone bow and the Ivory sword I made.

The bow I made about five months back and since then I started to make progress in archery. The bow was beautiful since I practiced to be precise with my sharping, cutting and shaping with my dagger (a metal one not the bull horn one) because Hermes said it could come useful at some point. I made the bow because I had a nightmare that night and couldn't sleep. It was just for practice but turned beautiful. I made some intricate designs on it of the sun, of wolves and horses, of a Caduceus and sea waves. It was beautiful and Apollo blessed it to be unbreakable and gave me a quiver that never ran out to go with it. It had a few special arrows like fart arrows and other stuff but I wanted to shoot straight before using those things. I named the Bow Silence since it allowed me to work in silence and it silenced it's opponents (Apollo called it stupid).

My ivory sword was about four feet long. It was crude at first but I worked on it and made it better. Hermes tied some drakon leather that apparently came from the drakon I killed almost three years ago. It made holding better and comfortable.

I made some modifications to the original design. I added a Caduceus at what should be the rain guard. The grip had sea wave designs on it while I made a sun at the cross guard. I made a wolf pommel out of the spare bull horn I had. I always liked wolves. Never knew why. They were amazing. I got the idea from a sword that was in the nerd room in Hermes palace. He was a geek for comics and all that stuff. The words Long Claw were written under it. The first time he saw the completed thing he freaked out and shrieked out like a little girl.

The Sword, which I named Bone Collector, felt perfect in my hand and well balanced not like the other swords Apollo and Hermes made me try. They were made of celestial bronze. It was one of the few metals along with adamantine, imperial gold, Stygian Iron and Orynthic Silver that could hurt monsters. They didn't hurt humans but mortal weapons like normal steel didn't work on the monsters. Demigods were vulnerable to both. Yeah, lucky us.

Apollo also trained me in manipulating the mist and healing magic and the first aid, some important survival techniques and the uses of nectar and ambrosia. Nectar and Ambrosia were these godly foods that heal demigods very quickly but burn us up if we consume too much. He also thought me speed and dodging and some other abilities I got from getting his blessing I didn't completely understand.

Hermes thought me sword fighting. He was very good at it and I considered him a spear user because of his Caduceus. He said I had good instincts for battle and swords he also said the experience I had facing those monsters was helping. He also thought me how to use his powers that came from his blessing. They included the control of costly metals and money manipulation, thievery, lock picking, travelling and packing efficiently (which you don't think is important until you are in a situation) camping and also some fighting using flying shoes.

I got hooked the first time I did the flying shoes but I couldn't really keep training cause of Hermes not having the time to train me.

I finished the shower and I climbed out. I dried out myself and put on some clothes. I tried comb my hair but the only thing I managed to achieve was managing to cover my scar.

I took the bow of the wall which shrunk into a bracelet made of literal bones. I added the guitar to it which caused it to transform into a sort of keychain on the bracelet. I removed Bone Collector of the wall and placed it in a simple leather scabbard. I added it to my back. I wore a pair of combat boots and placed the dagger I named Sneaky into it.

I then moved onto the nightstand near the bed and put on my father's watch. Oh, I completely forgot about it. My father wasn't apparently whole trash like I thought. Though Hermes and Apollo couldn't work out what the function of the shield was they did tell me it had some sort of magic to cut of my scent. It also probably transformed into some kind of cool weapon said Apollo. But what really proved the point was the violent seas that followed after what was presumed to be my death cause my father was apparently searching for me relentlessly and me being discovered was not good for any of us. The sea only really calmed down after almost ten months. He apparently missed the annual meeting and according to my half-brother Triton he was just very sad about me being dead and angry at the man who put me and my mom through so much. My dad apparently watched over whenever he could and pushed or nudged Gabe away from hitting me. This scared me. If my father was pushing him off me most of the time how bad would it really have been? I didn't want to know.

All this news warmed my heart. I was happy my dad didn't just have me and forgot about me. He risked breaking the rules to help me. I put on the watch now to remember what he tried to do and did for me.

The watch was beautiful. It was apparently made out of Adamantine. The straps were metal and had a neat locking mechanism. It showed the right time and adjusted according to the place I was in. (I know it does. I checked when I was in Paris with Apollo). The dial was round and huge. The whole metal of the watch was sea blue with a green tinge to it. The inside of the watch had many minute designs I couldn't make out. They were gold in colour and were over a black surface. The dials were also gold. There were no numbers on it.

I walked out of my room in Hermes's palace while overlooking the Greek mythology books that were in Greek that allowed me to read despite the dyslexia. I moved down the stairs and the reason I stayed in Hermes's palace despite Apollo's childish protests and their stupid arguing (I sometimes wonder who the kid is here) was simple. Apollo was quiet literally the doctor of the immortals. Everyone came to him for help. There was a chance I could be spotted. While Hermes's job made him have to go to the people all around. So, less chance of being spotted.

I came down the stairs and was met with the sight of Lord Hermes placing pancakes on the table. They were blue. I loved it. But the first thing I learned when I came here was that Hermes couldn't cook like at all. I had to make my food myself. But this time it might be different my heart said. Have you seen our life asked my mind? You keep telling yourself stuff like this and get hurt. Stupid emotional baboon my brain scolded my heart. My heart shut up and pouted and that made me want to cheer him up.

I came near the table and wished Hermes who said "Good Morning, kid. Take a seat and dig in."

I did just that and the pancakes tasted surprisingly good. My heart than said take that you stupid pessimist to my brain. But my brain wasn't concentrated on that. These pancakes were too good to be true. I looked at Hermes questioningly.

"I made them on my own." Hermes defended a little to quickly.

I didn't change my look. "Alright Aunt Hestia helped"

I beamed at him. I than got of my chair and ran at him and hugged him shocking the god. The god patted my back unsurely before I pulled back and said "Thank you for this, for everything"

I almost cried and would have probably if it wasn't a huge amount of luck right now and a lot of bad luck later because Apollo came into the palace beaming, smiling and blinding everyone. He looked very excited. I looked at Hermes with fear in my eyes because he was supposed to stay today and help me train and maybe the three of us would go hunting some monsters and then have a fancy dinner. That was the plan but now he looked sorry which meant he had something to take care off. This meant I would either be dead, on a boat to Australia or hanging naked from a ledge on a tall building by the end of the day.

Ten minutes later, Hermes was getting ready to leave. I was stuck with an over enthusiastic Sun God who said this day was going to be almost as awesome as him. I was sending my best pleading eyes to Hermes who looked scared to leave me with Apollo. "I'll be back as soon as I can and kid before I leave. Here you go." He threw me a backpack. He continued "That backpack has unlimited space and can't be stolen from. Use it Wisely."

He flashed away and I briefly wondered if I could stick Apollo in the back pack and throw him of his own chariot.

Apollo looked at me and said "Well I thought of what to give you for some time. Guitar, you have it. Bow and Quiver also have it. Medical stuff not the right kind of gift. That's when it struck me. The perfect gift. You have been badgering Hermes to teach you to fly. So, instead of him I will teach you." He ended with a megawatt grin that could light up the deepest parts of the sea.

"What?" I asked.

"I am going to help you fly. Simple as that." Apollo said not dropping that grin.

I had a bad feeling about this and it was right but it led to something good in the end so it was alright. I guess.

Line break (a few hours later).

NO ONES POV

In a wide-open space somewhere deep in Redwood National Park, North California, 18 silver tents were pitched up. Girls ranging from 12 to 15 were mulling around chattering and doing some kind of jobs. They wore silver hunting parkas and had hunting knives strapped to their legs. Wolves and falcons accompanied the camp and bunch of wild animals were coming and going too. An archery range was set up near the camp. Suddenly the chattering was disturbed by some kind of huge scream.

The girls looked around until one of them who had badly done ginger hair said "Look up"

Everyone did and something was plummeting from the sky towards their camp and it was on fire. It was screaming bloody murder.

The fiery thing crashed just outside their campsite and the boom that was emitted made the girls ears pop and some tents to be uprooted. Even the wolves ran of from the camp.

After the smoke settled a boy no older than 11 could be seen. He had long unruly raven black hair and sea green eyes. The eyes were fascinating cause his pupils held three colours of black, blue and gold constantly moving. His clothes were dishevelled and a scar was prominent on his forehead. But these were not what the girls concentrated on. They saw sword scabbard attached to his hip and they pulled out bows out of nowhere. They took aim on the boy. The boy had managed to get a grasp on his surroundings and looked at the armed girls in front of him. He raised his arms in surrender and tried to give them what could be considered a friendly smile. But men weren't supposed to be anywhere near the Hunters of Artemis. Men smiling or trying to talk to them would be suicide. The Hunter's didn't like that fact that he smiled and one of girls who had a tiara on her head said fire.

The boy tried to cover himself and placed his hands in front of himself. He wished for some kind of shield to protect himself and that was exactly what he got. A shield that extended from his watch.

The shield took the most of the attack and the boy tried to place himself behind it as much as possible. Some of the arrows were missing the shield and managed to nick his biceps, calves. After stand still the boy looked over his shield to see the murderous teenage girls gasping in shoch. He looked at the shield since that was what was so confusing.

The shield was big and beautiful. It had a bluish green circumference. The rest of the thing was completely black on the inside. It had multiple drawings on it with golden drawings. It had nine concentric circles with each circle with a different picture. The first one had the sun, moon, earth and constellations. The second one had two cities full of people one was celebrating a marriage while the other was at war, the third a field being ploughed, the fourth a King's estate where the harvest was being reaped, the fifth with a vineyard with grape pickers, sixth of multiple wild animals and the flow of ecosystem and its balance, the seventh had a picture of an animal farm, the eighth of a dance floor with men and woman dancing and partying and the last one of the endless seas. The words Anéndotos in Greek were written on the blue green circumference. It meant Unyielding in English.

The Hunter with the tiara muttered "The Shield of Achilles" in awe.