Chantrelle55: :) Sky fell for Harry in more ways than one. I'm going to have a lot of fun with these two. I'm not giving them a love triangle to fight, but there's going to be a different kind of drama they'll have to overcome.
A: The song "Hell Yeah" by Tiesto and Showtek was used for Percy's reappearance after Tom's locket came off him in the Thames, chapter 52: The Future is Clear. This song is perfect for the children of Poseidon/Neptune.
Listening to: Miracle by The Score.
12th November, 2013
3:30 pm, Mount Olympus, New York City
Percy woke up to the blurry sight of a very furious and glowing Will.
What? Wasn't he on a quest?
He blinked and his vision cleared. It was Apollo standing at the foot of his hospital bed, arms folded, glaring down at him. Well, that was even worse.
"What," the god began, severely irritated. "Is the point of those bracelets if you can't teleport to my Oracle's side before she dies?"
Percy blanched. It took him a few seconds to remember everything that had happened.
"Rachel!" he shouted, sitting up so quickly his head spun. Apollo made a noise and pushed his shoulder back.
"Don't strain your wound. I don't expect you to do anything now, but seriously, I'm very disappointed."
Bolt, Percy thought, gulping down an acrid taste. Bolt was gone. And Rachel… she was dead too.
"She'll come back?" Percy asked, desperately. The bracelet won't let her stay dead. She should come back to life, shouldn't she?
Without Bolt, though. The tiger was gone.
Apollo's eyes softened. "Yes, of course. But we have a slight problem."
Percy started as Apollo reached out to pull back the curtains to his side. The demigod stared at the bed beside him.
There was no one in it, but that's because its occupant was standing, body held up by the spirit of Delphi still lingering.
There was a very soft green glow surrounding Rachel's body. She looked terrible, her skin had gone very pale. It was a step away from becoming translucent. The wounds over her left shoulder and right thigh were cleaned out and covered in heavy bandages that barely had red blotting. She had not begun to heal.
Percy had no words. Apollo looked at her, annoyed. "The spirit is waiting for the host to take over now that she'd given Ajax his destiny or prophecy. But Rachel's not back yet. How long did it take you to wake from the dead your first time?"
He stared up at him. "I… don't know."
Apollo sighed. "Great. She's here to stay then."
He nodded over to the empty bed to Percy's left. "Where's the architect?"
Huh? Percy frowned at the sheets rumpled on the empty bed. "Annabeth's gone on the quest."
Apollo raised his eyebrows. "The quest is done. And it was an utter failure."
He muttered something else and turned his back on Percy to give the Oracle another look.
Then, Will rushed into the room. Percy's jaw dropped. They really were back? But all of them had been in the Grand Canyon just an hour ago.
Percy sat up carefully. "How did you reach—"
"Stay down," Will said, his eyes tight. "Oh for… where's Annabeth?!"
Apollo shrugged. "Exactly what I asked."
Will spun around and ran to the opposite wall where several windows were open, to let bright light in. It was then that Percy realised they were still on Olympus. He hadn't known there was an actual hospital room up here. Silver clouds hung about in the sky outside their room with gossamer-light streaming in. It was awe-inspiring beauty, a great contrast to what had happened just a while back.
Will stuck his head out the window, looked around before shouting, "Annabeth! Get back here, now!"
"In a minute!" Annabeth yelled back. Percy's nerves calmed a little at her voice. She sounded frustrated but not too hurt.
"No!" Will said, furious. "I told you, one-hour bed rest!"
She swore at him. A couple of minutes later, Annabeth and Thalia walked into the room. Or rather Thalia walked in, holding up half of Annabeth's weight as she pulled in his girlfriend. Annabeth was holding her stomach, her face slightly pale.
"Reyna's handling it," Will glared at her. "You didn't have to go down."
Annabeth sat on her bed, wincing a little. Percy reached a hand out to her and she grabbed it. Thalia pulled her legs up and she laid down to breathe carefully. "Malcolm just got in. I had to go see him."
"Mal's fine, you're the one who needs rest," Will said, measuring out some nectar. "Both you and Percy need to stay here for at least an hour."
Percy wanted to ask Annabeth a few dozen things but her attention was caught by the spirit of Delphi looking over at them through Rachel's eyes. It was unnerving. Will expertly avoided her gaze, and Apollo was downright disgruntled by her presence. Thalia was curious and began to engage in a staring contest with the Oracle.
"She's still here?" Annabeth whispered. Apollo scoffed. "Well, you did summon her. She's not a tactical chess piece you can command."
"Dad," Will whispered. "Patient rights."
Apollo dropped his scowl. "Alright, mini-me. You got this handled. Let me know when Rachel wakes up, yeah?"
Will nodded towards his father who left immediately. Thalia looked away, squeezing her eyes shut and the Oracle smirked. Will placed two glasses of nectar on the small table between their beds.
"I just need to check on Harry and Leo," he said, before looking severe. "Stay right here."
"Harry's okay?" Percy blurted.
Annabeth stayed suspiciously quiet. Will and Thalia hesitated for a moment before he answered, "He's stable. My dad took a look at him before you, so he'll be okay."
Percy tried to relax when they left. Interlocking his fingers with Annabeth's he looked over where her other arm was loosely over her bandaged stomach.
"Arrow," she explained. Percy grimaced. That would have been painful.
"Spear," he told her. She exhaled, making a similar face.
"I burnt it, though," he continued. The blue light that he'd been so careful to hold back had come forth against his will. He'd just wanted the spear gone and in seconds, it was.
"Same thing with Ajax's axe?" Annabeth asked, her voice low.
"Yeah, I wasn't even touching it, but I could feel the rush. It was a labrys: double-headed, silver axe. You remember anything like that from the myths?"
Annabeth laid her head back on the pillow. "The stories say he preferred a lance… But it's been millennia since the Battle of Troy. He could be proficient with any and all weapons we have now. Swords, spears, knives, arrows, all kinds of guns and artillery, maybe even magic. Axes are ancient. They're bold and bloody, heavy to manoeuvre and need incredible skill."
Percy nodded. "Definitely his style. I can't understand how he got into Olympus."
Annabeth closed her eyes. "Someone let him in."
The air got sucked out of his lungs in an instant. Percy stared at her.
She didn't move. "Kayla called just a while back. She and Harry were in Queens, collecting med supplies for camp. She said Harry disappeared from Iris's packaging room and when she asked Hermes about two swords they found in there, Hermes went really tight-lipped. Said that Harry found a way into Olympus. Apparently, Hermes was down in Queens to avoid coming up here for the day."
Percy listened to all this. "Everyone at camp had migraines today. At the same time. Both camps."
"Thalia said it was bad," Annabeth told him. "Nearly knocked her out. Someone was trying to reach out to us."
"You didn't feel it?"
"No… we were a little too busy in the Grand Canyon," she blew her grey curl out of her face. "But from what Thalia said, Mr. D was acting weird. He kept complaining that he had to be at camp the whole day and stay away from Olympus."
Percy's grip on her hand tightened. "The gods were told to stay away from the mountain… But Rachel and Malcolm were here. Malcolm had to discuss the temple issue with Aphrodite."
"She wasn't here," Annabeth said through gritted teeth. "He searched the grounds for her and ended up at our mom's temple. Athena locked him in and that's when he got the migraine."
Percy couldn't make heads or tails of what he was hearing. Demigods suffering from severe headaches, the gods avoiding Olympus. Did Athena shut Malcolm in her temple for his safety or to keep him out of the way for something else?
"He's okay?"
"Yeah," Annabeth breathed. "Thalia and I went to get him. He's with Piper now."
A lot of things happened today. Somebody had been pulling a lot of strings.
Percy breathed slowly, feeling his tender insides heal up carefully. He should have the nectar, but that meant letting go of Annabeth's hand which he wasn't ready to do.
"Apollo said something about the Oracle giving Ajax a prophecy," Percy recalled quietly. "That's why she came forth in the first place."
Annabeth groaned softly, "My fault. He was way too close to Piper. I couldn't think of anything else."
"You remember what she said?"
She pressed her lips together in thought. Then she whispered, "Ajax the Lesser."
Percy smirked.
"You have searched through time and failed.
You have delivered pain out of its range.
Their forgiveness is a ship long sailed,
for you choose to neither reason nor change."
He frowned. That didn't sound like a prophecy to Percy. "It doesn't really say what he needs to do."
Annabeth chuckled. "Ajax's not a hero. So, it's not a prophecy like what we get. It's nothing he needs to accomplish. I think the Oracle was talking about his fate. She said something else after this."
"What?"
"Er… Your death will be as you have lived.
Tell me, Ajax, what have you to give?"
That sounded super bad… for Ajax. Sweet.
"She addressed him by name?" Percy wondered. "How did he react?"
Annabeth shuddered, her hand tightening around his fingers. "He went insane. Tried to shoot her."
"What?!"
"Harry shielded her in time," she told him. "He got you out from under the wall too. I didn't even know you guys were there."
Percy relaxed back into the pillow. "Didn't really have a choice. I was so close to trapping Ajax, but then the chariot just burst in… you used the RtΩ function?"
"Panicked," Annabeth said. "The quest didn't go as planned."
She recounted the swift tale of picking up Reyna and Hazel as the winds grew stronger. They found Leo and Piper just as the tornadoes took form.
"Two Olympian kids," Percy shook his head. "No wonder the Ánemoi Thúellai found them."
"That's not all," Annabeth sighed. "They reformed far too soon. Reyna killed one of the spirits and I got another one. And then we got the ring leader with Maimer's electricity. That should have sent him down to Tartarus. But all the spirits came back within minutes."
Percy gawked. "That's not possible… Reyna has Imperial Gold, right? That's just as effective as ours?"
"She definitely stabbed one of them, I saw it," Annabeth insisted. "Their Gold is good against the monsters, but this was different. When they came back for round 2, it wasn't just the storm spirits. Something was with them. It spoke to us… The voice was right in my head, it felt like she was cleaving my brain open."
Annabeth shuddered, eyes squeezed closed. Percy exhaled. Could that have happened at the same time as everyone's migraines?
"Hazel knew what it was," she said in a whisper. "Something terrible and ancient."
It wasn't a stretch to imagine what terrible and ancient being wanted to raise. They already knew it. Her, they knew her.
Gaia had made her first appearance directly to the leaders of both the Greek and Roman camps. That was no mistake.
"It's her," he said. Annabeth agreed. "Yeah… the Earth Goddess was there. She spoke to us. Not to mention the gods behaving strangely here? Ajax didn't break in, he came up in the elevator with his troop. Rachel was alone in the main building and they knew that. It can't be a coincidence."
"There's no such thing as a coincidence," Percy said. "They came to pick up the Oracle."
The air glimmered around them. Both Percy and Annabeth raised their heads, alarmed.
But it was the spirit of Delphi who rose from the bed. Rachel's body jerked, letting out strange cracks from her joints. Percy flinched, shifting away from her.
"They came for Rachel," the spirit said. Her eyes had that soft green glow. The wounds on her body had been cleaned out. How Will had bandaged up a corpse while she looked at him like that was anyone's guess.
"What?" Annabeth whispered.
"They came to pick up Rachel," she said. "I'm just a bonus."
It was more than odd to hear the spirit talk so… candidly. And the look on her face was calm and curious. She had been listening to their conversation the whole time.
Apollo had said that the spirit was waiting for Rachel to come back and take over. Until the body healed and Rachel rose from the dead, they were stuck with the ancient seer spirit.
"How long will Rachel take to come back?" Annabeth whispered to Percy. He winced. "It's her first death. She could take weeks because it was so bad. The more the trauma, the longer the recovery time."
"Her skin's toughened," Annabeth insisted. "What kind of poison could they use against her?"
It was the spirit who chose to answer. She walked towards them, Rachel's limbs moving badly without any of her bodily functions working. Percy and Annabeth stared in stunned silence as the Oracle made her way around his bed, coming closer to the both of them.
Annabeth and Percy let go of each other's hands, hitching further back their beds to sit up and move away from the terrifying being. She wasn't their friend, this was an entity older than the Olympians.
Rachel's mouth smirked. The Oracle picked up Percy's tumbler of nectar. She took the lid off and tipped the glass over her fingers. A single gleaming drop spilt over the edge and fell on the dead skin.
The golden liquid turned a vicious green, blazing and smoking on her finger. The single spurt of flame that erupted was quick and terrible and Percy flinched back from the stench of burning skin. The skin on his side stretched painfully.
"No," Annabeth murmured, shocked. "How could they use the food of the gods as a weapon?"
The Oracle set the glass down and placed the lid back. She silently turned around and walked over to the windows. The sunlight made her smile and she folded her arms on the window sill, leaning on the wall to admire the view of the rest of Olympus from the infirmary.
Percy looked over to Annabeth. "We should give her some space."
"Yeah," Annabeth said, shakily. She grabbed her glass of nectar and began to gulp it down like it was her last drink on Earth. Percy did the same with his, feeling warmth, safety, and slow power at the goodness of the liquid, compared to what happened to Rachel.
That's why Harry's arm had begun to burn as well from the poisoned arrows. He was mortal even despite the powers the bracelet offered.
The couple finished their nectar and left the infirmary against Will's orders. They'd hear it from him later, but spending another moment in the Oracle's presence wasn't helping.
Percy wanted to find Harry, to see what exactly had happened. But they crossed by a room that had Reyna, Thalia, Jason, and Hazel discussing something. In front of them, Sky sat on a chair, his knee bouncing.
His head was bandaged and he had fading scars on his arms that resembled claw marks. His clothes were ripped and dirty.
Annabeth's jaw dropped. "Is that…"
"Sciron," Percy said quietly. "Son of Neptune."
He was sleepy. Sky was tired and burnt out but had no urge to yawn or fall asleep on the chair since he was facing the Praetors of Camp Jupiter, a daughter of Zeus, and a daughter of Pluto.
They were discussing him, deciding what to do with him. Sky figured he hadn't made a good entrance, basically breaking into Mercury's building in Queens and then into Olympus. Although, the second one was because of Harry.
He still couldn't believe that he'd jumped out of the mountain to catch Harry. Everything felt like a fevered dream.
It turned into a fevered nightmare when Percy and the blond girl walked in. He thought they were laid up in the infirmary with matching wounds in their torsos.
"Time moves fast with you or what?" Thalia said, echoing Sky's silent question. "You're supposed to stay in bed for an hour."
"Oracle takes priority," Annabeth said, her shoulders moving back as her stormy eyes scrutinized Sky. He tried to not shiver, tucking his legs beneath the chair.
"You fell over the balcony, right?" Percy asked Reyna and Hazel. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, the Pegasi caught us," Reyna said, preoccupied with a different train of thought, namely Sky.
Jason was rubbing the back of his head, disturbed by Reyna's tale of the quest. A permanent worry mark threatened to form over his brow.
"How sure are you that it was the Earth Goddess?" he asked Hazel.
Sky looked at her, surprised. Did she have experience with primordial deities?
Hazel wrung her hands. "Very sure. It's really bad, I think. Gods can fight us only when we challenge them. We dropped the rocket and it set the gas on fire. She got burned and it sounded like she was laughing."
If that was true, Sky wanted to groan. Like they didn't have problems looming over them without challenging the Earth Goddess.
"It doesn't work like that," Percy blurted. "Leo dropped it by accident. That's not a challenge."
"That was the plan though," Annabeth said, biting her lip. "We'd wanted to set the storm spirits on fire."
"So…" Jason said hopefully. "It was the Venti you wanted to kill, not the Earth Goddess. She can't accept that as an invitation to fight."
"I don't know," Hazel said, looking worried. "She's very good at twisting words and intentions. This puts us all in a grey area. Another mistake like that, it will be as though we really are challenging her."
Thalia lowered her head to watch Hazel closely. "You seem to know quite a bit about how she works."
There was a look of panic on Hazel's face before she tried to play it off as casual. "I hear things from the Underworld. It isn't easy to figure everything out, but some things make sense. I dunno, but Nico's been helping me listen to the ghost whispers."
Sky blinked. Could kids of Pluto do that? Rad.
Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Is that a thing? Ghost whispers?"
"There are billions of ghosts down there," Hazel shrugged. "Some are in the process of going to Charon's lobby. Some still linger in our world. And they chat quite a bit. Listening to the ghost whispers across the world is a learned skill."
Like he thought, rad.
"Alright," Jason said, wiping all doubt about Hazel's words. "You can keep an ear close to the ground. Let us know if something crops up. For now, we're going to escort Sciron to the Wolf House."
Sky felt exhausted and miserable. He stood up and saw Annabeth staring at him again. She said, "Wait. We need to question him as well."
He grew worried. "Me?"
Percy's head shot up. "Yes, you. Nearly forgot."
Reyna frowned. "Sciron's a Roman demigod. We need to bring him through our proper channels. You found your Greek heroes, we have ours."
"Yes, but this is not the first time Sciron's meeting us," Percy said, staring at him, unimpressed.
Sky flushed. The party. He was in trouble. "Oops."
Thalia narrowed her eyes at him. And then she gasped. "Holy shit! You're the dude who made out with Harry for four hours straight!"
The room went silent. Reyna and Jason stared at her and then at him. Annabeth folded her arms. Percy's jaw clenched at the reminder. Hazel looked scandalized.
Scratch that: Sky was in big trouble.
He tried to chuckle. "Uh… nothing straight about it…"
"You met the wizard…?" Jason asked, flabbergasted. "So you were lying when you said it was your first time in the US?"
"No, no! It really is my first time here," Sky protested. "I saw Harry at the party in Scotland."
"You do realise you actively broke into our house," Percy said, glaring at him now. It was a wonder that Sky didn't back away.
"Yeah, I'm so sorry about that."
"When was this?" Reyna asked, strict and unforgiving. Her dark eyes burned into his and Sky swallowed. "Last year, sometime in November."
"November 16, 2012," Percy said. Wow, he did not look happy at all.
Jason was equally displeased. "That is not good conduct of a Roman soldier. You'll have to explain yourself to the Senate."
"You'll also have to explain how you're alive," Percy snapped. "You're Sciron, an Isthmian outlaw. You lived on the Saronic coast of the Isthmus of Corinth, robbing travellers and sending them to their deaths. Theseus tricked and killed you over two thousand years ago."
The air rippled. The veins on Percy's hands were standing out, looking otherworldly blue. He advanced on Sky who stood rooted to the spot.
"How are you alive?" Percy asked quietly.
Sky exhaled, hoping his legs weren't shaking too much. "I'm not that person anymore."
"That's not what I asked."
The Mist was unhappy, shimmering all around them. This wasn't good. If Percy lost his temper at him, Sky'd have a harder time fitting in with the Romans.
Or, even worse, the Romans will stand their ground with Sky and the Greeks will back Percy. That would make the already tenuous connection between the two camps far worse.
Sky couldn't let the integration fail. The heroes had to stick together or they'd lose.
He raised his arms slowly, palms out to show he was unarmed. Pulling his sleeves back, Sky showed them his bare upper arms.
"No bracelet," he said. "I'm not immortal."
"Then how—"
"I was resurrected in 1995."
Percy raised an eyebrow.
"By… the Earth Goddess," Sky whispered. He couldn't hold back the truth. Omitting things at this stage would make everything go to hell later on. He had to bite the bullet.
Nobody liked his answer. Thalia took a step forward, her eyes crackling with sparks. "Excuse me?!"
"Look," Sky said, holding his palms out again. "I'm not here to hurt anyone! I swear on the Styx I am not your enemy."
The skies rumbled, sending a tremor through the floor where they stood. His feet shook from the strain. He held his ground, waiting for them to stand at ease, but the demigods were still on their guard against him.
"I'll tell you everything I know," Sky said, licking his dry lips. "I swear it. If you can stay here and listen to the story, I'll say it all. Not holding anything back."
He looked at each of them carefully, praying he didn't flinch from direct eye contact. He could not fail now. His parents were counting on him.
Maybe the entire world was.
"What story?" the blonde, (he thinks her name is Annabelle or Annabeth) asked. She has a hand touching Percy's uninjured side, probably the only thing keeping him calm.
Sky looked at her now. "Of how I came back. Because the way my parents put it, there was a lot to it."
Hazel frowned. "You don't remember, do you?"
"No, I don't," he admitted. "They're the ones who told me everything that happened."
"And how do we know your parents told you the truth?" Reyna asked.
Sky made a face. "They wouldn't lie to me."
"Who are your parents?" Percy asked, unrelenting.
They wouldn't like this. He sucked in a quick breath of air before answering, "Cassandra and Iphigenia."
Percy stepped forwards and Annabeth's grip on him tightened. Sky leaned back from the intense look.
"And where," Percy asked, half-amused and half-angry, "were you all this time?"
Oh, they really wouldn't like this. Sky swallowed and said, "Alaska. Right outside Juneau."
Jason made a face. "You're not giving a good picture, Sciron. You mean to say you've been living in the Land Beyond the Gods since 1995?"
Sky shook his head. "Since 1997, actually. I sort of trained with the Earth Goddess's forces for two years."
Reyna glared. "You're very bold to tell this to our faces. In the light of what happened today."
"It's the truth," Sky confessed. "Also, I don't remember any of that by the way. Anything that happened before '97, zap! My mind's blanked on that."
"Why?"
"IfellintheLethe."
Annabeth jerked her head to the side, "Say that again."
Sky's shoulders slumped. He'd rather have said this to a council. Less chance of demigods pouncing on him without warning.
"I sort of, possibly, fell or landed… in the Lethe's path."
The six listening heroes gawked at him. Olympus seemed to go silent along with them. Sky rocked back and forth on his heels, feeling flight mode engaged. He might just jump down the mountain again if one of them attacked.
"How…" Hazel whispered, covering her mouth. "How did you survive?"
Sky shook his head helpless, "My mom said it's because Neptune's my dad. I managed to get out of the river, tried to make the water not touch me… but I was focusing on something else at the time, or I would have escaped mostly fine."
"What was more important than immediately getting out of the Lethe?" Percy asked, curious now.
Sky stared at him. He'd never thought he would meet his half-brother so soon. He could see the resemblance. They were the same height, same face structure, similar eye colour as well. Percy's was a brighter green, while Sky had more blue, an almost violet tint. Their hair was quite different. Percy had black thick tufts, straight and slightly wayward. Sky's was dark brown and curled all over.
He forgot the question.
"The Lethe," Percy said again, "What was happening there?"
Sky sighed. "Can I… take a shower first?"
"Sciron—"
"I won't go back on my word, Praetor Ramirez," Sky said, cutting her off. "I will tell you everything I know. But I've been travelling from Juneau, across Alaska and Canada on the ground for two weeks. I'm tired. I'm invoking the right of Probatio, should you and Praetor Grace allow me into Camp Jupiter, even if it is only for this interrogation."
They wouldn't turn him out now. He'd said enough to pique their interests. Lupa's Wolf House didn't necessarily scare him. But he really did want an eighteen-hour nap in clean clothes.
Reyna and Jason shared a glance communicating in a way only very close friends or partners could.
"Very well," Jason said, standing tall. "We will give you 24 hours to recuperate at the Senate building, following which you will go to trial in front of the council."
"Who will stand for him?" Annabeth asked suddenly. Sky blinked. She seemed to know what the trial needed, despite being Greek. He was sure Camp HB didn't have trials.
"We can assign a legionnaire to oversee his trial period," Reyna said.
"May I give a suggestion?" Annabeth asked. Percy and Thalia shot her a look. Sky dreaded this.
"Yes."
"His father needs to know of his existence," Annabeth said, "Right away, in fact."
Percy squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Sky wanted to groan.
"He's been in Alaska for so long," Annabeth explained quickly. "He was resurrected by the Earth Goddess, our enemy. You never knew of him and neither did any of the Olympians. Lord Neptune should be informed of his existence. Delaying it, even for your hearing, can mean disrespect."
Sky had no idea where she was going with this. Meeting his father was the last thing he wanted to do. He'd rather go tussle with Lupa's cubs.
Jason swore lightly. "That's true. We can't anger my uncle."
Annabeth turned to look at Percy. "You can take him to Atlantis."
"Me?" Percy said, incredulous. "I didn't know about him either."
"No," she said. "But Poseidon likes you. Less chance of him losing his temper."
Reyna's jaw dropped. "Wait, we can't just let him go."
Annabeth shrugged. "Lord Poseidon's one of the Big Three. He doesn't know there's another child of his out there. In both pantheons, he's been very possessive about his lineage. Our camps will suffer if he finds out through other means. We can't risk his ire, be it Neptune or Poseidon. Both camps are right beside the oceans as well, he's in a very good position to show his displeasure."
Jason swore again and this time Hazel looked at him interested in the string of Latin he spewed.
"Shit," Reyna breathed. Sky knew they'd relent. Neptune's tempers were famous in mythology. His Roman form was less forgiving than his Greek so he was in real trouble.
"Won't he get a headache if both of them go?" Thalia mentioned, the only one who seemed collected enough to still be calm.
Percy ran a hand through his hair. "That might actually distract him from smiting us. And Annabeth's right, we can't delay this."
Sky felt his knees go weak from fatigue. "Now?"
Scoffing, Percy said, "You're about eighteen years late. Every second that passes by pits us against the odds. Now is literally the best time."
He turned to Reyna and Jason and said, "You can inform your Senate that our father needs to be the first being to officially see Sciron. That way, he can claim him as soon as he steps foot in Camp Jupiter."
Jason's eyes tightened. Reyna looked strangely impressed. "You think he'll be claimed right away?"
Percy and Sky looked at each other. The Greek raised an eyebrow, silently wondering the same thing.
"I guess it depends on your mysterious story," Percy said, addressing Sky directly.
Sky's shoulders drooped. "Fair warning, I'll collapse once we get back from Atlantis."
Reyna clicked her tongue. "Fine. Sciron, our terms of the trial will stay the same, should you come back alive."
"That's reassuring… I mean, thank you, Praetors."
Hazel waved, mouthing 'Good luck' to him. That made him smile a little. Percy dropped a kiss to Annabeth's cheek and nodded to Thalia before stepping away from the group and walking down a steep staircase.
Sky tried to muster up some courage on their walk to Neptune's temple.
"Can you Mist-travel?" Percy asked. Sky jolted.
"Um… no. Is that a thing?" he said, before asking, "Can you do that?"
He tilted his head and answered, "Not exactly. I need water to teleport. The Mist is harder. We can use the fountain in dad's temple."
Neptune's temple was on a beach. Sky didn't even realise when they left Olympus. But they hadn't. They were still on the mountain, six hundred floors above Manhattan.
There was a beach in the sky?
Percy walked on the sand like this was a normal thing. Sky looked at the backdrop of the ocean stretching out far behind the temple. The salty smell assaulted his senses. The ocean was really here.
"I need to tell you, I haven't been in the oc—" Sky stopped the moment they crossed the threshold into the temple. It was a twenty-foot tall stone building with a towering statue of Neptune on a pedestal in the centre. The power built on Sky's senses. The statue held his trident, aloft and threatening.
His brain saw a hundred things at once, the edges of the ocean depths, the whispers from Mariana trench, large creatures never discovered by mortals, swimming several hundred miles below the surface, the entire kingdom of Neptune flashing through his head at lightspeed.
Sky stumbled, grabbing onto a seashell studded column to gasp. Percy stood by a saltwater fountain to the side and plucked a sand dollar from one of the many designs.
"Give it a minute," Percy said, looking far more composed. "It's overwhelming at first, but this is the best way to get used to his presence."
He blinked hard. "Is it always like this?!"
"Technically yeah," Percy answered waving a hand over the water and letting it rise into the air. "But you won't feel caught off guard next time."
Sky moved his head like he was shooing off a fly. The intensity of Neptune's power wasn't exactly fading, but he felt his tiredness ebb away. A rush of energy filled his limbs and he stood up taller.
"There we go," Percy said, a strange glint in his eyes. "Ready?"
"For…?" Sky paused as Percy threw an arm around his shoulder.
"For Atlantis," he answered as the water converged over the both of them and Sky barely blinked before they disappeared from Olympus.
12th November, 2013
3:50 pm, Atlantis, Atlantic Ocean
Percy's torso still ached, but the nectar was doing its job. He could feel his insides patching up, painlessly. It still left him lightheaded, but the moment they entered the sea, the weakness boiled down to almost nothing.
Atlantis was a few dozen miles away from Long Island shore. They were far down enough that the water was mostly free from pollution and Percy felt way better than when he'd woken up. His feet touched the sand fluidly and he looked up at the bright blue environment all around them.
Then, he saw Sciron crouched on the ground, hands clapped over his mouth and nose, not breathing.
Percy's jaw dropped. "Can't you breathe?"
Sciron winced. He'd definitely heard Percy, but refused to open his mouth.
Percy brought up an air bubble expanding it until it enveloped Sciron's form completely. He gasped, sucking in heaving breaths and Percy stepped into the bubble, unable to believe that the drenched demigod in front of him was a child of Neptune.
"You okay?"
Sciron spluttered. "You didn't even give me a warning!"
"Where did you think we were going?! Disneyland?"
They glared at each other. Sciron fumed. "How are you doing that?"
"What?" Percy asked, stepping out of the bubble and feeling the ocean embrace him. Sciron pointed at him. "That!"
"You've never been in the water?"
"Not in any water body like this!" Sciron blurted. "Oh my gods, we're so far down."
He was looking up, trying to find the sky. Percy shook his head. "We're about three miles below the surface."
"Oh no."
"Can you really not breathe underwater?" Percy wondered. Was Sciron like Thalia? She didn't fly like a child of Zeus. Apparently, Jason could.
"I've never tried," Sciron admitted.
"Then try now."
"But what if I drown?"
Percy couldn't believe they were wasting time with this. "You've never even been in a bathtub? A pool?"
"Only for training purposes," Sciron mumbled.
"You'll be fine," Percy decided. "I'm removing the bubble."
"Wait, wait!"
"Sciron…"
"Tubs are like 2 feet high at the most!" Sciron complained. "We're freakin' three miles below the surface!"
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Ocean's better than land."
"I'm better with the ground than water, to be honest," Sciron mumbled.
Now that was a little worrying. Annabeth had told Percy how Harry had gotten thrown out of Olympus and how Sciron had jumped out and saved him… by breaking open the pipeline under the road.
But that wasn't entirely true. He knew that Sciron had actually caused an earthquake large enough to crack open the ground and find the pipe.
Percy had tapped into Poseidon's earthshaker powers only once, and it was to accidentally blow up Mount St. Helens. He never tried summoning that kind of energy again. It was far too chaotic and draining. Water was easier to manipulate, pressured and willing to bend to his command. The earth? That was a whole other tale.
"You'll be fine," Percy insisted, plastering a faux smile. "Trust me."
Sciron looked distressed and hunched his shoulders as Percy removed the air bubble. Water rushed in and Sciron flinched, eyes shut. Nothing miraculous happened. He just knelt there tentatively breathing in the water, his lungs automatically filtering in the air.
"Oh," Sciron said, surprised. "How'd you know?"
Percy turned on his heel and began to walk to the castle that appeared out of the Mist.
"Three miles down the ocean," he reminded him. "If the pressure didn't kill you, you're fine here."
"... right."
The guards gave an uneasy look at the injured demigods walking up to Poseidon's palace. Percy recalled how Oceanus had nearly destroyed the walls. They were being repaired now, construction happening on the South West and South sections.
"State your business," one of the tall guards announced, even though he was recognized.
"We are here to seek attendance with Lord Poseidon," Percy answered, gesturing to Sciron, who was engrossed in the guards' magnificent scaled tails.
"Priority?"
"Super high," Percy says. "This is part of the pantheon integration and some other stuff."
He places the sand dollar down in the front of the closed gates. The dollar dissolves as though boiled away by the water and the guard nods, satisfied. He opened the gates for them and they swam into the palace.
Atlantis is a kingdom teeming with the most number of ocean dwellers anywhere in the world. Percy never really took the time to wander the place, seeing as he was the only one with human legs here and would stand out at once.
They didn't have time to sightsee anyway. Their older half-brother, Triton, approached them right outside the main palace.
The god took one look at Sciron, his lips turning down along with his eyebrows.
"What a pleasing Tuesday," he drawled.
"It's anything but," Percy said, thinking of the Bolt's body, still waiting for its final rites. Would they need to wait for Rachel to wake up before cremating Bolt? Did the witches and wizards prefer burial? Harry was unconscious so even he, who'd once been Bolt's companion, couldn't answer.
Sciron stayed quiet as Triton studied him carefully.
"You're in luck," Triton finally said. "The king is here today, overseeing the reconstruction of his game room."
"Great!" Percy cheered.
"You're also out of luck," Triton added. "The queen is in the courtroom."
"... not great," Percy amended. Sciron shrunk at the mere words.
Less sure, they entered the courtroom which was empty at first. Percy and Sciron waited right by the doors that had closed behind them. Triton grew in size, becoming about twenty feet in height. The royal courtroom easily accommodated him as he swam over to the side.
Voices from the room beside them were heard and three mermaids swam in.
The first was the queen. Amphitrite had always seemed so much more graceful and dignified than Hera, in Percy's opinion. She had bands of seaweed and pearls braided into her hair like a crown, her long tail far more glorious than any of her children's, deep green shining its own light. They bowed to her presence.
"I simply cannot live with him, Mother!" the younger mermaid complained, continuing a previous argument. Percy squinted at her. She was a pale-skinned, pale-haired, and silver tailed goddess. The water around her swirled uncontrollably, obscuring even her shielded form.
The third was Rhode, the oldest daughter of the royals. She was very similar to her mother, in looks and regality. She held herself up, amused by her sister's distress.
Amphitrite frowned. "You've lived for a long while without your husband. Now that he has returned, it is appropriate that you spend some time with him."
"You sent me to him as a reward," the pale mermaid said, eyes blazing. "I have never had any love for him."
"Love?" Rhode scoffed. "You don't even want love!"
"So? Why didn't you get married if you wanted to?"
"Be careful, darling Kym."
"Urgh!" she said and turned away. "Nobody fears me anymore. I used to be a bane, you know."
"We know."
"I used to be powerful! Now I'm just some object for you to cast out!"
"Triton!" Amphitrite said loudly. Kymopoleia sulked, the water around her swirling fast. Rhode huffed.
"Mother," Triton bowed to her. Percy kicked Sciron's leg and they immediately followed. It was one thing to gain Neptune's attention. But with Amphitrite, they had to be as careful as possible.
"My son," Amphitrite greeted him. "You've brought mortals here?"
"They seek Father's council."
"And yours," Percy said immediately.
Amphtrite regarded him coolly. She'd never outright cursed him out or hated him but the distance had always been obvious. "Perseus."
"My Lady. This is quite important," Percy said before looking over to the newest demigod. "This is Sciron."
The queen gazed at Sciron's penitent form. She immediately understood, her eyes growing dark with impatience.
"Cover your ears," she said.
Percy blinked. "Huh?"
Triton, Rhode, and Kymopoleia dutifully placed their hands over their ears. It looked odd for gods to do that and Percy and Sciron followed suit as Amphitrite drew in a gulp of water before bellowing so loud the palace shook.
"POSEIDON!"
Sciron nearly fell over. Her scream clattered through the walls, shaking the pearls off of the pillars. Percy questioned if it was Amphitrite who should be named Earthshaker and not her husband.
His teeth were still rattling even as Poseidon himself emerged, forming out of the water so seamlessly it was as though the ocean followed him where he went.
"My love," he said, dry as a desert, ironically. "You are in a mood today."
Behind her, the three younger gods shook their heads, though Kymopoleia looked gleeful at her mother's ire.
Poseidon rectified his comment and instead said, "You are glowing exceptionally bright this lovely afternoon. How may I be of help, love?"
"Indeed?" Amphitrite asked him with a bite. "Won't you introduce me to your sons?"
Poseidon squinted. Then he gestured to the oldest and answered. "This Triton. You birthed him."
"A+," she responded.
"This is Perseus… hello, Percy. He saved Olympus and you said you were cool with him."
"I did, yes."
Poseidon turned to Sciron before frowning. "Who's this?"
Percy was about to introduce him but Sciron held his back straight, still kneeling and announced, "My name is Sciron Alvida. I was resurrected in 1995."
Poseidon and Amphitrite grimaced. Their forms changed, flickering like a badly connected television set. Percy blinked and was now facing two almost completely different gods.
Neptune had his armour, dark green and glimmering. He had a well-trimmed beard, his eyes glittering violet and teal in the bright blue light of the courtroom. He had a three-point crown, one Percy had never seen his father ever wear.
Amphitrite had changed as well. The seaweed and pearls had transformed into deep knotted nets with silk, tying her long hair up in a pristine bun. She held herself up, shoulders back, far too regal and poised to be in a squabble with her children.
"Lord Neptune," Sciron said, bowing his head. "Lady Salacia. I come here, humble and open to questions."
"Sciron," Neptune said, his voice rumbling and displeased. "You were not allowed rebirth. What is this?"
Percy listened carefully as Sciron told them the same details he'd mentioned to Reyna, Jason, and the others. The inclusion of the Earth Goddess made Neptune and Salacia grit their teeth.
"When was the last time she made contact with you?" Neptune asked.
"Before 1997," Sciron said firmly. "She does not know I live."
"Who looked after you until now?"
"Cassandra and Iphigenia."
Neptune narrowed his eyes, before waving his hand to the rest of the room. Everyone else was being dismissed.
Kymopoleia made a huff and was the first to swim away. Rhode quickly bowed to her mother and followed her sister out.
Salacia turned to Percy, her brown eyes zeroing on him immediately.
With me, hero.
Her voice echoed in his head. Percy's spine straightened, his body heeding her as she swam out of the courtroom. Triton followed them, but his mother shook his head. He frowned before leaving.
"Perseus," she said, barely above a whisper. She winced as her form changed to Greek, the seaweed coming back. Salacia's strict countenance disappeared, replaced by Amphitrite's agitation.
"Lady Amph—"
"Where does your loyalty lie?"
Percy paused. They were on the balcony, outside the court. It was a gorgeous view of Atlantis with many merfolk and many creatures going about their day far down in the city below.
But the goddess's focus was on him and the water was hot around them.
"With our family," Percy responded. "With the Olympians and Camp Half-Blood."
"And the Romans?"
He didn't know what she expected him to say, but he went on. "We're trying to become allies. Facing the Earth Goddess will require both camps."
She nodded, gauging him carefully. "The integration must work. We have received news of a break-in today. There are primordial powers at work and she has sent her executioner to retrieve the important artifacts around the globe that will aid her rise to power. We can't have a divide between the heroes."
Percy nodded.
"Do you trust Sciron?" she finally asked.
He swallowed. "Today is the first I've spoken to him."
"Keep a close eye on him."
"Of course."
"The Earth Goddess has spies," Amphitrite explained. "Cassandra and Iphigenia are two of the most skilled warriors you will ever meet. Any child raised by them is one to be feared. Sciron may tell the truth about not being in contact with the enemy, but it does not mean he is not a spy."
Percy blanched. "But… the Senate will hold a session for him on Thursday."
"You will attend it," she decided.
"It's an in-house Roman hearing."
"My husband will give you permission in Camp Jupiter," she said. "You will decide if Sciron is deceitful or not."
"The Praetors are already going to watch him."
"No, he will have prepared for that. I want you to keep your guard up. In his first life, Sciron had an immense hold over the land and water. He was one of the more controlled demigods. Theseus could only defeat him by tricking him. You cannot win against him in a battle of powers."
Percy hesitated. "What am I meant to do?"
Amphitrite was steady. "If he is a traitor to our cause, kill him."
The water bubbled around them. Percy wasn't sure if he was the one doing it.
"The Senate—"
"If the Romans will not deal with him, you will. Make it seem like an accident," she said, curtly. "Make it clean. Atlantis suffered even though we won the Titanomachy. It will be a far graceless victory, if we can manage to win against the primordial."
Percy was so close to hyperventilating. "Dad will find out."
Amphitrite scowled for a moment. "I will speak to him if it comes to that. For now, pray that Sciron is on our side. Do I have your word?"
He shouldn't. He really shouldn't do this. But Percy had doubted Sciron the moment Harry admitted that he'd broken into the house on the night of the party. He nodded and said, "Yes, My Lady."
It's not that Percy was ecstatic about Sciron's appearance. But a spy for Gaia? He couldn't accept that. The problem was if he did kill Sciron, the Romans would not take that kindly.
Only if Sciron was a traitor, though. Otherwise, everything would be hunky-dory.
They went back into the courtroom when the doors opened. Neptune looked more or less satisfied with whatever Sciron had to say. Amphitrite glitched at the sight of him, changing to Salacia with a wince.
Percy stood by the entrance till his father noticed him.
"Perseus," Neptune said, before groaning. He pressed the base of his palm against his brow, his entire form shifting badly. Poseidon was the end result and he continued. "Keep an eye on Sciron."
Say what?
The god sighed, his form shifting again. Salacia and Amphitrite were also fighting to take over.
"You!" the god barked, eyes squeezed shut, finger pointed at Percy. "Make sure the trial goes well for… for him!"
He now pointed at Sciron who was watching the flickering god and goddess.
"For my's sake," Amphitrite muttered, "Triton!"
A hand grabbed the back of Percy's tee. He barely had time to struggle when the palace disappeared and he and Sciron were standing in Poseidon's temple up on Olympus.
The abrupt shift in environment was too much for Sciron who collapsed beside the fountain, his face submerged in the water. Percy leaned against the column to catch his breath. The wound in his side ached briefly from the sudden departure.
"Why are you both injured?" Triton asked, curious and not at all concerned.
"Got into a fight," Percy muttered. "You could have given us a warning, you know?"
The god scoffed. "Like I would have dropped you anywhere else. A Greek and Roman together out there would be a recipe for disaster. Which is something we're trying to avoid, so if the two of you could try not fighting each other, that would be splendid."
Percy pushed off the column. "We weren't fighting each other! Ajax broke into Olympus and tried to kidnap the Oracle."
Triton, who had been in the process of poking curiously at his human-shaped ankle, looked up, stunned. "Ajax?"
"Yes. Aren't you supposed to be the messenger of the sea?"
"Ajax the Lesser?" Triton demanded.
"Yes!" Percy groaned. "He was here. One of his stooges stabbed me and he knocked Sciron down the stairs. Also blasted Harry out of Olympus."
Triton was in deep thought. "Did he kill the Oracle?"
"He planned it. Not sure if he pulled the trigger."
"Harming the Pythia has grave consequences," Triton said. "If Ajax killed her, he'd be cursed."
Percy frowned. "If he knew that, he'd have made someone else shoot her… he killed Bolt though."
"Who?"
"Her tiger."
Triton grumbled, walking around the temple. He was testing his new feet, walking awkward. "He was bold enough to come here. Bold enough to think he could leave with the Oracle… she has that cursed bracelet, does she not?"
"Yeah," Percy sighed, finally walking over to their brother and pulling him out of the fountain.
"He came here the same day this one made himself known," Triton murmured, nodding over to an unconscious Sciron.
Percy gave a wry smile. "You believe in coincidences?"
"Not particularly," the god mentioned, before giving a sudden laugh. "There was a mortal I once knew who liked to say that there are no such things as coincidences. You could always find a connection if you searched far enough."
"My mom says the same thing," Percy said as he examined Sciron's bandages. The wound seemed to have closed but he definitely needed proper rest.
"The queen's back," Triton whispered, mostly to himself. He leaned over and touched his thumb to Sciron's forehead. There was a quick burst of light and Sky jerked awake, breathing harshly.
Without an explanation, Triton stood up. "I will send over your invitation to Camp Jupiter. Be ready on Thursday morning."
"Just like that?" Percy demanded. "We were supposed to have more time before they were ready to accept Greek demigods there."
"Trust me," the god assured him, waving his concern away. "They've had Greek demigods before you."
The way he put it… Percy frowned. Was Triton talking about Nico? No, he said demigods in the plural. Could there have been Greeks in New Rome?
Then Triton tilted his head and looked out the door. Percy was still helping Sciron to his feet, thinking things over, and didn't see who he was staring at.
"What's the name of your architect?" Triton asked out of the blue. Percy blinked, nearly dropping Sciron.
"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Why?"
"I'll send an invitation to her as well."
Percy brought his eyebrows together. "What about the others? Thalia's a daughter of Zeus, everyone will expect her to be involved."
Triton was exasperated. "Fine, why don't you send over a list, Jackson?"
"Wait, really?"
"No," he snapped. "You need the Olympian king to approve it. And he's not here."
"Queen," Sciron suggested, stifling a yawn.
Percy grimaced. Hera wouldn't like the thought of any of them travelling under her orders. She'd probably sabotage them on purpose.
Triton seemed to know what he was thinking. "Oh, don't worry. She'll allow a small group to visit them. This was her plan after all."
He walked out of the temple leaving the demigods there confused. Percy went after him, finding Triton standing at the very edge of the illusionary beach where the sand met the tiled floor. He was looking at Athena who was beside her temple on the other side of the large hall.
She was in her general's armour, staring at him with cold eyes. They passed a silent communication before she turned and walked out.
"What plan are you talking about?' Percy asked, utterly bewildered. Athena and Triton seemed to have an understanding.
"Lady Hera," he finally said. "The plan to get the camps together… that was hers."
14th November, 2013
9 am, Graveyard at Godric's Hollow, England
They buried Bolt in the graveyard in Godric's Hollow.
Thursday early morning in England was cold with the threat of snow. Percy huddled in his winter cloak, pulling his mittens up. The clothes were charmed to keep him warm, but his eyes kept drifting to the right to find DJ's headstone, slightly weathered.
He died in December 2012, on the seventh. It had been nearly twelve months and all Percy could think was many ways how the death could have been avoided.
DJ died a hero trying to shield Percy, someone who couldn't die. There was no erasing that kind of pain.
Maybe that was why he couldn't be mad at Annabeth for summoning the Delphic spirit in Rachel's dead body. Rachel would wake up and recover. But Piper? Just a newly found demigod against Ajax? Her end would have been irreversible.
And that was also why Percy couldn't trust Sciron. The Roman knew about the immortal bracelets. Knew that Harry would wake up from hitting the ground after falling from Olympus. No matter how bloody that death would have been, Harry would have been fine eventually. Sciron would not have come back if he hadn't been able to make that earthquake. His death would have been irreversible.
So, why did he jump?
Remus is here. Rosalie is holding Kimmy, rocking her gently. Sally is with Alice Longbottom. Percy and Neville watch as the coffin is lowered into the neatly dug hole.
"Are you doing okay?" Neville whispered.
Percy shrugged. It was nice to get a chance to meet up with him. He hasn't seen Neville in months, just managing to catch him on mirror chats once in a while.
"Could be better. What about you? You're practicing for the apparition exam in March?"
"Yeah… I can move just a few feet around. Still got a few months, so it's looking good," Neville muttered.
He stayed quiet for a moment, looking over at DJ's grave.
"It's nearly been a year," he whispered.
Percy wished he could cover his ears like a child.
"Does it feel that long ago?" Neville asked, unblinking.
Percy felt a heavy weight in his chest, restricting his airway. "Did you hear from the Weasleys?"
"Uh… yeah, but it wasn't safe to have too many people here. Sorry. I know Bolt deserved better."
Bolt deserved Rachel and Harry to attend her funeral. Bolt deserved to not be dead.
Just like DJ and Tyson and Michael and a dozen other friends who kept cropping up in Percy's head now.
"How's Rachel?" Neville asked, seeming to know Percy wanted a change in topic.
"Still out," he said shortly. "Harry woke up yesterday. He's in the hospital, just outside London."
"St. Mungo's 2.0?"
"Is that what everyone calls it now?"
"Vejovis is apparently pushing our luck," Neville said. "But yeah, he's better?"
"He's healing," Percy said, breathing out roughly. "Pretty fast actually."
"That's good."
Percy had helped Harry floo to London yesterday. He'd been in a bad way, sharp burn marks stretching over the skin of his chest. His heart had an irregular beat and a hitch in his breathing that made his lungs contract oddly.
His Healer, Sierra, had simply rolled up her sleeves and gotten to work the moment he landed in the hospital. It was a quick process, addressing the burn in the muscles and intense pressure release of his body. Harry was in very capable hands and Percy should have taken a moment to relax, but instead just waited out, pacing uncontrollably until she'd emerged from the theatre to assure him that he was going to be okay.
Of course, Harry would be okay. Even without the healing, his body would have recovered on its own. That's what the bracelets' power did. It kept them alive while everyone else died.
Harry had some hearing issues and wasn't allowed to move around for at least a week. He had new scars which would have been cool on paper but were horrifying on skin. Lightning burns, or as Sierra had called them, Lichtenberg figures were imprinted as dark red scarring from the middle of his chest, spreading out in all directions.
Percy turned away from the graves. This cemetery made him feel too much.
Neville followed him for a bit. He'd grown taller, shooting up over the past few months and was now nearly Ron's height. His long legs easily caught up with Percy's.
"Can't leave the graveyard without an Order member," Neville reminded him. Percy exhaled. "Yeah, I remember. Sorry, I'm just not in the mood to chat."
"That's okay. I wanted to ask about you. You look like you need some rest."
That was funny. Percy smiled. "Maybe. But I have a trial to attend today."
"A… what? You're on trial?" Neville looked so puzzled, Percy couldn't blame him.
"Not me," he answered. "Someone I recently met… hey, do you remember people from the party? Last year?"
"The party at Frost?" Neville asked.
"Yeah. How many parties have you been to, Nev?"
"Gryffindor tower would throw parties almost every other week," Neville said, growing wistful.
Percy smiled again, this time more genuine. "Nice. Yeah, I was talking about Frost. Do you remember the guy who spent half the night with Harry?"
Neville was puzzled. "Which guy?"
"He introduced himself as Sky."
"Um… maybe… is that the guy who snogged Harry for four hours?"
Did everyone know about that? Percy almost rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's the dude."
"I didn't get a good look at his face," Neville admitted. "I don't think I even talked to him. He's a camper, right?"
"Not exactly… I guess nobody paid much attention to him."
Neville made a face. "No, I think Rachel spoke to him."
That threw Percy for a loop. "Rachel? Are you sure?"
"Not really. But I did see her sitting with him and Harry in the kitchen at one point."
Percy felt unsettled at the mention. Did Sciron want something from the twins? Is that why he broke into the party?
He turned to see Rosalie hand over a sleeping Kimmy to Remus. Then she placed a bouquet of daisies in front of DJ's headstone.
Well… he was going to the hearing. He'd find out soon enough.
14th November, 2013
10 am, Senate Building, Camp Jupiter
Sky was not ready.
Even though Neptune's trident had flashed over his head and his body had glowed green all day yesterday, Sky felt separated from everyone else from Camp Jupiter.
And now, he was going to be deposed. It sounded terrifying.
There was a hard wooden chair at the end of a long table. He sat in it, tapping his nails on the armrests. Older demigods and legacies filled up the seats around the table.
On one side, the entourage of Greek demigods sat along with the Praetors. Thalia was near the head, right beside Reyna and Jason. To her left was Annabeth, Percy, Bianca, Nico, and Clarisse, in order of authority.
Some of the members frowned at Annabeth's post, right in between the kids of the Big Three. Sky knew that the Greeks considered Athena a major player in the Olympian hierarchy, but Minerva never had that same distinction amongst the Romans.
Lupa was not here. But some of her wolves were. He saw them seated on the floor right in front of the door. Reyna's metal dogs, Aurum and Argentum were also in the room, resting beside the wolves.
Sky wasn't just afraid, he was downright terrified.
What if they sentenced him to death? Would he be able to fight and escape quickly? Jason and Thalia were definite threats, they could strike him down from where they sat. Bianca could have two arrows in his flank before he got out of his chair. Nico had shadow powers, Sky knew. He could trap him in his own shadow. Any of the demigods present could catch him before he reached the door and the wolves and dogs would tear him to shreds.
Maybe he could jump out the window? An ornamental amphora on a stand behind the head chair held 200-year-old water. Sky could use it as a distraction.
Percy would be the biggest problem then.
An older demigod, probably in her forties, finally sat down. She wasn't a judge, nobody had announced her or made people stand up, but clearly looked in charge. She wore a clean and pressed suit and skirt, a beautiful cobalt blue that contrasted heavily against her dark skin.
"This deposition is now in session," she called, placing her glasses. "I am Ivy Durand, scion of Vulcan, Assistant attorney of New Rome Legal Office."
What was the difference between a trial and a deposition? Sky was just glad he wasn't in a large court filled with a hundred people.
"The defendant will state their name and post for the stenographer," Durand called out.
Defendant - that's him.
"Sciron Alvida," he squeaked, accidentally yanking the chair behind him. It made a terrible noise, legs dragging against the floor.
He winced but continued, "I am a son of Neptune."
"Pronouns?"
"He/him mostly. Sometimes they/them," he rambled. "But today, it's he. I'm a he."
"Language?"
Sky sucked in a deep breath and recited. "Greek dialects: Lesbian, Ionic, Koine, and Modern. Latin dialects: Archaic, Classical, New, and Contemporary Latin. Other languages: Sanskrit, Catalon and Parisian French."
He waited for someone to respond. Everyone was gawking at him. Even the wolves perked their ears.
Annabeth cleared her throat and spoke up, "You forgot English."
His eyes widened, "Yes! I'm fluent in English as well."
There was a sudden scratching of pens on paper.
Durand eyed him carefully. Her glasses were perched precariously on her nose. "Noted. Mr Alvida, you have been summoned to this deposition based on your obscure history."
"Yes," he said.
"There are certain parties who believe you have less than pure intentions towards the soldiers of Camp Jupiter and citizens of New Rome. This deposition is held to find out the truth and to set all doubts to rest."
"I understand."
"Who is your spokesperson?"
Percy sat up. "I am. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. I've been invited to represent Sciron from our father's kingdom."
"Noted. Who is your legal representative?"
"Me," a different man announced. "Melvin Tapahonso, legacy of Ceres. I'm from the Office of New and Unclaimed Heroes."
"Has ONUH been informed of the particulars of the case?"
"Yes, we are in the know."
"We may proceed," Durand said, levelling her eyes back on Sky as did the rest of the table. "You said you had a story to tell, Mr Alvida?"
He swallowed, his knee bouncing on the floor. "Yeah, I do. I may have been resurrected in 1995, but I don't recall any of my training back then. I have no memory of serving the Earth Goddess."
"Then what do you remember?"
"Nothing from back then," he confessed. "You've heard of my parents Cassandra and Iphigenia Alvida. I'm here to tell you that the three of us are innocent and are working to foil the Earth Goddess's plans."
Pens ran across paper. None of the Greeks had anything to write with, but they just watched him. Reyna and Jason waited.
Sky placed his hands on the table, imagining his mothers in the room with him, calming him down to go ahead and hit the target. It's going to be okay.
"The story starts in 1997," Sky said. "March 10 to be exact. That's the date Percy went missing."
And there we have it! Another end. But don't worry, the next installation of the series will begin on 31st July. A flashback to 1997 where we have a few parents becoming heroes themselves.
Stay tuned for the first chapter of Pepe in two weeks! I'll be posting it on Archive of Our Own and simultaneously.
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Cabba Kansas.