Hello! New readers welcome! Go ahead and skip the rest of this and get straight to the story. Returning readers(if I have any at all at this point), I owe you an apology. I started writing this three or four years ago and then lost my passion for it over a summer and just left it in the dust. I realized that that wasn't fair to a lot of people but I just couldn't bring myself to write any more. However, I've just finished the Heroes of Olympus series and it's rekindled the spark in me for writing, and specifically, for finishing this. So to anyone returning to this story I deeply apologize for the three year cliff-hanger, but welcome back, and please enjoy my third re-write of this with what I hope is a great deal of improvement.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO

Percy's POV

The blazing sun scorched my neck and shoulders as I pushed the plow through the solid earth. We'd had an unnaturally dry season, and the dirt may as well have been rock.

Running a farm was a hard and grueling task, especially for a seventeen year old. When I was just a baby my father left us and joined the army, in order to send money back to us on the farm. He was sent to fight the war overseas against a cruel conqueror named Kronus. I've never actually met him, and on days like today I couldn't help but wish there was another pair of hands to help me out. I've run the farm alone ever since he left. Not completely alone though; I lived with my mother, but I wouldn't let her work in the fields with me. There were smaller household chores for her to do, and I could manage the heavy lifting by myself.

My mother urged me to find a wife, but I didn't have the time. The nearest city was a half day trip on horseback, and I only went a few times a month. I'd met girls there the times I'd gone, but I couldn't bring myself to leave my mother.

The plow struck a rock with a bone jarring thud. I paused for a moment to catch my breath, and ended up taking my shirt off. Sweat poured freely down my face, and glistened on my chest and arms. Prying the rock from the ground, I picked it up with a grunt. It was heavy, but I'd been lifting rocks like this my whole life, and I was used to it. I carried the rock to the edge of the field and dropped it, then went back to the plow.

A few years ago, when we still had plenty of horses, I'd finish the plowing in only a few hours and take a swim in the pond near the house. Nowadays the pond was dried up, and we'd had to sell most of the horses. We had one left. Blackjack. He was a beautiful horse, and could ride like the wind, but he wouldn't pull a plow for all the sugar in the world.

Putting my focus back on the monstrous hunk of iron before me, I attacked the hard ground again, and was done in plenty of time to finish the other work. The rest of the day went by smoothly, and the sun was just starting to drop when I made my way to the horse stables.

I filled Blackjack's trough with food, and then went to the well to get him some water. I heard the bucket scrape the bottom, and when I hauled it back up it was only half full. Dipping my hand into the water, I splashed some on my face. If it doesn't rain soon we're going to be in trouble, I thought as I took the water back to the horse.

I stroked Blackjack's nose, and he nuzzled me affectionately. This had been my dad's favourite place; he loved horses. That's why we had so many, but when he left everything started to go wrong, and they had to be sold.

When I was younger I used to dream that my father would come home one day, and everything would be alright, but then I found out the truth.

Flashback

The day I turned sixteen I rode off to a war camp in search of my father. They told me that anyone who'd been trained had been sent overseas to fight, and only soldiers were allowed to board the ships. So I enlisted. I trained hard for three months, became the best soldier I could be, and when they were satisfied with my ability they sent me off. The trip itself took another month, but for me it passed quickly, knowing I would soon see my father.

As soon as we were docked I ran off in search of him. I asked around, and learned that General Jackson, my father, was here. He was fighting right now, in a small battle a few miles off. Before anyone could stop me I jumped on a horse and rode as fast as it would carry me. As I got closer, the sounds of battle reached my ears. Soon I could see men fighting in the distance. The green and blue banners of our army were clearly visible, but clearly losing the fight.

They were outnumbered two to one, but the man leading them was an incredible fighter, and he gave his men courage. The leader was a tall dark haired man. He had tan skin beneath a short black beard, and he wore the armor of a general. My father. There were arrows protruding from his chest, and he was cut in dozens of places, but still he fought on. A titan of a man with armor similar to my fathers swung his blade at him, and they disappeared into the crowd as they fought.

I paused a moment to steel myself, and then ran into battle, slashing my blade around wildly. I couldn't tell if I hit anyone, but I kept going until someone hit me. Pain burned across my chest, and I looked down to see a gash across it. A man kicked me and I fell down. He raised his sword to finish me, but a sword pierced him through his back, and he dropped to the ground, dead.

My savior stuck out his hand and helped me up. It was my father. I didn't say anything and neither did he, but I could see the look in his eyes, and I could tell he knew. He knew who I was, that I was his son, and that he was my father.

Our little reunion was ended by angry shouts as enemy reinforcements came charging towards us.

"Retreat!" ordered my father, and we turned and ran.

I looked back at the enemy, and saw that my father hadn't moved. He stood there, facing thirty blood thirsty men, and raised his sword. I tried to run back to him, but I was caught up in the crowd of soldiers, and they carried me away.

I watched as my father was stricken down, and then the large man he fought with before slit his throat, a cruel smile playing on his lips He laughed and looked towards the retreating soldiers. Our eyes met, and a fire of rage lit inside me. I wanted to run back there and kill them all, but I knew I would only kill myself, and that's not what my father had wanted. He had sacrificed himself so we could get away. I had gotten my father back, then that man had taken him away from me. And he was going to pay.

End of Flashback

I looked over at the wall. My father's sword was hung there, along with several medals he had won. I ran my hand across my chest, feeling the scar I had gotten on that day, and remembered. When we had gotten back to camp after the retreat, I was sent to the infirmary. They stitched me up and then sent me home, saying I was too young to fight. I was given my fathers belongings, and sailed home to my mother, where we lived on the farm since.

I took down my father's sword and swung it around. It felt perfect in my hand. I remembered seeing my father fighting with it, watching him die, and the hatred rekindled inside of me. That's when I heard the scream. My mother. Grabbing my father's sword I leapt onto Blackjack and kicked his sides. The horses shot out of the stables and we rode towards the house.

I saw thick black smoke rising into the air, and as we came to the top of a small hill, I saw why. The long dirt road that passed in front of the house was filled with people. Soldiers. And other people in chains and cages. Slaves. Several soldiers were carrying banners. They were a dark purple colour, with a black scythe in the middle, and I knew where I had seen it before. I had seen it when I went to find my father, when I went to war. It had been the same banner held by the men that killed my father.

I watched as three of the soldiers threw lanterns on the roof of my house. They shattered and lit, adding to the blaze.

Spurring Blackjack to run faster, I reached the house and ran inside, sword raised. I crashed through the front door and saw my mother on her knees, a knife to her throat.

Probably not much I'm going to change story wise since I liked the previous changes I made, but I've found a lot of grammar and sentences that just sounded awkward that I'm trying to fix.

R&R please.