Percy Jackson

There was a pause as the muscular man stood in the doorway almost too small for him. Then the man's face broke into a smile. "Aris!" he rumbled, swooping up Aristotle in a hug. "Brother!" Orion nearly lifted him off his feet.

Aristotle awkwardly patted his brother on the back.

Orion then turned to the group. Percy stiffened. Was he going to rush at them too?

"I see you've brought friends."

Aristotle nodded, smiling, and introduced them.

"Well, what're we all doing standing out in the streets?" Orion asked, "Come in, and we'll have a cuppa tea."

The room they entered wasn't big, but it was cozy. The ceiling was tall, and a spiraling stairwell led upstairs. A man, followed by a boy of maybe 16 hurried down the stairs, heading for the door. They had a full set of armor on, except for a helmet, which each held, and swords were sheathed in scabbards at their belts.

Orion waved a hand at them. "Hey Rowan." The older man nodded in acknowledgement to Orion, before slipping out the door, followed by the teenager. Orion turned to explain. "That's Rowan and his apprentice, Josve. There's about-" he thought for a moment, "-six pairs of warrior and apprentice here. We come mostly every day, to train the apprentices and teach strategy. There's a few more of these places scattered around the border, usually close to one of the entrances."

The man settled into a chair by the fireplace, where a small table sat in front. "Pull up a chair," he rumbled, smiling, gesturing towards chairs situated in a corner around some papers which looked like they hosted battle strategy.

"Heath!" Orion called, and the small, mousy boy from earlier ran into the room. "Yes, sir?"

"I've told you plenty of times, don't call me sir. And no need to be so jumpy."

"Of course, si- I mean, Orion."

"Now can you bring in the honeyfern tea we made earlier?"

The boy, Heath, nodded quickly and scurried out of the room, coming back momentarily with a tray holding a pot and a handful of cups. He placed it on the table.

"Don't just stand there," Orion laughed, "Pull up a chair! Now everyone, this is my apprentice, Heath."

Percy wondered why the boy was so anxious. Orion didn't seem like a bad person. Maybe it was his battle instincts, like ADHD demigods. Orion poured some of the tea for himself, then gestured to everyone.

"Go on! Have you ever had honeyfern tea?" Percy shook his head. He hadn't had any tea, and had never even heard of honeyfern.

He turned to the wizards, since they were from Britain they most likely were the ones to drink tea, but the wizards shook their heads, too.

"Ah, well, what better time to try?" With that, Aristotle poured himself a cup, and it went around.

Since Percy had never had tea, he had nothing to compare it to, but this tea, was...odd. It wasn't bad, but it was sort of confusing.

And so the morning went, drinking strange tea with Aristotle's brother in a warrior's building, in a city no one knew existed.