There will be an AN at the bottom if you'd like to read it. Sorry again for the long wait.
Enjoy. T.I.

Chapter VI

As Mark saw Percy's eyes widen suddenly a faint air of hope ignited in his chest. Maybe Jupiter finally got his thoughts in a straight line again. Damn those shift of power. When the gods ruled in the Mediterranean everything seemed better. But that was then, and this is now.

For a second Mark thought that Percy just might explode with the power of the revelation, and so prepared himself to defend himself and his other "student", but his preparation was for naught as he heard a deep and singular thud sound that was unmistakably Percy's head hitting his school desk. Wonderful. Then again, this posed an opportunity, like any event, if seen from multiple perspectives.

"Well, I guess his not ready yet." Mark exclaimed with a sigh. Nudging Percy in the right direction was all he could do for now. He had to find out on his own before another could step in and take charge. If only he could hurry in up. His scent was getting stronger. And uninvited guests were sure to arrive, looking for easy prey. Percy had to be ready. He then turned to look at his new student.

"And you, Reyna, shouldn't be here." His voice held a sudden edge that was never present before, like a hidden blade unfolded from within the folds of cloth. He could sense that Reyna was getting uncomfortable. Good. Maybe that'll convince her to leave him to do his job properly.

The air in the room seemed to get thicker as the two stared at each other, almost forgetting about the unconscious Percy that was now starting to emit the beginnings of a snore. Quite comical if not for the pressing circumstances.

Reyna finally cast her eyes down after what seemed like a rather long while, she really did become stronger, no, that wasn't it. Fierce. Something only true experience can teach you. "I know I shouldn't, but I had no choice Magistre, you're the only one with a connection to the gods, whatever slight. And I had a dream that warned me to come here." Her tone of voice held guilt, even pity, as she tried to explain herself.

Mark gave another sigh, deeper this time. "You know my connection is much weaker than what it was back in the day. The gods struggle to remain here, Reyna, any link I'm able to achieve grants me seconds, a minute at most, and I can't choose who appears before me,"

Reyna's form seemed less confident now, as if the only hope she found was now shattered into pieces.

"Nevertheless, as a courtesy and a favor to your mother who favored me in my time, I am willing to try and assist you. What did you dream about?" He questioned.

A spark suddenly appeared in her eyes. "Glory." She almost whispered. Mark was looked somewhat skeptic.

"Are we talking about a double cheeseburger with bacon and eggs glory or some other kind?" Reyna wanted to believe it was a joke, but his face gave nothing away. This is how he always was since his return.

"A prophecy was given, Magistre." The sparks in her eyes returned. "Nearly three-hundred years of silence and a prophecy was given once again. I'm talking about this kind of glory." A smirk slowly rose upon her face as she witnessed the teachers face become one of complete and utter shock, an expression she never got to see while he assisted her. And seeing him in such a state, she had to admit, was so satisfying she nearly wanted to roll on the floor laughing.

"Are you sure? Absolutely certain?" He asked after a few seconds of stunned silence.

"As sure as I can be, usually messages from mom are vague and blurry, but this wasn't mom. It was as if the Power itself whispered to me." Her smirk widened into a full bloom smile.

"What did she say? Do you remember? I must know. If they need help, as much as it pains me to leave a new student, I have to answer the call." His voice now caught a sense of urgency.

"I remember very little of it, Reyna admitted, but it had to do with the Wreath. And a son of Neptune." A son of Neptune? Mark wondered. He knew no son of Neptune. How was he supposed to find him? Weren't all of his sons long gone? Reyna continued looking at him, a smile still almost blinding him. It was rare that she ever smiled.

"Do you know what this means Magistre? My kind could be saved. No more Monstra killings, no more sadness, no more loss of-"

"Roma Invicta!" The sudden rising of Percy's head from the table nearly killed both teacher and student, but it was the near battle-shout uttered from Percy's lips that really gave them both a heart-attack. Where did this come from.

Percy was now standing on his desk, body prone and muscles taught, an arm was raised in the air, ready to strike at any enemy that appeared. His eyes held a sharpness to them, not of sight, but of sense. He scowered the classroom for a few and then as soon as the edge in his eyes appeared it was gone.

"What… What happened?" Percy muttered silently. The dream was so real, he had to defend the border, the legatus was by his side and they were charging the enemy, and then darkness.

He finally seemed to notice both Reyna and Mark staring at him with eyes wide. Why were they staring at him? Oh, he's standing on his school desk that's why. He then followed the direction to which they were both staring, but it wasn't on him so much as it was on his upraised arm. The arm where his "tattoo" was. Crap. He quickly lowered his hand, jumped down, grabbed his bag and ran for it. Mark's exclamations for him to wait were lost in his ears as he left the school, running like the wind.

When Percy got home, he went straight to his room, closing the doors and shudders, thinking in complete darkness. What was he going to do? Would Mark report him to someone? Was it even illegal to have a tattoo at his age? The new girl… Reyna, must think he's some kind of a punk who really loves forks on his arms. No. It wasn't a fork. Mark drew it on the board and he knew what it was. It was a trident.

As the thought ran through his head the darkness became engulfing and the air stifling, he needed to clear his head. It was early evening but a little trip to the beach wouldn't hurt. Just to clear his head and then he'll come back.

Instead of walking, he ran. He did it sometimes when he was anxious or sad, the burning in his lungs and the pain of endurance in his legs made him forget about his thoughts for a while. He even managed to get to the beach before sundown. As he got closer to the water, the ember and strong pinks of the setting sun calmed him, and the scent of the sea water made him feel whole, almost at home. He sat down near the coming and going waves and took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

After a few minutes, an itch ran down from his hand along his spine as it made him shudder. The wind? Percy thought. Another itch. Not the wind. He concluded. Another itch, stronger this time, and a voice in his head.

"-ercy …" It muttered silently. Percy shot up and scanned his surroundings, almost on instinct. No one was around, he was by himself just like when he arrived.

"Percy r..!" This time stronger, and definitely male. Whoever he was he knew his name and was trying to tell him something. But his voice was still weak and distant, unclear.

"Percy run!" The voice sounded urgent, warning, like a distant scream of help, Percy was still unsure as to where the voice was coming from, but he knew a command when he heard one. He turned from the sea to begin heading back to his house, and when he turned, right in front of his stood a man.

He was tall, Percy was sure that if he wanted to play basketball he would smash it in any kind of league. His skin alabaster and smooth, covered with a plain T-shirt and dress pants, and his eyes, while a deep calming brown, made Percy feel sick to his stomach. Not because of the smell, but because of danger. His instincts screamed at him to ram the guy in the knee and run for his life. How did he get so close anyway? I never heard him stepping on the sand. Percy was on high alert.

"Salve, son of the sea, good to see you in good health. My master said you were underdeveloped but this is just crazy man!" The man laughed. He sounded like a mix of an Italian gangster and a hippie preaching about peace and love. Percy tried to ignore the voices telling him to run, but they were too strong.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Percy demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know, right?" The man answered with a sinister smile. "But I'm afraid my lord's plans are a little too risky right now for me to indulge you in such knowledge, man. He wouldn't like it."

"Well I bet you wouldn't like this either." Percy said as his body lurched into motion. He feinted a move to the right and dashes to the left, feeling the explosive power of adrenaline coursing through him and making everything clearer and sharper. The man seemed stunned for a second, almost expecting something to strike him, but as he saw Percy moving, he just smirked. "You want to go man? I need to kill you anyway so whatever. I'll give you ten seconds head start, you better be grateful, man."

The man's voice weakened as Percy started sprinting like his life depended on it, which apparently, after the man finished talking, it did. The wind howled in his ears and it was getting darker, Percy had no idea where he was running to, but right now that was the least of his worries.

Another tingle ran down from his hand suddenly. "..t down Percy!" The voice yelled in his head, as frantic as before. Percy lurched and dropped to the sand below, the shock of the blow rattling his body. He looked up just in time to see hands grasping at the location where his body was just a fraction before, as if in slow-motion. Had he not fallen to the sand, they would've grabbed him for sure. The Hands retracted and he saw a glimmer in the fading sunlight. Percy's eyes widened. The hands were longer than human hands, narrower, and the fingernails were no fingernails. They were claws. Forget grabbed, if he remained standing he would've been cut to shreds. Where did the claws even come from?!

Percy shot up and began running again, his sight grew weaker due to the lack of light. As he ran, he could feel something following up behind him, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Not bad man! Good instincts!" The voice of the man shouted before him. "But I think it's time to end this man." A tingle again, but no voice no to follow it. What was he supposed to do now? Run? Hide? Climb? Swim? Die?

A deep pain bloomed in Percy's right leg and caused him to tumble on the sand, rolling several times and scraping his body before coming to a halt. He screamed at the night sky as the pain made its presence known once again. He felt at his right leg and felt warmth, and something running down his leg. He brought it closer to his face as the last remaining wisps of sun showed him the deep crimson of his blood. Was this really it?

"What a merry chase we had here man." The man suddenly appeared before him, just like he teleported, he never even saw him move. What is he? Percy wondered as the pain appeared again.

"What are you? Why do you need me?" Percy hissed in a pained voice.

"That's on a need to know basis man. Only he knows what he needs you for dude." The man said almost sheepishly while scratching his head. "Oh, I also lied about the head start man, but seeing as you could dodge one of my attacks, I'll give you five seconds of finishing your mortal, well, demi-mortal coil here before I finish you off dude, say goodbye to your mom and dad and stuff. I'm sure Pluto will be touched man." Just what the hell was this man talking about? Did he also take Mark's class or something?

"Five," He started. Percy tried to move but the pain was too great. Better than before, but still not great.

"Four," He continued. Percy's breathing got heavy. Was he really going to die like this? Not knowing anything and in the prime of his youth? God had a real sense of humor.

"Three," The man seemed bored at this stage.

"Two," Another tingle in his arm and a voice in his head, screaming in agony "Perseus!"

"One." The voice wasn't the man's. Percy saw another glint and heard a whistle in the wind. Not the slow and calming one of a breeze, but the sure and whistling one of a weapon cutting the air. Next thing he knew; his body was covered in blood. Not his blood, but the man's blood. And right next to him, a head was rolling down the sand, detached from its body. But the head was no human. It was something weird and grotesque, with sharp fangs and an unnatural shape, surely some kind of monster. Was he dreaming again?

The man's body fell to the ground, twisting and turning, body getting longer, fingers becoming claws. This had to be dream.

"Percy! Percy are you okay?" The voice above him shouted, but his mind was too stunned to answer.

Above him, standing in pajamas with a chocolate-chip cookies design - with the words 'I'm sweet & salty' on the chest - and holding a short sword that now glimmered once again in the shallow light of the moon, was Reyna.

AN: Hey guys and gals, it's me again, the ever late and in trouble Taurus.
Uni and an unfortunate passing kept me from writing like I wanted. I apologize again for the long wait.
Expect another chapter in a day or two, I promise.

See you then, T.I.