Epilogue

Percy

As it turned out neither my nor Annabeth's mortal parents could use the doors to visit us unless we walked with them, nor could they visit he rest of New Ionia at all. Mom, having true sight, could see it, but simply could not step through the door to walk around in it. She like wise could see Hogwarts, where Paul and Annabeth's parents could only see an empty field. This worked out well as it gave us some privacy, but since we had returned from our honeymoon with two infants all had spent most of their days there playing with the kids. Athena and Poseidon had stopped by often too, and both were enjoying the role of doting grandparents again, something neither had been in several millinia.

Our new job was a head ache. Basically Zeus had left us in charge of everything, most importantly making sure the god's children managed to survive and grow up. At any moment I had knowledge of close to two thousand kids, including the magicians, and it was literally a head ache. We had but a few requests from the gods for quests, the only vaguely dangerous sounding one was recovering some imperial gold lost off the coast of Ireland when a Roman troop transport sank, and it was only dangerous because it was near something called "Fowl Manor" where the lower earth people had some difficulties with mortals. The lower earth people were a few races of elves, gnomes and the like that Dumbledore was familiar with but I was still learning about.

Until we got a better grip on things we had decided to just send a guardian on all quests. So far no one minded, and we always sent DA1 folks with either a Roman or Greek that had quested before so they could get the hang of it too. All were under instructions to not interfere, let the quest make its own decisions, and only enter the fray if it looked like someone was about to die. I knew soon both Annabeth and myself would want to get back in the field in this role, but for now we were both happy working out of home and playing with the kids all day. Most of the exercise I was getting was walking to the door to let guests in from our gang, all of whom wanted to maximize their time with the kids. Annabeth was usually at the other end of the house and my office was near the door so I became the defacto door man.

"Lord Hermes! Please, come in! Stopping by to see Grover T?"

"Please Percy, between us now, its just Hermes. And yes, I would love to see him, but I'm actually here on business. If I could have a word?"

"Of course of course, my office is right over here" I replied as I led him in through the main foyer.

"I've been meaning to tell you, and Leo of course, I really love New Ionia. Olympus can be somewhat... stuffy?"

"Yeah, I bet. Its a lot more laid back here. Coffee?" I asked as I poured and handed him a cup whether he wanted it or not.
"Thank you. One of Demeter's best ideas if you ask me. Percy, let me get to the point, as is my nature. I have some concerns."

"About Grover?" I asked, some what surprised. We had made no secret of our beleif, based on what Harry had told us about his death state, that Grover and Calypso were the reborn Luke and Bianca.

"No, no, well perhaps actually. Let me start at the beginning. When Harry returned he brought a certain blade with him, given by Luke as I understand it."

"Backbiter. It had been Luke's in life."

"Correct. The thing is Percy, well, Backbiter was a cursed blade"

"Yes, it could kill mortals and half bloods."

"Well yes, but it was more cursed that just that. It was made you see, from the scythe blade of Kronos."

"Right, I knew that, I guess I forgot with everything that is going on."

"And Hestia destroyed it in the hearth fire of Olympus."

"So... what, did that send it to Luke's spirit to be reunited?"

"No. It was destroyed, much like its master, Kronos. But recall when Kronos was destroyed millenia ago he was cast forth in thousands of pieces. When you, well when Luke, destroyed him, Luke's body remained intact."

"So the sword was intact? I thought Hestia destroyed it."

"Oh she did. Recall what Luke told Harry, well from what I understand he told him. That Backbiter was given to him to give to Harry to destroy Voldemort." Hermes said.

"Oh right, Harry told us that."

"So if Histeria destroyed it, who gave it to Luke?"

"Uh... I don't know, Hades maybe, might it have ended up in his realm along with Luke?"

"He didn't, I asked."

"Thanatos maybe?"

Hermes just shook his head. We just stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Well, who then?" I asked.

"We don't know. And now that Luke has been reborn, we can't ask. But I fear the worst. That it was given to Luke by none other than Kronos himself. If so..."

"Then Kronos has risen, and will rise against the gods again." I said, finishing his sentence.

"Exactly." Hermes said. "And we barely beat him the last time."

I reached into my desk drawer and pulled out a golden egg device, pressed the correct sequence of buttons, and said into it, "Harry, could you come by my office, and bring your sword."