Ch25

Chrysaor sat with Percy at the Big House as Triton explained what happened to Chiron and Dionysus. He had never seen Triton this pissed off, his older brother's brow was tense the entire time he spoke while the atmosphere kept approaching dangerous.

"Anyway Hecate was taken into custody," Triton said. "My father has her held in a maximum security prison, it is safest place for her at the moment I hear Lord Zeus wanted to punish her severely."

Dionysus snorted, "These minors gods are fools if they think the Titan Lord will help them. I should have their children rounded up and questioned."

"But they didn't do anything," Percy said. "If anything it would just cause them to join the enemy. Look at Luke and Annabeth they both are children of major gods and they defected."

"Indeed I'm afraid it will do us no good to cause panic amongst our rank for now," Chiron said.

"Whatever," Dionysus said rolling his eyes. "Either way many minor gods are staying oddly quiet I may have to go and verify their loyalty. Now if you excuse me I'm going to check on the children of the minor gods." The wine god got up and left the room with a stern expression on his face.

"Anyway other than that the Princess Andromeda's wreckage is being thoroughly analyzed," Triton said before turning towards both of them. "Father is pleased with you both. The enemy slipped away but the Titan Lord is a tricky one."

"Good to know," he said as Percy's face lit up. His younger brother was a bit unhappy that Tyson got to work at their father's forge so Triton's words meant a lot more to him.

Triton materialized a boat's helm in his hand and tossed it them, "Here take this consider it a trophy for your efforts and max your cabin nicer." Percy caught the helm; it was a black and silver wheel that wasn't the worse he had seen.

"Thanks," Percy said holding the helm in his hands. "It'll look cool in the cabin don't you think Chris?"

"Yeah it will," he said looking at the steering wheel.

"Anyway I'll let you both know when I can train you guys again," Triton said before turning to Chiron. "If there is nothing else I'll be heading out."

Chiron nodded. "If I may ask how were Annabeth and Luke?"

Triton grimaced, "They are stalwart in their loyalty. The son of Hermes defended the daughter of Athena and was wounded. They got away while I did battle with Hecate."

Chiron sighed a dark look spreading across his face. "I honestly never would've expected a betrayal from such a close place."

"Well if it's any comfort the children of Athena have big egos. It wouldn't surprise me if the Titan Lord promised her to rebuild the Earth in his image," Triton said. "They aren't the campers you once knew. Anyway I'll be off now." With that Triton turned around and disappeared in a flash of light.

Chiron looked down at the ground, "Well things are different that's for sure. I still hope that there is some good in both of them."

"When I fought her she fought me with all of her strength," Percy said frowning at the ground. "I never cared for her that much to be honest but I think she is all in with Luke whatever her reasoning is."

"Unfortunately the Titan Lord's influence is strong," Chiron said a dark expression passing over his face. "Even the best of us can fall under his influence. Annabeth was strong I honestly did not expect her to betray the gods. To think that she would poison Thalia's tree with Luke and help the Titan Lord."

The atmosphere in the room darkened. Chiron always got depressed when the topic of Annabeth came up even if he tried to hide it. Must have been a shock that the supposedly good girl was complicit in betraying the gods.

"Well we won't let Kronos win," Percy said firmly. "We'll get them next time whatever they'll plan we'll stop it."

Chiron nodded, "We'll have to be prepared. With you and Thalia the Titan Lord will be more provocative. But I believe we will prevail in the end."

With that he and Percy returned to their cabin. "Well this will sick in our cabin," Percy said holding the helm up.

"Yeah it will," he said. Once they got in the cabin he helped Percy mount the helm on the wall. "There perfect," he said as he went over to his bed and looked at Circe in her cage and fed her some food pellets. "Our cabin is pretty cool don't you think?"

"Yeah its covered with souvenirs from our time as demigods," Percy said as he sat down on his bed and looked around the cabin.

They both had a horn from the minotaur from when they arrived at camp and along with Luke's sword Backbiter. Now they had Circe, the helm of the Princess Andromeda, and various other sea themed objects they thought would be cool.

"Oh by the way I sort of freed a Pegasus his name is Blackjack," Percy said.

"That black Pegasus you were flying earlier?" He asked. He remembered his brother saved it on the ship, it was a very talkative horse.

Percy nodded, "Yeah he is pretty cool. He wanted you to ride him too since you are his uncle apparently."

He clenched his fists and sighed. "Yeah I try not to interact with my nieces and nephews. Mainly because my brother will find out."

"You never got along with him right?" Percy asked.

"We did until we didn't," he said as he looked up at the ceiling. "He got famous and we drifted apart." Saying those words he noticed there wasn't as much resentment as before. "He never approved of how I made a life for myself and we haven't spoken to each other for centuries."

"Sounds complicated," Percy said. "The pegasi here don't talk about you that much though I notice at times they do stare at you and ask me how you are."

"Yeah I always avoided by brother's children," he said. "I don't know how to feel about him anymore."

"Well if you ever want to ride the pegasi here I'm sure they'd led you," Percy said.

"I'll see," he sighed. Though he didn't really have any intention to try and get in touch with his brother. "Oh another note you did well during this quest, you beat that daughter of Athena easily."

"Yeah I was surprised too," Percy said. "Annabeth was never that nice but she was smart and tried to put up a good fight. Though if I had to say when I fought her I think she might have wanted to talk to me."

"Probably to get her hat back," he said.

Percy laughed, "Yeah maybe. That hat is super useful." His brother took it the hat and played with it in his hands. "You know Annabeth wasn't really friendly and she was bossy but I still can't believe she would help a guy like Luke."

"Kronos is a master manipulator he found a way, a weakness and exploited it. She is an enemy now we can't go easier on her," he said.

"I won't," Percy said firmly. "She and Luke can both rot in Tartarus for all I care. I won't let them get away with what they are doing."

The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful. The entire camp was grateful to Clarisse and she seemed more pleasant than usual while Thalia Grace seemed to still be adjusting to being brought back.

He and Percy were drinking hot coco around the campfire when the daughter of Zeus finally came up to them. "Um hey mind if I join you guys?" She asked.

"Sure no problem," Percy said as she sat down across next to them.

"Man I still can't believe so much has happened since I was gone," Thalia muttered.

"Yeah how does it feel to be back?" Percy asked.

"Strange. I felt like I woke up from a long nap," Thalia said before sipping her coco. She then looked at them both, "Listen I wondered if you both could tell me about Luke and Annabeth. I understand you both fought against them."

He and Percy exchanged a look. "We have," he said. "They joined the Titan Lord's side."

Thalia's face darkened, "So I heard. I knew Luke had a bad relationship with his dad but I never knew they would both go over to the other side." She gripped her cup a sad expression spread across her face. "Annabeth was always smart I can't believe she chose that path."

"Sometimes people change. They made their decisions to serve the Titan Lord and betray the gods," he said.

"Yeah we fought them both. They seemed pretty committed," Percy said taking a sip from his drink. "After my first quest we caught Luke and Annabeth helped him escape, she fought us this summer too."

Thalia sighed and cleaned her teary eyes, "We were a family and now they are gone. I didn't expect them to turn on the gods. What on Earth happened to them?" She then got up, "Well its late better get going."

"See you around," Percy said as she left. "She seems a little head strong if you ask me."

"Yeah I noticed it too," he said. "But hey we are Poseidon's children we won't be outdone by her."

Percy smiled at him, "That's true. We are a family after all, you and Triton trained me and have helped me a lot. I'm glad to have you as a brother."

He felt flustered, "Thanks. I'm glad you are my brother too." At that moment sitting by the campfire next to Percy he honestly felt happy, not the happiness he would obtain from raiding and pillaging but the kind of happiness that he once felt a long time ago with Pegasus.

They eventually passed by Grover who was giving Reyna and Hylla a tour of the camp. "Looks like they will be in the Hermes Cabin," Percy muttered. "Bellona I haven't heard of that goddess before."

"I'll take them to Chiron you could go rest," he said. Percy looked at him but only nodded and headed off to their cabin.

He approached the two girls. "So how do you both like it here?"

"It's nice," Reyna said looking at the cabins. "Too bad our mother doesn't have a cabin."

Grover avoided their gaze. Occasionally the children of Rome would find their way into the Greek side of things. "Come on let me take you both to Chiron."

The two sisters looked at each but followed him to the Big House. Inside he found Chiron and Dionysus talking intensely with each other. "So here are the new campers," he said introducing Reyna and Hylla.

Hylla nodded. "Our mother is Bellona."

The air in the room was thick. Chiron's face turned white while Dionysus's posture stiffened. The god's form shifted to that of a man wearing a toga before going back to his Greek form.

"I-I see," Chiron said carefully. "Do you both have any experience in the demigod world?"

Reyna shook her head. "No. Our father told us of our mother before he went insane." Her face paled as if reliving some unpleasant memory.

Hylla placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We fled Puerto Rico before ending up on Circe's Island. That's all we knew before coming here."

"I see," Dionysus said gripping his can of soda tightly. The god exchanged a look with Chiron as if debating what to do. "How about this since you both contributed to this quest why don't you stay in the Poseidon Cabin. I'm sure old barnacle brain won't mind."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt he will. I'll run it over with him when I get the chance." Dionysus looked at him with a hard stare, he could tell that this was a special circumstance since he didn't want them to put in the Hermes Cabin and talk about being the daughter of a Roman goddess.

Chiron nodded. "Yes that would be a great idea for now. Just don't tell others about your lineage for now."

Reyna frowned. "Why not?"

"For safty reasons," Dionysus said his gaze narrowing in on the girls. "Just keep quiet about it for now and we'll figure something out."

Hylla and her sister bowed. "Thank you. We appreciate your hospitality."

"Now go and unpack," Chiron said. "Chris stay here for a moment."

He nodded as the two girls left the Big House. As soon as they were far away Dionysus sighed and rubbed his head. "One pain after another," The god muttered.

Chiron shook his head. "I'll try to contact my colleague. Situations like this have been common in the past."

Dionysus flinched as he rubbed his head. "Last thing we need is another civil war." The god then turned to face him. "Not a single word to anyone about them do you understand?"

"Crystal," he said. "If you wish you could convince them to join the hunters or Amazons?"

"Not a bad idea," Dionysus muttered.

"For now lets just focus on things here," Chiron said. "The enemy suffered a major blow but I doubt it will be the end of them."

Dionysus nodded. "The titan lord is no fool. I suspect he and his allies are out there plotting their next step."

Chiron nodded. "Heroes will always stand up for what is right."

You sound like Pegasus. He sighed looking at the picture of a pegasi on the wall. For once he didn't feel hatred writhe inside of him.

Percy gripped Riptide in his hand as he swung it at Chris. His brother easily parried his strikes with his golden sword. Well at least I'm lasting longer. When he first started practicing with Chris he didn't last long but now he was lasting longer.

Chris is probably the best swordsman in camp at the moment. He parried a few more strikes carefully watching his brother's posture as he came at him.

The campers around them watched in awe as they always did when they sparred. Their new cabin mates Hylla and Reyna watched curiously as they sparred. He blocked the strikes and continued tried his best to counterattack. Chris parried his attack and swung his sword at him.

Sweat formed on his brow as he continued to spar against his brother. Unlike Triton Chris had a habit of giving him more openings to attack though it was probably out of pity more than laziness.

His arms were sore as he blocked Chris's sword. They both exchanged a few blows before Chris barely managed to disarm him. "Good job Percy you're definitely getting better," Chris said.

"Thanks," he sighed as his brother helped him up. "I still can't beat you though."

"Don't worry you'll get to that point eventually," Chris said as they both drank some water.

"Hey do you mind if we spar?" Thalia Grace asked standing up from the crowd and gripping her spear in her hand.

"Um against me or Chris?" He asked though he could already guess she wanted to face off against Chris. Not that I mind I'm actually curious to see how strong she is against him.

"I want to fight Chris," she said looking at his brother.

"Sounds good," Chris said as he finished his water and picked up his sword. "Come on lets do this."

"Good luck," he said patting his brother on the back.

"Thanks," Chris said smiling at him.

He sat down with the other campers as they watch with anticipation, a child of Zeus vs a child of Poseidon it was a fight no one wanted to miss.

Come on Chris you got this. He watched as Chris and Thalia both assumed fighting stances and eyed each other carefully. Thalia gripped her spear and lunged at Chris.

His brother easily blocked the attack and countered with his sword. Thalia blocked it and the two exchanged a series of blows. Thalia did her best to keep Chris at a distance but Chris was quick and would manage to close the distance between them.

Is he toying with her or does he just want this to drag on? Chris frowned as he blocked Thalia's attacks the daughter of Zeus was persistent but Chris was maintaining his form and calmly countered her attacks.

Chris parried Thalia's spear and slashed at her grazing her arm. Thalia swore in Ancient Greek as Chris just smiled. "Do you want to continue?" Chris asked.

"Oh I'm just getting started," Thalia said her face red with frustration. Her spear crackled with electricity as she charged at Chris.

This could get bad if it escalates. He along with the other campers watched in awe as lightening crackled around Thalia as she and Chris fought. His brother didn't seemed face, in fact Chris had a smirk on his face as he dodged her spear and landed a hit on her arm grazing it. Thalia swore as she dropped her spear to grab her wound.

"Had enough?" Chris asked as Thalia glared at him

"Alright that's enough," Chiron said walking through the crowd.

Chris bowed to the centaur, "We were just sparing."

"That's enough for now lets get some rest," Chiron said. "Back to your cabins now."

Thalia sighed and nodded, picking up her spear she left as the other campers headed back to their cabins.

"That was pretty cool," he said to his brother once they were back in their cabin.

"Thanks. She has talent but I can tell she is a person who hungers to be stronger," Chris said.

"Don't we all want to be stronger?" he asked as he watched Chris feed Circe.

"Yeah but it can also be a flaw," Chris said as he sat down on his bed and looked at him. "You really are getting better Percy."

His face reddened, "Thanks but I still have a lot to learn. I'm not even close to beating you."

Chris laughed, "Don't worry I've fought for centuries. Anyway come on lets show our cabinmates around."

He smiled at Chris, "Yeah lets do that."