A/N
Glad to inform that our story has reached five hundred favourites. That's more than I had ever even imagined. But hey, I am not complaining.
Thank you for this, guys and gals.
Some reviews from you guys have seriously helped me in planning this story further. The ideas that you guys give me are mind blowing. I thank you all for this and hope that you will keep doing so in the future.
I have decided that there will be 10 members in the harem. I realize that enforcing the fact that Calypso is fixed in the harem was rude of me. So, I am bringing back Nyx in the poll. Also, the eight will be chosen by you, but the ninth one, that is Calypso, is a fixed. Consider it as a gift I gave myself. Savvy? Comment your views.
Now about the tenth one. You see, after putting in a lot of thought, I have decided that this being my story, I can write whatever the absolute fuck I want. So, if Sally wins the poll, she will be in the pairing. If you guys find it weird or wrong, sorry, but I don't care. If she wins the vote, which she is by the way, she will be there. The question about how I place her is something I have to worry about, so chill out and read further.
Also, about the power levels. Trust me, I am trying to make this stuff as easy and straight forward as possible. Percy is really, powerful, but he has only trained combat for the past few years. While Artemis is undoubtedly the most combat efficient Olympian. So, she beat him easily. And just because Poseidon is the strongest Olympian, it does not mean that he is combat efficient. It just shows his powerful domain and immense raw power.
So, Artemis beating him was actually quite realistic if you ask me.
Also, in the previous chapter, if you didn't notice, Percy had just had a car accident. So, his senses were jumbled. This is why he wasn't able to sense the presence of the Minotaur. If Percy would have been in the right state of mind, he would have absolutely trashed the Minotaur. So, I hope you guys get it.
Also, some people feel that Percy is speaking really formally at some points. Remember, the dude was raised in a palace as royalty. He has attended balls and other formal events more than I have flown in an airplane. So, formal language and gestures have obviously been ingrained into him by his mother and teacher. So, expect some formal greetings from him.
Now to address some reviews.
To OhJustReadit : Nice to know that you like the story. Don't worry. I don't plan on abandoning this story. Not under any circumstances, (other than death obviously) will I abandon this story.
To The God of Perverts : I agree with you that taking an oath on the sacred river or the creator is an easy way, but do remember. In canon! Percy himself is the result of a broken oath. Styx can't do much harm to a god as powerful as an Olympian. Also, unlike other Fanfics, in my story, only the Fates and their two children know about Chaos. The Olympians do not know about him. So, they can't swear upon him. Get it?
To J. S. Theios : As I mentioned above, Percy can easily kick the Minotaur's ass, but the dude has just been in an accident. So, his mind is in shock. This is why he was not able to sense the son of Pasiphaë. Percy's power levels are currently the same as that of a minor god. Maybe stronger than some of them.
To WadeTheGreat : Hey man. Nice to know that you approve of my choice to add Calypso in the pairing. But sadly, no. There won't be a crossover. The reason is that Magnus Chase simply doesn't exist in my fic. Remember, the Norse gods have faded. Gone. Nada. Also, I haven't read Magnus Chase yet. My names the same on Wattpad. Even the profile pic is the same.
To Yubel578 : Although I agree with you that Hera deserves better than Zeus, sorry I can't add her in the pairing as she didn't get enough votes. I have already cheated by adding Calypso even though she didn't have enough votes. I wouldn't like to do it again.
To Birdieluver69 : Seems like your wish may come true.
To Mark Andrew : Sadly, it is not gonna be that soon. I have already decided the best moment to reveal Percy's parentage. Actually, that scene is what motivated me to start writing this story. But when it does come, I promise you will love it. Also, Percy will be as powerful as Zeus, maybe more by the time for 'The Last Olympian'.
To DeadOrAlive1 : The Roman and Greek Pantheons aren't considered in this as they are basically the same.
To cccyrus : In this story, Percy has been raised under different circumstances. So, he won't be much like how he is in canon! So, he doesn't mind attention, rather he is used to it. Also, he is proud of his achievements, not that modest guy like he is shown in canon! Wait and watch.
Now moving on.
Onward with the story.
Last time :
I was sure that it wasn't Poseidon. Poseidon may have a deep voice, but the voice that spoke to me was a lot stronger and firmer than that of my adoptive father's.
I deduced that it had to be my real father. It was the only explanation. My head had started throbbing due to this pressure. So, I decided to put off this thought for later. Right now, my sole focus was reaching the camp without collapsing.
As I reached halfway uphill, I heard some noises and saw four figures approaching me from above the hill. Despite my condition, I put myself in front of Grover in a defensive position.
As the figures came closer, I saw that one of them was a centaur, with the lower body of a brown stallion. One dude had what looked like eyes all over his body. The other two were demigods.
The male demigod was about eighteen years old, while the female demigod was about a year younger than me.
As the centaur reached us, I relaxed as I recognized Chiron from the pictures that my father had once shown me.
As they reached us, I heard Chiron say, "Quick, Luke and Argus, pick Grover up and carry him to the infirmary. Alert Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew that he needs immediate medical attention."
The male demigod and the huge dude with the eyes took Grover and started carrying him uphill with them.
Chiron immediately turned to me and addressed the girl, "Annabeth dear, help him get on my back and sit behind him to support him. He needs immediate medical attention at my hand."
The girl helped me climb the centaur's back and climbed behind me. I was surprised that at this age, she had a tight grip.
Chiron immediately cantered uphill and took me to a small building beside a big blue house.
The girl was mumbling something about how I had killed the Minotaur single-handedly and how I was most probably the 'chosen one'.
The last words I heard before falling into a deep slumber were, 'Well done, my son. You have made me proud, ...like every time.'
The same voice that belonged to my father. Not Poseidon. My birth father.
Present time :
Third person POV :
She found herself standing in a huge room. Confused and weary, she tried to gauge the situation and see where she was. She was quite sure that she had just gone to sleep after a particularly long and boring council session. The mermen general from her husband's kingdom surely knew how to make a council session so boring that one felt like committing suicide on the spot.
Her being the queen of the greatest underwater nation, she had a huge number of responsibilities and duties to attend. Add to it satisfying Poseidon's 'divine' libido left her exhausted beyond comprehension.
Yes. As most of you may have guessed it by now, the 'she' being referred to here is none other than the queen of Atlantis, Amphitrite. The most beautiful of the fifty nereides.
She was also known as the 'pearl' of the ocean due to her unmatchable beauty and grace.
Anyway, being a goddess, she had never experienced dreams. Never had she ever thought that anyone other than her husband would even have the power or authority to invade her dreams or summon her in her sleep.
So, she was confused and weary. Frantically searching for some clue about the place where she was, she found out that she was in a room that was unlike any other Greek palace she had been in.
First of all, this room itself was larger than the grand throne room of Olympus, and this was no joke, considering the fact that the Olympian throne room made even the Madison square garden look like a Janitor's closet.
Walking towards a wall, she was stunned to see a rather large painting of some people on it. It was the painting of a couple and their new born kid. The sight of the woman made Amphitrite feel extremely jealous. Now, Amphitrite was not at all used to feeling jealousy. The reason being that only a few goddesses like Aphrodite, Hera, Persephone, Demeter or Hestia were as beautiful as her, of not more.
But the woman in this painting made even Aphrodite look only moderately beautiful. Even though this was only a painting, she looked absolutely drool-worthy.
The moment her eyes fell on the man, her jaw dropped open. Most of the male immortals in the Greek world looked like models, absolutely stunning. But none of them, not even Eros could hold a candle to the majestic male that she was seeing in the picture.
The man was tall and extremely well built. His face was something that could only be described as perfection. To spare a detailed description, he had long blonde hair and royal blue eyes with high cheekbones and a diamond-cut nose.
One look at the boy in the painting was enough to make it clear to her. The child in the picture had the royal blue eyes of the man. And the only person she had ever seen with eyes so beautiful was... Her adopted son Perseus.
With a jolt, she realized that she was staring at a picture of her adopted son and his birth parents.
Before she could gather herself, a voice from behind her spoke, "Smart as always, I see. Glad to see you, Lady Amphitrite."
Amphitrite turned around so fast that it is a wonder that she didn't get a whiplash. Standing behind her was the same woman from the painting. Percy's real mother.
Seeing her, an unknown feeling bubbled within Amphitrite's chest. She had never felt this feeling before and wished that she didn't feel it now. The feeling was one that made her gaze at the woman in front of her in jealousy. It made her feel lonely as compared to the true goddess who stood in front of her. For the first time in her immortal life, Amphitrite felt insecure.
The lady seemed to have sensed her insecurity as she gave a soft, good-hearted chuckle and snapped her fingers. Two chairs appeared beside them and the lady took a seat on one of them.
Amphitrite gazed at her wearily for a moment, but sensed absolutely no deceit from her. Comforted by this, she herself took a seat on the other chair.
The lady put her hands on her lap and spoke, "I know that you do not know me. Honestly, I do not blame you. That arrogant and weak Titan king Kronos was always adamant on making your people forget about us ever since Freya humiliatingly rejected his marriage proposal. Looks like he succeeded partially, if not completely." Her sentence was ended by a sigh of sadness.
Amphitrite was shocked to hear this. It was a well known fact throughout the pantheon that Kronos was the strongest non-primordial being to ever live. His might was equal to, or maybe even more than the combined might of the likes of even Zeus and Poseidon. And here she was sitting in front of a lady who just described the evil, extremely powerful Titan Lord as 'weak'. Now either the lady was really, really strong, or she was a complete nutcase.
But judging the wisdom and spark in the lady's brilliant yellow eyes, Amphitrite decided to go with the first option.
"Oh worry not dear. I am not crazy. And yes, comparing Kronos' power to mine is like comparing a demigod to your husband."
The lady spoke with an amused smile and proud glint in her eyes.
Amphitrite decided that she, or rather her brain wasn't prepared to process all this information. So, she decided to cut the chase and be blunt. "I have figured out that you are Percy's real mother. But, I do not know about you. So, please do inform me about yourself." Amphitrite tried to sound as polite as possible, but it felt weird in her mouth.
She was the queen, she bowed to no one but her husband. But here she was, sitting in front of a lady who appeared as peaceful as one could possibly be, but yet demanded complete respect and subservience.
The lady smiled and nodded before saying, "Correct as usual, Lady Amphitrite. I can see that Lord Poseidon did choose his soulmate wisely. I am sorry, but I cannot reveal anything else about myself to you. The Fates won't allow it."
Amphitrite blushed a deep golden color at the compliment that she had just received.
The lady continued, "I am indeed Percy's mother. And I deeply apologize for summoning you abruptly and without your permission." The lady had the decency to act flustered and dip her head in a silent apology.
Amphitrite was surprised that the lady apologized her, but a gentle smile appeared on her face nonetheless and she gestured that it was okay.
"The reason that I have summoned you here is because we need to discuss something about Percy's life that is really important. The Fates have clearly banned me from contacting Perseus directly, but I did manage to find a loophole through it. I clearly see that Percy is closer to you than he is to Lord Poseidon. So, you can talk to him about this better. Although I admit that I am jealous, you are clearly the perfect lady that Percy needed as a mother."
The lady, now identified as Percy's mother spoke.
Not knowing where this was heading, Amphitrite decided to just nod her head and give a small smile.
The lady returned this gesture and took a deep breath. After a few silent moments, the lady spoke, "I am sorry, but even though I have found a loophole that has helped me speak to you, I can't really tell you my name or titles as the consequences to this course of action will be dire. All I can tell you is that we, entailing me and my husband are at a power level that the Olympians can't even think of comprehending. So, naturally, Percy is destined to be similarly powerful to us. "
Amphitrite was shocked, yet not shocked at the same time. She had known from the very first moment she had seen Percy that the child emitted raw power that was even more than what Atlas had emitted when he was born. And Atlas still held the most raw power in the entire Greek world, not counting primordial beings. Only Kronos was a close second to Atlas in terms of raw power. But her little boy had not only equalled, but beaten Atlas in that amount of raw power.
So, she wasn't surprised when she heard that the raw power was a result of Percy's parentage.
"Forgive me for interrupting, but what exactly will Percy's power level be, milady?"
Amphitrite asked politely. She had enough sense to refrain from angering the powerful lady in front of her.
"As he grows, he will grow in power, till he is as strong as his grandfather. And no, I am not speaking of that weakling Kronos. I am speaking about my father-in-law." The lady spoke.
Confused, Amphitrite asked, "What level is that in our pantheon?"
The lady gave her a mysterious smile, doing nothing to curb the sea queen's curiosity.
"If I am right, it will be somewhere around the power level of four to five of your primordial gods combined."
Now, Amphitrite would love to say that she retained her composure and took the news in stride, but again, that would be straight up lying. In all honesty, Amphitrite's jaw dropped to the ground and her eyebrows touched the sky as she tumbled out of her chair.
"F.. four to fff...five primordials? That's just insane. No one except for the creator can be that strong. Surely, you must be mistaken."
Amphitrite blurted out.
The lady just laughed it off and replied, "Believe me, goddess. There are beings far more powerful than your primordials. Beings so old that all other pantheons other than our have forgotten them. Nothing is impossible in this universe, Amphitrite."
Amphitrite could only nod dumbly, not able to form a coherent reply.
Then, she finally found her voice back and spoke, "But milady, how will his body even handle the immense raw power that comes with it? Not even an Olympian as strong as the big three can even think of channelling one tenth of a primordial's power. And here you say that my mortal son will be as powerful as four to five primordials. How is that even possible?"
The response she received from the lady was, "Hmm. That is a good question you ask. As for the answer, Percy won't be able to channel his power till he is mortal. So, he will level up and gain immortality when he turns eighteen. The moment he gets this immortality, he will be claimed by the tree of life as the heir to our pantheon. This will be enough to help him."
Amphitrite was extremely elated at hearing this. Now that she knew that her baby boy would turn immortal at the age of eighteen, she did not need to fear losing him to Thanatos.
But for that, he would have to survive till he was eighteen. That was six years from now, and who knows what Zeus and Hades would try when they got to know of Percy's heritage.
Deciding to let the matter rest for now, Amphitrite spoke, "Although the news that you gave me right now was extremely important, I have a feeling that this wasn't all. It seems that you still have something you need to tell me. So, what is it?"
The lady gave her a stiff, forced smile that confirmed it to Amphitrite that whatever it was that she was going to hear now, was going to be something that would definitely not please her even in the slightest.
"Remember how I told you that Percy's life has been and will be influenced by omnipotent and omnipresent beings? Well, their blessings and influences cause more than just minor changes. It has also vastly affected Percy's personal life."
Percy's birth mother took a break here, eyeing Amphitrite to gauge her reaction.
Amphitrite, to her credit had by now almost gotten used to being surprised. She could have sworn that the number of surprises and shocks that she had received in the past five thousand years of her immortal life were nothing compared to the shocks that she had received in just these two hours. And so, she succeeded in schooling her expressions, even though she was completely terrified on the inside.
Taking this as a signal to go on, the lady continued, "Now I won't try to sugar coat it and will just be blunt about it. The influence has affected Percy's love life."
Now Amphitrite was completely freaking out. She knew that love was one of the strongest forces. It could alone cause more damage than the four elements of nature combined. So, she frantically asked, "What? Please tell me you are kidding. Please, anything but love. Is it Aphrodite? If so, I will personally ask my husband to rip her apart."
She would have continued her rant if the lady sitting in front of her hadn't raised her hand in a stop motion.
Once she had somewhat regained her bearings, she gestured for the lady to continue.
The lady nodded and spoke, "No. I wish I was kidding, but alas, it is the truth. And no, it has nothing to do with Aphrodite. The Olympian goddess of love is too weak to interfere and influence Percy's love life."
After a tense silence, she continued, "The problem is, Percy won't be satisfied with one woman in his life."
Now, there is bluntness, and there is Percy level bluntness. But the lady clearly surpassed both these levels by miles. Way to break something this important about her son to an overprotective mother.
Amphitrite jumped out of her chair and screamed, "Whaatttt? No. I taught Percy better than that. He knows that one woman is enough. My Percy won't do that."
The lady was calm throughout this ordeal and she finally spoke up, "Hey. Believe me, I am just as mad about it as you are, but I can't do anything about it, so I have accepted it. So it would be better if you calm down and hear it out. Then you can throw all the tantrums you want."
Amphitrite blushed in embarrassment at being scolded like a little girl. She quickly took her seat and cleared her throat.
The lady gave a stiff nod and continued, "Due to the influence of an omnipotent and omnipresent being and a certain love goddess I know, Percy is destined to have ten lovers. My poor boy is supposed to have a polygamous relationship with ten other women."
At that moment, Amphitrite successfully fainted due to shock overload. Her poor brain couldn't comprehend all that she had heard right now.
She was woken up by ice cold water being splashed on her face. Gazing up, her eyes met twin yellow orbs that were gazing at her with amusement.
Not used to being embarrassed like this, Amphitrite immediately got to her feet and walked to her chair. That is when it all came rushing back to her. Her son, her little boy was going to have ten soulmates.
She put her head in her hands. Why did it always have to be Percy? That boy was already the definition of a 'trouble magnet'. And now, some all-powerful beings had decided to mess his life up.
But seriously? TEN soulmates?
The lady seemed to have understood her thoughts as she placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Amphitrite gave her a small, distracted smile.
The lady then continued, "The reason that I summoned you here is because right now, Percy has started to grow feelings for three women. And he is currently at fight with his own emotions. One side of him is persuading him towards a polygamous relationship, while his morals are stopping him from this. He is currently at battle with himself. His morals that you have implanted in him stop him from loving more than one woman. But alas, his morals won't last long against the foreign influences. So, what I am asking of you is to speak with him once. Assure him that it is perfectly fine. Guide him properly."
The lady gave another long pause before continuing, "The reason that I contacted you and not Lord Poseidon is that you share a deeper heart to heart attachment with Percy. He will surely listen to you as in his eyes, you can never be wrong."
Amphitrite beamed with pride as a smile made it's way to her face. Her son loved her so deeply. This was something that every mother wished to hear.
She gave it a moment to sink in, before a thought suddenly came to her mind. Turning back to meet the lady's eyes, she asked, "If I may ask, who are the three ladies that have garnered Percy's attention. I should be aware of my future daughters-in-law, right? There comes one sentence that I had never imagined I would speak."
The lady chuckled along with her. It was true. Seeing that Triton was Atlantis' version of Apollo, Amphitrite had no hopes of her eldest son ever getting in a stable relationship, much less getting married. Even Mera had been the result of a drunken one-night stand with a nymph.
Did having ten soulmates make Percy a Playboy? Huh. A question that can be debated for hours but is better left unanswered.
The lady then spoke, "Of course. As of now, Percy has met three of his soulmates. One of them is Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the other is Zoë Nightshade, lieutenant of the hunt and the last one is Hestia, goddess of the hearth."
Amphitrite didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. That idiot just had to go and fall for three sworn maidens. And add to it the fact that two of them were devoted man-haters.
Heck, Artemis was disgusted by just the sight of a male.
Unable to settle on a particular emotion, she asked, "Why does the idiot have to make everything hard?"
The lady again just laughed and spoke, "Yeah. That he gets from his father. Both are stupid and reckless. Although the sea does increase his reckless tendencies."
Both ladies let out small laughs.
Soon, the lady turned to Amphitrite and spoke, "Okay. So, now I guess it is time I send you back. Please do refrain from telling your husband Lord Poseidon about this. He knows only of Perseus's parentage, not his love life. Keep it to you and Percy."
Amphitrite laughed and nodded. "Of course. Although Poseidon is the biggest dork when it comes to love. I doubt he would understand this even if I told him."
Again, both ladies shared a laugh. The lady then spoke, "Okay then. I will be sending you back to your body. Thank you for your help and cooperation."
Amphitrite blushed and replied, "Thank you for informing me about this. I will surely help Percy. It was a pleasure to meet you."
The lady replied with, "The pleasure was all mine, lady Amphitrite."
Then she snapped her fingers and suddenly, the world turned black for Amphitrite. The next moment, she opened her eyes to find herself in her bed, the arms of her husband around her as her head rested on his chest.
Sighing contentedly, she snuggled tighter into his embrace and closed her eyes. She would worry about everything later. For now, she would rest.
One fact was sure, Amphitrite was going to have to talk to Percy once. She couldn't make her baby boy suffer through this alone. She would be there for him.
Linebreak
Percy POV
All the muscles in my body were sore. I couldn't even feel my hands and legs. I knew that I had been unconscious for a long time. Or rather it would be more accurate to say that I was continuously slipping in and out of unconsciousness.
One moment, I could feel my senses overreacting, but unable to completely start working, the other moment I was slipping back into unconsciousness.
In one of such moments where I was actually able to open my eyes for a few seconds, I found myself sleeping on a bed, with a girl about my age sitting beside me.
By the blonde hair and lemony scent, I was able to deduce that it was the same girl from that night. She was force-feeding me something that tasted strangely like the steak that was prepared by the royal chef in Atlantis. 'Ambrosia' I realized when strength flooded me for a moment.
The girl jumped at the sight of me waking up and immediately blurted out, "What is going to happen on the Summer solstice? What has been stolen?"
Not in the right state of mind at all, I just groaned and spoke, "Whaaa? Whereee..?"
I was unable to complete my sentence as my body was overcome with exhaustion and I was sent back into deep slumber.
Now, I was finally able to access all of my senses except for sight. I could feel the air conditioner working inside the room where I was currently rested. The bed was soft, if just barely, but right now it felt even better than my royal bed.
I could also hear two people speaking to each other in hushed voices. One of the voices clearly that of a female, while the other one belonged to Grover.
Slowly, I was able to open my eyes, only to shut them tightly as the bright light in the room almost blinded me.
After a few minutes, I tried to open my eyes again, luckily finding myself successful in doing so. Grover and the girl were still standing at the entrance, having not yet sensed that I had woken up.
Deciding to keep up my act, I abruptly got up and blurted out, "Grover? Hey, G-man? Where the hell are you? Where in hell are we?"
The next moment, Grover was standing beside me, his hand on my shoulder.
He tried to speak in a calming voice, but failed terribly. "Hey. Percy. I am right here. You are okay."
Still keeping up the act, I replied, "Like hell we are okay! I get attacked by a Fury, then you drag me to some camp that you speak of. Just as we reach this camp, a fucking bull-man attacks us and tries to kill us. I remember stabbing him with his horn and passing out. Also, don't forget the centaur that I saw galloping his way towards us. Do you still think it is all okay? Hmm?"
Grover stood shell-shocked with his mouth wide open and eyes twitching. All the while the girl was still standing at the door, with a sympathetic look on her face. But it looked like she was trying really hard to not chuckle.
Grover slowly regained his bearings and spoke, "Woah. Never really imagined how you must have felt. That does indeed sound messed up."
Giving out a loud snort, I spoke out, "Oh really? Does it now? Hmm. Wonder why you feel that?"
If a certain level of sarcasm could kill a person, Grover would be a sapling by now.
Yeah. Persassy strikes.
Then I again spoke, "Wait a second. Please, please don't tell me it was all real. Tell me it was a nightmare. That I am still at the dorm, and you have come to wake me up for school."
Grover and the girl again gave me a pitiful look. Whoa man. Either it is really easy to fool these people, or I am a really good actor. Should I think of entering Hollywood?
That is when I decided to have some fun. "Now the next thing that you will tell me is that you have hooves in place of feet. Eh?"
I tried to make it sound like I was joking.
Grover's jaw dropped to the floor for the second time in two minutes. "Whaa? How...how do you know?"
Giving him a weird look, I answered, "What? What the hell are you talking about, dude?"
He calmed himself and pointed to his feet. In place of jeans, he had worn shorts and it showed his hooves. Acting to be shocked by this I questioned, "You are half donkey?"
The girl finally lost it. She fell to the ground laughing uncontrollably. Ignoring her, I kept my eyes on Grover. His face had a mixture of shock and anger on it.
"No! Just no. I am a satyr. Half goat. Not half donkey."
Again, I glanced at him weirdly and spoke, "Yeah. And I am Batman."
Grover just gave me an unamused look and proceeded to explain me the basics about how I was a demigod and that my dad wasn't allowed to interfere in my life because of Ancient laws. Also, he informed me about monsters. He then told me about Camp Half-blood and how it was the only safe haven for demigods.
Yeah right. The Romans even have a miniature city in their camp. Only safe haven my ass. But I didn't mention it aloud. Didn't really want to get smote by lady Styx for breaking an oath on her river.
He pulled out something from under my bed and handed it to me. It was the Minotaur's horn, the same one I had used to kill it.
"Here, take this. It is the Minotaur's horn. You killed it when it attacked us, so now this belongs to you as a spoil of war."
I nodded slowly and put it in my bag, which was lying beside the bed I was currently on.
Slowly, I got up and tried to walk. All of my injuries had healed completely. Now it was only my muscles that were sore. Grover offered his support, but I shook my head, indicating that it was okay.
As we reached the door, I saw that the girl had composed herself and was staring at me intently, with a scrutinizing look in her eyes. She was about the same age as me, a few inches shorter. She had blonde hair that flowed down into princess curls. Her eyes were a stormy grey colour, shining with knowledge and intelligence. Undoubtedly, this was a daughter of Athena.
Giving her a small smile, I extended my hand and spoke , "My name is Perseus Jackson. Nice to meet you. Also, thanks for taking care of me. I remember seeing you beside my bed, feeding me something. Thank you for that."
She seemed surprised, but nodded nonetheless, a smile making it's way to her face involuntarily. She grasped my hand tightly, trying to check my strength. Not one to disappoint, I returned the handshake with equal force. But I did not use my full power. Didn't want to crush her hand, do we?
If she was surprised by my strength, she did a good job of not showing it. "Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena." She said this proudly, making it clear that she was proud of her parentage.
But studying her pride, I groaned inwardly. Another child of Athena who had the same fatal flaw, hubris. But I wisely did not comment on it.
We walked out of the room, with Annabeth walking in front of us and Grover beside me.
After about a minute of walking, we reached a large blue house. It was bigger than all other buildings that I had seen in this camp.
As we entered, my senses were sent into overdrive as I felt a really strong aura. Not as strong as dad, or even Artemis, but still strong enough to make me weary. Some immortal being was sitting in the room next to us.
Another presence, that radiated power, but not as much as the first one was also caught on by my senses.
Schooling my emotions, I followed Annabeth and Grover as they entered the room. Inside the room were sitting two men.
One of them looked like an old man. He had a long flowing beard and scraggly hair. His warm brown eyes held a kind twinkle in them, but also showed millennia worth of experience and wisdom. I knew it immediately that this was Chiron, the legendary trainer of heroes like Theseus and Achilles.
But he was seated in a wheelchair. Must have been some kind of magic to hide his true form.
The other man was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt that was so loud that it made my eyes hurt.
Grover immediately bowed to the pot-bellied man. The man merely raised an eyebrow and grunted. One look in his eyes and I knew who he was. The insanity in his eyes confirmed the fact that this was Dionysus, god of wine and madness.
But what the hell was he doing here? Unsure what to do, I stayed back. I couldn't just bow to him. It would raise suspicions.
Instead, I turned to Grover and asked him, "Hey G-man. Who are these people?"
Dionysus raised his head from his magazine and lazily gazed at me. Then he spoke in an irritated voice, "Oh. So another brat has entered this pathetic camp. Tell me brat, what's your name?"
Wow. He should be given a prize for getting on my bad side the fastest. Narrowing my eyes at him, I spoke, "What's it to you? Why don't you just concentrate on your stupid magazine?"
Chiron's and Grover's eyes widened in horror and Annabeth have out a loud gasp. Dionysus threw his magazine on the table and looked up at me.
"You dare, brat. I should smite you right where you stand. Apologize now and I may consider letting you live."
He spoke in the most authoritative tone he could produce.
"Hmmm. Nope. I don't feel like apologizing right now. Maybe later. Who knows?"
I spoke in a mocking tone.
He stood up and banged his hand on the table. "You dare speak to an Olympian like that? Be prepared to die, foolish mortal. No one disrespects an Olympian and gets away with it."
"Yeah? Give me the best you can, asshole. Let's see what you have really got. Oh, by the way are you by any chance, Dionysus, god of wine?" I asked.
He seemed surprised for a second before he nodded proudly. "Yes. I am indeed Dionysus. Why do you ask boy? Biding for time, are we?" He asked scathingly.
Not even slightly bothered by it, I replied, "Not at all. I was just checking if you are Dionysus. Everyone knows that you are useless. So, I know you won't be able to kill me. You are weak, pathetic and even you know it."
That did it. I swear I saw steam blow out of his ears as his bloodshot eyes turned purple. I felt a wave of madness, and a very strong wave of power hit me. But, I was unaffected. Ikol was a hundred times powerful than this. So, he protected my head.
"I won't kill you, brat. I will turn you insane for your whole life. So insane, that you won't even be able to detect self-harm. Haha." He cackled evilly, while I just stood there, not even blinking my eyes.
After a few moments, he saw that I was unaffected and his eyes widened. Disbelievingly, he spoke, "Whattttt? How is this even possible? Why aren't you affected? What sorcery is this?"
Grinning maniacally, I spoke, "It isn't sorcery, idiot. As I told you, you are weak. Get it? W-E-A-K. You can't harm me."
Turning to Chiron, I saw him sitting shell-shocked, fear and disbelief etched on his face.
"Hey. You look like a wise man. Can we speak later? After dumb mutt here has finished his hissy fit. I'll be waiting outside."
Chiron could only nod dumbly as I turned around and walked outside. Grover was still standing beside Chiron.
Annabeth saw me walking out and followed me quietly, still too shocked to even speak.
As soon as I stepped out of the room, a crazy grin made it's way to my face. It felt so good pissing off an immortal after so long. Man. The feels.
Deciding that the big house was boring, I turned to Annabeth, who was still in shocked awe of the events she had witnessed just a while ago.
"Hey Annabeth, mind giving me a tour of your camp?"
She was snapped out of her stupor and nodded after a few moments of contemplation.
She walked up to me and spoke, "I don't know how you survived, but be careful, gods are easy to displease. And when you displease one of them, they go nuclear and blow things up. You seem interesting, it would be a shame if you get yourself killed because of your smart-ass comments."
The starting half was serious, but she gave me a wink while speaking the last sentence, which confirmed that she was joking.
Smiling back, I spoke, "Yeah. It will be a shame."
She led me to the cabins, which were arranged in a U fashion. The most magnificent cabin was undoubtedly cabin number one. Zeus's cabin.
I had heard dad and mom speak many times about how Zeus was a terrible show off and tried to show his 'magnificence' whenever possible.
Now I won't describe all the cabins, just that each cabin depicted the particular God's domains. Like Zeus cabin looked like a home built in clouds. Dad's cabin looked like a beach style condo. Demeter's cabin was covered in plants and vines. Artemis' cabin was silver and had a small moon on it's top.
All in all, I had to admit that the camp had been very well built. Just that the arena was smaller than expected. But otherwise, everything else was awesome. It was like a normal camp with most normal activities, but with added challenges.
While I was taking the tour, I saw some kids sparring in the arena. Judging by the ferocity and strength in their attacks, I could tell that these were the children of Ares.
Each sword clash that took place in the arena could be heard even from far away.
Out of the demigods, I could single out one particular female who was trashing her siblings. She stood about an inch taller than me. She looked about 14 and was literally wiping the floor with her siblings. Two of her brothers were lying on the ground, groaning in pain. Two others were trying to disarm her, but failing horribly. I had to admit, the girl sure knew how to fight with a spear.
That is when the girl finally thrashed the other fighters and looked around. As soon as her gaze fell on me, a sinister smile made way onto her face. I knew that the girl was thinking something involving me. Something that wasn't really pleasant.
She called two of her siblings and marched towards me. Annabeth saw this and tried to usher me to go faster. The girl saw Annabeth and sneered. "Get out of here princess. We have to give the newbie a warm welcome."
Annabeth returned her glare and spoke, "Go and hack those straw dummies, Clarisse. I have been told by Chiron to show Perseus around camp. Go bully someone else."
Clarisse did not take kindly to someone defying her orders. She simply pushed Annabeth away and grabbed me by the arm. She tried to drag me towards the washrooms.
Now I admit that she had decent strength and could easily overpower about half the hunters, but it was nowhere close to mine. I stayed firm on my place, causing her eyes to widen in shock.
She dropped my hand and tried to sock me in the face. I dodged the sloppily thrown punch easily, causing her to stumble forward.
one of the two other children of Ares who had accompanied her came forward and threw a punch at my face. I dodged again and caught his fist. I applied a large amount of force in my hand and a satisfying crunch was heard. I had broken his fist. He howled in pain and stepped back, clutching his broken fist.
Clarisse meanwhile had gathered herself together and was glaring at me with unmasked rage. "Do not test me punk. Follow me quietly and maybe I will forgive you."
I snorted loudly, causing her glare to intensify. In a mock innocent tone, I spoke, "Yeah right. As if I will follow you. You know, I already have a girlfriend, and she really won't like me going off with another girl. So, thanks, but I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though."
Clarisse went red with anger. But before she could act, the other Ares kid charged at me with his fist in the air. Sighing sadly at his stupidity, I grabbed his fist and literally lifted him in the air. Then, I smashed him into the ground beside me. (Sort of like how Hulk beats up Loki in the Avengers movie.)
The boy was knocked out as soon as he hit
the ground. I heard a shocked gasp and turned around to see Annabeth staring at me with wide eyes. Her hand was on her mouth, a clear indication of the shock that she had received. Can't really blame her. You don't see a newbie beating up seasoned warriors everyday.
Finally, it was only Clarisse remaining. But even she knew when to step back. But alas, she was a daughter of war. She wouldn't let an insult to her pride slide so easily.
She glared at me in hatred and sneered, "Watch your back on Friday, kid. Shame if you get killed during capture the flag just because you couldn't keep that stupid mouth of yours shut."
She turned around and started carrying her brother to the infirmary. I scoffed at her threat and turned to Annabeth. She had recovered from her shock and was staring at me intently, trying to figure me out. Honestly, it creeped me out a little bit.
"How did you do that? I have never seen someone dodge a punch and retaliate so fast." She asked in slight awe and excess curiosity.
I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly and replied, "I have learnt martial arts since I was five years old." It wasn't a lie. I had been taught all kinds of hand to hand combat in Atlantis.
She seemed to accept my answer and nodded. Nodding back, I gave an exaggerated bow and gestured for her to continue the tour. She gave me an amused smile and started leading the way.
The archery range had some sons and daughters of Apollo practicing their skills with the bow. One thing that I did notice was that all Apollo kids had almost similar features. One thing that every child of Apollo had was sparkling blue eyes.
After this, we passed the strawberry fields where some demigods along with nature spirits were working. Definitely children of Demeter.
Finally, we came to cabin number eleven. Just a look at it confirmed that this was the cabin of Hermes, god of Messengers and thieves.
It was comparatively plain and simple. But the words 'Maia' written on the front were a clear indication. To those if you who don't know, Maia is the name of Hermes' mother.
Annabeth knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door opened and out stepped the guy who had helped carry Grover when we had been attacked by the Minotaur. 'Luke' I recalled.
The Luke dude was about eighteen years old and stood at a good 5'10. He had Sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes. He was lean, but I could see the traces of muscles on his forearms. He also had a scar that ran down from his left eye, across his cheek and to his neck. Definitely a claw mark.
He smiled warmly at Annabeth and spoke, "Hey Annie. You look pretty today. What brings you here?"
I looked at my side to see Annabeth blushing profusely. The red color had reached her ears. Hmm. Looks like someone has a crush on the son of Hermes. But isn't he seven years older than her?
Meh. Who am I to judge? My father married a woman who is a century older than him. I myself have feelings for three women that are millennia older than me. Fuck. Remind me to never think about this again.
Anyway, seeing that Annabeth here was currently not able to give a coherent response, I spoke up, "Um. She came to drop me off."
Luke turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "New kid, right? The one who defeated the Minotaur? Nice to meet you, buddy. Quite an entry you made that night, what with stabbing the bull-man with it's own horn and then dragging a satyr all the way to camp."
I smiled at him and nodded. He seemed like an easy-going chill guy. Maybe we could be friends. In a humorous tone, I spoke, "Yeah. Well. I aim to please."
He stared at me weirdly for a second before he started laughing loudly. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he spoke, "I think we are going to be fast friends, buddy. Anyway, what is your name?"
Extending my hand, I replied in a dramatic voice, "Jackson, Perseus Jackson. Nice to meet you, kind sire."
He gave out a chuckle and grasped my hand. In a similar accent, he spoke, "Castellan, Luke Castellan. Son of Hermes and cabin counselor of cabin 11. Nice to meet you."
Annabeth had by now managed to control her blush and she spoke, "Hey Luke. Chiron asked me to drop Perseus here to the Hermes cabin. I..I should p.. probably take my leave."
She stuttered in the end because Luke gave her a charming smile. Dude sure knew how to charm a girl.
Turning to him, I raised an eyebrow and spoke, "Not to interfere, but isn't she a little young for you?"
He just laughed it off and replied, "Really? What gave it away? But seriously, I don't see Annie that way. I had a crush on someone else, but she is no more." His eyes dimmed at the end and he got a far away look in them.
Realizing that it had hit a sensitive spot, I apologized and patted him on the back.
The next moment, he shook his head and snapped out of his thoughts. Smiling at me, he spoke, "Well then. What are we waiting for? Come on in. Let's find you a bed."
We walked inside the cabin and I was shocked to see the amount of people staying in the Hermes cabin. And the important thing was, many of them didn't even share a single similarity to each other. This proved that they weren't children of the messenger god.
Luke noticed my shock and spoke, "Yeah. Not all demigods here are children of Hermes. Since Hermes is the patron of travellers, all the unclaimed demigods stay in cabin 11."
I was shocked at this bit of information. My lips pulled down into a deep frown. I asked him, "Why are these demigods unclaimed?"
Luke shook his head sadly and answered, "The gods don't care for their children, Perseus. It is lucky if you get claimed. Most gods don't even acknowledge their children throughout their lives. For example, Ares only claims and favours the children that bring him honor and glory. Children like Leonidas and Hippolita."
The thought disgusted me to no end. Why have children when you can't even acknowledge them? Did the gods think so highly of themselves that they didn't even feel the need to acknowledge their own children, their own blood?
Sensing my anger, Luke placed a calming hand on my shoulder. By now, everyone has stopped doing whatever they were up to and all eyes were on me.
Luke gazed at them and announced, "Hey people, welcome the new member of cabin eleven. This is Perseus Jackson. He's twelve years old and will be staying here with us. Yeah. He's the same kid who bested the Minotaur."
Gasps and whistles were heard around the room. Not at all flustered by the attention, but quite liking it, I stood there with a confident smirk on my face, returning the smiles and thumbs-ups that were sent my way.
A pair of identical twins stepped out of the bunch and asked Luke, "Claimed or unclaimed?"
Luke's smile dropped and the message was clear to the others. The twins frowned and spoke in unison, "Ohh. Ohh. That's sad. Would have been awesome to have a badass half brother."
Hearing that I was unclaimed, everyone else in the cabin lost their interest and went back to doing their own things.
As I was setting up my sleeping bag in the corner of the cabin, I sensed some Hermes kids eyeing my bag.
Turning back to glare at them, I spoke, "Annabeth informed me that Hermes is the god of thieves. But alas, I don't like it when people try to steal my stuff. So, try to touch this bag, and I swear that you will lose a hand."
Most of them were shocked, and intimidated by the glare that I gave them, while a few older kids just looked at me in amusement.
A few moments after I was done setting up my sleeping bag, a loud conch horn was heard across the camp. Turning to Luke, I gave him a curious look. To which he answered, "That's the call for dinner."
Then in a loud voice, he ordered, "Everyone, make your line and follow me."
The occupants of the Hermes cabin gathered up together and formed a line. The line was in decreasing order of seniority, entailing that I was last, standing right at the back.
Luke lead us to the dining hall, where the occupants of all other cabins were already present.
I could see a group of children with blonde and brown hair, with stormy grey eyes similar to Annabeth. Children of Athena. There were about seven of them.
The Ares cabin was the second most populated cabin after Hermes. There were about twenty-four kids present there. Fucking man-whore of a war god.
The Apollo kids were twenty one in number and were smiling brightly at anyone who they locked eyes with.
The Demeter cabin had eleven demigods. Most had black hair and grass-green eyes.
There were obviously no representatives for the Artemis cabin as her hunters were with her.
The next bunch of thirteen teenagers was some of the most attractive demigods I had ever seen. Definitely the Aphrodite kids. But literally none of them had any similarity to the other. This made me curious. Whenever gods had children with mortals, the god's traits were clearly dominant, resulting in most demigods of the deity to look similar. But each and every Aphrodite kid looked different than each other. How the hell was that possible? Deciding to let it rest for now, I inspected the other cabins.
Beside the Aphrodite demigods stood fifteen burly looking teenagers. They had clear muscles indicating that they did exhaustive physical work. But, they weren't as attractive as the other demigods. Deducing that these were the Hephaestus kids, I continued my observation.
Finally was our cabin, cabin eleven. We had seventeen kids of Hermes and twenty three unclaimed demigods.
The Zeus cabin was empty, maybe because of the oath they had made. The Hera cabin was obviously empty. Afterall, she was the most faithful and loyal goddess on Olympus.
Dad's cabin was also obviously empty, but not for long. I would be moving there soon.
Finally, Dionysus cabin was empty as he was not allowed to have demigods for a whole century while he was at camp. It was part of his punishment from Zeus.
As we reached the buffet, I saw that Chiron and Dionysus were sitting on the main table. Chiron was gazing at me intently, while Dionysus was outright glaring at me in hatred. In response to his glare, I gave him the cheekiest smile I could muster up. That made him lose it. He literally punched his goblet of diet Coke across the pavilion.
I let out a hearty laugh and moved towards the brazier. Once there, I dumped a large portion of my meal in the fire and spoke quietly, "To dad, mom and Triton. Also, to Hestia and Artemis."
Once I was done sacrificing part of my food, I followed Luke back to our table.
Before we could start eating, Chiron stood up and stomped his hoove on the floor. The effect was immediate. The dining pavilion went quiet and all eyes were on the centaur.
Chiron cleared his throat and announced, "Campers, today we have a new demigod among us."
He gestured for me to stand. Then he continued, "This is Perseus Jackson. He is yet to be claimed and thus will be living in the Hermes cabin as of now."
A voice was heard from the Athena cabin. "Is he the one who slayed the Minotaur?"
Chiron nodded somberly and replied, "Indeed, Mr. Pace. Perseus here bested the Minotaur and killed the beast with it's own horn."
Some whistles were heard from the Apollo cabin and I turned to give them a small smile.
Now that the introduction was done, I sat down and started eating. I had some steak and a side of salad. Along with that, I had some normal coke.
After dinner, Chiron announced that the campfire would be held in half an hour and would be hosted by the Apollo cabin.
Luke had asked me if I would be okay by myself for half an hour, to which I had answered in the affirmative. He smiled and walked away in the direction of the woods. I distinctly remembered Annabeth telling me that it was forbidden to enter the woods after sunset without Chiron's permission.
But I decided to not think much about it. Afterall, Luke seemed like an experienced and smart guy who usually knew what he was doing. So, I turned a blind eye to this event and walked towards the campfire.
On the way, I passed the hearth that was situated right beside the dining pavilion. The area was empty, except for the twelve year old girl that was tending to the flame of the hearth. She seemed calm and peaceful. Also, she looked content by herself, tending the fire with her poker.
But her bright orange eyes said otherwise. They were the eyes of a lonely person. A person who was constantly pushed aside by her family and friends. A person who had accepted the position of staying in the background and not getting any recognition.
The orange flames in her eyes yearned for companionship. For someone to sit by her, pat her back occasionally and make her feel important and special.
Hestia was lonely. A small smile made it's way onto my face as I walked towards her. She didn't sense me till the very end. It was when I plopped myself beside her that she sensed my presence. She jumped a bit out of surprise and let out a surprised 'eep' before calming down.
Her eyes met mine and a warm feeling spread throughout my body. A feeling of warmth and compassion. A feeling of hope. Her lips curled up into a soft smile as she realized that it was me.
"Hello Perseus. I see you find the camp pleasant." She spoke in her soft voice filled with warmth.
"Yes. The camp is great. Wait a second... Hadn't we come to an agreement that you wouldn't call me by my full name?" I asked her with a playful glare.
She smiled sheepishly before amending her sentence. "Sorry. Let me amend. Hello Percy, how are you feeling?"
I chuckled at my win and replied, "I am feeling great Tia. And now meeting you has made it all the better."
I must have imagined it, but her cheeks turned golden for a moment before returning to normal. Shaking my head, I continued to smile.
Her eyes darkened a little bit as she asked angrily, "What the hell happened that day, Percy? Your cab was moving normally, till suddenly it flew through the air and landed roughly."
A scowl forming on my face, I answered, "All thanks to your little brother. The Lord of the Underworld felt that I had stolen the bolt. So, he naturally tried to kill or capture me for reasons that are known only to his highness. That is why he raised a chunk of solid gold on the road that sent our car flying. He's officially made it onto my shit list now, along with Heracles and Dionysus."
Hestia seemed shocked, but not entirely so. She must have known that her brother would have done so.
But she seemed amused at one part. "Dionysus? On the first day you managed to piss him off? What did you even do?" She asked with an incredulous look on her face. Honestly, it made her look like a million golden drachmas.
No. You can't be thinking like this, Perce. You have already kissed Zoë. You can't have feelings for another woman. Even if she is Hestia. So kind, warm, cute, ...ughhhhh. Fuck you, twisted brain and heart of mine.
I must have stared at her for too long with that stupid look on my face, because she was gazing at me weirdly. Embarrassed by this, I cleared my throat awkwardly and spoke, "Yeah. He wanted to act like he was really high and mighty. Dude's got a stick up his ass. Why did you even bother giving up your throne for that piece of trash?"
Hestia giggled at my description of Dionysus. Then she let out a sigh. "Not everyone understands my motives, Percy. But that's an obvious understanding. However much we deny it, we gods are power-hungry. We try to stay in power. That is why those that are higher up, like Olympians try to flaunt their power. Do you know, originally, Zeus had ordered Poseidon to give up his throne to Dionysus. But I knew that it would hurt Poseidon's ego and would cause a war between the sea and sky. A family war was something we didn't need at all. But your father and uncle were too stubborn to admit it. So, to keep that peace, I decided to give up my throne to my nephew, although it pained me, it was a necessary sacrifice. A sacrifice that I don't regret, however it makes me sad."
Her eyes seemed to dim as her mood dropped. The fire immediately reacted to it's master's actions and dimmed down. Not knowing what to do, I slowly put my arm across her shoulder and have her a soft one armed hug. She immediately leaned into my touch and a tear escaped her eyes.
She wiped it away as soon as it fell to her cheek. In an attempt to lift her mood, I started singing softly.
Song - Friends theme song
So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke
Your love life's DOA
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year, but
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
You're still in bed at ten
And work began at eight
You've burned your breakfast
So far, things are going great
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought
You down to your knees that
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
No one could ever know me
No one could ever see me
Seems you're the only one who knows
What it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with
Make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
I'll be there for you
I'll be there for you
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
By the end, she was clapping softly in tune with my singing. As I finished, she looked at me with unmasked wonder.
"Woww. Just wow. That was so great. How do you even sing that well?" She asked joyfully.
I shrugged and winked at her. Smirking smugly, I answered, "I am just awesome that way, darling." It wasn't until the last word slipped out of my mouth that I realized my slip.
Hestia turned completely golden, right up to the ears. I would have laughed my ass off if I had ever seen her so flustered, but I wasn't faring much better. I myself was such a bright shade of red, one could mistake it for a wound bleeding freely.
I was the first to recover. I cleared my throat and spoke, "Sorry. Didn't realize what I had said till I spoke. My fault."
Hestia seemed to be disappointed for some reason, but she schooled her expression and nodded, signalling that it was ok.
Then I remembered why I had sung to her in the first reason. "Hey Tia. Just so you know, you are never truly alone. You were there for me when I was down. When I was depressed at the fact that I am adopted, you helped me cope with it and overlook it. Now, I will always be there for you. Whatever you need, you can always count on me. This I swear on the river Styx."
I spoke confidently.
The next thing I felt was a stinging pain on my cheek. Damm. Could that woman slap any harder? She was glaring at me with pure anger.
Through gritted teeth, she spoke, "How many times have I told you not to swear these unbreakable oaths? Why are you so stupidly reckless?"
I shot back at her, "Would you like it if I wasn't reckless? Believe it or not, being reckless is my best quality. And you know that you can't deny it."
She tried to come back with a retort, but found herself tongue tied. I smirked and fist pumped at my victory, while she just huffed in irritation.
The next moment, she had thrown her arms around me and was hugging me as tightly as she could, which was using a lot of force. Just as I was about to pass out from lack of air, she pulled back.
She smiled at me fondly, causing me to blush bright red. I just hope that the brightness of the flames of the hearth hid my blush.
She then spoke, "That I have to admit. Your reckless attitude is as endearing as it is annoying."
Taking a few breaths to control my blush, I gave her a mock hurt look. Clutching my heart, I spoke, "Ouch. That hurt right here. You think I am annoying?"
She gave out a loud laugh of pure joy and replied, "Oh. I don't think you are annoying. I know it. You are an annoying idiot."
Her words would have hurt me if I hadn't seen her snicker jokingly.
Playing along, I spoke, "At least tell me that I am a cute annoying idiot, I am that, right?"
I asked with feigned innocence.
She gave me a deadpan look. "Are you really asking this to a maiden goddess, Percy?"
I returned her look and replied, "Oh believe me. I have even asked Artemis the same question. So, I think that it is a legitimate question."
She stared at me like I had suddenly grown a second head. Then she burst out laughing.
In between bouts of laughter, she wheezed out, "Only you, Percy. Only you can ask the biggest man-hater this question and get away with your life and manhood intact."
She laughed non-stop for the next five minutes. When she was finally done, she snapped her fingers and summoned two glasses of water.
After drinking it, she snapped her fingers again and the glasses were gone.
Then she turned to me and spoke in a happy tone, "Thank you so much, Percy. It felt really good to laugh freely after so much time. Hope we can do this again."
I nodded and returned her smile. "Of course Tia. That's what friends are for right? To help you when you are down. If you ever need me, I will always be there for you."
Her eyes flashed dangerously when I said 'friends' and she seemed almost disappointed. Huh. Weird. Deciding to not think much about this, I gave her another smile.
The next moment, she gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek. Before I could respond, or even react for that matter, she was gone in a flash of flames.
I sat there for a few moments, my palm involuntary touching the spot where she had kissed me. A stupid smile made it's way to my face as I sat there, doing nothing in particular.
After a few moments, I steadily got up and headed to the Hermes cabin to retire for the night. Tomorrow was going to be my sword fighting lessons with the other demigods from the Hermes cabin, and I looked forward to that. But I knew that I couldn't just show them my true skills. It would raise eyebrows at the fact that a newcomer was so skilled in the art of sword fighting. I had to play it low.
Linebreak
Next Morning
The next morning was pretty shitty, what with the long wait for the showers in the Hermes cabin. There were only six showers. Out of that, two were for the ladies and four for us guys. Out of the forty people in the cabin, thirty of us were guys. So, naturally, we had to wait forever to get in a shower.
I was half tempted to just go to the lake and have a dip, but decided against it. Now I was regretting that decision.
Finally, we were done showering after what felt like forever and we walked towards the dining pavilion for breakfast.
After having breakfast, the whole of cabin eleven moved to the sword arena where Luke was going to teach us the basics.
I had heard some fellow cabin mates speaking about how skilled Luke Castellan was with a sword. Apparently, he was the best swordsman in the last hundred years.
Now here we were, sitting on the steps beside the training arena. Luke was standing in front of us. He held a traditional four feet long Greek xiphos in his hands. Luke was the only one who wasn't wearing a single piece of armor other than the groin guard.
Even I had been forced to wear the leather chest piece and the stupid helmet. My pleas of not wanting to wear armor had been completely ignored by the cabin counselor.
Our heads snapped up when Luke began speaking. "Today we will not be learning, but rather sparring against each other. The reason being that what you learn in a class is of no use if you can't use it practically. Knowledge about anything is only fruitful when you can apply it in your daily life. Similarly, just learning new moves and complex maneuvers won't make you a better swordsman. Sparring will help you judge your opponent's mind and moves better. Thus, you will be able to improve your skills and become better only if you practice regularly."
Gotta admit. That was some grade A explanation and inference. Then Luke paired us up with partners. In the end, it was just Luke and me.
"Perseus, you will be my sparring partner."
He spoke with a small grin.
Connor Stoll, who I had come to know was the bigger of the two Stolls, gave me a sympathetic look and spoke, "Dude. Rest in peace. You are sooo dead. Luke is the best swordsman in the last hundred years."
The others around us chuckled at my misfortune before Luke ushered them away from the stands.
Luke approached me and asked, "What weapon did you choose from the shed?"
I reached into my pocket and brought out my enchanted pen sword.
Luke gave me an unamused look. "This is no time to joke, Jackson. What weapon did you choose?"
I smirked and uncapped Riptide. The pen elongated into a three foot long Greek xiphos. The celestial bronze trident at the base of the sword's blade gleamed in the sunlight and emitted a sea-green light.
The demigods surrounding me gave out gasps of astonishment and we're gazing at my sword in unspoken awe. I took deep satisfaction in seeing the shocked and awed expression on Luke's face.
Before he could ask, I spoke, "My mom gave it to me before I came here. Said that it was something my father left for me. Saved my ass against a couple of cyclopes."
Luke just nodded dumbly, but I saw a glimmer of jealousy flash in his eyes before they returned to normal. He gave me a small smile that could have fooled anyone. The only way I recognized the decoy in his smile was because it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Looks like some god does care about his child. You are a lucky bastard, Perseus. At least your father did something to help you. Now enough talk. Let's get sparring. Since it is your first time, I will go easy on you." He spoke.
The others had started their spars. Luke smirked at me and jokingly spoke, "Don't worry honey, I will be gentle."
It took all my willpower to not burst laughing then and there. He charged me with his sword raised. He brought down his sword and I put riptide in it's way at the very last moment. His strike was blocked by my xiphos. I acted like I was using all my power and pushed him back. I could tell that he wasn't going all out on me. Well, so was I.
We traded sloppy blows for some time before I deliberately over extended a strike of mine. He capitalized on my mistake and immediately disarmed me.
However better I was than him, I couldn't deny the fact that he was an extraordinary talent. Luke Castellan was an extraordinary swordsman. End of story.
He smiled at me and spoke, "That was excellent for a first spar, Perseus. I can tell that you are a natural with the sword. Some practice and you will easily be as good as me, buddy."
While speaking this, his eyes got a calculating glint in them. Kind of like he was considering me for some work of his. Evaluating me, even. I pushed that thought aside and returned his smirk. "Well master Castellan, what can I say? I aim to please."
He laughed at this and amusement was clear as day in his eyes. "Let's try again, shall we?" He asked.
Not giving a verbal response, I nodded and charged at him. This time, I decided to last a little longer. After five minutes, I again left a gap in my legs, causing him to kick my legs from underneath me.
He walked up to me slowly and extended his hand to me. I gladly took it and hoisted myself off the ground.
It was finally time for lunch.
After lunch, we had a short break and we're free to do whatever we wanted. I decided to visit the beach and speak to some fish.
As I reached the shore, I took of my shirt and started walking into the water. Didn't want people to get suspicious when I walked out of the water with a dry shirt, right?
As I entered the water, I was immediately swarmed by hundreds of small fish who wanted to talk to me. My mind was assaulted with the sound of hundreds of tiny voices screaming, "Lord, Lord."
And "All hail the prince."
I chuckled and asked the fish to keep quiet and speak one at a time.
The fish spoke to me for the next fifteen minutes, telling me about the current events happening in Atlantis. Seems like Triton had been caught on a secret date with a celebrity nereid. Mera had again topped in her class and literally broken all records.
After a few moments, I felt a very familiar aura approaching me. It was the aura of a mermaid. A mermaid I knew all to well.
Without even looking back, I spoke, "Hello Sally. How are you on this fine day?"
The mermaid that I had once saved from getting raped stopped in her tracks, obviously shocked for a second that how I was able to identify her presence.
Letting out a chuckle, I spoke, "Oh don't be so surprised. Don't you think I will be able to sense the presence of one of my best friends?"
I finally turned around and what I saw literally made my jaw drop. I had seen Sally as a twenty year old. That time, she had matured features and a kind look around her.
But now, by some miracle, she looked to be about sixteen years old. Her hair was longer and reached till her thighs. Her eyes, which elder held a warm, melancholic and homie feel, were now buzzing with excitement and joy.
Her height had increased somehow, reaching about 5'6. All in all, she looked absolutely jaw-dropping.
I must have looked pretty stupid, what with the gaping of my mouth, because she erupted into a fit of giggles. This snapped me out of my trance and I coughed awkwardly to hide my embarrassment.
"H.. hey Sally. What happened? You look younge... absolutely stunning."
I was going to say 'younger', but the glare she gave me made me realize my mistake and correct it. Never, I repeat never describe a woman's age, nor ask her about it.
Women are really, really conscious about their age.
She let out a huff and answered, "Good save, Percy. To answer your question, your father has awarded me immortality, thus enabling me to change my age as I want. And I like this age."
I could only nod in understanding, not trusting myself to form a coherent reply. Honestly, her amazing looks still had me spellbound.
Trying to shake the thoughts out of my perverted head, I asked, "What brings you here, Sally?"
She raised her hand and placed it on her chest and gasped in mock hurt. "Why? Can't I just visit you if I want?"
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed in frustration before muttering, "I don't remember you being so annoying. Please tell me you haven't been spending more time with Mera than necessary."
She let out a fit of giggles before calming down enough to squeak out, "Right on the head. I have actually been spending time with the sea princess."
I let out a loud groan. "Wow. Just what I needed. Two Meras. Fuck it. I am not coming back to Atlantis this summer."
The next moment, I was punched sharply in the gut. What the hell, man? What's it with all these attractive ladies having an obsession of smacking me?
"You better take that back, Perseus. If I do not see you in Atlantis in a month, you are sooo dead. Get it?" She asked dangerously, with a sickly sweet smile.
Giving her the stink eye, I replied, "Fine lady. No need to beat the poor guy up."
"Is that complaining I hear from the great Perseus, prince of Atlantis? My, my what has the world come to?" She asked with mock despair.
Deciding not to give her a verbal response and spur her further, I gave out a huff of exasperation.
"Seriously though, why are you here?
N..not that I don't like it that you are here. Just curious."
The second part was a last-minute add on as I checked her murderous glare.
Fuck. Why are women so difficult to understand? One moment she was joking and pulling my leg, the next moment she was planning ways to kill me. Sigh.
"Fine then. Your mother has asked me to inform you that after your quest is over, she would like to have a talk with you." She spoke in a nonchalant tone.
All colour left my face as she said this. Believe me, not even an angry Artemis held a candle to my adoptive mother when she was angry. Amphitrite was downright terrifying when she was mad.
In a nervous voice filled with fear, I asked, "Did I mess up? Is she mad?"
Sally seemed taken aback by my display of fear. She stared at me weirdly for a few moments before she abruptly burst out laughing.
For the next ten minutes, I stood there stupidly, glaring holes into Sally, who was rolling on the ocean floor, laughing her mermaid ass off.
After a few more minutes, she finally calmed down, although she was still clutching her stomach and occasionally letting out a wheeze or gasp.
"Are you done yet? Or should I get my sleeping bag and we spend the night here, with you laughing madly like that?" I asked in an irritated voice.
She gazed up at me with a serious face, before her lips twitched and she was sent back into another bout of laughter.
"It's just" gasp "So funny". She wheezed out.
"The mighty prince of Atlantis, the Slayer of Leviathan. Greatest swordsman in the past few centuries. And what is he afraid of? His mother giving him a piece of her mind just because he messed up."
"Don't act like you don't know my mom. She is downright terrifying and you know it." I defended myself with folded hands.
She gave it a thought before conceding and nodding her head. "Well. That may be a fair point." She shrugged her shoulders and continued, "But don't worry. She isn't mad at you. Just that she seemed a little distracted. Deep in thought, even. She didn't even reprimand your father when he started humming a tune while having lunch."
"Umm. Okay, tell her that I will visit her after I finish this stupid camp. Man. I really miss my bedroom in Atlantis." I spoke nostalgically.
She giggled and nodded. "Yeah. Everyone has already started to miss you. Especially Lord Triton. He won't admit it, but he does say that he misses his punching bag."
I snorted. Punching bag. Yeah right. Dude got his ass handed to him by me in our last spar.
Suddenly, her eyes turned dark and she gave me a death glare. "Now listen here, Perseus. If you do anything stupid during this quest and get yourself killed, I will myself make Lord Hades resurrect you and kill you again, understand? You better come back safe."
Nodding in unmasked nervousness, I spoke, "As the lady wishes. No reckless actions. Yeah. Got it." I gave her a shaky salute.
She seemed satisfied at my fear. Nodding to show her satisfaction, she spoke, "Well, looks like my work here is complete. See you later Percy."
Before I could respond, she leaned forward and pecked my cheek before darting off towards the deep ends of the ocean. Towards Atlantis.
Leaving me standing on the ocean bed, standing with a stupified expression on my face. The moment she kissed me, I had the same feeling of warmth travel my body like when Hestia had hugged me.
Now I was starting to question if that warmth was really the hearth. I was seriously doubting it. But how? I had never thought of Sally in that way before, right? She was just a friend of mine, someone I had saved.
So, why was this happening now? Did the Fates really want to mess with me? Maybe that's the case. But it still doesn't give me answers. Why the hell was this happening?
Grabbing my hair in my hand, I let out a scream of frustration. Why did this have to happen to me? Now I could feel the same kind of attraction towards Sally as I had towards Hestia, Zoë and Artemis.
After a few moments, I calmed myself and shot off towards the surface. As I got near the surface, I was relieved to find that the beach was empty. Great. At least I won't have to explain anything to anyone.
Landing on the beach, I willed myself dry and grabbed my shirt. Putting it on, I started walking towards the Hermes cabin. A little sleep never hurt anyone, right?
And I had enough to think about. For once, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
A/N
Anddd wrap.
Whoa. The longest chapter I have written yet. About 14,751 words. With this, we have also officially crossed the 100k word milestone. Wohooo. This surely calls for a party. So, the first three reviews that I receive, will get one spoiler from me. The spoiler can be anything you want.
So, how was it? Any suggestions? Comments?
Well, the poll for the pairing has officially ended now. I won't be taking any requests for addition of any female in the pairing from now on. Hope you guys are happy with the outcome.
The current standings of the poll for the members in the harem are:
Artemis- 88
Hestia- 82
Thalia - 86
Athena- 73
Zoë- 74
Calypso- 54
Nyx - 72
Reyna- 74
Aphrodite- 75
Annabeth- 28
Bianca- 20
Piper - 80
Hera- 28
Rhea- 17
Khione- 10
Gaia - 14
Hazel - 5
Bellona- 4
Rachel - 4
Nike- 2
Lupa- 8
Selene- 2
Clarisse- 3
Rhode- 4
Hylla - 1
Hecate- 3
Silena- 8
Leto - 2
Drew - 1
Hebe- 1
Kymopoleia- 1
Demeter - 1
FINAL STANDINGS:
1_ Calypso - fixed
2_ Artemis- 88
3_ Thalia - 86
4_ Hestia - 82
5_ Piper - 80
6_ Aphrodite - 75
7_ Zoë - 74
8_ Reyna - 74
9_ Athena - 73
So, Artemis, Thalia, Zoë, Hestia, Piper, Aphrodite, Athena, Reyna and Calypso are fixed in the pairing.
Now, the poll for Sally will close as soon as I release the next chapter. So, vote fast if you haven't yet. The standings of that poll are:
Yes to Sally - 88
No to Sally - 53
If you liked the chapter, please do favourite, follow and comment. It means a lot to me.
Ok then.
Thank you
Until next time
Peace out
Darkgamer2004