Goddamn, I'm going crazy. Help.

The frigid cold bit through the man's jacket. Jonathan Sawyer sighed. Even though it was summer, Alaska was still cold. His family lived on the outskirts of Nome, almost in the wilderness. He attempted to lift the wood bundle and nearly dropped it. Too heavy. The sound of crunching snow and grass caused him to turn around. A younger man, about half his age, approached him. His hair was jet black and his complexion was handsome. He probably caused a bunch of girls to swoon all over him. The most striking feature was his eyes. Jonathan had never seen eyes so bright. The only thing that green was the ocean. A black mastiff trotted alongside him

"Need a hand?" The man asked. Jonathan nodded. The mastiff at the man's heels laid down, watching them.

"This damn pile is too heavy. Out here though, it's necessary," Jonathan said. He braced his hands on one side, the man grabbed the other. Together, they lifted it into the bed of Jon's truck.

"Thanks. What's your name?" Jonathan asked.

"Orion. And yours?" Orion asked.

"Jonathan Sawyer. Call me Jon," They shook hands. Orion's grip was strong and calloused. "Need a lift into town?" he offered. Orion nodded.

While they were driving, the truck broke down.

"Dammit. Not again. Last time this happened, it took almost an hour for someone to come out and fix it." Jon said as he got out. Popping the hood open, he looked at the engine. Orion got out and looked.

"It's the belt." Pulling out a screwdriver, Orion began poking around the engine. He found the problem and within a few minutes, fixed it. He poured something into the oil tank. "Done." Jon started the engine. It rumbled, turned over, and went almost silent.

"What'd you do?"

"Put a substance that silences the engine. Makes it run better, too." If Jon had not been a mortal, he might have smelled death coming from the engine. Water from the River Styx can make machines run better. Had he been a demigod, he might have known who has bright green eyes. If he had been a satyr, he would have smelled the scent of demigod emanating from Orion. He might have even smelled the ocean. If he had been clear-sighted, he might have seen the hellhound that followed the man. Jon didn't know it, but Percy Jackson had fixed his car.

After Jon dropped off Percy and Mrs. O'Leary in downtown Nome, Percy immediately headed for the wilderness. Rifling through his pack, he pulled out a black cloak. When he put it on, warmth spread through him, reminding him of the fire at Camp Half-Blood.

The cloak was a gift from different gods. When he wore it, he would never be cold thanks to Hestia. When the hood was up, his face would be obscured and be able to see at night as it were day, courtesy of Hades. As a gift from Poseidon, he would be invulnerable in water and have accelerated movements. Artemis' gift was knowledge of the wilderness. Percy planned to never take off the cloak.

After a few hours of hiking and trail blazing, Percy found a suitable place to build his home. Using Riptide and his own handiwork, he built a small cabin in a few hours. It wasn't much, essentially a large hut, but the walls were made of logs and the roof of woven sticks. Mud was smeared between cracks and chinks to keep in warmth. Making a fire, Percy cooked more mud to form a hearth and chimney. He built a door and his new home was complete.

A few weeks passed during which Percy added more to his home. Using what little money he had, he bought a bed, carpet, and chairs. A simple gas stove. He also made a small garden in which he grew tomatoes, corn, wheat, and some fruit. They grew fine, thanks to a nature enchantment Grover had taught him years ago. He improved his archery skills, enough to hunt rabbit and moose. No predators approached him, which he didn't understand. No monsters attacked either, which seemed odd. It was a simple life, one he was grateful for. Every night, as he slept, he dreamed of Annabeth. She was in Elysium, waiting for him, but happy.

Tonight, as he dreamed, something interfered. A wave washed through his dream, wiping it away. Poseidon's form appeared for the first time since he began living in Alaska.

"Percy, my boy,"

"What do you want dad?" Percy winced at his harshness.

"To check on you. It's hard enough contacting you, so I don't have much time. I can only watch you through the Fates. Are you alright?"

"The Fates?"

"Yes. At my request, they created a way for me to observe. You've done well for yourself."

"How's camp?"

"They know where you are. A quest is being led to find you." Percy blinked. No. How could they? Why would they want him back?

"Do you know why I left? Because there's nothing for me at camp. And if I went back, you guys would just use again. I haven't renounced Olympus, but if I am used as a pawn again, I will." Percy willed his dream to fade, Poseidon's worried face etched in his mind.

Unable to sleep any more, Percy sat in a chair by the fire. He stared into the flames. His On impulse, he brought out Riptide. The fire reflected off the bronze blade, making it a deep orange. The edge was dulled from all the trees he had cut with it. Percy stood and went to his bed. He opened a compartment and pulled out a sizable lump of Celestial Bronze. An idea had been tickling in the back of his head. Grabbing more firewood, he went outside.

Creating a small forge, Percy began working. He heated the metal and shaped it. The process took almost three hours, by when he was done, a gleaming ax rested on the ground, cooled by the air and snow. Percy slid a limb through the opening in the head. Pride overtook him. He had forged something! All on his own, too. Decidedly happier, he headed back. A loud barking made him stop. Mrs. O'Leary was barking at something in the underbrush. Uncapping Riptide, Percy flipped up his hood went over to check it out. A camera flash nearly blinded him. When he regained his vision, two hikers were scampering away, presumably to share the picture with the world.

Shit.

WELP, Percy's in trouble. I'm gonna go work on GEN now. -RFA