REVELATIONS AND FLAGS.
Harry doesn't know how it ended up like this.
He was only supposed to give Percy the usual tour and talk, not end up drenched in sewer water while Percy next to him continued to apologize to him.
Harry made his way to the Canoe Lake, where a path led back to the cabins.
"Well, I need a bath," Harry said, not wanting to sound irritated. "Dinner is at seven thirty." They just have to go from cabin 11 to the dining room.
Percy cleared his throat, searching for the words.
"Harry, I'm sorry about what happened in the bathroom," he said.
Harry stared at him for any sign of lies or false kindness on his face, but he only found pure regret in those green eyes. Harry had to look away because Jackson was looking at him like a baby seal and his look made him feel like he was hurting something beautiful.
-It does not matter.
"It wasn't my fault," Percy said, but it seemed like he was trying to talk about it himself.
Harry looked at him skeptically. Did he think Harry was stupid? You did not have to be very clever to realize that that situation in the bathroom was very strange, Percy assured that it had not been him and it was impossible for Clarisse or any son of Ares to do that with the water, But then ...
No, Harry refused to think about that possibility.
"Perhaps you should speak to the Oracle," Harry said, pushing those thoughts out of his mind.
"With whom?" Percy asked.
"Not with who, but with what." The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron.
Percy looked at the bottom of the lake with a lost expression, as if he didn't even know what to do here himself. Harry felt a little guilty, maybe he was being too harsh on Percy, but he was used to always being on the defensive and not trusting anyone except his family.
The lake naiads smiled and greeted Percy as if he were a friend they hadn't seen in a long time.
Stunned Percy, he waved back.
"Don't cheer them on," Harry warned, pushing the boy away from the lake. Naiads are terrible as brides.
"Naiades?" Repeated the overwhelmed man. So far we have come. I want to go home now.
Harry looked at him like he was crazy, he had no value for his life if he thought that he would survive in the mortal world without training, especially with the power he showed with water.
"You don't understand, Jackson?" Are you home already. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us.
"You mean kids with mental problems?" He asked wryly.
"Do I look like someone with mental problems, Jackson?" Harry snapped and mentally counted to ten to calm himself down.
"I-I didn't mean to -..." Percy stammered sheepishly.
"Whatever," cut Harry, "I mean non-humans." Or at least not quite human. Human resources.
"Half human and half what?" Percy asked, still confused.
"I think you already know," Harry replied.
"God," Percy said in a small voice. Half god.
Harry nodded bored.
"Your father is not dead, Jackson." He is one of the Olympians
"That's ... nonsense," Percy whispered, stunned.
-It is? What is the most common thing in the ancient stories of the gods? They went around falling in love with humans and having children with them, remember? Do you think their customs have changed in the last millennia? They're too arrogant for that, "Harry countered bitterly.
"But that's just ..." Percy was about to say something but he cut himself off. But if all the boys here are half gods ...
"Demigods," Harry corrected. That is the most used term. Or mestizos, both are the official terms.
"So who is your father?" Percy asked curiously.
Harry gripped the railing tightly, that subject was too sensitive for him.
"Do you really want to know?" The question was said in a low, almost chilling tone. "Many here fear his name and his children are bad omens or that is what any idiot here would tell you if you asked for me."
-Bad augury? Percy repeated, undecided. Harry seemed a bit mysterious and was always on the defensive as if he expected you to insult or hurt him the first time. But Percy believed that other than that, Harry was a good boy.
"Death and ghosts will follow me wherever I go," Harry continued, he laughed humorlessly. "Flowers wither when I touch them like anything living, animals avoid me like the plague and shadows claim me Who is it my father, Jackson?
Percy took a deep breath. Shadows, death, bad omens, fear. The answer was in front of him, that boy so pale with his emerald eyes so bright with his touch of madness in them.
"Hades," Percy whispered in surprise, "The lord of the dead is your father."
"Ding-Ding!" We have a winner, "Harry exclaimed without grace." Well, Jackson, you're less of an idiot than the others.
-Thanks? Percy said doubtfully. "And what about my father?"
"To be determined," Harry replied. Nobody knows.
"Except my mother." She knew it, "Percy said.
-Maybe you are right. It may send a signal. It's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a signal claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens.
"You mean sometimes not?" Asked the alarmed black-haired man.
Harry played with the black bracelet on his wrist. He had a skull accompanied by a cerberus. Gift from his father obviously, the only gift he has ever given her.
"The gods are busy." They have a lot of kids and ... "Harry bit his lip, he didn't want to disappoint Percy." Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us.
"So I'm trapped here, right?" -He said-. For the rest of my life?
"It depends," said Harry and proceeded to explain about the possibilities of leaving the camp depending on the circumstances or your divine origin. "The important thing is that the limits are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out." From outside, mortals look at the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm.
"So you are annual?"
Harry nodded and showed her his necklace with the three different colored sockets.
"I've been here since I was ten," Harry said slowly. Every August, on the last day of the summer session, you are awarded an account for surviving one more year. Being the son of Hades made me a position with the councilors.
"How did you get there so soon?"
He played with the bracelet again.
"That's none of your business, Jackson."
-Sorry. Percy replied and there was a silence. Well, and ... could I get out of here if I wanted to?
Harry explained a few more things to him until Percy brought up the subject of the summer solstice.
-Told you that? Harry asked frowning when Percy told him what Annabeth asked him when she was in the infirmary.
Harry had only left the infirmary for twenty minutes, the blonde had taken the opportunity to sneak in. Then he would talk to Annabeth about it.
There was a smell of barbecue and Percy's stomach roared.
"I must go," Harry declared, turned to Percy and smiled, leaving the black-haired man in awe. "See you, Jackson."
•••
Harry entered the big house and found his mentor in his chair.
"What are you hiding from me?" Harry asked before Chiron could speak.
"Why do you think I'm hiding something from you?" Chiron returned the question.
"You've been acting strange, you made me study the prophecy again, you withhold information from me (don't deny it I realized) and it all started when you went for Percy to Yancy," Harry enumerated.
"Harry ..." he tries to speak in centaur, but the green eye cuts him off.
"What don't you want to tell me, Chiron?" The black-haired man asked again. "Does it have to do with Percy Jackson, by any chance?"
When Chiron didn't look him in the eye he knew he had hit the mark.
"Don't try to lie to me, Chiron," said Harry. "Tell me the truth."
"Olympus is going through a difficult situation," Chiron sighed. "Zeus and Poseidon have a very important fight now and ..-
"Don't they always fight?" What's the difference now? "Harry interrupted.
"Harry, it's important!" Chiron exclaimed. "As I was saying, Zeus and Poseidon are having the worst fight in recent years. They fight for something valuable that has been stolen. To be precise: lightning.
"That lightning bolt?" Harry asked, flabbergasted.
"Yes," Chiron agreed, "Zeus's master beam has been stolen."
"So the metal pot was stolen," Harry snorted, smiling wryly. "I feel sorry for whoever stole it."
"Harry!" - Chiron scold - Don't talk like that and about who stole it ...
-That? Do you already have someone in your sights? "Harry asked, concentrating on the subject.
"No, not yet," Chiron replied, but I didn't look him in the eye either. "But Harry, I need you to do me a favor."
Harry narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously.
"What kind of favor?" He asked shrewdly.
"It's about Percy." At that Harry raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "I need you to accompany him if he hypothetically had to go on a mission at some point."
Harry looked at his mentor as if he had grown three heads.
-Because I? And besides, how do you even know that Jackson could go on a mission? Harry asked confused, what Chiron asked him made no sense. "What makes Percy Jackson so special?"
"Just do it Harry, please," Chiron urged, ignoring the questions. "I have a hunch about Percy, that's all."
Harry stared at him for a long time with his emerald eyes on the centaur.
"Good," Harry gave up. "But don't think I'll be babysitting him or something, train him."
"That's what I plan to do," Chiron replied happily. "And thank you Harry."
"Aha," replied the bored black-haired man.
The words Clarisse said in the bathroom came back to his mind.
'Material of the big three'
Harry felt a lump in his throat as he imagined what would happen if it were like that, it would be chaos.
•••
Harry watched as Cabin 11 practiced its sword combat lesson. Everyone from Cabin 11 gathered in the huge arena where Luke would instruct them.
Percy Jackson and Luke Castellan were practicing right now and Luke wasn't afraid to bruise the raven a little. Although Jackson had good reflexes.
"Okay, everyone in a circle, upstairs!" Luke ordered. If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little demonstration.
Harry scowled instantly.
The Hermes boys gathered around them. They held back the giggles. He was a hypocrite because they had been in Percy's place before and were dying of impatience to see Luke use him as a punching bag. He told everyone that he was going to demonstrate a disarmament technique to them: how to turn the enemy weapon by striking it flat with the sword so that he had no choice but to drop it.
"This is difficult," the blond remarked. They have done it to me. Don't laugh at Percy. Most warriors work for years before mastering this technique.
Don't laugh, Harry repeated in his mind. That was the worst thing you could say at a time like this.
Harry watched in amazement as Percy Jackson defended himself well from Luke's attacks, preventing the blonde from accentuating the maneuver, instead Percy applied the maneuver against Luke.
Luke's sword clattered on the stones. The tip of Percy's sword was three fingers from his defenseless chest.
The other campers fell silent, and Harry was the only one who clapped and it was only three claps.
Under his sword.
"I'm sorry ... I'm sorry," Percy apologized.
What the hell was that boy thinking? Apologize after doing the maneuver so well the first time! Jackson definitely had something wrong with his brain.
-Forgives? Luke exclaimed, his scarred face widening into a smile. By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Teach me that again!
As soon as his blades made contact, Luke struck the hilt and Percy's weapon landed on the ground.
After a long pause, someone from the audience asked:
"Beginner's luck?"
Harry turned to the camper.
"Just because you've never managed to do it doesn't mean he's the same failure as you," Harry snapped, his eyes shining menacingly. The camper escaped plastered on his side.
Harry snorted under his breath, it would be a long summer.
•••
Friday night after dinner there was more activity than usual. At last the time had come to capture the flag.
Campers screamed and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings entered the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, gleaming gray, and painted with an owl on top of an olive tree. On the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her colleagues entered with another banner, identical in size but fiery red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.
Chiron kicked the marble floor.
-Heroes! Ad-. They know the rules. The stream is the border. The whole forest is worth. All kinds of magical gadgets are allowed. The banner must be clearly displayed and have no more than two guards. Prisoners can be disarmed, but not wounded or gagged. Killing or maiming is not allowed. I will act as a referee and an emergency doctor. Arm yourselves!
She spread her arms and suddenly the tables were covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxhide shields with metal shields.
"Wow!" Percy exclaimed next to Harry. Are we really going to use all of this?
"Unless you want to die, use them," Harry replied taking a blue helmet.
"Blue team, go ahead!" Annabeth yelled.
"Stop getting killed, Jackson!" Harry yelled, and he touched his bracelet twice and immediately had his black sword in hand.
They cheered, waved their weapons, and followed her down the path into the southern part of the forest. The red team was yelling at them as they headed north.
After a few minutes Harry had already neutralized several sons of Ares and some of Hephaestus.
You could hear the screams in the forest, the sound of your back when colliding. The typical captures the flag of a demigod.
It wasn't until he saw Luke running into his territory that Harry knocked out Ares's last son and followed the blond to cover him from behind, it didn't take long for Luke to jump across the stream.
Everyone on the blue team erupted in cheers.
The red banner flashed and turned silver. The boar and spear were replaced by a huge caduceus, the symbol of Cabin 11. Chiron galloped out of the forest and blew the conch.
Harry saw Annabeth next to Percy, the latter looking very angry with the blonde.
He approached them.
"... You used me as bait," Percy told him angrily. You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come for me, while you sent Luke down the other side. You had planned everything.
"What did you do what?" Harry asked, annoyed coming to Percy's side. Annabeth jumped in shock. "What the hell is wrong with you, Chase ?! He is not an object that you can manipulate or a bait, he is a person like you and me, know-it-all.
"And you, since when did he defend someone ?!" Annabeth exclaimed indignantly.
"I can do whatever I want, Chase," Harry snapped. "It's a free country."
Harry forced his gaze to soften when he turned to Percy.
-You are injured? Do you need me to call Chiron? Harry asked and noted various scratches on his face and arms.
"It's just sword wounds," Percy replied, smiling at her.
-Do not. It was a sword wound. Take a good look, "Annabeth said, looking at Harry warily.
Annabeth reflected with sudden concentration. Harry could see the gears turning in his head. She looked at Percy's feet, then Clarisse's broken spear (which made Harry smile), and finally said:
"Get out of the water, Percy."
-That...?
"Go ahead and shut up."
Percy did so and nearly fell on his face, but Harry quickly grabbed him.
"Oh, Styx," she cursed. This is not good. I didn't want to ... I assumed it would have been Zeus.
Harry scowled at her, he had a bad feeling.
"What's wrong -..." but he was interrupted.
Harry could hear the canine growl, but he seemed to be close. A growl that sent a shiver through her body.
The cheering of the campers stopped instantly. Chiron yelled something in ancient Greek:
"Stand back!" My bow!
Annabeth drew her sword as Harry raised Exafánisi, which was the name of her black sword: Disappearance was tradition.
On the rocks above them stood a huge black dog, with lava-red eyes and fangs that looked like daggers. She was staring at Percy.
Nobody moved, and Annabeth screamed:
"Percy, run!"
Harry pushed Percy away, begging the gods to react and run away from here.
-STILL! Harry yelled, the ground shook under everyone's feet, some screamed in horror and the hellhound stood still for a second but then he regained consciousness, jumped on him and pounced on Percy
-Do not! Harry yelled as the dog ripped through the armor.
The dog had a handful of arrows on its neck. He fell dead right away.
Harry slammed his foot against the ground and a crack opened under the dog's corpse, swallowing him instantly. Some campers near Harry walked away and pointed at him laron, some heard Harry whisper "Bad omen" "Death".
Harry ignored them and looked worriedly at Percy, his shattered armor, and his chest covered in blood and deep cuts.
Chiron trotted toward them, bow in hand, face grim. He looked at Harry worriedly he had paled after sending the hellhound back to the punishment fields.
"Say immortals!" Annabeth exclaimed. That was a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They are not ... not supposed to ...
"Someone summoned him," Chiron said. Someone from the camp.
Luke moved closer. He had forgotten the banner and his moment of glory was gone.
"Percy is to blame for everything!" Clarisse yelled. Percy has summoned it!
Harry sent her a grim look causing the girl to back away.
"Shut up, girl," Chiron snapped.
"You're hurt," Annabeth told him. Quick, Percy, get in the water.
"I'm fine," the boy replied, Harry couldn't understand how Percy was so calm and sure that he was healthy.
"No, you are not," she insisted. Chiron, look at this.
"Do what he tells you, Percy," Harry insisted.
Percy entered the creek and the entire camp gathered around him. Instantly the wounds on his chest began to close and ... Oh, gods. Harry was going to pass out now!
"By the merlin knickers," Harry whispered dumbfounded.
"Well, I ... I don't really know how ..." Percy tried to apologize, he didn't understand how his bruised and bloody chest healed itself "Sorry ..."
But they weren't watching his wounds heal. Not them, now he was looking at the trident of green light, spinning and shining.
"Your father," Annabeth murmured. This is not a good thing.
"It's already determined," Chiron announced.
"It all makes sense now," Harry muttered in surprise.
Everyone began to kneel, even the campers from Ares's cabin, though they didn't look at all happy. But Harry was the only one to remain standing, he kept looking at Percy as if he was going to disappear any moment.
-My father? He asked puzzled, his gaze focused on the only one standing.
"Poseidon," Chiron said. Earthshaker, bringer of storms, father of horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, son of the god of the sea.
In that moment Harry knew that the fate of Olympus was in Percy Jackson's hands or, failing him, in his.
And neither option guarantees that both of them were alive to see it fulfilled.
