Greetings my loyal readers. Here it is, the next chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy. Also just to note. I own nothing of this.

Chapter 3 New home

I waited on the boat for the trio all the while trying to contact Chaos but got nothing. Which was strange as this never has happened before. The other finally came but I could feel the uncertainty in Carter.

"Hey." I called out. "Let's get moving. Kid." I smirked.

"Well aren't you mister Big Brother."

"Oh shut up." I thought.

"So how's this gonna work?" Carter asked Amos. "You've got no sail."

"Trust me." Amos offered him a hand. I rolled my eyes feeling the breeze. The night was cold, but the cold never bothered me.

"Take a seat." Amos suggested referring to the hut in the middle of the boat. "The trip can be rough."

"I'll stand, thanks." Sadie said.

"Sailing is in my blood." I said resting on the side of the boat.

"Very well." Amos said. "Hang on, everyone!" He nodded to the steersman, and the boat lurched forward. The boat moved with great speed. The lights of the city blurred, then were swallowed in a thick fog. Strange sounds echoed in the dark: slithering and hissing, distant screams, voices whispering in different languages. Most involving me. Several minutes later the boat slowed. The noises stopped, and the fog dissipated. City lights came back, brighter than before. I looked around and saw a all to familiar building, the Empire State Building.

"We're too close." I told Amos.

"I'm sure they won't attack." Amos said.

"Not while i'm here. But you know they could over look me. Considering what's on this ship." I stated.

"It can't be," Sadie said. "We only traveled a few minutes." We glided to a stop next to a small dock on the Brooklyn side of the river. In front of us was an industrial yard filled with piles of scrap metal and old construction equipment. In the center of it all, right at the water's edge, rose a huge factory warehouse heavily painted with graffiti, the windows boarded up.

"That is not a mansion," Sadie said.

"Your powers of perception are really amazing." I rolled my eyes. Any fool could tell this had magic concealing it.

"Look again." Amos pointed to the top of the building.

"How…how did you…" Carter's voice failed me. A five-story mansion perched on the roof of the warehouse. I had to roll my eyes again.

"Why not just use that magic to make the mansion look like the warehouse instead of having it so high up?" I asked. Amos and the cat looked at me with a piss off look.

"Long story," Amos said. "But we needed a private location."

"And is this the east shore?" Sadie asked. "You said something about that in London—my grandparents living on the east shore."

Amos smiled. "Yes. Very good, Sadie. In ancient times, the east bank of the Nile was always the side of the living, the side where the sun rises. The dead were buried west of the river. It was considered bad luck, even dangerous, to live there. The tradition is still strong among…our people."

"Why does it always have to move. I swear it's like they all love to be complicated." I grumbled.

"Our people?" I asked not sure why he would include me.

"Yep you're one of us now."

"Shut up." I thought.

"So you can't live in Manhattan?" Sadie asked. Amos's brow furrowed as he looked across at the Empire State Building.

"Manhattan has other problems. Other gods. It's best we stay separate."

"Which is why I told you coming here was bad." I stated looking at the building. "He already knows you're here." Above us lightning flashed and thunder was heard.

"Who?" Sadie demanded. In the water I saw some nyaids and other water spirits poke their heads out of the water.

"εξαφανίσου." I roared and they left.

"What was that?" Carter asked.

"What did you say?" Sadie asked.

"Nothing." Amos walked past to the steersman. He plucked off the man's hat and coat—and there was no one underneath. The steersman simply wasn't there. Amos put on his fedora, folded his coat over his arm, then waved toward a metal staircase that wound all the way up the side of the warehouse to the mansion on the roof.

"All ashore," he said. "And welcome to the Twenty-first Nome."

"Gnome?" Carter asked, as we followed him up the stairs. "Like those little runty guys?"

"Heavens, no," Amos said. "I hate gnomes. They smell horrible."

"Please refrain from using names." I said wishing this lot knew some of the basics.

"Ah yes we should that can be dangerous son of the Sea."

"What?" the kids asked.

"Anyway it's Nome, n-o-m-e." I said.

"Correct as in a district, a region. The term is from ancient times, when Egypt was divided into forty-two provinces. Today, the system is a little different. We've gone global. The world is divided into three hundred and sixty nomes. Egypt, of course, is the First. Greater New York is the Twenty-first."

"Why do I feel like i'm back at camp. no scratch that I rather be there. Why did the Creator have to send me to do this?" I said. Sadie glanced at me and twirled her finger around her temple.

"No, Sadie," Amos said without looking back. "We're not crazy. There's much the three of you need to learn."

We reached the top of the stairs. The house was at least fifty feet tall, built of enormous limestone blocks and steel-framed windows. There were hieroglyphs engraved around the windows, and the walls were lit up so the place looked like a cross between a modern museum and an ancient temple. Amos stopped before the entrance, which was the size of a garage door—a dark heavy square of timber with no visible handle or lock.

"Carter, after you."

"Um, how do I—" Carter asked.

"Open the door before I open it with your head." I ordered. Carter paled and stretched out his arm. Without touching the door, he raised my hand and the door followed his movement sliding upward into the ceiling. Sadie looked stunned.

"How…"

"I don't know," Carter said "Motion sensor, maybe?"

"Interesting." Amos said a little troubled. "Not the way I would've done it, but remarkably good."

"Thanks, I think." Carter said. Sadie tried to go inside first, but as soon as she stepped on the threshold, the cat wailed and almost clawed her way out of Sadie's arms. Sadie stumbled backward.

"What was that about, cat?"

"Heh she can't enter." I laughed.

"Oh, of course," Amos said. "My apologies." He put his hand on the cat's head and said, very formally, "You may enter."

"The cat needs permission?"Carter asked.

"Oh you have a lot to learn." I said which wasn't much of an explanation. Amos walked inside without saying another word. We followed, and this time Muffin stayed quiet. However when I entered something strange happened. Out of the walls old cloth wrapping like the ones used for mummies wrapped around me.

"Percy." Amos called out to me. Then the wrappings suddenly got loose and unwrapped themselves. I checked for any damage but was amazed to see my atair changed. I wore a a blue silk shirt with a yellow Ankh symbol. A yellow sash tied around my waist. Black pants with black shoes and finally I wore a long yellow Cloak.

"Wow" Sadie's jaw dropped and I could tell she thought I looked good.

"I was not expecting that." Amos said.

"That makes two of us." I said. After my strange event we continued on till we stop to see a new room.

"This is the Great Room." Amos said.

I could see why. The cedar-beamed ceiling was four stories high, held up by carved stone pillars engraved with hieroglyphs. A assortment of musical instruments and Egyptian weapons decorated the walls. Three levels of balconies ringed the room, with rows of doors all looking out on the main area. A fireplace with a plasma-screen TV above the mantel and massive leather sofas on either side. On the floor was a snakeskin rug, except it was forty feet long and fifteen feet wide—bigger than any snake. Outside, through glass walls, I could see the terrace that wrapped around the house. It had a swimming pool, a dining area, and a blazing fire pit. And at the far end of the Great Room was a set of double doors marked with the Eye of Horus, and chained with half a dozen padlocks. I wondered what could possibly be behind them.

But the real interest was a statue in the center of the Great Room. It was thirty feet tall, made of black marble. It had to be of an Egyptian god because the figure had a human body and an animal's head—like a stork or a crane, with a long neck and a really long beak. The god was dressed ancient-style in a kilt, sash, and neck collar. He held a scribe's stylus in one hand, and an open scroll in the other, as if he had just written the hieroglyphs inscribed there: an ankh—the Egyptian looped cross—with a rectangle traced around its top.

"That's it!" Sadie exclaimed. "Per Ankh."

"You sound disappointed." I rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "So who's this?"

"The only god still allowed in the House of Life—at least, normally. Do you recognize him, Carter?" Amos asked.

Thoth," Carter said. "The god of knowledge. He invented writing."

"Indeed," Amos said. "Well for us anyway." Amos said looking at me.

"Why the animal heads?" Sadie asked. "All those Egyptian gods have animal heads. They look so silly."

"They don't normally appear that way," Amos said. "Not in real life."

"Real life?" Carter asked. "Come on. You sound like you've met them in person."

"Carter you need to think beyond what you know. And consider other possibilities." I said. "So why is the animal head thing for?"

"The gods could appear in many forms—usually fully human or fully animal, but occasionally as a hybrid form like this. They are primal forces, you understand, a sort of bridge between humanity and nature. They are depicted with animal heads to show that they exist in two different worlds at once. Do you understand?" Amos said.

"Figures just to show that they are above others." I rolled my eyes.

"We do not."

"Not even a little," Sadie answered Amos said.

"Mmm." Amos didn't sound surprised. "Yes, we have much training to do. At any rate, the god before you, Thoth, founded the House of Life, for which this mansion is the regional headquarters. Or at least…it used to be. I'm the only member left in the Twenty-first Nome. Or I was, until you three came along."

"Hang on." Carter cried "What is the House of Life? Why is Thoth the only god allowed here, and why are you—"

"Carter." I roared. "There will be time for that later. For now get some rest."

"Well said Percy." Amos smiled sympathetically. "These things are better discussed in daylight. You need to get some sleep, and I don't want you to have nightmares."

"You think I can sleep?" Carter asked.

"Trust me kid. I have the worst of this." I said placing a hand on his shoulder. "Besides I won't be far." Carter looked up at me with a smile that reminded me of Nico in a way.

"Mrow." The cat stretched in Sadie's arms and let loose a huge yawn.

"But if I get half the chance I will skin the cat." Sadie held her cat tight fear.

"Khufu!" Amos clapped his hands.

A little dude about three feet tall with gold fur and a purple shirt came clambering down the stairs. It was baboon wearing an L.A. Lakers jersey. The baboon did a flip and landed in front of us. He showed off his fangs and made a sound that was half roar, half belch. His breath smelled like nacho-flavored Doritos.

"Down monkey or i'll show you who the real Alpha is." I growled. The monkey seemed to back off.

"The Lakers are my home team!" Was all Carter seemed to be able to say. The baboon slapped his head with both hands and belched again.

"Oh, Khufu likes you," Amos said. "You'll get along famously."

"Right." Sadie looked dazed. "You've got a monkey butler. Why not?"

"Seen stranger." I said truthfully. The cat purred in Sadie's arms as if the baboon didn't bother her at all.

"Agh!" Khufu grunted at me. Amos chuckled.

"He wants to go one-on-one with you, Carter. To, ah, see your game."

"Um, yeah. Sure. Maybe tomorrow. But how can you understand—" Carter asked.

"Carter, I'm afraid you'll have a lot to get used to," Amos said.

"But it get easier with time." I smiled.

"Percy there is much we will have to discus as well." Amos said.

"Sleep now talk later." I said/stated.

"Agreed," Amos said. "We'll begin your orientation in the morning. Khufu, show them to their rooms, please."

"Agh-uhh!" the baboon grunted. He turned and waddled up the stairs. Unfortunately, the Lakers jersey didn't completely cover his multicolored rear.

"Can we get some pants on him?" I asked Sadie and she giggled at me. We were about to follow when Amos said,

"Carter, the workbag, please. It's best if I lock it in the library." Carter hesitated. I could tell he had forgotten the bag on his shoulder.

"You'll get it back," Amos promised. "When the time is right." I grabbed it off Carter and threw it at Amos. Amos caught it gingerly, as if it were full of explosives. Which it could for all I know. Carter looked at me like I stole his favorite toy.

"You would have to hand it over in the end." I stated to pissed.

"See you in the morning." He turned and strode toward the chained-up doors. They unlatched themselves and opened just enough for Amos to slip through without showing us anything on the other side. Then the chains locked again behind him.

We followed Khufu up the stairs. where the three of us got rooms on the third floor.

I had my own kitchenette, fully stocked. There was a TV, computer, and stereo system which made me unseay as they could draw monsters here to then again I surpassed them without my powers. The bathroom was stocked with my brand of toothpaste, deodorant, everything. The king-size bed was awesome, too, though the pillow was a little strange. Instead of a cloth pillow, it was an ivory headrest like I'd seen in Egyptian tombs. It was decorated with lions and of course more hieroglyphs.

"Huh...Ra remind me to find a way to remove you from my bring and beat you to death with a every hieroglyph there is." I said to myself. However all I got was snoring. "Ah dick." I grumbled. The room even had a deck that looked out on New York Harbor, with views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty in the distance, but the sliding glass doors were locked shut. That was my first indication that something was wrong. I tried the door to my room, but it was locked. A muffled voice came from the next room.

"Percy?"

"Sadie?" I called out

"We're prisoners," she said. "Do you think we can we trust him?" I could hear the fear in Sadie's voice. It triggered an old feeling in me. The same one I use to do for Annabeth. Then need to reassure her. Annabeth...How I wished things could've been different between us. I had loved her. I gave up being a God for her. But in the end my loyalty had me make a great sacrifice and let her go. I miss her being at my side. We were a great team and know I was alone. And thought I hide it greatly. I hated being alone.

"It'll be okay." I said returning to the now. "One, if Amos wanted to hurt us, he could've tried it by now. And two if he tried I could kill him like it was nothing. Get some sleep."

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"You know what's going on?"

"I do in some sense."

"It was magic, wasn't it? What happened to my Dad at the museum. Amos's boat. This house. All of it's magic."

"Welcome to the real world." I said trying to make her laugh."Were we can bend reality to our will all with Magic." I could hear her sigh.

"Good. At least I'm not going mad."

"Well I wouldn't say that," I said. "Call if you need my help."

"Percy."

"Yeah?"

"I miss my Dad," she said. "I hardly ever saw him, I know, but…I miss him."

"I know that better then you think." I said missing my mom, dad, and Paul.

"Percy."

"You sure like to talk." I laughed.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being there for us."

"Anytime. Now get some sleep or i'll put you to sleep." I said.

"Pleasant dreams." She finished. I listened, but the only thing I heard was the cat meowing and scampering around.

"I will get you back for what you did bitch." I told her. I got ready for bed and as I was going to remove my new clothes it felt strange to do so. I just removed the shoes and the cape and crawled into bed. The covers were comfortable and warm, but the pillow was stiff. But I made it work.

Okay I hope you enjoyed. I know this wasn't my best work but it's better then nothing. On a side not for one reader who reviewed. Percy psychically is 16 almost 17. Also some have been asking who Percy will be paired with. I am not so sure on that yet. I am considering Sadie though. Anyway please review and I will work on this more.