Chapter 9

Greetings Readers! This story has crossed 3000 views and I want to thank all of you who made this possible. This is a new story and is only about two weeks old, yet the support and help that has poured in from all of you has really made this experience much better.

I would like to thank jojo jesus, chaosmaker55, someonefamous99 and flyingzuzu14 for your encouraging reviews. I'm happy that you are enjoying this story. In reference to Adamcoyne's review, I am thrilled that you are following this story so closely. Everyone has a busy life and the fact that you take time out of it to share a few supporting words is already such a great support. I hope you are enjoying it!

In reference to SpartanBoi's review, I will have an entire arc dedicated to the conflict between Percy and Atlas. There will be multiple small, filler fights between the two and the arc will conclude with an epic one on one battle. But unfortunately, it won't be in this story, it will be in one of my next stories. I plan to give that battle extensive build up before it takes place. I want to make it a battle that will blow everyone's minds and for that, I require Percy to be on Atlas' level. Since I cannot give him a power jump like that in this story without messing up the continuity and Percy's gradual power increase. It may feel like a bit of a drag, but time skips without context is a strict no-no. I also want to thank you for being so helpful and supportive, it really does mean a lot.

Also I would to welcome on board this story's new Beta reader- MissyAndTheDocs. Your help is undeniably invaluable in making this story more enjoyable.

All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.

Aphros was anxious. Lord Poseidon called a council of Ichthyocentaurs and Mermen generals only when he wanted to discuss something of great importance. His brother Bythos had accompanied him and they were patiently waiting in the Atlantean throne room for the Royal Family to arrive. But, he had an inkling that this meeting had something to do with Prince Perseus.

In all honesty, Aphros was unsure about a demigod being the second in line to the throne of Atlantis. While he personally held no resentment towards the young Prince, in general, demigod children of Poseidon were very volatile in nature. Due to not having inherited Lady Amphitrite's calm and composed disposition to control the power of the sea with precision and having a very personal and emotionally destructive fatal flaw made them capable of blindly causing great destruction to others in a spur of violent temper. Nevertheless, he put aside his reservations about the boy. He would accordingly judge the boy when he met him.

With these thoughts, Aphros rose to his feet along with the others present in the room and bowed to Lord Poseidon, Lady Amphitrite and Lord Triton.

"Greetings generals and Ichthyocentaurs. Before we start, all of you please take a seat." Poseidon politely greeted them. Once everyone was settled, Poseidon addressed them "As most of you may have guessed, I have organised this council to discuss a few things about my second son, Prince Perseus. I brought Prince Perseus here because his birth mother died protecting him and I did not want to condemn a young child to such a lonely and dark fate. As all of you know, it is against Zeus' decree to have direct interaction with demigods. But, due to the rise of the Earth mother, I have received the full support of the Olympians in this endeavor of mine. The reason for that is Percy's potential. Now that he has received the blessing of my mother and my wife, he is at a stage where if he is properly trained, he can one day even match my power. I don't need to tell you how incredibly valuable he can be in the fight against her forces." he finished and waited for their reply.

"We concur with you Lord Poseidon. He will be invaluable in this conflict. I assume you called me and my brother here to discuss his training." Aphros stated. Lord Poseidon was right. If the child really had that much potential and with the Earth Mother and her forces involved in this conflict, there was no point in pursuing senseless decrees and giving up potential advantages against her forces.

"You are partially right Aphros. He will be trained by you and Bythos, but not in the same way that Triton was trained. I had invited both of you to teach Triton in the Royal Palace for ten years and then sent him with you to Camp Fish-blood for an additional year. In Percy's case, since Olympus is involved, they want someone from Olympus to teach and keep an eye on him in their stead." As soon as Poseidon finished, he could he see the look of disbelief and anger on their faces. Immediately, he went on damage control and tried placating them "Now I know that Percy is a Prince of Atlantis and in accordance to tradition he needs to be trained by the Ichthyocentaurs in the Royal Palace for ten years and then sent to Camp Fish-Blood for a year. But, the Olympians need to know that their future champion is actually being trained and we cannot afford a war with Olympus due to a disagreement on this matter right now, at the same time an insider of Olympus cannot be trusted. For that reason, we reached a mutual conclusion that Chiron will be the proper candidate for this job as he is well respected in Olympus and at the same time he can be trusted to teach Percy in Atlantis. We cannot completely ignore the excellent training of the Ichthyocentaurs though, so while Chiron will teach him the basics, Percy will be sent to Camp Fish-Blood for two years to master his skills." Poseidon calmly, yet, firmly stated.

Bythos who had only observed the conservation till now, was the first to speak "That is acceptable Lord Poseidon. Accounts of Chiron's dedication are not false. He is also perfectly equipped to train Prince Perseus to his best. My only request is asking you to send him to Camp Fish-Blood for four years instead of two as I want to train him in new weaponry rather teaching him only the advanced maneuvers in the weaponry he has already learnt. "

Poseidon looked at Amphitrite and Triton, telepathically asking their opinion on this proposition. Both of them considered this proposition for a moment before nodding at Poseidon.

"Your request will be partially granted Bythos. It is not safe to have Percy out of Atlantis for any longer than two years. If she catches a wind of him, she will do everything possible to eliminate him. His potential may be unmatched, but, until he is trained to mastery, he is in danger. So what we suggest is that instead of training him in Camp Fish-Blood for three years, train in Atlantis for three years and then train him in Camp Fish-blood for two years. After discussing with Amphitrite and Triton, I believe your style of combat and Aphros' essential skills will be pivotal in making him well equipped in dealing with any threat ." Poseidon presented his counter argument.

"We shall be honoured to do so Lord Poseidon. When do we take over?" Bythos gladly agreed. Even though the child was a demigod, he could feel the power pulsating from the child along with the presence of Lady Rhea. While Chiron's teaching focused more on offensive and evasive techniques, his teaching focused on defense and counter attack. These techniques combined would make the young Prince a beast in battle.

"We have invited Chiron to teach Percy topics other than weaponry until he is five years of age. After that Percy shall be trained by Chiron in multiple weapons and other skills until he is seventeen years old. Then he will be trained by you and Aphros until he is twenty two years old. During this time period, I shall also be training him in his elemental abilities." Poseidon declared. The generals and the Ichthyocentaurs nodded in consent. This was a sound plan.

"If there are no other questions, this council is dismissed. Aphros, Bythos, a word in private." Poseidon stated. All the Mermen generals exited the throne room and soon only the Royal family along with the Ichthyocentaurs were left in the throne room.

"Before we start, both of you need to swear on the River Styx to not reveal any information that you receive." Poseidon told them, the Ichthyocentaurs complied, once that was done, Poseidon explained Percy's unique heritage, biology, blessings and potential to them. The Ichthyocentaurs were so surprised that once he finished, they did not know what to say. The Prince was even stronger that they had expected.

"I informed you of these things so as to not spring a surprise on you. For now, there is nothing else to share, thank you for making the journey all the way here in a moment's notice." Poseidon finished for them with a bit of sympathy, he had been on the receiving end of that surprise the previous day. The Ichthyocentaurs numbly nodded as they walked out of the room, still processing the bomb Poseidon had dropped on them.

"Now that the generals and Ichthyocentaurs have been dealt with, Triton, go and bring Chiron to Atlantis." Poseidon ordered Triton. Triton nodded and vanished into a blue mist.

Poseidon noticed that Amphitrite was slightly miffed about something. "What troubles you Amphitrite. Share it with me, maybe I can provide some solace" Poseidon softly asked.

"What are we doing Poseidon? Are we raising a son or are we raising a soldier? Twelve years of training in weaponry under Chiron and then five more years under Bythos. We are robbing him of the opportunity of enjoying his childhood Poseidon. I want to raise a son, not a loyal destroyer. His happiness is just as important as his safety." Amphitrite stated in an emotional voice.

"I know my dear. That is why even though he will be trained by Chiron for twelve years, he will only spend one part of his day doing that. Another part will be spent on mastering his elemental abilities and other topics that Triton learnt in the ten years under Bythos and Aphros. The only difference will be that in Percy's case, it will be Chiron and other teachers who will be teaching him those things. The remaining half of the day which will be left, will be for his sleep and leisure. I want him to be happy too. Don't worry Amphitrite, I do not want to build an emotionless war machine. Percy will help us when required, but he will not a spend his entire life training for the war. Even after he fully trained and the war commences, I don't plan to send him on any solo missions, he will be accompanied either by me or by Triton in any battle against her forces. I have no wish to put my son in harm's way, however powerful he may be." Poseidon comforted her with a reassuring smile. Amphitrite returned his smile with a small one of her own. They would try their best to give Percy a life of happiness and free of conflict, the rest, unfortunately, was up to the fates.

(Three Years Later)

Chiron was content. It had been three years since Chiron had started teaching Percy and he was enjoying every moment of it.

At first, he had accepted the offer only because it was an order by the Olympian Council and a personal request from Lord Poseidon. Initially, upon being informed of the true extent of Percy's power and his complete physical invulnerability, Chiron was afraid that the absolute power Percy possessed would eventually corrupt him with arrogance. But meeting Percy had been a pleasant surprise. Percy's kindness and genuine thirst for knowledge had both surprised and charmed Chiron.

Thus, Chiron was determined in preserving the kindness within Percy and he had spent the last three years instilling good morals into Percy along with teaching him the alphabet and vocabulary. He had also spent a large chunk of his time in regaling Percy with stories of his immortal and mortal family. Percy for his part had adored Chiron and like a sponge had absorbed whatever he had taught him. Today was the day that Percy's training in weaponry would start. For that reason Chiron was patiently waiting in the arena of the Royal Palace for the arrival of the Royal Family. As briefed by Delphin, he had set up a spear, a trident and a sword. The three principal weapons from which Percy would choose his primary weapon and he would then be tested for his affinity towards the chosen weapon.

As expected, the Royal Family arrived right on time and Amphitrite planned a soft kiss on Percy's brow before his trial began.

Percy then went forward and politely greeted Chiron "Hello Chiron."

"Hello Percy, have you made up your mind on what weapon you want to choose first?" Chiron asked his pupil. In response Percy nodded in consent and Chiron pointed to the weapons and motioned for Percy to choose. Naturally, he thought Percy would choose the trident, but he was surprised when Percy choose the sword instead and by the looks of it, the Royal Family was also surprised even though they did not voice it out.

"Now Percy are you sure you want to choose the sword as the first weapon which you want to master?" Chiron asked for confirmation. When Percy nodded to convey his confirmation, Chiron handed him five wooden swords of same shape and dimensions that differed in only weight.

Percy first held and dismissed the heaviest and the lightest swords. Then his brow narrowed in concentration as he tried to find the correct sword. Surprisingly it took him only a few more seconds to find the perfectly balanced sword and Chiron was impressed. Only the most talented swordsmen could find out the balanced sword that fast.

" You have passed the test with flying colours Percy. Your sword training shall start from tomorrow." Chiron told to an excited Percy who proceeded to try different forms with his sword.

"I did not expect him to pick the sword. I thought he would pick the trident. I even showed him different maneuvers with my trident yesterday. So much for that." Poseidon grumbled at the stands of the arena.

"He will be fine Poseidon. I'm sure his natural affinity to the sword is greater than his affinity to the trident. It is just a matter of what weapon he will master first, as I have no doubt that he'll eventually master all the weapons Chiron and later, Bythos trains him in." Amphitrite told Poseidon with a tinge of amusement in her voice. Poseidon stayed silent as he observed his son who was listening in rapt attention to what Chiron was telling him. His face broke out into a small smile as he saw the pure joy in his son's eyes due to wielding a sword. Poseidon agreed with her, with Percy it was just a matter of when he mastered the weapons. Besides, he would gladly support Percy in any endeavour that gave him happiness.

(One Year Later)

It had been a year since Percy's training in swordsmanship had began and he had already made great strides in it. Poseidon had felt that now would be a good time to start Percy's elemental training. He would first teach him to effectively control water. Once he had mastered that, Poseidon would teach him to summon and control storms. Finally after Percy mastered hydrokinesis and atmokinesis, he would teach Percy to harness his abilities as an earthshaker.

Thus he had scheduled to start Percy's training from today and was now addressing his son "Percy, you have to understand that you are a part of the seas and the seas are a part of you. The relationship you have with the seas is symbiotic, you bring order to the seas and in return, the sea bestows upon you the power to wield it. The sea is also an extremely volatile entity son. Once you master harnessing it's power, you need to be very careful in wielding them and you must keep your emotions in check, as the sea responds to your emotions. For that reason, you always need to use only positive emotions such as willpower and hope to effectively harness the power of the sea without harming others in the process. If you use negative emotions to channel your powers, they will be highly destructive and due to your power, they may have grave consequences. You cannot loose your temper and give in to rage and anger, this is a fundamental lesson that you should never forget. Understood?" Poseidon warned his son. He knew Amphitrite's blessing would give him restraint, still he warned Percy as a backup. He had no wish of letting Styx's warning become a reality. Percy shook his head in understanding.

" Now Percy I will propel a current of water and strike that board. I want you to do the same thing." Poseidon instructed and Percy nodded his head at the instruction. Poseidon then propelled a large current of water which then hit the wooden board that had been placed at the corner of the arena.

Percy's forehead tightened in concentration as he mimicked his father's actions and successfully propelled a smaller current of water at the wooden board.

"Great job Percy!" Poseidon proudly praised. That was not the easiest of techniques for a beginner, but the ease and speed in which Percy executed that technique, gave him an indication of what was to come. Clearing his head of all thoughts he focused on the next move that he wanted to teach Percy.

(Three Years Later)

Sweat dripped down from Percy's brow as he evaded a spear thrust from his opponent, simultaneously, his vambrace clad arm came up to block the downward slash of his other opponent, the successful defence stunning his opponent. Percy's knowledge of his complete physical invulnerability had caused him to forgo a shield and he used a thick vambrace as a substitute for defence. His invulnerability also increased the durability of Percy's skin to the extent where he could block an attack with a vambrace clad arm and not feel any numbing or damaging effects of an attack from physically weaker opponents.

Immediately he sent a hard kick at the chest of his first attacker who skidded back a few feet due to the sheer strength behind the attack. Percy then used an improvised version of the disarming maneuver that Chiron had taught him yesterday to disarm his second opponent in a moment and followed that up with a powerful left hook that knocked out his opponent.

Next he attacked his remaining opponent with a two-handed sideways slash. His opponent managed to block the attack at the last moment, but, the force behind the attack caused him to slightly recoil in pain. This pause was all Percy required and he slid his feet under his opponent's legs and brought down the hilt of his sword at his opponent's head.

He was met with an applause from his family and Chiron. But before they greeted him, he gathered some of the water around him into his palms and used that to heal his opponents. Once awake, the two Mermen smiled at their young prince, tales of his kindness had not been exaggerated, neither had tales of his strength. They bowed to him and left the arena.

"You have mastered the sword Percy. I have nothing left to teach you. In fact, you even improvised the sword disarming maneuver that I taught you yesterday to disarm your opponent's spear. Also you used your opponents' moment of surprise against them and did not let your advantage go in vain. Well done Percy." Chiron proudly complimented and he meant every word of it. He had taught Percy everything he knew about sword fighting but it was Percy who had dutifully practiced it to perfection. He warmly smiled at Percy's kind attitude towards the Mermen.

"Yes Percy, you have made us all proud. You wield your sword with a precision and power that is unheard of, for your age." Amphitrite happily commented. Even though Percy was only nine years old, he shaping up to be quite the warrior. The two Mermen he had just defeated were the best fighters in the Atlantean army after the Generals.

"Not bad little brother, I thought you were only a little squirt, but it seems like you know how to handle a sword." Triton teased his younger brother. Percy replied with a scowl directed at Triton.

"Percy what are the next weapons that you wish to master?" Poseidon stepped in and intervened before this could go out of hand. He did not want to hear the fish complaining for a week about how the Princes destroyed their home.

"I would like to master the spear and trident father. The spear will be helpful against a larger opponent and for long range attacks. The trident is a symbol of the House Of Poseidon so I want to master that too." Percy replied with a wide smile.

"Excellent choice Percy. Your spear lessons shall commence from tomorrow. We will need to find a new time slot for your training in the trident. Chiron shall train you in the spear while Triton shall take over for the trident." Poseidon announced.

"I can skip etiquette classes and learn the trident instead" Percy happily suggested.

"You are a Prince, Percy. Not a soldier. You need to be familiar with royal etiquette." Amphitrite strictly said. She had done everything in her power to prevent Percy's training from turning into that of a soldier's. That is why he had received lessons in literature, geography, basic mathematics, royal etiquette and Atlantean politics. He was enthusiastically learning all those topics except the lessons on etiquette. Percy was a free spirit and loathed formalities, he still learnt the etiquette lessons his mother taught him, but it was only on her insistence.

"Alright Mama." Percy pouted and agreed. Amphitrite's resolve wavered at this and she finally relented "I shall finish your etiquette lessons in a few months Percy. After that you can start training in the trident under the guidance of your brother." Amphitrite finished with a small smile. Immediately Percy gave her a deep hug. In return, Amphitrite smiled affectionately at him and planted a kiss on his brow.

"Are you sure about this mother? It seems like Percy enjoys etiquette lessons more than training." Triton teased. In response Percy just blew a raspberry at Triton and everyone laughed at his antics.

In that little moment, there was a true sense of joyous content in the family. The young tri-blood brought with him a welcome emotion of happiness wherever he went. He had an innate skill in uniting people on a common cause and this skill of his would be imperative in the upcoming war.

Hey guys! I know this chapter took longer to come out, but as I had declared, I wanted to maintain the quality of this chapter. Percy is five years old after the first timeskip, six years old after the second and nine years old after the third. Also, Aphros states in Heroes of Olympus that they do not train sons of Poseidon at Camp Fish-Blood, but they also seemed to have trained Triton. So I have used that and Percy's status as a prince to create an Atlantean tradition. Many of you may think how can a nine year old beat two experienced soldiers, well, with how powerful this story's Percy actually is, it's actually a very weak challenge to him.

Similar to this chapter, the next few chapters will deal with Percy's growth and will show portray him gearing up against the Gigantes.

Also, I would like to thank this story's Beta Reader-MissyAndTheDocs once again for doing such a phenomenal job at editing the first three chapters. Give it a re-read if you like. It is way better than the original version.

I have also narrowed down two pairings and I will be declaring them in the next chapter and would like all your opinions on it.

Read and review! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Have a great day!