Percy didn't know how long he waited before the Olympians came out after his talk with Nico. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, and that time was a blur to him. He did remember helping Cabin Seven tend to the wounded though; fetching bandages and stuff like that for them.
When the gods came out of their meeting, demigods started asking their parents questions.
"What was the verdict?"
"What'll happen to us?"
"Did Zeus really mean that servitude stuff?"
Poseidon walked over to Percy and grabbed him by the arm. He snapped his fingers and gone they were.
The feeling of godly teleport is something no one can't really describe. It's like your in a vacuum, and you can't move at all. At the same time, your everywhere, going everyplace at once. It was so much more than that, yet so much less.
It ended as quickly as it started, nearly taking Percy's breath away. It only took a moment for him to realize that they were under water. In Poseidon's palace.
From within the shadow of a column, someone said, "So the Prodigal Son returns. What party are you planning for the great savior of Olympus? Half your kingdom lays in ruins, and still you bring him here."
"Enough Triton. He could no more prevent this war than the one above the waves," Poseidon ordered as the person moved out of the shadow to reveal someone who looked like a merman, just with two tails instead of one. Triton, messenger and only son of Poseidon born in wedlock.
"Why not blame him? If it wasn't for his birth, none of this," he gestured to parts of the palace that were in ruins, "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have had this war."
"Leave us Triton; and don't harass your half-brother." Triton left the room after that.
"Come with me, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping. Pay attention, my home can be difficult for newcomers to navigate, particularly it's in this state," Poseidon said.
Left. Right. Another right. It didn't take very long to reach the bedroom. It was simple, with a narrow bed in the corner, a closet at the end and a small table with a single chair that could easily double for a desk pushed against the wall.
Percy stepped in and stared for a moment. Though it probably wasn't that big by godly standards, it was still larger than the room he had in the apartment he shared with his mother.
A hand appeared on his shoulder, causing him to turn around in surprise and come face to face with his father. He hadn't realized that the god had come in after him.
"Percy, you need to promise me one thing while you stay here," he said in a solemn voice.
"Sure, what?" he answer.
"Always tell me when you leave my palace, and never go without my permission. My brother hates, for more reasons than you probably will ever know," Poseidon told him.
"It's because I'm you son, isn't it? I was proof of your broken oath, the prophecy kid, and survived to get to Camp Half-Blood better than Thalia. Is he angry that I'm yours instead of his?"
"Yes. Now go to sleep my son," with that he waved his hand. He stammered back, fell onto the bed, and fell asleep.
oO0O0
"Children, my children, come follow me," Athena called.
Her children approached her curiously, she having never been with all of them at once outside their Camp's field trip to Mt. Olympus years ago, when Luke stole the Master Bolt.
"Follow me, I shall show you where you will be dwelling for the night," she said before taking off at a brisk walk towards the more residential part of Olympus, her children in tow.
"Um…Mother?" Malcolm asked cautiously, "Where are we going?"
"To my abode, my children. That is where we will be spending the night," she answered.
A few moments later, Annabeth asks, "Mother, what is going on? What is our fate going to be now that Zeus has made his decree?"
By this time, they had made it to Athena's palace, which had received some damage over the course of the battle for Olympus. With the snap of the fingers from the wise goddess, the building repaired itself and Athena led them inside.
"These rooms," she said, pointing to a hallway with a number of doors equal to the number of living children of Athena, "Is where you will be staying. You may each choose one. For your question Annabeth, I will tell all of my children in the morning."
Athena then exited the hallway, leaving her sons and daughters to their own devices.
oO0Oo
"You know where you can sleep," Hades told his son.
"Yes, father," Nico chanted before shadow traveling to where he usually spent his nights.
oO0Oo
When Hermes reaches Luke, he half grabs him, half embraces him. Before Luke can protest, they are already somewhere more private than the Olympian throne room or the surrounding gardens.
Hermes holds Luke in his arms, and to Luke's surprise, starts to cry. "I'm so sorry. I have failed you as a father. I wish I had acted differently," Hermes mumbled to Luke.
After a while of this Hermes starts to calm down, his tears start to dry. He poof's the rest of his children into his palace.
"I'm sorry," Hermes whispers to his children, "I didn't think to prepare more rooms for you."
He pointed to a small number of doors across the room. Inside the rooms were enough beds for everyone to have their own, a stark contrast to his cabin at Camp Half-Blood.
oO0Oo
The children of Hephaestus were in what was easily the best equipped forage they had ever seen. Needless to say, they were more than a little excited.
"She's a beauty, isn't she? As long as you don't break anything you can't fix, we should have a good time together. Am I right?" Hephaestus addresses his sons and daughters from behind. The youths were speechless, and Hephaestus laughed to himself.
"Just remember to tell me if anything happens to one of my projects and everything will be alright," the lame god said, more so to reassure himself.
oO0Oo
"Get started, punks," Ares growled to his offspring, whom he had gathered outside his armory.
"Get started on what? And where are we supposed to sleep? There's no cots in here," said one bold, but incredibly stupid kid.
At those demands, Ares eyes glow red, and the child who had made that statement was thrown across the room, hitting the wall with a loud thud and knocking him unconscious. People pick up the first thing they could reach, and depending on whether it was a shield or sword, they start polishing and sharpening. Ares let out a terrifying laugh that only made them work harder.
oO0Oo
Enter, the voice of Zeus rang in the head of Thalia. She complied, not wanting to risk the consequences of disobedience.
"I assume that you want to be going on, daughter?" Zeus asked in all seriousness, not really needing to hear the reply to know the answer.
Thalia opened her mouth to speak, but for some reason she could only find herself nodding.
"Then let me tell you all about it."
oO0Oo
Next Morning
"Attention demigods," Zeus's voice thundered across the mythological world, "Your life begins anew today, for you completely belong to your godly parents, until your debt to us is payed in full. That is why guidelines for your service has been laid out for you by us. Firstly, a demigod may not set out to injure a Olympian or, through inaction, allow a Olympian to come to harm. Secondly, A demigod must obey any orders given to it by Olympian, except where such orders would conflict with the first guideline. Finally, a demigod must protect its own existence as long as said protection doesn't contradict the first or second guideline."
Shock was the best way to describe that atmosphere when Zeus had quieted.
oO0Oo
Six Weeks Later
Six weeks ago, Zeus made the ultimate decision deciding the course of all demigods lives. Six weeks ago, Percy Jackson went to live with his father. Six weeks ago, he became part of my father's honor guard. Six weeks ago, he lost his liberty.
It's not that his father really took advantage of having him as his slave. He put him at the bottom rung of his honor guard, which entails dealing with violent disputes and fighting any army that the old sea gods sent on his behalf, but he mostly leaves the boy to his own devices.
Occasionally, Hermes gives him news on what has happened to the other demigods while delivering a message. Demeter's kids spend time managing some of their mother's flower beds, and according to him, Persephone has taken a liking to demigod half-siblings. Annabeth and her siblings alternate between watching all the interesting things their mother's home and studying from their mother's extensive library on the ancient world. Apollo's kids practically run wild on Olympus according to Hermes, and at least half of his daughters are part of Artemis's hunt in all but name, while Ares kids are stuck taking care of their father's armor.
From what Hermes understands, Aphrodite's remaining kids lives haven't changed drastically from their lives at camps. They still fuss with their appearances, they still gossip about the latest news, the only real difference is that they live in their mother's home on Olympus and have to go to market for her.
Cabin 9's and Nico's life also haven't changed all that much either. Cabin 9 adjusted from masters of their forage to assistants in it. Nico's life has probably changed the least. Besides becoming a judge for the dead, Hermes quoted Hades in saying "Needed to keep a closer eye on the boy," Nico's life was more or less the same.
Almost everyone under Hermes care have been working for him, delivering non priority mail to recipients to relieve the workload. He's still working on gaining Luke's trust before sending him out. The last I heard about Thalia was that she was a cupbearer for her father and Hera.
oO0Oo
Annabeth was looking in a large book of her mother's on the ancient laws.
Seven is a powerful number, second only to three. Marking the amount of gods on the Olympian council, it is majority number needed for a decree to passed in which none of the twelve Olympian gods have direct reign over. If this majority of seven is not supporting of such a decree, it is within others rights to form a group of seven to dethrone the god or goddess who forced said decree.
A light bulb went up overAnnabeth's brain. She ran out into the street, and surprisingly found Hermes taking a stroll.
"Lord Hermes," Annabeth asked, "What brings you to these parts?"
"Well," Hermes replied kindly "Since I've been having my children helping me with deliveries, I've found that I have more time to enjoy myself."
"I need you to deliver a message, please. We can discuss price later. I need you to tell Percy, Thalia, Nico," she paused for a moment, thinking on who else to include, "Along with Beckendorf, Clarisse, and Luke to meet me tomorrow at about midday."
"Where?"