a/n: So this story just keeps getting harder and harder to write. Ugh. I need some action soon. I think y'all may want some too.

There Be Demi-gods

By: iamCAMBRIA

Introduction: Norse deities have been known to be more protective of their children than other mythological gods. Especially if their children are in constant need.

Chapter 7: Building a Bridge

"Hvað er þetta?"

Percy sighed and veered Hiksti away from the extremely breakable flat screen TV.

"Og þetta?" The boy asked again, picking up an unfortunate iPod that happened to be resting on a table.

"That is an iPod." Percy sighed. "iPod."

Hiksti blinked before looking at the machine. "Æpood?"

"No, iPod."

"Æpod?" the boy tried again.

The demigod sighed. "That's close enough."

"Fyrirgefðu."

Percy cocked his eye brow. "Was that an apology?"

Hiksti nodded, and limped away. He teetered perilously as he used bits of furniture to help him walk. Percy only followed the boy—who'd refused any help walking. The brown haired boy stopped in front of an umbrella stand. He pulled out the umbrella and opened it. He played with it a little while looking at the flapping material.

"Hvernig segir maður a ensku?"

"English? Um, an umbrella."

"Umbroola. Umbrulla. Umbrella—umbrella?" Hiksti asked, testing the sounds on his tongue.

"Yup." Percy said with a nod. Hiksti was learning words fast.

"Percy!"

The demi-god and Viking spun around to see Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Leo and Annabeth all approaching. Each wore a face of wonder, and concern.

"Shouldn't he be in the medic bay, Percy? He's missing a foot." Hazel said with a gulp.

Hiksti rolled his eyes. "Eg er vön þvi."

Hazel looked at Percy with confusion. "What did he say?"

Percy shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Og eg a að vera rugla einn." The brown haired boy snarked with a roll of the eyes.

"So, how we supposed to know if he's not sayin' anything offensive?" Leo quipped as he stuck his hands in his pocket.

"His tone's pretty sarcastic most of the time, but I don't think he means anything offensive." Percy said pondering the idea.

Hiccup cocked his head to the side, looking curiously at Jason. "Hann berst með spjóti Rom."

"I think he's talking about you." Frank said, looking pointedly at the blonde roman.

"Uh, what are you trying to tell me…"

"Hiksti." Percy supplied.

"What are you trying to tell me, Hiksti?" Jason asked hesitantly.

The auburn haired boy reached out his hand. "Spjót."

Annabeth choked out a laugh. "I think he just called you a name!"

Piper looked mildly offended for the insult towards her boyfriend. "That was extremely rude."

"What did you call me?" Jason demanded in a low growl.

Hiksti rolled his eyes. "Eru gáfur þinar að heimskur? Eg var ekki að kalla þig neitt, eg vil sjá vopnið þitt."

"Okay, he said a lot that time." Hazel pointed out.

Leo chuckled. "I think you ticked off our little amigo here."

"I think he insulted Jason again!" Annabeth snorted, pressing her hands to her mouth to try and stop herself from laughing so hard.

"No, he wouldn't be insulting like that." Percy tried to amend. "We have a sort of understanding. I think he's trying to tell us something."

"Genius, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth snarked, giving Percy an amused look.

Hiksti crossed his arms. "Mei hastam da."

Jason, Frank and Hazel all looked up in surprise.

"No way." Frank muttered, running a large hand through his hair.

"What?" Leo piped up. "Did you understand what he said?"

"He speaks Latin." Jason coughed.

Percy looked at Hiccup incredulously. "How'd you know he spoke Latin?"

Hiksti pursed his lips and gave them a pensive look. "Hasta."

"Hasta? As in hasta luego?" Leo laughed.

Hazel shook her head. "Hasta is the Latin word for a spear."

Jason fished around in his jean pocket before pulling out the denarius. He flipped it into the air and grabbed it as it turned into a spear. He showed it the Hiksti. The boy eyed it with wide eyes and awe.

"This is how you knew the speak Latin?" Jason asked in the same language.

Hiksti smirked. "So you can actually speak it."

"Of course I am, I am Roman after all." Jason snorted.

"Me and Frank too." Hazel piped in.

Frank grumbled something.

"I'm totally feeling left out right now." Leo muttered to Percy, Annabeth, and Piper as the three campers from Camp Jupiter spoke to their guest.

"Where are you from? How old are you? How did you know to come here?" Jason demanded.

Hiksti frowned. "Whoa, whoa, be calm. I can only speak so much Latin. I had to learn it for my trade—but outside of my trade speech, I do not know much."

"Your…trade?" Frank asked hesitantly.

"I am a blacksmith." The auburn haired boy admitted. "Beyond simple conversation and metal work…I fear I am not as diverse as I should be. I may have been teaching myself the language of Rome from traders that I've run into over the years."

"You're dialect is very old, and your accent authentic." Hazel observed.

Hiksti sighed. "This is the complicated part. I am not of this time."

Frank looked at Hiksti curiously. "Come again."

"I am not from here. I was taken from my time and brought to what I believe is the future." The boy spared them side glances. "It's not very hard to tell that wherever I am, it is much more advanced to what I'm used to."

"Guys, as entertaining as it is to hear you all have your little pow-wow," Piper interrupted, "none of us understand anything you guys are saying. Care to explain?"

"He's not from this time." Jason murmured in disbelief.

"Is that really so hard to believe?" Hazel asked harshly crossing her arms. "I mean there is the Lotus Hotel and Casino. He could've been from there."

"But he's not in any state of confusion." Annabeth pointed out.

"I am very much confused." Hiksti admitted. "Such as, why in the name of Helheim was a god named Uranus taking me hostage?"

"What's a Helheim?"

"It think he means the Underworld."

"He said Uranus."

"Hehehehe."

"Shut up, Valdez."

"You have to admit Uranus is a bit funny."

"Guys." Percy said interrupting. "Did any of you pay attention to your Greek mythology classes?"

Annabeth's face lit up with understanding. "Oh gods…"

"Uranus is the god of the Sky."

"Caelus." Jason said his voice low.

"Sure, that's probably the Roman incarnation." Percy nodded.

"But what…why would a god kidnap a child?" Hazel asked quietly.

Both Jason and Percy seethed.

"Uranus isn't just the god of the Sky." Annabeth continued. "He is the sky—he's Father Sky, as referred to. And there is something worse."

"Worse?" Frank and Leo echoed worriedly.

"Uranus is the husband of Gaia." Percy growled.

The others froze. "The husband of Gaia? Is that possible?"

"It is said that they built the world and universe and a good many other things together." Annabeth informed, her arms crossing over her chest.

"That doesn't sound good." Piper concluded. "The last time we were up against Gaia, she was trying to bring back Kro…"

They all looked at each other and then at Hiksti. They looked at the boy's primitive clothing and his hand made prosthetic. They stared at his posture and they thought about his accent in Latin and his native language.

"Hiksti?" Jason began.

"Yes?" The boy returned eager for some news.

"What language were you speaking?"

"Norse."

Jason looked to the others with wide eyes, before returning to the smaller child.

"Hiksti, think clearly for me…what year are you from? Do you know?"

The boy placed a hand on his chin. "I think…I think it was eight hundred and thirteen, anno domino."

Jason gasped before sharply sucking in his breath.

"What? What is it? Where is he from?" Frank asked impatiently.

"Jason, what did he say?" Percy enquired, stepping forward.

"I think I know what he is." Jason said, his blue eyes wide. "I think he's a Viking—he says he is from 813 A.D."

A/N: Icelandic: Hvað er þetta: What is this?

Og þetta: And this?

Fyrirgefðu: I am sorry.

Hvernig segir maður a ensku: How is this said in English?

Eg er vön þvi: I am used to it.

Og eg a að vera rugla einn: And I'm supposed to be the confused one.

Hann berst með spjóti Rom: He fights with a spear of Rome.

Eru gáfur þinar að heimskur? Eg var ekki að kalla þig neitt, eg vil sjá vopnið þitt: Are your brains stupid? I was not calling you anything, I want to see your weapon.

Latin: Mei hastam da: Give me the spear.

I do take Latin so I actually know that Latin pieces. My Icelandic readers, please correct whatever you see fit! And yes, Hiccup would know Latin because as a tradesman, he would have had to learn the language to conduct business. Ignoring the common misconception that Vikings are big stupid brutes, the Norsemen knew a good number of languages; Latin was the main one because even after the fall of Rome, it was still the universal language.