Father and Son

Inside the Captain's Cabin aboard the Black Pearl, Poseidon actually hugged Percy, away from the eyes of the Pirates. "I took you back in time while you slept," he told Percy. "The travel in the mist of time required you to be asleep. In addition, as you don't know too much of history, you're not in danger to mess up the timeline by revealing too much of the future."

"All right," Percy said. "I suppose I should have been asking when I am, not where."

Poseidon nodded. "You're now at an era where the Sea is at its best," he told Percy. "Ships rely on sails and none have an engine to give it a boost while polluting the sea. Land travel is reliant on horses. Further, there is no stupid mist to hide the true identities on the sea nor are you required to make any attempts to hide being my son. Ability to read is rare."

Percy smiled. "Sounds like a good time," he said. "But what of the others at the camp? Won't I be missed?"

Poseidon shook his head. "I'll take you back to such time that it won't be noticed. I'd say you take a tattoo to ensure yourself it was real and not a dream." He handed Percy a seashell. "You'll find a suggestion for the picture in there."

"Thanks Dad." Percy said. He hesitated a moment before asking why he had been brought back in time.

"After Hera messed with your mind, I'd say you needed healing. And that's not all you need healing from." Poseidon told him. "Besides I can spend more time with you in this era."

Percy smiled at that. "What of Apollo and his children?" he asked.

"I am not going to allow anyone else mess with my son," Poseidon told him firmly. "You ought to consider seawater as your preferred method to be healed anyway."

"Yes, Father," Percy replied meekly. It made sense, too, now that he thought about it. He could heal by seawater which there was plenty of, while the other healing resources were more limited. "I see it would be extremely wasteful to do otherwise."

Poseidon nodded in agreement. "Seawater has other benefits for you as well. It will not leave scars on you and makes you stronger. Pure seawater will even slow down your aging."

"Cool," Percy said, smiling broadly.

"Next, I think we ought to discuss your education," Poseidon said.

Percy felt abashed as he recalled all the times he'd been expelled, and most matters from the camp weren't that good either. "Um…" he began, but didn't really know what to say.

"Really, Percy, there's no need to feel embarrassed," Poseidon told him. "Was there anything even remotely sea-worthy subjects those mundane schools were trying to make you learn?"

"No" Percy said.

"And they'd insist that you learn those landlubber things by reading and writing despite having dyslexia and ADHD?"

"Yes."

"Not to mention being confined indoors. And then both the teachers and students would treat you poorly for not being able to adapt to their dry ways." Poseidon shook his head. "Those schools are not for you. You belong to the sea. Even the camp has too much landlubber things – like the swords not being balanced for sea legs. I say you need to be learning the ways of pirates, and none of that dry landlubber stuff."

"Pirates, Dad?" Percy repeated in disbelief. "Really?"

"Why yes, Percy, it's really pirates." Poseidon chuckled. "Now that we're settled, let's go meet with the captain."

"Which one?" Percy asked.

Poseidon frowned. "Ship can only have one captain." he said.

"Well… I'm sure they all agree. It's just that two of them argue over which of them it is," Percy said.

"Let's go see if they have the courage and sense to ask me to decide between them," the god of the sea replied.