Chapter 1: Another Eventful Awards Ceremony
On Olympus (August 3rd)
It'd been two days since the Earth Mother returned to her dirt nap, and with Leo's sacrifice still fresh in his mind, Percy was in no celebrating mood. The rest of the Seven and Nico felt the same way, all still able to picture their unruly, flaming captain hundreds of feet in the air atop a sixty-foot metal dragon grappling with Gaea herself. Even in his grief, Percy couldn't help but smile at the flashiness of the most Leo way to go out.
In spite of that reluctance, the gods insisted on a celebration to follow the defeat of their greatest enemy. The ding of an elevator freed the seven demigods from the torment of Love Is Blue playing for the entire ride up. As they spilled onto the landing of the Empire State Building's 600th floor, they let out a collective gasp.
A wide, golden bridge set with intertwined silver and bronze railings on either side connected the demigods to the floating landmass that gods called home. The group walked across the bridge, six of the seven demigods gawking in various directions with their eyes wide as if taped up and their jaws dragging behind them.
The divine acropolis grew nearer, and the demigods were hypnotized by the features decorating the paradise.
Hazel and Nico stared at the buildings surrounding the central plaza. Traditional Greek columns adorned every visible entrance. Modern, sloping ceilings made up many of the roofs while sparse Roman domes stood over the rest, organized to shape the open area in era-traversed symmetry.
Frank looked past the plaza, finding beautiful parks that spilled towards the throne room doors. Luscious trees from what looked like every corner of the world filled the grassy areas astride flowing streams. The trees' dryads were either hurriedly swarming about or arguing with the naiads sitting on their banks.
Piper and Jason's eyes were transfixed on the buildings set on the far right and left sides of Olympus: the palaces of the gods. Piper looked off to the right, mentally tracing the length of six luxurious homes.
Hera, Demeter, Apollo, Ares, Dionysus, she thought as she guessed at each owner.
Deliberately skipping over it for last, her eyes settled on the bright pink, plastic-looking castle that was obviously her mother's. Piper grimaced for a moment at how over-the-top it was before she was further dumbstruck at what she saw at its peak: a gigantic, glowing pink heart?
This palace could've been designed by Barbie, she thought to herself before realizing that was essentially the truth.
Jason mirrored her on the other side, mentally assigning Mercury, Vulcan, Diana, Minerva, Neptune until he came across a dark grey citadel that radiated power. He watched lightning snake across the castle walls in striking blue sparks, and he smiled as he named his father, Jupiter.
Percy's eyes hadn't left the fountain that dominated the floor of the central plaza. Made purely of Olympian Silver, apparently a metal exclusive to Olympus, it exuded a shine that Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold couldn't hope to compete with. Its winding frame reached thirty feet into the air, tangling with its other branches in an intricate display. Percy was shocked to find that the water the fountain carried wasn't natural; it was tinted a very specific shade of sea green. In the central structure of the city of gods, Annabeth had immortalized the color of his eyes.
Gods I love her, he thought as he finally tore his gaze from the fountain and drank in the rest of her grand redesign of Olympus.
Only my Wise Girl could've pulled this off, the demigod said to himself as he finally closed his mouth.
Annabeth was the only one that had mostly kept her composure, but her eyes shone with pride at her handiwork. Aside from the palaces, Annabeth had either restored or designed everything in the city herself as the Architect of Olympus. It was the most ambitious task she'd ever undertaken, and she could tell by her friends' reactions that she'd been more than up for the job.
The group came to a stop in the center of the courtyard, taking seats along the fountain's edge as they waited for the throne room doors to beckon them. Percy sat shoulder to shoulder with Annabeth, enjoying the view before him.
"Annabeth, all of this is unbelievable," Percy said as his eyes darted from building to building, marveling at what she'd created.
"I need to make some changes soon. Arches like the ones in New Rome would look amazing in some of these corner buildings," Annabeth replied seriously, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Always looking for improvement," he mused, "One of th–"
A piercing shriek interrupted their conversation. It was a dryad from the nearest park, still screaming as she stumbled backwards while pointing frantically at the sky. The wind suddenly whipped up, buffeting the demigods along with every satyr, minor god, naiad, and dryad in a hundred foot radius. A vast shadow began to descend over the courtyard, a creaking groan and a repetitive pulse emanating from the center.
Crossbows and catapults the size of small houses materialized on the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the plaza. Each was manned by a cyclops, the soldiers immediately training their sights on the figure casting the silhouette.
Creaking and groaning? And that rhythm could be a wingbeat– Jason thought to himself before he leapt into action.
Flooded by hope and a nauseating fear of once again losing who he thought this was, Jason propelled himself into the air with the abundantly available wind.
"DON'T SHOOT! STAND DOWN!" he commanded, using the gale to amplify his voice.
He was a son of Jupiter; Olympus' cyclopes had to obey. The sentinels dearmed their weapons and, when Jason looked away for half a second, they and the artillery had vanished as if they'd never been there.
The creaking grew louder, and the lowering shadow took the shape of the dragon that he and Piper remembered so well from their first adventure together. Both of them had tears in their eyes, knowing there was only one person that could've been deranged enough to both attempt to and succeed at invading Olympus from the sky.
Festus touched down in the nearly empty plaza; everyone had ducked into alleyways to avoid the whipping hurricane. The seven demigods jumped to their feet and ran towards the battered dragon that had certainly taken a beating from the defending wind gods on the way up to Olympus. Each of the demigods held their breath as they waited for their silent wish to come true.
"What's up, peeps? This is the Gaea-being-the-loser party right?" An impish voice called out, quickly followed by an undeceased demigod sliding down Festus' wing alongside a beautiful girl with almond eyes.
The demigods remained silent, taking a moment to enjoy days of grief being wiped away by a few words and the dramatic entrance of a flamboyant little elf boy.
"Tough crowd. Did somebody die?" Leo continued, wiggling his eyebrows.
That broke Jason out of his stupor. He ran up to hug him with Piper, but not before softly punching him for the stupid joke and to make sure he was actually there. The others chimed their own welcome with a bigger group hug, and in that moment, the people hiding in the alleys put together just who the invader was.
A thunderous cheer and applause went up from around the plaza as the dragon-riding hero who'd died defeating Gaea had inexplicably, to them, survived the feat. As they broke apart, Piper was sobbing and Jason had barely pulled himself together, with occasional tears still forcing their way out. The rest beamed at Leo as he dramatically bowed to his vast audience before turning back to his friends.
"Now that we've gotten my super deserving welcome out of the way, guys, I want you to meet-"
"Calypso," Percy finished, a guilty feeling building in his throat as he put together where they'd just come from.
Leo had done the impossible and found Ogygia twice for her, accomplishing what Percy had claimed to have wanted to do following the Titan War.
Calypso was matching Leo's style, wearing cargo pants cropped at the ankles, a black t-shirt, and an olive green jacket made of the same fabric as his camo one. Her clothes and face were set with grime from repairing Festus mid-flight against the wind gods, and Leo thought she was, now even more so, the most beautiful girl in the world.
She smiled at Percy before introducing herself to the rest. Calypso assured Percy that she held no grudge against him for not being able to ensure his promise, but it did little to help his guilt. As the group talked, Jason playfully whispered to Leo.
"Dude how'd you get this lucky?" he asked, elbowing his best friend before gesturing towards Calypso. Leo didn't even retort; he just smiled and shrugged because he was constantly wondering the same thing.
A moment later, the doors to the throne room swung open and bathed the city in an ethereal light. The last of the sorrow hanging in the air dissipated as the newly reunited demigods made their way into the throne room for their awards ceremony.
The Hall of the Gods was even more breathtaking than it'd been the last time Percy had seen it following the Battle of Manhattan. They entered the expanse the size of Madison Square Garden, finding torches and braziers lining the columns that encircled the room. Between the spaced columns were tapestries detailing the various conquests of the gods ranging from the original defeat of Kronos to last year's tombing of Typhon.
That's new, Percy thought to himself, wondering if the artistry was also Annabeth's doing.
As if reading his mind, she smirked at him to signify a yes. But the most impressive part of the room was still the center: twelve Olympian thrones with their respective deities seated on them, surrounding a glowing hearth and its goddess that warmed you in a way mortal fire could never hope to.
The Seven plus Nico, and then Calypso, stood a bit awkwardly amidst the brief but grateful applause of thirteen gods. As it died down, Hades flashed in with a spark of black. His guest throne materialized at the end of the U-shape of seats, lopsiding the formation.
The demigods bowed and headed to the feet of their respective parents' thrones, with Calypso following Leo to Hephaestus'. It'd be uncomfortable for the daughter of a Titan to stand alone before deities that were her biological cousins. Percy made sure to stop and greet Hestia by the hearth before he knelt in front of his father's throne. Poseidon stared at his son with pride as Zeus began speaking.
"Rise, heroes."
Everyone looked to face him as he continued.
"You all have been integral in saving the world from one of the most dangerous forces to have ever existed, some of you twice in just over a year," Zeus thundered, addressing Percy, Annabeth, Jason, and Nico's roles in the Titan War, "and for your valorant actions, all of you must be rewarded."
Excitement sank in for the group as they wondered what their rewards would be. Zeus cleared his throat, seemingly annoyed about something. As he started to speak, Percy rolled his eyes, realizing it had to do with the god's iron pride.
"Normally, I would have liked to have begun with my son, but I must give credit where it is due. Leo Valdez, step forward," he thundered, "Before you are awarded, explain how you are here."
Leo strolled to the center of the room, holding his signature impish grin the entire way, and pulled out the empty vial that had held the Physician's Cure. Using it as a prop, the demigod explained everything from the moment his explosion with Gaea had lit up the sky. He detailed Festus injecting him with the cure, then Leo retrofitting the dragon with Odysseus' astrolabe, and finished with them finding Ogygia again to keep the demigod's promise to Calypso.
Throughout his miniature play, Leo used the vial to act as itself, Festus, Leo, and Ogygia, much to the confusion of all parties listening. After pausing to process the story, Zeus nodded and looked over at Hephaestus, whose normally stoic face was contorted with a proud smile.
"Son, what you accomplished in this war deserves praise that I cannot find the words for," Hephaestus began, "Instead, I will offer you a place to work with me from Olympus as a partner of sorts. You would be granted immortality, and I am sure you want your own forge, which would be near my palace. And–"
"WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!" Leo shouted, cutting off his father and earning light laughter from around the room.
Leo was ecstatic at the thought of being able to work with the God of the Forge and the unlimited resources that would be available, but he had a non-negotiable condition. He walked over to Calypso and took her hand.
"Dad, it'd be so cool to do that, but I can only say yes if Calypso can stay here too," he said, never looking away from her smiling face.
"If you had let me finish boy," Hephaestus said, playfully exasperated, "you would have heard me say that she may live with you in your forge if she wishes to do so,"
Leo couldn't have shouted his "yes" faster. Hephaestus held out an open hand, making his son glow with a fiery aura. As it dissipated, Leo realized he'd become fully immortal, and he quickly took a seat with Calypso beneath his dad's throne, excited to try out his undoubtedly stronger powers.
"Jason Grace!" Zeus boomed while shifting to his Roman form, happy to move on to his own son.
"As leader of the successful quest–"
His sentence was interrupted by an audible groan from Poseidon and an eye roll from Jason himself before the King of the Gods continued.
"I wish to commend your efforts against Gaea, along with your commanding of last year's raid on Mount Othrys, with the bestowal of godhood."
Jason, kneeling in front of his father, looked up with eyes wide before he regained his composure. He'd expected the gift, but that made it no less unbelievable when spoken aloud. Regardless, he already had something else in mind with Piper.
"Father, I am honored at the offer but–" he faltered under Jupiter's scrutinizing eyes, which were much harsher than Zeus'. Piper stepped up next to him and gripped his hand tightly; it was a joint wish, so it was only fair she was with him if there was any backlash.
With Piper beside him, Jason was able to steel his nerves and complete his thought, "I'd like to have delayed immortality for both Piper and I instead of godhood for just one, allowing us to live a somewhat normal life together in New Rome until we finish college before the whole 'live forever' thing kicks in," he finished, hoping Jupiter's glare alone wouldn't smite him.
It turns out, Jason's wish wasn't what had Jupiter so irritated.
"It appears my son has been taking some lessons from yours, brother. We have had godhood rejected both of the last times it has last been offered… But, your wish is amicable and shall be granted in the original's place," Jupiter groaned out, side-eyeing the sea god who was stifling a smile.
Aphrodite all but jumped out of her throne at the love she felt between her daughter and Jason, also feeling immense pride for Piper's role in lulling Gaea to sleep. The goddess all but squealed as she made the demigod glow a soft pink while Jason radiated a lighting blue. Afterwards, they both returned to their respective parents, eager to try out their newly heightened abilities that apparently couldn't be delayed like their immortality could.
"Hazel Levesque!" Zeus called, reverting to his original form, and he gestured towards Hades, who had become Pluto.
Hazel knelt apprehensively in front of her father, knowing she was still an escaped soul from a different time. Before Pluto could begin, Nico signaled for him to shrink down so the demigod could whisper something to him. The god became human sized and listened for a moment before he looked at Nico quizzically, who just nodded in confirmation. The God of Riches smiled in reply and addressed Hazel.
"My daughter, you have been through so much in both your lifetimes. You risked everything for the people around you knowing there was a chance you would have to return to the Underworld after it was all over. After hearing Nico's suggestion, I believe we have a solution that fits your unique criteria."
Pluto returned to his godly height, spreading his hands that had begun to glow black.
"Hazel Levesque. You will take Nico's place and are now Princess of the Underworld, the direct heir to my throne. Although you are to remain mortal, your curse is lifted, and you are definitively exonerated from the Fields of Asphodel."
Pluto shot a beam of darkness into Hazel, and she glowed a midnight black. A set of armor flickered onto her for a split second before she returned to her normal form.
Hazel stared disbelievingly at Nico before enveloping him in a hug and crying several thank yous for once again saving her life. She quickly bowed to Pluto who, to the shock of the council, shrank to hug her softly before returning to his throne. Hazel sat back down, reeling from her new power and the fact that her dad, of all gods, had just shown public affection.
"Frank Zhang!"
Zeus' tone held a slight impatience to it. He truly was both grateful to and proud of these demigods, though he'd never admit it out loud, but he was ready to get the ceremony wrapped up so the real party could begin. Ares shifted to Mars and bounded from his throne, landing in front of Frank in his human size. The war god saluted him in the traditional Roman style, and Frank returned it.
"Praetor of the Legion, eh? Not too bad..." Mars began, attempting to sound indifferent, though he knew his eyes gave away his pride, "For your duty and leadership to your cohort, your legion, and your friends, I have a gift that I have not granted any of my children before."
Mars unstrapped the rifle from his back, and it transformed into a spear nearly identical to the one he'd given Frank before the demigod's quest to Alaska. He handed it to his son, who held it tentatively. The demigod examined the familiar weapon, and found the only difference was that instead of a drakon tooth at the end, this one had a tip of Olympian Silver with an engraving of a wolf's head on either side.
"This is Ultor, after my title of Mars Ultor. As Praetor, you will be the leader your troops look to in times of battle. At any time, you may use the power imbued within the spear to rally your legion together. But as you know, Ultor means 'avenger.' If you use it at a time when you are losing the battle, you will see its full power as a tool of vengeance. As a Roman, you fight to be victorious, but it would be unwise to not plan for possible failures."
Frank stared dumbfounded at the weapon of legend that nobody had been sure truly existed. He went to kneel but was stopped with his father's hands on his shoulders.
"You did good, son. And I spoke to Poseidon about your ancestral shapeshifting abilities," he trailed off while looking towards the sea god. Poseidon nodded in their direction, and Frank felt a surge of power within him.
"You now have full control over them. Your transformations should be much more fluid and require less stamina. Your pool has grown as well. While it was originally just any animal, you may now also become many monsters within reason," Mars finished.
In his shock, Frank involuntarily displayed his new power and shifted into a drooling hellhound, eliciting an uproar of laughter from his friends and the gods. He sheepishly reverted to his normal self and thanked his father again with a salute. Mars reflected it, and the two returned to their respective seats.
"Nico di Angelo!"
Zeus had begun lightly tapping his foot in his restlessness. Pluto returned to his Greek form as Nico rose to face him.
"Son, it seems to be a constant for my children to suffer more than most, even at such a young age," Hades said, glaring daggers at Zeus. The King of the Gods rolled his eyes but knew the anger was justified.
"Just during this quest, you journeyed in Tartarus alone, led The Seven to the Doors of Death, and transported the Athena Parthenos halfway across the world. I believe these are feats worthy of our greatest gift," Hades announced, looking icily around the room as he dared any Olympian to disagree.
Zeus grumbled, but he begrudgingly agreed.
"In light of our last two rejections, the council will instead grant you a wish of your choice with godhood as a possible option, without being directly offered," Zeus said, holding onto the last of his pride regarding the gift's importance. Nico smirked, already knowing what he wanted.
"I would like my father's throne to be made permanent on Olympus, giving him the official status of being an Olympian."
The throne room was enveloped in a tense silence, and Nico expected some fighting to break out. Percy smiled proudly at Nico for his selfless wish. Zeus' face grew beet red, both from another rejection and the thought of his influence over the council lessening with the addition of his powerful brother. He opened his mouth, surely to deny it, but Athena spoke before him.
"Father, we must adhere to our promise. And it is a good wish, even if it will make the council uneven. In both wars, Hades and his children have been essential to our victories."
Zeus hated how often Athena was right. He relented a grunt in response and raised a closed fist towards Hades' guest throne. The other Olympians did the same, each sending a blast of light that temporarily blinded the demigods in the room.
When the light died down, Hades was sitting in an all-black throne with skulls adorning the armrests. The base held a string of bones that circled it and snaked up towards the seat. Translucent trapped souls resided within the black marble that made up the body of the throne, shifting aimlessly like fish in a tank.
Hades hadn't said a word since Nico offered his desire to grant the throne. He stepped down and shrank until he was eye level with his son. Gratitude shone in his eyes as he put a hand on each of his shoulders. They glowed black, and the light enveloped Nico.
The demigod shuddered as Hades stepped back.
"That was my full blessing; it will enhance your control over my domain significantly. Although you gave your sister your princedom, you are still my highest lieutenant. Thank you for restoring my honor to me, son." Hades returned to his throne with a small smile on his face.
Nico sat down and was quickly enveloped in a tight hug from his sister. Hazel voiced her appreciation, believing that Hades' new position should remove the stigma his children have had to deal with for thousands of years.
Zeus fiddled with his Master Bolt as his agitation reached a crescendo.
I guess not even gods can escape ADHD, Percy thought to himself, noticing the behavior.
"ANNABETH CHASE!" Zeus bellowed, much louder than he'd meant to as thunder cracked overhead. Athena shot him a cross look before her eyes landed proudly on her daughter.
"Annabeth, you have returned to me what no other of my children had been able to. Recovering my Parthenos could only have been accomplished by someone worthy of what I wish to give you; you will be the only mortal in our history granted access to the Olympian Library further down in the Hall of the Gods and my personal collection within my palace. An office of sorts will be built for you in the library for when you are there."
At her mother's words, Annabeth had to use every last bit of her willpower to remain upright.
"Th-thank you mother," Annabeth choked out, her stormy eyes unable to hide her impossible excitement.
Percy wanted nothing more than to run out and hug her and kiss her and celebrate with her, but he knew it wouldn't be appropriate. His jumbled thoughts must've been telepathic, because she looked at him for a second, and he knew she'd received the message. Annabeth took her seat, her mind racing a million miles an hour at the thought of how much mortally unknown knowledge she'd just been granted access to.
Only Percy was left, and Zeus grumbled before he announced him, knowing the conversation wouldn't go nearly as smoothly as Athena's daughter's.
"Perseus Jackson!" Zeus barked, not even attempting to hide the annoyance at the scene that hadn't even happened yet. Percy's eyes glittered, enjoying his uncle's irritation, as he made his way to the center of the room.
"Percy," Poseidon began, "there is no need for words when it comes to the acknowledgement of everything you have done for us, for your friends, and for the world. As little as my brother wishes to admit it, we are all in agreement that we would like to make you a god."
Poseidon awaited his son's response with a little hope in his heart, eager to have Percy at his side as his lieutenant. But he knew it was an impossible wish from the look he saw on the demigod's face. Still, Poseidon felt immense pride knowing that he was once again about to forgo the dream of nearly every hero in history in favor of some ask that had nothing to do with him.
"I can tell you already know my answer, dad," said Percy, absolutely sure about what he wanted more. Zeus harrumphed from his throne, irked at the third direct denial of godhood, with two coming from the same demigod.
"Tell us your desire then, boy."
Zeus figured it would be a package deal similar to Jason and Piper's. He could live with that; a two-time hero of Olympus opting to follow in his son's footsteps.
"It's actually two things, but it's going to count as one because you've already accepted the second one," Percy said, some slight irritation in his voice. Zeus raised an eyebrow, allowing him to continue.
"I want Lady Hestia's throne returned to her. She gave it up for an alcoholic narcissist just to keep the peace. Making her an Olympian again would even the council to fourteen following Nico's wish, and I believe you all know she's stopped a dozen civil wars from breaking out of this room just from her seat at the hearth."
The council fell completely silent, some looking to Dionysus and expecting him to turn Percy into a dolphin. They found that he'd been asleep in his throne for the entire meeting. The rest were a mixture of pondering faces, appreciative smiles, and a fuming Zeus at the thought of yet another powerful god on the council. Hestia's wide eyes brimmed with tears at the demigod who'd never forgotten to acknowledge her willingly giving up immense power just to return her seat to her.
"Now Perseus, two new Olympians–" Zeus began.
"Lord Zeus, I'm sorry for cutting you off and again for what I'm about to say; look at me and tell me Lady Hestia does not deserve a seat on this council." Percy tensed, wincing in advance as he knew his gamble could very easily get him killed.
Poseidon's hand cautiously moved to his trident, and Zeus' knuckles turned white around his Master Bolt. Despite how badly Zeus wanted to smite this perpetual pain in his side off of the face of the earth, and it was damn badly, he knew he couldn't deny his sister her rightful place. His hand relaxed as he leaned back in his throne.
"I cannot. But speak to me like that again and I will not hesitate to punish you accordingly," Zeus threatened.
His statement earned a glare from Poseidon, but Zeus paid it no attention. The thirteen Olympians raised their fists at the empty spot that would reconstruct the balanced U-shape of thrones.
An oaken brown seat rose from the floor until it matched the height of the others. Hestia stood from her place at the hearth and wrapped Percy in an embrace that filled him with the same warmth of when he and his mother sat on her couch in front of their fireplace.
"Thank you, Perseus. I won't ever forget this," she whispered as she let go and took her seat on the throne.
It roared to life in tandem with the hearth. The top of the throne began to glow orange, the middle an almost-red, while the bottom remained oaken. The throne flickered continuously and comfortingly, and Percy realized there was a literal fire contained within the wood.
A newfound sense of completeness filled the room, no doubt an effect of Hestia's warm flames burning more brightly as her Olympian family sat united. Any residual anger drained from Zeus' face as he smiled at the fact his eldest sister had had her title returned, albeit by that little spawn of Poseidon. He then remembered.
"And what was your second wish, Perseus?" Zeus asked, only for Percy's face to darken by a fraction.
"It's an ask that you all already promised me, but it's just as much my fault that I didn't see it through," he said as he looked apologetically at Calypso, "I was told that peaceful titans and alleged enemies to the gods would be pardoned and then freed from their respective prisons."
Zeus only nodded, knowing that they hadn't held up their end of the bargain because Gaea had captivated their attention following the promise. Percy started again.
"Calypso has already been freed thanks to our ship captain," he said, sharing a smile with the couple, "so I believe that only leaves Lady Leto."
The twin Olympians sat up in their seats at the mention of their mother, who they hadn't seen in millenia.
"Alright, Perseus. Our oath will be kept following the celebration," Zeus said, his readiness for the party returning. Percy's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"I'd like it to happen now, Lord Zeus."
The King of the Gods was itching to get the ceremony over with, so he just rolled his eyes and disappeared in a bolt of lightning. He reappeared seconds later with a woman who wore a peplos and a confused expression. Percy could see the resemblance immediately; she had Apollo's bright eyes and Artemis' defined features. She really was quite beautiful in an immensely powerful Titaness sort of way.
"Why have you brought me here?" Leto asked Zeus distrustfully.
Her eyes began to scan the room, first looking at Percy before shifting towards the surrounding thrones. Before anyone could respond, she was crushed by a hysterical Apollo who'd bounded from his throne. Artemis followed shortly behind him, trying and failing to maintain her composure.
They pulled away from their little group hug a few minutes later, each of their eyes rimmed red from tears, Apollo's being several degrees worse. The sun god then ran over to Percy and hugged him as well.
"Thank you, Jackson. You ever need anything, just ask and I'll probably think about it," he said, pulling himself together and flashing his million-watt smile.
He bounded back to his mother, occasionally gesturing towards Percy while speaking to her. Artemis walked up to the demigod and put her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm grateful for what you've done today, Perseus," she said. Percy bowed to her and shook his head.
"Thank you Lady Artemis, but I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise earlier," he said a bit solemnly.
The demigod couldn't read her expression as she regarded him. But before Artemis could respond, her mother made her way to them.
"So, it seems it is you I have to thank for my freedom," Leto said, smiling. Percy's eyes widened, but before he could find the words to disagree, she embraced him as well.
"Apollo told me about your penchant for modesty, so I won't be giving you the chance," she said as she pulled away.
Percy decided on the simple route of smiling and nodding while he tried not to wince at the ridiculous strength behind her hug.
The twins began to make their way towards their respective thrones before they started bickering about who their mother should sit with, much to the amusement of the rest of the council and present demigods. As the shouting escalated to physical violence, Zeus shot his bolt into the sky to silence them.
"Now that we are finally done, let us begin our celebration!" Zeus boomed.
He flicked his wrist towards Dionysus, jolting him awake with the small shock of a few million volts. The wine god groggily clapped twice, disappearing in a plume of purple smoke, and the doors of the throne room burst open.
The demigods stared in awe at the sight before them. It was the same city they were sitting in before their ceremony, except it had become packed with bodies and covered in the air of a party. The parks glowed gold, music blared across the entire city, and people danced in every street, in every alley, and on the roof of every building. Fireworks littered the starry sky above them. Demigods and Olympians all began to shuffle down the steps towards the city, with only Percy and his father staying behind.
"Perseus, I am incredibly proud of the choices you made with your reward today. I could not have wished for a greater man to call my son," Poseidon said, meaning every word of it. Percy blushed at the praise, having never heard his dad talk this openly with him before.
"Thanks, dad, really. Are you ready to head down with the rest of them?" Percy asked. Poseidon shook his head.
"You go on ahead, I have some urgent business to take care of in Atlantis. Enjoy the night."
"Oh, I hope it's all good. Bye, dad."
"Goodbye, Perseus."
Percy made his way down the steps, and Poseidon contentedly watched him meet up with his friends. As the Olympian walked back to his throne to retrieve his trident, he thought about how far Percy had come in such a short time. With a small smile on his face, Poseidon struck the floor with his weapon and flashed to Atlantis, appearing in a room of absolute black.
At the borders of Camp Half Blood
A hooded man leaned against the pine tree that held the Golden Fleece, absently eyeing a scrawny boy fighting a hellhound. The kid, maybe 16 or 17 years old, sounded closer to 12 or 13 because of the shrieks emanating from him as he wildly swung a sword. The hellhound stayed out of reach of the swipes, watching the boy hungrily while waiting for him to tire himself out.
"Help me!" the kid shouted to the man, who didn't react to the statement.
The boy continued to swing desperately even after realizing the hellish canine's gameplan. He decided to put all he had left into one attack. The boy stepped forward, holding his blade up and behind his head, and slashed downwards with all of his remaining strength.
It came within a few inches of the dog's snout. Being the size of a bear, it should not have been agile enough to lower its head and sidestep the slice the way it did. Wasting not even a second, the monster bounded forward and rammed the boy in the chest, laying him out onto his back. The boy justifiably cried out at the pain in his sternum as the hellhound loomed over him, salivating.
As it opened its fangs and reared back, the hooded man held out his hand, and an icy spear impaled the dog through its maw. The hellhound dissolved into golden dust as its near-victim kicked away from it and towards the man.
"What took so long?" the kid asked, still in blinding pain. The man threw him a square that looked like a Graham Cracker. As the boy took a bite, he shook involuntarily from the warmth that flooded his nerves.
"That's ambrosia, Cameron, the god food I told you about," the hooded man started, "It looks like you'll be eating it a lot; you've got a long way to go if you want to even think about standing against Perseus Jackson."
The kid snorted at the name he'd heard so many times from the hooded figure, assuming the reputation was all an exaggeration. Percy wasn't really someone that had defeated so many Titans and Giants; he was barely older than Cameron.
"Go past this tree and down to that large house. You'll meet a centaur and stay with him until tomorrow morning. I'll be back to claim you as my son around noon. Don't start anything until then," he warned, leering.
The boy nodded warily at the glowing, sea green eyes illuminating the hooded face of Poseidon.