Chapter 2.

I learn bullfighting

One of the gods powers is teleportation. To anyone they teleport, the experience is painful. Imagine being sucker punched in the gut, then squeezed, then thrown into a tube at a blinding speed, before your eyes open and you're somewhere else.

To the god, it's nothing much, a mere flick of their fingers and they see nothing, then they're wherever they teleported to- Olympus, or Maine or Mexico or….Burger King?

I opened my eyes, still seeing white spots, wincing in pain. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I realized that Hermes had teleported me away from mom when I looked around and saw a huge Burger King sign above me.

My mind would have been blown, if it wasn't for the fact that I already kind realized what was going on. In a way, something told me this new world, with all its weird powers, would be my new normal. Well, as normal as teleporting and random thunderstorms and weird dreams could get.

Besides, I was more worried about mom. I had no way to call or text her- she'd never let me get close to any electronic device, I wasn't sure at this point whether it was because she was a zealous parent or if phones actually posed a threat to my life. At this point, I couldn't tell. Everything was blurred.

Hermes looked down at me, raising an eyebrow. "You handled that pretty well. Maybe you have more stuff than you seem to show." He grunted, before opening his phone and looking down, scrolling past what looked like shopping lists.

I looked up to the outlet next to me. "How did you do that? What's going on? Why am I-" I gestured to the Burger King ahead of us- "here? What are you? Where's mom?"

Hermes sighed, raising his finger to his creased brow. He took his cap off, and suddenly seemed to glow. Literally- there was an aura of golden light around him. He grew a few inches, and his muscles became larger, like he'd suddenly become a body builder. He radiated waves of power, and I suddenly felt very small.

"Child, I am a god."

"You're God?"

"Not the big G. That's another story- and a domain I will not get into. I'm a god. One of the Olympians, to be precise."

Hermes quickly put his cap back on, and the power subsided, something I was grateful for. My sense constantly screaming OP stat being next to you! came in the way of understanding what was going on.

I knew the Olympians. They were the Greek gods and goddesses. There were twelve of them, in fact- famous ones like Zeus, Hades and Athena to more obscure ones like Persephone and Hephaestus.

I don't know how I knew this. I just did. I didn't know much about math or art or even general history for that matter- being dyslexic. But I knew my Greek and Roman history inside out.

It helped that they were basically the same, just with slightly different events.

"So you…teleported me? Because you're a god?" I asked, incredulous.

Hermes nodded, smiling. "Yep."

"And we're George and Martha, his snakes. He doesn't usually introduce us, so we have to do the talking ourselves."

I jumped back at that. "Who-who's talking?"

Hermes chuckled. He clicked a button on his phone and it transformed into a three-foot long oak staff with dove wings sprouting at the top, with two full-sized snakes wrapped around it. They coiled around it each, and their eyes immediately turned towards me, with curiosity.

"You're…alive?"

They looked miffed at that. "Of course we are, stupid boy. Why would we not be? Say- do you have any rats?"

I shook my head. Apparently since I didn't have any rats I was no longer a person of interest, because George and Martha stopped talking to me and instead coiled back tightly around the staff, which then turned into an iPod shuffle.

I was beginning to get a headache.

"Percy," began Hermes as the sky began to thunder in the distance, "let's go inside."

It was inside Burger King where I learned that I was half-god.

Hermes gave me a brief outline. Gods and goddesses? They're real. All the funny stuff that happened in history? That's thanks to them. The weird stuff you think you see daily but convince yourself otherwise? That's them too.

World hunger? Tools? Fire? Your existence?
That's them too. Just cleverly concealed by the Mist- a supernatural force controlled by the gods that prevents mortals from seeing too much. It was basically a barrier between the mortals and the immortals.

"That's great and all, Hermes, but what does that have to do with me?" I didn't get it. Why was a literal god telling me all about this?

I had a sinking feeling in my gut that it had to do with my absent dad, but I quashed it. There was no way mom had fallen in love with a god. She was just a cool person, and so was I. We were nothing extraordinary…right?

Hermes took a moment to swallow his chicken finger, relishing the taste, before speaking. "Well, you see, Percy, when a god and a human fall in love…or just, you know, do it, you get demigods. Half-god and half-man. They are mortal, but they have some of the powers of their parents. Many of the great people you hear about- Washington, Lincoln, Hercules, even LeBron James- they're all demigods."

"Wait," I allowed my mind to process what Hermes had just insinuated, "…so I'm….half god?"

Hermes nodded. "And not just any god. Your father is Poseidon, god of seas and storms and horses and beach party water tricks," he added, leaning back in his seat like he had just spoken about the weather.

My mouth dropped in amazement and I could feel my heart beat faster in excitement. "So I can…control water?"

"Who knows what you can do, Percy? A child of Poseidon-or Neptune- hasn't been born in over a century. No one really remembers how powerful they are."

"Wait, what do you mean Neptune? I thought Poseidon was Greek, and Neptune was Roman?"

Hermes nodded. "That's the bombshell. You are correct- but here's the thing. Both Greek and Roman gods exist. We're one and the same. You're talking to me, Hermes, but I can also become Mercury."

"You're two people?"

"In a sense, yes."

As he spoke, I noticed a brief change in Hermes. For a few seconds, in his place was a taller man, with a winged helmet, looking like a viking from Florida. He looked like Hermes, but taller and stricter. More stern, perhaps. But as quickly as he came, he morphed back to Hermes, who chuckled at my wonder-struck expression.

"See? That was me, I mean Mercury, but me either way."

I swallowed my whopper. "But doesn't it feel…weird. That you're two people…but one?"

Hermes shrugged. "Sometimes yeah. But usually we work in harmony, I take care of the Greek stuff and he does the Roman stuff. We don't interfere with each others business, but we know exactly what's going on. That's important."

I frowned. "But what about only Greek or only Roman gods?"

Hermes shrugged. "They just…do their own thing, I guess."

"And Titans?"

"They're always the same. The older the beings, the less they are influenced by people's belief. You see, Percy, gods like us, we can fade. If people stop believing in us, stop sacrificing to us, and just generally don't give a shit about us, we fade. Why do you think we shift along with the highest power of humans?"

I nodded. "That makes sense. But that do you mean you fade? Is that like a haircut or-"

"We disappear, Percy. Permanently. But you see, Titans, Primordials and the like, they don't suffer from this as much. Even if the Universe ceased to exist, Chaos would still exist. So would Gaia and the other Primordials."

I bit into my whopper burger thoughtfully.

"If you're a god, how can you visit me? I thought you said that ancient laws didn't allow gods to intervene with mortal affairs?"

Hermes nodded. "You're not dumb, I'll give you that. Zeus tasked me with delivering you to Lupa. She's the one in charge of Roman demigods. As part of that, I'm just giving you a snack midway, so that you know what's going on. Also so that I can give you this-" he said, reaching into his bag gingerly, as if it contained a bomb.

"That is the most powerful gift your father can give you right now," he added, as he withdrew his hand from the bag. "It is something many demigods strove to possess. A wonderful object of power, with a bloody history. Behold, Anaklusmos."

He held out a pen.

It was an ordinary disposable pen. It had a blue cap, with a white trident drawn on it, and a plastic body. I wasn't sure what to do with it- maybe it helped in exams?- but I accepted it with thanks. I now knew who my father was- Poseidon- and anything that made me feel connected to him somehow made me feel better.

I still felt bitter over the fact that he never bothered to visit us, or check on how we were doing. Not even a hey I know it's been a while but how are you?

Nothing at all. Did he even care about what happened to me?

I wasn't sure at this point.

"I see that you do not understand it's true value, but that is not an issue. You will found out soon. And no, your father has not forgotten about you-"

I gasped. "You-you can read my mind?"

Hermes snorted. "Of course I can. Poseidon never forgot about you, Percy. He took a huge risk to make sure you got safetly to Lupa. He's broken so many rules that Zeus is going to have a field day with it, and I can't even see why, unless he sees something really special in you. And that's the thing Percy- no demigod in the recent history has known about both Greek and Roman gods. You can't breathe a soul to anyone about it, till the gods approve. The last time they found out, it was horrible."

I frowned in thought. "Horrible? Why? Wouldn't it be better if the two demigod groups worked together?"

Hermes chuckled darkly. "The last time the two groups met, we had World War II."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed. And say, Percy, it was nice meeting you, but I must be off now."

I frowned. "What do you mean, Lord Hermes?"

"I came here because of two things- one, to give you the pen. And two, because Apollo told me you'd face your first challenge outside Burger King. So let us leave, because I can tell Zeus is getting antsy about how long I'm spending here."

One of the cool things about being a god was that you didn't have to pay for fast food.

We stepped out of the outlet, and the sky rumbled in the distance. The outlet was bordered by a small road. Although a couple bikes were parked outside the outlet, the road was empty right now. It didn't look like anyone would be traveling soon, because the sky looked like it was foreshadowing a storm.

On either side of the outlet were corn fields which stretched as far as I could see. Faintly in the background I could see the dim outline of several large hills, but it wasn't like I would be able to identify them anyway.

To the right of the road was a coast, and the sandy soil mixed with the tar of the road a few feet in front of me. Beyond that, the sea, turbulent and frothy, churned like something- or someone- was stirring it.

As the sky thundered, Hermes mumbled. "Zeus is still displeased with your existence. It breaks the oath sworn. But he cannot kill you- directly."

"What oath?"

Hermes looked down at me with seriousness. "After World War II, the Big Three- that is, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades- swore off having children with mortals. Their children were too powerful and held too much sway over the events that went on."

"And they kept it?"

Hermes chuckled sadly. "You can see for yourself that Poseidon didn't. Zeus gave up much before Poseidon, but Hades….I can't say. I think not, he was always the more controlled of the three of them."

It sounded a bit foreign that the god of the dead was the good boy, but I shrugged it off, more concerned about what Hermes had said earlier. You also said Zeus can't kill me directly, but does that mean he can kill me,uh, indirectly?"

Hermes looked into the distance, sighing. "Yes. It is as Apollo warned. Be on your guard, Perseus. When you finish your first challenge, walk towards the forest. All will be made clear there."

"You're leaving?"

Hermes nodded. "I have to, this is the limit of my godly intervention. I cannot protect you from what comes next, but I wish you luck."

I followed Hermes' line of sight and nearly fainted.

Running towards us, in the distance over the corn fields, was a bull-man. Over eight feet tall, and covered with muscle, the bull man was naked except for a Fruit of the Loom underwear. Two large, wickedly sharp horns grew from his head, and he though he was a mile away, I could see he would reach me soon, given by his speed.

"Quick, Percy! Look away, I am leaving," Hermes shouted, and I closed my eyes.

"Behold my final advice- the Minotaur is bad at turns. And most important: DON'T FORGET TO UNCAP THE PEN!"

And then he was gone, with a smell of post boxes and moldy mail and pretzels that lingered in the air.

I was too terrified by the huge mass of death approaching me to react, but after a few second I realized that I should, at least, uncap the pen Hermes had given me.

I drew it out of my pocket, and uncapped it.

The pen immediately transformed into a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged leaf-like blade, a leather-wrapped grip and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. The words Anaklusmos were etched on its side.

It was wickedly sharp, and felt perfectly balanced in my hands, almost like an extension of me.

So this was Anaklusmos. Riptide.

It felt better to have a blade in my hands, but I had no idea how to use it.

The Minotaur was close now, and charged towards me, snot and saliva around it's mouth and nostrils. It smelt of badly cooked beef and dirt and algae.

I got my first good look- and sniff- of it, and it was repulsive. I'd heard about monsters and undead, but seeing them in person was a whole different experience.

More than the horns and the aura of death that permeated it, the Minotaur was massive. Bulging muscles covered its entire body. It could easily have won if it had competed.

The Minotaur had no weapon, but it was pretty evident it didn't need one. The creature was a force of nature in itself.

Lightning flashed behind it, outlining the monster.

It charged, and I quickly jumped to the right, remembering Hermes' advice.

Even then, one of it's arms knocked me over, tossing me around like a rag doll. I flipped in the air, landing hard on the road, knocking my head. I cried in pain as my vision turned blotchy, and I felt a painful headache. I could taste blood on my tongue, which I'd probably bitten as I fell.

"Styx. That hurt like shit," I muttered, rubbing my painful head and swallowing the blood. I held back tears of pain, focusing on keeping my vision clear so I could see the Minotaur.

The beast turned around, and charged again. I dodged right, then ran towards the coast, the sea growing more and more restless as a thunderstorm began to grow in the sky.

Mom had said I should use the water. Perhaps it would help.

I couldn't beat the Minotaur in a foot race since its legs were much longer than mine, so the next time it charged, I jumped right, but also slashed my sword.

It was a blind hit, but I managed to score a thin line across the monster's thigh, making it bleed.

Drops of blood splattered in the sand, the dark red liquid mixing with the golden hue of the soil, and the beast roared in anger. It wasn't much of an injury, but I used the distraction to run towards the sea.

As soon as my feet hit the water, I felt better. Calmer. Stronger. More powerful. I was a few feet into the ocean, the water was a little more than knee deep and felt like a powerful ally. I knew I could use the water, being a child of Poseidon.

But besides that, I didn't know what to do.

The pain I felt from my wounds reduced. I could feel my headache begin to lessen, and my muscles begin to recover strength.

The pain gave way to anger.

The Minotaur charged at me again, and I just stood there by the sea, angry.

Curse Zeus and his pesky decisions. Screw monsters and Greek myths. To hell with poor parenting decisions by gods. I wasn't doing to die here.

I felt mad. Really, really mad.

"Come on, you ugly beef cake. Come and get me," I shouted.

The anger took over me, and the sky darkened even more. All around me, thunder began to rumbled, and lightning flashed. I felt a tugging sensation in my gut, and my core muscles began to contract and tense. I couldn't see it, but I felt a shadow behind me.

When I looked back, I saw a wall of water rise behind me.

The Minotaur charged.

Acting on instinct, I stretched my hands out, my abdominal muscles growing taut.

The water copied my motion, two large watery hands rising up out of the ocean and grabbing the Minotaur, holding it in place. Beads of sweat mixed with the spray of the ocean as I could feel this use of power draining me. I knew I didn't have long- this was the first time I'd done something crazy as this.

The water refreshed me, but I quickly was getting zapped. It took a lot of energy to maintain this control.

I quickly ran out of the water- just before the hands restraining the Minotaur fell flat- and plunged riptide into the monster's chest, as hard as I could. The sword cut right through it, and the Minotaur, with one desperate heave, threw me off.

I landed in the beach, the force of the throw rolling me over the sand and back into the water. I could hear the Minotaur scream in pain, and ungodly sound that I had to cover my ears against. It sounded like a million nails being scratched against a chalkboard- it was that bad- but I couldn't really focus on it.

My eyes were heavy, and as I sunk into the water, I was too tired to swim up. The creature had taken the fight out of me. Exhaustion won over me, and I couldn't control my limbs anymore.

I didn't expect to die of drowning, especially because I was apparently a son of the sea god, but I couldn't help it. I was too tired.

My eyes were barely open as I sunk deeper and deeper into the ocean.