Percy Jackson 9 years old.

'Oh, isn't this fun?' Sally laughed and splashed Percy with water. The sea was her to the knees, her jeans were cuffed and wet, sticking to her skin.

'Mom!' he laughed again, and Sally smiled in pure bliss. His laugh was like Christmas bells on a December evening. It was amazing. No…amazing isn't the right word, is it? It was wonderful. Truly wonderful. In fact, Sally thought that her whole life was one big wonder. Sure, Gabe maybe hit her, but that didn't matter. Percy was safe, that did matter. Percy: her joy, her love, her life, and her everything. His first word was the most treasured thing she remembered. His laugh was better than any music in existence and any music that would ever exist. His smile made her fearless. She was willing to take the hits, just for him to be safe.

And again, Sally was filled with dread. Safe… what a beautiful word. But Percy would never be safe. He is a child, born from a broken oath. No mortal would stand in front of Hades' and Zeus' wrath. Only her, and she hardly would be of any use.

'Mama! Mama! Are you okay?' she didn't notice that he was already near her.

'Yes, sweetie, just admiring, the clouds, don't they look fluffy?' he tilted his head and looked at them, squinting his eyes.

'They look like ice-cream.'

'Ice cream?'

'Yeah!' he looked at her and smiled. 'Though if they would be blue, they would be blueberry ice cream.'

'Would you like that?'

He shook his head. 'If they would be blue, the clouds and the sky would be the same color. That's no fun at all.' He smiled again, but this was a more wicked smile. Suddenly she was splashed again, from head to toes.

'Percy!'

But the only answer she got was his laughter. He ran away from her, and the water seemed to part in front of his legs.

'I swear I come back and take my revenge!'

'Oh yeah? Catch me!' he looked at her and winked. 'If you can!'

They were sitting at the bonfire. Sally was telling him about her book.

'And, what happens after she meets Despoina! Is she okay?'

'After that Andromeda, goes to Korinthos, to the House of Hades.'

He frowned. 'Just like that. She'll go to the House of Hades and then goes to the Underworld where she meets her brother and father in Elysium.' He wanted to say that that was a boring ending but didn't want to be rude. Sally knew that but laughed.

'Of course not! She'll go to the city first. Korinthos. In ancient Greece, it was an important polis. Furthermore, she'll go to the stoa, she was hoping to get some food.

'Stoa?'

'A place of gatherings in the ancient days. It was where religious practice took place, markets, artists showed off work. Sometimes also used as a place for philosophy. In Athens for example.'

He nodded, processing the information. 'Wait, didn't her father say that she needed to find the Oracle of Delphi there?'

'He did, and she will, but you need to wait for that part.'

He groaned and looked up. 'But mom, I want to know what happens next.'

'You will if you listen to me.'

'I want to know faster!'

She smiled and ruffled his hair.

'Anyway, she ordered there some bread and some wine.'

'Wasn't she 14?'

'In ancient Greece 14 years old drank wine too. In fact, it was a traditional food. Bread dipped in wine.'

He made a face and she laughed.

'Wine… I don't like wine. It is bitter.'

'You need to get used to the taste.'

'I don't want to get used to bad taste.'

She laughed and he smiled.

'Anyway, she ordered wine and bread, and sat at the steps of the stoa, eating her lunch. But then a shadow covered her view of the sun and she looked at her. The first thing Andromeda thought about her was that she was absolutely gorgeous. A girl with an amusing glimm in her eyes, as if she was playing a game of cards, and she was of course winning. She had red bushy and untamed hair, green eyes and a scar on her jaw. But most importantly was her aura. She had red hair indeed, but it looked like Asteria herself, the goddess of fallen stars, blessed her. It was looked like it was laced with gold and starts. Her presence was felt by everyone. She had a slight humming to her. Everyone found her ever so scary, but to opened her mouth and Andromeda expected some magical voice to come out, speaking of far voyages and magic but instead a raspy voice said…

…Holy Hera, guess who decided to show up! And I thought that I would die before I would meet you!'

Andromeda dropped her bread fully into the wine and know it was swimming in her cup, completely soaked.

'W-what?' her cluelessness made the girl even more annoyed.

'What? After being late for a year, you say "What?" Are you mental?' She looked around at the stoa. 'After finally deciding to show up after a year, the first thing you do is visit the damn stoa. Not me. Of course, not me! Why would you ever care about me?' while the girl talked her hands started having a life of her own, making weird gestures. Andromeda got a sudden urge to stand up for herself.

'Well, Miss I-don't-who-you-are, I don't know who you think you are. Do you know what I endured before I was here? I am hungry! I am here to go to the hou-'

'The House of Hades! I know and you met the goddess of mysteries. Thank you for enlightening me!'

Andromeda was shocked.

'H-how do you know?'

The girl rolled her eyes and gave Andromeda her hand. 'Ahura of Delphi, Oracle of Delphi, pythia and the slayer of Lamia. Daughter of Enyo, goddess of war and conflict.'

Wow. That was a big title for sure. Ahura raised an eyebrow and Andromeda stood up, her cup spilled and the wine streaming into the splits of the stone, but to Andromeda that didn't matter. She wiped the wine and the crumbs from her mouth.

'Uhm, I am Andromeda o-of Athens…Daughter of Alexander of Athens…' she shook Ahura's hand. But Ahura didn't shake it. 'What do you mean Alexander of Athens. Don't say to me that I waited a year here for a mortal.'

'Hey! Don't insult mortals like that. The gods wouldn't have any power without mortals, no offerings, nothing!' she said feeling insulted, though she wasn't one of them. 'But no, I am no mortal, I just don't know who my father is yet.'

Ahura didn't look impressed. 'Great, I have someone whose parent doesn't even care about them enough to claim them.'

Andromeda was getting less and less happy about this girl. She was rude for no reason.

'Hey, I don't even know what is happening! Can you explain it?'

Ahura frowned. 'What do you mean? Have you not heard of the prophecy? Did your mortal father left you without any knowledge?'

'My father left me for the bliss of Thanatos,' Andromeda said annoyed, 'he only told me I was supposed to meet the Oracle of Delphi here. That's all.'

Ahura was in shock. 'You mean he never said…anything?'

'Yes!'

The oracle mumbled something about "incompetent fathers" and "stupid people who try to avoid prophecies". She shook her head and smiled, now a bit warmer.

'Sorry I was a bit rude; I am just now incredibly annoyed. Now let's go.' She took Andromeda by the arm, Andromeda's horse, and they both walked after Ahura.

Zeus knows where to.

'Does that mean that they will go to the House of Hades?' asked Percy when his mother has finished her story. 'Andromeda and such?'

'No, not yet, but they will.' Said Sally and let Percy put his head on her lap.

'You know mom.' He mumbled. 'I never understood how your stories are so…real?'

'Real?' she frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'I have this weird feeling it actually happened.' Sally frowned again. She felt that too.

'Do you want to know a secret?'

'Mhm' Sally looked at him. 'I didn't imagine all of that. Some stories I do, like the one about the captain. But not this one. I dreamt of it.'

Percy Jackson 12 years old

Rhodes POV

'So, Percy, today thou will learn sirens song. Or the Cireney Caor. It's useful for almost everything. It's a rare gift, the last child who had those abilities was Hildegard von Bingen, a woman, birthed a millennium before thee.' I said tired. Goddesses couldn't actually be tired, but I felt exhausted. I just really need a drink or just smoke something. The boy, technically my brother. Man, he was adorable! His eyebrows scrunched whe something didn't happen as he wanted it to be. Ah! Children! Percy was basically an infant, only 12. My brother nodded and smiled. He loved singing, with or without it to be useful. Like that one time in Montauk…

'Here comes the sun do, do, do

Here comes the sun

And I say it's all right' Sally looked at her kid. He loved the Beatles. He sang them as much as he could. But only here, in Montauk. Or in the flower fields of Central Park, making sure no one is watching them. He never understood why he couldn't sing at home. But that was the rule. Like that, Percy was already training for his demigod life, learning Siren's song. But with no damage to himself.

'Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter

Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here' his voice seemed to charm trees and flowers, as they grew, motivated by his humming and singing. How wonderful!

'So, what do I have to do for this? Maybe sing on a specific note?' I shook my head. 'No, you just have to sing. Just like that.'

He frowned but tried to ease himself, imagining this is Montauk.

'Aphrodite, hear my prayer

Sunset rays in my golden hair

Palm tree dreams in my words and songs

How can my pleas be so wrong.'

His voice was like a siren herself was singing. She suddenly felt the urge to go and sleep at his feet. Just for a couple of centuries. His voice was breathy, but because of his Poseidon lungs, he didn't ran out of said breath.

His voice was like warm honey, bathed in lavender, warm and soothing for the heart. His voice was like far-away mountains, so free, so wild, so raw and untouched by cruelty. His voice was like the forest after the rain. Fresh and Sweet. His voice was warm like the hearth, like sweaters in December, like hot chocolate with red noses from the snow. His voice was like flower fields, daisies, and sunflowers dancing in the wind. His voice was like families' laugh and smiled. His voice was warm like falling into her lover's arms, so beautiful yet so tragical.

She didn't hear him. She was dazed. Completely bathing in pure bliss. It felt like all of the world did suddenly matter.

It was like Helios was with her again. A tear started forming in her eye sockets. Oh, Helios…