Chapter 4: Divergent Paths

It'd probably been hours since Luke had last moved. He sat in a wooden chair with his shoulders hunched forward and his hands clasped between his knees. He was surrounded by an array of soft cots, all different colors, and all of them empty besides the one right in front of him. His eyes hadn't left it since he'd eaten last night. He couldn't look away from Annabeth while he waited for her to wake up.

Her fever had finally broken. Her forehead had stopped burning, and she wasn't shivering anymore, but she still hadn't opened her eyes since they'd crossed into camp. For the last day and a half, she'd been confined to an infirmary inside a farmhouse. Thankfully, she was through the worst of it, but a prickling fear had kept Luke at her bedside for the entire stay.

Just a few more hours, noon at the latest, and she'd be awake. At least, that's what Chiron had said. That Chiron. The fabled, immortal centaur who'd trained some of the most famous heroes in history. Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, a legendary swordsman who successfully stole the Golden Fleece. Achilles, heralded as the greatest human warrior to ever walk the earth. Hercules, a mortal man who ascended to godhood. Luke had met their mentor. And yet, the novelty of it all was entirely wasted on him. He couldn't see past who he'd lost.

In a handful of weeks, Percy had become someone that Luke might as well have known his entire life. A goofy, agitating little brother who talked too much and never stopped asking questions. Questions about the world, about the gods, about training, about Luke's past life. He'd asked questions that Luke didn't know the answers to and ones where Luke didn't want to burden him with the truths. He'd just wanted to know Luke.

Hand-in-hand with his pestering came the kind of fierce love that had made Percy's decision second nature to him. Luke choked on his guilt as he once again replayed the memory, nearly feeling Percy push him away on the bridge and hearing him shout to get to camp.

Luke had so badly wanted to run after Percy, but Annabeth's arms had been loosening from around his neck. The pouring rain could have been festering pneumonia in her, and the infection coupling with her fever wasn't a risk he could ever take. So he'd run. He'd shouted into the sky and chased after Grover, who had a car ready and revving past the bridge. It was only later that Luke would learn emergency transport was something Camp Half-Blood kept available all over Long Island. That didn't matter to him then, and it didn't matter now. It'd been too little too late.

After catching up to Grover, Luke hadn't been able to ask anything before the loudest sound he'd ever heard had ripped across the bridge. Lightning half the width of the highway had struck, and a wave clawing towards the heavens had sheared from the sea onto the bridge with it. The agonizing screech of tearing steel had scraped Luke's ears, and the demigod had known the bridge was collapsing. Terror had squeezed his chest like a vice.

He'd strapped Annabeth into the car and torn towards the deafening crisis, ignoring Grover's pleas. Thousands of tons of asphalt and steel and concrete and cars were spilling into the churning bay, but Luke's focus had remained elsewhere. He'd waded through shin-deep water still draining from the wave that'd claimed the bridge alongside the damning ray of lightning. His heart had been in his chest while he'd fought closer to the epicenter of the crumbling bridge that was shaking through its remaining breaths.

Percy and Thalia had been all he could think about. He'd shouted their names into the storm while the world collapsed around him and cars and cops collided with each other on the opposite side of the bridge, a mob fighting onto the road ahead. The cops' sirens had flashed blue and red as they'd ushered people to safety, but the lights had provided no help to Luke, illuminating neither of his friends. Until a hand had caught his ankle.

He'd nearly jumped out of his skin before reaching down and pulling the body up, his heart all but bursting as Thalia coughed and sputtered, embracing him tightly. But then she'd shouted into his ear.

"He's gone!"

Her voice had come out raw, garbled between the storm and her choking sobs. Luke hadn't even believed it at first, even as Thalia's nails dug into his shoulders and she cried.

"He's gone!"

That should have been it. That should have been the extent of their sorrow. Luke had carried Thalia to the car, forcing his way off of the bridge before its withering pieces could sink into the sea. Thalia's eyes had been wild the whole way, almost sparking. Her hands had been locked around her spear.

Nobody had said a word while they'd sped through Long Island in the waning storm, the rain slowly receding. A numb silence had draped the four. Luke had thought that it may have lasted forever. He could have died in those moments, and he may not have felt it at all. And then, all at once, he'd heard the barks and shrieks.

They'd already been driving on a dirt road for minutes and had heard nothing. It had been as if the ground itself had spit up the monsters within striking distance. A new pack of hellhounds had appeared seconds behind them, trailing their spittle while harpies had circled above.

"Almost there," Grover had whimpered from behind the wheel, shivering but fixated on the road, "Just past the hill."

"Not enough," Thalia had murmured in reply, her frenzied eyes staring at nothing, "He won't be satisfied without me."

Luke had felt the vice tighten again.

"Who?"

Once her back had straightened, Luke had known she was hearing a voice in her head like the rest of them had on the bridge. She'd met his eyes, and hers had been ice. A hellhound had then struck Luke's side of their car, rattling the frame.

"Hades."

Luke had watched her gaze fall to Annabeth, briefly softening on her sleeping form. The same quiet eyes had then drifted over him before becoming frigid again. She'd said nothing. She hadn't had to. And Luke had been able to do nothing either, a crushing tightness rooting him to his seat as Thalia had vanished from the speeding car like lightning.

She'd tumbled onto the hill they were climbing and had caught herself with her spear. The harpies had then dove, the hellhounds diverting from the car. Luke hadn't been able to watch as they'd rounded the hill. His stomach had churned as he'd buried his head in his hands, releasing shuddering sobs. He'd felt thick bile rise into his throat, and he'd done nothing but let it choke him.

He didn't see Thalia fight with her back to the hill, impaling two harpies and splintering the skull of a hellhound. He didn't see her backpedaling up the dirt slope, following the path of their car while shoving back the ravenous mob. He didn't see her stand upright at the hill's peak, her teeth bared when a monster finally ducked her guard and dealt its lethal blow.

He didn't see the blinding light, either. The shining beam of yellow that'd descended from the heavens, scattering the monsters as it'd wrapped her. He didn't see the sapling that'd sprouted at the top of the hill, coiling as it'd encased her body and thickened into a tree, rising until it stood as a glowing sentinel. Luke hadn't witnessed any of those moments because he'd passed out in his grief.

Luke leaned back in his wooden chair, failing to blink back the tears that stained rivers down his cheeks. Thalia hadn't just been his friend. Family didn't tell the whole story either. She'd been the first person to really show him that he wasn't alone in the world. That there was purpose for him, too. Family for him, too. And she was gone. Along with the little brother that he should have had so many more years with. All because they were Forbidden Children, cursed from birth because of the sins of their fathers. Luke clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding as tears dripped from his chin.

A quiet knock eventually lifted from his thoughts. He wiped his eyes. They stung badly enough to make him wince. The demigod turned to find Grover standing in the doorway, a tray in his hand carrying two bowls of hot soup.

"You're still awake?" Grover asked, making his way over and placing the tray on a nearby table.

The satyr had left the infirmary lights dimmed to not disturb Annabeth, but he pushed back the curtains of a wide window behind her to let in the first rays of dawn. Luke hadn't realized how quickly the night had passed. He sighed quietly and sank in his seat, trying more carefully to thumb his eyes dry. Grover eyed him sadly before offering a bowl to him.

"Drink your soup."

Luke pulled himself to the table and sat unmoving, letting the soup's heat rise and cup his face. Chicken noodle soup. It was mostly broth, which he preferred, and the chicken and noodles bobbed among the few spices and vegetables accentuating the dish. The soup pulled at a memory from a lifetime ago, before he'd run away. Long before. Luke shrugged the thought off and raised a spoonful to his lips.

It was like liquid fire, but in a good way, if that could even make any sense. Luke closed his eyes while the burning river carved its way down his throat and spread through his body. He felt his skin prick while the heat massaged energy back into him, wringing out the fatigue he'd shouldered from lack of sleep. When he exhaled, smoke rose from his mouth, and he grinned while swiping away.

Grover smiled at him for a moment, but his face fell when his eyes drifted to Annabeth. He was hovering beside her, and Luke then noticed how swollen the satyr's eyes were.

"I'm sorry," he said, shifting his gaze to the ground, "Luke, I'm sorry."

The demigod's brows knitted.

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I'm a Protector. I'm supposed to protect." His voice hitched. "Since–since the cyclops lair. No, even before that. Since I found Percy's mom, I've just been scared. I've been scared of failing, of–of monsters, of not doing my job. And because of that, Percy and Thalia didn't make it here. It's all my fault."

Luke had stood and wrapped him in a hug before he could start crying. Grover held him tightly and sobbed into his shoulder, apologizing quietly. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Luke shook his head against him.

"You really think you were the only one scared, Grover?" The demigod managed a chuckle. "I was terrified. So was Percy. And Thalia. But you can't be brave without being afraid first, cus if you're not scared, you're just… doing what you would've done anyway without any risk or danger. We were in so much danger."

Grover sniffed roughly, shuddering.

"But I wasn't brave. I didn't stay behind to protect everyone. I didn't run after them like you did either. I just– I just–"

Luke hugged him tighter.

"You waited for us, Grover. The entire bridge was coming down and Annabeth was already in the car with you. Genuinely, I would've understood if you'd left. A God was after us, Grover. He sent his Furies and his dogs, and you waited for us when you could've escaped without even being chased. You're lying to yourself if you don't see how that's bravery."

Grover's breathing slowly steadied. Luke pulled back the well in his eyes while the satyr loosened his grip around him.

"Thank you," he said quietly, stepping back from the demigod and wiping his face with the back of his hand.

Luke held a small smile towards Grover, but it brightened when his gaze settled on the bumps poking from his curly hair.

"Hey! They got bigger!"

Grover's eyes widened before he blushed, thumbing the stubby horns on his head.

"Yeah, a little. They're finally starting to come in, but it'll still take a few years."

A silence fell between them as they stood at Annabeth's bedside. Luke could see in Grover's eyes that he still felt deeply guilty about everything that had happened. And who could blame him? Luke shared the feeling, his shame festering in his stomach. He hoped Annabeth wouldn't feel the same way. She'd barely been lucid during it all, and Luke was unsure what she'd even remember. Hopefully not too much.

"Oh," Grover said, looking back to Luke, "Chiron wants to talk to you. He's right outside the Big House."

Luke's eyes didn't leave Annabeth until Grover grasped his shoulder.

"I'll stay with her. If she even twitches, I'll come get you."

Luke exhaled slowly, thanking him before he left the infirmary that had begun filling with light. Stepping through the doorway, Luke followed the hall decorated with endless picture frames of kids in armor and orange t-shirts brandishing weapons or rock climbing or having chariot races. He traced their faces and took note of the strange differences between the photos, like the kids' hairstyles or certain fashion choices, and he realized that these photos spanned decades on decades. Most of these kids were probably old or gone by now. How long had this camp been around?

The hallway opened into a living room. It was mostly normal. An L-shaped couch, a couple futons and ottomans, some carpet rugs, and a flat screen TV above a brick-walled fireplace. Oh, and a mounted leopard head that rowled in Luke's direction.

Sure, why not? the demigod thought to himself, barely batting an eye before he moved to the front door.

Luke stepped out onto a wooden white porch that wrapped all the way around the farmhouse. To his left, he found Chiron… in a wheelchair. Grover had told him about it last night, but knowing that the centaur's white stallion half somehow packed into a regular-looking wheelchair was not the same as seeing it. Luke had been introduced to the towering trainer minutes after arriving at camp. He'd looked up at the immortal centaur in awe after stumbling out of the car. Now, he was looking down at what easily could've passed as a regular man.

Chiron smiled at him, his soft eyes creasing as he beckoned toward a chair beside him. He wore a brown tweed jacket, a darker brown tie and navy sweater underneath. His hair was long and well-kept, hanging down to his neck and ending just barely above the bottom of his scruffy brown beard. Luke thought he looked like a professor. A cool one that his students liked. And he definitely taught a weird, impossibly niche class like Underwater Game Theory.

Luke sat down, moving the chair so he was right across from Chiron with a small table between them. A miniature game of backgammon lay on the table, and Luke's gaze remained on the dice. The centaur's mouth drifted to a frown.

"Once again," he said, his voice heavy, "I am truly sorry for all you have lost. Words cannot express my condolences."

"Thanks," Luke answered, more coldly than he'd meant to.

Chiron reached across the table and planted a firm hand on Luke's shoulder. The demigod looked up, briefly catching a glare from the sun reflecting off of a window. Only then did he realize how much his eyes hurt, how strained and raw they were from crying and him not having slept. He profusely blinked while Chiron's somber gaze held him. A tear slipped from the centaur's eye before he retracted his hand.

"Please get some rest, Luke. Anywhere inside the Big House is fine. And if you would like, feel free to go and speak to your friend first."

Chiron pointed behind Luke, and the demigod clenched his fists, his neck straining. Without looking, he knew where Chiron meant. He'd sat with his back to the hill for that exact reason; he couldn't bear to see the tree that stood where Thalia had fallen. The demigod reached for a sword that wasn't there.

"You think that's funny?" he growled, shoving upright without it.

Chiron barely reacted. His kind eyes still bore their sorrow, but his mouth curved to a tight smile.

"I suppose Grover didn't tell you. Of course, the poor boy is dealing with this terrible ordeal as you are." The centaur spoke so kindly that Luke felt his anger subside, and he returned to his seat. "Thalia has not passed into the Underworld."

Luke's mouth opened, held ajar while he waited for Chiron to continue.

"Zeus transformed her very essence into that tree, immortalizing her bravery in a monument that now protects us all. She, herself, now strengthens our camp borders and will ward off any other enemies that dare to come close." The centaur smiled sympathetically. "She may not live on in the same way, but trust that her soul still exists among ours."

Luke felt the slightest bit of solace, and it let him voice the desperate hope in his chest.

"And Percy?"

Chiron's eyes creased with his growing smile.

"There have been many rumors afloat among the gods, but from what I can gather, he is in the same boat. It seems that Poseidon saved him in the same sense, through an unknown transformation, and it was that compromise with Hades that let the children live on. The lord of the Underworld received neither soul, but he claimed both natural lives."

"'Saved him,'" Luke sneered.

He felt a deep relief that neither of his friends were technically dead, but saying that the gods saved them was gratuitous. A tree and what? Seaweed? Some coral maybe? 'Saved.' These were Olympian Gods with unimaginable powers. Get real.

His indignation must have been written all over his face, because Chiron's expression became solemn. The centaur regarded Luke for a few moments longer.

"Go," he finally said, his voice soft, "Visit your friend."

Luke stood from his seat, awkwardly thanking Chiron before he walked down the steps of the porch. The early breeze was a welcome chill, dancing past him as morning light painted his skin. He made his way from the Big House's trimmed lawn into knee-high grass as he walked towards the base of the hill. To his left, he saw a massive strawberry field blooming with its little red bounties. To his right, there was an archery range and, past that, some kind of arena. An encompassing woodland drew its arc far, far behind the Big House, and Luke figured the rest of the camp had to be sprawled out in that direction. He'd explore it all later.

Luke shifted his attention to the huge pine tree ahead, climbing the hill one step at a time but pausing near the top when he heard voices. A semicircle of orange shirts stood around the base of the tree, the kids shoulder to shoulder and daring each other to touch it.

"You go first!"

"No, you!"

"Don't touch it! It could be cursed."

"It's not cursed! That girl died, and the gods rewarded her."

Luke clenched his jaw and trudged ahead, nearly shoving between the last two kids who'd spoken. All of them silenced as he stepped past them. The entire arc took a couple steps back when he dropped to his haunches and pressed his palms against the trunk. Luke closed his eyes while whispers broke out behind him, all naming him as one of the demigods who'd arrived that night.

'I'm so sorry, Thalia,' he murmured, too quietly for anyone else to hear, 'I wish it could've been me.'

Tears seeped from his shut eyes, but he touched his chin to his chest and quickly wiped them on his shoulder. He wouldn't let these kids see him cry. More importantly, he couldn't let Thalia. He considered what she'd say to him then, and honestly, she might've laughed. Told him to stop moping. He imagined her swinging one of her branches and decking him across the face.

You big baby! she'd tease.

But behind all the jokes, she'd apologize, too. She'd be sorry that she had to go so soon and without a proper goodbye. She'd make him promise that he'd take care of Annabeth, and of course he would. And she'd tell him to keep being strong and to keep getting stronger because that was how they protected their family. His hands still against the tree, he smiled and silently promised all of that to her.

A throat cleared from behind him. Luke stood to find a girl, seemingly braver than the rest, standing ahead of the arc of kids. She was pretty. She smiled sadly and held out a bouquet of flowers. The arrangement was beautiful, a mix of white daisies and pink peonies among some purples and yellows that Luke didn't know the names of. It could've been professionally made, but the dirt under the girl's nails said otherwise.

"I'm sorry about your friend," she said as Luke gently took the flowers from her.

"Thank you," he answered, and he realized he'd meant it.

He knelt at the base of Thalia's tree, leaning the bouquet against the trunk. He didn't like it. He tried separating the flowers and almost replanting them. Still no. A melodic chuckle rang before the girl crouched beside him. She took the flowers that Luke had nearly forced into the dirt, and she created a little bed. It fit between two tendrils that extended from the tree, ornamenting the space between them. The girl guided Luke's hand into filling the gaps with his remaining flowers so it looked like they were growing from the exposed tree roots.

Luke turned to her while she quietly admired her own handiwork.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Silena Beauregard. Yours?"

"Luke Castellan. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Luke." She wore a bright smile. "Has anyone shown you around camp yet?"

(Line Break)

"Of all things, a tree!"

Laughter echoed around the abalone cylinder, its source the Prince of the Seas. He sat at a steel table in the center of the room, delivered by the armored mermen that had been dismissed by Triton shortly after. Percy stood opposite him with his fists clenched at his sides. The demigod didn't know how to feel.

An immense weight anchored his chest, and even with his newly realized ability of breathing underwater, it felt like he was choking. Thalia had turned into a tree. She'd survived the bridge, which had apparently collapsed, and they'd all almost made it to camp before even more monsters had arrived, and Thalia had stopped them and become a tree somehow. It was only Percy's confusion that kept the rest of his emotions at bay.

"Tell me again. What happened before I passed out on the bridge?"

Triton looked up from his meal, his fork halfway to his mouth. He'd been eating some kind of golden steak, and Percy's mouth watered just looking at it. But his eyes left the ribeye when Triton's gaze hardened on him. The demigod couldn't shake himself away from the shark eyes tracing him like he was their next meal. The Prince of the Seas pointed to the chair across him.

"Only once more. Sit."

Percy reluctantly obeyed, taking his time to lower himself. Triton noticed, leering as he spoke.

"Zeus decided to kill you with a strike of his Master Bolt."

Percy shivered, remembering the world turning white.

"At that same moment, Lord Poseidon sent his own wave to sweep you out to sea, and their combined force obliterated the bridge you stood on. By design, the daughter of Zeus lived."

"What about the guy in the chariot? The one with the skeleton horses?"

Triton bared his teeth at the interruption. The metal fork bent in his grasp.

"Hades himself," he finally said, "Zeus tried to placate his wrath by offering you up as a sacrifice. But it was all too obvious that Lord Poseidon had intervened. Hades withdrew once the bridge collapsed, but the absence of your soul from his domain brought him back with a vengeance."

"Then why am I here?" Percy cut in.

Even under the sea, his hairs stood on end as Triton glared daggers straight through him. He thought the god would kill him then and there, but it was as if something was holding him back. It took a moment before Triton's expression returned to his callous smile.

"Because of a ruse. Lord Poseidon claimed that he shifted your form into that of a dolphin. If he could not save his demigod son, he would let him live as a part of his domain. A truly noble gesture." The mockery dripping from Triton made Percy clench his jaw. "Hades accepted. Lord Poseidon's vengeful storms in the Atlantic only further substantiated his claim."

Triton's hands dug into the table as he leaned over it.

"But make no mistake, boy. Lord Poseidon has not saved you for nothing. You are now in service to him, and as a human, you will never be more than a pawn."

Percy didn't acknowledge his spiteful words.

"Could Zeus have done the same for Thalia? Lied about the tree and actually saved her somehow?"

Triton sneered as if the demigod had presented a ridiculous question.

"No. I watched it swallow her myself. And the tree surrounding her now protects the demigod camp in a way that not even gods could do autonomously." The prince eyed him briefly before snorting. "That is one strength that only lends itself to you mortal heroes; your deeds can hold certain power."

Percy felt so heavy carrying his devastation, but it didn't overwhelm him. It couldn't. Not when he felt so proud of what Thalia had done. From the start, none of this was ever fair. She was only twelve years old. No one would have expected her to have done what she had. And still, she'd fought off a horde of monsters by herself, held them at the hill while her friends escaped, and even as she'd fallen, she'd become an immortal protector for everyone else like her. She was a hero stories would be told about.

Percy didn't even notice the tears falling from his face, joining the sea surrounding him.

"And my other friends? You said the car got into camp, but were they okay?"

Triton folded the edge of the metal table onto itself, seething.

"I did not care to watch! I turned it off after the tree finished forming."

"Turned what off?"

"Hephaestus TV!" Triton shouted and thrust his arm forward.

Percy's eyes widened as he clawed at his own throat, gasping for oxygen. The water around his neck constricted as Triton shot from his seat. His tails drew him forward, his navy skin almost purpling in his anger.

"You incessant, impertinent little–"

"Lord Triton!" a rich voice called from above.

The whirlpool at the top of the room had deactivated, and a merman in sea green armor descended. His expression briefly held worried as he met Percy's eyes, but the Prince of the Seas relaxed his hand, and the demigod collapsed to his knees, gulping down breaths.

"Lord Triton," the merman repeated, looking away from Percy, "Lady Amphitrite has summoned you both."

Triton straightened his back before nodding once, and the armored merman drifted out of the iridescent enclosure. The whirlpool didn't turn back on.

Slowly, Percy righted himself and rose from the floor, floating at eye level across from the huge Prince of the Seas. Triton's anger had melted, replaced with a satisfied smirk while Percy glared impotently. He knew for a fact that he could do nothing to harm a god, but he would never give him the satisfaction of silent obedience. Triton must have realized that as well, because his smirk faltered.

"Come," he growled and rose through the water.

Percy lagged behind, inspecting how the merman moved with his dual tails. It was so fluid, so smooth that he might as well have been water itself. He didn't even move his arms. Trying to replicate it, Percy held his legs together and undulated his whole body like he'd seen Olympic swimmers do. He shot forward much quicker than he'd expected, completely uncontrolled, and struck the edge of the cylinder before spilling out into the expansive sea.

Stop!

He did. With a thought, the demigod had instantly stilled and even given himself some whiplash. He floated in a silent world of only blue above and before him. The realm was endless, and Percy could see across it like an eagle. He found schools of deep-sea fish, a gigantic squid, and sparse octopi all making their way through the darkness. But for Percy, there was no darkness. The ocean might as well have been a flatland on a clear day, a sweeping natural landscape. For some reason, that made sense. It felt right to him. Then he looked down, and suddenly nothing made sense.

A sprawling city that shone with every color Percy could think of stood proudly against the seafloor. It was almost a jagged circle, the outer circumscription boasting towering walls of abalone like the one Percy had been surrounded by. They wrapped all the way around the city and held up seven bright blue tunnels that all jutted outward in different directions, sticking out from the metropolis like rays of sun.

Percy didn't feel Triton standing behind him. He was too fixated on the city that was a nautical mile below them. The demigod paused. How did he know that, and what the hell was a nautical mile? He didn't get an answer to either question before the Prince of the Sea placed a huge hand on the back of his neck, and the demigod felt his body liquefy.

He couldn't describe how bizarre it was to become water. Before he knew it, he himself had melted alongside Triton, and they shot towards the city at impossible speeds. But the only reason Percy even knew they were moving was because the city was getting bigger; being water was pure stillness. A path of glowing white quartz caught their descent, and Percy felt himself become solid again.

He straightened his back as he stood, stretching his arms behind his head, sighing. The demigod didn't notice Triton's disappointed expression.

"That was so cool," Percy said, feeling like he'd just stepped out of a massage.

"I expected you to vomit," Triton grumbled, turning away with a swish of his tail.

Percy followed behind him, rising from the quartz path by simply willing himself upward. It felt strange being still as he floated through water, so he swayed his hands to at least feel like they were doing some of the work.

The demigod's eyes darted through the main street they followed, finding colorful apartments that rose a dozen stories high. Packed markets bustling with mermen and mermaids took up huge open-air, or open-water, squares and were filled with voices haggling over prices. Hippocampi, the horses with rainbow fishtails, swam in schools above the buildings and darted between towering skyscrapers that became more frequent the further they went.

Percy was already mesmerized by the underwater city, but once the street ended and opened into the heart of the metropolis, his breath hitched. A massive shining palace towered up into the open sea, tipped with a central dome that was, without question, entirely made of gold. Minarets outlined with jewels climbed from all four corners of the estate, framing the sweeping palace. The entire area was surrounded by gardens of underwater plants and colorful corals. Percy thought it looked a little like the Taj Mahal. Except obviously underwater. And also somehow more lavish.

Two mermen, both even bigger than Triton, stood at the front entrance with their tridents crossed. The golden armor draping them looked more like compression suits, considering their outlandishly muscular frames that Percy thought might rip through the metal. Both behemoths bowed before the Prince of the Sea, their expressions stone while they pulled open the silver gates. Triton nodded to them and drifted past. Percy followed closely behind. He already felt small next to Triton, so between those freaks, he felt like a single strand of seaweed.

The silver gate fell shut behind them. Inside, the palace looked just as excessively extravagant as outside. Shimmering walls decorated with intricate designs of the same shells that Percy had seen throughout the city. Gold columns inscribed with images of war climbed up to arched ceilings that held triumphant murals of the gods. Percy's eyes fell on who had to be Poseidon.

His father. Deep, sea green eyes just like his. Long, jet black hair that fell nearly to his shoulders. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth were bared. He stood among five other men and women, all of them draped in chitons and positioned at the precipice of a mountain. Poseidon held his golden trident overhead, and beside him, another man mirrored him with a bolt of lightning. Percy knew almost immediately that these were the children of Kronos, and the image must have commemorated their victory over their father and their claiming of Mount Olympus. He shuddered at the lifelike hunger in some of their eyes.

"Come," Triton demanded without a look over his shoulder.

The rest of the palace went by in a blur. Percy's ADHD started acting up, his mind overstimulated by the constant bombardment of shining precious metals from every direction. The empty rooms quickly began to feel… gaudy. Percy didn't understand the necessity of so much everything. He'd spent his life in a one-bed apartment in New York of all places, and even that cramped space felt more comfortable than these cold halls.

Their journey finally ended when they drifted through two doors plated with diamonds that opened on their own. It was a safe bet that they'd entered the throne room; the entire area was empty besides a small set of stairs that led up to two seats, one sapphire and one emerald. The sapphire one was larger and unoccupied. In the emerald throne sat a mermaid.

She was beautiful. Her skin was a much lighter green than her seat, and it held a certain ethereal glow. She wore a shimmering black dress that flowed over her curved tail, drifting in the water alongside her waist-length raven hair. Her eyes were shut, and she wore a sweet smile, her hands resting on the arms of her throne. If the woman's hair had been brown, Percy could've bought that she was related to his mother.

Then her eyes snapped open, revealing intense purple irises that immediately honed onto the demigod, and her mouth curdled to a sneer. Triton bowed deeply while Percy hovered, but he might as well have been rooted to the floor.

"Mother," Triton said, his voice filled with reverence, before he straightened.

She didn't even acknowledge him.

"My husband's half-breed bastard," she spat.

Percy nearly rolled his eyes. Why were gods so mean?

"That's me," he murmured.

"What have you summoned us for, mother?" Triton asked.

She still didn't look at him.

"I wished to see the result of my husband and that dead mortal wench."

Percy's jaw clenched, and he found his nerve.

"Her name was Sally Jackson. Use it," he spat back.

Triton hovered, stunned, while his mother straightened in her throne.

"I can't believe my mom was amazed by you family of assholes. You're Amphitrite, right? Goddess of the Seas." Percy waved his hands as he said it, his blood already boiling. "From the stories my mom told me, I expected less of a dick!"

A golden trident had appeared in Triton's grasp. It was already mid-swing by the time Percy finished speaking, the prongs inches from entering his chest. Only a lifted hand from Amphitrite saved his life.

Percy looked down at the center prong nearly touching his sternum. Behind the weapon, Triton's shark eyes were less than slits, his huge shoulders flexed but frozen. Percy could feel how badly the merman wanted to kill him, but he'd somehow felt his mother's denial even with his back to the throne. The prince withdrew his trident, shaking in rage.

"Allow me, mother," he said, not taking his eyes off of the demigod.

She shook her head. Percy wrenched his gaze from Triton to the throne, finding a much more sinister expression on the goddess' face. She was grinning, her purple eyes nearly glowing in excitement.

"Killing him is not what my husband wants," she mused, her voice cold, "At least, this direct method would not be acceptable."

She raised herself from the throne, drifting forward until she was feet away from Percy. Her body was lithe, but the demigod could feel the immense power carried in her slender arms. Triton maintained an iron grip on his trident.

"More importantly," she continued, "His death at your divine hand is a stain on us. An embarrassment that bodies of ichor were needed to silence a sack of red blood."

This time, Percy did roll his eyes. Amphitrite's irises burned brighter before she finally looked at Triton.

"For three months, you will train him." Percy unwillingly shivered. "Then, he will run the Gauntlet. Let us see what becomes of this bastard's spirit by that time."

Worse than the goddess' callous tone was the rage melting from Triton's face. Even worse than that was the thoughtful expression that overtook it. And then the subsequent excitement that led to his razor-teeth smile. The Prince of the Sea's feral glee was all Percy could see as he was taken back from the palace, back through the city, back to his abalone building. Triton didn't say a word the entire way.

The prince left him surrounded by the cylindrical shell wall. Once his twin tails had carried him up and out of sight, the whirlpool returned, and Percy's stomach sank. He should have realized it long before, but his iridescent hole in the sea was a prison cell. They meant to keep him here for only gods know how long, literally. The demigod gritted his teeth, surveying his new permanent home, and his jaw quickly dropped.

Opposite him, laying in the sand was a bronze sword. His bronze sword that he'd lost on the bridge. Percy drifted over and picked it up, gripping the leather hilt tightly. He pressed the flat of the blade against his forehead and closed his eyes. Someone must have recovered the weapon alongside him. Maybe Triton. Maybe even his father. But whoever it was didn't matter. They'd left it here for the coming training. The coming Gauntlet. Whatever those ordeals meant, they were supposed to kill Percy. So he'd do whatever it took to not let that happen.

They'd already written him off, as if his fate was sealed. The demigod breathed deeply, feeling the power of the sea surrounding him. He'd show them how wrong they were.

A/N: I swear I was aiming to have this chapter end at around 5k words, and still it ended up being 6.5k. I need to start getting serious. Anyways, I hope you guys liked the split into dual povs now that we have two established settings with some of our MCs split up. I won't reveal too much, but I have what I think is a really cool concept coming up with a dual-quest kinda thing :) Anyways, that'll be soon, but there are some troubles until that point. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!

levisorous: well, this is definitely different the how i thought you might go about this. its still incredibly good and i had definitely been wondering what youd do. i was wondering if youd have thalia meet the same pinecone fate as in the canon events and then she'd come back after the sea of monsters questline but to know that she seems to be alive and well (keyword seems) and percy is down in atlantic with triton i can only ponder at which route youll take this. will percy stay in atlantis or will ge ge escorted to camp? did thalia at some point between percy passing out and percy meeting hippocampi have her final stand and get turned into a tree still? i also liked the jason cameo, super good ground work man. i don't know if you plan to just take this through the second titan war or if you play to go through the giant war but all i know is ur already doing great and im absolutely loving the story man. i hope you gave a great night and thanks for updating dude.

It looks like the general consensus between reviews and PMs is that we're already in unexpected territory. Good, I'm glad nobody knows for sure what's coming next heh. I barely do. But yes, Thalia unfortunately did get pinecone'd and it's for a later reason that's only kinda similar to canon. I'm really excited to flesh out Percy's arc in Atlantis, especially his relationship with Triton and Amphitrite and what I want to do with their characters. Can't get too deep now, though. I plan to have this saga go all the way until the giant war, but that's a WAYS away considering we're still two years behind TLT (Expect a time skip soon-ish because we're not going day by day for two years just to catch up to the beginning of the story haha). Anyways, glad you're enjoying man, love hearing from you.