Act I Chapter V: Percy Learns Who He Is
"This is really good," Percy practically moaned into his food. While his curious anxiety was at an all-time high, the promise of food won him over. Paul stayed true to his word of buying them a meal from that fast food place. It was a place that Percy and Sally had been eyeing for about a year now, but it had always been too expensive. The burgers alone were fifteen dollars, and a meal was twenty.
Percy stared down at his massive hamburger that could have passed for a steak. It was so tender and delicious. The cheese was something called pimento cheese, and it had a famous secret sauce on it. Not to mention the fries were not only curly but had this most amazing blend of spices on them.
Paul drove while Percy and Sally ate. All conversation had ceased. When they first got into the car, Percy tried to ask all kinds of questions. He stopped when he saw his mother was about to cry. By the time Sally fully composed herself, they were almost at the fast-food place.
"We should have got this sooner," Sally agreed, her natural happiness back in her tone. Percy smiled and looked back down at the fries. He didn't think he would have room for the fries, but considering they were so fresh that they were too hot to pick up, he would just have to suffer.
"Once I get a job, I'm taking you here for your birthday," Percy promised. Sally fell silent. The radio was the only sound between the three of them, and Percy listened quietly as he ate. Despite all of his questions, he loved this quiet time with his mother. Sure, they weren't talking and having a deep mother-to-son conversation, but they didn't always have to fill the silence. They could just enjoy each other's company. And Paul was observant enough not to break the silence.
When Percy finished his burger and fries, his mother was already done and looking out the window. Percy took a sip of his milkshake. His gaze focused on the weather in the sky.
"What do you want to listen to?" Sally questioned. She turned to look back at him, and Percy shrugged. He knew that Sally would talk when she was ready, but nervousness was building in his gut. How bad could it be if his mother was struggling this much to talk? For the entire drive, his mind kept drifting back to his dream. He wasn't sure what to make of any of it, but he just had to believe that his mother would tell him what he wanted to know.
"It's time," Sally said suddenly. She looked back at Percy, and there were tears in her eyes. Her hand turned down the radio, and that hand was shaking. Paul gently reached out to grab her arm.
"I'm ready," Percy promised. He leaned forward in his seat. "If you are."
"I'm not ready, but I have to be," Sally said. She sighed and wiped her eyes. "I don't know how to start this, Percy. I've known this since you were born, but I was told to keep it quiet."
"Why do you need to keep it quiet?" Percy questioned.
"Knowledge can be dangerous. When I tell you this, it will put you in even greater danger than you are now," Sally warned. "Do you remember when you were younger, and I pulled you out of school for a week when they were going to read Greek myths to you?" Sally asked.
"I do," Percy mumbled, and a blush came to his face. He never thought of his mother as a religious nut, but she had gone straight to his elementary school and warned them that she would not allow her son to hear any of those stories. They moved not long after, and Percy assumed it was the straw that broke the camel's back and got him kicked out of another school.
"It wasn't because I think the stories are fake. It's because they're true," Sally admitted. Percy felt his jaw drop as he stared at her. Those myths about the Greek gods and goddesses are real? That couldn't be true. He expected his mother to laugh and tell him it was a prank. Instead, worry appeared on her face. Paul's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
"Mom, are you messing with me?" Percy asked.
"I wish," Sally whispered. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I wish I was, Percy, but the truth is that you are a demigod. A half-human."
"Half-god?" Percy finished. He stared at his mother in disbelief.
"Half-god," Sally repeated. "You are the son of a god. I wanted to tell you for so long, but it was too dangerous. There are monsters, the same ones from the myths, that hunt down demigods. Every demigod has a scent that monsters can track and sense, and the more powerful the godly parent, the more powerful the scent. It is doubled when a demigod learns what they are."
"You were protecting me by not telling me," Percy realized. "Who is my father then?"
"That has some story behind it," Sally said. She looked at Percy. "But, you cannot tell anyone, Percy. I'm serious. If anyone asks you who your father is, you tell them that you do not know. There are only three people in the world that know who your father is. You are about to become the fourth. And Paul will be the fifth."
"Why is it such a secret?" Percy questioned. "Does more people knowing it mean that my scent grows?"
"No," Sally replied. "It's a long story, Percy. Sit back and listen closely. The gods of Greek myths are real, and they have had children throughout history. Many of them are famous historical figures: generals, scientists, builders, even presidents. For every great hero, there has also been a villain. Criminals, terrorists, and warlords that went to extremes to get their way."
"There are three Olympians that are called the Big Three: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Their children were the most powerful the world had ever seen. They had the power to bring the world to its knees, and they did multiple times. Wars throughout history have been because of demigods."
"Children of the Big Three were on both sides of World War II. After the war, the gods heard a prophecy that foretold doom for the world. That one of the Big Three's children would destroy Olympus: the home of the gods. And the gods themselves."
"The gods debated what to do. It was your father who suggested that the Big Three not have any children. They would kill any of their children that were still alive and make a vow on the River Styx to never have another child. One of his brothers agreed. The other did not."
"Everything fell apart from there. When one brother did not agree, the other two thought he had a child that would fulfill the prophecy. The three gods turned against each other, and all the other gods took sides. Goddesses like Artemis and Athena sided with Zeus. Others like Aphrodite and Hephaestus sided with Poseidon. And Hades was by himself, with only the minor gods in his domain to back him. No oath was taken."
"There was a terrible civil war between the gods, but there was no winner. Instead, the two camps that house half-bloods fought each other and among themselves, and both were eventually destroyed. Now, demigods have nowhere safe to go. And the gods, well, saying their names used to have consequences. It would catch their attention, maybe even their ire. Now, most of these gods have just... disappeared. They say that the gods fade when they no longer have a purpose, but that's not what happened to the Olympians. They just stopped appearing on Mount Olympus one day."
"I've heard that it's because no one worships the gods anymore. Without the camps to continuously give offerings to the gods or just acknowledge their existence, the gods became weaker. Most demigods who learned about their heritage held bitterness in them, and they, in turn, didn't offer anything up to the gods or believe in them."
"The Olympians became weaker, but none of them faded. No one knows what happened to all of the gods. They are still here, but they don't watch their domains. Minor gods that haven't faded fight for scraps of power. I didn't know about any of this until I met your father."
"Fourteen years ago I came to Montauk. I was just looking for a place to be alone, and I found a fisherman. He just threw out his line, reeled in the fish, and then let it go. I watched him for a few minutes and went to get dinner. When I came back hours later, he was still there. I tried to initiate a conversation with him, but he didn't respond."
"I found him there the next day. It looked like he hadn't eaten or even moved, other than to reel in his catch and release it. He finally looked at me and asked who I was. I told him my name, and he said I was the most beautiful mortal he ever met. When I asked him what he meant by a mortal, he just grew silent. So, I decided to fish with him."
"He told me of how his family had been fighting for so long, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted there to be peace. I listened to him, and I learned that what I thought were shouting matches and catfights at the time were actually battles between the gods and their children. He told me who he was, and we had you," Sally said, smiling at Percy.
"Where is my father then?" Percy slowly asked. "Who is my father?"
"Your father left my side that night. I found him the next day back to fishing, but he didn't seem to recognize me. He didn't know who I was. I went back to my cabin confused and found a golden pen waiting for me. When I went to thank your father, he was gone," Sally whispered. She showed Percy the golden pen that she always used to write. The cap finally covered the tip. Sally then placed it into Percy's hands.
"This is a gift from your father: Poseidon. God of the sea and one of the three who did not take the oath," Sally whispered. "I wanted to tell you this on the beach, but since I have told you now, we must go to a safe place for you."
"The Wolf House?" Percy whispered. His mind should have been racing from everything that he had been told. Instead, his brain felt like mush. He stared down at the golden pen. Then, he grabbed the pen's cap.
As he started to pull off the cap, Sally snatched his hand and jerked it to the side. The cap fell off, and Percy jumped as a sword appeared in his hands and almost hit him in the head. It rested near his ear and had gone into the headrest.
"I didn't think you would try to open it," Sally breathed softly. Percy stared at the sword. It was about three feet long, but even though it seemed to be made of some kind of metal, it wasn't that heavy. In fact, it felt perfectly balanced in his hands. Percy stared at the shining material on it.
"This is yours," Sally said. She placed the cap to the tip of the sword, and it retracted back into a pen. "It will always find its way back to your pocket now. Keep it close, Percy. It will save your life."
If Percy thought this had been some kind of elaborate prank before, this made it real. Words could be anything, but to hold a pen in his hands that literally transformed into a sword made everything real. He let out a shaky breath. The gods were real, and he was a demigod. He was the son of a god. Of Poseidon.
"Is my father just wandering the world then?" Percy slowly asked.
"I think so," Sally said softly. "I think that is the way that most of the gods are. Something in them broke, and they just don't know who they are or can't stand themselves. There are moments of clarity. Maybe just enough to have a child who can try and save the world. If it fails, I think another piece of whatever the gods call a soul dies."
"How do I help him?" Percy questioned. He swallowed painfully and gripped the pen.
"The first thing we are going to do is take you to West Orange in New Jersey. I do not believe that the Wolf House is there. It's more like a code phrase. One for you to tell the people we will find," Sally explained. "I do know that the original Wolf House remains abandoned as it has since the camps fell."
"How do I know when I found the right place? Do I just go up to random people asking where the Wolf House is?" Percy questioned.
"No. If I am correct, the images you saw will help guide you. There will be two mentors there. One who used to teach the Greeks, and the other that used to teach the Romans. They work together now to train heroes," Sally said.
Percy laid his head back. He still had so many questions, but he didn't know where to even start. He laid his head against the window. Sally rubbed his arm, "Try and sleep. I will wake you when we get closer.
"Okay," Percy whispered. He didn't think he would be able to sleep, but as he closed his eyes, he felt how tired he was mentally. Any thought that came to his mind slipped away before he could grab hold of it. Percy's head drooped against the window, and he fell into a short-lived sleep.