AN: To make myself perfectly clear, the pairing for this story will NOT be Percy/Annabeth or Percy/Athena so sorry to disappoint of that was what you were hoping for.
Wisdom of the Waters
Chapter 2
-Percy-
Shortly after telling the ancient centaur his intentions Grover had run after him, wanting to make sure that he didn't get lost trying to find this 'Beckendorf' guy. "What sort of weapon are you going to ask Beckendorf to make for you?" Grover asked intrigued "and how do you know he'll even agree to make it?".
"For the what, that my friend shall remain a surprise." He grinned when Grover began sulking "As for your second question, I'm going to work out a deal with the guy, find out what he wants and what I'm willing to give and then negotiate. You know, a business deal.".
"Why do I feel that whatever you have planned is going to have a major fallout later?" Grover groaned.
"Because it probably will goat boy," he said cheerfully, not paying any attention to his friend's glare at the nickname "but that's what make it fun.".
"You're insane." Grover deadpanned at him as they got to the forge.
"You just now figured that out?" he asked with a raised eyebrow before walking inside. As he stepped in he saw a towering African-American teenager with ripped jeans, an orange t-shirt that had the sleeves torn off, and his hair in dreadlocks that were tied back talking to a girl who was in black jeans and an orange spaghetti-strap tank top.
The moment they stepped in the duo turned towards them with a raised eyebrow as the girl asked "Grover, who's this?".
"Beckendorf, Lou," Grover began nervously "this is Percy Jackson, a new camper. Percy meet Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus and leader of Cabin nine, as well as Lou Ellen, daughter of Hecate who doesn't have a cabin here.".
"Who's your parent?" Lou asked curiously as he shook hands with the duo.
"Don't know for sure but I do have control over several of my powers which limit it down," he said with a shrug "but quick question…am I the only one who discovered their powers before they were told about being a demigod? It seems like something more kids would find when they were little.".
"Some powers aren't as…flashy as others," Beckendorf said with a shrug "I was always good with my hands but never realized it was due to who my father was…Lou here found her powers when she was a little kid reading Harry Potter and tried to stun her cousin and actually knocked the person out with a blast of red light.".
"It was an accident!" Lou exclaimed, the girl's face turning bright red in embarrassment.
"Anyway, what can I do for you?" Beckendorf asked, curiosity evident in the smith's voice.
"I was hoping to make a deal with you to get a weapon for the game Friday," he said grinning "and if Lou here can do magic then my idea just got even better…assuming you two would be willing to help out that is.".
"I'm willing to at least listen," Lou said with a shrug as Beckendorf nodded in agreement "at the very least we can point you in the right direction if we can't help your or chose not to.".
Grinning he asked Grover to wait outside as he really did want the weapon to be a surprise and, after promising his friend to take the Satyr to a place with great Enchiladas when they had the chance, the Satyr walked outside the forge.
About a half hour later he walked back out with a stretch as he noticed Grover trying to practice a set of reed pipes near the entrance "I didn't know you played the pipes," he said surprised "you any good?".
"All Satyrs play," Grover said proudly before that pride vanished and he could practically feel the depression pouring off his friend "but I'm not very good.".
"You'll get there G-Man," he said reassuringly, slapping his friend on the back with a grin "and who knows, maybe your real talent is something besides playing the pipes.".
"Yeah, maybe." Grover sighed dejectedly, clearly not believing him.
Frowning he reached over and slapped Grover upside the head "None of that," he scolded the shocked Satyr "if you think like that, think you can't do anything, then that's all you'll ever be able to do. Be confident, believe that your skill is out there and you just have to find it. And if you want to be good at the Pipes but don't have a lot of natural talent…then just work at it. Find a way around whatever is holding you back or simply break through it. You're only as limited as your own perseverance.".
"That's good advice," a voice called from behind him as he noticed Beckendorf and Lou exiting the forge in excitement "you should listen to the newbie Grover, he's smarter than a lot of the Athena campers here.".
"It's less about how much knowledge a person has and more about how they use it," he said shaking his head "while I do have a lot of intelligence I prefer cunning so that I can actually use what I have.".
"Well I'm sure we can have your request ready by Friday Percy," Lou said with a massive grin "but you do remember the deal don't you?".
"Yeah, yeah," he said grinning "I help Beckendorf here in the forge where I can as his payment while for you I help you get into better physical shape and agree to go on a date with you.".
"That's right…wait what!" Lou yelled as she caught what he added at the end while Beckendorf and Grover howled with laughter "Why you…I….I didn't…FINE! Pick me up at the big house tomorrow night at eight, be sure to have something planned.", before the daughter of the goddess of magic walked off, leaving him and his friends gaping at her.
"What just happened?" he asked confused.
"You just got yourself with the lovely Lou Ellen Percy," Beckendorf said with a grin, the massive blacksmith shaking off his stupor "way to go!".
"I did not see that coming." Grover said in shock.
"I don't think an oracle could have seen that coming." He retorted, getting another laugh from the guys before Beckendorf rushed off to get started on his request and Grover continued to give him the 'grand tour'. "Okay," he said as they made their way over to the cabins "I've met you, Chiron, Beckendorf, my date for tomorrow, and that blonde girl who had way too big of an ego. Is there anybody else I should know about right now?".
"Well for starters you'll be staying in the Hermes Cabin until you get claimed," Grover explained, pointing to a rather old and worn down looking cabin "the cabin leader there is Luke Castellan so I'll introduce you to him when I see him. Also you should look out for…oh Styx.".
As they entered the semi-circle of cabins he saw a girl walking towards them with a pair of thuggish looking guys behind her. The girl was extremely beautiful with brown hair that had some tied back and some allowed to hand down, forest green eyes, and a soft white complexion. But the sword at her back, the deadly prowl in her walk, and the confident smirk on her lips showed that this girl, while beautiful, was just as deadly. (AN: To those of you who've figured it out, yes I'm using her Movie image rather than the one the books used as I liked her character better in the movies.). "Well look here," the girl said with a smirk as she walked over to the group "a new arrival…just in time for the initiation.".
"G-go away Clarisse." Grover stuttered in fear.
"Grover," he asked calmly "who is this?".
"Clarisse," the girl said confidently "the daughter of Ares.".
"The war god?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had his mythology right.
"What of it?" one of the thugs behind Clarisse asked with a growl, gripping a mace while the second thug copied the actions of the first.
"Nothing," he said with a shrug "I just wanted to make sure I knew where to go when I wanted a good spar.".
"Wait what?" Clarisse asked confused.
Giving her his shark like grin he explained "I've been doing martial arts training for six years…I've found that I love being able to have a fight against a good opponent and, to be honest, the only monsters I've been able to fight have been rather easy to dispatch.".
Laughing heartily Clarisse slapped him on the back "I like this newbie!" she said with a grin "He not only pays respect to Ares but can fight as well? So what monsters were they?".
"A fury and the Minotaur," he said shrugging "beat the Fury with a few sword strokes and didn't even get a scratch…beat the minotaur with my bare hands. Grover was there if you don't believe me.".
"I saw the whole thing," Grover confirmed, his friend's fear seemingly diminished when Clarisse gave her approval "I swear on the River Styx what he said was true.".
"I bet he's a child of Ares," the first thug said with a rather dim grin "only our cabin has real fighters.".
"Yeah I know that I'm not an Ares kid," he said with a shrug "while I don't know my dad's exact identity I do know what type of domain that he has due to discovering my powers several years ago. So far the only ones I've told are Beckendorf and Lou as they're working on a weapon idea I had for the games Friday.".
"Okay," Clarisse said, her grin wide at this point "you respect Ares, you can fight, you clearly have the guts to go in a fight without a care in the world, and you actually enjoy combat…anything else I should know about?".
"He outsmarted Annabeth." Grover piped in nervously as Clarisse gaped at him before laughing happily.
"Okay I've made my decision," Clarisse said happily "not only am I exempting you from the initiation…you got to take me on a date the day after tomorrow. Pick me up at eight o'clock and be sure to have a plan. Bye." And before he could respond Clarisse turned and walked off, the two thugs following after her, and the small crowed that had assembled dispersed.
Sighing he turned to his shocked friend "Who do you think is going to hurt me more, Lou or Clarisse?".
"That's a hard one," Grover admitted "one will ram a spear up your ass and the other will use magic to make your life miserable…glad I'm not you right now.".
"Some friend you are." He groused as the tour resumed but he was now more focused on how to avoid two powerful demigod girls from killing him.