Chapter One (Wanderlust)

~ Opening a new path is as easy as creating a fire in the dark, without any knowledge of how to create a fire.

~ Rarely does a man choose his fate, but when he chooses his fate; that decision lies with him and him alone.

Percy

As the morning sea breeze wafted over me, I scrunched my eyes, pulling the comforter tighter to my body. I groaned lightly into my pillow as my mind started racing, breaking away any hopes of getting more sleep.

Life as a Half-Blood was truly a daunting reality.

Pushing the blanket off my body, I sat on the edge of the bed. I forced my eyes open, hoping that my bleary eyes would find something to distract my thoughts. Another forceful gust washed over me, rustling my hair.

To suffocate in the warm embrace of the barriers of the camp, or to have your life snuffed out by a sudden ambush. It was obvious which one was chosen the most.

I sighed as I pulled myself to my feet, trudging towards the bathroom. Stumbling slightly, I fought my tired disorientation. Pushing past the door, I caught myself on the edge of the sink. The sight of the distraught in the pair of green eyes which stared back at me made me grimace.

There was so much hidden behind the happy smiles and exciting games. There was nothing but death to be had without it. Nothing but eternal fear to consume us if we insisted on attempting to forge a path on our own. At least until summer rolled over into autumn.

Then you could choose to risk the endless assault of the monsters for a chance to live a lie of a mortal life.

Until summer came back again, and we were confined in our little haven once more.

We were only ever one mistake away from death.

When the wonder and novelty of the world of the gods slipped away, all that was left was the reality of it all. There wasn't enough training, war games or even enough substance to the relationships to truly hide the fact that we were prisoners. Confined to the borders of the camp.

Unless one was daring enough. Of course, there were those demigods whose scent made living in the outside world far more feasible. I would be lying if I said I wasn't even a little bit envious of them. Though, they weren't the only ones to test the fates.

Wanderlust had led many demigods outside of the borders of the camp, even after the Titan War had died down. Those who were frustrated with being stuck in camp, or whatever their reasons, would often disappear into the night. Most were never heard from again…

I clicked my tongue, willing the tap to flow before washing my face with the cool water. Pushing myself from the sink, I quickly made my way to the fountain which sat in the middle of the main room.

"Fleecy, do me a solid and show me Thalia." I called out into the mist.

"Hey, Percy. It's good to see up and looking so perky for once!" A voice replied from the mist.

"It hasn't been that bad!" I retorted, though my voice quaked a little bit as my sarcasm ran dry at the wrong moment.

Fleecy's face appeared in the mist for a moment as she gave me a look.

"Really?" She asked before shaking her head, shooting me a smile before her face shimmered away.

"I'll start the connection now, but don't be afraid to use my messaging to call me if you ever need to talk, okay?"

I smiled at her, offering a small nod as another face began to appear in the mist.

"You really thought you could use a spear better than me, huh!"

"Hey, Thals!" I called into the mist.

"Huh?" the black-haired girl replied as she turned her head in my direction. "Oh, hey Percy!" She called before getting off the girl she had pinned underneath her.

"Just dealing with a cocky newbie over here!" Thalia smugly called as she stepped away from the girl.

"I thought we hated men." The girl called out snarkily.

"I thought we hated men…" Thalia mocked the girl before hitting her roughly with the shaft of her spear. "This man just so happens to be my cousin."

"So, I can just call any guy I want if they are 'family'?" The girl snorted as she rolled her eyes.

"If any of your 'family' happens to be a saviour of Artemis, Olympus and then went to Tartarus, somehow managing to claw their way out to fulfil his role as part of the Seven against Gaea to save the entire world…. Then yeah sure no problem." Thalia quipped back as the girl's mouth hung loose.

"Bit heavy on the accolades there, Thalia." I called out, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

"He's the Percy Jackson?!" The girl all but yelled out in shock.

Thalia stared at the girl for a few moments before sighing. She turned to me, giving a sickeningly sweet smile as she raised a finger to ask for a minute. I shuddered slightly as a flash of light caught in her eyes.

"You know, it's not polite to ruin someone's conversation…" Thalia sank the butt of her spear into the floor as she slowly turned to cast her flashing eyes towards the young girl.

"Technically, he was the one who just appeared out of nowhere interfering with…" Thunder rolled as the girl finally caught Thalia's eyes, which must have been absolutely glowing with power.

"Run."

The girl scrambled to her feet as she turned and darted towards the trees. She stood no chance against the bolt of lightning which nipped her from behind. She dropped unceremoniously into an unconscious, and moaning, heap on the forest floor.

Thalia turned back to me once more, drawing my attention from the twitching girl. "As we were saying, Seaweed Brain."

I shook my head, though a chuckle slipped free as she offered me an innocent smile in response. She raised her eyebrow questioningly and I sighed as my laughter simmered into a grin.

"A solid eight out of ten for that shot."

"I'll take it." She replied, dipping her head slightly in a bow. She quickly raised herself, her brows furrowing with concern which emanated through her electric blue eyes. "Now, what's up?"

I stared at her for a few moments to collect my thoughts, slightly fascinated at the way the powerful glow of her eyes slowly dimmed. "I just wanted to know where the hunt is at this moment."

"Going to pay us another visit?"

"I'm planning to if you guys aren't going to be moving for a while. I wouldn't want to pop up randomly while you guys if you were in the middle of a hunt."

"Sorry to say, we are actually about to start one right now." She tapped her chin, feigning thoughtfulness, "And here I thought you were going to be rushing to see your cousin."

I grinned at her, raising my hands in surrender, "If I could flash like the gods, I'd be there already!"

She smiled back at me, nodding her acceptance. I felt my own grin droop as I shuffled my feet slightly. My mind was suddenly clouded as I hadn't thought of a plan for if I couldn't get to the hunt.

"What did you need, I'll see what I can do." Thalia called out, drawing me out of my mind. I stared up at her, realizing my eyes had fallen to the floor as they finally caught her worried gaze once more.

"I just wanted to talk to Artemis."

"About?"

I shrugged off the question.

"Just a stupid idea I'm having, but I guess I should do something else since it could be a while before this hunt is done."

"I can't lie, you really did catch us at a bad time. Papa Zeus gave us a big one to deal with. We've had a few of these hunts pop up recently and they're a bit tricky to handle, especially if you just rush into it. We're just about finished with the preparations though, hopefully, things go over well." Thalia clicked her tongue as her eyes refocused on me. She offered a small smile of apology, but I shrugged her off with a smile of my own.

"Life at camp must be pretty nice now, huh?" I gave her a pointed look, though she didn't relent. "What? I wouldn't mind focusing on building up the camp, instead of being run dry out here."

"Why don't you leave the hunt and come back then?"

Thalia opened her mouth, then smiled in acceptance and nodded. "Touché, just don't do anything too stupid okay?"

I shook my head as I smiled, "No promises."

The sounds of moaning stopped and were replaced by a grunt of pain as the young hunter behind Thalia began to wake up.

Thalia huffed, rolling her eyes as she looked at the girl over her shoulder. "I guess I should take her to the medics or something since it's her first big hunt. I'll call you as soon as the hunt is done for us to meet, okay?"

"No problem, Thals. Try not to get too hurt and get a hit in for me."

"I'll try my best, Kelp Head." She offered me a bright smile before the message was cut off.

I sighed to myself.

To sit in the budding city as an ornamental figure, or go out and chase what makes me truly feel alive?

I decided to imitate the hunt and take some more time to think through everything instead of just rushing in… just this once.

I stared silently into the fountain in my cabin, my mind replaying the conversation with Thalia. I shook my head and moved back to my bed. As I sat on the edge of the bed, I couldn't help but realize that I would need a lot more information before I just went and created, what would essentially be a male hunt.

Well, technically it wasn't supposed to be exactly like the hunt.

I wasn't going to try and make anyone swear off love, nor was I intending the group to be strictly male.

That's why I wanted to talk to Artemis.

I figured she would be slightly better at handling girls who were abused with her thousands of years of experience as opposed to my, comparatively, zero years.

Theoretically speaking there were many aspects of the idea that shared similarities with the hunt. The concept of taking battles with monsters and roaming the world beyond the borders of the camp was chief among them. To say that there was more to the idea than that, however, would be a lie.

It was more of a craving to satiate an innate desire for wanderlust which had been built upon the continued years of being confined in, either the camp or the consistent adventurous setting of each prophecy.

In essence, it was little more than a selfish desire to have some sense of independent freedom.

While it was a prisonous sensation being involved in so many prophecies, without them, there was just so little to do with me. Of course, there was the lingering idea of the conversion of Camp Half-Blood to become much more similar to that of New Rome, but the amount of involvement Annabeth had in such a project had slowly dissolved any excitement in a cesspool of unresolved feelings.

As much as I still cared for her, I was tremendously unwilling to lose much more of my life being hung up on the daughter of Athena. I suppose that was another personal reason to leave. The idea of wedging as much room between us as possible could put a smile on my face. Besides, us children of Poseidon weren't well known for their mastering of their emotions.

I chuckled to myself at that thought as I threw myself back onto the bed. A soft groan left my mouth as my arms splayed out on either side of me.

All I knew was how to fight.

I stared up at the smooth, wooden ceiling as a small frown tugged at my lips. During the wars, I had longed for nothing more than peace, yet as I sat here in the middle of serenity that should have been equated to nectar, I found myself craving what I had so adamantly despised.

Flashes of some of my greatest battles seemed to project onto the ceiling. The thought of them pulling a smile on my lips as adrenaline began to course through my veins.

I groaned as I pushed myself to my feet, hopping lightly on my toes, from side to side as I felt compelled to do something, anything, besides remaining in one place.

I thought for a moment before walking to the door, a destination in my mind.

If I couldn't talk to Artemis, the only other viable place would have to be someone who also had a well-decorated history dealing with demigods.

I walked up the stairs to the veranda of the big house and smiled at Chiron.

"Percy, my boy!" He called with a huge smile as he motioned to a chair beside him. Fortune seemed to play in my hands as I noticed a distinct lack in the presence of the god of wine.

"Hey, Chiron." I returned his greeting as I took my seat.

"It's good to see the spark in your eyes returning." The centaur spoke softly, his words gentle and comforting.

"One step at a time."

We shared a moment of silence.

"I came to talk about a new idea I had." Chiron perked up at this statement. He gestured for me to go on.

"I was considering creating a group kind of similar to Artemis' hunt…" I trailed off as his face fell.

"One where you offer safety for all demigods, recruit those you can, and lead them on the hunt of many monsters to make life easier for the rest of the demigods… right?"

I stared at Chiron, mildly shocked at the accuracy of his guess.

"Percy my boy, I've met thousands of demigods. Millions even. You aren't the first to suggest such a group."

"What happened to those groups?"

"For a few months, most times, the group thrives. They gain a large number, and they experience many victories." The centaur's lips contorted as a sad smile marred his face. I felt my posture falter as I saw his sad eyes staring past my shoulders.

"But the larger the gathering of demigods, the larger the number of monsters to try and eat them."

I let my gaze drift over the bannister.

"Don't the gods help them?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"My boy, they'd love to help them and most of the gods are always happy when their children are being safely escorted to camp. But, at the end of it all, the ancient laws always prevent them from taking any further action than watching in dismay."

"Can't they just give the group their blessing, as Artemis gives the hunt her blessing?"

"They are still gods, my boy. Artemis doesn't take too kindly to any group being formed that's similar to her own. Actively supporting these demigods, would be equal to making an enemy out of Artemis. There aren't many gods that would seek such a thing."

"Even my dad?" I ask, my eyes snapping back to Chiron. He opened his mouth for a few seconds, the words getting stuck as a curious expression formed on his face for a moment.

"I'm not too sure. Children of the big three have been extremely rare for many years now, far less those that get to live long enough to even consider something like this…"

We stayed in silence for a bit as Chiron contemplated my chances of success with my father's support, and my disturbed curiosity at Artemis' devasting decision against these demigod groups nibbling at me.

I perked up as realization hit me.

"It was mainly male demigods that decided to make these groups… Is that why Artemis was so strongly against these groups?"

Chiron nodded.

"For most of the girls, being recruited into the hunt with the offer of partial immortality and the protection of a goddess was almost always enough, even the most stubborn of them. Phoebe was one of them."

I nodded, "I hardly need to imagine how traumatizing it is to see your friends being eaten by monsters…"

"Precisely, as for the men. Many of them were simply too arrogant. Blinded by the rage of hearing that their attempts would be met with ignorance from the gods, due to Artemis, they would typically and, foolishly, openly slander her name."

"Doesn't sound like the smartest thing to do to the man-hating goddess…"

Chiron gave a short chuckle.

"In the end, Artemis would wait for the final battle between the demigods and monsters, save as many of the girls as she could and leave the men to their faith."

"Some girls would have rather died alongside their friends than abandon them, that's touching."

Another silence took the two of us. I knew there would be some hurdles to overcome. But this was overbearing. Even if I managed to get my father to help even a little bit, we were still mortal. We still bled, we still needed sleep, and we could still get sick and die. There were so many things to think of and take responsibility for… I began to second-guess my decision.

"Don't be disheartened, my boy." Chiron's voice cut through my downward spiral, "In light of all your achievements, I think even Artemis may be willing to give you the slightest of chances."

I gave him a small smile.

"Besides, you have done a lot for the gods. Even when threatened, gods will always find a way to do what they want. You are living proof of that after all!"

I chuckled softly, the laughter slowly building as relief came from the idea of there being a chance. I had been in situations where there wasn't even a chance before. I couldn't let something like that stop me now.

"Thank you, Chiron." I said once I managed to calm down. "I'll spend some more time thinking about it before I make my decision."

"I'm glad to hear it, Percy. If you do decide to go about with this, I would recommend you recruit some of the campers here to join you. I would even be willing to teach you some vital information before you begin this new adventure." Chiron said fondly, a smile on his face.

"Your belief means the world to me." I said earnestly as I stood up from my chair.

"I never stopped since the day I first met you, my child." Chiron stood up in his full form and grasped my shoulder for a moment, his proud smile making me tear up a little.

"I've got to begin training the heroes of the next generation. Whenever you're ready you can come back to me, and I shall begin your lessons." Chiron patted my shoulder before moving past me and trotting down the stairs.

"Thank you for everything, Chiron!" I called after him. He turned and gave me another smile and a small wave.

I took a deep breath.

I had remained on the veranda for about an hour, just thinking about the magnitude of the situation before me. I couldn't help the wry smile which wormed its way onto my face.

It's either I was faced with the impossible or my decisions were illogical enough to create impossible situations. I really couldn't catch a break.

I shook my head. I wasn't committed to the idea of forming this group more than I was looking for a reason to escape camp half-blood. But the fate of any demigod running around outside of camp is always the same, even if they were a child of the big three… Especially since I'm a child of one of the big three.

I sighed.

I should start to reconsider my options.

I pushed myself off the chair with a light, exaggerated grunt. I stared over the veranda for a few seconds before making my way down the stairs and back towards my cabin.

Today was one of my days off at camp, so there wasn't anything for me to do; nor was there anything that I wanted to do. I shook my head, settling on the decision to mull over everything in my cabin.

"Hey seaweed brain!" A voice called out, stopping me in my tracks. My head swivelled towards the sound of the voice and my heart stopped for a moment in my chest.

"Hey, Owl Head." I replied as best as I could without sounding as pathetic as I felt.

She gave me a small frown though, and I sighed internally. She could still read me like one of her books.

"You look like you got a lot on your mind, you want to talk?" I gave her a small smile and shook my head.

"I'm fine, just trying to think of a plan for what to do with myself now." I put my hands in my pocket and shot her a small smile.

"Where are you headed?" She asked, kindly returning my smile.

"Back to my cabin."

"Oh, I thought you'd have gone to the beach, that's usually your thinking place."

"Yeah, I guess things do change, huh." I immediately regretted the statement as she shuffled awkwardly.

"I guess they do…" She replied, her head bowing as she evaded my eyes.

"Hey," she said after a moment, her eyes darting back up to meet mine, "You mind if I walk with you back to your cabin?"

"Sure, I don't mind." The words came out before I had a chance to think about them.

I cursed Aphrodite under my breath as I turned towards my cabin. I bit my tongue quickly as Annabeth started walking beside me.

"I know we had plans to rebuild the camp into a 'New Greece' to match the Romans' New Rome." She began, filling the silence, "And I don't think you have to change plans just because everything isn't exactly as it used to be."

I turned away from her, using the moment to let proper thoughts begin to flow in my head once more.

"It's not just because we aren't together anymore. It's that building a city isn't exactly something for an action-first-thinking-later kind of guy." I shrugged, despite there being a definitive lack of conviction in my tone.

"The buildings in a city are nothing without someone to help lead the people into them. People will be a lot more willing to follow your instructions than anyone else here."

"I don't think anyone is more fit for that role than Chiron, Annabeth." I replied, sharper than I had intended. "Besides, I don't think I want to be trapped in the politics that eventually come from all of that. I've heard more than enough from Reyna, Frank, and Jason, and I've seen my fair share already."

Annabeth sighed.

"There isn't much point in arguing with you Seaweed brain…"

We walked in silence for a bit.

"If you aren't planning to have a big role in building camp up, are you planning to leave?"

I just nodded.

"New Rome?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking about everything, and I just hope whatever it is I end up doing I can genuinely enjoy it."

I felt her hand tug at my shoulder, stopping me. I turned to face her.

"You're running from me, aren't you?"

I couldn't hide my surprise as I stared blankly at her. I tried to conjure up some form of excuse but there was nothing but the shock at being caught out. I sighed heavily as I averted my eyes to the grass away from her.

"Yes, I am."

"Why? I thought we ended things peacefully. I didn't hide, or do, anything behind your back; I don't get it!"

"Just because you were ready to move on, doesn't mean that I was." I rubbed the back of my head, my eyes drifting away from her, "Or am… I'm in love with you! And I know that you want to do things differently and you don't love me-

"I do!"

I could feel the slight quiver in my lips as I turned and stared at her pointedly.

"Okay you may have feelings for me, but you don't love me like I love you. You love me like a friend."

"I just needed some time to think! After everything that went on, I didn't think we'd make it out alive and I just wanted some time to figure it all out!"

"So, do you want us to be together again?"

"I... no... I don't know!"

For a moment, my words got caught in my throat.

"Are you sure you're not just afraid of me leaving too?"

She looked up at me in shock.

"I wasn't the one who decided to end the relationship, and I'm sorry Annabeth, I really am, but I can't sit idly by the side forever and ever just to keep you happy. If I stay and I have to watch you marry someone else, have kids with someone else, grow old with someone else and die loving someone else, I don't think I'd be sane."

"You can move on too!"

"But what if I can't? What if I end up stuck on you forever? What if you keep leading me on because you're afraid I leave and I keep waiting, hoping at the littlest of chances? I don't want that Annabeth!"

"I don't want that either, Percy!" she sobbed, "I do care about you, but I don't know what to do if you leave!"

"And I won't know what to do if I stay." My voice came out in the faintest of whispers as my arms pulled her into a soft embrace.

For a few moments, time seemed to stop as we embraced.

I couldn't help the thoughts which surfaced in my head, pleading that we could stay in this position forever.

But I knew it couldn't be.

Slowly, we pulled apart from each other.

"Whatever you decide, at least make sure you come back often." Her voice just was as soft as mine.

"I'll try my best."

"I'm sorry that I was being so selfish, Seaweed Brain, try to be happy for you first and we can work on being just friends again."

"I will, thank you. And I want you to build a big city so, if I leave, when I decide to come back, you'll have a lot to show me."

We shared a smile.

"I guess I should let you walk back from here alone, otherwise it'll be very awkward."

We both chuckled.

"Yeah, that would make sense. I'll see you around Wise Girl."

"Yeah, see you around, Seaweed brain."

I watched her leave for a few moments then sighed. Too many thoughts began swimming through my head as I held back the tears that threatened to swim down my face.

I guess she knew me too well, I thought to myself as I began to walk to the beach instead.

My mind was left reeling by the conversation I had just had with Annabeth. I was so consumed by the numerous thoughts which filled my head that I found myself swimming to my father's palace before long.

As I came upon the underwater city I was accosted by a mixture of awe and comfort. There had been a gnawing sense of nerves bundling inside of me yet a mere glimpse of the ethereal city, of my underwater home, set it all aside. I drew in a deep breath as I composed myself.

A soft smile emerged on my lips as the waters drew me into the city, relinquishing my need to swim. I was pulled through the city, where I was greeted warmly and earnestly by the citizens. It had only been about a month since I was crowned an official prince of the sea, yet the people treated me as though I had been born and raised here.

It wasn't long before I had drifted past the bustling city streets. The palace walls drew nearer and, with a curt greeting between myself and the mermen who were on duty, the walls were behind me. I felt an odd sense of Deja Vu as I was reminded of my walk to the Big House earlier. That feeling was quickly squashed at the sight of my father's throne.

I had but a second to drink in the room before the doors closed and a hand rested on my shoulder. I turned, a smile forming before I could even see the matching formation upon my father's lips.

"Son! It's been a while since you've last visited!"

My smile shifted into a small chuckle at Poseidon's excitement.

"I was here last month for the coronation."

Poseidon waved me off, freeing my shoulder from his grip as he stepped past me, leading me closer to his throne.

"Is that not a long time for a mortal?" I paused slightly, pondering his words before I sighed in defeat, the sound rousing a burst of rumbling laughter from the god of the seas. He paused suddenly, his laughter ceasing as he turned to face me with soft eyes.

"I've finally heard about you and the daughter of Athena despite your choice to keep the information to yourself upon our last interaction… Should I smite her?"

I shook my head at his dramatic ways. "And earn even more of Athena's ire?"

He responded with a chuckle.

"Son, I fear only the beings that come before me." A mischievous glint formed in his eyes, "Besides, due to many of your actions I've begun to form somewhat of an amicable relationship with the wisdom goddess. Murdering her daughter could take us back to the comfortable relationship of being at each other's throats."

"Even if it leads to the death of many mortals and demigods?"

Poseidon gave me a pointed look.

"We're gods, son. Everything we do ultimately leads to the death of mortals."

I shook my head as I could do little but begrudgingly accept the valid, but flawed, argument.

Poseidon hummed to himself, the sound gathering my attention.

"You usually have more quips than that." The god of the seas noted, his demeanour growing more serious. "Would it be correct to assume that a lot is going on in your mind?"

I shifted on my feet at the intense scrutiny that came from the simple question. Absentmindedly, my hand shifted to my necklace as my fingers began fiddling with the beads. There was very little interaction between Poseidon and me, but these moments made it feel as though he had been present my entire life.

"I may be thinking of doing something that is apparently very risky."

Poseidon stared at me incredulously for a moment before he offered a booming laugh.

"What's new?"

I shook my head and smiled.

"Not everything I do is filled with danger!" I tried defensively.

"Not everything, you're right son. But the number of dangerous things you have done is far beyond just many."

I conceded again, my hand freeing the beads from its grip.

"Now what is this risk that you are considering taking?"

"I want to create a group…"

"Similar to Artemis?"

I nodded, though the fact that my father was the second immortal to know exactly what I was about to say did not make me feel the most settled.

The god stroked his beard, his powerful green eyes closed in thought as he hummed for a moment.

"Every generation always has a hero or two. I suppose if my father hadn't risen, Luke would've been the pioneer of this generation's group; but I see that the torch has been passed into your hands."

"I heard a bit about the previous attempts from Chiron."

"Then you should know very well the dangers which lie ahead of you."

I nodded.

Poseidon stared at me curiously.

"And you still wish to proceed?"

"There isn't anything else for me. Life at camp isn't as fulfilling as it used to be and while I want to explore the mortal world, I can't simply wander around like a mortal. If I'm choosing to selfishly leave, the very least I can do is help other demigods achieve that dream along the way."

Poseidon sighed, summoning a chalice, and drinking whatever was in it.

"What about building up the 'New Greece'?"

"Annabeth will be more than capable of handling that project."

He grunted his approval.

"Do you have a plan besides just wandering?"

"I'm forming one..."

He motioned for me to explain.

"I'll build up the initial group with members from the camp. I'll be sure to vary the members to have the healing factor of the Apollo kids, the physical prowess of the Ares kids and the strategic mindset of the Athena kids. I won't shy away from other demigods who don't match those criteria, but once I have a solid group, that's not too large, we'll leave camp. Hopefully, through training and experience in battle, we can eventually grow to the point where we can handle any monstrous threat that exists beyond the border."

"What you actually mean is, until that point where the others will truly be able to fend for themselves, you intend to take the mantle of monster slayer while your comrades sit behind the mighty shield that is the Hero of Olympus?" He paused for a moment, his eyes twinkling with certainty as they peered directly into mine.

"Am I correct?"

I held his gaze for a few seconds before shifting nervously. There weren't many people who could predict my, admittedly, rasher decisions. The short list had begun with my mother and ended with Annabeth, with everyone else close to me typically catching on just moments after it was too late. To think that my father, the Greek god of the seas, had managed to become the third on that list, filled me with an indescribable warmth.

Until I realized he had just called me out on one of said stupid decisions and was grilling me on it.

I groaned as I shifted my gaze to the floor, my mouth opening and closing as I desperately searched for an excuse, hidden in the truth, that was nowhere to be found. My father eventually saved me from my impersonation of a tuna by being successful in his attempt to articulate his thoughts.

"The past demigods to form similar groups have always been either powerful or extremely skilled, sometimes even both. I will support your decision, but I will not support your current ideals."

"What do you mean, father?"

"I want you to do whatever it is you need to figure out what's next for you, but I will not let you die like all the others before you."

A brooding expression loomed over his features for a few seconds before he turned and made his way to his throne. The water began to thrum with energy as Poseidon morphed into his preferred stature.

"I assume Chiron has already offered you some assistance?"

I nodded in affirmation as he took his seat on his throne. The vibrancy in the water upon his contact felt like a shot of adrenaline. My posture straightened as I stared at my hands in awe as the overwhelming realization came to me of how truly blessed I was to be Poseidon's son.

"Then I suppose it is only fitting for a father to help his son. I believe the lessons which Chiron will offer will be more than suitable for your role as the leader of such a group, and as such I will leave that in the capable hands of the Centaur." He stroked his beard as he stared at the grand ceiling contemplatively.

"I will organize a way for you to access the best tutors and trainers at the disposal of Atlantis to assist your growth with your powers. It is only fitting for your personal development to be overseen by ones of the sea after all; that should accelerate your growth significantly…" He began to trail off, his eyes almost glazing as he got lost in thought.

It took me a few moments to regain my composure as I acclimatized to the vibrant water which caressed me before the weight of his words finally registered, and I was left stunned. I stared at him a few moments longer, shock still etched onto my face, as he began mumbling the names of, whom I assumed to be, the trainers and tutors which he had just mentioned.

After a while, a revelation struck me to my core.

"But father, what about the ancient laws?"

Poseidon snapped out of his speculations; his green eyes as vibrant as the waters enveloping me as he stared down at me. Intense waves of pure energy and power began rolling from him to the point where the water which had been clinging to him began to steam and bubble. If it were not for the gentle smile, one from a doting father who was teaching his infant son an important lesson, I would have been inclined to curl up in a ball or to run as far away from this almighty entity before me.

It struck me for the first time that my father had rarely approached me as many of the other gods did, exaggerating their powers to incite fear. He had always come with the presence of a soothing ocean waft, leaving behind the gentle trace of the sea breeze. Now, before me wasn't the soft and simple image of my father, but the powerful and imposing Olympian God of the Seas.

Just as fast as it came, the rolls of pure energy disappeared. The twinkle in his eyes returned as he lazily gripped at his mighty Trident which sat beside his throne, his other hand casually stroking his beard as he continued to smile warmly down unto me.

"Beneath these waves, my son, I am king, my word is the law."

A/N:

Get updates about what else I'm writing on my discord. The link is on my profile page.

I hope everything is going great for you whenever you read this.

-ZedricSOZ