After the ominous greeting by a wolf, Percy was knocked out once again. Instead of the usual desert landscape that dreamt about there was something else. He was surrounded by a big mansion, pillars were made of sea stone, the path to the tree thrones was lined with glowing pearls and the doorway behind him was just huge. "Perseus."
"Mr. Ayers?" Percy questioned as he looked over at the man with the slicked back hair, instead of the normal suit that he wore, he wore an armor, studded with pearls, just like the one that was left behind for him, by Ed. Percy then remembered his mother calling him Triton, and he had recognized the name. Triton was the prince of the sea. He bowed quickly, and clumsily, never having bowed before. "Triton." He breathed out.
"Perseus, don't do that." Triton said as he stood in front of the three thrones, "You're my brother." He said and waved his hand. Two chairs appeared and a table with snacks that Percy had never seen before.
Triton was being friendly towards him, even though Percy just learned that they're half-siblings. Triton should be angry with him, for being an illegitimate child. "Your mother is fine, she is recovering well in the hospital." Percy let out a breath that he didn't know that he was holding back.
"Do we share the same father?" Percy asked as he watched Triton put some pastries on a plate. His brother let out a laugh after putting the plate with pastries in front of Percy.
"Yes, we do." Triton said.
"Neptune?" Percy asked and he saw the slightly surprised face of Triton. The man's face morphed a bit, changing. Triton's stubble disappeared and his cheekbones looked like they were cut with stone.
"Yes," Triton said as he held his plate a bit tighter, "You're the son of Neptune."
"And Sally Jackson." Percy added, Triton let out a soft chuckle. It was hard to phantom that his father is an actual god, for a brief moment he even thought he was another Jesus. "Where are we?" Percy asked as he looked around.
"Atlantis." Triton answered.
Percy felt his breath hitch, "Atlantis?" He asked and looked around. "Do you empty your place of water?"
His brother had an amused smile on his face, "No, we don't." Triton grabbed a pastry and threw it, the velocity of the thrown pastry didn't match the usual speed, neither did it go down directly onto the ground. "You're a child of the sea, Perseus. You can breathe underwater."
At the soothing words of his brother he let out a breath. It was silent for a moment as his brother watched him with an amused expression. "Did you like my gift?" His brother asked as he looked at Percy's necklace. "I had it made here, in the underwater forges."
Percy gaped at his brother, "Underwater forges?" He repeated. "How do you make weapons underwater?"
Triton had a smile on his face and Percy could see the subtle fangs of his corner teeth. "With very hot fire, brother."
There was that word again, brother. "Shouldn't you be angry with me?" Percy asked quietly, "I'm a bastard child." He had heard the word bastard from his English literature class. Triton flared anger for a brief moment and Percy let out a shaky breath.
"That fault lies with our father." Triton said and looked over at him. "But you're my brother, a child outside of wedlock or not." Percy took a bite out of his pastry, his heartbeat calming down. He raised his eyebrows at the taste and continued to eat it. "Besides, you're just a boy, you go outside with your friends, you don't enjoy school and you like to fight with swords."
"I was out in the forest and now I'm dreaming and actually talking to you." Percy said, slowly because he didn't understand it either. "There was a voice, that said that I was a child of Greeks and Romans-"
"I was hoping you didn't remember that." Triton said and Percy asked why, "It's because you'll be in twice as much danger, both pantheons will be after you." He said. "Especially with this situation." He muttered.
Triton stood up and walked over to the map of the world that is engraved into the wall. "Lady Lupa will be training you," He said quietly, "She's my friend, treat her with the utmost respect, Perseus, maybe send her my regards."
"Of course." Percy was going to be trained and he just sat there, by the measly little table, listening to his brother put together a plan. He looked at the area his brother was looking at and then asked the question that remained on his mind ever since he has been in the underwater palace. "Why are you helping me?"
"You're my brother." Triton said, "I've had many brothers, but no demigod brother can be compared to how special you are." He said and glanced at Percy. "Most of the time, our brothers and even our sisters are born furious, acting entitled to the throne and just destroy, because that is what we are, we're destruction that is everywhere." Triton pointed at the light green parts on the maps, "Those are storms," Then he pointed at the blinking red doth, "These are earthquakes."
It didn't make Percy feel comforted, "But you aren't like that, you don't want to destroy. I don't think you even want this to be your future." Triton said and motioned at the three thrones. "Our father can be the most hated man alive, because he holds all the responsibilities, and we're his favorite sons."
Triton looked at his brother, "You have the sea in your heart, and the storms in your eyes. You're a Greek and Roman demigod, destined to be a force to be reckoned with. That is why I like you, Perseus." Triton said, "In a way, you're already better than me at your age then I was when I was your age. I can't wait to see what you grow up to be."
'Our father can be the most hated man alive, because he holds all the responsibilities, and we're his favorite sons.' Rang through his head. "What's the plan?"
Triton laughed softly, "You will not know," His brother said and Percy blinked a few times, "Surprises get out the very best in people, I have yet to see everything."
"Everything?"
"The sea comes in all depths, colors and types of water." Triton said and he waved his hand. A trident appeared in his hands, "You will learn to fight, to control your powers and learn how to lead." He said, "But you will learn how to delegate, how to listen to those in power and learn how to choose."
"Triton." Percy said as he saw the trident in his hand. "I'm waking up, aren't I?" He asked and his brother nodded, "Thank you for your gift." He said and bowed awkwardly. Triton laughed and that was all Percy heard when he woke up.
– – – – – –
"Perseus Jackson, glad of you to finally join us." The voice said that was identified as Lady Lupa by Triton. The she-wolf was in his head, speaking to him and he couldn't shake the unfamiliar feeling. "We've been waiting."
Percy got up to his feet slowly, and bowed before the biggest wolf. "My brother Triton sends his regards." He said, loud and clear. The wolf tilted her head at him and it looked like she had a smile on her face.
"I see." She hummed, "Do you know who I am?" She had dark brown fur, the color reminded him of the chocolate ice cream that he gets with his mother.
Percy nodded, "You are the wolf who raised Romulus and Remus." Percy said, "I learnt about them in my latin classes."
"I am proud of their fates." Lady Lupa says. "I will test you, to see if you are honorable enough for the Twelfth legion Fulminata." Percy didn't flinch at the thought of having to join the army. He had a sneaky feeling that it is his duty, either way.
He had lost track of the time. Percy had spent his time with Lady Lupa, being trained under her harsh routine. She jokes sometimes, if he would falter in his step, that she would show what it is like to be thrown to the wolves.
By the second day of training, Percy had learned how to fight with one sword. That allowed him to join their hunt, it was vicious and he hadn't hidden how he basked in the glow of the hunt. He ran alongside them, a few paces behind Lupa. A feral smile on his face whenever he had gotten a monster dead all by himself.
It was crucial for Percy to learn how to defend himself, because Lupa had said that monsters come after him a lot faster than other demigods. At that discovery, Lupa had doubled down on her harsh training.
He had to do the weirdest things, but he felt it helped him. He could run as fast as them, for a longer period of time. He could pull up things that were far heavier than him and he could run through the forest with a grace he couldn't comprehend himself.
It was a bit like a very extensive bootcamp. Only this had far less breaks, and no mattresses to sleep on. It was good for him to look back at when he had first come to Lupa. He was barely able to do a muscle up in a swift motion.
Lupa had taught her so much, she even showed Percy how his weapons worked. In her seven foot human state, she summoned a trident and a dagger in her hand. She showed how she moved with them, almost fluently.
Percy gaped at her and at the very second, he pulled up his sword to meet the trident. She grinned wolfishly at Percy. All Percy had to do was pull his necklace a different way so that he had a trident and a dagger in his hand as well. He had an arm guard and a shoulder guard. "You're more fluid, less stiff than other demigods."
"I am of the sea." Percy had repeated his brother's words.
He had learned a lot under her tutelage. He fought defensively, and offensively. He fought anything that would challenge him whenever he was out with the pack. At the end of the night, Percy would have to jump in the water and heal all the small wounds he got from running through the forest.
"Stand up and stay in the water, Perseus." Lupa barked out her order and Percy stood up straight. "Show me that you're a child of the sea." And he did.
They worked on it, for days on end. The only time Percy really can take a break is when he has to sleep. The time to sleep keeps getting prolonged by the amount of energy that the water gives him. It was a tiring process, he had never worked on his water powers before, he didn't even know that he had any.
The only thing he knew that he could do was breathe underwater, and that was when he was dreaming. The dreams were getting worse, but very clear. He could see it all now, he could feel his body be more solid than before, actually feeling the shaking of the earth.
"You're done, Perseus." Lupa said, her pack laid down behind her.
"Done?"
"Your training is complete." Lupa said and pointed at the small path between the trees. "You're only twelve, but you have such potential. It is time for you to head to camp."
"Where is the camp? What camp?" He asked.
"Camp Jupiter." Lupa said, "Where I send all of my demigods, it is time to find your way to your new home." Percy faltered at hearing that, he wasn't going to believe that the camp would be his new home. Home is where his mother is.
Percy snapped himself out of his thoughts and turned to Lupa. "Thank you." He said quietly and bowed before turning around and walking over to the path. He held his swords in his hands and continued down the path, he kept looking around. The monsters lurked in the shadows and he wasn't about to be their dinner.
He walked through the forest, hell bent on not wasting energy on running in a direction that would just lead nowhere. He stepped on the leaves and on the twigs on the ground, he walked over a tree log and he walked through bodies of water.
He listened closely, but in the empty forest he could only hear his own footsteps and the sound of local fauna. He walked through a creek and his hands automatically tightened around the handles of his swords.
The sound of fighting sounded, and it sounded like someone was losing. Percy then ran over to the sound and saw the situation. A blonde fighting against two monsters, two girl monsters?
He pushed himself out from behind the bushes and caught the swipe of the monster against the blonde girl. He grunted and kicked the monster away. "What are these?" He asked and slashed down in an arc to target the newly appeared hellhound.
"Empousa." The girl breathed out, by the condition of her clothes, Percy knew that she had been out fighting for a long time. "Are you new to the demigod game?" She asked.
"I am." Percy said and double striked the hellhound, reducing it to dust. Percy dropped his golden sword and pulled the girl back, keeping her safe from the remaining empousa. They looked at the dust on the ground around them. "It's night." He noted and looked up at the sky.
His sword disappeared and he watched the girl grab her dagger from the ground. "Are you okay?" He asked, she was in rough shape, and looked like she had injured her ankle. He pulled her arm over his shoulder, and despite her annoyance at the action, she let him help her.
Percy helped her sit down on a log, "It's too dangerous to be outside." She was scolding him, but he raised an eyebrow at her. "Fine. Set up camp here?" She suggested.
"Stranger danger." Percy joked and nodded. "Who are you?" He asked her as he picked up wood from the ground.
"Stranger danger," She replied wittily, "I'm not telling you."
"I'm Perseus Ja-"
"Perseus?" She scoffed, "Seriously? We're introducing ourselves as old heroes." She snorted, "I'm Hippolyta then."
Percy was more curious about who that was instead of explaining that Perseus is his real name. "Hippolyta?" He questioned and used the metal of his shoelaces to make a fire. He was still wearing his military boots from school. Never before had he thought that integrated fire starters in bootlaces were necessary.
"She was a demigod. Known for the belt that Hercules had to retrieve for his ninth labor. She was killed by Hercules because Lady Hera had shouted that he came to kidnap their queen. Hippolyta ran the amazons, by the way. And that was her story."
"That's a bit sad."
"I know." The blonde nodded.
"So can I call you Hippo?" Percy asked with a smile on his face, jumping at the opportunity to call someone a hippo without any backlash.
Hippo shook her head and snorted, "It's so silly, call me Chase."
"Is that your last name, Chase?" Percy asked. The girl nodded, "My last name is Jackson." He said and held his hand out with a playful smile on their face. "We didn't meet in a normal situation, but my mom taught me to be polite and shake someone's hand."
Chase looked at the mildly scarred hand. "How long have you been out here?" She asked and shook his hand.
"What date is today?" He asked.
"15th of august." Chase said and Percy let out a surprised breath. "How long have you been in here?" She asked and frowned at Percy. "Does your mortal parent not miss you? Does your godly one not guide you out of the forest?"
Percy was bombarded with these questions and he cleared his throat, "I was attacked by one of the kindly ones near the end of June." Percy answered vaguely. "I'm not going back to my mortal parent," He said quietly, "I got attacked, and she got hurt." He breathed in and stretched his neck. "I'm not spending my birthday with my mom." He said.
"You'll get used to it." Chase said. "Only reason I'm here is because I got split from my group. And I didn't want to go home, but still managed to end up in California." She was talking to herself more than Percy.
"You live at camp, throughout the whole year?" He asked and Chase made a non-commit sound. "But you used to live in California." She nodded this time, glancing over at Percy instead of the fire. "We look like we're the same age, what school did you go to?" He asked.
She told him her school and his eyes widened. "You're from that school?" He finally put together the nagging in his brain. "You're Annabeth Chase-"
"How the fuck do you know that?" Annabeth said and held her dagger tightly. She held it up to level at him over the fire.
"I went to military school, and we went to a museum, you left behind a book on architecture." Percy breathed out as he held up his hands. "Then you called me a thief."
Annabeth's grip faltered and put her dagger by her side. "I knew that I shouldn't put my name in books." She chastised herself.
"I don't think you're the type to forget anything either." Percy said and smiled at her. "I looked through the book, but like, what is so pretty about brutalism?" He questioned and cringed.
Annabeth let out an amused breath, as if she couldn't believe that she liked brutalism architecture either. "My mortal parent, my dad, is super obsessed with World War Two." She said, "So I thought, if I could use an architecture style that was created after World War Two, we'd finally have something in common."
Percy frowned and looked at her, "Your dad doesn't like you?" He asked, quietly.
"More like, my step-mom doesn't." Annabeth said and poked the fire with her blade. "She never believed me when I said that spiders would attack me, the bite marks would disappear before she could see them and she thought that the cobwebs were a very good improvisation."
"Some parents shouldn't become parents." Percy said, he had seen many examples of kids with those kinds of parents. They were dumped at the school, stayed weekends at the school and didn't call home. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
Annabeth took her dagger out of the fire and chucked it next to her. "It's fine, I'm living at camp now." She said, "We should sleep now, Perseus." She said his name with such an amused tone he wondered if she would realize that it is actually his name.
Percy rolled his eyes, "I will see you around at camp, will I?" He asked.
"If I weren't out on a quest I would bring you there, I have your back." She said, "Sleep, Perseus." She stressed.
"Good night, Hippo." He called out, a bit louder than their actual tone but it got a laugh out of Annabeth, who just muttered that he should shut up. Percy let out a chuckle before he fell asleep, falling once again into an unexpected world.
– – – – – –
"Hey Triton." Percy was still scared to be talking so casually with his godly brother, but that worry ebbed away when his brother smiled at him.
"Hey Perseus." Triton greeted, "So I heard your training with Lupa went well." He said.
"I think so." Percy said and smiled. "Do you know how my mother is?"
"She's sad." Triton said honestly and Percy's smile faltered. "I understand of course, her son had fought a monster and she doesn't know if he's alive. Send a letter, when you arrive at Camp Jupiter, better yet. Go by her house if you are allowed outside."
Percy nodded. "I will." His heart was breaking at the thought of his mother being all alone in the house that she had bought for the two of them. "I helped out a girl, fighting a few monsters." Percy announced. "She said she was split from her group."
"Annabeth Chase?" Triton questioned, knowing exactly who Percy was talking about.
"Yeah." Percy nodded, "Is she from the Camp too?" He asked.
"A different one, for the Greeks." Triton said. "It's in New York, that is where father wanted you to be." He stated, "But I needed you to be in California, for your own safety and mostly your mother's. Father had seen that later."
"Why?"
"Your step-father." Triton said and that was all Percy had to know. The vile human being that was called Smelly Gabe had become too comfortable in his violent state. It angered Triton, Percy noted. He saw the way his scales flicker into a more bright green, nearly yellow. "So I set Ed, next to your house. He protected you against the stray monsters that made their way to you and your group."
"And you came when Ed died." Percy said, bluntly.
"I did." Triton nodded, "Ed was a veteran, he wanted to do his last post, protecting you. To him it was an honor to protect the prince of Atlantis."
"He died."
"Of natural causes." Triton countered. Percy stayed quiet and Triton took that as a sign to continue the conversation, what he wanted to say to his little mortal brother. "If you head west, you'll end up at Camp Jupiter." He said, "You're going to be sent on a quest, to repent for our father, to find the lightning bolt and prove his innocence."
"Why can't our father find it himself?"
"Gods can't touch each other's symbols of power." Triton explained, "Because you're his only mortal son-"
"The responsibility of finding it falls onto me." Percy finished his brother's sentence. "Anything else I need to know?"
His brother gave him a small smile, "You'll be claimed, and targeted." He said, "People don't like the spawn of the seas in Camp Jupiter. Win them over, show them our charm." Percy let out a breath and smiled, in a way, Triton was his brother, the one he never had before and now did have.
"I will." Percy said and looked at Triton. They looked alike in a sense, if the amount of gel didn't restrain Triton's hair, Percy supposes that they have the same nest of black waves on their head, if Percy didn't have a buzz cut from school. They have the same nose and even the same eyes. "Thank you for helping, Triton."
"Whenever I can, I will." Triton said and smiled.
– – – – – –
Percy woke up with a gasp and put a hand over his pounding heart. It was light outside and the fire had been out for hours, probably. His heart rate slowed down and he looked around. "Annabeth?" He called out, "Hippo?" This shout for her was weak but he understood. She didn't know him, he wasn't a part of her group, nor her camp.
He just hoped that she wouldn't get attacked until she made it back to her group of friends. Percy stood up and wiped the dirt off of his clothes. With the two swords back in his hands, he made his way down west.
He kept walking and walking until he reached the beginning of a tunnel, he waved at the two people guarding it, obviously with the weapons in their hands. They were demigods. "I hope that I'm at the right place." He said as neared them, his swords had returned back to his necklace and he had no weapons in his hands.
"Maybe, what are you looking for?" A guy had his hand on the hilt of his sword and Percy raised his eyebrows at him.
"Camp." He just said in simple words, and with a nod from the guy. A girl waved him over and led him to the end of the tunnel. They walked and walked, Percy didn't know how he had to feel about it. Leaving his home behind like that.
His breath hitched when he saw the camp, he saw the cohorts and immediately his mind went back to boot camp. There were five barracks and next to one was what seems like the bathhouses straight out of his history book.
"I had the same reaction to it too, when I first got to camp."
"And when was that?" Percy asked.
"Five months ago." She said, "I'm Gwen, daughter of Mercury." He shook her hand and smiled.
"Percy Jackson-"
"It's fine to not know your parent." She cut him off, "Most of us don't know, if you don't have a recommendation letter, you should join us, the fifth cohort." She advised him. "Most of us don't have either."
Percy nodded, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Right." They kept walking on the path and occasionally people would walk past and give Percy curious looks, whispering things about whatever their augur had said.
Percy had only heard of an augur from their Latin books. All that he knew was that an augur is an important person, who gave prophecies and guidance for future events. They walk over a bridge and Percy peers into the water, smiling at the water spirit in it.
Eventually they stand outside of an old-fashioned back, with guards protecting it. Percy read 'SPQR' on a banner and he curiously looked at it. "Senatus Populusque Romanus. This is the principia." Gwen said with a small smile on her face.
They stepped inside and they looked at the mosaic of Romulus and Remus, "Lupa is very proud of them."
"Lady Lupa." Gwen corrected.
"She's a friend." Percy said and continued to follow after Gwen. He watched and looked at the bronze medals decorating the wall, along with military symbols. "Why is this empty?" He asked, pointing at the empty display stand.
"That is meant for the Eagle standard. The fifth many years before us lost it on a quest." Gwen said, "Our reputation took a hit. You know how the Romans are with their grudges." She said and smiled wistfully.
Percy quickly shut up about his questions and continued to follow Gwen down a stairwell, she knocked and a guard opened the door. "A new recruit wandered into the tunnel, Predators." Gwen said, with her hands behind her back and back straight.
Percy quickly followed her posture but faltered when he recognized the face that was leaning over the table. The girl looked up and her eyes widened, "Blue?" She asked, incredulously. She bristled over to him and picked him up in a bear hug. "Oh I haven't seen you in forever!" She exclaimed, "Do you know how long I have been waiting for this moment? Like two years!" She said.
The other praetor looked confused and walked over to Jess, he put a hand on her shoulder and looked at Percy. "Do we know him?"
"She used to babysit me back in-"
"New York!" She put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair, it had only grown out a bit from his buzzcut . "Oh dear, what happened to your hair?" She shook her head, "You should've seen those waves, Mack. Gods until this day I am envious." Mack laughed and motioned over to Gwen.
"Thank you for bringing him over, you can head back to your post and relieve the new probatio." He said and the girl left Percy alone with the two praetors, donned in their purple toga.
"Go sit!" Jess called out, "How have you been? Lady Lupa treat you right?"
"I've been better." Percy said with a dry smile, "I've been in the forest for about, I think nearly two months now."
"Explains the smell." Mack says as he opens a window.
Jess rolled her eyes and motioned at Percy to continue, "But Lady Lupa treated me right, she was very caring." Percy said, "Really helped me with my powers and swordsmanship."
Jess smiled brightly, "And your mom?" Percy's smile faltered.
"Mom is fine, at home. We moved to California." Percy said. "I'm scared to go back home though, she got hurt because a monster was after me."
"That isn't your fault." Jess said and patted his cheek. "Your mom doesn't take it personally, she'll always care for you. Just like she did for me." Jess smiled, "Your mother took care of us, Blue."
"You just babysat me."
"I basically lived at your house, Blue. I ate breakfast and dinner, your mom even prepared me lunch, every single day."
"Why?" Percy frowned out of confusion.
"My mom was an addict, home wasn't safe so I'd sometimes crash on your couch. Your mom took care of me." She had a small smile on her face, "She's the reason I got here safely, bought me a plane ticket and flew me out here."
Percy had a small smile on his face as he listened. "She's like that." He muttered and accepted the bowl of jellybeans from Praetor Mack. "She isn't married to Gabe anymore."
Jess snorted, "That man is the bane of my existence," She looked over at her colleague, "He was the one who kept buying alcohol for my mother and played poker at my old apartment." Percy snorted and shook his head. She leveled down with him and patted his knee. "I owe your family nearly everything, why don't you take a bath at my home, stay until you are chosen for a cohort, yeah?" Percy nodded and looked sheepishly as his stomach growled. "Maybe food is in order as well," Jess held her hand up and called out a name, "Bring him over to my place and order food, you still like arepas, right? Maybe set a bath, if you could?"
"Of course." A little boy said and Percy smiled at Jess before following the boy out of the principia and over the path. They walked to the edge of the same ground before they stood before a mansion, Percy blinked and was led inside. He gaped at the marble floor and walls, everywhere there was a little something that reminded him of their old home in New York.
"Your food will be here soon." The boy said and gave him a quick tour, bathroom, guest room, kitchen, living room and library. They stood in the living room and the boy said, "Wait here."
Percy nodded and kept looking around until his eyes landed on a picture that was hung up. It was them, all three of them together. They were at the park, laying down on a baby blue blanket, the candles of the number thirteen were lit up on a blue cake. Jess' hand was on top of Percy's head, pushing him down onto the edge of the cake. The picture caught his mother's surprised face and Jess' amused smile.
"Your food is here." Percy's eyes were snapped away from the picture and looked at the table instead. He smiled and thanked the guy before shoveling down the food that wasn't just cooked meat. The guy disappeared and Percy was left alone in the big house.
He laid in the warm water and looked at the cuts on his arms get sealed. There were a few scars that he had acquired from his trip in the woods, mainly the one on his neck. A monster had managed to graze the side of his neck with an arrow. A flesh wound, mostly, but the wolves were merciless when it came to vengeance.
He put his head underwater and breathed. He was going to find a pen and paper and write to his mother, telling her that he was fine, he was in the hands of Jess and that he was trained. That he misses her and that he was grateful to have a mother like her.
"Percy?" A muffled voice sounded and Percy put his head up from under the water. "I'll put some clothes out for you. The ceremony is starting soon."
Percy stepped out of the bath and willed himself to be dry, he pulled on the clothes that Jess had left him and stepped out in the purple t-shirt with the words 'SPQR' on them. "Looking handsome, gods you've grown." Jess couldn't resist but ruffle his hair again, "How did you get so dry so fast?"
Percy just shrugged, "I'm just glad that I got the smell out." Jess let out a laugh that told him everything, the smell must have been bad. He followed her up to the Senate, answering every little question she had.
Is your mom still writing? She already has a few drafts ready. Where did you go to school? Military School charter in California, bay area side. Was the smell so bad at school that it hid you for a complete year? I didn't smell worse than they do.
They stepped into the rumbling Senate and walked to the middle of some kind of lecture hall. The chairs were turned towards them and the moment that Praetor Mack held up his hand, they all quieted down. The light from the dome shone down on the three of them. Percy looked at the two purple toga's and saw what air they held, authority and respect.
"Senators of the legion, you all know what time it is." Some drummed their tables in anticipation, sounding their excitement. Jess smiled and held up her hand, immediately the drumming stopped. "We have a new addition to our ranks, a recruit of great potential." She announced. "Perseus Jackson."
Jess held up a scroll with the ends of it being carved wood, "Lupa, recommends him to the first cohort, stating that he is a promising soldier who's skills need to be refined." That got the less interested one's attention. "Throw in your hats and hold up your hands if you want him."
Percy blinked at the immediate response, all of the hands were in the air. "You have to choose, Perseus."
She had explained the cohorts on their way to the senate and he took a breath. The words that Triton had said repeated in his head. "The first cohort." He decided, some hands dropped and slammed down the table, disappointed that they didn't get the promising recruit.
The moment that it was official a light appeared above Percy's head. Like clockwork, everyone stretched out their right arm and shouted, "Ave, Percy Jackson, son of Neptune." Percy breathed out with wide eyes as everyone watched him.
Two more scrolls appeared on the table and Jess held them up. "A task, given directly from Lord Neptune and Prince Triton. An ambassador who will fight among the best and a chance to prove himself will come soon."
Jess blinked a few times and looked over at Percy. "Let the augur come into the senate." She ordered a guard and a minute later a senior blonde man entered the room and curiously looked over at Percy.
"A son of Neptune," He shook his head, "Bad luck." He whispered and Percy narrowed his eyes at the man. Percy held out his arm and the augur passed his hand over the arm and shouted, "We accept Percy Jackson, Son of Neptune, to the Twelfth Legion Fulminata for his first year of service. Do you pledge your life to the senate and people of Rome."
Percy held his head up high as he loudly stated, "I do."
"Senatus Populusque Romanus!" The senators shouted and the Roman symbols were marked into his arm, a trident, SPQR and a single stripe. He couldn't explain it except for holding down his arm on the edge of a hot iron pan and searing it. Percy managed not to scream.
The senators leave the room, as did the augur. Leaving Percy alone with the praetors and the senator of the first cohort. "Welcome. Michael Kahale." He said and Percy shook his hand, "I'll lead you over to our first barracks."
They walked over to the barracks in the evening, Percy hadn't been able to keep up with the time. Percy looked around on the soldiers' ground and looked at the people. His eyes landed on Gwen who was sharpening her sword outside of her barrack. Percy gave her a small smile and as soon as Michael opened the door, all the soldier's jumped up out of their beds or wherever they were sitting.
"This is our new recruit, a Son of Neptune." That sounded like his father was more important than his actual name. Percy kept his face neutral as he was pointed at an empty bunk bed in the back. He walked over to the back and the sound of talking didn't leave his ears, he could hear whispers of 'Neptune'.
"Percy?" A person gaped at him and Percy turned to the voice.
"Reyna?" He breathed out and instantly, the girl was in his arms hugging him back as hard as he was hugging her. "Oh my gods, I thought you ran off with your sister." He whispered.
"I don't think I can follow her rules ever again." She joked and Percy snorted."Gods Percy, I've missed you." She said quietly.