Chapter 3: Insert Random Title

Initially, I was shocked when I saw the floating trident above Tysons head near the table.

Then I was happy.

I immediately jumped up and gave Tyson, who looked very confused, a side hug.

"This means we're brothers, Tyson."

He looked at me in wonder.

Tantalus on the other hand, started snickering.

I looked at him, annoyed.

"With all due respect, sir, I would suggest you to not waste your energy laughing, since you wouldn't be able to restore it with food. Wouldn't want you going so soon."

The entire camp was silent.

The silence was broken by Mr D, who was banging the table with his goblet while howling.

"Oh-Oh my Dad! Peter Johnson, you're not even in trouble, this is just too good"

Seeing this as an opportunity to escape from this situation I had brought upon myself, I quickly bowed to Dionysus before dragging Tyson with me to Cabin 2, saying something about teaching Tyson the rules.

Can't teach what I don't know, but whatever.

There were comments from other campers, obviously. I unfortunately cannot confidently say that I gave a single shit. I dealt with the entire hatred of my village as a LITERAL CHILD, these guys wouldn't be able to affect me. Especially not when the people who I really care for are still there for me.

Annabeth, while seemingly very tense around Tyson, was still more or less the same. She'd suggested that we team up for this chariot race which Tantalus had brought back.

Speaking of Tantalus, I really don't like the guy. Mainly because he was an ass. Also because of some resentment for what happened to Chiron.

The horse man did not deserve being suspected after the literal centuries he's spent helping out the gods by making sure their kids don't immediately die. He also made Annabeth swear on the Styx to keep me out of trouble, which, while very valid, was not a very fun thing to hear.

I really forgot how bigoted people can be.

Sure, I had years of experience as a child in the leaf village, dealing with stares and whispers. The general treatment of being seen as less-than-human.

I just hadn't thought that the same could happen at camp. These guys were people who didn't fit in with others. Half-bloods who fought to survive against monsters. And yet, they were also the exact same as the world that rejected them.

"Ignore them" I told Tyson "As long as I'm here, you don't need to care about what they think"

He sniffled, but nodded.

Poor guy, he didn't deserve all this. He wasn't a 'monster', he was just a slightly larger, slightly baby-faced friendly cyclops. It wasn't like friendly cyclopes were rare, hundreds worked at my dads palace, but these idiots didn't seem to remember that, even after I yelled it in front of their faces.

Even Annabeth, who was always someone I expected to count on, was keeping some distance. We were still working together for the chariot race, but it felt like there was a gap between us because I didn't denounce my younger brother.

It seemed like the only ones who wasn't a complete asshole was Clarisse and the Ares cabin, which maintained their regular partial asshole behaviour.

Beckendorf and a couple of the Hephaestus kids were alright too. Like 90% of Tyson's time was spent at the forge with them, and clearly he enjoyed it and the Hephaestus cabin kids enjoyed having a fireproof helper, so it was a win-win.

Grover was wearing a wedding dress.

This wasn't the first Grover related dream I'd had, even if you just looked at this week.

'He likes sheep' however, was not exactly informative.

Anyway, he was standing in a dark cave, with a cot and some torches along the walls.

"Thank the gods" he said "can you hear me?"

"I hear you" I said "What's going on Grover?"

From behind a huge boulder, a monstrous voice called out "Honeypie! Are you done yet?"

Grover flinched and replied in a voice which made him sound like he's inhaled helium "Not quite, dearest! A few more days !"

"Bah! Hasn't it been two weeks yet?"

"N-no, dearest. Just five days. That leaves twelve more to go."

The voice was silent for a few moments before he said "All right, but hurry! I want to SEEEE under that veil, heh-heh-heh"

As Grover turned back towards me, I said what was on my mind.

"While I support you marrying whoever you want, did the invite have to come through dreams?"

"Wha-NO! I'm stuck in this cave, on an island in the sea"

"Just saying sea isn't specific man"

"I don't know where exactly! I went to Florida and turned left."

"Left where ?"

"It's a trap!" Grover said, ignoring my (very valid) question "It's the reason no satyr has ever
returned from this quest. He's a shepherd, Percy! And he has it. Its nature magic is so powerful it smells just like the great god Pan!"

The satyrs come here thinking they've found Pan, and they get trapped and eaten by Polyphemus!"

"Who the heck is that?"

"They Cyclops!" Grover said, sounding annoyed by my lack of killer cyclops knowledge "I almost got away and made it all the way to St Augustine"

I remembered the first dream I'd had " and you ran into a bridal boutique"

"Yeah" Grover said "My first empathy link must've worked then. This bridal dress is the reason I'm
alive. He thinks I smell good, but I told him it was just goat-scented perfume. Thank goodness he can't see properly. His eye is still half blind from the last time somebody poked it out. But he'll realize what I am. He's only giving two weeks to finish the bridal train, and he's getting impatient!"

"You're getting married to a giant killer cyclops?"

"Yes" Grover wailed.

I almost laughed, but seeing Grover so scared sort of killed the mood.

"Where are you?" I asked "There's no way I'm not attending my best friend's wedding"

Hey, he might be freaked out but that doesn't mean I can't make jokes.

"Not funny Perc" he said with a deadpan "I'm in the Sea of Monsters"

"Where is that? Florida and left isn't helpful. Like at all."

"I don't know exactly where! And look Percy, …um I'm really sorry about this, but this empathy link… I had no choice. Our emotions are connected now, If I die…"

"I die too? That seems pretty easy to deal with."

Grover looked at me, stunned. "H-How?"

"All we have to do is make sure we're both alive" I said with a smile to my friend.

"HONEYPIE!" my best friend's to-be husband bellowed "DINNERTIME! YUMMY YUMMY SHEEP MEAT!"

"I've got to go" Grover whimpered "Hurry

"I'll be there" I promised "Just hold out a little longer"

With that, his voice was gone.