The night was miserable.
I helped bandage Annabeth up using the tools from my med kit. I used the purification stone to cleanse the cut of any germs then spread antibacterial paste on it before Grover cut neat strips of seaweed to wrap the injury.
I didn't want to risk trying to heal her with my waterbending without any training in case I messed up.
Once Annabeth was fixed up we moved further into the woods. I was still struggling to breathe, but at least I wasn't gasping for breath the whole time. I was just breathing hard and my chest was tight.
We settled down in a large, litter filled, clearing. I glared at all the trash.
Why did people feel the need to leave it everywhere? It caused so much contamination!
Annabeth suggested we sleep in shifts in case Medusa changed her mind or some other monster decided to come after us.
Grover called first shift (and flew up to sit on a branch) and Annabeth was out the moment she hit the soft blanket from my med kit. I couldn't sleep though, it was hard to breathe and uncomfortable.
I counted my breaths and shifted against my balled up camp shirt pillow.
I sighed, rolling over.
"It makes me sad, Percy."
I blinked and turned to look at him, "What does?"
"This…" he motioned to the clearing. "All the pollution, even the sky. You can hardly see the stars anymore. It's a terrible time to be a satyr."
I nodded in understanding, "Yeah… it sucks all around. The amount of pollution in the ocean is really bad. And the rivers aren't doing much better."
"Yeah, you know a lot about that I suppose, what with your dad being Poseidon." He looked at me, "Did you know all along? Who your dad was?"
I pursed my lips. "No. But I did know… I did know that my dad was a sea deity… just not which one."
You know, besides my incorrect guess… I cleared my throat, breathing carefully, it was still hard to talk for long.
He blinked. "Oh… How did you meet Triton? You said you knew him?"
"Well, I was practicing in the river, when I was… eight?" I managed a half shrug laying down. "He ended up teaching me… a bunch, he made sure I knew… how to use my power and that I knew how to act… I'm from the sea as much as I'm from land- after all, I need to… to make sure to know my heritage."
Grover nodded slowly, "So you knew… Ms. Dodds."
I nodded, "Yeah, and I knew you weren't human… and that Khiron was super suspicious. I honestly thought… um, I thought that you guys were trying to kill me."
His eyes widened. "What!?"
"You weren't human, you were- were super suspicious, and you were talking about… me behind my back… It's not like… It's not like you told me anything either. I just had to guess… what you were doing and went with the worst possible outcome. Hope for the best… prepare for the worst."
He winced. "Yeah… I guess I wasn't the best at keeping you safe."
I stared at the tree branches above me. "You tried."
He sighed, looking back out. "You know, it really sucks… I can't protect you, I can't protect nature."
I shrugged, "You did your best… and protecting nature isn't a one-mer-uh man- er, satyr, job… It's going to take a lot of people working together."
"Not enough people seem to care. At this rate… at this rate I'll never find Pan."
I frowned, "Pan? Lord D's kid?"
"Mr. D's- you mentioned that before... uh, I'm talking about the great god Pan... not sure if they're the same. He's the Lord of the Wild and the reason I want my searcher's license, to find him."
A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rainwater. My skin felt like fresh mint was rubbed on it, warmth filling me as my breathing steadied fully for the first time since I had used the Siren's Song. I took a moment to just breathe.
The power in that… Was Pan paying attention?
"Tell me about it, the search."
He looked at me curiously, as if afraid I was making fun of him.
I noticed, perhaps for the first time, that he had a sensation as well. I must've just gotten used to it at school.
The faint taste of berries, the smell of freshly cut grass.
Was it because he was a satyr?
Grover spoke regardless of his fears. He told me of Pan and how he vanished, presumed dead, and the humans believed his passing.
I winced, Triton told me about Gods "fading". He only mentioned it briefly but with so many sea deities, sometimes they... slipped away. They wouldn't, couldn't, die but... they drifted away, fell asleep. Perhaps they'd wake one day, but not for a long time.
The world's wild places had faded since then, humans pillaging and ruining them. The satyrs never gave up hope though.
If Pan was alive, I'd bet it was because of them. They had such faith in him, such belief…
"You want to be a searcher, then?"
"It's my life's dream," he said. "My father was a searcher. And, well… I think my Uncle Ferdinand was back there, that statue…"
I nodded, "I'm sorry."
Grover shook his head. "Uncle Ferdinand knew the risks. So did my dad. But I'll succeed. I'll be the first one to return alive."
I blanched. The first? Alive?
"Pardon?"
He took out his reed pipes and spoke once more.
No searcher had returned, not in two thousand years. Not a single one. And yet…
I thought of the breeze that came through, soothing me, bringing fresh air. I felt that Grover would return, that he would succeed.
I made sure to tell him.
"Thanks, Percy."
We sat quietly for a bit and I thought of what we'd do next.
I probably still had enough money to get us a train ride, but I'd rather save it. It would be better if we could find an alternative route to get to LA.
"You should get some sleep Percy."
I frowned and was going to object, but he started to play Mozart, soft and sweet. I was asleep a few bars later.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I was standing in a village. There was a young girl cowering before several men.
" How dare you, you ungrateful child. After all that we've done for you?"
"I'm sorry!" she cried, shielding her face. "I didn't mean to."
"Didn't mean to!? You destroyed the well, you blind brat!"
"I'm sorry," she flinched back when one of the men stepped forward. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Your mother may have claimed your father to be some great God, but clearly he isn't great enough to give you an ounce of common sense."
"As if her dad is a god, that wicked mother of hers made it up. No god would have a blind child."
"Of course not. And any such claims shouldn't be trusted."
"Consider though, if her father is a God wouldn't he be oh so thankful for us disposing of such a stain on their line?"
"We'd be doing her supposed Godly parent a favor, getting rid of this insult to their power."
The men laughed. Cruel eyes stared down at her.
She flinched again and dodged a strike. Her hand clutched at a shell necklace.
I tried to move forward, to help, but I couldn't move. All I could do was watch the events unfold.
" Toss her to the sea. If she wants to play with water so much, then let her live, or die, in it."
The men moved, grabbing her even as she tried to get away. They dragged her with them, ignoring her vicious struggles.
She fought, she bit, she kicked. She screamed and thrashed and the ground shook, her eyes staring blankly as she tried to get her feet on the ground.
Through it all, the men dragged her to a cliff.
She tried one last time to break free, lunging away from them as the ground split beneath their feet. She was almost free, her feet steady once more.
Then a foot hit her in the gut and she went stumbling back into thin air.
I was forced to watch as she fell, her desperate cries filling the air.
"Goodbye, Lara."
I was dragged down with her, the men's cruel laughter in my ears. I tumbled down, hitting the water with a whoosh . My vision went black.
…
I stood at the pit, coiling sand brushing gently over me.
"Little Percy, so small, so young," the familiar voice of the unknown immortal whispered. "Let me help you. The Gods are cruel, they will show you no mercy. Come to me, I will give you what you seek."
A shimmering image hovered over the void: my mother, frozen in the moment she'd dissolved in a shower of gold.
"Mom," I whispered.
"Help me rise, Little Percy, strike a blow against the treacherous Gods. What have they done for you to deserve your loyalty? Bring me the bolt and help me rise once more."
"Who are you? You're a Titan, aren't you?"
The voice paused, "I am, but you need not worry who I am. Simply bring me the bolt and you will be safe. You will have your mother once more."
"Wha-"
Someone was shaking me.
No! I needed to talk to him!
I woke.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
"Well," Annabeth said. "The zombie lives."
I took a careful breath. I wasn't at the pit. I wasn't where the sandy deity with gold eyes was pleading for aid.
I didn't know what to do about that. I didn't have the bolt, and if I did I would need to return it to Zeus. I couldn't let a war happen.
I shook my head, "How long was I asleep?"
"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." Annabeth tossed me one of the few energy bars from my bag. "And Grover went exploring. Look, he brought a friend."
I blinked at what was sitting on Grover's lap. A dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed dog.
Wait.
I blinked again when it moved.
Oh dear.
That was a real dog.
The poor thing.
The poodle yapped at me suspiciously.
"No, he's not," Grover said.
"So uh… what's with the pink poodle? That is in desperate need of a bath, do you want me to give it a bath?"
Grover shook his head, "This is Gladiola, and our ticket west. Percy, Gladiola, Gladiola, Percy."
"Nice to meet you," I offered.
The poodle preened.
Grover explained how he'd come across Gladiola in the woods and after a conversation learned about the $600 reward for Gladiola's safe return.
Who wanted their dog back that badly? Was Gladiola like a show dog or something? That was a lot of money… though probably only just enough for some decent tickets.
"We'll turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice. "We get the money, and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."
I considered that. It could work.
I thought of my dreams, Lara being thrown off the cliff (Lara, the same name Medusa mentioned as her love. Were they the same?), the voice in the pit asking, pleading, requesting, help.
It might work, assuming no one else messed with the quest.
Although...
"Not another bus," I said firmly.
"No," Annabeth agreed.
She pointed downhill, towards train tracks I wasn't able to see last night in the dark.
"There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the west-bound train leaves at noon."
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Triton POV
Sending out messages to all the sea kingdoms was always a mess. This was why I hated doing it all at once.
Okeanus said all the kingdoms must acknowledge Persi as Metuno son. That meant we couldn't just send them a letter so they were aware, we had to get them to come and acknowledge it officially.
It wasn't good for us.
Though many in the sea would acknowledge Persi simply by the official announcement, some of Okeanus' allies would not .
Especially if Okeanus asked them not to.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think of Okeanus trying to adopt Persi.
He'd tried to adopt me multiple times; Mevu and him constantly debated it. He'd also tried to adopt my other siblings a few times (Metu did his best to keep them unknown for a reason)...
Okeanus was a good parent, I knew that. But I was the one who raised Persi.
Not Poseidon, not Okeanus, not anyone else… except maybe Persi's mom.
I shook my head; I didn't particularly want Okeanus to adopt Persi.
For one, the political ramifications, and for two… Persi was my brother, I didn't want to give him up to anyone. I was barely willing to let Poseidon have him as his kid. I was the one that raised him, I was the one that comforted him, I was the one he turned to when in need.
Not Poseidon, not Okeanus, not anyone else, me.
Though how Okeanus knew of Persi (and well enough to know when he got claimed) was unknown, and that was worrisome. I never introduced them, and Persi hadn't mentioned meeting Okeanus.
Perhaps I should've done proper introductions.
Perhaps I could admit that Poseidon wasn't the only one to mess up with Persi and it would've been smarter of me to not keep his identity secret…
Obviously Metu screwed up more but still… it might have helped if I'd spread the word myself or spoke to Metu about it.
I just wanted to keep tan soha amrama safe.
But there was no point in worrying over what couldn't be fixed. I needed to focus on the letters and annoying politics.
Ryujin didn't like Metu, or myself, but that might not matter. He was generally fair, and if we made our claim clear he may support us regardless. On the other hand, he was just as loyal as Metu and I, which meant that he could side with Okeanus simply for the sake of their alliance.
Our biggest advantage in getting the acknowledgement we needed would actually come from Persi's friends. Because of his friendship with them he was thought of well by their families, and their families in turn were respected for the most part.
Especially the Faumuina twins. Their Mevu was from Ryujin's kingdom. She was high ranked and well respected for her work in medicine. Her support could end up being what we need to get Ryujin's support, and he in turn had a lot of influence.
Ryujin and Sedna got along fairly well, though Sedna generally preferred her Kingdom to be left alone. If they both sided with us then that could sway a lot of others to our side
"The draft, Triton-re'nai."
"Havu," I murmured as I took the draft Metu made for the explanations. It was the fourth one, and looked like it only needed a few edits.
I crossed out one of the subtle insults that would certainly annoy a few (though they were accurate to some). Now wasn't a good time for that, maybe a different letter.
Maybe he should change the wording there..
I idly marked out 'Tav hevuai sa'opu ie sa'tav fare rao' and replaced it with 'Tav potaiv sa'opu ro'ie sa'tav fare rao' as I sucked on a taipanu.
Pontus, I was so tired.
"Triton, when will your Metuano latest Half-Blood child be returning?" Mevu said as she swept in. "I need to have a room prepared."
I glanced up, her silver tails catching the light as she dropped two airomo and a papote on my desk.
"Well, Metu told me not to contact Persi until the solstice passes. He hopes that we may be able to avoid war, but bringing Persi here may incite it so…" I trailed off and shrugged.
I wasn't happy about it, but the kingdom came first. I was the prince and it was my duty. Plus it might keep Persi safe.
If Zeus thought Persi was conspiring against him… well he could decide to send someone or something to kill Persi despite the backlash he would face.
Mevu pursed her lips. "Well, as soon as the solstice passes, make sure to bring him here, whether or not we're at war."
I winced. "He's at the camp now and you know how they are about us taking campers out. Khiron has never been helpful in that regard. Once the camp's summer portion is over I'll have a good opportunity. Plus that will give us more time to plan."
Mevu didn't look pleased but she did nod, "Very well. Once he leaves the camp, pick him up. When exactly does the camp's summer session end?"
I paused to think, "I'm… not sure… I've never had a Half-Blood child so I never needed to know…"
I needed to fix that. Persi attended the camp now and I needed to be sure of his safety.
"You should ask Metu."
She sighed, "Very well. I will speak to your Metua and then return. I wish to hear about the most recent ufanto of my vekemio husband."
I winced as she left. She was very displeased that she hadn't been informed about Persi. Mevu and Metu had an arrangement, after all. Metu would always return to her and so long as she was informed of any of his trysts and any children resulting from them she wouldn't have a problem.
It had worked for a very long time, but now Metu had broken his promise and failed to inform her.
She was not happy.
Honestly, I didn't understand why anyone needed to find another person for a relationship. All the Gods seemed to do it, with varying levels of approval from their spouses.
Zeus did it more than Metu, and Aphrodite and Apollo… well technically Apollo wasn't in a committed relationship, but still. I was baffled.
Why did they all need other relationships? And sex?
It wasn't necessary for anything and didn't seem at all as pleasurable as they insisted it was. It wasn't like us Gods needed it to make children either; I formed Pallas from seafoam, coral, and the strongest of pearls.
The thought of her still ached.
I shook my head. Most of the Gods already had partners too, so I was completely lost as to their need for more . I'd rather just stick with my friends and family personally.
A throat cleared and I turned to look at one of my messengers. It was Moraine, a mernix with a dark blue very sleek tail. They were one of my fastest messengers and were returning from gathering news from the sea birds.
Their tail flicked nervously and they held their airomo tightly.
"Yes?" I said mildly.
"Triton-re'aia," they said. "I have retrieved the messages from the surface."
"And?" I prompted. "Do they have news of the war? Or Persi?"
They shifted. "It appears, ta, well… la… the Aipri, Persi Yakson? Well…"
I straightened, "Yes?"
"He is… well it appears that he has been sent... on a quest."
I froze.
What.
That couldn't-
"Pardon?"
They cleared their throat again.
"Well, he is on a quest, to ta, to retrieve Zeus-re'rai's Master Bolt…"
My eye twitched.
Moraine swam back.
I took a deep breath.
"Ta'n muvakuk ie areok ek Zeus."