Chapter 3
Annabeth and Harry decided to team up for the chariot race. The gray eyed demigoddess' mother invented the chariot and the water manipulating wizard's father invented horses so the pair suspected they would have a huge advantage. One day when the two lovers were sitting down at the edge of the lake with Choria and Furusia in the water playing some Aphrodite campers got brave enough to taunt the warrior wizard about Tyson.
"Hey Jackson, do you need to borrow some eyeliner for your eye…oh sorry eyes?" The camper demanded while laughing.
Harry decided it was time to remind the mortal campers of why it wasn't wise to taunt the son of the sea god, especially right at the edge of a large body of water. The lake lashed out at the offending parties and pulled them under the surface.
"Are you going to let them up?" Annabeth asked nervously a minute later as the campers had yet to emerge.
"In a few days maybe…relax love, they are able to breathe. Choria and Furusia will just make life…interesting for them for the next couple of days," the mage explained as his Naiads developed a cruel smirk across their beautiful features.
Despite Harry's treatment of her less intelligent siblings Silena Beauregard, an Aphrodite camper, gave the only half blood son of Poseidon at the camp his first riding lesson on a Pegasus soon after. There is actually only one immortal winged horse that goes by that name, still wandering free in the skies. Over the millennia that magical steed sired many offspring who are named after him. Being telepathically able to communicate with his steed was nothing new around horses for the son of the horse creator but when the Pegasus was flying Harry around it was definitely different.
Tyson informed his immortal brother that he wanted to ride the "chicken ponies." The Pegasi were skittish but the wise warlock managed to coax one into allowing Tyson a ride with a few calming charms. The one-eyed-teen had ended up making something of a friend in Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin. The inventive half blood's father, Hephaestus, had always used Cyclopes in his forges so it only seemed natural his son would do the same.
Harry went about his usual camp routine. Sword play against the Apollo campers was a breeze even though the immortal warrior only allowed himself to fight at speeds slightly above what a mortal was capable of. Archery was ok with enchanted arrows. The green eyed teen was never going to be able to compete with some of the campers whose parent invented the bow but the sorcerer could give Robin Hood a run for his money. The lava ridden climbing wall and border patrol rounded out the wizard's daytime schedule.
Border patrol was done in secret so as to not let Tantalus realize the concerned campers were maintaining their protections. The Hallow Master rounded out the patrol with a few minutes spent channeling healing energy into Thalia's tree. The healing technique extended Zeus' transfigured daughter's life by quite a bit beyond what the immortal teen had already done. Sometimes the mage thought he could sense a connection with the girl turned tree if he let his mind wander.
During the nights Harry's dreams of his favorite girls would sometimes be interrupted by the sound of Grover's voice saying, "It's here…and he likes sheep." The warlock gave the visions little mind for the moment, knowing the time to act on them would come soon enough.
The night before the chariot race Annabeth, Tyson, and Harry finished their chariot. Almost every bit of the wheeled vehicle was enchanted with charms to make it move faster. Symbols of Athena and Poseidon adorned alternating sides to symbolize that children of both deities worked together to build the vessel and would both be working together to win the race.
"We will win tomorrow Percy," Annabeth whispered in her favorite male's ear that night as she rested against his back in the bed the couple tended to share more often than not.
Furusia was spooned against the warlock's front with her sister resting against Annabeth's back. Tyson was snoring off to the side in his bed which his magical brother had transfigured to fit the one-eyed-teen's longer frame.
"You can bet on it," the sorcerer agreed just before closing his eyes with a smile on his lips.
Harry's dream, contrary to what one would think given the position he went to sleep in, showed Grover in a wedding dress. The Hallow Master's Satyr friend was in a damp cave lit only by torches. A length of white cloth half finished was on an old fashioned fabric assembling loom in a corner beside a small cot.
"Thank the gods," gasped Grover as he stared right at Harry. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes Grover, I can hear you. Now, what is going on?" The immortal teen asked as he channeled his own power into the connection Grover was obviously psychically projecting to the wizard.
"Honey pie, are you done yet?" A monstrous voice called out from behind a massive boulder blocking the only pathway in and out of the cavern.
"Not quite, dear! A few more days," Grover replied in as much a feminine voice as he could manage.
"Bah! Hasn't it been two weeks yet?" The monster demanded.
"No dearest…just five days which leaves twelve more to go," Grover assured.
The monster urged Grover to hurry so the creature could see under the white veil Harry's Satyr friend was wearing.
"Ok Grover…you are passing yourself off as a female to survive that monster. Where are you and what is that monster?" The perceptive mage summed up the situation and queried quickly.
"I'm not sure exactly…somewhere in the sea. I went to Florida and turned left. It's a trap! 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, and they get trapped and eaten by Polyphemus," Grover rushed to explain.
"The Cyclops," Harry clarified as he recognized the name from legend. "You almost got away but were trapped in a bridal boutique."
"Yes, in St. Augustine…my first empathy link must have worked then. This dress is the only thing keeping me from being his next meal. He thinks I'm wearing goat scented perfume, which smells delicious to him. His eye is still half blind from the last time somebody poked it out. He'll figure it out soon…he's only given me two weeks to finish the bridal train," Grover explained.
"I'll come for you," the warrior wizard assured his nature loving friend. "You're in the Sea of Monsters," the teen recalled from legend.
"Percy I'm sorry about the empathy link. We're connected now. If I die…you'll die too," Grover informed his best friend anxiously.
"That doesn't matter at the moment," the green eyed mage announced with confidence that an empathy link wouldn't kill his immortal form.
Grover had to go as his husband to be called the disguised satyr to a dinner of sheep meat. The sea Godling woke up soon after anyway.
The morning of the chariot race was best described as sticky with the sun beating down on the campers and a very humid atmosphere. Harry cast cooling charms on Annabeth, Tyson, and himself to obtain some much needed relief.
"Those are some strange looking birds," Annabeth commented as she helped her boyfriend harness the chariot to the horses.
"Yeah…they are," Harry agreed as he looked at the thousands of birds in nearby trees making metallic screeching noises instead of the cooing you would normally expect from pigeons.
The charioteers put the birds from their minds as Tantalus attracted their attention from the rows of stone steps arranged for spectators where the birds were sitting in the trees above.
"Right…you all know the rules. A quarter mile track, twice around to win. Two horses per chariot, each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed and dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anybody," Tantalus cautioned with a false tone that indicated he wanted deaths. "Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No s'mores at the campfire for a week! Now ready your chariots!"
The Hephaestus team was led by Beckendorf. Their entire setup was made of bronze and iron, including the automaton horses. The Ares chariot sported a blood red design pulled by two skeleton horses. Clarisse boarded the chariot carrying a load of very nasty weapons. Apollo's cabin sported a sleek and graceful gold chariot. The driver promised not to shoot regular pointed arrows at other drivers. Hermes' chariot wasn't anything special to look out but it was piloted by the Stoll brothers. The wizard knew he would have to be cautious of what the two Weasley twin like brothers had up their sleeves.
"Charioteers to your mark," called Tantalus.
Annabeth climbed onboard the chariot and took the reins while her partner in everything got ready to fight off their opposition. Harry noticed the pigeons with shiny eyes and glinting beaks were gathering in greater numbers in the trees. The volume of the creatures was growing so loud the spectators were starting to take notice. Tantalus ignored the pigeons but raised his voice to be heard over their noise.
"Charioteers attend your mark," shouted the cursed man.
As Tantalus dropped his hand the signal activated which caused the crowd to cheer while the chariots took off. A nasty crack caused the reality traveler to look back where he could see the Apollo chariot flipped over after the Hermes chariot had rammed into it. Apollo's horses continued to drag the chariot without its riders across the track until it crashed into the Hermes chariot and took the Stoll brothers out of the race, an act of justice considering the brothers had been laughing at the crash they had caused before they were taken out. Annabeth and Harry were already nearing the first turn ahead of most of the other racers when the water manipulator glanced back to see the pigeons had risen from the trees and were now swirling over the track like a huge tornado of feathers and wings.
Soon the screams began to emanate from the stands as thousands of pigeons dive bombed the spectators. The other chariots were not spared the wrath of the birds as well. Beckendorf's chariot veered off into the strawberry fields after he was mobbed. Clarisse ordered her fighter to throw a screen of camouflage netting over her chariot basket and kept on driving. The birds could not get through the netting. Nobody could really see Harry's chariot through the cloud of birds so he employed a similar trick with a shield spell which blocked physical objects. The birds were repelled and bounced angrily but futilely against the powerful wizard's barrier. Annabeth spared her favorite male a grateful smile as she sped towards the Ares chariot. Annabeth just assumed the shield was made of water vapor her mate was drawing from the moisture rich air. The Hallow Master made sure to protect their horses with a shield as well otherwise the steeds' eyes would have been pecked out quickly.
"Stymphalian birds," Annabeth shouted as they now clearly noticed the birds had brass beaks that were tearing at any bit of exposed flesh on the screaming spectators. "The birds will strip everyone to bones if we don't drive these monsters away."
"Just keep driving, lover. I'll handle these birds," Harry shouted over the cries of the birds.
The dark haired skilled magic user turned in the chariot and reached deep into his being where his inner ocean of power resided. The pair of lovers were close enough to the ocean for the son of Poseidon to feel the gentle movement of the waves. The water wizard reached out and commanded the water to come to him. A massive wall of water rose out of the ocean and sped towards the racers' location. As the chariot at Annabeth's command began to overtake Clarisse in the race Harry swept his hands at the birds and watched as a cyclone of water started to suck them all in. The metal creatures flapped their wings uselessly as they tried to get away but the same air they relied on to fly was being vacuumed in by the rapidly moving water. Just as the last of the birds were ripped into the cyclone Annabeth and her resourceful companion crossed the finish line in first place.
The pair of winners was never sure if the cheer of excitement that then arose was at the powerful Godling's slaying of the bird menace with an awesome water cyclone or because they had won the race despite the obstacles. Whatever the case Harry and Annabeth were crowded by grateful campers as the water master directed the cyclone back to the ocean where the birds would be ripped apart by the sea creatures the ocean creature's lord had called in. The waiting beings of the deep would feast well on the fleshy parts of the magical birds that day. Tantalus was not happy to award the golden laurels to Annabeth and her protector but the cursed soul was forced to lest he be punished by the gods for openly showing rebellion against their mandate to lead the camp as they ordained. Harry didn't pay the disagreeable activities director much mind as the water mage was busy healing the peck wounds for dozens of grateful campers.
Over the celebratory dinner the camp held in the victors' honor Harry told Annabeth about the communication he had experienced the night before with Grover. The loyal and loving young woman believed her man instantly.
"If he found the Golden Fleece Percy it could save Thalia's tree," Annabeth whispered in excitement.
"So the Golden Fleece from legend…is the real thing like that?" Harry inquired, unsure if legend and fact matched up with such a legendary powerful object.
"The real story of the Fleece: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa. They were about to get offered up as human sacrifices, when they prayed to Zeus to save them. Zeus sent a magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well, actually it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important. The point is, when Cadmus got to Colchis, he sacrificed the golden ram to the gods and hung the Fleece in a tree in the middle of the kingdom. The Fleece brought prosperity to the land, animals stopped getting sick, plants grew better, plagues never visited. That's why Jason wanted the Fleece. It can revitalize any land where it's placed. It cures sickness, strengthens nature, cleans up pollution," explained Annabeth.
"And it could cure Thalia's tree," Harry finished.
"And it would totally strengthen the borders of Camp Half-Blood. But Percy, the Fleece has been missing for centuries. Tons of heroes have searched for it with no luck," the gray eyed teen lamented with little hope for success on such a quest.
"But they obviously didn't have a satyr to sniff out the nature magic like Grover did. It will work great," the immortal teen reassured his girlfriend.
"A little too great…it sounds like a trap Percy," Annabeth hesitantly pointed out.
"Even if it is we don't really have a choice if we want to save Grover and the camp," the warrior wizard put forth.
"You're right but we are going to have to go to the Sea of Monsters," explained Annabeth.
"Where is that exactly?" Harry queried.
"It's the sea all heroes have to sail through on their adventures. It used to be in the Mediterranean but like everything else involving the mist, it shifts locations as the West's center of power shifts. All sorts of strange things happen around it, ships going missing and the like. It's off the coast of Florida now. The mortals even have a name for it," explained Annabeth.
"The Bermuda Triangle," the green eyed teen surmised.
"Exactly but we'll have to talk to Tantalus to get approval for a quest. He'll refuse," Annabeth declared assuredly.
"I can be pretty convincing. We'll convince him tonight at the campfire," Harry informed his favorite demigoddess before they went back to eating.
That night at the campfire the general atmosphere was a bit subdued from the bird attack but not as subdued as it would have been if Harry hadn't stopped the assault. There were the usual songs sung led by the Apollo cabin; "Down by the Aegean," "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa," "This Land is Minos's Land." The enchanted bonfire rose higher with the increase in volume while changing color with the mood of the singers. On a fun night the fire was twenty feet high and blazing hot white. The night of the chariot race the fire was half that and the color of lint. Dionysus left early after suffering through a few songs. That was just how the son of the sea ruler wanted it. The god of wine was the only person present capable of narrowing down any magic the warlock did to one being.
As soon as the songs stopped Harry stood.
"Sir we have an idea to save the camp," the Hallow Master announced.
The campfire flared bright yellow to show the skilled warrior had everyone's interest.
"Indeed," Tantalus prompted blandly.
"We know where to find the Golden Fleece," Harry declared.
As the flame burned orange to signal the keen interest of everyone at their fellow camper's pronouncement Harry explained his connection with Grover and the satyr's messages. The crafty magic user's voice was laced with a compulsion enchantment to make everyone believe as he finished his tale with, "The Fleece can save the camp. I'm certain of it."
"Nonsense," proclaimed Tantalus. "The camp doesn't need saving."
Everyone looked intently at Tantalus which made the soul cursed by the Olympians squirm. It was obvious the condemned man didn't want the camp saved.
"There will be a quest to save the camp," Harry commanded with sudden power dripping off of him in waves. Tantalus actually took a step back as he faced not the young teen he thought he could boss around but the defeater of Ares, God of War. "You will authorize a quest for me to undertake and you will do it gladly," the green eyed being commanded in a deadly whisper while the campfire burned so brightly white the others had to look away. The Earth rumbled slightly beneath the group, reminding everyone that their most powerful camper's father was the Earth shaker.
"A quest should be authorized immediately," Tantalus agreed quickly.
There was cheering once more.
"Quiet down and I will tell you all a story," Tantalus announced as he regained some of his former stature.
The campers all quieted down and listened to the cursed soul which radiated as much evil as any monster Harry had ever faced orate a tale worthy of being recalled for its evilness if nothing else.
"Once upon a time there was a mortal king who was beloved of the Gods," Tantalus began as he placed his hand on his chest to indicate himself. "This king was even allowed to feast on Mount Olympus. But when he tried to take some nectar and ambrosia back to Earth to figure out the recipe—just one little doggy bag, mind you—the gods punished him. They banned him from their halls forever! His own people mocked him! His children scolded him! And, oh yes, campers, he had horrible children. Children—just—like—you," proclaimed Tantalus as his finger swept across the audience.
"Do you know what he did to his ungrateful children? Do you know how he paid back the gods for their cruel punishment? He invited the Olympians to a feast at his palace, just to show there were no hard feelings. No one noticed that his children were missing. And when he served the gods dinner, my dear campers, can you guess what was in the stew? Oh, the gods punished him in the afterlife. They did indeed. But he'd had his moment of satisfaction, hadn't he? His children never again spoke back to him or questioned his authority. And do you know what? Rumor has it that the king's spirit now dwells at this very camp, waiting for a chance to take revenge on ungrateful, rebellious children," Tantalus finished with.
After Tantalus concluded his story he waved his hand and extinguished the fire before storming off back to his quarters.
"What an ass," Harry summed up which caused the rest of the campers to nod their heads in agreement.
Later that night Harry had a bit of trouble sleeping due to excitement for the beginning of the quest the next day. The green eyed warlock decided to go out to the nearby shore and cool his feet in the water, which always calmed the son of Poseidon. No sooner had the reality traveler dipped his feet in the tide and looked up at the stars than a voice asked, "Beautiful aren't they?"
Harry looked next to where he sat to see a human looking male in nylon running shorts and a New York City Marathon t-shirt. The apparent human was slim and fit, with salt-and-pepper hair and a sly smile. The jogger's features instantly reminded the Godling of several of his fellow campers.
"Hello Hermes," the mage greeted the god calmly.
"Very impressive Percy…may I join you?" The deity asked. "I haven't sat down in ages."
"Sure…take a load off," the warrior wizard offered.
"Your hospitality does you credit," Hermes spoke with a smile as he sat down and slipped his running shoes off to dip his feet in the surf as well. "That's more like it," declared the god of travelers with a sigh.
Just then a cell phone went off in Hermes' pocket. Another sigh escaped the Olympian's mouth, this time in exasperation, as he pulled out the blue glowing cell phone. When the god of thieves extended the antenna two green snakes no bigger than earth worms began writhing around the device.
"I've got to take this. Just a sec," muttered Hermes after checking the LCD.
"Yeah," answered Hermes before listening for a moment. "Listen—I know, but…I don't care if he is chained to a rock with vultures pecking at his liver, if he doesn't have a tracking number, we can't locate his package… A gift to humankind, great… You know how many of those we deliver—Oh, never mind. Listen, just refer him to Eris in customer service. I gotta go," Hermes spoke into the device before hanging up. "Sorry about that. The overnight express business is just booming. Been a long time since I've gotten to relax…ever since the telegraph—rush, rush, rush. Do you have a favorite constellation Percy?" Hermes questioned his younger cousin.
"I like Hercules," the demigod declared.
"Why?" The deity questioned curiously.
"Well because he was able to overcome a lot. Fate didn't seem to like him either…possibly even less than me," the Hallow Master explained.
"You're an interesting young man Percy. I want to see you succeed on your quest. Martha may I have the first package," requested Hermes before his snakes got bigger while one opened her mouth wider and wider until a stainless steel canister burst out—an old fashioned lunchbox thermos with Ancient Greek hero scenes enameled on the sides. "This is a collector's item from Hercules Busts Heads, the first season. It's a great show. Back before Hephaestus TV was all reality programming," explained Hermes as he handed his uncle's son the freezing cold on one side and burning hot on the other thermos.
"Thanks," Harry replied.
"No problem. Uncap it, and you will release the winds from the four corners of the Earth to speed you on your way. Not now! And please, when the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are a bit like me—always restless. Should all four escape at once…ah, but I'm sure you'll be careful. And now, my second gift, George," Hermes called. The second snake coughed up a bottle of chewable vitamins shaped like Hydras, Minotaurs, and furies. "These are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really need it," the older immortal instructed as he tossed the younger the container.
"Thank you. Now why are you really helping me?" The wizard probed.
"Perhaps because I'm hoping you can save many people on this quest, not just your friend Grover," answered the God of Thieves and Travelers. "If there's one thing I've learned over the eons is that no matter what you don't give up on family," Hermes explained as he stood and brushed the sands off his legs.
"You have 60 voicemails," announced Martha the snake.
"And 1,380 emails," added George the other snake.
"I hope I packed well for you Percy," Hermes mused as he snapped his fingers, causing three yellow duffel bags to appear before him. "Waterproof, of course. If you ask nicely, your father should be able to help you reach the ship." The quick to catch on Harry looked out at the ocean to see a cruise liner cutting across Long Island Sound. Just then the phoenix mage heard Annabeth and Tyson shouting his name while they searched for their demigod friend. "I wouldn't be here in five minutes because that's when the harpies will come to eat you for being out past curfew. Now, good night, cousin, and dare I say it? May the gods go with you," Hermes finished before jogging off down the beach, shimmering and vanishing only twenty paces away.
"Are you ok Percy? I heard you calling for help," Annabeth informed her lover as she walked up beside Tyson.
"Me too," agreed the wizard's brother.
"That wasn't me…it was Hermes," the dark haired mage explained before briefly going over his conversation with the god.
By the time Harry was finished catching his friends up the trio could hear the screeching of patrol harpies tracking their scent in the distance.
"We need to go soon but Tyson should stay here. He would just get in the way when we face Polyphemus," announced Annabeth.
"Tyson can go…don't worry, nothing will happen," the experienced battle mage assured his girlfriend while giving her a meaningful look.
Harry knew something bad had happened to Annabeth in her past involving a Cyclopes but the caring demigod hadn't pried about the event to spare his demigoddess from any pain.
"Ok," Annabeth agreed reluctantly after a long moment of looking her wizard in the eye, realizing that if she pushed the issue she would have to explain her problem with Cylopes to her lover.
Harry turned to the surf and silently prayed for his father's assistance. While the wizard could easily transport the trio out to the ship under his own power it was obvious Hermes and possibly several other deities were watching the three campers at the moment. The reality traveler thought it would be best to hold off displaying more of his power until it was less likely he and his companions were being observed. Three white lines cut the surf until they formed into three stallions.
"Fish ponies," gasped Tyson.
The sea creatures' front halves were horses while their back halves were silvery fish bodies; sporting rainbow tails.
"Hippocampi," whispered a smiling Annabeth. "They're beautiful."
Just as the trio jumped onto their fish steeds they heard a harpy cry, "There…bad children out of cabins! Snack time for lucky harpies!"
Five harpies flew over the dunes. The distasteful camp half blood workers looked like plump little hags with pinched faces, talons, and feathery wings too small for their bodies. The patrollers weren't very fast but they were vicious. A wave of water swept up at Harry's command and washed the approaching creatures back while also carrying the wizard and his two companions out. The current pulled the duffel bags into its master's hands. Once mounted on the sea steeds the three friends sped towards the cruise ship at the speed of jet skis.
As the trio neared the cruise ship Harry was able to make out the name on the side as the PRINCESS ANDROMEDA. The ship was massive and easily dwarfed the much smaller half blood couple and Cyclops. On the front of the ship was a sculpture of a woman wearing a white Greek chiton while chains appeared to secure her to the vessel. An expression of terror marred her beautiful features.
"How do we get aboard?" Annabeth shouted over the crash of the waves hitting the side of the ship.
"Our mounts have the answer," Harry pointed out as the Hippocampi pulled up to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull. "Here love, you go first," the mage instructed his girlfriend.
Annabeth grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder and began to haul herself up. Harry gave her a boost and easily lifted her up several rungs. The immortal warlock jumped up behind her and was soon followed by Tyson. The young Cyclops was having such a good time he was making a lot of giggling happy noises. Harry solved the problem by putting a silencing spell on his half brother. Soon the trio was standing on a maintenance deck surrounded by stacks of yellow lifeboats. Harry opened the door with an unlocking charm.
The trio walked a good ways into the ship without meeting anybody.
"Something isn't right about this," Harry whispered.
"Smell's funny," Tyson agreed.
"What do you think is going on?" Annabeth questioned worriedly but quietly.
"I don't know but I'm going to find out," the mage answered as he came to a stop. Taking his girlfriend's hand, the warlock muttered, "Hold on love."
"What are you…," Annabeth had just enough time to whisper before her mind was leaving behind her body, following the comforting intelligence of her lover.
The pair's joined consciousness extended throughout the ship until they could sense every part of the massive cruise liner.
"Oh shit," Harry cursed as the pair quickly retreated to their bodies.
"Percy…was that…," Annabeth trailed off, too afraid to complete the sentence.
"Kronos…and Luke…and a whole shit load of monsters," Harry confirmed with a nod.
"We need to go, right now," Annabeth whispered harshly.
"I agree. If they haven't noticed us by now then they will soon enough," the warrior mage announced as he pulled his girlfriend and brother back towards where they had entered the ship.
Once the trio was back outside, the water manipulator wasted no time in ordering his companions inside one of the yellow life boats hanging over the side of the ship. Closing his eyes to concentrate, the son of the sea god summoned forth a spout of water to rise up and catch the boat as he slashed the lines with his powers.
"Percy, are you ok?" The daughter of Athena asked her friend when she noticed him looking a bit strained.
"Son of a bitch," Harry gasped when his eyes were open once more, startling his two companions as they positively glowed with power. "Summoning that water was more difficult than usual. I wondered why when if anything it should be easier since we are in my father's domain. Something very old and very powerful is protecting that boat, cloaking it from Poseidon's notice. We need to get out of here right now," the warlock asserted, a loud noise from the deep suddenly making itself known.
Harry didn't know what was down below the life boat but he wasn't exactly willing to find out with Annabeth and Tyson along for the ride. The powerful Hallow Master might have been able to survive whatever was about to attack their vessel but he wasn't so sure his friends could.
With a wave of his hand the warlock caused both of his companions to vanish into the expanded dimension of his trunk. Just in time the two part-mortals were stowed in safety because in the next instant the boat exploded as a powerful spout of water blasted up from the sea floor. The mage dove into the water and was faced with the image of a youthful-appearing merman sporting two tails, green skin, and black hair in a ponytail wearing Greek armor studded in pearls glaring back at the immortal mage. The pure sea being was glaring hatefully at the floating demigod.
"Percy Jackson," the merman greeted as clearly as if the two sons of Poseidon were in the open air.
"Triton I presume," Harry returned, recognizing the heir of the sea god from the descriptions of legend.
"I see you aren't as dumb as you look," sneered the messenger deity.
"Why are you attacking me and helping Kronos?" Harry questioned the sea god, realizing the only way Poseidon wouldn't have been able to detect the gathering of monsters and other powerful beings within his ocean domain would have been with someone as powerful as Triton covering for the Princess Andromeda, the large cruise liner.
Triton was the messenger deity from legend who was the son of Poseidon and the sea ruler's goddess wife, Amphitrite. Triton was also a very old god because it was told in myth that Triton had acted as a foster parent to Athena, Annabeth's mother.
"Because my father has grown arrogant and foolish in his ways as have many of the Olympians. Many of my brethren have grown dissatisfied with the way Zeus and his brothers have allowed the mortals to overrun this world. We aren't shown the proper respect we once held," Triton spoke with a sneer while speaking mortals like any pureblood of Harry's old world would have been proud of when talking about muggles. "You are just proof of how little respect my father has for my mother and I. Now Percy Jackson I can't let you live after what you have discovered here so goodbye," the sea deity declared as he aimed his glowing trident at the Godling.
A swirling matrix of power and energy seemed to concentrate in the tip of the trident before arcing outwards towards the youngest son of the Sea King. A vortex of super fast water impacted the mage hard enough to tear apart concrete. Triton's eyebrows rose in surprise when the warlock simply floated normally in the water and didn't appear to be effected.
"Impressive little mortal but you won't escape my wrath," the god boasted.
Any further words were cut off as a massive pointed icicle fell into the ocean and sped right down on top of the ocean god. With a grunt the spear impacted Triton's head and drew a drop of golden god blood, ichor, from the older immortal. Triton's eyes glowed brightly as the enraged deity swam towards the half blood with such speed the teen barely had time to defend himself. The god's fist slammed into Harry's face hard enough to atomize a building. Harry took the hit but rolled with the blow while delivering a shot to the older water manipulator's gut followed up by a knee to the groin. A flurry of blows was exchanged between the two warriors.
Both immortals seemed to be evenly match for a few moments before the phoenix mage felt he had more to give. The green eyed teen's hits became gradually faster and a little harder, bit by bit. Triton was soon losing ground while his body was battered by the younger male's punishing fists.
"Enough!" Triton screamed loudly while pushing out his true divine aura, hoping to fry the powerful young Godling with a vision no mortal could withstand without burning up. Triton was quite surprised when the initial flare cleared to see Harry floating calmly without looking away from the messenger god. "That's not possible…you are a mortal. How can you look at me?" Triton demanded. "What are you?"
"Triton," A powerful voice boomed out, causing the ocean to swirl around the two while scaring away all sea life within a dozen miles.
Triton turned to meet the angry gaze of his father.
"Hello father," the younger deity answered with an ugly sneer.
"Why, Triton?" Poseidon questioned.
The moment he had realized who his opponent was Harry had portkeyed an enchanted mirror to his father. Poseidon had heard Triton's reasoning but wanted to hear the words from his heir in person just in case it was some trick.
"You betrayed mother and I father. You've destroyed her honor and allow these mortals to besmirch our world. We will have it back from them one day soon Olympian, of that you can be sure," Triton promised before swimming away in a burst of speed, vanishing a few yards away in a blue swirling portal of water while the Princess Andromeda did the same seconds after.
There was silence for a moment before the anguished face of Poseidon gazed upon his enigmatic youngest son with an inscrutable expression.
Finally Poseidon voiced the question most on his mind, "What are you?"
"That's a long story," the dark haired sorcerer spoke with a tired sigh.
"I'm immortal Percy," Poseidon began with a shrug. "And if your display of power and durability when Triton revealed his true form was anything to go by then so are you."
"Fair enough," the teen agreed before giving his father a brief summarization of his life, deciding to trust the sea god.
If Harry was to build a true life for himself in his new universe he would need allies, powerful allies. If worse came to worse the resourceful warlock figured he could get away from the elder god and never be found again through some powerful wards unheard of in that universe.
"So let me get this straight…you are the combination of the son I sired and another version of my son who was born a wizard in another universe," the ancient immortal summed the situation up.
"Pretty much," agreed the Godling.
"Well I've lived a pretty interesting existence so far. Not many things can throw me but this is definitely a little hard to swallow. But I can sense you aren't lying to me," Poseidon concluded. "Exactly how powerful are you? I personally trained Triton myself and he's been fighting for millennia. You were just about to beat him if I'm not mistaken."
"I'm not really sure," Harry answered while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I've always gotten the feeling that my durability is pretty extreme, even for an immortal but I've never yet met my limits."
"Well I think maybe it's about time I took a more direct hand in your training son. Reality traveler you may be but you are still my son and I would see you trained to the best of your potential," Poseidon proposed.
"I'd like that. But father do you think that maybe some of my training could include how to better understand women? I have a feeling I'm going to need such advising in the near future," the teen pointed out.
With a bark like laughter Poseidon replied, "Son, I've lived thousands and thousands of years yet I still don't have the opposite sex figured out. Who knows…by the time we've got you trained up you might even be teaching me a thing or two about women."
Father and son talked for a while longer to hammer out the details for the wizard warrior's further training. The two would meet in secret, keeping Harry's lessons a complete secret. Both immortals liked the idea of spending more time together bonding and also the thought of the advantage to be had in Harry being better trained than was commonly known. Both sea lovers realized that the sorcerer's true nature might come out in the near future but would keep the secret for as long as possible.
Chapter 4
Later…
Annabeth Chase was so worried about her boyfriend. One moment the daughter of Athena and Tyson had been standing with the one eyed teen's half brother in a life raft and the next the pair had been hurtled through some type of vortex into a single room which had no exit. It didn't take the intelligent young woman long to figure out that Percy must have sensed danger so he threw her and Tyson into the pocket dimension contained within the magical trunk the water manipulating wizard always carried on his person.
After what seemed like hours Annabeth felt herself being summoned forth by her lover's powerful magic.
"Percy," Annabeth cried before rushing forward and wrapping her powerful partner in a bone crushing hug.
"I'm alright Annabeth," Harry reassured his girlfriend as the green eyed teen rubbed her back soothingly.
"What happened?" Annabeth demanded after a few moments of embracing, pulling back to look her best friend over. "And where are we?" The brunette demigoddess queried as she suddenly noticed they were no longer in a life raft.
The two Godlings and one Cyclopes were on the deck of a large and expensive looking yacht.
"Well to make a long story short I sensed something powerful coming at us. It was a short time until my father showed up. I managed to alert him to the problem and the creature that was attacking us fled as soon as Poseidon showed up. My dad raised this yacht from the ocean's depths for us. I've repaired the damage that caused it to sink in the first place. I'm calling it the Trident," the mage explained without actually telling a lie.
"Next time mister I don't expect to be pushed somewhere out of the way while you fight whatever is attacking us," Annabeth announced with a mild glare at her lover before she began to explore the boat.
"Daddy give you boat," Tyson enthused with a crooked grin.
"He gave us this boat brother. This belongs to both of us," the warlock answered.
"Must go inspect engine," the Cyclopes declared happily before going below.
The trio of Campers was quickly speeding towards the area off the coast of Northern Florida where they knew the entrance to the Sea of Monsters to be.
"Percy," Annabeth began hesitantly as the yacht sped towards a rapidly growing cliff face with a large churning whirlpool beside it. "Why are we heading towards Charybdis and her sister Scylla? We could use the Clashing Rocks entrance like Jason and the Argonauts did."
Charybdis was a massive monster that sucked up the sea before spewing the imbibed liquid out again in a never ending cycle. Her sister, Scylla, was a monster that lived on the island half a mile to the right. Scylla used her snaky heads to pluck sailors from their ships as the vessels passed by beneath the cliffs. The yacht reacted to Harry's command as the warlock steered the vessel towards Scylla. The tidal forces were immense as Charybdis swallowed massive portions of the nearby ocean before spouting the water back out again.
The sound of the ocean maw was loud as ten foot waves rocked the yacht. The sea manipulator was using his abilities to deflect the water from washing over the deck. Every three minutes Charybdis would vacuum up all the water in a half mile radius. The only clear way around the gate keeper of the Sea of Monsters was right next to the cliffs housing Scylla. If a ship tried to sail around the two sisters then they would just appear once more in front of the vessel.
The Hallow Master had to fight the pull of the whirlpool as the Trident moved closer until the three campers could see the sea monster. Anchored to a black crag of coral was an enormous mouth with slime coated lips and braces adorned massive teeth the size of life boats. Driftwood, sharks, fish, and anything else unlucky enough to get too close was sucked into the massive maw.
"Percy whatever you're going to do now would be a good time to do it," Annabeth suggested worriedly as she glanced up at the approaching cliffs.
"Of course," the mage agreed with a grin as he walked over to the helm and began tapping a newly fashioned runic console.
A glowing green shield appeared over the top half of the ship before the vessel plummeted beneath the waves. The magic being employed by the reality traveling wizard was a variation on the enchantments used by the visiting Durmstrang ship during the Triwizard Tournament of Harry's fourth year.
"Percy…what is this?" Annabeth questioned in wonder as she stared at the glowing shield and the sea beyond.
"Pretty," Tyson declared in amazement as he touched the energy barrier and found a solid form.
"Magic," the warlock answered cheekily with a wink.
The boat sped along the edge of the vortex while Scylla was helpless to reach the campers under the waves of the ocean. It only took a few minutes underwater until the extremely fast Trident was clear of the two monstrous sisters and surfaced once more, inside the Sea of Monsters.
A few hours later…
The Trident had been sailing for quite some time through the glittering green water. The wind was fresh and salty with a tinge of a metallic scent as well. Harry had quickly discovered that he never lost his way when on the water. Although he didn't know the exact coordinates of Grover's location he could sense the satyr via their empathy link. The warlock could sense that the nature loving seeker was roughly west by northwest of the Trident at a distance of just over a hundred nautical miles.
Harry lay next to Annabeth on the deck of the Trident, enjoying the sunshine and the sight of his girlfriend in a tiny bikini he had transfigured at her request. Tyson was amusing himself towards the back of the boat, with the Hippocampi that had been following the trio since Camp.
"Percy would you tell me more about yourself? I know you've kept a lot more secret than what you told me on the quest last year," the daughter of Athena requested, breaking the peaceful silence.
"I'll agree to reveal more secrets about myself if you tell me some things I want to know, like the prophecy for instance or why you don't like Cyclopes," Harry suggested, noticing Annabeth's winces at the mentioned topics.
"Ok, but you go first," Annabeth answered after a moment's hesitation.
"My father has agreed to take a personal hand in my training. He realizes I'm more powerful than he originally thought and could benefit from his daily tutelage. I'll be disappearing into the sea for a time every day for that training. Your turn," explained the warlock.
"When Thalia, Grover, Luke, and I were on our way to Camp all of those years ago we were cornered by a Cyclops in Brooklyn. It separated us in the dark and mimicked our voices to lure us away from the others so that we were each isolated. By the time I found the others they were tied upside down hanging from the ceiling near a fire the monster was preparing to cook them over. I almost died but I managed to stab him in the foot and freed Thalia. We barely got away," Annabeth declared, shuddering even with the bright sunlight bathing the pair in warmth. Harry hugged his lover to provide comfort. "Now why exactly are you so powerful, beyond the fact that you are a wizard?"
Harry warred with himself over how much to reveal. In the end the sorcerer decided that he could trust no one in his new universe more than Annabeth. She was his best friend and stuck by the green eyed teen no matter what. So Harry told her of his real origins in another reality.
"Oh Percy…Harry…whoever you are…I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that," Annabeth whispered with tears in her eyes as she hugged her boyfriend, half lying on top of him.
"It was worth it because it led me to you," Harry whispered with a half smile.
The demigoddess grinned at her dark haired wizard and kissed him soundly.
"If you beat Trident does that mean you are a god?" The demigoddess mused aloud.
"I don't think I could be classified as a god. I'm probably closer to a Titan than a god, or no…I'm probably somewhere in between since I'm part god. I suppose I'll find out in time with Poseidon's help. He may help me find my limits because so far I haven't really found them," the Hallow Master answered.
"Couldn't you simply just teleport yourself to Grover and rescue him that way," the young woman suggested curiously.
"I probably could now that we're in the Sea of Monsters and I've sensed how the magical gateways into this dimension work. I didn't know how to bypass them before via apparition which is basically opening a personal wormhole between two points in the same dimension. I generally need to have been to a dimension first to get there. There are some exceptions but without having been to a place first I could get hopelessly lost. Now I could follow my empathic link with Grover but I won't. There's no point in using magic for everything in life because then I would be extremely bored, just like I imagine some of the gods are. If it comes down to a choice between Grover's life and using the easy route then of course I'll rescue him. But I've been monitoring our satyr friend and he's not that bad off, just a little terrified," explained the warlock. "Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yeah I think I do," Annabeth agreed. "As for the prophecy…Every time heroes learn a prophecy they try to change it and it never works."
"I'm not exactly your average hero. I've been under a prophecy before and I came out alive," Harry pointed out.
"I suppose you're right. I don't know the full prophecy but it warns about a half-blood child of the Big Three, the next one who survives to the age of sixteen...That's the real reason Zeus, Hades, and your father swore that pact not to have children after World War II. The next child that fits the prophecy will decide the fate of Olympus, for good or ill, saving the Age of the Gods or destroying it," Annabeth explained before growing silent and hugging her lover tighter.
"Suddenly Kronos' interest in me makes a lot more sense. He hoped to use me as a weapon although without my knowing about it. It's also amusing," Harry declared with a grin.
"How so," the dark haired female wanted to know, thinking nothing about the prophecy was amusing.
"Because I'm already the one of the prophecy," answered the mage. "I'm a lot more mature physically in this body than my age would suggest. Most of the time I maintain a magical aura around myself that draws attention away from that fact. I usually only drop it when I'm having sex. After I merged with my counterpart here this body matured extremely rapidly. I'd say I'm closer to seventeen if not older physically although my powers seem to still be growing. In my old world wizards peaked at seventeen. I think I'll probably peak when I'm much older here given that I'm no longer just a wizard. In any case with my mental age I'm at leastsixteen. The only one that might be close to realizing my true age is probably Poseidon and that's probably why he wants to be on my good side instead of my bad. Zeus and Hades have already screwed themselves in that regard. I have no love for either deity."
"But you wouldn't want to see the Titans returned would you?" Annabeth questioned her lover nervously.
"I don't like all the members of either group. What they need is a system of checks and balances, a group composed of both Titans and gods to keep things in order. I certainly don't want all of western civilization to fall. There are definitely things that could be improved," the sorcerer stated before going on to explain some of his ideas.
The couple talked for some time as the Trident cruised through the monster infested waters under Harry's command. The mage was able to sense the more powerful threats so navigated the vessel around those regions. There was an island that was giving off some powerful magic which felt especially attuned to transfiguration. The mage had read a tale from past quests into the Sea of Monsters from the camp library that told of the demigoddess Circe living in these waters. The water wizard thought maybe that island had been the witch's domain.
Another island, this one volcanic, was identified by Annabeth as a forge of Hephaestus where the god made his metal monsters. The Trident steered clear of the island while the master of the ship was otherwise occupied with pleasing his girlfriend.
Harry stood up some time later from the bed the couple shared in the captain's cabin. He leaned over and kissed the forehead of his beautiful partner, a small smile flitting across her attractive features as she woke up from her sated nap.
"Where are you going Percy?" Annabeth questioned her man happily as she opened her eyes.
"I just have to make a trip to Olympus to talk with a certain goddess about one of her children. I'll be back in a while. Go back to sleep love," Harry suggested.
"M'okay," Annabeth purred before going back to sleep, not even awake enough to fully register her boyfriend's destination.
Harry disappeared out of their cabin silently and reappeared far to the north above New York. The sun was just setting in the Big Apple. Harry didn't have to wait long for the owner of the palace to arrive home.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, sensed her guest almost as soon as she walked in her front door of her Olympian palace. The last few hours had been nothing but boring meetings about the movement of various ancient enemies that hadn't interested the beautiful deity. She was looking for some fun and it appeared a lot of fun in the form of a handsome young hero had come to the deity.
"Percy Jackson," Aphrodite greeted her recognizable young guest. "I won't bother asking how you got in here since you seem to be an enigma but I will ask to what do I owe this pleasure?"
The son of Poseidon had been something of an enigma for all on Olympus since his appearance the year before. The powers he displayed were impressive but the love goddess suspected the young mortal hid a lot more than what he was showing. Every time the invisible Hephaestus TV cameras observed the demigod for his hour long daily show it was like the teen could sense the automatons, something Aphrodite's husband assured her was impossible. Hephaestus insisted that only someone as powerful and sensitive to magic as a god could sense the cameras. Whenever the cameras were around the Godling seemed to be on guard and was careful what he said. It had been some time since Aphrodite had taken a mortal lover and even longer since she had met such an enigma. Percy Jackson spread love so freely without any jealousy experienced between the three lovers Olympus knew about.
Harry forced his occlumency to reduce the effects of Aphrodite's aura on his mind. She was one of the most beautiful women the wizard had ever laid eyes on. Her aura acted like a whole colony of Veela concentrated in one body. The deity's appearance kept shifting form until it located the most desirable form of whoever was gazing upon her. When his occlumency went to work the sorcerer was able to zero out the immortal female's true form. The mage was surprised when he recognized the body of Nymphadora Tonks, granted a Tonks that had none of the physical flaws of most mortals. Shrugging off her aura was not an easy task and Aphrodite sensed when the young man did it.
"I'm here to talk to you about one of your daughters," the mage declared.
"Interesting," Aphrodite mused. Learning to block her aura had taken Ares a thousand years and he was still susceptible to a degree. "And which of my daughters is your reason for concern?" The highly empathic goddess inquired.
"Silena Beauregard," the warlock answered, causing Aphrodite's smile to dim somewhat as she got a far off look on her attractive features. "She's secretly a spy for Luke and the forces of Kronos."
Aphrodite inhaled sharply while her senses reached out over a great distance and determined her daughter's heart. The goddess sat down heavily on the couch in the living room where Percy had been waiting for her. The Godling was right about her dear Silena, one of her most promising daughters.
"I can see that now," Aphrodite agreed dejectedly. "What do I do about this? I can't tell anybody or they could harm her in retribution."
The immortal teen sat down next to the goddess and wrapped his arm around the much older woman's shoulders comfortingly.
"I think the best course of action would probably be to start visiting your daughter often and let her know how much you love her. It might be a good idea for all of your children. Don't accuse her of anything. Let her feel confident in talking to you in her own time. Luke and Kronos have a pretty twisted set of tongues. They can convince the best of us to see their viewpoint. If and when she comes to me for help I can protect her from them," the Hallow Master suggested.
Aphrodite was silent for a moment before slowly nodding her head in agreement. "Love conquers all," the goddess mused. "How did one so young get so wise?"
Aphrodite stared into the handsome male's eyes as he answered, "The love of beautiful females can give a man the wisdom of the ages."
Neither was sure who initiated the kiss but within moments the pair's lips were locked and slowly their tongues began to explore each other's mouth. The oral exploration was slow and sensuous. The goddess was very aroused as her young lover explored her nubile body with his strong hands. With a confidence beyond his years the water wizard slipped the sparkling gown from the immortal woman's shoulders as the pair rose to their feet. Aphrodite waved her hand and banished her lover's garments. Both were standing naked before each other, admiring gazes raking across their partner's form.
Smut Scene Here (Erotic Version on hpfanficarchive and ficsite)
Aphrodite ran her finger over her powerful young lover's chest in swirls as she traced the curves of his muscular form.
"So what are you?" The cuddling blonde goddess questioned the dark haired teen sharing her bed.
"Whatever do you mean," Harry answered, playing dumb to begin with.
"Drop the act Percy. You're an immortal…that much is obvious from your surviving my loss of control during our lovemaking. The fact that you could respond in kind…that means you're something at least as powerful as a god. Now what are you?" The beautiful deity persisted.
"I am my father's son, the son of Poseidon. But I'm also more. For now…until I know whether or not I can trust you with more you'll just have to be patient," announced the mage.
"An enigma then," the blonde mused before a grin slowly formed on her face. "Alright Percy…I'll be patient as long as you come and visit me every day for some more activities such as the delightful coupling we just had," purred the beauty as she reached under the sheet and cupped her lover's manhood.
"You don't have to twist my arm to get me to agree to that," Harry assured with a wicked smile.
"Oh if you back out I'll twist more than your arm lover," Aphrodite purred while accentuating her words by squeezing the warlock's man bits, then stealing a kiss.
"None of that love. I need to get back to Annabeth. She'll be waking up soon," the sorcerer announced as he slipped out of bed.
"Mmmm….Annabeth…such a delicious young demigoddess," Aphrodite mused aloud. "Someday soon you'll have to get her in bed with us. You might just be the instrument of my conquest of all the female hearts that have been inaccessible to me for eons," the goddess declared while thinking of Artemis and other frigid bitches that had spurned the love goddess in the past.
"Stop teasing me with such naughty images Aphrodite…but why do you need me when you have Ares to take care of you?" The warlock questioned.
Aphrodite's smile immediately vanished at the mention of the God of War.
With a scowl the blonde replied, "That big baby has been in a foul mood ever since his fight with you. It took quite a while to figure out what was wrong. For some reason after you injured him Ares couldn't seem to impregnate mortals like he used to. He tried to convince me to let him get me pregnant again but by then I'd had enough of his surly attitude and I wasn't in the mood to birth anymore Godlings. So he went to dozens of magical healers to try to find a solution for his problem. Well it turns out they ended up screwing his problem up worse. Now Ares can't even manage to get it up. I've had enough of him. Besides…why would I need Ares when I have you? No man, not even a god, has given me orgasms like you. No Percy Jackson, now that I've had a taste of you I'm not letting you go. Now scoot back to your demigoddess and have sweet thoughts of us sharing you."
With Aphrodite's declaration Harry transported himself out of Olympus. Halfway back to the Trident the Phoenix mage triggered a new piece of equipment he kept on his person. Back in his old universe the engineering wizard had theorized about a device which functioned somewhat like a time turner but had the potential to travel back in time to the very beginning of the universe if the wielder chose. But like its almost infinite potential the runic time teleporter required an almost infinite amount of power to energize, the power that only someone with the power of a god could generate. Now that the immortal teen had gained such power the Potter Lord had finally crafted the runic array. The device had only been created a few days previously. The time and reality traveler arrived back only a half hour after he had left.
The teen slipped into the warm bed and pressed himself up against Annabeth's slumbering form and pulled her nubile form closer to his body. The sleeping young woman snuggled back against her boyfriend and smiled contentedly in her dreaming state. The green eyed teen allowed himself to drift off for the few hours of nighttime left.