The Nature of a Demigod

Race Day

[Percy's POV]

The next few days were torture, just like Tantalus wanted. First there was Tyson moving into the Poseidon cabin, giggling to himself every fifteen seconds and saying, "Percy is my brother?" like he'd just won the lottery.

"Aw, Tyson," I'd say. "It's not that simple."

But there was no explaining it to him. He was in heaven. And me... as much as I liked the big guy, I couldn't help feeling embarrassed. Ashamed. There, I said it.

My father, the all-powerful Poseidon, had gotten moony-eyed for some nature spirit, and Tyson had been the result. I mean, I'd read the myths about Cyclops. I even remembered that they were often Poseidon's children. But I'd never really processed that this made them my... family. Until I had Tyson living with me in the next bunk.

And then there were the comments from the other campers. Suddenly, I wasn't Percy Jackson, the cool guy who'd retrieved Zeus's lightning bolt last summer. Now I was Percy Jackson, the poor schmuck with the ugly monster for a brother.

"He's not my real brother!" I protested whenever Tyson wasn't around. "He's more like a half-brother on the monstrous side of the family. Like... a half-brother twice removed, or something."

Nobody bought it.

I admit. I was angry at my dad. I felt like being his son was now a joke.

Y/N and Annabeth tried to make me feel better. They suggested we team up for the chariot race to take our minds off our problems. Don't get me wrong, we all hated Tantalus and we were worried sick about camp, but we weren't sure what we could do about it.

Until we figured out some brilliant plan to save Thalia's tree, (Y/N and I agreed we'd just wait until Annabeth came up with something), we figured we might as well go along with the races. Apparently, a team of three wasn't allowed, but Annabeth was sure she could find a loophole. So the three of us prepared to race together.

After all, Annabeth's mom, Athena, had invented the chariot, and my dad had created horses. Then Y/N, having avoided doing things Artemis was good at his whole life, was still an ace with a bow and arrow, and most other things that could be thrown or shot, so we agreed he'd take point in weapons defense. Together we would own that track.

One morning we were sitting by the canoe lake sketching chariot designs when some jokers from Aphrodite's cabin walked by and asked me if I needed to borrow some eyeliner for my eye... "Oh sorry, eyes."

As they walked away laughing, Y/N muttered, and his eyes went wide, as if he were having an idea. I'd need to make note of that. Y/N having ideas was a monumental event. He hopped to his feet and ran off. Annabeth grumbled, "Just ignore them, Percy. It isn't your fault you have a monster for a brother." Y/N ran back past us with a bucket, and a mischievous grin reminiscent of some of the Hermes kids.

"He's not my brother!" I snapped. "And he's not a monster, either!" Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Hey, don't get mad at me! And technically, he is a monster."

"Well you gave him permission to enter the camp."

"Because it was the only way to save your life! I mean... I'm sorry, Percy, I didn't expect Poseidon to claim him. Cyclops are the most deceitful, treacherous-"

"He is not! What have you got against Cyclops, anyway?"

Annabeth's ears turned pink. I got the feeling there was something she wasn't telling me, something bad.

"Just forget it," she said. "Now, the axle for this chariot-"

"You're treating him like he's this horrible thing," I said. "He saved my life."