Percy Jackson: Trouble In The Land Beyond The Gods

The Ancient Forms

Frank's POV

I looked at Percy with an eyebrow raised, this wasn't the same demigod I knew back in the Gaian War. He had changed.

I remember when he first came into Camp Jupiter: in tattered dirty clothing with a goddess-in-disguise in his arms. He was chased by Gorgons, if my memory serves me right; I had shot a fatal hit at one and they didn't disintegrate, Hazel then held them off while Percy and I ran into camp. Looking back on it, it seems so similar to Annabeth's story of how she came to Camp Half-Blood.

Percy had seemed so beaten at that point, so defeated. He didn't have any memory but he then still continued to fight for the Romans against Polybotes and his army on the Feast of Fortuna. He was a true hero.

He was loyal to a fault.

Nico coughed causing me to jump, forgetting he was there. "If you don't mind Percy, we could always do a trade: we tell you what's been happening in CJ and CHB, and in return you say what you've been up to?"

Percy looked like he was weighing his options for a second and he grinned mischievously at Nico, "I'll comply but on one condition."

Nico looked nervous and none of us could blame him, this was Percy we were talking to. "Name it."

"Tell me how Mom and Paul are doing." His eyes glistened, "Where did they go? Did they achieve Elysium? Are they still there? Did they go for rebirth? And could you tell me somewhere without prying ears?"

Nico looked at Percy empathetically and pulled him over to where Festus watched the horizon, successfully taking the conversation out of earshot.

I felt bad for Percy. He was one of the few demigods who still had a family and it was taken away from him just after going through two wars. Ouch.

We all looked at Leo and Thalia spoke up, "Please tell me you're going to get Festus to record this, Percy might leak Nico some valuable information for the quest."

Leo grinned impishly at Thalia and held up a black box with wires running through it and flashing lights beeping out of sync. "Already on it, Lightning McQueen."

Thalia's voice came out threatening, "Say that again, I dare you."

Leo shrugged and pulled his device back out of his pocket, "I could.. Or we could be productive and listen in on their now finished conversation?"

Leo was right. I looked over my shoulder to see that the two dark-haired demigods were walking back over to us, chatting more casually than they were when they left. Good, Nico gained his trust.

Piper sighed, "Wait until later, we can't risk Percy finding out that we're going to eavesdrop. We can get Nico to distract him when the time comes."

"For now let's just share our tales and find out what he's been up to." Annabeth finished. Piper and Annabeth shared a grin at their ability to finish each other's (Sandwiches) ability from their years of knowing each other.

Hazel scooted over to me and my clumsy hand intertwined with her dainty one. I smiled at her and she copied the action before pulling me over to where Nico and Percy stood, the others soon following suit.

We met at the mast, each of us slowly sitting down and forming a ring. Percy plonked himself down on the ground next to Nico and took a deep breath, coughing to catch our already caught attention.

"Hi."

Thalia scowled, "We did not come here for formalities and technicalities Jackson, get on with it and quit stalling!"

Percy rolled his eyes and held his hands up in mock surrender, "Don't shoot, don't shoot.. Jeez, just trying to break the tension."

I looked at them and sighed, Hazel squeezed my hand in reassurance but I didn't feel all that reassured.

Percy eyed us warily and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a screech filled the air. We jumped into action with our weapons in hand, tense for the upcoming battle.

Two Gorgons floated above the deck, red eyes glaring at us and snake hair hissing. I looked at their lower halves in shock, last time they had had rooster feet, but now their lower halves had transformed into a snake tail.

"The ancient forms.. But how?" I heard Percy ask himself.

Their bronze boar tusks glinted dangerously in the sunlight and I felt a wave of déjà vou wash over me. I shivered.

I nocked an arrow and pointed it at Green Hair - who I would later learn was called Stheno - and released it. It flew through the air but broke against her scaly tail.

That was when havoc let loose and the fighting really started.