Some Other World

Well That's Going to be Really Helpful in the Future

We talked for an hour, about any topic that came into conversation. Angela was an interesting woman, and had no shortage of amazing stories.

At one point the tent flap opened and Elva walked in. As always, her strange stare sent an involuntary shiver down my spine, but she couldn't help that. She watched us for a few moments, then grabbed a blanket from the corner of the tent and left.

"She's enamored with you, you know." Angela said with a smile, pouring herself another mug of tea. "She talks about you more than anyone she's ever met. It's impressive."

"Really?" I sat up curiously. "What does she say?"

"A number of interesting things." Angela looked at me over the rim of her mug as she took a sip. "But the most common thing she tells me is that you're from some other world."

I nearly choked on the cookie I'd just bitten into. The herbalist continued speaking as casually as if nothing had happened.

"She tells me all these amazing things that she sees. Great metal contraptions that fly through the sky like dragons. Metal carriages with no horses to pull them. And people with amazing powers, powers like yours."

"And what do you tell her?" I asked, carefully keeping the nervousness out of my voice.

Angela smiled. "That she's right, of course. She sees the future, after all, she has no reason to lie about it. But I've made sure to tell her that these visions of hers are not something we can talk about to others, because it could put you in serious danger."

She looked at me, suddenly serious, and set her mug down. "Why haven't you told anyone?"

I shifted awkwardly. "We weren't sure how. When I first arrived, I figured one secret was enough to give up with Anareem. Then I met Maggie and she hadn't told anyone and that just solidified that we shouldn't talk about it."

Angela nodded seriously. "A wise choice, really, many authorities would have been extremely distrustful of you. Am I correct in assuming that you were going to tell me before I brought it up?"

I nodded, smiling crookedly. "Maggie thinks with my Rider magic that we'll be able to get back, so she wants to gather support. That way we can work in public without being overly questioned."

"Also a wise choice."

She held up the kettle and I shook my head. "As long as we're talking about this, I've got a question for you."

"Alright."

I paused, thinking about it for a moment. "Obviously I've got a lot of secrets... and there's one more. Which kind of relates to the question I have for you."

Angela set down her mug. "Very well."

"In my world... Earth, it's called. On Earth, there are gods. They're ancient, from a civilization that was once the center of the world, and they're very powerful... they're also incapable of keeping it in their pants, so they have a lot of half-god, half-mortal children."

"I would assume you're one of those children." The herbalist chuckled.

"Yes. I'm the son of Poseidon, he's the god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and a couple other things."

"Your gods have more than one domain?"

I shrugged. "Usually. And there are often more than one god to a domain. It's a mess, really."

Angela nodded. "Most things are, if we're honest."

"My life definitely is."

I sighed, sitting back and forgetting for a moment what I was even doing.

"What was the question you were going to ask me?"

"Oh, right. Well, I've heard quite a bit about how you're... interesting."

Angela laughed. "Putting it nicely, I'm sure."

I smiled apologetically. "I always try to... so what about my interesting-ness has you so intrigued?"

"They seem to think you're not completely human. And since I'm not either-"

"You were looking for someone similar. Someone like you."

I nodded. "I'm sorry if you aren't, I don't  mean to assume anything, but the stories I've heard seemed to point in that direction and I have to hope."

"No no, there's nothing to apologize for. Really, that's one of the better things that have been said about me." Angela shrugged and gracefully pulled herself to her feet, walking across the room.

"So it's not true, then?" I deflated just a little. Demigods in this world would probably have gone a long way towards our attempts to get home, but it seemed like that was just not to be.

Angela reached into the bag next to her bedroll. She pulled something out of it and turned to Percy, keeping it hidden behind her back.

"My mother would like you, Percy. You're an intuitive man." 

I raised my eyebrows warily.

Angela brought her hands out from behind her, cupping the strange glowing gemstone that she held there in her hands. "My mother is the goddess Byeyar of Healing."