The Lost Royals of Atlantis: Disputed Call of Duty.

I: The Epoch

"A Half-Blood of the eldest gods,

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The Hero's soul, 

cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze."

Thinking of those lines still brought a shudder through Percy Jackson's spine. It had been a month since the 'Battle of Manhattan' ended. A month since the city woke up from 'The Great New York Sleep'. A month since he had defeated the evil Titan king. A month since he had turned sixteen.  A month since the 'Great Prophecy' concluded. He still found it hard to believe that the war had concluded a month ago. The clink-clank of swords as they clashed, the whizzing sounds of arrows, the ugly screams as monsters charged into battle, his friends' shouts as they  fell prey to the enemy, the cries of the injured still rung in his ears as though it had only been yesterday. 

But there were good things too. Percy and Annabeth had started seeing each other as soon as the war concluded. At the moment, they were at Paris, taking a stroll in a private beach, celebrating their first month anniversary. As much as Percy would like to claim this to be his own idea, brought to fruit after days of planning, that wasn't the case at all. Hermes, the God of Messengers had dispatched them on a quest to bring back his staff from the clutched of a tiny gaint. And this had been his way of repaying them back. 

Annabeth was dressed in a dark green sleeveless dress that showed off her long blond hair and her slim athletic figure. Her camp necklace had been replaced by a string of gray pearls that matched her eyes. He himself was dressed in a deep blue suit, feeling way cleaner than one would after spending a whole day scrounging the sewage system of New York.

As he walked down the bleach, with the gentle splashing of waves and the gentle breeze, he really couldn't believe a month had passed since the war. But Victory didn't come without sacrifices. Hundreds of dryards and satyrs died helping them, incarnating into beautiful flowering plants and trees. Most of them had been planted in the gardens of Olympus to thank them for their sacrifices.

Sixteen shrouds had been burnt the day after his birthday. The Apollo cabin had lost 4 of its members, including their counsellor Michael Yew. Apollo himself had come to bid his children goodbye, for once dressed as sober as the occasion called for. He also performed the last rights of all the other fallen heroes as Chiron was still recovering from his injuries. Michael Yew had been succeeded by the twelve-year-old Will Solace, who had fainted just after the ceremony after wearing himself thin in trying to keep the injured alive at the infirmary. Apollo himself nursed him and a few others for that day, making sure that they lived.

The Aphrodite cabin had lost its head counselor Silena Beauregard, who had tricked the Ares cabin into joining the battle. She was succeeded by Drew Tanaka. The Hermes cabin had lost two of its members. The Ares cabin, and the hepatethus cabin had lost one member each. The hunters had borne the highest number of casualties with six of them being killed during the battle. 

He and Annabeth had returned to New York  the weekend before their school started. They were both starting at Goode High this year, the very first school where Percy was attending two consecutive years. Annabeth was also staying at New York, as she overlooked the redesigning of Mount Olympus. 

"Are you even listening to me?" asked Annabeth, waving her hand in my face. Percy blinked, suddenly being brought back to the reality. His expression must have answered her, for sparkle in her eyes dimmed. Percy hated himself for that. He loved the way her eyes gleamed with the sea reflected in it, giving it a depth to be explored for a lifetime. He liked the was her tanned skin shone in the moonlight, her blonde hair almost looking golden, those rebellious strands that fell on her face just to annoy her, giving him a reason to touch her face.