Son of the Moon

17

-Percy-

As the ship sailed away from the island of sorceresses he leaned against the railing and enjoyed the breeze against his face, gazing at the setting sun on the horizon and the beautiful masterpiece of art that the light painted onto the glistening sea. He didn't turn at the soft sounds of footsteps on the wooden boards of the Queen Anne's Revenge but wrapped his arm around Bianca's shoulders when she walked up to him, seeing who it was out of the corner of his eye while Nico came up and clapped a hand to his shoulder and gave a brotherly squeeze and a small smile. "Hylla and Reyna are settling in well," Nico said after a moment of gazing at the chopping waves "Clarisse is showing them around the ship and giving them the rundown of what's happening with the quest and they seem to get along well with Clarisse…".

Here Nico trailed off and he could tell that Nico had some information that he wasn't going to like, "What is it Nico," he asked as he turned to his best friend "what aren't you telling me?".

Sighing Nico asked slowly, as if carefully weighing every word that escaped his lips, "You remember how Hylla said that even in the Sea of Monsters that she had heard stories of the Son of Artemis?". When he nodded the son of Hades continued "Well she thought that you were an immortal from Ancient Greece…and she says her mother is a roman goddess. She claims that the Greek gods don't' exist anymore…that only the roman deities control this world.".

Stunned he stared at the son of Hades before shooting a hand out at the steaming mist rising from the white capped waves and forced them into a shape which created a rainbow. Reaching into his pocked he pulled out a drachma and intoned "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering, show me Artemis, goddess of the hunt.".

The mist shimmered and rolled until it flattened out ad went white before showing his mother in her tent, sharpening an arrowhead before she looked up in surprise and asked happily "Percy!" What do you need?".

"We just rescued two girls from Circe's Isle," he began and he saw by his Mom's expression that she believed them to be recruits for the hunt "and they claim to be Roman demigods…that the Greek pantheon doesn't exist anymore.".

He saw her eyes widen in shock before his Mom hung her head sadly, "I wanted to tell you Percy," she explained shakily and he thought he saw a single tear fall from her eyes as she spoke "from the moment you were old enough to understand about gods and goddesses but I was forbidden to, an ancient law that was put into place by you grandfather after the American Civil war.".

"For what purpose?" he asked tonelessly, no emotion showing through neither through his face nor his stance as he was flanked by the two stoic children of Hades.

"To stop war," was the answer he was given which was enough to crack his façade and allow his shock to escape through, not realizing that the others were coming over to hear the conversation "during the American Civil war it wasn't just the North fighting the South…but the Roman demigods fighting the Greeks, your two cultures hate each other and almost every time you meet there is conflict. I begged my father to allow me to tell you but he refused at first but finally relented to an extent and said that if you discovered this on your own then I could tell you and your friends, but you all must swear to keep it to yourselves.".

"I swear on the River Styx, let it be so." He intoned solemnly as his oath was echoed by the rest of his companions who stepped up behind him.

"I'm sorry Percy," his Mom cried softly "I'm sorry for never telling you." Before she swiped her hand to cut the connection, but before it could fade he said "It's alright Mom, I love you." Causing his last glimse of before the Iris Message vanished was his mother's relieved smile. Turning to the eight demigods in front of him he said seriously "Alright, there's only one major threat between us and Polyphemus Island…the cove of the Sirens.".