GREEK GOD - the lighting thief

two

Flor and Annabeth showed Percy around the rest of the camp. Since Annabeth was still soaked in toilet water, the trio got a lot of stares.

They returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.

"We've got training to do," Annabeth told Percy, flatly, "dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets," Percy sounded genuine.

"Whatever."

"It wasn't my fault."

The girls looked at him, skeptically. Water doesn't just explode out of toilets for no apparent reason.

"You need to talk to the Oracle," Annabeth said after a moment.

"Annabeth-"

"Who?" Percy and Flor spoke over each other.

"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron."

Flor rolled her eyes and looked out at the lake. Her eyes found some naiads at the bottom of the pier. They grinned and waved to Percy, and Flor glanced at him just in time to see him wave back. She chuckled, "don't encourage them. Naiads are terrible flirts."

"Naiads," Percy repeated, his eyebrows furrowing, "that's it. I want to go home now."

Annabeth frowned. "Don't you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"I mean not human.  Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."

"Half-human and half-what?"

"I think you know."

"God," Percy said after a moment, "half-god."

The girls nodded. "Your father isn't dead Percy," Annabeth said, "he's one of the Olympians."

"Or a minor God," Flor added.

"That's...crazy."

"Is it?" Annabeth asked, "what's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them."

"Do you really think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?" Flor smiled.

"But those are just—" Percy stopped himself before he could say 'myths,' "but if all the kids here are half-gods-"

"Demigods," Flor clarified, "that's the official term. Or half-bloods."

"Then who's your dad?" his question made the blonde's eyes widen, as Annabeth's hands tightened around the pier railing.

"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said, "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."

"He's human."

"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"

"Who's your mom, then?"

"Cabin six."

"Meaning?"

Annabeth fixed her posture before she spoke. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."

"Oh. And you?" he turned to Flor.

"My godly parent is Persephone," she replied, "but since she doesn't have a cabin, I stay in Hades' cabin."

"Why don't you stay in Hermes' cabin?"

"It's a long story," she waved him off with her hand, "for some other time."