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Chapter Text

Percy sighed, flopping onto his stomach, the old bunk bed creaking beneath his weight.

The cabins, both the new and the old, were finally finished. They looked amazing, and while everyone was excited, the Hermes cabin was especially ecstatic, vowing that Percy would get one full year off from their pranks.

He loved everyone's relief, don't get him wrong, but, to put it simply, Percy was exhausted. His body has never really been able to relax, every other step he was fighting a monster, or helping a god, or literally saving the fucking world.

Everything was catching up to him. He hated it.

A sound trickled through the air. Percy froze.

The sound grew louder, like the wind whistling near his ear was giggling at him.

It wasn't an adorable kid giggle, no, it sounded like an old lady.

Three old ladies.

Three old ladies knitting yarn

The demi-god shot up into a sitting position, slamming his head against the bottom wood of the top bunk above him. He hissed in pain, rubbing the now sore spot on his skull.

The giggles grew to cackles, Percy glared in the sound's general direction.

"What do you want?"

He yelled, currently in the process of sliding off the bed and grabbing riptide.

He uncapped his sword, knowing it would do literally nothing to the fucking Fates themselves, but who could blame the guy for wanting the slightest inkling of protection.

Perseus Jackson~

The wind curled around his ear, the throbbing in his temple worsening at their ugly tones.

We have come with a test~

Percy grimaced, gritting his teeth in anxiety.

Oh great. 'Tests', by immortal beings standards, meant putting you through hell and back just to see how long it takes before you buckle.

"Can't you guys just leave me alone?! The wars are over, everyone's finally living peacefully- What more could you possibly want to put me through?!"

He shouted, gripping the sword hilt so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

The laughter started up again.

Fate does as it pleases, Perseus. You know this~

And we now have a quest for you to take~

You cannot fight it~

Percy scoffed under his breath, loosening the grip on his sword.

"Of course."

He muttered.

"What can I fight?"

'When it comes to gods' was left unfinished on his tongue, though it still rang in the air like a bell.

Be ready Perseus~

The gods are not easy beings~

You must be cautious~

For this quest will test your loyalty to family~

Percy furrowed his brows, confusion deepening to an ever growing frustration.

What did they mean by that?

Good luck~

The wind grew to gusts of ice on his skin, lifting him in the air, stripping the breath from his lungs, releasing him of his sight.

The windows shattered from the force, picture frames, keep sakes, and glory trophies went flying, dressers and beds were toppled.

In the end, when Annabeth had rushed into her boyfriend's cabin, with half the camp behind her, no life remained in the temple of Poseidon.

Minor gods walked along the rocky streets of Olympus, chatting with nymphs, munching on food, drinking from chalices.

Satyrs whistled tunes on their pipes, the muses sang and rang instruments in harmony, maids and servants hummed along with trays and platters.

Life filled the air, no matter how ever lasting. 

Wind blasted throughout the mountain, sending objects and people flying in different directions.

Screams and shouts alerted the unbothered in their houses. Doors flew open, others slammed shut, people ran in futile effort to get away.

The wind dropped someone onto the freshly cut grass below, dissipating around the stranger in warning.

A minute passed of the leftover carnage, silence bouncing off the walls.

A brave little satyr stepped forward with trembling hooves, scooting towards the unmoving miracle with a gulp.

He poked the stranger with a stick he had fleetingly picked up as a makeshift weapon. Seeing no movement, he allowed himself to step closer, getting a good look at the person.

He seemed to be a teenager, black hair, tan skin, and very strange clothes.

He held scars that belonged to a hero, and a strange utensil was placed in his left hand.

The satyr looked back over at the gathering crowd, all too afraid of alerting the Olympians. 

"It's a boy. And he's unconscious."

A minor goddess stepped forward, picking up her dress so it did not stain from the dirt along the ground.

"I know that wind! It is one of destiny, of the Fates!" 

Coughs and sputters scattered throughout the crowd.

"This young boy must be a gift from the sisters of string, we must take him in!"

Nods followed her words, the satyr bent down, gently picking the boy up bridal style.

"Quickly! Bring him into my temple, my maids will nurse him to health!"

Chapter Text

Percy jolted awake, gasping for breath, a thin white blanket falling off of him in the process.

What happened? Where am I?

The memories flooded back faster than he could process, he was left sitting in shock.

Great.

He thought, his face turning sour.

So I'm gods knows where, with none of my friends, no supplies to help me, and literally no idea what to do!

Okay, okay, calm down. We need to find a way out of. . .wherever this is.

He took a deep breath, in and out, before slowly sliding off the bed, careful not to send shooting pains up his already throbbing body.

He almost flinched when he felt a cold breeze waft past his legs, thinking he might have torn his pants or something.

Oh no. It was much worse.

Am I wearing a fucking chiton?

Indeed, he wore a sleeveless, light grey chiton with a darker grey waist belt. He had no capes or jewelry, thank the gods, but still, the chiton in of itself was unnerving.

First of all, who in the land of Hades changed me? Second of all, jeez, Annabeth was not kidding about these things being short in length.

He thought, tugging at the bottom of the chiton—which stopped at the top of his kneecaps, mind you—with a grimace, receiving nothing but another cold breeze as a result.

He was currently barefoot, but placed next to the bed were a pair of white sandals around his size. He hoped they were for him, because he was not walking anywhere around here—wherever here even was—barefoot.

Slipping the sandals on, which were much more difficult than normal sandals by the way, he stepped around tentatively, looking at the decor and strange windows.

This is definitely some type of temple, which means I might encounter a god.

Percy thought, the sour mood returning, a shiver joining it.

I really hope they weren't the one who changed my clothes. If so, I might just have to fight them for indecency.

He patted himself down, looking for riptide, finding the pen tucked into his waist belt. 

He found himself grinning, even if it was only for a minute, happy that he at least wasn't fully stranded.

The sandals clicked against the stone floor as he walked, stepping through doorway after doorway, desperately trying to find an exit.

After what felt like an hour of mindless walking, he slumped against a wall, groaning tiredly.

I'm lost.

He slid to the floor with a dramatic sigh.

Gee, thank you, Fate sisters, for stranding me in a random temple with random clothes and neverending hallways. Such lovely people!

He slammed his head against his knees, barely even flinching from the pain.

Someone spoke above him.

He almost jumped out of his skin, whipping his head up to spot the sudden stranger.

It was a goddess, he could tell from the immortality glowing underneath her skin, but the thing is, he didn't know which goddess she was.

She was frowning down at him, saying something again.

He recognized it to be Greek.

But it didn't sound like the Greek he was used to, it seemed older.

He realized he might have to actually turn his brain on to understand her.

"Are you lost, little one? I apologize for not being there, I figured it would take longer for you to wake."

So this is your temple!

Percy thought, wondering if he could possibly work up the courage to ask for a map or something.

"Um, you're. . .okay, I guess."

He spoke, standing up to level with her.

He blinked, realizing she looked confused.

"Pardon me, could you say that again?"

She asked.

Percy shrugged, repeating his sentence. She looked like she just ate a lemon while trying to solve a puzzle.

"Ah. . .I cannot understand you, dear."

What?

Percy thought, raising an eyebrow.

How can she not. . .?

Wait a minute.

"Can- can you understand me now?"

He concentrated hard, his face scrunched up to the point where he looked constipated.

He may know how to read and understand older dialects of Greek, but he certainly couldn't talk with them as easily.

The goddess' face brightened, she nodded happily.

"Yes, much better!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. You're fine for leaving me alone, I guess."

The woman breathed out a sigh of relief, clasping her hands together and holding them close to her chest.

"Oh, good, I figured you might be upset. You were given no prior introduction after all. Though, may I ask who you are? You were quite the sudden appearance here."

Percy blinked, wondering if he should really tell the goddess his name. He didn't know who she was, and the Fates did mention that this quest would test his. . .something. He couldn't really remember what they said aside from the fact that he was on a new mission.

Realizing there really wasn't much he could do, he decided to go with using his nickname.

"Um, my name is Percy."

The goddess arched an eyebrow.

"Per-ce? Are you. . .a lady?"

Percy felt like he just got punched in the gut.

"Oh, gods, no! Per-cy. P-e-r-c-y!"

The lady covered her mouth, a flush appearing on her cheeks.

"Oh, goodness, I'm very sorry about that!"

Percy had his own flushed cheeks, breathing in and out to calm himself down.

"No, you're- you're fine, I-"

He took one more, combing a hand through his hair.

"I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Gods, was that embarrassing, please get this interaction over with.

The goddess waved it off, which surprised Percy. Usually gods weren't this lenient, but, to be fair, he hasn't met many minor gods before. They may just be chill.

"I'm assuming that your wandering means you would like to leave the temple?"

The goddess asked, quickly trying to change topics. She gestured to the walls around her, Percy very quickly nodding in response.

The goddess hummed in acknowledgement, turning on her heel, and beginning to step down the hall. Her footsteps were quiet.

With nothing else to do, Percy followed, looking around to maybe spot something that might help him figure out who she was the goddess of, but there wasn't much he could work with.

Finally, they stepped outside, and Percy was almost blinded by the closer-than-normal sun, causing him to cover his eyes with a grunt. 

The goddess chuckled, but said nothing, simply smoothing out her dress and waiting for Percy to recover.

He eventually did, taking in his surroundings with caution.

His heart dropped.

He recognized this place.

He recognized the palace to his left.

He recognized the little shops set up around the streets.

He recognized the stage for the muses to play songs.

He was on Olympus.

But things were different here.

The shops weren't walk in shops, they were stands and tents set up with different items to sell.

The houses looked older, more akin to Greece's old architecture.

And the temples, which were originally more old and forboading, were pristine, thriving with life as people laughed and talked inside.

Percy wanted this to be a dream. Or a nightmare. Or something that just wasn't real.

But no, this was real. He could feel the grass at his ankles, he could feel the sun beating on his skin, he could feel the chiton pressing against his chest. 

This was real.

Laughter floated next to his ear once more, the goddess beside him heard none of it.

They were confirming it.

He was in Ancient Greece.

After getting over the initial panic of being transported to fucking Ancient Greece—Okay, he still isn't over it, but he's calmed down enough not to have a panic attack whenever someone speaks to him— he walked outside to greet the townsfolk.

And to maybe figure out why the fuck he was here, and what stupid quest he needed to do to get out of here.

He waved at a few nymphs hustled together, who stared at him agape, quickly waving back with big smiles.

He stopped at a couple of stands, trying to get information on if there was a monster he needed to fight up here, or if there was a god he needed to see.

Everyone said that things were perfect, either agape at him coming to their stand, or practically exploding with delight.

When he asked a nearby satyr why they were doing that, the satyr explained.

"You came from a dangerous gust of wind, said to be made from the very Fates themselves. The goddess, Lady Eileithyia, took you into her temple, allowing you rest and nutrients while you were unconscious. Her servants tended to you, and some villagers would check in on you every once in a while."

The satyr talked while drawing in the dirt with a stick, making flowers and clouds.

Percy thanked him for the explanation, complemented his drawings, and quickly ran right back into the goddesses temple, pale in the face.

Even greater! 

He was the talk of the town right now! 

It would probably get the attention of whoever needed him, but it would also get the attention of people he didn't want to see.

He's read the stories, he knows how freely the gods used to act. And if he already thought they were bad in his time, these guys were going to be a lot worse.

Eileithyia stepped through one of the many doorways, staring at him with a slight frown on her face.

"Are you alright, dear? You seem scared."

Percy snapped back into focus, realizing his back was basically pressed against the door like he was trying to keep somebody out.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, Lady Eileithyia! Apologies for the intrusion, but can I maybe stay here for a little while?"

Percy responded, walking away from the door and to the goddess, though keeping a relatively safe distance.

The goddess tilted her head, smiling softly.

"Of course you can, my dear. As long as you do not make a mess, you are welcome at my temple anytime."

Chapter Text

Voices rang throughout the crowded temple. Cups were raised, sloshing with wine, to the god sitting on a throne.

He smiled, watching as the party grew in numbers. He was rarely ever able to invite his cult members onto Olympus, but he had successfully bribed his father into a three day party.

The only rule?

Stay in his temples only, do not intrude into anyone else's.

He made it work.

Dionysus was practically buzzing with power right now, his smiles as wide as they could be. It felt so good to have both channels of life in the same place.

He spotted humans, satyrs and even a few nymphs in the jumbled crowd. Some satyrs hadn't wanted to join Dionysus in the celebration, which made sense to him. Instead, they explored the rest of Olympus, with Dionysus keeping a third eye on them.

He leaned back on his throne, sipping his own goblet of wine, two humans coming up for a chat.

They spoke of random things, a few brave humans flirting with him, which he always returned with laughter in his voice.

"-Lord Dionysus!"

A satyr's voice whispered through his mind.

Fran, if he remembered correctly. He wasn't talking to the god though, he was talking about him.

Dionysus, curious as ever, checked in on the conversation.

"Oh, gods, you're right!"

Another satyr, Dan, had spoken this time.

"He could be an amazing member of the Maenads!"

Dionysus hummed to himself, subconsciously watching as the humans near him ran off to fill their cups.

"Maybe we could invite him!"

"Are you sure? He seems on guard. I don't want to be sliced into goat meat today."

If his hands had tightened on the goblet, no they didn't.

"Come on, Dan, it'll be fine, just explain that we're here to invite him!"

The god heard Dan sigh exasperatedly.

"Fine! But you owe me for this later!"

The conversation ended there. Dionysus tuned back out, his eyes finding his wife through the crowd.

We might have a new member soon. A special one, apparently.

He spoke without words, staring into her lovely eyes like they were gold on earth.

She smiled, an adorable turn of her lips that practically made the god lovesick.

I see. Don't scare them away, then, dear.

Dionysus chuckled to himself, his lips parting in a grin.

I'll try.

It wasn't long before the two drunk satyrs had shuffled Percy to what could only be Dionysus's temple.

It looked like a party was going on inside, which only made the boy nervous. He did not function well when alcohol was around. (Thanks to Gabe, anyway)

He sighed, knowing he had agreed to this on his own volition. Well, mostly.

The two satyrs, Fran and Dan, had found him befriending a few naiads near a lake.

The duo had invited Percy to Dionysus's temple, but didn't say why they wanted him there.

Percy just kind of rolled with it, it might very well have to do with the quest he needs to complete, and he isn't passing up an opportunity to get out of here.

After taking one final breath of clear air, he walked into the temple, Fran and Dan right behind him like some weird bodyguards.

Humans, nymphs, and satyrs alike were cheering and drinking. Some were dancing, others were flirting with each other, and a few uncaring ones were making out.

Percy averted his eyes to the floor pretty quickly.

Thankfully, Fran and Dan were basically leading him there, Dan with one hand on his back, and Fran gently pushing things or people out of the way.

Eyes were on him, sizing him up and down. It felt like he was back at camp again, on his first day. Except these guys weren't expecting him to do anything cool, it was more like they were ogling him.

He shifted his chiton uncomfortably, trying to cover more of his chest than he already was.

After what felt like hours, but was really only a minute, of walking, the trio stopped.

From where his gaze was on the floor, Percy could see the bottom of a throne.

"Lord Dionysus."

Fran and Dan said in unison, bowing with big grins on their faces. Very different from how the satyrs treated Dionysus at camp.

Then again, this was the Dionysus that wasn't restricted from most of his powers, he probably didn't act like he had a killer hangover every day.

Percy stood there for a second, silent, scrambling into a bow when he realized they were probably waiting for him to greet the god too.

"Lord Dionysus."

He stammered. He always had to do one thing that would eat him alive later on.

Someone chuckled, Dionysus, most likely.

But it didn't sound like Mr.D, so either Mr.D changed his voice, or the god just grew out of this one. (He was the youngest of the gods, right?)

"Please, rise, young ones."

The trio got to their feet, Fran and Dan stumbling a bit due to the alcohol.

"My satyrs, may you please explain why this little child is here?"

Little child?

Percy thought, almost snapping his head up with offense.

Excuse you! I'm seventeen!

"We have brought him here to meet you, my Lord."

Dan said, clapping Percy on the back. 

"The boy has a lot going on up here,"

Fran chimed in, tapping his head with a wink towards Dionysus, as if they were sharing a secret joke.

I do not!

Percy thought, resisting the urge to pout.

Wait-

"How old are you, young man?"

"Seventeen, sir."

Should he call him sir? Or Lord? But he wasn't using his name? Screw it, sir it is.

Dionysus hummed, shifting in his throne.

The movement caused Percy's eyes to cautiously flicker upwards, accidentally catching the god's own gaze.

His eyes were ten times more dizzying than looking at Mr.D's, his smile showing clear mischief, that also seemed to be directed at Percy specifically.

His hair was the same jet black, so dark it looked purple. Except there was no grey mixed in. 

In fact, it looked like an Aphrodite kid had gotten ahold of the god and didn't give him back until an entire makeover had been completed.

Glossy hair reaching his shoulders, tan skin that looked both smooth and like stone, his lashes were longer, and his lips were a seemingly natural pink, that popped out more than the women standing next to his throne.

His nails were painted a wine purple, sharper than normal, he had silver earrings dangling from his ears, and a few jeweled bracelets on his wrists.

He only wore a wine purple cloth, in the shape of a chiton, over his lower half, with a leopard print cape clipped over his bare chest. Even then, the cape was hanging on his left side more than his right. The god also wore the shoes that may have very well been designed by Kronos himself(Seriously, who thought it would be a good idea for spiral straps?), and apparently he had a few old run-ins with monsters, considering the scars scattered about.

He had one of those stephanos things on his head, probably showing that he was royalty, and was holding a golden goblet in his left hand.

His build was bigger, he looked like a football player, but also like a five star model.

His eyes softened, he nodded to Percy for an unspoken hello, and then turned back to his satyrs.

"Fran, Dan, you two have brought me a wonderful young boy. Unfortunately, he is too young to be with the Maenads."

Percy felt his heart skip a beat.

That's what they were trying to do? Get him to join a cult?

Fran and Dan frowned, looking two seconds away from hanging their heads like a sad child.

"But,"

The two satyrs brightened, Percy mentally grimaced.

"I may be able to offer him something else."

A few seconds of silence from the god, as people continued to party in the background. 

Soon, the god stepped off of his throne, an unreadable expression on his face.

"You two can leave now, I must speak with the boy alone."

Oh gods.

Percy thought, watching helplessly as both the satyrs, who very eagerly nodded, and the few humans standing next to Dionysus, walked off, chatting about things Percy couldn't hear.

Nevermind, this is a bad idea, I can find the quest another time!

He looked over at the entrance, seeing that it was way too crowded for an easy escape. 

Shit-

His anxiety was spiking through the roof by this point.

"Come, child, speak with me."

Dionysus spoke, extending a hand to Percy. 

Oh gods, what do I do? 

Stranger danger!

But he isn't a stranger?

Is he a stranger?

With enough hesitation to annoy even Grover, he held his hand, and was basically dragged off.

They walked into another part of the temple, where more people partied and drank, though the numbers were dwindling as they traveled through the crowds.

"What is your name, young one?"

Dionysus asked, nodding to a trio of nymphs who were waving.

"Um, Percy."

The demi-god responded, wondering if he should just bolt right now. There was a perfectly good 'window'-Hole in the wall that was shaped like a window-just a few feet from him.

He decided against it. Don't get him wrong, he doesn't like any of this. Being alone with a god, being in a space that's filled with alcohol, and not having anything but riptide to back him up.

But, he'd rather deal with this, and eventually get home, then run off like a coward, and get killed somehow.

Dionysus's face softened yet again. For some reason, Percy didn't like that. He was used to the cold, dry jokester that Mr.D was. He's barely even met this Dionysus, and he can tell this god is a lot different.

"Well, Percy, it is quite the pleasure to meet you."

Percy nodded to the god, a nervous smile on his face.

"I must say though, the fact that you are up here is quite puzzling. You are a demi-god, correct?"

Percy nodded again, his heart racing. Being an unrecognizable demi-god on Olympus was bad, for a number of reasons. If he doesn't believe Percy's random airdrop, he might be screwed.

Dionysus gave a hum of acknowledgement, staring at Percy with an expression he couldn't read.

"How have you found yourself here, then? A young half-blood could not have wound up here for no reason."

The demi-god exhaled, prepping himself for the inevitable boot.

"I was brought here by the Fates, sir."

Dionysus's eyes widened, his smile wavering slightly.

He paused in his steps, the two being fairly alone in a more obscure part of the temple.

"The Fates?"

"Yes. I was brought here to complete a quest they assigned. They didn't exactly tell me what it was, though."

"A quest."

Dionysus repeated, his voice quiet.

His eyes went far, lost in thought for a minute.

His face calmed once more, he exhaled through his nose.

"While I normally would have booted you back to your hometown by now, due to your information, I am inclined to let you stay."

Percy was shocked, he didn't know whether to cheer or hide. After all, he hadn't figured out Dionysus' motives yet.

"But,"

There it is,

He thought, bracing himself.

"There is a danger to being alone up here, with no reputation to guard you. If you would like, I can shelter you here. Pretend you are a member of my cult, so you are not messed with. Once the other Maenads are gone, you can simply say that you're the favorite, and were allowed to stay longer."

The favorite?

Percy thought, looking in genuine concern.

"Know that this is simply an offer, you do not need to think too hard on this. Being counted as a Maenad will get you attention, which may give you the key to getting that mission, but it will also bring some unwanted immortals to you."

The demi-god mentally paused, looking to the floor.

I mean. . .it wouldn't be too bad to stay here, I basically live with him every summer. And he is right, if I'm with him, it might bring more gods along with a quest.

Those are pretty big "maybes" though, again, like he said, this may just get me into danger.

Then again, what's really the difference?

Percy still didn't know if he should trust the god, he rarely ever made deals with higher beings, but something in his gut told him to trust this one, at least for the while. He didn't exactly have anyone else—aside from Lady Eileithyia—who he could go to.

Trust him, while he wanted to only meet the "won't kill you because of a wrong glance" gods, that definitely wasn't going to happen. And it would be safer to have someone powerful on his side right now, even if that someone might just be using him.

Dionysus had his hand held out, a patient look on his face. It didn't suit him.

Percy stared at the outstretched hand, and, very hesitantly, took it. His hands were shaking, but with his eyes squeezed shut, he muttered, "I except."

Just as the words escaped his lips, a chill tingle ran up his arm, stopping at the bottom of his jaw line.

Peaking an eye open, he practically gasped.

There was a tattoo on his arm.

One that was not there two seconds ago.

He saw that same one on the humans scattered around the temple, but he just assumed they got it themselves

Apparently, it was a self applying one.

To the god's credit, it did look cool. A dark purple grape vine, wrapped around his arm, probably stopping where the chill did. The least hurtful tattoo he's gotten. 

And arguably the most consensual too.

Thals would be absolutely jealous.

He thought, having to stop himself from grinning like a maniac.

Looking back up at his future camp director, the man stared at the tattoo with shock.

Still not used to that.

Percy thought, forcing back an actual grimace.

"Interesting."

Dionysus mumbled, tilting his head.

He swallowed, beginning to say something, when the god spoke first.

"Most of the Maenads have theirs stop here,"

He tapped his elbow, and Percy's muscles tensed. His left hand twitched, ready to grab riptide at any moment.

"I've only ever seen one this long on my wife, and quite close friends."

Dionysus then tapped his neck, and Percy had to force down a guilty, caught off guard expression.

It made since, the grape vine would grow when he knew someone closer, and he and Percy did know each other. But he couldn't exactly say that, or he would sound insane.

(. . .well)

Dionysus then blinked, and that shocked expression was forced away yet again, replaced with a smile, though it didn't seem as friendly.

"Oh well, cannot dwell on that for very long, can we?"

He said, waving a hand dismissively.

Percy massaged his hand nervously, currently reconsidering the "jumping out the window" approach.

"Now, let us get you out of that. . .boring cloth, shall we?"

"Huh?"

Percy asked, watching as the god clapped his hands twice.

Over four servants appeared beside the two, despite Percy never having seen these people before.

From the way they were circling him, it looked like he was about to get sacrificed.

"My dear friends, please dress this young boy in the finest cloth we have. Treat him to a luxury bath, if you must, and make sure he is comfortable here."

The servants bowed in unison, Percy stared in horror.

"Wait, you don't-"

A servant grabbed his arm, and off he went, looking over his shoulder with an expression that read "Help me."

Chapter Text

To be honest, living in a cult with his future camp director didn't seem half bad, compared to other houses he's been in.

The other members of the cult, the Maenads, were actually really chill with him.

They loved to decorate his hair, which reminded him of the Aphrodite cabin, and would always try and include him in everything.

Which would get a little weird when they asked questions like "Who should we rip apart?" or "Which man should we gut first?" but at least they were inclusive.

The only times he would ever actively say no was when they wanted to utilize Mr.D's. . . fertility domain. No thank you, he had one girlfriend, and only one.

Unfortunately, the three day party hit its deadline, meaning the others had to go back down to Greece.

It was a lot quieter, it felt like moving from the Hermes cabin to the Poseidon cabin all over again.

Speaking of the cabins, he still hasn't found a way back to his. Three full days passed, and he has not heard of one quest that could get him out of here.

Mr.D and Ariadne were obviously very nice, but it didn't help the fact that he wanted to go home. At this point, he was thinking of causing a problem just to fix it and leave.

But of course, he was stuck, and the Fates hadn't sent any clues or signs to help scoot him closer to freedom. Even his dreams have been suspiciously quiet, he hasn't had one weird vision since he first got here.

So you can imagine his surprise when one vision finally managed to slip through.

It was nothing but a black void, at first, leaving Percy with the wonderful choice of sitting or standing. He sat.

Suddenly though, a smell filtered through the air. Yarn, old and worn.

At first, he thought he might of accidentally summoned the god of yarn or something, until the sense brought back a wave of deja vu.

The Fates.

His heart lurched forward, he almost fell onto his butt.

You ask for a sign, young one~

Percy gritted his teeth, his eyes darting around, yet still finding nothing within the darkness.

"Oh, now you answer?!"

He called out, jumping to his feet, his movements slow despite his anger.

He felt like he was moving through molasses, or just a particularly defensive wave.

We will give you a sign~

They were ignoring him, like usual.

The blackness jolted, shuddering like an old film, until he was standing back at camp.

He frowned, a homesick feeling bubbling in his stomach.

He turned at the ringing of voices, his mouth quickly dropping at the sight.

It was him, teaching a few kids how to ride a horse.

What?

What did this have to do with whatever quest he needed?

The scene changed, and they were now in the camp forest.

He was comforting Clarisse, who had finally broken down from the pressure.

She sobbed into his shoulders, and Percy swore that he still had nail indents in his back to this day, but it was a pretty sweet memory, considering.

The scenes continued to change, showing different things he had done, that seemed in no way relevant to his current situation. 

All he was doing was being nice, how would that help him?

He was once again back in that black void, his face crumpled into pure exhaustion.

He had no clue what any of that meant, and he had a good guess that the Fates weren't going to tell him.

Giggling followed, Percy scowled at the unseen voices that made his life a living hell.

Whatever,

He thought, rubbing his eyes, despite being in a dream.

We'll just figure it out as we go.

Dionysus smiled at the boy standing before him, wings pattering lightly to keep the young god from touching the ground. 

Why his older brother hated standing still was against him, and he had no reason to judge, given his domains.

"Hello, dear brother. What is it you need?"

He asked, tilting his head to the side. Hermes grinned, crossing his legs midair.

"Greetings to you too, brother. I've heard of a lovely rumor, and have come to check if it is true."

Dionysus arched an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe with a mirrored grin.

"Oh? And what are these blabbered words?"

"Nymphs have spoken of a young boy, brought by the string sisters themselves. They say he is searching for a quest to complete, one that involves us immortals."

Dionysus snorted, rolling his eyes to his brother's sentence.

"Oh, that one? Fortunately for you, brother, that rumor is true."

Hermes brightened almost immediately, legs uncrossing to folding in on themselves, the boy's posture reminding Dionysus of a giddy child.

Dionysus grinned, knowing he had caught his brother hook and sinker.

"For the boy in that tale, is the one I'm currently housing."

The messenger's mouth dropped, his eyes blinking rapidly. In a movement that would have given a mortal a heart attack, he grabbed his brother's shoulders, and shook them rapidly.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

He shouted, stopping when the wine god only laughed.

"I must see him!"

Before he could zoom into the temple, his brother grabbed the back of his peplops, pulling him back out like a naughty cat.

"Not right now, he is still getting comfortable around me and Ariadne. You may visit him later, if you please."

Hermes pouted, still glancing at where he assumed the boy's courters were.

Eventually, he caved, knowing his little brother was right. Assuming he was randomly dropped here with no explanation, he was most definitely jumpy and frazzled.

"Fine, I'll wait. But you better expect a few jewels on him when I find him."

Hermes responded, winking only once. He giggled at the eye twitch his brother returned with.

In a gust of wind, the god of travelers was gone. Dionysus sighed in annoyance, closing the door to his temple with a thud, praying that the little boy he housed wasn't going to be picked up by every god he comes across.

It wasn't answered, and it never would be.

Hermes hummed a wordless tune, strumming the strings of a lyre he just put together.

Though his music calmed all of those near, that wasn't where his thoughts were. No, they were on the mysterious boy brought from the Fates.

Hermes had only heard the flickering rumors of how the boy got here, and a few whispers of his name's meaning, but ironically, he hasn't learned his name itself.

To be completely fair, Hermes hadn't even known what species the kid was at first, obviously he could tell now that he was a half-blood, but he didn't know if the Fates were cruel enough to just send some random mortal here either.

"Destroyer," A passing Naiad bubbled to her friends.

The Fates bringing a young boy into the past to apparently fix something, yet his name was translated to "Destroyer". . .was actually very in line with what he'd seen of the string sisters.

A snap of a twig pulled him forcefully from his thoughts, a scowl on his face.

At first, he assumed it to be a passing satyr, or perhaps a curious wood nymph, so he only leaned forward, his eyes passing the tree blocking his view.

He froze, almost dropping the lyre. If he had a heart, it would most definitely be beating faster now.

Speak of the half-blood, the young boy was here. He looked annoyed, at who, Hermes couldn't tell.

The boy looked. . . frankly adorable.

Jet black hair, unruly like his, tan skin, eyes a shimmering sea green. The scars marring his skin would have made Ares himself pat the kid on the back with a grin, and Hermes was sure he could see ink on one of his wrists.

Goodness, Dionysus was right to hide the boy away. He was too precious to let stay out in the open, which meant him being here was something the kid most likely bargained for.

That or Dio was just hiding his possessive nature. Probably the latter, if Hermes was thinking clearly. He didn't know what his family's obsession with keeping their protectiveness hidden was about, he'd rather show it all in the open, let them know they were protected.

The boy seemed to pause, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

Hermes' gaze fell to the grape vine tattoo dawning his arm, and his eyes narrowed.

It was. . .longer than he assumed it would be. Don't most cult members have theirs stop at their elbows?

The suspicion quickly turned to a silent snort, of course his brother would make a spectacle about it, the overprotective dork.

While Hermes has yet to know his name, or officially call him anything but 'boy', he does notice things.

Like the similarities between him, and a fawn.

A baby deer.

Wide, curious eyes, skittish at any movement, jumpy, will bolt at the slightest sound. 

It is settled.

Hermes thought, his grin tilting mischievously.

He will now be a fawn.

He knew Artemis would gut him if she ever found out about this, but she didn't need to know.

With a little giggle, Hermes set down the lyre he was strumming, and flew towards the fawn.

He spun in the air, like a bird, allowing the winds to carry the little one into spinning with him, ruffling through his hair, blowing through his chiton.

Hermes grabbed the fawn's wrist, gently, stopping their little dance with a dramatic hand holding pose.

The god of travelers laughed at the fawn's puzzled, frazzled expression, looking back at him with humor and playfulness.

"Hello there, little one!"

He cooed, pulling the fawn closer, his hand still held firm on the young one's wrist.

The fawn looked nervous, angry, hopeful, and exhausted at the same time. A strange combination that seemed to be aimed towards the god himself.

"I am Lord Hermes, it is lovely to meet you."

The god began, giving a dramatic mid air bow.

The fawn didn't return it, simply mumbling his own name in reply, eyes shying away to find some place to hide.

"My name is Percy."

Percy? Perseus? Fitting.

Hermes thought, keeping his eyes trained on the little fawn.

"Well, Percy, I have come to speak with you about your predicament. Particularly about a deal we could make."

The fawn's eyes flashed with a bigger tint of hope, quickly being hidden before the god could grab onto it. A smart one, then.

"Unfortunately, I do not have a quest ready for you, at the moment."

An—admittedly adorable—sad face melted onto the fawn, as his mouth twisted, ready to spout a few curse words.

"But! I am the god of travelers, which means I can find a quest for you!"

An eyebrow quirked up, as the fawn studied the god's expression.

Hermes stuck his hand out to the little one, watching as the boy cautiously looked it over, like it was going to bite him.

"That is what the deal will be, I find a quest for you, and you can complete it."

"What's in it for you?"

The fawn responded, his shoulders tense once more.

"Tell them who sent you on this quest."

Hermes replied, shrugging his shoulders in a casual manner.

The fawn blinked, confusion overriding any fear he previously had.

". . .that's it? Just, tell them you helped me?"

Hermes nodded wordlessly, his wings flapping happily against the sides of his head.

Percy definitely didn't trust him, but Hermes knew the fawn didn't really have anything else he could do.

The fawn continued to stare at the hand, then flicking his eyes down to the grass below.

"This isn't going to be like some- big binding oath right?"

Hermes shook his head, chuckling quietly.

"Oh, no, dear, just a little friendly deal for some extra help."

Percy muttered something along the lines of "Really got to stop making deals with gods", yet still took the god of travelers hand, shaking it lightly.

Percy couldn't lie and say he wasn't absolutely blindsided by the god before him.

First, it was his dramatic entrance, scaring the shit out of him. 

Then, it was offering a deal.

And third, it was the requirements of the deal.

And now, Percy couldn't go back, because he was already shaking the god's hand. He expected some big bright light, or strange tattoo to appear like before, but instead, he was just met with a very giddy god.

"This is going to be so much fun! I can sense the mischief from here!"

The god exclaimed. 

That wasn't concerning at all.

"Don't you worry, little fawn!"

Hermes tapped Percy on the nose, who blinked in surprise, taking a startled step back.

"Wait, fawn-?"

The demi-god choked out, unable to finish his sentence when Hermes was talking rapidly.

"I'll find you a quest as soon as I can!"

"Thank you-?"

The god was actually holding up his end of the little deal, which, great, he needed all the help he could get. But wasn't it weird that he so quickly jumped into helping him? Just like Dionysus did?

He couldn't even think anymore about that, since Hermes decided to play Peter Pan again, spinning around Percy like they were in some fantasy movie.

Hermes cackled, and Percy was beginning to think the god was teaching him how to dance.

He finally stopped, letting Percy breathe through the nausea building in his stomach.

And also allowing Percy to actually get a good look at him, the demi-god assessed that Hermes was not to keen on sitting still.

He had curly brown hair, a dark caramel color, frizzy and almost as unruly as Percy's own. Just like past Mr.D, it was long, just reaching his shoulders. 

The top half of his face was currently covered, a shadow from the helmet he wore only allowing the whites of his eyes to be seen. His helmet was that famous one with the little white wings sprouting from them, the wings themselves fluttering happily.

His skin was tan, more tan than Percy's, with a few deep scars shown here and there. His frame was thin, but still muscular, and he seemed to have a faint glow to him, his immortality carelessly on display.

His clothes were similar to past Mr.D's, his bottom cloth, a plain white, resembled a chiton, but his top half was bare. He had a peplops tied over his shoulder, and around his waist—this one a bright red—and he had a messenger bag on his right shoulder.

Percy couldn't forget the classic winged sandals strapped around his feet, but apparently Hermes also had the spiral straps. Zeus knows how the god managed to put them on every morning with how bouncy he was.

Percy was jolted out of his thoughts when something cold hit his chest.

Praying that it wasn't an animal or insect from the dizzy spinning, he looked down, and found-

A necklace?

It was a necklace, the charm being a miniature version of the caduceus.

This was obviously a gift from Hermes, judging by his grin that practically split his face in two. Percy did not want to question how he got it on him in the first place, his mind was already hurting.

He didn't want to risk taking it off and upsetting the god either, so he just. . . cautiously left it there.

Gods, he could feel the headache forming already. 

He must have been staring at the new jewelry for a few seconds too long, as Hermes spoke up.

"It is a gift, to you. It's enchanted to alert me if you're ever in any danger."

Percy's eyes widened.

Oh. That's. . .awfully generous of him. But why? Why would he want to help me? Especially getting no prize to earn from it?

"Thank. . .you?"

He drawled, face scrunched in slight distrust.

Hermes nodded like he was at a rock concert, still holding onto Percy's wrist.

"Of course! Now, would you like to-"

The god was interrupted by a light coming from his messenger bag.

His face fell, and he sighed bitterly.

He dug through the bag, and pulled out his caduceus, watching as the glow slowly dimmed.

"Oh great, and just as I found you too."

He mumbled, shaking his head exasperatedly. 

"Unfortunately, little fawn, I must be going. Olympus is always busy after all."

Percy tried to ignore the cold deja vu slipping into his mind.

"Do not worry, though, I will be back shortly! Hopefully, I'll have a quest ready for you!"

The god ruffled Percy's hair, currently floating upwards in the air, towards the sky, a lyre flashing into his hand.

"Bye, darling!"

In a blip, Hermes was gone.

Percy was struggling to understand everything that happened. At this point he wasn't sure he wanted to understand.

He sighed into the empty air, turning on his heel, and walking back out of the forest.

Dionysus had to keep his eye from twitching when little Percy came back to the temple.

Because strung around his neck, was a charm of Hermes.

He let the young godling go back to his room, his eyes closing before he even hit the pillow.

The god was pissed, he had told his older brother to stay away from Percy, and yet the one day he lets the sea child venture away from the temple, he comes back with jewelry and a fresh deal.

Dionysus knew Percy couldn't stay in the temple forever, the whole reason the little one accepted the idea of staying here was to have a better reach with the gods.

But he also knew that Percy was oblivious to how the gods actually acted. At least, in the greater sense.

So yes, he was rightfully protective, especially considering the dangers the boy has been put through already.

He's seen the scars, the burns, the brand. He knew that something happened to the young one, and he isn't going to let anything like that happen again.

And while he loved his family, they could harm him, intentionally or not. 

Dionysus stood from his throne, grabbing a chalice from nowhere, his steps echoing quietly throughout the startlingly empty temple. 

He needed to see his wife, she would calm him down.

Passing the young godling's room, his eyes fell on the boy himself.

He was sleeping peacefully, curled up under the many sheets he had been gifted by the Maenads.

Dionysus felt humoured at the notice that he was drooling. 

His steps continued, softer this time, walking into his chambers, where his wife, Ariadne, lay, asleep as well.

Just her presence seemed to lighten his mood, setting the chalice down on the table next to their bed. He sat on the edge, silently brushing her hair away from her face.

He would love both of them, for he was chosen by them as a being to help protect them.

One with romance, and one familial.

He won't let anyone else hurt them, or they would fall to the hands of endless madness.

He promised that.