Chapter Text
While Percy had been settling into the castle. Poseidon meanwhile was dealing with the ever growing frustration of trying to find the demigod that had been responsible for the attack on his son.
As Dionysus had said, the attempt to locate him through his mother had been a complete dead end.
He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to the mortal women. Other than it appeared to involve the domain of prophecy from what little he could pick up in the visit.
But she hadn’t been lucid enough to tell him if the traitor had been by.
In the process of it all he had run into Hermes. Who apparently kept a watch on the mortal.
He hadn’t been exactly happy to find out about the camp incident to say the least.
Unfortunately in the process it became clear. Hermes had about as much clue to where the traitor had run off to as he did.
Which was basically to say none at all.
He would rather not come back empty handed. But he knows eventually he will have to return to Atlantis.
Amphitrite can hold down the fortress as the mortals say and could do it for an extended time.
But he didn’t want to put that much pressure on her on top of her other duties.
It would just breed resentment.
The next morning Percy starts exploring. Though he’s a bit careful about how he does it at first.
While Amphitrite had said he could go wherever he pleased within reason, previous experiences with adults not actually meaning the carte blanch when they said things like that had made him more reserved about the whole thing.
He guesses that’s what to be expected when you have a palace that is home to several gods after all.
He wasn’t entirely sure how much longer he would be allowed to visit Atlantis.
(No one had said anything to him directly about him staying here. Mostly just ignoring that entire event outside of checkups with the healer in charge of his care, Althia.
He had a feeling he knew what his Dads answer would be to that question.
But he isn’t sure if it would line up with everyone else's.
And he’s not entirely prepared to ask yet.)
So for now he tries to enjoy visiting his Dads palace.
Who knew how long it would last?
Percy’s castle ventures eventually had ended up with him in what looked like a library of some kind. He had been about to turn around and swim out (He spent enough time struggling in class without subjecting him to it in his off time) when he realized his dyslexia wasn’t actually triggering normally.
He still didn’t quite understand what the book that had caught his attention was maybe about. He still wasn’t inclined to read it.
But if the title was any indicator, it would definitely be easier to read than English traditionally had been for him.
Maybe because of his Dad he was hard wired to read this language as well as Ancient Greek? Something to ask about at least.
A god that before now he had only read about in the mythology books, but the twin tails were a dead give away to his identity: Triton.
Not even a few minutes later it becomes quite apparent Triton does not like him being here. The library or the castle, probably both, Percy isn’t sure which one to be precise.
But the comment about coming here to deal with the aftermath of the attack is more than a bit too pointed.
Percy manages to bite back a comment on how it wasn’t like he asked to be here in the first place.
He had fallen unconscious at Camp Half Blood and then woken up in Atlantis with no conversation in between.
He was trying really hard to not pick a fight with someone he knew he would lose to.
(Though that historically hadn’t always stopped him. He at least knew picking a fight with the god in his own domain was a very dumb idea.
No matter how angry the comments were making him.)
“I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask Dad to bring me here. I certainly didn’t ask to be betrayed by one of like three people who I considered my friend and left to die alone in the middle of the forest.”
While he appreciated it, it wasn’t like he could have told their dad to just leave him with Chiron. He had been too busy dying at the moment to talk to anyone.
Part of him still wondered why he hadn’t been left with Chiron. He seemed perfectly capable of healing from what he knew. He probably could have taken care of it.
It would have been fine.
Or maybe it wouldn’t have?
It wasn’t like anyone had told him anything about how pit scorpion venom worked.
It’s not like he had ever asked his Dad for help with Gabe. Once he actually knew he was alive and not just lost at sea anyway.
But he wasn’t about to say anything related to that to anyone outside the healer. Let alone a god who seemed to dislike him entirely on principle.
Who knew how he might turn that on him.
“I don’t know if you know what being poisoned is like but feeling like you're on fire while barely being able to move as you can feel the venom reaching your heart is not exactly a pleasant experience.”
That last bit had been more from the Echidna experience. He had been far too tired to even notice it when the pit scorpion incident had happened.
Not that he was telling Triton that.
Percy notices for a second an almost imperceivable flinch from Triton at the comment. Well that was curious.
Instead of continuing the argument Triton swims off to another part of the library leaving Percy more than a bit confused.
That seemed like he knew what poisoning was like. Which Gods could even get poisoned?
He didn’t think that was something that was actually possible.
Triton’s reaction seemed to suggest otherwise.
Well as long as it got Triton to stop bothering him he could live with not knowing.
Eventually Triton leaves for parts unknown. The God hadn’t said anything else after their little conversation had reached a stalemate.
Percy wasn’t entirely happy where it had ended. But he really didn’t feel like adding anything that remotely could be fuel to the fire that had been the argument.
So he had just ignored him.
After all it wasn’t like he needed to get along with him while he was there.
He would just have to try and avoid the God at all chances.
That shouldn’t be too hard right?
“We’ve had some…issues with your father’s other demigod children in the past. It has made both of us reluctant at times to be around them. Triton especially which has lead to him being very particular with who he chooses to interact that are mortals.” Amphitrite explains when he finally gets a chance to ask his stepmother about the confrontation in the library.
Percy in his opinion thinks this goes beyond just being particular. Triton was just being outright hostile if anything in his eyes.
He’s glad he encountered him in the library and not somewhere with a sword or something. That might have gone a lot differently.
But Percy doesn’t say that. “And you’re not holding me by these other siblings.”
“No. I am preferring to try and get to know you myself rather than jumping to hasty conclusions first.”
“Thanks.”
Truly he already had one hostile family member he was going to have to deal with because of preformed conceptions about him. He didn’t need two of them.
“Though I must admit undertaking the quest for the bolt put you more favorably towards me to begin with. Then Triton will view it as this point.”
Some part of Percy felt guilty at her thinking that.
He wasn’t that good.
He was just a kid who had wanted his Mom. The quest had been a means to an end to do that.
“I mean, I don’t know about that. I went in looking for a way to get Mom back. Grover had mentioned there was a possibility she might still be alive. I was more interested in seeing if I could do anything about that rather than trying to return the bolt.”
Maybe correcting his stepmother on why he had taken the quest wasn’t the smartest idea. But part of him feels like if he leaves it alone and she finds out about it later why he had been inclined to take the quest.
The response will be much worse.
However rather than getting mad at that Amphitrite hummed at that. “I would garner a lot of heroes have ulterior motives for going on a quest and usually ones that are far less noble. Though most won’t flat out admit it. Most usually go just for the glory.”
Luke had said something like that before too.
“I didn’t want glory. Heck I didn’t even want a quest. I just wanted my Mom back.”
Amphitrite stares at him for a moment, almost seeming to be looking for something before she turns away. “Well you are certainly different in comparison to your siblings in that regard.”
Percy has a distinct feeling Amphitrite doesn’t entirely believe his claim. He really has no interest in getting even more involved in their world. Let alone go on quests for glory’s sake.
But as long she doesn’t take offense at what his ulterior motive for the original quest was he can live with it.
“I must ask though how did you get Triton to leave you alone? He can be rather persistent when he wants to be.”
“I might have mentioned what being poisoned for me was like because he kept insisting that somehow coming to Atlantis was my idea in some shape or form?”
Amphitrite’s eyes flash at that for a moment. And he’s worried that he said something wrong again. But all she says is. “Ah.”
Okay so there was definitely something there either he didn’t know. Or was forgetting about judging by that reaction.