Modern Myths

Book 0: Chapter 10: The Big Birthday

8/18/05

Percy's Apartment, Manhattan, New York City, New York

Percy POV

It's my 12th birthday! A bittersweet day for all half-bloods.

Monsters are more likely to attack me now, the further I get from the Cyclops' company.

My scent is now stronger than it ever was before. It was already potent, due to knowing who I am & my training, but all the Cyclops that lived nearby could hide it. I could stay in school dorms for months & nobody would be able to smell me over the cyclops.

That is no longer the case. My scent is now too strong.

Mom, my new stepdad, Mama Amp., Triton, Kymopoleia, Styx, Grandma, Pontus, Thalassa, Nyx, Erebus & a few of their children, my Cyclops combat instructors, my Emposa magic instructors, Uncle Hades & even Aunty Persephone are all here.

Since Styx took away Demeter's ability to see or hear Persephone during the time, she's forced to be with her, she's been able to sneak off & visit me & my cousins more.

My mom met her new husband, Paul Blofis, at one of my previous schools.

I had been expelled from every school I ever attended after 1 year.

A few months ago, I was expelled for firing a war cannon, which hit the school bus when he was on a field trip at the Saratoga Battlefield.

For the record, New York City schools are different from most other states. They go from 9/8 to 6/28 for the school year.

He said that it was the supervising teachers' fault for not watching me.

The rest of the school board did not listen, but my mom was really grateful & started to date him.

After they sang Happy Birthday, I made my wish, then it was time for my presents.

The number of presents I got was lower than expected, but that was because almost everyone pooled their resources into 3 super gifts, that was basically 1.

Dad, Mama Amphitrite, Triton, Kymopoleia, Styx, Uncle Hades & Aunty Persephone got me a suit of armor that took the form of a hoodie but could change into any style of armor of cultures that worshiped them, Greek, Roman & more.

They got me boots that functioned the same way but as greaves & a toboggan that worked the same for helmets, while also making me invisible & unhearable if I so choose.

They were made of Imperial Gold, the Roman divine metal, Celestial Bronze, the Greek divine metal, & Stygian Iron, the divine metal of the underworld.

It was originally thought only children of Hades, or other Di inferi, underworld gods, could wield Stygian Iron, but since it is made in a river, sea gods & their children can too.

That was recently discovered. By that I mean that I returned one of my uncle's rings after he forgot it in the bathroom after washing his hands.

Since my mind didn't collapse in on itself, it led to the discovery that sea divinity can use them as well.

Both of my mothers & Aunt Persephone were very vocal about how lucky I was that that was the case & that Hades should be more careful, as I was 4 at the time.

The rest of the gifts were very straightforward.

Serephone & Kelli, my empousa instructors, got me books in Ancient Greek for me to read, since, like all demigods, I have Dyslexia for all languages outside of the language of my faction of gods, Greek. We also all have ADHD to help keep us from getting killed by monsters.