More Than the Sea

Nightmares

Percy POV

As the demigods entered my tent Annabeth wouldn't stop pestering me with questions. I just ignored her until Thalia got the hint and told her to stop. "So," The spiky haired girl began, "Sorry for electrifying you. But that brings me to the question: What did you mean by 'Practice' when Annabeth asked you how you survived?"

I shut  down for a few moments, thought about it and answered rudely, "I just met you. Why would I share that with three strangers, especially given that one is a boy." I sneered the last word loudly in his direction. Phoebe would be so proud.

Luke looked at me curiously and tilted his head, "You are aware of your own gender, right?"

"Of course I do you, blithering idiot of a boy. That doesn't stop me from hating other guys." I stood ready to hold my ground. I would not show weakness to these strangers, no matter how friendly they seemed at first glance.

Luke stood to and his hand moved a lot faster than I thought. I flinched, big time. There was no way they missed such a big movement, I shrunk in on myself. When no hit connected I looked up to see a sorrowful Luke an angry Thalia and a surprisingly sympathetic Annabeth. "What did those hunters do to you!" Thalia thundered.

"It wasn't them!"

"Then who?!?!??"

I silently glared at the tent floor.

"Unless you tell us who, we are not going to stop thinking the hunters have you trapped and tortured in their hunt." Thalia spoke softly, like a big sister might to a younger sibling. I felt compelled to tell her for that and because I didn't want her thinking that the hunt was morbidly bad.

"I-it was my s-stepfather G-ga-" it was stupid, I couldn't even say his name without shivers of fear, the more I thought about it the more scared I felt, it was stupid and I hate it, I hate him, and I was most definitely not going to let the pig win, he will not haunt me, "Gabe." it was barley auditable I cried, not loudly, it was actually rather quiet, Thalia's eyes softened, I looked into hers, she didn't hold pity, but rather understanding. She slowly wrapped herself around me, instantly dropping her scary persona, transitioning into a soft comforting vibe. In her hug, I felt safe and warm, I shed my tears, letting them out on her shoulder. I looked up to see her own eyes unfocused as though she were remembering  someone else. Eventually, my claustrophobia kicked in and I asked her to let go.

Time skip

As the days went on Thalia, Annabeth, and Luke were nice enough, the hunt absolutely loved to torment Luke, that is until Thalia acted as his body guard and electrified anyone who dared harm him. Now they just insulted him from afar. Mama was preoccupied with figuring out a solution to the issue of outsiders knowing. She couldn't kill them without Zeus throwing a hissy fit, she couldn't just kill Luke because the girls were much to attached, and she couldn't let them go because then my secret would be out, and she couldn't let them stay because Luke is a guy. Now she is just trying to find a way to word an oath so that they can't find any loopholes. 

Out of the three of them Luke still scared me the most. Fighting Thalia in all her violence sounded more fun then being alone with Luke. Papa was right when he said that I'd have fear of men forever.  I avoided Luke like the plague. I was still nice, I shared my tent, but only so that the hunt wouldn't murder him in his sleep. 

Annabeth could always be found interrogating someone about just about anything. When it happened to me again, I dropped her off with one of her half sisters so that her questions would finally have answers. Either that or she was with Luke and Thalia.

About a week and a half of them residing in the hunt, Mama came into my tent where we were all chilling and looked at the three outsiders, "Would you three be willing to swear an oath to never reveal the dwelling of Percy in the hunt?"

"Yeah"

"Of course"

"Sure"

"Repeat after me" Mama began, "I, your name, swear on the river of stynx not to reveal that Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, adopted by Artimis and Apollo, blessed by Hephaestus and Hestia, has any of the previously mentioned titles, or dwells in the hunt, unless given permission by Perseus Jackson, Artimis, the hunt as a whole, or Apollo. With the exception that this knowledge become common knowledge among demigods." Thunder boomed.

"I, Annabeth Chase, swear on the river of stynx not to reveal that Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, adopted by Artimis and Apollo, blessed by Hephaestus and Hestia, has any of the previously mentioned titles, or dwells in the hunt, unless given permission by Perseus Jackson, Artimis, the hunt as a whole, or Apollo. With the exception that this knowledge become common knowledge among demigods."

"I, Luke Castellan, swear on the river of stynx not to reveal that Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, adopted by Artimis and Apollo, blessed by Hephaestus and Hestia, has any of the previously mentioned titles, or dwells in the hunt, unless given permission by Perseus Jackson, Artimis, the hunt as a whole, or Apollo. With the exception that this knowledge become common knowledge among demigods."

"I, Thalia, swear on the river of stynx not to reveal that Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, adopted by Artimis and Apollo, blessed by Hephaestus and Hestia, has any of the previously mentioned titles, or dwells in the hunt, unless given permission by Perseus Jackson, Artimis, the hunt as a whole, or Apollo. With the exception that this knowledge become common knowledge among demigods."

Thunder Clapped thrice signaling the acceptance of the oaths.

Later that same day, the same spot had not a single residence. The hunt left one way, the soon to be campers in another.