A Son From Lands Unknown (PJO x Male Reader)

Back to Camp Half-Blood

Thanks to the centaur express, they arrived in Long Island just after Clarisse. Percy rode on Chiron's back, but they didn't talk much. (Y/N) was lying on his stomach since his leg stump didn't allow him to secure his seating properly,

When they got to camp, the centaurs were anxious to meet Dionysus. They'd heard he threw some really wild parties, but they were disappointed. The wine god was in no mood to celebrate as the whole camp gathered at the top of Half-Blood Hill.

The camp had been through a hard two weeks. The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius. The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded. The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid. Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded Thalia's tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus. The glow of fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.

Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green.

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt. The Fleece's magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mate's shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire. The Hermes cabin tried to do the same for (Y/N) since he was technically a companion for her, but taking a single look at him made them decide to wait, which he was grateful for. Simon took over for Percy who had been keeping the one-legged boy up and helped him to the infirmary, just to make sure the leg stump was healed properly.

Nobody gave Percy or Annabeth a second look. It was as if they'd never left. In a way, it was the best thanks any of them could have given, because if anyone admitted they'd snuck out of camp to help on the quest, they'd have to be expelled. And really, Percy didn't want any more attention. It felt good to just be a normal camper for once.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Y/N)'s condition, while not critical thanks to the Fleece, required so much space to observe that he had been granted his own room. The Apollo campers weren't sure where to begin with him, since they weren't sure if he could eat Nectar or Ambrosia without disintegrating. They stepped out of the room to further discuss what to do while also giving the normal rounds of Nectar and Ambrosia to the other campers.

Shortly after the door closed, (Y/N) saw movement in the corner of the room. Flames danced in ways that shouldn't have been possible, remaining strictly in the corner. Suddenly, out of the flame stepped one leg covered entirely in gold.

Out of the portal of flames came (Y/N)'s father, Mammon. As soon as the prince of Greed was through the portal completely, he snapped his fingers, extinguishing the flames and making himself look more human. He was sickly pale with sunken eyes and chapped lips. His black hair was matted against his head like a cheap toupee, leaving his golden horns still exposed. Despite how sickly he looked, his attire was anything but. He was wearing a bespoke black suit with a white undershirt, and golden accessories wherever he could fit them. Overall, he looked like a used car salesman who had been given a million dollars to spend on clothes.