Percy Jackson and The Nameless Deity: Ensemble of Fools

A Prophecy revealed, and a Deity found

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest.

According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful, being a gray silk with embroidered owls. I told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched me and told me to shut up.

Being the son of Poseidon, I didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make my shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

It was fun to burn.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, I was surrounded by my old Hermes cabin mates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."

The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, who seemed to shoot me an acidic glare any chance they got. I mean, makes sense, considering I absolutely whooped their dad.

That was fine with me though. It's not like they'd leave me alone anyhow, so if I can get them even more pissed off, that just makes the pie taste sweeter.

Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits.

"Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday...."

I moved back into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely anymore. I had my friends to train with during the day. At night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn't quite sure about me yet, maybe he hadn't even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what I'd done.

However, I also listened to the sky. Sure, the sky was technically the domain of both my father, Zeus, and I guess Apollo, but clearly something else inhabited it too.

As for my mother, she had a chance at a new life. Her letter arrived a week after I got back to camp. She told me Gabe had been hospitalized for radiation poisioning, which the police had found to be from his "contaminated Cigars." While they investigate the company the cigars came from, he won't be out of the Hospital for a long time, and from how well I knew him, I wouldn't be surprised if the doctors and nurses had a little...accident happen with him.

She also said that she had found a good place to start her writing career, which I was so glad to hear. Sure, she hadn't written any novel-length stories yet, but from all the shorts I've read from her, she had talent, and I'm so happy she's able to pursue it.

She also mentioned that she found a good private school for me if I'd prefer to go home and back into seventh grade. However, if I would like to stay at Half-blood, she'd understand.

I read that letter time and time again, before I made my choice. My mother might be the light of my life, but sometimes the light isn't what you need to follow. Sometimes, you need to follow the smaller glimmers, and besides, back home, she's my only light. My friends are here.

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

July passed by quickly. There was a neat little 4th of July celebration that was spectacular, as the show was managed by Hephaestus and his kids, so of course they weren't going with some lame blue and white fireworks.