An Unexpected Journey

Prologue

Percy knew he needed to work on not disappearing. After the thing with Mt St Hellen and Hera, that much was obvious. He knew once he got back, Annabeth was going to lock him in his cabin and throw away the key.

He was so dead once he got home.

At least he still remembered everything.

The situation now was a new one. He was chained to a pillar on the top of a very large tower. He'd tried jumping off a while ago, controlling the liquid in the air to soften his fall, but the old wizard in white caught him before he could go too far. That's how he came to be chained up.

He was alone for a while. Maybe two days? Then there was an old man in grey right across from him. He was a little bloodied and looked really tired. He wasn't chained up. Maybe the guy in white knew the grey guy wouldn't be as stupid as Percy and jump.

The old guy didn't notice Percy at first but that may have been because he had his head in his hands. He seemed to be sulking a bit so Percy gave him some space before introducing himself.

Finally, Percy couldn't wait anymore. "Hi," he said loudly over the rain. "My name's Percy, what's yours?"

The old man's head shot up in surprise. He must have thought he was alone. "I am known by many names. Mithrandir by the elves. Gandalf the Grey by the world of men," he answered.

"Oh, we're doing titles?" Percy suddenly felt uncertain. "You don't mind if I don't list them all do you? My list of titles is extensive. I am Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, god of the seas. Savior of Olympus."

"What are you doing here?" Gandalf asked.

"You know," Percy started, looking over the edge at the goblins tearing down the trees and building war machines. "I don't exactly know. Where is here, anyways?"

"Isengard," Gandalf said. "How did you end up here?"

"Well, you see," Percy sighed, "it all started when I was showing Sidney a few moves with Riptide in the clearing by the edge of the Forest. Then I appeared out of nowhere in the middle of a group of those creepy, gross creatures. I started fighting them, 'cause obviously, they're monsters but there were too many of them. They captured me and brought me to this place. The weird white wizard guy wouldn't tell me anything beyond the fact that those monsters were goblins with out wanting to know something about me. But, you know, I've fought several evil people in my life so I know an evil person when I see one so I didn't tell him anything. He can't get anything outta me either. Did you follow any of that?"

Gandalf seemed to space out in the middle of Percy's fast paced story but the teen needn't have worried. The old wizard followed him quite easily.

"The white wizard is Saruman, the leader of our guild," Gandalf told him sadly. "Unfortunately, he has fallen to the temptation of power from the Dark Lord Sauron."

"Dark Lord? Like that Voldyshort guy from Harry Potter?" Percy asked. "Wait, this sounds vaguely familiar. Like that story Annabeth is obsessed about."

"I know not of what you speak but I must get out," Gandalf said. "There are things that must be done if Sauron is to be defeated."

Percy smiled. The wizard reminded him a lot of a certain centaur at home. Then he frowned. Thinking about home reminded him fo Annabeth.

"Tell me, new friend," Gandalf said now, "who is this Annabeth you speak of?"

Sighing, the son of Poseidon looked at the horizon, thinking of the one he would spend the rest of his life with. "She is my girlfriend," he said, "but that sounds inadequate. She is beautiful, she is my light in this dark world. She is the one that gives me hope."

Gandalf sat back, a self satisfied smile on his ace. "Oh, the love and passion of the youth," he commented lightly.

"We've been through a lot together," Percy continued, ignoring the old man's comment. He probably thought he was too young to be talking like this. "Met when we were twelve. She's been with me through every adventure. Every war. Back then, kids like us weren't expected to live very long. I thought I was going to die two years ago. That I was prophesied to die."

"Why?" Gandalf asked, suddenly curious.

"Because our parents are pieces of Minotaur dung," Percy answered bluntly. "And complete idiots."

Gandalf laughed. He had no idea what a Minotaur was but he didn't care. He liked this kid.

"We train to live as soon as we know what we are but sometimes that is not enough." Percy continued. "We went through two wars. The second of which I disappeared eight months before. She went through Hades when that happened. Then we both went through hell together. Facing our worst nightmares."

"Two wars," Gandalf muttered. "How old are you, young man?"

"Eighteen," Percy answered. "This is the third time I've disappeared on her. She and my parents must be so worried."

Suddenly, a moth flew by Gandalf's head and his arm snatched at it. It was caught in his hand, completely fine. Then, the old man whispered something to it.

"Great," Percy muttered. "He's insane. He talks to bugs."

You talk to horses, his brain told him.

"Shut up," he whispered back.

And fish.

"Okay so we're both insane," Percy muttered to him self. "Happy now?"

The moth flew away and Gandalf turned to Percy, a smile on his face. "Help is coming," he told the tired teenager triumphantly.

Percy smiled sadly. "I don't think I'll be going with you," he said, gesturing to the chain around his ankle.

"Don't say that, have faith," Gandalf scolded gently.

Percy didn't say anything. Somehow, he knew he was right, the old man just didn't want to admit it yet.

⚔️            ⚔️   

"A friendship with Saruman is not lightly thrown aside," the white wizard said as he approached Gandalf.

Percy was pretending to be asleep and was watching through his lashes but this statement just couldn't go without some sort of retort.

"Awe, did someone get their feelings hurt?" Percy said in a mocking voice.

Saruman glared at Percy but otherwise ignored him. "One ill turn deserves another," he continued, throwing Gandalf around like a rag doll. "It's over. Embrace the power of the one ring or embrace your own destruction."

"Dude, did you just go Darth Sidious on me?" Percy asked incredulously. That statement was so worth the head slam into the pillar he was leaning on.

"There is only one Lord of the Ring," Gandalf said, giving Percy a look which Percy barely noticed because his head was spinning. "There is only one that can bend it to his will and he does not share power."

Then Percy saw the giant eagles. He sighed sadly. He was still chained up. Then he remembered Riptide. In pen form, still in his pocket.

Wow, he was such an idiot.

Acting quickly, he brought it out, uncapped it and with one swift strike, the chain shattered. His leg was free. Stumbling up, he ran off the edge of the tower and grunted as he landed on the giant flying bird. Looking back and the lone white figure, he grinned. Soon he'll be able to go home and see his family again.