Chapter 17: A Friend? of A Different Kind

[Percy's POV:]

We were in the middle of nowhere and the trip had been relatively quiet for the past 5 hours, against my will.. But that was about to change. I had something to say. Ehem.

"Did you know butterflies will drink your blood, sweat, and tears? Acanthis told me one time" what? Thought it was going to be important? Think again!

"CAN YOU NOT STAY QUIET FOR 5 MINUETS" so maybe an hour was a little bit of a stretch.. But what can you expect this car has one spot to sit in and no room to move around. I'm not allowed to slobber other car windshields, what a game that was should've seen their faces! Best 10 mins of this dam ride. Dam I love saying dam, I need a collar that says 'best dam wolf praetor' now that I'd wear. why? No dam clue.

"No, no I can not, I had hoped you'd have figured that out by now." a bit of sass goes a long way plus this was revenge for her word vomits back at camp.

"Ugh I can't take anymore of this… thank the gods we need to refuel, we will pull over in a few minutes. Just please be quiet until then!" that was so not gonna happen. I still had to talk about how male seahorses give birth and how Frogs use their eyeballs to swallow, that one had me opening my mouth like a fish possessed cause I'm pretty sure frogs are too if that one was true.

[Smol time skip brought to you by Frogs using their eyeballs to swallow]

"You know that was actually kinda interesting Damian, where did you even learn that?" I don't actually know the answer to that one since I put over half of my useless knowledge down to pre-memory me since pre-memory me was awesome.

"I have no idea, at all.. Wow this station looks nice! Old but nice" I had a weird sense of Deja vu but was pretty sure I'd never been here. Probably another Percy thing. The building was a simple shack but painted in a brilliant fresh white that gave the building character that challenged the age of the wood it partially hid. There was a single fuel pump and whether it even worked was in debate.

"Ooooh they have a café, I wonder if they sell any meat I'm so hungry" truth be told I wasn't all that hungry there was plenty of food in the car, I just really didn't wanna be in that car again and i was sure Reyna didn't either.

"Hmm I could eat, sure let's go in'' as usual she left without checking that I was following. The building was named "Med's food and fuel" which made no sense at all, why would a medic serve food and fuel?

Inside was a classy set of tables but absolutely no people in sight which I expected since we literally were in the middle of nowhere and I don't think this place even exists on the map.

"Ahh customers, what brings you to my café today? Can I get you something to eat? Drink or just fuel for the road?" weirdly, the first thought I had was that she looks different and not like a different weird, more like compared to something kind of different, but I had no idea what I had compared her to.

She wore near pitch black shades with plaited weirdly flowing green tinted black hair, why was it moving without any wind? Superhero logic?!? Sweet. She looked young, not much older than me if at all. How wrong I was there.

"Umm yes please, would it be alright if my dog came in as well? He does no harm and is very clean… mostly.." She whispered the last bit, but I still heard it and I'll have you know I am a very clean wolf.. Ok most of the time is accurate. Also..

"WHO is a dog!?! I AM NO DOG, canine I'll accept, but NOT a dog" I do not like being called a dog, it's like calling a lion a small cat they have their territory, we have ours. Don't mix 'em.. It wasn't until this very important thought finished that I realised I had just spoken in front of a mortal as a wolf. Great going me.

"Ah, demigods I'm guessing? From which pantheon?" wow, she cut right to the chase, I guess she wasn't mortal or was at least a clear sighted one, one point to me.

"We're from the Roman-Greek aligned pantheon, and you?" Reyna always knows how to make a simple sentence sound sophisticated since when was the roman and Greek pantheons 'aligned' is that even a thing?

"I am from both as well just a daughter of Keto" this caused Reyna to immediately go on high alert. I thought of why that could be but came up blank. I blame wolf brain.

"Medusa!" Reyna had her spear out pointed at the accused Medusa.. Which would explain the name 'meds' on the sign. Not for a medic but for a snake cursed woman that turns people to stone, huh when you think about it we aren't so different; she being a cursed human snake with stone and I, a cursed human wolf with bronze.

"Woah there demigod, I have served my time in Tartarus and wish not to return. Why do you think I moved to the literal middle of nowhere, not even a statue in sight either. I have no interest in conflict with demigods other than Percy Jackson" oh great she wants to kill me too, why do I feel like this is a 'take a ticket' moment?

"Why do you have conflict with m-the former praetor?" luckily no one heard that one, I probably shouldn't open my mouth too much around the person that can turn me to stone the moment she learns who I am, but normal logic is boring.

"What monster doesn't want to kill him?? He killed more of us than Tartarus has released since he was born. Not that I care for the other monsters much, I'm simply pissed he tried to kill me and when he did use my severed head as a weapon like all those 'heroes' before him. Do you know how annoying it is to be headless in Tartarus? I mean sure I don't have to smell the toxic air, but blind in Tartarus is not a good mix" wow when you hear it that way, it's kinda a jerk move to do. Then again she likely tried to make me a statue. Still a jerk move though.

"Wow that sucks, monster or not you are a person with a conscience, also gotta say the snake hair does suit you well. I pictured it much much more terrifying" sometimes I open my mouth or well snout and words come out with consent. This was one of those times.

"Well I think that was a lovely compliment, I think. What is your name? I know of the Bellona spawn's name, but not yours" well that went well, not sure I'd have seen that as a compliment myself.

"I am Damian Lupus, co praetor of Camp Jupiter and the adopted son of Lupa" yes I practiced that introduction, yes I'm proud of it.

"A wolf adopted by Lupa herself hmm? What made you so special among the wolves?" oooh I suddenly wanna bite her, but I wisely repressed the urge.

"You'd have to ask my mother that one" was all I offered in response. I decided to just assume the words weren't meant to hold any animosity. The entire time Reyna had stood there a seemingly permanent distrust painted on her face and an unwavering spear tightly gripped.

"Reyna, I want to trust her, If we forever keep judging monsters for what they were born to be, we will be no better than what we portray them as. I am on this journey to save beings, not kill them" If I can save even one extra life I will always do what I can. Well now at least.

"Huh, a demigod that cares for more than themself, colour me surprised. So heading to save someone are you?" I'm pretty sure I shouldn't go ahead and tell her that we plan on going to Alaska to save a bunch of titans that were probably wronged by thunder head in some sick twist.

"I said that aloud didn't I?" a chorus of head nods confirmed my suspicions, great.

"Well that's definitely Zeus for you, if he can't fuck, use or control you, then he'll exile, kill or just force you to his will with blackmail or something. Just like his bitch of a daughter, Athena, the goddess of wisdom. goddess of jealousy would fit her better" Can't really blame her, being cursed tends to make you hate the one that cursed you. I wonder who cursed me… cause I kinda wanna thank them after slapping them a few hundred times on every part of his face, each. With a chair. Wolf life is an amazing life, but c'mon did it have to be a curse and come with the instincts? Finding a flying disk as a fun pastime is embarrassing.

"Fine, do you have a toilet?" putting away her spear she was clearly not happy with the outcome, but I could tell she agreed with me.

"Sure dear, it's at the back of the shop, do mind the door frame it's freshly painted" ooh I wonder what colour "black" I really gotta stop talking out loud when I think I'm Thinking.

"Heh, so umm Medusa, err how's life?" wow ask Medusa, the one who stares people that piss her off to stone, how life is, great job me!

"Well, a demigod asking a monster how life is? Now I've heard it all. Then again I still haven't heard of Zeus or Jupiter in this case being faithful to Hera for more than a month." of course I had to respond to that, i mean it's mocking Zeusy for schist sake! How could I miss such an opportunity?

"Well if then be prepared to never hear it all Because that will NEVER happen, I've a higher chance of befriending a dog. And I hate no loathe dogs. I think it's a wolf thing, like chasing your tail or hunting an elk, something about territories I believe" Medusa did something I would never expect to hear up there with Zeus becoming a faithful man. She Laughed. I repeat, she laughed at this. And it was a cute laugh to not at all how I imagined it was human.. Like. and the snakes laughs were goddam adorable, high pitched and somewhat terrifying, but still adorable.

"You're alright for a demigod, I do wish there were more like you, life on the run is never fun. Especially when the good old gods above decide to make a hero training decapitation dummy out of you!" that was clearly aimed directly at the gods, the amount of passive aggressive sass was respectable. We may actually get along well.

"And to answer your question, I've… hmm fine I think I can actually trust you for some strange reason, I've been taking care of my demigod or well demi-monster daughter since no one considers me a goddess even though both my parents were. I live making honest money making and selling food and fuel. You see, Percy may have killed me, but he did show me kindness before it, when I cooked for him the joy on his face at my food stuck with me even down in the darkness. Almost made me reconsider turning him into stone to keep forever. I had A LOT of time to reflect on life down there, when I came out not only had I changed inside but outside too I became younger and almost beautiful again. Enough for a man to actually love me, well until he realised children were gonna be involved, why do mortals have so much sex if they never want a child?" most of this had not fully registered, as he had just found out medusa had a demi-whatever child, which just seemed weird to him for some reason.

"Oh I hope that's not oversharing, you are the first being that I've ever had the chance to talk with about this stuff" her snakes nodded in what could only be described as a downcast agreement. This woman lived alone for too long, I know of her story there's two variations. One of affair and another of rape. I wonder which was true.. My guts tells me not to hold my breath.

"Umm.no no… and if it's not too much.. I always wondered why you were cursed? The true reason" she stopped dead in her tracks, breath caught in her shaken lungs the snakes seemed just as distraught. This was not an easy thing to ask.. I felt bad for even mentioning it.

"Very well, just please don't speak of this to me in future the memory hurts." yup guilt train has left the station full steam ahead.

"Years ago, during the prime era of the Gods. I was known as Gorgo, one of three gorgon sisters, and frankly the most beautiful, at the time I served Athena and as so was sworn to be virgin so long as I served under her. You see I loved being beautiful, a little too much in fact and it seemed Poseidon thought the same way. I did fall for the God, and fell Hard. I could not and would not break my vow and so when I finally gave in and responded to his feelings, I told him my virgin vow would always come first as It was precious to me. Poseidon didn't see things that way and 'took' what he wanted from me. Leading to the corpse birth of my two other children. Athena was outraged that I had lost my virginity, especially to Poseidon and in her temple of all places. She cursed me to be hideous and turn all that looked at my eyes, the things that were admired by all, to stone. Mortal stories say she 'blessed' me with this power and looks to get revenge, It was only a trick to make her seem like the good one of the story. Even now I cannot bring myself to hate Poseidon or his children for his actions, but Athena and her spawn I absolutely loathe for they are the cause of my life's misery." you know what I got from this story?

A new hatred for Poseidon. This hurt to even think about, but so far I felt he was turning out more and more a God I could never respect with a good conscience.

"I am sorry your life was so hard and hope your future isn't as horrid" my words were sincere, no matter what someone does, an eternity full of misery is deserved by no one.

"Thank you young demi-wolf. Come I'll give you some of the beef I have left" Oh she is talking my language, I hope it's not too fatty, this wolfish figure doesn't keep itself. Just a second later the cutest creature.. one of the cutest creatures to exist appeared.

"Mommy? Why is da wolf twalkin?" all I thought was I MUST PROTECT CUTE CHILD. She had baby snakes as hair that would melt the heart of even Tartarus. This child Is a paralysis weapon I swear it!