𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐂! percy jackson

xxxix. All Roads Lead There

━━ chapter thirty-nine
all roads lead there

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

    ━━They sunk the ship filled to the brim with gold amongst as much diet coke Dionysus could ever want. (Or Bacchus, whatever). Sam was very upset they didn't get to keep even just a little bit of the gold. Leo agreed with him, until Fiona shook her head and whacked them both over the back of the head lightly. She went to check whether Jason was okay after that, feeding her friend some nectar. He wasn't as bad as he had looked, just mainly ashamed of being knocked out despite being the child of the Big Three. Percy understood that feeling.

    After their bout with the pirates, they decided to fly the rest of the way to Rome. Jason insisted that he was well enough to take sentry duty, along with Coach Hedge, who was still so charged with adrenalin that every time the ship hit turbulence, he swung his bat and yelled, "Die!"

    They had a couple of hours before daybreak, so Jason suggested Percy try to get a few more hours of sleep.

   "It's fine, man," said Jason. "Give somebody else a chance to save the ship, huh?"

    Percy agreed. He went to leave, until Jason called him back. "Hey, man," he glanced over his shoulder, frowning, confused. The son of Jupiter scratched the scar on his lip. "I just wanted to say, Fiona's━Fiona was my closest friend back at Camp Jupiter. I don't━I don't think she understands that, but she still is. I wanted to do the whole best friend you better look after her speech, but I need to tell you that I know she's safe with you. You're a good guy, Percy."

    Percy arched a brow. He wasn't going to lie, he was surprised. Jason gave him a strained smile before turning back to the deck.

    Reaching his cabin, Percy had trouble falling asleep. He stared at the bronze lantern swaying from the ceiling and thought about how easily Chrysaor had beaten him at swordplay. He could've killed him without a breaking a sweat. He'd only kept Percy alive because someone else wanted to pay for the privilege of killing him later. (And Fiona).

    Jason's words filtered through his head and he turned in his bed, bitter.

    The older Percy got, the longer he survived as a half-blood, the more his friends looked up to him. They depended on him and relied on his powers. Even the Romans had raised him on a shield and made him praetor, and he'd only known then for a couple of weeks. But Percy didn't feel powerful. The more heroic stuff he did, the more he realised just how limited he was. He felt like a fraud. All the expectations, he felt as though that was what really was drowning him, not the mud, or the water. The weight on his shoulders; like he was holding up the sky all over again.

    Percy didn't know he had managed to fall asleep until he opened his eyes and found himself standing on the front porch of the Big House at Camp Half-Blood. Percy realised it's been months since he's last been here. Last felt the grass under his feet, or smell the ocean in his bunk, or swam the waters of the lake. Seeing it right now, expanded out on hills with the cabins in the distance, the vollyball pit, the arena, the ampitheathre ... his stomach churned because gods did he miss his place so much.

    That was until the sleeping face of Gaea appeared on the side of Half-Blood Hill━her massive features formed from the shadows on the grassy slopes. Percy narrowed his gaze. Her lips didn't move, but her voice echoed across the valley.

    So this is your home, murmured the goddess. Take a last look, Percy Jackson. You should have returned here. At least then you could have died with your comrades when the Romans invaded. Now your blood will be spilled far from home, on the ancient stones, and I will rise.