Days passed. My injuries healed quicker than the Apollo kids had estimated and no one questioned how I survived. Or at least they didn't ask me.
It took sometime, time I spent humming and singing. Not that I was allowed to do anything else, doctors order.
Eventually I began to feel how the systems restrictions lessened and power crept into my voice. At some point the satyrs and dryads noticed and began to drift more towards the medic tent. No one else was aware of it and neither of those groups pointed it out. Plants and nature itself soon responded to my voice and projected moods. However, the camps eternal sunny day prevented anyone from noticing most of the weather phenomenons happening outside the boarder.
Then the last day of summer was suddenly there, today. Many campers left and so did I. Selina, Charles and Ethan left with me while Clarisse would leave for her home the next day. We had gotten to know each other well, even to the point where we would dare to call each other friends.
Grover did Indeed get his searchers license and departed a few days prior. But back to today.
As soon as the four of us crossed the boarder, the same wolf that had killed the Minotaur appeared, crouched low and allowed the three of them onto his back.
We had spoken about this previously. All three of them were to enter a school each. Alongside them would be one demon and one Chimera wolf. And I do have another thing to announce. During the quest, my Chimera had thought of names for each of their types.
There were the sprinter-types calling themselves Death-Tracers, the mage-types calling themselves The Forbidden and the tank-types had taken up the name as Lords. (Each description is give in the chapter "Small time skip 2/2")
The more common chimera had just made a list of names.
Chimera-Beastmen: The Husks
The different four-legged chimera: The Possessed
The Multi-headed: The Choir
And then there were of course the Wyverns: The Nameless
Each had used my absence to explore the very dungeon that had birthed their original parts. Each had decided on a name based on how enemies had reacted and what they had screamed. Or at least what they wanted to be screamed when the enemy saw them... Some of those names were rather edgy but I had no doubt that they could no doubt back up the promise of their names.
The wolf currently picking up the three belonged to the Wolve-Lords. Tank-Type chimera that had organized themselves into a rather large pack-like structure. A second wolf soon leapt out of the shadows, this one invited me onto its back to bring me home.
I had a score with one particular human to settle and one grandma to meet.
The shadows flew past us as the wolf accelerated. While it wasn't as fast compared to me using layer travel, it was fast enough for me. Anyway, I arrived at home within minutes. Mom was waiting for me at the door an I did not hesitate to launch myself into her waiting arms. That hug, that one hug, was the best hug I had in a while. I didn't know how much I had actually missed her. I couldn't put it into words.
Originally, right after the hug, Mom wanted to enter our "home", but I stopped her and said: "Wait Mom, I asked someone to meet with us here. She should be coming soon." Her curiosity was peaked.
"Who did you invite? Oh and I almost forgot...No sleep-overs with boys until your 18." I laughed. Not because I thought it funny, but because she was absolutely being serious and I loved her for it.
"The woman I invited is someone you know well. After-all, she was one of dads previous lovers." Her face scrunched up in thought. "Out with it Perseus. Who is it? Do I have to prepare for something to go down, or what?"
"It's Medusa, Mom. She and I have the ability to petrify people. So we thought, maybe you would like to sell a bunch of "Statues" to maybe finance your return to studying to become a writer?" "Percy, that's not something you're supposed to even think about. Not even to mention that that's my decision and not yours, Percy."
Well, it's to late now. I could see Medusa walk down the corridor with her Sunhat and round, clear glasses, perfectly framing her face. I could see she had actually spent some time experimenting with those two since I gave them to her. She no longer looks like she's angry at the world and more like she had some actual time to commit to self-care. Her steps were confident and self-assured. Her posture spoke volumes of how happy she was. "Mom, look behind you."
"What? Oh, hi. Can I help you?" she asked as soon as she saw the unfamiliar woman approach. "Ah, yes. You must be Sally Jackson, right? Your son and I recently met and talked a bit. He sure loves you a lot." My moms reaction after she realized who she was looking at, was hilarious. At first she turned her face away so fast, I wondered how she didn't get whiplash. Then a frown graced her face, clearly wondering how she wasn't turned to stone by now.
"Mom, she's wearing a pair of glasses that stop her curse from being active. The same type I am wearing." "Since when do you have glasses?" "I thought I told you already. Since the start of Yancy."
"If it matters at all, Mrs. Jackson, I haven't turned anyone to stone recently. The last one was about 9 months ago. And that was a burglar who thought I had a great place to rob."
A longer conversation followed. Mom was surprisingly fast friends with Medusa. They bonded quickly and soon Mom decided to invite her in. Allowing us all to go inside. Sadly it appeared we had momentarily forgotten about Gabe. The Asshole was currently in the living-room, gambling and drinking with some of his friends. Empty beer-bottles and -cans stood around and I swear I saw one from even before we left for Montauk.
As soon as Mom had placed her keys into the small bowl next to the door, Gabe noticed. "Finally back from your impromptu vacation, huh? Finally realized you had nowhere else to go to but to return, right?" he asked as he slowly stood up. Tension was immediately rising. Medusas and my hands were already right next to our respective glasses, ready to take them off at a moments notice. But Mom interfered and quickly calmed the situation. However, up until this point, Gabe hadn't notice our presence right behind Mom. Not me nor Medusa. And believe me when I say this, our faces right now would probably make Artemis proud with how much hate we had for that despicable walrus.
"I see you got yourself a friend, Sally. Oh and the bastard is back. Great." The enthusiasm was dripping form his words. Just kidding. "That gives me the chance to finally wring that shit-stains neck for wrecking my car." he said as he began to approach me. He didn't get much of a chance to come closer though. My mom had somehow gone into the kitchen, grabbed a random pan and now hit Gabe over the head with it. "No one talks about my son that way!" she said. Not in a loud voice but with enough authority in it to make even generals heel. Gabe went down like a sack of potatoes. His fiends tried to help him, but unlucky for them, one or two of them whispered some inappropriate words about my mother and Medusa. They soon followed Gabe into unconsciousness.
We placed them back on their gambling desk, carefully avoiding the half empty beer-bottles. While positioning them in a careful manner, Mom had decided to give us the go-ahead.
Soon, Gabe woke up from his quick and involuntary nap, only to stare into the petrified faces of his friends. And there, right between the two, stood Medusa, her face and hair uncovered while Mom was in the kitchen, preparing some nice tea for all of us.