A Son From Lands Unknown (PJO x Male Reader)

Fireside Chats

That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after the bird attack. Everyone sat in a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder the campers sang, the higher it rose, changing heat and color with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, it could go as high as twenty feet high, bright purple, and so hot that the front row's marshmallows burst into flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint.

Dionysus had left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron was more exciting. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.

When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!"

He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off. Before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.

Tantalus turned back, smiling coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

"Sir," Percy interrupted from the back. All eyes turned to him.

Tantalus's eye twitched. "Our kitchen boy has something to say?"

Some of the Ares campers snickered, but Percy refused to be silent. He stood and looked at Annabeth. She stood up alongside him.

"We have an idea to save the camp," Percy said. One could hear a pin drop, but it was obvious that it had drawn attention because the campfire burned bright yellow.

"Indeed," Tantalus said bluntly. "Well, if it has anything to do with chariots-"

"The Golden Fleece," Percy said. "We know where it is."

The flames burned bright orange. Before Tantalus could stop him, Percy blurted out his dream about Grover and Polyphemus's island. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everyone what the Fleece could do. It sounded more convincing coming from her.

"The Fleece can save the camp," she concluded. "I'm certain of it."

"Nonsense," said Tantalus. "We don't need saving."

"Oh, that's bullshit and you know it," (Y/N) said. "Or did you forget about the Stymphalian Birds you were so hasty to blame Percy for? Or the Eidolons that got into camp a while back?"

Everyone looked at Tantalus and stared until he started looking uncomfortable.

"Besides," he added quickly, "the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look."

"Yes, I would," Percy said. Annabeth turned and whispered to him something that (Y/N) couldn't make out.

"30, 31, 75, 12," Percy said.

"Ooo-kay," Tantalus mocked. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers."

"They're sailing coordinates," Percy replied. "Latitude and longitude. I, uh, learned about it in social studies."

Even Annabeth looked impressed. "30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. He's right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"

"Wait just a minute," Tantalus said, panicking.

But the campers took up the chant. "We need a quest! We need a quest!"