Chapter 2

The First Task

"Perseus Jackson!" The guy at the door from the meeting room of the ministers. I cringed as they used my full name.

"Think that I should get used to that." I muttered under my breath.

"Good, luck." The guy whispered under his breath and smiled at me. "Uhm, thanks man." I looked at the guy, his blonde hair was cut short and neat, unlike my hair and he had blue eyes. I guess that you could say that we looked like polar opposites.

Later I met the guy; his name is Jason and we are polar opposites.

I opened the door, not knowing what to expect and needed to stifle a laugh when I walked in.

Why had the guy wished me good luck about this? In the room there was a round table which was open so that somebody could stand in the middle of it. There were three men and three women sitting. All not looking happy to see me.

"Hi, I'm -"

"Perseus Jackson we know. We read the letter and your file."

"Actually I prefer Percy."

The ministers looked up at me with raised eyebrows. "Okay. Do you have the paper with permission from your parents since you're 17."

I didn't want to correct them again and walked up to the woman and gave her the paper.

She examined the paper and her eyebrows shot upwards, again, when she read something that was on there.

"Chiron signed this." She said, to nothing in particular I think.

"Chiron?" Some other minister asked, surprised. "The guy that works here? Didn't know he had a kid."

I opened my mouth to interject but was interrupted again.

"He brought a kid along to work many years ago. But didn't know that was his." Another minister added.

I waved. "Yeah, that was me."

"Get Chiron!" Yet another minister ordered and the boy who had wished me good luck ushered out of the room to probably get Chiron.

"That's not necessary, he doesn't need to come, he's just -"

"We decide what is necessary. And Chiron can explain himself." The sixth minister told me and I bit my tongue again getting angry.

"Well, okay. Perseus."

"I prefer Percy." I said again, why didn't people listen? "Yes, we know. But the document says Perseus, so we're going to stick with that."

I bit my tongue to not fire back a not so nice comment.

"So you want to become king?" The minister asked and I couldn't help to roll my eyes.

"That's what the document says. And we're going to stick with that." Sarcasm dripped off of my words and I guess that I was lucky not to be executed or at least kicked out of the room at that moment. But they seemed amused by me.

"Do you know what it contents?" Another minister asked, and I have to admit that it was kind of intimidating to have six adults talk to you from six different points while I was standing there in the middle. Not knowing who I needed to turn to. I decided that I would stare at the one with the document, who thought that it was amusing that Chiron was my uncle. That meant that I stood with my back to the door, but I didn't really care about that.

"And I know what it means to be a king, but not how to. And that's why I'm here." I said, sarcasm layering through my attempt to be polite.

"Well, to become king you need to-"

Chiron walked through the door, not looking angry. Which made sense. I'd only seen Chiron angry a couple of times and he was almost always calm.

"Why did I need to come here?" Chiron asked, being better at being politely then I was. I raised one eyebrow at the minister right before me and she raised both her eyebrows.

I couldn't make up a lot out of our silent conversation.

It didn't really matter anyways I told myself and turned around to face Chiron. He didn't really look surprised to see me.

"We have a few questions for you."

"Okay, does it regard my nephew?"

"Yes. Since when have you got custody over Perseus?"

"Almost 18 years. Two months and then Percy has lived for 18 years with me."

"You raised a fine young man. A bit hot tempered and stubborn." I wanted to show her how hot tempered I could be. Yet I swallowed deeply and blinked the red pecks out of my vision.

My uncle just smiled. I don't know if it was aimed at the ministers or me, but it helped to calm me down a bit more.

"He looks familiar." A minister added. And I wanted to scream at them. They could ask me. I turned around to look at the minister with the document furious. Why were they doing this? It didn't make any sense.

Her grey eyes shot with amusement.

"He's Poseidon's son." The minister with the grey eyes cleared out. And by the way she said my fathers name, she didn't like him.

"Yes. He takes a lot after his father." Chiron added, a sad smile on his face.

"What happened to him?" Another minister asked. I sighed deeply, getting highly annoyed with this.

"What does it matter?" I asked, making a circle while throwing my arms up. "Who cares?"

"We're getting to know you." Yet another one of them said.

"Before this you were going to tell me how I could become king."

"And we're getting to that. So answer Perseus ''how did your father die?"

"You already know I assume, since you know he died." The minister was taken aback. But I answered anyways, wanting it to be over.

"The night that the King died and I was born, he went to hang the flag up and presumably got hit by fireworks and fell off the St. Artolius."

The room fell silent. Until the minister with the grey eyes, who seemed amused, asked again. "And your mother?"

I closed my eyes for one second. Refusing to cry about my dead parents. Normally I didn't cry and didn't feel the urge. It was sad, but I had always had Chiron and people had it way worse than me.

"She died after the birth and the news about my father was the last straw they think."

"So you killed her?"

"Enough, Perseus we will tell you how to become a king now." Another minister interjected before I could attack her.

"You need to complete six tasks, if you complete them all, you can become the new king."

"The first task you need to go to Decibel and handle the problem that occurs there."

"Got it?"

"When you've completed your task, we'll give you your next."

"You may leave now." The last comment came from the grey eyed minister.

"Until the next time." I spatted at them, losing my control, and practically stormed out of the room, ignoring Chiron.