Chapter 10: A Demigod Pirate's Tale

[Percy's POV:]

Reyna and I were walking to the tailor stall in New Rome to get me a set of wolf clothes.. I don't understand why she was so insistent I wear clothes, I am covered in fur! It's gonna be so uncomfortable, still I guess it'll be good to finally cover up my.. Holy blue foods, my junk has been on display this whole time and I fought Reyna like this!? Wait what about when I fought with my tail in the arena?!? I was shoving my ass and junk in their faces??... I want to curl up and cry...

"We are almost there Damian. You are to be fitted with a body warmer style tunic. Request one blessed with size control as to accommodate your abilities" I her voice pulled me from my depression and I couldn't help, but wonder if they had one that can switch to human style.. Then again wearing a tunic over my jeans and t-shirt would feel weird. It would probably get absorbed when I change back into a wolf anyway, plus I can't exactly request that without basically announcing I have a human form. Being a canine is hard...

Walking through New Rome, I was astonished at the bustling community from the grand buildings to the humble shop stalls that littered the streets.

"This. Is New Rome. A place of commerce, import, export and everything in between. The older retired half-bloods move here and live their lives in relative peace, we used to have more a whole city worth in fact, but the war 5 years ago killed off most of them. Now you could fit all the retired ones in a large shop. I don't really need to say this to you, but there are no weapons allowed here so no bronzing up or whatever you call it" I stifled a laugh as she said that. The sight, however, was truly amazing, all sorts of trinkets, tools, books and more were here; spread out the demigod world to see.

"AH GOOD MORNING REYNA, HOW ARE YE TODAY LASS" The voice boomed as the woman, dressed seemingly as a pirate spoke.

"Mary, how many times must I say. You don't need to shout! I can hear you perfectly clear. Any way, since you're here and I didn't see you at the arena earlier, I might as well introduce the newest Praetor of the 12th legion Damian Lupus." Mary looked around, before settling her eyes on me.

"Him? You Tryna say we are going to be ruled.. By a wee little wolf?" At this I felt the need to demonstrate just how 'little' I am by enlarging myself around 13 times over.

"Sorry? I couldn't hear you that well. You're a little too small to hear, could you speak up?" I mocked her, she looked up with a smirk on her face and despite her rugged way of speaking and her clothes, she seemed almost regal as she did.

"I see he's got some spunk huh. I ain't got a problem with him. Hey pup! Shrink back down, I want ta tell you a tale!" I decided to go along with her request, definitely not acting in response to her dog like command.. I hate instincts.

"We were just heading to the Tailor, though I suppose we have time for it, we can talk by the lake" without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and trotted off towards the lake.

"Good Luck living with her, she lives by the book and with the book I'm sure" I couldn't help my laughter escaping and nor could she. Soon enough a large body of water was set out in front of me. I felt a strange connection to the water and so promptly decided to stay away from it. It was likely that whoever my demigod parent, apart from Lupa, was a deity of water or something similar and so could give away who I am. I felt rather smart for realising it so fast.

"Alright, It's time I tell ye me tells of woe. I was a young La-" she didn't get to finish her sentence

"Mary, we are here alone. Drop the act" Reyna spoke with a casual attitude probably used to this.

"Yes, I suppose I can-'' dam that was a major attitude change "-It was around 1718 a time of high piracy and slavery, It was My wedding and not a grandiose occasion, much like Hera, It was against my will with a pirate, Edward Blackbeard no less. One of the most infamous pirates of the seas, I was a child, barely 16 at the time and his 14th wife, but his first legal one. He the son of ares was not one for no's or anything of the sort. If he desired something, he would make it his. That isn't to say he was abusive, he was a rather good husband and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the mounds of loot the plundered. He wasted no time in impregnating me after our marriage taking me that same night though in the end I miscarried. He stayed put for a few months until he couldn't bear staying from the seas and so he took off once more to his acts of piracy sending back portions of his loot for me to live on, probably what gave his location away when he was caught and killed.. Well they thought he was. In reality the son of Ares was not killed by mortals so easily, he had escaped to the sea of monsters where he was turned into a guinea pig on Circe island. Reyna and that Percy Jackson fellow encountered him there" It was strange, even by this random person was my true name mentioned. It seems I had gotten around much.

"Yes I remember, Percy had gotten himself turned into a guinea pig as well. Blackbeard kept asking him to kill the witch and bring him Celery. Annabeth couldn't remember which Guinea pig was Percy so turned them all human, Blackbeard included who i ended up riding back to America with afterwards" I was a guinea pig? Seriously? Dam that confirms I was the clumsy one.. And who is Annabeth? She seems important.

"So what happened to you? 1718 was a LONG time ago, how are you even alive?" I know asking a lady their age was rude.. But was asking how they're alive the same?

"Hmmm.. You see I am also a demigod, a daughter of Hecate actually. It was I who asked my mother to direct his ship to my half sister, Circe's island for shelter.. I then found out he had been cheating on me with our neighbour, turns out it wasn't the sea he craved to return to, it was responsibility for her new pregnancy he wished to escape! So I told Circe to punish him for it, she decided becoming an immortal guinea pig was befitting the cheating.. Pig. I then went on to form my own piracy group under the name Mark Read dressing as a man. During my travels in England I smuggled many Demigods on their quests for the Gods and in recognition of that, I was given Partial immortality, similar to Artemis's Hunters only without the blessed skills, those were my own. Unfortunately I was caught by the British Empire and our acting captain was swiftly executed, I however feigned pregnancy and had it delayed long enough to escape to America where I jumped from pirate crew to pirate crew, changing my name and appearance with the mist until around the 1860's where I finally sought refuge here after helping defend Rome from the Greeks. While I am technically a Greek, I was exposed to Rome for far longer and so I went with that since my mother's roman name is the same only with a K instead so no one knew the difference" It took me a while to process her words since they were practically a history lesson only interesting. She mentioned Artemis and her hunt.. I couldn't help, but feel like they were also important to me like Annabeth.. I Decided against asking in case it blew my cover.

"I still love that story Mary, you are the living embodiment of female piracy. Damian, you know she was the founder of the first all female pirate crew!" this was more than unexpected, the usually stoic and basically cold Reyna, was fangirling over a pirate! I would be lying if I didn't say I also found her cool myself. I mean she is almost all the famous female pirates in history, pirates are cool as is, but add demigod as a factor and it becomes wayyy cooler.

"As fun as this has been, Damian here still needs to get fitted for a tunic. His.. parts have been on display long enough" I knew it! I knew that was the reason!

Great, I get to be one of the first wolf demigods to wear a dam tunic.. Just my dam luck.

"Well I better be off as well, gotta get the lake harbour construction started if we want ships in the little Tiber by the end of this year! I can't wait to feel the rock of the boats again" and with that she left. Reyna and I walked back into the centre of New Rome, and into a small shop called Tunics & Togas.

"Hey Darrel! I got a new order for you!" shouted Reyna into the seemingly empty shop. While we waited, I took a look around at the merchandising, many t-shirts like togas with both traditional and more modern designs littered the left side while matching style toga clothes were on the left. I guessed Reyna figured a toga wouldn't suit me being a wolf and all, and instead a wolf modified Camp Jupiter tunic would suffice.. I, however, already knew this was NOT going to look at all good on me.. That or I would end up looking like a dam pet.. Which ain't too bad so long as they gave me food.. Blue food.. Hmmm... dam you wolf instincts stop making my ADHD worse would you.

Finally the tailor came in, a tall not chubby, but definitely not thin man around his 20's with features that screamed 'I hate my job'

"What is it you want Reyna... This is your 7th time this week and it's only Tuesday." who knew Reyna liked to shop.. Didn't seem like the type, then again she didn't seem like the type to fangirl over someone, but that was quickly proven wrong. Reyna gave him a glare that even I felt the intimidation from.

"This time isn't for me, I am here to get the new praetor of Camp fitted" he looked understandably confused, I am a wolf after all.

"For the wolf? What kind of job do you think I have?!?" he again, understandably argued.

"Hey, don't look at me, it was her idea. I'm just going along with it until it inevitably blows up in her face" I would try to eat my own tail if I looked even remotely leader quality in clothes. The "try" is on purpose since it seems the thing always gets away from me when I try to catch i-... ... ... I hate these dam instincts so much, I hope no one saw me do that in the past.

[Artemis POV:]

[At CHB:]

"You search th-" before I finished I couldn't hold back a massive sneeze..

"Someone is talking about Percy's wolf habits.." How do I know? Simple, whenever someone talked about it away from me back in the hunt. I'd sneeze like an elephant.

"Judging by the pitch, I'm betting he was dragging his butt again" spoke atlanta.

"Nono. That would be higher than this, this was definitely tail chasing" Aria said while holding her finger in the air. The girl knew her father well

"Definitely tail chaser sis" after that we all broke out in laughter.

[Percy POV:]

[Camp Jupiter:]

"Well I have no choice do I? Fine. it will be done by the end of the week see you then" I was confused.. He hadn't taken any measurements.

"Ah I love this shop, the moment you enter all your measurements are taken automatically with Vulcan's technology" so the moment I walked in here, a bunch of sensors checked my dimensions? even my.. lower ones?

"I feel violated." was all I had left to say.