chapter 3

Harrier called them the Bird, the Beast and the Wyrm.

The Bird was about the size of a man in body size alone with long peacock-green wings tipped in flight feathers every colour of the metallic spectrum, a slightly longer neck topped with a larger head with a large, densely-feathered crest and a hooked beak, and extravagant tail-feathers akin to the lovechild of a phoenix and a Bird of Paradise. The long legs were akin to a stork and tipped in some serious claws. Overall, it looked like the offspring of a peacock and a secretarybird.

Her name would be Aleta, meaning 'winged' in most languages, but the Greek translation would be 'truthful'. Her purpose was primarily intelligence and seeking, with a lesser specialization in extraction. If worse came to worst, her voice would be able to put anything to sleep. Hopefully.

She was made with what was originally particularly pale Imperial Gold 'coloured' by finely ground gemstones mixed into the melted metal while it was in liquid form, though other, tiny, gemstones had been studded into her spread wings and tail feathers, with two deep red garnets making the eyes and a dusting of rare uvarovite, a bright green garnet, where the masking on her face would occur.

The Beast, Aniketos, whose name meant 'never conquered', was admittedly stolen shamelessly from a movie Harry had seen and then looked up. The progenitors of Aniketos were the Hell Hounds of 'Chronicles of Riddick', which were genetically engineered animals containing characteristics of ursine (bear), feline, canine and reptile groups and were, from there, bred for speed and strength.

He had the head and jaws of a bear, neck and torso of a mastiff, legs and tail of a large predatory cat and covered in large, sharp scales like scale-mail.

He was also both bigger and bulker than Vashti and made of a partially dark kind of Celestial Bronze that was almost black, with two big orbs of brightly burnished Stygian Iron for eyes, which would allow him to see colours and layers that mammals couldn't usually make sense of. Like invisibility. Each of his reptilian teeth were sharp obsidian and his retractable lightning-glass claws were backed by poisonous glands.

While difficult to notice, he was, in fact, decorated like his sister, only it was in terms of scrolling etched into his scales. Delicate little patterns that would be worn away quickly were he made of anything less durable than a Divine Metal.

He was, predictably, the frontal-assault and pursuit member of the set.

The last set member, the Wyrm, was Alasd, the avenger. He was more a bastardized snake than an actual wyrm, as he was heavier set, had a longer, sharper, more dragon-like head and lacked the front legs of traditional wyrms, but retained the stubby back legs for grasping and propelling and, while he did have wings, they were small and pulled tight to his back for subterranean travel as well as short distance gliding, but not prolonged flight.Harry had nearly forgone the wings until he was watching 'Tremors' late one night while he was still in the sketching stage. No baby of his was gonna be tricked out of a cliff-face to his death!

Like Aleta was Imperial Gold and Aniketos was Celestial Bronze, Alsad was Stygian Iron. Also, he was between his showy sister and understated brother in terms of decoration. Emerald and amber were sparsely studded from his sharp head to his split prehensile tails, being, overall, around thirty feet long and about as round as a man. His large eyes were fist-sized chunks of bight, clear amber and his teeth were a comparatively bright white mother of pearl.

He was the defensive stealth specialist who hung back and attacked when the enemy least expected it, and covered his sibling's backs when they retreated. He was also blessed with the power to go insubstantial to aid in his tunnelling.

Harry was still throwing back blood-replenishing potions like they were shots an hour after they were all quickened, each having been 'born' a full half-hour after one another.

' And now? ' Aleta's voice was the soft and soothing sound a mother's lullaby or the lowing of a bamboo flute. ' You brought us into being for a purpose, yes?' And Harry desperately hoped she would not run with that habit of ending her sentences with a question.

' The demi-gods.' Harry's beast son's voice was the roar of a furnace, the scratching of crushed gravel and the boom of thunder all in one. He could already tell that Aniketos' would be like a commander of old; no nonsense, strict and strategic-minded though hot-blooded, while still having a mind as predictable as a bag of startled and high alley cats. ' We find them, bring them here and go find more.'

Harry sighed and drank more of the mineral- and additive-heavy water, scratching his bronze-tipped fingers between his lethargic Gorgon-snakes, absently noticing that they were now wiggling around past his butt. "That's right. Roman or Greek, it doesn't matter, but only if they aren't already claimed by either a satyr of Camp Half-Blood or a wolf of Wolf House, and they have to agree to come. Promise them sanctuary, promise them weapons, promise them Home. Promise them anything within reason, but do not lie. Shit happens when highly-strung kids with powers get lied to." Thinking about what he, himself, had figured out as he grew up the rest of the way in a relatively stable home, monster-wise, he added, "Especially when they figure it out."

' And if they are too young to understand what is happening?' Alasd's voice was a deep gong or Buddhist prayer bell, no ifs, ands or buts about it.

Yes, Harry had considered that. "If they have family nearby, approach them about it. If they are alone, just bring them back here. I'll figure something out. But make sure the parent knows how dangerous it is for them to keep the kid outside a safe-zone. Tell them I'll even give them a job in the area and housing if they want it. I'll need caretakers for the kids anyway. Anything else, use your own judgement."And if we run across gods or demi-gods from the Camps?' Aniketos inquired gruffly, idly rattling his scales in a testing manner.

"Just pull back and leave them. Don't get aggressive and they'll probably leave you alone. If not, you'll be able to outrun them." Harry tilted his head in thought. "Probably."

The Beast chuffed in exasperated amusement.

' Nanu-nanu. You can't catch me.' Alasd mocked an invisible opponent, voice conveying a dry humour, causing Harry to snigger.

Harry stretched again and stood from his stool. "Anything else? Cause I got shit to do."

Anketos dragged his claws across the floor as he stretched and Alasd flexed his scaled muscles as he began to unwind. Aleta fidgeted on her large perch.

' We can still come back, yes? Even if we have not found a child, yes?' And there went his hope about the question-sentences.

"Of course you can. You're still my bouncing baby brats, after all. I'd be a bit upset if you didn't." Aleta trilled a few soft noted of relief, relaxing, as Alasd swatted his twin-tails at his father half-heartedly for the teasing.

(space)

With his new babies sent out into the wide blue yonder, each equipped with a mirror connected to one he kept in a locket around his neck, Harry meandered upstairs around noon.

He paused and blinked in the doorway, head tilting at the gathering in his lounge room, surrounding his 70'in plasma screen TV, lights off and several bowls of popcorn and M&M's being passed around.

The kids were indeed in the room, cuddling together on the large couch he liked to spread out on. What was unexpected was the fact that all sixteen of the Nereids had also squished in on the couch and lounge chairs and spilled onto the floor. The Harpy sisters, Arie, Acantha and Adara, as well as little Dominic, were also in attendance, perched on the kitchen stools with a big bowl of Doritos between them. Vashti lay against the wall, peacefully watching the movie with three of the Nereids lounging against her flank like it was a regular thing.

And they were watching bloody Disney's Hercules.

Nana Em had been very offended by how that movie and the subsequent series portrayed her.

Losing interest as the red-haired hero dropped a giant rock on the Hydra, Harry wandered into the kitchen and began to make a fruit and nut salad, as well as a double batch of brownies since the Nereids went all to pieces on him if he didn't make them for their esteemed chewing pleasure. He knew they were faking it to get their way, but he'd always been weak to pretty girls crying at him.

Though, give him a crying male and all they'd get was a weirded-out look.

Hearing the pitter-patter of bare feet as he was sectioning an orange, he glanced up to identify the short and curvy Hallie with her big brown eyes and glossy black curls beside the tall and slender Galatea with her milk-white skin, white-gold tresses and almond-shaped black seal's eyes.

Both were still wearing their white sea-foam dresses, inferring they'd just come out of the water.Galatea picked up a green apple and began breaking the skin with her teeth and sucking out the juices while Hallie wiggled at him like an excited puppy.

"So what's the gos'?" Hallie demanded, leaning across the counter at him.

Harry just raised an eyebrow and continued cutting. "You're gonna have to specify which gos' you're referring to."

Galatea pulled the apple away from her mouth long enough to pitch in, "The Mare first. The Gods're in a tizzy trying to catch her, and she's just sitting in there like she lives here."

He felt his lip twitch. "Well, technically, this is her home, what with me being her father and all."

Galatea promptly choked on a piece of apple her teeth had broken off and Hallie slipped ungracefully from the stool to the floor.

"Since when?!" Hallie demanded, pulling herself up from the floor.

Harry was valiantly containing a smirk. "Since I made her and used my blood to give her life."

Galatea finally cleared her throat of apple. "That's High stuff, Harry. How in Tartarus did you get that kind of Power?"

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "At a guess? I'm gonna take option three and blame an obscure prophecy no one remembers the wording to. And possibly just good breeding." He absently sipped a suspiciously chunky dull red smoothie he had to his left.

"Do tell." Melite purred, loosely wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning on him from her superior height, long straight tresses of midnight feathering around his torso.

Harry hoped she didn't notice the movements of the snakes. The Nereids knew he was a young Immortal, but they didn't know for sure if he was a monster (and if so, what kind) nor if he was someone a god or goddess had decided to 'keep'. Or if he had just somehow found a way to Immortality like Circe and Medea. Apparently, he was just so good at manipulating Mist and glamours that he could fool the senses of even minor goddesses.

Harry shrugged and moved onto another orange as the one dripping juice was snatched out of his hand by the bronze-skinned, red-haired Erato, who had obviously lost interest in the movie and followed her sisters into the kitchen out of boredom. "I have two gods and a goddess in my ancestry in the last seven generations that I know about, so it might just be a good match of powers interacting. I'm not really that talented in war magics, to be honest, as I lean more towards defensive and the other, more subtle, stuff."

"Really? Who?" Speio demanded, using her ridiculously tiny height of 4'6ft to wiggle under Harry's left arm and wrap her tiny arms around his waist, staring up at him with her big blue-green eyes and fluffy chocolate curls.

"Well, Poseidon, obviously. My three times great grandfather on my mother's, mother's side through Lorelai." Harry admitted, finally giving up on any more oranges and passed the skinned citrus to Erato, who proceeded to maul the fruit. He awkwardly shuffled around with the two Nereids wrapped around him and washed his hands before continuing. "My father's father, on the other hand, was a son of Eris, who married a Black from the British Wizard family, who were known to obsessively marry the children of Hades and Pluto since before they moved from Rome around the 500AD, with eight in the last fifteen generations alone." His lips quirked a bit as he grabbed the sweet citrus dressing and a packet of pine nuts for the salad from the upper cupboard above the microwave. "Really pissed them off when the Big Three made that Pact."All five of the Nereids were now watching him with raised eyebrows, but it was Galatea who spoke. "That'd do it. Life came from the seething oceans, jewels and ore rose from the deep earth and a little chaos to create just the right circumstances to round it off."

Speio sucked on the edge of her lip in thought before offering, "Blood is the Memory's River. They would have picked up some of the subliminal thought and behavioural patterns, too. Maybe some powers?"

The ladies shared a look and appeared to drop the subject in favour of the next one.

"The Mare? Vashti, was it? Why her and that shape?" Halie inquired. Erato grabbed another orange from the bowl and began peeling it with the discarded paring knife, watching silently.

Having tossed in the nuts and added the dressing, the large salad bowl was covered and placed in the smaller under-counter fridge he used for what he needed while cooking. "I like pretty things and my mild precognitive powers said it would be a good idea." Harry smiled. "Besides, I've always wanted a sweet baby girl I could spoil rotten. And she's a horse because I'm honestly not very good at getting close to people."

The girls glanced at each other again, as if confirming they would discuss it amongst themselves later.

"And the little demi-gods?"

Having sat on a stool with Melite still leaning on him and Speio having crawled onto his lap, all Harry could do was shrug.

"Vashti brought them here. Haven't had a chance to speak with them though, so I'll have to do that later." His hands tingled briefly but strongly. "I've always felt the need to do something about the demi-god mortality rate, and this had just given me an excuse to do so. I've already given life to three more of my children and sent them out to find unclaimed demi-gods."

Melite hummed thoughtfully. "But aren't they the Camps' problems?"

Harry felt his lips curl and a 'teh' of disgust left his mouth. "The Camps only really bother with demi-gods once they reach adolescence, mostly. Most of the kids are dead or damaged by then. Did you know only maybe, at best, two out of five demi-gods reach a Camp?" The appalled looks on their faces was enough of an answer, so he continued on. "Those older kids in there have probably been runaways for years now, and the little girl is already showing signs of aggression and undirected rage against pretty much everyone." Harry 'teh'ed again. "Those kids at the Camps make a good showing of being normal, but they're very much unstable and reckless. Most don't even really associate normal humans with people, only nameless, faceless things to be protected to an extent, but gladly thrown under the bus to save themselves if necessary."

Attempting to restrain the helpless anger at the situation, he didn't notice Speio noticing the deep scratches he was putting into the marble bench with his 'human' nails."Those places aren't safe havens, they're indoctrination camps to make good little warriors and pawns for the gods. When they leave as adults, most of them are so unhappy with their mundane lives they end up homeless vagabonds who hunt monsters and are killed quicker since they no longer have even a hint of protection from their 'parents' anymore. And that's only if they don't kill themselves. The ones held up as shining icons to the campers are the vast minority."

Hissing softly, Harry shook himself. "It's pointlessly cruel to all involved but the gods who perpetuate the cycle."

None of the Nereids, nor Harry, noticed the pale and horrified boy slipping back down the hallway to the bedroom the kids slept in.

Feeling a zap zing up his spine, the hidden Gorgon gently pushed Speio of his lap, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"Please excuse me. Aleta has returned with a guest."

As Harry slipped out onto the back porch to greet the large, brightly coloured metal bird, the Nereids looked at each other.

"Do you think we should look into it?" Halie asked her sisters uncertainly.

Erato grimaced slightly when she realised her sixth orange was a blood orange, oddly fitting given the conversation. "He doesn't really have a reason to lie. And that anger was genuine. It wouldn't surprise me if it were true, either, given how many women the gods' bed, and everyone knows Aphrodite, Demeter and Athena pop out brats like clockwork. Athena even does it quicker with how she makes her children from thoughts." She put down the red citrus and sighed. "The numbers don't really add up when you consider how few demi-gods there are."

Just then, Harry walked back in with a small, toddler-sized bundle as the bird once again took to the sky. "Do any of you know healing and or anything to reduce scarring? Cause he really needs it."

The little boy of about four looking around the room curiously had a bright blue eye and a great gaping hole where the other should have been. Scars mangled the left side of his face and he was missing his right arm from mid-wrist down. They were mostly healed into red welts and small sections of greenish pus.

Galatea gagged and bolted for the bathroom as the remaining sisters stared in something like horrified guilt.