Previously:
"Is she gone?" Thalia asked from inside. This jolted me back to my senses and I reentered my tent. "Can we talk now?"

"Yes, Thalia," I sighed again, sitting on my chair.

"Good," she pushed herself up to sit properly. "Are we staying?"

"That was blunt," I snorted, making her roll her eyes.

"No, how long are we staying?" She asked seriously. "Until Eragon figures himself out? Until the war ends? Until things settle after the war?"

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I guess we stay until we both feel it's time to go home."

The long awaited explanation for Percy's mom is here at last! Sorry to keep ya'll waiting on it.

"Percy, Percy, Percy, Percy, Percy, Percy. PERCY!"

"What?" I woke only to find that I was still asleep. I was standing...floating in space with my father and grandfather-floating-in front of me.

"Finally! You know, son, you should answer when I call you the first time," Chaos admonished.

"I'm trying to sleep!" I retorted grumpily.

"You don't need to sleep!" My father exclaimed. "You are a primordial!"

"Sleep is life!" I yelled back. I don't know why he's arguing about this, he sleeps a lot too.

"Boys!" Void shouted, effectively cutting us both off. "You would think you two were still 1000!"

"I am 1000 centuries old!" I replied, instinctively knowing that primordial count in centuries rather than years since they live so long.

"Percy," Chaos snapped, "don't talk to your grandfather that way."

"Chaos," Void said with a sigh, rubbing the space between his eyes.

"Sorry," my dad muttered to the both us sheepishly. "I'm a little nervous."

"Nervous?" I was confused now. "Dad, why are you nervous?"

"Tell him," Void said in the same tone as before.

Chaos suddenly looked as nervous as he felt. He wrung his hands together and looked everywhere but at me. "Can you do it?" He asked Void quietly.

Now I was worried. My father hasn't been this nervous about anything since he told me my true parentage. "Dad?"

"Chaos," Void said firmly. "Tell him. He deserves to know."

"Wefinallyfoundyourmotherbutshe'sbeingheldcaptivebyGalbatorix," Chaos said rapidly with his eyes tightly shut.

Now, normally, I wouldn't understand a thing he said but not only have I done that before several times but Leo and Will do it too. I speak this language I call 'fluent.' Even so, it took me a minute to understand what my father said.

"Wha-mom?" I took a stumbling step backwards.

"Yes, her name is Kílf," Chaos said, slower now that the bomb was dropped. "She is the dwarves' goddess of water. She is part of this universe you are in but I came across it by accident." Chaos' eyes were looking off into the nothingness around us. His shinning gold rimmed blue eyes were filled with longing and agonizing loss. "We fell in love but she was being hunted because of it. We had hidden from everyone but they were close to finding us. She told me to take you and go in case she was caught. It would be better if I was there to keep you safe."

Chaos sighed and looked at me with tear filled eyes. "That day was the last time I saw her." He murdered in an agonizingly low voice.

"So Galbatorix has her?" I asked, wishing I could sit down. My legs felt a little shaky.

"Yes," Void answered, taking pity on his son. "We found out when Chaos was checking on the tyrant to see if he could help you. We don't know how she got there, last we knew, she was trapped in the Beor mountains by the rest of her pantheon."

"Where is she?" I asked, looking from Chaos to Void. My father was pale and despondent and Void was almost holding him up.

"Guarding the last egg," my grandfather replied solemnly.

"Of course she is," Chaos chuckled weakly.  He was out of it. "She always loved animals."

Suddenly, I started drifting away, my father and grandfather were getting farther and farther away. I was waking up.

"Be safe, son," Chaos called, realizing this. "Don't either of you die before we can be reunited. She would be so, so proud of you."

"I have yet to meet her," Void's voice came faintly as I shot up in my bed.

"Who's fault is that?" Chaos was back to normal now and I faintly saw him round on his father. "If you hadn't been hibernating..."

Boss?

I had stormed out of my tent, growling as I made my way through the camp. I vaguely registered Blackjack tromping along after me, barely avoiding the tents so he didn't knock them down. I needed to let off some steam and I can't do that by flying. Flying doesn't take much thought, I needed a challenge.

Sensing Thalia's tent in the distance, I walked faster.

"Thalia, wake up!" I yelled, still several feet away from the entrance. "Thalia!"

"What is it Percy?" Thalia's voice grumbled from inside.

"We're sparing," I said. I left no room for questioning in my voice but of course she found a way to do just that.

"Percy, it's still really dark!"

"Now."

She must have finally registered my tone so she stumbled out of bed and ten seconds later, out of her tent, rubbing her eyes wearily as she tripped after me and Blackjack to the sparing area. "Why are we sparing so early again?" She grumbled.

"Dad found my mom," I didn't need to say anymore than that; it woke her up right away.

Everything after that was a blur. We spared until the sun was high in the sky and starting to go down. We finally stopped when I saw Eragon and Roran on the edge of the arena.

Thalia fell to the floor on her back, her chest heaving heavily. "Percy, next time, take out your feelings on Arya or something!"

My lips twitched as the other pair of cousins walked up to us.

"Roran tells me you've been here all day, Percy," Eragon said, watching as Thalia struggled and failed to get off the ground.

"Take him!" Thalia called, flopping back on the floor exhaustedly. "He's working me to death!"

Roran's beard twitched, hinting at a smile. "What's the matter?" He asked, turning to me.

"This fight just got a whole lot more personal for me," I growled, getting angry again.

"What is it?" Eragon's eyebrows scrunched together and he shared a worried look with Roran.

When I didn't bother answering, (I had already told the story to Thalia as we fought), Blackjack did for me. He just found out Galbatorix-dude has his mom locked up somewhere.

"Oh," Roran said quietly. "How'd you find that out?"

"Dad visited me in a dream with Grandad," I said shortly then changed the topic. "Did you want something?" I didn't want pity.

"Yes," Roran shook out of his daze. "I was wondering if you would be at the wedding tomorrow."

Thalia's head popped up. "Yes!"

I stared down at her incredulously. "I didn't think you would like that sort of thing," I commented.

"It'll get you doing something other than sparing," Thalia retorted. "You've been at this all day, aren't you tired?"

"No," I answered.

"Stupid primordial immortality thing," my cousin/niece grumbled, her head hitting the ground once more. "Ow."

I laughed, turning back to the other cousins. "We will be there," I assured them.

"Thank you, Percy," Roran said before heading off.

Eragon stayed and shifted uneasily on his feet. "Percy, thank you for looking after him and the others when they were coming over from Carvahall," he started uncomfortably. His training with the elves may have matured him a bit but he was still only 16.

"Of course," I said.

"You didn't have to when you found them but you did and for that, I thank you," Eragon finished. "If there is anything you need..."

"It was no problem," I reiterated. "Don't mention it."

🐉            🐉

The next day, everyone was getting ready for the wedding for Katrina and Roran. Eragon was with the women, helping with the food and Thalia had decided to help put up the decorations. She climbed tall poles as if they were ladders, hanging up strings of white flowers and greenery.

Blackjack and I were on patrol.

We had escaped in the early morning before everyone was even up and were flying around the camp. Neither of us wanted to fall victim to the tortures of wedding planning.

When d'you think we should go back, Boss? Blackjack asked.

When Thalia tries contacting us, I answered carelessly. Do you think you'd ever find anyone, Blackjack?

The dragon snorted, a puff of smoke blew in my face. Nah, he said. Just fine the way I am, Boss. Single.

I laughed and allowed silence to fill our ride. Blackjack has grown since we first got here, he is now bigger than Saphira and Thorn when last we saw him. He's confused the elves and Eragon with his growth speed. They said hew was growing like a newborn dragon still. Apparently they were suppose to slow down after a couple months. If anything, he's growing faster.

Boss? Blackjack started, scaring me from my thoughts. my heart rate picked up and I jerked sideways.

By my dad's underpants, Blackjack, don't scare me like that! I said, breathing heavily and trying to slow my heart.

Sorry, Boss, he said, not sounding at all sorry. In fact, he sounded like he was hiding a laugh. But do you think your mom is still a statue? Or did Galbatorix free her?

I did not answer right away, instead I thought of all the horrors she might be going through if she were free. The magic in this world seems much more costly and harmful. I don't know, buddy, I replied quietly.

I'm just wondering how the son of a fury was treating her, Blackjack continued. If she's-what's that?