Percy's POV

I woke up, and asked Mareth where the breakfast would be served. He directed me to the meal and I sat down in the seat next to Gregor.

"Hey, how was your sleep?" He asked me once I sat down.

"Oh, umm, the norm, just... Well, great, I guess." I kind of dozed off and thought about Annabeth, but I tried to be polite.

"Gregor! I've been meaning to ask you, where's Boots?" Luxa asked from the head of the table.

"Oh, umm.... I went on a school field trip to New York, and Mom didn't want me to go, but I went, and snuck into the Underland." Gregor looked nervous, about what, I don't know.

"Hello, little apprentice. Didn't expect you to come back." A giant rat who just walked in bellowed. Wait- a giant rat?!?! I had a shocked look on my face, apparently, since it said, "And the new one should learn manners. You don't gape when someone walks in!"

"Sorry, I should have known better than to gape at a giant rat!" I replied, a little annoyed that he had such an attitude.

"Sorry, Percy, this is Ripred. He's... Problematic. Ripred, this is Percy." Gregor said. Then Ripred dug into... I'm not exactly sure, but it had seafood, that's all I could tell. Shrimp, I think.

"You smell weird. Like, not human, or, anything from around here, actually." I was startled by Ripred's statement.

"Not human? I better be human, or my life's been led wrong!" I say, just as Luxa stands.

"Gregor, there's training today. Percy, you're welcome to come too. Ripred, you better behave." She glares at the rat, as I wonder if Riptide would work on him. Guess I will just have to wait and see.