Hi, everyone! This is the second chapter of this story:

Will was finishing cutting bandages and about to call a lunch break when the praetors of New Rome, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and Frank Zhang entered the infirmary.

"Hello, Doctor Solace," Reyna said reverently. Her mouth spread into a smile when she saw Nico. "Nico!"

The son of Hades hugged the praetor. "How's Hazel?" he asked Frank.

"She's doing great," the son of Mars said, "We have a cavalry club going now. If you need her, she's at the Big House talking to Chiron."

Reyna shifted her weight and said, "Nico, Will, something happened, and it's bad. We need the whole camp at the campfire in ten minutes for an emergency meeting. We'll tell everyone the details there."

-Line break-

Normally the camp doesn't go to the campfire as a group in the day. If a meeting was needed, the counselors would go to the room in the Big House where they talked about whatever they needed to talk about over sprayed-cheese, crackers and diet coke.

However, Artemis had refused to meet at the Big House. She wanted the entire camp to hear whatever she had to say. She also made everyone meet at the campfire immediately, so it was one of the few occasions when the entire camp was gathered around the campfire with the sun shining down on them. It felt strange.

Kayla nudged Will. "What do you think it's about?" she asked. Will shrugged. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this meeting. Maybe the timing was just strange, but maybe it was something else.

Artemis faced the crowd of half-bloods. "Demigods," she announced, "as you all know, after the war with Gaea, my brother, Apollo, went missing."

The people in Apollo's cabin, including Will, shifted uncomfortably at the glances the rest of the camp sent their way.

The cabin had speculated all month about what happened to their father. Their theories were mostly hard to believe, but most people have agreed that Apollo's disappearance was linked somehow to the missing gift of prophecies.

Will had never known his dad. Sure, Apollo visited him in his crib when he was a baby, but they had never really known each other. Will was pretty sure they'd never had a conversation together, unless you counted his two-month-old self gurgling at his dad and Apollo saying a bunch of non-sense baby talk as a conversation.

Still, Apollo was his dad, and even if Will wanted to strangle him for being such a horrible parent sometimes, he was worried about him.

"I have searched for him for a month," Artemis said, "and now he sent me a message that he is being held hostage by his old enemy, Python."

There were many gasps around the campfire. Kayla squeezed her brother's hand. Will patted his sister's head.

"I don't have the power of the Oracle," Artemis continued, "but I get hunches. Recently, my brother's Oracle and your harpy friend, Ella, has recovered a prophecy that I am certain will lead you to my brother." She turned to a red harpy standing beside her. "Ella, if you may."

The harpy named Ella smoothed the feathers on her left wing and recited:

The fall of the Sun, the final verse.

Four shall head east to break the curse.

The thief shall guide you to the serpent's home,

Where one shall be lost to an illusion's hold.

Light and Darkness shall break the chains.

One shall dissolve, and leave with what remains.

With a final shot, Apollo shall keep.

And one will lose what he desperately needs.

Ella looked around. "One of you will lose what you need. Ella needs to go. HARP meeting." With that she fluttered off.

Reyna gave the Ella's shrinking form a curious glance and directed her attention back to the crowd. "Since this is a quest to rescue Apollo, and considering the line, 'Light and Darkness shall break the chains,' a child of Apollo should lead the quest." She scanned the area where the Will's cabin was sitting, obviously looking for volunteers.

Will and his siblings looked amongst themselves. Soon all of his siblings were staring at Will. A mixture of emotions can be seen in their faces-encouragement, shame, guilt, relief.

No one wanted to be in the quest. Will didn't blame his brothers, sisters, and sib. The prophecy wasn't exactly the most encouraging.

But someone has to go. It took Will ten seconds to remember that he's the head counselor, so he has to go.

Kayla hugged him. "Don't worry," she whispered, "you're a tough guy. You'll be fine."

Shakily, Will stood up. "Since no one in my cabin is willing to volunteer, and since I am the head counselor, I will go."

Reyna gave the demigod a grateful smile. "Thank you, Will Solace. This time, according to the prophecy, we need four people on the quest, not the usual three. We need three more volunteers."

Lou Ellen, the head counselor of the Hecate cabin spoke up. "The prophecy said something about an illusion. I'm going to guess that it has something to do with the Mist. If you're dealing with mist, then Hecate is the perfect cabin. And since I'm head counselor, I'll go."

Will glanced at Hazel Levesque, who was standing behind Reyna and Frank. Nico had told him plenty of stories. Hazel could manipulate the Mist as well. She can make you look like a dracaena if she wanted to.

Hazel caught his glance. She shook her head. Sorry, she mouthed, no more quests.

Will understood. Back when the war with Gaea had just ended and Camp Jupiter stayed at Camp Half-Blood for a few days, the Seven always screamed from their dreams at night. Will can understand not wanting to bond with more people and then losing them to another quest.

Besides, he had Lou Ellen. She was also pretty powerful. Will wasn't sure if he could work very well with Hazel, but he and Lou Ellen was a well-oiled machine together. They'd known each other for years. They were basically best friends.

"Hold on," Clarisse la Rue from the Ares cabin said, "It said 'One shall be lost'. What if the reason someone gets lost is because a child of Hecate lost control of the Mist or something?"

Lou Ellen's ears turned red. "Are you saying that I'm not good enough?" Her voice got half an octave higher. "Because if you're saying that I'm not good enough-"

Will quickly walked over to the daughter of Hecate and put a hand on her shoulder. "Show them what you can do," he said.

Lou Ellen snapped her fingers. The trees caught on fire. The sky turned red. Bats that looked like they were made out of copper swooped from the sky. She snapped her fingers again, and the scenery disappeared.

"I'm a very powerful magician," she said, "and yes, I can control it. Besides, do you want to go against the prophecy?"

Will smiled at his friend. "You're in."

Frank gave Lou Ellen a thumbs-up. "Anyone else?"

A pale hand rose. Will couldn't believe what he was seeing. Even after a month, the camper was still deathly pale from the thousands of miles he'd shadow traveled. He hadn't thought he'd volunteer, especially after hearing that particular line of the prophecy.

Nico di Angelo wanted to go on the quest.

Nico, you should know better.

Remember to review!

~Pandora