For quite some time now, Percy sought after a peaceful start to the day. It was quite ridiculous, she knew that very well. The past few days were a great example of how peaceful her life would get anytime soon. She thought that maybe, just maybe, she would finally achieve that long-awaited serenity after reaching Camp Jupiter. As always, she was wrong.

The gorgons kept following the trio + 1 well past the camp boundaries. A river, probably the one June mentioned, was right up ahead. Percy, in the lead, was still burdened with carrying the now [probably] 500 pound goddess. The rear was brought up with a panting Hazel and an anxious Frank. The gorgons' plaintive screeching was still heard from their current position. They must be about a few feet behind us mused Percy.

"These things aren't stopping anytime soon. It's my turn to silence these god-awful creatures." And with that, Frank had turned around and left the slow-progressing half-bloods. The loading, flying and landing of arrows could be heard distinctly. They had reached the banks of the river.

June chuckled. "Ah! The Little Tiber at last! Equally powerful as the original Tiber – the river of the empire. Now is the time for your critical choice young Percy. Choose to go across the Little Tiber and you shall lose the sacred Greek blessing placed upon you – The Achilles Curse. You will no longer bear it and become vulnerable. Or, the option still stands – you may turn around and stay safe and secure. No pain, no possibilities and no future of uncertainty or instant death. Choose wisely hero!"

Percy had no idea what June just said. Though she understood one thing quite clearly. "No more iron hard skin?" June just smiled. It was quite obvious that she didn't have much choice if she wanted her memories – her old life back. But Percy was still extremely hesitant about swimming in the Little Tiber. The currents were powerful and even dangerous. After a seconds hesitation she jumped in.

The water was ice cold and would have sent shivers down any mortal's spine – not Percy's though. The water didn't affect her. Instead she felt an adrenalin rush of strength. She felt like she just had a cup of an iced Venti nonfat caramel macchiato with whipped cream and an extra shot of espresso – shaken, not stirred. (A/N: I just had to do that!)

It was right then that Percy noticed the watchtowers bordering the path into New Rome with sentries stationed in almost every nook and corner. All had arrows pointing straight behind her. She turned around. The gorgons, 5 feet above the Little Tiber, had Frank in their grasps. Hazel had unsheathed and welded her Sarthe in her right hand- ready to take on any challenge presented to her. Several sentries had also unsheathed their various weapons, wanting to take down the new threat.

But she knew that no-one could help. The archers had a high chance of shooting Frank instead and the sentries wouldn't reach him on time. Only Percy herself could do something. She put June down and turned up to glare right at the snake-haired, chicken-footed, moldy-toothed gorgons. Finally! She thought as she raised her hands. The water followed suit.

The movements of the water were ferocious and lethal, likewise graceful as it went on to 'chain' the gorgons and ensnare them. A pair of hands rose out of the river and tried to engulf the monsters in their fists. It was very successful. The gorgons went into the water after a 10 second free fall and graced the on-lookers with golden dust. The powerful river currents stopped Medusa's sisters from re-forming. Hopefully, for a very long time.

Percy was left standing on the bank of the river, feeling drained, exposed, raw and…dare she say it…susceptible. She shivered for a second. She turned to June who winked at her before turning to face the various demi-gods - the very same ones who looked onto the scene with awe. "-saw that?" "Neptune's spawn?" "What next? A visit from Ops?" [A/N: Ops is the titan Rhea in her Roman form, for those who don't know]

June gave a pressing look to the crowd and…transformed. Transformed into a 7-foot tall goddess wearing a long, beautiful blue gown and a goat-skin….cape was it?

The campers instantly bowed down. Hazel was the first to break the sudden silence. "Juno" Everyone was still and soundless. I was the only one left standing. But I didn't bother bowing down. "Juno, huh?" I was starting to get very irritated very fast. "I made my decision. I did what you asked. I'm here now. Would you please hand over that chunk of my head you took quite recently?" Juno looked nothing short of amused. "In time, young one."

A girl, probably Percy's age, with raven hair, dark eyes, a fierce look plastered on her face and medals decorating her purple t-shirt was the next to address the immortal. "My lady. What brings you here?"

"Rise, Praetor Reyna. I am here to present to you the Daughter of Neptune. She has slumbered long and is finally awake. Her fate rests with you. Death, released, holds the key to victory in battle. Don't fail me." With that, she disappeared. Just like that. Poof!

Instantly, the restless crowd rose and turned to face 'Praetor Reyna' who in turn faced me. "Welcome, Percy Jackson, to Camp Jupiter. I am Reyna, daughter of Bellona and Praetor of the twelfth legion. If you would please follow me to the Principia, it seems, we have a lot to discuss." It may have been a request but it sounded more like an order.

After addressing the crowd and giving out orders, I followed the leader of the camp to answer some questions and get some answers myself.

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Every inch of the ceiling was covered with mosaics, each of which held a different image and told a different story. One of the said mosaics was of the she-wolf Lupa, another was of Remus and Romulus and others were of the various gods and goddesses – major and minor. The polished white marble floor of the Principia held several pieces of antique furniture. Sunlight made its way through the windows – the purple drapes were held back in place with an intricate looking knot of golden ropes. Several glass cabinets and shelves covered the walls – all of which were full of medals, trophies and military symbols. Banners with various roman inscriptions hung on some walls, the most prominent of which read 'SPQR' with a symbol.

There was a wooden table in the center which was cluttered with things ranging from paperwork and battle plans to small statues and figurines. Percy was absolutely lost in taking in the details of the room. She was suddenly brought from back from her thoughts to the scene at hand with a pointed cough from the Praetor in front of her. "Percy…such behavior shall not be tolerated what-so-ever."

"Sorry"

"Now, back to the topic at hand. You bear no mark on your right arm which leads me to assume that you have never been to Camp Jupiter before. We do have several new recruits but none as old as you. Being a daughter of Neptune, your aura is strong. A half-blood such as yourself couldn't have survived that long on her own. How did you get here? To camp Jupiter, that is."

So, with a quick glance at Reyna's metal greyhounds – Argentum and Aurum – I did what was expected of me and told her everything – from waking up in the Wolf house and losing my memories to my encounter with the gorgons. I left out any mention of Annabeth or Thalia. The thought felt personal, one that was definitely none of Reyna's business.

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On Olympus

Hera sat on her throne in the empty throne room, eyes closed and deep in her thoughts, when she was interrupted by the sudden presence of a fellow Olympian. She opened her eyes to find none other than Aphrodite standing right in front of her.

"And what brings the love goddess here at this hour?" Hera asked with a small smirk. Ever since Olympus closed down 8 months ago, almost no one bothered getting tangled up in the mess that was the Queen of Olympus's plans. Of course they felt that Hera was gonna screw up bad. It never stopped them from thinking or saying that.

"Hera, I've been thinking.."

"The love goddess thinks…what has the world come to?"

Aphrodite grunted in response to Hera's comment but seemed more or less unaffected. "Of all the seven you've chosen…why Percy? If there was anything I wasn't more sure of, it was the fact that you loathed the Sea God's daughter with every fiber of your being and that the feeling was quite mutual."

Amusement sparked amidst tension in the Queen of Olympus's eyes. "Dear Aphrodite, each of the chosen seven has been given a lot of thought. They were born for the roles and responsibility they are soon to undertake and uphold with every ounce of strength and determination they have."

"Although young Percy was and is always a variable. Always unpredictable, just like the sea. But she plays an important and possibly the most vital role there is to play. She must make a decision that determines the fate of Greece and Rome for the second consecutive time. And this time….it shall be much harder than before. It may even bring the end of us all….but that, dear love goddess, is exactly what I'm counting on. What the enemy can't decipher is the most crucial pawn in the whole game…"

A/N : I hope this chapter met your expectations! Please don't forget to share your thoughts and review!