IV

Hazel

Hazel felt grateful she had fallen into the Atlantic that week. If she hadn't, the Athena Parthenos would have been lost to Gaea, the Roman and Greek demigods would have destroyed each other, the gods would have been too schizophrenic to fight the Giants and Gaea would have woken up a month too early. Hazel knew that if she hadn't been there with Frank and Leo, those two would have made a mess of things. Now Hazel watched as the mer-heroes Bill, Cyrus and Ariel prepared to fight the party of monsters (what was the collective of monsters, Hazel asked herself. A gaggle? A pack?) and try to win back the ship and the statue.

She had met the underwater heroes when she had been taken for questioning by Aphros the ichthyocentaur. Since Aphros trained mer-heroes in the art of combat, Hazel had guessed the three mer-teens were his star pupils. He even consulted them in the decision of what to do with her and her friends. Once Hazel had explained who she was and her quest, they told her their names and the narrated the adventures they have had. They revealed to Hazel how they had found and returned Poseidon's trident and how Bill had defeated the Titan Proteus last summer and became Saviour of Atlantis. The more she found out about their quests, the more she realised how much Bill shared the same attributes as Percy and Jason. He even looked the part, with jet black hair which floated around his head, the good looks of a Roman god and the sea-blue eyes that looked black in the shadows.

She also realised that, unlike his friends, Bill had legs and not fish tails. When she asked him about it, he had told her, "I used to live on the surface once. I was even a Roman camper, but I left that life behind and now I live here. This is my home, and these people are my family. They welcomed me, even though I was a total stranger and now I can't even survive on the surface. Besides, you don't have to have a fish tail to be a mer-hero. Triton, our senior counsellor, the greatest mer-hero who ever swam the ocean, has two fish trunks for legs."

Hazel thought about that as she watched the mer-heroes approach the Argo II from Piper's knife. They all had legs now, but she knew Cyrus and Ariel's feet were magical and Bill's were his own. She watched them approach the ship and saw Bill shouting what is presumably orders to his friends (The knife didn't have sound.

"Piper," Leo said. "Your knife should at least have subtitles."

Piper gave Leo an angry look over her shoulder, but Hazel knew she was hoping he was right.

When the retrieval team was about ten metres from the monsters, Bill leaped off the centaur he was on and went straight into the middle of the horde. He landed, drew both his broadsword and his trident, and proceeded to hack at every monster closest to him. The trident was gray, long, narrow and had sharp outer edges so it could be used to slash instead of just stabbing. The broadsword had a celestial bronze blade and a black hilt. Bill twirled and danced around with each weapon in each hand. A Cyclops ran towards him but fell as Cyrus, who had decided to join the fun, leapt at it and stabbed it in the heart with his trident. The creature crumbled into fine gray dust. The two boys continued their massacre of the monsters while covering each other's back.

A Lastrigornian giant pummeled Bill to the ground, scattering his weapons from his hands. Bill retaliated by firing a torrent of blue electricity from his hands, vaporising the shocked cannibal.

"Whoa, that's awesome," Frank said. "How did he do that?"

"It must be mer-powers," Leo said. "All I know is, I'm never making fun of Little Mermaid again."

Good timing, Hazel thought. I was about to tell him Ariel's name.

At that moment, a volatius dove in on Bill with its talons outstretched, aiming for his face. It was hit by an arrow in the chest, an arrow, Hazel realised, that was fired by Ariel from the back of a centaur. The mermaid nocked another arrow and aimed at one of the dragons that were flying away with the statue.

"Wait, she has a bow?" Leo asked. "Is there an underwater group called the Fishers of Artemis or something?"

Jason chuckled. "With your luck, Leo, they've probably sworn off boys."

Hazel saw Cyrus shouting something at Bill and gesturing towards the dragons that were flying away, quite slowly because of the weight of the statue. After picking up his weapons, Bill raced after them, leaving Cyrus to deal with the remaining monsters. Ariel leaped off her centaur and ran to join Bill. She shot an arrow to the leading dragon's eye, causing it to drop the statue and shriek in pain. The Parthenos fell on the ground with a loud thud, but luckily it didn't break. Bill jumped, impossible high, onto the leading dragon's neck. He twirled his sword around and cut through the dragon's left wing, causing it to fall with him to the ground. He leapt off at the last minute and rolled on he soft grass. He got up, and before the dragon could swipe at him with its front claws, he stabbed its neck with the sword and dragged it up to the base of the dragon's neck, where he stabbed the it underneath its jaw with the trident. The dragon disintegrated into gray dust with a shiny scale on top, a spoil of war. Frank clutched at his own neck.

"Yo, Frank," Leo said. Be glad you didn't meet this guy. He doesn't seem to like dragons very much."

Bill then turned to the other dragon on which Ariel had now planted six arrows, three on its head and the other three on its underbelly. He shot a bolt of electricity at the protruding arrows and the dragon shrieked, blue electricity flashing in its belly. From her knowledge of metals, Hazel knew that the electricity had conducted into the creature through the metal points of the arrows. As the dragon fell to the ground, Ariel flashed Bill a beaming smile…

…and the image changed to a hill with a single pine tree which had what looks like thick cables on its branches and a sheet of gold hanging on the lowest branch. Hazel felt Piper tense underneath her hand, and Hazel realised that he had seen this image before, back on the Argo.

"It's Camp," Nico said. Hazel looked at her baby brother. He seemed to have recovered a great deal since they first saw him in the underground parking lot in Rome. Soon he would be back to full health and, Hazel knew, saving Percy and Annabeth would be easier. She thought of what he had just said, and remembered the picture on the Argo. It was Camp Half-Blood. In front of the hill, a group of Roman demigods led by Octavian stood. Overhead, giant eagles circled, each carrying a Roman. Hazel felt her stomach drop. The Romans had reached Camp Half-Blood.

Next to her, her friends felt similar dread. The statue was still in Italy. Sure it had been saved from Gaea's hands, but the new Civil War would still continue. Octavian took great care to circle around the pine tree the long way, avoiding what Hazel thought was cables was actually a dragon of some sort. Octavian and his group of Romans now stood in front of a haze in the air, looking down at a miniature Greek city. Most of the inhabitants of the city were aware of their presense and they had stopped their everyday deeds and looked up at the looming danger. Octavian shouted something and the Romans cheered, bringing up their shields and ran forward. They all hit the haze and rebounded, most of them landing on their bottoms.

Octavian scrambled to his feet and turned to the Romans. He started talking passionately and waved his arms around. Hazel realised that we was delivering a speech. No matter how much Hazel hated Octavian, she had to admire the Augur's public speaking abilities. The Romans cheered and Hazel saw some kids from the Third Cohort, Vulcan kids, taking out various tools from their packs and trying them on the magical shield. One of them removed, impossibly, a full-sized battering ram from his backpack and, with the help of the other Legionnaires pushed it to the magical boundary.

"Oh no," Leo said. "This is not good. The ram is made from tourmaline." Everyone looked at him quizzically. "It's a natural Polaroid. It restricts electric fields from oscillating in a certain direction, so the intensity of EM waves is reduced, most of the time by half. If two tourmaline materials are used, the intensity could be reduced to zero, meaning no more waves."

"Leo," Jason said. "We get it. You're a geek, but what does what you said have to do with anything?"

Leo tried to contain his horror. "Don't you get it, I've always had a theory that magical ray-shields are made from EM waves. The point is, that ram knocks down EM waves. What do you think will happen to the Camp's magical shield?"

Jason sounded almost angry. "There's no way Thalia's pine tree magic can be overcome…by science."

The group watched, however, as the ram knocked down the Camp's magical boundaries after several tries. The Romans spilled into Greek territory, weapons at the ready. The Greeks, however, were prepared. A group of tough looking Greeks that could have made up an entire Cohort ran up the hill to meet the Romans.

"The Ares Cabin," Leo said. "I've never been so glad to see Clarisse in my life."

Frank looked at the children of the War god. Hazel remembered that these kids were his siblings. She remembered meeting Frank's grandmother in Canada. It was always nice to meet her boyfriend's family.

It was like a scene from old war movies. The Romans and Greeks clashed in a flurry of swords, spears and shields. Celestial bronze swords were met with rectangular golden shields, and Imperial gold gladii were met with round bronze shields. Dust rose up as the First Battle of Half-Blood Hill continued. The Greeks were at a disadvantage since they were fighting uphill, but they were greater in number and so they pushed the Romans further uphill. Overhead, giant eagles clashed with pegasi as Greeks and Romans engaged in aerial combat. Hazel saw that Octavian had managed to get to the back of the Romans. Coward, Hazel thought. A burly Greek girl carrying a spear tore through Roman ranks with savage passion. In several minutes the Romans were overpowered. Hazel saw Octavian shout something and the Romans formed a testudo, the Roman turtle shell, and retreated slowly as they took vicious knocks to their shields. The burly girl commanded the Greeks to stop advancing at the Camp's boundaries. The Romans conceded defeat and the Greeks celebrated their victory. Overhead, however, the Romans had won but they still retreated after Octavian and his troops, heading towards the base of the hill where the Romans had set up base.

"This is not over," Nico said, surprising everyone. "The Romans will return. This is only a fraction of their army."

Frank nodded. "They will not rest until Camp Half-Blood has been burnt to the ground."

Hazel had to remind herself that, besides being able to turn into animals, Frank was also a Roman Centurion and an excellent military strategist.

After the battle, the Greeks headed down their own side of the hill…

…and the image changed to a dark space. An enormous spider with a woman's head stood, with mandibles bared, in front of a teenage black haired boy with his back on them, armed with a celestial bronze sword that illuminated the darkness.

"PERCY!" Hazel shouted.

Behind Percy stood Annabeth. Her left leg was slightly raised, and in the light of Percy's sword, Hazel could see that her ankle brace was still there. She was bruised on her left arm and she looked exhausted. Percy was having a conversation with the spider while he stood protectively over Annabeth. All of a sudden, Percy pushed Annabeth out of the way as Spiderwoman attacked. The spider pounced on him and he ducked and slashed at her front leg, severing it. He then slid under the spider and her face twisted in agony as he opened a gash underneath her abdomen. He jumped on her abdomen and ran up the length of her body until he was at her head, where plunged the full length of Riptide into her skull. His actions were met with cheers from the group, and Hazel felt a bit of hope rising within her. Percy and Annabeth were definitely alive. Percy had just defeated the menace to Athena's children. Hazel allowed a smile to creep up her face, which disappeared as quickly as it came. To her horror, the spider started moving again. It tossed Percy of with a shake of its head and the fight commenced once more, except this time Percy was at a serious disadvantage. The image disappeared and the knife returned to its normal bronze hue.

"Why isn't it dying," Piper asked, horrified.

It was Nico who answered her. "Creatures from Tartarus, once they are in Tartarus they don't die."

The fire crackled as stunned silence echoed in the clearing where they had settled. Hazel felt as if she was dying again.

"Then that means all those monsters…" her voice broke. During her quest with Percy and Frank, they had killed many monsters. If all of them were down there and weren't dying…

"Yes, every monster we have faced and ever will face is down there," Nico said. "It's too much to handle, for anyone. I didn't survive five days before I was captured. Lucky for me I got to be used as bait, otherwise I would be dead."

"That's good news then," Piper said with a voice that was devoid of its usual confidence and charm. "Gaea told us she wants Percy and Annabeth to be the sacrifice to wake her up. That means they'll survive."

"Even if Gaea decides to use any of us," Hazel said. "They will be alright. I know Percy. When Death was chained in Alaska, he managed to defeat two gorgons that didn't die. He'll get them out of there."

The looks they gave her showed her that they wanted to believe her.

Nico spoke again, his pre-pubescent voice a strange carrier of such grave matters. "They may be able to survive, but they still need to escape from Tartarus once they have defeated Gaea's forces."

"How can they defeat something that can't be defeated?" Leo asked doubtfully.

"Everything can be defeated," Nico answered. "Even the gods can be destroyed, if you know how to do it." There was no rumble of thunder. The gods probably don't hear this far, Hazel thought. Or maybe there've got more important things to worry about.

"The Giants know how to do that already," Jason muttered. "Wait, Nico," he said with a louder voice. "You mentioned escape. But won't that be easy? Don't they just need to walk through the Doors of Death?"

"Not necessarily," Nico said. Now everyone's attention was on him. "When I was captured in Tartarus, they brought me through the Doors. But with Annabeth and Percy it's different. They need to close the Doors first, but then how will they get through once the Doors are closed?"

"Can't they, like, close the Doors but go through while they are still closing so they close behind them?" Leo asked.

Nico chuckled. "No, it doesn't work like that. The Doors have to close with them still on the other side."

Leo sighed. "Can't the Doors of Death be revolving doors, or elevator doors, or those doors in restaurants that swing inward and outward?"

"That would totally make our jobs easier," Piper agreed.

"So that's it?" Jason asked. "There's no way for Percy and Annabeth to return to the mortal world?"

Nico breathed in deeply and then breathed out. "There is a way. But to fully explain it, I have to first tell you about my quest with Percy and Thalia to find my father's sword.

"Wait, You, Percy and Thalia went on a quest together?" Frank asked. "As in the children of all the Big Three?"

"Yes," Nico replied. "But it was more for diplomacy. It was during the Titan War. My stepmother Persephone sent the three of us on a quest to find the Sword of Hades, hoping that by the three of us finding it we would convince the other gods to let Hades keep his sword and therefore win the war."

Hazel's eyes widened. There was so much about her brother that she didn't know. Besides that he was half-Italian and had a sister called Bianca, she didn't know anything else about him.

"But that's not the point," Nico continued. "The Sword of Hades was made by creatures called Wraiths. Creatures which Hades destroyed and had their bones hidden where no one can find them, after discovering that Persephone had gone behind his back and made the sword. These creatures hold extraordinary power."

Jason nodded. "Creatures that make godly weapons are very powerful. Most of them are immortal."

"All of them, except for the Wraiths. They are undead, but hold the same power as creatures such as Elder Cyclopes. That's why they are the only thing that can bring Percy and Annabeth back to the mortal world.

"What about the Labyrinth? It has entrances to Tartarus, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but it would take a long time for them to find these entrances. It would take them months, possibly years, to get back. My solution will get them back by the end of the week."

"So, how would we use these creatures to save them?" Frank asked.

"We would only need one of their bones. Preferably a major one like a rib or a leg bone. With a Wraith's bone, a shadow traveller is able to travel to and fro from Tartarus at will."

"A shadow traveller?" Leo asked. "What's that?"

"That's something that can travel through space by manipulating shadows, that can teleport, so to speak. Creatures from Hades such as undead warriors and hellhounds are shadow travellers. I am one as well."

Hazel almost choked on her own inhaled air. "You can teleport?" she asked him stupidly. He nodded.

"That's so cool," Leo said. "So, Nico, I'm in the mood for takeout. Can you pop by China and get me some?"

"I don't do it too often," Nico said, looking at Leo. "Shadow travel requires a lot of energy. Going to New York would exhaust me greatly."

"Relax man," Leo laughed. "I'm just messing with you."

"Oh, Ok. Anyway, if I had the bone of a Wraith I could shadow travel to Tartarus and get Percy and Annabeth."

"Wouldn't you get tired?" Frank asked.

"Yes I would. In fact, I'll probably have to take a nap."

Hazel still couldn't wrap her head around what she had just heard. It was amazing how little she knew her brother. She had always known him as the Ambassador to Pluto at Camp Jupiter. Now she finds out he has been on quests for Camp Half-Blood, and he is a shadow traveller. The latter made her quite jealous. They had the same father, but all she could do was detect and control metals and precious stones, and dig tunnels. He on the other hand could summon skeletons, invoke fear, will living things to die and control ghosts. And now she finds out that he can teleport. This awakened a part of Hazel that wished that Hades instead of Pluto was her father.

She still needed clarification, so she turned to Nico. "I thought you said all the Wraith bones were hidden by Hades? How will we find them, or have you found them already?"

"That, sis, is the interesting part," Nico said mysteriously.