So, this chapter is actually more of a run-on chapter, since I intended the info on Kronos to just be once every chapter, but that would have had two really short chapters, so I decided to be nice. Here you go! ~Ali

Chapter Four

The figure stands in the sand, facing an empousa. Kronos sits in a golden throne, elevated a little bit from the training room floor. The empousa hisses and clomps toward the figure. The lights are down, making it harder to see the monster. The figure is relying only on his ears to fight this one. The empousa strikes at the figure's back. In less than a second, the figure whirls around, ducks the empousa's fanged mouth, and slices her head off. The monster falls to the ground, disintegrating as it goes. The figure isn't even out of breath. He turns to Kronos, waiting for him to judge the fight.

"Very good, my son. You are learning to better rely on your other senses rather than just sight. You could've made the slice a little cleaner, though."

The figure bows. "Yes Father. I will try harder."

Kronos smiles in anticipation. "We are almost ready… alright, next!"

I wake up, feeling as if the empousa is at my throat. Quietly getting out of bed, I tiptoe out the door, being careful not to wake any of my siblings. There's only about twelve of us left. Once I'm safely out the door (Athena cabins are dangerous places; with pens and pencils and notebooks everywhere), I jog down to the beach.

This time, the figure was wearing simple armor, black and gold, as usual. There was something golden on the back of his armor, maybe a shield? I don't know. I couldn't see his face, because he was wearing a mask. It looked like a fancy ski mask, with golden accents and the works. The only thing I could see was his eyes. They were gold, like his father, and they illuminated the room. He used the same bronze sword that I saw in my last dream. And, just like the first time, his voice was a dead monotone.

I'll admit it- I was terrified. Anyone who can defeat an empousa in maybe two seconds, using only their sense of hearing, is pretty darn good in my book. I couldn't beat him, that's for sure. I'm not even sure Percy could've, if he was still here. The only one who would be close to even with him would probably be my mother or Zeus. That's it. That's how powerful he was. Again, it was terrifying.

Eventually my eyelids start to droop, so I make my way back to cabin number six and crawl into bed. Closing my eyes, I'm asleep within minutes, four to be exact, and I fall into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning Chiron made a startling announcement at breakfast.

"Campers, I want to challenge you this week to train harder than you ever have. Put forth your best effort and train like the world is ending next week. Dismissed!"

He catches my eye as I stand up, and motions for me to come over.

"Yeah?" I ask as a walk up to him.

My teacher sighs. "I do believe you are right, Annabeth. Kronos is planning to strike again. I had a dream last night."

I nod. "So did I."

Chiron furrows his eyebrows. "Hmmmmm… come walk with me, Annabeth. We have much to discuss."

I explained my dream to Chiron, and he listened intently the whole time until I was finished.

"What was your dream about, Chiron? If you want to tell me of course."

Chiron shakes his head. "No, I will tell you. But it would be better if I showed you. Come with me."

We walk to the Big House and go inside. Chiron led me to a room that I had never seen before. "Leo designed it," he explains before I could even ask, "it catches dreams and stores them. Here, come sit and let me show you my dream."

I sit down on a stool and Chiron pulls up a video on the computer monitor.

Kronos and his son stood around a large table, moving figurines around on a piece of paper. It looked hilarious, an all powerful Titan and strong warrior moving clay people around as if playing Monopoly.

"The empousai over here," the warrior was saying.

"No, no, no! They need to be over HERE!" Kronos snatched the figurine from the warrior like a little kid and put it on the other side of the map; at least that's what I suspected it was.

The warrior sighed. "But it would be more logical and tactical to put them over here. I won't go over all their strengths and weaknesses, but they could from a phalanx if they were here and could be essentially unstoppable."

The dream zoomed in to the map- a map of Manhattan. There were multicolored marks all over it; battle strategies and locations for warriors. Kronos looked at his son. "I trained you well, didn't I? Yes, I suppose it would be more logical to have them over there." He moved the figurine back, and the warrior's smugness almost radiated from him.

Kronos was muttering under his breath about battle. "-a good idea… he sounds just like that brat, oh what's her name… Annemarie? No… Annabeth. That's it."

The warrior's head snapped up at the mention of that name. Kronos was still muttering about her.

"-should just destroy her, she's just a hindrance anyway. An obstacle in the way of my success."

Kronos's son growled, deep in his chest. "You promised. She's mine. Remember your promise Father. For you well know what I can do, and will do if you break it."

The Titan of Time waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes. I promised. And I stand by that promise, after all, sometimes you have to take drastic measures to get someone to see your side. But it will turn out, you'll see. We will win, and I will be the new King of the Olympians. You will be my second, and, as promised, I will leave Annabeth to you."

The dream ends, and I'm sitting on a stool in the Big House once more. I stare at the empty screen, the back of my neck crawling from what I'd heard. Scrambling to my feet, I mumble something about needing to think before racing out the door.