The last chapter was really short, So this one is longer to make up for it!Aaaanndd finally something interesting is going to happen in this chapter!yayyyy!

Percy

Natalie took Percy back to the Neptune cabin and dug through her stores of armor on the top bunk until they found something fitting.

While Percy was adjusting his armor, he noticed Natalie was putting on a green hoddie under her armor, which made no sense to Percy, because even though it was still winter, California's temperature was pretty mild.

Before she pulled her armor on, a silver breastplate with intricate designs and a green trident in the center, Percy read the front of her jacket.
It read:

NEPTUNE'S
Swim&Dive Team

She seemed to notice him staring, because she said:

"It was a thirteenth birthday present from Dad. It's enchanted."

"What does it do?" He asked.

"Feel it." She said.

He felt the sleeve. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a nice fuzzy hoodie.

"Now," She said. "Punch me."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it." She said in an annoyed tone. "Magic items usually aren't allowed in war, but since this is only for defense I can use it since it won't really give me a fighting advantage. Just stop me from getting hurt."

She took off her breastplate and he punched her stomach. Not as hard as he could, he didn't feel like hurting his sister.

What he wasn't expecting was his fist to connect with steel. He was expecting a nice fuzzy jacket, but at the force of his punch it had turned to pure steel.

But for some strange reason, it didn't hurt. Not at all.

Natalie seemed confused too.

"Didn't that hurt?" She asked.

"No. I felt it though, the jacket like turned to steel. But why didn't it hurt?"

"I don't know. It should've hurt though."

"Something like this happened before." He said.

"What? When?" She demanded.

"Well, when I jumped into the rapids to save Reyna, there was this big rock blocking my way, and there was like no way to go around it, so I just kinda closed my eyes, and prepared to hit it. But I never did, at least, that's what I thought. I opened my eyes and I had already hit it, straight on."

"Have you ever been to the river Styx?" She asked, suddenly very interested.

"I...I'm...not sure. I don't know. Maybe."

That same feeling came back. He knew that river.

"Hmmm.." She said. "You need to talk to Lupa, but for now, let's go kick the Mars cabins butts."

Once Percy was fitted with new armor Natalie led him down to the edge of a forest. They caught up with Bobby who was walking the same way as them, to the blue fort.

As the walked, Percy found himself having a conversation with Bobby. He was pretty cool, and Percy could see hanging out with him sometime. But he just couldn't get the feeling that he shouldn't be here out of his head. Every molecule in his body told him he shouldn't be doing this, this was enemy ground, no matter what they told him. He shouldn't be making friends here.

Eventually the Blue fort came into focus.

It was nothing special, just a plain stone fort. Percy had expected it to be bigger, by the amount of people that were assigned to guard it, but it was barely bigger than a tool shed, with stairs to the top and a silver flag with an owl flapping in the wind.

Percy was about to walk in when Natalie grabbed him.

"No." She said. "We need to scout out our route, and we've only got like 10 minutes until the game starts. Come on!"

They grabbed Mark, and together they found a nice route that hugged the water closely. A huge advantage for both children of Neptune.

They met back at the fort, where Macy, Christina and Tanner had just finished picking their route.

Everything was set. The decoys had previously picked out a route where they would be likely to be caught and taken prisoners. Guards from Herm-Mercury and Venus and archers from Apollo would be guards of the fort. Archers would be in assorted trees along the boundary line. Most of the Athe-Minerva cabin, with help from some of the Mercury cabin would lead a charge straight through the field to meet the opposing army, while a small force of assorted campers from all different cabins would lead a smaller charge from the side.

Hopefully, that would be enough to distract the bulk of the forces from Natalie, Percy and Mark, who would try to sneak along the water to the back of the enemy fort, where they would meet Macy, Christina and Tanner, who would try a more direct route through the thick trees, and hope to not be caught. Together they would try to take the enemy fort from behind. Simple.

At least it seemed to be simple to most of the campers. Not to Percy.

Everyone was doing final checks of their weapons, armor, etc.

The sound of a hunting cut clear across the woods.

All the campers headed out to their positions. Percy thought the game had begun, but Natalie explained to him that it was the two minute warning and we need to get in place. "Like, now."

She grabbed him and together they walked to the edge of the forest, where Mark was waiting on the beach.

"Finally", He said. "I thought you guys would never get here, the games about to start!"

He was right, a few seconds after he said that another hunting horn cut through the night. Expect this one was different than the last one, there was a different aura about the air. And soon enough, Percy heard a distant battle cry then the sound of weapons clashing.

Mark made a motion to follow Natalie, who was crouching low and hiding behind occasional bushes for cover.

One time, Natalie stopped them dead in their tracks. A few feet away stood a guard from the red team.

Fortunately, they managed to stat quiet and sneak away without him noticing.

Another time, they passed barely a few meters away from a group of demigods involved in a vicious fight.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of crawling on hands and knees to Percy, the enemy fort came into sight.

It was almost an exact mirror of the other fort, expect a red flag was suspended on the flag pole. The guards didn't seem to notice them sneak back behind the fort.

There were surprisingly few guards, nothing compared to the amount of campers guarding the blue fort.

Soon enough, Macy came out of the bushes behind the fort with Christina right behind her.

Percy noticed that Tanner wasn't with them.

Macy was panting like they'd run the way here. Both girls had twigs and leaves in their hair.

"We lost Tanner." She said sadly."He gave himself up when we about to be caught so Christina and I could get away."

"Did he get captured?" Percy asked.

"Don't know." Macy shrugged. "Last we saw him he was fighting the head counselor from the Vulcan cabin, or, ummm, Hephaestus."

"Alright", Mark said. "How are we gonna do this?" Referring to the fort.

"Simple", Natalie said. "Gag the guards, take the fort."

Macy nodded like the she approved of the plan. Percy on the other hand didn't feel so sure about it. Gag? They sure took camp seriously here.

"I'll take him." Natalie said. "Macy, stand on someone's shoulders and try to climb over the back wall."

With that, she crawled out into the bushes, Percy heard the noise of a fight, scraping, twigs snapping, and soon, a muffled yell. All while Mark, who was a few inches taller than Percy, got Macy over the edge of the fort.

Macy disappeared, then returned a few seconds later.

"All clear." She whispered. "Go around front, but be careful."

So Percy, Mark and Christina all crawled to the front of the fort and went in the front door, where Natalie was busy tying up the last guard.

"Come on!" She yelled when she saw them. "Let's go get the flag!"

Together they climbed the stairs to the top of the fort. Where Macy had already lowered the flag.

"You can have the honor." She said to Natalie.

Percy didn't know what that meant, but apparently Natalie did. She took her sword and stabbed it through the flag. Her, both children of Minerva and Christina walked over to the edge of the fort and dangled the flag over. Making faces at all the shocked Mars campers who had just came back to the fort after a crushing defeat.

Taunting a victory in someone's face didn't seem like an okay thing to do to Percy, winners should be honorable, he thought to himself. But those rules seemed to have no meaning here.

Soon, another hunting horn sounded through the woods. The blue team had won. All the campers on the blue team broke out in cheers while the red team grumbled to themselves.

Lupa came out into the clearing from the woods.

"A well played battle, children." She said. "Losers return to your cabins and the winners may proceed to the celebration."

More grumbling from the losing cabins as they went back to their cabins, while the winning cabins starting following Lupa to a clearing in the woods, right next to the water.

Lupa waved her paw and a bonfire roared to life, and banquet tables with every kind of food you could imagine piled high.

The campers wasted no times filling their plates, and sitting on the ground near the fire. The fire seemed to be golden in color.

Percy really wanted to relax, enjoy himself, like the other campers were, but he just couldn't, it was wrong. He shouldn't be doing this.

Soon the Heroes of the night were called forward. This included: Natalie, Macy, Percy, Mark, Christina, Tanner, Bobby, Adam, a camper from the Apollo cabin who took out dozens of enemy campers with his arrows, and Tori, a daughter of Mercury who took down the head counselor of the Mars cabin almost single handedly.

They were all awarded with white capes embroidered with purple lining. Natalie explained to Percy that it was a sign of status back in ancient Rome.

Everyone went back to enjoying their food. Percy sat with Bobby, and soon Natalie and Reyna came over.

Percy was actually starting to enjoy himself when Lupa stood up on her hind legs and growled for the camper's attention.

Once everyone was quiet, Lupa proceeded.

"Tonight, not only do we celebrate the conquerors of war, we celebrate the first night of Saturnalia. The festival of ancient Rome. To the gods!"

"To the gods!" the campers shouted in approval.

The festive mood didn't last because the fire sputtered out. The only light came from the silvery moon. A cold wind blew through from the woods.

All conversations stopped. Even Lupa looked confused, a look Percy never thought he would see on her face.

All the campers seemed uneasy. Percy felt it too. A...presence. And not a good one. Something was stirring in the woods.

As if on cue, the mist in the woods began to thicken, it filled the clearing and seemed to solidify until Percy could barely see the people a few feet away.

In the middle of the mist, a few feet above the burnt out fire, a shape was forming.

It was...a woman.

Soon she was no longer made of mist. She was solid.

Percy couldn't tell what she looked like because her whole body was covered by a black cloak.

She looked directly at Percy.

She spoke in a hollow voice, as if she wasn't really there.

"Percy Jackson", she said. "The giant Alcyoneus rises. You must stop him. Fail, and the world will fall into chaos. You must stop him!"

By now Percy was standing up, ready to address the woman in the mist.

"Who are you? Who is this giant I'm supposed to stop?" he asked. The confidence in his voice surprised him.

"The giant Alcyoneus rises from his prison, stop him from rising and I will be freed and you will regain your memory. You must do this by the winter solstice only 4 short days from now. Do not fail me, Percy Jackson." she said. And then she dissolved back into the mist.

"Wait!" Percy yelled. "Come back! Who are you? Where am I supposed to start?"

But it was too late. The lady in the mist was gone.

The fire roared back to life. But it was no comfort.

"What just happened?" Someone asked

No one dared to answer.

"I believe you have just been issued a quest, Percy Jackson." Lupa said.

"For what though?" Percy asked. "That woman told us almost nothing! How do we find a giant and stop him?"

"He needs a prophecy!" Someone from the Apollo cabin yelled.

Reyna stood up.

"I know who the woman in the mist is." She said surely. "Some of you may know this already, two days ago I had a vision telling me to take a bus to town to look for a clue about Jason. Natalie went with me. As you know, we didn't find anything. But on the bus ride back we found Percy. That was the clue. It's connected somehow, I can feel it. I believe the woman was Juno."

A few gasps broke out from the campers.

"How," Someone asked. "How can you be so sure."

"Juno was the woman who spoke to me into my vision. She led us to Percy, and now he's been issued a quest. It has to be her."

"Why wasn't she wearing her goatskin?" Macy asked. "And is she captured?"

"I don't know. But in my dream she was different too, she was more...I don't how to describe it, more submissive, nicer, and not as disciplined. And she said if we stop this giant from rising then it will free her."

"It doesn't matter why she was dressed differently." Bobby said. "If it really was Juno, and she really is captured, we can't just ignore a request from the queen of the gods, and besides, she was Jason's patron, so maybe we'll find him on this quest."

"That could explain why Olympus is closed." Macy said. "The gods are probably freaking out if Juno is missing."

"Hush, children." Lupa said. "Percy will get a prophecy if he will accept the quest."

"I accept." Percy said without hesitation. "Juno took my memories, I need them back."

"Very well". Lupa said."As by ancient laws, you may chose two companions to accompany you. And together, you will receive the prophecy."

"Reyna", Percy said. "You had the vision from Hera-I mean, Juno to come find me. It feels right you come along."

"I accept".

"And...Natalie". Percy said. "I can't do this without my sister."

Natalie stood up.

"I'm in." She said with a grin on her face.

"It is settled." Lips announced. "We shall go get a prophecy and in the morning, we will send you off on your quest. I also see it fit to call curfew early tonight. Everyone, back to your cabins."

This caused a lot of grumbling from some very unhappy campers.

Lupa looked at the three demigods who remained.

"Come", She said. "We must receive the prophecy."

I reallllyyy liked that chapter. So Saturnalia is a festival from ancient Rome, celebrated between December 17 and 24. And that's about the time kids get off for winter break, so I just put it in because its the right date, it has absolutely no significance, I just wanted something Roman in there. Alcyoneus is one of the giants, second most powerful after Polyphrion (hope I spelled that right), by the way. So the next chapter won't be up until I get some ideas about the prophecy. Do the Romans have an oracle? I need help! How do they get the prophecy? Apollo kids? An oracle? Chickens and rice? No I'm not crazy, they used chickens for fortune telling in ancient Rome. Give me your ideas! And if you wanna be an Apollo camper prophet, your name too!