And Finally, Soul's POV
Waking up to someone crying around that there was a lizard in their sleeping bag was so not cool. Of course it was Liz. She always had to find some weird way of waking us all up. Last time it was because she decided to sleepwalk into a bear trap. She was yelling to us from half a mile away all night. Now this...
"What are you talking about?" I asked. My eyes were pretty heavy. This was the first night in two weeks that I had actually been able to sleep. Too bad it had to be ruined.
"There's a lizard in my sleeping bag!" She complained.
I rubbed my head and forced myself to sit up. Tsubaki went over to help her.
"Hahaha. Sis is scared of lizards."
I looked over to see Liz's little sister Patti holding her stomach in laughter. Liz was freaking out because the lizard was crawling all over her and Tsubaki was desperately trying to catch it.
I thought to myself in that moment. I mean here I am with a supposedly kick ass team of demigods. There's Liz, the uptight child of Mercury who can put up a pretty decent fight but worries too much about getting all dolled up. Then there's her violently sadistic yet innocent looking little sister Patti. Then we have Tsubaki, the most normal and probably most skilled outta all us even though she's a child of Venus. And then there's me...Should I even dare to explain?
I wouldn't have to be in this mess if it weren't for Ox's stupid plans. Since two days ago, five teams were assembled to gain information on the Greeks. You see, there was a recent battle we had with them and well...nothin cool came from that. Our leader Ox had said that things were gonna be easy. But there is nothing easy about going up against a guy that can literally pummel an entire legion or a guy that can literally summon the dead. And then there was her...ugh, who is she? She seemed so familiar like I know her. Those emerald eyes and that innocent face.
"Soul, can we find somewhere else to sleep?" I looked up at Liz and then looked around at everything else. The sky was dimly lit so it was probably still somewhere around midnight. The campfire was smoking but not lighting much and everyone seemed pretty tired.
"*Sigh* Liz can't you just go back to back to bed? It's late." I complained.
She sighed. "Ok but if I wake up next to a bear then I am so not sleeping out here ever again." She replied.
"Just sleep already." I let out. My eyes dropped and before I knew it, I drifted back to my dreams.
I saw her, that Greek girl that I encountered during the failed attempt to bring the Greeks down. She was walking with two other guys, the two who were fighting alongside her at the skirmish. They were in some cave, at least that's what it seemed like. But I sensed a strange presence up ahead, the presence of a monster. I tried to make it out but the image faded before I could make it out, and I saw that room again, the same one that led me to several doors that each revealed a different vision. I had been having these "dreams" for as long as I can remember. Except these days it's become a real problem. Sometimes these visions will come to me when I'm wide awake doing something important and I'll freeze in shock until they're over.
The thing about these visions is that, they come true. Visions that I remember having years ago, came true within the span of a few months. Such as when Tsubaki's cake exploded in her face on her birthday. Not sure why I had a vision of that when I was younger but it happened to come true. Or the time when I envisioned a pegasus crash landing into our legions camp fire get togethers. That came true just two weeks ago. But what worries me now is that all my visions revolve around a certain aspect, a focus point. I don't know what exactly, but each vision has that same dark feeling, that atmosphere of madness. And my latest visions have been coming true more often. I remembered seeing that giant rose plant that drove away half my team during the skirmish with the Greeks just a few minutes before it happened. I also remembered seeing this moment with Tsubaki trying to help Liz with the lizard problem.
It's a real hassle honestly, knowing events that are bound to happen in the future. It's been driving me nuts, but that's why I keep to myself. Nobody knows about my visions because they'd all think I'm some insane lunatic. Or they might think that I'm an Oracle, and considering Apollo is my father, being an Oracle isn't exactly something I want to spend my life doing. For now, I'll just stick to my cool and be the chill dude out of this group.
When I awoke the next morning, everyone else was already up and about. We had three days to gain as much information about the Greeks as possible. My team the Eaters, are one of five teams that were sent out.
I got up and studied our surroundings. I saw the same tree that was cascaded with thick moss and the same arched rock that sat next to it. "If I remember correctly, this is where we ended up when we escaped the skirmish a few days ago. That means their fort is back this way." I pointed away from the tree.
"You're right. In that case we should be the first ones to reach the Greeks once again." Tsubaki commented.
"Only one problem. We don't have the fire power to get through their barrier." Liz commented.
"You're right. Besides, even if we make it through, how do we expect to fight them alone? They have powerful demigods." I said.
"Are you saying were weak?" Tsubaki commented. I hated when she said something like that. She always looked so threatening and scary.
"No. No. I mean, it's just they have a guy who can control plants, a guy who can summon the dead, another guy who can kick ass and a chick who..." I stopped myself and put my hand to head. A sudden pain aroused through my head though I wasn't sure why.
"Hey are you alright?" Liz asked.
"Yeah I'm fine. Anyway I think we should team up with another group and then attack." I continued.
Tsubaki looked a little indecisive. That meant she wasn't going to agree with my plan and come up with something else. Even though I was considered the leader of the team, she pretty much takes my role without my consent. Honestly I don't really care. Being a leader isn't quite my style.
"I guess you're right. But I don't think we should team up with another team. That would go against Ox's plans." She said.
"Then what do we do?' Liz asked.
"How about we storm right in there and kick their asses!" Patti yelled.
"Uhh Patti. That would be nice if only we could get through the barrier and you know, take down their main demigods." Liz commented.
After pondering for a few more minutes, Tsubaki decided that we should look for a weak spot within the barrier. Considering we broke in about a week ago, I was sure the barrier was fixed by now but who could be so sure? As we walked, my headache calmed down. I wonder if thinking about that girl was what caused it. My brain is just so weird sometimes.
It was about three hours since we thought we were on the right track to the Greek hideout but unfortunately...we were wrong.
"I thought you said it was this way Tsubaki?"
"I thought it was too. I remember the path but-
"Oh great now we're lost. What if we can't find our way back? We'll be lost forever!"
I broke through Liz and Tsubaki's argument. "We're not gonna be lost forever. Would you two quit arguing, it's so uncool. Let's just take a rest and try again in a few hours. My feet are killing me."
We all took the break. It was really stupid of Ox for sending us out like this. Why couldn't he just do this on his own?
I let myself sink into the grass and relaxed for a while. I was surprised that the girls had all kept so quiet. Usually Patti would be doing something like throwing rocks at squirrels and Liz would urge her to stop. Then Tsubaki would step in and the two somehow go from an innocent conversation to a full-fledged argument. I'm not even sure how they manage to do so but it gets real frustrating sometimes. I looked up and found them all curled up snoring away. "That was fast."
I laid back down and faced the sky. It was somewhat cloudy but I didn't mind. The sun had been hiding behind clouds for a good while now. We all thought it was odd but I knew the reason. It meant that my good ol father wasn't himself. And I have a feeling that my visions have something to do with whatever is bothering him.
At that moment another vision came across me. I froze in shock. Great not now, what is it?
There was this strange figure. It looked sort of like a woman, but I couldn't be too sure, the vision was distant. All I saw was her walking in this enclose area, like some sort of underground lair or something. There were dim torches lit and some hooded figures stood by this giant door that the woman was walking into. "Come...Soul." It ended at that, and I saw the sky again. I sat upright and put a hand to my head.
"Come Soul? Was that directed at me?" I shook my head and looked around. I had no time to dwell on these things at the moment. The girls were still napping. Since I had no intention of sleeping, I decided to go walk around for a bit. There wasn't much to see or do, so much for nature. Nothing but trees and plants and rocks were everywhere. I walked around kicking a rock for a while until something dropped on my head and fell onto the floor. I knelt down and saw that it was a note.
"One of the Legion's eagles I suppose." I looked up to find that I was correct. Thunderbird, one of Ox's precious eagles was flying off. I opened the note and read.
"All Legionaries report back to the fort.
-Your Leader, Ox the Mighty."
"Seriously? You send us out to do your dirty work and now you want us to come back?" I swear our leader is pretty dumb sometimes. Scratch that, he's dumb every second of the day.
"Soul? What's wrong?"
I turned and saw Tsubaki walking over to me. "Up already? It's nothing. I just received a message from Ox telling us to go back."
"What? Why does he want us back?"
"Not sure. But were kinda lost right now so uh...I don't see how that's gonna work."
"Were not lost were just..." She looked down in defeat.
"It's alright, it aint your fault. Besides, Ox has been annoying me anyway. Let's just stay here for a few days and say we were kidnapped or something."
"You have such an interesting way of thinking."
"Yeah well, I just hate being bossed around all the time."
"Me too but we can't just stay out here. It's too dangerous." She commented.
"Well then let's go to the Greeks and pass off as Greek demigods, destroy them from the inside out and then go back to Ox and take him out with some Greek slaves and then we become the new leaders of everyone!"
Tsubaki and I both looked over at Patti who had apparently been sitting next to us the whole time. Geez this little girl gave me the creeps so bad.
"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea." Tsubaki replied.
"Eh? Uh, you do know the chances of the Greeks believing us and taking us in is like, one in a million right?" I said.
"Yeah but-
As she started to reply, I took my attention off her and put it to the ugly looking dracaenae that was cornering Liz.
"Uhh Tsubaki that's nice and all but uh, Run!"
She and Patti glimpsed behind and we all scampered off in different directions.
"Hey wait! You guys can't just leave me here!" Liz yelled from behind.
I took cover behind a tree and examined the monster. I hated dracaenae so much. They were just some weird combination of a woman with giant snake tails for legs. I unlashed my bow. "Let's take you down with a sunbeam." I notched a golden arrow to my bow and aimed for the monsters back.
I let it fly and watched as the monster disintegrated as the gleaming arrow impaled it. Liz sighed in relief and Tsubaki and Patti came out from behind and joined her. I sheathed my bow and met up with them. "Well, that was easy." I let out.
"Yeah. You know, except for the fact that YOU GUYS ALMOST LEFT ME TO DIE!" Liz screamed.
"Oh just shut it. You're all good. Anyway, let's go ahead and-
A loud stampeding noise caught my attention. "I think I may have spoken to soon."
"Agreed."
Tsubaki, Liz, and Patti all took out their imperial gold swords. I took out my bow once again and dared to take a look behind me. I counted at least five dracaenae at first sight. All bigger than the one I had just killed.
"You guys ready?" I asked.
"Let's go."