a/n: I'm here with the next chapter! Woooo! I've been meaning to publish it for a few days now but I've been swamped with homework. I'm not kidding. We started school again on Monday this week and we hit the ground running. I got a lot of hw on my first day back and I've managed to plow through it all! Yeah!
This chapter features the prophecy, Sassy Percy, a suspicious Chiron and... THE ROMANS! Well, not the Romans in person but you'll understand what I mean if you read the chapter. You also get a mention of the back of a certain blonde son of Jupiter's head!
Thank you, fellow demigods, for reviewing, favouriting, reading and just being plain awesome! I appreciate all your support!
I'd also like to give a special mention to a reader and reviewer who gave me a brilliant idea that I am going to use in this story. You'll just have to wait and see what the twist is though because it'll happen near the end.
special mention to: one direction percy jackson 27 (with full stops in the spaces; fanfiction thinks its a link and wont let the username show up -_-) for the awesome idea! Thanks so much and a big happy belated birthday!
disclaimer: I own zilch, zip, zero, nada.
VII
The steps of the amphitheatre were carved into the hillside, facing a fire pit that was blazing merrily. Around fifty to sixty kids sat in rows, bunched together under various banners.
Percy led Reyna near the front and they sat down. Every now and then Reyna would see Chiron look over in her direction, a frown on his face. After Reyna had told Percy and Chiron about Bellona's visit they had a long conversation over what the goddess had said.
Percy and Reyna had started to try and work out what her tattoo meant, not figuring out much except for the fact that the crossed sword and torch were the symbols of Bellona, Reyna's mother. Chiron kept quiet the entire time and refused to meet their eyes, as if he were hiding a secret.
Reyna watched as a group of kids carrying lyres started jumping and dancing around, singing cheerfully. The rest of the camp joined in, making strange hand gestures and laughing loudly. Reyna saw Percy's mouth opening and closing in time with the words and she heard his jovial voice mingle with everyone else's.
Reyna kept silent through the whole song, watching as the fire grew and burned brighter as the energy of the campers escalated. Sing-alongs weren't really her thing.
She spotted Leo sitting under a steel-grey banner, clumped up with a group of muscled children with oil-stained fingers. Reyna registered a flash of familiar red in the corner of her eye and she saw Rachel and Piper sit down.
The song ended and Reyna joined in with the applause. Chiron trotted up to the fire and faced the campers as the clapping and cheering died out.
"Very nice! And a big welcome to our new arrivals," he boomed and Reyna didn't miss the worried look he shot her. "I'm Chiron, the camp activities director and I am glad that-"
"What about capture the flag?" somebody yelled from a group of kids in armour sitting under a red banner.
Chiron let out a sigh. "We all know that you're eager to return to the woods," he said, "but I'm afraid that is not possible until the dragon is brought under control. Cabin Nine, anything report on that?"
The group Leo was sitting with bristled. A girl wearing an army jacket and a bandanna stood. "We're working on it," she informed the crowd uncomfortably.
"How, Nyssa?" a boy demanded.
The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. "Really hard," she replied and the campers began to yell and complain. The fire reflected their rage; it sputtered chaotically and shot sparks left, right and centre.
"We will have to be patient!" Chiron said, stamping his hoof to get the kids' attention. "In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss."
"Annabeth?" someone asked in a small voice and the fire dimmed. Reyna noticed the growing tension in the air and the shadows that passed over everyone's faces.
Percy stood and took a deep breath. "Annabeth wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought," he announced, "but we will find her. Chiron's talking about a different thing though: a new quest."
"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" a girl with a smooth voice called out.
Everyone turned to a group in the back sitting under a pink banner. The girl who had spoken stood and flicked her glossy hair over her shoulder: Drew.
"Drew," Percy said. "What do you mean?"
"Oh come on," Drew replied with a roll of her dark eyes. "Olympus is closed. Annabeth is gone. The queen of the gods sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. Something weird has got to be going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"
The campers turned to where Rachel and Piper were sitting, the latter whispering something into the redhead's ear. Piper jerked back suddenly when she realised people were looking in her direction.
"Well," Drew called down to Rachel. "You're the oracle. Has it started?"
Rachel's green eyes flashed and she stood up calmly. "Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."
Pandemonium broke out. Demigods were yelling and shouting loudly and the flames rose, casting a dangerous glow over the amphitheatre.
Percy, Chiron and some children from other cabins jumped up and tried to calm everyone down. A daughter of Hypnos with a serious case of bed head and sleep-filled eyes yelled at everyone for waking her up.
Reyna watched the chaos patiently. Suddenly there was a sharp pain between her eyes and the amphitheatre was replaced by a large, domed room. The yelling orange shirt-clad demigods transformed into yelling people in togas. She saw the back of a blonde boy in a purple cape shouting in Latin and trying to calm everyone down. A skinny young man holding a knife and a teddy bear was observing the commotion, a smirk on his lips. Then, just as quickly as it came, the vision disappeared.
Reyna blinked, and for a moment she saw stars. Her head throbbed painfully. What just happened?
"Are you okay?"
Percy sat down next to her and Reyna realised that she was cradling her head in her hands. She sat back up and nodded. He didn't look convinced but decided not to press her.
"We aren't usually this…" Percy paused for a moment, thinking. His sea-green eyes scanned the havoc in front of him. "Loud," he finished, looking satisfied with himself. "We aren't usually this loud."
Percy gave her a small smile and Reyna nodded again before looking over to Rachel. The yelling had finally died down and the oracle took another step forward.
"For those of you who have not heard it," Rachel began, "the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It goes like this:
"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call.
To storm or fire the world must fall-"
Reyna's eyes widened at the words. She knew this prophecy. She had heard it many times.
"Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus," she heard a voice chant and she realised, with a pang, that the voice belonged to her. "Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem."
Silence settled on the group and an uneasy feeling hung in the air like heavy fog. Beside her, Percy shot Reyna a bewildered look.
"You just… finished the prophecy," Rachel said slowly, as if she couldn't quite believe it. "How did you know it? And in Latin, no less."
Reyna observed the campers calmly. She didn't know why, but she felt used to having many eyes watching and many ears listening to her.
"I know that prophecy," she replied simply. The campers were still staring at her with wide eyes and slack jaws.
"Well," Rachel said, looking a little shaken. "That's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years but, as Drew said, weird stuff is happening and I'm afraid it's starting now. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet but I have a feeling that some of them are here and some of them are not."
The demigods started murmuring quietly between themselves.
"Anyway," Rachel continued, "we don't know what the prophecy means but if the first Great Prophecy is anything to go by, this one will probably be bad. However we do know that the first phase has begun. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."
For a moment there was complete silence and then fifty voices started yelling all at once. Rachel waited for their attention tolerantly, emerald green eyes observing the group.
When they were finally silent, she began to recount the incident on the Grand Canyon skywalk – how Coach Hedge was taken by storm spirits claiming to be serving some mistress who threatened to destroy all demigods.
Then Rachel told them about Piper passing out in Hera's cabin and Reyna's vision in the living room of the Big House. Reyna struggled to listen attentively, the vision of the people in togas yelling still fresh in her mind.
"Reyna," Rachel said, "do you… um, remember your last name?"
Reyna shook her head. She ignored the snickers coming from some of the campers. Their thoughts couldn't hurt her, after all.
"We'll just call you Reyna then," Rachel declared. "It's clear that Hera herself has issued you a quest."
Reyna thought about it for a moment. Hera had sent her a vision asking – no, demanding that she freed her and Bellona had visited her and told her that she needed to fulfill her task. Reyna raised her head and met Rachel's eyes. "I agree," she said.
"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," Rachel continued. "Some sort of king from rising. We don't know why, but it must happen by the winter solstice. That's four days from now."
"That's the council day of the gods," Percy stated. "I'm willing to bet that there'll be a lot of accusing and arguing when that day comes. That's what the gods usually do."
Although it was a cloudless night, Reyna heard thunder rumble overhead and Percy smiled sheepishly.
Chiron spoke up for the first time in a while, "The winter solstice is also a time of great darkness. It is a time when evil magic is strong and things… stir."
His voice was low and sinister and the flames cast dark shadows across his face. The centaur didn't look so warm and inviting anymore.
Percy frowned at Chiron. "Thanks for that, Captain Sunshine." He shot his instructor an accusatory look. "Anyway, I agree with Rachel. Reyna has been chosen to lead this quest by-"
"Why hasn't she been claimed then?" someone underneath the Ares banner yelled. "If she's so amazing and important then surely-"
"She has been claimed," Chiron interrupted. "A long time ago." He stared at Reyna expectantly and she stood.
A million thoughts raced through her head at once. Should she tell all these campers her parentage? She didn't trust them let alone know any of them apart from a few. Reyna's eyes scanned everyone, flitting past the Hermes kids who were pinching things from their siblings' pockets and the children of Hypnos who had their eyes shut and were snoring loudly. Her gaze landed on Piper who nodded encouragingly at her.
Reyna almost frowned; how could she trust any of these people? Chiron coughed from behind her and the Ares kids nudged each other, sneering and pointing at Reyna.
"My mother is Bellona," she announced.
Most of the campers exchanged confused looks. "Who's Bologna?" somebody asked from underneath a stormy grey banner with an owl. Next to them, a boy with blonde hair and glasses gave them a look like, How could you not know this?
"B-E-L-L-O-N-A," Reyna spelt it out. "The goddess of war."
The Ares kids laughed loudly, their ugly snorts and chortles ringing in Reyna's ear. "Goddess of war? There is no goddess of war!" a bulky girl with stringy brown hair called out and her siblings scoffed in agreement.
Reyna opened her mouth to reply but Chiron beat her to it. "As a matter of fact, there is," he said carefully, like he didn't want to reveal too much. "The important thing is that she gets a prophecy and-"
"Well if you are a daughter of war then," a boy dressed in armour with a wicked grin yelled, "then maybe you should take on one of us. The real children of war."
The campers underneath Ares' banner began to yell threats and insults. Reyna said nothing and watched them silently, willing her expression to be unreadable.
"Oh for the love of Demeter," a girl with flowers braided into her hair snapped. "Shut up, Sherman!"
A few campers stifled a laugh with their hands and the son of Ares who had threatened Reyna raised his sword menacingly and shook his fist, his face red.
"Isn't Bellona a Roman goddess though?" asked the son of Athena with glasses.
"That's true," Reyna said.
"But then why-"
"It doesn't matter," Chiron interrupted hastily. Reyna felt suspicion rise within her. Why was the centaur acting so strangely? "We will figure out those details later."
"As Chiron was saying," Rachel continued, "Reyna is leading a quest and will therefore need her own prophecy."
She closed her eyes and swooned. Two campers rushed forward and caught her as a third grabbed a stool and eased Rachel onto it. Reyna watched in amazement as green mist began to swirl around Rachel's ankles and wrap around her feet. She couldn't even vaguely remember ever seeing anything like this before.
When Rachel opened her eyes, they were glowing like jewels and emerald smoke dispersed from her mouth. The voice that came out was raspy and sounded like three Rachels talking at once.
"Child of war, beware the earth,
The giants' revenge the seven shall birth,
The forge and dove shall break the cage,
And death unleash through Hera's rage."
When she finished, Rachel collapsed and her helpers caught her easily. They carried her away and laid her down in a corner to rest.
"Is that normal?" Piper asked and Reyna, along with everyone else, looked at her. "I mean… does she spew green smoke a lot?"
Reyna heard some people scoff and bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping at them. Piper was asking a fair question. She'd only been at Camp Half-Blood for a few hours after all.
"Gods, you're dense!" Drew sneered, standing up. "She just issued Reyna's prophecy to rescue Hera and-"
"Drew, stop," Percy said and the daughter of Aphrodite sat down with a scowl. He turned to Chiron and they seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes.
Percy turned back to the campers and Reyna could tell that by the way the demigods leaned towards him and watched him eagerly, he was their leader.
"It's Reyna's quest," he said, "so it's her choice. She's obviously the child of war and-"
"Wait!" Sherman, the son of Ares, yelled. "She's not the only child of war here and we're not even sure if she really is one. The quest leader could be one of us!"
His siblings cheered loudly and resumed yelling. Reyna sighed. Was every campfire at Camp Half-Blood full of this much arguing?
"With all due respect," she said icily, "you're not the one who got a vision from the queen of the gods."
The Ares campers stopped their shouting abruptly and sat down, arms crossed and expressions angry. Reyna stopped a smug smile from appearing on her face.
"As I was saying," Percy continued, looking amused, "according to tradition, Reyna gets to choose two companions to go on the quest with her."
"How about you Percy?" a boy with curly hair and a mischievous look in eyes suggested. "You've got the most experience with quests out of all of us." Some people murmured in agreement.
Percy turned to the person who had spoken and shook his head. "I can't, Travis. I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Annabeth and the prophecy says the forge and the dove, not the fish."
Reyna raised an eyebrow at him and he added, sounding flustered, "The trident or seahorse or-or…" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "You know what I mean."
Reyna nodded and spoke, "Percy is right. The forge is the symbol for Vulcan – sorry, Hephaestus."
Under the Cabin Nine banner Nyssa, the girl with the bandanna, sighed. "With Jake currently injured, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest," she offered, sounding like she'd much rather crawl into a hole and never resurface.
Then Leo stood up. Reyna watched him carefully, wondering what he was about to do.
"It's me," he said confidently. "I know it is. You'll need air transport to stay off the land, right? I've got an idea so let me try. I can fix this!"
Reyna studied him for a moment. It seemed right that he should go. After all, they were together from the start but on the other hand, Leo was inexperienced and Reyna knew better than to send an untrained boy onto a dangerous quest.
Percy seemed to notice her hesitation and spoke up, "We'll give Reyna a moment to think about it," he said and Leo frowned. "Meanwhile, we have to decide who the dove-"
"It's obviously someone from Aphrodite," Drew called down.
Percy nodded and looked slightly peeved at Drew interrupting him. "We figured as much," he said almost sassily, looking at the children under the rose-coloured banner. "So, is anyone up for it?"
The demigods from Cabin Ten looked away from Percy, staring at their clothes and brushing imaginary lint off their pants. Reyna knew that none of them were willing to throw themselves at a quest that could potentially lead to death or worse: a chipped nail.
"It's me," a voice said and Reyna turned to see Piper standing, a determined look on her face.
"Oh you have got to be kidding," Drew scoffed, looking up from her lint-less jeans. "What can you do for the quest, Dumpster Girl? You're not even a child of Aphrodite – you're not nearly pretty enough and don't even get me started on your hair for gods-"
Suddenly, a red glow appeared around Piper and Drew stopped talking, her mouth hanging open. Reyna caught Leo's eye and sent him a questioning glance but he just shrugged. She turned back to Piper and almost choked.
The girl was dressed in a gorgeous white gown with a v-neck so low Reyna would've been embarrassed wearing it. Golden bands snaked around Piper's arms and a lovely chain decorated with different gems sparkled on her neck. Piper's hair and makeup was perfect too. She looked beautiful.
Reyna raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you didn't like dresses," she commented.
Piper didn't reply. She was staring down at herself, mouth open. Reyna watched her take out Katoptris and look at her reflection. Her eyes bugged out so much that Reyna was afraid they'd fall out of their sockets.
Reyna felt sorry for the girl. She didn't know Piper that well but she had spent enough time with her to know that Piper didn't like pretty dresses and makeup and here she was, bedazzled and resembling a Cherokee Barbie doll in front of over fifty people.
"Wow," Leo said with a low whistle and shot Piper an exaggerated wink. "Looking good, Pipes."
Piper snapped out of her daze momentarily to give him an icy glare.
"What?" Drew screeched loudly. "This can't be possible!"
Reyna frowned at Piper's sudden make-over and looked over to Chiron. "What just happened?" she asked, confused.
Chiron rose and trotted over to them. "I believe," he began, "that Piper has just been claimed by Aphrodite."
"Ave Piper McLean, daughter of Venus," Reyna said. She didn't know where it came from but it felt right.
Chiron suddenly spun around to look at her. "What did you say?" he asked.
"Nothing," Reyna said quickly. "No, wait. I mean I said something but I don't really know why…" she trailed off.
The centaur's brow furrowed and he frowned slightly, mumbling under his breath. He turned back to Piper, folded his front legs and bowed. Reyna blinked. She didn't know horses could bow.
All around her, the campers followed Chiron's lead. Reyna lowered herself onto her knees too.
"Hail, Piper McLean." Chiron's voice seemed glum. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."
All the campers rose from the ground and sat back down. They looked at Piper as if she were an alien. Drew was fuming and clenching her fists. A hush swept over the crowd.
"Oh my god," Piper muttered beside her. "I look ridiculous."
"So," Percy said, turning to Reyna and suddenly all eyes were on them again, "have you decided who's coming with you?"
Reyna looked at Leo and the new Barbiefied Piper. The three of them being together at the Grand Canyon and then their godly parents being mentioned in a prophecy couldn't be a coincidence. But still, she didn't want to make them come on the quest with her. They didn't know anything about combat and probably had never swung a sword in their entire lives.
What makes you think you're so experienced? A voice in her head taunted. Reyna knitted her brow. She couldn't explain how, but she had a feeling that she could save Hera. Her mother had told her to free Juno and, after all, a goddess wouldn't contact a demigod just to send them on a suicide mission. No; Bellona must have known that Reyna was capable.
Reyna remembered her visit from Bellona. You are a leader and a warrior, her mother had said. War is in your blood and you will not let anything stand in your way.
Reyna turned back to Percy, her decision made. Piper and Leo were not entirely hopeless and she could – she would lead them. They would release Hera and they would succeed.
"Leo and Piper will accompany me on my quest," she announced. "That is if they're willing, of course."
Leo fist pumped the air and let out a cheer. Reyna took that as a yes. She looked at the bedazzled Piper who nodded slowly.
"It had been decided," Chiron said gravely. "Reyna, Leo and Piper will embark on the quest to rescue Hera." Then, trying to sound cheerful but failing spectacularly, he added, "and let's pray to the gods they survive."
a/n: Well, I hope you enjoyed your first long(ish) chapter in a while.
To all you cool kids who guessed that the silhouette was Jason, you are correct! And to the others who are wondering what the note Reyna took is... well, I haven't decided yet.
Can anyone guess what the vision Reyna had of the domed room was? I kinda told you in the a/n in the start of the chapter.. lol. So there's some trouble in New Rome with the senate going crazy, Jason trying to calm them down and a creepy knife and teddy-bear wielding Octavian.
And Sassy Percy! Haha there are parts in MoA where Percy is all "don't mess with me" and he just snaps his fingers in a z-formation all day long (not really).
The next chapter should be somewhat interesting if I end up following my original plan. If I do, it should involve Zeus' cabin, Malcom and Reyna sparring against an Ares camper. Or maybe even Percy. I don't know yet, ahah.
Until next time!
