Dreams and Decisions (part two) - Pipers POV

"Draco's more likely to date an apple or Harry or me, than Parkinson that's just for show." Hermione reasoned to Ron who shook his head

"I don't give a fuck on who Malfoy dates as long as whoever it is keeps him away from me!"

"Malfoy isn't actually that bad. If you look closely only a thin layer on the outside. It was his farther that was the problem and he's gone so their won't be a problem. Lay off him for a bit." said Harry who had, the sleeping, Ginny's head on his lap and was stroking her hair absentmindedly.

He, Ron and Hermione where having a whispered argument over the fire, they had made about someone they knew. They were sitting at one end in a huddle. Peeta, with Katniss in his arms, both lay asleep but would jolt up every now and then from a nightmare. Annabeth was sitting a little to their left with Daedalus' laptop, (which had been found inside Hermione's bag as well) open on her lap and was looking up exactly where we were and how much further we had to go. Every few minutes yawning. Jason and Percy had volunteered first watch and had gone off somewhere and I was lying on the ground in between the wizards and Annabeth, not sleeping but too exhausted to get up. Ju had vanished the moment we had made came camp and had not come back.

We had travelled about ten miles after grabbing everything and putting it into Hermione's bag which she said had a magical extension charm put on it and could hold anything as long as it fitted through the top. That was when she had come across the laptop. I sighed and Hermione and Annabeth both glanced my way and then went back to what they were doing, I stared at the stars thinking of how little they had changed, a couple had disappeared and some had appeared but I could still see the collections that had been there forever. Slowly I drifted off and had a dream.

I was standing on the side of a mountain that was ablaze with light but nobody around. There was a low wall just outside the line of light. I turned around and saw this guy with dark hair and he looked very thin and was panting hard like he had run a long way very quickly. The second he reached the edge of the wall several guards, all dressed on black, materialised into thin air all pointed an array of deadly weapons at his face. He stopped dead and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender

"nckjwegri enucavpsa rnjfiebmci jaydmodw Jayanta Pankrati!" he cried, immediately the weapons lowered and one of the guards stepped forward and replied then the guy was marched inside by six of the guards the others vanished except one, the one who had stepped forwards.

"Yes Jayanta Pankrati." he murmured suddenly in English "go give the master your answer from the last deity and walk to your death." he laughed and then he too vanished.

I hesitated before following the sounds of raised voices to reach the group. Jayanta Pankrati, I presumed, was rambling in his language then suddenly it switched to a language I understood

"... Believe. She's too stubble. Please you must believe me and take me to the master. She told me to pass a message on to him that's important. Please!" he was begging now and the guards paid no attention until they reached a steal door opened it and chucked him into the room I quickly followed.

The room was pitch black and I couldn't even see the floor, or myself, so I jumped half a mile when Jayanta Pankrati turned on an old battered flashlight that lit up the gloom only enough for me to see him.

"You have news?" I jumped again as a voice behind me spoke. It was nether male or female, young or old, just a voice cold, hard and fierce.

"Y... Yess." Jayanta Pankrati replied shacking with fear "she said that she would see her family again on the Earth free and that she wouldn't leave so that life could stay."

"Is that all?" the voice asked

"Ye... Yes master."

"She did not seem different?"

"N... N... No... Master."

"She has done something changed something. Maybe you didn't notice but recently it rained and there was light. She used some old magic to bring something here. You have failed me. You know what happens when someone fails me don't you?!" Jayanta Pankrati fell to his knees pleading

"Please sir... Master give me another chance she only knows me..."

"yes" the voice cut across "she dos your body will be good for her to see when she gets back from hiding after our raid." suddenly Jayanta Pankrati screamed as his features started to melt, hands and feet first then his chest opened up and blood spilled everywhere as he was disembowelled. Still alive. His eyelids fluttered as his whole body shook and I knew something was happening inside his head as well. Driving him mad.

"How about a little salt for your wounds?" the voice asked and I was revolted to hear amusement in his voice, but I couldn't look away from the dying boy. White dust sprinkled down on top of him until he was nearly buried in it. If it was possible he screamed even louder as the salt slipped into his open wounds around his body, or what was left of it, his arms and legs had completely gone while his torso was a mass of blood and inside organs. Finally after what seemed like hours the screams stopped and the man finally died, by then I was hyperventilating. I turned around scanning the darkness for the owner of the voice when the light from the flashlight I saw a black shiny shoe step forward and the voice came up right beside me.

"Maybe that should teach you not to mess with me and stay where you are little prawn of Isis." I jumped as I realised he was talking to me

"Yes I know your there, we may not be able to see each other but I know your there. I hope you liked your show I can do it again for you, with you, if you want." he started to laugh and I stepped back trying to wake up. A hand reached out and grabbed my wrist.

And I awoke.

Screaming