A/N: Er. Sorry for the lateness. I underestimated the amount of work and energy it takes to balance 4 AP classes, several more advanced classes, and the musical and Madrigals and co-leading...basically, I'm drowning in work. On another note, the musical is over and I have time to write, no matter how much I want to sleep for days. Plus, I've been super sick. :P In any case, I've started editing early Stolen chapters and posted the next minishot, as much of a pain as it was, so here we are. Offically in the last arc. WE ARE IN BATTLE, PEOPLE. PREPARE FOR WAR.
11/17- So the plan was to finish this chapter before NaNoWriMo but that obviously didn't happen. I'M SO SORRY.
12/30- I had a sudden influx of homework and tests. I'm sorry!
1/15- Concussions suck. Check out this blog: oh – you – are- beautiful .com but without the spaces. Updates, questions, extra content, sneak peaks, explanations for why I disappeared, and just general fun stuff about my stories will be there. :)
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." -William Shakespeare
CHAPTER 21
Annabeth
"Where's River?" I demanded, slamming open the door to Will's little office. He rubbed his eyes, slowly turning to face me. I crossed my arms.
"Last I saw he went with you to his cabin," said Will, yawning. He looked exhausted, with thick bags beneath his eyes.
"Well, he's not there now," I said irritably, pacing. "You're pretty close to him. Where could he have gone?"
"He went to find Courage," Jorge said, waddling in from the small crack in the doorway I had left. "Oh, and before you ask me how I knew what you were talking about, I've got to say- man, your thoughts are pretty loud."
"That's why River was asking about Courage earlier..." I said quietly, eyes locked on the swan.
"What does River want with Courage?" Will asked, rising from his chair and crouching beside the swan.
"Something that is good for you guys and not for him," said the swan. "Check the beach."
With that, he waddled away. Will and I let him go, knowing that if Jorge was done talking, he was done talking. We wouldn't get anymore information out of him anyway.
"Let's get Chiron," Will said. "I have a bad feeling about this."
I nodded. "Good idea."
With that, we left the office, Will shouting for one of his sister's to take over while we were gone. A perk to being some of the most well-known demigods at camp was that if we started running and shouting, demigods got out of our way and out of our way fast. Despite the Big House being busy with preperations for the funerals tonight, we didn't have to dodge anyone on our way in and out of Chiron's office.
Once in the room with the centaur, he took one glance at our faces and was wheeling out from around his desk. Will and I quickly explained the situation and we were out of there, Chiron virtually leaping out of his wheelchair once he hit the deck of the Big House.
Thoughts swirled in my mind as I turned over what I knew in my mind. Percy was doing something that was bad for him because it would help us. Ophion's army was nearing. Percy was finding Courage for...something. Courage and whatever was going to hurt Percy were somehow connected.
I forced my legs to move faster, eyes latched on the horizon, towards the beach where I knew Percy was at. As we ran up the small hill that would reveal the beach to us, a short, pained scream broke the air, then abruptly broke off with the sound of a body falling to the sand.
I threw myself forward, breaking even with the beach just as I saw Percy turn around to walk back towards camp, looking several shades paler then normal.
"River?" I said as Will and Chiron came up beside me. He froze, eyes wide and flashing gold for a second. I took a step back, thoughts roaring in my ears.
Percy...what have you done?
He seemed...different. He was shaking, but a strange, oppressive energy seemed to surge through him, as if he had gained the strength of a god. There was exhaustion and pain in his eyes, and I knew something world-shifting had to just occurred.
Percy took a step forward, then stumbled, catching himself with one hand. I stepped forward again, but Will grabbed my shoulder and I stopped, still staring.
"River...what did you do?" Chiron whispered as Percy rose. I took a step back as he glanced at me, green eyes filled with an ancient, foreign power.
"I accepted Courage's offer," he said, eyes as steady as a mountain. "We merged."
Chiron's face drained of color. In shock, I watched as his hands began to tremble. "You did what?" he croaked, eyes latched on Percy's.
"I merged with Courage," said Percy. "I knew we- I- didn't have enough power on our- my – own. So, I accepted his offer."
"You promised me-" Chiron said, voice angry and laced with pain. I glanced between the two, a sick feeling in my stomach as my brain churned out ideas.
"I never promised you anything," Percy said.
"I told you-" Chiron started, but Percy interrupted.
"I told you that even gods struggle to host a primordial," Percy said in the even, slightly condenscending voice he had gained under 'River'. "You told me I'd die if I tried. And I told you I didn't care." He seemed to have aged a century in the short period of time he had been missing. He had accepted the price of his power-up. But before I could truly comprehend what Percy had meant, he continued on. "I will have died in the next few months anyway. I may have been cured, Chiron, but I would have had to leave soon, and I can only run for so long. Had I not done this, shall we not face Ophion, I would die any way. Whether through Ophion's torture or through the monsters that haunted me since I escaped...I'm a dead man walking."
He fell silent, steady, mature eyes watching us. Chiron was silent, eyes dark. Percy's words spun in my head as I slowly understood what he met.
Percy had essentially killed himself by merging with Courage. I was going to lose him.
A dagger twisted in my heart and a wave of pure fury swept through me as I stalked towards Percy. He turned to face me head on, eyes sad.
"Annabeth," he said, and his voice, his posture changed. Instead of River's gravely dark, yet somehow immature voice came Percy's mellifluous voice, a voice of the ocean instead of River's earthquake. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" I said. A scream threatened to claw its way up my throat as I grabbed the front of his shirt. "You just about killed yourself after I finally got you back and you are saying 'sorry'? Like that's enough?"
I shook him, not sure if I wanted to scream at him or cry. I had just gotten him back, damnit. "Percy-"
"Gods, Annabeth, I don't know what you want me to say!" Percy said, voice quavering. "I know, I wasn't strong enough! I'm stupid and reckless and I didn't even know what was going on until River had done it!"
"River?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. River was a front for Percy to hide behind, wasn't he? Why had Percy...?
Beneath his darkly tanned skin, Percy went ashen and any hints of my old boyfriend was gone, with the persona of River back in place. He swore, as if he were spitting out stones.
"Um..." Percy said, untangling my hands from his shirt and backing away as if I were something poisonous. He glanced back at Chiron, who gazed back gravely. Then, he shuddered again and a subtle glow seemed to crawl over him. His eyes, instead of simply glowing with the golden power from earlier, seemed to have strands of gold bleeding into the irises.
"Courage," said Chiron darkly. "I see you've joined the party."
"If you wish to call it that," said Courage, voice silky, deep, and powerful. "Now, Miss...?"
"Chase," I said tensly.
"Chase," said Courage. "Percy and River have been hiding something from you."
"Percy and River?" I asked. "River's just a front, isn't he?"
"Alas, no," said Courage. "River is as different from Percy as his sword Shadowfoot is from Riptide. Perhaps you have heard of disassociative identity disorder?"
I slowly shook my head, disliking admitting I didn't know something. My stomach continued to sink towards Hades. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Courage sighed. "Come, Miss Chase. You are smarter than this. Why on earth would I bring up the subject of a disorder if it did not pertain to the conversation?"
"Percy has this disorder," I whispered. "But why would he hide it from me?"
"He didn't even know he had it," said Courage with a shrug. "Not until this summer. Not until River took over his position as the host and core and Percy was shoved aside, mostly unable to act."
"What?" I whispered. Thoughts stumbled over each other as my brain worked faster and faster, attempting to put together the pieces I had gathered over the last month and last few minutes.
"Diassociative identity disorder is a disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality types," said Courage. "Percy here is one of three currently active alters- River and a young lady named Rain are the others. I believe at their peak there were six. That was before River, of course. A fairly small system, but nothing to scoff at." He sighed, running a hand through Percy's jet black hair. "You may have heard of this disorder referred to as multiple personality disorder?"
I stumbled back, pieces clicking together. How different River was from Percy. All the strange moments from when we were younger when Percy didn't seem like himself and how he forgot entire chunks of time. That week where River had been more Percy.
"Oh."
With that single word, I understood. And I suddenly felt the urge to punch River in the face for putting both of us through this shit. Eyes on fire, I glared up at Courage, who crossed his arms. "I want to talk to River."
"Unfortunately, River and Percy are in the midst of a shouting match," said Courage calmly. "I think it's best not to intervene." He winced. "They've got some serious issues they need to work through."
I gave a slightly hysterical laugh. What else could I do? How the hell could I respond to any of that?
"Well," Courage said, clapping his hands together. "Considering Ophion should be reaching camp by this time tomorrow night, based on when I checked last, I think we should have a meeting with those lovely cabin counselors of yours to figure out what we are going to do."
My mind came to a screeching halt. Ophion will be reaching camp by this time tomorrow.
"What do you mean?" Chiron said sharply, and I snapped my eyes back up to meet Courage's.
"Ophion will reach camp tomorrow," Courage repeated. "If we have any chance of stopping him, we need to make a plan."
"How do you know that?" I demanded.
"I can see through the courage of others. This is where I saw him last," he explained.
"I'll get everyone together," Will said, reminding all of us that he was there. For the first time since we had confronted Courage, I looked at him.
He was pale and looked shaken. I couldn't really blame him. Will had long accepted Percy as dead and had no problems looking at River as his own person. He had thrown aside the baggage that allowed me to eventually figure out- or at least, figure out, part of the story. Within the last five minutes, he had found out that River had basically killed himself, that River was, in a way, Percy, and that River and Percy were alters and now had a primordial immortal residing in their already crowded brain.
It was enough for me to struggle to comprehend and I was a daughter of Athena. I had already known part of the story. But for Will...for the guy who counted himself as one of River's closest aquaintences, maybe even his friend...it had to be earthshaking.
"Are you okay?" I asked him. Will nodded.
"See you around, River," he said softly, and for a moment, I could see River in Courage's eyes. With that, Will took off towards camp to gather the counselors.
"Are we telling them the truth?" I asked, turning back to Courage and Chiron. Chiron turned to look at Courage, and the merged immortal nodded.
"Might as well," he said. "Ophion is coming one way or another and running away won't make him change course. Hera can't say anything now. She's killed too many already and won't risk destabilizing the camp after the battle when plenty will die anyway."
Chiron and I both flinched. We both knew that if Ophion was half as dangerous as Courage said, many campers would die. Too many.
We already had one certain casualty and he was standing right in front of us.
"Well," Chiron said, narrowing his eyes. "Let's get back to the Big House. We need to figure out a strategy.
It took all of twenty minutes to gather up the rest of the counselors plus Felix, Reyna, Frank, and Thalia, and meet in the War Room. Several of them peered curiously at Percy/River, who hadn't yet attended a counselor meeting. Percy, who was currently being controlled by Courage, seemed nonplussed by the attention he was garnering.
Not for the first time, I wondered how he looked so different. It wasn't just how he stood or the shadows in his eyes. He was shorter. His hair was shaggier. His eyes were a much darker shade and I could swear his skin, now returned to its former shade, was a tiny bit darker than Percy's deep, dark olive tan. He looked like a younger brother. Honestly, Percy couldn't look older than fifteen or sixteen years old, not seventeen going on eighteen.
It was unnerving.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by Clarisse throwing herself into the chair next to me. With her entrance, the girl having come from the forest guard, the meeting began.
Chiron quickly explained the situation- Ophion's nearness, the need for strategy, possible allies in the Egyptians..
"Wait, where is Courage?" Felix asked in a nervous voice, as if on cue, his arms barely reaching the ping pong table. I felt for the poor kid- he was the only one of his his group here, and his escort and 'guard' was presently missing.
"Right here," Courage said, standing. All eyes shot to him. "River agreed to merge with me in order to increase our strength- I by gaining a mortal body and he by gaining the power of a primordial."
"That's insane," Becky, a newer minor goddess counselor whispered.
"Wait..." Katie whispered, green eyes flashing with both shock and anger. "You're River?"
"Uh, not quite," Courage said. "I'm just hitching along for the ride. But yes, this is River and Percy's body."
"What do you mean River and Percy?" Katie demanded.
"Percy has multiple personalities," Courage said nonchalantly. "Or rather, Percy is one of multiple personalities. Up until this year, he was the dominant one, until he was tossed back into Tartarus and River was born."
Dead silence. All the counselors in the room stared at the immortal inhabiting Percy's body, who seemed unperturbed by the attention he was gaining.
"How?" Travis asked, his voice unusually quiet. "Wouldn't we have noticed?"
"No," Will said, drawing the room's attention to himself. "I don't know a lot about Percy's disorder, but I know that a lot of people with it can go years without anyone figuring it out, including themselves." He looked up at Courage. "Did Percy know before River took over?"
Courage was quiet for a second, before shaking his head. "No. He didn't. He thought the gaps in his memory were part of his ADHD, not DID."
"Damn," Travis whistled, leaning back. He seemed uncharacteristically shocked.
"Indeed," Courage said with a chuckle. "So, Chiron," he said, turning to the centaur. "With that out of the way, shall we continue?"
"That would be nice," he said. "So, Felix-"
"Yes?" Felix piped up, scootching closer to Courage.
"The Egyptians are coming to aid us?" Chiron asked.
"Yep!" Felix said, nodding. "I think so. That's what Carter and Sadie said before they went to get the others and sent me with Courage. Something about owing Percy something?" He shrugged.
"We gratefully accept your aid," Chiron said. "Thank you."
Felix grinned and gave him a double thumbs up.
"With those problems out of the way..." Chiron said. "We must plan."
"Courage," I whispered while the others talked. "Could you check on the borders? With your vision thing?"
Courage nodded, closing his eyes and steepling his fingers.
"I want the kids under ten to be support, but only at last resort," Katie said, leaning forward. "They are too young to have much skill yet anyway, so there's no point in putting them deliberately into danger."
"Definitely," Will said, nodding. "We need a few older campers to guard them. I say they should be based at the Big House and help out where they can there. We're going to have injured, so helpers will be nice."
"Now onto cabin placements..." said Lou Ellen.
"I want Athena split up based on skills," I said. "I also think Dionysus should be support with some of the Hunters."
Thalia and Pollux agreed. Thalia put forth her plan for the rest Hunters, which was also approved. The minor cabins were then split up on speciality, the majority joining either the support teams, second wave, or third wave.
"Ares, Hephaestus, and Hermes should be in the front lines," Clarisse said, pointing at a map of camp Travis had snatched from Chiron's office before the meeting. "Reyna, you good with your Romans joining them?"
"I want the first and second cohorts in front," she said. "But I think three, four, and five should be second or third wave."
We nodded, accepting her judgement. Reyna knew her troops best and since Frank was nodding, he seemed to agree.
"I want Hazel mobile though," he mentioned. "Her powers are more suited for that." He also listed a few others from the cohorts that were second and third wave that he thought would be better suited elsewhere.
"Will, how many archers have you got?" Clarisse continued.
"Everyone but a few of the healers," he said. "So about a dozen. We've got seven trained healers including myself from our cabin."
"Three Hermes kids are training to heal as well," said Connor. "I think they should help out Will's kids. That'll free up a few healers for battle until they are needed more."
"We should get the Aphrodite cabin on pegasi," Piper said. "We've been working on that lately. Maybe a few Demeter kids too?"
Katie nodded. "I can spare my two best riders."
"That's enough," Piper said. "Leo, are you able to spare anyone from your cabin for artillery?'
"A few," said Leo. "Harley is only eight, but he's got wicked aim. I think Christopher and Jake would be good for that, as well as myself."
"Good idea," said Piper. "Should I see if I can get any visions from my-"
Suddenly, Courage jerked back, eyes flying open. They glowed gold for a brief second, and I swore I could see fear lurking within the eyes of the primordial spirit of courage. "Courage?"
"Shit," Courage growled, head swinging around to face towards New York City. "I miscalculated."
The temperature in the room seem to drop twenty degrees and Clarisse stood, fingers curled so tightly around the pool table that I could hear it squeak.
"When you say 'miscalculated'," she said, spitting the words through her teeth. "What do you mean?"
"I told River Ophion would be here by tomorrow night," Courage said, his own hands curling. "But I was wrong."
You could have heard a ping-pong ball drop- which the room did, as Leo was doing exactly that, bouncing the ball up and down against the board in liu of tapping his fingers.
"Ophion is already here," Courage whispered. Leo dropped the ping-pong ball and it rolled away, somewhere off of the table."It'll take him about fifteen minutes to break through the barriers around camp and then-"
"Then stop talking and move!" Clarisse said, throwing her helmet on and grabbing her spear. The room was suddenly filled with palatable fear as we realized just how unprepared we were. Fifteen minutes was not enough time.
"How do you know this?" I demanded.
"I can feel the push and pull of courage around us," said Courage. "At close range, I can even see through brave eyes. A couple of border scouts just had a spike of such bravery. My Father is here. By Thalia's tree."
I nodded, and quickly barked out commands to the other cabin leaders as to where they should position their campers. "Clarisse."
"Yeah?" Clarisse growled, waving Leo, Piper, and the Stoll brothers out the door.
"Grab Malcolm and tell him the plan," I said. "I should be able to reach them in time, but just in case-"
"Got it," said Clarisse, then raced out the door with the others. I spun around to face whoever the hell was in my boyfriend's body at the time.
"Courage, I need Percy."
"Already here," he said, voice and posture changing. "What do you need?"
"Call Carter," I said, eyes meeting his steady green. "I don't know if it will make a difference since they are already coming, but call him."
"On it," Percy said, grabbing River's sword, which was still in cane form and racing out the rec room.
I ran a hand through my curled hair, taking a deep breath in the now abandoned room.
We were at war.
Ophion had arrived.
Malcolm, the wonderfully, frustratingly, perfect second in command he was had shepharded all our kids in our cabins. I entered to organized chaos as my half-siblings prepared for battle. Cassie, in her thoughtfulness, had thought to grab a small set of armor for Jessica. While the seven year old wouldn't be fighting, it was practically suicide not wear protection in a war zone.
I looked over my kids. All of them, except for little Jessica, would be fighting. I might not get all of them back.
"Malcolm," I said, turning to face my second. His gray eyes met mine solidly. "I need you in the second wave with Noah, Louise, and Max."
Malcolm was a good leader. He had a logical, calm head, and he could adapt easily. As much good as he could do in the frontlines, the place I needed him was in a second wave, prepared to intervene and give aid and a chance to catch breath to the frontlines.
Noah could shoot as well as use a knife, so he would be able to fight even before the second wave entered the battle. Max and Louise were pranksters who needed time to think and weren't the strongest fighters in the cabin, but strong and with enough endurance to survive.
"Hannah," I said, turning to the fifteen year old. She stood up straight under my gaze and I gave a her a little smile. "I need you to lead the support team with Luca. Trap as many monsters as you can. You got it?"
"Aye, aye, captain," she said with a grin, Luca giving me a thumbs up.
"Matteo," I said. The fourteen year old jumped, shocked at being called out. "I need you to lead the third wave with Sammy and Bailey, okay?"
"O-okay," he said nervously.
"You'll be fine," I said. "Keep a calm head and don't act stupid."
"Okay," he said, a little more calmly this time.
"Lily, Alex, Cassie," I said. "You're with me in the frontlines."
Lily, the third eldest in the cabin. She was a broadsword user, short, stocky, and muscular, as well as impressively clever. Alex, fourth eldest, skilled with dual daggers and poision. The fastest among our cabin. And finally, Cassie, incredibly strong and with speed and endurance to back it up.
I looked over my cabin, from the shortest to the tallest and wondered who would be coming back to this cabin in the next few days.
Taking a breath, a shook those thoughts from my mind. We would win. We would defeat Ophion. All my children would return to me.
"Let's go," I said, grabbing a spare knife off of my dresser and throwing open the door. "Hannah, take Jessica to the Big House and join the rest of the support team."
"Okay!" Hannah said. Apparently the confidence I had found in myself had affected the others, as when I turned back around, they were all standing taller.
"We are going to win," I said quietly, but with conviction.
The Athena cabin cheered. My heart swelled with pride. I raised my knife and smiled at them. "Good luck."
I turned around and walked out, without a glance behind me.
"Annabeth," Percy said as Lily, Alex, Cassie, and I ran up to join the frontlines. His face was tight with anticipation and worry. "We're pretty much ready."
"Where's Clarisse?" I asked, nodding to my kids. They spread out, drawing their weapons. On the hill, we could see monsters prowling around the barrier as a young man stood in front of Thalia's tree. His mouth moved. A line of Hestia's children stood across from him, protected by a handful of Ares and Bia's kids.
"Who is that?" I asked, eyes narrowing. That can't be Ophion...
"One of Ophion's sons," Percy growled. "Envy."
The darkness in his eyes and face scared me. "I need more, Percy."
"He's the youngest of the Sins," Percy said. "The most powerful. He can use magic and has telepathy."
"Can we hold him off?"
"Until the Egyptians get here?" Percy asked. "Depends. I haven't called him yet."
"Percy!" I exclaimed.
"I was about to!" he defended, raising his hands. "I got a little...distracted."
"River came out," said Frank, coming from the side. "Percy just came back." He looked at Percy, who shrugged.
"Call him," I said. "Please."
Percy nodded, and looked at his hand. "Carter Kane," he said. The hieroglyph glowed blue and faded away.
"That was...boring," Percy said after a few moments. I took a shallow breath and opened my mouth-
"It's collapsing!" a Hestia boy called, just as one girl fell. An Ares kid grabbed her and retreated and I said,
"Time?"
"Not- not much longer," the boy said, voice trembling. "A- a couple s-seconds."
"Fall back!" I ordered. The Ares and Bia kids grabbed the spellcasters and with a roar, the barrier fell with a roar not unlike a tornado.
For a moment, everything was still; two armies stood opposed in the aftermath of the collapsing barrier, and then-
Ophion roared. Beside me, Percy went pale and in front of us, the army surged forward.
Books, movies, celebrities- they say battle is mangificent, or hell. They talk about the roar and screams and blood that covers everything. Sweat. Tears. Monster dust. Stumbling over bodies. But mere words could never come close to what it is like to see the enemy rushing towards you- to see flames curl up bodies and crumble them to dust.
And that's what happened. Leo, bless his soul, sent out a wave of fire that impressed even me. The frontlines met in battle.
I didn't have a lot of time to think- enough, but in those first few minutes, the fray was so thick that it was all I could do to keep up with a knife in each hand.
"Annabeth, watch your back!" Percy shouted, sliding in behind me. I couldn't help but smile, but only for a moment; we were back together again.
I ducked under a monster's arm and stabbed in the back, not watching to see it turn into dust and flipped over the next as Percy swung his sword- was that Riptide?- through its neck.
"Annabeth!"
I looked up to see Piper diving down on a pegasus one hand reaching out to me. Using a dying monster as a kickboard, I jumped up, grabbed her hand, and swung onto the winged horse. Piper immediately took to the air.
"What's up?" I asked. Piper ran a hand over her sweaty forehead and pointed out at the enemy army.
"They've just sent out their second wave-" she started and I nodded, eyes scanning the battlefield.
"Wait- those aren't monsters," I said, pointing out a line of figures in the third wave- one was nearly seven feet tall, only a bit shorter than Envy.
"I think those are the sins," Piper said. "River told me about them a little bit before you and the Athena cabin arrived."
"Where's Mio?" I asked, referring to an Apollo kid who could send messages to other people mentally.
"Why?" Piper asked. I raised an eyebrow, and she reddened slightly. "Oh, right. He can send messages to the counselors."
"Right in one," I said. Plans burst into being in my mind and I took one last scan of the field, shuddering slightly as my eyes fell on the seven and half foot tall Ophion, a sickly red aura seeping out around him. "Okay, here's the plan..."
I quickly explained my ideas, well aware of the battle raging below. "...so if the Egyptians arrive, send them to HQ. Can you find Mio and have them send out the plan to the others?"
Piper nodded. "Good luck."
"You too," I said. And then, on impulse, I hugged her. Piper's eyes widened in surprise, but she hugged me back.
"Let's go," she said, and with a nudge of her thigh, we were hurtling back towards the battle.
About three feet above the earth, I leapt off the pegasi, landing on the back of a cyclops. I twisted, sharply, and grinned darkly as the monster began to crumble to dust. And with that, any surprise I had gained from my airborne entrance was destroyed and I was thrust straight into the thick of it.
The ground was thick with dust and blood now, and my feet wanted to stick in the rapidly-cementing dirt. In front of me, one of my kids tripped, crying out as she fell towards one of Ophion's warrior's spear points. Lunging, I managed to grab her shoulder. Throwing Cassie behind me a second before she would have been impaled, I caught the enemy's spear on my knife. With a deft flick of my knife, the stick snapped, the metal point dropping to the ground.
Knowing she was frozen behind me, I snapped, "Cassie! Move!"
The girl yelped and moved into action and I slammed the butt of my knife into my opponent's skull. He crumpled to the ground.
"Where's Percy?" I asked, and an Ares boy pointed across the frontlines just as a wave of water tore into a swathe of monsters. To my shocked eyes, the water turned to ice and then shattered...
No monsters remained where the ice had been.
"What?" I said, taken aback. Irritably, I stabbed the monster that had tried to sneak up on me. I ignored the extra layer of dust now covering my side and turned back to my boyfriend. "When did he learn to do that?"
The Ares kid glanced back incredulously at me as I batted aside another monster. "I dunno?" He yelped as a massive hellhound tried to pounce on him. Immediately, I was at his side. A few seconds and a handful of painful slices later, the monster was dead.
At some point, Leo found himself at the frontline again and was blasting monsters with enormous bursts of flame. Jason was zooming around him, occasionally blasting Leo's flames with air to fan them even higher and keep them aimed towards the enemy. A ways down from them was Percy- or maybe Courage?- I wasn't sure- blasting the enemy with water and ice.
It bothered me that Ophion and his children were holding back. They were planning something, I just knew it. As fast as we were tearing through the hordes of monsters, we were losing too many. And if Ophion felt he had no need to enter the fight yet...
We had to hold on.
The ground shook; stumbling, I barely managed to catch my footing before I face planted into the dirt. A strange aura swamped the area behind me, and as I spun around, I already knew what happened.
The children of Ophion entered the war.
A/N:
Cliffhanger! This chapter was a pain to write. :O I'm so sorry for the long wait. Between finals, ACTs, and a nasty concussion (note: get concussions checked out right away and don't wait till after finals; you will regret it), I didn't have much time to write. I probably am going to come back and edit the last few pages, but I thought you guys would prefer to have this draft now after six-ish months.
In other news, I strongly suggest checking out my writing blog on tumblr: oh – you – are- beautiful-to-me. tumblr. com. There are headcanons, Q&As, art, and short drabbles from this fic and others! Also, I post several sneak peeks for future projects and chapters. Seriously, check it out. :D
That's all for now, I think. I'm going to go to bed and nurse my gross headache. :)
(3/22/16)