HAZEL
I looked once again at Alex who now had his eyes on a whale and seemed to be talking with it, and then he made a makeshift rope and strapped it around the whale. Our boat then went faster than before and 'Percy' let his control on it to rest. He muttered his hanks to Alex but the guy didn't even dare to look at him or give him a nod which was rude. As much as I was surprised to see him talking with a whale I didn't like his behavior toward 'Percy' even if I too didn't like the arrogant guy. Alex seeing that 'fake P' wasn't on the board anymore he decided to take a swim with the seal, we all protested and tried to stop him but he jumped scaring Piper and making her angry. With the movements of the boats making me feel sick I tried to cope by sleeping and for the first time I had dreams that weren't related to my childhood.
I imagined myself in a junkyard, I could hear shouts and the ground was shaking as some gigantic metal looking man was walking. Someone said something beside me and I looked up to see Alex, he didn't look as himself because of his dark hairs and sea green eyes but it was the same voice and something was telling me that it was him. I felt something in my hand and I looked down to see it clenched on a figurine of a guy in black. Then I said something that I couldn't hear at Alex giving him my figurine before heading for one of the metallic feet and everything went black. Then I imagined myself on Mount Tamalpais, north of San Francisco, watching people fighting at the old Titan stronghold. That didn't make sense. It wasn't the Romans who were now fighting as when they had attacked, but she saw it all clearly: a Titan in armor, a blond girl with intimidating grey eyes which now were full of fear and weariness, and two other girls fighting at Alex's side. Though he looked younger there was no mistaking in my eyes that it was him. One of the girls died in the battle. Alex knelt over her, watching as she dissolved into stars.
I woke up with Frank shaking me, I looked around to see that everybody just woke up but someone had been missing but I didn't know who so I asked Frank who told me that Alex wasn't on board, Frank must've seen my puzzled look because he told that he was down in the sea. Seeing my doubtful look in Piper's eyes as in mine he invited to look over and we saw a guy lying down on his back on top of a seal as we would be lying down on his bed, when he saw us he waved at and we waved back though I was hoping that I didn't have the stupid smile Piper had now. He joined us saying that the whale would soon leave us as we were getting close to Portland; he went straight to stand before Piper.
"Hey"
"Hey" she weakly answer to him with her head down looking at her feet. He raised her face by her chin with two fingers before tenderly pulling out some unruly strands of hairs out of her face then behind her ears. I was worried because when Frank woke us Piper's face was pale which I putted on a bad dream because I knew no matter how much she was afraid, she would complete her quest but now I was wondering if the girl was healthy because in a blink of a eye she no longer was pale but pink. She nodded at some of his words and visibly relaxed before he left her to glance again at the whale. He was blind or cruel if he didn't know the way she looked at him expecting his attention but he seemed to run away from her or trying to but unfortunately always came back at her knowingly or unknowingly. I looked at his little sister and I was sure she was thinking the same judging by her sympathy look at Piper who decided to appear stronger than few seconds ago.
The boated shook making all of them fall, with Hazel on top of Frank who protectively wrapped his arms around her little frame while Piper was held by Alex. The only ones who were alone were Arya sitting on a winning 'Percy'; the two couples glanced at each other's eyes and it was only then they registered their positions. Hazel quickly stood up, stepping back feeling a little flip in her stomach uttering a sorry at Frank who just shrugged it off sitting looking at the other way but his incredulous/shocked look with a hanging mouth made Hazel wanted to see the source of his expression. She turned around to see Piper and Alex face to face but what had Hazel's attention and most likely Frank's too was where Alex's right hand was: on Piper's left breast and the two didn't seem to register it too much occupied at looking at each other's eyes as their lips closed the distance between them. Hazel wanted to stop them but also wanted to see what was about to happen but it was ruined by 'Fake Percy' who groaned loudly at the sight and dramatically cleared his throat only then did they register their position.
"Sorry" they both said putting some distance between their faces which wore a pink shade. Then Piper seemed to 'feel' his hand on her because she glanced at his hand and turned scarlet but Alex didn't seem to register it so she clearly throat nodding at his hand and only then did he see where it was.
"Sorry" he muttered removing his hand also turning red then he glanced at his hand which made Piper redder than it was possible. Hazel swore that Piper had looked slightly disappointed when he removed his hand and that Alex's hand had slowly squeezed her breast before leaving it but she put it on her too much wild imagination. But she wanted to strangle 'Percy' for ruining Piper's moment just when they were about to kiss. Piper quickly left him to go at the other side of the boat and Alex stood there for a moment looking at his hand with a stupid grin of his pink face. Seeing all the eyes on him he turned around and went to see the waters and then he laughed. All of them when to see what was so funny to found out that there boat was no longer being pulled by a wheal but instead it was done by sturgeons.
They all sat and waited to reach their destination, fear, nervousness and excitement ran on the boat. Alex was at his corer as far as possible from 'Percy' and from time to time he would glance at his right hand doing squeezing motions which only made pipe red though Hazel couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment. Arya putted an end to it by throwing one of her shoe at him. Frank had the good idea to ask them if one of them had a dream and what it was about. Hazel started to tell her story about the girl with the toy and then about the battle against what looked like a Titan all of it happening in their fortress. Unfortunately she didn't catch the shaking of Alex's hands and the knowing look he shared with Arya but didn't escape Piper's eyes that narrowed them on the sibling pair. Then it was Piper's turn.
"I was walking in a strawberry field, and then I saw the giant warship in its dry dock. The bronze dragon figurehead glinted in the morning light. The riggings and armaments were complete, but something was wrong. A hatch in the deck was open, and smoke poured from some kind of engine. A boy with curly black hair that I feel like I should remember (Alex tensed to Hazel's delight to see that he cared) was cursing as he pounded the engine with a wrench. Two other demigods squatted next to him, watching with concern. One was a teenage guy with short blond hair." She had to stop having a flash of herself kissing the boy, flushing and trying to hide it from her friends.
"…Jason!" Hazel shouted interrupting Piper in the middle of her daydream but the images chose that very moment to disappear. But seeing what she did, she apologized quickly and told her to keep on.
And Piper happily went back to her tale "…The other was a girl with long dark hair and blue eyes just like the boy."
Frank looked at Hazel to see if she had any idea of who it was, but she shook her head not having the slightest idea of her identity and for all she knew, Jason was the only legionnaire who went missing. But they all failed to see Alex's back tense at the description of the girl, all of them but Piper.
"You realize it's the solstice" the girl said. "We're supposed to leave today."
"I know that!" The curly-haired mechanic whacked the engine a few more times. "Could be the fizz rockets. Could be the samophlange. Could be Gaea messing with us again. I'm not sure!"
"How long" the blond guy asked.
"Two, three days."
"They may not have that long" the girl warned.
"Something told me that she meant Camp Jupiter. Then the scene shifted again. I saw a boy and his dog roaming over the yellow hills of California." She paused when she saw Alex's head suddenly rose up, giving him a curious look but he just shrugged it off making her continue.
"…But as the image became clearer I realized it wasn't a boy. It was a Cyclops in ragged jeans and a flannel shirt. The dog was a shambling mountain of black fur easily as big as a rhino. The Cyclops carried a massive club over his shoulder but I didn't feel that he was an enemy." She nervously said, afraid that the others might judge her stupid.
"Cyclops are dangerous monsters, every monsters are enemies helping the giants" 'fake Percy' said earning him a glare from Alex and his sister which unsettled Hazel.
"He kept yelling Percy's name calling him "brother". "
"Which I wasn't able to understand as Perc-" she started to explain to her friends but Alex jumped on his feet and a name more like a whisper escaped from his mouth.
"Tyson!" every pair of eyes were on him, wondering how he could know a Cyclops but he shrugged it before meeting his eyes with his sister and there was a silent exchange between the two that Hazel didn't get. Then seeing that Alex had no intention to share his knowledge with them, Piper continued telling her dream.
"He smells farther away" the Cyclops moaned to the dog. "Why does he smell farther?" she finished her story but she could see tell that they knew that she hadn't tell her whole dream, and she couldn't lie to herself about what she heard or saw as it quickly and vividly came back in her mind.
"ROOF!" the dog barked and Piper's dream changed again. She saw a range of snowy mountains so tall they broke the clouds. Gaea's sleeping face appeared in the shadows of the rocks. "Such a valuable pawn she said soothingly. Do not fear Piper McLean. Come north! Your friends will die yes. But I will preserve you for now along with your dear friend Percy. I have great plans for you." The goddess must had seen the doubt in her eyes because she added "Don't worry child, he's travelling with you…thank you for bringing him to me, thank for putting such a valuable and wonderful piece in my hands." The girl could only watch the sinister smile on the goddess' face when she wondered if Gaea was only taunting her.
In a valley between the mountains lay a massive field of ice. The edge plunged into the sea hundreds of feet below with sheets of frost constantly crumbling into the water. On top of the ice field stood a legion camp ramparts moats towers barracks just like Camp Jupiter except three times as large. At the crossroads outside the principia a figure in dark robes stood shackled to the ice. Piper's vision swept past her into the headquarters. There in the gloom sat a giant even bigger than Polybotes. His skin glinted gold. Displayed behind him were the tattered frozen banners of a Roman legion including a large golden eagle with its wings spread. "We await you" the giant's voice boomed. "While you fumble your way north trying to find me my armies will destroy your precious camps first the Romans then the others. You cannot win little demigod." Even with him in your rank…and soon to be in ours." He ominously added.
That's the moment chosen by Frank to wake her and since then one hundred questions had been running in her head. She considered each one of her friends wondering who could be Perseus Jackson in hiding; she was sure that it couldn't have been the one calling himself Percy thought he clearly was a son of Neptune, but there was also the possibility that it could be Alexander but how come she never saw him doing awesome things with water as the real Percy used to do it? And if it was the case she would've know when they still were on the road, like you knew that his real name was Alexander instead of Hunter or that he could deflect water with his sword her inner voice told her. Now she could see that there was a lot more things that she ignored about the boy who where on her mind 24/7 but Hazel's piercing eyes ended her thoughts.
"Who is that cyclops you call Tyson" Hazel careful asked him, aware of the pain and sadness that installed itself in his eyes since Piper said the name. Alex turned his head to the other side avoiding their eyes.
"He was an old friend's brother…" now Hazel wanted to ask which friend it was about but she didn't wanted to pain the guy knowing how much old memories could be painful. Thanks to her someone else gave her half of what she needed.
"Percy's little brother, the one who led his brethren against the Titans army in Atlantis" Piper bugged in but Hazel could see that she didn't thought her answer and that just as it popped up in her mind it also disappeared.
Alex looked at her as if trying to see something beyond the girl who blushed at the attention. He nodded, then sighed running a hand threw his hairs "He died few months ago, and I was told that nature spirits don't have souls so…" he thrown as if remembering something about the one who told it to him. There was a flash of concern and pain in Piper's face that only a girl could've catch. She could see how much Piper wanted to take him in her eyes and comfort him saying that everything would be ok while trying to share his pain but she couldn't and at that moment Hazel swore to do everything possible for them so that by the end of their quest the two of them would be a couple. She grinned wickedly at her plans which earned her worrying looks from the whole company but thanks to the gods they arrived before Frank or 'fake Percy' could say anything they got off of the boat.
She looked at Piper who was being helped by Alex to get off the boat with his back bag. The two of them looked at each other's eyes and their faces turned red remembering their position earlier on the boat, Alex unconsciously glanced at his hand the same that at touched her…nipple, it made a squeezing gesture and Piper prayed her mother to make her disappear on the spot as nuclear heat spread in her body. Arya put an end to it by smacking her bow on his back (just on his most sensible spot) shouting a "pervert" at him which brought a stupid grin on his face. "He really appreciated the contact" a laughing voice whispered in her head making her redder than healthier. The boy still blushing quickly walked pass her to go back were they came from and she followed him avoiding Arya's searching eyes.
'Fake Percy' wanted to help her too but Frank released a bear growl and the boy understood him, but Hazel not wanting to give Frank the satisfaction of helping her off the boat she gave him a laughing Arya as she jumped off the boat which made Arya laughed once she saw Frank's disappointment.
PIPER
They didn't walk for long as they heard noises, a man screaming, few wings sounds, squeals. They followed the noise and found a bald old and fat man fighting off harpies from his foods whom they understood was Phineas; they stood there dumbfound looking at what was going on, Alex was a younger and smaller harpy with red feathers profit from her man's attention being diverted to the others and dive for his food but unfortunately for her the man was expecting her to do it. He quickly spun on himself and smacked her on the back with his weed whacker.
"Stop it" he quickly ran at the man grabbing his arm before he could once again it the harpy who took the momentum to fly away as much as she able to do with her arched back. He put pressure on his hand until the old man knelt and screamed. Frank was able to make him stopping recalling him that they needed his help which only disgusted him more, but only this time they all bore the same feeling.
"Ha, since when do we stop someone from defending his food" he screamed at Alex massaging his wrist which only gave the teen the urged to smack his back with his weed whacker. "But thank you for making the others run" he said at them "…and from stopping your crazy friend" he grinned at Frank.
Frank bit back his anger. He hadn't meant to help the old man, but he remembered that they needed information from him. "Uh, whatever."
'Fake Percy' approached the old guy, keeping one eye on the weed whacker.
"I'm Percy Jackson. This is—"
"Demigods!" the old man said. "I can always smell demigods." Hazel frowned.
"Do we smell that bad?" The old man laughed. "Of course not, my dear. But you'd be surprised how sharp my other senses became once I was blinded. I'm Phineas. And you—wait, don't tell me—" He reached for 'Percy's face and poked him in the eyes.
"Ow!" 'Percy' complained.
"Son of Neptune!" Phineas exclaimed. "I thought I smelled the ocean on you, you should stop calling yourself Percy Jackson especially when he's close to you. Right?" he grinned at Alex "by the way I'm also a son of Neptune, you know."
"Hey…yeah. Okay." 'Percy' rubbed his eyes. Just his luck he was related to this grubby old dude than he remembered his words but he didn't understand them just like the others.
Phineas turned to Hazel. "And here…Oh my, the smell of gold and deep earth. Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. And next to you—the son of Mars. But there's more to your story, Frank Zhang—"
"Ancient blood," Frank muttered. "Prince of Pylos. Blah, blah, blah."
"Periclymenus, exactly! Oh, he was a nice fellow. I loved the Argonauts!" Frank's mouth fell open.
"W-wait. Perry who?" Phineas grinned.
"Don't worry. I know about your family. That story about your great-grandfather? He didn't Really destroy the camp. Now, what an interesting group. Are you hungry?"
Frank looked like he'd been run over by a truck, but Phineas had already moved on to the others "Oh what do we have here, a fine angel has graced us with her presence" he said examining Piper who involuntary blushed "Piper McLean, seaweed brain's newly found love, daughter of Aphrodite; a fine and smoking hot goddess and I can judge that you're following her body shape and someone must really agree on it with me." he smiled at Alex who was steaming. "…and you are?" he asked Arya "oh yes, I know, Arya Lightson. Your great-aunt isn't really happy with you messing with her business." Something crossed Arya's eyes before quickly hiding it.
"We're in a free country and I go wherever the light sends me or is needed" she innocently replied with a dangerous look in her eyes which reminded Hazel and Piper that she was older and far more dangerous that she looked "well, I will only fight back if attacked" she added with a sweet smile. He quickly turned to Alex who clenched his fists.
"And the last for the better, ladies and gentlemen, let me have the pleasure and honor to introduce you the one demigod who has outdone, surpassed, bla bla bla whatever words you want…and outshined all his predecessors including his own namesakes, my well and so loved brother Alex π. Jackson or is it the other way around?" he grinned at Alex "yes son of that old man with a fork" he gave him a sweet smile that disappeared when connected to Alex's fist.
The old man flew like a sheet of paper and landed on his back. Everybody was stunned and looked at a raging Alex. Not one of them had ever seen him like that, of course Piper had seen him like that once on the road and they all could remember his outburst in Rome against Don the faun, but he always remain under control of his acts, so far he had never raised his fist at anybody which surprised them even more was the fact that they didn't understand why he did so far the only embarrassing thing he have said was aimed at Piper and his father but they had understood that he hated his father. They didn't have to wait for answers because Alex had Revenge in his hands and it had a wicked glow as he was about to strike the old man.
"STOP" Piper screamed at him and he was immediately bound by her charmspeak just like the other; she knew that he would hate her for it but they needed the old pervert for their quest to succeed. Beside she didn't want to see him butchering an old man, "you can move" she said at the other while Alex was struggling under her charmspeak which had grown stronger than he ever expected. Hazel and 'Percy' helped him back on his feet, Frank t the Revenge from Alex's hand but quickly dropped it swearing. Hazel took the palm of his hand to see it burned. Alex was freed from his binding once Phineas was inside the restaurant; he gave Piper a glare that made her cower but stood up when he came to her.
"You never listen t what I say McLean" she could hear the anger and disappointment in his voice but refused to show any sign of weakness.
"I should've just let you kill him and raze any luck of succeeding our quest" she asked him with authority. She glanced behind him and saw Frank with spear in hands ready to summon Grey but she was sure that he wouldn't dare to attack him.
"I told you to never use your charmspeak on me" he spat at her, "I don't want to see your face once this quest his over we're done." It hurt her to hear him say it.
"It's not as if we ever were together" she too spat; he paused and gave her an odd look.
"Yes, I always knew it. But don't cry for me to take you with me or stay once I'm gone. Go back to your precious Roman" the last part was whispered which didn't stop Hazel from hearing the last part. Piper slapped him but it didn't change what she saw in his eyes. He walked out on her to the restaurant's door where Arya stood on the on front. Hazel nudged Frank in the ribs and he understood that they wanted a girly time, as he passed by he did miss the few trails of tears that started to collect on the corner of her eyes. Piper didn't understand how barely few hours ago they kissed and now he was talking about never seeing her face again but as if he wasn't cruel enough he had to bring Jason into it; Hazel came to her and took her in her arms swearing to kill Alex as soon as the quest is over.
Later the girls entered and found Phineas sitting on a table with Frank by his side shielding him from Alex who stood at its end while 'Percy' was across the man.
He waved his hand at the picnic table. In the nearby trees, the harpies shrieked miserably. As hungry as Frank was, he couldn't stand to think about eating with those poor bird ladies watching him.
"Look, I'm confused," 'Percy' said. "We need some information. We were told—"
"—that the harpies were keeping my food away from me," Phineas finished, "and if you helped me, I'd help you."
"Something like that," 'Percy' admitted. Phineas laughed.
"That's old news. Do I look like I'm missing any meals?" He patted his belly, which was the size of an overinflated basketball.
"Um ... no," 'Percy' said. Phineas waved his weed whacker in an expansive gesture. All three of them ducked.
"Things have changed, my friends!" he said. "When I first got the gift of prophecy, eons ago, it's true Jupiter cursed me. He sent the harpies to steal my food. You see, I had a bit of a big mouth. I gave away too many secrets that the gods wanted kept." He turned to Hazel and Alex. "For instance, the two of you are supposed to be dead. And you—" He turned to Frank. "Your life depends on a burned stick."
'Percy' frowned. "What are you talking about?" Hazel and Alex blinked like they'd been slapped. Frank looked like the truck had backed up and run over him again. "And you," Phineas turned to Piper (who was dead white still trying to sink in the fact that Hazel and possibly Alex should be dead) then to 'Percy', "well now, you don't even know who you are! I could tell you, of course, but…ha! What fun would that be, especially with him? And Brigid O'Shaughnessy shot Miles Archer in The Maltese Falcon. And Darth Vader is actually Luke's father. And the winner of the next Super Bowl will be—"
"Got it," Frank muttered. Hazel gripped her sword like she was tempted to pommel-whip the old man, already regretting why they stopped Alex from killing him.
"So you talked too much, and the gods cursed you. Why did they stop?"
"Oh, they didn't!" The old man arched his bushy eyebrows like, Can you believe it? "I had to make a deal with the Argonauts. They wanted information too, you see. I told them to kill the harpies, and I'd cooperate. Well, they drove those nasty creatures away, but Iris wouldn't let them kill the harpies. An outrage! So this time, when my patron brought me back to life—"
"Your patron?" Frank asked. Phineas gave him a wicked grin.
"Why, Gaea, of course. Who do you think opened the Doors of Death? Your girl friend here understands just like her boyfriend does. Isn't Gaea your patron, too?"
Hazel drew her sword. "I'm not his—I don't—Gaea is not my patron!" but Alex remained calm except for his eyes that looked like the sea in the storm. Phineas looked amused. If he had heard the sword being drawn, he didn't seem concerned.
"Fine, if you want to be noble and stick with the losing side, that's your business. But Gaea is waking. She's already rewritten the rules of life and death! I'm alive again, and in exchange for my help—a prophecy here, a prophecy there—I get my fondest wish. The tables have been turned, so to speak. Now I can eat all I want, all day long, and the harpies have to watch and starve." He revved his weed whacker, and the harpies wailed in the trees. "They're cursed!" the old man said. "They can eat only food from my table, and they can't leave Portland. Since the Doors of Death are open, they can't even die. It's beautiful!"
"Beautiful?" Frank protested. "They're living creatures. Why are you so mean to them?"
"They're monsters!" Phineas said. "And mean? Those feather-brained demons tormented me for years!"
"But it was their duty," 'Percy' said, smiling wickedly at him. "Jupiter ordered them to."
"Oh, I'm mad at Jupiter, too," Phineas agreed. "In time, Gaea will see that the gods are properly punished. Horrible job they've done, ruling the world. But for now, I'm enjoying Portland. The mortals take no notice of me. They think I'm just a crazy old man shooing away pigeons!" Hazel advanced on the seer.
"You're awful!" she told Phineas. "You belong in the Fields of Punishment!"
Phineas sneered. "One dead person to another, girlie? I wouldn't be talking. You started this whole thing! If it weren't for you, Alcyoneus wouldn't be alive!" Hazel stumbled back.
"Hazel?" Frank's eyes got as wide as quarters and Piper seemed to come to her sense from the first time. "What's he talking about?"
"Ha!" Phineas said. "You'll find out soon enough, Frank Zhang. Then we'll see if you're still sweet on your girlfriend. But that's not what you're here about, is it? You want to find Thanatos. He's being kept at Alcyoneus's lair. I can tell you where that is. Of course I can. But you'll have to do me a favor."
"Forget it," Hazel snapped. "You're working for the enemy. We should send you back to the Underworld ourselves."
"You could try." Phineas smiled. "But I doubt I'd stay dead very long. You see, Gaea has shown me the easy way back. And with Thanatos in chains, there's no one to keep me down! Besides, if you kill me, you won't get my secrets." Piper was tempted to let Hazel use her sword. In fact she wanted to strangle the old man herself. Camp Jupiter, she told herself. Saving the camp is more important. She remembered Alcyoneus taunting her in her dreams. If they wasted time searching through Alaska looking for the giant's lair, Gaea's armies would destroy the Romans…and Piper's other friends included some brown-haired boy, wherever they were. She gritted his teeth and decided t use her powers.
"I would stop if I were you, just one word out of your mouth and I'll cut my tongue" Phineas warned her.
"So what's the favor?" she asked him, Phineas licked his lips greedily.
"There's one harpy who's quicker than the rest."
"The red one," Alex guessed.
"I'm blind! I don't know colors!" the old man groused. "At any rate, she's the only one I have trouble with. She's wily, that one. Always does her own thing, never roosts with the others. She gave me these." He pointed at the scars on his forehead. "Capture that harpy," he said. "Bring her to me. I want her tied up where I can keep an eye on her…ah, so to speak. Harpies hate being tied up. It causes them extreme pain. Yes, I'll enjoy that. Maybe I'll even feed her so that she lasts longer." He laughed.
He allowed them to leave as Alex walked through the door calling his friends after him but not without Phineas remembering them that the fate of their quest thus of the world was up to them, and they only could grab its wings.
Once outside they all heard a very shook up Hazel says:
"He has to die again" and Piper admitted she would've like if it was the case as they all nodded at Hazel's words but unfortunately she had to remember that Hazel and she were the ones who stopped Alex from doing it and she could tell that Hazel also thought of it. Stopping him from killing had put her on Alex's persona non grata list but he couldn't help herself from wondering why he reacted so violently at few words when he barely did in Rome or on their way to the city. Though one thing came out of the mess, Hazel had been dead just like Alex was; but how come 2 people supposed to be dead were walking beside her on the streets. She wasn't much surprised about Hazel but Alex, she wondered what kind of monster would've been able to do it and she didn't want to meet its fangs. All their eyes went from one to another but always came back at Alex who didn't even once glanced at her since they walked out.
"We should capture him then question him until he reveal everything to us" they all looked at him but it was Alex who spoke.
"You mean torture him? If you're into torturing sour old men it won't be with me" he looked at the library in which the harpy had fled in "let's see the harpy first, something's fishy here." Taking the head, he went to the doors before they decided to follow him as he walked through the doors couple of minutes later.
They later walked in to find Alex glaring at the harpy, Hazel and Piper glanced at each other, but as soon one of them attempted to get close the monster it squealed. Once they had been able to calm her, they managed to understand what Phineas real objective. The harpy knew so many things, had read so much that when 'Percy' compared her to child of Athena which earned him a predatory glare from Alex and the look scared them all but 'Percy' who never saw it. The harpy managed to tell or more or less made them understand what Phineas fatal flaw was and they all were ready to meet him.
When they came back, they found their 'host' where they had left him; he sat there waiting for them with a few burritos on his plate. He was really happy to see them coming back fast with the harpy but his smile disappeared when Alex decided to change the deal while Hazel was trying her best to calm the harpy. Piper had her eyes on Alex, watching the young man taking the lead of their quest since they met Phineas. She understood why he did that because she was sure they all were too scared of the old man's words but Alex managed to steel himself and took the lead prophecies or a gotten her hands on a book of prophecy
Alex brought out the ceramic vials. "I have a different wager. We've got two flasks of gorgon's blood. One kills. One heals. They look exactly the same. Even we don't know which is which. If you choose the right one, it could cure your blindness."
Piper held her breath once she started to understand what Alex was about to do. She wanted to stop him but found herself voiceless, when she wanted to get closer to him her body wouldn't move. She glanced at Arya who had stayed outside but could be seen through the windows but the girl only shook her head refusing to understand what she wanted to tell her.
Phineas' voice brought her back to the scene when held out his hands eagerly. "Let me feel them. Let me smell them."
"Not so fast," Alex said. "First you agree to the terms." Stop this madness please she screamed with her mind.
"Terms…" Phineas was breathing shallowly. Alex could tell he was hungry to take the offer. "Prophecy and sight ... I'd be unstoppable. I could own this city. I'd build my palace here, surrounded by food trucks. I could capture that harpy myself!"
"N-noo," Ella said nervously. "Nope, nope, nope." A villainous laugh is hard to pull off when you're wearing pink bunny slippers, but Phineas gave it his best shot.
"Very well, demigod. What are your terms?"
"You get to choose a vial," Alex said. "No uncorking, no sniffing before you decide."
"That's not fair! I'm blind."
"And I don't have your sense of smell," Alex countered.
"You can hold the vials. And I'll swear on the River Styx that they look identical. They're exactly what I told you: gorgon's blood, one vial from the left side of the monster, one from the right. And I swear that none of us knows which is which."
Alex looked back at Hazel. "Uh, you're our Underworld expert. With all this weird stuff going on with Death, is an oath on the River Styx still binding?"
"Yes," she said, without hesitation. "To break such a vow…Well, just don't do it. There are worse things than death."
Phineas stroked his beard. "So I choose which vial to drink. You have to drink the other one. We swear to drink at the same time."
"Right," Alex said.
"The loser dies, obviously," Phineas said. "That kind of poison would probably keep even me from coming back to life…for a long time, at least. My essence would be scattered and degraded. So I'm risking quite a lot."
"But if you win, you get everything," Alex said. "If I die, my friends will swear to leave you in peace and not take revenge. You'd have your sight back, which even Gaea won't give you."
The old man's expression soured. Piper could tell he'd struck a nerve. Phineas wanted to see. As much as Gaea had given him, he resented being kept in the dark.
"If I lose," the old man said, "I'll be dead, unable to give you information. How does that help you?" Alex was glad he'd talked this through with his friends ahead of time. Frank had suggested the answer.
"You write down the location of Alcyoneus's lair ahead of time," Alex said. "Keep it to yourself, but swear on the River Styx it's specific and accurate. You also have to swear that if you lose and die, the harpies will be released from their curse."
"Those are high stakes," Phineas grumbled. "You face death, Alexander Jackson, like someone we both know. Wouldn't it be simpler just to hand over the harpy?"
"Not an option."
Phineas smiled slowly. "So you are starting to understand her worth. Once I have my sight, I'll capture her myself, you know. Whoever controls that harpy…well, I was a king once. This gamble could make me a king again."
"You're getting ahead of yourself," Alex said. "Do we have a deal?"
Phineas tapped his nose thoughtfully. "I can't foresee the outcome. Annoying how that works. A completely unexpected gamble…it makes the future cloudy. But I can tell you this, Alexander π. Jackson—a bit of free advice. If you survive today, you're not going to like your future especially what you're going to see and learn in the North. What you fear the most shall happen you will be betrayed…like before. A big sacrifice is coming, and you won't have the courage to make it. That will cost you and the girl you love dearly. It will cost the world dearly. It might be easier if you just choose the poison."
Piper's mouth tasted like Iris's sour green tea. She wanted to think the old man was just psyching him out, but something told her the prediction was true. As she remembered what had happened to Percy Jackson back then at CHB, his girlfriend's betrayal, his friends' and mentor's, his parents' death. She was sure that Alex had thought about his lost friend by the way his eyes turned cold and his hands tightly clenched on the vials.
In the trees around the parking lot, the harpies gathered to watch as if they sensed what was at stake. 'Percy' looked fascinated to see someone's death by poison, while Frank and Hazel studied Alex's face with concern. He'd assured them the odds weren't as bad as fifty-fifty. He did have a plan. Of course, the plan could backfire. His chance of survival might be a hundred percent—or zero.
"Do we have a deal?" he asked again.
Phineas grinned. "I swear on the River Styx to abide by the terms, just as you have described them. Frank Zhang, you're the descendant of an Argonaut. I trust your word. If I win, do you and your friend Hazel swear to leave me in peace, and not seek revenge?"
Frank's hands were clenched so tight Alex thought he might break his gold spear, but he managed to grumble, "I swear it on the River Styx."
"I also swear," Hazel said.
"I swear" 'Percy' eagerly said. They all looked at Piper waiting for her to swear.
"Please, don't make me do it. There must be another way" she pleaded at them looking at each of their faces.
"Oh so sweet" Phineas said full of sarcasme.
"I can't handle your death." She said looking at Alex and for a moment his eyes lightened and turned sea green before coming back to their usual sea blue. The look in his eyes told her that there was no other way around it so she choked the words "I swear".
"Swear," Ella muttered. "'Swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon.'"
Phineas laughed. "In that case, find me something to write with. Let's get started."
Frank borrowed a napkin and a pen from a food truck vendor. Phineas scribbled something on the napkin and put it in his bathrobe pocket.
"I swear this is the location of Alcyoneus's lair. Not that you'll live long enough to read it." Alex drew his sword and swept all the food off the picnic table. Phineas sat on one side. Alex sat on the other. Phineas held out his hands. "Let me feel the vials."
Alex gazed at the hills in the distance and Piper followed his eyes to see what had catch his attention but only saw the hills; for a moment she thought that he was trying to have a good sight as the last thing she wanted to see and she bitted her bottom lip until she tasted her own blood in her mouth.
Phineas curled his fingers in a grasping motion. "Losing your nerve, Alex Jackson? Let me have them."
Alex passed him the vials. The old man compared their weight. He ran his fingers along the ceramic surfaces. Then he set them both on the table and rested one hand lightly on each. A tremor passed through the ground—a mild earthquake, just strong enough to make Alex's teeth chatter. Ella cawed nervously.
The vial on the left seemed to shake slightly more than the one on the right. Phineas grinned wickedly. He closed his fingers around the left-hand vial. "You were a fool, Alex Jackson. I choose this one. Now we drink."
Alex took the vial on the right. His teeth were chattering.
The old man raised his vial. "A toast to the sons of Neptune." Before winking at 'Percy' who didn't understand it until he was grabbed by Alex who poured some of the vials liquid in his mouth then in his own. It all happened so fast that none of them had the time to react.
They both uncorked their vials and drank. Immediately, Alex and 'Percy' doubled over, their throats burning.
"Noooo" Piper heard herself screaming and found herself on the ground pulling Alex's head on her chest "nooo, don't leave me please"
"Oh, gods," Hazel said behind him.
"Nope!" Ella said. "Nope, nope, nope."
Alex's vision blurred. He could see Phineas grinning in triumph, sitting up straighter, blinking his eyes in anticipation, he was feeling Piper's heartbeats and her tears freely falling on his head and cheeks.
Phineas was in ecstasy "Yes!" he cried. "Any moment now, my sight will return!" he then considered the two boys in pain and snickered "I see, not dying alone eh? To think you bring another child of the sea into it."
Alex had chosen wrong. He'd been stupid to take such a risk. He felt like broken glass was working its way through his stomach, into his intestines.
"Alex!" Frank gripped his shoulders. "Alex, you can't die!"
He gasped for breath…and suddenly his vision cleared. At the same moment, Phineas hunched over like he'd been punched.
"You—you can't!" the old man wailed. "Gaea, you—you—"
He staggered to his feet and stumbled away from the table, clutching his stomach. "I'm too valuable!" Steam came out of his mouth. A sickly yellow vapor rose from his ears, his beard, his blind eyes.
"Unfair!" he screamed. "You tricked me!"
He tried to claw the piece of paper out of his robe pocket, but his hands crumbled, his fingers turning to sand. Alex rose unsteadily as did 'Percy'. He didn't feel cured of anything in particular. His memory hadn't magically returned. But the pain had stopped.
"No one tricked you," Alex said. "You made your choice freely, and I hold you to your oath." The blind king wailed in agony. He turned in a circle, steaming and slowly disintegrating until there was nothing left but an old, stained bathrobe and a pair of bunny slippers.
"Those," Frank said, "are the most disgusting spoils of war ever."
Then 'Percy' jumped on Alex who punched him and slammed him on the table. "You tried to kill me filthy bastard." He screamed with blood on his mouth and nose.
"But you're alive" Alex said "but remember that when I will want you dead, it will be with my sword—" his voice died as his whole body tensed and he seemed far. Then came back in the restaurant.
Hazel prodded the robe with her sword. There was nothing underneath—no sign that Phineas was trying to reform.
She looked at Alex in awe. "That was either the bravest thing I've ever seen, or the stupidest."
Frank shook his head in disbelief. "Alex, how did you know? You were so confident he'd choose the poison."
"Gaea," Alex said. "She wants me to make it to Alaska. She thinks…I'm not sure. She thinks she can use me as part of her plan. She influenced Phineas to choose the wrong vial." Frank stared in horror at the remains of the old man.
"Gaea would kill her own servant rather than you? That's what you were betting on?"
"Plans," Ella muttered. "Plans and plots. The lady in the ground. Big plans for Per-Alex. Macrobiotic jerky for Ella."
Alex handed her the whole bag of jerky and she squeaked with joy. "Nope, nope, nope," she muttered, halfsinging.
"Phineas, nope. Food and words for Ella, yep."
Alex crouched over the bathrobe and pulled the old man's note out of the pocket. It read: HUBBARD GLACIER. All that risk for two words. He handed the note to Hazel.
"I know where that is," she said. "It's pretty famous. But we've got a long, long way to go."
They all settle on their little boat with Alex as far away from Piper as possible and still not even glancing at her; they sat in the silence listening to the sea before Hazel broke and started to tell them her story. At the end the girl stopped and waited for their judgment but it never came as they all reassured her that they trusted her and that she had been courageous to fight a goddess all by herself. From little Arya to Alex they all remained her friends and gave her their support which the little girls heart though Piper could tell that Alex and his sister had already guessed as much judging from their unsurprised faces and by the look they share thought Arya looked at her brother with a worrisome expression and the nervousness in Alex's eyes didn't reassure her about the rest of their quest. But it wasn't the same for 'Percy' who clearly showed a disgusted face and step back but when his eyes met Piper's he gave her a warm smile that didn't quite likely reach his eyes and Piper suddenly felt as though she had heard about someone who matched his expression but as soon as the impression came it faded.
Suddenly Hazel and Frank collapsed and their friends, minus 'Percy', quickly ran to them checking what was wrong but Ella assured them that they were alright and just 'sharing' and that it's the last time it will ever happen. So they settled their friends in more comfortable position and let them 'share' while Arya came to talk with Piper who gathered that there was a new born tension between the sibling as they got closer to their destination but the little girl refused to give her a better explanation than it was Alex's fault and got nothing else when she tried to go further.
They woke their friends once they got closer to Portland and for the first time since they knew her, Hazel looked more relaxed and grounded. They understood that Hazel and Frank were together in her blackout 'sharing' whatever there was. They got off the boat as Percy explained that he had a message from Reyna for her sister who might be a big help not only for them but also for their quest though he didn't understand who she was neither did the others but the knowledge of Alex and Reyna alone in the pavilion had set the depth of her stomach on fire as her thoughts wondered about what happened or might have happened between the two demigods. Wasn't it forbidden for demigods of opposite sex and different parent to be alone in a room? She thought, gods she must have known better when she saw the way Reyna looked at him when they first met then after the fight with Mars. She felt someone's eyes on her and looked at her friends to find Alex, Frank and 'Percy' arguing about something while Arya and Hazel's eyes were on her full of mischief as they gave her knowing smiles. Piper felt her blood rushing on her face and quickly to the head of the expedition to avoid Hazel and Arya's smiles, breaking the boys from their argument.
Thanks to Ella they learned that they were looking for the amazons and it didn't take them long to find one of their offices. But things didn't happen as they had expected, as soon as that stupid 'Percy' said that he wanted to see Hylla, a real commando came out of nowhere and took care of them. The only one who had been able to see it coming (like always) which angered her the most: was Alex. She could almost hear him telling to never let her guard down no matter where she was. The guy threw off every attack that came at him without even once hurting any of his attackers but he stopped when she had a knife on her throat. Her throat, she heard Arya's words from that night when she had sneaked on Alex and her arguing, back then when she thought that Hunter was his name: "You may have lost it but she's your heel" the little girl had said angrily at her brother. She really was his Achilles' heel, and what happened in the hall just confirmed it, she was weak and it shamed her that she had been the first to be taken, for gods sake, even Hazel who was younger than her had gotten the sense to pull out her sword but her… but it hurt to admit how weak she was and felt after all those late night session trainings with Alex. Here she was, being brought to the amazons queen to be judged. All the way and during all the talking she had been turned on herself only hearing blurs of their conversations though she recognized the voices. When she nearly came back to herself it was to learn that Arya for all the heaven along with had broke them out and that she was on some kind of flying chariot before feeling nauseous and blacking out.
When she woke up, she found herself mopping inside an old house with Chinese art on every walls. She looked around for any familiar face but found nothing. She walked around the house and glanced outside and what she saw sacred her.
"Thanks Pluto you're awake" a voice said behind her making her jump. She turned around to find the daughter of Pluto standing before stairs. "Sorry for scaring you but you have to take something to eat before we leave which means soon seeing what is waiting for us outside." She nodded at the group of monsters waiting for them few yards from the house.
Piper shuddered at the sight behind the window; she tightened her cover on her body and looked down on her new clothes wondering how come she was wearing and Hazel answered her silent question.
"I changed your clothes…well there was vomit on them" both made a frown at the thought.
"I'm going to take a bath and then eat." She weakly said walking past the Roman girl but she put a hand on her to stop Piper.
"It wasn't your fault back there, you—"
"No I was too weak to act. Even Arya did something" she sharply cut her before walking on her. She past a room and peeked inside to see Frank standing and talking to an old woman lying on her bed. She found a bath and cried about her weakness before throwing up whatever meal had turned sour inside her stomach. She felt the bile in her mouth as water wetted on hair and then mixed itself to her tears.
She woke up lying on a bed made with silk sheets; she came up and came out of the room to find her mother sitting near a window looking the garden outside. Her mother looked at her, before favoring her daughter a small smile. Piper had never seen her mother looking so sober, she almost looked like one of those beautiful female warrior in her knee-length robe with a dagger on her hip; her dark shining hairs were pulled back into a single braid, she wore sandals one had a knife on its side and bracelets on her forearms. She still looked stern yet beautiful and wickedly dangerous. The girl instinctively recognized the other aspect of her mother and kneeled with her face looking at the ground.
"Lady Venus." She said without once glancing up. She was waiting for her execution and hash words. Expecting her to scream at her for the frustration, of how she was disappointed of her actions with the amazons, or ashamed of her weakness. Why would it be Venus who called for her if not to punish her?
"I don't remember ever asking you to kneel before me the last time we talk. Beside it isn't the proper way to act around your mother." The goddess said, standing before her daughter cupping her cheek. The girl stood then hugged her mother who eagerly returned the hug. Piper had been crying on her mother's shoulder for how long, she did know. But her mother still held her massaging her back and neck with her delicate hands.
"I feel silly and embarrassed to act like that at my age." She said once she stopped crying.
"Now you're being silly. Crying isn't about age neither seeking the comfort of your mother's arms." The goddess said bringing her by the window where two wooden chairs were. Venus took her daughter's hands in hers smiling at her. "strength isn't about the way you hold your sword but it's about the heart because it comes from it, and it will come in the right moment for. Strength is about you taking actions when it is necessary."
"It was the moment to be strong, to take actions but I couldn't do it." She weakly replied.
"Piper, you've fought monsters head on during your entire journey to Rome. Not being able to act because you were taken by surprise doesn't mean that you're weak. I know it for sure and Alex too knows it too, just like your other friends: Hazel, Arya and Frank." The goddess finished once again smiling at her daughter.
"During your quest with Leo and Jason we talked. Do you remember about what we talked about?"
The girl nodded at the question as she answered "it was about you being the eldest of the Olympian and the only child of Uranus on the council."
"yes but I also talked to you about your brother Aeneas who lived back then in the time of troy when the gods were only Greek." the goddess had a faraway look in her eyes making her daughter wondering if she was reliving it "back then he grew up with many demigods and was trained like you by Chiron. Just like you, he was surrounded by a few talented and strong heroes or intelligent ones who were already recognized to many. Among them were: Achilles, Odysseus, Telephus, Ajax… and many others, most of them princes and even kings. But he was only a son of Aphrodite which meant that apart from his beauty he had nothing else." She paused and looked at her daughter.
"But he wasn't only beautiful right?"
"No." she caressed Piper's hairs, "no, during the war other heroes and mortals proved themselves on battlefield and made their own names; even Aeneas' own cousin Hector marked the war as much as Achilles himself. It all changed when the Greeks got into Troy's walls and stared to destroy the city, it was only then that people saw Aeneas strength when Paris put their people's life in his hands asking him to save those he could and take them away from the burning city. But he did more than that." She looked at the garden as the light made her face shine in the eyes of Piper.
"What did he do?" Piper asked suddenly more than interested in a far away sibling's deed.
"He took the Lares with him along with the Troyan sword that his cousin had given him. He sneaked out of town with those he could save and sailed for Italy. He protected the remaining troyans all the way from Greece to Italy where he fought to get lands for his people, build a kingdom for them and introduced us into those lands that later would give birth to one of greatest empire and civilization." She looked at her daughter in the eyes adding "his strength came out at the right moment just when it needed, so will come yours."
"Thanks mom" the girl hugged her.
"Honey…your boyfriend will face something difficult."
"He's not my boyfriend." She protested.
"Though you obliviously like each other" Piper wanted to protest but her mother raised her hand stopping her. Seeing the serious expression on her mother's face Piper reluctantly stopped herself. "Someone here on Olympus had done something wrong to Percy's family. We both know how much Alex values Percy's friendship…he's about to find out who did it, and here people are afraid that he- you know, he might change side."
Piper looked at her mother scandalized "They killed Sally Jackson and Paul Blofis? Oh gods you killed her baby?"Piper stood from her chair and took a step back from her mother.
"I didn't kill him and I don't who did so stop looking at me like that." Her mother screamed.
"That's why you never found Percy's soul; he knew and now might be with Gaea. That's why you're afraid that he might talk to Alex. That's why they sent you to talk to me so that I would hold him back for you." She was still by what she had learned and understood. "Who was it that killed them?" she asked but either Aphrodite didn't know or had a good poker face because she gave nothing.
"That's not for you to know. Just understand that people are anxious here and now more about Alex's future acts than the quest success. If he's posing to be a threat…they want you to- to" the goddess had a hard time to finish it because she was well aware of her daughter's for Alexander. But it was her who volunteered for the message bearer or it would've been one of those unstable Roman gods to do it.
"NO" Piper screamed at her, "I know what you want me to do, it's no and you can throw at their faces."
"ACT LIKE A ROMAN FOR ONCE" the goddess screamed at her "Piper, Percy's soul wasn't the only Jackson that escaped the underworld, Sally's and Paul's souls did too and we have to assume that they went with him."
"I'm not a Roman, so don't expect me to act as one. And I don't kill nor betray my friends." She said to her mother wiping the tears from her cheeks."
"Now it's time for you go back to your friends" Aphrodite said then kissed her daughter before wishing her good luck.
Piper came back to herself and felt cold metal of the bath and the now cold water in which she had cried to sleep. She came out just in time to see Alex, Arya, Hazel and 'Percy' bombing the army of monsters. She couldn't help thinking about her conversation with her mother. She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she did everything mechanically from time to time she came out of it: when on the plane watching Alex whispering some words with closed eyes as if talking at someone, when they rushed out of the train and watched Alex falling from a nest of griffins from the top of a tree and standing up as if he fell from a chair. Then it was when they tried to escape angry griffins by hiding under icy giants. She stopped thinking when once in Alaska, a monster broke out from the ice and came out of the cold water to grab her arm and dove back into the sea with her. She blacked out feeling the cold of the water invading her body as the warmth left her.
OH I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPENED NEXT? AND WHERE DID SALLY AND PAUL'S SOULS WENT? I HAVE A GOOD TWIST INVOLVING SOMEONE...EUH NO ON SOMETHING THAT MIGHT LEAD TO A NEXT SERIE. BUT LET'S LEAVE IT FOR MY MIND.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED ALL THOSE CHAPTERS BECAUSE SEE ME IN ONE MONTH ;) YES I LOVE YOU TOO. :P