Chapter Thirty-Six: Δύο και Δεκατέσσερις (Two and Fourteen)
The crisp autumns wind blew through the again busy streets of New York City. Rachel bounced a piece of white chalk in her hand and watching the various mortals, demigods and creatures scurrying back and forth. Here and there. There and here. Always moving. Rachel felt useless. She was never far away from the Ancient Queen, the only one who ever seemed to communicate with her, yet there was often nothing to do. It had been four days already.
The girl went back to sketching out the Greek letters. She was getting better at it, turning the white letters into patterns and whatnots that always seemed to captivate the demigods who were born with the ability to translate it. It was the amount of demigods that puzzled Rachel. The camp was basically destroyed. So why were they all here? Not to mention that so many of them looked oriental and foreign...
Rachel stepped back to stare at her latest sketch. It was exceedingly annoying not knowing what it said. It looked cool enough, but what's the point of sketch with no meaning? There were times, there were many, many, many times Rachel hated herself for not being a demigod. They had all the fun. She sighed.
She would even admit to missing Apollo, if she could speak, that is. She missed his devil-may-care but deeply sensitive very puppy-ish mannerisms. She missed their banter. She missed the Oracle. The back of her head was empty, just like her throat. 'I'm an empty shell,' Rachel wrote in English, 'barely hanging on to life.'
"Well, that's not very good, is it?"
Rachel nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to stare at the demigod who had spoken. Demigods and mortals are actually pretty easy to tell apart when you know what to look for. Mortals always look clueless, especially when they're fighting a war for a seemingly god-like woman against an even more powerful foe. And demigods usually have something celestial bronze on them. Or a magical weapon disguised to look like something normal, but those always had this kind of magical goldish glow to them.
"I'm Pete Rodger," he said, sticking out a hand, "son of Calliope. You?"
Rachel shook his hand, and, to answer his silent question, wrote on the wall, 'I'm Rachel Dare, resident mute.'
"Ah," Pete said. "Yes, the Ancient Queen mentioned you."
Rachel shrugged. She really didn't care what the Ancient Queen said right now. On the building wall, she wrote, 'If the camp was attacked, why are there so many demigods?'
He read the words slowly, "Well, the Ancient Queen for one. We separated shortly after the camp was attacked, there was about fifty of us, but she's drawing us back. Apparently, the Hunters and Percy Jackson's group are on their way back as well."
'Oh.' She blinked at her letters, uncomprehendingly, before realizing that she wrote them in Greek. Rachel tried to curse. She tried to scream in frustration. But nothing came. She chucked her piece of chalk at the wall, watching with a twisted sense of joy as it smashed into a gazillion pieces.
Just like her life.
Rachel's knees gave way and she fell into a huddled mass on the street.
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Falcon and Malcolm darted off, leaving a bedraggled Maura standing on the banks of the East River, yelling at it with all the fury of a person who likes yelling but hasn't done it in a long, long, long while.
They had arrived in New York yesterday and Maura still wouldn't leave them alone. Couldn't she find someone else to bother?
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Sam Hubert was annoyed.
He was annoyed at Amelia because she hadn't stopped talking in the past fourteen hours, eight minutes and thirty-thr...make that thirty-four seconds. And yes, he was keeping track.
He was annoyed at Percy for ignoring him.
He was annoyed at Ivy for encouraging Amelia to talk.
He was annoyed at the fact that he was stuck in the seat between Jessie and Nico.
He was annoyed that Ian got to sit in the front seat.
He was annoyed that Kristen was snoring, loudly.
He was annoyed at Mississippi, because that snake was STILL breathing against his neck and WOULD not cut it out.
"How much further?" Sam whined.
"Awhile yet," Percy said, from between gritted teeth. He shifted his grip on the wheel and looked back at the full minivan.
Sam sighed. Nico was asleep and his knee was digging into Sam's thigh. "I hate road trips," grumbled the young son of Poseidon.
"You're not one of the drivers," Jessie grumbled, knocking her head against the back of Ian's seat. The son of Iris apparently got carsick in minivans. Or so Kristen had learned...
"Are we there yet?" Ivy called from the back.
"Soon!" Percy growled, grinding his teeth a bit. "Geez, was I this annoying at a ten-year-old?"
"We're eleven," Ian pointed out, at the same time Jessie muttered, "Probably."
Gah.
Percy Jackson was annoyed.
He was annoyed at Nico and Kristen for snoring.
He was annoyed at Sam and Ian for complaining.
He was annoyed at Ivy and Amelia, who were whispering in the very back of the car. And giggling. Giggling. Like normal kids. Wow.
He was annoyed at the car and the fact he actually had to focus and drive. It was taking abnormally long to get to New York. The roads were in awful condition.
Actually, almost everyone in the car was annoyed, at something.
Besides for Nico, Mississippi, and Kristen, who were all asleep.
Major gah.
Percy slammed on the break, jolting the sleepers awake. Everyone reached for their weapons.
Ares stood in the middle of the road, his gigantic sword raised.
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Paul Blofis was used to weird things. Sort of. Sally had told him about the Greek stuff. He had been around for the Battle of Manhattan. Percy used to relate his travels over the dinner table. And Poseidon... well...
But this was truly bizarre.
To be included in the main people of this group, the chain of command. It was so surreal. Very, very surreal.
"Mr. Blofis!" someone yelled from a distance. "There's a council meeting in about two minutes!"
Yes. Weird. Paul got to his feet and trotted over to the abandoned warehouse they had been using as headquarters. Apparently, they had some people back at the Camp on the island, trying to rebuild the headquarters there. News had it that that place had been decimated.
"Paul," said the only demigod he knew, one Malcolm Eastcott, or something like that. He had been at one of Percy's parties, not that long ago. "Everyone's assembled."
"Right," Paul said, following Malcolm into the main room of the Headquaters. The Ancient Queen, no one really knew what her real name was, was sitting at the head of the table. George and Martha were next to her, still wrapped around Hermes's caduceus. Herema, some goddess of day, was on the Ancient Queen's other side. Malcolm and two other demigods were on one side of the table. Paul slipped into his seat on the far end of the table, next to a green nymph, beyond her a dryad, and then the most temperamental thing Paul had ever encountered.
The nereid's name was Maura. And she was, well... Paul clipped his thoughts to keep them clean. According to Malcolm, she thought she owned Percy, because he was the heir to Poseidon's thrown now, or something like that. It was all very confusing.
Sally was better at this sort of stuff... the Greek mythology and everything.
There was another person at the table that Paul didn't recognize, but it didn't worry him too much. There were a lot of people he didn't recognize.
The Ancient Queen stopped her conversation with George and Martha. "Welcome," she said to the group. "Pete, Paul, do either of you know where Rachel is?"
The demigod shrugged, "She refused to come. She's drawing something not far from here. Matthias Branch, the satyr, offered to guard her for now."
Poor Rachel. They had met, several times, before everything went sour and all. She refused to talk to them though, even with her chalk.
The Ancient Queen sighed, "It was her choice."
"Your fault," Pete responded.
Herema bristled.
The stranger's eyes glinted, like he was looking forward to the prospect of a fight.
Paul's stomach twisted, uncomfortably. He had seen Herema get truly angry, but only at the Ancient Queen. That had not be a fight he was would speak of, ever again. It had been, disturbing, at best.
"Chaos is rising," Herema grumbled, "and Nyx is getting more and more power through him."
The stranger nodded, "We aren't having much success with the Chinese dragons. They're all on Nyx's side."
"Polynesians?" The Ancient Queen asked.
"No luck," Herema responded, "they're staying neutral."
"So are the Egyptians," Malcolm added. "I did what you said, milady. And went over to that house on the East side of the river. They said no and slammed the door in my face."
The Ancient Queen steepled her fingers under her chin.
"Good," George said, "at least they won't be joining Nyx, either."
The nymph shifted in her seat, "The forests are mobilizing, but we're having trouble with the redwoods. They've been asleep for too long. And we're having trouble contacting the forests over seas," she glared briefly at Maura. "And the Amazon's are completely unresponsive."
"When are the rest of your heroes are arriving?" The stranger asked the Ancient Queen. "That Percy Jackson bloke you all put so much store behind."
"Any day, now," Herema responded. "And the Hunter's of Artemis are only a few hours out. We've sent Jayson out to guide them in."
"Jayson?" Paul asked.
"Yeah, son of Janus," Malcolm said, "good friend of Percy's."
"Gotcha."
"How are the mortal's faring, Paul?" The Ancient Queen asked.
Paul shrugged, "No worst than can be expected, due to the circumstances. Communications are still out. We're pretty isolated. No one really knows how bad the destruction is outside of the city."
"Olympus kept us safe," said the third demigod, "they didn't destroy New York for that very reason. Everywhere else, kaput."
"We might know more when the Hunter's and Percy get back in," Pete said, "they were outside for longer."
"And probably covered more ground than most," Malcolm said, glancing at Maura angrily.
The Nereid sniffed and stuck her nose in the air.
"Do we have the strength to do anything?" Asked the Dryad, "Can we stop Nyx?"
The Ancient Queen sighed. "Not if Chaos completes his rise. The Fourteen might-"
"Excuse me," said Pete, "the fourteen?"
The Ancient Queen cursed in Greek. Paul had no idea what she said. "Rachel made a prophecy. The last prophecy of the Oracle of Delphi before it was destroyed:
"Two and Fourteen
Saviors of the Fifth
Two and Fourteen
"Two shall defeat
The Ancestors of all
Worthy and Unworthy
"Fourteen shall bring
Life, rebirth, renewal
One for each, one for all
"Sacrifices e'er more
Never ending, never fading
Dying, living, loving, grieving
"Death and life
Bound together evermore
Intertwined like never before
"The Mortal World
Is the Key to the Past
And all things hidden there
"And unknown darkness
Shalt defeat the light
Unless the Sacrifice is made
"We have hope," the Ancient Queen continued, "that these fourteen people can save us. Somehow."
"Who are the fourteen?" Paul asked.
Herema glanced around the room, nervously.
"They're all Greek, I assume," the stranger dude said, roughly.
"You have your own heroes, Vanagandr," replied the Ancient Queen, her voice level. "Yes, Paul. I believe I have identified all fourteen. As to their task, well, that remains unclear. What they need to save also lies hidden to me."
"You're growing weak," Vanagandr growled, looking down right wolfish.
"Chaos is rising," Herema retorted, "he's corrupting everything."
"Even Nyx," the Queen sighed, a note of regret filling her tone. "Yet she doesn't notice it."
"Aether does," Herema said, crossing her arms, "if anyone, he would be the most likely to, change sides, should the choice be offered."
The Ancient Queen shook his head, "Aether will stay on the winning side. He would not risk is life."
Maura sniffed.
Everyone ignored her, and a silence grew between the group.
"Anyone have a rat?" George asked, flicking his tongue out, hopefully.
Martha started to chase him around the caduceus.
"Is their any chance of freeing the Pantheon?" Malcolm asked. He exchanged a glance with Pete. The two demigods seemed to have a whispered conversation before Pete straightened.
"The sacrifices in the prophecy, could they refer to something powerful enough to bring the gods back?" Pete asked.
"We don't know where your gods are imprisoned," said Vanagandr snarled. "Much less how to free them."
Paul bit his tongue, before working up the courage to ask, "Would Rachel know? Percy said that even before the Oracle, she knew things along this line. Could we ask her?"
"Sight like that is limited," said the nymph. She flickered long green hair over her shoulder. "Selective. At best. It maybe hidden in her drawings, waiting for interpretation. Pete, you've spent the most time with her."
"Barely," said the demigod, "it might be helpful if she drew in something more permanent than chalk. It rained, just last night."
The door to the council room opened and two girls stepped through. Paul recognized the taller one, as Thalia Grace, another friend of Percy's. First lieutenant to one of the gods or something. The other was attired similarly, just lacking the silver circlet around her head.
"Sorry we're late," Thalia said, smirking, "what did we miss?"
Maura coughed, disdainfully.
"Welcome, come, sit down," the Ancient Queen said, "you are the lieutenant of Artemis?"
"Thalia Grace," said the girl, sliding into the seat next to Paul. "And this is Penny Van Dike, my second."
"We'll give you a full debriefing later," said the Queen. "You were the original hearer of the Prophecy, right?"
Thalia nodded, "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to Rachel? She just disappeared."
The Queen smiled, "I'll give you a full debrief later. Pete?"
"We were talking about how Rachel might know, hidden down inside, where the Pantheon gods are imprisoned. And that the sacrifice mentioned in the Prophecy might be a way to free them."
Thalia nodded, "You wouldn't happen to know who the Two and the Fourteen are?"
"Worthy and Unworthy," Herema said, "they are the obvious choices."
"Zoe Nightshade and Percy Jackson," Malcolm said, "right?"
"Aye," the Ancient Queen responded. She raised fourteen pebbles into the air, all of them over the table. The magic in the room was evident, even to Paul. And, had he been forced to admit it, it was slightly creepy.
The magic dissipated and the fourteen pebbles dropped to the ground, changing from a dull gray to droplets of color.
Thalia reached out and picked up the one closest to her. "Hephaestus," she said, turning the pebble over in her hand, "It has his fire on both sides."
"Then his savior is one of his children," Herema said, "that seems logical. Whom?"
"Jake Mason and Jessie Kale were the only ones to survive the attack on camp," said the third demigod.
Malcolm reached for a pebble, "Poseidon, on both sides."
"Percy?" Paul asked.
"No," Malcolm said, his brow knitted in puzzlement, "more likely Sam Hubert, seeing as Percy's already in the Prophecy."
"Keep in an open mind, though," the Ancient Queen warned. Malcolm and Thalia laid their two pebbles side by side in the center of the table.
Vanagandr picked up a pebble. "The lyre of Apollo," he flipped the pebble over, "and the scroll of, hm..." He showed the little stone to Pete, who paled.
"The scroll and stylus of Calliope," Pete said, placing the pebble on the table as quickly as it had been made from fire. "I am the only known half-blood from a Muse."
Penny reached over Thalia's shoulder and picked up a pale gray stone. "Artemis and only Artemis. One of the Hunters, who has no Olympian parent."
Thalia frowned, "Our only mortal Hunter is Kayla..."
Paul sat back and watched the rest of the group examine the pebbles.
"This one has the wine branches of Dionysus," Herema said, "and the mark of the Cloven Elders. A satyr."
"Zeus and Artemis," Malcolm said, glancing at Thalia.
"This one has the hearth of Hestia on it," said the dryad, "and only the hearth of Hestia." Silence.
The Ancient Queen raised an eyebrow.
"Also here," Pete said, breaking the pause, "the hearth of Hestia and... Hera. Hera and Hestia on the same pebble?" The silence reigned supreme.
"Hestia on a pebble at all?" Said the nymph, quivering slightly, "That it self seems impossible."
"The Unknown god," the Ancient Queen said, before refusing to elaborate.
Vangandr picked up a pebble, "The caduceus-" George and Martha stopped squirming and both perked up. "-and a rainbow."
"There were two children of Iris at the camp," Malcolm said, "just before the attack. Right Juniper?"
The nymph nodded, "Yeah."
"Here's another rainbow, along with the Demeter's plants," said the dryad.
"Hades and Hades," Thalia said, examining another pebble, "Nico Di Angelo, I s'pose."
The nymph, Juniper, looked puzzled, "Is it just me, or does everyone seem connected to Percy? There's Sam, of course, and then Nico and-"
"Jessie and the Iris twins were in his group," Thalia added, "and we're friends. But what about Pete and Kayla and the satyr?"
"Grover?" Juniper asked, a hopeful tone in her voice.
"We haven't heard from him in days, Juni," said the dryad, softly.
Maura sniffed again.
Vanagandr sighed, heavily. "Getting back on topic... Artemis and Aphrodite here. Now ain't that ironic."
Penny paled, "I've never..." She ran from the room, terror written all over her face.
Vanagandr chuckled, evilly.
"Here's Athena's," Malcolm said, holding up another pebble, "it's got Athena on the other side, as well." He looked hopeful, almost, as if he longed to be included in some adventure.
The Ancient Queen reached for the last pebble, "Ares, god of war. And a child of Eris."
"Kristen Dean. Great," Thalia muttered, "know we know who the prophecy refers too."
"And half of them are with Percy," Malcolm sighed, "and they aren't back yet. Gee whiz."
Paul raised his hands, earned amused looks from the demigods and confused looks from the others. "Rather moral question here? And this is a bit off topic from the prophecy thing, but could someone straight out say what are odds are?"
The Ancient Queen sighed, "We around about a thousand strong. Demigods, nymphs and dryads mostly. A few gods, mostly from Vanagandr's side of the mythological backdrop. The centaurs are undecided, what without Chiron. A few of laistrogynians have joined us, dracnae, and other previous monsters. They have an army of several thousand strong, composed entirely of all but two of the Protogenoi, included all the Ourea and Nesoi. Many of the minor Greek gods, as well Ares, Hades and Aphrodite have joined them. Many of Vanagandr's kin have also joined the side of the Protogenoi. Titans have been woken, and, well, the cyclopses are incredibly close to changing sides.
"All in all," she continued, "not good."
In Paul's mind, the directions of the winds had changed again.