"Why were you late?" Titus asked Percy and Reyna sternly.
Currently the four of them walked away from the growing crowd of civilians toward the Temple of Apollo. Despite the blunder with the letter, everything had turned out great in the end. Percy still couldn't believe that Reyna had made it there before him, though, with her disadvantage. Perhaps he'd spent more time searching the henchmen's houses than he thought.
"Had to change course," said Percy. "I'm not literate in Latin, so I made Reyna swap jobs with me."
Titus stared at him incredulously. "Did you just say you're not literate in Latin? Why didn't you bring that up during planning?"
"I didn't think it mattered." Percy scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "We're in a Greek city."
"Ruled by my Roman father, who's in regular contact with a Roman legatus. Your failure to mention this could have gotten Jason killed!"
Percy laughed. Titus glared, but he couldn't help it.
"I wouldn't go that far," said Jason.
"Yeah," Percy agreed. "I mean, no offense or anything, but Jason killed? By mortals? We've faced a lot tougher than your father."
"He was faltering by the time you showed up," Titus argued.
"If he thought he was in a fight he couldn't win," said Reyna, "he'd have been able to get out of it before any fatal blows were struck."
"Exactly," said Jason. "We still won, didn't we?"
Titus still looked rather annoyed by the improvisation, but stopped arguing. They continued on toward the Temple of Apollo without talking. Once they reached it, they found that the Oracle was already set to travel. She joined them as they made toward the southern city exit. She listened while they explained how they had executed their plan, but Percy could tell she wasn't really paying attention; she was too excited to see her daughter freed.
It took a couple of hours, but they finally reached the docks at the seaside. It would have gone a lot faster if they'd called in Blackjack and Scipio, but he doubted the two pegasi could carry all five of them. He had to wonder why they built Delphi so far inland.
Titan didn't really believe in keeping prisoners, save for one special instance. Anyone who disobeyed him was put in shackles and sold to whomever was willing to pay for slave labor. That's why he held his prisoners near the docks, so they could be shipped off as soon as he'd acquired enough.
The Oracle's daughter, though, was more valuable to Titan as leverage. He allowed the Pythia to see her twice a year to ensure he kept her loyalty. Percy didn't want to imagine what was done to the girl during the time in between visits.
The group entered into a tiny village, large enough to house a dozen people at most. There were no ships currently docked, but off in the distance two could be seen sailing away. The village was extremely quiet, as if it'd been abandoned. Not a single person could be seen.
"It looks like they've already caught wind of Titan's defeat," said Reyna.
"It wouldn't surprise me if a handful of mercenaries fled here the second they'd filled their pockets," said the Pythia. Her voice sounded nervous.
Jason looked to Titus. "Where are the cells?"
He pointed to the right edge of the village. "This way."
They followed him along the dirt roads until they reached one of the only buildings there that was constructed entirely from stone. The Oracle walked right up to it and pushed the door open. Percy quickly followed behind her. There was a sconce on either side of the door, so Percy grabbed one on his way in.
They walked between the cells, Percy using the torch to shine light over each of them. With every empty cell they looked into, Percy grew more and more anxious. He didn't know why, but a horrible feeling settled over him. As they got closer to the end of the building, a buzzing noise grew louder. Eventually they'd seen every cell but one. Percy looked into it and his breath caught in his throat.
"No!" The Pythia pulled open the cell door, which had been left ajar, and ran through it. "No! Rachel!"
Inside the cell a woman about Percy's age lay on her back. She looked to be very thin. She had a pale face and frizzy, bright orange hair. Her eyes were wide open, green, and lifeless. She might've been pretty when she was alive.
The Oracle grabbed her and wept, getting blood all over herself. Her daughter's throat had been cut open and flies buzzed around her lifeless figure. She looked to have been dead for at least a couple of days.
None of the other four knew what to say. They could only watch in horrified silence as the Oracle clutched her murdered daughter and sobbed.
After some grueling labor, they stood behind the grieving woman while she knelt at her daughter's fresh grave. Percy felt guilty. He knew it was irrational to feel that way, but he did. The Oracle believed Titan to have ordered her daughter killed as punishment for him and Jason escaping captivity. That technically made them indirectly responsible for it, even though it was still ridiculous to try and place the blame on themselves, as the Oracle herself had insisted.
After what had to have been at least half an hour, the Pythia stood and turned to them. Her face was tearstained and utterly broken. Her eyes were hollow and she seemed to stare right through them.
"Let's go," she said in a raspy voice that conveyed an unfathomable amount of devastation. "I owe you payment."
"We don't have to do this right now," Reyna said softly.
She looked at her. "I hope you'll never understand, girl, but time will do nothing to mend me."
Reyna didn't have a response to that.
"Let's go," the Oracle repeated.
She turned and headed up the slope toward the Temple of Apollo. The four of them reluctantly followed. Once inside she lit two three-legged braziers that somehow emitted green smoke. She took a seat on her stool and began taking slow, deep breaths. They waited patiently for a couple of minutes. Eventually she'd been silent so long that Percy opened his mouth to ask if anything was wrong, then the smoke suddenly dissipated and she opened her eyes. Her irises were gone, leaving nothing but white.
She began to tilt forward and Titus rushed to hold her steady. After several more seconds, she blinked and her eyes returned to normal. She waved Titus off and he cautiously let her go. She then looked to the three demigods.
"I saw a goddess," she told them. "A woman with flames in her eyes. She possessed the Pithos."
Percy waited for her to say more, but she didn't. "And?"
"That's all I saw," she said.
"What about the prophecy?"
She shook her head. "I do not give prophecies, not since Apollo fell asleep. My powers are weaker than my predecessor's and my sight clouded. I can only catch glimpses of the future, and no more."
Percy stared in disbelief. They'd come all this way, done all that, and were rewarded with three tiny sentences? Why couldn't Hestia have just said those words to them and saved them the trouble?
He sighed. It was annoying, but he wasn't angry. If they hadn't come here, he might not have been reunited with Reyna. He wouldn't have properly met Titus. And the citizens of Delphi would still be under Titan's tyrannical rule. So calling this trip a waste of time wouldn't even be close to fair, but he still felt that having to go to the Oracle for this information was rather pointless. He wished goddesses could just be clear and direct for once. Sadly he doubted the trend would be breaking any time soon.
"This goddess," said Percy. "Was she Vesta?"
"I do not know," the Oracle answered. "I've told you everything I know for sure. I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Please leave me now."
He didn't like the idea of leaving her to her own devices in the mental state she was in. He was scared to find out what she might do. He almost protested, but then Reyna put her hand on his shoulder. He met her eyes and relented.
He looked to the Oracle one last time. "I'm really sorry we couldn't do more for you."
She didn't reply.
He picked up the Pithos from beside her and left the temple with Reyna at his side. Jason and Titus followed along behind them. The four stopped a handful of paces away from the building, then Titus cleared his throat and they all looked to him.
"I can't pretend to understand what any of that meant," he said. "And I guess I don't really need to. But I suppose this is goodbye."
"What will you do now?" Jason asked.
"Stay here," he answered. "Gather the last of my father's money and do what I can to keep the peace until the legion shows up. Then I'll turn myself in for a deserter."
"Turn yourself in?" said Percy. "Why? You know you'd never be recognized."
"I've made a lot of mistakes. I think. . . it's about time I started paying for them."
There was a short silence.
"Titus, I forgive you for trying to kill me," said Percy. "The past is in the past. But I think you should know — you're allowed to forgive yourself too."
Titus met his eyes, then said sadly, "I know. It doesn't matter."
"Titus —"
"Stop. I've made up my mind."
"You know what they do to deserters," said Jason. "We can't just let you do this."
"I beg that you do."
Percy saw sadness in the man's eyes, but also an unwavering determination. He knew a string of words didn't exist that could convince him to take a different course of action. He wished one did, but he had to give up.
Percy looked toward the Temple of Apollo. "Promise me you'll look after her."
Titus nodded. "Of course. She did the same for me."
Jason still wasn't ready to give up on him, but eventually had to concede that Titus had made his choice. They said their goodbyes to the man and he returned to the Temple of Apollo, both parties knowing they'd likely never see each other again.
Probably not wanting the bitter moment to carry on for too long, Reyna took the lead. They left the city and found the campsite they'd used previously while planning the operation. Percy sat down while Jason used a tiny spark of lightning to ignite the fire.
"You're sure it's Vesta she saw?" said Reyna.
"I mean," said Jason, "Who else could it be? Hestia had fire in her eyes, but she's asleep."
"And she was a little girl," Percy added. "Or at least took the appearance of one. The Pythia said she saw a woman, and when Vesta spoke to me in my sleep she wasn't a child."
"So what do we do then?" Jason asked. "How do we find her?"
"There won't be a need," a new voice said.
Suddenly, sitting across from them on the other side of the fire, was a woman that looked only a few years older than them. Just like Hestia, she had flames in her eyes, but hers were slightly different. Instead of just fluttering about the pupils, the flames covered her entire eyes, including the whites. She wore a hoodless cloak that covered her shoulders and let her dark brown hair fall free down her back. The woman was stunningly beautiful and wore a warm smile that reminded him of his mother's, which surprised him, considering considering how long it'd been since he'd last seen it. While she did emit an aura of power reminiscent of Hestia's, her appearance more closely resembled her sister Juno's.
"Vesta," said Percy.
"You needn't bow," she said quickly.
Percy, who'd been about to do just that, straightened his posture and tried to play it off casually.
"Family does not bow to one another," said Vesta. Her voice did have the exact same kindly tone that Hestia's had.
"Is that what we are?" Percy asked.
She met his eyes. "You're my champion. There are fewer bonds more familial a maiden goddess can have with a mortal."
"Why me?" he asked. The question had been nagging at him for so long. "Why not Jason? Or Reyna? Why'd you choose me, a Greek?"
"They are valiant heroes indeed, and they have their roles to play," Vesta answered. "But you possess certain qualities that they do not."
"Like what?" He looked at his friends to see their reaction to that, but they were completely motionless. They didn't even seem to have noticed Vesta. "What did you do to them?"
"Nothing permanent. I only wished to have a private conversation with you."
"I'm just going to tell them everything you said anyway. It'd be a lot easier to just let them in on this."
"It would," she agreed.
Percy waited, but his friends remained frozen in time. He sighed. "What qualities were you talking about?"
"They're indefinable, Perseus. They're just the things that make you you. The things that told you defecting to Rome was the right thing to do and that made you help the people of this city when you were under no obligation to. They're the reason that your beloved, who is a natural born leader, often still looks to you for answers."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I always just do what I know I have to. I just try and do what's right. There's nothing special about that. Anyone in my position could do the same."
"And I bet you've also convinced yourself that this quest will be your last."
Percy furrowed his brow. "It is. My entire life I've just been hopping from one fight to the next. I've cleaned up every mess I found myself in thanks to some miracle or another, or you, and this is the last one. Once I get done with this, I just want a chance at a normal life."
"I know you do. And you will have lots of time to spend alone with Reyna, for a spell. But a normal life is not your destiny."
Percy took a moment to reply. "I don't care what you think my destiny is — I'll choose my own."
Her smile widened. "Indeed you will."
He stared at her. "What does that mean?"
"It means you have more control of your life than you realize, and I'm happy you're finally realizing that."
He sat there, perplexed. He looked at Reyna, frozen in place. An image came into his mind, one that he'd seen before but had yet to become reality. He and Reyna sat together in a home, snuggled up next to each other in the warmth of the hearth. They had no weapons on them, and no worries in the world. He could almost see the faces of a couple of dark haired children, but the image wasn't clear enough. That's what he wanted when all this was done. If he really did have a choice, then he could have it.
"Why did you summon me?" Vesta asked while prodding at the firepit with a metal poker.
"What?" he said.
"You called me here for a reason. What is it?"
"I didn't —" He stopped himself. Even though he hadn't asked her to appear, he realized he was about to. "I have something I'm supposed to give you."
"An offering."
"Uh, sure." He stood and picked up the pithos, which had been sitting right next to him. He walked over to the goddess and presented it to her. "I think Hestia wanted you to have this."
She took it and set it down in front of her. "No. I believe she wanted you to gift this to me."
"What's the difference?"
"There is a great difference. As you're wont to remind me, you're Greek. You placed this in my possession, which can only mean one thing."
She paused. He didn't know whether it was for dramatic effect or if she was waiting for him to butt in with the right answer. Regardless, he just waited for her to continue.
"She wants unity," she said.
"Yeah, she mentioned that," said Percy. "I don't know what it means though."
"No," she agreed. "You don't. And you're not meant to yet."
Percy let out a frustrated sigh. "Why can't things ever just be straight forward? Why can't you just explain it to me for once instead of being all vague and mysterious?"
She chuckled. "Believe it or not, Perseus, but we deities have reasons for the things we do and the information we choose to withhold. You'll know soon enough, but to tell you now would risk a different outcome to your quest — one less predictable."
Percy huffed through his nose. "Fine. Don't tell me. Can you at least tell us what we're supposed to do now?"
"Unity is something that the gods must achieve, not you. But we need our king to agree to it."
"Jupiter?"
She nodded. "It will be a tough sell. I fear the only ones who could convince him are the Fates."
"So go ask them then."
She shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple."
"Why not? Hestia said she was able to make a deal with them."
"The Fates have seen. Long ago they already knew how this crisis that befell the Greek gods would be resolved. They will act when they know it is time to act."
"And when is that?"
"I cannot say for sure. But you three and the Fates are the final players in this game. You must ask them."
"How do we do that? How do you even know it has to be us? Can all gods see the future or something?"
"No. The Oracle can, although it's limited nowadays. The one you've met, she spoke a prophecy shortly after obtaining her powers from the previous one. She doesn't remember it, but the gods do."
"What was it?"
She gave him a solemn look. "I cannot say."
"Why not?"
"It'd be too dangerous for you to know. All that you need to know is that you must go to the Hollow of Prophecy, and the Fates should be waiting to speak with you there."
"'Should be?'"
"The Hollow is located midway between Rome and Athens, the two capitals of both peoples' pantheons. Your winged friends should be able to find it. I have to warn you, though. This venture will be dangerous."
"Nothing new, then."
She shook her head and gave him a serious look. "That wasn't a jest. It will be perilous, and more difficult than anything you've ever faced before. You'll need more than just strength to get through."
"What's in there?"
"I don't know. Few mortals have ever even learned of its existence, let alone risked entering it. No god has even dared invade the Fates' territory."
"And you expect us to."
"It is the only way. It has been foretold."
"And what if they're not in there?"
"They will be. This endeavor will be deadly, but not fruitless. Your other option is defying fate and giving up — letting your gods fade and wither away, bringing extinction to their kind. Alternatively you could fly to Roman Olympus and attempt to convince Jupiter yourself, which would be suicide."
"Fine. I get it. What do we do once we're in there?"
"I'm afraid you'll need to figure that out on your own."
"Is there anything you can tell us?"
"Just be careful. This is the last hurdle in your quest. I believe in you. Even when all is said and done, I'll still be your patron. I may not be able to be with you in the Hollow, but I'll always be watching over you."
She looked into the flames for a moment and turned over a log. She looked contemplative, then she gave a strange look in Jason's direction.
"Juno has never cared about a hero so deeply," she said, "let alone one of her husband's demigods. She does often envy some of the other gods for being able to birth mortal children. He should know that she sees him as more her son than Jupiter's, and that she wished they could have more time together. Please tell him."
"Why can't she tell him herself?"
She looked at him, but didn't answer. Vesta picked up Pandora's Pithos, and then the flames suddenly grew a lot taller. When they returned to normal, she was gone.
"What just happened?" Jason asked.
"Where's the Pithos?" said Reyna.
They were both on their feet, swords in hand and looking around for any kind of danger.
"Sit down," Percy told them. "Vesta just spoke to me."
The next morning, they were packed up and ready for travel. Percy had whistled as loudly as he could about a minute ago, and now they were just waiting. He was beginning to worry when two shadows descended upon them. Blackjack and Scipio landed in front of the three demigods and folded their wings back.
"Greetings, young hero," said Scipio. He then looked at Reyna curiously.
"Hey, Boss," said Blackjack. "Almost thought you'd abandoned us. Who's your pretty friend?"
"Reyna," Percy answered.
"What?" Reyna had been slowly approaching the pegasi but stopped when he said her name.
"Nothing," said Percy. "I was talking to them."
"Oh." She turned her attention back to the pegasi, Scipio still watching her while Jason stroked his mane.
"This one is a demigod too," he commented.
"She is," said Percy, "and she's coming with us. Can one of you handle two riders?"
"Not an issue, Boss," Blackjack volunteered. "But where are we going?"
"A place called the Hollow of Prophecy."
"Never heard of it."
Percy looked to Scipio.
"Nor I," he said.
"Vesta told me it's halfway between Athens and Rome."
"Then we have a heading," said Scipio.
"You can find it?"
"You can count on us, Boss," Blackjack assured.
A few minutes later, they were in the air. Jason rode alone on Scipio while Percy rode Blackjack with Reyna's arms wrapped around his waist and her chin resting on his shoulder.
"This is incredible," she murmured.
Percy smiled. "Yeah. Nothing quite like it."
"I never thought I'd get to see a pegasus in person, let alone ride one."
"You always wanted to?"
"I was always curious. The paintings never left me with the highest of expectations, but they're gorgeous."
"Your lady has good taste," said Blackjack.
They continued flying in silence for a bit. The wind was a tad chilly as it rushed past them, but with Reyna holding him he was comfortable. Riding a pegasus really was an amazing feeling, and in his mind the ideal way to travel after sailing.
"If you're not going back to the legion, what do you want to do after we finish this quest?" Percy asked.
She didn't answer for a moment. "I'm not sure. I honestly didn't think much about it. I just knew that. . ."
"Yeah?"
"I knew that I didn't want to be away from you any longer."
Percy grinned. He knew she couldn't see it, but those words made him too happy to not.
"You know I seriously love you, right?" he said.
"So I've been told." He could hear her own smile.
Percy thought for a moment. "What about Hylla? Do you ever think about searching for her?"
"You know I do. Until now it's never been possible to just drop everything and go look for her. I don't even know where I'd start."
"Maybe your mother was just waiting for the right time to tell you. If she's dead, I don't think there'd be any point for secrecy. Bellona probably just wants to reunite you two after all the urgent stuff is done with."
"Yeah. Probably." She didn't sound reassured.
"And hey. If she doesn't, I can try asking Vesta for a nudge in the right direction. We'll find her."
"We?"
"Yeah. I don't know what my life will look like after this quest; I just know I want you in it. I'll go wherever you go."
He felt her hug him tighter.
"So we finish this quest," she said. "We find my sister, all is well. What then?"
"Then we wing it."
"Where to?" Blackjack asked.
"What? No. I didn't mean literally," said Percy. "And you're not part of this."
"Oh. Sorry boss."
He chuckled and gave the pegasus an affectionate pat.
"I wish I could speak to horses," said Reyna. "What did he say?"
"He said 'where to?' He thought I meant we'd literally be flying somewhere."
"Oh," she said with amusement in her voice. "But what exactly did you mean though?"
"I just meant we'd figure it out as we went. Go with the flow, you know?"
"We'd just wander around without a plan? No purpose?" He could tell from her tone that the idea was foreign to her.
"I mean we'd probably come up with a plan eventually — just not now."
"That makes more sense."
"What about you, though? We find your sister, you have a happy reunion. What do you think we should do then?"
She thought for a moment. "Come up with a plan."
He laughed. They flew on in a content quiet for a while, but then he realized he'd forgotten to factor someone into his future: Jason. The man had become just as significant a part of his life as Reyna; he considered him his best friend. But it's not like he could expect him to just pal around with them wherever they went. He had his own life to live.
He leaned forward and told Blackjack to fly closer to Scipio. The pegasus obliged his request, getting as close as he could without colliding wings.
"Hey, Jason!" Percy called over.
The son of Jupiter turned his head to look at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you going to do after all this? You thought about it?" Percy asked loud enough for him to hear.
Jason only took two seconds to answer. "I'm going back to Neapoli."
Percy was completely taken aback.
Reyna must have been equally surprised, because she said, "Neapoli? Why?"
Jason shrugged. "It's where I want to be."
"What about the marriage?" Percy asked.
Jason looked to take a second before realizing what he was referring to. "You know why it was dated so far away?"
Percy shook his head.
"Because the ideal bride to my mother and Catreus was barely more than a girl. I convinced them to postpone the wedding until she was old enough to be considered an adult. I thought it'd make me feel better about the arrangement, but I think I knew even then I was never going to marry her."
Percy thought on that for a bit.
"What's waiting for you in Neapoli?" Reyna asked.
Jason smiled. "Hope."
He didn't explain any more than that, and Percy didn't feel it was his place to press the matter. His friend seemed happy, and that was enough information for him. The group proceeded onward, having no more conversations until the pegasi needed to land.