For the first time in weeks, Sally was able to sit back and take everything in. It scared her to do that though. Thinking about the fact that she had ended the life of one of the assassins was tearing her apart. The assassin was going to kill them, but did that really justify anything?

Sally sighed and sat back in her chair. She had managed to find a small library that no one seemed to go to. The owner was nice enough to allow her to sit there and just stare at nothing. It was nice to clear her mind and not think about anything.

Sally sighed and knew that she needed to get going. Clarisse and Reyna wanted to meet with her, so they could discuss what to do about the remaining assassins. Sally just didn't know why they wanted her opinion. She was a champion of Fate, but those two were the experienced ones.

After taking another minute to relax, Sally slowly stood. She thanked the librarian and walked outside. Sally looked up at the sky. Nighttime was coming, and she had probably missed dinner. Sally reached into her pocket and brushed the string that she had held onto. It was not too long that she had told Clotho that she couldn't cut the string of the general of the damned. Could she do it now?

Sally heard a noise behind her, and she slowly turned. She stared at the woman standing in front of her. Sally studied the beautiful woman in front of her: the general of the damned. The general was wearing a full set of armor, but her face was exposed. Sally didn't know if others could see the general as she did, as a mortal, but it sent a pain through her heart.

"Generals allow things to slip through the cracks," the general said. There was a bittersweet smile on her face. Her eyes moved towards the side, where all of the houses were. While it looked like she seemed lost in thought, Sally knew better. The general knew exactly where she was looking. "You aren't a general though."

"I'm not," Sally agreed. She studied the string in her hand. It belonged to Horatia Manius. The name came to Sally as a whisper, and it sent a chill down her spine. "If I cut your string, I will kill you. I can't just end a life like that again. I can't be a murderer."

"If killing someone makes one a murderer, are you not already one?" Horatia asked. She closed her eyes. "I saw you murder one of the twelve. I could feel the wandering spirit of the man you use to lay with. What is your reason for killing him?"

"To protect my son. I held no feelings for him," Sally said. She walked closer to the general. "That is different. He was more monster than man."

"And, I'm not?" Horatia asked. Her beautiful face disappeared, to show the ash that formed her body. "I have been walking this earth for too long, as this abomination. Do I not deserve to be put out of my misery?"

"The other champions can do it," Sally began. Horatia shook her head and sighed sadly. "I am going to talk to them anyway. I can tell one of them to cut your string."

"The imperator already swore that she would, after I helped her legion. Yet, here I am," Horatia said. She made a noise that sounded like a laugh, but it was full of pain. "Clarisse has not interest in helping me either. She sees me as a tool to be used."

"You and I are alike, champion," Horatia said. "We walk the same path, lost in a world that we don't know. Sally, you must ask yourself a very important question. Do you want to be an immortal? Do you want to watch everyone you love die and everything you've ever known change?"

"No," Sally answered. She looked away. "Percy and Paul are everything to me. If I were to lose one, I don't know what I would do."

"Everyone thinks that immortality is this great blessing, but they do not realize that it is a curse. All of your friends and family will die, to leave you alone. Making new relationships and getting close will only open your heart to more pain. Slowly but surely, the world around you will change, and there is nothing you can do about it," Horatia warned. She looked down. "Sally, you are not like the other champions. I ask you to free me from my curse. Please."

Sally slowly looked down at the string that she held. She had seen how Horatia was suppose to die, and that betrayal still sent shivers down her spine. How would it feel to be trapped in a small space, only able to see glimpses of the outside world? How would it feel to watch people die?

Could Sally watch Percy and Annabeth grow old, until they died? What about Paul? He would grow old without her. She would be alone, and that scared her a little. After taking a deep breath, Sally knew what she had to do. She spoke, "Thank you."

Sally slowly grabbed her sword and unsheathed it. She slowly placed her sword to the string. Sally was not a monster. She was not a murder, but the others were right. This was mercy. Sally cut the string, before she lost her nerve.

A small gasp escaped Horatia, and she stumbled backwards. Her eyes focused on Sally, and for a moment, there was such a grateful look in her eyes. Horatia spoke, "Thank you."

The ash slowly spread apart and drifted away, leaving nothing of the general of the damned. Sally felt the string crumble to dust in her hand, and she slowly let it fall to the ground. Sally sheathed her sword and turned around. A deep, tired breath left her, and she started to walk towards the houses of New Rome.

Everyone in the camp seemed to be frozen or just unafraid to take the next step. They took care of the fallen and made sure their borders were secure, but there seemed to be a standstill at Camp Jupiter. A few of the cabin leaders from Camp Half-Blood had gone back to their camp to make sure everything was secure. The Hunters of Artemis had yet to leave the camp, and they seemed to be keeping an eye on the demititans and Sixth Legion.

Sally really wished that the tension would just stop. Clarisse had been helping keep the peace, but most of her attention was on the four peacekeepers that they had to keep under guard. Almost everyone wanted to turn them over to the Olympians, but Clarisse kept telling them that the champions needed to discuss it with the Fates.

Sally made her way towards the house that Reyna was staying in. It had only been a day since Reyna finally woke up, and it didn't sound like Reyna was in the best shape. Sally walked towards the front door and knocked on it. It opened a moment later, and Arcadia studied her. The goddess nodded towards her and allowed her inside.

After a moment, Sally stepped into the house. She was surprised at the sheer amount of people around her. Three people were standing around a map, and Sally was pretty sure that they were centurions of the Sixth Legion. Arcadia walked back towards them and seemed to be studying the map with them. Reyna was laying on the couch and staring up at the ceiling. Clarisse was talking to her.

Hylla was standing a few feet off to the side with Kinzie. They were both focused on Reyna. The doctor, Avaris, walked towards Reyna and seemed to examine her leg. Reyna looked like she wanted to argue about something, but before she could say a word, Avaris pointed to the pillow that Reyna's leg was propped up on and then put a threatening finger in Reyna's face.

Reyna held up her hand and laid her head back against the couch's arm. The doctor spoke, "You are lucky that I am not keeping you trapped in the bed."

"I know," Reyna said. She looked at Sally and slowly waved a hand. Sally walked towards her fellow champions, and Clarisse grabbed an empty chair. She set it down for Sally. "How are you doing?"

"Probably better than you," Sally stated. She sat down and tried to not feel out of place. She wasn't as experienced in the world of mythology as the other two were. Clarisse slowly pulled the strings out of her pocket. She studied them.

"They don't deserve to be punished," Reyna began. "All of them felt betrayed by the gods, and most of them were. The Olympians will do horrible things to them. We just need to hand their strings over to the Fates and let them do what they please."

"I want to agree, but why do they get off with no consequences?" Clarisse asked. Reyna glanced at her. "If we hand the strings over to the Fates, will the Olympians be upset with us. You're already enemy number one for them."

"Because I've taken out everyone else on that list," Reyna muttered. She closed her eyes. "We cannot live in fear of what the Olympians might do. You should know that, Clarisse."

"I'm not the one living in fear," Clarisse stated. Reyna remained silent and opened her eyes. She glared at Clarisse. "You need all of the good faith that you can get from the Olympians. Giving them the strings will be a start."

"I'm not selling out the souls of those four peacekeepers," Reyna snapped. "They will be punished for things that are not entirely their fault. How is that fair?"

"How is it fair that they killed my friends and family?" Clarisse snapped back. "I have been thinking about this long and hard. It isn't fair that we are going to throw the peacekeepers under the bus, but life isn't fair. We have to do what we have to do. I say we give their strings to the Olympians and wash our hands of everything."

"You're stuck in your ways," Reyna muttered. Clarisse laughed, and Reyna glared once again.

"If you think I am stuck in my ways, why don't you try looking into a mirror?" Clarisse asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Sally saw that they were slowly drawing the attention of everyone in the room. This was not how their talks were suppose to go, and they couldn't keep arguing.

"It's not up to us," Sally interrupted. Both of her fellow champions looked at her. "This entire situation started because the gods took strings from the Fates. We have to set it right by giving the strings back. This isn't to appease the Olympians or to punish the peacekeepers. It's about returning things to how it should be."

"So, you're agreeing with Reyna. Fine," Clarisse said. She stood angrily and crossed. "I don't like it, but I won't fight it. If anyone asks, I didn't agree to any of this. I just went with the majority."

Clarisse looked at the strings in her hands, and she shook her head. She spoke, "Let's get this over with. Which Fate should I give it too?"

"I'll give it to Clotho," Sally stated. She looked down at the ground. Horatia's words were weighing on her mind. Sally stood and took the strings from Clarisse. "You two get some rest."

"You too," Clarisse said. She turned and left the room. Sally glanced at Reyna. After a moment, Reyna nodded towards her and waved. She laid her head back and stared at the ceiling. It seemed like there was a lot on her mind.

Sally turned and left the house without another word. As she started to walk down the road, she heard a noise beside her. Sally turned her head and looked at Clotho.

"Mercy often differs from what we think," Clotho stated. She made a face that looked like it was trying to be a smile. "When you cut the general's string, you gave her a mercy she has not felt in a very long time."

"It doesn't make me feel any better," Sally admitted. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Horatia warned me about the fact that I would see my friends and family die. Everything that I knew would disappear, as an immortal. Is that true?"

"Everything changes," Clotho stated. Sally looked down, knowing that it was the truth. She just needed someone else to tell her that. "Do you have seconds thoughts?"

"I know that your champions before were mortal, but I was made an immortal. Why?" Sally questioned. "What makes me different?"

"They are all offered the chance at immortality. Most have turned it down, or they did something that forced me to take their immortality away," Clotho explained. "My sisters are more lenient than I am when it comes to what they are willing to tolerate."

"When some of your champions turned down the chance for immortality, did they lose their position? Did anything else happen to them?" Sally questioned. Clotho laughed slightly.

"No. Of course not," Clotho replied. "They only lost their position when they died. My champions have always been closer to life than the others. They always seem to respect it more. My champions see how precious and fleeting life is. How precious is it to you?"

"Enough to be your champion and help whoever I can," Sally answered. She closed her eyes. "But not enough to be immortal. I can't outlive my son. I won't. I hope you can respect that."

"I can," Clotho said. She placed a hand to Sally's shoulder and gave her a knowing look. "I will remove your immortality. You will still remain my champion, if you want."

"I want to remain your champion," Sally stated. She smiled at the Fate and then closed her eyes. It felt like there was a small pop in her chest, and it also felt like a great weight was lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you, Clotho."

"I should be thanking you," Clotho said, but she didn't elaborate onn why. The Fate held out a hand, and Sally handed her the four strings. Clotho almost seemed to recoil, but she slowly grabbed the strings. "You made the correct choice. The Olympians would have done terrible things to them. It is time for them to rest."

Sally nodded and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, Clotho was gone. Sally let out a tired breath. Spending the rest of her mortal life helping out demigods sounded like a worthy endeavor, and she would be able to see Paul more. A life without him was not one she wanted to live. A life without Percy was one where she could not live, and Sally knew that Percy or Paul could die anytime. That was the beauty of life though. No one ever knew what would happen, and for Sally, that was fine. She was ready to live out her life, no matter what happened.