Through Brier and Bramble We Walked

by VariegatedShrubbery

In the midst of the build up for the Second Giant War, a strange set of circumstances ushers in the arrival of new heroes that should provide a boon for Olympus in the coming days. Yet, not everything is as it seems and secrets are afoot, with some possibly serving as a catalyst to a disaster far great than any Giant could pose

3. Chapter 3

Camp Jupiter

Earlier that Day

To say that the beginning of Alec's weekend had been anything but interesting would be a gross understatement. Not that he was complaining, as anything was seemingly better than being stuck under the oppressive sun of a California summer in full armor, doing nothing but counting the number of red cars that passed byt for twelve hours. It was a vain attempt at keeping awake during those long day shift hours, and it barely worked. He could only thank the Gods that he had been spared from the monotony of the night shift, though at least they weren;t subject to the heat of the day. Instead they got to deal with an uptick in monster activity. Something that was particularly dangerous in the past few weeks as monsters refused to become dust in the wind, and stuck around like extended family after the holidays. Which was to say that they were unwelcome. At the very least, his shitty guard detail had allowed him to get involved in the great mystery of Camp Jupiter's newest resident stranger. Oh, and what a stranger he was.

The memory of a singular guy, beaten what could only be halfway to death, standing toe to toe with a Cyclopes, let alone tree of the ugly bastards was something that had yet to fade from his mind. And he knew it was definitely something that Frank would be unable to forget. The guy was probably still gushing about the encounter to a particular curly haired Legionnaire as he spoke. At least the guy was enjoying his well earned time off. If anything he wondered why he didn't have the same luxury as the early morning events flashed through his head on repeat like a broken record. Of course, he knew deep down. It was because he had to be the one lucky enough to be stuck out on patrol when all of it had gone down. It was just like his Centurion always scolded him for being in the center of whatever was going down. Whether it was a fight with another Cohort, a disagreement with a Lars or a Faun, or simply getting caught doing something like being out past curfew or late to a morning formation, it was always he who showed up in the office. If it weren't for the fact Dakota, the Centurion in question, saw something in him, which we had no idea what it was, he probably would've been kicked from the Legion long ago. It didn't help him with his comrades that he was one of the main reasons that the Fifth still had it's reputation being dragged through the mud.

His little escapade with Spear-Guy and his three Gods-Ugly buddies just the newest addition to a long line of offensives that were sure to give the Fifth cause for mocking and rumors at dinner, and just another reason for another fight to be notched onto his belt. He joked silently to himself that he was going to need a new belt at this rate to continue recording the scuffles he got into with his fellow Children of Rome as Lupa had put it to him all those years ago. Still six years left before he could get himself out of this mess he involuntarily joined. Go for one romp in the woods and get sucked into a strange militia straight out of the first century. Just his luck he would muse his first few months with the Legion. Still, just discovering the odd guy wouldn't really be too much of a cause for worry all things considered. New recruits were a common occurrence in New Rome, and he had seen at least a good fifty or so arrive in his few years with the Legion. Apparently something had changed after that fateful battle on Mount Othrys, though what it was he had no idea nor were the Gods willing to tell. Which was typical he might add. Regardless it had boosted the numbers of the Legion greatly following the desertions and death during that war with the Titans. The Spear-Guy, while old for a recruit, shouldn't have been anything too out of the ordinary. Hell, people as young as ten had come through, what would an eighteen year old really change?

A lot, apparently, was the answer he got as he carried the guy back through a tunnel from the outside world to the edges of Camp Jupiter. The guy was already a few years older and a few inches taller than him, and despite his lack of armor still seemed to weigh as much as Frank did. Something he had the unfortunate luxury of knowing all too well from several previous war games. It was only natural that Dakota would pick the biggest guy in each team to topple over dead just to give the guys an extra workout. He could respect it, but it didn't mean he found it enjoyable. Originally he wanted Frank to carry the guy, seeming as he was more than large enough to carry their new friend, but with the threat of at least one Cyclopes probably trying to get some revenge, they decided it was probably better to have the stronger guy stay behind. Alec, however, would've preferred fighting off one, hell, all three of the Cyclopes, instead of being a part of what was about to happen as they entered Camp Jupiter proper.

Sure, there were no Cyclopes chasing them, which was weird in of itself, but it didn't give them any reason to slow down as they barollwe down towards the Little Tiber that marched the line being salvation and death, or freedom and enslavement depending on who you would ask. Though few would admit much less vocalize the former. He had crossed the river proper several times. A few of those he had been in a similar situation to his own, carrying some unconscious or injured new prospect across it's cool gentle flow, though they usually weren't as heavy, old, or beat up as his current passenger. Other times, he had simply waded in it when his feet would become hot and blistered after a particularly long march or run around the city or simply because he was in a rush to get to his guard post at the tunnel and didn't have time to deal with the bridge. It was usually the latter. As they grew closer and closer to the shore his body instinctively began to lean forward, prepared for the initial resistance of running into the river and an attempt to maintain his balance. However, it provided the opposite effect, as when he reached the point where the water began he felt no sudden cool relief of the river, for running in armor in the heat had certainly taken its toll, and instead simply fell face first into a pile of small smooth stones he recognized as the bottom of the river. The guy he had been carrying on his back flew off and landed in the dead center of the river, releasing an audible groan as he got a mouthful of gravel, but besides that didn't move.

It took a minute for Alec to realize why he wasn't soaked up to his waist in water, or more accurately, why he was completely dry and his new friend lay unmoving at the bottom of a river, also completely dry. The river itself was gone. Well, that wasn't quite right, as rather than gone it had separated. On either side of the duo the river continued to flow as if nothing had happened, save for the fact that a good six foot wide portion had been removed, simply as if cut away by a knife if the perfectly smooth and flat edges of the river said anything about it. He could only look around stunned at his current predicament as more and more spectators began to gather around the edges of the river, some gasping, most pointing and a few with visibly worried and distressed look on their faces. One he recognized immediately as his own Centurion; Dakota. He could already tell how his next conversation with the man was to go down and he didn't look forward to it in the least bit. It was not going to be a fun situation to explain, how he had brought in a total stranger to the Legion and somehow caused the mighty Tiber to cut himself in half. Dakota had jokingly told him he had likely pissed off more than a few Gods with the way he cursed after finding out about the plans to assault the Titan Stronghold, but now he seemingly had gone and actually pissed off a God. Sure, it wasn't as bad as say Jupiter, but he'd rather not have to worry about drowning every time he tried to go to guard duty. On the bright side, there was that slight chance he may be relieved of such a duty because of this very incident.

Regardless, for a long while all he could do was simply stare at the motionless form of his friend laying in the sand and gravel, the only one seemingly carrying about the guy while the rest were focused on the split River. He couldn't blame them. If the guy stood up and declared himself the incarnation of Moses then and there on the spot, he'd probably seriously reconsider his faith, just as he had when he first found out about the Roman Gods from his late mother. He was never very religious to begin with, but being told any Gods were real and you were related to them was certainly not something anyone could take without their views on the world shifting in a big way. Especially when you learn that the Sun is actually some guy in a chariot. His stupor didn't last long as the large form of Frank brought up the rear, obviously still too pumped up with the high-speed to even begin registering the strange actions taking place all around him. For once, he could admire that straight-forward very Roman part of Frank. Even if it usually got on his nerves when he wanted to sneak out to grab some food or go to a certain spot on Temple-Hill. He could only watch as Frank ran through the small valley in the river, scooping up the unconscious guy and carrying him like a professional running back to the other side.

As this happened the river began to fizzle and stir like it too was boiling in the summer heat. The waves churned like they were distraught and angry. No angry wasn't the right word. They were scared. He pondered on it for a moment before realizing that the two walls of water were rapidly closing on where he began to register in his mind. It may have been water, but he grew up on the coast and knew just how dangerous it could be when a lot of fast moving water crashed down on top of something. Throwing himself to his feet and putting as much strength as possible into it, he began to clamber out of the bottom of the valley, nearly tripping himself again several times. Just when he felt he was about to make it all the way out he felt a heavy pressure crack down on his ankle as he floundered out to the edge of the shore, panting heavily. He didn't even need to look down to know his ankle had been sprained, the pain coursing through his leg all too familiar to him. All he could do was let out a loud groan as he held his head in his hands. The pain, however, only got worse when as he pulled himself to his feet did he see a certain Centurion with a devious smile plastered on his unnaturally bright red lips staring him down. It was then he knew it was going to be a long day.

At Present

It would certainly not disappoint him as a small piece of Ambrosia was more or less stuffed down his throat and he was led away towards the all so famous building on a hill that held a certain young woman and her two dogs. He wasn't even given a chance to bind his ankle, though he already felt the pain leaving him, as he was ushered away by Dakota in one arm and another Legionnaire in the other. He knew what awaited him at that place and he was certainly not looking forward to it. Last he was there it had been a royal ass chewing from both his Centurion and the leader of the whole machine they called Camp Jupiter; Praetor Reyna. The two did not have the best relationship, starting from when he first arrived and accidentally humiliated in front of his entire Cohort and more recently when he broke the plumbing to the central bathhouse and had been stuck on Guard Duty near constantly ever since. He could only wonder what was to happen now. Maybe he'd finally be relieved of his Duties in the Legion, or forced to be a Gladiator until the day he died. At least he could finally get away from the hot California summers for a while.

What followed was a tense twenty minute conversation that seemed to drag on for the entirety of the afternoon. Usually when a new recruit arrived they'd be forced to give their story before the Praetor, to be judged and to make sure that they would be able to serve the Legion properly. A Cohort would claim them and someone would sponsor them so they could begin their journey to become yet another shield among the sea of soldiers in the Legion. Seeing that the new prospect in question was unconscious and undergoing treatment for what he had been told was a myriad of wounds, the arrow seemingly not being the only one, such a task had befallen the shoulders of the next best thing. That being Alec, the only one available to relate the epic tale. Apparently Frank had found himself too busy helping the medics deal with the injured guy and shoring up the defenses in the wake of reports of Cyclopes so close to the borders. He silently cursed the luck of his good friend.

Explaining how he had fought three Cyclopes and somehow gained the upper hand was a hurdle to deal with, but it would be the easier of the two. It was a rarity, sure, but the children on Mars and Bellona were well known to be plenty strong, the Praetor sitting in front of him and a prime example, and furthermore how the children of the Big Three had plenty of strength of their own. One didn't need to look further than the former Praetor, Jason, having defeated a Titan of all things. But assuming this guy was a child of the Big Three, much less one that was older than any they knew of, looking to be about eighteen or so, was a new can of worms that no one seemed ready to open till the guy in question woke up again. That left the other elephant in the room. The fact of how the Little Tiber had reacted when they had tried to cross it with the mystery guy. As far as he knew, no blood of the Sea God, thank the Gods, was present in either himself nor Frank. As for the other guy, they couldn't really say. He could still visibly remember her reaction.

"What do you mean the river Split?"

"It is as he says, Praetor. When the two of them approached, the River instantly parted...and they fell face first into it." Answered a certain Centurion hiding a chuckle poorly

"Is this true?"

"Yes, Ma'am. It just sort of wasn't there when I tried to cross and as a result I ate shit."

She just shook her head in annoyance.

"Any reason you can think of for this? Dakota? Alec?" He could taste the disdain in her voice at his name. He could only smile ever so slightly at it.

"Could...Could he be a Son or Legacy of Neptune...?" Dakota half asked, half stated.

No boom of Thunder Echoed up above, surprisingly, just causing the room to tense even more. It looked as if Reyna was about to refute the claim, but eventually decided whatever she was about to say would probably not help the situation and instead just closed her mouth. The two sitting across from her simply exchanged looks of confusion. As an uncomfortable silence filled the room, Alec took it upon himself to speak up. Why he did, he still wasn't sure.

"Maybe he pissed off the River."

"Huh?" Dakota snorted.

"Continue..." urged the Praetor for some reason that was lost on him.

"Well, when I watched the River come back together it was forceful, but looked relieved. I don't know how to describe it. But I doubt even the Tiber would risk pissing off any descendant of Neptune. If anything He seemed happy that the guy left."

For a moment there was nothing as the faces of the Praetor and Centurion devolved into contemplative expressions, the skin on their faces scrunching together as they squinted at the floor and ceiling, respectively, attempting to glean some information from the inside of the building. Eventually it was Reyna who spoke.

"I will have to consult the Augury about this matter." She looked none too pleased about that. "For now, Legionnaire Alec will be assigned as part of a revolving security detail around our new prospect."

For the briefest of moments he felt that nagging feeling in the back of his mind he had first experienced when he had locked eyes with the Spear-Guy. He wanted to voice his concerns once more, but a flick of the hand from the Praetor ushered him out before he even got the chance too. And the whole way back to the Hospital where it said his new friend resides he couldn't shake the feeling that something was not what it seemed. But in the end it wasn't his main concern at the moment.

That concern was attempting not to fall asleep in the brightly lit up building that stood as New Rome's premiere medical facility. It was a Sunday and therefore it was his second day on shift. A system of twelve hours on and then another twelve off had been decided between himself and Frank as well as a handful of other guards. Notably was a certain curly haired Legionnaire, a child of Apollo who's name he couldn't remember and served as the secondary medic, and legacy of Venus who he had met in the Legion about two years ago. The two weren't as close as he and Frank, but he had known him for a good while, and that was good enough to keep him in on the details. They got out of Dakota's training from hell for a little while, which was an additional plus, and probably the only reason the two had joined him. He, of course, already knew why Hazel, the curly haired Legionnaire had joined up with them, and it certainly wasn't to get out of training with Dakota. Currently he was on his third or fourth shift, he couldn't remember as it had been a blur of sitting in a bright room listening to the rhythmic beeping of medical equipment and then sleeping on a rigid cot in a separate room for the other half. They hadn't been able to even go back to their own rooms, Reyna in all her infinite wisdom as Praetor claiming that they needed everyone present should the patient wake up. What five low-level Legionnaires were expected to do against a guy who had held off Cyclops by himself should he try to escape, he could only guess.

The only source of entertainment he had available to him in the room was an older son of Apollo, somewhere in his late Twenties, who had been placed in-charge of this particularly difficult patient. Though at current all he was doing was occasionally checking the various monitors hooked up to the guy, curtsy of a former Legion member. He had attempted to talk to the man at first, but after roughly two days of non-stop conversation the Doctor who loved the Legion and the troublemaker who was only biding his time to get out had lost what little they had to talk about. Instead the doc just continued reading his book and doing his hourly checks on the guy while Alec simply studied the guy laying in front of him. Now that he was no longer hopped up on adrenaline and the guy in question wasn't in a fight of his life, he could study his features a little better. His rich auburn colored hair, tanned and rugged skin peppered with the occasional lighter marking of a scar, and a toned build, even visible under his hospital gown. And then there were those pale golden eyes. Even though the guy had his eyes shut, asleep as the doc had put it, he couldn't get those eyes out of his head. How piercing and unnatural they had looked, and how they seemed to look right through him, only focused on the door. There was a wild untamed power resting in those eyes, he was sure of it. Those eyes that were all too familiar as that creeping nagging feeling flooding into his mind once more. Before he had a chance to reflect on it, the doors of the room flew open to relieve the familiar form of the Praetor, flanked on either side by her mechanical dogs.

Like the well oiled machines that were her guard dogs, himself and the Doc instantly shot up to their feet in a typical salute, despite the fact that the Doctor was no longer an official legionnaire, as Alec had come to learn from one of their first conversations. He was not a lifer despite his seemingly great devotion to the Legion, but everyone has their reasons he guessed with a shrugging of his shoulders at the time. While the Doctor remained standing to address the Praetor, he simply returned to his seat, intent on listening in on the conversation going on. Nothing better was going on after all.

"I hope you have some news for me, Doc?" She flashed a weak smile his way, ignoring Alec who was in the corner completely. Not that he minded.

"I guess you could say that. The Patient is definitely stabilizing. We had originally given him the basic dose of Ambrosia, but he took to it well so we upped it..." he trailed off.

"So he's a Demi-God then?"

The Son of Apollo nodded his head slowly.

"But that's not all? Is it?" She added.

A sigh from the Doctor escaped. "Yes. While he took a full dosage his body is still reacting to it negatively. He's pushing a high fever and is having light spasms. Ambrosia is doing its job, his wounds are healing well enough, but his reaction is strange. I've only seen this when dealing with an overdose, but he's surprisingly stable..."

Alec watched as the Praetor's brow furrowed and she pinched the bridge of her nose, releasing a long sigh in the process.

"Moving past that, have you figured out what is actually wrong with him?"

"Ah yes, it's extreme over exertion. Whatever this young man did, he pushed his body a bit too far. Strained and ripped muscles, torn nerves, stressed joints, the whole shebang so to say."

"Makes sense. I read the report; encounter with Cyclops. A miracle he's still alive to be honest. Could've pulled on his authority more than he should've and thrown his body out of order. I've seen you do it before, Doc." She smirked at that, but the Doc's face only grew darker.

"Well...you see, Praetor, from what I can tell, a majority of the damage occurred before he encountered the Cyclopes. Or at the very least, earlier than Friday."

"What are you trying to suggest, Doctor?" There was a deathly serious note in her voice.

"From what I can tell, the majority of the damage happened around when he received the arrow wound." He pointed towards the only visible major wound on the guy; a large wrapping of white bandages around his middle calf on the right side. "But that was at least three days before he encountered the Cyclopes, or rather, before he landed in our hands."

A silence filled the room, and even Alec was not immune to the heavy weight that had fallen like a weighted blanket on the shoulders of all present. For a brief while they all stood still, just staring at the unconscious teen laying on the bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest and the peaceful look on his face. He was serene and relaxed, Alec could tell as much, and was not the face he expected to belong to a man who had fought three Cyclopes and given him such a look that could give the Praetor a run for her money when it came to scowling at people. After a few minutes it was the Doctor who restarted the conversation, albeit on a completely different topic.

"Has the Augury been able to divine anything from the young man? Like a heritage or anything of the like? If we knew we could possibly help him recover quicker...And perhaps gain some answers."

The Praetor just shook her head.

"We finally managed to drive away the birds from Temple-Hill, but the Gods are being oddly silent about this according to Octavian. We even tried going to the Temple of Neptune! But not so much as a clap of thunder or a rustling wind was heard. Just the calling of birds from distant trees and hills."

"That is most unfortunate. I'm afraid then, that you'll simply have to wait till the poor lad wakes up."

"And how long should that take?"

The Doctor stroked the loose stubble on his chin before answering, "Could be a day, could be a week. It's hard to tell. It's a small miracle the kid's still alive if you ask me, much less that he was able to walk his way over to Camp."

"Fine, fine." She sounded incredibly tired. "Is there anything else to report, Doctor?"

"No." He replied quickly, not bothering to look at her, but a growl from one of the mechanical dogs caused both the Doctor and himself to jump. He knew full well the power of those Dogs, as it was one he was often on the receiving end of. Surely the Doctor himself knew this as well, and as to why he had chosen to lie was beyond him. Then again, as a fellow liar, perhaps he was being a fair bit too quick to judge another.

"Doctor Matthias Olivian, care to explain what information you're withholding from a Praetor of New Rome." It was surely supposed to be a question if it flowed out like a shower of cold water and felt more like a command than a statement or question.

Alec could watch as the Doctor's shoulders visibly slumped and a grey paler as he reached into one of the many drawers beside the patient's bed and withdrew a finely wrapped piece of cloth. Slowly and deliberately he began to unwind it as if it helped some precious family treasure and he was afraid to drop it. It hadn't dawned on him at the time, but the Doctor had perhaps wanted to delay the exposure of whatever was inside the cloth as long as possible. There was also the possibility that he was afraid of what would happen when the item in question was revealed. But he took focus on watching the show before him to actually care. It wasn't every day he got to witness someone else trying to pull a fast one on the Praetor, rather than simply being himself. After a few moments he finished, holding half the shaft and an arrow in his hand, most of the remaining wood caked in dry blood. The arrow-head was still intact and was similarly covered in a thick coating of dried blood, but there was another color mixed in there as well; a beautiful and brilliantly bright silver color that instantly brought forth pictures of the moon to his mind. There was something oddly familiar there with the coloring of the arrow but before he had a chance, the Praetor answered for him.

"The Hunters of Diana...That arrow belongs to them..." She drawdled on.

Doc only nodded. If it was possible for the Praetor to look more agitated and tired, it certainly showed on her face which had darkened to a complexion not unlike that of a storm cloud.

"Hah, well, seeing as you were trying to protect myself, the patient, and the Legion I'll allow this to slide it time. But don't try to do such a thing again, Doctor. Just inform me if and when he wakes."

He nodded slowly. And with that the Praetor hurried out the door just as quickly as she had entered, the whole exchange taking no more than perhaps fifteen minutes, but feeling infinitely longer than that. Though as she left through the doors, Alec could swear he heard her mutter something under her breath along the lines of,

Just what have we gotten ourselves involved in now...

The scene was one that was eerily familiar to him, deathly so. He could close his eyes and imagine it at ease, and it was for that reason that he was sure it was no doubt a dream. He may have normally just ignored it, not because it was a painful memory, but because it was the beginning of a painful series of events. And he'd seen the scene many times before his dreams both day and night, yet seeing as it had been at least three days, he'd lost track after the encounter with the Hunters and was unsure how long he was asleep at the time, since he had actually had any decent sleep, he elected it'd be better to go along for the ride in his memory than to fight it and ruin his calm rest. There was also the fact that while he could think, he knew full well that his body was completely dead. At least this time he couldn't feel his numb limbs and stunted senses from the encounter in the clearing back in on the coast. Whatever coast that was, he didn't know.

The grass was just as soft and green as it had been all the years ago. It was a beautiful and rich emerald color that shined brightly in the afternoon's sun, and despite it's brilliance it was just as soft on the eyes as it was on his bare-feet. The earth there was soft and like mud it seemed cool and molded around his feet, leaving small indents on the ground with each step. Surprising it was as the patch of land was on the edge of a rocky cliff looking over an equally rocky shoreline below made up of little besides sheer rock as the cliff face dropped straight into the deep, cold, rich blue hue of the sea softly lapping against the walls of the cliff. Occasionally a large wave would hit and send up a light spray of water, white and pure like the puffy clouds that gently roamed the sky above like sheep seemingly without a care in the world. Off to either side of the cliff face, for where he stood was a small jetty pushing out in the sea, were much of the same terrain, with soft rolling hills of a familiar green seemingly extending off infinitely in the distance, their tops just scrapping the undersides of a lay cloud gliding overhead. The sun burned brightly like a torch high above the sky and a soft breeze ruffled the tops of the grass ever so slightly making them dance a tune in the sun's gaze. Across the moors the occasional blob of grey darkness rolled across the green field like a fish swimming in a pond as a cloud passed by the sun above. It was serene in every definition of the word, and completely peaceful, devoid of any unnecessary sights, sounds, or smell. It was as if the Earth herself had decided to put on a show of all her splendor in the seemingly random spot in the world, but he, or rather the boy he was watching stand at the end of the cliff, didn't think much differently of it. He was too focused on something else, after all.

It was a sudden transformation, and a drastic one at once. Without warning the entire sky went dark and like a wave the darkness rolled across the small valley, starting out over the ocean and rolling it's way into the plains, crossing them with unparalleled speed and ease before scaling up the top of the mountains and disappearing over the horizon. At the same time the features of the land began to become dulled as the brightness of the sun was swallowed up by darkness, much like the land. Instantly the emerald green grass was a dark shade like that of a deep sea, but with none of the beauty associated with it. A strong wind pressed through the valley with force enough to press the grasses nearly flat, breaking their once graceful dances into little more than an exaggerated game of limbo as they bent nearly where the blades emerged from the earth below. And with this wind the temperature around the cliff face instantly dropped at once by at least ten degrees, and what was at first a wonderful spring warmth now felt like the bitter nipping of an autumn afternoon. The waves that were peaceful had begun to grow in size and power till nearly every wave that collided with the face of the cliffs sent up a spray of light grey mist which crashed over the edge and catching a ride on the passing wind fell about the edges of the plains, soaking the grass and the boy standing there with each passing moment. Still though in the face of all this the boy did not stir and instead seemed to strengthen his resolve as he stood facing the cause of the sudden shift.

There across the bay, just edging ever so slightly towards the cliff and the plains stood a massive storm front, the upper layers of which had already blotted out the sun from the land. It was a massive swirling mass of light and dark greys which rose without any rhyme or reason from just above the sea itself all the way up to the sky to the point that if he was laying on his back he still would barely even be able to see where they leveled out. A massive wall of grey stood definitely out on the water, and everything below it's massive skirt was a pure darkness which made it impossible to see how far back the clouds reached and where they collided at the horizon. Only the occasional arc of bright blue light on the underside gave a hint towards what was going on below the clouds when the sea became visible for a brief moment and a terrible roaring like a divine beast roared out. Another and another followed these calls as their leashes of blue carried them across the underside of the massive titan of a cloud that soared above them. It was a summer storm in every instance of the word; sudden, powerful, and unexpected. The peaceful day was gone and this had taken its place. Though it had yet to reach the cliff and the plains beyond, already he could sense the heavy downpour of rain ringing out under the skirt of the storm and pelting the sea like a hail of bullets, the sea not even shrugging as more and more power was added to it's powerful swells which continued to assault the proud cliffs some distance away from the storm.

But, this wasn't any normal storm, not by a long shot. He of course already knew, since it was his dream, but even still at the time of it's happening he had known such already. It only became more apparent when a large mass of dark clouds, darker than the rest and even more so than the underskirt of the storm itself, being as black as the sky on a moonless night, emerged from the wall of swirling grey at the edge of the storm. At the same moment two large chains of golden lighting burst forth from above the swirling mass of darkness and struck at the upper halves of the ball. Normally it would have simply continued to wind its way through the remainder of the storm before dissipating, but the lightning instead collapsed in on itself forming two crackling orbs of lightning that continue to flicker as the electricity in them swirled around like the storm they emerged from. Then another large blast of lightning wound it's way down the face of the storm just below the nearly formed head looking cloud, etching the loose shape of a torso against the canvas of the storm, and from within it emerged more dark clouds to fill up what was clearly the remainder of the body that had been traced, including a large arm. All in all, it was easily taller than any mountain the boy had ever seen, and was several houses, no boats tall. Slowly the head with the lightning for eyes turned to address the only other form still remaining around the storm; himself, or rather the younger him still standing at the cliff, someone resisting the immense pressure of the storm ahead of him. Addressing the young boy, a clap of thunder rang out so loud it was as if a thousand bolts of lightning had landed all around him, and he watched as his younger self nearly tumbled to the ground, having to take a knee. It almost sounded as if the storm was laughing. He was sure it had been thinking back on it.

In the next moment he watched as the long arm of the storm reached out towards the edge of the cliff. It's palm was up and lighting crackled over the surface, causing it to appear white though it was still stormy, and served as a sharp contrast to the remainder of the storm body. It still swirled and cracked, shifting ever so slightly with the winds and the remainder of the clouds, or altering itself as a new bolt of lightning arced down it's body and reshaped some minor imperfection caused by the storm. As the hand drew closer his younger self regained his foot and now sat staring at the outreached hand and the form that was several hundred times his size laying just beyond. Even a single finger of the storm-cloud thing was at least triple his height and twice as thick. The hand could've easily crushed him, that was if the lightning didn't turn his body into a pile of charred ash first that was. However, he didn't move and the hand simply rested at the base of the cliff, the electricity from it's fingers searing the edges of the cliff and causing them to turn black. All he could do was sit back and calmly watch as his younger self approached the upturned palm, lightning arcing along the ground all around him, to simply step onto the palm of the hand as another torrent of thunder rumbled across the land. Definitely laughter this time.

And with that the sight faded as his vision was once again replaced with white like he had been hit by a flashbang. Or better yet, take a blast of lightning to the face. Could be true to the dream he just had was what he mused to himself. It was then he heard it; the soft, distant voice of a...woman? calling for him. It was calm and smooth, but there was an undeniable hint of pride and command in her voice that he simply couldn't deny. It was faint at first and he couldn't quite hear it well, but suddenly it became all too clear;

"Ah, poor, foolish boy. You could never avoid trouble, could you?"

There was a sadness in her voice that made him squirm, despite the fact he was still unconscious. It was familiar, but his mind was foggy and nothing but pure virgin light did appear in his eyes. No scene of the past or present and if the speaker had a physical form, she didn't let it be known. Perhaps that's why she sounded so far away he mused.

"I can see you're still tired, but you've slept long enough for now."

So she could see him? He wondered to no one but himself. Before he had a chance to protest he felt a wave of soreness rush over his body, one all too familiar to his last rude awakening. At least this time as his eyes flickered open there wasn't a series of bows notched with arrows and aimed square at his chest. Instead he found his arms bound with rope to an old cot, a strange looking tile ceiling and a small tube sticking out of his arm that basically confirmed he was in fact in a hospital.

Maybe I actually got hit by one of those cars he thought to himself. But that wouldn't explain the bindings on his wrists and ankles. There was also the case of the two strange guys dressed like Roman soldiers that he was sure he tackled, or at the very least, fell onto. Before he had a chance to ponder further he locked eyes with a familiar form still dressed in Roman armor, though without his helmet as he could clearly see the large smirk plastered across his face.

"Hey, you're finally awake. Have a good nap?"

All he could do was draw up a weak smirk across his face.

"Well, it's nice not to have someone trying to kill me as soon as I wake up for once."

The boy only beamed as he turned to face the other end of the room.

"I wouldn't count yourself out so fast..."

Before he could answer, the doors of the room burst open as a girl about his own age streamed into the room in a purple shirt and tow large, mechanical dogs at her heels. Her face was tired and flushed as if she had just woken up and there was a determination in her eyes he knew all too well.

Oh, this is not going to be a fun one he thought, his smile wavering the tiniest of bits as she drew closer.

Camp Half-Blood Proper

At first the schedule at camp had been a hard one to follow with all the wake up times and activities that were crammed into a day that one would have thought was likely to burst open at the slightest jiggle. There was also the issue of having to corral and deal with a whole host of teenagers who seemed much more focused on making sure they could cause the old marble statues in museums to blush than actually being anywhere on time. Even meals would be sacrificed if it meant a few more moments to perfect their own personal masterpieces, which were in turn themselves to the surprise of no one. Apparently beauty eating was a foreign concept to these people. But by and by she had gotten used to it and rose to the challenge of what it meant to be the Councillor of her cabin. She was at least thankful for the fact that wrangling around the Hermes cabin with all of it's thievery and pranking was not her job and she actually pitied the poor fools in charge of it, thought she'd never say so out loud. She would've never made it, however, if it weren't for the people like Annabeth, Jason, and the other accepting members of the Camp. Thus when it came up that someone needed to lead around the two newest members of the camp. Perhaps Jason would've been better, seeing as they were likely Roman, but she wanted a chance to help. The others were much too busy prepping the Argo II and she was left with little else to do as the day of their departure pressed ever closer.

It was going well at first. The girl with the pale skin and even paler eyes, Elin was her name, had been easy enough to deal with. She was talkative and surprisingly knowledgeable for someone who was apparently the same age as her. She had been a native of Maine, and while never having been to New York she had said she passed through it several times on trips with her family. To wear, she never really explained, simply referring to it as 'West' but she felt no need to press. Conversation was enough for her, and seeing her grounded was nice. She even took interest in some of the tales about her Grandfather, though for the life of her, the Daughter of Aphrodite couldn't remember how they ever got on the topic. Elin was talking, and though she listened, she preferred to keep the conversation going herself. She treated it as a small fire she was worried would become extinguished at any moment, and didn't take kindly to when the conversation would die down, the natural course of the topic running through and leaving them to walk through the woods between the cabins with little else besides the sound of other campers and nymphs talking and fighting among one another. It had lasted all of an hour before they arrived at the Demeter Cabin. Instantly there had been a click when the pale girl saw the small garden they were raising. She rushed there and began assaulting the resident keeper and leader of the cabin, Katie, to a barrage of questions about all the plants, most of which went far over her own head, but Katie seemed happy enough to answer and possibly have another member added to her family.

The two girls were hitting it off well, especially when Elin removed her shoes to walk in the Garden with Katie who had done the same, and plants began to sprout up from under her toes while the soil seemed to darken and become moist. She had heard of a green thumb before, but never something like green feet or toes. Katie seemed elated and even though no sign appeared above her head, strangely, she was at that moment more or less claimed by the Daughter of Demeter, regardless of what the Gods may say at a later date. The young pale girl was basically dragged away by her to show the rest of the members of her Cabin, forgetting to put on their shoes, and causing a trail of freshly crown moss and flowers to leave a trail across the center of camp, much to the strange looks of the others. That, however, left her alone with the second girl; Tanya. Unlike her friend, she was far from a talker. Sure, she listened and would shake or nod her head where appropriate, but most of her responses were either grunts or monosyllabic answers causing Piper to frown. The girls were so different both in appearance and demeanor. One was jovial, talkative and walked around the Camp like she had been there all her life, smiling and taking in the sights. The other clung to her like a small animal, refusing to make eye contact or even look at the various people that passed by her. At every cabin she would hold her head low and stare at her feet or something else in the distance. She wasn't rude, but just seemed to not like interacting. This girl was about her age, but she seemed to act like she was so much younger. It was like a ten or eleven year old who was walking to school alone for the first time, untrusting of her surroundings. It made her want to protect the young girl.

Yet, despite her best efforts, nothing caught the young girl's attention. Unlike Elin, she didn't immediately take with anything, nor did any of the activities around camp interest her. She did decent at the Archery range, getting encouraging words from a child of Apollo. Will was his name? She wasn't sure as they all looked kind of similar. At the lava wall she nearly got burned to a crisp and refused to go out on the lake in the canoe for some reason, which she couldn't fathom. She had a decent talent with the sword, much to the applause of the Ares Cabin, saying they would take her in if no one claimed her. What they say in the light skinned, dark haired girl who refused to meet their eyes that could spark interest from the same cabin of Clarisse of all people, she couldn't imagine and quickly excused her from the area. None of the Cabin's themselves were able to take to her like Elin. No magical powers of growth, no sense for beauty, though she would admit using the remainder of her cabin for dips didn't seem to suit the girl and she respected that. She was almost desperate enough to take her to Hera's Cabin, just on the whim that perhaps there might have been some crazy scandal on Olympus and now she existed. Despite that, no luck with any of the Big Three nor the original twelve Olympians. Even the minor gods offered little help. Hecate's kids thought she had potential after she was able to lightly effect the Mist, but the girl shied away as soon as she performed the feat much to the dismay of the magic users who thought they found more kin. Elin had joked that Tanya liked to sleep but even Clovis could tell she wasn't her brother when she didn't instantly pass out upon entering the Cabin, which was probably a good thing.

The sun began to dip from the sky and move towards the horizon, meaning it was probably a bit after three o'clock. All day had been spent wandering the camp and even she was beginning to become spent from all the talking they had done. It felt like a club day at school when everyone and their mother would come out with signs and posters attempting to recruit someone new into their ranks, and she frankly wasn't exactly enjoying the thought. Just when it seemed like they were out of options and would be forced to return back to await a hopeful response the Gods, which she hoped to avoid given how she could just see the poor girl having trouble fitting in with Hermes kids, a familiar mess of red curly hair like shining copper poker its head out of a small cave. How could she have been so stupid and forgotten about her.

"Oh Piper, nice to see you." Chimed the newly arrived redhead, her face alive with a bright smile like the sun.

"Rachel, it's good to see you too!" She paused for a moment, pulling the form of Tanya closer. The girl was shorter than both of them by an inch on Piper and a few on the redhead called Rachel. "And this is Tanya, one of the campers who arrived last night."

Rachel beamed, "Annabeth came by and told me about you! It's a pleasure, I'm Rachel an-"

"A Sooth" cut in Tanya mid sentence.

Piper could only stare on at the girl eyes wide. It was the first words she had said all day that were anything beyond, 'hello', 'yes', 'no', or 'thank you'. She was so surprised that it took her a moment to register what was said. A Sooth? what was that supposed to be she wondered. She could only look on at the girl in stupper as she wondered what the meant, though Rachel seemed to take it in stride, simply smiling at the girl as they made eye contact. It was the first time she had seen Tanya's eyes and she could honestly say they were the only ones besides Jason's she had ever gotten lost in. Though she could only catch a glimpse of those dark purple eyes she could feel her throat tightening like her lungs were failing her. Like she was buried in mud and was slowly drowning as the earth consumed her. Then she noticed how it was familiar to a certain purple she had heard a certain Son of Zues talk about. Before she could ponder further the girl dropped her eyes, apparently realizing she had been staring, but she didn't blush, only smiled a soft wire like grin that was barely visible as locks of ravenous dark hair and a streak of grey covered her pale face.

"That's right, but here I'm called the Oracle" Rachel piped up. "The Oracle of Delphi to be exact. Would you like to come and look at some of my paintings?"

She bounced slightly on her heels as the young girl followed Rachel into the entrance of the cave. For a moment Piper wondered if she should follow. Annabeth had asked her on the side to keep an eye on the two girls, and while she could now agree they were weird, she didn't see much of a reason to be so suspicious. One was a bundle of talkative energy and the other was a bit reserved with a fairly well rounded ability in combat. Both would likely be some sort of boon to the Camp in the future, especially if the rumors about the Giants and their mother were coming true. And for a moment she felt compelled to follow Rachel and the girl back into the cave. Not because she was worried for the safety of Rachel, as any mortal who could throw a hairbrush at a Titan Lord could probably handle an unarmed lithe girl, but because she was curious now. Especially about how she had known Rachel was a Sooth, whatever that had to do with being an Oracle. But when she tried to come forward, an immense feeling of unease passed over her and something nagged at her that she shouldn't enter. She still remembered the last time she was with the Oracle, after all. Better to grab Annabeth in this case was the conclusion she reached as she made her way back towards the Big House.

To say she wasn't surprised by the sudden outburst from the girl would be an understatement. She had been caught off guard being interrupted, and besides that by the fact that she had so readily guessed that she was the Oracle. It wouldn't be hard for anyone to guess, given she lived off on her own in a cave somewhere, and people probably said 'that was the home of the Oracle' or something along those lines while on the tour. No, what really got her was what she called her; A Sooth. It was short for Soothsayer or a Seer, she knew that well enough, but Oracle basically meant the same thing. There was a curious mystery in that. She had said 'a' and not 'the'. Was she alluding to their being other Oracles out there, aside from the one of Delphi? They had in the past but now? She was unsure. Only a certain God of the Sun would be able to answer such a question. Of course, there was that blond guy Jason had told her about. Octavian, she recalled, was a descendant of Apollo who could read the future through some sort of weird sacrifice of teddy bears. Better than real animals, but certainly still weird. Maybe this girl had seen similarities between the two? Though from how Jason had spoken to the boy she hoped that that wasn't the truth.

She chose to ignore that and simply lead the girl through her humble home. It was hard not to notice the shock on Piper's face when the girl spoke, and it took a lot of strength on her end to stifle the chuckle that was building in her throat having seen the Daughter of the Love Goddess so flustered. A shame she didn't have a camera to capture it for everyone else, but certainly a quick sketch would suffice.

The inside of the cave was nothing particularly spectacular as far as houses go, but given it felt like more of a studio apartment than it did some cave out in the woods, she couldn't help but feel a little bit proud of her work. Simple furniture was lying about the living room and a neat and tidy little kitchenette had been placed off to the side with heat and running water, letting her cook to her heart's desire should she miss one of the meals at the pavilion, though she rarely did. Especially after the disappearance of a certain idiotic Son of the Sea. Just thinking about it made her sigh a little bit. He was probably the one who visited her the most out of all the campers, most of whom were afraid of her turning all old snake lady on them and spouting off the words that would spell their doom. Or in the case of Piper putting them into a small coma for a little bit because some Goddess felt it necessary to use her as a glorified phone. She would still shudder at the thought of it. The main room of the 'house' was the messiest of all, that being the actual studio part of the rural studio apartment that had been created in the middle of the woods.'

All about the place were multiple drawings and paints. Some were but simply sketches that never got off the ground and were nothing save for a few strokes of a pen or brush in the loose form of something that had yet to be born, whilst others were full complete works, rich in color and design and in every style imaginable all clustered together into some strange sea of artwork. Black and white stencil drawings were laid on the same ground as oil paints rich with every color the eye could see and designs and scenes ripped out of medieval Europe and simply everyday life on the streets of New York City. It looked like a twist had moved through an art gallery and had thrown up all the contents in this small little space of rock. And she found it perfect and everything she wanted. That was, except for a certain corner of the room. It was there in that small tucked away corner, like an island separated from the mainland, did a different group of paints exist. Far from the landscapes and still images, they depicted scenes out of epics; Massive fights, strange environments, and a few figures that were more than familiar to both girls in the room. Even more still were those of a particular pair of teens, a blonde and black haired boy and girl, respectively, that made her chest tighten ever so slightly each time she glanced upon them. To no surprise of Rachel's own, her guest was staring intently at them, and she once again caught sight of those eyes.

They're deep purple was rich and thick, and the way they swirled and seemed swallow her up reminded her all too much of a pair of green orbs held by a lost friend of hers. But this girl was different. Percy's eyes she was familiar with. They were deep and green like the sea, and held all the same power and depth as a churning sea that sucked someone in and made them lose themselves in the power that sat just under the surface, always waiting to burst forth. These eyes of purple were different. They were suffocating, like her lungs just refused to work as a large weight fell on her chest, slowly crushing her. It wasn't a comforting depth or one bubbling with hidden power and rage. Hers were calm and subdued with a strange hint of melancholy floating around in that ocean of purple. It was a strange feeling. She didn't feel off put by it, but she didn't like that a girl not much older than her held such a far away look in her eye. Instead of pondering it, she simply followed her gaze which, as she would've guessed, landed on the small corner full of her more interesting paintings. The ones fueled by her gift of prophecy of events that had already taken place, and a few that likely still did.

It was then that a most curious thing happened. The young girl, Tanya, as Piper called her, set eyes on a certain group of paintings hanging off to the side. They were out of place among the other images of epics and looked more like unfinished landscape paintings than anything else. It was a simple forest, each from the outside and never from the inside. All the trees and bushes were simple and grey, with tall trees reaching towards the heavens and out of the frame of the pictures and a soft blue light shone in through the branches and bodies of the trees bathing everything in an eerie blue-ish grey light. It was like there was a massive blue moon hanging over the forest and in every painting it fell at the same angle, even if the perspective of the forest itself was different. The only thing each seemed to share was a single tree that was also placed at the center of each scene, farther back and almost invisible in the distance. It was old and despite the fact the surrounding forest was as lush as a grey washed landscape could be, the tree had no leaves or flowers upon its limbs which wound up towards the sky in the most curious pattern which seemed to resemble a chalice. Why she thought it was a Chalice, she didn't know. It just seemed the right description. But when her guest laid eyes on the paintings, her eyes widened as she fell back, scurrying away from the wall.

Rachel rushed to the side of the fallen girl, only to hear a bizarre string of muttering from the girl.

"How...Why...That place...Why do you know about it?"

Rachel couldn't do anything but look at the girl's crazed eyes which hadn't left the paper. They were a storm of purple washing around in those eyes of hers, and there was a powerful force radiating from them, though she could feel it was directed at the paintings and not Rachel herself. She desperately wanted to say something, but couldn't. She had been plagued for days by dreams of this place, of a strange forest that she could never enter and only stare at from the outside. Not once in her life had she ever seen such a place, and for a week it was the only thing her hands would allow her to paint. Different angles each time, just as in her dreams where she walked the perimeter but was never allowed to enter. Not once did she hear or see anything within the forest, nor did the wind ever blow. Just those same grey trees and pale blue moonlight softly drifting through them.

It might've been worth saying something, until the regal purple eyes matched her own. Those eyes, they held a pain in them that she couldn't grasp properly. It was an expression she couldn't make heads or tales of. A part of it reminded her of how a parent looks when they send their child off to school for the first time and at the same time it also felt like she was a parent who had just learned their child went missing. Why such a girl about her age could make a face she wasn't sure, yet, as soon as her eyes met Rachel's the expression disappeared and her face went neutral. She seemed almost relieved when she looked into the face of Rachel. For what reason, she couldn't imagine.

"Are...you okay?" She managed to squeak out.

All she got was a curt nod from Tanya who was already looking better, her eyes going neutral, but she refused to look at the painting again.

"I saw that place in my dreams the past few nights..." she trailed off as Tanya's brow furrowed and her posture returned to being guarded like it was with Piper earlier.

All the redheaded Oracle could do was frown as she reached out her hand.

"Do you happen to know anything about that fo-"

She was cut off suddenly when everything around her went dark.

Immediately she found herself surrounded in a deep darkness, like she was inside a basement that had all the lights turned off and was completely trapped by the abyss. It could have been a tiny space or one that was infinitely large, yet she had no way of knowing since all she could see was darkness. Not even her own hands were visible to her as she looked around slowly in the space. She tried to will herself to move, but instantly found herself unable to move at all. It wasn't from any lack of space, rather that her body simply wouldn't move. It was an odd feeling since the rest of her body was still able to move around freely, as far as she could tell, since she couldn't see below her own collarbone and shoulders. She tried looking around for Tanya, but she wasn't there as well, letting her know that whatever this was, it was her alone. Though she was sure it wasn't a vision from the Oracle, whenever she blacked out it was never like this. It just felt like nothingness. This was much different.

It was then that she noticed it. There was a portion of the murky darkness that was somehow darker than the rest of the world around her. She couldn't quite make out what she was looking at, but it was large, at least the size of a small apartment complex in the city, and definitely larger. Was it some sort of building? She couldn't decide as it was nothing but blob, the exact shape largely indiscernible against the rest of the darkness and its form too large to properly make out against the rest of darkness everywhere around her. It was large, yet it shuffled around surprisingly quickly as far as she was able to tell for something that large. Then it struck her; it was a thing, not a building, but something that was alive. The titans were certainly large and she had been told the Giants were the same size, if not larger. Even the Gods could take on large forms, but this big and in a shape so, well, misshapen? She wasn't so sure. It made chills rise up and down her neck as hairs stood on end and she realized how small she was compared to what she was looking at.

After that it only got worse. Somewhere around three or four stories up a sickening yellow glow began to form, throbbing and glowing in a rhythmic pattern. The color reminded her of Jason's gold spear which he had shone off at dinner one night, but it was more free flowing like it was in a liquid state. It also held a brilliance that rivaled the brightness of the sun, especially in the near darkness of the world around her, and yet despite it being the only source of light in whatever place she was, Rachel couldn't help but feel disgusted by it. Suddenly, more bits of the liquid gold colored forms began to appear. Unlike the large odd shaped splotch that she had originally seen, these were more similar in their size, looking like little slashes in the darkness. They were all different lengths but were about the same thickness to them and were all spaced equally from each other, mirrored on each side by a distance that was probably about a little more than her height wide. They continued upwards before ending in more dark darkness and then suddenly two small little specks of gold sat near one another, faintly illuminating the pure darkness. All too late did she realize what they really were; eyes. If she could've fallen backwards she would've as all of the air seemed to escape her lungs with a gasp. Percy had once told her the story of the Gold Dragon that watched over the Gods Garden, but whatever this thing was, put it to shame.

About the time this happened the mouth of the beast cracked open ever so slightly, and even from the ground she could see how just this small sliver of its mouth was more than enough to easily swallow her whole if the beast truly desired. From within the mouth burned that rich glow of gold which leaked out ever so slightly, illuminating rows of jagged teeth that looked like swords in the darkness, but what was most striking was the two horns curled back from the snout that looked like they were ripped straight off the head of an oversized ram. She knew at once what it was; A Dragon. How she knew, she was unsure, but it was unlike any she had seen or heard of from the past quests. It was large enough to give the Drakon in Manhattan a run for its money, but it's body was much different from the snake-like one it possessed. Nor did it seem like a Hydra or the one that was set to guard the Apples of Immortality, nor the golden Dragon that guarded Thalia's tree. If anything it reminded her most of Festus, that Bronze Mechanical dragon, but even he was small compared to this thing she had seen. She could only shake in horror as an earth piercing shriek rolled out from it's ajar mouth.

In the next instant she saw her eyes flutter open, several faces staring down at her. There was the concerned and conflicted face with startling grey eyes and a messy mop of blonde hair. Next to her was a charming face painted with regret and distress, clouded by choppy locks of brown hair. Finally, on the end was a familiar mop of Raven and grey hair with a pair of rich purple eyes staring down at her with an unreadable expression, but stress visible in the way her skin was pinched around her nose and eyes.

"We were worried when you missed roll call for dinner, Rachel" came Piper's familiar voice, shaky at best.

"I-I think I need to speak to Chiron. Immediately." Was all her hoarse voice could choke out as she stared into those purple orbs, which she now realized were filled with dread and not for herself but the girl who wore them.