For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.

Mark 4:22

CHAPTER FIVE

Mysterious Figures

XI

Luke I

A day before visiting Olympus

Luke Castellan was angry.

Ever since he was asked to guide the campers on their field trip to Olympus, he had also been just as nervous. They would be departing tomorrow, and while it was not a task he wanted to do, he didn't even want to go , he wasn't going to leave Annabeth alone either.

He glanced at the cabin's calendar. The date was the twentyth of December, a Tuesday. Luke followed the usual morning routine; he woke up all of the cabin members who hadn't woken up already. They would brush their teeth, and he would assign someone as cabin inspector (" Laura, you are up. Cabin Inspection.") and then, breakfast. As Luke took his half-siblings to the Mass Hall for breakfast, he suddenly felt a headache pop in his head.

" Luke… Castellan," a voice whispered into his ear. He glanced behind him to see if someone was speaking to him but realized the voice was coming from within him, not a whisper to his ear. It was coming straight from his brain.

" Uh, yes? Who are you? What do you want?" It felt weird, it is as if he was speaking to himself, but not really. His inner monologue seemed to have a new speaker within, no longer was there one voice, but also another voice that was a stranger.

" What you have always wanted… Son of Hermes."

" And what is it I want?" Luke demanded, he felt completely crazy, but he was utterly sure this voice was a foreigner, not his mind going schizophrenic and playing tricks on him.

The voice did not answer, and Luke sighed.

"Luke," a voice said behind him when they entered the mass hall, and he turned around ready to strangle the darn thing but sighed when he saw Annabeth and all of cabin six behind her.

Her eyebrows rose up in surprise.

"Sorry," Luke muttered, lowering his hands.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked. "You seem stressed out."

"It's nothing," he shrugged, "just a bad headache," he said while rubbing his temple with a hand, trying to make the pain go away. "You still up for our duel after laundry?"

Annabeth grinned. "Of course, if your headache isn't that bad, that is."

Luke managed a smile, despite the pain. "It'll probably pass. I'll see you at the arena, then." He said as the duo brought their siblings to the dining hall.

Cabin Eleven sat down and began to order foods and drinks to the magical plates and cups.

He glanced around at the table, every unclaimed demigod that they hosted in his cabin making him frown. They looked depressed, a permanent frown embedded on their faces. Their eyes were baggy, their heads bowed, their shoulders slouched. He always tried to cheer them up, that their godly parent would claim them soon, but it was to no avail.

Instead, to them, Luke had become a parent figure. He always helped them out with whatever they needed, making sure they did not feel completely abandoned. They all one by one stood up to make their food sacrifices to the Gods, and nearly every time, Luke would pray for those who were not claimed.

He sacrificed the half portion that looked the most crispy, part of his omelet to the fire, then returned to his seat. Around him, his siblings chatted happily. Travis and Connor made plans for their pranks this week. His other siblings talked about their daily schedules. The depressed ones simply ate quietly, not bothering anyone.

Luke ate his breakfast in silence as well.

With breakfast over, the campers got up, dispersing for their next activity. Luke headed towards the Big House, for an hour lesson of Ancient Greek with Annabeth. Annabeth would stand at the porch while her students would sit down at the grass field in front of the porch, listening to her while taking notes.

XII

Luke II

8 hours later

"Hey," Luke said, as he came into the arena. Annabeth had arrived in the arena after laundry cleaning was over earlier than him, which was expected as he had to help out some of his siblings most of the time. Annabeth stood in front of him, already dressed up in her usual armor, a bronze chestplate and helmet with red fur arched over its top. Her knife, which he had given to her all those years ago, glistered under the sunlight.

"Hey," she greeted him. "Ready to duel?"

"Oh, I am. The question that we should be asking is, are you?" He grinned as he strapped on his armor.

"Don't flatter yourself," she smiled, "just because you are overconfident doesn't change reality," she said, as they both faced each other in the arena, starting to circle each other. Annabeth seemed to be calculating a million things simultaneously, her face completely focused, and she attacked, lunging towards him.

Luke took a step backward to avoid being slashed by her knife and held his sword's hilt with both hands, ready to strike.

"Oh? But the truth is I am going to win , Annabeth." He said, slowly advancing towards her, as Annabeth slowly retreated.

He jabbed forwards, but Annabeth was able to sidestep quickly, curse her agility, and nearly got behind his back to raise the knife to his throat. He was able to just in time slam backward with all of his body weight, knocking Annabeth backward.

" Oof !" she gasped, the air knocked out of her lungs, but she was able to keep her balance.

They sparred for another half an hour, as Luke tried to dominate the field while Annabeth masterfully kept the situation even. She was too agile to easily be defeated by a swordsman.

They continued sparring for a while.

"More?" Luke grinned, raising his sword, as they kept circling each other after Annabeth had nearly taken him down by kicking his knee while he had tried to knock her out by slamming the flat side of his sword into her stomach.

" More?" she glared at him, "you mock me! I haven't even broken a sweat yet."

"Mhm, tell that to your forehead that has beads of sweat rolling down," he pointed with the tip of his sword, and she rolled her eyes.

Just as he was going to attack again, a sudden voice made him shiver.

" Luke… Castellan…"

It was that inner monologue stranger again. " Fear not, boy… The only thing you have to fear is fear itself… We , " the voice for a moment became powerful and clearly audible when it said that word, " are nothing to be afraid of. We are aware of your desire for revenge… We shall meet soon, young one."

Suddenly, the voice went quiet, and Luke felt as if a wrecking ball hit him in the head, every single vein in his head ready to burst. He was sure he was going to have a stroke. The pain spread all over his head like it had caught fire.

" Fuck ," Luke cringed at the pain. It became so powerful that he collapsed on the floor, the sword falling from his hands and clanking to the ground.

"Luke?" Annabeth's voice sounded distant and muffled as if a wall was between them. His vision became blurry, the light burning his eyes. The pain only became stronger and stronger.

"Luke!" Annabeth shouted, and he mumbled in pain. She ran outside the arena, screaming for help.

The last thing he saw was a blond kid kneeling in front of him, a medic bag slouched on his torso. Then all he was able to remember was him and Annabeth dragging him somewhere.

"You blacked out quite badly on us there, Luke," Chiron said, as he, Annabeth, and Will Solace stood around him on the infirmary bed. "Are you feeling much better?"

"Not really," he groaned, his tongue felt like sandpaper in his mouth. "Feels like someone smashed my head with a lead hammer." He cringed as the pulses of pain, the utter horror of migraine taking over his head again, became stronger and stronger.

"I'm afraid that I have done my best, Luke." Will said, "I gave you some painkillers, ambrosia, and nectar. Any more and you'll burn up."

Luke nodded weakly. "Just… turn… the gods-damned lights off. Is it nighttime?"

"It is," Chiron nodded, "you have been knocked out cold for a couple of hours. I'm afraid if you are still ill this morning, you won't be able to come to the field trip."

Chiron looked at Will and Annabeth. "I'm sure you can return to your cabin now, Annabeth. It is getting close to curfew. You too, Will. I will check in from time to time to make sure he is alright during the night."

"Okay," Will said as he gathered his stuff. Meanwhile Annabeth kept gripping the side of the bunk Luke was at.

"Hey," Luke said softly, the pain still drilling in his head. He managed a weak smile.

"You scared me," Annabeth mumbled, clutching the side of the bed's rail.

"It's alright, Annabeth. Just a headache. That is all."

"I know, it's just…" Annabeth shook her head and sighed. "I should go. Good night."

"Good night."

XIII

Luke III

Luke could not fall asleep. It was as if the pain was just there to keep him awake, and he was there all by himself in the utter darkness. However, after what felt like eons, the pain suddenly disappeared.

"Let us reach you… through your sleep, young demigod." The voice soothed and began to chant a relaxing song that made his eyelids feel like they were tied with a lead ball hanging them down.

Luke fell asleep.

As his consciousness slipped away, Luke found himself sitting alone on a rocky shore. Waves hit the rocks as if to break them, and the old stones endured. Red crabs walked up and down the rocks. The breeze from the sea was strong, nearly howling at his ears. Luke found the sight beautiful. The sun was slowly creeping below the horizon, casting a stunning array of colors over the sea. It shined, a mixture of yellow, sea green, and blue. Seagulls screeched in the air waving their white wings. He could see some fishes go in all directions in the crystal clear seawater.

"The sea," a voice from behind him said, "once it casts a spell… holds one in its net forever, young demigod." Luke turned to the voice, and his mouth gaped.

A figure stood right behind him. It had a featureless white mask on, which fit perfectly inside the red hood on its head and concealed its entire face. It wore a ceremonial white robe dress and an ancient bronze chestplate, with markings and words that Luke did not understand. They seemed really old, with a ceremonial red robe on top of it all. Its hands were interlocked together. It was wearing white ceremony gloves.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Luke demanded. It was the exact same voice that had bothered him the whole day.

"We," it said, "represent your very own desires, Luke Castellan. My, our , identities do not matter. What matters is what you represent and your fight." Luke looked at the figure's eye sockets, but they were empty.

The entity continued. "We are the ones who contacted you, young demigod… In your desire for revenge against the Olympians, we wish to assist. We represent the old order, and we are its sword and shield. It's past, and it's future. We are legion. There are many of us, all unified in one faithful case. We agree with your plaint. For too long have the Olympians ruled this realm, and for far too long have they squandered it. Our wishes, and yours, are mutual."

Luke nodded slowly, his eyes wide in surprise. The figure looked at the sea.

"The sea, Luke Castellan. It is chaotic, unfathomable, unpredictable. Yet, it is stable. Its existence supersedes any life in this realm. It simply, is. Millions of years after you are gone, it will endure. For it has existed for so long, it also represents adventure. Not only does it cover three-fourths of this realm, but it is also what connects this world and its continents together. It is a realm of its own, powerful and mighty. Yet," It raised its hands towards the sea, "it represents to you your biggest regret. For the sea also represents loss. Of which, you have endured greatly. The God Poseidon rules this realm, and he is your enemy. Is he not? Didn't he and Hades wish for your friend, Thalia Grace, to die?"

"Yes," Luke found himself nodding. The anger in the pit of his stomach started to burn like a firecracker, first slow, then quickly. He couldn't believe that he would ever in his life actually meet someone who understood what he went through, what he felt.

No! A small voice at the very back of his mind screamed. This is crazy! Luke, you don't know what you are getting involved in! The screaming voice sounded like a mixture of Thalia and Annabeth's voice, and for a second, Luke frowned. He looked at the figure suspiciously, trying to figure out who and what it was.

The figure continued. "Your father, Hermes…" Luke's face contorted in anger, the mention of his father enough to make him forget about the small voice. "He did not care for you. He does not care for your half brothers and sisters. He tricked your mother into believing she could host the Spirit of the Oracle, and yet childish curses between the Gods caused your mother to lose her sanity. You, and many like you, are caught in the crossfire of all that the Gods do for no fault of your own. Your mother was a woman of no sin, and yet she was cursed for no mistake of her own. She was turned delusional, her mind shattered. In one swing of a hand, your camp director, Dionysus, could have fixed her insanity. And he did not, for he does not care. They—"

"Do not care." Luke finished the sentence, and the figure nodded.

No! We care, Luke. We are your family!

"Yet, we do care. We have watched you for a long time, son of Hermes, and for far too long has the injustice towards you be allowed to be continued. For far too long has the injustice towards your brothers and sisters, your cousins, allowed to be continued. For the injustice towards your friend Annabeth and for the injustice towards Thalia, and her unjustified death." Luke winced, remembering her screaming at him, Annabeth, and Grover to run past Half-Blood Hill and her last stand against the monsters Hades had sent against her. He felt his blood go cold at the memory. The entity stopped for a second as if understanding his grief.

Stop it, Luke! Wake up! It is using your emotions to trick you into believing! Don't let its lies indoctrinate you!

Luke paid no attention to the final warning.

"For this, Luke Castellan, we have decided to invite you within our ranks. An oath to faithfully serve the old order, we wish for you to aid in our quest to resurrect the old order. For this horrid curse imposed on humanity, The Olympians, to be destroyed. For, your grandfather, to rise , for humanity to return to its golden age."

Luke nodded, and the entity nodded as well. It untangled its hands and indicated to Luke to come to him. Luke stood up, approaching the entity slowly.

An obsidian knife slowly faded into existence in its hand, engraved with some symbols Luke did not recognize. Luke wasn't even sure if this was a dream anymore, and the entity indicated him to open his palm.

"An oath," It said, staring directly into his eyes. However, there were no eyes behind the eye sockets of the entity, yet at the same time, he felt something staring into his eyes through that mask. "Of blood. An unbreakable spirit, an unbreakable bond." Luke closed his palm around the knife. The pain was discomforting as blood started to drip on the floor. When he pulled his hand back, there was a long gash that would leave a scar for a while. His blood stuck to the knife started to glow, and slowly the blade absorbed all of it.

The small voice mixture of Annabeth and Thalia that was protesting in his mind died out.

"You, sacred brother, are now one of us. With your oath, you must now fulfill your first mission."

"What do you want me to do?" Luke asked.

"You, young demigod, and your friends have been allowed to a field trip to Olympus by Zeus this Winter Solstice, which is tomorrow. While the arrogant Olympians, who will leave their items of power scattered around, not caring for a thing in the world, argue about their puny problems, you will sneak into the throne room and steal the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness."

Luke gaped at the entity and tried to make sure he heard it right. The entity seemed to sense his thoughts and nodded slowly as if confirming what it just said.

"We will make sure your getaway by putting a realm door at your father's temple entrance. Knock it seven times, demigod, and you will be delivered back to us." Luke had no idea what a realm door was, but considering how powerful this entity seemed and spoke, he thought it was a unique trick they had for teleportation or something.

"Do not forget, son of Hermes, that in this act you will seal the fate of Olympus. The Gods will fall into disarray, pick sides and fight in the conflict Zeus will create. From the ensuing chaos, we, and now you will allow your grandfather to rise to raze Olympus, brick by brick. For this act, you will be granted all that you wished for in life. Lord Kronos will restore your mother's mental health, bring your friend Thalia back to life, and set you on a life that you always wished for."

A pause.

"For now, I'm afraid our exchange is over. Before I go, take this." He raised his other hand into the air, and a potion vial came into existence. He handed him the bottle filled with a gray liquid that looked like mercury, but it was half-transparent. "This will allow you to sneak into the throne room undetected and steal the bolt and helm, which shall be easy for a child of your abilities. Till next time, young one. Farewell." It said and dissolved into orange glowing dust, and the wind slowly carried it away. Luke turned to the sea, glancing at it one final time. Then, he felt as if something yanked down at his legs, and then he woke up with a jolt at his bed.

When he looked at his palm, the gash was still there, and his other hand was gripping a bottle.

Family… Luke, you promised!

" Your mission awaits, young one… We shall meet again in Olympus."

This time, the voice caused no pain.

A/N

Credit to Jacques Cousteau for that beautiful quote about the sea: "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in it's net of wonder forever." And yes, I'm aware that Poseidon had nothing to do with Thalia's demise. However, from now on, I warn you to not trust a word that comes out of any entity's mouth. Do not make the mistake Luke does! Other than that, not much to say for this mysterious chapter.