Jason XXXIII.

Wow it has been a long time since I updated. Well here you go guys. The full chapter at last! I am officially out of school and graduation is in just over a week. I do have to study for my last AP exam but I can multitask. Expect chapters to be more frequent then they have been but still not often.

JASON FELL ASLEEP ON THE JOB.

"Jason!" Reyna scolded, her roman military training showing while Jason just looked at her sheepishly.

Which was bad, since he was a thousand feet in the air.

"How did you manage to fall asleep while flying dude?" Percy looked at Jason like he had suddenly turned into a Lastrygonian. "Totally my fault but I wasn't paying attention" Jason said to Percy.

He should have known better. It was the morning after their encounter with Sciron the bandit, and Jason was on duty, fighting some wild venti who were threatening the ship. When he slashed through the last one, he forgot to hold his breath. A stupid mistake. When a wind spirit disintegrates, it creates a vacuum. Unless you're holding your breath, the air gets sucked right out of your lungs. The pressure in your inner ears drops so fast that you black out. That's what happened to Jason.

"Ok that was even worse. Sleeping while fighting." Percy said teasingly while Jason just rolled his eyes.

Even worse, he instantly plunged into a dream.

"Definitely worse" Nico said.

In the back of his subconscious, he thought: Really? Now? He needed to wake up or he would die, but he wasn't able to hold on to that thought.

"Yeah, not dying is pretty important. Like what is the point of having the important dream warning you of danger when you are currently falling to your death" Piper stated dramatically while hugging Jason close.

In the dream, he found himself on the roof of a tall building, the night-time skyline of Manhattan spread around him. A cold wind whipped through his clothes. A few blocks away, clouds gathered above the Empire State Building – the entrance to Mount Olympus itself. Lightning flashed. The air was metallic with the smell of oncoming rain. The top of the skyscraper was lit up as usual, but the lights seemed to be malfunctioning. They flickered from purple to orange as if the colours were fighting for dominance.

"The Greek and Roman camp colors" Annabeth said knowingly. "The gods were shifting between Greek and Roman hence the shifting of the two camps colors" she explained to the mortals who had been looking kind of lost.

"Thank you for explaining this Annabeth," Paul said.

On the roof of Jason's building stood his old comrades from Camp Jupiter: an array of demigods in combat armour, their Imperial gold weapons and shields glinting in the dark. He saw Dakota and Nathan, Leila and Marcus. Octavian stood to one side, thin and pale, his eyes red-rimmed from sleeplessness or anger, a string of sacrificial stuffed animals around his waist.

"Like that makes him so threatening, the Greeks don't even know what they are for," Hazel scoffed.

His augur's white robe was draped over a purple T-shirt and cargo pants. In the centre of the line stood Reyna, her metal dogs Aurum and Argentum at her side. Upon seeing her, Jason felt an incredible pang of guilt. He'd let her believe they had a future together. He had never been in love with her, and he hadn't led her on, exactly … but he also hadn't shut her down.

Reyna looked away obviously uncomfortable with the topic.

He'd disappeared, leaving her to run the camp on her own. (Okay, that hadn't exactly been Jason's idea, but still …)

Que the eye rolls from the demigods.

Then he had returned to Camp Jupiter with his new girlfriend Piper and a whole bunch of Greek friends in a warship. They'd fired on the Forum and run away, leaving Reyna with a war on her hands.

"Yeah not the way I had hoped you coming home would turn out but as demigods it was most likely inevitable." Reyna said looking sad causing the mortals in the crowd to wonder what other times demigods came to camp were like.

In his dream she looked tired. Others might not notice, but he'd worked with her long enough to recognize the weariness in her eyes, the tightness in her shoulders under the straps of her armour.

Reyna felt the uncontrollable need to look stronger but they all knew her too well at this point and also knew she was not weak.

Her dark hair was wet, like she'd taken a hasty shower. The Romans stared at the roof-access door as if they were waiting for someone. When the door opened, two people emerged. One was a faun – no, Jason thought – a satyr. He'd learned the difference at Camp Half-Blood, and Coach Hedge was always correcting him if he made that mistake.

"Is it Grover?" Percy asked curiously "That's what he said his name was, are you guys friends?" Jason said. "Dude he is my best friend. You totally should meet him in person, he is the Satyr that found Thalia, Annabeth, Nico, and brought us to camp!" Percy said excitedly. "He is Lord of the wild though so it might not be for a while, he is super busy these days trying to protect the wild." "I would love to meet him, sounds like my kind of guy."

Roman fauns tended to hang around and beg and eat. Satyrs were more helpful, more engaged with demigod affairs. Jason didn't think he'd seen this particular satyr before, but he was sure the guy was from the Greek side. No faun would look so purposeful walking up to an armed group of Romans in the middle of the night.

"He is a lot more confident than he was when we first met." Percy commented glad that someone else noticed how awesome his friend was.

He wore a green Nature Conservancy T-shirt with pictures of endangered whales and tigers and stuff. Nothing covered his shaggy legs and hooves. He had a bushy goatee, curly brown hair tucked into a Rasta-style cap and a set of reed pipes around his neck. His hands fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, but considering the way he studied the Romans, noting their positions and their weapons, Jason figured this satyr had been in combat before.

"He led the nature spirit's during the Battle of Manhattan against Kronos so you're right. Him and I tag teamed Hyperion and locked him in a maple tree in Central park." Percy explained while all the Romans looked at him in awe because they were still not used to Satyrs being helpful since their only experience was coach Hedge.

At his side was a red-headed girl Jason recognized from Camp Half-Blood – their oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She had long frizzy hair, a plain white blouse and jeans covered with hand-drawn ink designs. She held a blue plastic hairbrush that she tapped nervously against her thigh like a good luck talisman.

"That is a good luck Talisman. Remember when she hit Kronos in the eye with that hairbrush?" Annabeth asked Percy and he smiled and said "How could I forget that glorious moment. All the Mortals looked at them like they were crazy.

"Isn't Kronos the titan you said you fought in manhattan?" Mark asked the demigods

"Yeah but this was on the quest when he first rose and we were in the Labyrinth and it was the first time I met Rachel, she was a mortal friend of Percy's who happened to be clear-sighted so she could see the monsters. She had been helping us on the quest." Annabeth explained.

"Ok, I still don't quite understand." "Maybe we can tell you that story later then"

Jason remembered her at the campfire, reciting lines of prophecy that sent Jason, Piper and Leo on their first quest together. She was a regular mortal teenager – not a demigod – but, for reasons Jason never understood, the spirit of Delphi had chosen her as its host.

"Because Rachel is insane that's why" Percy said. Annabeth hit his arm and said " She is not insane" "She stole Blackjack!" Percy retorted, looking away.

Frank spoke up then "She took your Pegasus" "She took my Pegasus and scared him half to death" Percy explained.

The real question: What was she doing with the Romans?

"That is a good question, what would she be doing with the Romans?" Annabeth asked Jason

"You'll see in a second" Jason said simply to avoid the explanation.

She stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Reyna. 'You got my message.' Octavian snorted. 'That's the only reason you made it this far alive, Graecus. I hope you've come to discuss surrender terms.' 'Octavian …' Reyna warned. 'At least search them!' Octavian protested. 'No need,' Reyna said, studying Rachel Dare. 'Do you bring weapons?'

"Define weapons..." Percy said with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk

Rachel shrugged. 'I hit Kronos in the eye with this hairbrush once. Otherwise, no.'

All the Greeks who had heard the story or been there when it happened snorted in laughter.

The Romans didn't seem to know what to make of that. The mortal didn't sound like she was kidding.

"Why would she kid about something like that?" Lucy asked

"She wouldn't, that just makes it even more ridiculous."

'And your friend?' Reyna nodded to the satyr. 'I thought you were coming alone.' 'This is Grover Underwood,'

"Yay Grover!" Percy shouted

"Why would he be with Rachel meeting the Romans though, he has a lot of responsibilities around the world now." Annabeth questioned.

Rachel said. 'He's a leader of the Council.' 'What council?' Octavian demanded.

"Of course a Roman wouldn't know about the council. Your Fauns don't really do anything" Piper said towards the Roman demigods and they just nodded as that did make sense.

'Cloven Elders, man.' Grover's voice was high and reedy, as if he were terrified, but Jason suspected the satyr had more steel than he let on. 'Seriously, don't you Romans have nature and trees and stuff? I've got some news you need to hear. Plus, I'm a card-carrying protector. I'm here to, you know, protect Rachel.' Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile.

"Grover is the same as always, he is way braver than he looks." Percy said wistfully as he remembered the adventures they have gone on together.

'But no weapons?' 'Just the pipes.'

"Those should definitely be considered a weapon," Percy said jokingly, thinking of Grover's bad music.

Grover's expression became wistful. 'Percy always said my cover of "Born to be Wild" should count as a dangerous weapon, but I don't think it's that bad.'

"That is exactly what I was just saying!"

Octavian sneered. 'Another friend of Percy Jackson. That's all I need to hear.'

"Oh great now he is already on Octavian's bad side" Hazel said while the others just nodded as if it was inevitable.

Reyna held up her hand for silence. Her gold and silver dogs sniffed the air, but they remained calm and attentive at her side. 'So far, our guests speak the truth,' Reyna said. 'Be warned, Rachel and Grover, if you start to lie, this conversation will not go well for you. Say what you came to say.' From her jeans pocket, Rachel dug out a piece of paper like a napkin. 'A message. From Annabeth.'

"Wait, this is that conversation." Annabeth seemed to be paying closer attention now.

Jason wasn't sure he'd heard her right. Annabeth was in Tartarus. She couldn't send anyone a note on a napkin.

Maybe I've hit the water and died, his subconscious said. This isn't a real vision. It's some sort of after-death hallucination.

The demigods and gods laughed at that while Jason just blushed.

"You should have more faith in me" Annabeth said

But the dream seemed very real. He could feel the wind sweeping across the roof. He could smell the storm. Lightning flickered over the Empire State Building, making the Romans' armour flash. Reyna took the note. As she read it, her eyebrows crept higher. Her mouth parted in shock. Finally, she looked up at Rachel. 'Is this a joke?'

"We wish" was muttered by just about everyone who had known Percy and Annabeth before the reading.

'I wish,' Rachel said.

'They're really in Tartarus.' 'But how –' 'I don't know,' Rachel said. 'The note appeared in the sacrificial fire at our dining pavilion. That's Annabeth's handwriting. She asks for you by name.'

"That is kind of suspicious but really who else can it be from?" Frank asked

Octavian stirred. 'Tartarus? What do you mean?' Reyna handed him the letter. Octavian muttered as he read: 'Rome, Arachne, Athena – Athena Parthenos?' He looked around in outrage, as if waiting for someone to contradict what he was reading. 'A Greek trick! Greeks are infamous for their tricks!'

"Yes but that does not mean everything is a trick. Rome is known for conquering and looking at what Octavian is trying to do, who here is in the wrong?" Hazel asked genuinely.

Reyna took back the note. 'Why ask this of me?' Rachel smiled. 'Because Annabeth is wise. She believes you can do this, Reyna Avila RamírezArellano.'

"Oh wow, Rachel full named Reyna!" Leo said with a gasp and Reyna glared at him.

Jason felt like he'd been slapped. Nobody ever used Reyna's full name. She hated telling anyone what it was. The only time Jason had ever said it aloud, just trying to pronounce it correctly, she'd given him a murderous look.

"That's why we are all so surprised!" Nico said.

That was the name of a little girl in San Juan, she told him. I left it behind when I left Puerto Rico. Reyna scowled. 'How did you –' 'Uh,' Grover Underwood interrupted. 'You mean your initials are RA-RA?'

"Why would you ask that!?" Jason said nervously while Reyna turned her glare to him.

Reyna's hand drifted towards her dagger. 'But that's not important!' the satyr said quickly. 'Look, we wouldn't have risked coming here if we didn't trust Annabeth's instincts. A Roman leader returning the most important Greek statue to Camp Half-Blood – she knows that could prevent a war.'

"Which is the whole point! Why are they focused on war with the Greeks at the absolute worst possible time?" Frank asked Reyna

"Because Octavian manipulated enough people I could not stop it anymore. I knew it was stupid." she responded with a sigh

'This isn't a trick,' Rachel added. 'We're not lying. Ask your dogs.' The metallic greyhounds didn't react. Reyna stroked Aurum's head thoughtfully. 'The Athena Parthenos … so the legend is true.' 'Reyna!' Octavian cried. 'You can't seriously be considering this! Even if the statue still exists, you see what they're doing. We're on the verge of attacking them – destroying the stupid Greeks once and for all – and they concoct this stupid errand to divert your attention. They want to send you to your death!'

"No, you want the Greeks dead. The Greeks just want to win the war with Gaea and have peace for once." Percy muttered

The other Romans muttered, glaring at their visitors. Jason remembered how persuasive Octavian could be, and he was winning the officers to his side. Rachel Dare faced the augur. 'Octavian, son of Apollo, you should take this more seriously. Even Romans respected your father's Oracle of Delphi.'

"He won't believe she's the Oracle." Jason said seriously.

'Ha!' Octavian said. 'You're the Oracle of Delphi? Right. And I'm the Emperor Nero!'

"See"

'At least Nero could play music,' Grover muttered.

"Good one Grover!" Nico said with a small smile.

Octavian balled his fists. Suddenly the wind shifted. It swirled around the Romans with a hissing sound, like a nest of snakes. Rachel Dare glowed in a green aura, as if hit by a soft emerald spotlight. Then the wind faded and the aura was gone. The sneer melted from Octavian's face.

"Was that Apollo showing his descendant that he is wrong?" Paul asked

"Probably one of the only ways he can go against Octavian since he is his descendant and doesn't approve of what he is doing" Frank explained

Apollo just nodded he hated having to oppose one of his descendants but Octavian had really done off the deep end and was making him look bad.

The Romans rustled uneasily. 'It's your decision,' Rachel said, as if nothing had happened. 'I have no specific prophecy to offer you, but I can see glimpses of the future. I see the Athena Parthenos on Half-Blood Hill. I see her bringing it.' She pointed at Reyna. 'Also, Ella has been murmuring lines from your Sibylline Books –' 'What?' Reyna interrupted. 'The Sibylline Books were destroyed centuries ago.' 'I knew it!' Octavian pounded his fist into his palm.

"Now he is just grasping at straws to make them look bad. Ella is her own being and should be treated like one. Not a captive to recite prophecies she accidentally memorized." Hazel sneered

'That harpy they brought back from the quest – Ella. I knew she was spouting prophecies! Now I understand. She – she somehow memorized a copy of the Sibylline Books.' Reyna shook her head in disbelief. 'How is that possible?' 'We don't know,' Rachel admitted. 'But, yes, that seems to be the case. Ella has a perfect memory. She loves books. Somewhere, somehow, she read your Roman book of prophecies. Now she's the only source for them.' 'Your friends lied,' Octavian said. 'They told us the harpy was just muttering gibberish. They stole her!' Grover huffed indignantly. 'Ella isn't your property! She's a free creature.

"Exactly!" Frank said while crossing his arms over his chest.

Besides, she wants to be at Camp Half-Blood. She's dating one of my friends, Tyson.' 'The Cyclops,' Reyna remembered. 'A harpy dating a Cyclops …' 'That's not relevant!' Octavian said. 'The harpy has valuable Roman prophecies. If the Greeks won't return her, we should take their Oracle hostage! Guards!'

"First of all, the prophecies are not just Roman. They are both Greek and Roman but it was the Roman empire when they happened to be written down. That does not mean you have any claim to her either. She chooses where to be." Percy said seriously.

Two centurions advanced, their pila levelled. Grover brought his pipes to his lips, played a quick jig and their spears turned into Christmas trees. The guards dropped them in surprise. 'Enough!' Reyna shouted. She didn't often raise her voice. When she did, everyone listened. 'We've strayed from the point,' she said. 'Rachel Dare, you're telling me that Annabeth is in Tartarus, yet she's found a way to send this message. She wants me to bring this statue from the ancient lands to your camp.' Rachel nodded. 'Only a Roman can return it and restore peace.' 'And why would the Romans want peace,' Reyna asked, 'after your ship attacked our city?' 'You know why,' Rachel said. 'To avoid this war. To reconcile the gods' Greek and Roman sides. We have to work together to defeat Gaia.'

"All good points and also common since, something Octavian should look into getting" Jason said darkly.

Octavian stepped forward to speak, but Reyna shot him a withering look. 'According to Percy Jackson,' Reyna said, 'the battle with Gaia will be fought in the ancient lands. In Greece.' 'That's where the giants are,' Rachel agreed. 'Whatever magic, whatever ritual the giants are planning to wake the Earth Mother, I sense it will happen in Greece. But … well, our problems aren't limited to the ancient lands. That's why I brought Grover to talk to you.' The satyr tugged his goatee. 'Yeah … see, over the last few months, I've been talking to satyrs and nature spirits across the continent. They're all saying the same thing. Gaia is stirring – I mean, she's right on the edge of consciousness. She's whispering in the minds of naiads, trying to turn them. She's causing earthquakes, uprooting the dryads' trees. Last week alone, she appeared in human form in a dozen different places, scaring the horns off some of my friends. In Colorado, a giant stone fist rose out of a mountain and swatted some Party Ponies like flies.' Reyna frowned. 'Party Ponies?' 'Long story,' Rachel said. 'The point is: Gaia will rise everywhere

Everyone in the room shuddered at the thought.

. She's already stirring. No place will be safe from the battle. And we know that her first targets are going to be the demigod camps. She wants us destroyed.' 'Speculation,' Octavian said. 'A distraction. The Greeks fear our attack. They're trying to confuse us. It's the Trojan Horse all over again!'

"Or it's your own paranoia and opinion and not fact." Apollo muttered to himself

Reyna twisted the silver ring she always wore, with the sword and torch symbols of her mother, Bellona. 'Marcus,' she said, 'bring Scipio from the stables.' 'Reyna, no!' Octavian protested. She faced the Greeks. 'I will do this for Annabeth, for the hope of peace between our camps, but do not think I have forgotten the insults to Camp Jupiter. Your ship fired on our city. You declared war – not us. Now, leave.'

"I was being controlled so really no one declared war on purpose but Gaea" Leo said grumpily.

Grover stamped his hoof. 'Percy would never –' 'Grover,' Rachel said, 'we should go.' Her tone said: Before it's too late. After they had retreated back down the stairs, Octavian wheeled on Reyna. 'Are you mad?' 'I am praetor of the legion,' Reyna said. 'I judge this to be in the best interest of Rome.' 'To get yourself killed? To break our oldest laws and travel to the ancient lands? How will you even find their ship, assuming you survive the journey?' 'I will find them,' Reyna said. 'If they are sailing for Greece, I know a place Jason will stop. To face the ghosts in the House of Hades, he will need an army. There is only one place where he can find that sort of help.'

"Jason wouldn't have even thought to go if he hadn't dreamed of this," Piper said.

In Jason's dream, the building seemed to tilt under his feet. He remembered a conversation he'd had with Reyna years ago, a promise they had made to each other. He knew what she was talking about. 'This is insanity,' Octavian muttered. 'We're already under attack. We must take the offensive! Those hairy dwarfs have been stealing our supplies, sabotaging our scouting parties – you know the Greeks sent them.'

"I am Greek, and I did send them but just to slow you down so no one would die for no reason." Leo said seriously.

'Perhaps,' Reyna said. 'But you will not launch an attack without my orders.

"He didn't follow that order" Reyna growled

Continue scouting the enemy camp. Secure your positions. Gather all the allies you can, and if you catch those dwarfs you have my blessing to send them back to Tartarus. But do not attack Camp Half-Blood until I return.' Octavian narrowed his eyes. 'While you're gone, the augur is the senior officer. I will be in charge.' 'I know.' Reyna didn't sound happy about it. 'But you have my orders. You all heard them.' She scanned the faces of the centurions, daring them to question her. She stormed off, her purple cloak billowing and her dogs at her heels. Once she was gone, Octavian turned to the centurions. 'Gather all the senior officers. I want a meeting as soon as Reyna has left on her fool's quest. There will be a few changes in the legion's plans.'

"Reyna literally just gave the orders!" Frank yelled

One of the centurions opened his mouth to respond, but for some reason he spoke in Piper's voice: 'WAKE UP!' Jason's eyes snapped open, and he saw the ocean's surface hurtling towards him

"Oh good you didn't actually hit the water" Percy said relieved

"Chapter is over now. Who wants to read?"

"I will" Aphrodite said with a smile reaching for the book.