And we're back with another one. Not much to say here, so continue down below readers.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters ( except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

On with the eighth chapter. Triton has an interesting way of initiating brotherly bonding.

8. I Learn Atlantic Sword Fighting

Percy

"The...Sahara?" I said, "What the- why are we in the desert?!"

Triton lowered his hands, and boldened his expression. "How does it feel? Hot? Are you already getting tired?"

I decided to stop questioning and just listen to him. Okay, fine. We were here, in the desert. Not what I expected, but whatever.

"Yeah, it's scorching out here." I gave another scan of our surroundings. We were smack dab in the middle of nowhere, with a sea of orange sand all around us. There were no clouds in the sky, so that meant nothing blocking the sun from burning my back to a crisp. And believe me, it was.

"Training outside of your element, or in this case, the opposite of what you're used to, helps you become stronger." Triton informed, "Resistance creates endurance."

He wasn't kidding. Normally, I'm at Camp Half Blood, and since it's so close to the water, I've never really had a problem there. I don't get sick, I don't have to worry about getting hurt, because I know the sea is nearby. It always heals me, and even when I'm not directly touching it, I can feel it.

But now, I felt incredibly drained. Like I had been starved for a month and dehydrated for days. My energy was fading fast, and I could even feel my knees buckle. After only a few minutes too. Was I that weak?

I wiped sweat from my forehead, "Is this normal?"

He nodded, "Yes. We are dozens of miles away from even a puddle of liquid. But by the time we are done, I will have you in peak condition."

"How come you aren't reacting like I am? You live underwater, so shouldn't it be worse for you?"

"Gods aren't affected as easily. Besides, I've mastered this training." He started to circle me, panting and trying my best to keep the sweat from blinding my eyes.

"While just standing there and surviving the heat is a key training element, we won't be doing just that." Triton stopped where he started, in front of me, and held out his hand. As soon as he did, his two speared weapon, the Bident, formed.

My eyes widened, "What are you doing?" I said, a little worried, "Are you about to stab me?"

"Only if you allow it." He said, fully serious. "I'm about to add another fighting style into your arsenal, Percy. The Atlantic style."

I reared my head back. Atlantic style? I didn't know Dad and his forces had their own fighting style. I assumed there were different fighting styles for different pantheons, like the Romans differing from the Greeks, I had seen that firsthand, and implemented some of their techniques with my own. But Atlantic style? How could it be any different?

"The Atlantic style first originated thousands of years ago." Triton explained, stabbing the end of the Bident in the sand. "It was developed by our father, to which he passed on to his children, and most trusted soldiers. Only a select few have mastered it."

"Does Oceanus know it?"

Triton narrowed his eyes, "Do not think about Oceanus. Focus on what I am saying to you, and that only."

"O-Okay."

"Good. Now draw your sword."

I didn't question it. I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out Riptide. I tapped the cap on the pen, and it transformed into the celestial bronze sword I knew and loved.

When he didn't say anything, I gave a little shrug, "Okay...now what?"

Triton picked the Bident up, and got in a fighting position, the sharp tips pointed right at me."

"Now, you stay alive." He said, "Prepare yourself."

Matt

The sun was setting. That's how I knew we'd been flying for about three hours.

I would never get over sunsets, and how happy I am that they exist. I know I'm not a complex, or thought-provoking guy, and you're probably be better off with another narrator, but I at least hope you find this one thing interesting about me.

See, there is no average sunset for me. Each and every one I've ever seen, has taken my breath away. It just fascinates me how the sky could create such a color, how science takes its course, or how the sun and moon seemingly switch places.

Right now, I stood in the same position as when we started, overlooking the land in front of us at the foremost point of Kyros's saddle. I had no idea where we were, as I just told Kyros to go to San Francisco, and straight on. But we had left the view of cities and large towns, now flying over countryside and large plots of forest. I'd say we were about a thousand feet in the air, giving me a great view of the sinking, red orb. It still had maybe twenty minutes left before it disappeared completely, but for now it was spreading its dim, orange light to the streaks of clouds beside it, painting them perfectly with its ray.

"You just love sunsets, huh?"

I turned, but not too far, to see Harper standing to my right, her arms crossed. She wasn't annoyed though, she seemed almost hopeful.

"Yeah." I sighed, "I'll have to thank Apollo sometime."

We stood there for a moment, just the two of us. It seemed like the only moment of peace we'd had in days. I knew it wouldn't last, so I'd have to take memorize this feeling.

"Thanks for trusting Levi." She said, "I know it's hard, and I appreciate it."

I knew she was referring to the Heavenly Diamond knife. I just shrugged, "Sure. He wants to change, I can tell. And I know that a little trust can go a long way." I leaned to her and lowered my voice, "Besides, that thing's going to come in handy if we come across Atlas again."

I gave a small smile, but she didn't. She saw something in my expression that I didn't even know I'd given. There was a flash of concern across her brow.

"You've been thinking about it a lot, haven't you? The attack."

My smile melted, and I looked back to the horizon. "Yeah. What can I say? He beat me, big time."

There was a silence, and the memory ran through my head for the millionth time. An image of my body being smashed over the titan's kneecap, helpless, whining like a kid. I had been broken, utterly. It was my worst loss to date.

I felt her softly touch my spine. The sensation brought chills all over my body, and even a hint of pain. "Don't beat yourself up over that. There was nothing we could do, we tried our best, and didn't give up."

"Yeah." I said bitterly, "But that's not what gets to me. What gets to me is that...it was so easy for him. So easy for him to dispatch me, like I was nothing. Harper, if Poseidon hadn't saved us, we would've been killed. You would've been killed..."

She waited for me to vent my frustration. And at the moment, I was, I didn't even know I'd been holding it inside for this long.

I continued, "It kills me to know that I can't protect you from everybody, the Camp, or anyone for that matter. There's always a bigger fish out there, and Atlas proved that." I tightened my lips, and felt my eyes start to sting. I didn't want it to happen, but it did anyway. "I couldn't protect Dad...and now I can't protect anybody. Ouranos always finds a way, he always finds a way to beat us."

There I said it. It was out in the open. I didn't care how loud I spoke it, if Levi or Talon heard it, which they probably did since they were sitting seven feet away. I didn't care.

"So that's what this is about?" She said, "Your dad?"

"No. I mean...yes, partly. Ugh, I don't know, okay. It's about everybody, it's about you, it's about Talon, Percy, everybody. I don't want to lose anyone close to me, ever again. Not like that, and especially not at the hands of him."

She stopped me from saying anything else, "Hey, don't think like that. You're not going to lose anybody."

When I didn't respond, she put her hand on my cheek and forced me to look at her.

"I can protect myself, remember?" She said, "We can all fight, and we all know what we signed up for. So don't hold all the weight on your shoulders."

I wasn't sure about that. I knew they could fight, I knew that, but there would always be that little voice in my head that urged me to try and protect everyone, save everyone, be the hero.

But I gave in and forced a smile, "Okay. You're right."

She patted my cheek, "Good." She turned and leaned her elbows on the saddle, "So, got any ideas on what we're going to do yet?"

"About what? I figured we'd go straight to Mount Othrys, face our enemies, and...figure out a way to defeat them on the fly. Ouranos may not be too much of a problem, since he's a little kid, but Atlas, well-"

"I meant-" She started, but took a glance at Talon, who was laying on his back with his arms behind his head, his trademark cowboy hat covering his face.

She whispered, "I meant about Malachi."

Oh. That.

"Well, we know he's doing it because of Sera." I said, "So, we just figure out a way to rescue her. If we do that, we're home free."

She didn't look convinced. Pursing her lips and biting her tongue.

I sighed, "I know it's not detailed. I'm open to suggestions, okay? What were you thinking?"

She might have been starting to say something. But whatever it could've been was cut short. Harper widened her eyes at something in the distance and pointed. "What the hell?"

I looked in the direction she pointed and found that it was pretty hard to miss. A thunderstorm.

I scrunched my face, "That wasn't there before, was it?"

"No. I literally looked away for three seconds, and there it was."

Too quick to be a natural storm. Someone did that, and I'd bet it was someone that wanted to attack us.

But then again, it could be some freak thing. I called over my shoulder, "Talon!"

Both he and Levi were sitting up now, their attention drawn to us. "Yeah?"

"Can you tell where we're at?"

I was referring to his mapping device, the one he usually creates with his powers. But before he could even light a golden spark, Levi peered over the saddle, "By the looks of the landscape, and considering we've been flying for over three hours...at the speed of a commercial plane no less, I'd say we're in Kansas. Or very close."

I was a bit taken back by his attentiveness and sense of direction. I knew we'd been flying for about three hours, but I wouldn't have guessed Kansas.

"You know how long it takes to get to Kansas from New York? Why?" Harper said.

Levi shrugged, "I'm good at geography."

Talon's tracking device morphed in his hand, he held it up to his face and pressed a button. "Damn, he's right. We're a bit past the Missouri-Kansas line." He looked at Levi, slightly impressed, "Not bad."

I looked up at our protective wind dome, and saw that it was rippling, slowly, then at a rapid pace. It was raining.

"Those clouds look really gray." Harper said suspiciously.

"Kansas is the storm state, right?" I asked, thinking I had heard that somewhere. "Isn't this natural?"

Talon grunted and stood up, "In October? Nah, something ain't right here. This is Ouranos's doing."

The seriousness of the situation just skyrocketed. If this was an attack, then that meant Ouranos knew we were coming.

Levi stood up as well, "I wouldn't be surprised. He probably knows we're on our way."

I glared at the storm ahead, already seeing powerful lightning bolts strobing inside them. This wasn't natural. This was him. I knew it.

I picked up Viribus from the saddle floor and clenched it tight. "Good. I want him to know."

Harper looked at me like I said rock and roll was the worst kind of music. "But what about the element of surprise? If they know we're coming, they have more time to prepare!"

"I don't care." I said, "If I can't beat Ouranos as a child, then I can't beat him at all. I'm done hiding, and I'm done trying to play tricks. This time around, we take him head on, and get our friends back."

I felt Talon's aura spike as he formed a shotgun in his hand. I heard him cock it, and I could practically see his old self returning. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

Keep steady, Kyros. I told the eagle. We'll stop for rest soon, but right now, I need you to keep flying.

I'm not sure if he got all of that, since we communicate through emotions. I just wanted to get the part keep flying across.

Thankfully, his emotions showed he understood, and I saw him tuck his head forward, speeding us up.

Within a few seconds, we entered the storm. Nothing but a wall of gray puff surrounded us, a constant flash of lightning in all directions raging, but not close, they actually seemed distant.

"Be ready for anything." I told them, darting my eyes in all directions. I couldn't make out an aura, and I couldn't see anything. We were completely covered, not even a foot of distance was visible.

CRASH!

Like the sound of a bird hitting a glass window, something hit the dome around the saddle. We all missed it but looked at the impact. Where it hit, whatever it was, left a small crack.

A crack in the wind. How was that even possible?

"What was that?"

"I don't know."

I looked to Levi, "Any idea?"

He squinted around at the lightning, trying to figure it out. "Matt, you said you couldn't feel an aura, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Then...it's not a person. It has to be..."

As he was about to say it, we got our answer. Dozens of blue, misty humanoids threw themselves at our barrier, cracking it and damaging it severely. They looked like skeletons and ghosts mixed into one. At the heart of their smoky bodies, were single blue cores.

I knew immediately what they were. "Storm Spirits..."

Another one landed on top of the dome, this time wielding an electric sword. It stabbed straight through, and shattered our protection.

Instantly, we went from relatively warm and comfortable, to soaking wet, cold, and very uncomfortable. The dome dispersed, and the wind came in, blowing at tornado speed, along with hard rain and freezing temperature, it hit us like a semi-truck.

The storm spirit stabbed at me with its sword, very fast and precise, going straight for the spinal cord. Luckily, I knew it was going to target me, and I backstepped. I swung Viribus at its core, knowing from previous battles with these pests, that it's their weak spot. One hit in their heart, and their gone.

But it surprised me. Instead of the core being smashed, the storm spirit saw my attack coming, in time enough to dematerialize into wind, and rematerialize behind my back. Once it had a body again, it grabbed onto me, latching it's arms and legs around my torso. It bit my neck, and electricity coursed my veins. At times like these, it would be useful to have immunity, but I didn't.

It felt like getting a shock from a fence, which if you haven't had the pleasure, it's similar to getting kicked really hard in the chest. It takes the wind out of you.

It shocked me long enough for my mouth to get dry, and my body to feel prickly. I reached behind and grabbed it's head with one hand, throwing it off the side of Kyros back into the storm.

I rubbed my neck and shook off any stinging sensation. I tried not to waver and got in a fighting position. "That actually kind of stung. Have they gotten stronger? And what was with that dematerializing thing?"

Talon shot several rounds into the clouds, wherever he saw a lightning strike. "Don't know, but the bastards are quick!"

Harper had her knives ready, but there wasn't much she could do. The storm spirits seemed to be flying along with us, keeping their distance.

"Levi?" She said, "Any explanation?"

He looked just as confused as we did and had the Heavenly Diamond knife unsheathed and gripped in his right hand. Huh, wonder what would happen if he hit one of those things with it. Probably nothing.

"Well, they come from Ouranos himself." He said, "Maybe his new state, and the return of his natural power allowed him to create stronger spirits."

Another spirit took a pass at us, blue light flashing by in a blur. It seemed to stick it's hand out to grab us, but we instinctively dodged anyway. It may have had a sword for all I know. I couldn't feel their auras, which is weird, since I've been able to before. I remembered feeling Ouranos's aura last year and finding out he was creating the storm spirits with it. Sacrificing his own energy to create an army, basically. It made sense that they would be stronger now that he has his original power back.

"And the dematerializing thing?" I asked, dodging another spirit's swipe.

"Um...I don't know. Maybe he has better control of them now, and can will them to do certain things. Maybe he's even seeing what they see, also. I'm not sure."

Right now, he was willing them to attack us relentlessly. The wave started right after Levi spoke, storm spirits emerged from the clouds like cannonballs sent to kill us. Many of them were slashed or shot by us in mid air, hitting their cores. But some made it onto the saddle. Two of them attacked me from both sides, I dodged their strike, reached in their cores simultaneously, and squeezed the life out of them. They dispersed with the wind.

Talon fired with extreme accuracy, and would've killed all his targets, had they not been dematerializing all around him. Same goes for Harper and Levi. Despite Levi's state right now, he was still a dangerous fighter, and he clearly had the experience factor over all of us. His knife strikes were powerful, precise, and graceful all at the same time. It was like watching Harper fight.

Levi looked behind me, "Watch out!" And threw his knife at what I assumed to be a spirit about to attack me.

I turned and saw the knife hit it right in the core, perfectly in the middle. The spirit let out a ghostly hiss and disappeared completely. The Heavenly Diamond did its work.

I reached out and manipulated the wind to bring it back, and I caught it in my hand.

"Thanks." I told Levi and tossed it to him. Thank Olympus he caught it by the hilt, if it accidentally scratched him, we would have a big problem.

This began to remind me of when Sigurd and I fought the Draugr back in Scandinavia. It was wave after wave of these things, and they weren't giving up. Sure, we were hitting their cores, but we were only hitting half of them. The other half were either too fast, or too clever. They saw what happened to their friend and used that to get an advantage. Oh yeah, Ouranos is controlling these things, alright.

A legion of them soared at me, coming from underneath the front of Kyros and jumping on the saddle like ninjas. There had to be twelve of them, all armed with blades of lightning.

They hissed and emitted smoke at me. I just gripped Viribus and motioned for them to attack already.

"Come on." I said, "Try it."

At that, they all attacked at once. From there, it was like a scene out of a movie. I was focused, and my attention was solely on the storm spirits. Harper says not to worry about them, so I won't. Right now at least, I'm focusing on my fight. And to be honest, it's better when I do that. At least, I fight better.

The spirits didn't stand a chance. Three of them immediately stuck their misty hands out and summoned lightning in their palms. Like a rod of some sorts, it bounced off of them and came straight at me. I smirked, knowing full well that it wouldn't even scratch me in the slightest. I simply stuck my hand out and let the lightning hit it, like I predicted, I didn't feel any pain. The lightning exploded on impact.

Their intention was to distract me, maybe the bright light would blind me, along with all of this rain hitting my eyes. But no. On Dad's island, I spent days getting used to different types of weather, especially rain. I would lay down and let the rain fall onto my eyeballs, even if it was coming down hard to the point where it was painful, just to get used to it, and be prepared for this type of situation. Turns out it worked.

The spirits came at me, swinging with extreme speed and accuracy, but I was untouchable. I parried, dodged, weaved, and struck back. After every parry, I would lunge forward and deliver a backwards stab to the core, dispersing them. Other times, I would hit their swords so hard, they just sparked back into the sky, then I would hit them with a swing.

Before six seconds was up, I had destroyed all twelve of them.

But there were still more. I could see in the sky, the gray clouds weren't stopping, the lightning wasn't stopping. We'd been through it for several minutes now, and traveled probably a couple, or even a few miles worth. We had to do something.

"Everyone!" I shouted, "I've got an idea that could end this!"

"This whole time?!" Talon yelled back, "Or just now?!"

I ignored that, "We need to hit them with something they can't react to! A huge, collective strike!"

"Okay, but what?!" Harper said, slicing another spirit's core.

I let my actions answer her. I raised Viribus to the sky and felt my own energy stirring. Zeus's aura began to come alive in this thing, and it was powerful. It commanded the clouds and sky with ease, and suddenly, I had full control.

"Everyone, duck." I said, and I hoped they did. I wasn't looking back. I knew an army of spirits were about to close in on us, and this fight wouldn't end.

Viribus crackled with electricity, the clouds circled around us, the lightning seemed to close in to, like it was changing ownership. With a roar, I thrust Viribus upward, like I was holding some kind of flag up after a won battle. Lightning burst from it in all directions, huge and bright, it encompassed the sky with it's burning roots, and took over any spirits left. I heard loud hissing, explosions of cores, and wind surges everywhere. The very clouds themselves were being blown back by the display.

It surged for a minute straight, and then it was gone. Calm.

I still had Viribus in the air, but everything was over. For now. I looked around at the aftermath and found that it was much better. Day had turned a peaceful night, the moon was level to us, and there were no clouds in the sky. I had gotten rid of them.

I took a breath, and lowered Viribus. What was his game? Why did Ouranos do that? Was he just trying to tell us he knew we were coming? He's not dumb, and he's aware that storm spirits, no matter how much he enhances them, don't have a chance of killing us.

So why send them? Why not Atlas?

I didn't want to see the titan ever again, but at the same time...I wanted to see him right away. I'll be honest, he's pretty terrifying, but that doesn't quell my anger, not at all. He attacked and nearly killed Kyros, which alone is enough to make my blood steam, but he also attacked Harper, which is enough to send me over the edge. I wanted to get another chance at him, as slim as it may be, we had Heavenly Diamond now, and if could take him by surprise...

"Is it over?" I heard Harper ask, getting up and looking around at the clear sky.

"Yeah."

Talon laughed, "Damn, kid! That was freaking awesome! Looked like Zeus out there!"

"Well, Zeus's aura is in that thing." Harper explained.

Talon's eyes widened, and he pointed at Viribus, "Zeus's aura...is in that thing? What the hell, why didn't you tell me?!"

Harper rolled her eyes, "He did, idiot. But you were too drunk to remember."

"You got a problem with my drinking? What's wrong with a beer or two?"

"Oh you've drunk way more than one or two, buddy. By the way, what were you thinking earlier, bringing strippers to camp? Are you stupid?"

"You wanna go right now, fog eye?! Cause we can!"

"Fog eye? Really?"

"Yeah!"

As the two argued behind me, Levi walked up to my right, and looked out at the night sky with a worried expression.

"I believe I'm thinking the same thing you are." He said, "Why'd he do it?"

I nodded, "We are thinking the same thing. Why did he send storm spirits after us? I figured he'd give up on those things, they don't stand a real chance against us. Why not send Malachi or Atlas?"

"Maybe it was a threat. Letting us know he sees us, where we are and that he's ready for us."

I crossed my arms, puzzled. That's what I thought, but it felt like there was more to it.

Levi continued, "And as for Malachi, maybe he didn't come on the account of Talon being here. The two are childhood friends right?"

"Yeah, best friends." Something hit me right then, and I looked back at Talon, childishly arguing with Harper. My stomach sank at the realization...he didn't know about Malachi working for Ouranos.

I turned back around with wide, dreading eyes. "Gods, he doesn't know. He has no idea Malachi is being forced to fight against us."

"Why?"

"We haven't had time to tell him. And lately he hasn't exactly been sober."

Levi looked at the cowboy in his peripheral, animated and poking Harper in the forehead, trying to make her mad. "Well, he seems aware at the moment."

"I know." I sighed, frustrated. "He stopped drinking because of the quest. He has hope that we're going to save Malachi and Sera, but...we're going to have to fight the former. How am I supposed to tell him that he has to fight his best friend?"

I never thought I would vent my frustrations to Levi, much less reveal my worried thoughts. He just shook his head and muttered, "I don't know. But he seems to respect you a lot. If it comes from you, he shouldn't take it too hard. Besides, there's hope, right? If Sera is the key, then we just need to free her."

I chuckled humorlessly and felt Deja Vu at the statement. "We'll try, that's for sure."

Soon everything tunneled for me. The sounds of the wind, even Talon and Harper's arguing drowned out in my ears, and I only saw one figure in front of me. Malachi. I knew he wasn't actually there, but I saw him, in two forms. The Malachi that I knew, socially awkward, only trying to do what was right, to the Malachi now, forced to do his father's bidding. I would have to fight him, there was no doubt about it. There would be no holding back, because I knew he had gotten even stronger than before.

Kyros's waver in the air broke my thoughts, and we all nearly tripped from the slip up. The eagle cawed for my attention. He needed to rest, I knew it. His wound probably still ached, and he'd been flying for a while.

"You need to rest, huh buddy?" I said and patted his feathers. He cawed in agreement.

"So, we need to find a spot to land?" Talon said, "But where? The woods?"

We could. Or we could go somewhere else. A thought just entered my mind.

"You said we were in Kansas, right?"

"Yeah."

I smirked, "Then I know where we can stay for the night."

Percy

Triton and I clashed weapons.

From the first strike, I already knew I was toast. The Sahara heat had me weak and feeling a little nauseous. It wasn't like I couldn't handle heat, but this was an extreme situation. Triton was right, being so far away from water, and in one-hundred-degree weather, had a negative effect on me. I was basically a walking handicap.

Triton first stabbed his Bident in my direction, to which I barely sidestepped. I followed up with a quick swipe to his head, he ducked.

He was a god, and Riptide wasn't made of Heavenly Diamond, so there was no worry about him getting permanently hurt. Even if I could hit him that is. A few more exchanges told me that he was just gauging my skill level and wasn't actually trying. Even if I was in my peak condition, his centuries of experience had me outclassed.

For a minute, we fenced on the dune, slashing, parrying, and dodging each other's strikes. The Bident had a good reach, and the way Triton used it was very hard to predict. It slowed my reaction time a bit and made the dodges and parries much closer than they would've been if he had a sword. The Bident was different from a spear, in that it had two points, with each one having width range along with long range.

I bashed the Bident away and took a shot at his side, but quickly, he spun around and blocked it, the metals banged together and created a tiny shockwave. Triton positioned his ankle behind mine and gave a simple push, effectively knocking me off balance.

I fell down the steep dune and lost Riptide in the process. I had sand in my mouth and clothes, basically falling like a tumbleweed all the way to the bottom.

I slammed my knuckles into the sand and pushed myself up, spitting out the residue that got in my mouth.

"Not bad." Triton called down in a monotone, "You're a good swordsman, but your inexperience with the environment stops you."

I cleared my throat, "No kidding."

"Climb up."

I looked up at him in disbelief, seeing that it was like a twenty-foot climb, up sand no less. "You can't be serious."

"I am. Now climb, unless you want me to leave you here and take the sword with me."

I swallowed down the annoyance. This was training, he was training me. I can't get mad.

I took a deep breath and blew the sweat off my nose. On all fours, I dug my limbs into the sand and pushed, pushed, and pushed some more. Hard as I could, I grunted and yelled. This wasn't regular sand, it had to be quicksand or mud or something. It seemed to bog me down, and even pull on my legs. I couldn't hardly make any leeway. It took me a few minutes just to travel halfway.

"What gives!" I shouted, "Are you controlling this stuff?!"

"Do I look like I control sand?" He scoffed, "Come on, Percy! You have to want it! You're blinding yourself to what's in front of you!"

I titled my head upwards to see Riptide sticking hilt up in the sand, it was an arm's reach away.

"There!" Triton ordered, "Grab it!"

I groaned and reached my hand out. It was so close, just a few millimeters away from my fingertips.

"AGHH!" I shouted in pain, my body was stretching to it's limit. I dug my toes in my shoes and pushed up as hard as my muscles would allow, and finally...

Triton yanked Riptide from the ground, and my momentum made me fall face first in the sand.

"Should've taken it faster." Triton said, clicking his tongue.

Anger boiled inside me. I couldn't help it. I'd never been trained like this before, and now I was starting to dislike him again. He was doing this out of spite, I knew it. He was jealous or something. Of what, I didn't know, but that had to be it.

I growled and shot up, a burst of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I jumped the rest of the distance and landed on top of the dune. Triton smirked and tossed me Riptide.

I caught it, my eyes wide.

"Why did you-"

"BE READY!" Triton yelled, and stabbed the Bident at my face, I narrowly slashed the attack aside.

He walked up to me and poked my chest with his index and middle finger, then motioned to his eyes.

"Always look the opponent in the eye. Never show signs that you are intimidated, even if you are, never show it."

"O-Okay." I said.

"Now LOOK ME IN THE EYE!"

I did, and he began to strike at me again, this time much quicker, with more ferocity, but at the same time...such graceful movements. I'd never seen such a style before. It was like he moved with the wind, like his body was water or something. He ducked under my strikes with such fluidity.

Faster than I could react, he disarmed me, and sent Riptide flying out of my hands. Next thing I knew, he thrust the non-lethal end of the Bident in my chest, knocking the wind out of me, and sending me tumbling down the dune again.

This time, I rolled to a stop on my back, and lay face up to the blazing sun. I didn't dare open my eyes in fear I would be blinded.

"That was the Atlantic style, Percy." Triton said. "Now climb back up here so I can explain it to you."

I didn't even argue this time, probably because I had barely any energy left. There had to be some water out here, there just had to be.

By the time I climbed the dune, I was covered in sweat, my clothes were extremely damp, and I was panting with every breath. But I managed to keep my eyes open, and pay attention to what Triton was saying.

He handed Riptide back to me. "The key to the Atlantic style, is water. The element you are most familiar with."

"Element?"

"Yes. There are four to be exact. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Each one has their own personality, their own trait. Kind of like a human, or even a god."

I scrunched my face, "I think I've heard something like this from a tv show once..."

"Quiet." He said, "Anyway, each element has their own trait. Air is the element of faith. Even though you cannot see it, it is there, and it will always be there. Fire is the element of both life and destruction. It grows, and breaths on it's own, but that is not always a good thing. Earth is the element of stability. A boulder is strong, just as people can be, if they are unified."

His explanation was really cool, and it grasped my attention more than the physical side of the training, which is a first. I'm not one that gets excited about lectures or spoken lessons, but hearing Triton explain the things that keep the world running was interesting.

"And water?" I asked.

"Water. Water is the element of freedom. Whatever it enters, it becomes. If you put water into a glass, it takes the shape of the glass. It can endure and weather any storm and become anything. If the sea is split open, water from all sides will heal the wound, and fill the gap. That is why the sea is so powerful."

"So...that's what the style is based on. You have to be like water."

Triton nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Yes. Very good. What makes the style so dangerous, is that it is both a defensive, and offensive based style. In defense, you must be water, and move like water. Fluid and fast. In offense, you must strike with such ferocity, that you are no different from a strong current, or a crashing wave."

"Like when you dodged and disarmed me." I noted.

"Yes."

I smiled, "That's really cool. So, are you going to show me the moves and I copy them?"

He stared at me and shook his head. I was confused, if he didn't show me the moves, then how would I know what to do? I was about to say something, but he turned, and looked to the horizon of the desert, a spot miles away in the distance.

"You rush things too much. First, you must build endurance. You haven't been exposed to the resistance this desert has to offer yet." He pointed in the distance, "Escape this desert, and then we'll talk."

"Wait what?" I said, "Hold on, are you serious?"

"Endure the heat and the pain, Percy. Conquer this first step, and then we can move on to the next."

I was in utter disbelief. He wanted me to walk miles across this desert?! There was no way!

"Dude, I can't do that! That's like...a hundred miles!"

"If you can't do it, then you are weak." He said harshly, "And you don't have what it takes to fight by my side."

"That's not fair, man. You're a god, and I'm not. I don't have the stamina to do this!"

"Really? Is Matthias Beckett not a demigod? Is he not more powerful than many gods and titans? Stop underestimating what you can become and build yourself! You know better than anyone that with experience, comes power!"

I clenched my fists. This was unreasonable.

When I didn't say anything, Triton sighed, and put his hands on his hips. "Fine. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on you. You want to retire from this life after all and live like a mortal. Very well then, if you want to turn back now, I will grant that. We can forget about the rescue mission, defeating Oceanus, all of that, and I can take you back to your Camp, your apartment, whatever. I won't bother you again. But all you have to do is tell me that's what you want."

I looked at him and saw that he was completely serious.

Fine. Maybe this was unreasonable, and maybe this was extreme. But...I wanted to help Dad, I wanted to help those people and stop Oceanus from hurting anyone else. Maybe I wanted this life at one point, and I know for a fact I loved it. I want to retire and live normally, but...not yet.

"No." I said, "I'm not giving up. I'll cross the desert."

Triton didn't smirk, or smile, or even nod. He just looked away from me, and said, "Very well. I'll be waiting on the other side."

With that, his body started to turn bright. I closed my eyes, knowing what was about to happen. A few seconds passed, and there was a powerful burst of energy, then...silence.

He was gone, and I was alone.

Maybe he was on to something, as much as I didn't like it. I was starting to get somewhat, very slightly used to the heat. The sweat wasn't coming down as fast or as much, and I could slowly, very slowly, feel some of my energy returning.

"Alright desert, let's go."

I started down the dune, and entered the sea of nothing.

Matt

As Kyros landed on the grass, I felt a little guilty.

Remember that girl that helped me get back on my feet last year? You know, after I got blasted by the Sons of Thor?

Eliza Shaw. A clear sighted mortal, and my friend.

We landed in front of her house, far away enough so that her parents wouldn't get suspicious. Now some context, as you probably remember, the Sons of Thor destroyed her house and farm because they thought I was still here. As you can imagine, that made me feel awful, and it was my fault. So, after Scandinavia, I took a lot of time to help rebuild their home. I didn't know that much about carpentry, so I brought Leo Valdez with me when he had time, and I was kind of used as the main labor guy. You know, carrying heavy wood and what not.

"Matt, are you sure she'll be okay with this?" Harper asked, "Two teenagers, and two weird grown men barging in on regular people isn't exactly polite."

"Wait, why are Talon and I weird? And you're not?" Levi asked.

"She's just mad at me." Talon whispered, "Jealous. That's all."

Harper ignored him, "Don't you think coming here will attract attention? What if her house gets destroyed again?"

I sighed, "I know I'm asking for a lot. And if she says no, we'll leave." I was fine with that. I wasn't about to intrude on someone's home, especially if they didn't want us here. Eliza would have every right to refuse, witnessing two insane demigods destroy her home because of my stupidity.

Nervously, I walked up to the front door with my friends in tow. This sure wouldn't look weird, nope, not at all. I just hoped and prayed that Eliza answered, and not her parents. She told me that they still didn't know anything about our world, saying that when the Sons of Thor attacked, the mist hid them as crazed arsonists. Which they were, but I guess the mist took away the lightning manipulation and super strength.

With a slow, moderately quiet knock, I tucked my hands in front of me and waited for some kind of response. Her car was here, so she should be inside.

It took a few seconds, but finally the door creaked open, revealing Eliza in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey..." I said, giving an obviously awkward wave. "How you been, Eliza?"

I wasn't sure what time it was, but she had obviously been having a good sleep. She took a scan of us and deadpanned.

"Let me guess." She said, "Someone's chasing you, and you need to stay here for the night."

I chuckled, "Well nobody's chasing us-"

"That we know of." Harper muttered.

"Uh, that we know of." I said, "But yeah, we kinda need to stay for the night. Kyros is tired and we're on a quest."

"Figures."

"Look, I know I'm asking for a lot here, and showing up in the middle of the night is really uncool. If you don't want us in your house, then we'll leave."

She yawned and thought about it for a second. Looking up the stairs, I guessed she was making sure her parents weren't waking up.

She turned around and sighed, "Fine. Come in but be quiet. My parents are still asleep."

Eliza told me Kyros could stay in the barn, so I had to lead him out there. His front leg was limping a little, and he was exhausted. I had to use my shoulder strength to keep him upright.

I opened the barn and found that it was more than large enough to fit five Kyros's. It wasn't the type of barn you put animals in, but instead held supplies and feed. There were several bags in the corner, a couple of tractors, and hay bales all over the place. There was a particular spot where a lot of it was laid out, maybe falling off the bale. I'm not a farmer, so I don't know.

"Lay over there, bud." I told him and led him to the pile. He immediately dropped down and curled up into a feathery ball, closing his eyes.

I smiled sadly and patted his head, "Sorry for pushing you. Rest up, and we'll get at it in the morning."

I left him there and closed the door quietly, making sure it locked back in place.

Afterwards, I stepped back into the house and went upstairs, where I knew everybody was waiting. I found them all in Eliza's room.

"I really appreciate this." I told her, "Thank you."

Eliza hadn't changed that much since we last saw each other, which was a few months ago. She remained the same height, same figure, she still had her slight array of freckles and red hair. Like I said earlier, she's a clear sighted mortal, like Percy's mom. That means that they aren't involved in the supernatural world, but they can see it. The mist doesn't block them out, so they're exposed to the reality of monsters, and well, the powers of demigods.

She shrugged, and closed the door behind me, "It's fine. I guess I sort of owe you anyway for helping rebuild around here."

"Well, it was my fault to begin with. Sorry again."

"Move on from that. Geez, you don't have to keep apologizing."

Harper walked up to us, "It's an annoying trait of his. You get used to the excessiveness over time."

Eliza smiled at her and held out her hand. "So, you must be the one he talked about so much. Nice to meet you."

Harper's ears turned a little red at the mention of me talking about her but shook Eliza's hand. "Likewise. You have cool hair."

"Thanks. You too."

Talon groaned at the back of the room, "We get it, guys. You know each other, and you owe each other. Now let's get our sleeping situations arranged, I'm trying to get some shut eye."

Eliza raised an eyebrow, "Is that the cowboy you mentioned?"

Harper nodded apologetically. "He's an idiot." She turned around and whisper yelled at him, "Be nice! She's letting us stay here!"

Talon grumbled and looked at the floor. "Sorry, ma'am. We just got attacked by ghosts, so I'm a little stressed. Are there enough rooms for us?"

I was a little surprised at Talon's change of tone. Heh, he could be polite when he wanted to. It also went to show how much he had changed. Used to, if Harper reprimanded him like that, he wouldn't bat an eye. But now he actually listens.

Eliza pursed her lips, "Well...there's my room, the guest room, and my parent's room. Obviously their room is off limits, but you guys can stay in the other two. I'll just sleep on the couch."

Levi shook his head, "Oh no, that won't be necessary. I can stay in the barn with the eagle."

"Yeah, we ain't about to take your bed from you." Talon said.

"Are you sure?

Talon put his arm around Levi and pushed him forward forcibly. "Oh yeah. We'll be just fine, it'll actually give us some time to bond, won't it?"

Levi didn't look too pleased about that, but before he could protest, Talon had already drug him out the door.

To Eliza's confusion, I said, "He's going through a lot. I'll talk to him later."

"Um, okay. Well, I guess I can keep my bed then. Unless you two aren't fine with both of you in the guest room?"

Harper and I looked at each other. I didn't know about her, but my heart was starting to get a little excited at the thought. It wasn't like we were uncomfortable with each other, we'd been together for a while now, but things like I don't know, sleeping together are a little next level, and unmarked territory for me. But I wasn't about to kick Eliza to the couch in her own home.

"That'll be fine." Harper said. "Thanks."

"No problem." She said, letting out another yawn. "Well, I better be getting back to sleep. I've been up since this morning, and I had to drive all the way from campus, so..."

"Wait, campus? You're in school now?"

She nodded happily, "That's right, I forgot to tell you. I um, thought a lot about what you said, that I should just tell my parents what I really wanted to pursue. Well...I told them, and you were right. They were totally on board and supported me. I'm going to school for journalism now, so...I actually did owe you, until tonight I guess."

I smiled, "That's great. I knew they'd support you. So how is it? College, I mean." I was kind of interested, since I knew I wouldn't be going. High school was it for me, and then I'm done.

Oh man, I just now remembered that we'd already missed a day or two of school. But it was the weekend now, so we should be alright. That is if this quest doesn't take too long. I am not about to enter another situation where I miss a whole year and have to play catch up with my assignments.

Eliza's eyes brightened from their sleepy state at my question, "Oh, it's so awesome. The classes are interesting, and I'm actually having a lot of fun, gaining new experiences." A faint blush lined her cheeks at a memory she just had, "And...I met this girl there. She's great."

"I'm happy for you."

"So college isn't a total waste, then?" Harper said, "Huh, might have to look into that."

I knew she was kidding, so I joked. "What would you major in? Sarcasm and knife tricks?"

She narrowed her eyes at me in half-hearted annoyance. "Careful, Matt. That idiot in the barn already has me pissed off, don't push it."

I chuckled, and started backing out of the door, "Alright, we should be getting to sleep. What time do your parents usually wake up?"

"Around seven."

"Alright, we'll be gone by then. Thanks so much for this." I motioned for Harper to follow me, "C'mon."

She gave a little wave to Eliza, "Nice meeting you."

"Same." Eliza said, "Good luck on your quest. Oh, and try not to let the bad guys blow up the world. That would kind of suck."

"We'll try." I said, laughing. Well, that laugh wasn't really genuine, because that could very well happen if we're not careful.

Eliza closed the door behind us and we stopped in the hallway.

I looked down at the front door from the railing, a little dreadfully. "I hate doing this. Having to rely on people just trying to live their lives, having to use their home as a freaking safehouse. It's like I'm hiding."

Harper snorted, "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine tonight."

I didn't laugh.

She sighed, "Hey, it's not hiding. Kyros needed to rest, and we needed a place to stay. She didn't mind, so here we are. There's no problem."

"You're right. I've just got a lot on my mind. Mainly Malachi."

"What about him?"

"Well, what are we going to do if we have to fight him?" I tried to keep my voice low, but my worries were starting to escape, slowly increasing volume. "What if he comes here, and suddenly Eliza's life gets involved? I haven't even told Talon about him yet."

She knit her black eyebrows, which were barely visible in the dark hallway. "That Ouranos still has him?"

"No, that Malachi's being forced to do his bidding. He doesn't know that we'll have to fight him, he just thinks that he's being held prisoner."

There was a silence, and we just let that horrible thought drift through the air for a second. It pained me to think I would have to fight Malachi, I couldn't imagine the pain Talon would feel having to fight him. They'd known each other for years. He was the first real friend Talon ever had.

"I can tell him." Harper whispered hesitantly, "I can...tell him, if you want."

I shook my head quickly, "No. No, it has to be me this time. I need to tell him. You should talk to Levi instead, and maybe try to work things out between yourselves. You may never get the opportunity again."

Harper took that seriously and steeled her good eye with determination. "Y-You're right. This is probably the only point in the quest where we can talk. Every other moment we'll no doubt be fighting for our lives."

"Yeah. Just another day in the office, isn't it?"

She almost cracked a smile, "Damn, if I knew this was a workplace, I'd have already put my two weeks in."

Harper and I decided to go ahead and get our conversations over with. Though she didn't seem to dread talking to Levi, she actually seemed hopeful about it. This would be their first conversation as allies, and perhaps siblings again. Olympus knows they could talk all night, as there was a lot to work through.

Me, I wasn't hopeful. I knew what I had to say to Talon, and I knew how he was going to take it.

Harper led the way, and we entered the barn together. Kyros was still curled up in his ball, sound asleep. Every time he would exhale, the wind from his nostrils would blow so much wind, that it would send gusts towards the wall and stir up several clumps of hay.

Levi was laying on top part of the barn, up the wooden ladder and on the square shaped outer platform that held several of the farm tools. The best way I can explain it is that imagine you're inside the barn, and the middle of it is shaped like a square, well imagine a second story fifteen feet above you, without the floor. It was just an outline of a square attached to the walls of the barn.

Harper took another look at me, wanting that last bit of encouragement.

I nodded at her, silently urging her on.

She nodded back and climbed up the ladder. I heard her rustle Levi awake softly.

Okay, now that's done. I just have to find Talon.

"Talon." I called, "Hey Talon, you awake?"

No response. I walked the entire barn in a few seconds, looking in every nook and cranny, but didn't find Talon.

Maybe he fell asleep on Kyros. It was possible, and made sense. The bird had some seriously warm feathers.

But as I walked up to him, I didn't see Talon anywhere. What happened? Did he leave? Or is he outside?

The panic that started welling in my chest went away the moment I heard a snap, then a flicker of something. I concentrated my hearing and waited for it again. Snap, the flicker. It sounded like someone was trying to start a lighter.

I exited the barn and looked towards the sound, to see Talon sitting in a lawn chair, thirty feet away from the barn in an open grassy field, right next to a long row of crops. He was right under the moon, and in front of a big forest, so it wasn't like he was hidden or anything. But the little orange kindle at his mouth told me straight away that he was having a smoke.

I walked slowly up to him, finding him dead center in the grass field. He must've created the lawn chair with his powers, and he kept the lighter on him at all times, along with cigarettes. Right now he was leaned back in the chair, his sunglasses hanging tight on his nose, blowing smoke from his mouth.

I was about to announce that I was here, when I noticed something odd. Leaning up against the back of the chair, was a thick tree branch. It looked like it had been whittled down to a sharp point, resembling a wooden spear.

"Talon." I finally said, "It's me."

He didn't even turn his head, he just waved a hand, "Yo."

I walked up beside him and noticed something else even stranger than the pointed stick. On the ground at his feet, there was a word inscribed in the dirt. It said Incendiary.

Incendiary? What the heck? I had to rack my brain a little to think of the definition. Incendiary...didn't that have something to do with starting fires?

It was pretty big and etched deep in the dirt. You could probably see it from a good distance away if you wanted to. Suddenly the pointed stick made sense, he must've used that to carve the word in.

Talon put the cigarette in his mouth and took another puff, he looked up at me. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I will in a minute. I had to talk with you about something first."

His eyes were unreadable through the sunglasses, so I wasn't able to tell if he took that a bad way or a good way. His emotions were guarded too, so my sensing was kind of useless right now.

"How do you see at night with those things on, man?"

He shrugged and flicked the shrunken cigarette on the ground, stomping its embers out. "Got used to it. Wear em' long enough and you can see better sometimes than people that don't."

I nodded, and a silence fell. I took a long look at the word on the ground, trying my best to find out why he wrote it there without asking.

But finally, I had to. "What does it mean?"

"What does what mean?"

I pointed to it, "The word, man. Incendiary."

He looked at it and stared for the longest time. Like he'd forgotten he'd even written it, like it held so much weight that at the very thought of it, it triggered something inside him. But what? How can one word do something like that?

A faint smile danced on his lips. "It means a lot of things, but that one in the dirt means troublemaker."

"Troublemaker?"

"Yeah. Troublemaker, someone that causes conflict, an instigator, stuff like that."

Okay, so it did have multiple meanings. But how did it apply to Talon? Was it because he caused trouble as a kid or something?

"When I was on the Island with Malachi and Sera, we caused a lot of trouble." He explained with fondness. "The people that kept us prisoner there were shitbags, so the three of us decided to team up and cause as much chaos as possible. We'd mess with them, wreck their supplies, stop them from hurting other kids, and generally make their lives hell. By the end, we basically led a slave rebellion."

My heart twisted further and further at his recalling. Hearing how highly he talked of the past with those two, only made it that much harder to tell him what I was about to tell him.

I tried to keep my voice level, "But that doesn't explain where the word came from."

"Well, it got so bad that the warden, a big bastard with an electric prod named Timoros, basically deemed us wanted. They basically started an Island wide manhunt and gave us our very own nicknames." Talon put his hand in the air like he was giving a presentation. "The Incendiaries. That was us. To be honest, the name's kinda cool, so we didn't mind. Or at least I didn't mind."

I hated what I was about to say. But I had to. "Talon, there's uh...something you need to know, about Malachi."

He raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

I wanted to put my hands in pockets that I didn't have, or sit down somewhere, because this wasn't going to be easy, but I remained standing. I tried to look at him, "I should've told you sooner. But you know that Malachi and Sera are in Ouranos's hands, right?"

"Literally?" He joked, "Thought he was a damn kid now, how can he hold em' in his hands?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah I know they are." He muttered, more seriously. "And that's what this quest is for. To get them back. Once we do, we have a hell of a chance at defeating that bastard for good, and everything can go back to normal."

There was something about the way he said "normal" like he didn't believe it was true. It didn't seem to be related to Malachi and Sera, though.

I took a closer look at him, and saw that under his sunglasses, below his eyes, there were traces of bags. Darkened and tired skin.

"Everything okay?" Stupid question. "I mean- for the most part. Not much is okay these days, but I mean in your head."

He waved a dismissive hand, "Ah, I'm fine. I mean...hell I was pretty down for a while there, you know. Wasn't like I was damn hiding it, you saw the beer bottles, cans, all that shit. It's just, well-" He took a breath, and let it back out in a big sigh. "Ever since I was a kid, I never had many friends. People that I could actually connect with and open up to, that didn't exist for me. But when I met those two...something changed. I changed."

"That's...great, man. How about the Nikandreos thing? Any visions or weird things?"

His upbeat attitude faded instantly at that. In a way it was a good thing, because it kind of prepared him for what I was about to say. But at the same time, I felt bad for shifting the tone.

"I always have visions. Nothing new."

"Oh. Uh...wanna talk about it. Maybe I can help you decipher them."

He tightened his lips, "No. How about you tell me that thing about Malachi."

"Right." I wasn't about to press any further. I wanted him to be prepared for this, but not mad at me. "Yeah, about that..."

"Spit it out, kid. I can take it."

"Right, yes. Um, okay here goes." I cleared my throat, "Malachi isn't exactly being kept prisoner."

"Okay. What does that mean?"

"Well, Sera is. She's...being held hostage, and Ouranos is forcing Malachi to do his bidding. Fighting for him, against us. He captured Nemesis and helped free those new recruits from Tartarus."

Just like that, it came out. That weight was off and in the air for him to process. Now we just deal with the falling action.

Talon was silent at first, so silent that I could only hear the cicadas and the night's wind. Finally, he nodded slowly, and pulled out the cigarette pack from his duster pocket. I thought he was going to light another cigarette, but instead he surprised me by throwing it in the field.

He put his hand on his knee and turned to me, "Okay."

"Look I know this has to be hard- wait did you say okay?"

"Yeah."

I reared my head back. Huh?

"B-But I thought you'd be furious! Or sad or...something!"

He chuckled, "Ain't good news, but I know him, Matt. I got faith in what we're doing here, and I know that we're gonna succeed."

I wasn't used to him talking like this, at least for the last year. It was foreign language at this point.

"How?" I asked, like a confused child.

"Cause we've been through too much. It's like when you leave a spicket on, and water drips constantly. With enough time, even concrete will wither away from the pressure. We've endured so much shit from him, that we're vengeful, and when we see Ouranos...he won't stand a chance. He has no idea the monsters that he created."

"Damn, I didn't expect this." I said, "But that's...really cool what you said. I feel the same way."

He nodded, "I'm sure you do. Think about it for a second, kid. This piece of shit has manipulated every event in the past three years. Every horrible catastrophe, he pulled the strings. He killed Malachi's mom and turned him into his own personal weapon. He captured Sera, twice now. He turned a bunch of teenagers into psychopaths, including Levi. He unleashed the Sons of Thor on us, corrupted Hephaestus, and...personally killed your dad."

My entire face tightened with anger, "Yeah. I'm not forgetting that one."

He stood up from the chair, "Damn straight. That's why he's gonna pay." He held out his fist for a bump.

I obliged, and nodded firmly. "You're right. He's been underestimating us this entire time. That's going to be his downfall. If we just..."

I stopped and looked up at the sky, feeling a prickling sensation on my neck. Like a fly had landed on it.

I touched the spot, and felt no fly, or anything. This was something else, I was sensing something.

"What? What's wrong Matt?"

I looked up, and saw that there were more clouds in the sky now than there were a few minutes ago. There was an aura up there, I could feel it forming.

"Someone's up there."

Talon tried to follow my gaze, "Who?"

Before I could even attempt to answer, lightning burst from the sky. A quiet flash bolted down to the ground and connected, revealing two figures inside of it.

Talon and I tensed up, as the blue glow started to fade, the figures were revealed.

Out stepped Malachi, and the unnamed son of Hecate, about twenty feet away from us.

My eyes widened, "Malachi..."

He looked at me, guilt and confliction in his eyes. But that wasn't all, it was overpowered by something else. A drive to accomplish a goal, by any means necessary.

"Hello, Matt...Talon. It's been a long time."

(000)

And cliffhanger. Yet another one. Sorry about that guys, but twelve thousand words is good enough for this chapter. Let's keep it that way.

Malachi is back, and not through a memory. More details on his side of the story to come.

Glad to be writing Talon the way he should be again, his lines are some of my favorites.

Until Next Time.